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

Mannymal, that monitor arm is absolutely sick. I honestly had no idea desk-mounted arms like this existed. It's $142 on Amazon, and similar units are about the same. Everyone seems to say they are absolutely worth it. Plus, it's a one time investment, pretty futureproof. I may just get one. Saves space on the desk too. Thanks for opening my eyes to this amazing product ha.

Also, that is a pretty nice build. Is this the Noctua Industrial NF-F12 fan on the bottom? I hope you are controlling it, otherwise it'll be unnecessarily loud. You could also replace the stock H100i fans with Noctua fans, they are much quieter and work well in the M1, you shouldn't see a big difference in performance.
 
Has anyone ordered the Lian Like PE-750 psu?
The connectors look like they stick out more than the other sfx-l designs, any thoughts on GPU interference?
 
guys site gives me checkout erorr i cant order. what will i do? is there anybody taking checkout error?
 
guys site gives me checkout erorr i cant order. what will i do? is there anybody taking checkout error?

You got an "Oops something went wrong" page? I had the same issue. It's something wrong with their site, but the order still goes through. You should get the confirmation from them in the next couple days (I ordered on Thursday and got my confirmation Friday).
 
I was wondering if it's possible to do something with the USB and Audio Front panel cabling (possibly a right angle connector coming out from the top or the side flush along the inside edge of the case? I managed to work around it but am placing a fair amount of stress on the cables when fitting a second radiator. Possibly as an add-on accessory / option. Would totally buy it.
 
I was wondering if it's possible to do something with the USB and Audio Front panel cabling (possibly a right angle connector coming out from the top or the side flush along the inside edge of the case? I managed to work around it but am placing a fair amount of stress on the cables when fitting a second radiator. Possibly as an add-on accessory / option. Would totally buy it.

I think the problem is that the Audio/USB module is an off the shelf part from Lian Li. I could be wrong.
 
I think the problem is that the Audio/USB module is an off the shelf part from Lian Li. I could be wrong.
I suspect as much, it seems like a relatively standard header which just screws in. It works fine but would be nice to have an alternative accessory (tried finding one but didn't get too far).
 
I suspect as much, it seems like a relatively standard header which just screws in. It works fine but would be nice to have an alternative accessory (tried finding one but didn't get too far).

It would be great to have a module where the cables emerge out the short edge along the back wall of the case. I have used tie-wraps in mine to direct them that way in order to accomodate two 140 mm fans on the bottom. Like you I am not completely comfortable with the stress this applies to the cables.

 
Hi Scott, funny I have the same configuration lined up for my M1 build. Wanted to go for AIO CPU cooling but I'm leaning towards Noctua air cooling. How does your NH-U9S performs, is it any good for overclocking and still keeping things cool, do you have some results? Ideally I wanted to use the C14S but this doesn't seem to fit well. Do you have any pictures of your system?
I'm also waiting for a good pascal GPU as the 1080 is a little disappointing if it comes to 4K gaming, so I might want to wait until a TI or Titan will be released.

Hi Mike. Sorry for the delayed response. I managed to get my hands on a Asetek 545lc 90mm AIO (bought it off ebay) at the last moment before the build and installed it instead of the NH-U9S. I kept the NH-U9S as a back up in case the 545lc didn't work out well enough. It turned out it the 545lc works just fine. I have a original NH-C14 but I didn't want to lose the hdd cage. If you want to go air and can't get your hands on a original NH-C14 or don't like how it will exclude the hdd cage, then I would go with the NH-U9S. My research also showed it was a little better than the NH-D9L that Quantum mentions. Also it should allow you to use the hdd cage from what I have heard. I haven't tested the U9S so I can't give you numbers. I plan on using the one I have on a second M1 V1 case I have if I ever get around to building it.
 
Coolermaster is showing off a new CPU cooler that looks like it'll be a great fit for Mini ITX.


That's a video from last year.
(Side note: I had totally not notice how much weight J2C had lost!)
I sent the company an email asking about a sample since it says they do samples, I haven't heard back yet.
 
