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

jferreir said:
I'm trying to build as close to silent as possible, so I've been wary of shorter GPUs since they typically run hotter. I figured with the shorter board, you would have smaller/fewer fans, so less efficient cooling with greater noise output. I would very much appreciate shorter GPUs for ease of installation, but only if there's no acoustic tradeoffs. Would you still recommend the GTX 970, or is there a better option?

Also, would an AIO cooler be quieter than a CPU heat sink/fan during normal operation? I'm just really concerned about reducing fan noise as much as possible, especially during normal operation as the PC will rarely be under load. What about the fanless CPU cooler someone linked to above?

Finally, I read that the SFX450 has a quieter fan, but would the SFX600 be more quite overall since it likely wouldn't be pushed beyond 400W?
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The fan on the GPU is adjustable and the software is pretty customizable. You can limit fan speed and put a threshold on thermals, but it will come at the expense of performance. I have a modest 6% OC on the card, and under load the fan stays under 50%. I don't have dB measurements, but subjectively it is not loud...it is running at my sweet spot for noise/performance. I have also put some fans on the bottom of the case to help with airmovement across the video card.

I personally would not use an AIO cooler on my CPU. I had the Corsair H55 on my previuos build...it was louder at idle compared to my current setup, though under full load it was definitely quieter (again compared to my current setup). You also have pump noise with the AIO units.

I have heard lots of good things about the SF450. For your components, you do not need any more than 450 watts. My system (i7-6700k, GTX970, SSD, HDD, fans, etc) draws a lot less power than you'd think...I can't remember my actual values, but my max draw during benchmarking was well below 300 watts (measured at the wall). The loudest part of my build is my PSU (Silverstone ST45SF-G). I've considered "upgrading" to the SF450, but waiting to see if Silverstone will ever release a revision with a 92mm fan (want to keep my Silverstone short cables).
 
Nanook said:
What kind of stuff do you plan on using your pc for other than light gaming? Is your use case more CPU or GPU intensive? Are you going to overclock?

From my experience:
For CPU cooler, the larger the fan, the more quiet it is. For my OC 6700K, the Noctua U9s (with two 92mm fans), or the C14 (with two 120mm fans) were both relatively quiet.

For GPU, stay away from blowers. There're several 10 series video cards out there with the "fan-stop" feature, where the fans are off until the GPU gets to 60c. Hybrid graphics cards can also be pretty quiet: I converted my founders edition card to a hybrid and it was much more quiet.

My Silverstone sfx 600w is very quiet.

Hope this helps!
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This build is for my father, so the system won't be taxed very often (undecided on OC). With the increased popularity of 4k video, though, I want to get a powerful GPU for future-proofing. The machine will be used mainly for movies, browsing, email, and light gaming (in that order), so silent operation is the top priority.

Based on the feedback, I think the best approach would be a CPU cooler paired with a hybrid GPU. What CPU cooler would you recommend with the EVGA GTX 1070 Hybrid (Asus Z170I mobo), assuming that's a suitable GPU?

Keep in mind I also need to find room for one HDD, so I hope that doesn't screw up the config. I'll probably stick with the SFX450 unless I need the additional power.

Thanks again for the really helpful replies!

P.S. Any recommendations for a ODD? I have no clue what's available for SFF systems.
 
jferreir said:
The machine will be used mainly for movies, browsing, email, and light gaming (in that order), so silent operation is the top priority.
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For movies, browsing and email, you do not need a GTX 1070. What games are you looking to play? What size of display are you thinking (i.e. 4k monitor or big screen)?

Also, in my opinion, the Hybrid cards are more for pushing performance while maintaining temperatures...not to keep noise down. You have more overall components that are all generating noise...fan on the card, fan on the radiator, and the pump. Not only are they each creating noise, they are all creating different noise frequencies.
 
jferreir said:
This build is for my father, so the system won't be taxed very often (undecided on OC). With the increased popularity of 4k video, though, I want to get a powerful GPU for future-proofing. The machine will be used mainly for movies, browsing, email, and light gaming (in that order), so silent operation is the top priority.

