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Production Lazer3D HT5 - Low Profile APU Case

smitty2k1

King of Cable Management
Dec 3, 2016
978
500
There is this image that shows the distance from the edge of the motherboard:


You have 40mm of space to play with from the edge of the motherboard.

This is great info, thanks! Hope everything works out when I measure it.
 
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Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
Hey @K888D , a quick question: would I be able to fit a MeanWell UHP-200-12 (194x55x26mm) or UHP-350-12 (220x62x31mm) in this case? The spec says there's room for expansion cards up to 196mm in length, so I'm guessing there might be room down the side for the 200W one (and quite definitely in the front), but it needs a few mm on each side for cables. The 350W looks like it ought to fit across the front (as long as none of the fan mounts are used, but I'm wondering if it will interfere with the power button. Any thoughts on this? I know there are other MeanWell options that are easier to fit, but these are the only ones that I can easily get a hold of in my country :)
 

K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Hey @K888D , a quick question: would I be able to fit a MeanWell UHP-200-12 (194x55x26mm) or UHP-350-12 (220x62x31mm) in this case? The spec says there's room for expansion cards up to 196mm in length, so I'm guessing there might be room down the side for the 200W one (and quite definitely in the front), but it needs a few mm on each side for cables. The 350W looks like it ought to fit across the front (as long as none of the fan mounts are used, but I'm wondering if it will interfere with the power button. Any thoughts on this? I know there are other MeanWell options that are easier to fit, but these are the only ones that I can easily get a hold of in my country :)

I am not really familiar with the MeanWell power supplies, so I can only go off what I can see on the spec sheets searching for them online.

I don't think there will be enough clearance in the HT5 for the UHP-200-12 to fit it to the left or right of the motherboard, the reason being is the corner blocks that hold the case together are 15x10x5mm and will likely interfere with trying to get the MeanWell to fit into that space.

However, you may be able to fit it along the front section of the case and still be able to mount a low profile GPU or 2x 80mm fans. The only potential issue I can see is that there is 24mm clearance to the front of the motherboard and the UHP-200 is 26mm thick, so the module will overlap the front of the motherboard by 2mm and could potentially interfere with the 24 Pin ATX power connector on the motherboard (depending on your motherboard layout).

Here is a view from the top with a mockup of the UHP-200:


Here you can see the clearance in a bit more detail:


I hope that helps a little bit, sorry I can't give any concrete answers as this is not something I have tested or have any experience with.
 

Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
I am not really familiar with the MeanWell power supplies, so I can only go off what I can see on the spec sheets searching for them online.

I don't think there will be enough clearance in the HT5 for the UHP-200-12 to fit it to the left or right of the motherboard, the reason being is the corner blocks that hold the case together are 15x10x5mm and will likely interfere with trying to get the MeanWell to fit into that space.

However, you may be able to fit it along the front section of the case and still be able to mount a low profile GPU or 2x 80mm fans. The only potential issue I can see is that there is 24mm clearance to the front of the motherboard and the UHP-200 is 26mm thick, so the module will overlap the front of the motherboard by 2mm and could potentially interfere with the 24 Pin ATX power connector on the motherboard (depending on your motherboard layout).

Here is a view from the top with a mockup of the UHP-200:


Here you can see the clearance in a bit more detail:


I hope that helps a little bit, sorry I can't give any concrete answers as this is not something I have tested or have any experience with.
Thanks, that helps a lot! I suspected as much, but couldn't quite figure it out without either learning 3D modelling or buying the case and PSU to test - which would be a rather expensive experiment. I guess one possible solution would be to make a custom mounting plate that fits in the fan holder slots (to avoid interference with the corner blocks), but that would require some ... interesting geometry to work. Guess I'll have to keep thinking about this. This isn't my first time posting in this thread, and I'm (still) planning to buy your case (only case I've seen that looks good enough to have sitting prominently in the living room that also fits the hardware I want :) ), I just have to figure out how to manage the brickless build that I want with parts that I can actually get at ... semi-reasonable prices, and then save up enough to actually afford the system.

Anyhow, thanks for the help!
 

OursonSucre

Efficiency Noob
Nov 11, 2018
6
5
Cheers @K888D
I am curious about fit 74mm tall CPU cooler in HT5. I am talking about Cryorig C1, it looks like a bit better than Noctua NH-L12S (especially with bottom-mounted fan). I suppose that I can put 3mm washers between top cover and corner joints. Also I keep in mind option to cut 140x140 hole for fan and mount 25mm height one. Now I am waiting for C1 and HDPLEX 400w, then I will order your HT5.
So, any advice about 74mm cooler in HT5?
 

