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

Read this review http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...srock-fatal1ty-z270-gaming-itx-ac-review.html and get the Asrock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX/ac instead. Asrock has really gone high end with the components used and it still has a usb 2.0 header. If you read through this thread you will find many people having issues with the Strix.

True, but the people who post are the people who have issues. Personally, I haven't had a single problem with my Strix. (Except for having it default to RAID the first time I installed windows.)

I've questioned whether I made the right move in not going with Asrock. I've been a huge fan of the brand for years now, ever since z77. So why did I switch? Having the extra USB port on the back is nice, since I don't need a USB 2.0 header.

This time, however, I was mostly swayed by the looks. I ordered a white Sentry for my build, and decided that, as the first really nice case I've ever had, that it was worth showing off a little. I wanted my build to either use purple or nvidia green as its accent, so both not having the red accents on the motherboard and, I admit, the RGB header, was a nice perk.

If the Fatal1ty had an option for black accents, or white accents, I'd probably have gone with it due to the better M.2 placement.
 
I like my 270i Strix, no issues at 4.8Ghz 3600Mhz C16 on ram. VRMs running cool too. I like the ASRock shame it only has one m.2
 
I just noticed the Zotac GTX 1080 mini fits the M1 according to the compatibility spreadsheet.
Is there a compatible GPU block available?
Do you guys know if it suffers coil whine?
 
I just noticed the Zotac GTX 1080 mini fits the M1 according to the compatibility spreadsheet.
Is there a compatible GPU block available?
Do you guys know if it suffers coil whine?

Don't think so - unless you count universal blocks.
Shame - but you can't blame the manufacturers for not covering what is already a niche product.
 
Hi everybody
I've just subscribed on the forum but I've been following the thread since a very long time (maybe from start !)
It is the most documented I've seen,! thanks to everybody.

I've had the V3 version, with different configurations over the years.
I've always used the M1 with lateral fans blowing out of the case the hot air from CU and GPU.
Cold air is entering from bottom directly on the GPU.

I've just bought a Strix 1080ti and I wanted to share with you my testings :
- test 1 : strix 1080ti with shroud and fans removed + 2x 120mm Noctua F12-PWM in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.


- test 2 : strix 1080ti out of the box + 2x 120mm Silverstone Slim Fans in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.


to resume :
test 1 does not give goods results : noisy and hot (I'm a bit disappointed because I thought it would be a good idea)
test 2 is fine, temps <65°C, noise really not bad.

I'm not used with the forum, here is the french forum i'm used to, it's my personnal thread if you want to see pictures of the testings (go down to see the strix), shroud removed, strix rad, etc...
http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0#bas
it's french but I think you will easily understand

I hope it will be useful for some people in their choice, i would be glad to answer question if you have

bye !
 
Yep, can not find a dedicated GPU block either... thx for confirming this.
I am probably dreaming, but maybe my GTX970 Heatkiller block could fit... :rolleyes:
Will try to get the measurements from Zotac and check this out.

Looks like coil whine is also present with that card unfortunately: "this ZOTAC card also exhibits coil whine, in high FPS games obviously the most. The whine is at an audible level." (guru3d)
 
Want to crosspost from OCN to see what you guys think:

However, after quite a few fan configurations, I'm not super happy with the setup as far as temps. Noise is ok, but GPU is essentially using 1%/1C for fan speeds. The STRIX is much less annoying at high fan speed, for sure, though. Specs are in the sig below (TXp is actually currently back in the case). GPU temps actually did well (<73C) if I set my H75 to exhaust or if I had some sort of combination of an exhaust on the side bracket. However, CPU temps suffered pretty badly. I saw a 5+C increase on CPU which in BF1 after about 2 hours put me up to 72C at one point with the first config (and resulted in a crash). The best I was able to get was 67C max. This is surely within spec, but I'm wondering if there's a potential config I didn't think of. I have 4x F120MPs at my disposal as well as a 92x14 Noctua fan. Ultimately the noise is better with the STRIX, but performance and temps are better with the TXp (well, as good as temps on a FE style cooler can be :)).

