NCASE M1 v2 Build Thread

[andornaut]

Yeah, I'm still deciding between the short 970 and a full-length 970 with a blower-style cooler. It's a tough call, but I'm leaning toward the blower cooler + ducts or a single intake fan on the bottom of the case.

 

[AFD]

Yes. But adding fans make a lot of unnecessary noise. The issue is not being able to control them basdd on GPU temps. Under heavy load it's going to make a lot of noise anyway, but it will make for a more noisy experience when not gaming, which is when the noise is most bothersome anyway.

My 2x bottom F12 fans with inline low noise adapters (and I think quiet profile in BIOS) are pretty damn quiet. Even without the lna and at standard/turbo profile they aren't very noticeable.

At idle, about the only thing I can hear is the airflow from my A15, and the higher RPM of my 92mm rear fan, and of course the chatter from my PSU fan (and only one of these makes for a "noisy experience" ). The bottom fans are practically inaudible compared to the others. I actually have to stick my ear down near the M1 power button to make them out. They're working for positive pressure, though. The inside of my case is nice and clean, and all of my filtered intakes look like this after several months..



If you've got the time, then absolutely try your build without additional fans and/or ducting to the vents. Do some testing and check your temps, then add additional fans if you'll feel it's necessary. Really don't think it's a big deal either way. The money saved/spent, the added noise and cooling, the time spent installing fans vs ducts.. it's quite a negligible difference.

 

[Maevy]

Delete this, found answer when searching

 

[nanami]

Hey guys, what do you think about this psu for my build: FSP Group AURUM S 600W ATX will it fit inside the M1 v3?

Also I think it's 140 mm deep so I should be able to use a long gpu with it right?

I'm looking for a good and quiet ATX PSU that can power a 4790k + GTX 970 both OC'ed on air, to hold me at least until the SS SX500-LG arrives, since the only good SFX one right now seems to be the SX600-G but it has noise issues i've heard...

 

[Necere]

Hey guys, what do you think about this psu for my build: FSP Group AURUM S 600W ATX will it fit inside the M1 v3?

Also I think it's 140 mm deep so I should be able to use a long gpu with it right?

It'll work, but are you planning to shorten the cables? Because trying to stuff them in the case is absolutely awful and is the reason I don't recommend ATX+long GPU. Mod the cables or don't do it, IMO.

 

[Urelure]

Hey guys, what do you think about this psu for my build: FSP Group AURUM S 600W ATX will it fit inside the M1 v3?

Also I think it's 140 mm deep so I should be able to use a long gpu with it right?

I'm looking for a good and quiet ATX PSU that can power a 4790k + GTX 970 both OC'ed on air, to hold me at least until the SS SX500-LG arrives, since the only good SFX one right now seems to be the SX600-G but it has noise issues i've heard...

If you are going with 970, why not go 170mm 970 and get a proper modular ATX psu. I think that might be a better solusion if you're not willing to put up with a little extra noise from the SX-600G. With some light modding you can even remove the shroud and stock fan on the GPU and add a good quality pressure optimized 120mm fan on the bottom.

 

[Phuncz]

I'm personally hoping the SX-500LG is going to put an end to this "there is no quiet SFX PSU"-issue, even though it's SFX-L. I think it's sad we have to advice people to get an ATX PSU just for some noise-free and quiet SFF computing in idle, but we can't deny the problems with the two most viable SFX options: the Silverstone ST45SF-G and SX600-G.

Urelure, I agree with your suggestions, getting a short GTX 970 and fit a 120mm fan under the heatsink. With an adapter cable you're even able to utilize the GPU's fan control with a PWM fan.

 

[EdZ]

I think it's sad we have to advice people to get an ATX PSU just for some noise-free and quiet SFF computing in idle

The ST30SF quite happily runs my E3-1240 and 970 at idle with no audible noise (well below the H75's pump noise, which is the only audible sound source at idle). The no-fan-at-low-load function actually works unless you've been running at high load recently (takes 10-15 minutes after full-load running before the fan shuts down again).

 

[Urelure]

I'm personally hoping the SX-500LG is going to put an end to this "there is no quiet SFX PSU"-issue, even though it's SFX-L. I think it's sad we have to advice people to get an ATX PSU just for some noise-free and quiet SFF computing in idle, but we can't deny the problems with the two most viable SFX options: the Silverstone ST45SF-G and SX600-G.

