First found your other ncase video while searching yt and loved it, saw you post on it Reddit and was like “hey I just saw this!” Love the content, very clean and concise videos. Subbed and looking forward to all your future videos and projects!!
Thank you so much for this video, it answered alot of questions I had regarding this case and my upcomming build. I was on the fence choosing between D12L, assain 120 mini, or LF3 280. On gamers nexus bench mark his noise normalized benchmark showed assasin mini was 14c hotter than LF3 280 but that was on AM4 though. Also Im glad to see 92mm fan fits the rear perfectly
You’re welcome. I hear good things about the Assassin Mini. If you want pure performance than the LF3 is the way but if you want good performance, easy installation and simple operation, go air.
recently built layout 7 with 9950x + LF3 280, 3.5 slot GPU, there is little to no space for 25 mm fat at the bottom, but another problem is pipes from AIO, they are really stiff, and its kinda challenging to put them in without interfering with AIO fans, I'm running without fans, cinibench r23 CPU 82C, GPU in games 60C, thinking about 92mm fan at back, and 140mm at front.
@@Walhor No I built pc only once with layout 7. Gygabite 4080 S Gaming OC, it is 150mm wide, I missed that, so I can't put a side panel, but the GPU is super, and I have plans for how to solve the problem, double-check your GPU sizes.
Would love to see you post a full length step by step video of this build. I'd greatly appreciate being able to follow every step of yours to the T because this is the exact setup that I'm looking for and there's no video like that on UA-cam
Does the air cooler press on side panel? I want to build similar configuration but i heard that its not compatible, and you didn't putted the mesh panel through the video. Should i get noctua?
I have very similar set-up (minus the cool custom cables), including the 92mm intake and cooler orientation, although mine has 2x140 slim silverstone up top - which fit very nicely. Really enjoy the build. I also find my 92mm is noisy at full load. Some comment has mentioned getting 'spacers' to cancel this out... never heard of them but will look into it. If anyone can point me in right direction that would be much appreciated. Nice vid!
You can…..but you’ll do more impeding than positive airflows or kind of cancels each other oth depending on how close the two are. The 4080S is a thick card.
will the freezer II 280 fit? it's supposed to, hoping it fits like this without a riser l7 with aio definately doesn't make sense unless cpu fans are facing out maybe
I've subscribed and have watched many of your builds thank you! I wanted to know your thoughts on dust and having to clean on these M2 open framed cases.
Dust accumulation is a concern but can be managed with regular cleaning. That is one of the sacrifices when opting to build a small form factor case, dust filters add restriction, mix that with limited space and volume for airflow.
I will have two slim, 15 mm, Noctua fans at the bottom, assisting the graphics card, rather than at the top. Rear exhaust, not intake. The 90 mm fan at the rear is something I've considered , too. It would be nice if you tested temps with the 90mm fan at the rear and without. To make sure its actually worth the addition. I have a set of the 15 mm angled feet to install, too. So there's more airflow to the graphics card. Nice video, Chris!
For sure. Maybe I’ll post a comment with some updated numbers. I was kind of hesitant to include it in the video because there several stipulations. I included it to give others the idea to test it, I also think EIGA is considering making an official mod for it.
@@ChewyLoo You are talking about the exhaust from the flowthrough side. FE exhausts major chunk of heat via the rear. Rear CPU intake will just bring it back.
@@ev1lb0ygen1us Ah I see. Then it's almost lose-lose for CPU orientation under scrutiny :) I can confirm however that the featured config is perfectly great for 4k ultra gaming temps (I have the same setup). But I can't speak for heavy production workload stuff
Interesting... The Noctua site says this cooler isn't compatible with the M2. I was about to about to buy a NH-C14S instead. I have the M2 round with mesh panels. I take it I'll have no problem with that case either. Good to know!