EDIT:

Ordered 2 of these for the bottom to play around with this weekend: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G9WDYEC/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have suspicion these may help, but I think heat is possibly getting trapped underneath the card because of it's overall size. But I'm still open and hoping the slim fans prove to be of some assistance.
 
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The lack of USB2.0 header on the Strix is a bit of a pain, really. You could always use a 3.0 to 2.0 header converter, or less satisfactorily from an aesthetics point of view, a USB2.0 Type A to USB2.0 header cable threaded from the rear I/O back into the case (via one of the w/c grommets, perhaps). But that latter solution will look horrible!

Read this review http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...srock-fatal1ty-z270-gaming-itx-ac-review.html and get the Asrock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX/ac instead. Asrock has really gone high end with the components used and it still has a usb 2.0 header. If you read through this thread you will find many people having issues with the Strix.

True, but the people who post are the people who have issues. Personally, I haven't had a single problem with my Strix. (Except for having it default to RAID the first time I installed windows.)

I've questioned whether I made the right move in not going with Asrock. I've been a huge fan of the brand for years now, ever since z77. So why did I switch? Having the extra USB port on the back is nice, since I don't need a USB 2.0 header.

This time, however, I was mostly swayed by the looks. I ordered a white Sentry for my build, and decided that, as the first really nice case I've ever had, that it was worth showing off a little. I wanted my build to either use purple or nvidia green as its accent, so both not having the red accents on the motherboard and, I admit, the RGB header, was a nice perk.

If the Fatal1ty had an option for black accents, or white accents, I'd probably have gone with it due to the better M.2 placement.


The lack of only only one m.2 on the Asrock is a problem as I have 2 Samsung 960 on my build.... Sooo back to the Asus Strix z270i
I was thinking, how often do I need to configure the pump anyway? Could I temporarily connect to USB from pump to a free USB2.0 on the back of the mobo, do my configurations, and then disconnect the USB again? Does have to stay connected all the time to function correctly?
 
The lack of only only one m.2 on the Asrock is a problem as I have 2 Samsung 960 on my build.... Sooo back to the Asus Strix z270i
I was thinking, how often do I need to configure the pump anyway? Could I temporarily connect to USB from pump to a free USB2.0 on the back of the mobo, do my configurations, and then disconnect the USB again? Does have to stay connected all the time to function correctly?

Yeah the 2 M.2 slots on the Strix are one of the big pluses for the board. Have you thought about a different AIO, the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 240 has gotten some really good reviews. http://www.coolermaster.com/cooling/cpu-liquid-cooler/masterliquid-pro-240/
 
Hi everybody
I've just subscribed on the forum but I've been following the thread since a very long time (maybe from start !)
It is the most documented I've seen,! thanks to everybody.

I've had the V3 version, with different configurations over the years.
I've always used the M1 with lateral fans blowing out of the case the hot air from CU and GPU.
Cold air is entering from bottom directly on the GPU.

I've just bought a Strix 1080ti and I wanted to share with you my testings :
- test 1 : strix 1080ti with shroud and fans removed + 2x 120mm Noctua F12-PWM in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.

*snip*

- test 2 : strix 1080ti out of the box + 2x 120mm Silverstone Slim Fans in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.

*snip*

to resume :
test 1 does not give goods results : noisy and hot (I'm a bit disappointed because I thought it would be a good idea)
test 2 is fine, temps <65°C, noise really not bad.

I'm not used with the forum, here is the french forum i'm used to, it's my personnal thread if you want to see pictures of the testings (go down to see the strix), shroud removed, strix rad, etc...
http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0#bas
it's french but I think you will easily understand

I hope it will be useful for some people in their choice, i would be glad to answer question if you have

bye !

Ah, this post was so relevant, but I think I missed it as I was likely formulating my response at the time :p.

I'm glad to see that the slim fans in the bottom are doing good for you. I just placed an order for some slim fans that I plan on doing the same thing with.

Did you find that second fan on the side bracket necessary to use? I'm assuming those are both set to intake and the rear 92 is an exhaust? I'm hoping to get away with either just 1 or 2 fans on the side bracket and no rear exhaust (positive pressure hopefully :eek:).
 
