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

Necere said:
No. But the 4th production run is imminent, and we'll be opening pre-orders next week for the first batch that will ship from Taiwan around July 20th.
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Nice, I take it the 3rd run sold better than it was doing for a while there?
 
Using measurements from the dimensions PDF, and from reviews I did some sketchup and mocked the Dark Rock TF up on someone's model of a P8Z77I-deluxe:

Mehedf9.jpg

DVcxvEy.jpg


I'll post the model once I get the base modeled in.

From what I'm seeing so far I'm fairly certain it'll fit on the P8Z77I and Impact, unless the heatpipes foul something.


Edit:

The fan model and motherboard model were done by other people.
 
Hanakuso said:
Looks very close for the heatpipes
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It might not be centered quite right at the moment, but I will be doing my best to model the heatpipes, which should help a lot.


According to Vortez.net, we'll have to mount it with the heatpipes horizontal, vertical will probably foul the PCIE slot.
 
Aibohphobia said:
Nice, I take it the 3rd run sold better than it was doing for a while there?
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Yeah, sales did pick up a bit in the last couple months. I fully expect demand to rise and fall at different times of the year, but I think the increased coverage from things like the Linus and HardwareCanucks reviews helped out. There wasn't much of an initial increase in sales immediately after those reviews, but as I've explained to w360, most people only buy a case when they're doing a new build, and they don't do new builds that frequently. They're not going to just go out and buy a case because they saw a review on it - it has to be available and in the public consciousness (in reviews, forum discussion, etc.) when they're ready to build. Awareness + desirability + availability = sales.
 
are there any proposed significant changes for the 4th run (V4?) that would make another purchase over the V2 worthwhile? i love my V2 but im happy to purchase a V4 to continue supporting Ncase and would probably end up selling my V2 secondhand.

- i think i saw Necere mention potentially having stronger metal on the fan bracket around the screw mounts (which i have had some problems with wear).
 
callumbolch said:
are there any proposed significant changes for the 4th run (V4?) that would make another purchase over the V2 worthwhile? i love my V2 but im happy to purchase a V4 to continue supporting Ncase and would probably end up selling my V2 secondhand.

- i think i saw Necere mention potentially having stronger metal on the fan bracket around the screw mounts (which i have had some problems with wear).
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We're considering changing the fan bracket to SECC (steel) for V4. It's not for strength reasons though - it's to allow us to include a magnetic filter with the case that attaches to the bracket. This is what it looks like on a Lian Li case.
 
This is roughly how the Dark Rock would fit on an MSI z97i Gaming ACK motherboard.

mX2NUSy.jpg


It only works in this position. The overhang is approximately 8 mm. This is my first time doing this, so I may have made a mistake. Like that blue bit at the top should be near the full width of the cooler. Oops.

Does anyone know if the 8 mm overhang will obstruct the use of the forward 120 mm cooling mounting point?
 
Lt Broccoli said:
Does anyone know if the 8 mm overhang will obstruct the use of the forward 120 mm cooling mounting point?
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It does. In fact, a 120mm fan on the forward mount overhangs the motherboard by about 15mm, and that's with the fan mounted as far forward as possible (there's 8mm of travel). So you have the choice of 1.) using only the cooler's 140mm fan, 2.) not using a 140mm fan at all, but two 120mm fans mounted to the bracket instead.

If you're wondering about using an AIO cooling the GPU along with the Dark Rock cooler, then yeah, that's pretty much out.
 
Necere said:
It does. In fact, a 120mm fan on the forward mount overhangs the motherboard by about 15mm, and that's with the fan mounted as far forward as possible (there's 8mm of travel). So you have the choice of 1.) using only the cooler's 140mm fan, 2.) not using a 140mm fan at all, but two 120mm fans mounted to the bracket instead.
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It would be super useful to list that 15 mm fact in the Compatibility tab on the website. I've been wondering about that, but I haven't had the time to go back and read this entire thread.

