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

rasesh said:
They should do free shipping + $50 off the case.
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Sorry, but this is just silly beyond words.

Why do NCase need to do any sort of Black Friday sale? They have an excellent product that sells just fine at its current price, and the idea that retailers are somehow obligated to do BF sales is daft.
 
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Part 1 of my coffee lake upgrade! Window mod
Killing that green and brown SOON!
Going to use Duplicolor metal cast on the 1080. Not sure about the logo yet... I wish I could find an .stl for it and 3D print one...

I cut the hole too large in hindsight attaching the panel. Barely fit!

I recommend the closest you go to each edge is 4cm (mine were 3cm from each edge)
Waiting for the glue to dry out a bit, there are some remants from a bad cut on the rear end.

Sa1Z8dP.jpg
 
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FlamingKomodo said:
Part 1 of my coffee lake upgrade! Window mod
Killing that green and brown SOON!
Going to use Duplicolor metal cast on the 1080. Not sure about the logo yet... I wish I could find an .stl for it and 3D print one...

I cut the hole too large in hindsight attaching the panel. Barely fit!

I recommend the closest you go to each edge is 4cm (mine were 3cm from each edge)
Waiting for the glue to dry out a bit, there are some remants from a bad cut on the rear end.

Sa1Z8dP.jpg
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I hate to sound skeptical but you are installing a know hot CPU and you eliminated the main point of fresh air intake, good luck.
 
rfarmer said:
I hate to sound skeptical but you are installing a know hot CPU and you eliminated the main point of fresh air intake, good luck.
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Yep, it's definitely going to run hotter.

The precautions I'm taking to help are

- Using a cryorig C1 which is shorter (I'm thinking of using a Cryorig C1 which might pull air from the back of the case, that might be hot GPU air though, will test) but the main reason I got the C1 is cause I can put on a Noctua Chromax fan on top
Will swap to a D9L if that goes wonky.

- Got a delidded 8600k
- Install speaker/amplifier feet to bring the case up, like this user

L1kc0De.jpg
 
FlamingKomodo said:
Yep, it's definitely going to run hotter.

The precautions I'm taking to help are

- Using a cryorig C1 which is shorter (I'm thinking of using a Cryorig C1 which might pull air from the back of the case, that might be hot GPU air though, will test) but the main reason I got the C1 is cause I can put on a Noctua Chromax fan on top
Will swap to a D9L if that goes wonky.

- Got a delidded 8600k
- Install speaker/amplifier feet to bring the case up, like this user

L1kc0De.jpg
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Cool, let us know how it works out.
 
FlamingKomodo said:
Yep, it's definitely going to run hotter.

The precautions I'm taking to help are

- Using a cryorig C1 which is shorter (I'm thinking of using a Cryorig C1 which might pull air from the back of the case, that might be hot GPU air though, will test) but the main reason I got the C1 is cause I can put on a Noctua Chromax fan on top
Will swap to a D9L if that goes wonky.

- Got a delidded 8600k
- Install speaker/amplifier feet to bring the case up, like this user

L1kc0De.jpg
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Where did you ordered your case feets?
 
Qrash said:
Would moving the power plug to the middle position, swapping places with the small rectangular metal plate, have allowed the heatsink to fit? Sorry if you already tried this and it didn't help.
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rfarmer said:
I was wondering the same thing. That Asus board has the socket higher and closer to the ram slots than most of their newer designs, I can see it being a problem with the Dark Rock.
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I decided to revisit my cooling system because my GPU has been thermally throttling ever since I put in the DarkRock TF. It turns out that I WAS able to turn it around so that the heat pipe end caps are now pointing to the rear of the case. In order to pull this off, I had to swap the plug position, and leave the cord hanging out of the hole until after I secured the heat sink. The heat pipes came so close to the back of the case that one of them is pushing against the rubber grommet for the external reservoir pass through. But they don’t quite touch the back of the case. There is only 2 or 3 mm to spare. Once I got the heat sink secured, I screwed in the rear power plug. If I had taken the power cord all the way out, I don’t think I could have threaded it through the back of the case at this point. With the power plug secured, the cable is actually touching the heat sink.

Now that the heat sink has been turned around, there is room for another fan in the front side panel. My GPU does not exceed 77 degrees anymore and so my thermal throttling problem has been solved.

