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

Woot, just got my silver v5 no ODD slot!

Ordered 11/19, shipped 11/26 from Taiwan, landed on my door in WA state 11/30. Totally thought it was a amazon package from BF/CM sales, LOL.

Now the wait for Kaby Lake
 
gsilver said:
I would assume that socket position is important, so I can't just slap any motherboard in it.
Click to expand...
Actually, if you use a cooler that's within the socket footprint (95x95mm), like the Noctua NH-U9S, Cryorig M9i, intel stock cooler, etc., then socket location is largely irrelevant.
 
I'm about to order one of these just to keep around, if V5 is the last revision, I might as well just make sure I get one :p
 
gsilver said:
I'm comparing Majormajor's build to SilentPCReview's:

Majormajor:
CPU => i7 6700K
CPU COOLER => Noctua C14 (discontinued version)
MOBO => Asus Z170i Pro Gaming
RAM => Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8 GB) 2133
PSU => Corsair SF450
M.2 => Samsung 960 EVO 1 TB
GPU => ASUS GTX 1070 Turbo
Case Fans Side => Noctua NF-P12 x 2 - pull setup
Case Fans Bottom (towards front) => Noctua NF-S12A x 1 - pull setup for GPU
Case Fans Misc => Demcifilter Ncase standard set


SilentPCReview:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1431-page6.html
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D9L
GPU Cooler: Arctic Accelero Hybrid-II
PSU: SilverStone SX600-G 600W

The biggest things are the addition of a watercooler, and a different PSU/CPU cooler.

Does anyone have any comments on those changes?


Also, I'll be starting with a GTX 970 and a 2500k. I'll eventually shift over to a 4790k and a 1080 (or similar) video card, if possible.
Click to expand...

I'm quite pleased with the performance and acoustics of a H80i. Keep in mind the original, not the GTX or the V2 since those have tubes that stick straight out of the block and are harder to coil up.
 
On the EU sites all cards affected are backordered. Seems they may be waiting for the new versions with thermal pads and new bios. Or maybe this is only due to the fact that EVGA is moving it's EU warehouse.
 
gsilver said:
What LGA-1155 motherboard would you recommend for this case? (concerning: current availability and socket placement)

I'd like to make an NCASE build using some old parts, and have a 2500k/ram to put in it.

I would assume that socket position is important, so I can't just slap any motherboard in it.
Click to expand...

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6516/z77-mitx-roundup-five-of-the-best-msi-zotac-asrock-evga-and-asus That is a review of 5 Z77 m-itx boards, Asrock appears to be the winner. Any of them should work if you can actually find one.
 
blindax said:
On the EU sites all cards affected are backordered. Seems they may be waiting for the new versions with thermal pads and new bios. Or maybe this is only due to the fact that EVGA is moving it's EU warehouse.
Click to expand...

Yeah, also seems the issue is ONLY with the ACX 3.0 cooling not the founders edition cards.
 
rfarmer said:
PSUDuctV35_zpsf4d3b80c.jpg


Not aesthetics, the heatsink is bigger than a single 120mm fan.
Click to expand...

StrawKite said:
Ehm.. you lost me, you think I should mount another fan under the cpu cooler than the included 140mm fan? a 92mm fan would do better?
Just to be clear, I don't care about looks, my components already have about 8 different colours.
Click to expand...

Good that I am not building with the NH-C14s. I completely ignored the fact the second fan in the side bracket is also affected and am glad you are paying more attention than me :)

I could have looked at my own build :)
 
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anak85 said:
Good that I am not building with the NH-C14s. I completely ignored the fact the second fan in the side bracket is also affected and am glad you are paying more attention than me :)

I could have looked at the own build :)
Click to expand...

Yeah that is the nice thing about the NH-C14, it fits really well in this case with the 2 side fans mounted. When I saw someone installing a NH-C14s with a slim side fan I was sure that they would need 2.
 
blindax said:
With enough fans in the case, should I go blower style or open air gtx 1070?
Click to expand...

I went with a blower GTX770, and it was never able to stay cool enough to avoid thermal throttling. I had to switch to water cooling to keep it cool. I was also running it on the old Gigabyte Z87 board that had the CPU socket RIGHT next to the PCI express socket, so I wonder if the proximity of the two hottest components exacerbated the heat problem. I haven't tried the old stock cooler on my gpu since I switched out my mobo, so I can't say if that was the problem. I wonder if anybody else has been successful with stock coolers on their GPUs, it seems like most chatter on this thread is of people water cooling, or using some other kind of after market cooler on their GPU.
 
