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

You can see in this image, the power connectors on SFX-L will push down on larger graphic cards causing them to sag.

Are they any L shape power connector that we could use? In order to avoid the push down.

Can we use this PSU with a Noctua C14?
 
Are they any L shape power connector that we could use? In order to avoid the push down.

Can we use this PSU with a Noctua C14?

Yes. Only the length of SFX-L power supplies is greater than SFX ones, so it is no closer to the motherboard or the CPU cooler in the M1 case.
 
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You can see in this image, the power connectors on SFX-L will push down on larger graphic cards causing them to sag.



Was getting the same thing, if you click on the Imgur in the upper left corner it will take you to the Imgur page.
Yes. Only the length of SFX-L power supplies is greater than SFX ones, so it is no closer to the motherboard or the CPU cooler in the M1 case.


qrash... "Are they any L shape power connector that we could use? In order to avoid the push down..."

This is what I would like to know also, as this Silverstone SX700-LPT PSU really appeals to me as a possible substitute for the Corsair SF450 or 600 in my upcoming M1 build.
 
qrash... "Are they any L shape power connector that we could use? In order to avoid the push down..."

This is what I would like to know also, as this Silverstone SX700-LPT PSU really appeals to me as a possible substitute for the Corsair SF450 or 600 in my upcoming M1 build.

I do not know if there are L-shaped power connectors. The power sockets on the SX700-LPT appear to extend outwards from the power supply surface a few millimeters less than they did on the SX500-LG, so there should be less pressure on to long GPUs. Compare the photos on the Silverstone website. I think when the SX500-LG came out someone trimmed the plastic of the power cable connectors to make them shorter. The forum's Search engine should be able to help finding those posts, unless I'm mistaken.

One member recommended mounting the power supply with its intake inside the case so that the power connectors interfere less with GPUs, especially those with a backplate.

Another option is to remove the backplate from your GPU to gain a couple more millimeters. If you do that, I would cover the rear of the GPU card with an insulating surface because the power supply wires may still contact the card. Finally, a little GPU sag is not that bad, though I understand why you'd want to minimize it. Good luck!

EDIT: This post may be helpful, plus the photos in the post after it.
 
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I do not know if there are L-shaped power connectors. The power sockets on the SX700-LPT appear to extend outwards from the power supply surface a few millimeters less than they did on the SX500-LG, so there should be less pressure on to long GPUs. Compare the photos on the Silverstone website. I think when the SX500-LG came out someone trimmed the plastic of the power cable connectors to make them shorter. The forum's Search engine should be able to help finding those posts, unless I'm mistaken. Another option is to remove the backplate from your GPU to gain a couple more millimeters. If you do that, I would cover the rear of the GPU card with an insulating surface because the power supply wires may still contact the card. Finally, a little GPU sag is not that bad, though I understand why you'd want to minimize it. Good luck!

For an easier install/setup and piece of mind for my M1 build, I think I'll just go with the Corsair SF600...

I have friends at other forums that think I should cancel the M1 order and go with a larger/easier to set up Mini-ITX case... like the Phanteks Evolv... not as funky as the M1, but an easy build.
 
I'm planning on the founder's edition though this is my first build in years so i have no idea what I'm doing.

Sure you do. The FE cards, though pricey, are a standard size so they will definitely fit the M1 and they exhaust to outside of the case.
 
Got my GTX 1070 today and finally done with my build :)

Here are some pics:



That looks just like my build, just with less fans.

How is the Corsair SFX PSU? Are the leads long enough or do you find yourself limited by the short lengths?
 
What do you guys think is a good GTX 1070 for a set up using an NH-U9S to cool an i7?

I'm planning on getting whatever aftermarket 1070 gets cheap and isn't power throttled in a the next weeks, removing the cooler and putting an arctic accelero III on it with 2x NF-F12.
 
For an easier install/setup and piece of mind for my M1 build, I think I'll just go with the Corsair SF600...

I have friends at other forums that think I should cancel the M1 order and go with a larger/easier to set up Mini-ITX case... like the Phanteks Evolv... not as funky as the M1, but an easy build.

The M1 and the Evolv are 2 very different cases. Every post I've seen that mentions the Evolv, fails to mention the Evolv is almost triple the size of the M1.