Ah, this post was so relevant, but I think I missed it as I was likely formulating my response at the time :p.

I'm glad to see that the slim fans in the bottom are doing good for you. I just placed an order for some slim fans that I plan on doing the same thing with.

Did you find that second fan on the side bracket necessary to use? I'm assuming those are both set to intake and the rear 92 is an exhaust? I'm hoping to get away with either just 1 or 2 fans on the side bracket and no rear exhaust (positive pressure hopefully :eek:).

I can't tell you that slim fans improved temps as I didn't test without them.

I'm not sure about positive or negative pressure impact on temps. In my case the only intakes are the slim fans in the bottom of the case, previously they were standard, not slim but with the strix, no choice. The lateral and rear fans are all exhausts. In my mind, exhausting maximum air helps the slim fans to intake fresh air on the GPU. It seems normal to give fresh air to the GPU as it is the hottest part, and the one that dissipate the most of watts ? I'm right or not ?
 
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Hi everybody
I've just subscribed on the forum but I've been following the thread since a very long time (maybe from start !)
It is the most documented I've seen,! thanks to everybody.

I've had the V3 version, with different configurations over the years.
I've always used the M1 with lateral fans blowing out of the case the hot air from CU and GPU.
Cold air is entering from bottom directly on the GPU.

I've just bought a Strix 1080ti and I wanted to share with you my testings :
- test 1 : strix 1080ti with shroud and fans removed + 2x 120mm Noctua F12-PWM in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.


- test 2 : strix 1080ti out of the box + 2x 120mm Silverstone Slim Fans in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.


to resume :
test 1 does not give goods results : noisy and hot (I'm a bit disappointed because I thought it would be a good idea)
test 2 is fine, temps <65°C, noise really not bad.

I'm not used with the forum, here is the french forum i'm used to, it's my personnal thread if you want to see pictures of the testings (go down to see the strix), shroud removed, strix rad, etc...
http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0#bas
it's french but I think you will easily understand

I hope it will be useful for some people in their choice, i would be glad to answer question if you have

bye !


Try the large fans blowing air down, exhausting heat with side panels pressing air in. You'll see CPU temps drop hard. Your setup feeds GPU temps right into the CPU so I'm curious what your temps are. With that mentioned setup I have a 4.8Ghz OC at less than 65C and my GPU maxes at 65C usually. YMMV, I've a OCd 1070/Morpheus Core
 
Last edited:
Hi everybody
I've just subscribed on the forum but I've been following the thread since a very long time (maybe from start !)
It is the most documented I've seen,! thanks to everybody.

I've had the V3 version, with different configurations over the years.
I've always used the M1 with lateral fans blowing out of the case the hot air from CU and GPU.
Cold air is entering from bottom directly on the GPU.

I've just bought a Strix 1080ti and I wanted to share with you my testings :
- test 1 : strix 1080ti with shroud and fans removed + 2x 120mm Noctua F12-PWM in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.


- test 2 : strix 1080ti out of the box + 2x 120mm Silverstone Slim Fans in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.


to resume :
test 1 does not give goods results : noisy and hot (I'm a bit disappointed because I thought it would be a good idea)
test 2 is fine, temps <65°C, noise really not bad.

I'm not used with the forum, here is the french forum i'm used to, it's my personnal thread if you want to see pictures of the testings (go down to see the strix), shroud removed, strix rad, etc...
http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0#bas
it's french but I think you will easily understand

I hope it will be useful for some people in their choice, i would be glad to answer question if you have

bye !
Were the Noctua fans running manually at 100 % ? You say that they're noisy so I'm assuming you didn't connect them to the GPU fan controller and tweak the curves. I'm interested in knowing how they work as exhaust and how the temps are :)
 
So, I tried an EVGA Superclocked instead of the Gigabyte Xtreme Gaming.
I left in the two SilentWings 3 fans, running as exhaust in the bottom of the case (from when I tried the Xtreme Gaming without a cooler).