K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Cheers @K888D
I am curious about fit 74mm tall CPU cooler in HT5. I am talking about Cryorig C1, it looks like a bit better than Noctua NH-L12S (especially with bottom-mounted fan). I suppose that I can put 3mm washers between top cover and corner joints. Also I keep in mind option to cut 140x140 hole for fan and mount 25mm height one. Now I am waiting for C1 and HDPLEX 400w, then I will order your HT5.
So, any advice about 74mm cooler in HT5?

Thanks for the comments, if you're set on getting the Cryorig C1 then the only way to fit this cooler would be to raise the top panel by at least 2mm. However with the fan being on top it will be right up against the vents of the top panel and the fan turbulence noise will be very bad.

You will need to turn the fan speed down to very low speeds to get respectable noise levels, and therefore you may find a cooler such as the Noctua NH-L12S will actually perform much better once you factor in noise levels as the L12S can be run at full speed whilst being very quiet.

Personally I would go for the Noctua, it has plenty of thermal headroom and will be a much neater and quieter solution, don't underestimate the Noctua!
 
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OursonSucre

Efficiency Noob
Nov 11, 2018
6
5
Ok. Got it. Didn't remember about turbulence. Looks like the modding of top-lid is likeliest option in my case ;)
About NH-L12S... Currently I have i7-7820X, of course delidded. Currently it cools by Dark Rock 4, OCed to 4.3Ghz all cores, stress-test temperatures ~80C. I had NH-L12s on my ryzens (1500x, 2200g) and I was disappointed, temps were the same ~80C but my current CPU hotter than those... Ok, will try different scenarios :) Anyway will post my build here
 

K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Ok. Got it. Didn't remember about turbulence. Looks like the modding of top-lid is likeliest option in my case ;)
About NH-L12S... Currently I have i7-7820X, of course delidded. Currently it cools by Dark Rock 4, OCed to 4.3Ghz all cores, stress-test temperatures ~80C. I had NH-L12s on my ryzens (1500x, 2200g) and I was disappointed, temps were the same ~80C but my current CPU hotter than those... Ok, will try different scenarios :) Anyway will post my build here

I'm not surprised you were disappointed, that's quite a huge step down in cooling performance!

However, if your looking for a case of this size then CPU cooler height becomes an important factor and of the sub 70mm coolers available on the market the L12S is one of the best, possibly only bettered by the new Scythe Big Shuriken 3 (not tested it yet).

The L12S also has 2 more benefits over standard downdraft coolers which help in cases that have vents directly above the cooler. The fan is under the cooler and by default is set to push air up through the heatsink, firstly this eliminates fan turbulence noise compared to coolers with the fan on top of the cooler pulling in air through vents, secondly the cooler is pushing the warm exhaust air directly out the case through the vents thus reducing the number 1 issue of SFF cases being heat re-circulation.

I think what Im trying to say is that the Noctua is almost the perfectly designed cooler for this type of case layout!
 

OursonSucre

Efficiency Noob
Nov 11, 2018
6
5
I'm not surprised you were disappointed, that's quite a huge step down in cooling performance!
I don't compare it with Dark Rock 4 cause they arent in the same league :) Just thought it's far enough for "cold" ryzens, but it's not enough.

However, if your looking for a case of this size then CPU cooler height becomes an important factor and of the sub 70mm coolers available on the market the L12S is one of the best, possibly only bettered by the new Scythe Big Shuriken 3 (not tested it yet).
Just had a look on Big Shuriken 3 and it looks promising. Also there are enough clearance between fan and top lid to avoid turbulence noise. Found some test on Youtube and Noctua still looks better...

secondly the cooler is pushing the warm exhaust air directly out the case through the vents thus reducing the number 1 issue of SFF cases being heat re-circulation.
I planned to install side fans to push warm air out of case. But your words changed my opinion :)

Anyway I would try C1 (today want to install it on my current config) to check it's abilities against NH-L12S. Is it possible to order HT5 with 2 top-lids (If I decide to mod top-lid I will have spare in case of modding fails)?
 

K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Is it possible to order HT5 with 2 top-lids (If I decide to mod top-lid I will have spare in case of modding fails)?

Yes the top panels are available separately at Overclockers UK (just search HT5), or if you order from our website direct just email me at kevin@lazer3d.com after you've placed an order and I'll add an extra panel to your order.
 
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OursonSucre

Efficiency Noob
Nov 11, 2018
6
5
BTW, does anyone completed build in HT5 using 8700K\NH-L12S ? Just wondering about clocks\temps.
I achieved 4.3GHz@1.08V during AIDA64 CPU only benchmark in my i7-7820X with Cryorig C1. Of course it cant handle AVX loads, but I dont need it. I have opportunity to change my 2066 platform on 1151 with good value for money (I will refund ~50% of 2066 platform cost). So still can't decide which way to choose....
 

