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

Necere said:
I still have the first prototype, actually, though it's not in an entirely usable state (had to transplant the cables to the 3rd sample, which went to The_Cheese). The second sample went to w360 for evaluation (that's the one that had subpar exterior panel edges due to NCT vs. laser cutting).

It's true I should have had one of the production cases air shipped to me so I could sort out the filter business and whatever else; I just didn't anticipate that I would need to at the time those arrangements were being made. The filter thing is really my fault for waffling on; they'd have had the order page up on their site 6 weeks ago if I hadn't emailed them to hold off on it because I thought I could come up with a better design. Now it's the holidays and the person that was arranging that won't be back until a week into January. Ah well.

As for serials, since they're being distributed more or less randomly to (nearly) everyone else, I don't really feel like I should be exempt from that. I know some people were kind of bummed they didn't get a low number because they backed early or were on the list or whatever else, but I understand why w360 elected not to try to do that. Coordinating between manufacturing and packing the cases with the correct serial, color, top cover, and then making sure the shipping company gets everything right and hoping everyone gets exactly the right thing, all through phone and emails from halfway around the world... I can't blame him. He's got his hands full as is with replacements for damage/defects, or the few people that got the wrong color.
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Well, considering you and Waha had never done anything like this before it didn't go too badly. It could have been much worse in fact. If you decide to try another project you at least know more on how best to go about it. For a first attempt I think you guys did pretty damn good. My hat is off to you and Wahaha. :)
 
Woohoo! #0699 arrived in Redding, CA today! Thanks to Necere + Wahaha360 for this amazing case! It's freakishly small and light, I have to say.
 
#078 arrived sometime before Christmas. It was a nice surprise, because I did not expect it. No one said anything arrived until I got home for the holidays to see it sitting there!

Looks great and it is tiny!

Great Job Waha and Necere!
 
semyorka said:
Is anyone out there willing to sell their 3.5" drive cage? Necere/wahaha360, do you have a spare you could sell me? I'm building this as a NAS box/HTPC.
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I don't have any need for the 3.5" cage so am willing to give it away, but I'm still waiting for my case. I'm sure you'll get an earlier offer.
 
trick_m0nkey said:
I almost had to put mine up, but then unexpected bonus hit for the first year ever, and now my build is back on track!

I ordered a Heatkiller GPU-X³ for my 290X today as well as the tubing and stuff needed to expand the H220 I already have, and then I ordered my Asus Z77-I Deluxe and the Swiftech 450 watt PSU today. I should have everything complete for me to dedicate the 11th to getting this built.

I'm so excited this is moving forward!
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Who had heatkiller in stock?
I am still waiting for Gary at sidewinder to stock them, but didn't see them in stock. Wait you in us? Well anyways great choice.
 
Would the r9 290x upgraded with a custom cooler (Arctic Accelero Extreme III) still fit into the case, if you dont use watercooling or any other fancy components inside the case? Phuncz' case with a reference cooler/blower style card looks pretty tight already :/
 
Got my case today (#26, San Francisco), transplanted my existing system over from the SG05, so far so good. Appreciate the great work done by Necere, Wahaha, et al.

Couple notes:

1) The top panel sticks out a little, even after I bend it back to as flat as reasonably possible. See pic below. The very back lines up perfectly with the side panels. This is without the top panel screw.

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2) I wish the motherboard tray had a cutout at the bottom as well. That area is great for cable management but is very hard to access as is.

3) Same with the SG05, and I assume all cases nowadays, but the USB 3.0 internal connector is a pain to work with. Why does the connector need to be so tall?
 
drklu said:
Does anyone have a render/pic with the Frozenq res with cpu/gpu water cooling? Ideally with the Apogee Drive II ? I have a general idea of the fittings that will be needed but something to look at would be nice. I saw a render a while back with a full loop but I want to say it was with a prototype reservoir.
edit: I know I will need 90 degree fittings off the gpu. Not really sure what else is needed for the adII/res/rad. I've seen all the older renders, I was wondering if anyone made a more recent one.
Not that this will even matter unless frozenq gets back to me about my scratched res and the missing mounting inserts.
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I'm still waiting on my Res but the fittings are easy to work out.

Heres what ill be using

2x Alphacool 13/10 Compression Fitting 90 Degree Black
6x Barrow G1/4", 3/8" ID 1/2" OD Thin Tube Compression Fitting
1x PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT Tubing 3/8"ID x 1/2" OD - Clear 1.5m
 
#306 here in Los Angeles, CA. Just picked it up from the PO. I'll probably open it later tonight or tomorrow, but I won't transplant / upgrade until the new year. Pretty damn excited about this case more than any other that I've had.

HUUUUGE hands off to Necere and W360 for not only getting this idea off the ground, but actually seeing it all the way though. Best wishes on your next venture guys, and if it's an M2, where can I send my money? :D
 
#833 Silver with alternate no-odd top panel arrived in LA today (12/27)

my black case is still MIA, but not in a rush.

