rfarmer
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Glad it wasn't serious, things like that are scary.
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NCASE M1: a crowdfunded Mini-ITX case (updates in first post)
- Thread starter wahaha360
- Start date
Glad it wasn't serious, things like that are scary.
Glad PC was ok!
I had a fan connector come loose while test booting my system, I reconnected the fan, and the PC did the "click" thing. Video card mini 4-pin fan header was fried. GPU and rest of PC was OK though.
Nice!
Did you just put a 3V vandal switch or did you add an electrical resistance to make it 6V compatible?
Must depend on you mobo, mine has a power LED output of 5V ( Asrock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX) so I guess I should add the resistance.
I'm thinking of doing an M1 build, but need some help choosing an appropriate video card. I will be using a WQHD or 4k display, with only light gaming. The biggest priority is silent operation, but I've never met a quiet blower-style video card. This is only my second build, so I'm not comfortable with water-cooling or anything too crazy.
What video card would other M1 owners recommend? Any general tips when trying to narrow the field?
Also, what is generally considered the quietest CPU cooling method at idle or low temps for the M1? I'm planning to use the Corsair SFX450 as I read the fan noise is lower than the SFX600. This should leave enough room to install an ODD, M.2 SSD, and 1 HDD, correct? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and apologies if I should be posting elsewhere!
What video card would other M1 owners recommend? Any general tips when trying to narrow the field?
Also, what is generally considered the quietest CPU cooling method at idle or low temps for the M1? I'm planning to use the Corsair SFX450 as I read the fan noise is lower than the SFX600. This should leave enough room to install an ODD, M.2 SSD, and 1 HDD, correct? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and apologies if I should be posting elsewhere!
incredadamible
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I would recommend the smallest card you can find. I have an Asus GTX 970 DirectCU Mini on a 34" Dell ultrawide monitor (3440x1440)...it performs very well and is quiet.
For CPU cooling, I have a Noctua D9L with a 92mm fan. I played around with the fan profile to balance the noise and temperatures and it works pretty well. Only time I can hear the fan is when I'm really pushing the CPU (converting videos mostly).
My $0.02 anyway...
This is exactly the type of advice I'm looking for, so thank you.
I'm trying to build as close to silent as possible, so I've been wary of shorter GPUs since they typically run hotter. I figured with the shorter board, you would have smaller/fewer fans, so less efficient cooling with greater noise output. I would very much appreciate shorter GPUs for ease of installation, but only if there's no acoustic tradeoffs. Would you still recommend the GTX 970, or is there a better option?
Also, would an AIO cooler be quieter than a CPU heat sink/fan during normal operation? I'm just really concerned about reducing fan noise as much as possible, especially during normal operation as the PC will rarely be under load. What about the fanless CPU cooler someone linked to above?
Finally, I read that the SFX450 has a quieter fan, but would the SFX600 be more quite overall since it likely wouldn't be pushed beyond 400W?
EVGA/Zotac make a short 1060 that is worth a look. The fans shut off on these cards at idle. However, I have a EVGA 1070 ACX 3.0 that hits around 76C in Heaven with the default fan curve. It's very quiet too.
I have a Noctua U9S that I like for the cpu.
All the other components you listed will fit with the SF450
I know nothing about electrical currents...
I bought this switch http://www.ebay.com/itm/271361473765?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
And hooked it up using this cable
http://www.performance-pcs.com/swit...tch-cable-assembly-spade-style-momentary.html
Is this going to be an issue down the line? It worked right away. I have an Asrock H97 ITX mobo
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What kind of stuff do you plan on using your pc for other than light gaming? Is your use case more CPU or GPU intensive? Are you going to overclock?
From my experience:
For CPU cooler, the larger the fan, the more quiet it is. For my OC 6700K, the Noctua U9s (with two 92mm fans), or the C14 (with two 120mm fans) were both relatively quiet.