Edit: here’s a link to some pictures
https://imgur.com/gallery/aYVIU
 
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Frazhna said:
I decided to revisit my cooling system because my GPU has been thermally throttling ever since I put in the DarkRock TF. It turns out that I WAS able to turn it around so that the heat pipe end caps are now pointing to the rear of the case. In order to pull this off, I had to swap the plug position, and leave the cord hanging out of the hole until after I secured the heat sink. The heat pipes came so close to the back of the case that one of them is pushing against the rubber grommet for the external reservoir pass through. But they don’t quite touch the back of the case. There is only 2 or 3 mm to spare. Once I got the heat sink secured, I screwed in the rear power plug. If I had taken the power cord all the way out, I don’t think I could have threaded it through the back of the case at this point. With the power plug secured, the cable is actually touching the heat sink.

Now that the heat sink has been turned around, there is room for another fan in the front side panel. My GPU does not exceed 77 degrees anymore and so my thermal throttling problem has been solved.

Edit: here’s a link to some pictures
https://imgur.com/gallery/aYVIU
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Nicely done, glad you solved the throttling problem. I like my Dark Rock TF but man that thing can be a PITA.
 
Maxed said:
How long did it take your speaker feet to come in?
I been waiting about 2 weeks now for mine.
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Mine are still shipping.


OmenemO said:
Do you happen to know the diameter and height of those feet?
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I believe 39mm x16mm is what the user bought, I also purchased the same size http://www.goodcomponent.com/produc...-pads-stands-39x16mm-black-gdmf0141-1398.html
The standard M1 feet I believe are something around 40x10mm so that will give you an idea of the size.

Also note you prob will need to find screws (will see what I need to do once I get them), quoted from the reddit post

> Now my only complaint about the case was the feet. It seems silly, but I felt a little slighted having this sexy chunk of aluminum only to have plastic feet on it.
One of my other hobbies is building amplifiers and speakers, so finding chassis feet was not an issue.
The only modification needed to mount them is longer M3 screws.
 
FlamingKomodo said:
Mine are still shipping.



I believe 39mm x16mm is what the user bought, I also purchased the same size http://www.goodcomponent.com/produc...-pads-stands-39x16mm-black-gdmf0141-1398.html
The standard M1 feet I believe are something around 40x10mm so that will give you an idea of the size.

Also note you prob will need to find screws (will see what I need to do once I get them), quoted from the reddit post

> Now my only complaint about the case was the feet. It seems silly, but I felt a little slighted having this sexy chunk of aluminum only to have plastic feet on it.
One of my other hobbies is building amplifiers and speakers, so finding chassis feet was not an issue.
The only modification needed to mount them is longer M3 screws.
Click to expand...

I found that 3M mounting tape was more than sufficient - especially with the warm of the case and the weight, those case feet are very solidly stuck on.
The same audio case feet are widely available in several different finishes and heights from e-bay from taiwan/HK etc... I've done two sets are they're usually approx. 1 week to my door.

051131762725-1000x1000.jpg
 
Chapeau said:
I found that 3M mounting tape was more than sufficient - especially with the warm of the case and the weight, those case feet are very solidly stuck on.
The same audio case feet are widely available in several different finishes and heights from e-bay from taiwan/HK etc... I've done two sets are they're usually approx. 1 week to my door.

051131762725-1000x1000.jpg
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pics? which sets did you get?
 
I have the same 39x16 in black, they're very nice feet. Have em sitting in a drawer in case I want to use them in another project.
 
Hi all,

I've just ordered an M1 and am planning my build. If I REALLY wanted to, is it possible to squeeze a 170mm ATX Modular Power Supply in? Yes I've got a short (185mm) GPU and I only have a M.2 drive so the only cables coming from the power supply will be the motherboard ones (the GPU doesn't need external power).

I know the maximum recommended length is 160mm but it's only 10mm and I could always use a 15mm intake fan on the bottom.

What do you think?
 
Hi guys, I am doing a new build, first one in 10 years, and wondered what fan headers on the motherboard are you guys connecting to for the side and rear fans? The CPU or Chassis header?

Thanks
 
xfan10 said:
Hi guys, I am doing a new build, first one in 10 years, and wondered what fan headers on the motherboard are you guys connecting to for the side and rear fans? The CPU or Chassis header?