Thank you so much for this review. Regarding D12L orientation, for rear intake, Noctua themselves recommend to mount it in the way that you did 👍 As I will build a similar system soon, I wish you provided some more information on the extra rear intake fan. How much idifference does it make in terms of temperatures? At what speed do you run it? Is it worth the extra noise? Do the 3d printed pegs provide spacing from the case (I heard that mounting it without a spacer will be noisy) and can you provided a download link? Regarding the glas panel, I assume the D12L's height is unproblematic here, since you just mentioned the cables? Have a nice day and enjoy your beautiful build. P.s. If you google for "noctua order fan mounting clips" you will find a link to the official noctua site, where you can order additional clips to mount another fan for free.
That rear fan isn’t native and requires a modification such as the 3D printed pegs. They could be optimized better for fitment, however I run that fan at very low rpm’s (5-600rpm) because there is some turbulence at moderate to high speeds due to the fans proximity to the rear grill. I estimate* a 1-2 degree improvement with the rear fan.
You can fit A9x25 without problem. Use some spacers to have 5-6 mm distance from the rear panel. Then, the fan is quiet even at 1000 rpm. Adding of 92 mm rear intake fan reduces CPU idle temperature marginally, less than 1°C (7800X3D + Thermalright Silver Soul 135) but improves m.2 idle temperature by 3°C and brings some air also down to VRM and (passive) chipset cooler.
Your other build convinced me to go with the LF3 240 or 280, but now I think I might move back to air cooling for simplicity. I love my 360mm LF3 but I'm not sure it's worth it in the M2, even for the 9950X. I really wanted the inverted build for my desk setup (which I guess doesn't matter much since I'll be using the mesh side panel) but I'm surprised to hear you recommend the GPU at the bottom instead of the top, since a lot of other people have praised that for the best GPU temps, like Ali/Optimum. If I do go with the standard layout with my 4090 FE at the bottom, do you think I'll be able to fit two A12x25s under the 4090 with the motherboard in the highest position and still fit an exhaust fan on the back or top to help with the D12L?
The LF3 360 will not fit in the M2, only the 280 and below. I recommend and prefer the GPU at the bottom. Its respects the natural flow of heat, even though heat rising is a relatively weak force.
@@chrisrussellca Oh I know the 360mm won't fit. That's what I have now and was just saying I don't know if an AIO is worth the hassle or not. Sorry for the confusion! I do agree about the natural flow of heat. If I can fit two A12x25s under the 4090 FE and maybe a third up top to help exhaust from the reversed D12L, that seems like the way to go!
Chris, what do you think the lengths for the PSU cables would be if you mounted the sf750 horizontally against the front panel with the fan facing inward? That is going to be orientation I'm going with. I'll probably copy your cable color and type.The embossed looks surprisingly good to be honest
These videos are really useful as someone who is new to SFF builds - I already have the Assassin Mini 120, but guess the D12L would be just as good. I plan on building inverted with exhaust at the bottom and side - which direction would you recommend I set up the fan from the CPU cooler in such a build?
I’d recommend going with an exhaust configuration in your inverting your build. I really don’t recommend inverting but if you do I’d say go with exhaust, so that it’s pumping some of the warm air directly out the back. Try making the bottom fans intake to bring in some fresh air to feed the CPU cooler. It’s trial and error also.
PA 120 mini is better choice (if you swap the OG fan for Noctua A12x25r). Best setup is 92x25 rear intake, side panel 140x25 exhaust + 120x25 side panel exhaust on motherboard side (you can mount the SFX PSU on the back of front panel). EDIT: PA 120 Mini will probably allow to fit just 92x14 rear fan (considering the needed 5-6 mm spacers).
@@hallbregg3369 Thanks so much for your input!! I'm basically following optimum tech's recent build exactly, but can't figure out how the fan from the CPU cooler is oriented. He has two exhaust fans on the bottom, and one on the side
@@Otter_in_water Forget the bottom fans, they have zero effect except of added noise and complications with cable management. Optimus has CPU cooler fan set as rear intake. If he sets it as rear exhaust then the 120 mm CPU fan has to fight for the air from the same area with the other three 140 mm exhaust fans. That would be.. lets call it sub-optimal :D
Thanks for your video, used the last one as a guide for my build. Question - in terms of noise what works better AIO or this NH-D12L? I want my system to be as silent as possible, I'm using 280 LF3 AIO, it's quiet but I'm curious is Noctua will be even better, in terms of temps, I'm getting 60C offset without any extra fans for 9950x at full blast, and I might move to 9950x3d once will be released, I see that AIO performance of Noctua is higher than AIO. Looking for advice.