Based on the feedback, I think the best approach would be a CPU cooler paired with a hybrid GPU. What CPU cooler would you recommend with the EVGA GTX 1070 Hybrid (Asus Z170I mobo), assuming that's a suitable GPU?

Keep in mind I also need to find room for one HDD, so I hope that doesn't screw up the config. I'll probably stick with the SFX450 unless I need the additional power.

Thanks again for the really helpful replies!

P.S. Any recommendations for a ODD? I have no clue what's available for SFF systems.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you're leaning towards higher end components, even though your use case isn't that demanding, here are my recommendations:
CPU - i5 6600K
CPU cooler - Noctua U9S, you could add a 2nd 92mm fan to the rear fan mount. You could use the low noise adapter to ensure the fans run slower. This will take up the rear half of your side bracket.

If you do go with a hybrid cooled 1070, the 120mm radiator and fan will take up the front half of your side bracket, meaning you will have to remove the 3.5" drive cage from the side bracket. The only other spot will be to mount a 3.5" drive on the floor below the GPU, which would be OK since the GPU heat is moved away to the radiator.
 
incredadamible said:
For movies, browsing and email, you do not need a GTX 1070. What games are you looking to play? What size of display are you thinking (i.e. 4k monitor or big screen)?

Also, in my opinion, the Hybrid cards are more for pushing performance while maintaining temperatures...not to keep noise down. You have more overall components that are all generating noise...fan on the card, fan on the radiator, and the pump. Not only are they each creating noise, they are all creating different noise frequencies.
Click to expand...

Obviously, lol. The GTX 1070 is for 4k support and future proofing. Gaming will be light, but the computer will be used by more than one person, so I don't know the exact titles. Essentially, this will be a "family PC" used by family, friends, and anyone else that's visiting. You can use GTA V or Witcher 3 as benchmarks.

Hmm, I didn't think about the competing noise frequencies on a hybrid card, but that's an excellent point. Ultimately, I want top-tier gaming performance, but with near silent operating noise at idle/regular load, and reasonable operating noise otherwise. What's the best configuration to achieve this?


Nanook said:
Sounds like you're leaning towards higher end components, even though your use case isn't that demanding, here are my recommendations:
CPU - i5 6600K
CPU cooler - Noctua U9S, you could add a 2nd 92mm fan to the rear fan mount. You could use the low noise adapter to ensure the fans run slower. This will take up the rear half of your side bracket.

If you do go with a hybrid cooled 1070, the 120mm radiator and fan will take up the front half of your side bracket, meaning you will have to remove the 3.5" drive cage from the side bracket. The only other spot will be to mount a 3.5" drive on the floor below the GPU, which would be OK since the GPU heat is moved away to the radiator.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's roughly what I had in mind. The HDD would go below the GPU, and would be set to power saving mode to reduce heat/vibration when not in use. The HDD is mainly for large file storage, with the M.2 housing the OS and primary files. That would leave two 92mm fans on the CPU heatsink, one fan on the GPU, and one fan on the radiator.

Do you think this would be near silent, or would you suggest a different GPU/config?
 
jferreir said:
This is exactly the type of advice I'm looking for, so thank you.

I'm trying to build as close to silent as possible, so I've been wary of shorter GPUs since they typically run hotter. I figured with the shorter board, you would have smaller/fewer fans, so less efficient cooling with greater noise output. I would very much appreciate shorter GPUs for ease of installation, but only if there's no acoustic tradeoffs. Would you still recommend the GTX 970, or is there a better option?

Also, would an AIO cooler be quieter than a CPU heat sink/fan during normal operation? I'm just really concerned about reducing fan noise as much as possible, especially during normal operation as the PC will rarely be under load. What about the fanless CPU cooler someone linked to above?

Finally, I read that the SFX450 has a quieter fan, but would the SFX600 be more quite overall since it likely wouldn't be pushed beyond 400W?
Click to expand...