Thanks
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Side, rear or bottom mount you will want to use any chassis header. CPU header should really be used by just your CPU heatsink fans to allow it to adjust to temps.
 
xfan10 said:
Are Noctua NH-C14S supposed to curve like this?

sMhzkyt.jpg
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No, it shouldn't be curved. While it may be possible to straighten it, I recommend not trying because there may be other issues within the heatpipes. The best course of action is to return the heatsink for a replacement.
 
How is it possible to mount a 120mm fan under the NH-C14S? The clips that come with it are too big for a 120mm as they pop off when you try to mount it. Is there another kind of clip that would work?
 
xfan10 said:
How is it possible to mount a 120mm fan under the NH-C14S? The clips that come with it are too big for a 120mm as they pop off when you try to mount it. Is there another kind of clip that would work?
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Don't think I have seen anyone even do it, the clips are for the 140mm Noctua fan. The only way you can get that to fit in the Ncase is to rotate the PSU to the front and use an ATX to SFX adapter bracket with the Ncase ATX bracket.
 
rfarmer said:
They have reduced the length to 295mm, this might be a viable option for the Ncase now.
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There is still the issue where the pump is oriented the wrong way if tubing is to rear of chassis & clearance issues with PSU if tubing is to front of chassis...
 
Boil said:
There is still the issue where the pump is oriented the wrong way if tubing is to rear of chassis & clearance issues with PSU if tubing is to front of chassis...
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Oh I agree, it is also very thick. Seeing the people that shoehorned an EK Predator in the Ncase this has to be a better option that that.
 
rfarmer said:
https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-mlc-phoenix-240-radiator-core-module

mlc_radiator_240_noshadow_2.png

Technical specifications:

- Dimensions: 295 x 133 x 68mm (L x W x H)
- Fan type: EK-Vardar EVO 120ER 2200 RPM (+/- 10%)
- Pump type: EK-SPC 60A 12V DC PWM Pump
- Tube length: 250mm

They have reduced the length to 295mm, this might be a viable option for the Ncase now.
Click to expand...

Boil said:
There is still the issue where the pump is oriented the wrong way if tubing is to rear of chassis & clearance issues with PSU if tubing is to front of chassis...
Click to expand...

rfarmer said:
Oh I agree, it is also very thick. Seeing the people that shoehorned an EK Predator in the Ncase this has to be a better option that that.
Click to expand...
The dimensions are exactly the same as the old Predator, unfortunately.

I don't believe any of the small 240 rad-supporting cases, current or planned, will support it.
 
Necere said:
The dimensions are exactly the same as the old Predator, unfortunately.

I don't believe any of the small 240 rad-supporting cases, current or planned, will support it.
Click to expand...

Louqe Ghost S1 lists 135mm x 316.2mm as the inner dimensions for their TopHats, so this should fit nice & snug (but one will have to stack a S & a L TopHat (72mm total) to accommodate the thickness of the AIO...

The Sliger "G", seen here [H] & here SFFN, should accommodate two of these units (one above & one below) if the chassis is widened by a few millimeters & if (as the OP has mentioned) the motherboard tray is raised up a bit in the chassis...?
 
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Boil said:
Louqe Ghost S1 lists 135mm x 316.2mm as the inner dimensions for their TopHats, so this should fit nice & snug (but one will have to stack a S & a L TopHat (72mm total) to accommodate the thickness of the AIO...
Click to expand...
The problem as I understand it is that the available space is narrower at the front and back, such that anything over 123mm wide can't also be longer than 284mm. I don't know if that's changed in the month since that post, but it would surprise me if it has.

Boil said:
The Sliger "G", seen here [H] & here SFFN, should accommodate two of these units (one above & one below) if the chassis is widened by a few millimeters...?
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Yeah, it's 5.25" (133.35mm) right now, so it would have to be wider, probably by at least 10mm. The clips for the side panels might get in the way too, depending. Also I think getting two of them into the current volume may be too optimistic. One thing that you have to take into account is the space the fittings and tubing take up as they exit the rad at one end:

duXxlLw.png


Note the fixed pump outlet, which adds about 6mm to the total thickness before accounting for the removable fitting. Right angle fittings are typically still around 30-35mm tall, so the total height clearance at the end with the hoses needs to be somewhere in the vicinity of 104-109mm (68+6+30), at a minimum. The way the layout of these cases is set up allows for some space towards the front, above and below the PSU/GPU, but it's likely to be tight and there may be some conflicts, e.g. the tubing/fittings with the right angle power cord depending on the location of the AC inlet on the PSU.