Donut

Average Stuffer
Mar 15, 2019
55
35
I wanted to share my new computer with you all. I built a "coffee themed" office PC - with a coffee lake CPU and coffee colored components - in a custom HT5.

Pictures here:
(Sorry in advance for the terrible image quality. I've taken maybe 3 good pictures in my life, and none of them are in this album.)

Full build:
HT5 with beige and walnut panels
i7 - 8700T
EVGA H370 Stinger
PicoPSU 150-XT + 150W power brick
Kingston VLP RAM 8GB DDR4 2667 (x2)
Intel 660p 2TB
Noctua NH-L12S
Noctua NF-A9 (x4)
(Note: this cooling setup is really overkill for an 8700T. My original plan was to get an 8700K, but I found a deal on a used 8700T that was too good to pass on.)

There are plenty of great things to say about my experience with the HT5 and it's creator Kevin. Before I get to those, I first want to touch on two issues I encountered, so that my post doesn't end on a sour note:
  • Motherboard standoffs are normally screwed into the bottom panel before being shipped, but my case did not ship with the standoffs. On a very positive note, Kevin told me which standoffs to buy and refunded the cost.
  • The hole in the back of the case that accepts the 4-pin DIN connector from the PicoPSU power brick was too narrow. I had to widen it with a hand drill before I could power on the computer.
Both of these were minor issues as far as I'm concerned. The standoffs arrived in two days, and it took all of 15 minutes to fix the power connector hole. Anyway, on to the positives:
  • The beige panels are normally only provided as an option for the CG7 Cravo, but Kevin graciously took a custom order.
  • The case was delivered to my door a week sooner than expected.
  • The packaging of the case was very nice, and there was no damage to the parts.
  • Building instructions were clear. The hardest part was figuring out how to orient the case fans for optimal cable management.
  • The case looks fantastic.
  • The case is surprisingly sturdy feeling. This isn't the first acrylic case I've built in, but it is absolutely the best one.
  • Kevin was very responsive to emails. He helped me pick out components, and when things went south during the build process he was very helpful.
On the whole, I'm incredibly pleased with how the computer turned out, and I have Kevin to thank for that.
 

TheHig

King of Cable Management
Oct 13, 2016
951
1,171
Very nice build :thumb:

Really like how you carried the color scheme to the KB as well. The walnut and beige look surprisingly good together. If you get the chance can you share your temps and impressions on noise levels?

Thanks for sharing!
 

Donut

Average Stuffer
Mar 15, 2019
55
35
Very nice build :thumb:

Really like how you carried the color scheme to the KB as well. The walnut and beige look surprisingly good together. If you get the chance can you share your temps and impressions on noise levels?

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! I'd be happy to share any information I have. I haven't done a whole lot of stress testing yet, but I'II share some observations.

First, some few things to mention:
  • I'm running Ubuntu on this computer, so I've been using Stress to put it under synthetic load. I typically only ran Stress for about 5 minutes because I didn't have a lot of time to do these tests.
  • I've run some simulations in MatLab to put it under a real-world load.
  • Ambient temperature in the office is about 23 C.
  • I unfortunately don't know the noise floor of my office (I've got my own office in a relatively isolated part of my building, so I'd guess it is comparatively low).
  • The computer sits on my desk, maybe 3 feet away from my head.
  • I've set a pretty aggressive fan curve; If I remember correctly, right now it's something like this:
    • <35 C: 30% speed
    • 35-45 C: 45% speed
    • 45-50 C: 60% speed
    • 50-55 C: 80% speed
    • >55 C: 100% speed
During standard office tasks (email, web browsing, Office, multitasking these things) the computer sits at 26 C (3 C above ambient) and is absolutely inaudible above the noise floor of my office. I cannot hear it unless I put my ear up to the computer.

Running Stress on one core brings the temperature to about 35 C. Running the MatLab simulation on one core brings the temperature to about 32 C. The sound is barely audible.

Running Stress on all cores (100% usage) brings the temperature to about 52 C. The sound from the computer is kinda loud, but not annoying loud. Running the MatLab simulation on all cores brings the temperature to about 46 C, and the noise is audible but not particularly noticeable.

I have yet to see temperatures break 55 C in any of the tests I've done. Running the tests for longer or running different tests may change that story. I'm will to try things if you have any suggestions.
 
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K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Thank you for sharing your build, the beige and walnut looks really nice.

Motherboard standoffs are normally screwed into the bottom panel before being shipped, but my case did not ship with the standoffs. On a very positive note, Kevin told me which standoffs to buy and refunded the cost.

