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

D.McG. said:
Rotating (reversing) the ATX PSU 180º will just make the cable hit the left side instead of the right side. The same problem exists.
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Yeah, but at least it might not be hitting the clip. Except on that PSU it looks like it will anyway, since the inlet appears to be centered.

D.McG. said:
Which company sourced the very-low-profile right-angle plug used in the M1? Do they have a VLP left-angle plug as well that we could purchase?
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We found a supplier through Alibaba which we suggested to Lian Li, but I'm not actually sure if they got it from them or a different one. They didn't seem to offer any other orientations from what I could tell, though.


Anyway, I put together an explanatory image and added a note to the limitations and recommendations section on the IGG page. I'll have to remind w360 to update the site later with the same info.

drECfd0.png
 
I'd like to warn anyone about the plastic clips on the case that hold the side panels in place, I managed to break one off of the top of my case just by putting the top panel back on.

And before you ask, no, I wasn't using excessive force or putting it on wrong, this case cost me more than my two previous ones combined :mad:

Can those case clips be ordered separately?
 
drklu said:
Not really understanding the use of full sized psu's. Why not just use sfx and save the hassle ?
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I agree but apparently, there are more noise "hypochondriacs" in this forum than I thought would exist in the world. And they can't stand the noise the ST45SF-G makes when above 50% load. Oh well, I guess I can count myself lucky I'm not irritated by the slightest noise.

Tip: introduce some gray noise in your environment helps.
 
Series^ said:
I'd like to warn anyone about the plastic clips on the case that hold the side panels in place, I managed to break one off of the top of my case just by putting the top panel back on.

And before you ask, no, I wasn't using excessive force or putting it on wrong, this case cost me more than my two previous ones combined :mad:

Can those case clips be ordered separately?
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I'm surprised to hear that... I've taken the panels off and put them back on dozens of times with no problems... we'll have to see what we can do about getting some replacements.
 
Series^ said:
I'd like to warn anyone about the plastic clips on the case that hold the side panels in place, I managed to break one off of the top of my case just by putting the top panel back on.

And before you ask, no, I wasn't using excessive force or putting it on wrong, this case cost me more than my two previous ones combined :mad:

Can those case clips be ordered separately?
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you mean those? http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt_portfolio/pt-jt01/

http://www.lian-li.com/en/files/2013/01/main4.jpg[/I

maybe Necere can confirm the part number
 
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Necere said:
Not sure if that's compatible. The clip looks slightly different.
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strangely, when I looked at the various products listed as PT-JT01 at the different stores,they all look different :rolleyes:
 
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milkcow said:
you mean those?
maybe Necere can confirm the part number
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Yeah, the part on the left broke. Not sure how as the corner it broke in was the one I was looking at, putting it in first. All the rest of the holes lined up.

Mightve been due to weakening of the material (the case was ice cold when I picked it up, but it sat for a day and a half indoors so it had time to warm up)

I'd gladly buy a set of replacements unless you want to reimburse me :p
 
Proglin said:
Do you have some pictures of it on your build with and without side panel cover? I´m still looking for a good cooling solution
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PiT said:
I'll make some tonight for you, but still without 3.5" HDDs and without gaming graphics card, because I'm still struggling with curious system instabilities / thinking (and hope after several weaks of usage/testing) the old ASUS 460 GTX was the reason.

The C12P was imo the best air solution for me (planning to use 2 3.5" HDDs). In performance to noise ratio it's better than AiO water coolers. If you don't mind some mild noise or plan a higher overclock, then maybe an AiO water cooler will be better for you.
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http://tomasovic.eu/?1049

_
 
Nightbird said:
I have the case on order, but something just hit me. I intended to watercool the GPU, will something like this have enough clearance in the case to connect?

http://rog.asus.com/276232013/news/koolance-releases-amd-r9-290x-water-block/
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Most GPU waterblocks will be fine, so long as you stick with reference PCB cards and don't use overly large fittings. See the watercooling testing I did for pics of an Alphacool full-cover block installed.

One exception I'm aware of are the EK CSQ-style blocks with the separate connector block. 99% sure those will exceed the width of the case.
 