Another point: it looks like the fans are actually mounted a fair distance below the top panel (10mm+) on the Sliger case, presumably to allow for the larger radius bends on the top panel. This, along with the same (+air intake clearance) on the bottom, need to be accounted for into the overall dimensions and space available for rads.
 
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Necere

Good points all around...!

I do think a proper SFF chassis (20 liters or less of volume) could be designed around a pair of these (the 240 model) units, making for a very nice fully water cooled build that does not require a lot of the custom build fill & bleed aspect of water cooling...!
 
Boil said:
I do think a proper SFF chassis (20 liters or less of volume) could be designed around a pair of these (the 240 model) units, making for a very nice fully water cooled build that does not require a lot of the custom build fill & bleed aspect of water cooling...!
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It could, but IMO once you start to get close to 20L, there are more efficient ways to use the volume. You can get mATX or ATX cases, with similar water cooling capability and better air cooling capability, for the same or a little more volume (e.g., the Cerberus/Cerberus-X). Granted, if you're specifically interested in a showcase-style build with full windows, those cases don't necessarily lend themselves to it quite as well as a full bottom-to-top airflow with back-to-back motherboard/GPU layout. But in most other ways, they offer a lot more.
 
Necere said:
It could, but IMO once you start to get close to 20L, there are more efficient ways to use the volume. You can get mATX or ATX cases, with similar water cooling capability and better air cooling capability, for the same or a little more volume (e.g., the Cerberus/Cerberus-X). Granted, if you're specifically interested in a showcase-style build with full windows, those cases don't necessarily lend themselves to it quite as well as a full bottom-to-top airflow with back-to-back motherboard/GPU layout. But in most other ways, they offer a lot more.
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No windows for me, thanks...! ;^p

I am just interested in a SFF chassis that allows a 240 radiator on each of the main components (CPU & GPU) that does not require me to build a full custom loop...

I know one can get Hybrid GPUs with a 120 radiator, but for a 240 AIO on the GPU, the options are limited...

Plus, with the Hybrid AIO method, one still has to cool the RAM & VRMs with air...

mATX is dying, and ATX gives me slots I will never use (along with that 'wasted space')...

I just see the EK MLC lineup as a nice way to get quality water cooling that is still of the AIO plug & play format (if that makes sense)...

I really do see the Sliger "G" (or a similar 'back-to-back' design), if made to accept dual 240 MLC radiators, as the perfect 'bolt-it-together' ITX chassis...!
 
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Boil said:
mATX is dying, and ATX gives me slots I will never use (along with that 'wasted space')
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It's only wasted if it's not used. The Sliger G is technically tall enough to fit an ATX board, so would it be "a waste of space" if that capability were incorporated? Not saying anything about the feasibility of doing so, mind you. But if it were possible to build it as either an ATX system with limited/no watercooling, or as an ITX system with dual rads, for the exact same size, how would it be a waste?

It's this same kind of thinking that leads people to call the 3rd slot in the M1 "wasted space," apparently not realizing that the space is useful for a lot more than just that slot.
 
Necere said:
It's only wasted if it's not used. The Sliger G is technically tall enough to fit an ATX board, so would it be "a waste of space" if that capability were incorporated? Not saying anything about the feasibility of doing so, mind you. But if it were possible to build it as either an ATX system with limited/no watercooling, or as an ITX system with dual rads, for the exact same size, how would it be a waste?

It's this same kind of thinking that leads people to call the 3rd slot in the M1 "wasted space," apparently not realizing that the space is useful for a lot more than just that slot.
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Regarding 'waste of space' & ATX, I am referring to the extra slots (that I personally would not have a need for, which is why I gravitate towards ITX systems) & the empty space above those unused slots...

I see the Sliger G as a four chamber system; CPU / PSU chamber, GPU chamber, upper AIO chamber, and lower AIO chamber...

The height of the Sliger G is driven by those upper & lower AIO chambers, but all space is used pretty efficiently...
 
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