SFF Case - CM nr200p Max or NZXT h1 v2

D

dcun201

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 29, 2015
Messages
189
Hi everyone I am slowly piecing together a SFF build for my home theatre room. Going to be using a 1080ti for now along with a 5600x. I am torn between the CM Nr200p Max or the Nzxt H1 V2 both already comes with the aio and psu so i don't really have piece together those parts. My only worries with manufacturer supply items is usually garbage.

So my question is which would you guys recommend and why? Should I be worry about their supply parts not lasting as long? Or is it better for me to just by a barebone case and piece everything together which would probably going to cost more.

Thanks in advance.
 
The radiator in the NR200P is 280mm compared to 140 in the H1. If you're going to be overclocking or running the CPU really hard, that's probably your better choice. If not, the 140 in the H1 should be sufficient. Both seem to have good airflow based on the reviews I've seen. NR200P has an 850W PSU which is probably a little overkill for a 5600X and 1080ti, but if you upgrade later on, having that overhead could be really beneficial. I think you're fine with either and it's mostly a cosmetic choice.
It might not cost more to buy just a case, especially if you find you don't need as powerful of components. For example, in your case, a PCIe 4 riser cable for your GPU won't make any difference because the 1080Ti utilizes 3.0 so by using a PCIe 3 cable, you could save a chunk of money. A lower-wattage PSU would also save you some if you find that you don't need 750-850. If you get a stand-alone case, the NR200 would fit on a shelf, in a cabinet, etc. if that is important to you. Meshlicious by SSUPD is said to be one of the best ITX cases on the market now. My first build was in a Fractal Node 304, but you'd probably have to go with air cooling and also make sure your GPU would fit.
 
Yeah I kind of want something that is future proof especially with gpu card sizes. I will try to get a rtx 3 series card on the cheap when the 4k series card comes out. My main rig I have a 5950x so if I upgrade it later on I may just pop that 5950x into the SFF barring if the AIO could cool it. I guess the NR200P max would be the better choice for better future. I need to research more on the meshlicious case. Gotta see how big of a gpu I can fit in there.

Nr200p max is way more expensive though. 469 vs 399 for the h1 v2.

Thanks again for your input.
 
Most of the newer ITX cases have done a good job at adapting full-length cards and also thicker ones. Generally speaking, as long as your card isn't more than 3 slots thick, and not longer than 280-300mm, you can fit it in all but the very smallest cases. You can find 3080s and even a few 3090s that are within those specs. I agree that in your case the NR200P is probably the better option, but don't totally rule out the H1. It's a very reputable case since they redesigned it.

Meshlicious can support cards up to 312mm long, and some that are up to 336mm in certain configurations. It can also support cards that are 4 slots thick, at the expense of room on the opposite side where the MB and CPU cooler would go. The manual for the case is available on their website (ssupd.co) so you can view a bunch of possible configurations before you decide to buy.

I would not try to cool a 5950X with a 140mm AIO in an ITX case. You technically could do it, but it really needs a bigger radiator to keep temps down.

ITX builds are fun. My first build was an ITX gaming rig in a Fractal Node 304 about six years ago. Happy to help in whatever way I can.
 
If I am buying parts separately I am liking the Dan a4 h20 case. I am digging the form factor on it. So many options lol.
 
That is a beautiful case and it fits the home theater PC look very well. You'll have to make sure your GPU is maximum 3 slots, and you'll have to use an SFX PSU. The airflow isn't terrible but it's not as strong because the case plus components is more restricted and the only source of moving air will be from an AIO radiator or a CPU cooler fan plus the PSU.
 
I ended up trading my 1080ti for a Aorus Master 3080. Guess my only option is nr200 or do any of you SFF Gurus know of any upcoming case that would be able to fit a 3.5slot behemoth? I am not too in a rush to build it only parts I am missing now is Case and PSU.
 