For GPU, stay away from blowers. There're several 10 series video cards out there with the "fan-stop" feature, where the fans are off until the GPU gets to 60c. Hybrid graphics cards can also be pretty quiet: I converted my founders edition card to a hybrid and it was much more quiet.
My Silverstone sfx 600w is very quiet.
Hope this helps!
From the ebay page, your switch has a 3V LED. A resistor should have been included in the package so that you can make it compatible to a 12V source.
If you have a multimeter, you can check what's the voltage from you mobo. Easy bet is that it's 5V like mine (I've asked Asrock support).
I also bought one from ebay and the seller recommended me to buy the 6V version when I said my mobo was delivering 5V.
Here we need someone that knows electricity better than me to tell if your 3V LED could be damaged by a 5V source in the long run. Maybe not and the only effect is a brighter light...
Good find with the ppcs cable btw!
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incredadamible
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The fan on the GPU is adjustable and the software is pretty customizable. You can limit fan speed and put a threshold on thermals, but it will come at the expense of performance. I have a modest 6% OC on the card, and under load the fan stays under 50%. I don't have dB measurements, but subjectively it is not loud...it is running at my sweet spot for noise/performance. I have also put some fans on the bottom of the case to help with airmovement across the video card.
I personally would not use an AIO cooler on my CPU. I had the Corsair H55 on my previuos build...it was louder at idle compared to my current setup, though under full load it was definitely quieter (again compared to my current setup). You also have pump noise with the AIO units.
I have heard lots of good things about the SF450. For your components, you do not need any more than 450 watts. My system (i7-6700k, GTX970, SSD, HDD, fans, etc) draws a lot less power than you'd think...I can't remember my actual values, but my max draw during benchmarking was well below 300 watts (measured at the wall). The loudest part of my build is my PSU (Silverstone ST45SF-G). I've considered "upgrading" to the SF450, but waiting to see if Silverstone will ever release a revision with a 92mm fan (want to keep my Silverstone short cables).
This build is for my father, so the system won't be taxed very often (undecided on OC). With the increased popularity of 4k video, though, I want to get a powerful GPU for future-proofing. The machine will be used mainly for movies, browsing, email, and light gaming (in that order), so silent operation is the top priority.
Based on the feedback, I think the best approach would be a CPU cooler paired with a hybrid GPU. What CPU cooler would you recommend with the EVGA GTX 1070 Hybrid (Asus Z170I mobo), assuming that's a suitable GPU?
Keep in mind I also need to find room for one HDD, so I hope that doesn't screw up the config. I'll probably stick with the SFX450 unless I need the additional power.
Thanks again for the really helpful replies!
P.S. Any recommendations for a ODD? I have no clue what's available for SFF systems.
incredadamible
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For movies, browsing and email, you do not need a GTX 1070. What games are you looking to play? What size of display are you thinking (i.e. 4k monitor or big screen)?
Also, in my opinion, the Hybrid cards are more for pushing performance while maintaining temperatures...not to keep noise down. You have more overall components that are all generating noise...fan on the card, fan on the radiator, and the pump. Not only are they each creating noise, they are all creating different noise frequencies.
Sounds like you're leaning towards higher end components, even though your use case isn't that demanding, here are my recommendations:
CPU - i5 6600K
CPU cooler - Noctua U9S, you could add a 2nd 92mm fan to the rear fan mount. You could use the low noise adapter to ensure the fans run slower. This will take up the rear half of your side bracket.
If you do go with a hybrid cooled 1070, the 120mm radiator and fan will take up the front half of your side bracket, meaning you will have to remove the 3.5" drive cage from the side bracket. The only other spot will be to mount a 3.5" drive on the floor below the GPU, which would be OK since the GPU heat is moved away to the radiator.
Obviously, lol. The GTX 1070 is for 4k support and future proofing. Gaming will be light, but the computer will be used by more than one person, so I don't know the exact titles. Essentially, this will be a "family PC" used by family, friends, and anyone else that's visiting. You can use GTA V or Witcher 3 as benchmarks.