Sorry about that, in all the cases we've sold its the first time this has ever happened, I must have been having a bad day in the office.

The hole in the back of the case that accepts the 4-pin DIN connector from the PicoPSU power brick was too narrow. I had to widen it with a hand drill before I could power on the computer.

I've updated the files for the Pico adapter to a wider hole. This is the adapter you are referring to I think:


I've set a pretty aggressive fan curve; If I remember correctly, right now it's something like this:
  • <35 C: 30% speed
  • 35-45 C: 45% speed
  • 45-50 C: 60% speed
  • 50-55 C: 80% speed
  • >55 C: 100% speed

That is certainly an aggressive fan curve!

Running Stress on all cores (100% usage) brings the temperature to about 52 C. The sound from the computer is kinda loud, but not annoying loud. Running the MatLab simulation on all cores brings the temperature to about 46 C, and the noise is audible but not particularly noticeable.

I have yet to see temperatures break 55 C in any of the tests I've done. Running the tests for longer or running different tests may change that story. I'm will to try things if you have any suggestions.

These temperatures are really low to be fair, at 100% load it would be perfectly acceptable for your CPU to be hovering around 70C - 80C or even 90C, the Intel CPU's don't start thermal throttling until they reach 100C. My suggestion for a more comfortable lower noise system would be to ease off your fan curves, you have plenty of headroom to do so.

If you want to lower your system noise then something like this may help:
  • <40 C: 20% speed
  • 40-50 C: 30% speed
  • 50-70 C: 50% speed
  • >70 C: 100% speed
The NH-L12S is overkill for the 8700T so you can afford to run a much softer curve, the example above is tuned for silence under normal to moderate usage, but under high load the fans will kick in. Your CPU may run a little warmer, but if your sitting under 50C - 60C for most the stuff you are doing I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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Donut

Average Stuffer
Mar 15, 2019
55
35
Thank you for sharing your build, the beige and walnut looks really nice.



Sorry about that, in all the cases we've sold its the first time this has ever happened, I must have been having a bad day in the office.



I've updated the files for the Pico adapter to a wider hole. This is the adapter you are referring to I think:




That is certainly an aggressive fan curve!



These temperatures are really low to be fair, at 100% load it would be perfectly acceptable for your CPU to be hovering around 70C - 80C or even 90C, the Intel CPU's don't start thermal throttling until they reach 100C. My suggestion for a more comfortable lower noise system would be to ease off your fan curves, you have plenty of headroom to do so.

If you want to lower your system noise then something like this may help:
  • <40 C: 20% speed
  • 40-50 C: 30% speed
  • 50-70 C: 50% speed
  • >70 C: 100% speed
The NH-L12S is overkill for the 8700T so you can afford to run a much softer curve, the example above is tuned for silence under normal to moderate usage, but under high load the fans will kick in. Your CPU may run a little warmer, but if your sitting under 50C - 60C for most the stuff you are doing I wouldn't worry about it.

No worries about the issues. Thanks again for your help.

The adapter in that picture is the one I am talking about. For the record, the spacing and size of the screw holes are good. It's just the center hole that caused a problem.

I started with a more aggressive fan curve to make sure that temperature didn't prevent me from hitting the maximum all-core turbo frequency. When I get the chance, I'll try a more reasonable fan curve, and I'll report the results.
 

Donut

Average Stuffer
Mar 15, 2019
55
35
I got around to testing temperatures and noise using a less aggressive fan curve. This is what I'm at now:
  • <40 C: 25-35% speed
  • 40-50 C: 35-50% speed
  • 50-60 C: 50-70% speed
  • 60-70 C: 80-100% speed
  • >70 C: 100% speed
The system idles a little hotter at 28 C, but I'm seeing identical temperatures under load with this new fan curve. If anything, temperatures were slightly lower; the highest temperature I saw was 50 C under full synthetic load. This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but data are data. Maybe I'm running into the "upper limit" of cooling that's possible with Intel's thermal interface under the IHS, regardless of the fan curve I set. That's the only reasonable explanation I can come up with, at least.

Regarding sound - I can only hear the fans under full synthetic load, and even then they are barely audible.

This setup is really overkill for the 8700T. It seems that 50% speed on all the fans is sufficient to cool the system under full load. I'm pleasantly surprised by how silent it runs as a result. I think I'll soften the fan curve some more to see how much quieter I can make it.
 

NetherworId

Minimal Tinkerer
Jan 22, 2019
4
2
Hey guys,
I have a really low iq question: GPU specs are described as being low profile, dual slot. Would cards like the Zotac 1660 Ti Mini fit? It's 173x111x35mm.
 
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