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

I don't know how to do that sadly

Lutro0's Video Guide to Sleeving..

http://www.overclock.net/a/lutro0s-video-guide-to-sleeving

I've never done individual sleeving & cutting to length, just old-school removing pins from connector and sleeving a group of wires, which was easy with the right tools. Individual sleeving & cutting looks to be much more time consuming, but probably well worth the effort. There's also a few guys online (including Lutro0 & FrozenCPU) that offer both custom sleeving services and the supplies/tools needed to diy. Custom orders are not cheap.

Really wish somebody just offered complete already made sets for the Silverstone ST45SF-G in the proper short wire length, but all I've found are the longer sets for their Strider series (both custom made & Silverstone's versions).

Also, here's a good discussion on ST45SF-G sleeving thanks to WiSK..

http://www.overclock.net/t/1307713/bad-modular-design-silverstone-st45sf-g
 

Whoa, that's exactly what I was looking for.. thanks WiSK!

Appears to be the correct shorter length, and the price seems very reasonable.. just kinda sucks to have to get it shipped from HK (never ordered internationally before). Also, wonder if it's an option to get another color, or grey/silver only?

The pictures of MDPC-X sleeving on PsychoSleeve.com gives me a boner. Is there something wrong with me?

Yes, there's obviously something wrong with you (and many of us here). I do agree, that is some proper cable pornography! :D
 
Yes, there's obviously something wrong with you (and many of us here). I do agree, that is some proper cable pornography! :D

Agreed but did you see the pricing? That is really expensive.
 
REFUND done!

After bombarding PayPal with email and voicemails, a manager from PayPal finally got tired me...lol

PayPal refunded all transaction from PayPal back to Indiegogo.

Now waiting for Indiegogo to take the final step.

THIS IS IT. NO MORE REFUNDS ALLOWED - refunds are against Indiegogo rules.
 
REFUND done!

After bombarding PayPal with email and voicemails, a manager from PayPal finally got tired me...lol

PayPal refunded all transaction from PayPal back to Indiegogo.

Now waiting for Indiegogo to take the final step.

THIS IS IT. NO MORE REFUNDS ALLOWED - refunds are against Indiegogo rules.

So once Indiegogo moves forward, we'll see the refund to our paypal account/payment method?
 
REFUND done!

After bombarding PayPal with email and voicemails, a manager from PayPal finally got tired me...lol

PayPal refunded all transaction from PayPal back to Indiegogo.

Now waiting for Indiegogo to take the final step.

THIS IS IT. NO MORE REFUNDS ALLOWED - refunds are against Indiegogo rules.

Glad to see that is completed. Hopefully the order will be placed soon. :cool:
 
Thanks for the update wahaha. I know it's out of your hand but I appreciate your efforts to keep these guys in check.
 
Hi,

I have a quick question, is there any possibility they ship the unit as a sample price below $200, let say $40 for easing up customs? I did not find any contact info on their website, if anyone does have contact info related to their campaing in ncases.com please PM me.

Thanks

-bruno
 
Are there any 1155 socket boards with two pci-e slots that would fit this case?

What's the last board used in the first post? Seems to have an 1x slot and a 16x slot.
 
PayPal refunded all transaction from PayPal back to Indiegogo.

All transactions?? Or you mean just the guys that requested refunds?

Are there any 1155 socket boards with two pci-e slots that would fit this case?

What's the last board used in the first post? Seems to have an 1x slot and a 16x slot.

Should be the ECS H61H2-MV Mini-DTX that was used in Thermal Testing #1. Doesn't seem to be too many mDTX boards available, so not sure what's out there.
 
Wow... That Silverstone layout really sucks ass. I guess I won't be making custom cables after all. Sigh.

It actually looks like the cable is 1-to1 and he just has one of the end-connectors twisted half way through the cable... It's kinda hard to explain, but if you took the connector and passed it through the center of the 2 bundles (one bundle for the first row, and the other bundle for the second row.) it should straighten out just fine.

EDIT: Like this:

ss-psu-edit.jpg
 
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Yes, I understood how it looks. That twist really ruins it. Doesn't really compare to this.
Agreed, didn't someone mention the version 2 of the SILVERSTONE ST45SF-G 450W had a 1 to 1 24pin ? I plan on sleeving it but just wanted to make sure.
 
It actually looks like the cable is 1-to1 and he just has one of the end-connectors twisted half way through the cable... It's kinda hard to explain, but if you took the connector and passed it through the center of the 2 bundles (one bundle for the first row, and the other bundle for the second row.) it should straighten out just fine.

You've got it backwards :) I twisted that extension cable on purpose to illustrate the problem. Guess it didn't help making things clear. Yes it straightens out fine, but that's because it's an extension, not a direct cable.

