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

keshley said:
z370 strix is tempting since it looks like the monoblock for the z270 is compatible. Waiting on confirmation of that before I make any decisions... Then my z270 strix would replace my wife's z170 itx board in the Caselabs. Trickle down upgrades!
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Doh. Yet another reason for me to upgrade to Coffee Lake. Although I have to redo the LED strip on my monoblock. It broke somehow.
 


How do people mount the 2 x HDD's without the front rack?
The video from 1:10-1:30 shows what he used but I've got no idea what it is and how it's mounted.

Anyone know I can get that exact same thing and how to mount it?
Will it require modification to the case of any kind to do this?

Maybe a SF600 PSU to HDD mounts exists?


Thanks.
 
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There are a few ways to do that... either fabricate / repurpose a bracket that would secure the HDD bracket to the inside of the front wall, or just tape. I’m thinking he used 3M VHB tape between the HDD bracket and his PSU.
 
Nanook said:
There are a few ways to do that... either fabricate / repurpose a bracket that would secure the HDD bracket to the inside of the front wall, or just tape. I’m thinking he used 3M VHB tape between the HDD bracket and his PSU.
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Maybe, yeah.
Although I think using that tape to connect it to the PSU would be heavy for 2 x hdd's and the anti-vibration wouldn't be great at all.

Maybe he screwed in the bracket to the front inside?
Doesn't seem like it though.
Hard to tell.
 
rasesh said:
Maybe, yeah.
Although I think using that tape to connect it to the PSU would be heavy for 2 x hdd's and the anti-vibration wouldn't be great at all.

Maybe he screwed in the bracket to the front inside?
Doesn't seem like it though.
Hard to tell.
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Have you seen his other builds? The vid you linked is one of the earlier iteration of his NCase M1 build. Check out Luka Devereaux on YouTube.
 
I see that the vast majority of M1 builds have the radiator(s) on the bracket and the fans behind them (pull config). Is there a reason for this? Has it been shown this is better for temperatures? I have my fan on the outside in push and the radiator behind it. I thought it would somehow be better for airflow, but I don't really have any data on this. Thoughts? What is your rationale for going radiator first?
 
QuantumBraced said:
I see that the vast majority of M1 builds have the radiator(s) on the bracket and the fans behind them (pull config). Is there a reason for this? Has it been shown this is better for temperatures? I have my fan on the outside in push and the radiator behind it. I thought it would somehow be better for airflow, but I don't really have any data on this. Thoughts? What is your rationale for going radiator first?
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From what I can tell, it gives more room for the fittings if they are to the front of the chassis...?
 
QuantumBraced said:
I see that the vast majority of M1 builds have the radiator(s) on the bracket and the fans behind them (pull config). Is there a reason for this? Has it been shown this is better for temperatures? I have my fan on the outside in push and the radiator behind it. I thought it would somehow be better for airflow, but I don't really have any data on this. Thoughts? What is your rationale for going radiator first?
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Dust will gather on the exterior of the rad with a pull config, which is easier to clean than dust on fans or dust in between fans and rad with push.
 
There is definitely a cleaning benefit to having the fans in a pull config.

I've seen a test or two where it showed push to be slightly beneficial especially at low fan speeds. However from memory, the difference so very very small. Certainly I wouldn't do it for "performance" reasons.
 
Speaking of the Asus Z370i, is anyone having the red CPU LED error light come on when cold booting? This is a problem on my Z270i and many others have noted the issue as well.
 
 
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Did you guys see that gigabyte z370 ATX boards has vrm overheat issues? I’m hoping the mITX version would be ok temp wise.
 
Just ordered my NCASE silver and it's on its way. I am currently in the planning stage on the parts that I will used and decided I will go with Air Cooling. I have read all the threads here since it started. I read a lot of people are using Accelero Extreme III and use 120mm fans as exhaust. I also read that they purchased a Gelid PWM adapter to connect it directly to the GPU. My question is. Do i need to purchase a splitter to connect both fans or there are two PWM connectors on the GPU itself? I am planning to put a EVGA 1080TI SC.
 
Christyles said:
Just ordered my NCASE silver and it's on its way. I am currently in the planning stage on the parts that I will used and decided I will go with Air Cooling. I have read all the threads here since it started. I read a lot of people are using Accelero Extreme III and use 120mm fans as exhaust. I also read that they purchased a Gelid PWM adapter to connect it directly to the GPU. My question is. Do i need to purchase a splitter to connect both fans or there are two PWM connectors on the GPU itself? I am planning to put a EVGA 1080TI SC.
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You will need a splitter, the GPU has just one fan header.
 
rfarmer said:
You will need a splitter, the GPU has just one fan header.
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Thanks, I've read about your journey in the NCASE as well from water cooling to air cooling. Can I use 1080ti SC2? Also for C14, does it lower temps down if I have two 120 on side or one would do?
 