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It would be great to have a module where the cables emerge out the short edge along the back wall of the case. I have used tie-wraps in mine to direct them that way in order to accomodate two 140 mm fans on the bottom. Like you I am not completely comfortable with the stress this applies to the cables.

That's exactly what I wanted to do originally. Here's an early concept for the front I/O module that I sent Lian Li. Unfortunately, they couldn't make it like that due to the space requirements of the USB cables, plus the cost of making a single plastic enclosure for the entire thing would've been prohibitive.

The only alternative we could've done was to have the cables emerge vertically from the USB and audio modules, but that would've created its own problems with longer GPUs.
 
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Hi Mike. Sorry for the delayed response. I managed to get my hands on a Asetek 545lc 90mm AIO (bought it off ebay) at the last moment before the build and installed it instead of the NH-U9S. I kept the NH-U9S as a back up in case the 545lc didn't work out well enough. It turned out it the 545lc works just fine. I have a original NH-C14 but I didn't want to lose the hdd cage. If you want to go air and can't get your hands on a original NH-C14 or don't like how it will exclude the hdd cage, then I would go with the NH-U9S. My research also showed it was a little better than the NH-D9L that Quantum mentions. Also it should allow you to use the hdd cage from what I have heard. I haven't tested the U9S so I can't give you numbers. I plan on using the one I have on a second M1 V1 case I have if I ever get around to building it.
Thnx for the info, ideally I want to install a AIO radiator for my future gpu(Ti or Titan) blower style so the space next to the cpu cooler is perfect. This because the M1 will be used mainly for gaming so overclocking my gpu give me the most extra fps.
 
It's funny, I am planning my M1 build as well, and is it very similar to Skott's. I hesitated for a while between the H80i, the NH-D9L, and the NH-U9S. I believe the latter two are the best 2 air coolers you can put in the M1 if you need to use the other 120mm slot on the bracket (which I do for the EVGA 1080 Hybrid when it comes out) Otherwise, the NH-C14 outperforms them by a little, but you lose that other 120mm slot. The H80i is a 40mm rad and you can only use 1 of the fans, and even then it's an extremely tight fit with not much clearance, plus the thick, sleeved hoses come straight out of the CPU block without a swivel fitting, which makes the fit even worse. With that config you don't get much airflow. Slimmer 30mm or less single rads from Corsair and others fit, but Noctua's NH-D9L and NH-U9S outperform them or are on par at worse, and I personally prefer the look, the less clutter, and the quieter operation of those air coolers.

So then the question is -- NH-D9L or NH-U9S. Well I found this review:

Noctua NH-D9L and NH-U9S CPU cooler review - Noise levels - Sound pressure readings

And the NH-U9S outperformed the NH-D9L in every category, including noise and by a decent margin. It even came within 4 degrees of the NH-D15 at load with an 4790K OCed to 4.6GHz, and the NH-D15 outperforms a H100i. So the NH-U9S is the clear choice for the M1 if the tests were done correctly. The question is -- how do you orient the cooler/fans? The two most common orientations I've seen is the two fans exhausting (with one attached to the 92mm exhaust on the M1), or the cooler rotated so that both fans are exhausting toward the top. I think if you have 2 intake fans on the bottom, the latter configuration makes more sense in terms of airflow, especially if you're using a liquid-cooled card.

Anyway, sorry for the babbling, just my thoughts regarding the best way to single slot cool your CPU in the M1 -- and that is with a Noctua NH-U9S.
Thnx for sharing this, really helpful! Happy to hear that the u9s is a good choice! Still have to figure out how to position the u9s in combination with a one radiator AIO gpu next to it. Will keep you posted and if you have more info on you future build I'm interested to learn/see more.
 
Has anyone used the Cooler Master Nepton 120XL cooler? What are you thoughts on its performance, noise, and how it fits in the M1?

It seems to be a very good option for a single rad cooler in the M1, because the radiator is pretty much the maximum thickness you'd want in the side bracket at 38mm, and the tubes are thin, short, and swivel very well out of the way, out of the CPU block. Those are imporatnt features if you want to fit 2 AIOs on that bracket. I worry such thin tubes won't perform as well though. I'd appreciate input from anyone who's used the cooler!