Necere said:
Most GPU waterblocks will be fine, so long as you stick with reference PCB cards and don't use overly large fittings. See the watercooling testing I did for pics of an Alphacool full-cover block installed.

One exception I'm aware of are the EK CSQ-style blocks with the separate connector block. 99% sure those will exceed the width of the case.
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Thank you! Now I remember why I got this case :) it's perfect. Bad memory is bad.

Too bad Swiftech H220 was banned from sale in the USA, the only other choice for an expandable all-in-one loop is Cooler Master's Eisberg 240L Prestige.(correct me if I'm wrong). Trying to decide between this and complete custom (with a CPU block that has integrated pump).
 
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Nightbird said:
Thank you! Now I remember why I got this case :) it's perfect. Bad memory is bad.

Too bad Swiftech H220 was banned from sale in the USA, the only other choice for an expandable all-in-one loop is Cooler Master's Eisberg 240L Prestige.(correct me if I'm wrong). Trying to decide between this and complete custom (with a CPU block that has integrated pump).
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Swiftech is licensing CoolerMaster to use the H220 in its Glacer 240L
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=10101&product_name=Glacer 240L

So the H220 is available in USA again just as a coolermaster product now.
 
From the side, the C12 looks like a beast of a cooler, but then from top down, it's not as tall as I thought, is that small extra space good in terms of airflow? I almost want to get like a shroud going for that fan
 
Nightbird said:
Thank you! Now I remember why I got this case :) it's perfect. Bad memory is bad.

Too bad Swiftech H220 was banned from sale in the USA, the only other choice for an expandable all-in-one loop is Cooler Master's Eisberg 240L Prestige.(correct me if I'm wrong). Trying to decide between this and complete custom (with a CPU block that has integrated pump).
Click to expand...

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=79583
 
Just a heads up for guys/gals wanting to run mini GPU cards; Newegg just dropped the price on the ASUS GTX 670 Mini by $50.. w/mail-in rebate, it's now $199.

I'm so tempted to snag this, but personally, would rather have the dedicated NVENC H.264 video encoder in the new GTX 760 Mini (or continue waiting for Maxwell). The older 670 Mini is supposed to be slightly better performing for games, and a little quieter to boot vs the new 760 Mini.
 
AFD said:
But I thought posting of hardcore pornography was prohibited on [H]??

Very nice, thank you. Really appreciate the installed pics of the C12 SE14.. do you happen to have one showing the P14 fan seductively peeking out from behind the side panel? ;)
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This might be the C14, but its close...

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1039811068&postcount=2261
6OJ3gBy.jpg




Aftermath101 said:
From the side, the C12 looks like a beast of a cooler, but then from top down, it's not as tall as I thought, is that small extra space good in terms of airflow? I almost want to get like a shroud going for that fan
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I would consider a tube to the side panel to ensure fresh air intake and reducing recirculation of air. Or a C14 to bring the fan to the side panel, and have more room under the heatsink to allow the hot air to escape.
 
Series^ said:
I'd like to warn anyone about the plastic clips on the case that hold the side panels in place, I managed to break one off of the top of my case just by putting the top panel back on.

And before you ask, no, I wasn't using excessive force or putting it on wrong, this case cost me more than my two previous ones combined :mad:

Can those case clips be ordered separately?
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I removed the top and bottom middle clips from the side panels because I found that 8 clips holding the panel is excessive and makes the sides difficult to remove. 6 clips are enough for me. You may try this approach before looking for a replacement online.
 
okwchin said:
This might be the C14, but its close...

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1039811068&postcount=2261
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Thanks! The 120mm filter on that 140mm fan actually hides the brown a little more than I expected (for better, or worse).

okwchin said:
I would consider a tube to the side panel to ensure fresh air intake and reducing recirculation of air. Or a C14 to bring the fan to the side panel, and have more room under the heatsink to allow the hot air to escape.
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C14 = no HDD rack. With my C12, I'm gonna try an F12 fan on the rack at first, and if needed, stack 2x Phobya 120x7mm rubber decoupling gaskets to funnel air though the excess 15mm gap between fan & heatsink. Don't think doing this is actually gonna be necessary, though.
 
lettuceman44 said:
Is low profile memory needed? I have some G.Skill ripjaws in my current case, could I re use them?
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Think it mostly depends on the cooler you're using, as to whether or not you absolutely need low-profile. But cooler aside, I think you should be able to fit pretty much any RAM in the M1.. low-profile will just make things a lot easier.
 
