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

I've been getting different results from all those power supply calculators out there. Which would you trust?

I want to run a Core i5 or i7 with no overclocking, Zotac Amp GTX 680, 3.5" 7200rpm HD, 2.5" SSD, 2x4GB G.Skill ECO 1.35v DDR3-1600, and several USB peripherals (USB sound card among them).
 
I've been getting different results from all those power supply calculators out there. Which would you trust?

I want to run a Core i5 or i7 with no overclocking, Zotac Amp GTX 680, 3.5" 7200rpm HD, 2.5" SSD, 2x4GB G.Skill ECO 1.35v DDR3-1600, and several USB peripherals (USB sound card among them).

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/772
I usually use Anandtech with some estimation.
Power consumption listed there is total system power consumption, not GPU-only power consumption.
 
I've been getting different results from all those power supply calculators out there. Which would you trust?

I want to run a Core i5 or i7 with no overclocking, Zotac Amp GTX 680, 3.5" 7200rpm HD, 2.5" SSD, 2x4GB G.Skill ECO 1.35v DDR3-1600, and several USB peripherals (USB sound card among them).

The ST45SF / ST45SF-G are enough for such a build.
If you want silence + flat cables you could get the SST-SX600-G.
 
I've been getting different results from all those power supply calculators out there. Which would you trust?

I want to run a Core i5 or i7 with no overclocking, Zotac Amp GTX 680, 3.5" 7200rpm HD, 2.5" SSD, 2x4GB G.Skill ECO 1.35v DDR3-1600, and several USB peripherals (USB sound card among them).

Extreme Power Supply Calculator has always been accurate enough for my needs:

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

A 450W sfx psu is easily enough for your system.
 
It was just listed at Newegg for the first time yesterday, and in-stock through the afternoon and evening, then sold-out by the morning.

Unfortunately, the bastards wouldn't honor my Shoprunner 2-day shipping for just that one item.. only S&H option available was "Super Eggsaver" (4-7 business days) for $6, which means I'll probably get it sometime in September :rolleyes:

September? that sucks lol. I gotta find when they'll have it in stock because I'm not waiting for amazon and I don't know when it'll be in stock and I'm not paying $20 more from FrozenCPU, but I would love to get it from Amazon.
 
So...

...I come home from vacation last night and find this pick-up note from LianLi in my mailbox. I get all excited, spend the day at work thinking about my new build. Get to the post office directly after work.

Im eagerly awaiting as i deliver the note and the post office guy goes in the back to fetch.

As he puts the box on the counter i realize.... IT'S THE F**** NO-ODD TOP PANEL. Totally forgot about that one. So my M1 is on a boat, which i should have known. This day sucks so bad.

That aside, Loving the finish and my god the footprint is tiny.
 
Can anyone tell me if the feet are 35mm or 45mm in diameter? The black case comes with black feet and I wanna replace them with chrome ones. Would Lian-li feet fit properly?
 
What sorts of air cooling HSF/Fan are people going for in this case? I'm looking at anything under 300g weight. I used an Arctic Freezer 11 LP in my parents' ATX build for the same CPU (i5-4590) and it cooled well enough. Due to size considerations mentioned in reviews, I'm also looking at Cooler Master Gemini II M4, but I saw in the spreadsheet someone mentioned a size issue regarding the fan retention clip. These are all well under 105mm in height so at least height should not be a concern, right?

Still not sure about which motherboard I'll go for, the cheaper Z97/H97 chipset ones are out of stock on NewEgg (because the i5-4590 is Haswell Refresh, I'm stuck with 9 series since I don't want to go through the hassle of BIOS refresh without a spare CPU).
 
What sorts of air cooling HSF/Fan are people going for in this case? I'm looking at anything under 300g weight. I used an Arctic Freezer 11 LP in my parents' ATX build for the same CPU (i5-4590) and it cooled well enough. Due to size considerations mentioned in reviews, I'm also looking at Cooler Master Gemini II M4, but I saw in the spreadsheet someone mentioned a size issue regarding the fan retention clip. These are all well under 105mm in height so at least height should not be a concern, right?

Still not sure about which motherboard I'll go for, the cheaper Z97/H97 chipset ones are out of stock on NewEgg (because the i5-4590 is Haswell Refresh, I'm stuck with 9 series since I don't want to go through the hassle of BIOS refresh without a spare CPU).

cooler choice really depens on what moterboard you are using. With some motherboards it is rather limited ...
 
Didn't know the SFX 600W can support 7990.
http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/PSU/GPU-supportlist.pdf

I have a question about PSU rails. I bought the Antec Earthwatts 750w earlier. I read info online about multi rails but some things don't quite add up.

It is listed as 12v1 12v2 12v3 12v4 with 30A max each with 720W total max load for 12v. Website also says it has "2 fully-protected High Current +12V rails" (does not mention how much amps on each). I'm :confused: with all these rails.

PSU would not be able to handle all rails having max amps because that would be 30A x 12v x 4 = 1440W

1) Does that mean the two +12V rails refer to 30A for GPU rail + 30A for all other 12v rail = 720W? Manual says 4 x 8 Pin PCI-E on 12v3/4.

