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

msemcee said:
Someone end my indecisiveness and pick which aftermarket feet I should replace the stock rubbers with.

Preferably if everyone would agree on the same ones that would be great, heh.
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Which version NCASE?

I don't have an answer for but but curious what you decide on :D
 
Epos7 said:
Which version NCASE?

I don't have an answer for but but curious what you decide on :D
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Version 6.1 Kudos to all who worked on making this case better over time. I only needed to make a slight dimple mod on the back of the rubber feet to be able to flush mount them after installing 140mm fans at the bottom.
 
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Just installed two Phanteks T30 fans in my NCASE. These are really good fans and worth every penny. You will not regret purchasing these fans for an air-cooled NCASE. Improved my temps and reduced the noise level when above 2000RPM. I can only knock them for the bulky power cable arrangement.
 
Hi, it's been a while since I've written on my Ncase but want to replace a water system with air cooled.
It's got an older 5820K CPU with the funny mounting pattern.

What's a good air cooler these days??
Thanks
 
Hermit2001 said:
Hi, it's been a while since I've written on my Ncase but want to replace a water system with air cooled.
It's got an older 5820K CPU with the funny mounting pattern.

What's a good air cooler these days??
Thanks
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I have a Noctua NH-U9S which works pretty good. It's mounted on a different CPU, but Noctua also lists your LGA1156 socket in the compatibility list.
 
pixelstuff said:
I have a Noctua NH-U9S which works pretty good. It's mounted on a different CPU, but Noctua also lists your LGA1156 socket in the compatibility list.
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5820K is actually socket 2011 v3. The Noctua NH-C14S is compatible and probably the best cooler for the Ncase. There is also the Noctua NH-U9DXi4 which is a 90mm tower cooler and should be similar to the NH-U9S.
 
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rfarmer said:
5820K is actually socket 2011 v3. The Noctua NH-C14S is compatible and probably the best cooler for the Ncase. There is also the Noctua NH-U9DXi4 which is a 90mm tower cooler and should be similar to the NH-U9S.
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Ive used this cooler and found it kinda meh on a 5820k. It fits well though but using an AIO was much better.
 
workshop35 said:
Ive used this cooler and found it kinda meh on a 5820k. It fits well though but using an AIO was much better.
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AIO would be better. That said, my noctua DXi4 still would cool my 6950X adequately. Its in a different system now so I can't share themals unfortunately. A fine cooler though! Whatever cooler you buy, just make sure the brackets/blocks are compatible with narrow ILM before you buy!
 
Sad to see this project come to an end. I ended up with three of these cases. Now I just need to get parts for the two I have yet to build. Thank you Dan for all your work!
 
enyownz said:
As someone who has followed the project since it was first posted here, very sad to see EOL: NCase End of Production
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That is a real shame. The end of an era.

As an aside, I hate the stealth rebrand they are doing there: "M1 Classic"? Yuck. It's just the M1 to me :) If there's any other cases from Ncase (and hopefully there will be something) then surely that can have it's own name?
 
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Bawjaws said:
That is a real shame. The end of an era.

As an aside, I hate the stealth rebrand they are doing there: "M1 Classic"? Yuck. It's just the M1 to me :) If there's any other cases from Ncase (and hopefully there will be something) then surely that can have it's own name?
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Haha same. Just give new stuff, a new name ;)

I've had at least one of every version I just realized :shame:
 
wahaha360 said:
Haven't been here in ages...haha

Farewell to M1 Classic, time for something new ;)
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Necere said:
Sorry, I had no input on "M1 Classic." W360 changed the post while I was sleeping. It's still the M1 to me, too. And I agree - a new product should have a new name.
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Both of you did a fantastic job with this case, its the only SFF I'll ever need. Until maybe you release something new :)
 
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wahaha360 said:
Haven't been here in ages...haha

Farewell to M1 Classic, time for something new ;)
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Necere said:
Sorry, I had no input on "M1 Classic." W360 changed the post while I was sleeping. It's still the M1 to me, too. And I agree - a new product should have a new name.
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Time and tide wait for no man...

