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CCD MI-6: Performance in a 6.7L MIcrotower
- Thread starter Firewolfy
- Start date
Brian_R170
Weaksauce
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2016
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- 72
The slots look good. Really good. Didn't expect that.
Thx everyone for the feedback regarding usb and the slot pattern.
Maybe the more important jack to have readily assessible is the usb, since we are all plugging and unplugging cell phone chargers and usb drives, --while the headphone connection is relatively static.
Maybe the more important jack to have readily assessible is the usb, since we are all plugging and unplugging cell phone chargers and usb drives, --while the headphone connection is relatively static.
Well I saw that mITX case size comparison that was over here on Reddit:
http://i.imgur.com/odoYjle.jpg
And I cobbled together a quick addition to show the top and front views of the Mi-6. I only had the picture, not the model, so it is kinda of a weak attempt, but it gives a general idea of how the Mi-6 stacks up size-wise to the others already out there.
EDIT -- I suspect some of height to width ratios might be slightly off on the imgur pic. I defined scaling based on another case, but then when I checked the Mi-6 against the M1 it looks a bit off. The M1 is actually slightly shorter than the Mi-6, but the pic shows it taller. Oh well, it's just a general comparison. Also I changed the link to an imbedded pic of just an excerpt so the pic wouldn't overflow the screen.
It is here:
I don't have an iso view in there yet.I'll edit this post when I get it in there. Not gonna do an iso since the scales are just general anyway.
http://i.imgur.com/odoYjle.jpg
And I cobbled together a quick addition to show the top and front views of the Mi-6. I only had the picture, not the model, so it is kinda of a weak attempt, but it gives a general idea of how the Mi-6 stacks up size-wise to the others already out there.
EDIT -- I suspect some of height to width ratios might be slightly off on the imgur pic. I defined scaling based on another case, but then when I checked the Mi-6 against the M1 it looks a bit off. The M1 is actually slightly shorter than the Mi-6, but the pic shows it taller. Oh well, it's just a general comparison. Also I changed the link to an imbedded pic of just an excerpt so the pic wouldn't overflow the screen.
It is here:
I don't have an iso view in there yet.
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Firewolfy wow! Just wow! I can't believe we're going to see this case come to fruition. Yes! I will be in line to get my hands on one of these. Just my measly two cents, but it seems that most people leave their headphones plugged in (in the back?), use USB headphones, or external audio card. May dropping the front audio while leaving the USB port(s) there could be an option?
Yes, the audio jacks are dead to me. Lol. Cant get good quality at a reasonable price that is in the right package.
Quick update-------
Got feedback from fab house that they can do the slot pattern, good news.
Revised case to be able to mount 3 models of riser: the LiHeat, the 3M and the Samtec. For those not familar with Samtec, it is a shielded gen 3.0 riser that apparently has similar axial shielding to the 3M. I'm due to get a sample by the end of the month so I'll test it then. Having the 3 hole patterns means I don't have to wait for riser selection before doing the other case development work, quoting and even fab, before figuring out which riser to offer.
I have a low price gen 2 riser (blue taped solder joints) sitting here that I have not tried. Based on the test results that gen 3 makes less than 2% performance difference over gen 2, I might test it and report back.
Standardizing screws to #6-32 phillips (or M3.5 if you want to call it that) nearly everywhere (mb, psu, riser, cover, pci bracket).
Hmm, what else....
Well the audio jacks are gone from the top. I am now looking at removing the usb as well. This would simplify everything on the design and fab side, and give more room for cable mgt, and lower the cost a bit. Personally i like having usb on top, but small case qtys mean slim pickings. Maybe I'll ping some of the other case designers around here for ideas before i abandon the usb.
Thats it for today. Stay safe out there.
Got feedback from fab house that they can do the slot pattern, good news.
Revised case to be able to mount 3 models of riser: the LiHeat, the 3M and the Samtec. For those not familar with Samtec, it is a shielded gen 3.0 riser that apparently has similar axial shielding to the 3M. I'm due to get a sample by the end of the month so I'll test it then. Having the 3 hole patterns means I don't have to wait for riser selection before doing the other case development work, quoting and even fab, before figuring out which riser to offer.
