Any solutions to the vertical ODD slot in the M1...?

[n13L5]

Let me first say how much I love my NCase M1.

Yes, you can get smaller with Dan's A4 case, which is a wonderful invention.

But the M1 is the smallest you can go without - in my opinion - either compromising cooling and or noise levels, or being forced to use a very short GPU card, to install an AIO in the A4.


In my M1, I haven't even bothered installing an AIO - its perfectly silent and cool with a single 140mm SilentWing 3 on top of a Noctua top-down NH-something 14 cooler. Overclocked GTX 1080, i7-7600k.

It never breaks a sweat, not even when running Star Citizen's un-optimized alpha code - at least since I installed a high efficiency 600W Corsair SFX PSU, which doesn't get hot, unlike the Siverstone model I used before. Every bit of heat you don't create in the first place helps


I can't say cooling was "better" or "more silent" in the much larger Lian Li midi tower I had before this.
So for the same performance, the M1 is not only much smaller and more handy, it also tops Lian Li's case designs in looks - granted it's Lian Li's precision that allows this - but I think you're taking better advantage of their capabilities than they do




If there is ONE thing wrong with the M1, its the vertical ODD slot:
- it promotes ingress of dust through the always open slot
- the slot in the case panel is plain misaligned to my Sony Blu-Ray burner - Discs scrape against the front part of the slot in the aluminum panel, so I've been unable to use it at all...


So hence my question: Does anyone know a solution to this, other than removing the top panel?

I don't really want to go and use a Dremel on it . . .

 

[Necere]

In regards to the disc scraping on the slot, there are a few things that come to mind:

1. First, what model is the ODD? Is it 12.7mm thick?
2. What version is the case? I did enlarge the slot slightly on one of the earlier revisions.
3. There should be a minimal gap between the ODD and the chassis. Does the drive have a plastic bezel? If so, it's possible the bezel is pushing the drive forward slightly. Try removing it.
4. Does the top panel contact the front panel at the edge?

 

[n13L5]

Great, thanks for answer and questions, Necere!

1) I double checked - yes, the ODD front is 13.7mm thick
Its a Sony but I can't read off the model name/number, without disassembling the front and removing the PSU.

2) The version of the case... I built it in the Year the i7-7600 was released, case purchased in the same Year. (I can go in the cellar and look at the box in the morning, if that isn't quite enough info to nail it down.

3) There is indeed a small gap between the ODD and the front panel of the chassis. The slanted edges of the front panel come close to the drive, but still leave a full millimeter of clearance. Nothing touches.
I'm not sure about "the Bezel" the front of the drive is plastic, if I tried to remove that plastic panel, but below it, there's nothing else to prevent ingress of even more dust. It also refuses to lift in the location where the eject button is. I didn't really feel like chancing the destruction of my $150 Blu-Ray burner.

4) Yes, the top panel of the case touches the front panel of the case.

 

[n13L5]

I guess I could go to a machine shop here, with just the top panel and ask them to make the slot a little wider, but keep the pristine looks.
Or else, I could do it with a thin hand file - it'll take a long time, but with hand files, I know how to avoid kinks, uneven corners etc.

While I'm at it, I could maybe fabricate a small door to close the slot when its not in use.

 

[pollymath]

Are the issues with ODD slot alignment part of the reason the current batch will not have them?

 

[Necere]

Great, thanks for answer and questions, Necere!

1) I double checked - yes, the ODD front is 13.7mm thick
Its a Sony but I can't read off the model name/number, without disassembling the front and removing the PSU.

2) The version of the case... I built it in the Year the i7-7600 was released, case purchased in the same Year. (I can go in the cellar and look at the box in the morning, if that isn't quite enough info to nail it down.

3) There is indeed a small gap between the ODD and the front panel of the chassis. The slanted edges of the front panel come close to the drive, but still leave a full millimeter of clearance. Nothing touches.
I'm not sure about "the Bezel" the front of the drive is plastic, if I tried to remove that plastic panel, but below it, there's nothing else to prevent ingress of even more dust. It also refuses to lift in the location where the eject button is. I didn't really feel like chancing the destruction of my $150 Blu-Ray burner.

4) Yes, the top panel of the case touches the front panel of the case.

Can you take a picture from above looking down on the slot, with the drive installed and top panel on?

Are the issues with ODD slot alignment part of the reason the current batch will not have them?

No, that was w360's call to replace the ODD SKU with a windowed model SKU. Keeping the ODD models while adding windowed models would double the total M1 SKUs from four to eight, which makes managing inventory and maintaining stock more challenging.

Actually this is the first time I can recall anyone reporting an issue with the slot not lining up with the drive, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

 

[n13L5]

Oh ouch... So I'll be relegated to buying used M1 cases, since ODD is mandatory for anything I build for myself...
The only EMP/EMF proof backup for my work is still optical media.

Picture coming up...

 

[Necere]

W360 intends to continue to make the ODD top panel available for sale separately so it will still be available to those who really want the option.

Out of curiosity, why not use an external drive?

 

[confusis]

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