Case Mod - In Progress X99 mITX NCASE M1 - Project MiniValidus

Dont be disheartened. It is whatever you make of it and it doesn't matter what the hardware is, as long as you enjoy it!

You got it! The smallest micro controller I could find an Arduino 'trinket' and a bunch of 'NeoPixel' LEDs. Each can be programmed to any color and I can blink, or fade any how I program.

Be gone with boring power status indicator LEDs!

 

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I don't want to blow anyones mind but...

I'm back! haha.

Getting sorted after moving has taken a lot longer than I thought but seeing some friends completed builds recently has motivated me to get. this. thing. done.

So with no further delay here's just couple of pictures of items you haven't seen yet. Im uploading these pictures then tearing down the PC to get the work done!

Firstly the legends at FrozenQ hooked me up with this purpose machined reservoir for the NCASE. Its externally mounted but looks the part at the tubing holes line up perfectly with the grommets in the case. I used their Double Helix "T-Virus" res in the NCASE and am super happy to get this special frosted version for this project.





I was also a bit cheeky here. I bought some cable extensions from a local retailer (PCCaseGear) but because the NCASE is so small, I can just cut and repin one end and use them as replacement cables. $40AUD for a set of replacement cables? Excellent!







Now with that out of the way, how about we tear this thing down for some motherboard trickery, custom cables made and liquid cooling, as Game of Thrones says in opposite land "summer is coming" and in Perth, Australia, the summer is no joke! So lets get this thing under water.

Thanks for everyone's support so far, it is greatly appreciated. Keep creating.
DfknG

 

So... little update...

Threw the GPU block on the card and man does it make it look sexah!







Doing some test fitting,

Those equally sexy little 15mm thick Silverstones. Not sure why I like these so much.



Then I flipped them so radiator was on the bottom and the fans on top because I was having some issues around the front I/O



Then I flipped them back because the GPU block is taller than I was hoping so my thougts were if the radiator was on top the block could recess into it a little and...

THE WHEELS FELL OFF THE WAGON!



Now, it's OK... I have a plan...
Probably not a popular one,
Not a wise one,
But a plan...



There is nothing left in this build with warranty, nothing...

Why oh why didnt I buy a reference GPU.

Wish me luck!

 

Bahahaha!

Have you looked into using 15mm fans here?

 

They are 15mm fans...

The EK block wont fit because the terminal for the fittings makes it too wide and i'd never get the side panel on. This is the only block.

I think id rather ditch the bottom radiator completely than have the fans on the outside

Tossing up about running an external rad (eg MO-RA) as well.

A solution is being milled up now

 

Aye I had similar issues once and used http://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/fans/slip-stream-120-mm-slim.html

 

You could save an additional 3mm with a slimmer rad too.

Magicool G2 SLIM comes in at 27mm thick, with the 12mm thick fans that makes it 6mm thinner.

 

External rads and fans suck. Please don't do that!

 

Wow they are crazy thin! I think ill be OK with my solution. Will know soon enough.

True, I'll keep that in mind thanks!

Ha we'll see. I think a MORA with the NCASE would be mad

 

Drastic times,

Drastic measures.

So I had around 8mm removed from the large block to reduce its height... For reference it was 22mm in height, its now 14mm




Here you can see the height difference in the block where before the GPX was pretty much the same height as the large cooling heatsink, much shorter now. Also notice the "GPX-N 980" label has been completely removed.


The idea was to remove enough material and the the GPX waterblock would sit in the recess between the radiator shroud and the fins which is around 5mm.

Fully aware that I can alter the side of the actual 'GPX' waterblock component much (however I can swap the bolts with countersunk ones to save 1.5-2mm)

Reassembled, time to test fit


IN! But still not in...


You can see now its the fitting manifold hitting on the radiator shroud which is a lot better than the large heatsink previously but no finger crossing will get it in.


The next steps are to slightly notch the radiator shroud, like I said before there almost 5mm in the wall I can notch out before I get to the fins. 5mm is heaps and should have me well and truely in!

Fingers cross...

...again.

DfknG

 

Madness!

 

Madness?

This
Is
AnIdiotTryingToPutWayTooMuchStuffIntoACaseThatIsWayToSmall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Now now! Be nice.

Though I completely agree. If you at the point where you are shaving metal off a radiator, I reckon its time to accept that you need to change GPU blocks.

 

Don't cut the radiator. Get the slim fans to reduce the height.

 

Sorry there was no offence intended, I was trying to copy a "Madness!? This Is Sparta" but didn't pull it off well.
Interesting opinion, only because the radiator is worth like $50 but a block with backplate is around $140 (AUD) so i'm more than happy to attempt to cut the radiator.

The issue is not really with the waterblocks or the radiators, the whole reason im in the boat is because of the Strix 980. This Alphacool block is the only waterblock that will fit this card and not protrude past the side panel. 3 other manufacturers that I know of, Thermaltake, Bitspower and EK that make blocks for the Strix 980 are too wide so the terminal where you screw your fitting in sticks out way to far. Thats unsolvable hence why im going this route. If I had just bought a reference style GPU I would have had no issues...

I have 15mm fans now though one thing to consider is that I haven't actually mounted the fans to the radiator through the case. It's highly possible once fitted there will be a small amount of compression giving me 1mm maybe 2mm back.

 

So I got a little time and decided to notch the radiator and see where we stand.

It was actually really easy to cut with the dremel..





Quick cleanup


Test fitting and it is sitting lower, but still not enough.




Kinda bummed out with this experiment I was looking at the height of the bolts on top of the block.


Then filed them down




The milled passive block and the filed heads of water block.


Retesting


At this stage it will fit in as I tested with the motherboard and can slot it in OK but I don't like how its sitting.

As a last effort ill be removing the shroud completely from the underneath of the radiator allowing me to fit the fans directly to the core and that should drop the radiator enough for a perfectly level card.

If that doesnt work out, ill probably remove the idea of the bottom radiator, we will see...

 

I think you're stuffed with that GPU block.

The only real option is a full cover block with a protruding port manifold that will let fittings clear the side of the radiator. The problem is that Strix PCB extends well beyond the height of the PCI backplane, meaning any block with a protruding manifold wont let you fit the side panel on the case.

Maybe sell the Strix and buy a standard height card? Yikes!

 

We'll see what happens after I remove the shroud but you could be right.

Im still holding onto the dream that there's a new dual GPU card because that's what I really want. In which case the GPU block and radiator would get changed to match.

 

Hmm. Why not fit larger feet to the bottom of the case and have the rad fans on the outside underneath?

A while back now I was faced with fitting quite a lot of hardware into a small case. The case I had was tiny.

http://www.cooltek.de/en/powered-by-jonsbo/umx-series/117/umx1-plus?c=268

What I did in the end was this. Take out the mid section under the motherboard. I didn't need to cut any holes because the panel was vented. It went a little something like this...





(not my pic, just a stock case pic)



And then.



And done.



So basically yeah, I would maybe cut the fans into the bottom of the case, fit them to the outside and then buy raised feet. MNPC do some gorgeous billet feet. Then maybe make a shroud to cover around the sides of the fans if you wish, they'd pretty much disappear.

Cooling in my little Cooltek was frickin' awesome man. It was like a Raven, total wind tunnel. Titan Black temps were about as good as it gets.