Completed MJOLNIR: The minimalistic – but not boring – 9.7L Case

[N9neBreak3r]

A Youtube livestream was the first thing that popped into my mind, that's pretty much the only platform I'm familiar with haha Everybody who is interested can join and ask questions. We can talk about anything from production and shipping to different panels, Booster cell mounting, etc etc...whatever you guys like

Oooo! Like a future booster cell that allows for a radiator or side/top panels with built in radiators. Or a monoblock! Lol I really wanna watercool this case!

 

[Soul_Est]

Hello everyone. Been seeing some attempts of escalation and the dismissal of some people's concerns about this project. There have also been a few reports over such posts.
@S1CKSPEED While you are invested in the case, there is no need to escalate on others comments.
@Duke_Krieg While you are invested in the case, there is no need to dismiss the concerns of others.
Would just like to remind everyone to please keep it civil.

 

[Dawelio]

Hello everyone. Been seeing some attempts of escalation and the dismissal of some people's concerns about this project. There have also been a few reports over such posts.
@S1CKSPEED While you are invested in the case, there is no need to escalate on others comments.
@Duke_Krieg While you are invested in the case, there is no need to dismiss the concerns of others.
Would just like to remind everyone to please keep it civil.

 

[AlexTzone]

Heey guys, the next KS update will be up on Friday/Saturday. By that time we’ll receive samples of the updated gray (dark) anodizing, test 4-magnet panels against 2-magnet panels, test our streaming equipment so we can give you a date for the live Q&A as well take more awesome pics with the new lighting equipment.

To be perfectly clear, production units you guys will receive will have the new gray (dark) anodizing and 4-magnet panels. There’s basically zero difference between the old/new dark, but 4-magnets are a lot stronger than 2. So production has not been halted or anything, still raging on with the final parts

 

[wolfatpno]

Heey guys, the next KS update will be up on Friday/Saturday. By that time we’ll receive samples of the updated gray (dark) anodizing, test 4-magnet panels against 2-magnet panels, test our streaming equipment so we can give you a date for the live Q&A as well take more awesome pics with the new lighting equipment.

To be perfectly clear, production units you guys will receive will have the new gray (dark) anodizing and 4-magnet panels. There’s basically zero difference between the old/new dark, but 4-magnets are a lot stronger than 2. So production has not been halted or anything, still raging on with the final parts

Did they apply the new panel cutout?

I mean, will this sample be completely the same as the final version?

 

[MaZo]

Heey guys, the next KS update will be up on Friday/Saturday. By that time we’ll receive samples of the updated gray (dark) anodizing, test 4-magnet panels against 2-magnet panels, test our streaming equipment so we can give you a date for the live Q&A as well take more awesome pics with the new lighting equipment.

To be perfectly clear, production units you guys will receive will have the new gray (dark) anodizing and 4-magnet panels. There’s basically zero difference between the old/new dark, but 4-magnets are a lot stronger than 2. So production has not been halted or anything, still raging on with the final parts

Will you send another case to Optimum Tech for review?

 

[AlexTzone]

Did they apply the new panel cutout?

I mean, will this sample be completely the same as the final version?

They will be exactly the same yes!

Will you send another case to Optimum Tech for review?

I’d say of course but I’m also worried on several points:

1. I his first review, MJOLNIR + Performance panels performed about 3°C worse than an open testbench or LOUQE Ghost S1. Personally I think it’s important to note when something is a little bit worse or a lot worse. For some reason I see “MJOLNIR has airflow problems” when scouting around the different forums...for 3°C...that’s an exaggeration when some standard cases in those tests were 18-20°C worse. I just wish he would had formulated it like “slightly worse” rather than “worse”, because his words have huge & long-lasting effect and 3°C is not much (we have since updated the performance panels).

2. In his second video, regarding the PSU noise. While it’s true that a non-flipped PSU + AIO-cooled GPU do cause the PSU to ramp up under load, this is not a MJOLNIR-specific problem...but would also happen for pretty much any sandwich case. The good thing is that in MJOLNIR you can easily flip the PSU if you want to avoid the problem (like he pointed out) or put the AIO fan in push rather than pull. I just wish he said it's not a MJOLNIR-specific problem, because once again his words have huge & long-lasting effect.