There’s sometimes I forget the pc is on which the D12L. It really depends on your workload though. If you’re going to spend more time at full load you’ll want liquid cooling but if you are a gamer and use it for traditional tasks than the D12L is okay. You’ll always get better cooling with a AIO when using a high end chip.
Hey, I saw on the ncase M2’s specsheet that it supports up to 8 3.5” hard drives, but didn’t find any references on what sort of layout that can support. Do you happen to know anything about what sort of layout 8 3.5” drives would necessitate for this case? I know it’s pretty far from the norm for these sort of cases, but small cases always seem so nice for small NAS server purposes I’m always curious haha.
Hey I'm interested in getting an M2, but I want to set it up in a way I haven't seen anybody else do yet. I think I want to primarily run it on its side, kinda HTPC style. Do you have any insights to which layout would be best for that? Going to be using an ITX motherboard with a SFX psu
It does not cause any issues with fitment, however some of the newer board pay use a thicker PCB to run more tracers between layers and this in theory could increase motherboard thickness and in turn reduce over all compatibility. However my X670E-I fits just fine.
interesting…the official page lists the max supported cooler height of 144.8mm while the NH-D12L is 145mm. You are certain that it doesn’t push up against the side panel?
@ I’m positive, it’s a good fit. I’ve even pressed on the panel to see if there was any “given and the panel has 1mm of space. I think the M2s 144mm limit is to accommodate boards with thicker layers like the X870i. ITX boards need more layers to fit the same amount of features compared to mATX or ATX boards. This is just a theory. The cooler fits no problem.
Aren’t the feet to short for the GPU to get enough air through the bottom? You mentioned that the flipped config isn’t great. Are there any comparisons with noise and thermal data between classic and flipped orientation ?
Hey I have a project in mind with the grater case and glass panel and was looking to see if you could give any advice. I have a 240mm aio from nzxt and it has a display. I want to be able to use this aio and not cover the display with the GPU or radiator. But all the configurations I've seen with this case cover the display. I was thinking if I could use an ITX board, and use the classic configuration where the GPU is on the bottom, and then put the radiator on top. I know the radiator on top might not fit because the board would be in the way, but I was thinking if I could run it with only one fan it might fit, but I'm not sure about cooling issues. The GPU might have to be smaller in order to fit in the case, which I am fine with a 4070 or 4080. Do you think this would be possible?
I think you’ll have a tough time, I tried and I stopped shortly after trying. Maybe if you use slim fans. Also it really depends on your GPU thickness also.
@@chrisrussellca Alright well thanks for the insight. I've taken some measurements of some parts I'm planning to use and if I use only one fan on the aio I think it could fit! I guess I'll try it out.
I am also planning to build it at normal set up, I am wondering if it is possible to install 2x14x25mm fans at the bottom and top pannel(I am using 2 slot gpu), also what is the size of the exaust fan for the back panel?
@ in my experience it’s cool but not really worth it. It’s not bad but I saw nearly double digit difference when running FurMark. To be fair it’s an aggressive benchmark but there’s a difference nonetheless m, but the difference is small in real world scenarios. You can’t go wrong with going inverted.
Yes, It would fit if you side mount the radiator (extra side mount usually necessary if you want top exhaust fans). It won’t fit at the top or bottom unless you opt for the VGPU orientation (extra purchase necessary).
Yes, It would fit if you side mount the radiator (extra side mount usually necessary if you want top exhaust fans). It won’t fit at the top or bottom unless you opt for the VGPU orientation (extra purchase necessary).