Besides...what's the fun in easy? You'll appreciate the M1 more if you go that route and finish the build. This thread is 500+ pages and is not heavy on complaints
 
Another mounting option from a year and a half ago is to mount an SFX-L power supply at the front of the case using an ATX-SFX adapter. In that post the power connectors and cables clear the end of the reference length Geforce card. The SX600-G came with an ATX-SFX adapter place, but I don't think the later modesl from Silverstone do. They do sell the PP08 plate now though.

Many thanks.

So just to be cristal clé at, the pp08 plate allo me to install the sfx-l on the front office the NCASE. Thus the câble management will be easy.
Is that it?
I will go with à gtx 1080 customized with à arctic accéléro III and à ssd nvme directly on the MB plus à nocturne nhc 14.

I should be ok with this configuration no?
( CPU 5820k or 6700K)
 
Many thanks.

So just to be cristal clé at, the pp08 plate allo me to install the sfx-l on the front office the NCASE. Thus the câble management will be easy.
Is that it?
I will go with à gtx 1080 customized with à arctic accéléro III and à ssd nvme directly on the MB plus à nocturne nhc 14.

I should be ok with this configuration no?
( CPU 5820k or 6700K)

Yes. But: the PP08 mounts the SFX to one side so you will have to decide if there is enough room between the PS and the front panel for the PS fan's intake or turn the PS around so that its intake is from towards the motherboard. Either way it will be warmer air than having the intake against a side panel or facing a side panel fan. Other ATX-SFX adapters, like the one that came with the SX600-G, had the SFX mounted in the center of the adapter plate.

CRAZY IDEA: Of course, if you are not mounting any drives to the front panel of the M1 chasis, you could cut a hole for the PS fan to breath through. It would then intake air from behind the front cover which comes in from the bottom section of the case through the gap above the front I/O assembly which is also where the GPU heatsink will be poking through.
 
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I guess you can chalk me up to another unhappy frozenq customer. Orders been pending for nearly a week now, contacting them gets you nowhere. They also dont have a phone contact. Maybe this will be my motivation to 3d model one that can be 3d printed....


EDIT: Yet they respond very very quickly to paypal disputes. What a joke.
 
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For an easier install/setup and piece of mind for my M1 build, I think I'll just go with the Corsair SF600...

I have friends at other forums that think I should cancel the M1 order and go with a larger/easier to set up Mini-ITX case... like the Phanteks Evolv... not as funky as the M1, but an easy build.

The M1 is about being efficient with packaging of PC components. The beauty of the M1 is its size. My friends were telling me to go with a larger case as well, but I'm glad I stuck with the M1.
 
Many thanks.

So just to be cristal clé at, the pp08 plate allo me to install the sfx-l on the front office the NCASE. Thus the câble management will be easy.
Is that it?
I will go with à gtx 1080 customized with à arctic accéléro III and à ssd nvme directly on the MB plus à nocturne nhc 14.

I should be ok with this configuration no?
( CPU 5820k or 6700K)

I would think the SFX-L PSU would still have issues with a full-length GPU, even when mounted to the front (like an ATX PSU); as is stated clearly on the Ncase M1 website (Compatability tab), SFX-L PSUs WILL interfere with full-length GPUs…!
 
I would think the SFX-L PSU would still have issues with a full-length GPU, even when mounted to the front (like an ATX PSU); as is stated clearly on the Ncase M1 website (Compatability tab), SFX-L PSUs WILL interfere with full-length GPUs…!

Maybe for really long cards. Did you see this post from Aibohphobia in which he did this with a reference card and the SX500-LG? He did it with a custom made ATX-SFX adapter plate. The PP08 should do pretty much the same thing.

Quote from the post:

Luckily there's enough clearance with the SSD mounting plate removed from the frame for the PSU to move forward ~7mm. Which will let the cables clear with room to spare.
So I cannot guarantee success with this strategy and it may not work with everyone's components, but it might. I am amazed at how flexible the M1 is for such a small case. That aspect of it fools a lot of people.
 
That looks just like my build, just with less fans.

How is the Corsair SFX PSU? Are the leads long enough or do you find yourself limited by the short lengths?

The cables were long enough for me, the psu is whisper quiet and the fan didn't even spin the few times I checked. The cables are a little stiff though and require a bit of force to bend or stay bent.
 
Another mounting option from a year and a half ago is to mount an SFX-L power supply at the front of the case using an ATX-SFX adapter. In that post the power connectors and cables clear the end of the reference length Geforce card. The SX600-G came with an ATX-SFX adapter place, but I don't think the later modesl from Silverstone do. They do sell the PP08 plate now though.