I don't find it sad. There has been two main issues with SFF PSUs. Power and noise. Power wise we are golden right now, and the noise is good, only just not perfect. We didn't get truly quiet ATX PSUs either until they started putting 120mm or bigger fans in them, and as of now those just dont fit in regular SFF. I think realisticly we need chips to become even more power efficient, further reducing PSU wattage to see teuly quiet SFF.So for now, luckily the M1 is flexible enough to cater to many different needs.

 

[ghostwich]

So with that cable the GTX 970 would control say a Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-2000 without any issues?

I would imagine that the wiring ensures that the source (graphics card in this case) has the ability to control the fan - 4 pin to 4 pin is 1:1. Unless you splice this wire... you're talking about a replacement of the original fan, right?

In that case, the controller on the graphics card doesn't know the new fan - i.e. it probably has different characteristics (min/max RPM, voltages) so you'd probably want to observe the temperature/RPM very carefully. Most modern Nvidia cards support some kind of fan curve/profile (nearly every card can be controlled by EVGA's Precision X), so you can attempt to set a desired RPM at a certain temperature - but it's unclear whether the fan controller on the graphics card will re-learn the fan, or adapt to the new characteristics.

So, the wiring will work, but just be diligent in checking that the fan spins, and that the card is controlling the speed. And always keep an eye on the temperature!

 

[WiSK]

Urelure, I agree with your suggestions, getting a short GTX 970 and fit a 120mm fan under the heatsink. With an adapter cable you're even able to utilize the GPU's fan control with a PWM fan.

+1

And you don't even need to order the adapter from Hong Kong, here it is in Europe and here in the US.

 

[WiSK]

it seems, the 24,14 was for the insured package.

Oops. Sorry I didn't think about this, I've only seen the shipping charge for inside Netherlands. For a small order like this, Dutch customers can choose padded envelope option for 3,50 euro or tracked package for 6,50. Maybe it's possible to email them to ask for the envelope option for other countries too.

 

[multitud3]

Howdy!

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Ordered the M1 v3 (should arrive end of December), and would love some advice on my build.

I'm a digital game artist, so I run tons of Photoshop, ZBrush, some 3D apps, and some moderate gaming (lots of DOTA 2 and CIV B.E. recently). Will be using my fairly recently purchased R9 270x for the build, as well as my current monitors, keyboard, and mouse.

The build:
CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($234.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H97I-PLUS Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270X 2GB Double Dissipation Video Card (Purchased For $170.00)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($82.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-B9 PWM 37.9 CFM 92mm Fan ($17.74 @ Mwave)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($24.36 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($24.36 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($24.36 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($24.36 @ Amazon)
Other: NCASE M1 V3, Silver (Purchased For $185.00)

-Processor/Mobo: I'm not going to be overclocking, so I went with the Xeon for the hyper-threading and low cost compared to i7's. The H97I-PLUS seems to be the best option for mobo, but there are so many to choose from, I'm left unsure if this is the best choice. I know Z97 mobo's are for overclocking, and since I'm not interested in doing that, is it a correct choice to overlook them?
-Fans: According to the M1 site, there are 4 120mm mounts, and 2 80/92mm mounts. I was thinking of replacing all the stock fans with Noctua's, or in the very least, maxing out my fans. Any advice on the brand/number of fans?
-PSU/Graphics Card: Will that 450w PSU work with my R9 270x? The specs sheet for the card says 'minimum 500w', but the watt estimator on pcpartpicker had a ~340w number. Would that mean I need to upgrade to the Silverstone 600w SFX?

Other than that, I think everything is in order. Would love thoughts/critiques on the build before I pull the trigger.

Thanks!

 

[Peter_364]

seeing as you are having a 3.5" HDD you will not need 4 120mm fans, and what are you doing for CPU cooling?

EDIT: (moar detail)
if you are placing you 3.5" on the case floor I am pretty sure you will only need 2 120mm but you could have an extra 92mm fan on the floor instead.. 2 120mm and 2 92mm in total

if you are using the bracket then you only need to get rid of 1 120mm fan but I am not sure how this interferes with the CPU cooling option e.g. you can't have a 240mm radiator and I'm not sure about 120mm rads or how the bracket affects the cpu cooler
however you can also add another 3.5" HDD with the bracket.

 

[multitud3]

seeing as you are having a 3.5" HDD you will not need 4 120mm fans, and what are you doing for CPU cooling?

