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

just received my new front panel today. However the top panel came with 13£ custom charges. Very strange. Something that cost $10 would have to pay so much in custom charges. Hope that when the psu bracket and the fan bracket arrives I don't get raped.
 
Customs charges are a percentage of the item value PLUS the shipping cost (usually 20%), with a fixed fee (£8.somethingorother IIRC) on top of that. The only chance you have of not paying that is for Customs & Excise not to be paying attention, which is less likely than it used to be.
 
Just bought a Coolermaster Geminii M4. Has anyone used this? It looks like it might be a bit snug against the RAM. If this won't work let me know so I can take it back.
 
Hanakuso said:
Has anyone tried to fit the NH-C14S yet? Looks like it's taller then the C14
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I played it safe and ordered one of the older C14 models because I was sure I read somewhere it wouldn't fit, but I'll be darned if I can find that info. I'm waiting for my v4 case and am still going ahead with my NH-C14 but would be interested to know if the newer version does fit ok.
 
Phuncz said:
The Sapphire Tri-X OC Radeon Fury might be one of the best high-end cards you can put inside the Ncase M1:

SapphireFront_575px.jpg

Double-slot 12" card with no extended PCB or heatsink !
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I've got the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X OC waiting patiently for my NCase to get here. I was a little concerned when I saw the girth of this bad boy but the measurements are within specified compatibility (with millimeters to spare).

Can't wait to see it all come together!
 
I understand that the newer C14 is 10mm taller. What this implies is that you must compromise on the fan thickness. The heatsink will physically fit, but your top mounted fan can only fit a 15mm thick slim fan, vs the preferred 25mm normal thickness fan.

This is done to improve bottom fan clearance, but unfortunately makes it less favourable for the M1 case.
 
okwchin said:
I understand that the newer C14 is 10mm taller. ....
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I know I read something like that somewhere. Thanks for clearing that up.

I think the "older" C14 is still available. From my research, it appears to be a really great option for the M1... as long as it is still available anyway.
 
okwchin said:
I understand that the newer C14 is 10mm taller. What this implies is that you must compromise on the fan thickness. The heatsink will physically fit, but your top mounted fan can only fit a 15mm thick slim fan, vs the preferred 25mm normal thickness fan.

This is done to improve bottom fan clearance, but unfortunately makes it less favourable for the M1 case.
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If true then this is a shame. I understand them trying to improve it but it makes it worse for the M1 users.
 
Anyone used sound dampening foam in their M1? Ideally I want my M1 on my desk to be as quiet as my Fractal R3 on the floor, but there doesn't look to be many places to put the foam without blocking off air holes.
 
hokxj said:
Anyone used sound dampening foam in their M1? Ideally I want my M1 on my desk to be as quiet as my Fractal R3 on the floor, but there doesn't look to be many places to put the foam without blocking off air holes.
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You're in for quite a challenge if you go this route to achieve noise reduction. :D
 
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no-username-declared said:
I'm thinking of getting a h100i/h100i GTX for my NCASE. Any recommendations on if I should have it set as exhaust or intake?
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I've read the GTX does not fit. I've seen several builds using the H100i that have all fans set to intake with good results, but will defer to someone with actual experience on this.
 
krbuck said:
I've read the GTX does not fit. I've seen several builds using the H100i that have all fans set to intake with good results, but will defer to someone with actual experience on this.
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Really? Thanks for the heads up! I think I'll stick with the regular H100i then.

As for the intake/exhaust thing, I was thinking intake too, but I was worried about it increasing my general case temps and interfering with my GPU's cooling ability (GTX 980 reference).
 
So cases should've begun their journey yesterday? How long does the process typically take from there say for your average American?
 
krbuck said:
I've read the GTX does not fit. I've seen several builds using the H100i that have all fans set to intake with good results, but will defer to someone with actual experience on this.
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The only reason I can think of why the H100i GTX might be a problem is the lack of swivel barbs on the block, which could make the tubing more difficult (but not impossible) to route. It's otherwise practically the same dimensions as the H100i.
 