If you're using a small graphics card (I use the term "small" here to mean something short of a "full size" card like a GTX 980 or 1080), could you increase your power supply to an SFX-L form factor? Some of those have 120mm fans that will likely ensure silent operation.
 
jferreir said:
Obviously, lol. The GTX 1070 is for 4k support and future proofing. Gaming will be light, but the computer will be used by more than one person, so I don't know the exact titles. Essentially, this will be a "family PC" used by family, friends, and anyone else that's visiting. You can use GTA V or Witcher 3 as benchmarks.

Hmm, I didn't think about the competing noise frequencies on a hybrid card, but that's an excellent point. Ultimately, I want top-tier gaming performance, but with near silent operating noise at idle/regular load, and reasonable operating noise otherwise. What's the best configuration to achieve this?




Yep, that's roughly what I had in mind. The HDD would go below the GPU, and would be set to power saving mode to reduce heat/vibration when not in use. The HDD is mainly for large file storage, with the M.2 housing the OS and primary files. That would leave two 92mm fans on the CPU heatsink, one fan on the GPU, and one fan on the radiator.

Do you think this would be near silent, or would you suggest a different GPU/config?
Click to expand...


I had a configuration similar to this and was pretty quiet. The pump will have some noise to it.
I would not call it near-silent. You could run the system a little hotter / lower fan rpms to balance noise/heat.
 
Quick question, with 3.5' hard drive on the bottom, does 92mm fan fit? or just 80mm?
 
Nanook said:
I had a configuration similar to this and was pretty quiet. The pump will have some noise to it.
I would not call it near-silent. You could run the system a little hotter / lower fan rpms to balance noise/heat.
Click to expand...

Hmm, do you have any suggestions for a GPU to achieve near-silence? Are there any 10-series blower style cards where the fans shut off at idle? Or should I just keep this simple and go for the short EVGA 1060 and then tweak fan speed if necessary?

Sorry for all the questions and flip-flopping, I just want to get this right the first time. I really appreciate all the help!
 
jferreir said:
Hmm, do you have any suggestions for a GPU to achieve near-silence? Are there any 10-series blower style cards where the fans shut off at idle? Or should I just keep this simple and go for the short EVGA 1060 and then tweak fan speed if necessary?

Sorry for all the questions and flip-flopping, I just want to get this right the first time. I really appreciate all the help!
Click to expand...

Hi there! I finished my build 6 months ago and you can only tell if it's on by the LED on the power button or under heavy load.

CPU cooler. Go for the Noctua NH-C14 (not the new NH-C14s). It uses the space perfectly and the fan can mount in the side of the case without and space to spare. I am running a i5-6600K overclocked to 4.5Ghz and my temps never go above 55C during stress test / 40C during gaming. My Noctua fan runs at 3-400 rpm and ramps up from there.

For GPU. Just take one with a 0dBA mode. EVGA and ASUS offer this. The fans don't start spinning till 60C.

PSU - I have the corsair SF450 and I have ver seen the fan spin apart from the test spin when you turn the system on.

Get some Noctua case fans and set them all to 3-400rpm and you'll have a cool and silent system.

Check this system : https://hardforum.com/threads/ncase...n-first-post.1717132/page-544#post-1042619142
It is almost the same as my build.
 
Speed-Driven said:
About to order the Raijintek Pallas.. but I want to replace the fan. Which 140mm fan to go with it? More airflow but quiet too please?

r_750x450.png
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UPDATE: THE RAIJINTEK PALLAS DOES NOT FIT THE ASROCK Z170 ITX board.
 
jferreir said:
Hmm, do you have any suggestions for a GPU to achieve near-silence? Are there any 10-series blower style cards where the fans shut off at idle? Or should I just keep this simple and go for the short EVGA 1060 and then tweak fan speed if necessary?

Sorry for all the questions and flip-flopping, I just want to get this right the first time. I really appreciate all the help!
Click to expand...