Here's what I ended up with:
atx24-done_zps75d4a342.jpg


and here's how it looks in a FT03-mini
ll-loop-order-3_zps4635ef1b.jpg
 
Hello everyone, just signed up to give a big thumbs up to the guys who made this happen! This is really a beautiful product from the photos and renders at least :p I finished my first pc build with the node 304 in april but I want to take it further as I feel the Node 304 is still too big and fat. Could you guys do a size comparison of the two like you did for the prodigy?

I am so glad that it is still available till sunday, just transfered money from my bank account to my paypal but it takes a few days so I hope I will be in time!

I have a 140mm non modular be quiet straight power e9 400w and I am very pleased with it because it is silent. Would it fit with a reference 770/780? What would be the compromise? I got nothing against SFX PSU but I do got something against noisy PSUs. I saw people talke about the silverstone 450 v2.0 that should be quieter but still not quiet enough..

Again really awesome. The SFF crowd needs people like you guys, innovators. I was really looking for something nice and smaller than the Node 304 but couldn't find anything. The SG-05 looked so cheap and the FT-03 mini is kind of nice but restricted in GPU choice and cooling.

So I really got time to order this till sunday right?
 
I have a 140mm non modular be quiet straight power e9 400w and I am very pleased with it because it is silent. Would it fit with a reference 770/780? What would be the compromise? I got nothing against SFX PSU but I do got something against noisy PSUs. I saw people talke about the silverstone 450 v2.0 that should be quieter but still not quiet enough..

It won't fit with a long graphics card such as a reference 770 or 780. I know this because I have literally just sold my 400w e9 on ebay this week, due to the fact that it's just too problematic for this case, and I had an opportunity to buy a cheap, almost new, ST45SF-G to replace it with, in preparation for my M1 build.
The e9 is actually 160mm long, which rules out graphics cards longer than 200mm, and also has such a sheer mass of cables that I decided it just wasn't worth keeping and trying to cram in to the M1. Mainly because it would be pretty pointless to sacrifice so much for a large, silent ATX psu, when a short, powerful gpu would make noise anyway. It's completely illogical.
That being said, I was very reluctant to let it go, as you're right - it's silent, and I'm very picky about noise. I do intend to do the noiseblocker fan mod on my ST45SF-G, as there's no way that it wil be quiet enough with the stock fan.
If the noiseblocker mod is too noisy then I'll have to rethink things, but the take home message is that the be quiet e9 is very unsuitable for this case.
 
It won't fit with a long graphics card such as a reference 770 or 780. I know this because I have literally just sold my 400w e9 on ebay this week, due to the fact that it's just too problematic for this case, and I had an opportunity to buy a cheap, almost new, ST45SF-G to replace it with, in preparation for my M1 build.
The e9 is actually 160mm long, which rules out graphics cards longer than 200mm, and also has such a sheer mass of cables that I decided it just wasn't worth keeping and trying to cram in to the M1. Mainly because it would be pretty pointless to sacrifice so much for a silent psu, when a short, powerful gpu would make noise anyway. It's completely illogical.
That being said, I was very reluctant to let it go, as you're right - it's silent, and I'm very picky about noise. I do intend to do the noiseblocker fan mod on my ST45SF-G, as there's no way that it wil be quiet enough with the stock fan.
If the noiseblocker mod is too noisy then I'll have to rethink things, but the take home message is that the be quiet e9 is very unsuitable for this case.

Alright your input and explanation is much appreciated. Will keep it anyway for a secundary system. Sigh, why is it impossible for a SFX PSU to be quiet! I understand that smaller places constraints but still. Guess the demand isn't high enough. Will mod the fan too then I guess. There goes my idea of silent idle build probably :p
 
It's not. They just don't seem to bother doing it. I'm also not too happy about being restricted to SFX PSUs since their development seems to be completely stagnant. There just doesn't seem to be any good ATX PSUs at 140mm available for this case.

I don't understand why mITX doesn't get more attention and innovation. I only am interested in hardware for about half a year but I really don't see any use for anything bigger than mITX for most of the gaming/office crowd. I didn't see a future in a big case with everything having the tendency to get smaller, more power effecient and quieter.I don't understand why the world isn't all over the ncase M1 and as a result produces silent quality SFX PSU's :p Also who needs more then 500watt these days? Smaller/quieter units is the way forward.
 
I finished my first pc build with the node 304 in april but I want to take it further as I feel the Node 304 is still too big and fat. Could you guys do a size comparison of the two like you did for the prodigy?
Sure, why not. Had to do a quick-and-dirty model of the Node 304 though, so some details are missing and it's not as realistic as it could be:

hhUZsF5.jpg


tsrVC8e.jpg




I do intend to do the noiseblocker fan mod on my ST45SF-G, as there's no way that it wil be quiet enough with the stock fan.
If the noiseblocker mod is too noisy then I'll have to rethink things, but the take home message is that the be quiet e9 is very unsuitable for this case.
You could also try an external 80x25mm fan mod, which is what I did. Very quiet. It does mean you can't intake from the right side, though.
 
