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

Just did a quick survey of Z270/Z370 ITX boards:

<snip>

So it looks like it's still just Asus that's including the Gen 2 front panel header.

Last that w360 looked into it, the production for Gen 2 front panel cables was all booked up.
Given that hardly anyone is doing USB 3.1 Gen 2 headers, regardless of form factor, I think it's going to be while before we see 3.1 Gen 2 USB-C appearing on many cases of any size. I'm certainly in no rush to see them introduced to the M1. I have a couple of USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (USB-A, not C) on my motherboard's back panel, and they're perfectly adequate, and loads of USB A to USB C cables and adapters, so I can live quite happily without front panel 3.1 Gen 2 USB-C.

One thing that does occur, though: do front panel USB-A ports exist that can be hooked up to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 header on the Asus boards? That would at least give USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel functionality, and users could just use an A to C cable if required.

As an aside, I hate the USB naming convention. USB 3.1 Gen 2 is so clunky and I've got sick of typing it out just making this post. You can't just say "USB-C" instead, either, as USB-C is just the plug type rather than a speed standard. And don't get me started on motherboard manufacturers and their individual naming conventions - some refer to USB 3.1 when then mean USB 3.1 Gen 1, others use USB 3.0; some use USB 3.1 to mean USB 3.1 Gen 2. Then some mention USB-C when they mean USB 3.1 Gen 1 type-C, and finally some talk about USB-C when they mean USB 3.1 Gen 2 type-C. Such a terrible, terrible mess :)
 
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Given that hardly anyone is doing USB 3.1 Gen 2 headers, regardless of form factor, I think it's going to be while before we see 3.1 Gen 2 USB-C appearing on many cases of any size. I'm certainly in no rush to see them introduced to the M1. I have a couple of USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (USB-A, not C) on my motherboard's back panel, and they're perfectly adequate, and loads of USB A to USB C cables and adapters, so I can live quite happily without front panel 3.1 Gen 2 USB-C.

One thing that does occur, though: do front panel USB-A ports exist that can be hooked up to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 header on the Asus boards? That would at least give USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel functionality, and users could just use an A to C cable if required.

As an aside, I hate the USB naming convention. USB 3.1 Gen 2 is so clunky and I've got sick of typing it out just making this post. You can't just say "USB-C" instead, either, as USB-C is just the plug type rather than a speed standard. And don't get me started on motherboard manufacturers and their individual naming conventions - some refer to USB 3.1 when then mean USB 3.1 Gen 1, others use USB 3.0; some use USB 3.1 to mean USB 3.1 Gen 2. Then some mention USB-C when they mean USB 3.1 Gen 1 type-C, and finally some talk about USB-C when they mean USB 3.1 Gen 2 type-C. Such a terrible, terrible mess :)
How about USB31g2?
 
Guys, if I use SFX-L in the M1, can I plug and unplug connectors without taking out the graphics card or the PSU? I know it's very tight.
 
Is there a way to mount a res/pump unit like this without drilling holes through the front panel? If not, perhaps the next version of the M1 could come with those holes?

You get get several commercially available pump mounts and just mount using 3M mounting tape. However, the weight of there res along with the pressure from the tubing would still make this fairly risky.

However, some reservoirs will come with mounting brackets. You could screw these into a plate and stick the plate to the backside of your PSU. This would require very little fabrication and would be fairly solid.
The weight of the pump res is mostly in the liquid side so this solution makes sense.

9d66032a9acb955b83b3c76bcabfcabb.image.733x550.jpg
 
Yeah, I have been checking almost every day for a black panel set with no odd slot and they all came into stock except the one I want reeee.
Any ETA on when that will be in stock?
 
Out with the old blower, in with the new giant heatsink. Vega 56 with Morpheus 2 cooler. x2 Noctua 15mm on exhaust.
WFXkeao.jpg

NqxJPiV.jpg

FdNFMAS.jpg
 
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Good night, and pleased to meet you all ^^

I've just received the ncase 3 days ago, but i need to order several parts for my build, and i'd like some advice:


Specs:

i7 8700k

Asus ROG Strix Z370 I Gaming

My "old" palit GTX 1060 6gb Dual (252mm x 112mm, no compatibility issue, right?) Will be replaced by an Nvidia Ampere card (2060/2070).

