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

Necere said:
I specified the filter without the magnetic adhesive backing, since the PSU housing is steel and it doesn't need it.
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Nice, thanks for that info!

EDIT: Just an FYI, another member was quoted for a non-ferrous PSU filter.. will the filter frame still contain the magnet if the adhesive strip isn't used?
1 x DEMCiflex ST45SF Filter Non-Ferrous Black/black @ USD 3.50 each
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finas said:
- Yes, I'm running the H80i with two fans in push-pull configuration, one of the original 25mm fans that came with the H80i and a 12mm fan, the Scythe you refer.

This allows to run the H80i without any modification to it. There is space for two 25mm fans but this would require changing the tubes for something that can take tight bends without colapsing.

- The way I installed the H80i, there are no hard bends, and the tubing did not colapse.

- Access to mobo internals is in my opinion much improved over an air cooler, as when you remove the side bracket ( with the H80i radiator attached ) the only thing that is connected to the motherboard is the water block, and the H80i water block is really low profile. You have access to everything without problems.


I was going to wait for the GTX880 to come but using the 4770K GFX is just too painfull so I bought a GTX760 with blower type cooler while I wait for the 880 to come.

I did an airduct to make sure all the air that enters the GTX760 comes from the outside. A nice thing about this blower cooler is that it is well insulated ( from an airflow point of view ) and all the air that enters from the fan opening exits though the rear of the case. So not even a bit of hot air is dumped inside the case. There is still space for another 120mm fan at the bottom but the temperatures are great as they are so I will not add another fan. I'll just cover the hole with sound insulating foam.

I updated the folder with the new photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5irv3thtnad889p/upRTNVT_dQ

The airduct looks really amateur, I'll make a better version later. I used foam that usually comes inside cases to protect hardware stuff, cut a hole, and used part of a can of pringles to stabilize the hole.
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Thanks for sharing the pics, Finas. It looks sweet. :)
 
AFD said:
EDIT: Just an FYI, another member was quoted for a non-ferrous PSU filter.. will the filter frame still contain the magnet if the adhesive strip isn't used?
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Yes of course... that's their shorthand way of saying it doesn't come with the adhesive magnetic backing for non-ferrous cases. EDIT: er, yeah... that's not what that means. They were quoted for a filter for non-ferrous applications, which does include the adhesive backing. Dunno what I was thinking. So the filter is the same either way (it's magnetic), it's just that you need the separate adhesive backing (also magnetic) for non-ferrous applications.
 
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okwchin said:
Certainly experiment with lifting your case off the table, see if that makes a difference for you. I found for my GTs, the ideal minimum lift was an extra 1/8" off the table. Another 1/8 would also give an improvement but more than that saw less gains. With a lower static pressure fan (slim 120mm), I needed at least another 1.5" before it reached optimal efficiency, and even then it was not very impressive compared to the GT. This is where a high static pressure fan really really shines.
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Thanks for the advice. I swapped out the Nexus 120mm fans for some Scythe Kama Flow 120mm (FDB bearing), not sure that makes a huge difference. Also I put a brick under the feet of my case to lift it off my desk a few inches and now my GTX 770 stabilizes at 80C. So that is at least a 20C+ improvement. Pretty hot still, but at least it is stable.

I have some massive old Panaflo 120mm fans which I should probably try as an experiment. They look like they can move a lot of air. Probably not a solution for me as they are probably are too loud, but interesting...
 
Just my luck; I thought with the "not at home code" to pick up my case yesterday, but:

The tracking code has been wrongfully put into the system with another postcode for some reason, so 2nd delivery has (obviously) failed...
Worst thing of all is I don't have a receipt to pick it up at some place now, and both within the computer system and out there it's lost.
According to PostNL the only thing now is for some employee to notice the postcode and/or city is out of place....
It will be 2 weeks before they start the send back to sender process and when they may or may not notice the mismatch with both the tracking number and address data.
There's now a "wanted" tag on the old tracking code (it changes with each delivery attempt) which by now is not the current one anymore and the sticker probably has been replaced with a new one ontop.

