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

Have all the parts except motherboard and Strix video card. Buying these after Christmas and I will do the build next week
 
I'm just waiting for January to order my silver v5 with an additional black top. Plan my build otherwise sometime next year. Sure on the case, but nothing else essentially.. Zen? kaby? New HEDT? Omg.
 
Chimaera43 said:
Anybody doin' anything? Slow around here.
Click to expand...

Well, I am finishing my son's build in my old Rev. 1 case. Things to do:
  • Flip the Corsair SF450 around so that the fan faces inside to receive filtered airflow from the NF-A15 on the side bracket
  • Managa all of the PS and SATA cables
  • Install the sightly taller black case feet I bought to help the Gigabyte 1070 breathe
  • Install Windows 10 tomorrow
I'm doing all of this with my Rev.1 black panels in place so that he thinks it's my Rev.4 case. Just before wrapping it for Christmas, I will change the case feet and panels to the bare aluminum ones. Surprise!
 
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Qrash said:
Well, I am finishing my son's build in my old Rev. 1 case. Things to do:
  • Flip the Corsair SF450 around so that the fan faces inside to receive airflow from the NF-A15 on the side bracket
  • Managa all of the PS and SATA cables
  • Install the sightly taller black case feet I bought to help the Gigabyte 1070 breathe
  • Install Windows 10 tomorrow
I'm doing all of this with my Rev.1 black panels in place so that he thinks it's my Rev.4 case. Just before wrapping it for Christmas, I will change the case feet and panels to the bare aluminum ones. Surprise!
Click to expand...

I love your plan!! Such a nice way to surprise the kid. Hope he appreciates it!
 
0ptnal said:
I'm just waiting for January to order my silver v5 with an additional black top. Plan my build otherwise sometime next year. Sure on the case, but nothing else essentially.. Zen? kaby? New HEDT? Omg.
Click to expand...
That's what i did, I think it looks a lot better than silver to. It adds some contrasts.
 
Qrash said:
Well, I am finishing my son's build in my old Rev. 1 case. Things to do:
  • Flip the Corsair SF450 around so that the fan faces inside to receive airflow from the NF-A15 on the side bracket
  • Managa all of the PS and SATA cables
  • Install the sightly taller black case feet I bought to help the Gigabyte 1070 breathe
  • Install Windows 10 tomorrow
I'm doing all of this with my Rev.1 black panels in place so that he thinks it's my Rev.4 case. Just before wrapping it for Christmas, I will change the case feet and panels to the bare aluminum ones. Surprise!
Click to expand...
Nice surprise present! My son and I worked together with computers. He is now Senior Storage Engineer at Whole Foods.
 
0ptional said:
I'm just waiting for January to order my silver v5 with an additional black top. Plan my build otherwise sometime next year. Sure on the case, but nothing else essentially.. Zen? kaby? New HEDT? Omg.
Click to expand...
Same here. Moving in January so I will wait and see what new hardware shows up before I dig into the build.
 
Chapeau said:
I love your plan!! Such a nice way to surprise the kid. Hope he appreciates it!
Click to expand...

Chimaera43 said:
Nice surprise present! My son and I worked together with computers. He is now Senior Storage Engineer at Whole Foods.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm sure he will love the build. What's not to like: 6700K, GTX 1070, 2x8GB DDR4-3000, Samsung 960 EVO 500GB, Samsung Spinpoint M9T 2TB, UJ-265 all wrapped up in an Ncase M1! The lucky fart is also getting a new monitor (Asus ROG Swift PG279Q) and 2.1 speakers (Corsair SP2500).

I was going to spring for the new Sound BlasterX Katana (USB/BT/analog audio soundbar plus subwoofer), but they weren't in stock anywhere in Canada and only briefly in the US. Besides I got a good price on the SP2500 from Newegg Canada.
 
Qrash said:
Thanks! I'm sure he will love the build. What's not to like: 6700K, GTX 1070, 2x8GB DDR4-3000, Samsung 960 EVO 500GB, Samsung Spinpoint M9T 2TB, UJ-265 all wrapped up in an Ncase M1! The lucky fart is also getting a new monitor (Asus ROG Swift PG279Q) and 2.1 speakers (Corsair SP2500).

I was going to spring for the new Sound BlasterX Katana (USB/BT/analog audio soundbar plus subwoofer), but they weren't in stock anywhere in Canada and only briefly in the US. Besides I got a good price on the SP2500 from Newegg Canada.
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Can I be your son too? :p

Nice present, sure he will love them.
 
Is the power button red now instead of blue? If so, I want to switch! I hate blue LEDs. Only like white or red.
 
