GHOST S1 - When both size & performance matters

Pachalski

Yes - CPU, GPU, RAM, VRM, & (especially) both front-mounted & rear-mounted M.2 NVMe SSD temps...!
Yes
Yes
Yes - Would love to see a custom loop with CPU & GPU; 240mm radiator & dual 120mm x 25mm fans up top (exhaust), 120mm x 25mm fan bottom back (intake, feeding fresh air over motherboard to cool VRM, RAM & M.2), forward bottom section for pump / reservoir combo (thinking EKWB 5 1/4" drive bay sized DDC combo, maybe facing GPU side & actually visible from exterior / mounted into 'Bottom Hat' side panel)... The single pump version of the EKWB DDC combo would allow room for cables since it is not as deep as the dual DDC pump combo version... Getting the plumbing clean would be the trick...

The real trick would be to just PACK the chassis with an ASRock X299 'Little Monster' mobo, i9 CPU, Titan Xp, 800w Silverstone SFX-L PSU, custom water cooling loop (see above) & custom length cables...!

18-cores / 32-threads, 64GB RAM, 2TB RAID 5, Titan Xp, 800w of power; with a custom loop...? Crazy...!

Maybe an Extreme Top Hat, able to fit a 60mm thick 240mm radiator & four 120mm x 25mm fans in push / pull...!?!

Love the ideas! The more extreme approaches should be expected here, but we will leave the custom loop builds to the more skilled builders - happily providing the case.

How about this to start with, 6 different configs:

0.0 - Bare Spine: Open air rig with Noctua NH L9x65 as a baseline
0.1 - Base - XS: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65
0.2 - XS+: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65 with 120 case fan under PSU
0.3 - Extra Air - S: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65 and S-TopHat with 2*120*15 mm case fans
0.4 - Max Air - M: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65 and M-TopHat with 2*120*25 mm case fans
0.5 - Hydro - L: Closed case with 240 rad and 2*120*25 mm case fans
 
Love the ideas! The more extreme approaches should be expected here, but we will leave the custom loop builds to the more skilled builders - happily providing the case.

How about this to start with, 6 different configs:

0.0 - Bare Spine: Open air rig with Noctua NH L9x65 as a baseline
0.1 - Base - XS: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65
0.2 - XS+: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65 with 120 case fan under PSU
0.3 - Extra Air - S: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65 and S-TopHat with 2*120*15 mm case fans
0.4 - Max Air - M: Closed case with Noctua NH L9x65 and M-TopHat with 2*120*25 mm case fans
0.5 - Hydro - L: Closed case with 240 rad and 2*120*25 mm case fans
Last test is what I'd like to get, so I can better cool my m-itx build. (y)
 
Yes - Would love to see a custom loop with CPU & GPU; 240mm radiator & dual 120mm x 25mm fans up top (exhaust), 120mm x 25mm fan bottom back (intake, feeding fresh air over motherboard to cool VRM, RAM & M.2), forward bottom section for pump / reservoir combo (thinking EKWB 5 1/4" drive bay sized DDC combo, maybe facing GPU side & actually visible from exterior / mounted into 'Bottom Hat' side panel)... The single pump version of the EKWB DDC combo would allow room for cables since it is not as deep as the dual DDC pump combo version... Getting the plumbing clean would be the trick...

The real trick would be to just PACK the chassis with an ASRock X299 'Little Monster' mobo, i9 CPU, Titan Xp, 800w Silverstone SFX-L PSU, custom water cooling loop (see above) & custom length cables...!

18-cores / 32-threads, 64GB RAM, 2TB RAID 5, Titan Xp, 800w of power; with a custom loop...? Crazy...!

Maybe an Extreme Top Hat, able to fit a 60mm thick 240mm radiator & four 120mm x 25mm fans in push / pull...!?!

I also plan a custom loop in this case. :) However, a pump might have to go into a BottomHat. If so, there might not be space to have fans in that BottomHat, unless you can stack BottomHats with layers to mount things on. We will see if there is enough space inside the standard case. And someone will for sure try the crazy idea to relocate the PSU to a TopHat/BottomHat, as well. And will be interesting to see how much pump noise can be eliminated by this case, as well. I look forward to see what options opens up with TopHats/BottomHats, while still trying to keep the case as small as possible.