Thanks for your work on the project guys - I really think you redefined an entire segment with the thoughtful design and responsible management after launch. So many people have had a good time with it. Can't wait to see what you guys can come up with next. Hope you are able to work together again :)
 
Necere said:
Sorry, I had no input on "M1 Classic." W360 changed the post while I was sleeping. It's still the M1 to me, too. And I agree - a new product should have a new name.
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Thanks for the great case, guys. Is there a chance you can tell me where I can find the plastic retention clips for the side panels? I'm a longtime NCASE M1 user and two of those little things broke. Otherwise the case is still working great. I'm glad I bought the new side panels and front USB-C before retirement.
 
I still have two black and silver 1st editions that I got from the initial indiegogo campaign still in service, one of which was upgraded with the new side panels and front i/o. Such great cases, I basically havent used anything else for the last 8 yrs. Really looking forward to what you guys do next.
 
Mannymal said:
Thanks for the great case, guys. Is there a chance you can tell me where I can find the plastic retention clips for the side panels? I'm a longtime NCASE M1 user and two of those little things broke. Otherwise the case is still working great. I'm glad I bought the new side panels and front USB-C before retirement.
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I found a package of 10 clips for sale on eBay that claim to be compatible for the NCASE M1, as well as the Lian Li TU150 and PC-Q33 cases. The same search also revealed a free STL file for 3D printing the clips.
 
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I just read the news. I'm quite disappointed to be honest. I love my V5, I'll keep using it for as long as ITX motherboards exist, it's too bad I won't be able to get spare parts. Would have been nice to get a warning, so I could get a spare front I/O panel and some extra clips in case something in mine breaks, and so people who had been planning on getting a case could get one. One of the PCIe screwholes stripped on mine, now I have to take extra care of it knowing I can't replace any part.

Anyway, based on what read on The Verge, this was done because a new case is in the works that's going to be bigger in order to accommodate bigger graphics cards. I liked the M1 because it was as big as it needed to be to have no compromises, but no bigger. The vast majority of cards still fit. You make a 16L+ case, then you're just like the big manufacturers. It's no longer really SFF, and you lose your competitive edge. The other thing that concerns me is that none of the other NCase projects went anywhere, no offense. Some of W360's did clearly (under different brands), but I much prefer Necere's style, and out of the concepts he showed in his SFF forum idea thread, none went into production. So I'm a bit skeptical of potential future NCase projects or rather I'm skeptical that they will be true to the M1's design language and philosophy.

I think the NCase M1 is the best case ever designed (possibly second to the original IBM PC case). So... this is a little disappointing to see things moving in a more mainstream direction. I have a feeling the successor will be made of steel too, at least the internal chassis, so... yet another distinguishing feature of the M1 will be compromised. If they make it bigger and steel, I hope at least they give it mATX or even ATX support at that point, so at least we have a compelling alternative to Cerberus which I don't like at all. Anyway... RIP legendary M1, all good things must come to an end. As someone with severe OCD, this was the only SFF case I was ever able to find that was truly no compromise, the rest all have major downsides, I hope I get to see another case like this again someday. In the meantime, my V5 and I are in it for the long haul.
 
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GnomeCop said:
I still have two black and silver 1st editions that I got from the initial indiegogo campaign still in service, one of which was upgraded with the new side panels and front i/o. Such great cases, I basically havent used anything else for the last 8 yrs. Really looking forward to what you guys do next.
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I know flattery is the best form of imitation but you could have changed your user name at least a little more. I've been Genomecop for like 15 years on the web.
 
harsaphes said:
I know flattery is the best form of imitation but you could have changed your user name at least a little more. I've been Genomecop for like 15 years on the web.
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Hah I think I've had this name around the web for closer to 19-20yrs. I hate it but got stuck with it because I lost a bet and it just stuck.
https://jackiechanadventures.fandom.com/wiki/Gnomekop
The origins of the screen name are dumb and I've had it spelled wrong this whole time.

also, dammit, I'm old.
 
Necere said:
Sorry, I had no input on "M1 Classic." W360 changed the post while I was sleeping. It's still the M1 to me, too. And I agree - a new product should have a new name.
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Thanks, Necere. M1 Classic is just awful imho! And I especially dislike the idea of rebranding a case after it's been discontinued...

I appreciate that you probably won't be able to answer this, but is any new NCase product in the works going to be one of your designs? I only ask because I echo what QuantumBraced said above: I've kept an eye on your concept stuff that you've posted previously and it's just so much nicer than any of the designs that W360 has shown. I kind of feel that the M1 was a bit of a "lightning in a bottle" product and if it's going to be discontinued (which it is) then whatever comes after it will need to be as good if not better.