Christyles said:
Thanks, I've read about your journey in the NCASE as well from water cooling to air cooling. Can I use 1080ti SC2? Also for C14, does it lower temps down if I have two 120 on side or one would do?
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The 1080 Ti SC2 should fit with no problem, it is well within size limitations for the Ncase. 2 fans are a good idea for a couple reasons with the NH-C14. The heatsink extends past the first 120mm fan so 2 makes sure you have airflow over the entire heatsink, the right hand fan also helps cool your motherboard and feeds cool air to your PSU. So unless you plan on using the 3.5 HDD bracket I would recommend 2 intake fans.

Christyles said:
I am planning on putting two NF-P12's as exhaust. Does it have a splitter that it comes with?
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The come with low noise adapters as well as a splitter.
 
Christyles said:
Thanks, I've read about your journey in the NCASE as well from water cooling to air cooling. Can I use 1080ti SC2? Also for C14, does it lower temps down if I have two 120 on side or one would do?
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Not rfarmer, but I might be able to answer those questions...

1080 Ti SC should fit fine, if you are going for an air cooled build, think about replacing the cooler on the GPU with the Arctic Accelero...

For the CPU, I would use two fans on the side bracket, more positive pressure to help force hot air out the top...

As to the C14, if it is the older discontinued model, then you can use dual 25mm thick 120mm fans; but if it is the current model of the C14, then you need to use slim 15mm thick 120mm fans...

BTW - The (discontinued) C14 & Arctic Accelero combo is referred to as the "Big Air" build for the M1 chassis, and is supposed to be the best air cooled combo for the M1...

Anyone feel free to correct me if I am mistaken...
 
rfarmer said:
The 1080 Ti SC2 should fit with no problem, it is well within size limitations for the Ncase. 2 fans are a good idea for a couple reasons with the NH-C14. The heatsink extends past the first 120mm fan so 2 makes sure you have airflow over the entire heatsink, the right hand fan also helps cool your motherboard and feeds cool air to your PSU. So unless you plan on using the 3.5 HDD bracket I would recommend 2 intake fans.



The come with low noise adapters as well as a splitter.
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Good to know I don't need to purchase a splitter. I will be using two ssd and stack it infront of the case. I saw your AliExpress recommendation as well for the SATA cable


Boil said:
Not rfarmer, but I might be able to answer those questions...

1080 Ti SC should fit fine, if you are going for an air cooled build, think about replacing the cooler on the GPU with the Arctic Accelero...

For the CPU, I would use two fans on the side bracket, more positive pressure to help force hot air out the top...

As to the C14, if it is the older discontinued model, then you can use dual 25mm thick 120mm fans; but if it is the current model of the C14, then you need to use slim 15mm thick 120mm fans...

BTW - The (discontinued) C14 & Arctic Accelero combo is referred to as the "Big Air" build for the M1 chassis, and is supposed to be the best air cooled combo for the M1...

Anyone feel free to correct me if I am mistaken...
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Based on what I read here, Yes it's the best air cooling option for the M1. So getting two NF-P12 is fine? No need for F12? I read a few pages back that when it comes to noise P12 is better.
 
Christyles said:
I am planning on putting two NF-P12's as exhaust. Does it have a splitter that it comes with?
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It does, most of the retail Noctua fans do, I think only the redux fans don't. Keep in mind the P series fans use the older SSO bearing design, the F and S series use the newer SSO2 design. According to the specs the P should be somewhere in the middle of the P and F series regarding airflow, static pressure and noise though, I'm not sure how important the bearing design is.

I don't know how much of a difference the Accelero would be for a 1080ti but with my 1070 overclocked 200MHz core and 500MHz memory, I'm 55-60c while gaming and the F series fans aren't really noticeable. It's being fed by an S series 120mm and the A15 (150mmx140mm) CPU fan. They also do a great job exhausting CPU air bringing temps down another ~5c. I'd be curious how the P series fairs comparitively.