Ohh, and one last thing. The loudest thing in my build previously was an HDD. I swapped to only SSD and am using a NAS drive hidden somewhere near my internet router. MUCH quieter and the files can be accessed from anyone at any time (not just when the PC is on).
 
jferreir said:
Hmm, do you have any suggestions for a GPU to achieve near-silence? Are there any 10-series blower style cards where the fans shut off at idle? Or should I just keep this simple and go for the short EVGA 1060 and then tweak fan speed if necessary?

Sorry for all the questions and flip-flopping, I just want to get this right the first time. I really appreciate all the help!
Click to expand...

I have limited experience outside of the GTX 1080 Founders Edition, but I love tinkering and have tried different ways to cool my 1080...
- Stock blower: while benchmarking, GPU runs hot ~80C, and loud. If I wanted the GPU to run cooler, I would have to crank up the blower, and it becomes really loud. Personally, I would not put a HDD directly under my stock 1080 as the temperatures in that general area is very warm.
- Artic Accelero Xtreme IV, with no back heatsink, 2x 120mm fans on bottom blowing in: benchmark temps around 70C, but the entire M1 case becomes very hot
- Hybrid with Corsair H75 (1 fan only) and Corsair HG10 980 modded to fit 1080: I could not get good contact with the H75 block. temps ranges from 80 to 90C
- Hybrid with Corsair H75 (1 fan only) and NZXT Kraken G10: 60C, runs quiet
- Hybrid with EVGA Hybrid kit, removed blower fan set and replaced with a 120mm fan: <60C, runs quiet
- Custom loop: 50C, very quiet
 
jferreir said:
Hmm, do you have any suggestions for a GPU to achieve near-silence?
Click to expand...

anak85 said:
For GPU. Just take one with a 0dBA mode. EVGA and ASUS offer this. The fans don't start spinning till 60C.
Click to expand...

I agree, this is probably the best option for a GPU. My Asus GTX 970 mini does this and I believe the new Gigabyte 1070 Mini does this as well. At idle, I can barely tell my system is on. The only thing to remember, once you start pushing performance your fans will ramp up and you will get noise. Play around with fan profiles once everything is installed to get to your sweet spot for noise/performance/temperatures.
 
jferreir said:
Obviously, lol. The GTX 1070 is for 4k support and future proofing. Gaming will be light, but the computer will be used by more than one person, so I don't know the exact titles. Essentially, this will be a "family PC" used by family, friends, and anyone else that's visiting. You can use GTA V or Witcher 3 as benchmarks
Click to expand...

Just one more comment...I don't think a GTX 1070 is at all futureproof when you are talking about 4k gaming. I would consider it to be entry level. Looking up some GTX 1070 Benchmarks at 4k resolution ... most new games are under 60 FPS, some really close to 30 FPS. You can probably squeeze out a few more FPS if you overclock, but then you are dealing with higher temps and louder fans. Even the GTX 1080 has trouble maxing out settings at 4k resolution in games.
 
jferreir said:
Hmm, do you have any suggestions for a GPU to achieve near-silence? Are there any 10-series blower style cards where the fans shut off at idle? Or should I just keep this simple and go for the short EVGA 1060 and then tweak fan speed if necessary?

Sorry for all the questions and flip-flopping, I just want to get this right the first time. I really appreciate all the help!
Click to expand...

I would guess that really the main source of noise will be the GPU. I had no issues with air cooling a 6600K quietly.

As for GPU, I was mostly happy with a Kraken and G10 combo - I ran my fan at around 800 - 1100rpm and got temps around 60.

I say mostly because the pump was either totally silent or quite noisy. In retrospect, I guess it was a bleeding issue - I've now learned that water cooling loops need both time to settle down and some help (tipping and spinning the case in 3 dimensions) to help consolidate air bubbles.

The instructions tell you this is the case, but I didn't realise the degree to which you need to do it. I thought it was a half hour process when in fact it more like 3 days.

Once its done, you'll be very happy with the lack of noise and low temps.
 
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Checking cooling compatibility on the M1 spreadsheet and the Asrock mobo models at the top seem to have been erased. Any way to tell which model is which?