I'll start with your suggested 2 92mm and 2 120mm fans. Should be easy enough to add more if I need to later. Think I'll just stick with the stock CPU cooler for the time being, since I wont be overclocking. Thanks for the response.

Am also considering the MSI H97I AC mobo. The built-in bluetooth/wifi are nice, but not necessary. Still unsure if I'll stick with the ASUS H97I-PLUS, or go with the MSI board. Also, decided to go with Silverstone's SFX 600w PSU.

 

[AFD]

-Fans: According to the M1 site, there are 4 120mm mounts, and 2 80/92mm mounts. I was thinking of replacing all the stock fans with Noctua's, or in the very least, maxing out my fans. Any advice on the brand/number of fans?

The M1 does not include any fans at all, just a spot for 2x 120mm on the side bracket, 80 or 92 on the rear exhaust, and 2x 120 on the bottom (or a 3.5" drive and 1x 80 or 92).

Don't really think that many fans are necessary for your particular build, but whatever floats your boat ..though, instead of the B9, I'd recommend going for the A9x14 for the rear exhaust fan, which is much slimmer and will allow for more choices in CPU coolers, should you decide to upgrade from the poopy Intel HSF.

 

[~ever~]

Im bulding a small form factor system and im really considering this case.

What options do I have for water cooling? Im just going to cool the CPU. Seems like a Swiftech 220x wont fit.

 

[Phuncz]

I condensed some information about this earlier: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1041007317#post1041007317

 

[Reckie]

Will recieve my GTX970 this week and just realized my Silverstone ST45SF-G doesnt have the 2x PCI-E cable, ie. the one that splices into two 6+2 connectors.

Ive got the tools to make my own cable with two 6pin plugs at one end by using the included cables but is this the recommended procedure or would it be better to share the load from one of the other outputs?

 

[aznever]

Will recieve my GTX970 this week and just realized my Silverstone ST45SF-G doesnt have the 2x PCI-E cable, ie. the one that splices into two 6+2 connectors.

Ive got the tools to make my own cable with two 6pin plugs at one end by using the included cables but is this the recommended procedure or would it be better to share the load from one of the other outputs?

What are you talking about it doesn't? It is included with the PSU.

1 x 24 / 20-Pin motherboard connector（300mm）
1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector（400mm）
1 x 8/6-Pin PCIE connector（400mm）
1 x 6-Pin PCIE connector（400mm / 150mm）
3 x SATA connector（300mm / 200mm / 100mm）
2 x 4-Pin Peripheral connector （300mm / 200mm）
1 x 4-Pin Floppy connector（300mm / 200mm / 200mm）

 

[Reckie]

Thank you aznever, mixed things up with the PP05 kit, guess I need to dig out the original ST45 cable from storage.

 

[CHANG3D]

Anyone got a Swiftech Komodo? I'm wondering if there could be some fitting issues. I'm thinking of getting it. Search the other threads, I see people talking about trying out the 780 or the Titan versions a year ago. No confirmations, but I suppose they would have reported it had it not fit.

Shopping List:
1 x Swiftech Geforce GTX 980 Komodo LE Full COverage Waterblock - Acrylic (KOMODO-NV-GTX9)
2 x Koolance 3/8" (10mm) ID / 5/8" (16mm) OD G1/4 Threaded Angled Nozzle - Single - Black (FIT-L10X16-BK)
Undecided on coolant...

Things already have:
Swiftech H220 | ASUS ROG Maximus VII Impact | EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB SC
5" of tubing I ordered off Performance PCs on Black Friday
A Power Supply Starter

 

[deanx0r]

I finally finished my build! My previous build was in a Define R4 which made it looks like a walk in the park. This build however, was actually a nightmare in the making.There is no room to wiggle around and I have been wondering all the way if I should make each component fit with a hammer and pliers

Some thoughts on the build:
● I thought it was already a tight fit with the SX600-G, the SFX-L would make this build extra difficult and would probably be a no go with a back plate.
● the Scythe Kabuto II is barely enough to cool a 4790k in that enclosure. At 4.5GHz/1.230V, the CPU will hover around ~90C under OCCT. And while the fan is silent at idle, it gets noisy when under load.
● the GPU (open air G1) dumps more heat in the case than I am comfortable with. I had to install 2 extra fans on the bottom because the GPU would kick its fans in high gear mid gaming once the temp rise above 60C.
● I planned on using the Kabuto II with the hdd cage However, with the open air nature of the GPU, the area where where the drives and PSU are sitting is starved of fresh air and temperature would rise to very uncomfortable levels even with two fans on the bottom. If I were to redo it, I would probably pick an AIO water cooler or a Noctua C14 instead of the Kabuto.