16gb ddr4 3200mhz corsair vengeance LP

CPU cooler: to be defined. Noctua NHD9L would be a good option for the 8700k?

PSU to be defined too: corsair sf600 or silverstone? I value a lot the ease to manage and bend cables.


I've looked over the data sheet on google drive, but i'm full of doubts. I'm afraid of the temps (and the the related noise of fans increasing rpms).

I love the case and i think i will enjoy more building than using it.

Thanks a lot! And pleased to meet you!
 
Good night, and pleased to meet you all ^^

I've just received the ncase 3 days ago, but i need to order several parts for my build, and i'd like some advice:


Specs:

i7 8700k

Asus ROG Strix Z370 I Gaming

My "old" palit GTX 1060 6gb Dual (252mm x 112mm, no compatibility issue, right?) Will be replaced by an Nvidia Ampere card (2060/2070).

16gb ddr4 3200mhz corsair vengeance LP

CPU cooler: to be defined. Noctua NHD9L would be a good option for the 8700k?

PSU to be defined too: corsair sf600 or silverstone? I value a lot the ease to manage and bend cables.


I've looked over the data sheet on google drive, but i'm full of doubts. I'm afraid of the temps (and the the related noise of fans increasing rpms).

I love the case and i think i will enjoy more building than using it.

Thanks a lot! And pleased to meet you!

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your case. Your 1060 will fit just fine. The Corsair SF600 is a good PSU but unless you are getting custom cables I recommend the Silverstone, the Corsair ones are very stiff.

The 8700k is another matter, I highly recommend delidding your CPU. I have one and dropped 20C in temps. The Noctua NHD9L is a good cooler but could have trouble keeping a non dellided 8700k cool. I am using a Dark Rock TF which works well, but doesn't fit on all motherboards. Be Quiets website lists the Asus Z370 as non compatible. The Noctua is one of the best air coolers you can buy that fit in the Ncase.
 
Welcome to the forum and enjoy your case. Your 1060 will fit just fine. The Corsair SF600 is a good PSU but unless you are getting custom cables I recommend the Silverstone, the Corsair ones are very stiff.

The 8700k is another matter, I highly recommend delidding your CPU. I have one and dropped 20C in temps. The Noctua NHD9L is a good cooler but could have trouble keeping a non dellided 8700k cool. I am using a Dark Rock TF which works well, but doesn't fit on all motherboards. Be Quiets website lists the Asus Z370 as non compatible. The Noctua is one of the best air coolers you can buy that fit in the Ncase.

Thanks for your response. :)

I was afraid of the temps problem with the 8700k and you confirmed it.

My common sense tells me that an 8700 should be a better option (65w tdp) but it's only 15€ cheaper... :\

I have a lot of respect about delidding an 380€ cpu... :\ The dark rock TF is huge, and i would like to go for something as big as the noctua D9L.

What temps would you think i could get with the 8700k and the D9L at gaming?

Thank you :)
 
Thanks for your response. :)

I was afraid of the temps problem with the 8700k and you confirmed it.

My common sense tells me that an 8700 should be a better option (65w tdp) but it's only 15€ cheaper... :\

I have a lot of respect about delidding an 380€ cpu... :\ The dark rock TF is huge, and i would like to go for something as big as the noctua D9L.

What temps would you think i could get with the 8700k and the D9L at gaming?

Thank you :)

I think you can do it and be ok with the D9L, I wouldn't plan on any high overclocks. My guess would be max of 70C with a non dellided 8700k. If you do some prime95 stress testing I think you will see some scary numbers, possibly 90Cish but that is unrealistic of gaming temps.
 
I think you can do it and be ok with the D9L, I wouldn't plan on any high overclocks. My guess would be max of 70C with a non dellided 8700k. If you do some prime95 stress testing I think you will see some scary numbers, possibly 90Cish but that is unrealistic of gaming temps.

Thanks for the quick response!

I used the search and read about the NH-U9S as a great cooler too. But is it better than the D9L?? D9L seems to have a bigger heatsink, doesn't it?


Thanks.
 
Thanks for the quick response!

I used the search and read about the NH-U9S as a great cooler too. But is it better than the D9L?? D9L seems to have a bigger heatsink, doesn't it?


Thanks.

Take a look at the first post on page 647, xfan10 got really good results using a NH-U9S. He has a non k 8700 but your temps shouldn't be far off.
 