I could never get the holes on the PP08 to align with the ATX bracket that came with Ncase.
 
I guess you can chalk me up to another unhappy frozenq customer. Orders been pending for nearly a week now, contacting them gets you nowhere. They also dont have a phone contact. Maybe this will be my motivation to 3d model one that can be 3d printed....


EDIT: Yet they respond very very quickly to paypal disputes. What a joke.

I had the same problem, they showed 8 in stock when I ordered mine and it was 8 days before it was even shipped. Totally unacceptable.
 
Hi, I'm planning to build my first PC and was hoping to use the Ncase M1. I had a few questions I was hoping to get some help with:

tl'dr version: I'm a noob. Would MSI GTX 1060 Gaming fit? Recommendation for Z170 motherboard? NH-C14 is the cooler to go for?

1) Is it possible to fit the MSI GTX 1060 Gaming in the Ncase M1? Reason I'm keen on this card is I would like a very quiet system under load and this seems to be the quietest 1060. Would prefer to avoid water cooling and would be nice to be able to use a stock cooler. I see that the MSI Gaming GTX 1070 and 1080 are listed as 'probably won't fit'. However, I see that there seem to be a number of people who have fit MSI GTX 970 Gaming cards in the Ncase M1 seemingly without needing to mod the case (someone posted a pic in the google doc showing how the heat pipes on the 970 touched the case panels but it did fit). The dimensions on the MSI website seem reasonably close to me:
1060: 277 x 140 x 39 mm
970: 277 x 140 x 35 mm
1080 X: 279 x 140 x 42 mm
There only seems to be a few mm between the 1060, 970 and 1080. Thickness seems to be the main difference but from what I understand the real issue is height and power connection location. I know that dimensions don't tell the full story - but I'm too much of a noob to figure this out. The main difference in shapes that I can see are that the 1080/70 boards seem to be a 'full rectangle' while the 970 board had a bit cut-off in the top left corner while the 1060 has no cut out in the top left corner but has a smaller cutout in the top right corner. I'm guessing the answer is that the cut out in the top left of the 970 is what lets it fit and that the MSI 1060 Gaming won't fit but I'm hoping the answer is I could squeeze the 1060 in there :-P

2) Was hoping to get some help picking a motherboard. The two I have narrowed things down to are Asus Z170i Pro Gaming and Asrock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac. I was leaning towards the Asrock because it has a USB C port, but that's not a deal breaker. I'm inclined towards a Z170 mobo as I like the idea of having the option to overclock even though realistically I don't plan to overclock (as I'm guessing will prevent me from having a quiet system). I would like M.2 2280 support which seemed to leave just these two and two Gigabyte boards, and I skipped the Gigabyte boards as I heard their fan control options aren't as easy to tweak (I would want to tweak fan settings to reduce noise). If there is a non-Z170 mobo that would be a much better choice I would be open to that. Does the layout of any of these motherboards cause an issue?

3) CPU cooler recommendation? Noise is the key concern. I saw that NH-C14 was recommended as a good choice so picked that, but I don't really have any idea if that is the best choice or if it would cause any fit issues with other parts.

Parts I was thinking of below. I know the quantity of RAM is silly but if anything else is problematic please let me know.

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($304.95 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($245.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($143.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung SM951 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($379.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GAMING Video Card
Power Supply: Silverstone 700W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($22.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($22.99 @ Amazon Canada)

Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-21 21:22 EDT-0400

Thanks
 
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I could never get the holes on the PP08 to align with the ATX bracket that came with Ncase.

So I had to check for myself and I was able to get the PP08 to attach to the ATX bracket. It only goes on one way and it's a good thing it has at least twice as many threaded holes as you need because you're right not all of them line up with holes in the ATX bracket, but 4 (one in each corner) do. Photos to come.
 
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Hi, I'm planning to build my first PC and was hoping to use the Ncase M1. I had a few questions I was hoping to get some help with:
As someone who has been exhaustively researching builds whilst waiting for their M1 to arrive, I'd like to offer some suggestions based off of my observations:

The C14 is widely regarded as one of (if not) the best air coolers for this case. The trouble lies in finding them (I bought mine from MemEx as well), and fitting them correctly.
You stick a 120mm fan on the bottom of the C14 (NH-F12 or similar) and stick a pair of fans on the bracket. Ram clearance won't be an issue with your selection.