SSUPD Meshlicious can do up to a 4 slot GPU. 336mm GPU length in 4 slot mode and 332mm GPU length in 3 slot mode. Looks like your GPU is 319mm.
 
dcun201 said:
I ended up trading my 1080ti for a Aorus Master 3080. Guess my only option is nr200 or do any of you SFF Gurus know of any upcoming case that would be able to fit a 3.5slot behemoth? I am not too in a rush to build it only parts I am missing now is Case and PSU.
Click to expand...
If your 3080 is triple and a half slots thick, it will not even fit in the NR200. Meshlicious for now is pretty much your only option without going up to mATX. Mesh on the GPU side will be critical to avoid choking the GPU because of its thickness, and you'll have pretty limited room to work on the CPU/MB side.
If you don't mind waiting another month or so, wait for SSUPD (maker of Meshlicious) to reveal the specs for their two new cases, Meshroom S and D. The Meshroom D in particular might be a good option for you because it has a similar layout to the Dan A4 H2O, and by all initial appearances it will not require the use of a riser cable for the card.
If you do get a Meshlicious, make sure to get a SFX PSU. The case supports ATX, but you don't really want to use one in 4-slot mode from what I've heard, especially if you care about having tempered glass.
 
dcun201 said:
Yeah I can definitely wait. Some guy got it to fit on his nr200 but he had to take apart the bottom case bracket to make it fit.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760269485738819644/763750280629321758/IMG_20201008_150911.jpg
Click to expand...
Yeah my point was that it won't fit by manufacturer's standards. Of course, many things become possible with case modifications, some minor, some major. But most people who buy a case, particularly for aesthetics or SFF, probably don't like to take the metal cutters and drills to it right away to make one component fit.
I would wait for the Meshroom cases announcement and evaluate from there. I'm personally waiting for them as I was going to buy the Meshlicious but I decided to hold off due to rumored improvements and potential mATX support.
 
dcun201 said:
Yeah I can definitely wait. Some guy got it to fit on his nr200 but he had to take apart the bottom case bracket to make it fit.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760269485738819644/763750280629321758/IMG_20201008_150911.jpg
Click to expand...

Recently built in the NR200 and I definitely like the fact that you could take off the top/bottom panel for ease of access, four screws and you can pull it off, which is how it sounds like he stuffed that monstrosity in there. :) I don't necessarily like that I would have to pull the bottom off should I need to take the GPU out, but honestly, once it's built there really shouldn't be a need to. I would also wonder about choking the GPU(similar to vertical mount cases having it too close to the glass side panel) with not that much clearance between the bottom of the case and a desk.

I also have built in the Meshlicious. I much prefer having the GPU fans up against the mesh side panel and it having access to plenty of air. If you can wait(which you said you could and as suggested) check out the Meshroom stuff when they come out, might be able to get you what you are looking for. Otherwise I think the Meshlicious is a solid choice. Like JonCZ said, get an SFX PSU because I am pretty sure that is your only option in 4 slot mode, since the spine is moved over to accommodate the 4 slot GPU and the extra space on the mobo side is now gone that would have allowed a full size PSU.

Just found this Builder Guide Link for the Meshlicious. Not sure I fully understand it because it says that Long GPU 3 and 4 slot don't work with a Corsair SF750, which does not make sense to me.

1656003969383.png
 
Fritzz said:
Recently built in the NR200 and I definitely like the fact that you could take off the top/bottom panel for ease of access, four screws and you can pull it off, which is how it sounds like he stuffed that monstrosity in there. :) I don't necessarily like that I would have to pull the bottom off should I need to take the GPU out, but honestly, once it's built there really shouldn't be a need to. I would also wonder about choking the GPU(similar to vertical mount cases having it too close to the glass side panel) with not that much clearance between the bottom of the case and a desk.

I also have built in the Meshlicious. I much prefer having the GPU fans up against the mesh side panel and it having access to plenty of air. If you can wait(which you said you could and as suggested) check out the Meshroom stuff when they come out, might be able to get you what you are looking for. Otherwise I think the Meshlicious is a solid choice. Like JonCZ said, get an SFX PSU because I am pretty sure that is your only option in 4 slot mode, since the spine is moved over to accommodate the 4 slot GPU and the extra space on the mobo side is now gone that would have allowed a full size PSU.

Just found this Builder Guide Link for the Meshlicious. Not sure I fully understand it because it says that Long GPU 3 and 4 slot don't work with a Corsair SF750, which does not make sense to me.

View attachment 485711
Click to expand...
I played around with that the other day and noticed none of the PSUs would fit according to the tool, so I just disregarded it. Anything under 150mm should be totally fine, and from 150-160mm will probably be okay as long as the AIO water lines are not too thick to fit between it and the radiator. If they are, just route them toward the top instead of the bottom of the case. If your PSU is longer than 160mm then you will have to route the water lines to the top or use air cooling.