Its interesting how you got worse gpu thermals with the inverted layout. I got a lot better gpu thermals with the gpu at the top and and slightly worse cpu, But with classic, gpu was 10c higher and the cpu was about 7c cooler.
In your opinion How would this case travel? I despise laptops (I know I'm Weird) Im looking at both car and air travel in my future. Would this case fit in a carry on? Is it built well enough to ptotect the components? Thanks for the video, I apreciate your style.
I don’t recommend this case for air travel, it’s too dense. The biggest I can recommend if the FormD T1 or similar. Once Ncase works on their panel tolerances (especially on the top panel) and add a travel kit for the GPU, maybe I can recommend. The T1 has a travel kit, the thumbscrews are solid and the option to add a Peak Design handle is a plus. Also a 10 liter case is easier to throw in a backpack or fit into a pelican case.
That’s the good thing about fair competition. Many companies that have been around are now forces to compete with cheaper companies that have compatible attributes, maybe not quality but it does the job good enough
imo the ncase m2 is too big. i would kinda expect the m2 to have been either smaller or the same size as the m1, but with better compatibility. i still like the case, just too big for me.
Noise samples are boosted, you’ll barely hear the cooler fans in a real world environment, boosted 20dB.
Nicely done Chris! If you ever want to feature more Noctua products, please let us know :)
Hi, thank you, I’d love to communicate with you regarding upcoming projects. Please reach out to me at chris@chrisrussell.ca
This video sold me on the D12L. Thanks Chris, subscribed!
A comparison between the Noctua NH-D12L and the Thermalright Peerless Assassin Mini would be interesting.
It’s a tempting idea, maybe after CES.
They perform the same when using the same fans.
Oh yea
I wonder if they did the test with the PA120 Mini's man.
@s16noit has been done. Machines and more did the test. If you put the noctua fans on both coolers it perform the same.
Great video, love your recording style. Please keep pumping out those videos!
Great review and super clean audio. Thank you.
Such a nicely done video man, really chill and loved the charts and layout overall. 10/10, subbed.
First found your other ncase video while searching yt and loved it, saw you post on it Reddit and was like “hey I just saw this!”
Love the content, very clean and concise videos. Subbed and looking forward to all your future videos and projects!!
Thats a clean build. The red cables really add a nice pop of color
Thank you so much for this video, it answered alot of questions I had regarding this case and my upcomming build. I was on the fence choosing between D12L, assain 120 mini, or LF3 280. On gamers nexus bench mark his noise normalized benchmark showed assasin mini was 14c hotter than LF3 280 but that was on AM4 though. Also Im glad to see 92mm fan fits the rear perfectly
You’re welcome. I hear good things about the Assassin Mini. If you want pure performance than the LF3 is the way but if you want good performance, easy installation and simple operation, go air.
recently built layout 7 with 9950x + LF3 280, 3.5 slot GPU, there is little to no space for 25 mm fat at the bottom, but another problem is pipes from AIO, they are really stiff, and its kinda challenging to put them in without interfering with AIO fans, I'm running without fans, cinibench r23 CPU 82C, GPU in games 60C, thinking about 92mm fan at back, and 140mm at front.
@@maks-yaremenko Have ya tried LF3 at the top and GPU at the normal position? is there space for it? also what GPU do you have atm?
@@Walhor No I built pc only once with layout 7. Gygabite 4080 S Gaming OC, it is 150mm wide, I missed that, so I can't put a side panel, but the GPU is super, and I have plans for how to solve the problem, double-check your GPU sizes.
@@maks-yaremenko Thanks for all the info, id keep that in mind when buying a new GPU 👍
I really appreciate this content!
Thanks for your support, I tried to keep it short.
Nice job Chris. Im using the same cooler in my M2 for my main gaming pc and its awesome.
How are gpu temps and is it flipped or classic layout?
Would love to see you post a full length step by step video of this build. I'd greatly appreciate being able to follow every step of yours to the T because this is the exact setup that I'm looking for and there's no video like that on UA-cam
Great video!
Thank you !