You WILL probably have issues with your PSU. Unless they've made something new, that PSU is actually an SFX-L, which means you may have clearance issues using a full-length GPU.
Folks have been jamming 1070s & 1080s into their M1s, so the 1060 should fit without any trouble. The only possible issue is the PSU clearance.
Dig through this thread (via search) to see how folks are fitting their SFX-L power supplies. Otherwise, Corsair and Silverstone have 600w models that are actually SFX.

I'd also suggest NH-F12s over the S12As. The S12A fans are really quiet, but they don't really offer great airflow in tight spaces.
If you aren't running the drive cage, the front-most fan bracket location would probably be the only real place for the S12A.
The F12 models are better rated for static pressure, which is ideal for being jammed against a cpu heatsink.

If you don't get the C14 cooler, the U9S or D9L appear to be great options. Both can sport dual fans, and both will cool a 6600k without a fuss.



Personally I will be running a C14 w/ a F12 on the bottom, F12 + P14 FLX combos on the side and bottom of the case, and a single A9 for aiding in exhaust.
 
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Hi, I'm planning to build my first PC and was hoping to use the Ncase M1. I had a few questions I was hoping to get some help with:

tl'dr version: I'm a noob. Would MSI GTX 1060 Gaming fit? Recommendation for Z170 motherboard? NH-C14 is the cooler to go for?

1) Is it possible to fit the MSI GTX 1060 Gaming in the Ncase M1? Reason I'm keen on this card is I would like a very quiet system under load and this seems to be the quietest 1060. Would prefer to avoid water cooling and would be nice to be able to use a stock cooler. I see that the MSI Gaming GTX 1070 and 1080 are listed as 'probably won't fit'. However, I see that there seem to be a number of people who have fit MSI GTX 970 Gaming cards in the Ncase M1 seemingly without needing to mod the case (someone posted a pic in the google doc showing how the heat pipes on the 970 touched the case panels but it did fit). The dimensions on the MSI website seem reasonably close to me:
1060: 277 x 140 x 39 mm
970: 277 x 140 x 35 mm
1080 X: 279 x 140 x 42 mm
There only seems to be a few mm between the 1060, 970 and 1080. Thickness seems to be the main difference but from what I understand the real issue is height and power connection location. I know that dimensions don't tell the full story - but I'm too much of a noob to figure this out. The main difference in shapes that I can see are that the 1080/70 boards seem to be a 'full rectangle' while the 970 board had a bit cut-off in the top left corner while the 1060 has no cut out in the top left corner but has a smaller cutout in the top right corner. I'm guessing the answer is that the cut out in the top left of the 970 is what lets it fit and that the MSI 1060 Gaming won't fit but I'm hoping the answer is I could squeeze the 1060 in there :-P

2) Was hoping to get some help picking a motherboard. The two I have narrowed things down to are Asus Z170i Pro Gaming and Asrock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac. I was leaning towards the Asrock because it has a USB C port, but that's not a deal breaker. I'm inclined towards a Z170 mobo as I like the idea of having the option to overclock even though realistically I don't plan to overclock (as I'm guessing will prevent me from having a quiet system). I would like M.2 2280 support which seemed to leave just these two and two Gigabyte boards, and I skipped the Gigabyte boards as I heard their fan control options aren't as easy to tweak (I would want to tweak fan settings to reduce noise). If there is a non-Z170 mobo that would be a much better choice I would be open to that. Does the layout of any of these motherboards cause an issue?

3) CPU cooler recommendation? Noise is the key concern. I saw that NH-C14 was recommended as a good choice so picked that, but I don't really have any idea if that is the best choice or if it would cause any fit issues with other parts.

Parts I was thinking of below. I know the quantity of RAM is silly but if anything else is problematic please let me know.

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($304.95 @ Vuugo)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($245.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($143.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Samsung SM951 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($379.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GAMING Video Card
Power Supply: Silverstone 700W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($22.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan ($22.99 @ Amazon Canada)

Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-21 21:22 EDT-0400

Thanks

The problem with the MSI GTX 1060 will be the pci power connection. Necere recommends 120mm to the pci connector, the MSI looks to be at least 130mm. The pcb on the 970 Gaming is the same height as the pci bracket, it is just the cooler that is so wide there is plenty of room for the pci connector. The 1080/1070 MSI Gaming are even worse, the pci connector is a full 140mm. I can't find the dimensions on the Asus Strix 1060 but members here have been able to fit the 1080/1070 Strix, might be a good alternative.
 