So what has everyone found to the best mobo/ CLC system combo that doesn't have clearance issues around the CPU?

I gather pretty much every 240mm closed loop liquid cooler has tubing that's way too long right?
 
First post. Just made an account to say thanks to Necere and wahaha360 for this awesome case! I received #132 today but unfortunately the unboxing didn't go as I had hoped...

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wat do?
 
OverRated said:
I'm still waiting on my Res but the fittings are easy to work out.

Heres what ill be using

2x Alphacool 13/10 Compression Fitting 90 Degree Black
6x Barrow G1/4", 3/8" ID 1/2" OD Thin Tube Compression Fitting
1x PrimoChill PrimoFlex Advanced LRT Tubing 3/8"ID x 1/2" OD - Clear 1.5m
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Any reason you are using 1/2" OD Thin Tube, as opposed to something thicker like 5/8" ? Would 5/8" compression fittings not work?
 
lamsao said:
First post. Just made an account to say thanks to Necere and wahaha360 for this awesome case! I received #132 today but unfortunately the unboxing didn't go as I had hoped...

(images)

wat do?
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Oh man, that's fucking tragic. I'd be murdering a post office employee or two, that's for sure.
 
lamsao said:
First post. Just made an account to say thanks to Necere and wahaha360 for this awesome case! I received #132 today but unfortunately the unboxing didn't go as I had hoped...

wat do?
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Holy crap!! How does that even happen?!

The note saying "We Care" gave me a chuckle though. How does the USPS put a notice on a package that mangled and not be ashamed of themselves?
 
Ho Lee Fuk.

What does the WE CARE paper say? is it related to the box damage, as if someone put it after noticing the huge damage, or just normal WE CARE slap on bullshit massage?

Im sorry for your loss, but the WE CARE paper is just making me laugh inside.
 
blood said:
Any reason you are using 1/2" OD Thin Tube, as opposed to something thicker like 5/8" ? Would 5/8" compression fittings not work?
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I was wondering the same thing. I would opt for the 5/8 and use barb fittings.
That is seriously fucked about your case. All of that effort just to have it destroyed. I hate such waste.
 
=HYPERDRIVE= said:
Ho Lee Fuk.

What does the WE CARE paper say? is it related to the box damage, as if someone put it after noticing the huge damage, or just normal WE CARE slap on bullshit massage?

Im sorry for your loss, but the WE CARE paper is just making me laugh inside.
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"We hope this incident does not inconvience you." We'll no shit Sherlock, now he has to return this mess and wait forever for another one. Way to go USPS.
 
lamsao said:
First post. Just made an account to say thanks to Necere and wahaha360 for this awesome case! I received #132 today but unfortunately the unboxing didn't go as I had hoped...

wat do?
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ouch! All of this VV!
Ark :o said:
Oh man, that's fucking tragic. I'd be murdering a post office employee or two, that's for sure.
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Andorski said:
Holy crap!! How does that even happen?!
How does the USPS put a notice on a package that mangled and not be ashamed of themselves?
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AFD said:
Ouch. That's so sad to see.. like a mini train wreck :(
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lamsao said:
epkcbbR.jpg
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^^ This is me as mine still wasn't delivered today. But I'm betting this is you as well after getting your package in the condition it's in. That's devastating.

Try this for now.
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The damage is so upsetting. I feel for you. Wow, just wow. It makes me worry about my M1 as I'm still waiting for mine.
 
lamsao said:
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Holy fucking shit that is incredible. I would be contacting the press. Seeing the rest of your pics.....man I was so upset for you.

Contact Wahaha360....I believe he has spares just in case something like that goes down.

ptrout said:
Who had heatkiller in stock?
I am still waiting for Gary at sidewinder to stock them, but didn't see them in stock. Wait you in us? Well anyways great choice.
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Thanks! FrozenCPU is where I picked it up....they still have 5 left.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/2...verage_Water_Block_15030.html?tl=g30c309s2073
 
Well now we know that Necere and Lian Li didn't design a case that can handle a simple delivery by the USPS. What are you going to tell me next? That the M1 can't handle a nuclear blast?!:p
 
blood said:
Any reason you are using 1/2" OD Thin Tube, as opposed to something thicker like 5/8" ? Would 5/8" compression fittings not work?
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I went with 1/2" OD Thin Tube for a few reasons one its the only size that will be able to use compression fittings on the GPU block as larger size fittings hit the fan bracket, The 2nd reason is there are no critical bends in the loop so thin tubing will be fine and there is hardly any performance boost if any using thinker tubing. But really it up to you what you use think tubing is also going to make things harder to work with in a small area.
 