Frazhna said:
I went with a blower GTX770, and it was never able to stay cool enough to avoid thermal throttling. I had to switch to water cooling to keep it cool. I was also running it on the old Gigabyte Z87 board that had the CPU socket RIGHT next to the PCI express socket, so I wonder if the proximity of the two hottest components exacerbated the heat problem. I haven't tried the old stock cooler on my gpu since I switched out my mobo, so I can't say if that was the problem. I wonder if anybody else has been successful with stock coolers on their GPUs, it seems like most chatter on this thread is of people water cooling, or using some other kind of after market cooler on their GPU.
Click to expand...

Not to muddy the waters, but I recently switched form an EVGA 980 Ti Hybrid to a Founder's Edition GTX 1080 and I don't have any throttling issues with the power target set to 120%. My temps stay in the high 70's to 82ish range and it never drops below the expected boost clock. If you are overclocking, that is certainly another matter altogether.

I do have two fans mounted below the GPU so that could be helping matters. It does stay relatively quiet, but it is still too noisy compared to the Hybrid which was whisper quiet even while gaming. I am easily annoyed by noise so I will likely solve that issue shortly.
 
Fleat said:
Not to muddy the waters, but I recently switched form an EVGA 980 Ti Hybrid to a Founder's Edition GTX 1080 and I don't have any throttling issues with the power target set to 120%. My temps stay in the high 70's to 82ish range and it never drops below the expected boost clock. If you are overclocking, that is certainly another matter altogether.

I do have two fans mounted below the GPU so that could be helping matters. It does stay relatively quiet, but it is still too noisy compared to the Hybrid which was whisper quiet even while gaming. I am easily annoyed by noise so I will likely solve that issue shortly.
Click to expand...
That's what I've noticed as well, but the 1080 has a lot lower TDP so it makes sense that it's somewhat fine. With the same cooler on a 980ti, I saw about 10 degrees higher at stock under load.
 
Has anyone managed to fit the following two components into their build without interference?
- Noctua NH-C14 (original discontinued)
- Hybrid GTX 1070/1080
I'm concerned the hybrid's radiator/fan assembly will interfere with the C-14
 
Chimaera43 said:
Has anyone managed to fit the following two components into their build without interference?
- Noctua NH-C14 (original discontinued)
- Hybrid GTX 1070/1080
I'm concerned the hybrid's radiator/fan assembly will interfere with the C-14
Click to expand...

You're right to be concerned. With the NH-C14 oriented with its heatpipes towards the front, there is not enough room for the 3.5-inch drive cage on the front half of the side bracket, so there really isn't room for a radiator and fan assembly.
 
Do any of you use an external soundcard with your PC? Like the USB kind
 
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applees said:
Do you mean a DAC?
Click to expand...
Maybe, I guess I should explain what I want to use it for.
I want to be able to power 2 big speakers and a subwoofer, something I think the asus z170i pro gaming is not capable of.
 
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StrawKite said:
Maybe, I guess I should explain what I want to use it for.
I want to be able 2 big speakers and a subwoofer, something I think the asus z170i pro gaming is not capable of.
Click to expand...

You could also HDMI to a reciever if you have one. But it takes up quite a bit of space. Otherwise DAC yes.
 
StrawKite said:
Maybe, I guess I should explain what I want to use it for.
I want to be able 2 big speakers and a subwoofer, something I think the asus z170i pro gaming is not capable of.
Click to expand...
How about using a couple of Sonos speakers over wifi?
 
Managed to fit a Dark Rock TF with both fans and an SFX-L PSU with a full length 1070. It was a reallllly tight fit. I had to remove the inner SSD mounting bracket to install the PSU. The bracket can be reinstalled after screwing the PSU in. I'm running 3 SSDs. The usual SFX-L cable challenges are presented too. They push against the GPU's backplate a bit and cause it to sag.

http://imgur.com/a/RPxQV

The PSU is the new Lian Li PE-550 550W SFX-L unit. The first two pictures compare it to the Corsair SF600. The Corsair had noticeable coil whine coming from inside the unit (especially at high framerates) and the PE-550's flush cable connectors and larger 120mm fan influenced my purchase of it.
However, the PE-550 does have a much more aggressive fan curve than the SF600. I never noticed the fan spin on the SF600 once. In the pictures, I have the PSU mounted with the fan facing the inside of the case. I flipped it and the fan still operates, but not as much as when it was facing the inside. While the fan curve is more aggressive, the fan does shut off after a few minutes at idle.
The PE-550 also has a much longer SATA power cable than the SF600. Another minor annoyance is the PCI-E power cable has two 6+2 pin connectors coming off of one cable. I only need one 6+2 pin for the 1070 so YMMV.

