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

rfarmer said:
I am waiting too. Hope they release a full line up of AM4 itx boards, with features similar to the 1151 Intel boards. The big question is AMD, I really hope they bring a competitive CPU to market. I am hoping for a 4 core, 8 thread with a base clock of 4.0 GHz and boost of 4.5 GHz. Something competitive with an i7. If they can bring one in at say $250 - $275 they will sell all they can make.
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Yes, a 4-core, 8-thread or even a 6-core, 12-thread would capture my money if they are priced right.
 
Hey everyone, I finished my build recently and was wondering if anyone has had a chance to play with some fan configurations for best temps. I've attached a graphic of what I mean but basically intake vs out, fan on inside or outside of radiators. I'm currently running setup A but would love more insight if available.

Some of my specs:
i5-6600k
GTX 1080 Seahawk hybrid
Corsair H75 AIO
Noctua F12 fans

Thanks!
 

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sighduck said:
Hey everyone, I finished my build recently and was wondering if anyone has had a chance to play with some fan configurations for best temps. I've attached a graphic of what I mean but basically intake vs out, fan on inside or outside of radiators. I'm currently running setup A but would love more insight if available.

Some of my specs:
i5-6600k
GTX 1080 Seahawk hybrid
Corsair H75 AIO
Noctua F12 fans

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I've looked into using fans in push vs pull and the difference is minuscule, so whichever side of the radiator gives you easier tube routing is the way I would set it. As far as intake vs exhaust I prefer using the fans on intake. This will exhaust directly out of the top and back and give you positive pressure so you will have very little dust in your case.
 
After much debating i decided to buy an NCASE M1.. :) Looks like it might take a month or so to ship so.. I will just shop for the the other parts. In the meantime I have a question. i already got the MSI Seahawk 1080 and i'm looking to water cool my cpu as well. Obviously sighduck an others were able to fit the H75. What about the H80 V2? I try to look but i couldn't find any informations if it fit in the NCASE. Thanks in advance
 
I second that - just use whatever you like. With adequate ventilation you'll be okay whichever way you go.
 
Erasmus354 said:
Yes precisely, and the point of the review is that the 600p is not going to give you a benefit for that task over a MX300. So you should just save $100 and get a 1tb MX300 drive instead...
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In Aus the price difference is 40 bucks. Lol.
 
brianj said:
After much debating i decided to buy an NCASE M1.. :) Looks like it might take a month or so to ship so.. I will just shop for the the other parts. In the meantime I have a question. i already got the MSI Seahawk 1080 and i'm looking to water cool my cpu as well. Obviously sighduck an others were able to fit the H75. What about the H80 V2? I try to look but i couldn't find any informations if it fit in the NCASE. Thanks in advance
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The h80 is too thick I think?
 
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That's what I'm trying to find out. Can I fit H80 or the H75 is my best option for single rad? Ncere- Anyone?
 
brianj said:
That's what I'm trying to find out. Can I fit H80 or the H75 is my best option for single rad? Ncere- Anyone?
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If you check the google docs spreadsheet linked in the first post, and the compatibility section on the website you'd find that both will tell you that the H80i is too thick.
 
There is 140 mm available for the CPU cooler. The H80i radiator is 38 mm thick. Version 2 has stiffer tubing. This is why people have chose to use the older and thinner H75 (25 mm thick radiator). Maybe the older H80i would fit , but only with one fan.

I found this post from a related thread:

https://hardforum.com/goto/post?id=1041485196#post-1041485196

Tripwyr said:
I fit the H80i by rotating it 360 degrees to wrap the tubing a push air out of the case. Single fan.
Click to expand...
 
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Hey Qrash,

I thought was only 120 x2 available for the rads, no? If i can fit 140mm wouldn't the H90 be a better choice?

Out of curiosity.. Do most opeople use the H75 in push-pull inside the Ncase?
 
Necere said:
If you check the google docs spreadsheet linked in the first post, and the compatibility section on the website you'd find that both will tell you that the H80i is too thick.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks, i'll have a look. As a designer of the case though would you say that the H75 is the best single rad cooling solution for your case?
 
brianj said:
Hey Qrash,

I thought was only 120 x2 available for the rads, no? If i can fit 140mm wouldn't the H90 be a better choice?