So is their any ATX PSU/GPU combo confirmed fitting the ncase m1? Cause I really don't want to deal with a high idle noise PSU. The asus 760 is apparently a cm too long. Maybe I'll saw off a piece of heatsink..
 
AFD said:
Just a heads up for guys/gals wanting to run mini GPU cards; Newegg just dropped the price on the ASUS GTX 670 Mini by $50.. w/mail-in rebate, it's now $199.

I'm so tempted to snag this, but personally, would rather have the dedicated NVENC H.264 video encoder in the new GTX 760 Mini (or continue waiting for Maxwell). The older 670 Mini is supposed to be slightly better performing for games, and a little quieter to boot vs the new 760 Mini.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean but the 670 has the decoder too and can use it for shadowplay just as well. 600 series and 700 series have the same features except for gpu boost 2.0.
 
Sounds like you might be better served if you put the fan directly on to the HSF itself. You might get the direct air flow, or pressure through the fins if you do.
 
pointfiveo said:
I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong with my build. My 4670K is running at 46°C idle temps with no overclocking. I'm using a Noctua NH-C12P (heatpipes towards rear) with NF-P12 PWM blowing from the side cooler bracket. Could it be that the air escapes elsewhere since the fan is not mounted directly on the heatsink? I have an NF-F12 PWM coming soon to help focus the air.

I also have 2 x NF-P12 PWM at the bottom blowing up at EVGA GTX 760 SC 4GB w/ ACX Cooler.

I reapplied thermal paste twice and got the same results.

Any thoughts? :(
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Seems a bit hot. My 3570k idles around 23°C and hits around 43°C under regular use with a small cooler and fan.

The first thing I was going to say was reapply the thermal paste - but you did that.

I don't really understand how you have the fan mounted as I thought on that cooler the fan just mounted on top. However, I would stick the fan on top and see if that changes the temp and then you will know it is your present fan configuration.

If that doesn't change anything I would just start playing around with things and monitor the temp changes until you see what's going on - e.g. try shutting of the fans blowing up at the GPU, etc.
 
RideTheNun said:
Just a quick question, I need a decent amount of storage in my M1 but would like to not use a 3.5 HDD. 1TB SSD are too expsensive for me so, can someone tell me their opinion about WD Velociraptor 2.5" HDD. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236366

I do plan to use a 256GB SSD for the OS too and could maybe, if I have no other option, get a 512GB SSD as a second HDD.
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I think you are actually supposed to use the Velociraptor with the heat sink that makes it a 3.5" drive. But it is very fast for a hard drive.

I personally have an SSD in my system as the OS drive and use a 3TB drive externally thru eSATA and I also have a NAS.

If you do not want to use an external drive and you do not want a 3.5" drive then I would probably recommend a 512 OS ssd and a 2.5" 1TB WD Blue(or 750GB Black) or maybe one of the hybrid drives(SSD cache + HD)
 
Ribozyme said:
I'm not sure what you mean but the 670 has the decoder too and can use it for shadowplay just as well. 600 series and 700 series have the same features except for gpu boost 2.0.
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Thanks Ribo, you are correct.

I was misreading the info I found. Kepler introduced dedicated hardware for 8x faster H.264 encoding, where as Fermi only used CUDA for the same functionality. 700-series is a Kepler refresh, so both would have that feature.
 
RideTheNun said:
Just a quick question, I need a decent amount of storage in my M1 but would like to not use a 3.5 HDD. 1TB SSD are too expsensive for me so, can someone tell me their opinion about WD Velociraptor 2.5" HDD. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236366

I do plan to use a 256GB SSD for the OS too and could maybe, if I have no other option, get a 512GB SSD as a second HDD.
Click to expand...