If you're wondering about using an AIO cooling the GPU along with the Dark Rock cooler, then yeah, that's pretty much out.
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Indeed I was :)

If flipped the other way, the ends of the upper heat pipes overlap the end of the board approximately 3 mm. How is the clearance in that direction?

XkCD2Zr.jpg


If mounted vertical, it either overhangs the PCIe slot, or hits the roof.
 
Lt Broccoli said:
If flipped the other way, the ends of the upper heat pipes overlap the end of the board approximately 3 mm. How is the clearance in that direction?
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There's only about 2mm between the motherboard and the back of the chassis, so it would be very close if it fits that way.
 
Heres my sketchup model


As far as I know, it's almost 100% correct, I did my best going off of the numbers frostytech had in their review, and the dimensions on BeQuiet!'s .PDF.

Edit:

Heatpipes are hard, so I skipped over them for the most part. :X


Feel free to edit, reupload, take credit, I don't care.
 
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Necere said:
There's only about 2mm between the motherboard and the back of the chassis, so it would be very close if it fits that way.
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No doubt the heat pipes would be right against the case. It may just work though, also using the play in the motherboard mounting holes.

I'm probably going to order a black M1 as soon as preorders open :)
 
Necere said:
Yeah, sales did pick up a bit in the last couple months. I fully expect demand to rise and fall at different times of the year, but I think the increased coverage from things like the Linus and HardwareCanucks reviews helped out..
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Don't forget the army of M1 users, that recommend the M1 as soon as someone is asking for a small case :D
 
milkcow said:
Don't forget the army of M1 users, that recommend the M1 as soon as someone is asking for a small case :D
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No doubt, word of mouth is easily the number one factor for us up to now.

wschow said:
Hey Necere,

Does that mean the top panel without OD opening is available soon?
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We actually still have top panels and panel kits still in stock and available on the website.
 
Necere said:
We're considering changing the fan bracket to SECC (steel) for V4. It's not for strength reasons though - it's to allow us to include a magnetic filter with the case that attaches to the bracket. This is what it looks like on a Lian Li case.
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How much engineering work does that entail?

What effect would the change have on the per-unit price of the case?

Does magnetic tape (a la Demciflex) not work?
 
vipz said:
How much engineering work does that entail?
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Nothing significant. It's the same design, just made from 0.8mm SECC instead of 1.5mm aluminum.

vipz said:
What effect would the change have on the per-unit price of the case?
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No change.

vipz said:
Does magnetic tape (a la Demciflex) not work?
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If you look at the pic I linked, it's actually a piece of metal mesh for the filter, and attached to that are magnetic strips. So instead of the magnetic tape being on the bracket like the Demciflex filters, it's attached to the filter, and the fan bracket is now ferrous so the magnets will stick to it.

If you're asking why not leave the fan bracket aluminum and put the magnetic tape on the bracket, I don't have an answer for that except this is the way Lian Li does it. If I had to guess, I think the mesh may be too diffuse for the magnet to form a strong hold. Either that or the material is non-ferrous. We're getting a sample though, so I'll be able to check it out for myself.
 
wschow said:
Can you make it as such it is backward compatible with rest of the version?
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It's backward-compatible by default. We could probably run some extras off and offer them as an accessory for current M1 owners if there's interest in it.
 
Necere said:
It's backward-compatible by default. We could probably run some extras off and offer them as an accessory for current M1 owners if there's interest in it.
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That is of course a good idea. When do you think the steel version is available for selling? My suggestion is to sell it as an optional accessory and survey the popularity of it. I bet a lot of people still see M1 as a FULL ALUMINIUM case of choice. What do you all say. (Sorry for my bad english)
 
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wschow said:
That is of course a good idea. When do you think the steel version is available for selling? My suggestion is to sell it as an optional accessory and survey the popularity of it. I bet a lot of people still see M1 as a FULL ALUMINIUM case of choice. What do you all say. (Sorry for my bad english)
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I'm not sure I see the value of offering two versions of the bracket going forward. There's not a lot of material in it compared to the rest of the case, so any weight difference will be negligible. It's basically all upside, as far as I can see. Can you give me a reason why you or anyone else might prefer the aluminum bracket?
 
