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

Bijiont said:
Was there no room to side mount the radiator along with the res? This was the main reason I held off from going this route is due to not being able to expand or replace components yet. Even replacing the res top with just a plexi you would either need additional aluminum fittings or run a plastic T with clamps.
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Definitely not enough room unfortunately. There is about 90mm from the side panel to the PSU.
At least 60mm is taken by the radiator and fans assuming you don't leave any space for air circulation.
 
So I finally solved my Wifi woes with the Asus STRIX 270i about a week ago. Essentially the most recent (ASUS and Windows) driver do not play nicely with Windows 10. I was getting constant drops to the point it was absolutely destroying the whole WLAN. Went into Device Manager and chose the Windows driver from 2015 (for Windows 7 :rolleyes: ) and it's been working like a dream. I didn't see too many others with the issue, but I did find a lot of people having issues with the particular chip the 270i uses. Hopefully this comes to help someone in the future :).
 
p3z said:
So I finally solved my Wifi woes with the Asus STRIX 270i about a week ago. Essentially the most recent (ASUS and Windows) driver do not play nicely with Windows 10. I was getting constant drops to the point it was absolutely destroying the whole WLAN. Went into Device Manager and chose the Windows driver from 2015 (for Windows 7 :rolleyes: ) and it's been working like a dream. I didn't see too many others with the issue, but I did find a lot of people having issues with the particular chip the 270i uses. Hopefully this comes to help someone in the future :).
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I'm curious about this - my Z270I actually has been much better on my network. There's a Z270I thread... sort of, that started off with reviews but does meander around random board-related topics if you want to post there.

https://hardforum.com/threads/asus-rog-strix-z270i-gaming-motherboard-review-h.1927319/
 
ghostwich said:
I'm curious about this - my Z270I actually has been much better on my network. There's a Z270I thread... sort of, that started off with reviews but does meander around random board-related topics if you want to post there.

https://hardforum.com/threads/asus-rog-strix-z270i-gaming-motherboard-review-h.1927319/
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Cool, I quoted and cross-posted over on that thread. Wouldn't be a bad idea to have it in an actual thread of relevance :D. I just hang around this thread usually as multiple PC forums are hard to keep track of :eek:.
 
Is the Strix Z270i the best board for the M1? I have the mATX version right now and I want to migrate to an M1 but I've heard this board has some cold boot / power cycling issues.

I'm reading the thread on that board.

Does anyone know what the other best options are? All things being equal, I'd probably take the board with the best on board audio features. (I need 7.1 analog out)
 
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I've actually yet to have any booting issues with it, though I usually let my computer go into hibernation. I was having serious issues with that on my GB board.

Also, it's probably not the best ever for this case, but I find it to be exceptional. It has a great layout, dual m.2, built-in wifi and bluetooth, etc. It was one of 2 or 3 boards that checked all of the boxes I needed (and then some) so I'm a bit biased :p.
 
i love this case :geek:

UGyGWIY.jpg
 
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Just found out that my M1 has arrived at Finnish customs, 4 days from Taiwan to Finland is very impressive. For those of you who paid taxes for your M1, does the included invoice on the box still say about 90 USD as the declared value of the case?
 
Yeah, I couldn't quite work out how all of those fans were going to fit!

Similar to my initial set up: two fans on the U9S, a side intake and two bottom intakes. I took those bottom fans out because they didn't seem to make any real difference to temperatures and I don't feel that there's enough clearance between them and the GPU for them to be particularly effective. I think it does depend on your GPU, however.
 
Bawjaws said:
Yeah, I couldn't quite work out how all of those fans were going to fit!

Similar to my initial set up: two fans on the U9S, a side intake and two bottom intakes. I took those bottom fans out because they didn't seem to make any real difference to temperatures and I don't feel that there's enough clearance between them and the GPU for them to be particularly effective. I think it does depend on your GPU, however.
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I had fans at the bottom too. Removed now. I use a 92 on my D9L, 92 at rear. 140mm noctua on the side. (NF-A15). Does okay but my Strix 1070 is easily loudest in my rig.
 
I'm planning on only using the 2 radiator fans in my rig...we'll see how that works out, but I don't think it'll need much more. Watercooled GPU, CPU, and the fans will be blowing right through the radiator onto the RAM. If I keep tubing minimal for best airflow then it should be a clean side intake, top/rear exhaust from air pressure, and good to go.
 