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Oh my, it seems like a truck drove over it or a washing machine fell onto it...
I hope Wahaha360 can sort you out quickly, it is a damn shame this had to happen.
Luckily this sort of thing is still more an exeption than a rule but it still happens. My box also had physical deformation but luckily it was only the box.
 
charww said:
semyorka said:
Is anyone out there willing to sell their 3.5" drive cage? Necere/wahaha360, do you have a spare you could sell me? I'm building this as a NAS box/HTPC.
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I don't have any need for the 3.5" cage so am willing to give it away, but I'm still waiting for my case. I'm sure you'll get an earlier offer.
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PM me when you get it - I haven't gotten any other offers yet.
 
lamsao said:
First post. Just made an account to say thanks to Necere and wahaha360 for this awesome case! I received #132 today but unfortunately the unboxing didn't go as I had hoped...

wat do?
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A moment of silence, please. Let's all pour one out for #0132.

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Also, kinda-sorta amused at everyone reflexively blaming the USPS. Jump to conclusions much? It's very possible that the damage occurred in the Taiwan postal system, or somewhere in its 6000+ mile voyage across the Pacific and Atlantic!

(Aside: as someone who ships a lot of stuff overseas, I'm kind of surprised that we're not seeing a lot more damaged units. Euphemistically, I'd describe the packaging as "minimalist". Bluntly, I'd describe it as "hilariously inadequate".)
 
semyorka said:
Also, kinda-sorta amused at everyone reflexively blaming the USPS. Jump to conclusions much? It's very possible that the damage occurred in the Taiwan postal system, or somewhere in its 6000+ mile voyage across the Pacific and Atlantic!

(Aside: as someone who ships a lot of stuff overseas, I'm kind of surprised that we're not seeing a lot more damaged units. Euphemistically, I'd describe the packaging as "minimalist". Bluntly, I'd describe it as "hilariously inadequate".)
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I'm in the same boat actually... sort of scared of how mine's going to end up in Alaska, as I've been packing planes for 8 years now, and unless there's fragile stickers on it, we do not treat it kindly when we're trying to meet our timelines...
 
Long time lurker, first time posting! Just wanted to let you guys know that case #228 has arrived today in Santa Ana, California!

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I can't believe how incredibly tiny this thing is! Here it is next to my current case, a Corsair 350D:

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Overall, I am very pleased with it so far. I can't wait to start a build in this! I want to thank everyone who was able to make this happen!

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I'm not sure about any one else but you can see and feel indents in the panels where they have added the poppers, also one of my panels isn't really flush with the case it sticks out at the back more than the front i don't think this could be helped because of the thinness of the aluminum.
 
I don't have any indents in the panels, not to the eye and not to the touch. But that not all panels are exactly flush is something we shouldn't be worrying about a project like this.
As you already mentioned, the thickness of the aluminum (or the lack thereof) is prone to slight twisting and bending, allowing the case to lightly flex when the panels are removed.

My previous Lian-Li case has such narrow tolerances on the panels that installing hardware could deform the case ever so slightly, that I had to turn in all the screws only half-way, so I could even get all the screws in. But who designs side panels with 6 small screws in each panel on the face of the panel...

I think those tolerances are what's to be expected with the level of build quality (still superior than most good brands) and stuff like the plastic clips enabling larger tolerances. We aren't paying a huge amount of money for this kind of project and the quality delivered.
 
The panels will also slide in the mounts a bit, so the alignment can change just by picking the case up. They can be resituated easily.
 
Phuncz said:
I don't have any indents in the panels, not to the eye and not to the touch. But that not all panels are exactly flush is something we shouldn't be worrying about a project like this.
As you already mentioned, the thickness of the aluminum (or the lack thereof) is prone to slight twisting and bending, allowing the case to lightly flex when the panels are removed.

My previous Lian-Li case has such narrow tolerances on the panels that installing hardware could deform the case ever so slightly, that I had to turn in all the screws only half-way, so I could even get all the screws in. But who designs side panels with 6 small screws in each panel on the face of the panel...

I think those tolerances are what's to be expected with the level of build quality (still superior than most good brands) and stuff like the plastic clips enabling larger tolerances. We aren't paying a huge amount of money for this kind of project and the quality delivered.
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Well my serial is 0094 if any one around this number could look over there panels and see if they have any indents? They don't stick out but if you look close enough you will see them.
 
Serial 0422 arrived today! (Would've arrived the 22nd, but I was out of town and missed it; scheduled redelivery for today)

On top of "big" brother PC-A05N:


Hrm...

What else did I have sitting in front of my door...

Oh! Right!


I didn't quite get it on straight, but I wasn't going to fuss with it anymore today:


I did have all 4 brass inserts in the reservoir, though.
 
OverRated said:
Well my serial is 0094 if any one around this number could look over there panels and see if they have any indents? They don't stick out but if you look close enough you will see them.
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Assuming that this is what you're referring to: asked and answered, though only semi-officially.

dstart said:
Thanks M4rk for the video,

Could I ask what are these raised dimples on the side of the case or this something else?
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The_Cheese said:
Those are the backs of the fasteners that hold the case sides in place.
They are spot-welded in place (I believe) and the spot-welding process can distort thin aluminum sheet a little.
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M4rk said:
Those are where the clamps are for attaching the side panel. They're only obvious if you shine a light on them at a really steep angle.
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