NCASE M1: a crowdfunded Mini-ITX case (updates in first post)

Aren't there 2 sides though with mesh panels?
There's no room internally for a filter on the right side.

Nice. Corsair just released this: http://www.corsair.com/en-us/hydro-series-h5-sf-low-profile-liquid-cpu-cooler

Curious how it performs. If it's quiet I might use it.
Ironically, it looks like it won't even fit in the M1, at least not with the stock mounting. It overhangs the front and top edges of the motherboard too much. Not that you'd want to use it anyway; it's a safe bet pretty much any regular 120mm AIO will perform better, as well as many air coolers. This cooler is really only useful for cases where the max cooler height is <90mm, and that can't otherwise use a standard AIO.
 
Yeah, it is a pretty small radiator (167 x 40 x 57 mm, or about 6.5 x 2 x 2.25 in)--most of that assembly is the blower fan. Still, it manages to squeeze in about the same surface area as a 120 x 28 mm radiator (assuming fpi, etc, are the same): Corsair H5: 380,760 mm^3 vs 120 x 120 x 28 mm: 403,200 mm^3. Edit: Since that's a high-static fan, it's probably safe to assume they put a higher fin count than a standard 120 radiator, so it should at least equal the perf of a standard 120mm radiator.

They could have made mounting a little more flexible by extending the tube length a couple inches...
 
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Random feature request - Can the SFX PSU Bracket be revised to provide more clearance for SFX-L PSUs? I feel like the top flanges could be inverted or shorted to provide even like 1cm of extra clearance :)
 
fawk. you're right. I guess the only solution would be to make the entire thing taller :(

On that note, just to inform others, the 3M PCI-Ex16 Riser I bought DOES NOT FIT!

There is not enough width in the case :(

Wish I knew before trying but there goes $100 >___<


--- Does anyone have comments on the NH-C12P SE14 vs Cyrorg C1? I'm running an i7 4790k at 4.4GHz @ 1.215 and gaming/Prime95 I'll see temps at 85C+
 
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On that note, just to inform others, the 3M PCI-Ex16 Riser I bought DOES NOT FIT!

There is not enough width in the case :(
Dependong on the length of the riser you have, you may be able to use a 90° PCIe adapter to solve the clearance problem, e.g.:
ENCL2kh.jpg
 
Dependong on the length of the riser you have, you may be able to use a 90° PCIe adapter to solve the clearance problem, e.g.:
http://i.imgur.com/ENCL2kh.jpg

That idea immediately jumped to my mind as well, and if there was a short enough angled riser like this, it would be possible, but it seems like all that are available are too long to make it fit.
 
I use a H75; it works pretty well (have a 6700k OC'ed to 4.6 - haven't tried 4.7 or above, but I could definitely go higher). Not too loud (when it isn't fully spun up), allows the installation of another fan or HDD / SDDs on the other fan spot. Sometimes I get some weird air bubble noises, but they don't last more than 20-30 seconds. At full blow it does create noticeable noise. I idle around 22 C, don't think I've gone over 55 at full load (CPUZ stress testing).

FYI, I have it installed with only 1 fan pulling air into the case (positive pressure setup); the tubing internally is setup to sort of corkscrew around the fan placement (based on what I saw someone post hear several months back). I'd never used an AIO, so that is the primary reason I utilized it. I will say I like it in comparison to the C14 / standard heatsink since it is smaller. I had used a noctua D14 in my previous mid-tower rig. When I play games, if I don't force fps limits, the whole system blows pretty hard (have a 4gb 380 that doesn't have an external exhaust system), but I don't know how much is driven by the cpu versus other components.

Hope this helps! This forum was a HUGE help in getting my build setup (finished about 2-3 weeks ago)!

Two H75 fans do not fit? I'm thinking about EVGA 980 TI Hybrid and corsair H75 for CPU.
 
Random feature request - Can the SFX PSU Bracket be revised to provide more clearance for SFX-L PSUs? I feel like the top flanges could be inverted or shorted to provide even like 1cm of extra clearance :)
That was already done for V3. It's as high as it can go.

Two H75 fans do not fit? I'm thinking about EVGA 980 TI Hybrid and corsair H75 for CPU.
I believe Agent_Duchess meant that the H75 cannot be installed with both its fans (it comes with two), as that would make it too thick. People have successfully installed two AIOs - each with their own fan - in the M1.
 
Hallo everybody,

I´m assembling my Ncase with the ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac, 6700K, AMD R9 380, but the Pc don´t start. Could you help me to find the rigth connection between Pin/Connector (pics).

My first assembly was (PC did not start):
Ncase --> ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac:

H.D.D Led --> HDLED
Power LED +/- --> PLED +/-
Power SW --> ?? :confused:

Thank you very much.:)

Pics:
 
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Hallo everybody,

I´m assembling my Ncase with the ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac, 6700K, AMD R9 380, but the Pc don´t start. Could you help me to find the rigth connection between Pin/Connector (pics).