I have a low price gen 2 riser (blue taped solder joints) sitting here that I have not tried. Based on the test results that gen 3 makes less than 2% performance difference over gen 2, I might test it and report back.
Standardizing screws to #6-32 phillips (or M3.5 if you want to call it that) nearly everywhere (mb, psu, riser, cover, pci bracket).
Hmm, what else....
Well the audio jacks are gone from the top. I am now looking at removing the usb as well. This would simplify everything on the design and fab side, and give more room for cable mgt, and lower the cost a bit. Personally i like having usb on top, but small case qtys mean slim pickings. Maybe I'll ping some of the other case designers around here for ideas before i abandon the usb.
Thats it for today. Stay safe out there.
I say remove the USB's, it should be easy enough to access the rear of the case..
I'd also be game with removing the front USBs since most people have a keyboard or monitor USB pass through they just may not know it.
Hi, new member here.
On the first page you wrote the ability to mix and match up to 6 HDD/SSDs, are those 2.5" drives only, or can I fit 2x 3.5" HDD in the case (1 in the side panel above the motherboard, 1 in the front) ?
Is the cost target (less than $150, and a stretch goal of under $100) still viable? will you include the riser with the case?
Thanks for your answer
On the first page you wrote the ability to mix and match up to 6 HDD/SSDs, are those 2.5" drives only, or can I fit 2x 3.5" HDD in the case (1 in the side panel above the motherboard, 1 in the front) ?
Is the cost target (less than $150, and a stretch goal of under $100) still viable? will you include the riser with the case?
Thanks for your answer
---Looks like my previous post with the imbedded quote didn't quite work, so here is my text again----
The case can't fit 3.5" drives, so only 2.5" hdd's or ssd's (there is room to swap the gpu for a 3.5, but you would have to figure out a mounting method).
The costing is preliminary and depends heavily on volume. My target is a first run of 30-50, and pricing for those early editions below $200. The riser would be included, but assumes we dont need to go full 3M. There would be an approximate $50 increase to use the 3M riser.
Hey! Welcome aboard the forum btw!
The case can't fit 3.5" drives, so only 2.5" hdd's or ssd's (there is room to swap the gpu for a 3.5, but you would have to figure out a mounting method).
The costing is preliminary and depends heavily on volume. My target is a first run of 30-50, and pricing for those early editions below $200. The riser would be included, but assumes we dont need to go full 3M. There would be an approximate $50 increase to use the 3M riser.
Hey! Welcome aboard the forum btw!
Thanks, Firewolfy.
Unfortunately I have 2 3.5" HDD from my old build that I want to use
For the riser, if you're not really targeting premium segment like Dan's I think you can go with LiHeat's or HDPlex
About the USB, you can use 2 USB 3.0 slots or just remove it altogether, your case is small enough and people can just buy a USB Hub and run them to a more convenient location if needed.
Good luck with your project!
Well, just read on Techspot about the Samsung 960 pro and evo supafast ssds. They are m.2 and the article mentions Samsung using thermal throttling on these drives. I think ill take a look at the backside m.2 location in the case and see about ways to make sure there is max possible airflow.....
Edit -- Well the recent change to full top vents and the deletion of the flange on the top of the divider certainly helps the cause. I'll run a thermal benchmark test tonight and see what improvement we'll get.
Edit -- No test needed. Already ran with flange removed so airflow is best it can be.
Edit -- Well the recent change to full top vents and the deletion of the flange on the top of the divider certainly helps the cause. I'll run a thermal benchmark test tonight and see what improvement we'll get.
Edit -- No test needed. Already ran with flange removed so airflow is best it can be.
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Ok,
Been working on finalizing drawings, but took a few minutes to run a quick render----
I'm pretty happy with it. It's got good looking slots, a clean top with no I/O or screws, 2 symmetric screws on each side. Still planning on changing the front plate screws to flat head with a finishing washer.
And here is a screenshot from the CAD program to show the back. Color of the cover is off, should be more black, but you can see the fit. The cover overhangs the back by 1mm, but it looks like more where the chassis frame has a bend on the sides.
