NCASE M1 first time build help

Hello everyone! Long time forum reader, first time poster. I’ve been planning on building my first PC for a long time, and finally managed to get my hands on an NCASE M1. I would very much appreciate if anyone could look at my intended build to make sure I haven’t made any terrible mistakes!

Build:
Case: NCASE M1
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VII IMPACT
PSU: SilverStone 600W SFX Power Supply
SSD: Samsung 500GB SSD, 840 EVO Series
GPU: GIGABYTE GeForce GTX980 G1 Gaming
Cooling: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler
RAM: 2 x Corsair 8GB 1600mhz DDR3
Monitor: Undecided

Sticky Post Questions:
1. Uses: Predominantly gaming – Witcher, Dragon Age, TF2, DotA/LoL. Would also like to use as a Plex server for my house but gaming is the main priority.
2. Overclocking? No. Watercooling? No.
3. Budget: Anything between $1500-$3000. Would always be happy to spend less rather than more, but happy to splurge if I’d get significant improvements.
4. Where do you live: I live in Australia. Will be using Scorptec/MSI most likely.
5. What exact parts do I need? I’ve already purchased the NCASE M1 and GIGABYTE GeForce GTX980.
6. Reused parts: None
7. Specific features needed: ability to play games, would like be able to use two monitors as well however I don’t know if that’s achievable.
8. Resolution: no specific preference. 1920x1080?
9. Space and optical drive: It doesn’t need to fit into a particular space, but I’ve purchased the NCASE because I wanted it to be small! I don’t need an inbuilt optical drive.
10. Case modification: preferably not. Too intimidating! I have a set of small screwdrivers my little brother used to build his PC
11. Noise: Would always prefer quieter however not a major selling point.
12. Mobility: would appreciate mobility, but again not a huge concern.
13. OS License: I posess Windows 8.1 “Full version” with 32 and 64 bit DVDs
14. When do you plan on building/buying: As soon as possible! Hoping to get it built/bought by the beginning of next year!

My main questions are:
1. I too late realised that the GPU I purchased wasn’t a “rear exhaust” type card. Will this be a major issue? It’s still new in box and I would potentially be able to resell it online and buy a reference style card…however would prefer to avoid the inconvenience if it’s not going to be a major issue.
2. I don’t fully understand how to install fans/how many I require. I’ve chosen the NH-C14 because I’ve seen other people use it for the NCASE…will I need to buy additional fans as well? Or will that be enough?
3. Any general tips for PC building/building in the NCASE M1 they would be very much appreciated. I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time trawling through the existing posts on the forum, however would always appreciate additional advice!

To anyone who manages to read through all of that thank you so much!
Nathan

Hi, we have a collective Ncase M1 build thread, always a lot of useful info in there on builds, also check the Google Doc that is mentioned in the first post of the Ncase M1 topic.

1. no it's not a major issue, but it would be generally prefered. It will still work and depending on your use-case it might never be an issue. The problem is that most non-reference graphics cards use axial fans (reference cards use a radial fan ie. blower fan) which disperse the heat into every direction except out back.

The first issue is that the card might recycle it's own hot air because the bottom portion is mainly closed off by the graphics card. This will make it louder than needed in the end if it ends up doing this. To fix this, you can use some homemade ducting (example 1, example 2).

The second issue is that other components might end up eating the hot air. Usual suspects are any 3,5" HDD's and the processor. The latter is less of a problem most of the time, the HDD's is a bigger problem since they aren't being actively cooled, but "heated". But I don't see them in your build so I don't see an issue.

2. for your build with the NH-C14, I recommend two 120mm fans on the side-fan-bracket, since the NF-P14 fans that come with the CPU cooler overshoot the heatsink anyway and this way you can have a better airflow for your PSU (running quieter) and allows a positive pressure setup (more intake than exhaust, causes less dust build-up).

Alternatively, you could experiment with the two 120mm fans at the bottom (below the graphics card) and put the NF-P14 fans on the CPU heatsink to see what works quieter and performs better. I tend to think my first suggestion does, but you need to get some ducting for your GPU to make that work better.