I'm trying to figure out if a Noctua C14 will fit in the M1 on an Asrock H97m-itx mobo. I currently have a U9S and the CPU socket is a bit high which didn't allow me to mount the U9S in a vertical orientation with two fans. Also how do the U9S and C14 compare in terms of cooling performance?

edit: figured out the Asrock model issue. I viewed an old revision and added the model names back to the latest version
 
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I did a search but couldn't find it and honestly don't think they make one for this motherboard but does anyone know or seen a water mono block for the ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming boards? I know they make them for the VIII impact board.
 
For anyone who may have ordered the DEMCiflex filters for the M1, is it enough to simply get the 'filter set' with the 4x 120mm and 100mm, or has anyone found they needed the specific top/side/bottom filters?

Also, I think I've settled on an SF-450 and ASRock Fatal1ty Z170. Looking at the cable lengths of the SF-450, is there a benefit to using CableMod or other custom cables? [Stupid question alert] Couldn't I pull apart the bundles from the packed-in cables to reduce footprint?
 
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Morgon said:
For anyone who may have ordered the DEMCiflex filters for the M1, is it enough to simply get the 'filter set' with the 4x 120mm and 100mm, or has anyone found they needed the specific top/side/bottom filters?

Also, I think I've settled on an SF-450 and ASRock Fatal1ty Z170. Looking at the cable lengths of the SF-450, is there a benefit to using CableMod or other custom cables? [Stupid question alert] Couldn't I pull apart the bundles from the packed-in cables to reduce footprint?
Click to expand...

No idea on the filters I'm afraid....

But on cabling, you could absolutely separate the ribbon. If you have a crimper you could just shorten them one by one. Now that I have had a play around with it... it's not terribly difficult.. just time consuming.

The stock cables are quite stiff. Even pulled apart, they will need some wrangling to tidy up. A bunch of black zip ties can be neat enough.
 
pslate said:
Checking cooling compatibility on the M1 spreadsheet and the Asrock mobo models at the top seem to have been erased. Any way to tell which model is which?

I'm trying to figure out if a Noctua C14 will fit in the M1 on an Asrock H97m-itx mobo. I currently have a U9S and the CPU socket is a bit high which didn't allow me to mount the U9S in a vertical orientation with two fans. Also how do the U9S and C14 compare in terms of cooling performance?

edit: figured out the Asrock model issue. I viewed an old revision and added the model names back to the latest version
Click to expand...


As far as using it in the M1 case the C14 (original) is still the better cooling. You do have to give up the hdd cage though. From what I remember people talking about it the difference is a couple to a few degrees difference. So say 2C-5C at most probably? There never has been a complete professional test between these two HSF in the M1. Just reports of what people have gotten in their completed builds. Now as to whether the C14 fits the mobo in question... I'll leave that to someone who has tried it to chime in because I don't remember if it does or not.
 
Morgon said:
Where are people getting the C14 these days? Can only find listings selling it for 2x its cost.
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Apart from great temps (50C stress testing at 4,5Ghz) I also can barely hear the NH-C14. I can imagine smaller fans to be louder.

I would get it second hand of ebay/craigslist. Here in Germany you can get it for 30-40€.

The cables of the SF450 are not great and quite stiff. Especially the SATA power for the SSD was a bit tricky as I am using two SSDs and the power cables are eithe L or T shaped. A simple straight connection would have been much easier. BUT spending 100€ on cablemod cables is not worth it for me.
 
anak85 said:
Apart from great temps (50C stress testing at 4,5Ghz) I also can barely hear the NH-C14. I can imagine smaller fans to be louder.

I would get it second hand of ebay/craigslist. Here in Germany you can get it for 30-40€.

The cables of the SF450 are not great and quite stiff. Especially the SATA power for the SSD was a bit tricky as I am using two SSDs and the power cables are eithe L or T shaped. A simple straight connection would have been much easier. BUT spending 100€ on cablemod cables is not worth it for me.
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA85V4BV3480 I got one of these for my 2 X 2.5 drive SATA connections, much easier than the 90 degree ones. I had to use my Molex cable anyway for my pump and fan control and this way I didn't have to use my SATA cable.