Noctuah Cool That Thang
Couldn’t resist? lol
@@chrisrussellca You said it like that on purpose don't lie, no one says Noctua like that.
@ no reason to lie. Just as easy to laugh about it but didn’t mean it.
Great video, I was planning on getting the 9900X for my M2 but thought it would be too hot with a tower cooler, maybe this is a sign!
Does the air cooler press on side panel? I want to build similar configuration but i heard that its not compatible, and you didn't putted the mesh panel through the video. Should i get noctua?
Not for me, I believe I answered on your Reddit post. My setup is fine, X670E-I with the D12L and M2.
@chrisrussellca Thank you for help. In fact, you also answered my reddit post which i want to thank you for ❤️
I have very similar set-up (minus the cool custom cables), including the 92mm intake and cooler orientation, although mine has 2x140 slim silverstone up top - which fit very nicely. Really enjoy the build. I also find my 92mm is noisy at full load. Some comment has mentioned getting 'spacers' to cancel this out... never heard of them but will look into it. If anyone can point me in right direction that would be much appreciated. Nice vid!
I always enjoy watching your videos. Can't you put two 15T fans on the bottom of the GPU?
You can…..but you’ll do more impeding than positive airflows or kind of cancels each other oth depending on how close the two are. The 4080S is a thick card.
will the freezer II 280 fit? it's supposed to, hoping it fits like this without a riser
l7 with aio definately doesn't make sense unless cpu fans are facing out maybe
I've subscribed and have watched many of your builds thank you! I wanted to know your thoughts on dust and having to clean on these M2 open framed cases.
Dust accumulation is a concern but can be managed with regular cleaning. That is one of the sacrifices when opting to build a small form factor case, dust filters add restriction, mix that with limited space and volume for airflow.
I will have two slim, 15 mm, Noctua fans at the bottom, assisting the graphics card, rather than at the top. Rear exhaust, not intake.
The 90 mm fan at the rear is something I've considered , too. It would be nice if you tested temps with the 90mm fan at the rear and without. To make sure its actually worth the addition.
I have a set of the 15 mm angled feet to install, too. So there's more airflow to the graphics card.
Nice video, Chris!
For sure. Maybe I’ll post a comment with some updated numbers. I was kind of hesitant to include it in the video because there several stipulations. I included it to give others the idea to test it, I also think EIGA is considering making an official mod for it.
I would recommend flipped config with FE cards. In the classic config, the rear exhausted heat from GPU goes back to the CPU cooler intake.
That’s a fair point.
Not with this orientation of CPU cooler. It's intaking air from the back so the hot air joins the FE exhaust to go out the top.
@@ChewyLoo
You are talking about the exhaust from the flowthrough side. FE exhausts major chunk of heat via the rear. Rear CPU intake will just bring it back.
@@ev1lb0ygen1us Ah I see. Then it's almost lose-lose for CPU orientation under scrutiny :) I can confirm however that the featured config is perfectly great for 4k ultra gaming temps (I have the same setup). But I can't speak for heavy production workload stuff
@@ev1lb0ygen1usso would the best flipped FE airflow be two intake fans on top with the gpu, rear cpu cooler intake and a single side exhaust?
Interesting... The Noctua site says this cooler isn't compatible with the M2. I was about to about to buy a NH-C14S instead.
I have the M2 round with mesh panels. I take it I'll have no problem with that case either. Good to know!
Thank you so much for this review. Regarding D12L orientation, for rear intake, Noctua themselves recommend to mount it in the way that you did 👍
As I will build a similar system soon, I wish you provided some more information on the extra rear intake fan.
How much idifference does it make in terms of temperatures? At what speed do you run it? Is it worth the extra noise?
Do the 3d printed pegs provide spacing from the case (I heard that mounting it without a spacer will be noisy) and can you provided a download link?
Regarding the glas panel, I assume the D12L's height is unproblematic here, since you just mentioned the cables?
Have a nice day and enjoy your beautiful build.
P.s. If you google for "noctua order fan mounting clips" you will find a link to the official noctua site, where you can order additional clips to mount another fan for free.