NorCalAthlete said:
I'm planning on only using the 2 radiator fans in my rig...we'll see how that works out, but I don't think it'll need much more. Watercooled GPU, CPU, and the fans will be blowing right through the radiator onto the RAM. If I keep tubing minimal for best airflow then it should be a clean side intake, top/rear exhaust from air pressure, and good to go.
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I recently switched to air cooling but had mine watercooled for a year. Just had the 2 fans on the radiator cooling both CPU and GPU. Not only did I get great temps and low noise I also had a very clean case with just the positive pressure.
 
rfarmer said:
I recently switched to air cooling but had mine watercooled for a year. Just had the 2 fans on the radiator cooling both CPU and GPU. Not only did I get great temps and low noise I also had a very clean case with just the positive pressure.
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Did you ever post new photos with the new air setup? I want to get an idea of what the new DR TF 2 looks like in our case :D.
 
incompleteusernam said:
Chapeau, or anyone else, is there a way to mount the pump/res into the top right side of the case horizontally without drilling holes?
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This guy made a 3D model of a pump mount (for a DDC pump heatsink) that attaches to the case front where the front HDD grommets are supposed to go. You can slide the mount up and down according to your need. Since I didn't have a drill it was a no-brainer, it only cost me $15 to have it printed.
 
doctorbigtime said:
This guy made a 3D model of a pump mount (for a DDC pump heatsink) that attaches to the case front where the front HDD grommets are supposed to go. You can slide the mount up and down according to your need. Since I didn't have a drill it was a no-brainer, it only cost me $15 to have it printed.
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Awesome, thanks. I can't find the sketchup link on his album, do you have it? Also, do you know if it would work with EK's DDC pumps?
 
Hello,

I'm planning to change my actual case for this beauty...

Actually i have :
p8z77-i Deluxe
I7 3770k
EVGA 1070 SC
16Gb corsair Low Profile ram
1To samsung Pro ssd

Since i use my PC 99% for gaming 1080p@144hz i see no point going spending money with a new KabyLake Build.

I would like to keep a small but (most important) silent build.

For the CPU i plan to go with a noctua D9L or U9S but I'm a bit confused about which component i have to buy for my GPU to keep it cool and silent, what do you think it's better :

Buy an EVGA Hybrid kit + 2 bottom intake/exhaust fan?
Buy an Accelero Xtreme IV ? But Is there any clearance issue with the CPU cooler and GPU backplate ?
Keep stock cooler and put 2 bottom fan has intake/exhaust ?

Thank in advance :)
 
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incompleteusernam said:
Not able to tell if my heatsink housing would fit on the bracket, will it work? I attached both the bitspower and ek's heatsink.
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Starting with a prior of: no, It doesn't look like it. The pump attaches to the mount where the "inner" screwholes are in the bitspower heatsink, which looks like they're off from the EK heatsink feet.
I suppose you could try to 1. edit the model to move the screwholes to the appropriately measured location or 2. replace your heatsink, though - although now the costs seem to exceed the price of a cheap drill :D
 
doctorbigtime said:
Starting with a prior of: no, It doesn't look like it. The pump attaches to the mount where the "inner" screwholes are in the bitspower heatsink, which looks like they're off from the EK heatsink feet.
I suppose you could try to 1. edit the model to move the screwholes to the appropriately measured location or 2. replace your heatsink, though - although now the costs seem to exceed the price of a cheap drill :D
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Well drill could be an option, but I don't have enough precision or trust myself to do that to a $185 case :unsure:. Guess I could try move the screwing areas of the bracket like 4mm away from each other? Did you need any special screws to mount the bracket to the case or the heatsink to the bracket?
 




A lot more testing with the M1. Currently my temps are:

CPU Gaming 55-65C(only BF1) - 7700K 4.6Ghz 1.2v)
GPU Gaming 60-63C - 1070 Gigabyte G1 - 2000+Mhz Always

Fairly quiet, 60% GPU fans exhaust, side fans using Noctua low speed coupler.

I've tested both the Raijintek Morpheus and Accellero solutions, with the accellero being better for noise with high quality fans and the Raijintek being slightly better for cooling. I settled for better acoustics. If anyone wants a Raijintek GPU cooler for their build WITH dual silverstone 120mm fans - $50 shipped.

The star of the show however is the mutilated Noctua C14S. I've tested it in MANY different orientations. Using stock without modification, single and dual fans etc. I found the best temps to be had after cutting out the reinforcement steel (center tube) and doing a lot of bending. I had to press through the fins to screw the HSF down after adjustments however - the temps are quite good under stress, fat better than NH-L12. For some reason, gaming temps are only marginally lower than my old NH-L12 in push/pull w/side fan blowing. As you can see, I was able to stuff a 120mm under the heatsink and have two nice cougar 120's on the side hinge. There is also a 90MM AC Silent fan blowing on the heatsink from the rear. Temps are VERY good, and it is quiet as well with my fan profile.

C12S will fit and cool extremely well with an OC, just need to hack off that center bar ><
 
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incompleteusernam said:
Well drill could be an option, but I don't have enough precision or trust myself to do that to a $185 case :unsure:. Guess I could try move the screwing areas of the bracket like 4mm away from each other? Did you need any special screws to mount the bracket to the case or the heatsink to the bracket?
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83789-624346-cropped-full.jpg


Alternatively - The bitspower Z tube comes with some clamp type brackets. It wouldn't be too hard to screw them onto a black plate and stick it onto the face of your PSU.