Man there's finally fast updates on the Taiwanese tracking code site but PostNL can't tell a thing...

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JoepieDeSnoepie! said:
Worst thing of all is I don't have a receipt to pick it up at some place now, and both within the computer system and out there it's lost.
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Can't you just go in with your identification that shows them your name and address is the same (or pretty similar) to the name and address on the package's shipping label?

I'd do something quickly though, cause you'll have a huge headache once it ships back to Taiwan.

Good luck!
 
I could if I just knew where it was, my drivers license should do the job nicely.
Now it can be pretty much everywhere, even on the other side of the country... who knows.
Will haunt them again Monday to see if there's any update if I don't get a call from them before then.
 
That difference in dimension seems negligible. Is that really it?

On the ST45SF-G, since the fan sits so close to the edge of the unit, neither will provide perfect coverage without hanging over.

Actually, even the fan in the ST45SF sits right on the edge, just not the same edge as in the -G.
 
vipz said:
That difference in dimension seems negligible. Is that really it?
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That's it. Would you prefer it hang over the edge?

vipz said:
On the ST45SF-G, since the fan sits so close to the edge of the unit, neither will provide perfect coverage without hanging over.

Actually, even the fan in the ST45SF sits right on the edge, just not the same edge as in the -G.
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It's unavoidable. The filter frame needs to be a minimum of 10mm wide.
 
vipz said:
That difference in dimension seems negligible. Is that really it?

On the ST45SF-G, since the fan sits so close to the edge of the unit, neither will provide perfect coverage without hanging over.

Actually, even the fan in the ST45SF sits right on the edge, just not the same edge as in the -G.
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Again, the ST45SF-G is 100mm deep. anything larger than that will not fit on the PSU, but rather stick over it.

There is about 4-5mm from the edge of the PSU case to the actual fan itself. The filter ha a 10mm border, so it will cover about 5-6mm of the lower fan area which shouldn't make any dramatic difference ;)

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I'd rather center the actual filter on the fan grill instead of making sure the outer frame stays within the PSU. A few mm's of overhang doesn't bother me. I want to know if there's anything else that might make the regular 80mm filter not fit, other than the ~3mm thicker frame on each side.
 
vipz said:
I'd rather center the actual filter on the fan grill instead of making sure the outer frame stays within the PSU. A few mm's of overhang doesn't bother me. I want to know if there's anything else that might make the regular 80mm filter not fit, other than the ~3mm thicker frame on each side.
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they both have an id of 80mm, so why not get the ST45SF version if you are still able to let it hang over a little bit. I see no reason why someone should prefer the '80mm' version
 
Technically, yeah, it seems like they should just replace the 80mm filter with the ST45SF version. That is, assuming they are otherwise identical.
 
vipz said:
I'd rather center the actual filter on the fan grill instead of making sure the outer frame stays within the PSU. A few mm's of overhang doesn't bother me.
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There's nothing stopping you hanging it over the edge. But look -

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ST45SF

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ST45SF-G

Both models have the fan right up on the edge, so there's no way to avoid either having the filter overhang, or block part of the intake. Additionally, the ST45SF-G will have part of the intake blocked no matter what, since the fan is up against the edge that's behind the chassis flange.
 
vipz said:
Can you trim one side of the filter with scissors/shears?
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I'm sure you could. The reason they don't make the filters narrower than 10mm in the first place is because delamination becomes an issue, so that would be the risk of trimming it.
 
Hooray! Case No. 0149'er, reporting for duty, from the Netherlands! :D

And I didn't think I'd react the same as everyone else, but I've caved and yeah, this thing is drop-dead gorgeous. Thanks Necere and Wahaha360, you guys are the men!
 
vipz said:
I'd rather center the actual filter on the fan grill instead of making sure the outer frame stays within the PSU. A few mm's of overhang doesn't bother me. I want to know if there's anything else that might make the regular 80mm filter not fit, other than the ~3mm thicker frame on each side.
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That 80mm round filter that Dstart used looked like it fit nicely. Kinda wonder why we didn't just go with that instead?