3. patience, precision and persistence. Also to avoid issues during building, see what the correct steps for your build would be. I would guess:

1. disassemble everything on the case (sidepanels, fan bracket, PSU bracket)
2. install CPU and RAM on motherboard
3. install motherboard in case
4. check if you can reach the USB 3.0, HD-AUDIO and ATX 24 + 8-pin power cables after installing the graphics card, if not do it now
5. install the CPU heatsink
6. (optionally) install the 120mm fans if you won't be using ducting on your graphics card's fans
7. install the graphics card
8. connect front panel cables (USB 3.0, HD-AUDIO, power and LED)
9. install the PSU bracket
10. install the PSU
11. connect the cables
12. tidy up cables with zip ties
13. do a pre-flight check to see if everything is still seated and connected correctly

Thank you Phuncz so much for your response!

I'll think I'll try with the non-reference card since I've already purchased it and experiment with some ducting.

A couple more questions:

1. Would this be a suitable 120mm fan? http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Cooling/Case_Fans/43928-NF-F12-PWM

2. And did you mean to imply in step 6 that if I do use ducting then I don't need to install 120mm fans? Or do you mean that I won't be installing fans at the bottom, but should still put them on the side fan bracket?

1. the link doesn't work for me but I guess it's the Noctua NF-F12-PWM fan you want me to look at. It is an ideal fan to be used with the heatsink (so on the side fan-bracket), but less so on the bottom of the case:

the NF-F12’s Focused Flow™ system creates outstanding static pressure and focuses the airflow for superior performance on heatsinks and radiators.

Click to expand...

If you want to install the fans on the bottom of the case, the NF-S12A is more suited: http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=which_fan_is_right_for_me

2. I personally prefer to use the least amount of fans if possible, without sacrificing airflow. What this means that I'm not a fan (ha, pun !) of having case fans act like ducting or case fans in series. Basically because it's a waste of money (those Noctua's don't come cheap) and inefficient because the fans on your graphics card already function as a fan. But I know some people don't want to go the DIY route and make some decent looking ducting, so fans is the "next best thing" (I consider consumer ducts as the next best thing).

So my preference goes to using two 120mm fans on the side fan-bracket (the NF-F12-PWM you are looking at) and use the NH-C14's fans for another case/project. And use ducting on the bottom, below the graphics card. Some have used the packaging of the Noctua fans ("example 1") or some other flexible plastic ("example 2") or something like a slice of large soda bottles.

Or if you really want to go max potential, get two more NF-F12-PWM fans for the bottom of the case, remove the existing fans from the graphics card, get one of these to connect those 120mm fans to your graphics card's 4-pin mini connector (if it has it, most do) and make it work like in "example 1" in my first post.

You can also get some inspiration from the user gallery Necere has compiled: http://imgur.com/a/zOoA2

Still got my NCASE M1 v2 to build but due to a lack of funds at the moment, I am trying to prioritise what I can put in first. I'm thinking of buying the PSU first before I buy the rest of the other PC parts.

So my question is, which goes in first as regarding to building the NCASE M1 from scratch?
PSU or motherboard or does it not matter at all?

I'm not sure if it'll help, but here's a video of me building into my V2.

I put everything on the mobo other than the PSU/ data cables, put the mobo in the case, added the PSU and data cables, added the GPU, and finally the PSU.

I got the G1 GTX970 and while the card does dump tons of heat in the case, it is manageable but with some restrictions.

You can get away with no fan on the bottom of the case. The fans on the graphic card are more than enough. However, if you play a game that will tax your GPU at 100%, the fans will kick on at 100% making the card extremely noisy. I ended up adding 2 Noctua NF-P12 on the bottom which helped tremendously keeping the noise down. The link you pointed out is for the NF-F12 PMW fan. You probably dont need the PMW version, and the NF-P12 is pressure optimized and tend to be less expensive than the NF-F12/PWM counterparts.

The area around the the PSU overheats fast when the GPU is under load: any HDD or SDD mounted in that area will get toasted. Putting the intake of the PSU fan inward doesn't help much with moving all that hot air. I highly recommend mounting a side fan on the bracket.

If you are not going to overclock, I recommend the Scythe Kabuto II cooler. It is cheaper than the Noctua C14. It is more than adequate for stock speed and even mild overclocking.