Extreme Top Hat, also known as the Jumbo Hat. ;) Can have a radiator sideways provided ventilation holes, like pidestals on Case Labs cases.
 
Pachalski

Yes - CPU, GPU, RAM, VRM, & (especially) both front-mounted & rear-mounted M.2 NVMe SSD temps...!
Yes
Yes
Yes - Would love to see a custom loop with CPU & GPU; 240mm radiator & dual 120mm x 25mm fans up top (exhaust), 120mm x 25mm fan bottom back (intake, feeding fresh air over motherboard to cool VRM, RAM & M.2), forward bottom section for pump / reservoir combo (thinking EKWB 5 1/4" drive bay sized DDC combo, maybe facing GPU side & actually visible from exterior / mounted into 'Bottom Hat' side panel)... The single pump version of the EKWB DDC combo would allow room for cables since it is not as deep as the dual DDC pump combo version... Getting the plumbing clean would be the trick...

The real trick would be to just PACK the chassis with an ASRock X299 'Little Monster' mobo, i9 CPU, Titan Xp, 800w Silverstone SFX-L PSU, custom water cooling loop (see above) & custom length cables...!

18-cores / 32-threads, 64GB RAM, 2TB RAID 5, Titan Xp, 800w of power; with a custom loop...? Crazy...!

Maybe an Extreme Top Hat, able to fit a 60mm thick 240mm radiator & four 120mm x 25mm fans in push / pull...!?!

If the poor Ghost doesn't melt your ready for production.

@Palchalski

Temps for sure, if you could try to stress at least a 95w CPU (7700k/1800X) tested on air/120mm/240mm AIO with relevant tophats along with a 1080/ti / Vega 64 (reference/custom cooling where possible) that would be very useful along with noise in those different configurations.

(y)
 
We have some photos to show! It is really getting close now and it has been confirmed we will receive all the sections this Wednesday.

proto.jpg
 
Hmmmmm.... so much billet. I would totally go for a CNC'ed case if they were available. The thought of how much it would cost though like your prototype makes me want to cry...
 
Hmmmmm.... so much billet. I would totally go for a CNC'ed case if they were available. The thought of how much it would cost though like your prototype makes me want to cry...

Chapeau so glad you see this and say that!

The final product will be exactly like that only much better looking than this. The side panels, the front and back gables will first be extruded from a solid aluminium billet to arrive at solid aluminium profiles, in this process the alloy is added resulting in a much stronger material than regular aluminium (8 times stronger). The two sides are identical, the back and front gables use the exact same extrusion die (same profile) for cost efficiency - they are perfect mirrors of each other. Then all the components are CNC'ed and laser cut to add the features needed before anodized and colored. So what you see here in terms of solidity and material thickness is exactly what will be shipped - if this very first prototype makes you lust we are confident the final product will to!
 
I have to say that all that billet aluminum is sexy as hell, seems a change to color it. I can well believe this case will be very strong.
 
Have you considered offering different length panels in place of or in addition to the top hats? Just to get rid of the horizontal gap.
 
We have discussed a non colored but anodized version before in the launching line-up. But clear coat, that's something different, and potentially difficult with the fine tolerance levels.

Hey, I work with a lot of aluminum for conduction cooled enclosures. We do a lot of clear conformal coating which goes on about the same thickness as our powdercoating. This conformal coat provides the normal protection benefits of conformal coat but is also very scratch resistant. I believe this is a Parylene type coating.
Conformal coat example (we tinted it to make it obvious there was a coating)
OcdMBcO.jpg

Vs the powdercoat
ONYTSfE.jpg
 
We have discussed a non colored but anodized version before in the launching line-up. But clear coat, that's something different, and potentially difficult with the fine tolerance levels.

I was thinking of a clear anodized finish, sorry if I confused matters by saying 'clear coat'...
 
Have you considered offering different length panels in place of or in addition to the top hats? Just to get rid of the horizontal gap.