With the SilentWings 3 fans running at a fairly low speed (hooked up onto a fan splitter from my back exhaust fan) I saw temperatures stabilize at 83 degrees when running the GPU cooler at only 29%.
Subjectively, I'll say that this is a pretty big improvement over the Xtreme Gaming (shroud removed) and the SilentWings 3 fans as exhaust (that stabilized at 83 degrees with the fans running at 40%).
And a huge improvement over the Xtreme Gaming by itself (ran higher and has bearing noise).

I'll test it without the exhaust fans later.
 
Your temps are really high! Are you using two side fans as intakes? I also use a rear 90mm intake and NH-L12... Perhaps you should invest in a Morpheus or AC solution.
 
Your temps are really high! Are you using two side fans as intakes? I also use a rear 90mm intake and NH-L12... Perhaps you should invest in a Morpheus or AC solution.
I'm basically picking a "safe" temperature and then putting the fans as low as they can go without exceeding it.

Tinnitus has made me obsessive about getting my computer to be as quiet as possible.
29% is pretty low, all things considered.

But yeah, Noctua 90mm as exhaust, dual slim Prolimatech 120-mm side fans as intake. I'm hoping that Noctua introduces the slim 120mm fans that they keep teasing, since the Prolimatech fans are a bit squeaky.
 
I can't tell you that slim fans improved temps as I didn't test without them.

I'm not sure about positive or negative pressure impact on temps. In my case the only intakes are the slim fans in the bottom of the case, previously they were standard, not slim but with the strix, no choice. The lateral and rear fans are all exhausts. In my mind, exhausting maximum air helps the slim fans to intake fresh air on the GPU. It seems normal to give fresh air to the GPU as it is the hottest part, and the one that dissipate the most of watts ? I'm right or not ?

Oh, I wasn't criticizing, but asking :). I'm going to test a few different setups with the slim fans to find out what's best in the end.

Try the large fans blowing air down, exhausting heat with side panels pressing air in. You'll see CPU temps drop hard. Your setup feeds GPU temps right into the CPU so I'm curious what your temps are. With that mentioned setup I have a 4.8Ghz OC at less than 65C and my GPU maxes at 65C usually. YMMV, I've a OCd 1070/Morpheus Core

I didn't really have the fans to try this with the STRIX yet, but I'll have to see how this goes. I'm assuming that the STRIX cooler intakes air and disperses it out of the sides, but I don't think it would get enough fresh air with that setup. Only because the size of the card alone seems to essentially block off an entire section of the case. I'm hoping the slim fans provide enough cool air and pressure to make the air push through and up through the case. Then the side panel intake(s) can work to push air out of the remaining vents.
 
That was my next question :) "Different AIO"

I will have a look at the MasterLiquid Pro 240 - Has someone tested it in the Ncase allready?

I can't find any that have been installed and it isn't on the compatibility sheet yet, but it hasn't been out for very long. Looking at the specs it should fit no problem, radiator is well within space allowed. It also has swivel barbs on the block which will make it easier to route tubing.
 
I have all fans intake except for video card is exhaust. Pushes enough fresh air to keep everything cool as measured by a cheap infrared thermometer. Worth you giving it a shot. What is your 'safe' temp for your GPU? Do remember, your VRMs will run hotter than your core and these need to be checked too.
 
Hi everybody
I've just subscribed on the forum but I've been following the thread since a very long time (maybe from start !)
It is the most documented I've seen,! thanks to everybody.

I've had the V3 version, with different configurations over the years.
I've always used the M1 with lateral fans blowing out of the case the hot air from CU and GPU.
Cold air is entering from bottom directly on the GPU.

I've just bought a Strix 1080ti and I wanted to share with you my testings :
- test 1 : strix 1080ti with shroud and fans removed + 2x 120mm Noctua F12-PWM in the low part of the case blowing air from outside to the graphic card.

bye !

What CPU and CPU cooler are you using? Also what are the temps and fan RPMs?
 
I have all fans intake except for video card is exhaust. Pushes enough fresh air to keep everything cool as measured by a cheap infrared thermometer. Worth you giving it a shot. What is your 'safe' temp for your GPU? Do remember, your VRMs will run hotter than your core and these need to be checked too.