Hmm, I didn't think about the competing noise frequencies on a hybrid card, but that's an excellent point. Ultimately, I want top-tier gaming performance, but with near silent operating noise at idle/regular load, and reasonable operating noise otherwise. What's the best configuration to achieve this?
Yep, that's roughly what I had in mind. The HDD would go below the GPU, and would be set to power saving mode to reduce heat/vibration when not in use. The HDD is mainly for large file storage, with the M.2 housing the OS and primary files. That would leave two 92mm fans on the CPU heatsink, one fan on the GPU, and one fan on the radiator.
Do you think this would be near silent, or would you suggest a different GPU/config?
If you're using a small graphics card (I use the term "small" here to mean something short of a "full size" card like a GTX 980 or 1080), could you increase your power supply to an SFX-L form factor? Some of those have 120mm fans that will likely ensure silent operation.
I had a configuration similar to this and was pretty quiet. The pump will have some noise to it.
I would not call it near-silent. You could run the system a little hotter / lower fan rpms to balance noise/heat.
Hmm, do you have any suggestions for a GPU to achieve near-silence? Are there any 10-series blower style cards where the fans shut off at idle? Or should I just keep this simple and go for the short EVGA 1060 and then tweak fan speed if necessary?
Sorry for all the questions and flip-flopping, I just want to get this right the first time. I really appreciate all the help!
Hi there! I finished my build 6 months ago and you can only tell if it's on by the LED on the power button or under heavy load.
CPU cooler. Go for the Noctua NH-C14 (not the new NH-C14s). It uses the space perfectly and the fan can mount in the side of the case without and space to spare. I am running a i5-6600K overclocked to 4.5Ghz and my temps never go above 55C during stress test / 40C during gaming. My Noctua fan runs at 3-400 rpm and ramps up from there.
For GPU. Just take one with a 0dBA mode. EVGA and ASUS offer this. The fans don't start spinning till 60C.
PSU - I have the corsair SF450 and I have ver seen the fan spin apart from the test spin when you turn the system on.
Get some Noctua case fans and set them all to 3-400rpm and you'll have a cool and silent system.
Check this system : https://hardforum.com/threads/ncase...n-first-post.1717132/page-544#post-1042619142
It is almost the same as my build.
Speed-Driven
Weaksauce
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About to order the Raijintek Pallas.. but I want to replace the fan. Which 140mm fan to go with it? More airflow but quiet too please?
UPDATE: THE RAIJINTEK PALLAS DOES NOT FIT THE ASROCK Z170 ITX board.
92mm will fit.
Ohh, and one last thing. The loudest thing in my build previously was an HDD. I swapped to only SSD and am using a NAS drive hidden somewhere near my internet router. MUCH quieter and the files can be accessed from anyone at any time (not just when the PC is on).
I have limited experience outside of the GTX 1080 Founders Edition, but I love tinkering and have tried different ways to cool my 1080...
- Stock blower: while benchmarking, GPU runs hot ~80C, and loud. If I wanted the GPU to run cooler, I would have to crank up the blower, and it becomes really loud. Personally, I would not put a HDD directly under my stock 1080 as the temperatures in that general area is very warm.
- Artic Accelero Xtreme IV, with no back heatsink, 2x 120mm fans on bottom blowing in: benchmark temps around 70C, but the entire M1 case becomes very hot
- Hybrid with Corsair H75 (1 fan only) and Corsair HG10 980 modded to fit 1080: I could not get good contact with the H75 block. temps ranges from 80 to 90C
- Hybrid with Corsair H75 (1 fan only) and NZXT Kraken G10: 60C, runs quiet
- Hybrid with EVGA Hybrid kit, removed blower fan set and replaced with a 120mm fan: <60C, runs quiet
- Custom loop: 50C, very quiet
incredadamible
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I agree, this is probably the best option for a GPU. My Asus GTX 970 mini does this and I believe the new Gigabyte 1070 Mini does this as well. At idle, I can barely tell my system is on. The only thing to remember, once you start pushing performance your fans will ramp up and you will get noise. Play around with fan profiles once everything is installed to get to your sweet spot for noise/performance/temperatures.