We have looked at this, the challenge with this is to mount the horisontal plane that the fans / radiators are mounted to in the top.

The bottom is another case, it is no problem to elongate the panels to create more space in the bottom since the fans are mounted to the bottom plate. If this will be offered or not is not decided.
 
Hey, I work with a lot of aluminum for conduction cooled enclosures. We do a lot of clear conformal coating which goes on about the same thickness as our powdercoating. This conformal coat provides the normal protection benefits of conformal coat but is also very scratch resistant. I believe this is a Parylene type coating.
Conformal coat example (we tinted it to make it obvious there was a coating)

Interesting, we have looked at differerat coatings and mainly polyester based. All coatings we have looked at add ~60my to the thickness of the panels. Anodized panels will "grow" ~10 my in thickness and leave us with significantly better tolerances - important when panels slide into each other.

Coating has not been fully ruled out, it will need testing. For the launching offer however, we are going for anodized finishes.
 
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We have not yet received the prototype. We had planned to start the tests yesterday and be able to present something today but no. We are chasing the courier company and making every effort to get the prototype before the weekend!
 
We have it, here is a picture of the prototype case. It is a raw untreated unit.

We managed to fit a NH-L 12 CPU cooler (bottom fan only) in it with no problem and it works like a dream. Dead quiet in our test rig even under load (i7 7700)!

The test report will be uploaded in a couple of hours.

p1.jpg
 
I've been lurking here for a while, but I just made an account so I could say that looks beautiful. Is there a reason you tested the NH-L 12? Seems like an odd choice since you can't use both fans
 
We have it, here is a picture of the prototype case. It is a raw untreated unit.

We managed to fit a NH-L 12 CPU cooler (bottom fan only) in it with no problem and it works like a dream. Dead quiet in our test rig even under load (i7 7700)!

The test report will be uploaded in a couple of hours.

p1.jpg
more photos please :)
 
I've been lurking here for a while, but I just made an account so I could say that looks beautiful. Is there a reason you tested the NH-L 12? Seems like an odd choice since you can't use both fans

We have tested several different CPU coolers, the NH-L 12 has so far been the best. It har enough distance to the side wall to completely eliminate turbulence, making it more silent than the rest. Another point we want to make is that it fits with it's 66 mm in height.

fans2.PNG
 
We have tested several different CPU coolers, the NH-L 12 has so far been the best. It har enough distance to the side wall to completely eliminate turbulence, making it more silent than the rest. Another point we want to make is that it fits with it's 66 mm in height.

fans2.PNG

Would the NH-L9x65 work as well? I feel like having more fan to cover the heatsink would be better than a fan that covers half of it. Or would the NH-L 12 be better since it's blowing the hot air out of the case rather than into the motherboard?
 
We have tested several different CPU coolers, the NH-L 12 has so far been the best. It har enough distance to the side wall to completely eliminate turbulence, making it more silent than the rest. Another point we want to make is that it fits with it's 66 mm in height.

fans2.PNG

Curious to know if you can mount the Noctua 120mm fan in the lower position? Seeing as you aren't mounting it on the top.
 
Curious to know if you can mount the Noctua 120mm fan in the lower position? Seeing as you aren't mounting it on the top.

The 120 fan is best placed under the PSU, it won't work in the lower position where it blocks ram sticks
 
Noctua may be changing the NH-L12 sometime soon...

"As far as new CPU coolers are concerned, Noctua showed an impending update of the existing NH-L12 heatsink that will use the new 120mm slim fan... "

Keep in mind, the above is from the 2016 Computex...

l_type.jpg


Two items of note...

1 - The maximum height with fan under heat sink is stated as 70mm

2 - The underside of said heat sink is now flat, as opposed to the inset for the 92mm fan that is present with the 'original' NH-L12

I would think the gap on the current NH-L12, when mounting a 120mm slim fan underneath, would lead to lesser cooling...

Possibility to use either version with the slim 120mm underneath, but would have to use ultra low profile RAM (which can be difficult to obtain)...
 