The GPU really was fine for me, but it was needing 1% fan per ever 1C to keep it at/below 73C. That being said, 73-74% fan on the STRIX isn't terrible (nothing seems terrible after 80-100% of an FE blower :p).

It's more the CPU I was worried about, but I'm really hoping the two slim fans do some magic to allow me to be happy with temps *and* performance this time. I forgot in my many rebuilds last weekend, but I will probably try to play around with the ASUS fan control as well since it does have the two fan headers. This might actually be very ideal considering the GPU is what is causing the CPU to be a bit hotter this time around.
 
I'm talking about Gsilver, 83C on the GPU constant, like a boss. Heck, my rig measures 40db at head level to it on my desk. Pretty good, my slim fans run around 60% on the bottom and as a whole - especially for what it is - runs very, very cool.
 
I'm talking about Gsilver, 83C on the GPU constant, like a boss. Heck, my rig measures 40db at head level to it on my desk. Pretty good, my slim fans run around 60% on the bottom and as a whole - especially for what it is - runs very, very cool.

Ahhh, my apologies.

What slim fans are you running? Do you have any build pics and specs you could provide?
 
Sure, I'm running the following
7700K Delid ([email protected] 60C, [email protected] 65C+, [email protected] 70+-C all gaming temps)
All OCs are acceptable temps with my config, though I usually run 4.6. This setup is cooled by an NH-L12. Had to bend heatpipes around to fit the shape.

G.Skill 3600Mhz 16Gb C16
Asus Z270i (Using LLC 5)
Gigabyte GTX 1070 G1 w/Morpheus Core II temps below 65C fans @ 60ish% max OC.
Corsair SF600 PSU
Samsung 950 Pro 256Gb M.2
500 GB 850 Evo, 640Gb Spinner for random storage.

Bottom of the case two Silverstone Slim 120's PWM version exhaust. Rear is an Arctic Cooling Silent 90mm blowing in, two ID Cooling 120MM on side bracket blowing in. Pic doesn't show 90MM I added, and change to exhaust on bottom fans..

 
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Thank you for that!

I looked at those fans, but avoirded them due to color. I'm hoping the Prolimatech fans are good considering they're not sleeve bearing...but we'll see. That GPU cooler is very sexy, though. Did it come with the VRM 'sinks?

I'm digging the setup, though. I may decide to revisit my OC again. If I could get my CPU to perform within say 1-2% while dropping to 4.4 or 4.3 and a lower vcore, I think I'd be pretty satisfied with the performance loss for the temp drops I'd receive. Though I have to say it's hard not resisting the urge to go with a new Kaby Lake setup.
 
What is the Lian-Li part # for the side panel clips and is ncases.com the easiest way to get some replacements?
 
You'll never see the color of the fans inside of the Ncase haha. They do also make a non PWM version that is black in color by the way. It's a good fan. I'm very happy with how my setup turned out. Never thought it'd accommodate an overclock so high.
 
Though maybe I should work on a setup where my computer can be further away from where I am.
It's like immediately in front of me, just behind the monitor, on my desktop setup. On my TV setup with the (also N-Case-powered) HTPC using the default fan curve and a stock Gigabyte Xtreme Gaming, I don't even hear it over the TV's fan (said fan being the main reason why I want to replace my TV)
 
Anyone who have the Asus strix ITX MB and the Noctua U9S air cooler?`
Does the M.2 plate interfere with the U9S using a standard 25mm fan attached to the air cooler blowing the air upwards?
 
Could you do me an enormous favor and read off the Lot code number for your SF600 please?

The original SF600 and the Replacement I just received from Corsair both have bad fan curves.

I know I got rid of my box. I just randomly found a pic on my phone so here you go: 16144857
 
Try the large fans blowing air down, exhausting heat with side panels pressing air in. You'll see CPU temps drop hard. Your setup feeds GPU temps right into the CPU so I'm curious what your temps are. With that mentioned setup I have a 4.8Ghz OC at less than 65C and my GPU maxes at 65C usually. YMMV, I've a OCd 1070/Morpheus Core

My CPU temps are OK with delidded i7-6700k @ 4.5GHz - 1.25V => idlle 25°C - game 45-50°C - bench 60°C, it could be colder with higher speeds but i like silence so temps are ok for me.
Here are my measurment just afer delid (theese are internal cores temps not packet ;) )

My GPU is 65°C max actually.