87750ee2e7.jpg
 
Hi All!!

Have gone through this thread as humanely possible. This is a treasure trove of info regarding NCase.

A bit about myself. I have been a Mac user for last decade and am happy with that. I am into gaming but with PS3 mostly and some amount of gaming in Mac is also there. With Game titles dwindling for PS3 it is time for upgrade.
With PS4 pro and fiasco around it and games prices going through the roof. I thought its time to get back to PC for Gaming. So started to search the net for a small yet powerful PC.
Ncase M1 fits the bill perfectly.
I have ordered it and Now I need your opinions on the below config:

CPU => i7 6700K
MBD => Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5
RAM => Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MHz
PSU => Corsair SF600
M.2 => Samsung 950 Pro 512GB
GPU => MSI 1070 Aero
Case Fans => Noctua F-12 iPPC PWM (for the bottom)

Now I am not able to finalize the AIO.
I wanted to go with H100i V2 but it is not compatible with NCase.
H100i can be used but it is a 3 year old tech. though it will help in the FAN header as the MB has only 2 FAN headers. Also It will need a SATA power which I want avoid as I have a M.2 and dont need that cable.
I also looked at the latest AIO launched the cooler master masterliquid pro 240. But it needs 2 FAN heads to work and I will not have FAN headers for my bottom fans.

All your opinion will help.

One more help is needed can a 92mm Fan can be place at the back with a 240mm AIO?

Regards
 
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Sagar Chakraborty said:
Hi All!!

Have gone through this thread as humanely possible. This is a treasure trove of info regarding NCase.

A bit about myself. I have been a Mac user for last decade and am happy with that. I am into gaming but with PS3 mostly and some amount of gaming in Mac is also there. With Game titles dwindling for PS3 it is time for upgrade.
With PS4 pro and fiasco around it and games prices going through the roof. I thought its time to get back to PC for Gaming. So started to search the net for a small yet powerful PC.
Ncase M1 fits the bill perfectly.
I have ordered it and Now I need your opinions on the below config:

CPU => i7 6700K
MBD => Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5
RAM => Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MHz
PSU => Corsair SF600
M.2 => Samsung 950 Pro 512GB
GPU => MSI 1070 Aero
Case Fans => Noctua F-12 iPPC PWM (for the bottom)

Now I am not able to finalize the AIO.
I wanted to go with H100i V2 but it is not compatible with NCase.
H100i can be used but it is a 3 year old tech. though it will help in the FAN header as the MB has only 2 FAN headers. Also It will need a SATA power which I want avoid as I have a M.2 and dont need that cable.
I also looked at the latest AIO launched the cooler master masterliquid pro 240. But it needs 2 FAN heads to work and I will not have FAN headers for my bottom fans.

All your opinion will help.

One more help is needed can a 92mm Fan can be place at the back with a 240mm AIO?

Regards
Click to expand...

Looks like a decent build, very similar to my second M1 build (Ssshh, it's a Christmas gift for my son!). I chose the SF450. Its reviews have been very good and it is reported to run quieter than the SF600. I chose the Noctua NF-U9S with a second NF-A9 fan and a large NF-A15 on the side bracket as an intake for the case to help build positive pressure.
 
Sagar Chakraborty said:
Hi All!!

Have gone through this thread as humanely possible. This is a treasure trove of info regarding NCase.

A bit about myself. I have been a Mac user for last decade and am happy with that. I am into gaming but with PS3 mostly and some amount of gaming in Mac is also there. With Game titles dwindling for PS3 it is time for upgrade.
With PS4 pro and fiasco around it and games prices going through the roof. I thought its time to get back to PC for Gaming. So started to search the net for a small yet powerful PC.
Ncase M1 fits the bill perfectly.
I have ordered it and Now I need your opinions on the below config:

CPU => i7 6700K
MBD => Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5
RAM => Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MHz
PSU => Corsair SF600
M.2 => Samsung 950 Pro 512GB
GPU => MSI 1070 Aero
Case Fans => Noctua F-12 iPPC PWM (for the bottom)

Now I am not able to finalize the AIO.
I wanted to go with H100i V2 but it is not compatible with NCase.
H100i can be used but it is a 3 year old tech. though it will help in the FAN header as the MB has only 2 FAN headers. Also It will need a SATA power which I want avoid as I have a M.2 and dont need that cable.
I also looked at the latest AIO launched the cooler master masterliquid pro 240. But it needs 2 FAN heads to work and I will not have FAN headers for my bottom fans.