My first assembly was (PC did not start):
Ncase --> ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac:

H.D.D Led --> HDLED
Power LED +/- --> PLED +/-
Power SW --> ?? :confused:

Thank you very much.:)

Pics:

The polarity of the power switch doesn't matter, as it's just a switch. It will work no matter which direction you plug it in.
 
The polarity of the power switch doesn't matter, as it's just a switch. It will work no matter which direction you plug it in.

I have question related to this:

NCASE M1: a crowdfunded Mini-ITX case

Power button: Blue/red (purple combined) power/drive activity LED

How do you make power button illuminate it self purple? or blue? or red? what exactly do you have to combine?...
 
I have question related to this:



How do you make power button illuminate it self purple? or blue? or red? what exactly do you have to combine?...

So what this means is that, if the PC is on (blue LED) AND HDD activity (red LED) is showing, both the red and the blue LED inside the power button will light up, combining their colours, making it look purple. If you want the button to be illuminated purple, you'll have to make an adapter or mod the cable a little bit.
 
So what this means is that, if the PC is on (blue LED) AND HDD activity (red LED) is showing, both the red and the blue LED inside the power button will light up, combining their colours, making it look purple. If you want the button to be illuminated purple, you'll have to make an adapter or mod the cable a little bit.

So for purple basically the power led +/- has to go with HDD led +/- in the exact same "mounting" place in this case on the "power led" hooks?
 
for watercooling applications, do you guys prefer push or pull in this case? currently I have it in push on both radiators.
 
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That was already done for V3. It's as high as it can go.

I believe Agent_Duchess meant that the H75 cannot be installed with both its fans (it comes with two), as that would make it too thick. People have successfully installed two AIOs - each with their own fan - in the M1.

I believe I've stated this before, the H75 fits fine with the two fans that come with it and you don't even have to have low profile RAM. Perhaps people are confusing it with another model?

Here's a pic from my first build:


Alright so I eliminated the motherboard factor.. how about the cooling? What are the quietest AIO coolers that fits the ncase?

I want to avoid this....

http://i.imgur.com/IC8ia0g.jpg

There are different kinds of noise and multiple factors to consider if you want a quiet PC. Some people, like me, can't stand the humming from a small cheap AIO pump running at full speed, and then there's the noise from the air being pushed through the tight grid of the radiator.

Personally I prefer good silent air cooling for this case, but I don't mind some of the sweet custom loop setups I've seen, however, they do require more maintenance and are more expensive.

Another easy way to reduce both noise and cost is to have a look at what components you really need. I see lots of people buying the most powerful i7s just because they want the best, however, their use hardly justifies the extra cost and heat.
 
this may have been answered correctly but say you have:

1) air cooler blowing downwards (towards the CPU/motherboard)
2) GPU cooler blowing air away from card (presumably into the case
3) one chassis fan connector for a 120 mm fan.

Do you put the fan in the front part of the case as intake? or exhaust fan out the back? I am thinking there are so many vent holes maybe intake is better?
 
this may have been answered correctly but say you have:

1) air cooler blowing downwards (towards the CPU/motherboard)
2) GPU cooler blowing air away from card (presumably into the case
3) one chassis fan connector for a 120 mm fan.

Do you put the fan in the front part of the case as intake? or exhaust fan out the back? I am thinking there are so many vent holes maybe intake is better?

Well, a lot of coolers don't leave room for a rear fan so it would depend heavily on your choice of CPU cooler.
Using it as an intake on the front of the side bracket (across from the PSU) will likely help CPU temps (and PSU if your PSU intakes from inside the case).
Using it as exhaust in the same position will improve GPU temps at the cost of CPU temps.
 
this may have been answered correctly but say you have:

1) air cooler blowing downwards (towards the CPU/motherboard)
2) GPU cooler blowing air away from card (presumably into the case
3) one chassis fan connector for a 120 mm fan.

Do you put the fan in the front part of the case as intake? or exhaust fan out the back? I am thinking there are so many vent holes maybe intake is better?

If the GPU cooler is blowing away from the card, then I'd add some bottom fans as exhausts and the side fans can be intakes.
 
There are different kinds of noise and multiple factors to consider if you want a quiet PC. Some people, like me, can't stand the humming from a small cheap AIO pump running at full speed, and then there's the noise from the air being pushed through the tight grid of the radiator.

Personally I prefer good silent air cooling for this case, but I don't mind some of the sweet custom loop setups I've seen, however, they do require more maintenance and are more expensive.

Another easy way to reduce both noise and cost is to have a look at what components you really need. I see lots of people buying the most powerful i7s just because they want the best, however, their use hardly justifies the extra cost and heat.

So what air coolers do you guys recommend that don't require low profile ram? (that are near silent)
 
If you just want to filter the PSU intake a magnetic filter will fit between the frame and the psu enclosure with a bit of persuasion
 
It's also a way to cause more noise because the PSU can't cool properly. I've had my previous PSU trigger it's thermal shutdown by using a Demciflex filter and using a quiet fan, while gaming.
 