Sure, why not. Had to do a quick-and-dirty model of the Node 304 though, so some details are missing and it's not as realistic as it could be:

hhUZsF5.jpg


tsrVC8e.jpg




You could also try an external 80x25mm fan mod, which is what I did. Very quiet. It does mean you can't intake from the right side, though.

Looking good, I was going to go with the Node 304 before I found the M1, can't believe that I can fit a 240mm radiator in a case that small.

I got a question though; can I fit a 120mm fan along with the HDD side mount?
 
I got a question though; can I fit a 120mm fan along with the HDD side mount?
Take a look at config 1b in the first round of testing. You can only use one drive in the cage with a standard 120x25mm fan.

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure how things will pan out at this stage. I had intended to mount the psu to intake air from the right-hand side, but to be honest quietness is my primary concern. Can I ask which 80x25mm fan you used?
It's a Nexus SP802512L-03.
 
Necere or w360, is their the possibility to add more slots for purchase of the no ODD top cover?
I would like to pick one up, but just remembered to do it. Thanks
 
It's not. They just don't seem to bother doing it.
So you're a qualified engineer that knows how to actually make a better one ? OMG !

Because most people just are ignorant to many aspects like hotter climates and high continuous loads that require higher rpm fans, but you don't seem to be one of those people at all. You should contact Silverstone to employ you right away.
 
Compact Splash: 14.5 liters (steel)
NCASE M1: 12.6 liters (Aluminum)

the Splash misses the ATX PSU support, 2 extra 3.5" HDD's, the slim drive.
and supports up to 10.5" long video card compared to 12.5" in the NCASE.
so it can support a thicker single and a dual 120mm radiators
 
I've signed up to [H] all because of this awesome case!! Thanks for putting this piece of art up, been waiting for one for years. I only recently got my mATX computer going, but this was soo good I've bought this for the next build, whenever it happens.

A number of questions I have to ask. I've already read through most of the hundreds of forum pages, and need to catch up on the earlier half, but I still have a few questions that remain unanswered.

1.
a) A question regarding the fan filters. How many filters are included? I would take a guess that 2x 120mm ones are included for the side fans. And these are the magnetically attached DEMCI ones with the glossy sides and simple uninterrupted mesh design? (because the various photos show different types)

b) I am also thinking of putting fans on the bottom intake, and would like to have filters for those. I take it filters are not included for those?

c) And for me to add filters, I would be planning to purchase a 120x240 DEMCI magnet filter to attach to the bottom of the case, however, is the bottom made of steel, or aluminium. Looking through renderings is difficult, and the photos of the prototype is not accessible (404), so wondering if anyone knows for sure if its steel. If not, then the extra magnet frame be needed.


2.
a) I read that clearance from the top of the CPU to the inside of the side fan mount is about 145mm minus the 7-8mm of CPU thickness? Is this correct to therefore conclude that the EXACT dimension between the CPU top and the inside of the side fan mount is 137mm.

b) So if I were to have the Noctua U9b SE2, a quoted 125mm height, I would have 12mm left over with which I could theoretically fit a 120x12mm fan for side intake. (tight, needs breathing space, but better than no fan)

c) So the question is, how accurate is this dimension? and could this be confirmed to be 137mm clearance.

I am thinking of this cooler so that I can have hot air actively directed out the top of the case, and the passive and active convection pathways are the same, and therefore compatible with low RPM operation. I have this setup with my Arc Mini and everything running on minimum RPM, or even with the heatsink fan OFF, the cooling works surprisingly well and ultra quietly, without too much recirculation.


3.
a) How much room is there between the top of the SFX powersupply (and mounting hardware) and the top panel.

b) Will there be enough room to install a thin exhaust fan for the top overlapping the SFX PSU. This is aimed at helping to pull air out of the case and the PSU, helping to keep the PSU fan quieter (if its thermally controlled, and not purely load related)

c) Does the SPF PSU mounting plate have an integral baffle to reduce hot air recirculation? I can see this in the prototype photos. I would take it that this is in the final version? Makes it a little trickier to achieve the exhaust fan suggestion in the question above, but can understand its design goal.


4.
a) The dimension between the top of the Motherboard edge and the inside of the top panel I recall reading is 10mm. Is this number accurate? Need to determine what thickness fan will fit on the top of the Noctua U9B on a ASRock motherboard which biases the CPU to the top of the case as it is currently borderline between a 20mm and a 25mm fan. 25mm would give a lot more choice for fans.