Been working on finalizing drawings, but took a few minutes to run a quick render----
I'm pretty happy with it. It's got good looking slots, a clean top with no I/O or screws, 2 symmetric screws on each side. Still planning on changing the front plate screws to flat head with a finishing washer.
And here is a screenshot from the CAD program to show the back. Color of the cover is off, should be more black, but you can see the fit. The cover overhangs the back by 1mm, but it looks like more where the chassis frame has a bend on the sides.
Nice! I love these custom mini cases XD. I just rebuilt into my M1 though and my GPU is full length, but this would be great for a small LAN rig or something like that.. A GTX 1060 EVGA SC would do very well here and fit nicely. Subbed!
My 2 cents, keep the USB on the front, but definitely remove the audio jacks... But if you were to keep the USB.. make it a flat black cable, not one of the thick round ones.. Probably my primary gripe with most cases, is this damn USB cable haha.
My 2 cents, keep the USB on the front, but definitely remove the audio jacks... But if you were to keep the USB.. make it a flat black cable, not one of the thick round ones.. Probably my primary gripe with most cases, is this damn USB cable haha.
Boil
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2015
- Messages
- 1,439
You need mini dzus fasterners on the sides…! ;^p
Firewolfy the most recent renders look awesome! So clean with no USB or audio jacks too! I am imagining the inside as the cable management will look much cleaner not having the USB cable(s) running to USB ports. But, regardless of the final design (w or w/o front USB), it'll be the bee's knees.
But, regardless of the final design (w or w/o front USB), it'll be the bee's knees.Firewolfy the most recent renders look awesome! So clean with no USB or audio jacks too! I am imagining the inside as the cable management will look much cleaner not having the USB cable(s) running to USB ports.
Lol, thx brotha
Update time!
Tested a new PCIE riser cable, the Samtec 300mm x16 model.
Looks like it has twin axial construction like the 3M with shield over every pair, but about 2mm thick for both cables, and not very flexible. It has clear epoxy over the soldered ends and seems pretty solid as a strain relief:
A bit of a challenge to fit it in the case. The top looks good, plenty of cable length:
But the lower end pcb is a tight fit:
It worked fine and ran at gen 3.0, and no glitches or hangs when I moved the cable around.
Second test: the Noctua NH-L9x65 cpu cooler!
Here is the back of the MB. Getting ready to swap out the Big Shuriken 2 for the x65:
Here is the Noctua 115x backplate installed:
Here it is installed. It has that wee little 92mm fan so lots of room around it:
It fit in the the case with about 2mm to spare to the outer wall, so that was about as expected.
I repeated the prime 95 and furmark test I had run on the other coolers. A bit warmer than the Shiriken. Results below with the Noctua in blue and the baseline Shiriken in green:
EDIT -- Forgot to mention, CPU is unchanged (still i7-6700K), GPU is unchanged (still Gigabyte GTX 1070itx).
Tested a new PCIE riser cable, the Samtec 300mm x16 model.
Looks like it has twin axial construction like the 3M with shield over every pair, but about 2mm thick for both cables, and not very flexible. It has clear epoxy over the soldered ends and seems pretty solid as a strain relief:
A bit of a challenge to fit it in the case. The top looks good, plenty of cable length:
But the lower end pcb is a tight fit:
It worked fine and ran at gen 3.0, and no glitches or hangs when I moved the cable around.
Second test: the Noctua NH-L9x65 cpu cooler!
Here is the back of the MB. Getting ready to swap out the Big Shuriken 2 for the x65:
Here is the Noctua 115x backplate installed:
Here it is installed. It has that wee little 92mm fan so lots of room around it:
It fit in the the case with about 2mm to spare to the outer wall, so that was about as expected.
I repeated the prime 95 and furmark test I had run on the other coolers. A bit warmer than the Shiriken. Results below with the Noctua in blue and the baseline Shiriken in green:
EDIT -- Forgot to mention, CPU is unchanged (still i7-6700K), GPU is unchanged (still Gigabyte GTX 1070itx).