I'd say the biggest advantage for the PE-550 over the SF600 is the cables are much more flexible! Oh, and the 24 pin is just a 24 pin, not a 28 like on the SF600.

Finally, you can see that the Dark Rock TF pushes against my first RAM stick. No issues with that yet. My motherboard is the Gigabyte Z97N Wifi. This CPU cooler is really nice if you can get it to fit. It's extremely quiet yet performs well. I also tried an NF-F12 and an NF-A15 on the side bracket instead of the TF's top fan. That configuration didn't have better thermal performance and was noisier. Stick with the stock fans and save some money.

Happy to answer any other questions about the build.
 
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pslate said:
Managed to fit a Dark Rock TF with both fans and an SFX-L PSU with a full length 1070. It was a reallllly tight fit. I had to remove the inner SSD mounting bracket to install the PSU. The bracket can be reinstalled after screwing the PSU in. I'm running 3 SSDs. The usual SFX-L cable challenges are presented too. They push against the GPU's backplate a bit and cause it to sag.

http://imgur.com/a/RPxQV

The PSU is the new Lian Li PE-550 550W SFX-L unit. The first two pictures compare it to the Corsair SF600. The Corsair had noticeable coil whine coming from inside the unit (especially at high framerates) and the PE-550's flush cable connectors and larger 120mm fan influenced my purchase of it.
However, the PE-550 does have a much more aggressive fan curve than the SF600. I never noticed the fan spin on the SF600 once. In the pictures, I have the PSU mounted with the fan facing the inside of the case. I flipped it and the fan still operates, but not as much as when it was facing the inside. While the fan curve is more aggressive, the fan does shut off after a few minutes at idle.
The PE-550 also has a much longer SATA power cable than the SF600. Another minor annoyance is the PCI-E power cable has two 6+2 pin connectors coming off of one cable. I only need one 6+2 pin for the 1070 so YMMV.

I'd say the biggest advantage for the PE-550 over the SF600 is the cables are much more flexible! Oh, and the 24 pin is just a 24 pin, not a 28 like on the SF600.

Finally, you can see that the Dark Rock TF pushes against my first RAM stick. No issues with that yet. My motherboard is the Gigabyte Z97N Wifi. This CPU cooler is really nice if you can get it to fit. It's extremely quiet yet performs well. I also tried an NF-F12 and an NF-A15 on the side bracket instead of the TF's top fan. That configuration didn't have better thermal performance and was noisier. Stick with the stock fans and save some money.

Happy to answer any other questions about the build.
Click to expand...

First, thanks for posting so many details. Many here have wanted to use that cooler, but it's so big. Second, great photos!

The pressure on your RAM module would worry me. Did you try mounting it with the top end of the heatpipes towards the graphics card? I think the Asrock Z170 motherboard is the only one that orientation works with.

If the SATA power connectors are the push-through type, those are easy to move to better locations on the cable, just keep the same wire in the same slot on the connector (don't reverse the wire order). You can even flip a connector (about the connector's long axis) so that it emerges on the opposite side of the flat cable, if that makes it easier to connect to a drive (or flip the drive over). Just keep the same wire locations in the connector. Then you can cut off the extra cable length. The last connector should have a cap that can cover the cut wires so they are not exposed.

I did all of this with an SF600 SATA power cable. If you try opening a SATA power connector, be very gentle when you pry them open as the plastic on mine was thin and felt fragile.,
 
Will it fit:
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L12
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61M-S1 (3-slot mATX)

/w full-sized video card

The motherboard is on the compatibility list, but I'd like confirmation that that cooler is compatible with it.


Also, will the 3-slot motherboard interfere with the installation of 120mm fans at the bottom?
I don't particularly need the 3rd slot, but that motherboard was available for a good price.
 