5.
a) Whats the dimension between the inside of the bottom plate to the centre of the PCI Slot. i.e. Space available for GPU thickness. (I have a feeling this is answered somewhere, but cant find it at all, or it was my imagination)

My intentions are to use my existing ASUS DCUII 670, give it positive cool air supply from the bottom of the case, and hopefully encourage the hot air to be displaced to the top part of the case with positive pressure. Thus this becomes an important area to ensure strong positive pressure. (I am aware blower style coolers are more ideal in principle, but this ASUS card is That much cooler and quieter that I would give it a go first. It is also sufficient for my needs, 40-60 FPS BF3 on triple 1200x1920.

b) And developing on the dimension question above, the idea is, how thin does the fan Need to be. There is the 12mm Scythe, 15mm Geild/Phobya, 18mm PCCooler, 20mm, and the normal 25mm. (Fitting under a ASUS DCUII 670. I will later measure my card to determine its thickness - Edit: 37mm from centre of PCB/slot to top of shroud)

I expect room to be limited, and that fans would like a lot more breathing space than whats available, however this must be balanced by the need for being able to generate enough pressure to overcome the restrictive bottom mesh AND filter I will be installing. Sounds like the fan is going to be pretty heavily suffocated, far from ideal.

c) What are peoples experiences with the various 120mm thin fans? 12mm Scythe, 15mm Geild/Phobya, 18mm PCCooler(only because its yellow in colour), 20mm and the normal 25mm.


6.
With the Slot loading Drive. I am not familiar with whats available, but I will be intending on using a drive from my macbook. The macbook has the dust filter for the drive as part of the chassis, so the drive itself doesn't have a dust filter. The ones I see pictured on the builds have their own face-plate. I assume the case doesn't come with a dust filter for the slot drive and it relies on the one that comes with the drive itself? (so I need to make one for myself, which shouldn't be too hard, just need to find a felty plastic sheet?



A list of questions, but thanks in advance for your responses.
 
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I just file that under supposedly witty comments from people on my ignore list. :)
It's not about being witty, it's about showing how uninsightful your comment on their lack of interest to improve their products is. Certainly if you keep in mind Silverstone has done more for SFF than any other company. Simply stating they don't seem to care is just plain trolling.
 
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1.
a) A question regarding the fan filters. How many filters are included? I would take a guess that 2x 120mm ones are included for the side fans. And these are the magnetically attached DEMCI ones with the glossy sides and simple uninterrupted mesh design? (because the various photos show different types)

b) I am also thinking of putting fans on the bottom intake, and would like to have filters for those. I take it filters are not included for those?

c) And for me to add filters, I would be planning to purchase a 120x240 DEMCI magnet filter to attach to the bottom of the case, however, is the bottom made of steel, or aluminium. Looking through renderings is difficult, and the photos of the prototype is not accessible (404), so wondering if anyone knows for sure if its steel. If not, then the extra magnet frame be needed.

Haven't heard a definite answer on whether we'll be receiving both 2 side filters and 2 bottom filters, but Necere did state that we'll be getting Lian Li's screw in versions instead of the DemciFlex. However, he did recently mention contacting Demci to submit specs for custom filters that we could order ourselves (through Demci), but there's no further status on that.

I would really like side and bottom Demci filters, and think that 2x 120x120 with magnets for the side (hopefully it would fit to the inside of the side panel for aesthetics) and 1x 120x240 for the outside (not sure if magnets are needed there, but outside of chassis placement would be necessary for access). I would also be alright w/2x 120x120 for the outside bottom, if that made it more versatile for others.

But, if for some reason it's just not possible to fit a Demci between the side fan rack and outer side panel, then I'll order for the bottom only. No way in hell I'll be slapping filters to the outside of this beauty (except where hidden underneath).

EDIT: Almost forgot.. I also wouldn't mind ordering a Demci for the PSU intake (will be orientating an SFX to draw fresh air through other side panel) - again, only if there's room to mount both filter & magnet hidden between side panel and PSU intake.
 
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I do remember Necere saying that the Gold silverstone 450 psu has the fan off to one side, which biases it to the front of the case when mounted to pull air from the outside, and therefore most of the intake fan does not line up with the holes in the side panel.

There is like 4-5mm gap? so adding a filter of several mm thick will almost seal the psu intake against the case side? Wonder if this orientation has issues with reduced airflow.
 
I do remember Necere saying that the Gold silverstone 450 psu has the fan off to one side, which biases it to the front of the case when mounted to pull air from the outside, and therefore most of the intake fan does not line up with the holes in the side panel.

There is like 4-5mm gap? so adding a filter of several mm thick will almost seal the psu intake against the case side? Wonder if this orientation has issues with reduced airflow.

yes ...
ST45SF-G-FRONT.jpg
 
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