The SFF and Mini-ITX thread

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The SFF and Mini-ITX thread

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Getting some inspiration from this thread. Right now I have a modest Bitfenix Prodigy setup, but I'm starting to eye moving over to an NCASE M1.

Never understood the point of having a full-sized ATX board and especially now with SFX PSUs and M2 drives, even my Prodigy seems like overkill.

I keep getting tempted to spec out a watercooling build since most of the NCASE M1 builds I see online have em, but from what I'm reading in this thread and elsewhere I'm guessing that would be excessive

# ¿ Jul 1, 2016 00:30

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 14:40

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

I'm in the process of readying my build to move over into an NCASE M1. My current CPU cooler, a Noctua NH-U12S, looks like it's too tall for the NCASE.

It looks like NCASE recommends a top-down cooler, and the OP suggests the Cryorig C7. What other coolers do people like?

# ¿ Jul 6, 2016 19:55

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

I ordered my NCASE maybe a week ago and knew the shipping date, but I'm still goin' crazy waiting for it to get here.

I'm just going to be moving the guts of my last-gen Bitfenix Prodigy build into it so it won't be that exciting, but I'll still do a write up on PC Part Picker and post it here in 2 weeks or whenever it gets here

# ¿ Jul 24, 2016 17:15

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Coredump posted:

My Ncase M1 is supposed to show up in the next few days. I'm going to go with the Noctua NH-D9L cpu cooler and I have a Gigabyte 980ti waterforce for a gpu that I'm going to try and fit in there.

Edit: Christ, just went back thru this thread and realized I ordered the case back on July 1st. Good thing I've had my components running in another case in the meantime.

I'm in the same boat, mine's supposed to show up tomorrow and I think I ordered it mid to early July. I've had my SFX power supply and low profile cooler in my case for the better part of a month

# ¿ Aug 8, 2016 16:51

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Rocko Bonaparte posted:

I seem the like the thinner cases with the otherwise wider profile, but I want to be able to pop a full-sized video card into one. Is there some general configuration for that? Like, do they have motherboards with the PCI-Express port parallel to the motherboard?

There are cases like the Fractal Node 202 and the Silverstone RVZ01/02 that use PCI risers to give more flexibility to where you can put your video card.

Is that kinda what you're talking about?

# ¿ Aug 9, 2016 05:32

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

I just finished my NCASE M1 build! I got a write up on PCPartPicker:

http://pcpartpicker.com/b/dpyfrH

# ¿ Aug 10, 2016 04:15

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Bass Bottles posted:

So the Fractal Node 202 doesn't have a speaker for the motherboard to connect to for the little beep noises, correct? I never found one. Is that unusual?

I think one out of three cases I've bought in the last decade have had a speaker included, so I'd say it's not unusual.

# ¿ Aug 13, 2016 17:11

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

negativeneil posted:

where do you guys get your cables from? I keep seeing these nice braided motherboard cables but I never seem to figure out where to buy them.

You can buy sleeved cables from some OEMs too, just check out their accessories and search by the model of your PSU.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2016 01:09

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Smiles posted:

kind of want the dancase A4 even when i already have my M1sitting on my desk

why do PCs have to be so big

I wonder if half height graphics cards will start catching on at some point, it seems like the logical progression for the form factor

# ¿ Sep 10, 2016 05:30

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Shanghaied posted:

How does ordering the M1 work anyway? The Ncase site says now orders made before 23/9 will ship on 27/9 etc, but at the same time people are also saying they have been waiting quite a while for their orders. I'm looking to build a mITX PC, just not right at this moment, but if the wait is 3+ months, then I figure I might as well order ASAP.

I got one earlier this year, shipped when they said it would, everything went fine. Their dates and estimates were all correct, the biggest problem was my impatience.

# ¿ Sep 10, 2016 19:36

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Quite A Tool posted:

I completed my I5 6500 and reference GTX 1060 in a RVZ-02 build a couple weeks ago and this thing slays. Running Overwatch maxed out with the frame rate capped at 75 and the GPU maybe hits 73C from time to time. Looks like my temp concerns were overblown.

Also it's astonishingly quiet, I'm really happy with this build. Cable management was a little touch and go but I doubt I'll ever go back to a standard sized tower.

Nice, what did you do for cooling?

# ¿ Sep 14, 2016 18:38

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Anime Schoolgirl posted:

SFX power supplies are a wasteland, are there any cool slim chassis that don't use those goddamned things

What don't you like about the current SFX offerings? I have a Corsair SF 450 and love it

# ¿ Sep 27, 2016 20:44

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

Rekkit posted:

Does anyone know the dimensions of the ncase m1 BOX? As in like I need to know if the box will fit in a suitcase alongside a bunch of other stuff.

Just measured mine, it's about 8.5" x 12.5" x 15"

# ¿ Oct 1, 2016 17:32

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

How much does open air vs. blower cooling matter in SFF? I'm thinking about getting a new GPU and am wondering if I'm pretty much locked into some Founder's Edition garbage or if I have options.

I thought I remembered seeing some numbers on Hardforum and the difference was negligible.

# ¿ Mar 2, 2017 21:10

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

nerdrum posted:

I have genuinely reached SFF Nirvana after doing this build. Absolute loving joy to work in this case, the only even slight issue I had was figuring out the heatpipe arrangement with with the NH-L12 but even then it was five minutes. Even with cable management this was barely an hour and a half build.

Nice build! I did not know that you could still fit a 3.5" drive with the cage in when you use a full sized GPU.

What did you do with the feet? It looks a little elevated.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2017 02:44

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 14:40

beepsandboops: Jan 28, 2014

dy. posted:

I just plunked down for an M1 in preparation for a Coffee Lake build. I feel so horrible spending $230 on a case but couldn't resist.

Any tips for cooling setups? Never worked in a case so small. Would prefer low noise > performance. I have an Asus Strix 1080 (open air) I'm going to be putting in.

I kinda felt weird when I got mine as well, but I got over it. It's such a nice case.

Honestly unless you're doing some crazy overclocking or anything, a NH-U9S and some case fans should be fine.

# ¿ Oct 6, 2017 18:11

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The SFF and Mini-ITX thread