As an aside, I'm not sure I entirely understand why the M1 has been completely discontinued. I can understand wanting to focus on new products (and will keep a keen eye out for any news) and could see this meaning no further iterations on the M1 design, but surely it's possible to keep producing (or rather, ordering production from Lian Li) the M1 alongside any new products? Or is the fear that people will just continue to buy the M1 rather than whatever new design is released? Apologies if I'm being ignorant here.
 
Th
QuantumBraced said:
I just read the news. I'm quite disappointed to be honest. I love my V5, I'll keep using it for as long as ITX motherboards exist, it's too bad I won't be able to get spare parts. Would have been nice to get a warning, so I could get a spare front I/O panel and some extra clips in case something in mine breaks, and so people who had been planning on getting a case could get one. One of the PCIe screwholes stripped on mine, now I have to take extra care of it knowing I can't replace any part.

Anyway, based on what read on The Verge, this was done because a new case is in the works that's going to be bigger in order to accommodate bigger graphics cards. I liked the M1 because it was as big as it needed to be to have no compromises, but no bigger. The vast majority of cards still fit. You make a 16L+ case, then you're just like the big manufacturers. It's no longer really SFF, and you lose your competitive edge. The other thing that concerns me is that none of the other NCase projects went anywhere, no offense. Some of W360's did clearly (under different brands), but I much prefer Necere's style, and out of the concepts he showed in his SFF forum idea thread, none went into production. So I'm a bit skeptical of potential future NCase projects or rather I'm skeptical that they will be true to the M1's design language and philosophy.

I think the NCase M1 is the best case ever designed (possibly second to the original IBM PC case). So... this is a little disappointing to see things moving in a more mainstream direction. I have a feeling the successor will be made of steel too, at least the internal chassis, so... yet another distinguishing feature of the M1 will be compromised. If they make it bigger and steel, I hope at least they give it mATX or even ATX support at that point, so at least we have a compelling alternative to Cerberus which I don't like at all. Anyway... RIP legendary M1, all good things must come to an end. As someone with severe OCD, this was the only SFF case I was ever able to find that was truly no compromise, the rest all have major downsides, I hope I get to see another case like this again someday. In the meantime, my V5 and I are in it for the long haul.
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The PCIE threads on mine also stripped, and my solution was to buy longer (about 1/2”) screws with a nut on the other side, and it turns out it holds the video card even more securely so I’m happy with the solution.

Now that my NCASE M1 is a rare artifact I feel like I’ll have to baby it even more in order to preserve it. I really don’t think it needs to be discontinued unless the “M2” is gonna be a much improved version of it. I agree that there should have been a few months warning to give everyone a chance to get the latest variant.
 
Bawjaws said:
Thanks, Necere. M1 Classic is just awful imho! And I especially dislike the idea of rebranding a case after it's been discontinued...

I appreciate that you probably won't be able to answer this, but is any new NCase product in the works going to be one of your designs? I only ask because I echo what QuantumBraced said above: I've kept an eye on your concept stuff that you've posted previously and it's just so much nicer than any of the designs that W360 has shown. I kind of feel that the M1 was a bit of a "lightning in a bottle" product and if it's going to be discontinued (which it is) then whatever comes after it will need to be as good if not better.

As an aside, I'm not sure I entirely understand why the M1 has been completely discontinued. I can understand wanting to focus on new products (and will keep a keen eye out for any news) and could see this meaning no further iterations on the M1 design, but surely it's possible to keep producing (or rather, ordering production from Lian Li) the M1 alongside any new products? Or is the fear that people will just continue to buy the M1 rather than whatever new design is released? Apologies if I'm being ignorant here.
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Exactly this, every bit of it. It was exactly my thoughts, especially the design elements comments.
 
I get that all things must end but totally kicking myself for not buying one a few weeks ago when I had the chance. I have a second itx system that needs a case .. I consider the M1 the OG sff enthusiast case and it will be missed.
 
TheHig said:
I get that all things must end but totally kicking myself for not buying one a few weeks ago when I had the chance. I have a second itx system that needs a case .. I consider the M1 the OG sff enthusiast case and it will be missed.
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If you don't mind a little bigger, I've build 2 computers for my twins using NR200P. Fits very well on their desktop. You can add some extras with money saved and there is a huge community on Reddit for help or whatever. At first I wanted to get them a M1 each but shipping was done separatly so it was too expensive. In the end I've got both NR200P for less than a single M1.
 