Out of curiosity.. Do most opeople use the H75 in push-pull inside the Ncase?
Click to expand...
That's correct that there's only room for 2x120mm rads (barring slim rad/fans on the bottom, which is only possible with a waterblocked GPU). Qrash was referring to the maximum cooler height supported, and actually he's a little off: the cooler height limit is 130mm, or 135mm without the fan bracket installed.

As on the website, I recommend keeping the total thickness of fans+radiator at 60mm or less. The H75 rad is 25mm thick, while the fans are each 25mm thick, so the total package is 75mm thick. You can make that work, but it's more than I'd recommend as it will be a tight fit.
 
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brianj said:
Hey Qrash,

I thought was only 120 x2 available for the rads, no? If i can fit 140mm wouldn't the H90 be a better choice?

Out of curiosity.. Do most opeople use the H75 in push-pull inside the Ncase?
Click to expand...

Push-pull would definitely be the exception. A single rad/fan combo is of sufficient thickness that running the tubing is hard enough. It's quite likely that you'll have some power cables in there as well - maybe requiring one of the fan grills.
Even if you manage to jam a push/pull setup in there, there would be so little clearance left for proper airflow that it would be a wasted effort. Ideally a fan should have at least a fan diameter of free space in front and behind for best operation.

It's not a huge consideration normally, but space is obvious quite tight in the M1. A single fan in either push/pull will be fine! ;)
 
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brianj said:
Hey Qrash,

I thought was only 120 x2 available for the rads, no? If i can fit 140mm wouldn't the H90 be a better choice?

Out of curiosity.. Do most opeople use the H75 in push-pull inside the Ncase?
Click to expand...

If you check results on push/pull vs just push on a 25mm radiator you will find the difference very minimal. Push/pull is only needed with thick radiators.
 
brianj said:
Hey Qrash,

I thought was only 120 x2 available for the rads, no? If i can fit 140mm wouldn't the H90 be a better choice?

Out of curiosity.. Do most opeople use the H75 in push-pull inside the Ncase?
Click to expand...

Hi brianj. Sorry for the late reply. Looks like you have received some excellent answers already from Necere, Chapeau, and rfarmer.

I do not use liquid cooling in either of my two M1 cases. I do have the older H80i in a Temjin TJ08-E (microATX case). I think it would be very difficult to coil those hoses up to fit in the M1. Many here are using the H75 so I would go with that.

The H90 would be very difficult if not impossible to make work. It is only possible to attach circular 140 mm fans, like the Noctua NF-P14, to the side bracket if they have the mounting holes of a 120 mm fan. So how could you attach a 140 mm radiator to the side bracket or a round 140 mm fan with 120 mm holes to a 140 mm radiator? Sounds impossible.
 
Hi, according to Taiwan Post parcel tracking, my ncase was accepted on Dec 14th and shipped out on the 16th. It's been over three weeks now and I haven't received another update. It seems strange to me that I wouldn't get updated when it got checked into customs, and even stranger if the package hasn't even arrived in Canada yet. Is it possible that my package could have been lost? Should I contact Ncases directly about this? Anyone had similar experiences? Thanks.
 
Hey Everyone,

Thanks a lot for the very informative replies!! Looks like I'm set for the H75 with one 120mm fan. Now the question is.. Do I configure it as intake or exhaust? The same applies to the GPU radiator's fan as well?

Oh and one more question:) Do most of people install the 92mm case fan and dual 120mm below the GPU?

I do plan to overclock CPU and GPU, but nothing too crazy. I'm no expert but the way I see it the two AIOs should keep the whole system nice and cool without the need of additional fans..

Any input is appreciated! Thanks again
 
Hey Foaks \ o /

Just got my case, build is ready (7700K + Z170 Gaming ITX/ac + GTX1080 FE).
Out of curiosity, someone in here with a custom loop and a 6700K/7700K + GTX 1080 setup?

Was wondering what the temps would be like in this setup and if it's worth trying, as I got the FrozenQ resevoir (man, couldn't have this be like half of the thickness?!) to my used v2.
 
brianj said:
Hey Everyone,

Thanks a lot for the very informative replies!! Looks like I'm set for the H75 with one 120mm fan. Now the question is.. Do I configure it as intake or exhaust? The same applies to the GPU radiator's fan as well?