I just picked up this drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149394

Plan on using this as the storage drive in addition to my 240GB Intel SSD.
pointfiveo said:
I'm starting to wonder if something is wrong with my build. My 4670K is running at 46°C idle temps with no overclocking. I'm using a Noctua NH-C12P (heatpipes towards rear) with NF-P12 PWM blowing from the side cooler bracket. Could it be that the air escapes elsewhere since the fan is not mounted directly on the heatsink? I have an NF-F12 PWM coming soon to help focus the air.

I also have 2 x NF-P12 PWM at the bottom blowing up at EVGA GTX 760 SC 4GB w/ ACX Cooler.

I reapplied thermal paste twice and got the same results.

Any thoughts? :(
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lettuceman44 said:
Is low profile memory needed? I have some G.Skill ripjaws in my current case, could I re use them?
Click to expand...
I just put my board and cooler together yesterday in a temporary case. My 4770k is in the mid 20s with the C12p SE14 on the ASRock Z87E with the fan running 12V (fast).



RAM clearance is tight.


Waiting for my GPU in it's temporary housing:


I'm a bit disconcerted to hear about some ATX supplies not fitting right, mine is almost the same as that Seasonic design. So the only solution is to open the supply up and flip the connector? - There will be enough room under the plug for the toggle switch right? How does one properly discharge the supply?
 
We know since the beginning that fit an ATX psu = modding:D (even more if non modular)
To discharge a psu 24h unplugged is a minimum.
Personnaly I'm going to strip most of a normal power connector and leave just the cables, solder to the male socket and sleeve it. I think that's the easiest way to go;)
 
pointfiveo said:
OK, I now got my idle temps to low 30s. Turns out my CPU was constantly running at 3,8 GHz... :eek:
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:) These things happen. On one of my older builds I had a Pentium Dual Core I was hitting 100°C under moderate load because I didn't seat the cooler correctly.:eek:

Glad it is working out. Low 30s is pretty good. You probably have a bit of heat coming of the GPU and may have higher ambient temps than me.
 
Got my C14 trimmed up for my Asrock board and is now ready for action in the NCase. Many hours of work using the dremel, cut-off disc, files and a snap blade knife gave me the dimensions necessary for the C14 to fit my asrock board.

Currently open air, this thing will idle at 35-40 degrees in ambients of 25 degrees with no fan, and reach 75 degrees gaming BF3 for a couple hours, with no fan! Totally passive operation. Open air does wonders for temperatures. (also note the tdp of 45 watts according to CPUZ with my undervolted 4570)

Planning to have decent thermal performance with the fan going behind a restrictive air filter, so performance should be comfortably safe.

C14Trimmed1_zpsbe8493c2.jpg

Spot the trimmed area ;)

C14Trimmed6_zps2ac38acc.jpg


C14Trimmed8_zps465f1d6c.jpg


C14Trimmed4_zpsd1789160.jpg

Ruler is 16mm wide. Can fit a 14mm slim 92mm fan, but probably not a 25mm fan in the back panel.

C14Trimmed3_zps63b1964b.jpg


C14Trimmed5_zps4e694f42.jpg

Remember Parallax error, this heatsink is "only" 61mm from centre of CPU. Earlier builds have confirmed that 62mm is available with the Asrock board.

C14Trimmed10_zps13a20089.jpg
 
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Damn nice work okwchin ! I had to look very hard to spot where you trimmed it. Nicely done !
 
Almost ready to order my parts, got another clearance question:

This MCR220-DRIVE radiator has a pump included but requires 60mm of clearance from the last screw on the side with the pump. (I know reservoir side fits since that's the same as the 220). Can anyone check whether this would fit?

I've decided to go all custom, this is [H] after all and I'd like to pick all my own parts. I will go with the Apogee Drive II if necessary but since I plan to go Direct Die cooling, I'd prefer not having a vibrating CPU block.

http://www.swiftech.org/images/products/MCRX20-DRIVE-REV3/MCR220-DRIVE-REV3-DIMENSIONSx800.jpg

Thanks for looking into this!!!!!!!
 
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