Thanks prometheus_ and rfarmer, very helpful and clear! I see what you are saying about the PCI power connector and you're right, the PSU is SFX-L so I'll have to give that some thought (and the fans).

EDIT: I was looking at the PCB for the MSI Gaming 1060 and saw that the PCI power connection is slightly recessed. From my quick and dirty pixel counting I got around 129mm for the height to the PCI power connection (if I did it right), which seems to be about the same height as the EVGA FTW card in the post I reference below. Which makes me think, if I was to buy a 90 degree PCI power cable (see post 20264 on p507) then would that likely solve the PCI power connection issue? In that case would the MSI Gaming 1060 likely just about fit?

Further edit: Post 19677 seems to say that the 130mm may just about work. However, this raises the question of whether the rear corner of the card would be an issue (I'm not going to pretend I know what that means...). Necere said the max height for that is 121mm. The MSI 1060 PCB doesn't seem to get any shorter at the end so I assume its 140mm? To look at the PCB I looked at the techpowerup review of the card.

Another Edit: I think I finally understand the image in post 19673 (yes I'm slow) and it does look to me like the rear of MSI Gaming 1060 is going to be a problem unless one mods the case (which I'm not keen on). If someone could please confirm I'm understanding this correctly that would be great?

I guess I have to look into the ASUS Strix, which is unfortunately seems to be the most expensive 1060 by quite a ways :-P
 
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Five more days until the next shipment! I'm excited! How long did it take for it to reach state side?
 
So with this Titan X annoucement I am now hesitating between 2 configuration:

PSU : corsair SFX 600
GC: gtx Titan X

or

PSU: SX700 LPT
GC GTX 1080 FE customized with Arctic accelero III

first one is easier to install( plug and play), better result but much more noise

second one will be more chalenging to install in the NCASE, much less noise, worst(but still good!) result.


is the TITAN X really noisy? I was really attracted by the fact the GTX1080 was only 170 W
with 250 Watt the TITAN X should make as much noise as a 980TI, no?

whatt do you think?
 
Should I get a GTX 1070 SC with 2 noctuas in the bottom or a GTX 1070 FE. I have a NH-U9S cooling my CPU. Also, if I were to get the SC what fan type should I use? S12 or F12?
 
Five more days until the next shipment! I'm excited! How long did it take for it to reach state side?

When I ordered my M1 on July 15th, it said would ship on July 27th and would take 1-2 weeks. That would put delivery between August 3rd and the 10th for me.
 
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The M1 and the Evolv are 2 very different cases. Every post I've seen that mentions the Evolv, fails to mention the Evolv is almost triple the size of the M1.

Besides...what's the fun in easy? You'll appreciate the M1 more if you go that route and finish the build. This thread is 500+ pages and is not heavy on complaints


I'm looking forward to the build, but I'm definitely not as skilled at all this stuff as @ 95% of the people that post here.

So, starting in a @ few weeks when I have all the components and case and begin the build, be prepared for some dumb-ass, repetitive questions, and significant insecurities revealed.
 
Speaking of questions...

I have the M1 coming with the optical slot. If I use that space for the DVD/RW drive, then what would I potentially lose in terms of another item/component that could have been placed in that spot, if anything?

Tell me what DVD internal or external drive you purchased... here's an internal...a possibility? ( https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-Internal-SN-208FB-BEBE/dp/B00GXNPJI6?ie=UTF8&keywords=samsung slim dvd sata internal&linkCode=sl1&linkId=1c24ad74ae3b469ef46fda2bc5b97376&qid=1447448531&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&sr=8-1&tag=thtebusgu-20 )

OR... https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-UJ...A+Slim+Slot-Load+Internal+8X+DVDRW+SATA+Drive ?

If I change my mind and not use the slot, I could still go with an external DVD/RW, correct?
 
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The plan is to use an AIO on the i7-6700k and a 1080 blower style...
( and Asus Z170I Pro Gaming, Corsair SF600)

With that in mind, is there a case fan decision to be made?
 
Anyone know of an M1 case build shown in detail from start to finish, using a Asus Z170I Pro Gaming MB and an AIO cpu cooler .... shown as either a log or a YouTube video?
 
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