Edit: Mike, just saw your message. You're welcome, please also keep us updated on your build. I keep going back and forth between the NH-U9S, the Corsair H75 and now the new contender - the CM Nepton 120XL. I take back what I said about the NH-U9S outperforming the H75 or other 30mm or less single rad AIOs. I've found more reviews since and in 2 of them the H75 beat the NH-U9S by 5-6 degrees when OCed. Though you'll only be able to use it with 1 fan in the M1, so the gap may be smaller. So much conflicting information online... I just want to find the best option haha.
 
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I have some questions regarding cooling on my upcoming M1 build. I'm going to be taking my current ATX and shrinking it down so a lot of these components are existing.

MOBO: Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe/WD
CPU: Intel i7 3770k
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR3-1600
GPU: EVGA Geforce 980ti ACX 2.0
SSD #1: Samsung 840 EVO 256GB
SSD #2: Samsung 850 PRO 256GB
PSU: Corsair SF600

Since the GPU is open air my CPU cooling situation gets a little dicier. My two possible configurations are:

- A Noctua NH-D9L in a horizontal (left to right) configuration with an NF-F12 on the side panel as intake and two NF-F12s on the bottom as intake as well
- An NH-C14 cooler with two NF-F12s as exhaust on the side panel (and the F12s on the bottom as intake still).

My questions are:

1) Which would provide the better airflow in my situation: the C14 or D9L?
2) Assuming the D9L is the better choice would a vertical configuration (top to bottom) be better? If so, what sort of intake/exhaust fans should I have?
3) Also assuming D9L is preferable to the C14, would the U9S be even better? Every review I've seen between the two seems to have them neck and neck but maybe someone has numbers for this specific case.

My goal is to have as quiet a machine as possible without killing my components at super high temps during gaming. I don't really plan to overclock unless there's just a bunch of extra headroom (somehow I doubt it). I'm also open to other fan options as I know some people recommend the P12s over the F12s
 
Has anyone used the Cooler Master Nepton 120XL cooler? What are you thoughts on its performance, noise, and how it fits in the M1?

It seems to be a very good option for a single rad cooler in the M1, because the radiator is pretty much the maximum thickness you'd want in the side bracket at 38mm, and the tubes are thin, short, and swivel very well out of the way, out of the CPU block. Those are imporatnt features if you want to fit 2 AIOs on that bracket. I worry such thin tubes won't perform as well though. I'd appreciate input from anyone who's used the cooler!


Edit: Mike, just saw your message. You're welcome, please also keep us updated on your build. I keep going back and forth between the NH-U9S, the Corsair H75 and now the new contender - the CM Nepton 120XL. I take back what I said about the NH-U9S outperforming the H75 or other 30mm or less single rad AIOs. I've found more reviews since and in 2 of them the H75 beat the NH-U9S by 5-6 degrees when OCed. Though you'll only be able to use it with 1 fan in the M1, so the gap may be smaller. So much conflicting information online... I just want to find the best option haha.

If I can choose I would always go for an air cooled option if it generates more or less the same results; less power, less mechanical parts to fail and water and electronics don't go so well together. If you want to check out my basket mikep_577 - Profiel - Wenslijst - Tweakers
I haven't ordered anything yet as i'm still waiting for my case, and who knows what new part might come out in the mean while :)
 
I have some questions regarding cooling on my upcoming M1 build. I'm going to be taking my current ATX and shrinking it down so a lot of these components are existing.

MOBO: Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe/WD
CPU: Intel i7 3770k
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR3-1600
GPU: EVGA Geforce 980ti ACX 2.0
SSD #1: Samsung 840 EVO 256GB
SSD #2: Samsung 850 PRO 256GB
PSU: Corsair SF600

Since the GPU is open air my CPU cooling situation gets a little dicier. My two possible configurations are:

- A Noctua NH-D9L in a horizontal (left to right) configuration with an NF-F12 on the side panel as intake and two NF-F12s on the bottom as intake as well
- An NH-C14 cooler with two NF-F12s as exhaust on the side panel (and the F12s on the bottom as intake still).