That rear fan isn’t native and requires a modification such as the 3D printed pegs. They could be optimized better for fitment, however I run that fan at very low rpm’s (5-600rpm) because there is some turbulence at moderate to high speeds due to the fans proximity to the rear grill. I estimate* a 1-2 degree improvement with the rear fan.
www.printables.com/model/821973-duct-peg-for-axp-90-x47-noctua-na-fd1
You can fit A9x25 without problem. Use some spacers to have 5-6 mm distance from the rear panel. Then, the fan is quiet even at 1000 rpm. Adding of 92 mm rear intake fan reduces CPU idle temperature marginally, less than 1°C (7800X3D + Thermalright Silver Soul 135) but improves m.2 idle temperature by 3°C and brings some air also down to VRM and (passive) chipset cooler.
@@hallbregg3369 you could, I’ll see if EIGA can make a peg that can fit a 25mm 92mm fan. Thinking of a peg that can have the spacing build in.
@@chrisrussellcahey, what is EIGA?
I see a Chris Russel video, I hit the like button.
I really appreciate the support!
Your other build convinced me to go with the LF3 240 or 280, but now I think I might move back to air cooling for simplicity. I love my 360mm LF3 but I'm not sure it's worth it in the M2, even for the 9950X. I really wanted the inverted build for my desk setup (which I guess doesn't matter much since I'll be using the mesh side panel) but I'm surprised to hear you recommend the GPU at the bottom instead of the top, since a lot of other people have praised that for the best GPU temps, like Ali/Optimum. If I do go with the standard layout with my 4090 FE at the bottom, do you think I'll be able to fit two A12x25s under the 4090 with the motherboard in the highest position and still fit an exhaust fan on the back or top to help with the D12L?
The LF3 360 will not fit in the M2, only the 280 and below. I recommend and prefer the GPU at the bottom. Its respects the natural flow of heat, even though heat rising is a relatively weak force.
@@chrisrussellca Oh I know the 360mm won't fit. That's what I have now and was just saying I don't know if an AIO is worth the hassle or not. Sorry for the confusion! I do agree about the natural flow of heat. If I can fit two A12x25s under the 4090 FE and maybe a third up top to help exhaust from the reversed D12L, that seems like the way to go!
nice - what about using a thermaright cooler - they offer great price to performance -
Chris, what do you think the lengths for the PSU cables would be if you mounted the sf750 horizontally against the front panel with the fan facing inward? That is going to be orientation I'm going with. I'll probably copy your cable color and type.The embossed looks surprisingly good to be honest
These videos are really useful as someone who is new to SFF builds - I already have the Assassin Mini 120, but guess the D12L would be just as good. I plan on building inverted with exhaust at the bottom and side - which direction would you recommend I set up the fan from the CPU cooler in such a build?
I’d recommend going with an exhaust configuration in your inverting your build. I really don’t recommend inverting but if you do I’d say go with exhaust, so that it’s pumping some of the warm air directly out the back. Try making the bottom fans intake to bring in some fresh air to feed the CPU cooler. It’s trial and error also.
PA 120 mini is better choice (if you swap the OG fan for Noctua A12x25r). Best setup is 92x25 rear intake, side panel 140x25 exhaust + 120x25 side panel exhaust on motherboard side (you can mount the SFX PSU on the back of front panel).
EDIT: PA 120 Mini will probably allow to fit just 92x14 rear fan (considering the needed 5-6 mm spacers).
@@hallbregg3369 we need a better mechanism to mount the fan to the rear
@@hallbregg3369 Thanks so much for your input!! I'm basically following optimum tech's recent build exactly, but can't figure out how the fan from the CPU cooler is oriented. He has two exhaust fans on the bottom, and one on the side
@@Otter_in_water Forget the bottom fans, they have zero effect except of added noise and complications with cable management. Optimus has CPU cooler fan set as rear intake. If he sets it as rear exhaust then the 120 mm CPU fan has to fight for the air from the same area with the other three 140 mm exhaust fans. That would be.. lets call it sub-optimal :D
Just what i Was looking for. With the glass side panel does the cooler and GPU power cables press against the glass?