Qrash said:
First, thanks for posting so many details. Many here have wanted to use that cooler, but it's so big. Second, great photos!

The pressure on your RAM module would worry me. Did you try mounting it with the top end of the heatpipes towards the graphics card? I think the Asrock Z170 motherboard is the only one that orientation works with.

If the SATA power connectors are the push-through type, those are easy to move to better locations on the cable, just keep the same wire in the same slot on the connector (don't reverse the wire order). You can even flip a connector (about the connector's long axis) so that it emerges on the opposite side of the flat cable, if that makes it easier to connect to a drive (or flip the drive over). Just keep the same wire locations in the connector. Then you can cut off the extra cable length. The last connector should have a cap that can cover the cut wires so they are not exposed.

I did all of this with an SF600 SATA power cable. If you try opening a SATA power connector, be very gentle when you pry them open as the plastic on mine was thin and felt fragile.,
Click to expand...

Thanks for the mounting suggestion. I'll try that at some point in the near future. I'm pretty tired of rearranging everything in my case at this point.

I may try shortening the SATA cables. I'm usually pretty confident in my abilities but that is something I haven't done before. For now, the extra length doesn't bother me too much. I'm just glad the cables are flexible. I bought this SATA Y cable to power my stacked SSDs in the front of the case.
 
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pslate said:
Thanks for the mounting suggestion. I'll try that at some point in the near future. I'm pretty tired of rearranging everything in my case at this point.

I may try shortening the SATA cables. I'm usually pretty confident in my abilities but that is something I haven't done before. For now, the extra length doesn't bother me too much. I'm just glad the cables are flexible. I bought this SATA Y cable to power my stacked SSDs in the front of the case.
Click to expand...

Give me a bit of time and I will try to find a high-resolution photo of your motherboard and figure out if the CPU socket is far enough away from the PCI-E slot for the "heatpipes down" orientation to work.

What motherboard do you have again?
 
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Qrash said:
You're right to be concerned. With the NH-C14 oriented with its heatpipes towards the front, there is not enough room for the 3.5-inch drive cage on the front half of the side bracket, so there really isn't room for a radiator and fan assembly.
Click to expand...

I have my C14 w/ heatpipes facing the back of the case....

Sidenote.... My MB either has a defective RAM slot or memory controller (often caused by over-tightennig the HSF screws thru the MB, per the Asus tech that I exchanged emails with.) Asus received the MB yesterday. I'm hoping for a 7-10 day turnaround.
 
gsilver said:
Will it fit:
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L12
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61M-S1 (3-slot mATX)

/w full-sized video card

The motherboard is on the compatibility list, but I'd like confirmation that that cooler is compatible with it.


Also, will the 3-slot motherboard interfere with the installation of 120mm fans at the bottom?
I don't particularly need the 3rd slot, but that motherboard was available for a good price.
Click to expand...
It looks like the board is slightly longer than 3 slots so it may not work. If it does somehow fit, plugging in stuff the the board might not be fun and you definitely won't be able to use 120mm fans due to the sizre of the connectors.
 
I've just ordered an M1 V5 and very much looking forward to it arriving. Whilst waiting, I'm planning the rest of the build.

I'm torn between an EVGA GTX 1080 FE/EVGA GTX 1080 FTW. I know that I'm taking a gamble on temperatures if I do choose an open cooler, but the price of the FTW is very attractive. I'm in Australia and Shopping Express currently have the FTW on sale for $899. Are there any resources I can look at that compare temperature differences of different GPU choices in the M1?
 
There is the hybrid version of the EVGA FTW to be considered…
 
Ben3h said:
I've just ordered an M1 V5 and very much looking forward to it arriving. Whilst waiting, I'm planning the rest of the build.

I'm torn between an EVGA GTX 1080 FE/EVGA GTX 1080 FTW. I know that I'm taking a gamble on temperatures if I do choose an open cooler, but the price of the FTW is very attractive. I'm in Australia and Shopping Express currently have the FTW on sale for $899. Are there any resources I can look at that compare temperature differences of different GPU choices in the M1?
Click to expand...