Qrash said:
Well, I am finishing my son's build in my old Rev. 1 case. Things to do:
  • Flip the Corsair SF450 around so that the fan faces inside to receive filtered airflow from the NF-A15 on the side bracket
  • Managa all of the PS and SATA cables
  • Install the sightly taller black case feet I bought to help the Gigabyte 1070 breathe
  • Install Windows 10 tomorrow
I'm doing all of this with my Rev.1 black panels in place so that he thinks it's my Rev.4 case. Just before wrapping it for Christmas, I will change the case feet and panels to the bare aluminum ones. Surprise!
Click to expand...

Qrash said:
Thanks! I'm sure he will love the build. What's not to like: 6700K, GTX 1070, 2x8GB DDR4-3000, Samsung 960 EVO 500GB, Samsung Spinpoint M9T 2TB, UJ-265 all wrapped up in an Ncase M1! The lucky fart is also getting a new monitor (Asus ROG Swift PG279Q) and 2.1 speakers (Corsair SP2500).

I was going to spring for the new Sound BlasterX Katana (USB/BT/analog audio soundbar plus subwoofer), but they weren't in stock anywhere in Canada and only briefly in the US. Besides I got a good price on the SP2500 from Newegg Canada.
Click to expand...

I want a dad like you :)

The first computer my parents gave me back in the day was a used / not functioning AMD 486. I was 12 and it took me 3 months and many phone calls to the support line of AMD to figure out how to get DOS to load the CPU drivers before installing Windows 95. The times before internet :)
 
anak85 said:
I want a dad like you :)

The first computer my parents gave me back in the day was a used / not functioning AMD 486. I was 12 and it took me 3 months and many phone calls to the support line of AMD to figure out how to get DOS to load the CPU drivers before installing Windows 95. The times before internet :)
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Bet you learned a bunch though . . .
 
StrawKite said:
What kind of pictures do you guys wanna see of a build? Every angle?
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I'd say, in decreasing order of necessity:
  1. Side shot 1: side panel off, side bracket in place or removed
  2. Top shot: top panel off
  3. Side shot 2 (the other side): remove the side panel behind the motherboard
After that, include any close-ups or other views to show special features.

Addendum: Don't forget a photo of the case beside your favourite beverage!
 
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What's the consensus on coolers? Do I get a C14 if I can find one (think I have one) or is the Dark Rock TF pro a better option now?
 
Tephnos said:
What's the consensus on coolers? Do I get a C14 if I can find one (think I have one) or is the Dark Rock TF pro a better option now?
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The C14 is your best option and nearly fits all mobos. The TF obly fits a few mobos.
 
Ah, I see. Thanks for that. I'm using a Z170i Pro Gaming atm. C14 it is though I guess.

Why does the TF only fit on a few motherboards? Does it cool the same or better compared to the C14?
 
Tephnos said:
Ah, I see. Thanks for that. I'm using a Z170i Pro Gaming atm. C14 it is though I guess.

Why does the TF only fit on a few motherboards? Does it cool the same or better compared to the C14?
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From reading here it seems there are issues with heat pipe/memory module interference. Memory with a max height of 38mm will likely work with the TF on most mobos.
 
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Tephnos said:
Ah, I see. Thanks for that. I'm using a Z170i Pro Gaming atm. C14 it is though I guess.

Why does the TF only fit on a few motherboards? Does it cool the same or better compared to the C14?
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I have been using the c14s for about a week now, and in my experience its great. But i have yet to OC my 6600k, but i cant hear my fans while playing games. Which is good enough for me.
 
Tephnos said:
Ah, I see. Thanks for that. I'm using a Z170i Pro Gaming atm. C14 it is though I guess.

Why does the TF only fit on a few motherboards? Does it cool the same or better compared to the C14?
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The Dark Rock TF is offset from the CPU slightly so that you can have issues. I have not seen anyone using it with a Z170 board so far. There have been issues with Ram clearance, distance to the GPU and distance to the PSU.

The NH-C14 is just a great cooler with fantastic results. My 4.5Ghz i5 6600K runs at 50°C under load. Add maybe 10°C for the i7.

If you can get your hands on the Noctua, don't hesistate to get it.

StrawKite said:
I have been using the c14s for about a week now, and in my experience its great. But i have yet to OC my 6600k, but i cant hear my fans while playing games. Which is good enough for me.
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Great! Get that OC going to 4.5Ghz and post some thermal tests using Aida64. Would love to see the difference.
 
Cheers, I know someone using a Cryorig M9i and on his 4.5GHz 6700k he maxes out stress loads at 62c - granted, he delidded it.

If I do the same on a C14 I'll be laughing to the bank.
 
I got 32GB DDR4 for christmas an will now be upgrading to an ASUS Z170i Pro Gaming. Does someone know how long custom cables have to be? I wanted to buy some CableMod cables.
 
it depends on the the case and psu. you might look through the thread or use the search function(at the top) to find people that have posted typical lengths. but to get the most accurate lengths you need to assemble it and measure it yourself.
 
