Completed The MI-6 Microtower Case: Performance in 6.7L

firewolfy

Master of Cramming
Original poster
Nov 12, 2015
424
836
Fire MI-6 SFF Ryzen Build

Alright, build is done although I haven't run memtest or performed any benches in Linux yet as I haven't installed.

Specs:
Gigabyte Aorous X570I
Ryzen 7 3700X
Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB, 3200MHz (B-Die Version, will try for CL14)
Samsung 970 Pro 500 GB
Samsung 970 EVO 500 GB
Corsair SF450W
Noctua NH-L12S
Noctua NF-A9x14 intake fan

Couple of build notes:
  • Installing PSU first would have been wise as the NH-L12S overhangs the board in the installed orientation and contacted the PSU during installation. I'm thinking it didn't end up messing with the mount based on idle temperatures but I have my eye on it.
  • NH-L12S does contact the sidepanel and cause a slight bulge (about .5-1.0 mm) as expected. I didn't try to bend the heatpipes before installation.
  • A custom 24 pin cable would go a LONG way towards cleaning up the wiring. The 8 pin and PCIe 6+2 didn't have a ton of extra cable to deal with.
  • Case quality is fantastic and was smooth and easy for my first SFF build (not sure if my old PC-V351B is > or < 20L but it was essentially SFF before that was much of a thing). Took about 2 hours, much of that being me taking time to ensure I installed the CPU and HSF correctly (didn't want to destroy the CPU by accident).
  • Just enough places for zipties given that my build didn't have any 2.5" drives.
  • I'd look to get a custom cable for SATA drives if I ever add 1x or 2x 2.5" drives to avoid having excess cable inside the case.
  • So far X570I chipset fan is inaudible from 3 feet (as is the entire case) while sitting at idle for 4 hours. I'll post some temps/benchmark stuff once I have time to install Linux over the next week. I'm hoping the RdRand BIOS fixes get pushed out this week so I can jump straight to Ubuntu 19.04 instead of 18.04 LTS. I may just go ahead and use 18.04 for benchmark/stability tests and then repeat once 19.10 comes out as I need to start migrating files from my old Windows 7 machine.
I'll generate a build thread here and reddit probably next week. @firewolfy , is the MI-6 on pcpartpicker? If so, I'll update my build on there and make it public also. I clearly need to look into how to embed the imgur shots too.

Sorry, the case isn't on pcpartpicker.
--I did see your MI-6 build on Imgur the other day tho! That was great.
 
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rfarmer

Spatial Philosopher
Jul 7, 2017
2,586
2,700
I have a CCD MI-6 second edition and after some months (finally) i'm starting to move my system to the case but I've have a doubt.
I want to change my 2 SSDs to 1 M.2 SSD but I'm afraid of the temperatures (the M.2 it is placed under the board Gigabyte Z170N-WIFI, so it will be between the board and the 1060).

Anyone with a similar setup?
How it behave in terms of temperature?

I have the same motherboard and the I am using a MyDigitalSSD which uses the Phison controller which run very hot. I installed a heatsink and had the bottom fan as intake, lowered temps 10 - 15C. Make sure you have a fan at the bottom, the heatsinks don't help if there is no air movement.
 

Jello

Airflow Optimizer
Nov 15, 2016
376
163
10 degrees lower just with a heatsink? I already have the intake fan so I might install a heatsink just for peace of mind.
 
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Frzfrzfrz

Efficiency Noob
New User
Apr 11, 2019
7
0
Don't post here much but I have to say I been following the project for many months now. I currently use the Silverstone ml06b which is 7 l and it's great but it has the limitation that you can use only low profile GPUs. This case not only is smaller but can accommodate a mini itx gpu with the rest of the components the same. I must say I am sold and my partner is getting this for me for my birthday ( which is quite close to when you start collecting money)

Current build is

Asrock b350 itx
Ryzen 7 1700
Noctua NH l12s
16 GB 3000 Corsair vengeance lpx
Samsung 970 M.2
1tb baracuda 2.5 hdd

I have a noctua NH l9a for spare so I can use the 92mm fan from that.

Planning on getting the Navi 5700 itx whenever or if it launches.

Keep on the great work mate !

Ps: hope the NH l12s will fit with minimal design tolerances ?
Cosair sf450 platinum
 

Frzfrzfrz

Efficiency Noob
New User
Apr 11, 2019
7
0
I have the same motherboard and the I am using a MyDigitalSSD which uses the Phison controller which run very hot. I installed a heatsink and had the bottom fan as intake, lowered temps 10 - 15C. Make sure you have a fan at the bottom, the heatsinks don't help if there is no air movement.
Will any generic heatsink off eBay fit between mobo and GPU ?
 

ignsvn

By Toutatis!
SFFn Staff
Apr 4, 2016
1,706
1,646
10 degrees lower just with a heatsink? I already have the intake fan so I might install a heatsink just for peace of mind.

Please share us your updated temperature with the heatsink. It's going to be interesting.
 

thel3igo

Trash Compacter
Nov 4, 2018
34
27
Sorry, the case isn't on pcpartpicker.
--I did see your MI-6 build on Imgur the other day tho! That was great.
Supposedly they won't add it because it isn't available through any known retail website, which they need for their pricing info and charts and such.
 

huddy

Caliper Novice
Aug 22, 2018
30
29
In my Intel rig the L12S touches but does not bulge the side panel. Does your side panel still light up with top plate?

I ask because I might be imagining shoving a 16 Core R9-3900X and 2080 mini whenever it comes out into a build.
[/QUOT

Here is my case showing the moderate bulge. Top panel still closes things out. Scythe Big Shuriken v3 is another good cooler option here IMO.

 
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rfarmer

Spatial Philosopher
Jul 7, 2017
2,586
2,700
What temperature improvement do you get before & after?

When I first got the M.2 I was still using my Ncase and bought it because I was seeing idle temps of 70C and load temps of 80C. At first I wasn't running a bottom fan and temps barely changed at all. I installed bottom intake fans for GPU cooling and later noticed my M.2 temps had improved a lot. Full 10C improvement at both idle and load. Temps were a bit higher in my MI-6, think because I never had the bottom fan running very fast. In the MI-6 it was like 62C idle and 72C load.



Here are my current temps in my Ghost. Not sure why they are so good now, I have 2 top mounted fans exhausting the radiator. Guess I am just getting good airflow.
 

Frzfrzfrz

Efficiency Noob
New User
Apr 11, 2019
7
0
You may want to consider selling the NH-L12s and get NH-L9x65.

Also, we always love build logs & pics!
I was sold on the NH l12s because of the sound performance over NH l9 65. Nhl9 65 gets rather noisy at peak. But from what I been reading in the forum the NH l12s fits flawlessly, if anything it prevents bend of the u shape cover ?
 

ignsvn

By Toutatis!
SFFn Staff
Apr 4, 2016
1,706
1,646
Hmm yes NH-L12 (s or non s) performs slightly better than NH-L9x65, but yeah such is SFF life. Very often we need to compromise somewhere.

Btw @firewolfy I sent a PM.
 

Weredawg

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Apr 5, 2017
119
162
Wonder how well this cooler would do in the MI-6 considering it shouldn't touch the case so there would be no bulge to worry about and you could swap the fan for one of Noctua's slim 120mm