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NCASE M1

Darksaber

Senior Editor & Case Reviewer
Staff member
Joined
Jul 8, 2005
Messages
3,114 (0.43/day)
Location
Victoria, BC, Canada
System Name Corsair 2000D Silent Gaming Rig
Processor Intel Core i5-14600K
Motherboard ASUS ROG Strix Z790-i Gaming Wifi
Cooling Corsair iCUE H150i Black
Memory Corsair 64 GB 6000 MHz DDR5
Video Card(s) Gainward GeForce RTX 4080 Phoenix GS
Storage TeamGroup 1TB NVMe SSD
Display(s) Gigabyte 32" M32U
Case Corsair 2000D
Power Supply Corsair 850 W SFX
Mouse Logitech MX
Keyboard Sharkoon PureWriter TKL
The NCASE M1 is one of the best cases we ever reviewed. It aims to utilize every cubic inch of space within its belly, which makes it of extremely compact size. Able to swallow a 240 mm radiator and long GPU even so, the M1 is a near damn perfect implementation of a shoebox-sized gaming rig.

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If I were designing a case, I would totally change how to mount the motherboard just to get you to change this sentence,

Installing the motherboard is done by traditional means, with the use of screws and spacers.

:p

Thanks for the review btw.
 
Thanks for the review. I am very fond of this case.
 
$180????? lol LOL really for a ITX case???? really?

I have seen these in person, nothing special at all, boring case, sure it is clean and compact but again way overpriced for what little you get.
 
First page says Manufacturer is NZXT? Also, $185 for an ITX case....not listed as a con?
 
Can't wait until the NCASE team makes an atx mid-tower case!
 
Also, $185 for an ITX case....not listed as a con?

Considering its a custom Al case designed by community modders, funded through Kickstarter, put into a special production run by Lian Li, and considering 9.9 might be the highest review score TPU has ever given a case, you're complaining about a sub-$200 price tag?
 
I remember when they started this project; to see it to completion with such results is a great achievement.

Unfortunately for them I have very simple needs. No WC, short(er) video card, and no drives to mount so I'm leaning towards smaller cases with my next build. But I hope they succeed and produce other models in the future.
 
This case is really nice. I think you can even have a liquid cooled GPU in this case if instead of the 240mm cooler you install a 120mm for GPU and a 120mm for CPU.
 
I would like to see a cheaper version with a lot of features stripped out. It would be great for modding. I would love to make it a little taller and add housing for a alphacool monsta 240mm rad on top.
 
This case is really nice. I think you can even have a liquid cooled GPU in this case if instead of the 240mm cooler you install a 120mm for GPU and a 120mm for CPU.

A few brave souls have even crammed dual 240mm rads in the M1.
 
Always OOS, would like to buy a black one but it's never available. Plus they've got that once a month shipping schedule which is weak.

Pretty much figure I'll never get to purchase one, going with another Caselabs or EVOLV instead.
 
imho, rubber quality is rather low for 185usd case..
caserearbottom.jpg
 
If I were designing a case, I would totally change how to mount the motherboard just to get you to change this sentence,



:p

Thanks for the review btw.
I would change the motherboard design, why settle for a one piece board that is rigid.
 
Fully aluminum, fully custom design, small production run batches, no compromise. This is how the case arrives at such a price.

If you want cheap + plastic/steel, look at the SG13, or the Cougar QBX which borrows heavily from the M1.

First page says Manufacturer is NZXT? Also, $185 for an ITX case....not listed as a con?

The manufacturer is Lian Li.
 
Figured I had to register and reply. Been a lurker here for YEARS.

I was one of the original backers of this case and it's great. A tiny ITX case may not be for everyone, but this case is perfect for those of us looking for something tiny w/ watercooling options. Mine was over $200 with shipping. Those complaining about the cost, remember, it's a custom order aluminum from Lian Li

I have a wc loop w/ my 680 and 4670k. All built onto the H220. Seriously, this case has quite a bit of flexibility for it's size. My cell phone pics of it are too awful, otherwise I'd upload them
 
Figured I had to register and reply. Been a lurker here for YEARS.

I was one of the original backers of this case and it's great. A tiny ITX case may not be for everyone, but this case is perfect for those of us looking for something tiny w/ watercooling options. Mine was over $200 with shipping. Those complaining about the cost, remember, it's a custom order aluminum from Lian Li

I have a wc loop w/ my 680 and 4670k. All built onto the H220. Seriously, this case has quite a bit of flexibility for it's size. My cell phone pics of it are too awful, otherwise I'd upload them

Post anyway we wont judge.
 
I have a wc loop w/ my 680 and 4670k. All built onto the H220. Seriously, this case has quite a bit of flexibility for it's size. My cell phone pics of it are too awful, otherwise I'd upload them
Would you happen to have any CPU+GPU load temps with accompanying fan rpms? Been sorely tempted to do just that on my own case, but I'm not convinced I can do it without a significant noise increase.

It's worth noting that if your GPU isn't a blower style, this case will punish you if you don't account for the GPU exhaust. But this really is a slick case nonetheless, and quite a bit smaller than even even well-arranged cases like TJ10E or SG10, despite it's ability to handle all the essentials of a powerful gaming computer.
 

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Would you happen to have any CPU+GPU load temps with accompanying fan rpms? Been sorely tempted to do just that on my own case, but I'm not convinced I can do it without a significant noise increase.

It's worth noting that if your GPU isn't a blower style, this case will punish you if you don't account for the GPU exhaust. But this really is a slick case nonetheless, and quite a bit smaller than even even well-arranged cases like TJ10E or SG10, despite it's ability to handle all the essentials of a powerful gaming computer.

As far as temps go, they arent amazing but they're good. I have a full EK block on my 680. Full load on both and Im pushing 65-68 degrees on both. 4670k is at 4.0 ghz and the 680 has a slight oc on it as well.

The pump on the H220 is a little weak, and I have it set to silent on the board, so it doesnt move a ton of water but is practically silent. The fans are swapped for Gentle Typhoons and I have them set to ramp from 45% to 80%, so those dont really get too loud either
 
Thanks for posting. I'm looking at running a very similar setup (4670k and 680) off a H220X. It looks like fit is good and temps are decent considering the radiator dimensions.
 
I'm about to start a build in one of these for my wife. I'll be sure to post something up. At least a few pictures if not a full build log.
 
I'll will wait till they add 2x Type-C USB in addition to the 2x Type-A it has... and 3.1 for sure...

The problem is, there's no standard yet for internal USB 3.1 header, that's why there's still no cases with such features...
 
Considering its a custom Al case designed by community modders, funded through Kickstarter, put into a special production run by Lian Li, and considering 9.9 might be the highest review score TPU has ever given a case, you're complaining about a sub-$200 price tag?

yes.
 
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