incredadamible
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Just one more comment...I don't think a GTX 1070 is at all futureproof when you are talking about 4k gaming. I would consider it to be entry level. Looking up some GTX 1070 Benchmarks at 4k resolution ... most new games are under 60 FPS, some really close to 30 FPS. You can probably squeeze out a few more FPS if you overclock, but then you are dealing with higher temps and louder fans. Even the GTX 1080 has trouble maxing out settings at 4k resolution in games.
Chapeau
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I would guess that really the main source of noise will be the GPU. I had no issues with air cooling a 6600K quietly.
As for GPU, I was mostly happy with a Kraken and G10 combo - I ran my fan at around 800 - 1100rpm and got temps around 60.
I say mostly because the pump was either totally silent or quite noisy. In retrospect, I guess it was a bleeding issue - I've now learned that water cooling loops need both time to settle down and some help (tipping and spinning the case in 3 dimensions) to help consolidate air bubbles.
The instructions tell you this is the case, but I didn't realise the degree to which you need to do it. I thought it was a half hour process when in fact it more like 3 days.
Once its done, you'll be very happy with the lack of noise and low temps.
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Checking cooling compatibility on the M1 spreadsheet and the Asrock mobo models at the top seem to have been erased. Any way to tell which model is which?
I'm trying to figure out if a Noctua C14 will fit in the M1 on an Asrock H97m-itx mobo. I currently have a U9S and the CPU socket is a bit high which didn't allow me to mount the U9S in a vertical orientation with two fans. Also how do the U9S and C14 compare in terms of cooling performance?
edit: figured out the Asrock model issue. I viewed an old revision and added the model names back to the latest version
I'm trying to figure out if a Noctua C14 will fit in the M1 on an Asrock H97m-itx mobo. I currently have a U9S and the CPU socket is a bit high which didn't allow me to mount the U9S in a vertical orientation with two fans. Also how do the U9S and C14 compare in terms of cooling performance?
edit: figured out the Asrock model issue. I viewed an old revision and added the model names back to the latest version
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Gandergray
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Agreed!
For anyone who may have ordered the DEMCiflex filters for the M1, is it enough to simply get the 'filter set' with the 4x 120mm and 100mm, or has anyone found they needed the specific top/side/bottom filters?
Also, I think I've settled on an SF-450 and ASRock Fatal1ty Z170. Looking at the cable lengths of the SF-450, is there a benefit to using CableMod or other custom cables? [Stupid question alert] Couldn't I pull apart the bundles from the packed-in cables to reduce footprint?
Also, I think I've settled on an SF-450 and ASRock Fatal1ty Z170. Looking at the cable lengths of the SF-450, is there a benefit to using CableMod or other custom cables? [Stupid question alert] Couldn't I pull apart the bundles from the packed-in cables to reduce footprint?
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Chapeau
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No idea on the filters I'm afraid....
But on cabling, you could absolutely separate the ribbon. If you have a crimper you could just shorten them one by one. Now that I have had a play around with it... it's not terribly difficult.. just time consuming.
The stock cables are quite stiff. Even pulled apart, they will need some wrangling to tidy up. A bunch of black zip ties can be neat enough.
As far as using it in the M1 case the C14 (original) is still the better cooling. You do have to give up the hdd cage though. From what I remember people talking about it the difference is a couple to a few degrees difference. So say 2C-5C at most probably? There never has been a complete professional test between these two HSF in the M1. Just reports of what people have gotten in their completed builds. Now as to whether the C14 fits the mobo in question... I'll leave that to someone who has tried it to chime in because I don't remember if it does or not.
Where are people getting the C14 these days? Can only find listings selling it for 2x its cost.
Chapeau
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You could try NH-U9S or NH-D9L instead...