2) Or 720W can be distributed anywhere as long as each rail does not go over 30A? But then why say "2 fully-protected High Current +12V rails" when there's 4 30A?

:confused::confused::confused:
 
So...

...I come home from vacation last night and find this pick-up note from LianLi in my mailbox. I get all excited, spend the day at work thinking about my new build. Get to the post office directly after work.

Im eagerly awaiting as i deliver the note and the post office guy goes in the back to fetch.

As he puts the box on the counter i realize.... IT'S THE F**** NO-ODD TOP PANEL. Totally forgot about that one. So my M1 is on a boat, which i should have known. This day sucks so bad.

That aside, Loving the finish and my god the footprint is tiny.

lol, that's like the time my friend got the backplate to his GTX 295 days before getting the card itself
 
Bit of advice for anyone who gets sfx power. Buy 600W silverstone. Period. You dont want that jet engine that 450W is when on high load.

Exactly. While 450W would be fully sufficient for the system mentioned, the 600W SX600-G is preferred for several reasons (vastly reduced fan noise, semi-passive, flat cables and overclocking headroom).
 
Talked myself in to building a mini ITX build a few months ago after seeing the M1.
I've only just finished (well actually haven't as I never got around to buying a new GPU) my Corsair Air 540 build. Only to realise after using it for a few months that it's far too big.
I then talked myself out of it, because a) I'd only just built one and b) it seemed like a long time for another production run to happen.
Last week I noticed it was available to purchase, and without even thinking bought one.
Waiting for delivery next month, I can't wait! However, it does more or less mean I need to buy a new everything, pretty much. Things I can use that I already have would be the 4770K, Samsung 840 Pro SSD, and maybe H220.
Which leads me to a few questions.
I'm probably going to get the Z97 ROG motherboard (or maybe Z97 deluxe if one becomes available anytime soon). I shrugged off the M.2 SSDs initially, because they didn't seem to offer any better performance. Until I saw the XP941. And I do want! But some reviews seem to warn people about space behind the motherboard. Will the motherboard risers provide enough space behind the motherboard to mount a M.2 SSD?
Slightly unrelated to the M1, but apparently using that M.2 slot will knock the PCI lane for the GPU to x8, anyone got any idea what performance decrease this may cause? As that'll be a bigger priority (I intend to get a 880 when they're available).

As I bought 4x4GB sticks of RAM for my current build, and I want 16GB, I'm obviously going to have to get new RAM. I'm looking for the lowest profile 2133/2400Mhz RAM that I can get. Lowest I've seen would be the AMD RAM, Avexir Core and Kingston HyperX Genesis. Any other recommendations?

Getting to the CPU cooler, I've currently got the H220, which would be more than enough. However a few things are putting me off. Firstly, I've had it replaced once already, after about 2/3 months, it developed a clicking noise in the pump, almost as though something was stuck in there. I have a replacement now, which apparently has the new H220X pump in there. It's also probably the worst CPU air and AIO cooler I've ever had experience of installing, which if I'm having to replace it all the time would really, really annoy me. I'm also not confident enough with water cooling to cut the tubes smaller, and the ones on the H220 are lengthy, which would be a worry packing in there. So I'm looking at possibly air cooling, you've probably heard this a lot, but what's the best air cooler you can fit in this thing? But, taking in to consideration 2400Mhz of RAM isn't exactly low profile, the motherboard I'm likely to get would probably have the daughter board up top and one for the sound card below the CPU, and finally I'd want to install two matching fans on the side panel (not necessary, but it is something that would really annoy me if I could see just one fan through the vents).

I'm going to get the 600W Silverstone SFX PSU, I've seen a few people mount the SFX PSUs to pull cold air either through the side panel, or from inside the case. I think it'd make more sense pulling it through the side panel, however, this will potentially mean I'd have no fans exhausting at all, especially if an air cooler means I couldn't use the 92mm fan.

For the GPU, I imagine if buying new, a reference type cooler that'll exhaust would almost always be recommended? Especially if air cooling the CPU. However, if I go for an AIO cooler, I suppose one with multiple fans (no idea what these types of cards are called) would be a possibility with the CPU fans set to exhaust? I don't really overclock, but I may try matching clock speeds with the 4790K when I do get it set up. So on air I'd definitely go exhaust type GPU, for an AIO cooler, what would most of you do? Exhaust GPU fan, or multiple fan GPU?

And finally for now, mounting the SSDs. I intend to have one SSD for boot and a 1TB SSD for games. I will also have a Blu Ray drive in here. What mounting options will I have? As far as I can tell, if I were using the ODD slot, and if I were to use all the fan mounts, I'd be able to install just the one SSD? (This wouldn't be a problem if I were to go M.2 obviously).
 
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A single GPU will not max out the speed of an 8x PCIe slot. It should not be an issue. Hell even the Asus Maximus Impact is going to come with a M.2 PCIe capable slot and they are marketed to gamers. They would not have included that possibility if it could affect gpu performance.
 
September? that sucks lol. I gotta find when they'll have it in stock because I'm not waiting for amazon and I don't know when it'll be in stock and I'm not paying $20 more from FrozenCPU, but I would love to get it from Amazon.