Noctua may be changing the NH-L12 sometime soon...

"As far as new CPU coolers are concerned, Noctua showed an impending update of the existing NH-L12 heatsink that will use the new 120mm slim fan... "

Keep in mind, the above is from the 2016 Computex...

l_type.jpg


Two items of note...

1 - The maximum height with fan under heat sink is stated as 70mm

2 - The underside of said heat sink is now flat, as opposed to the inset for the 92mm fan that is present with the 'original' NH-L12

I would think the gap on the current NH-L12, when mounting a 120mm slim fan underneath, would lead to lesser cooling...

Possibility to use either version with the slim 120mm underneath, but would have to use ultra low profile RAM (which can be difficult to obtain)...


What has happened since then? Tho 'original' L12 is still on their homepage and available for purchasing here and there.
 
While it's interesting to hear about cooling options that fit without the use of a top hat, I really want to just see a 2x120mm CLC in this thing with the tall top hat! That was honestly the main draw of this case for me. I want to have an mITX case where I don't have to worry about thermal limits for overclocking. Did you guys get any top hats made for testing? Sorry if you already stated whether you did or not, I must have missed it.

Also, what are the final dimensions in mm? I'm interested in calculating the volume for the base case and the top hats. Maybe consider editing the first post to include some updated information since so many changes have been made.
 
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While it's interesting to hear about cooling options that fit without the use of a top hat, I really want to just see a 2x120mm CLC in this thing with the tall top hat! That was honestly the main draw of this case for me. I want to have an mITX case where I don't have to worry about thermal limits for overclocking. Did you guys get any top hats made for testing? Sorry if you already stated whether you did or not, I must have missed it.

Also, what are the final dimensions in mm? I'm interested in calculating the volume for the base case and the top hats. Maybe consider editing the first post to include some updated information since so many changes have been made.

Sure we did. The TopHats were produced as well and included in the test, liked in the post above. The current measurements are 140*188*322 mm. As soon as we have freezed the design changes we will update the OP.
 
Thanks for the reply. Makes sense why you're waiting to update til things are finalized. Another quick question. The H100i V2 has a radiator that's 30mm thick. 30mm radiator + 25mm = 55mm, just under the 56mm of clearance in the L Top Hat. Would a cooler like Fractal Design’s Celsius S24 fit? It has a radiator thickness of 31mm, so it'd be 56mm total with fans, leaving no wiggle room. Just curious since it seems to be a really well performing 240mm AIO. Thanks.
 
Thanks for the reply. Makes sense why you're waiting to update til things are finalized. Another quick question. The H100i V2 has a radiator that's 30mm thick. 30mm radiator + 25mm = 55mm, just under the 56mm of clearance in the L Top Hat. Would a cooler like Fractal Design’s Celsius S24 fit? It has a radiator thickness of 31mm, so it'd be 56mm total with fans, leaving no wiggle room. Just curious since it seems to be a really well performing 240mm AIO. Thanks.

The height of the different TopHats is one of the easiest points to adjust with very few dependencies, but ones in production it'll be harder. The Large TopHat currently creates a vertical internal space of 56,5 mm. Would love som input here, and remember one can stack the TopHats, i.e. 56,5 + 16 mm (L+S).
 
With ~65mm CPU cooler clearance to the side panel, maybe can fit:
120mm slim fan 15mm and slim radiator 22mm (Silverstone TD03-SLIM) and slim pump cpu block 28mm (Zalman LQ310):
15+22+28=65mm (too tight) and tubing and fitting may cause a problem. Oh and RAM memory height too.

Edit: Similar to Noctua NH-L12:
nh_l12_measurements.jpg


You can fit DDR4 without heatspreader 31.2mm
With this measure:https://hardforum.com/threads/dan-h...50mm-heatsink.1925480/page-12#post-1042965038

From PCB MB to topside CPU = 7.3mm
Heatsink height = 66mm
Fin array height = 23mm (66-43)
PCB MB to DDR4 socket buttom = 2.4mm
Fan=15mm

7.3+66=>73.3-23-2.4=>47.9-15=>32.9mm max height memory
 
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