Were the Noctua fans running manually at 100 % ? You say that they're noisy so I'm assuming you didn't connect them to the GPU fan controller and tweak the curves. I'm interested in knowing how they work as exhaust and how the temps are :)

I only tested at pushing air inside, not exhaust. The noctua were connected to the GPU fan connect header,and a specific user curve was set in gpu tweak from 45%@40°C to 100%@75°C. at maximum load sustained i got something like 76°C so fans were at max. it tried to lower speeds but temp reached 82°C and the card was clocking down or crashing because of excessive temps for frequency.
Actually with the original fans + 2x slim 120 it's a lot quieter and 65°C. Previously with noctua it was making a kind of "wobble", i'm not sure it's the right term (i'm french !).

What CPU and CPU cooler are you using? Also what are the temps and fan RPMs?
I'm using a NH-C14 with a push-pull conf, pushing the air "outside" of the case (so in a low to top way from the rad).
My CPU temps are OK with delidded i7-6700k @ 4.5GHz - 1.25V => idlle 25°C - game 50°C - bench 65°C
the picture before i changed to strix 1080ti : (and rear 90 fan inverted)




http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...rint=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

I've tested so much configs in this case since the year ! :)
air / AIO / full loop / dual rad / 120 aio / 240aio
780ti / 980ti / 1080 /1080ti
2600k / 6700k
 
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My CPU temps are OK with delidded i7-6700k @ 4.5GHz - 1.25V => idlle 25°C - game 45-50°C - bench 60°C, it could be colder with higher speeds but i like silence so temps are ok for me.
Here are my measurment just afer delid (theese are internal cores temps not packet ;) )

My GPU is 65°C max actually.



I only tested at pushing air inside, not exhaust. The noctua were connected to the GPU fan connect header,and a specific user curve was set in gpu tweak from 45%@40°C to 100%@75°C. at maximum load sustained i got something like 76°C so fans were at max. it tried to lower speeds but temp reached 82°C and the card was clocking down or crashing because of excessive temps for frequency.
Actually with the original fans + 2x slim 120 it's a lot quieter and 65°C. Previously with noctua it was making a kind of "wobble", i'm not sure it's the right term (i'm french !).


I'm using a NH-C14 with a push-pull conf, pushing the air "outside" of the case (so in a low to top way from the rad).
My CPU temps are OK with delidded i7-6700k @ 4.5GHz - 1.25V => idlle 25°C - game 50°C - bench 65°C
the picture before i changed to strix 1080ti : (and rear 90 fan inverted)

http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...rint=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

I've tested so much configs in this case since the year ! :)
air / AIO / full loop / dual rad / 120 aio / 240aio
780ti / 980ti / 1080 /1080ti
2600k / 6700k


I am in the middle of upgrading my current build, and would like to hear your opinion on AIO vs Air-cooling. :) I am leaning against a Kraken x52 or a ThermalTake Water 3.0 Extreem...
 
My CPU temps are OK with delidded i7-6700k @ 4.5GHz - 1.25V => idlle 25°C - game 45-50°C - bench 60°C, it could be colder with higher speeds but i like silence so temps are ok for me.
Here are my measurment just afer delid (theese are internal cores temps not packet ;) )

My GPU is 65°C max actually.



I only tested at pushing air inside, not exhaust. The noctua were connected to the GPU fan connect header,and a specific user curve was set in gpu tweak from 45%@40°C to 100%@75°C. at maximum load sustained i got something like 76°C so fans were at max. it tried to lower speeds but temp reached 82°C and the card was clocking down or crashing because of excessive temps for frequency.
Actually with the original fans + 2x slim 120 it's a lot quieter and 65°C. Previously with noctua it was making a kind of "wobble", i'm not sure it's the right term (i'm french !).