My loudest fan is by far my Silverstone SFX unit.
 
ptirmal said:
It does, most of the retail Noctua fans do, I think only the redux fans don't. Keep in mind the P series fans use the older SSO bearing design, the F and S series use the newer SSO2 design. According to the specs the P should be somewhere in the middle of the P and F series regarding airflow, static pressure and noise though, I'm not sure how important the bearing design is.

I don't know how much of a difference the Accelero would be for a 1080ti but with my 1070 overclocked 200MHz core and 500MHz memory, I'm 55-60c while gaming and the F series fans aren't really noticeable. It's being fed by an S series 120mm and the A15 (150mmx140mm) CPU fan. They also do a great job exhausting CPU air bringing temps down another ~5c. I'd be curious how the P series fairs comparitively.

My loudest fan is by far my Silverstone SFX unit.
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I initially thought of using the F redux as it comes on a different color but I read somewhere here that even the F12's still makes noise on higher RPMs and P12's are quieter. I would want a silent build with the power to dissipate heat when needed.
 
Anyone using M.2 on the back of the motherboard? I'm getting Plextor M8pe with heatsink version. What is the temp in the Ncase?
 
Christyles said:
I initially thought of using the F redux as it comes on a different color but I read somewhere here that even the F12's still makes noise on higher RPMs and P12's are quieter. I would want a silent build with the power to dissipate heat when needed.
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They do make noise at higher RPM, but mine never need to go there. I think they run around 40-50% max (HW monitor shows 1000RPM but I'm not sure if it's reading rpm from the fans correctly) keeping temps under 60c. Like I said this is with a 1070, a 1080ti might need more fan exhaust.

Keep in mind you can't have your cake and eat it too. The P series fans don't have as much static pressure as the F, so they'd naturally have to run faster than the F series to exhaust the same amount, so the noise is probably similar, in theory. It's unlikely either fan would need to go to max fan speed.
 
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Has anyone tried the Gigabyte 1080 mini or Zotac 1080 mini?

Curious to know if the Gigabyte has height issues and which one is better and/or quieter overall for the case.
 
ptirmal said:
They do make noise at higher RPM, but mine never need to go there. I think they run around 40-50% max (HW monitor shows 1000RPM but I'm not sure if it's reading rpm from the fans correctly) keeping temps under 60c. Like I said this is with a 1070, a 1080ti might need more fan exhaust.

Keep in mind you can't have your cake and eat it too. The P series fans don't have as much static pressure as the F, so they'd naturally have to run faster than the F series to exhaust the same amount, so the noise is probably similar, in theory. It's unlikely either fan would need to go to max fan speed.
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Thanks for the advice. I'll most likely be going for F12 Chromax for GPU. Can I use F12's as intake for CPU as well? btw, I was able to find a C14 and it's on its way.
 
broddy said:
Anyone using M.2 on the back of the motherboard? I'm getting Plextor M8pe with heatsink version. What is the temp in the Ncase?
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55 peak without heatsinks. I want test with it but I haven,t right now

In the dan a4 sfx I get 78 max peak without heatsink
 
broddy said:
Anyone using M.2 on the back of the motherboard? I'm getting Plextor M8pe with heatsink version. What is the temp in the Ncase?
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If your M.2 SSDs temps are too high put a bottom intake fan on the motherboard side. Lowered my M.2 temps by 10C.
 
Christyles said:
Thanks for the advice. I'll most likely be going for F12 Chromax for GPU. Can I use F12's as intake for CPU as well? btw, I was able to find a C14 and it's on its way.
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I didn't like the F12 for my CPU fan, it ramped up higher than I preferred, it might have been the placement, and my CPU was also on the hotter end before I delid it.

I have the C12P with an A15 PWM fan, love it, it's much quieter than the P14 that the cooler came with and it's PWM. I think you can fit it and another 120mm on the side bracket, mine is held to the heatsink with zip ties and it's cooler than when it's on the side bracket.
 
Christyles said:
I initially thought of using the F redux as it comes on a different color but I read somewhere here that even the F12's still makes noise on higher RPMs and P12's are quieter. I would want a silent build with the power to dissipate heat when needed.
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Yes I own all kind of fans from Nocctua, P12, F12 and S12A it's clear, noise wise on same rpm:

S12A >P12 > F12

Also Noctua has this overview:

noctua_120mm_fans_comparison.jpg


Clipboard01.png


http://noctua.at/en/which_fan_is_right_for_me


But in real world the performance of all 3 fans are almost the same, even the use on a radiator, the F12 with high static pressure is not that greater than a S12A with very low static pressure what you would expect from numbers. Depending on the fan speed it will be slightly different results, but not like 10°C difference or similar big numbers.