Bawjaws said:
Thanks, Necere. M1 Classic is just awful imho! And I especially dislike the idea of rebranding a case after it's been discontinued...

I appreciate that you probably won't be able to answer this, but is any new NCase product in the works going to be one of your designs? I only ask because I echo what QuantumBraced said above: I've kept an eye on your concept stuff that you've posted previously and it's just so much nicer than any of the designs that W360 has shown. I kind of feel that the M1 was a bit of a "lightning in a bottle" product and if it's going to be discontinued (which it is) then whatever comes after it will need to be as good if not better.
Click to expand...

I've been working on my own design, yes. My goal is to realize a logical evolution of the M1, based on all the user feedback I've gotten over the years. Compatibility and features are a higher priority than size this time though, which I know not everyone will like. I'm also moving away from the M1's chamfered front panel look.

W360 is working on his own M1 remake that should be somewhat more true to the original in terms of size and looks, but with upgraded materials based on his experience making the T1.

Bawjaws said:
As an aside, I'm not sure I entirely understand why the M1 has been completely discontinued. I can understand wanting to focus on new products (and will keep a keen eye out for any news) and could see this meaning no further iterations on the M1 design, but surely it's possible to keep producing (or rather, ordering production from Lian Li) the M1 alongside any new products? Or is the fear that people will just continue to buy the M1 rather than whatever new design is released? Apologies if I'm being ignorant here.
Click to expand...

So the M1 has been due for a design overhaul for a while because of oversized GPUs, and this year we also saw a big decline in sales. Partly that's due to the GPU shortage, partly stiffer competition from mainstream brands. It's true though that we could've ordered another run (and I fully expected we were - I had completed the revisions for V6.2), but there were unexpected circumstances that arose recently that made it risky to do so. Not much I can say about that - maybe w360 will at some point.
 
Necere said:
I've been working on my own design, yes. My goal is to realize a logical evolution of the M1, based on all the user feedback I've gotten over the years. Compatibility and features are a higher priority than size this time though, which I know not everyone will like. I'm also moving away from the M1's chamfered front panel look.

W360 is working on his own M1 remake that should be somewhat more true to the original in terms of size and looks, but with upgraded materials based on his experience making the T1.



So the M1 has been due for a design overhaul for a while because of oversized GPUs, and this year we also saw a big decline in sales. Partly that's due to the GPU shortage, partly stiffer competition from mainstream brands. It's true though that we could've ordered another run (and I fully expected we were - I had completed the revisions for V6.2), but there were unexpected circumstances that arose recently that made it risky to do so. Not much I can say about that - maybe w360 will at some point.
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Thanks Necere for this update. I've always appreciated your willingness to be open with us, to explain the realities of the small case manufacturing world, and especially to seek our opinions and input. These traits made the M1 journey unique and thoroughly enjoyable.

My 3 M1s (revisions 1, 4, and 6.1) are my favourite cases. I enjoy extolling the M1's virtues, spreading the SFF philosophy. I look forward to your next case designing adventure!

Thanks again for all your dedication and efforts!
Kevin
 
Necere said:
I've been working on my own design, yes. My goal is to realize a logical evolution of the M1, based on all the user feedback I've gotten over the years. Compatibility and features are a higher priority than size this time though, which I know not everyone will like. I'm also moving away from the M1's chamfered front panel look.

W360 is working on his own M1 remake that should be somewhat more true to the original in terms of size and looks, but with upgraded materials based on his experience making the T1.



So the M1 has been due for a design overhaul for a while because of oversized GPUs, and this year we also saw a big decline in sales. Partly that's due to the GPU shortage, partly stiffer competition from mainstream brands. It's true though that we could've ordered another run (and I fully expected we were - I had completed the revisions for V6.2), but there were unexpected circumstances that arose recently that made it risky to do so. Not much I can say about that - maybe w360 will at some point.
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Thanks again for the response - and not just for your recent replies, but for engaging with us in this thread (and elsewhere) over the years. Really appreciate you taking the time and effort not just to design the M1 in the first place but to keep iterating based on feedback from your users. I would love to know what your planned revisions were for v6.2, if you are happy to share (but no worries if not). Also really appreciate the efforts of wahaha360 in getting the M1 from design to production. What an amazing effort from both of you.