Thanks for your video, used the last one as a guide for my build. Question - in terms of noise what works better AIO or this NH-D12L? I want my system to be as silent as possible, I'm using 280 LF3 AIO, it's quiet but I'm curious is Noctua will be even better, in terms of temps, I'm getting 60C offset without any extra fans for 9950x at full blast, and I might move to 9950x3d once will be released, I see that AIO performance of Noctua is higher than AIO. Looking for advice.
There’s sometimes I forget the pc is on which the D12L. It really depends on your workload though. If you’re going to spend more time at full load you’ll want liquid cooling but if you are a gamer and use it for traditional tasks than the D12L is okay. You’ll always get better cooling with a AIO when using a high end chip.
@@chrisrussellca thanks. I'm not doing anything crazy, regular user, just want as quite and performant.
@@maks-yaremenko you may want undervolt the 9950X to 120W for comfortable usage.
@@chrisrussellca 9950x3d should have 120w with the same or even better performance. Thank you for your advice.
Do you have a list of psu cable lengths for the build?
Yes, 300mm for CPU, 400mm for GPU and 200mm 24-pin
Hey, I saw on the ncase M2’s specsheet that it supports up to 8 3.5” hard drives, but didn’t find any references on what sort of layout that can support.
Do you happen to know anything about what sort of layout 8 3.5” drives would necessitate for this case? I know it’s pretty far from the norm for these sort of cases, but small cases always seem so nice for small NAS server purposes I’m always curious haha.
What are your cable lengths?
CPU: 300mm
GPU: 400mm
24-pin: 150mm
@@chrisrussellcaThank you sir.
@@chrisrussellcaMay I ask which website you recommend for custom cables?
@ they’re several good merchants but I use MODDIY but there are some good ones on ETSY also
Hey I'm interested in getting an M2, but I want to set it up in a way I haven't seen anybody else do yet. I think I want to primarily run it on its side, kinda HTPC style. Do you have any insights to which layout would be best for that? Going to be using an ITX motherboard with a SFX psu
have one of these in my DAN C4, its great!
You have my interest with the 3d printed pegs. 👀
Does the cooler touch the side panel?
Not in my setup, your mileage may very depending on your motherboard. My X670E-I works fine.
Does the D12L push against the mesh side wall being it's slightly larger than what the M2 supports at 144.8mm?
It does not cause any issues with fitment, however some of the newer board pay use a thicker PCB to run more tracers between layers and this in theory could increase motherboard thickness and in turn reduce over all compatibility. However my X670E-I fits just fine.
Does the noctua air cooler touch the side panels causing it to bulge?
Not at all.
interesting…the official page lists the max supported cooler height of 144.8mm while the NH-D12L is 145mm. You are certain that it doesn’t push up against the side panel?
@ I’m positive, it’s a good fit. I’ve even pressed on the panel to see if there was any “given and the panel has 1mm of space. I think the M2s 144mm limit is to accommodate boards with thicker layers like the X870i. ITX boards need more layers to fit the same amount of features compared to mATX or ATX boards. This is just a theory. The cooler fits no problem.
@@chrisrussellca thanks for verifying that. I'll get the Noctua too
@@Corvinadeit interferes with mounting the fan bracket on the side. Without the bracket there’s no clearance issue.
Aren’t the feet to short for the GPU to get enough air through the bottom?
You mentioned that the flipped config isn’t great. Are there any comparisons with noise and thermal data between classic and flipped orientation ?
I ordered the angled 15mm feet for that reason.
Would the id cooling a720 fit in here?