Necere said:
The only reason I can think of why the H100i GTX might be a problem is the lack of swivel barbs on the block, which could make the tubing more difficult (but not impossible) to route. It's otherwise practically the same dimensions as the H100i.
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I bought an h60 today mostly because i definitely didn't want to go too big.
 
csd said:
What's the thickest radiator that fits in an M1?
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That information is in the compatibility section on the website.

What's important to think about, though, is not just "what fits," but the implications of that. For example, while a 60mm thick rad+25mm thick fan might technically fit, if it's on the front half of the fan bracket it might not have room for fittings. It's also right up against on the PSU, which leaves no room for airflow. So the important thing isn't always "what fits," but "what actually works."
 
csd said:
What's the thickest radiator that fits in an M1?
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Necere said:
What's important to think about, though, is not just "what fits," but the implications of that. For example, while a 60mm thick rad+25mm thick fan might technically fit, if it's on the front half of the fan bracket it might not have room for fittings. It's also right up against on the PSU, which leaves no room for airflow. So the important thing isn't always "what fits," but "what actually works."
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This ^^

And furthermore: rad thickness is often overestimated. Fan speed and frontal surface area are much more important.

For example, the cooling performance of the Alphacool UT60 is worse at 600rpm than the Alphacool ST30 - because doubling depth of the space between fins restricts airflow. Yet even at 1500rpm the performance difference is only a few degrees better for the deeper rad. What do you gain in overclock or stability with a few degrees?
 
I noticed that the ncases.com site is again accepting orders for the v4 case.

Also, has anyone started to receive tracking info, or is it too early?
 
WiSK said:
This ^^

And furthermore: rad thickness is often overestimated. Fan speed and frontal surface area are much more important.

For example, the cooling performance of the Alphacool UT60 is worse at 600rpm than the Alphacool ST30 - because doubling depth of the space between fins restricts airflow. Yet even at 1500rpm the performance difference is only a few degrees better for the deeper rad. What do you gain in overclock or stability with a few degrees?
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Now I'm worried that maybe the H100i GTX isn't such a good idea :( Didn't come yet but I'll try and see how it fits. If it fits but it's too tight then I'll return it I think.
 
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krbuck said:
I noticed that the ncases.com site is again accepting orders for the v4 case.

Also, has anyone started to receive tracking info, or is it too early?
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Nope, haven't heard a word. I hope they are on the way because I just dropped a ton of money on components.
 
Hi guys.

I'm thinking about improving my nCase M1 v2 custom watercooling.

I'm actually using two Noctua F12-PWM (120x120x25mm each) but thinking about four slim Fan in a push pull configuration.

What do you think of the idea ?
 
Twice the points of failure, twice the amount of noise generators, less static pressure, more cables, lesser quality products. I don't see any advantages.
 
The email they sent out a while ago did state:
The current estimated date for your tracking number(s) is JULY 24. The tracking numbers are sent to us as a group by the Postal Service, so we will get your tracking number(s) after your shipping group is shipped.

So wait for the 24th I guess.
 
TuKo said:
Hi guys.

I'm thinking about improving my nCase M1 v2 custom watercooling.

I'm actually using two Noctua F12-PWM (120x120x25mm each) but thinking about four slim Fan in a push pull configuration.

What do you think of the idea ?
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Phuncz said:
Twice the points of failure, twice the amount of noise generators, less static pressure, more cables, lesser quality products. I don't see any advantages.
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All of this. Those IPPC fans are great for pushing air through a rad. Two slims in P/P won't do anything the Noctuas can't do prettier.
 
I just remembered I semi cheaper on shipping, and did SAL. Soooo I guess I may as well sit back and be patient....
 
Yeah, two slim fans are usually going to perform worse than a single thick fan. It's kind of like SLI/Crossfire: you're almost always better off going with a single card, up to the performance level of the best single GPU. Past that, SLI/Crossfire is the only option for more performance (aside from the modest gain from overclocking), but it's a case of diminishing returns and more potential headaches.
 
jssaylor2007 said:
Are you serious? Where do you live? Did you get a tracking number?
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No tracking number was given. I live in Singapore.