D9L seems to have a bigger heatsink, doesn't it?

I don't think so. The D9L is 428 g without fan, while the U9S is 524 g without fan, so there must be more metal in the U9S. Either way, if you look up tests, both perform very well and almost equal. There may be a 1 or 2 degree difference. Pick whichever you like beter. Personally I picked the U9S, and pointed the airflow towards the back of the case, where I put a second NF-A9 PWM fan to extract the hot air. This works quite well.
 
Thanks for the quick response!

I used the search and read about the NH-U9S as a great cooler too. But is it better than the D9L?? D9L seems to have a bigger heatsink, doesn't it?


Thanks.
By all accounts there isn't much difference between the U9S and the D9L, not more than a couple of degrees in it (and different reviews give different verdicts as to which is better). I have a U9S and I'm very happy with it, fwiw. I would recommend adding a second fan to either the U9S or D9L, though, because doing so will allow you to run a lot quieter for the same level of cooling, and that's important in the M1 as the vented panels don't do much to keep the noise in! You can either stick a second fan on the heatsink directly or you could put it on the back panel as klm says.
 
Nice, how are the temps on that now?

Stock clocks, balanced profile: 75c on Furmark. Haven't tweaked fan profiles, but they are silent. Haven't undervolted yet, but it is in the plans. Haven't done too much monitoring during gaming yet. My main goal from this was to quiet everything down, which it has done tremendously. The Vega blower was so much louder than my GTX 780 blower. I'm also learning that my Silverstone SX650 PSU fan, despite being advertised as silent, has a harsh sound profile to it compared to my old Silverstone 450w with Noiseblocker fan mod. I'll probably be doing a fan mod on this unit as well. Maybe should have just stuck to the tried and true Corsair SF600.

What I like about this setup is that the bottom fans are set to exhaust, so they blow nice warm air all over my desk... good in the wintertime :)
 
Stock clocks, balanced profile: 75c on Furmark. Haven't tweaked fan profiles, but they are silent. Haven't undervolted yet, but it is in the plans. Haven't done too much monitoring during gaming yet. My main goal from this was to quiet everything down, which it has done tremendously. The Vega blower was so much louder than my GTX 780 blower. I'm also learning that my Silverstone SX650 PSU fan, despite being advertised as silent, has a harsh sound profile to it compared to my old Silverstone 450w with Noiseblocker fan mod. I'll probably be doing a fan mod on this unit as well. Maybe should have just stuck to the tried and true Corsair SF600.

What I like about this setup is that the bottom fans are set to exhaust, so they blow nice warm air all over my desk... good in the wintertime :)

Sounds like it is working well, glad it is much quieter. Exhaust seems to work best with that setup, get all that hot exhaust out of the case rather than blowing it up to the CPU.
 
Take a look at the first post on page 647, xfan10 got really good results using a NH-U9S. He has a non k 8700 but your temps shouldn't be far off.

yes, i've already read it before, that´s where i thought that the U9S could be a good option too. ^^

I don't think so. The D9L is 428 g without fan, while the U9S is 524 g without fan, so there must be more metal in the U9S. Either way, if you look up tests, both perform very well and almost equal. There may be a 1 or 2 degree difference. Pick whichever you like beter. Personally I picked the U9S, and pointed the airflow towards the back of the case, where I put a second NF-A9 PWM fan to extract the hot air. This works quite well.

Thank you for that fact, i thing i'll go for the U9S then.

By all accounts there isn't much difference between the U9S and the D9L, not more than a couple of degrees in it (and different reviews give different verdicts as to which is better). I have a U9S and I'm very happy with it, fwiw. I would recommend adding a second fan to either the U9S or D9L, though, because doing so will allow you to run a lot quieter for the same level of cooling, and that's important in the M1 as the vented panels don't do much to keep the noise in! You can either stick a second fan on the heatsink directly or you could put it on the back panel as klm says.

Thank you for your response. I will buy another fan for that purpose too. What model would you recommend?

Thinking about fans, i'd like to purchase 2 additional fans... what do you think about ml120 pro from corsair or maybe nb e-loop?

And about the storage config, i was thinking in using:

samsung evo256gb

2x crucial bx300 240gb in raid

toshiba 3.5 hdd 3tb.

Is it possible to use these 4 drives at the same time? For what i learnt from the web, it looked like the max number of drives in any combination was 3.