ATX power supplies are 86mm thick, which would be too much to fit on the CPU side in four-slot configuration. You will almost certainly need an SFX in that scenario. That is one thing that SSUPD's manual failed to address, so either they overlooked that, or I'm wrong.

Regarding the GPU: a card more than three slots thick will choke with tempered glass on that side. Even a triple slot card in 3-slot configuration will choke. From all the research I've read, if using glass, the thermal increase on the CPU side is outweighed by the much improved cooling with mesh on the GPU side. The only real exception would be if using an extreme CPU like the i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 5950X, which you shouldn't even be doing in a SFF case. Mesh on both sides offers the best thermal performance, but if using glass, put it on the CPU side unless your GPU has at least one slot free of space so it doesn't choke, and even then YMMV. Also you want the case to breathe intake with glass on the CPU side, exhaust if using full mesh. You can add a 120mm side fan to help in either direction, and some case mods I've seen on Etsy allow you to add two 80mm fans in the back to help further with this. Hoping the Meshrooms will allow this out of the box, but if not, I'm almost certain most of the Meshlicious mods will either be compatible or will be developed to fit the Meshroom.

I signed up to be notified when the Meshroom cases are announced, and I'm checking their site at least once a day, so once they are announced I will update the topic I created for them and do a deep analysis of them for users here.
 
I just noticed the animation on the SSUP website about half way down. It confirms our suspicions that in 4 slot mode a ATX PSU cannot be used. Totally agree it should be in the manual, but atleast based off the visual, it appears to be what we thought.
 
Sliger S620 fits the Aorus Master 3080 and 3090. You gotta order it with the "pigtail" PSU cable option. Its a fantastic case which manages to be smaller than the NR200, with no downsides. Fits taller, popular air coolers that the NR200 cannot. And is higher quality. But, you do pay over twice the money for it.

I had zero issue quietly cooling a 5950x in an S610 (even smaller case).
1656019470298.png
 
Last edited:
Fritzz said:
I just noticed the animation on the SSUP website about half way down. It confirms our suspicions that in 4 slot mode a ATX PSU cannot be used. Totally agree it should be in the manual, but atleast based off the visual, it appears to be what we thought.
Click to expand...
Hah I remember seeing that so long ago and then never thought anything about it after that. A definite overlook in their manual that should be clarified.
 
Thank you for all the great info 👍 . Will definitely wait and check out those new cases when they are released.

These are the parts I currently have for the build

AMD 5600x
Noctua U9S for cooling
2x16gb ram
X570-I Strix
512gb 960pro nvme
Aorus Master 3080

Parts I need
Case
750 or 850w SFF psu.
 
Last edited:
dcun201 said:
Parts I need
Case
750 or 850w SFF psu.
Click to expand...
Minimum for 3080 is 750W but I'd go with 850 to give a little extra overhead due to power spikes that can occur with the GPU (discussed extensively in a topic on the GPU board). But the fact you are only running a 5600X, M.2 SSD, and an air cooler, you're probably saving enough power that the 750 would be okay. (GPU manufacturers do their ratings with very high-end CPUs a lot of the time.) It's a very contested matter, so some might agree, some might disagree. Once you decide on a case, you might be able to save a little bit by going with an ATX PSU if the case allows it. That said, it might make your cable management a little tougher, so if that's important to you then pay the extra money for SFX, and make sure you get a modular one. Non-modular PSUs can be a headache to work with in SFF cases.
 
chameleoneel said:
Sliger S620 fits the Aorus Master 3080 and 3090. You gotta order it with the "pigtail" PSU cable option. Its a fantastic case which manages to be smaller than the NR200, with no downsides. Fits taller, popular air coolers that the NR200 cannot. And is higher quality. But, you do pay over twice the money for it.

I had zero issue quietly cooling a 5950x in an S610 (even smaller case).
View attachment 485793
Click to expand...

I think you summarized a "downside" in that it costs twice as much as the NR200.

The NR200 has flaws, but it's not that hard to get just about everything you want in there if you plan. I had a 240mm AIO and a FE 3090 without issues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top