Necere said:
I'm not sure I see the value of offering two versions of the bracket going forward. There's not a lot of material in it compared to the rest of the case, so any weight difference will be negligible. It's basically all upside, as far as I can see. Can you give me a reason why you or anyone else might prefer the aluminum bracket?
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Nah, I am not really specific into it. It just cross my mind that someone once proudly presented M1 as the world first fully aluminium case (If i am not wrong).
 
wschow said:
Nah, I am not really specific into it. It just cross my mind that someone once proudly presented M1 as the world first fully aluminium case (If i am not wrong).
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Lol... well, it's far from the world's first full aluminum case. Lian Li has been doing all-aluminum cases for years. I will admit the aluminum has a very nice feel to it, especially with the matte black paint - lightweight, almost like plastic, but cold and solid to the touch. It feels premium and pretty novel when you first handle it.
 
How about the airflow restrictive properties of that mesh. Your current included plastic wire mesh grills are good for airflow. That punched plastic sheet looks to be far more restrictive?

Nothing lets air through as well as a wire mesh (plastic or metal)
 
Necere said:
If you're asking why not leave the fan bracket aluminum and put the magnetic tape on the bracket, I don't have an answer for that except this is the way Lian Li does it. If I had to guess, I think the mesh may be too diffuse for the magnet to form a strong hold. Either that or the material is non-ferrous. We're getting a sample though, so I'll be able to check it out for myself.
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Yes, that is what I meant. I suppose you could always try applying magnetic tape to both the fan bracket and the mesh.
 
FYI Titan X Hybrid now available on EVGA's webstore! Available as a full card ($1099) and as an add-on kit ($109). Yay - my build components will be complete for whenever I receive my M1!

I assume this new Silverstone 700 watt SFX-L PSU will have issues fitting in the M1 with a large card like the Titan X? Better to stick with the 600 watt SFX currently available?

Tom
 
tblake said:
FYI Titan X Hybrid now available on EVGA's webstore! Available as a full card ($1099) and as an add-on kit ($109). Yay - my build components will be complete for whenever I receive my M1!

I assume this new Silverstone 700 watt SFX-L PSU will have issues fitting in the M1 with a large card like the Titan X? Better to stick with the 600 watt SFX currently available?

Tom
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IIRC any longer graphics card creates a tight fit with any SFX-L PSUs. I believe you have space if you use a pcie extender cable to move the graphics card down a slot. Others can correct me if I am wrong.

My Node 304 build might turn into a Ncase M1 v.4 build if whatever the Dual Fiji card can be used with a 700 watt psu.
 
wreckem said:
IIRC any longer graphics card creates a tight fit with any SFX-L PSUs. I believe you have space if you use a pcie extender cable to move the graphics card down a slot. Others can correct me if I am wrong.

My Node 304 build might turn into a Ncase M1 v.4 build if whatever the Dual Fiji card can be used with a 700 watt psu.
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A long graphics card and a SFX-L PSU fit fine (Even with a backplate).

Source: My Ncase.
 
Looks like round 3 is sold out!

Round 4, here we go ;) I understand that you are looking to get confirmation of how the new 700 watt psu will fit, and will consider a steel based side fan mounting plate as part of the factors to be considered for the next run?
 
hi necere , i just received my M1 Ncase today . after I check out , I found a little flaw on the top panel . you can see there is a part that is not balanced between left and right side panels . is there any suggestion to fix it ? Here I attach a photo

IMG-20150530-02044.jpg
 
Hi guys! I have a few questions.

What are some coolers would you guys recommend for the CPU for the M1 ( also,do you think air or liquid would be better?)?

What type of GPU coolers would you recommend? (after market vs stock nvidia's)

When you do think the case will come back instock again?