After two weeks, I dialed back the 4790k at stock speeds (4.2GHz) and the GTX970 at 1477Mhz. At idle and sitting on my desk, the rig is definitively not silent, but is quiet enough to remain unnoticed. While gaming, both CPU and GPU are under 60C and the fans are noticeable, but no where near the annoying level I had with past Radeon cards.

 

[cowsgomoo]

I got almost the same temperatures with the H60 as the Kabuto 2. If you go AIO you may have to use something better.
MSI Afterburner can be used to make the GPU fan speed increase linearly with temperature instead of kicking up suddenly at a certain point.

 

[multitud3]

waiting for my v3 case... ETA late december. the wait is killing me staring at my components is rough, you guys.

 

[AFD]

waiting for my v3 case... ETA late december. the wait is killing me staring at my components is rough, you guys.

I know the feeling! Really hope you spent the extra few bucks for air delivery instead of the slow boat

 

[uacn8]

Guys, what would you recommend for a completely quiet (but still air based, so quiet to an extent I guess) NCASE build? I just pre-ordered v3 and I'm slowly completing the rest. I'm having trouble deciding which fans to order (noctuas seems to be most efficient, but there's a lot of them to choose from), I'm not sure about the exact fan placement as well. Looks the case has a lot of spots to mount the fans. It's been a while since I builded a PC. Many thanks for any kind of feedback.

Edit: I was thinking about the airflow and components as follows:

Motherboard: Asus Maximum VII Impact
Storage: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 512Gb
PSU: Silverstone SFX 600W
CPU: 4790k + Noctua C12P SE14
GPU: GTX 980 reference blower
Bottom fans: 2xNoctua F12 low noise adapter
Rear fan: Noctua A9 92x92x14 low noise adapter

+ a set of dustfilters from http://www.demcifilter.com/c220/NCASE-M1.aspx

More details: not planning to overclock, probably going to mount a temporary 750ti and wait for 980ti / 390x to come out.

Would that make sense, along with aiming for the lowest noise possible? Additionally, I think that the 980ti / 390x should fit without issues into M1 v3.

 

[Avro]

Not sure what to do about a power supply for my v2, I really want a quiet PSU but with the 500W SFX-L being a tight fit I'm not sure if it's going to be worth the wait.

 

[WiSK]

Guys, what would you recommend for a completely quiet (but still air based, so quiet to an extent I guess) NCASE build? I just pre-ordered v3 and I'm slowly completing the rest. I'm having trouble deciding which fans to order (noctuas seems to be most efficient, but there's a lot of them to choose from), I'm not sure about the exact fan placement as well. Looks the case has a lot of spots to mount the fans. It's been a while since I builded a PC. Many thanks for any kind of feedback.

Decide on CPU, GPU, motherboard and storage before thinking about case fans

 

[uacn8]

Well yeah, sorry about being a bit chaotic, you are making perfect sense. I updated my post. The ssd will be mounted at front.

 

[multitud3]

I know the feeling! Really hope you spent the extra few bucks for air delivery instead of the slow boat

ohhhh, for sure i did. was only like $10 extra for a week or two faster delivery. been so spoiled by amazon prime, that waiting for something beyond a few days hurts. first world problems

 

[CHANG3D]

Guys, what would you recommend for a completely quiet (but still air based, so quiet to an extent I guess) NCASE build? I just pre-ordered v3 and I'm slowly completing the rest. I'm having trouble deciding which fans to order (noctuas seems to be most efficient, but there's a lot of them to choose from), I'm not sure about the exact fan placement as well. Looks the case has a lot of spots to mount the fans. It's been a while since I builded a PC. Many thanks for any kind of feedback.

Edit: I was thinking about the airflow and components as follows:

Motherboard: Asus Maximum VII Impact
Storage: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 512Gb
PSU: Silverstone SFX 600W
CPU: 4790k + Noctua C12P SE14
GPU: GTX 980 reference blower
Bottom fans: 2xNoctua F12 low noise adapter
Rear fan: Noctua A9 92x92x14 low noise adapter

+ a set of dustfilters from http://www.demcifilter.com/c220/NCASE-M1.aspx

More details: not planning to overclock, probably going to mount a temporary 750ti and wait for 980ti / 390x to come out.