EDIT: Might be a dumb question, but isit possible for me to squeeze a M ATX MOBO in the case? As I have not ordered my MOBO + CPU combo yet and I want to use my current rig's part in it.
 
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Phuncz said:
Twice the points of failure, twice the amount of noise generators, less static pressure, more cables, lesser quality products. I don't see any advantages.
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Thanks for the advice.

Do you think it'll be of any use to switch from a push to pull configuration (2x NF-12 PWM on ST30) ?
 
brahbruh said:
EDIT: Might be a dumb question, but isit possible for me to squeeze a M ATX MOBO in the case? As I have not ordered my MOBO + CPU combo yet and I want to use my current rig's part in it.
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Not unless it's one of those oddball 2 or 3-slot "mATX" boards. If it's a regular full-size mATX board (244x244mm), the answer is a flat no; the case itself is physically shorter (240mm) than the board.
 
So I ordered the v4. Really excited for the arrival of it.

Now I am thinking about some parts that I am going to get so I get a working system in my M1.

I prioritize silence over performance. I need a new cooler, and a new PSU. I am thinking of getting a SFX-L PSU, and there are 2 that I am thinking of, either the Silverstone one, or the Sharkoon one.

From complaints on this forum on the silverstone I am hesitating getting it since it seems to have some issues with the semi-passive function, of it turning on and off, causing it to make more noise than necessary, as well as the fan itself being reported as making certain noise that is noticeable and annoying. However it is cheaper, and much more readily available than the sharkoon one, as well as having shorter cables.

The only person I have seen getting a sharkoon silent storm, is Phuncz, and he seems to love it. Is there anyone else that has gotten it and can give me a report on the quietness of it?

Then we come to cooling. I have looked at the NH-L9i, however when looking at reviews you don't really gain that much. It cools better than the stock cooler, but not that much, and it's not much quieter. I have been hesitant on other air coolers since I am afraid of them not fitting my board, which has the CPU socket quite close to the PCIe bracket, the Gigabyte h87n-wi-fi.

So I have thought about watercooling, and I only want a 120mm rad, since I plan to use the HDD bracket. This might change in the future, but that is what I am planning right now. I have looked at the Corsair H60 v2, and the Fractal Design Kelvin t12. The Corsair is cheaper, and more readily available in all the big online stores, where the T12 is usually out of stock. I have read several reviews, but does anyone have any experience with the pump noise from any of these or both? How noticeable is it, and how annoying is it? I do realize it's subjective, but I still want to know what other people have experienced before I buy any of them.

Also, would I gain a lot form getting Noctua NF-12's instead of the stock fans in noise levels for both of these? or is usually the fans pretty quiet? Thinking mostly of the Fractal Design Quiet fans since I don't have any experience of these.


Edit: To clarify, if I get the T12, I would use 1 fan on the rad, and one fan on the bottom to blow air from the bottom to the top from the graphics card, a 960-strix.
 
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Several reviews mentioned the annoying pump noise from the T12. It needs to be undervolted, to 9V in order to reduce it. I doubt that will totally eliminate the noise though. Internally it uses the Alphacool DC-LT 12V ceramic pump, which isn't considered quiet. There is typically always a slight buzz that remains from most AOI water coolers.
 
Mackan said:
Several reviews mentioned the annoying pump noise from the T12. It needs to be undervolted, to 9V in order to reduce it. I doubt that will totally eliminate the noise though. Internally it uses the Alphacool DC-LT 12V ceramic pump, which isn't considered quiet. There is typically always a slight buzz that remains from most AOI water coolers.
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I have read that too, but I want to know what users think about that noise. A low buzz can be ok, depedning on how high it is, or how noticeable. If I would get the t12, I would most likely undervolt it. However what are my other options, for a quiet cooler that fits my Gigabyte h87n-wifi? The CPU-socket is right next to the PCIe-bracket, and any overhang will prevent me from having a graphics card.
 
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