My questions are:

1) Which would provide the better airflow in my situation: the C14 or D9L?
2) Assuming the D9L is the better choice would a vertical configuration (top to bottom) be better? If so, what sort of intake/exhaust fans should I have?
3) Also assuming D9L is preferable to the C14, would the U9S be even better? Every review I've seen between the two seems to have them neck and neck but maybe someone has numbers for this specific case.

My goal is to have as quiet a machine as possible without killing my components at super high temps during gaming. I don't really plan to overclock unless there's just a bunch of extra headroom (somehow I doubt it). I'm also open to other fan options as I know some people recommend the P12s over the F12s

If we go with conventional wisdom, the info that we do know, I would choose the NH-C14 and two side fans. Its been proven to work. From what we have heard/seen from users testing bottom fans there isn't much gain from them intake or exhaust. To our collective knowledge no air cooler has beaten the NH-C14 (eventually something should I would think). The U9S is suppose to be a tad better than the DL9 in performance so it would be my choice vs the DL9. Also don't forget the trade offs. Using the NH-C14 requires giving up the hdd cage in the M1. It's also getting harder to find.
 
Hi everyone!

New here, and of course completely overwhelmed with wanting to build within the M1. I don't know if it's okay to post this kind of thing here but there seems to be a lot of cooler/fan discussion but mostly for more "silent" builds. I don't want a silent build is all, just something that will keep everything really cool under possibly heavy loads.
I'll be putting in my order for the case come next Wednesday! If I gathered correctly, my order won't be shipped until the end of the month anyway so I definitely have time to mull this all over.

I have previously built one PC. Nothing major and not worth laying out here. I have no experience watercooling and am a bit scared to do it if it requires custom loops that could leak. I read that closed loops do come with some warranty coverage depending on the manufacturer, but if I can get full air cooling I'm totally fine with that (because I probably won't have a window side panel until they become more available) as much as I like some of the water cooling systems I've seen on here (csd! your's looks amazing!) I can't justify them or their price right now when I won't be seeing any of it anyway.


Anyway, so with all that in mind I'm wondering for someone who doesn't care about noise and just wants the coolest temperatures for their hardware, what should I be looking at? I mean I don't know if I want my PC to sound like its smashing up boulders but I definitely don't need something even close to silent. Most of the time I'll be using headphones anyway.

I'll be using the build to run games at high settings, stream and lots of photo editing and illustration work.. so the adobe suite, manga studio, corel painter. (streaming of that illustrating as well as gaming!)

My hopes as far as hardware in the build is something like :

MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 /
CPU: Intel i5 6600k / Intel i7 6770k , can't pick between the two because I still need to know if I really even need an i7 for what I'll be doing.
RAM: Undecided, just going to be waiting for good sales while I'm picking up the pieces.
GPU: GTX 1080...something. After reading through the last few pages and seeing the EVGA FTW most likely won't fit, I'm still undecided.
SSD #1: Samsung 850 EVO M.2 500GB / Sandisk x400 1TB
SSD #2: Undecided, if the space for this SSD is necessary for a good cooler or something I can probably scrap this and go with the Sandisk x400 for my primary and only drive.
PSU: Silverstone SFX Series SX600 / Corsair SF600


As of now, I haven't picked up a single thing so I'm all ears!


I will gladly edit this out if this shouldn't be here.
 
Hi everyone!

New here, and of course completely overwhelmed with wanting to build within the M1. I don't know if it's okay to post this kind of thing here but there seems to be a lot of cooler/fan discussion but mostly for more "silent" builds. I don't want a silent build is all, just something that will keep everything really cool under possibly heavy loads.
I'll be putting in my order for the case come next Wednesday! If I gathered correctly, my order won't be shipped until the end of the month anyway so I definitely have time to mull this all over.

I have previously built one PC. Nothing major and not worth laying out here. I have no experience watercooling and am a bit scared to do it if it requires custom loops that could leak. I read that closed loops do come with some warranty coverage depending on the manufacturer, but if I can get full air cooling I'm totally fine with that (because I probably won't have a window side panel until they become more available) as much as I like some of the water cooling systems I've seen on here (csd! your's looks amazing!) I can't justify them or their price right now when I won't be seeing any of it anyway.