If that doesn't work, you can do something similar with this mount from Barrow.
5806e833111d9.jpg


I have a feeling that there isn't quite enough area to stick onto the front panel with this one.

df5c75c1-2ef1-4788-b11b-c3660a71b53e.jpg

This is your friend.....
 
Bazu08 said:
Hello,

I'm planning to change my actual case for this beauty...

Actually i have :
p8z77-i Deluxe
I7 3770k
EVGA 1070 SC
16Gb corsair Low Profile ram
1To samsung Pro ssd

Since i use my PC 99% for gaming 1080p@144hz i see no point going spending money with a new KabyLake Build.

I would like to keep a small but (most important) silent build.

For the CPU i plan to go with a noctua D9L or U9S but I'm a bit confused about which component i have to buy for my GPU to keep it cool and silent, what do you think it's better :

Buy an EVGA Hybrid kit + 2 bottom intake/exhaust fan?
Buy an Accelero Xtreme IV ? But Is there any clearance issue with the CPU cooler and GPU backplate ?
Keep stock cooler and put 2 bottom fan has intake/exhaust ?

Thank in advance :)
Click to expand...

I think that the Hybrid kit offers good performance but is a bit pricey + that you get than pump humming noise when your computer is idle – but I guess that's a personal preference kind of thing. I feel it's a bit of an overkill for the 1070 – but the installation is easier than the Accelero.
Regarding, the Accelero IV the backplate usually spells trouble in the M1 unless you're willing to adapt it. It will not be compatible with SFX-L PSUs and it will hit the audio output thingy if you install it per the instructions. Get the Accelero III if you can or buy the IV + a good bunch of <=10mm heatsinks + thermaltape and a good thermal paste.
The Accelero offers superb cooling with minimal noise. I would recommend using a couple of 120s as exhaust, preferably high pressure – I'm currently using two ML120 to keep my 1080Ti below 70C.
Here's some photos of my adapted/grind/cut down backplate: http://imgur.com/a/13nsI
http://imgur.com/xjUyTWi

Also, I find that feet that are a little higher(like these https://mnpctech.com/ncase-m1-mods/ncase-m1-black-silver-replace-feet/ ) improve on the overall airflow and noise.
 
rfarmer said:
Ok an update on my switch from water cooling to air cooling. Started with the Be Quiet Dark Rock TF, it is too bad this cooler doesn't have higher compatibility because it is a really nice cooler. Build quality is high, the fans are really good, the mounting system is a PITA but it is secure. I have an i5 6600k OCed to 4.6 GHz at 1.25 volts. Under water I got 21C idle and 55C with spikes to 60C under load. With the Dark Rock I get 23C idle and 65C with spikes to 70C under load. So 10C temp increase which isn't bad at all, gaming temps are in the neighborhood of 45C.
2e07685408.jpg

I had originally planned on going with an Arctic Accelero 3 but while checking out other options I saw the Gelid Icy Vision Rev 2. Very similar cooler with 5 heat pipes, similar width and height, but the main reason I decided on it was this. http://gelidsolutions.com/thermal-solutions/icy-vision-gtx10701080-enhancement-kit/

a02a0d3b8f.jpg

Which is a large VRM heatsink for the 1070/1080 FE cards, good cooling on the VRM was a concern to me with this type of cooler.

Only problem is the Gelid is just slightly taller than the Arctic and it sits directly on the bottom exhaust fans and prevents the blades from spinning, not enough room to fit the fan grills in between. If I was using them as intake they would sit on the cross pieces and not stop the blades, but I want them as exhaust. I ordered a pair of Deep Cool 20X120mm PWM fans which should work fine and hopefully are decent fans.

I have a GTX 1070 FE and under water it was great, 42C under load after extended gaming. I recently had the reference cooler installed while waiting for the Gelid and it hit 80C while gaming, admittedly that was at only 54% fan speed. I wasn't going to have it on long enough to bother with a custom curve.

Right now I am using the 2X92mm fans included with the Gelid, they act like an open air cooler with the fans blowing toward the heatsink so temps are similar. Idle a 30C with load at 70C, which isn't terrible I guess.

I am hoping with the 20mm fans set as exhaust I will see 60C under load.

9c7d31e640.jpg
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Where did you purchase the Gelid Icy Vision front VRM heat sink?
 
This are the feet I used before switching to the pedestal:
CynKen 4pcs 40x20mm Aluminum HIFI AMP Speaker Isolation Stand Turntable DAC Feet Pad Silver
 
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rfarmer looks like one of your ram sinks fell off in those pictures. Also, the Accelero is much larger and supports full size 120mm fans, probably a much better route to go- I see low low 60C loads.
 
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