Think he used 80mm (97mm outside, 73mm inside), but not sure..

http://www.demcifilter.com/p0014/80mm-Round-Computer-Dust-Filter.aspx

http://i.imgur.com/4xGQT3P.jpg

No big deal, my order's already shipped :D
 
I just got my 30mm rad in today, and put it under the waterblocked GPU, it has exactly 15mm of room between the waterblock and the screw holes.

Going to order some slimmer fans and keep you posted.

I do have a question. I have the swiftech mcres, mounted in the HDD Cage next to the PSU...there is no freaking hole on the upward side of the res...how to fill...
 
Just ordered a pair of 120 demciflex filters with the brushed aluminum frame and black mesh. Also got the power supply black/black filter.

I'm hoping the brushed aluminum makes a nice contrast with the black side bracket.
 
Necere said:
Additionally, the ST45SF-G will have part of the intake blocked no matter what, since the fan is up against the edge that's behind the chassis flange.
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There is about 2-3mm blocked, if that. In all honestly, it isn't blocked at all as there is an air gap in front. I plan on cutting out the steel fan guard behind the filter in the future and replace the fan with less noisy bearings.

On another note, having just seen the M1 filters on Demciflex site, I was hoping there would be an alternative size for people not using the fan/hdd bracket that runs behind the side vent. I will be purchasing a custom fit 250 x 110 filter for the inside side of the case.

AFD said:
That 80mm round filter that Dstart used looked like it fit nicely. Kinda wonder why we didn't just go with that instead?

Think he used 80mm (97mm outside, 73mm inside), but not sure..
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I used the 80mm round Demcifilter because I couldn't wait any longer. To make it fit perfectly over the fan, just cut a bit off the frame edge.

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AFD said:
does the adhesive strip and filter need to be applied to the PSU *before* installing it into the case?
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There is no need for an adhesive strip, the PSU case is ferrous metal.

Nivaku said:
Who's build in this? http://i.imgur.com/4xGQT3P.jpg

Please post specs and more pictures in the front, i need to get an idea on the cable management
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Mine. What exactly are you needing to know?
 
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AFD said:
WiSK, did you finally get yours yet??
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Yes, I got it and very happy with it. It's quite amazing how Necere has come up with a winner with so little actual testing. So much respect :cool:

I had planned for a quick build, but now I realise this case deserves some proper attention.
 
Hey folks, just want to check in with some consumption numbers. Specs are:
- Asus Maximus VI Impact
- 4770K
- 16 GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
- GTX 780 Ti (Reference)
- 2.5" SSD + 2.5" HDD
- Cooler Master Seidon 240M (because I love that silent pump when undervolted)
- ST45SF-G

Peak my consumption lies at 417 W drawn from the wall, though I never spotted that power draw. Running both Prime95 and Furmark simoultaniously I found the consumption to lie steadily between 370 W and 375 W. Very reasonable.

The ST45SF-G is rather noisy though, and takes a good few moments before it quiets down again. I've already got the NoiseBlocker BlackSilent Pro PC-P fan, but I'm gonna run the current setup a few more days before I kill my PSUs warranty and swap the fans. Idle and load the PSU is easily the noisiest part. Oh, and it's V2.0, making me feel kinda sorry for everyone who has V1.0 or V1.1, since those are supposedly even noisier.
 
Did we find a source for replacement for the panel clips? I was routing my usb3 cable and all of a sudden a saw a piece of plastic rocket off the case :(
 
Dephcon said:
Did we find a source for replacement for the panel clips? I was routing my usb3 cable and all of a sudden a saw a piece of plastic rocket off the case :(
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I emailed them last week. They said they have an order in with Lian Li and they should get them sometime early/mid February. I'm totally going to try to get a bag of them. I see myself using this case for the next decade or more. :D
 
dstart said:
I was hoping there would be an alternative size for people not using the fan/hdd bracket that runs behind the side vent. I will be purchasing a custom fit 250 x 110 filter for the inside side of the case.
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I was hoping for that as well, but Necere said there would be fitment issues going for a 1-piece on the inside panels..
Necere said:
there's not enough clearance between parts of the fan bracket on the right side, and between the motherboard tray on the left side, for the filter to fit.
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If you do try this, please let us know how it works out (and possibly if it fits with the fan rack installed, or if it fits on the opposite side behind the mobo). Also thanks for the 80mm round filter info, appreciate that!