Both would handle a 6600k with OC.
Both would handle a 6600k with OC.
Apart from great temps (50C stress testing at 4,5Ghz) I also can barely hear the NH-C14. I can imagine smaller fans to be louder.
I would get it second hand of ebay/craigslist. Here in Germany you can get it for 30-40€.
The cables of the SF450 are not great and quite stiff. Especially the SATA power for the SSD was a bit tricky as I am using two SSDs and the power cables are eithe L or T shaped. A simple straight connection would have been much easier. BUT spending 100€ on cablemod cables is not worth it for me.
rfarmer
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA85V4BV3480 I got one of these for my 2 X 2.5 drive SATA connections, much easier than the 90 degree ones. I had to use my Molex cable anyway for my pump and fan control and this way I didn't have to use my SATA cable.
Sagar Chakraborty
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Hi All!!
Have gone through this thread as humanely possible. This is a treasure trove of info regarding NCase.
A bit about myself. I have been a Mac user for last decade and am happy with that. I am into gaming but with PS3 mostly and some amount of gaming in Mac is also there. With Game titles dwindling for PS3 it is time for upgrade.
With PS4 pro and fiasco around it and games prices going through the roof. I thought its time to get back to PC for Gaming. So started to search the net for a small yet powerful PC.
Ncase M1 fits the bill perfectly.
I have ordered it and Now I need your opinions on the below config:
CPU => i7 6700K
MBD => Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5
RAM => Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MHz
PSU => Corsair SF600
M.2 => Samsung 950 Pro 512GB
GPU => MSI 1070 Aero
Case Fans => Noctua F-12 iPPC PWM (for the bottom)
Now I am not able to finalize the AIO.
I wanted to go with H100i V2 but it is not compatible with NCase.
H100i can be used but it is a 3 year old tech. though it will help in the FAN header as the MB has only 2 FAN headers. Also It will need a SATA power which I want avoid as I have a M.2 and dont need that cable.
I also looked at the latest AIO launched the cooler master masterliquid pro 240. But it needs 2 FAN heads to work and I will not have FAN headers for my bottom fans.
All your opinion will help.
One more help is needed can a 92mm Fan can be place at the back with a 240mm AIO?
Regards
Have gone through this thread as humanely possible. This is a treasure trove of info regarding NCase.
A bit about myself. I have been a Mac user for last decade and am happy with that. I am into gaming but with PS3 mostly and some amount of gaming in Mac is also there. With Game titles dwindling for PS3 it is time for upgrade.
With PS4 pro and fiasco around it and games prices going through the roof. I thought its time to get back to PC for Gaming. So started to search the net for a small yet powerful PC.
Ncase M1 fits the bill perfectly.
I have ordered it and Now I need your opinions on the below config:
CPU => i7 6700K
MBD => Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5
RAM => Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MHz
PSU => Corsair SF600
M.2 => Samsung 950 Pro 512GB
GPU => MSI 1070 Aero
Case Fans => Noctua F-12 iPPC PWM (for the bottom)
Now I am not able to finalize the AIO.
I wanted to go with H100i V2 but it is not compatible with NCase.
H100i can be used but it is a 3 year old tech. though it will help in the FAN header as the MB has only 2 FAN headers. Also It will need a SATA power which I want avoid as I have a M.2 and dont need that cable.
I also looked at the latest AIO launched the cooler master masterliquid pro 240. But it needs 2 FAN heads to work and I will not have FAN headers for my bottom fans.
All your opinion will help.
One more help is needed can a 92mm Fan can be place at the back with a 240mm AIO?
Regards
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Qrash
Gawd
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Looks like a decent build, very similar to my second M1 build (Ssshh, it's a Christmas gift for my son!). I chose the SF450. Its reviews have been very good and it is reported to run quieter than the SF600. I chose the Noctua NF-U9S with a second NF-A9 fan and a large NF-A15 on the side bracket as an intake for the case to help build positive pressure.