All your opinion will help.

One more help is needed can a 92mm Fan can be place at the back with a 240mm AIO?

Regards
Click to expand...

You are going with a reference style graphics card which will exhaust the heat out the back of the case, the gpu only sits like an inch above the bottom of the case and a fan really isn't necessary. I would look for an AIO that powers the pump off a fan header, they usually come with a splitter for 2 radiator fans. That way the 2 motherboard headers will be all you need.

I have the same motherboard and ram you are getting with a 6600k and a 1070 FE and I can tell you that you will be able to easily handle any game on the market.
 
Sagar Chakraborty said:
Hi All!!

Have gone through this thread as humanely possible. This is a treasure trove of info regarding NCase.

A bit about myself. I have been a Mac user for last decade and am happy with that. I am into gaming but with PS3 mostly and some amount of gaming in Mac is also there. With Game titles dwindling for PS3 it is time for upgrade.
With PS4 pro and fiasco around it and games prices going through the roof. I thought its time to get back to PC for Gaming. So started to search the net for a small yet powerful PC.
Ncase M1 fits the bill perfectly.
I have ordered it and Now I need your opinions on the below config:

CPU => i7 6700K
MBD => Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5
RAM => Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MHz
PSU => Corsair SF600
M.2 => Samsung 950 Pro 512GB
GPU => MSI 1070 Aero
Case Fans => Noctua F-12 iPPC PWM (for the bottom)

Now I am not able to finalize the AIO.
I wanted to go with H100i V2 but it is not compatible with NCase.
H100i can be used but it is a 3 year old tech. though it will help in the FAN header as the MB has only 2 FAN headers. Also It will need a SATA power which I want avoid as I have a M.2 and dont need that cable.
I also looked at the latest AIO launched the cooler master masterliquid pro 240. But it needs 2 FAN heads to work and I will not have FAN headers for my bottom fans.

All your opinion will help.

One more help is needed can a 92mm Fan can be place at the back with a 240mm AIO?

Regards
Click to expand...

I built a PC / MAC system in this case and they are both running smoothly in parallel. You just need two separate SSDs for this setup - if that is something interesting for you.

The i5 6600K is more than enough for gaming and you will not notice any difference in performance, especially if overclocked. The difference will come from the GPU. So save the money and stick if in your GPU.

The Corsair SF450 should be enough with only one GPU.

If I were to change anything in my build, I'd get the accelero extreme IV as shown here: https://hardforum.com/threads/ncase...n-first-post.1717132/page-544#post-1042619142

In my opinion this is the best cooling solution paired with the Noctua NH-C14 for the CPU. That will give you a near silent and cool system. My CPU maxes out during gaming at 44°C. Just the GPU goes to 65°C (but no accelero installed).

Get the Noctua NF-A15 on the NH-C14.

Good luck!
 
rfarmer said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA85V4BV3480 I got one of these for my 2 X 2.5 drive SATA connections, much easier than the 90 degree ones. I had to use my Molex cable anyway for my pump and fan control and this way I didn't have to use my SATA cable.

87750ee2e7.jpg
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That is definitely the smarter solution! I placed my drives in the inside and flipped them so the L connection feeds the drive closest to the front panel and the T connection feeds the second.

So that T and L dont interfere with eachother I had to flip one SSD so the connections are not on top of eathother... I think Corsair could save us a lot of hassle with 2 straight SATA connectors.
 