Anyway, so with all that in mind I'm wondering for someone who doesn't care about noise and just wants the coolest temperatures for their hardware, what should I be looking at? I mean I don't know if I want my PC to sound like its smashing up boulders but I definitely don't need something even close to silent. Most of the time I'll be using headphones anyway.

I'll be using the build to run games at high settings, stream and lots of photo editing and illustration work.. so the adobe suite, manga studio, corel painter. (streaming of that illustrating as well as gaming!)

My hopes as far as hardware in the build is something like :

MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 /
CPU: Intel i5 6600k / Intel i7 6770k , can't pick between the two because I still need to know if I really even need an i7 for what I'll be doing.
RAM: Undecided, just going to be waiting for good sales while I'm picking up the pieces.
GPU: GTX 1080...something. After reading through the last few pages and seeing the EVGA FTW most likely won't fit, I'm still undecided.
SSD #1: Samsung 850 EVO M.2 500GB / Sandisk x400 1TB
SSD #2: Undecided, if the space for this SSD is necessary for a good cooler or something I can probably scrap this and go with the Sandisk x400 for my primary and only drive.
PSU: Silverstone SFX Series SX600 / Corsair SF600


As of now, I haven't picked up a single thing so I'm all ears!


I will gladly edit this out if this shouldn't be here.

I can tell you I have a very similar build, although I am still using my GTX 970 until the GTX 1070 come out. But I am using the Gigabyte Z170N G1 Gaming 5, i5 6600k, MSI GTX 970 OC, 16GB Corsair Vengeance 3000 MHz, 128GB Samsung SM951 M.2 SSD, OCZ 1000 Saber 960GB SSD. I have the i5 overclocked to 4.4 GHz and the 970 at 1506 MHz core clock, 8000 MHz memory. My computer idles at 22 - 24C and under extended stress testing highest temps I saw were 52C. Normal gaming temps are mid 40s. This is both the cpu and gpu watercooled in a single loop.

Now I know watercooling looks pretty intimidating when you haven't done it before but it really isn't that bad. Just take your time, plan carefully and build sensibly. If you look through the build gallery I am using what is probably the most common watercooling set up in a M1. Swiftech Apogee Drive II, FrozenQ reservoir, Black Ice Nemesis 240GTS radiator, Bitspower 970 gpu block and Swiftech compression fittings. I am using Noiseblocker S Series fans and while not silent it is hardly loud. The case sits right next to me and all I hear is a slight hum.

As far as drvies go if you are using 2.5 SSD's you can mount up to 4 of them on the front double stacking them and still have plenty of room for cooling.
 
Sorry for asking but can someone direct me to the list which shows the GTX 1070/1080's that will fit in the NCASE M1, please?
 
So I received the Gigabyte 1080 G1 and it fits very nicely into the M1.

Boosts up to 2,050 MHz, doesn't go above 72 °C and the fans are pretty much inaudible when set on auto.

Great choice for anyone considering the new 1070/1080s.
 
If we go with conventional wisdom, the info that we do know, I would choose the NH-C14 and two side fans. Its been proven to work. From what we have heard/seen from users testing bottom fans there isn't much gain from them intake or exhaust. To our collective knowledge no air cooler has beaten the NH-C14 (eventually something should I would think). The U9S is suppose to be a tad better than the DL9 in performance so it would be my choice vs the DL9. Also don't forget the trade offs. Using the NH-C14 requires giving up the hdd cage in the M1. It's also getting harder to find.

Interesting about the bottom intake fans. It seems like the extra air would help push the stagnant hot air from the GPU to the rest of the case to be moved out. But hey, if they're really not valuable I can save myself a few bucks now :)

When you say the C14 is harder to find do you mean that the one available at Newegg isn't the same? Or do you just mean it's rarity has increased it's price?
 
When you say the C14 is harder to find do you mean that the one available at Newegg isn't the same? Or do you just mean it's rarity has increased it's price?
It's harder to find because it's been discontinued and replaced with the NH-C14S, which is taller and won't fit with a standard thickness fan on top.
 
It's harder to find because it's been discontinued and replaced with the NH-C14S, which is taller and won't fit with a standard thickness fan on top.