If I'm reading your post correctly then it sounds like we can hopefully expect two new NCases, one a new design from you and the other a redesign of the M1 from W360? Please keep us posted - I can't wait to see what you have planned :)
 
Necere said:
I've been working on my own design, yes. My goal is to realize a logical evolution of the M1, based on all the user feedback I've gotten over the years. Compatibility and features are a higher priority than size this time though, which I know not everyone will like. I'm also moving away from the M1's chamfered front panel look.

W360 is working on his own M1 remake that should be somewhat more true to the original in terms of size and looks, but with upgraded materials based on his experience making the T1.



So the M1 has been due for a design overhaul for a while because of oversized GPUs, and this year we also saw a big decline in sales. Partly that's due to the GPU shortage, partly stiffer competition from mainstream brands. It's true though that we could've ordered another run (and I fully expected we were - I had completed the revisions for V6.2), but there were unexpected circumstances that arose recently that made it risky to do so. Not much I can say about that - maybe w360 will at some point.
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My guess is the dip is sales has nothing to do with the increase in average GPU size and everything to do with the general increase in cost of PC components, especially GPUs obviously, but also everything else. The pandemic has hit many people economically, so it just hasn't been a good year to build a PC, especially an expensive SFF PC in a $200+ case.

My guess is the availability of larger GPUs now has had a negligible effect on M1 sales. There are still more than enough high-performance aftermarket options, in general the vast majority of GPUs fit in the M1. Even the FTW series fits with some cable extensions. If someone is looking to build a space-optimized SFF PC and is in the know enough to know about the M1 and spend $200 on it, they'll just get a GPU that fits. By making the case bigger, you might get a few more customers who want a giant GPU but you'll alienate at least an equal number of potential customers who just want a no-compromise premium tiny case. Once you start to get into NR200 size/footprint territory, and especially if you make the case out of steel, you'll have trouble competing with the mainstream brands and their prices IMO. Getting rid of the iconic M1 front panel can further hurt the brand imo as it's a distinguishing feature of the M1 that everyone thinks of when they think M1, unless you replace it with something better. So I can't help but doubt that any larger successor will be more successful. The M1 is already no-compromise enough, you can basically do just about any ITX build, cool any CPU and any GPU, have it be near silent, have dust filters everywhere, a 1000W PSU, etc. Unless the successor is of similar size, still aluminum, and the same design language, I don't see it being more successful. And if it is those things, then it should just be the next version of the M1 -- I know you had a rule about everything being backward compatible, but V6.0 already broke that with the side panels, so I don't see a problem with making more fundamental changes and calling it M1 V7. The exception is if you want to have mATX or ATX support, but then it's not really an M1 successor, but rather a new category of product that I would love to see.

Anyway, I hope I'm wrong and the successor does well because I want you to succeed as you did with the M1. I am just bitter about the M1's EOL but I'll get over it. Just calling the new case "NCase" will draw a lot of attention to it, like a sequel of a highly successful film, but you'll have only one chance to capitalize on that, so... no pressure.
 
QuantumBraced said:
My guess is the dip is sales has nothing to do with the increase in average GPU size and everything to do with the general increase in cost of PC components, especially GPUs obviously, but also everything else. The pandemic has hit many people economically, so it just hasn't been a good year to build a PC, especially an expensive SFF PC in a $200+ case.

My guess is the availability of larger GPUs now has had a negligible effect on M1 sales. There are still more than enough high-performance aftermarket options, in general the vast majority of GPUs fit in the M1. Even the FTW series fits with some cable extensions. If someone is looking to build a space-optimized SFF PC and is in the know enough to know about the M1 and spend $200 on it, they'll just get a GPU that fits. By making the case bigger, you might get a few more customers who want a giant GPU but you'll alienate at least an equal number of potential customers who just want a no-compromise premium tiny case. Once you start to get into NR200 size/footprint territory, and especially if you make the case out of steel, you'll have trouble competing with the mainstream brands and their prices IMO. Getting rid of the iconic M1 front panel can further hurt the brand imo as it's a distinguishing feature of the M1 that everyone thinks of when they think M1, unless you replace it with something better. So I can't help but doubt that any larger successor will be more successful. The M1 is already no-compromise enough, you can basically do just about any ITX build, cool any CPU and any GPU, have it be near silent, have dust filters everywhere, a 1000W PSU, etc. Unless the successor is of similar size, still aluminum, and the same design language, I don't see it being more successful. And if it is those things, then it should just be the next version of the M1 -- I know you had a rule about everything being backward compatible, but V6.0 already broke that with the side panels, so I don't see a problem with making more fundamental changes and calling it M1 V7. The exception is if you want to have mATX or ATX support, but then it's not really an M1 successor, but rather a new category of product that I would love to see.