So what air coolers do you guys recommend that don't require low profile ram? (that are near silent)


Do you realize that setup does not require low profile RAM? Or do you just mean the tight fit in general?
The Corsair Vengeance RAM you picked in your other thread would actually fit even with push/pull on an NH-C14 despite not being low profile (Corsair can call them LPX all they want, they are standard size but with a small heatspreader).

Even better, if your motherboard supports it, you could possibly fit a Dark Rock TF and still have room for tall RAM: http://imgur.com/a/dyriR
If mounted pointing down, there is extremely good RAM clearance: http://i.imgur.com/DjQ0n2X.jpg
 
Do you realize that setup does not require low profile RAM? Or do you just mean the tight fit in general?
The Corsair Vengeance RAM you picked in your other thread would actually fit even with push/pull on an NH-C14 despite not being low profile (Corsair can call them LPX all they want, they are standard size but with a small heatspreader).

Even better, if your motherboard supports it, you could possibly fit a Dark Rock TF and still have room for tall RAM: http://imgur.com/a/dyriR
If mounted pointing down, there is extremely good RAM clearance: http://i.imgur.com/DjQ0n2X.jpg

Alright thanks.

So how do I know if my motherboard is compatible? Which ITX motherboards are compatible with the Dark Rock? And how does it compare to the C14?

C14:
Airflow: 110.3 m3/h
Airflow with L.N.A.: 83.7 m3/h
Airflow with U.L.N.A.: 71.2 m3/h
Noise: 19.6 dBA
Noise with L.N.A.: 13.2 dBA
Noise with U.L.N.A.: 10.1 dBA

Dark Rock:
65-70 CFM
20-25 dBA

I mean according to this review it looks like it's pretty quiet but a few coolers do beat it under load at least in terms of noise. Not sure about performance of the other 3 though (NH-U9s, NH-L12, NH-l9x65 LP)

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Alright thanks.

So how do I know if my motherboard is compatible? Which ITX motherboards are compatible with the Dark Rock? And how does it compare to the C14?

Not sure which is better.

I don't know any boards confirmed to be compatible with the Dark Rock TF out of the box.
The guy who built that PC said that the cooler actually touched his GPU backplate when mounted like that and if turned 90 degrees, it blocks the first RAM slot.

However, if you used a PCIe extension to move your graphics card a slot down, you could easily do it.
 
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Not sure which is better.

I don't know any boards confirmed to be compatible with the Dark Rock TF out of the box.
The guy who built that PC said that the cooler actually touched his GPU backplate when mounted like that and if turned 90 degrees, it blocks the first RAM slot.

However, if you used a PCIe extension to move your graphics card a slot down, you could easily do it.

Maybe. How about the Noctua NH-U9S?
 
So I guess if I want one of these I need to pre-order for the latest version. Is there no way to purchase the older version from anywhere else in the U.S.A.?
 
So I guess if I want one of these I need to pre-order for the latest version. Is there no way to purchase the older version from anywhere else in the U.S.A.?

Hah, I just sold mine a day ago--maybe a WTB post in the F/S/T forum will help you find a seller.
 
Yeah, I may do that. Thanks anyway!



There are many of us hanging onto unused cases - I almost sold mine but I think I finally got a green light on my build through work so my v4 will be loaded with a 5820k, 32GB ram, and a 980 Ti soon and become a portable video editing monster and part time 4K gaming box.

Then maybe Skylake-E and a 1080ti swap when they're released >_>

Best of luck, I've seen a few pop up here and there.
 
I believe I've stated this before, the H75 fits fine with the two fans that come with it and you don't even have to have low profile RAM. Perhaps people are confusing it with another model?
Let me rephrase: I don't recommend a rad with fans in push/pull, or any configuration that results in the rad+fans being thicker than 55m or so. The reason for that is the tubing has to fit between the rad and the block/motherboard, and there's not a lot of room for that. Yes, you can make it fit, but I've seen people struggle with fitting just a regular slim rad+single fan, so I try to keep my recommendations conservative.
 
Am I missing something, or there is no psu in that picture?

I'm running a HDPLEX 250W and Vodoo 350W power adapter. It fits perfectly right below the motherboard which allows me to run 2 radiators.

JCAQBPo.jpg


oIp01wN.jpg
 
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I'm running a HDPLEX 250W and Vodoo 350W power adapter. It fits perfectly right below the motherboard which allows me to run 2 radiators.

Do you have some other pictures of you setup? A build log or something? To see how it looks with two rads? Also, I noticed the front is stripped of the USB ports? Anyway, one of the more interesting builds in the M1. I was contemplating going the DC-DC psu route, but I would have to use two power bricks and a 500W pico psu for my needs, so it would be a less appealing solution ;)
 
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