Oh and one more question:) Do most of people install the 92mm case fan and dual 120mm below the GPU?

I do plan to overclock CPU and GPU, but nothing too crazy. I'm no expert but the way I see it the two AIOs should keep the whole system nice and cool without the need of additional fans..

Any input is appreciated! Thanks again
Click to expand...

Use them as intake. Put the rad on the bracket, fan on the inside. Easier to keep the case clean.
 
brianj said:
Hey Everyone,

Thanks a lot for the very informative replies!! Looks like I'm set for the H75 with one 120mm fan. Now the question is.. Do I configure it as intake or exhaust? The same applies to the GPU radiator's fan as well?

Oh and one more question:) Do most of people install the 92mm case fan and dual 120mm below the GPU?

I do plan to overclock CPU and GPU, but nothing too crazy. I'm no expert but the way I see it the two AIOs should keep the whole system nice and cool without the need of additional fans..

Any input is appreciated! Thanks again
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on how you feel about dust and maintenance. There is little difference between push and pull for radiator performance in testing - some radiators seem to do better in push at low speed but the differential is so small and the case so specific that you can consider them the same. Pull seems to be preferred as the side mounting bracket comes with a magnetic filter to help with dust. The nice thing is, it's so easy to try both on the side panel you can experiment for yourself.

I have both of my radiators set up as push with the rest of the case being left as natural intake - I don't like the idea of baking everything inside when things get hot.

A dual AIO will be plenty! I only used an AIO for my GPU in the beginning and had temps of around 70 deg with the fan running at a ridiculous low 900 rpm.
 
Ive ordered the parts for my build and was able to get my hands on a C14 which is great but I now have to change my thoughts on the fans required. I'm going with a strix 1080 and am wondering if anyone has this card without the two 120mm intakes at the bottom? if so what was the effects on temps? Would it be advisable to find some lower profile 120mm fans for the bottom to get a bit more space down there?
 
druID said:
Ive ordered the parts for my build and was able to get my hands on a C14 which is great but I now have to change my thoughts on the fans required. I'm going with a strix 1080 and am wondering if anyone has this card without the two 120mm intakes at the bottom? if so what was the effects on temps? Would it be advisable to find some lower profile 120mm fans for the bottom to get a bit more space down there?
Click to expand...

I remember seeing a post that described just that scenario. The Strix temperatures were just fine. I would try that first.
 
DaTraS said:
Hey Foaks \ o /

Just got my case, build is ready (7700K + Z170 Gaming ITX/ac + GTX1080 FE).
Out of curiosity, someone in here with a custom loop and a 6700K/7700K + GTX 1080 setup?

Was wondering what the temps would be like in this setup and if it's worth trying, as I got the FrozenQ resevoir (man, couldn't have this be like half of the thickness?!) to my used v2.
Click to expand...

I'm running 1080 and a 6600k, never get past 45c on CPU and 56c on GPU. Without water my GPU hit 82c instantly.
 
Hi,

Does anyone know what paint the frame uses? Wanting to strip it off and powder coat, since the finish on the frame is absolutely terrible and strips way too easily (you can see it in pretty much every build picture). I tried emailing Lian-Li but I think they just ignored that email.
 
Chapeau said:
I guess it depends on how you feel about dust and maintenance. There is little difference between push and pull for radiator performance in testing - some radiators seem to do better in push at low speed but the differential is so small and the case so specific that you can consider them the same. Pull seems to be preferred as the side mounting bracket comes with a magnetic filter to help with dust. The nice thing is, it's so easy to try both on the side panel you can experiment for yourself.

I have both of my radiators set up as push with the rest of the case being left as natural intake - I don't like the idea of baking everything inside when things get hot.

A dual AIO will be plenty! I only used an AIO for my GPU in the beginning and had temps of around 70 deg with the fan running at a ridiculous low 900 rpm.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your experience:)
 
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Qrash said:
Hi brianj. Sorry for the late reply. Looks like you have received some excellent answers already from Necere, Chapeau, and rfarmer.

I do not use liquid cooling in either of my two M1 cases. I do have the older H80i in a Temjin TJ08-E (microATX case). I think it would be very difficult to coil those hoses up to fit in the M1. Many here are using the H75 so I would go with that.