The P12 act's quieter than F12 at same rpm with no difference at cooling performance (high load with 800 rpm max in my case), the S12A is regular quieter than P12 at same rpm, but with a barrier like a big heat-sink or radiator in front the high airflow noise gets worse than P12 for the S12A. But I recommend the Noiseblocker eLoop fans, their sound characteristic is "smoother/lower" as from the already great Noctua fans, especially on a radiator on push orientation they offer the same cooling performance as the Noctua fans, but acting much quieter at same rpm. But be careful, if using the Noiseblocker eLoop fans keep in mind, if you place them in a pull orientation they get louder than these Noctua fans, just push orientation is quieter operation in this comparsion.
 
ptirmal said:
I didn't like the F12 for my CPU fan, it ramped up higher than I preferred, it might have been the placement, and my CPU was also on the hotter end before I delid it.

I have the C12P with an A15 PWM fan, love it, it's much quieter than the P14 that the cooler came with and it's PWM. I think you can fit it and another 120mm on the side bracket, mine is held to the heatsink with zip ties and it's cooler than when it's on the side bracket.
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I'm a bit OC so I would want to see an equal size of fans on the side that's why I will go with two 120's just have to decide if F12 or P12. Thanks for the suggestion
 
AG1M said:
Yes I own all kind of fans from Nocctua, P12, F12 and S12A it's clear, noise wise on same rpm:

S12A >P12 > F12

Also Noctua has this overview:

View attachment 41810

View attachment 41811

http://noctua.at/en/which_fan_is_right_for_me


But in real world the performance of all 3 fans are almost the same, even the use on a radiator, the F12 with high static pressure is not that greater than a S12A with very low static pressure what you would expect from numbers. Depending on the fan speed it will be slightly different results, but not like 10°C difference or similar big numbers.


The P12 act's quieter than F12 at same rpm with no difference at cooling performance (high load with 800 rpm max in my case), the S12A is regular quieter than P12 at same rpm, but with a barrier like a big heat-sink or radiator in front the high airflow noise gets worse than P12 for the S12A. But I recommend the Noiseblocker eLoop fans, their sound characteristic is "smoother/lower" as from the already great Noctua fans, especially on a radiator on push orientation they offer the same cooling performance as the Noctua fans, but acting much quieter at same rpm. But be careful, if using the Noiseblocker eLoop fans keep in mind, if you place them in a pull orientation they get louder than these Noctua fans, just push orientation is quieter operation in this comparsion.
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I remember seeing your recommendation before that's why I was looking to get P12's earlier but they said that it's not using the newer SSO2 bearing. I would like to go full Noctua on my fans.
 
I can't hear any difference between SSO and SSO2 bearing, Noctua has high quality bearing, with zero noise from bearing, the only noise you hear is the moved air depeding on the fan speed. The key is that fans at low or low-mid rpm are silent/quiet in general, but fans with bad or not optimized bearing, you hear the bearing noise, which is the main issue. So whatever Noctua model you choose finally, if you keep low/low-mid rpm ~ 400-800 you can't do anything wrong with F12 or P12, but at higher rpm < 1000 the P12 quieter than the F12.
 
AG1M said:
I can't hear any difference between SSO and SSO2 bearing, Noctua has high quality bearing, with zero noise from bearing, the only noise you hear is the moved air depeding on the fan speed. The key is that fans at low or low-mid rpm are silent/quiet in general, but fans with bad or not optimized bearing, you hear the bearing noise, which is the main issue. So whatever Noctua model you choose finally, if you keep low/low-mid rpm ~ 400-800 you can't do anything wrong with F12 or P12, but at higher rpm < 1000 the P12 quieter than the F12.
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Thank you for this info. Does P12's RPM able to cool down both GPU and CPU OC'ed?
 
jaaa1976 said:
Just new owner of M1 case..which motherboard is better strix z370-i or Gigabyte Z370N-WIFI ?
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I don't know about the Gigabyte but the Asus (at least the Z270i) has a coil whine which can get really annoying, depending on the usage scenario.

bencho said:
Has anyone tried the Gigabyte 1080 mini or Zotac 1080 mini?

Curious to know if the Gigabyte has height issues and which one is better and/or quieter overall for the case.
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I have hte Zotac 1080 mini. It fits very well. I would not use it with the stock cooler though, that one is rather noisy (I can't compare it against other cards, but I have a custom loop which is very quiet)
 
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