Thanks a lot! Great forum with great people! :)
 
yes, i've already read it before, that´s where i thought that the U9S could be a good option too. ^^
And about the storage config, i was thinking in using:

samsung evo256gb

2x crucial bx300 240gb in raid

toshiba 3.5 hdd 3tb.

Is it possible to use these 4 drives at the same time? For what i learnt from the web, it looked like the max number of drives in any combination was 3.

Thanks a lot! Great forum with great people! :)

You can mount up to 4 2.5 SSDs, using the stacking brackets on each side of the front frame. I am guessing the Samsung is a M.2? If not you can do the SSDs with no problem. You have 2 options with the 3.5 drive, you can use the hard drive bracket on the side mount or mount it to the bottom. This is going to limit additional fans you can use. If you mount it to the bottom you have room for a 92mm fan below your GPU, if mounted to the side bracket you can't add an additional 120mm fan. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The side mounted 120mm helps cool the motherboard and feed cool air to the CPU, 2X120mm bottom mounted fans helps cool the GPU. With you having a 8700k I think I would go with the drive mounted on the bottom, 1060 is a cool running GPU and should be ok.
 
You can mount up to 4 2.5 SSDs, using the stacking brackets on each side of the front frame. I am guessing the Samsung is a M.2? If not you can do the SSDs with no problem. You have 2 options with the 3.5 drive, you can use the hard drive bracket on the side mount or mount it to the bottom. This is going to limit additional fans you can use. If you mount it to the bottom you have room for a 92mm fan below your GPU, if mounted to the side bracket you can't add an additional 120mm fan. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The side mounted 120mm helps cool the motherboard and feed cool air to the CPU, 2X120mm bottom mounted fans helps cool the GPU. With you having a 8700k I think I would go with the drive mounted on the bottom, 1060 is a cool running GPU and should be ok.

No, all the ssds are 2.5". No M2. Samsung evo 850 - 250gb.

So... i could put the 3 ssds (samsung as system drive, crucials as storage for games in raid 0 mode) and the hdd as general purpose storage, couldn't i?

In that case, if i put the hdd on the bottom, and another 92mm fan in the bottom too, will 2 additional fans fit on the side panel, or only 1 could fit (because of the nh-U9S) ? If only one would fit, then i should go for an additional 120mm fan for the side panel, and another 120mm in the rear panel.

Thanks a lot for your time and patience.
 
No, all the ssds are 2.5". No M2. Samsung evo 850 - 250gb.

So... i could put the 3 ssds (samsung as system drive, crucials as storage for games in raid 0 mode) and the hdd as general purpose storage, couldn't i?

In that case, if i put the hdd on the bottom, and another 92mm fan in the bottom too, will 2 additional fans fit on the side panel, or only 1 could fit (because of the nh-U9S) ? If only one would fit, then i should go for an additional 120mm fan for the side panel, and another 120mm in the rear panel.

Thanks a lot for your time and patience.

Yes you can mount all 3 of the SSDs.

87750ee2e7.jpg


That is how I have 2 mounted in front, you can do the same thing on the back side of the frame. One thing to note, if your PSU has right angle SATA power connectors it is impossible to use them with the drives stacked like this. I am using this adapter from NZXT.

Yes with the NH-U9S you can only use one 120mm fan on the side bracket, this is all you need. The rear fan mount is 92mm. Most using the NH-U9S mount a 92mm fan there for exhaust.
 
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Yes you can mount all 3 of the SSDs.

87750ee2e7.jpg


That is how I have 2 mounted in front, you can do the same thing on the back side of the frame. One thing to note, if your PSU has right angle SATA power connectors it is impossible to use them with the drives stacked like this. I am using this adapter from NZXT.

Yes with the NH-U9S you can only use one 120mm fan on the side bracket, this is all you need. The rear fan mount is 92mm. Most using the NH-U9S mount a 92mm fan there for exhaust.


thanks.

well, i've finally ordered the sf600, 8700K, the noctua NH-U9S and the asus rog z370 itx.

I suppose i will have to do something with the ssds issue and the sata power connectors.

:)
 
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thanks.

well, i've finally ordered the sf600, 8700K, the noctua NH-U9S and the asus rog z370 itx.

I suppose i will have to do something with the ssds issue and the sata power connectors.

:)

You can try something like this from Moddiy.