Morgon said:
Where are people getting the C14 these days? Can only find listings selling it for 2x its cost.
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The original c14 has been discontinued for a little while now. Its been a while since I priced a original C14 hsf but if everywhere you are looking has it for 2x the cost that means the stock is definitely drying up. You basically have two choices if you can't find it at a reasonable price. 1) Pay the price to get it while you can or 2) Go with something else. The U9S is a very good and a popular choice for example. It would be my first pick simply because of quality and price. Only thing better than option 1&2 would be a full blown water cooling set up. Nothing would beat that for cooling.
 
actually, would be interesting to see if Noctua L9-65 or NH-L12 would suffice in most situations. Maybe not if ppl are OC'ing aggressively, but for stock speeds, I'd be interested in seeing if a L9-65 would be enough for a broadwell-e (my board has the narrow ILM mounts for broadwell-E)
 
anak85 said:
I built a PC / MAC system in this case and they are both running smoothly in parallel. You just need two separate SSDs for this setup - if that is something interesting for you.

The i5 6600K is more than enough for gaming and you will not notice any difference in performance, especially if overclocked. The difference will come from the GPU. So save the money and stick if in your GPU.

The Corsair SF450 should be enough with only one GPU.

If I were to change anything in my build, I'd get the accelero extreme IV as shown here: https://hardforum.com/threads/ncase...n-first-post.1717132/page-544#post-1042619142

In my opinion this is the best cooling solution paired with the Noctua NH-C14 for the CPU. That will give you a near silent and cool system. My CPU maxes out during gaming at 44°C. Just the GPU goes to 65°C (but no accelero installed).

Get the Noctua NF-A15 on the NH-C14.

Good luck!
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Thanks for the Info. I have shifted to the SF450. But still I will prefer AIO as I stay in India which is a pretty hot country. The normal ambient Temp is high ~29-30.
Which GPU do you use? Also are you able to use that GPU in MAC OS? I will love to have the MAC running in this but due to all the drives related issues I avoid doing so. But A MAC with these specs will be awesome.
 
Sagar Chakraborty said:
Thanks for the Info. I have shifted to the SF450. But still I will prefer AIO as I stay in India which is a pretty hot country. The normal ambient Temp is high ~29-30.
Which GPU do you use? Also are you able to use that GPU in MAC OS? I will love to have the MAC running in this but due to all the drives related issues I avoid doing so. But A MAC with these specs will be awesome.
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I am only running a GTX 960 as I don't game that heavily. All Nvidia reference style cards should work. I followed the buying guide list on tonymac's forum. https://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/october/2016

I am using the ASUS Z170I Pro Gaming, corsair Vengeance LPX ram and the EVGA GTX 960. Mac install was a piece of cake. If you decide to go that way I can give you some advice if needed.
 
Guys I have decided on my build somewhat, and I'll be using a 1070 hybrid GPU. Now I'm having a really hard time deciding what CPU cooler is best.

Initially I was looking at the Noctua NH-C12P, but this way my case has no exhaust fans. Both the fan of the radiator on the hybrid as the fan for the CPU cooler would be intake.

Another option is a CPU cooler like the Noctua NH-U9S or NH-D9L, both these coolers would actually improve the overall airflow in the case as they would extract the air from front of the case and exhaust it at the back, or extract from the bottom and exhaust on the top.

My brain is telling me the tower CPU coolers would work better with a single radiator of the hybrid than a topflow cooler would. What do you guys think?
 
anak85 said:
I am only running a GTX 960 as I don't game that heavily. All Nvidia reference style cards should work. I followed the buying guide list on tonymac's forum. https://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/october/2016

I am using the ASUS Z170I Pro Gaming, corsair Vengeance LPX ram and the EVGA GTX 960. Mac install was a piece of cake. If you decide to go that way I can give you some advice if needed.
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Thanks!! Since I am planning to use a pascal card I think I have to wait for the drivers. Now I will also use this PC for the Mac OS as and when drivers are available. Thanks a Lot!! Currently I am using a late 2012 27" iMac which is still excellent but I think now its time to upgrade.
anak85 I will connect with you as and when I start My Mac installation.
 
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