Would that make sense, along with aiming for the lowest noise possible? Additionally, I think that the 980ti / 390x should fit without issues into M1 v3.

Don't repeat my mistake with the ASUS Maximum VII Impact. I think we documented it a lot in the ASUS Maximum VII Impact thread. I would get the MSI Z97I GAMING AC if I were to do it over again, and I would recommend that over the ASUS M7I definitely. There's just too many issues with the daughterboards and quality control. For the price premium over the MSI and others, I would have expected ASUS have better QC.

You also probably don't need the bottom fans; I think many folks here pointed out that it didn't do much for the temperature.

 

[multitud3]

I think many folks here pointed out that it didn't do much for the temporary.

that's pretty interesting. serious (noob) question, wouldn't having the bottom intakes with fans help with a positive airflow?

 

[CHANG3D]

that's pretty interesting. serious (noob) question, wouldn't having the bottom intakes with fans help with a positive airflow?

I don't exactly know the physics of it, but it might be that the case is too small in the first place, too small to make a difference. But I'm just going by other people's temperature reports.

 

[Curiositie]

that's pretty interesting. serious (noob) question, wouldn't having the bottom intakes with fans help with a positive airflow?

I was using a single 120mm in the bottom of the case blowing air up and out of the top/ in front of my U9B-SE2, and after removing it my temps have barely changed.

My noise level went down a lot though, even though it was a quiet fan and soft mounted. ;P

Edit, my build:

 

[Phuncz]

Yes, not all builds benefit from extra fans. Sometimes the airflow direction or pressure gets disturbed and components suddenly get warm air instead of cool air. The opposite could also be possible ofcourse. I tend to minimize the amount of fans in my system and just try to get a balanced airflow. Since I'm using watercooling for both CPU and GPU, I basically only need the fans on the radiator for both to remain cool and it will even cool my motherboard's components, PSU and SSD.

But with air cooling on GPU and CPU I'd recommend ducting for the GPU for both open-air and blower coolers. The CPU depends on the used cooler but most of the time a fan on the fan bracket would suffice.
In the example of Curiositie's build above my post, if he had gotten a motherboard with a CPU socket placed higher, his CPU cooler fans would line up a lot better with the fan bracket on the back of the case and a flexible duct (or rigid if perfectly alligned) would allow you to manage it's airflow.

I am curious though (ha, pun !) did you flip the PSU to have it's intake on the front of the case ? While your setup would work if the CPU's fans are exhausting to the rear of the case, since that 120mm fan on the bottom would feed cool air into it I'd reckon. Although the GPU's fan might just disrupt that airflow, that would explain why you don't notice the abscence of that fan I'd guess.

Have you tried with the PSU flipped over and the CPU's fans blowing into the PSU ? I'd guess your PSU should be able to handle the heat, I'm considering it's massively overpowered (>600W) so the hot air shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Reckie]

Finally got me a video card for my M1 v1 (hope its ok to post in this thread).

The outlet gets pretty hot, not shure if its normal or because some parts of it is blocked?
Maybe cutting away so metal would help but I guess that lessen the rigidity, plus its against my belief to use violence on my precious M1.

Im using a demciflex bottom filter, not sure if thats too restricive, its tight fit. Maybe I should make duct and place it inbetween the filter and 970 fan?

Really happy with the card so far, will do some testing later on but now its time to enjoy the fact ive got a video card for the first time in a year.

Btw, thanks to all who been so kind and helpful, putting up with my questions and giving good advice. And thanks Necere and the gang for making this case come true.

 

[Phuncz]

The rear would still be hot, even if you cut away most of the aluminium. It's almost like a hair dryer in that regard and aluminium is good in absorbing heat, also from radiating heat.

 

[Curiositie]

I think my temps went up a little after flipping the airflow.

I was at ~65C load on the CPU, and right now it looks like it's topping out at 69C.

More testing required, so I'll leave it for now, but that's my first impression.


For the record my test is an hour of CS:GO on ultra @1080p

Edit:
30min of Prime95 ended up peaking at 74C, and leveling out at ~70C.

I'm fine with those temps, so I'll leave it this way.

 

[Phuncz]

Since Prime95 is an unusually high load, you should be good with that setup.
But it can help experimenting in this case, I've changed my H220 setup with GPU block into a push instead of pull and I've seen my temps drop. But not everyone will achieve this unless they have the exact same setup.