Hey I have a project in mind with the grater case and glass panel and was looking to see if you could give any advice. I have a 240mm aio from nzxt and it has a display. I want to be able to use this aio and not cover the display with the GPU or radiator. But all the configurations I've seen with this case cover the display. I was thinking if I could use an ITX board, and use the classic configuration where the GPU is on the bottom, and then put the radiator on top. I know the radiator on top might not fit because the board would be in the way, but I was thinking if I could run it with only one fan it might fit, but I'm not sure about cooling issues. The GPU might have to be smaller in order to fit in the case, which I am fine with a 4070 or 4080. Do you think this would be possible?
I think you’ll have a tough time, I tried and I stopped shortly after trying. Maybe if you use slim fans. Also it really depends on your GPU thickness also.
@@chrisrussellca Alright well thanks for the insight. I've taken some measurements of some parts I'm planning to use and if I use only one fan on the aio I think it could fit! I guess I'll try it out.
@@ethankwong3577 the issue for me was the right angle power supply cable which blocks the top fans
@ ok I see. And I’m guessing if you point the power supply downwards the cables will be hitting the gpu. This is tricky.
@@ethankwong3577 I’ve tried that too and it causes issues with bottom fans. I’m thinking it carpools be fixed but using a NF-A9X14 fan
I am also planning to build it at normal set up, I am wondering if it is possible to install 2x14x25mm fans at the bottom and top pannel(I am using 2 slot gpu), also what is the size of the exaust fan for the back panel?
I’d exercise caution, it really depends on your GPU thickness and how far down you need to push the power supply.
btw what's the GPU temp difference between normal layout vs upside down?
Really big difference. I almost don’t recommend an upside down GPU configuration if gaming and GPU performance is your goal.
@@chrisrussellca Interesting. I thought everyone praised the inverted layout for best GPU temps?
@ in my experience it’s cool but not really worth it. It’s not bad but I saw nearly double digit difference when running FurMark. To be fair it’s an aggressive benchmark but there’s a difference nonetheless m, but the difference is small in real world scenarios. You can’t go wrong with going inverted.
Is there enough space to keep the gpu on the bottom, side mount an aio (fans intake), and use slim fans to exhaust at the top?
Yes* just as long as you love the motherboard down and leave enough space for your GPU to breathe.
With this same layout will a 240 aio fit ?
Yes, It would fit if you side mount the radiator (extra side mount usually necessary if you want top exhaust fans). It won’t fit at the top or bottom unless you opt for the VGPU orientation (extra purchase necessary).
Yes, It would fit if you side mount the radiator (extra side mount usually necessary if you want top exhaust fans). It won’t fit at the top or bottom unless you opt for the VGPU orientation (extra purchase necessary).
@@chrisrussellca in that case I suppose I’ll just stick to air cooling. Only going to be gaming on a 7800x3d. Thank you as always!
Its interesting how you got worse gpu thermals with the inverted layout. I got a lot better gpu thermals with the gpu at the top and and slightly worse cpu, But with classic, gpu was 10c higher and the cpu was about 7c cooler.
In your opinion How would this case travel? I despise laptops (I know I'm Weird) Im looking at both car and air travel in my future. Would this case fit in a carry on? Is it built well enough to ptotect the components? Thanks for the video, I apreciate your style.
I don’t recommend this case for air travel, it’s too dense. The biggest I can recommend if the FormD T1 or similar. Once Ncase works on their panel tolerances (especially on the top panel) and add a travel kit for the GPU, maybe I can recommend. The T1 has a travel kit, the thumbscrews are solid and the option to add a Peak Design handle is a plus. Also a 10 liter case is easier to throw in a backpack or fit into a pelican case.
Nawk tuah
Couldn’t resist? lol
Too loud for me. Glad I went LF3 280.
i hate to say but pa120mini clears :)
That’s the good thing about fair competition. Many companies that have been around are now forces to compete with cheaper companies that have compatible attributes, maybe not quality but it does the job good enough
imo the ncase m2 is too big. i would kinda expect the m2 to have been either smaller or the same size as the m1, but with better compatibility. i still like the case, just too big for me.
Well it’s more than 50% larger than the T1, that’s the one I’ll probably continue to choose over the M2
biggest rip off
get peerless assassin mini for $35
be lucky to get 1c difference
noctuah