WiSK said:
Yes, I got it and very happy with it..
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Very glad to hear! :D
 
Necere said:
Yes, because there's not enough clearance between parts of the fan bracket on the right side, and between the motherboard tray on the left side, for the filter to fit.
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Did I confuse left with right? For shame...

But yeah, having a full filter that attaches directly to the side panel would be simpler - unfortunately it won't work. Maybe on the left panel with the fan bracket removed.

AFD said:
That 80mm round filter that Dstart used looked like it fit nicely. Kinda wonder why we didn't just go with that instead?
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Well, if you're concerned about how much of the intake is blocked by the filter, the round filter is worse in that respect. Though TBH it's not much with either one.

WiSK said:
Yes, I got it and very happy with it. It's quite amazing how Necere has come up with a winner with so little actual testing. So much respect :cool:

I had planned for a quick build, but now I realise this case deserves some proper attention.
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I consider you one of my tougher customers, so hearing that you're happy with it (so far) is a relief. I remember your skepticism from early on, and I know you prefer the Splash in a lot of ways. I just hope your build goes well and doesn't sour your initial impression.
 
Hi Folks,

Finally finished the last part of my build today so thought i'd share my thoughts and build with you.

Specs:

* i5-4670
* Gigabyte H87N-WIFI
* Dual crucial M500 SSDs (128 and 480 gig respectively)
* EVGA GTX 780 with reference cooler
* Thermalright axp-200 cpu cooler with Noctua NF-P14 FLX (original thermalright fan was too noisy)
* st45sf-g psu (version 2) with noiseblocker fan mod
* silverstone full length sleeved PSU cable set

My goal for the build was for it to be quiet which I have to say it certainly is, even when fully cranking everything in game at 1440p it still runs quieter than expected. The noctua is running at 900rpm with the adapter as it was too "wooshy" at its stock speed.

For those of you with the st45sf-g V2 PSU, the noiseblocker is hands down one of the best system mods you can make. I put mine in earlier today, put everything back together and then had to take the side panel off again to make sure it was installed correctly and spinning. It really makes a difference with regard to noise. At idle the machine is almost inaudible and i'm sitting no more than half a metre from it just now. The noiseblocker succesfully eliminated the biggest noise source in the case.

The thermalright axp-200 cooler is an interesting cooler, it seems to stick over the edge of all mini-itx motherboards with the exception of the gigabyte H/Z 87 series. Unlike the noctua coolers which fit inside the edges of all other mini-itx motherboards EXCEPT the gigabyte ones... ha ha, go figure.

Temperature wise.... the CPU always hovers around 30 deg (idle and load), and the GPU sits around 36 deg idle and hits 80 deg under load as spec'd by nvidia. It get's hot though... I ran heaven at 1440p ultra and it shot straight up to 80 deg and was giving off a ton of heat. However the ventilation at the top of the case certainly helps the heat escape.

Cable management with the full length sleeved set wasn't so hard. I originally had an optical drive in but took it out since I won't be using it and ran the cables down the front. There's also plenty of room under a gpu for zip ties to manage any extra cable length so if you're having issues with shorter cables, there's certainly plenty of scope to use longer ones to keep things organized and tidied away.

This case is just great... and I can only say two bad things about it. The first is that it's a complete fingerprint magnet, and the second is that now that the build is finished i've got nothing to work on :p

OivSvIN.jpg

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Necere said:
I consider you one of my tougher customers, so hearing that you're happy with it (so far) is a relief. I remember your skepticism from early on, and I know you prefer the Splash in a lot of ways. I just hope your build goes well and doesn't sour your initial impression.
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Both cases are shining examples of innovation in water-cooling-friendly small form factor. I'm lucky I need two cases, Splash for folding, M1 for the living room. Perfect :D
 
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