I'm using a NH-C14 with a push-pull conf, pushing the air "outside" of the case (so in a low to top way from the rad).
My CPU temps are OK with delidded i7-6700k @ 4.5GHz - 1.25V => idlle 25°C - game 50°C - bench 65°C
the picture before i changed to strix 1080ti : (and rear 90 fan inverted)




http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...rint=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

I've tested so much configs in this case since the year ! :)
air / AIO / full loop / dual rad / 120 aio / 240aio
780ti / 980ti / 1080 /1080ti
2600k / 6700k

Where you buy this rubber profile?
 
I am in the middle of upgrading my current build, and would like to hear your opinion on AIO vs Air-cooling. :) I am leaning against a Kraken x52 or a ThermalTake Water 3.0 Extreem...
well, difficult to answer !
I can compare only what i have tested, i did not test the one you are looking to.

Air Noctua NH-C14 is very good in temps and noise, perfecly adaptated to the ncase, but you have to change the 140mm fans by 120mm as i've done if you want to push pull and also to put a second 120 on the lateral panel.
nh-c14 is expensive and tends to be difficult to find actually as it's not sold anymore. If you add the price of 2 good 120mm pwm fan, it starts to be an expensive air solution.

I can compare to AIO kelvin S24 (240mm) and Corsair H60 (120mm) as i've tested both.

I think 120mm will definitly not be enough for an i7 OC, i had tested it in push pull also (see my thread), it wasn't able to keep under heavy loads at good temps so it became very noisy. May be it would be OK with a stock i5.



Kelvin S24 240mm was tested in 2 fans on one side, as you are not able to push pull a 240mm rad in the Ncase with standard 25mm fans (but possible with slim fans...). It was really good in temps, maybe be 5° or 10° cooler than the air C14 rad in bench ful load.
In iddle or very low loads, very often AIO pumps make more noise compared to an air solution, or you have to choose an AIO on which the pumps can be PWM regulated, it's not often the case.
the kelvin S24 is not very noisy for sure, but it's not totally silent, so if you work all the day on you computer it can be annoying, but you only play in the evening it will not disturb at all.

AIO can also be different to air when you open your case to change a part. The rad will hang unless you remove the block pump from CPU, but you will have access to RAM, GPU, etc... the NH-C14 will have to be removed at each time you want to change something as it really cover everything around him. I cant' remove the GPU without removing the air cooler. But it's very simple to remove, so not a real pb.

Where you buy this rubber profile?
I'm not sure to understand, do you speak of the rubber that fit between the NH-C14 and the noctua fan ?



in fact this is not rubber, this is compact foam. This is a simple foam tape (like adhesive) you can find everywhere in makeshift/DIY stores. This is on sidded adhesive, 3mm thickness, i added 2 one above the other to complete the gap.

you can look at pages 4-5-6 on my thread, i had done a lot of picture, i do not want to over load this thread with my pics !
http://forum.hardware.fr/forum2.php...rint=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0
 
My CPU temps are OK with delidded i7-6700k @ 4.5GHz - 1.25V => idlle 25°C - game 45-50°C - bench 60°C, it could be colder with higher speeds but i like silence so temps are ok for me.
I only tested at pushing air inside, not exhaust. The noctua were connected to the GPU fan connect header,and a specific user curve was set in gpu tweak from 45%@40°C to 100%@75°C. at maximum load sustained i got something like 76°C so fans were at max. it tried to lower speeds but temp reached 82°C and the card was clocking down or crashing because of excessive temps for frequency.
Actually with the original fans + 2x slim 120 it's a lot quieter and 65°C. Previously with noctua it was making a kind of "wobble", i'm not sure it's the right term (i'm french !).
Ah, thank you. From my experience with the 970, I needed to modify the VGA BIOS properties of the fan controller to achieve the appropriate speeds and temps for custom fans. No fan software would do as running the original fans at 100% was not the same for the custom fans. Not sure if it has to do with different voltage or rpm readout for the different fans. For testing it may be better to just plug them into the MB and set the speed manually.
 
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