UPS says I'll get my SX600-G in the middle of next week, but their supersaver shipping is sometimes insanely slow for me. It's back in stock at Newegg right now.. you can use their VCO code for 10% off (just be sure to follow the checkout instructions).
 
So are most people just using the PSU fan as an intake fan? What about exhaust?

I figure I'll leave the bottom vents clear for my GPU which isn't a rear exhaust type. Then PSU can act as an intake fan. That leaves the possibility of a rear-mounted 80mm/92mm exhaust fan if the CPU cooler leaves enough room.
 
So are most people just using the PSU fan as an intake fan? What about exhaust?

I figure I'll leave the bottom vents clear for my GPU which isn't a rear exhaust type. Then PSU can act as an intake fan. That leaves the possibility of a rear-mounted 80mm/92mm exhaust fan if the CPU cooler leaves enough room.

You cant set the PSU up to air intake. It will exhaust the air whichever way you orient it. The question is, should it take air from inside the case or outside. This has been covered extensively in the past and ther doesn, t seem to be a straight answer. I plan on orienting it to take in air from the inside directly from the 240 rad i the hops that the bonus airflow will keep the psu fan from spinning up as long as possible, but air temps migt counteract my initial goal. I figure, if it doesnt work, ill just flip it.
 
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Been happily using my M1 for months now.

Config:
  • M1 case
  • Intel Core i5 4670K Boxed
  • ASRock Z87E-ITX
  • Asus R9 290X 4GB
  • Silverstone SST-ST45SF (450W)
  • Crucial M500 2,5" 480GB
  • Adamantium reservoir

My 290x is hitting 95 degrees and throttling when I drive my eyefinity setup.

20140822_155444_resized_zps38f2c7c3.jpg


20131203_004556_resized_zps9c8ef780.jpg


I want to go LC now.

Can someone verify this exact list?

LC set
http:///1vrfED2
  • EK-FC R9-290X - Plexi - Rev.2.0
  • Swiftech H220
  • Feser Tube NON-UV - HighFlow - 3/8 ID - 1/2 OD - CLEAR / PURE
  • Alphacool HF Screw connector 90 G1/4OD revolvable 10mm (3/8 ID - 1/2 OD) - Deep Black 17075
  • Aqua-Computer Double Protect Ultra - Orange 1000ml
 
My 290x is hitting 95 degrees and throttling when I drive my eyefinity setup.
Do you have any intake or exhaust fans? There aren't any in your picture but I'm not sure if that's fully assembled. No intake or exhaust in a case this size is a recipe for high temperatures.
 
Do you have any intake or exhaust fans? There aren't any in your picture but I'm not sure if that's fully assembled. No intake or exhaust in a case this size is a recipe for high temperatures.

I have one intake right below the 290x. (not very efficient though because its right up it's fase.) You can see it actually in the picture above.

You think 2 extra case fans will stop my 290x from throttling?
 
Jadatmag, don't get H220 with ST45SF-G, they won't honour your warranty with that GPU. Wait for sx600-g.
 
I have one intake right below the 290x. (not very efficient though because its right up it's fase.) You can see it actually in the picture above.

You think 2 extra case fans will stop my 290x from throttling?

Worth a try. Also make sure your case isn't on a carpet so it doesnt cover the bottom airflow. Reorganize your cables too especially if you are using a blower-style video card. There's very small space for hot air to move up and you wouldnt want anything blocking it.
 
How big of an air cooler can you fit inside this case? Could you fit something like a Dark Rock Pro 3?

Another question, would having a big cooler like that put stress on the motherboard if it's heavy?
 
Anyone know when the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 will be available in the US? I emailed Fractal but haven't heard back yet.
 
Hello, I asked for the EU market, and response (took some time) was "no date set". :(

Anyone know when the Fractal Design Kelvin S24 will be available in the US? I emailed Fractal but haven't heard back yet.
 
Wouldn't that keep all the current watercooling AIO's from being sold ? I thought this patent was about the one model Swiftech sells.
 
Guys, how long will the 3rd run go for? I'm thinking about getting a silver one... :)
 
Wouldn't that keep all the current watercooling AIO's from being sold ? I thought this patent was about the one model Swiftech sells.

I think its for any AIO where the pump is attached to the CPU block. Which is why swiftechs h220x has it separated. Most AIOs now a days are rebadged Aseteks.
 
There is no 3rd run (yet), there are just some cases left to sell.

I'm curious what Necere is going to do next. A 3rd M1 run or something entirely new? Too early to ask him though. Once this second run gets finished then maybe see what he is or isn't dreaming up. :D
 
We can only hope Necere and Wahaha360 grace us with another magical design. Maybe they'll make the most awesome NUC-case we'd ever seen ? Or the thinnest Steambox case that can house a GTX 780Ti and Core i7 without a sweat ? Maybe he says FU and just builds a huge E-ATX case that can house 20 HDD's and even more 140mm fans for 6 quad-140mm radiators for dual CPU and quad SLI/Crossfire.

One can only speculate what they are up to.
 
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