Amr0d said:
I got 32GB DDR4 for christmas an will now be upgrading to an ASUS Z170i Pro Gaming. Does someone know how long custom cables have to be? I wanted to buy some CableMod cables.
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250mm for 24 pin, 400mm for 8 pin, 200 or 300mm for pci power depending on if you want to go across the top of the card or loop it under the bottom. If you are mounting 2.5 drives in front and are getting SATA power cables 200mm.
 
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Tephnos said:
Cheers, I know someone using a Cryorig M9i and on his 4.5GHz 6700k he maxes out stress loads at 62c - granted, he delidded it.

If I do the same on a C14 I'll be laughing to the bank.
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you should have much better temps than the Cyrorig M9i. It has a mass of 345g and a 92mm fan. The NH-C14 has 700g mass and 140mm fans.

But I am running my fan at 50% with full load on the CPU. I guess your buddy is closer to 100%.
 
Got my case today and put it together. It was a reasonably easy build, with one major exception: The USB front panel header looked like it was slightly melted. I didn't think to look at it before I tried plugging it in, and bent some of the pins... Then one broke off when I tried to straighten them out :|

The pins were my mistake (no USB 3...) but I'll see what customer service will do about supplying a new front panel cable. Once (if?) I get it, I'll at least run it off a 2.0 converter.
 
anak85 said:
The NH-C14 is just a great cooler with fantastic results. My 4.5Ghz i5 6600K runs at 50°C under load. Add maybe 10°C for the i7.
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I have a really super-stupid question. How are you running this - I'm assuming with the bottom fan removed? What did you do with the top fan? Is it connected to the heatsink but simply offset to rest against the hole in the side plate, or are both fans actually directly fastened to the side plate?

And just out of curiosity otherwise, what's the rest of your system look like, cooling-wise? Thanks in advance :)
 
I'm going to buy a new video card and the Arctic Accelero Xtreme IV or III. What is the diffrence between them and are they hard to install, does it include everything I need or do I need to buy anything else? Is it compatible with every 1070 or just the reference card? If anyone has experience with Arctic Accelero Xtreme please tell me!
 
Difference between the III and IV is that the III comes with VRAM heatsinks and the IV does not, instead using a massive backplate. You won't be using the backplate and you'll want the VRM heatsinks for cooling.

That being said, don't use the thermal adhesive with the III - get thermal tape. Less permanent.
 
Morgon said:
I have a really super-stupid question. How are you running this - I'm assuming with the bottom fan removed? What did you do with the top fan? Is it connected to the heatsink but simply offset to rest against the hole in the side plate, or are both fans actually directly fastened to the side plate?

And just out of curiosity otherwise, what's the rest of your system look like, cooling-wise? Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...

You can see my setup here:
Images: http://imgur.com/a/5yE6V

I fastened both fans directly to the side bracket.

The rest of the system (motherboard and SSDs) are always around 30-35°C. No issues there.

The PSU never spins with the active cooling from the side pannel fan.

The GPU is at 30-35°C at idle as I removed the shroud and have it cooled from the bottom case fan. Under load it reaches 79°C as I overclocked the mini-GPU. It is only a GTX960 though. I have an Arctic Accelero Extreve 4 lying around for my next GPU install. That is probably the best after market air cooler as you can fully run with you case fans.
 
Can you tell me if is it better to get Mini ITX GPU and Watercool it or full size GPU and Watercool it? Gigabyte 1070 Mini ITX offers similar performance as other 1070s but is smaller so not sure what is a better option. I got some extra cash for Xmas so need to make a decision on what to get.
 
s4dus said:
Can you tell me if is it better to get Mini ITX GPU and Watercool it or full size GPU and Watercool it? Gigabyte 1070 Mini ITX offers similar performance as other 1070s but is smaller so not sure what is a better option. I got some extra cash for Xmas so need to make a decision on what to get.
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Do they even make a water block for the mini? I went with a 1070 FE because the number of blocks available for it was much higher.
 
s4dus said:
Can you tell me if is it better to get Mini ITX GPU and Watercool it or full size GPU and Watercool it? Gigabyte 1070 Mini ITX offers similar performance as other 1070s but is smaller so not sure what is a better option. I got some extra cash for Xmas so need to make a decision on what to get.
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Smaller usually has worse heat performance as the heat sink is smaller. I have an ITX GPU and would never choose it again.
 
anak85 said:
Smaller usually has worse heat performance as the heat sink is smaller. I have an ITX GPU and would never choose it again.
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Agree, go with an FE or other full size gpu. There are hybrid cards available right from the manufacturer.
 
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Blocks for a Itx card are a universal blocks for the GPU chip only so would need a heatsinks for rest of the hot components on the card. OK, will then get a full size GPU but not sure what kind of card as I want to get a good card money vs performance vs quality vs durability.
 
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