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I saw this review and test of the C7:
CRYORIG C7 Review
Looks pretty good, the review showed a bit lower performance than the L9x65 in worst case testing. I have not tested the C7, but the L9x65 test was at 77 in prime95. Since the C7 is a short cooler, 47mm, you will get more recirculation in the case. My guess would be 85 worst case with stock timing.
-But I don't know what TDP CPU you plan to run.....
Quick update: Front plate screws
Here is the new screw and finish washer installed on the case. I switched from #10 BHCS to #6 FHCS, so that with the finish washer it is small and more of an accent than a main design feature.
That's beautiful! Let get the ball rolling on this case lol
Yeah I may have to pick up one of these and try it out. The c7 isn't bad but you can't change the fan so there is that. I only picked it up because it was $24 on sale lol
fleetfeather
n00b
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2013
- Messages
- 25
Onlooker chipping in with some more feedback:
I'd prefer to have no USB3.0 or audio jacks on the front panel: makes cable management harder. I've been busily rebuilding in a SG13 today and cable managing the front panel connectors always proves to be the most tedious aspect of building in these smaller volume chassis'.
How do you plan of funding your first production run? Do you plan on funding more than one design? (either revisions to the current design, or entirely new designs)
I'd prefer to have no USB3.0 or audio jacks on the front panel: makes cable management harder. I've been busily rebuilding in a SG13 today and cable managing the front panel connectors always proves to be the most tedious aspect of building in these smaller volume chassis'.
How do you plan of funding your first production run? Do you plan on funding more than one design? (either revisions to the current design, or entirely new designs)
Yeah, I have removed the usb and audio. Much more room for cable routing.
As far as production, take a look at earlier on this page and maybe back 1 for some info on that. I am getting in quotes now, with the intent of a 30pc run. Doing it via emails and lists.
fleetfeather
n00b
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2013
- Messages
- 25
I see. I may have missed it somewhere, but is there a way to subscribe to your 'interest list'?
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Good idea. Go ahead and pm me with your info and ill start an interest list going.
I'm out of town on a fishing vacation for a couple days. So I'm not putting up too much content, until i get back. But feel free to pm me. Thx
Oh, and yes the case is designed for sfx-l as well.
I'm out of town on a fishing vacation for a couple days. So I'm not putting up too much content, until i get back. But feel free to pm me. Thx
Oh, and yes the case is designed for sfx-l as well.
Boil
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2015
- Messages
- 1,439
Dude, I know you are probably all "…once bitten, twice shy…" on ID-Cooling right now, but…
ID-COOLING IS-VC45 VAPOR CHAMBER TDP135W Innovative Cooling Solution for Low-profile Mini-ITX/HTPC,92mm FDB Bearing Fan, size 97×93×45mm, Compatible with Intel LGA2011/1366/1150/1155/1156-Newegg.com
Sadly, not copper like the T318 it emulates…
Crap reviews on Newegg, except one stellar review that has a whiff of shilling to it…
ID-COOLING IS-VC45 VAPOR CHAMBER TDP135W Innovative Cooling Solution for Low-profile Mini-ITX/HTPC,92mm FDB Bearing Fan, size 97×93×45mm, Compatible with Intel LGA2011/1366/1150/1155/1156-Newegg.com
Sadly, not copper like the T318 it emulates…
Crap reviews on Newegg, except one stellar review that has a whiff of shilling to it…
So there would be plenty of room to put a thicker fan in thereDude, I know you are probably all "…once bitten, twice shy…" on ID-Cooling right now, but…
ID-COOLING IS-VC45 VAPOR CHAMBER TDP135W Innovative Cooling Solution for Low-profile Mini-ITX/HTPC,92mm FDB Bearing Fan, size 97×93×45mm, Compatible with Intel LGA2011/1366/1150/1155/1156-Newegg.com
Sadly, not copper like the T318 it emulates…
Crap reviews on Newegg, except one stellar review that has a whiff of shilling to it…
Boil
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2015
- Messages
- 1,439
Yes, it practically screams for a Noctua NF-A9 (92mm x 92mm, 25mm thick)…