The H90 would be very difficult if not impossible to make work. It is only possible to attach circular 140 mm fans, like the Noctua NF-P14, to the side bracket if they have the mounting holes of a 120 mm fan. So how could you attach a 140 mm radiator to the side bracket or a round 140 mm fan with 120 mm holes to a 140 mm radiator? Sounds impossible.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input Qrash
 
So I guess the last piece of the puzzle would be finding a quiet 92mm case fan that also provide a good airflow..

Any recommendations? But for the love of God, please no puke-colored noctua:p
 
druID said:
Ive ordered the parts for my build and was able to get my hands on a C14 which is great but I now have to change my thoughts on the fans required. I'm going with a strix 1080 and am wondering if anyone has this card without the two 120mm intakes at the bottom? if so what was the effects on temps? Would it be advisable to find some lower profile 120mm fans for the bottom to get a bit more space down there?
Click to expand...

Im running the STRIX without extra case fans on the bottom, if thats what you were asking, and my temps are fine. And just an FYI, I found it extremely easy to mount the card on the MB outside of the case and then just slide the whole thing in. Much easier than wiggling it around to fit.
 
harsaphes said:
Im running the STRIX without extra case fans on the bottom, if thats what you were asking, and my temps are fine. And just an FYI, I found it extremely easy to mount the card on the MB outside of the case and then just slide the whole thing in. Much easier than wiggling it around to fit.
Click to expand...
With the motherboard 'loaded' prior to installing in the M1 was it difficult to secure the standoff screws?
 
brianj said:
So I guess the last piece of the puzzle would be finding a quiet 92mm case fan that also provide a good airflow..

Any recommendations? But for the love of God, please no puke-colored noctua:p
Click to expand...
Be Quiet silent wings would be a nice choice. The reviews are pretty good and most importantly, it comes in a PWM version. No silly resistors to lower the speed and mess up your motherboard speed control.
Personally I have a Silverstone FW91 - It's passable but not great due to it's high speed (3000rpm max) which messes with fine PWM control. I run mine at about 40% and got it mainly for the colour!

I wouldn't buy this again specifically but it's not a bad fan.
 
harsaphes said:
Im running the STRIX without extra case fans on the bottom, if thats what you were asking, and my temps are fine. And just an FYI, I found it extremely easy to mount the card on the MB outside of the case and then just slide the whole thing in. Much easier than wiggling it around to fit.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ill give that a shot. Can I ask what you have for other fans and cooler?
 
PLHHSB said:
Click to expand...
Can anyone tell me what these are? The picture is called 'blanking plugs', but there are so many sizes. Would these be what I'm looking for? (Edit: Found his blog post/build log. 25mm makes my link at least the right size, not sure about function)

Will it make enough of a pressure difference to bother?
 
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I'm so happy I decided to do a second build for our living room. Thanks to everyone in this thread I have a kick ass piece of gear. Thanks.
druID said:
Thanks Ill give that a shot. Can I ask what you have for other fans and cooler?
Click to expand...

I'm using a H100i water cooler and that's it. System is really running cool and silent, esp. after i downloaded the 'Corsair Link' program to fine tune the fans. Here's a shot of my afternoon yesterday....What a time sink CIV is.
Old disconnected NUC on the right and the M1 sitting on the side.

IMG_20170110_180912.jpg
 
Could you guys suggest me a psu? my configuration is almost finalized.
processor - 5930k
mobo - Asrock x99e
ram - corsair vengeance lpx 2x8gb
ssd - Samsung Evo 256gb
hdd - 2tb WD black
GPU - GTX 980
Click to expand...
I plan to upgrade my gpu soon to something faster. i was looking at corsair sf450 but i am not sure if that would be enough for the build.
 
chasethis said:
Could you guys suggest me a psu? my configuration is almost finalized.

I plan to upgrade my gpu soon to something faster. i was looking at corsair sf450 but i am not sure if that would be enough for the build.
Click to expand...

Using that exact PSU. See my sig for build.
 
Morgon said:
Can anyone tell me what these are? The picture is called 'blanking plugs', but there are so many sizes. Would these be what I'm looking for? (Edit: Found his blog post/build log. 25mm makes my link at least the right size, not sure about function)

Will it make enough of a pressure difference to bother?
Click to expand...
I believe those are caps for the water cooling tubing penetrations for an exterior mounted reservoir. Not really necessary, minimal/no benefit.
 
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