Or I have another solution!
- Get whichever FE version is the cheapest and use an aftermarket AIO to cool your card.
 
pslate said:
Managed to fit a Dark Rock TF with both fans and an SFX-L PSU with a full length 1070. It was a reallllly tight fit. I had to remove the inner SSD mounting bracket to install the PSU. The bracket can be reinstalled after screwing the PSU in. I'm running 3 SSDs. The usual SFX-L cable challenges are presented too. They push against the GPU's backplate a bit and cause it to sag.

http://imgur.com/a/RPxQV

The PSU is the new Lian Li PE-550 550W SFX-L unit. The first two pictures compare it to the Corsair SF600. The Corsair had noticeable coil whine coming from inside the unit (especially at high framerates) and the PE-550's flush cable connectors and larger 120mm fan influenced my purchase of it.
However, the PE-550 does have a much more aggressive fan curve than the SF600. I never noticed the fan spin on the SF600 once. In the pictures, I have the PSU mounted with the fan facing the inside of the case. I flipped it and the fan still operates, but not as much as when it was facing the inside. While the fan curve is more aggressive, the fan does shut off after a few minutes at idle.
The PE-550 also has a much longer SATA power cable than the SF600. Another minor annoyance is the PCI-E power cable has two 6+2 pin connectors coming off of one cable. I only need one 6+2 pin for the 1070 so YMMV.

I'd say the biggest advantage for the PE-550 over the SF600 is the cables are much more flexible! Oh, and the 24 pin is just a 24 pin, not a 28 like on the SF600.

Finally, you can see that the Dark Rock TF pushes against my first RAM stick. No issues with that yet. My motherboard is the Gigabyte Z97N Wifi. This CPU cooler is really nice if you can get it to fit. It's extremely quiet yet performs well. I also tried an NF-F12 and an NF-A15 on the side bracket instead of the TF's top fan. That configuration didn't have better thermal performance and was noisier. Stick with the stock fans and save some money.

Happy to answer any other questions about the build.
Click to expand...

Had the same ram issue with my Dark Rock TF. I had the pipes point down towards the gpu. It doesnt touch anything else but the backplate on the gpu and it fits like a glove. This is on the p8z77i deluxe.
 
Ben3h said:
I've just ordered an M1 V5 and very much looking forward to it arriving. Whilst waiting, I'm planning the rest of the build.

I'm torn between an EVGA GTX 1080 FE/EVGA GTX 1080 FTW. I know that I'm taking a gamble on temperatures if I do choose an open cooler, but the price of the FTW is very attractive. I'm in Australia and Shopping Express currently have the FTW on sale for $899. Are there any resources I can look at that compare temperature differences of different GPU choices in the M1?
Click to expand...
If you're not using a 3.5" drive in the bottom, I would definitely suggest the ftw for the silence vs the FE. If you're looking to watercooling, the only option with the ftw is the Kraken G10, but it is a solid performer.
 
No Hands 55 said:
Had the same ram issue with my Dark Rock TF. I had the pipes point down towards the gpu. It doesnt touch anything else but the backplate on the gpu and it fits like a glove. This is on the p8z77i deluxe.
Click to expand...

Which heatpipes do you have touching the GPU? The small ones or the larger ones?
 
pslate said:
Which heatpipes do you have touching the GPU? The small ones or the larger ones?
Click to expand...

It would be the ends of the heatpipes at the top of the heatsink.

I found a decent resolution image of your motherboard, the Gigabyte GA-Z97N WIFI (see the thumbnail below). All mini-ITX motherboards are 170 mm square so by counting pixels I get that the distance from the center of the CPU socket to the center of the PCI-E slot is 96 mm. According to the dimensions of the Dark Rock TF heatsink (second thumbnail below), the distance from the center of the CPU contact surface to the ends of the of the heatpipes is 89 mm. Remember, that's to the center of the PCI-E slot. The thickness of the PCB, the graphics card components, and a backplate will decrease the gap between the graphics card and the ends of the heatpipes.

Also, note that rotating the heatsink to this "heatpipes down" orientation will result in the heatsink being 3.5 mm closer to the top of the case (73.58 mm vs. 70 mm).

PfsVTHrt.jpg
KLLrwCat.jpg


(As a sanity check I measured the distance from the center of the CPU socket to the center of the first RAM slot and found it to be 53.75 mm. This is just a bit greater than the distance from the center of the heatsink to the outside of the lower curve of the heatpipes which is 52.05 mm, according to be quiet. The RAM module's thickness is why the heatsinnk contacts the RAM module.)
 
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