Anyway, I hope I'm wrong and the successor does well because I want you to succeed as you did with the M1. I am just bitter about the M1's EOL but I'll get over it. Just calling the new case "NCase" will draw a lot of attention to it, like a sequel of a highly successful film, but you'll have only one chance to capitalize on that, so... no pressure.
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I don't think it was any one thing that caused a drop in sales, but rather a combination of things over the past 10 months. And the drop was only relative - in fact, 2020 was our best sales year by a wide margin. It's just since the beginning of 2021 we reverted back to the level of our 2018-19 sales. I'm sure people building PCs while working from home and getting stimulus checks drove a lot of the demand last year.

I've also looked up stats, and after growing significantly during 2019-2020, 2021 also saw an overall drop in search volume and website traffic related to SFF (and perhaps PC building in general). Again, combination of factors at play: GPU shortage, high hardware prices, less stimulus money, people already built last year.

With regard to oversized GPUs, anecdotally at least I can say it hasn't helped. A number of times over the last year I've seen someone comment that they were able to snag xyz GPU, and wanted the M1 but the card wouldn't fit, so they have to look at other cases. In a normal market it would be less of an issue, but in this market you're lucky to get any GPU, so people can either get a different case or give up building a new PC altogether. The fact that there are decent cheaper mainstream SFF case options now makes it easier to choose something else as well.

As far as keeping the M1 look, honestly I'm just sick of people calling it ugly and outdated. And I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but too many times now I've seen people say they'd get an M1 except they don't like the front. I just don't want the looks to be a reason someone doesn't want it. And TBH, it doesn't really measure up to my own standards design-wise. It was the first thing I designed "for real," and I feel like I can and should at least try to do better.

QuantumBraced said:
I know you had a rule about everything being backward compatible, but V6.0 already broke that with the side panels
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V6 panels are backward compatible with all previous versions. I removed two of the studs on each side panel, so it's no problem to use the newer panels on the older cases. It's the the panels from V5 and earlier that won't work on V6+ because they have the extra studs and there are no longer the corresponding clips on the chassis.
 
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Necere said:
I don't think it was any one thing that caused a drop in sales, but rather a combination of things over the past 10 months. And the drop was only relative - in fact, 2020 was our best sales year by a wide margin. It's just since the beginning of 2021 we reverted back to the level of our 2018-19 sales. I'm sure people building PCs while working from home and getting stimulus checks drove a lot of the demand last year.

I've also looked up stats, and after growing significantly during 2019-2020, 2021 also saw an overall drop in search volume and website traffic related to SFF (and perhaps PC building in general). Again, combination of factors at play: GPU shortage, high hardware prices, less stimulus money, people already built last year.

With regard to oversized GPUs, anecdotally at least I can say it hasn't helped. A number of times over the last year I've seen someone comment that they were able to snag xyz GPU, and wanted the M1 but the card wouldn't fit, so they have to look at other cases. In a normal market it would be less of an issue, but in this market you're lucky to get any GPU, so people can either get a different case or give up building a new PC altogether. The fact that there are decent cheaper mainstream SFF case options now makes it easier to choose something else as well.

As far as keeping the M1 look, honestly I'm just sick of people calling it ugly and outdated. And I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but too many times now I've seen people say they'd get an M1 except they don't like the front. I just don't want the looks to be a reason someone doesn't want it. And TBH, it doesn't really measure up to my own standards design-wise. It was the first thing I designed "for real," and I feel like I can and should at least try to do better.



V6 panels are backward compatible with all previous versions. I removed two of the studs on each side panel, so it's no problem to use the newer panels on the older cases. It's the the panels from V5 and earlier that won't work on V6+ because they have the extra studs and there are no longer the corresponding clips on the chassis.
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For what it’s worth, I think the case still looks great. It’s iconic, and I find most flat face cases boring. But as you say, to each their own.
 
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