Thanks!
 
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okwchin said:
How about the airflow restrictive properties of that mesh. Your current included plastic wire mesh grills are good for airflow. That punched plastic sheet looks to be far more restrictive?

Nothing lets air through as well as a wire mesh (plastic or metal)
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We'll still include two of the original-style filters so people can decide for themselves. It may be more restrictive, but I think people are willing to sacrifice a bit of cooling performance for the convenience of easily removable filters. If people are really after the best performance, they'll want to skip filters altogether, anyway.

okwchin said:
Looks like round 3 is sold out!

Round 4, here we go ;) I understand that you are looking to get confirmation of how the new 700 watt psu will fit, and will consider a steel based side fan mounting plate as part of the factors to be considered for the next run?
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That's correct.

handy1987 said:
hi necere , i just received my M1 Ncase today . after I check out , I found a little flaw on the top panel . you can see there is a part that is not balanced between left and right side panels . is there any suggestion to fix it ? Here I attach a photo
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Sorry about that, but honestly that's a normal amount of variation. The way these cases are made doesn't produce identical results every time - there will always be some minor differences in how the panels fit etc. This is true for all cases, though on larger cases you won't notice so much.

My best guess is that there might be a rivet on the left side of the chassis that isn't completely flush, and is pushing the front panel out slightly on that side. The simplest fix is to add a small spacer (e.g. layered electrical tape) on the top right corner of the chassis to even it out.

brahbruh said:
Hi guys! I have a few questions.

What are some coolers would you guys recommend for the CPU for the M1 ( also,do you think air or liquid would be better?)?

What type of GPU coolers would you recommend? (after market vs stock nvidia's)
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CPU cooler depends somewhat on your other parts. If the cooler is bigger than the socket, you'll want to make sure to pick a motherboard where the socket is located close to the middle of the board. Certain coolers won't fit with the 3.5" HDD cage (e.g., the Noctua NH-C14). The Scythe Kabuto II is a pretty good choice for a top-down cooler that maximises use of space, while still allowing for the 3.5" HDD cage. The NH-U9S or pretty much any Asetek-style slim-rad AIO (Corsair etc.) are good choices if you don't want to worry about motherboard socket location or HDD cage compatibility.

As far as the GPU style, the nvidia reference blower is still what I recommend. It keeps most of the GPU heat out of the case, and it's probably the quietest blower GPU there's ever been. Alternatively, you could use a GPU with an integrated AIO cooler, like the EVGA GTX 980 Hybrid. Just be aware that will take up the mount on the side bracket for the HDD cage, and you'll probably want to use it with an AIO on the CPU as well. Check a few pages back for an example build.

A word on system cooling: you'll want to have one or more 120mm fans mounted either on the side or bottom of the case to help move air through the system. Most configurations will have a fan or two on the side bracket, but in some cases (e.g., a tower cooler like the Noctua NH-U9S and the 3.5" HDD cage installed) there won't be room for side fans, so you'll want to have at least one fan mounted on the bottom under the video card. This is just to establish air flow through the case, and also lets you use dust filters on the intakes.

brahbruh said:
When you do think the case will come back instock again?
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See my earlier post.

forumator said:
Does the new shipment coming soon mean we'll be able to order the V3 bracket?
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Yes. And just in case anyone missed it:

Poll: M1 First Edition and V2 owners, are you interested in purchasing the V3 SFX bracket?
 
Necere said:
Sorry about that, but honestly that's a normal amount of variation. The way these cases are made doesn't produce identical results every time - there will always be some minor differences in how the panels fit etc. This is true for all cases, though on larger cases you won't notice so much.

My best guess is that there might be a rivet on the left side of the chassis that isn't completely flush, and is pushing the front panel out slightly on that side. The simplest fix is to add a small spacer (e.g. layered electrical tape) on the top right corner of the chassis to even it out.

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necere, thanks for your explanation . I 'll try to fix it with your suggestions
 
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