Motherboard: Asus Impact is probably the best mini ITX board, but I dont think it is worth the price they are asking, especially if you are not going to do any heavy overclocking. For me, it was a toss between the Impact, the Gigabyte GA-Z97N-Gaming 5 and the MSI Z97I Gaming AC. I went with the Gigabyte for the price and the socket position.

nathan2525 said:

Sticky Post Questions:

My main questions are:
1. I too late realised that the GPU I purchased wasn’t a “rear exhaust” type card. Will this be a major issue? It’s still new in box and I would potentially be able to resell it online and buy a reference style card…however would prefer to avoid the inconvenience if it’s not going to be a major issue.
2. I don’t fully understand how to install fans/how many I require. I’ve chosen the NH-C14 because I’ve seen other people use it for the NCASE…will I need to buy additional fans as well? Or will that be enough?
3. Any general tips for PC building/building in the NCASE M1 they would be very much appreciated. I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time trawling through the existing posts on the forum, however would always appreciate additional advice!

To anyone who manages to read through all of that thank you so much!
Nathan

Click to expand...

nathan2525 said:

A couple more questions:

1. Would this be a suitable 120mm fan? http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Cooling/Case_Fans/43928-NF-F12-PWM

2. And did you mean to imply in step 6 that if I do use ducting then I don't need to install 120mm fans? Or do you mean that I won't be installing fans at the bottom, but should still put them on the side fan bracket?

Click to expand...

Hi Nathan

I agree with Phuncz' advices but thought I'd chime in with a few additions.
I think that making effective ducting on that card can be a bit tricky because the plastic chroud on it is very open. I would try without getting fans for the bottom first. They seem to make very little difference until you get to over 95% load. The plate that screws in to block the hole over the expansion slots seem to block some airflow. Many people, myself included have seen 3-5 C temp improvements from removing it.

Also i have that CPU cooler with a cheaper corsair SP120 PWM fan on the side bracket. My CPU temps are great, but it's a 4690K, so lower thermal load. Since you're planning on a better fan, i would stick to one fan initially. I think the PSU is going to benefit more from it than the CPU.

Bottom line: In my opinion, get 1 of those fans or stick with the 140mm (though not PWM) fan that comes with the cooler (with or without the low noise adapter) and see where it gets you. I haven't tried the stock fan because i don't like the color scheme and had the fans from previous builds already.

how hard would it be to use/install a Corsair H100i water cooler for this case?

pookguy88 said:

how hard would it be to use/install a Corsair H100i water cooler for this case?

Click to expand...

Only slightly harder than in a typical case. Mostly you just need to do a dry install (i.e., no CPU/thermal paste) to figure out how to orient the block and tubing so it fits nicely. Otherwise it's pretty straightforward.

pookguy88 said:

how hard would it be to use/install a Corsair H100i water cooler for this case?

Click to expand...

Here's a quick snap of my V1 with H105 (11mm thicker than H100i):



The installation wasn't easy easy – it took some planning as to how to route the tubes –, but, as you can see from the MB connector cables on this image, in M1 you have to plan everything in advance anyway. Also, me having shortened pretty much every cable except for the USB3 one to take a minimum amount of space helped a lot.

salasq said:

Here's a quick snap of my V1 with H105 (11mm thicker than H100i):



The installation wasn't easy easy – it took some planning as to how to route the tubes –, but, as you can see from the MB connector cables on this image, in M1 you have to plan everything in advance anyway. Also, me having shortened pretty much every cable except for the USB3 one to take a minimum amount of space helped a lot.

Click to expand...

Great, thank you, how does the radiator mount to the case? Do I need a bracket or does it mount directly to the M1? There seems to be a fan bracket in the M1 in the place where the radiator should go?

pookguy88 said:

Great, thank you, how does the radiator mount to the case? Do I need a bracket or does it mount directly to the M1? There seems to be a fan bracket in the M1 in the place where the radiator should go?

Click to expand...

You can attach the radiator to the fan bracket no problem.

@salasq

Is that the Gigabyte gaming motherboard? I got too lazy to reroute the 8pin cable to the motherboard the way you did it. I didnt even think it was possible with the sharp bend it was going to make by the connector.

How is the Corsair H105 working for you? I can't make up my mind if I want to go with an AIO cooler. The Kabuto is limiting my overclock, but I I dont feel like I really need to overclock my CPU. Except for the occasional times when I just want to sit on my desktop and scream POWER while my cpu burns away

deanx0r said:

Is that the Gigabyte gaming motherboard?

Click to expand...

Yes, Gaming 5. I made as much use as I could of the tiny space behind the motherboard, so the 8-pin runs there, pump power runs there and the cable for bottom fans runs between the standoffs and the rear of case.