Oh, okay. Looks like I can get it even if it's a tad expensive. Since it looks like the 140mm fan doesn't fit on top or bottom will it be beneficial to get a 120mm fan to put underneath?
 
Oh, okay. Looks like I can get it even if it's a tad expensive. Since it looks like the 140mm fan doesn't fit on top or bottom will it be beneficial to get a 120mm fan to put underneath?
The original NH-C14 can be used with the included 140mm fan on top. You're correct that a 140mm won't fit on the bottom, but a 120mm can (depending how tall your RAM is). Is a bottom 120 beneficial? Sure, to some degree. More airflow (or static pressure on heatsinks/rads) usually is.
 
The original NH-C14 can be used with the included 140mm fan on top. You're correct that a 140mm won't fit on the bottom, but a 120mm can (depending how tall your RAM is). Is a bottom 120 beneficial? Sure, to some degree. More airflow (or static pressure on heatsinks/rads) usually is.

Awesome, thanks for the info! I'm planning on two 120mm fans on the side panel for exhaust vs the 1 140mm attached to the C14. I'll have to play around with different configurations until I get temps I'm happy with.
 
Awesome, thanks for the info! I'm planning on two 120mm fans on the side panel for exhaust vs the 1 140mm attached to the C14. I'll have to play around with different configurations until I get temps I'm happy with.

Note that if you use a 140 mm fan for the top of the NH-C14 there is still room beside it for a 120 mm fan on the front half of the side bracket.

Just be sure the 140 mm fan has the 120 mm fan mounting holes. The fans that come with the NH-C14 do, but they are not PWM fans, if that's important to you. You could still control them using voltage control depending on your motherboard.
 
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Note that if you use a 140 mm fan for the top of the NH-C14 there is still room beside it for a 120 mm fan on teh front half of the side bracket.

Just be sure the 140 mm fan has the 120 mm fan mounting holes. The fans that come with the NH-C14 do, but they are not PWM fans, if that's important to you. You could still control them using voltage control depending on your motherboard.

Oh cool! I don't think the PWM matters too much to me, but I may get two F12s anyway just to see if I like one variation over another.
 
I've got a Superclocked 1080 on the way but according to the updated specs the FTW will fit the Ncase (it's supposedly 128mm high) . Now I'm trying to decide if it's worth returning the card and grabbing the FTW edition.
 
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I've got a Superclocked 1080 on the way but according to the updated specs the FTW will fit the Ncase (it's supposedly 128mm high) . Now I'm trying to decide if it's worth returning the card and grabbing the FTW edition.

I think the SC has 80 mm fans and the FTW 100 mm. So ~50% more "fan area", but maybe not worth the risk of it not fitting. It will also require an adapter for the power connectors.

But it does have RBG lightning, which will look cool on the NCase, iluminating the floor.
 
I think the SC has 80 mm fans and the FTW 100 mm. So ~50% more "fan area", but maybe not worth the risk of it not fitting. It will also require an adapter for the power connectors.

But it does have RBG lightning, which will look cool on the NCase, iluminating the floor.
I mainly want it because of the larger heatsink. With the larger heatsink and second power connector I might be able to achieve a higher stable OC. I've also heard EVGA bins their chips and puts the better ones on their FTW and Classified series.

I could care less about rgb lighting, I almost barfed a rainbow after the ridiculous display of GPU's at computex this year. The whole reason I went with an Ncase because I wanted something that moved away from tacky lighting and cheap plastic and didn't take obnoxious amounts of space that it doesn't need.
 
I mainly want it because of the larger heatsink. With the larger heatsink and second power connector I might be able to achieve a higher stable OC. I've also heard EVGA bins their chips and puts the better ones on their FTW and Classified series.

I could care less about rgb lighting, I almost barfed a rainbow after the ridiculous display of GPU's at computex this year. The whole reason I went with an Ncase because I wanted something that moved away from tacky lighting and cheap plastic and didn't take obnoxious amounts of space that it doesn't need.

I did not know about the binning. What you will get for sure is a lot higher cooling capacity at lower noise levels.

I do agree about the leds. Im afraid you cant even turn it off without instaling EVGA Precision.
 
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