Or you can get the whole set sleeved from Corsiar, this set has straight SATA power connectors.
 
You can try something like this from Moddiy.

Or you can get the whole set sleeved from Corsiar, this set has straight SATA power connectors.


great, i'll look to get thos sleeved cables in Europe.

by the way, in the box with screws, etc, it came these:

photo_2018-01-14_23-58-16.jpg



Those aren't in the content list at the web. ¿?
 
well, i've finally ordered the sf600, 8700K, the noctua NH-U9S and the asus rog z370 itx.
Exactly like me, I completed my build last month and just updated it, see link in my signature. I don't know if you want to squeeze out every MHz to get max overclock or look for a silent build, I was looking for the latter and finally went from 5GHz to 4.8GHz for some lazy reasons like using Q-Fan in BIOS to control fan and have most settings at AUTO. If ASUS wasn't limiting Tcase upper limit temp to 75°C I would run it higher. Anyway, I explain it all on my page.

Have fun building it! Take your time, it's a fun process. Good luck!
 
After almost a couple of months of ordering parts from various sites and waiting for shipment. I have finish my first SFF build.

Specs:
8700k
EVGA 1080 TI SC2 with Arctic Accelero Extreme III
ASRock Z370 GAMING-ITX/AC
Corsair SF600
NH-C14 for HSU
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB)
Samsung 960 EVO m.2 nVME- 256GB OS
Samsung 500gb SSD - Games/Programs
Samsung 1TB SSD - Files
4x Noctua NF-F12

Pics:

https://imgur.com/a/RGelM

To Do:
- replace the SF600 with Sleeved and shorter cables to better manage the space.
- buy nuts (not sure yet which size) so I can still use the GPU backplate.
- buy this so I can mount both SSD infront.
 
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After almost a couple of months of ordering parts from various sites and waiting for shipment. I have finish my first SFF build.

Specs:
8700k
EVGA 1080 TI SC2 with Arctic Accelero Extreme III
ASRock Z370 GAMING-ITX/AC
Corsair SF600
NH-C14 for HSU
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB)
Samsung 960 EVO m.2 nVME- 256GB OS
Samsung 500gb SSD - Games/Programs
Samsung 1TB SSD - Files
4x Noctua NF-F12

Pics:

https://imgur.com/a/RGelM

To Do:
- replace the SF600 with Sleeved and shorter cables to better manage the space.
- buy nuts (not sure yet which size) so I can still use the GPU backplate.
- buy this so I can mount both SSD infront.

Very nicely done, still the best air cooled setup I have seen in the Ncase is the NH-C14 and the Arctic Accelero Extreme III. Curious where you managed to find a NH-C14?

How are your temps and did you find it necessary to delid the CPU?
 
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Very nicely done, still the best air cooled setup I have seen in the Ncase is the NH-C14 and the Arctic Accelero Extreme III. Curious where you managed to find a NH-C14?

How are your temps and did you find it necessary to delid the CPU?
I was able to get one back in my home country. I have not tested the temps yet as I'm haven't transferred my files from my old computer yet. For delid, I bought the Rockit when it went on sale. Probably after I run stress test when everything is all setup.
 
I was able to get one back in my home country. I have not tested the temps yet as I'm haven't transferred my files from my old computer yet. For delid, I bought the Rockit when it went on sale. Probably after I run stress test when everything is all setup.

Yeah I got the Rockit88 when it was on sale after Christmas, worked well. I lowered max temps on my 8700k by 20C. I am guessing you will have very good temps with your setup.
 
Yeah I got the Rockit88 when it was on sale after Christmas, worked well. I lowered max temps on my 8700k by 20C. I am guessing you will have very good temps with your setup.
I was looking for the same cable you've used to mount both SSD's power infront but still no luck finding one where I'm at. I can't used Corsair cables as I can't close the front case.
 
Yeah one of the reasons I went with the NZXT is they were black sleeved. For my custom cables I went 300mm 24 pin, 400mm 8 pin EPS and 300mm PCI cables.

49cf529042.jpg
 
Yeah one of the reasons I went with the NZXT is they were black sleeved. For my custom cables I went 300mm 24 pin, 400mm 8 pin EPS and 300mm PCI cables.

49cf529042.jpg

It looks a lot better than the stock cables from Corsair, I remember you posting the site where you got them before. was it alibaba something?
 
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