H105 works fine. The build's not done yet (I'm expecting some new fans from Santa), so I haven't done any proper overclocking. Yet to see a core break 55ºC with it, tbh.

I really want to get the SX500-LG PSU but I don't like how tight (fit) it is with the 970 reference cards, so my question is this, which short-PCB 970's are people going for. Being more quiet is better for me.

I've seen some like these ones...
ASUS GeForce GTX 970 DirectCU Mini
GALAX NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 OC
Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Jetstream Edition 4GB

phillai said:

I really want to get the SX500-LG PSU but I don't like how tight (fit) it is with the 970 reference cards, so my question is this, which short-PCB 970's are people going for. Being more quiet is better for me.

I've seen some like these ones...
ASUS GeForce GTX 970 DirectCU Mini
GALAX NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 OC
Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Jetstream Edition 4GB

Click to expand...

I have the Gigabyte 970 ITX (GV-N970IXOC-4GD)..



Great little card.. very quiet at idle, no coil whine, and pleasant sounding under load (definitely audible, but not offensive sounding like my ST45SF-G or SX600-G). My first choice probably would have been the ASUS 970 Mini, but it still isn't available yet, and there's a good chance that it will never be in the US (like their 760 Mini, there isn't a US product page). If you're considering the Palit, then this probably isn't an issue for your region.

Only know of one member here that bought the short GALAX, and iirc, he had to send it back due to coil whine.

AFD said:

I have the Gigabyte 970 ITX (GV-N970IXOC-4GD)..

[image]

Great little card.. very quiet at idle, no coil whine, and pleasant sounding under load (definitely audible, but not offensive sounding like my ST45SF-G or SX600-G). My first choice probably would have been the ASUS 970 Mini, but it still isn't available yet, and there's a good chance that it will never be in the US (like their 760 Mini, there isn't a US product page). If you're considering the Palit, then this probably isn't an issue for your region.

Only know of one member here that bought the short GALAX, and iirc, he had to send it back due to coil whine.

Click to expand...

So there's no fittment issues with the gigabyte card?

Curiositie said:

So there's no fittment issues with the gigabyte card?

Click to expand...

I still can't quite figure out while mine has a slight sag. Moved the case this week, and noticed a slight rattle that went away by physically lifting up on the front end of the card (it's not touching anything but cables).

But, no.. there were no fitment issues with the M1 or other components at all.

AFD said:

I still can't quite figure out while mine has a slight sag. Moved the case this week, and noticed a slight rattle that went away by physically lifting up on the front end of the card (it's not touching anything but cables).

But, no.. there were no fitment issues with the M1 or other components at all.

Click to expand...

That's great to hear, I had been looking at it and was afraid it might be too wide.

salasq said:

Here's a quick snap of my V1 with H105 (11mm thicker than H100i):



The installation wasn't easy easy – it took some planning as to how to route the tubes –, but, as you can see from the MB connector cables on this image, in M1 you have to plan everything in advance anyway. Also, me having shortened pretty much every cable except for the USB3 one to take a minimum amount of space helped a lot.

Click to expand...

Did you try installing it with the tubes the other way, at the back end of the case? I am waiting on my case and wondering if one way is easier than the other. the tubes look a little pinched in the pic by the psu. I was thinking about coiling the tubes from the back side and seeing how they fit

No Hands 55 said:

Did you try installing it with the tubes the other way, at the back end of the case? I am waiting on my case and wondering if one way is easier than the other. the tubes look a little pinched in the pic by the psu. I was thinking about coiling the tubes from the back side and seeing how they fit

Click to expand...

A little pinched at that sharp bend, but not kinked. I tried both orientations and found that this one worked the best for me. The tubes run back from the front, twist around each other once to come out of the loop in the right order, and approach the (mounted the 'right way') pump from bottom.

Just do some careful testing before you commit to a solution and you'll be fine.

salasq said:

A little pinched at that sharp bend, but not kinked. I tried both orientations and found that this one worked the best for me. The tubes run back from the front, twist around each other once to come out of the loop in the right order, and approach the (mounted the 'right way') pump from bottom.

Just do some careful testing before you commit to a solution and you'll be fine.

Click to expand...

ahh i see so the tubes are on the bottom of the pump? ill have to try a few different ways when i get mine. also, is there anyway you think a 92mm fan would fit in the back with the h105?