3. MJOLNIR is definitely a heavily aesthetics-based case, so I’m worried that cheap mesh side panels will be preferred over our expensive CNCd performance panels (for some minor airflow difference). Personally I’d go for CNCd panels if the difference was up to 10°C against mesh, simply because I like products built like tanks. Now for somebody who wants to optimize to the fullest, every degree matters and I definitely understand that.

On the other hand, Optimum has helped us to improve the case a LOT!

 

[Shinken1]

I’d say of course but I’m also worried on several points:

I totally agree with your comments. OT does make nice videos & specialises in ITX cases which is great.
I do get the feeling his ideal case would probably be 99% perforated
Someone who also cares about aesthetics & looks along with performance would be a good reviewer.
I enjoyed RandomFrank P's Mjolnir video

 

[N9neBreak3r]

Heey guys, the next KS update will be up on Friday/Saturday. By that time we’ll receive samples of the updated gray (dark) anodizing, test 4-magnet panels against 2-magnet panels, test our streaming equipment so we can give you a date for the live Q&A as well take more awesome pics with the new lighting equipment.

To be perfectly clear, production units you guys will receive will have the new gray (dark) anodizing and 4-magnet panels. There’s basically zero difference between the old/new dark, but 4-magnets are a lot stronger than 2. So production has not been halted or anything, still raging on with the final parts

Is there going to be any delay on the dark/gray colored cases being completed due to the change? Are all three colors going to ship at the same time or is dark/gray going to ship later than the other two?

 

[uber_shnitz]

I rewatched Optimum's initial video on the Mjolnir and his final comment is verbatim "overall thermal performance for the Mjolnir is pretty good". I think it's when you start decking out the Ghost S1 with top hats and liquid cooling that it ends up better so I suppose you could argue that while it's not a 1:1 comparison, it's certainly a factor that there's some flexibility with those cases to improve performance (namely the Ghost S1 and the FormD T1). The price is also Ali's biggest concern but like you said, it's a premium for the target market.

I wouldn't take it personally and he's also really good at doing cinematography and appreciating the case's build quality (he raves about the FormD T1's build) so there is some value to that. IMO he's one of the big SFF reviewers so there's more upside in terms of exposure (and potential future improvements/future directions) for the product.

At the end of the day it's kind of like an iPhone: you'll get lots of people who claim it's not worth it, but Apple is still sending review units to everyone.

 

[For_Science]

@AlexTzone since shipping may or may not be close, I thought I'd ask again since I don't remember the actual answer. At some point I remember there was a confusion as to what was meant by "Shipping includes import fees & sales tax / VAT.". Does this mean that import fees that normally the receiver has to pay on goods entering the country (e.g. I always had to pay some SEK for PC parts I bought in China when I lived in Sweden) are already sorted?

Recently for a CoolerMaster Pi Case 40 Kickstarter (Awful campaign, terrible job, CM is now refunding everyone essentially). Some people (in India? and Belgium, maybe?) experienced that they still got charged import fees by customs based on the value of the goods.

I think it would be very good if you could be explicit in whether this is to be expected, and whether people should reach out to you if they are charged anything by the authorities. IIRC you might have said to do this already in an update long time ago, but perhaps closer to shipping now, it may be better to remind people of what to expect and what to do if those expectations are not met.

 

[Acen]

Will we have a PCIE 4.0 riser ?

I heard there would be problems if we have MB + GPU with PCIE 4.0 but with PCIE 3.0 riser
Sorry it’s in French : https://www.cowcotland.com/news/749...r-un-riser-pci-express-3-0-marche-ou-pas.html

 

[MaZo]

Will we have a PCIE 4.0 riser ?

I heard there would be problems if we have MB + GPU with PCIE 4.0 but with PCIE 3.0 riser
Sorry it’s in French : https://www.cowcotland.com/news/749...r-un-riser-pci-express-3-0-marche-ou-pas.html

This has already been answered and discussed extensively. No, your case will come with a PCIe 3.0 riser, and you will be able to overcome some of the issues by using a 3.0 (or onboard) video card to set the BIOS from Auto to 3.0 prior to booting with your 4.0 card. You will have to do this again though after every BIOS update. The easiest option would to purchase a 4.0 riser in addition.

 

[Acen]

Sorry man, I saw this information a long time ago and maybe it’d have changed since.

So +100€

If you guys have model suggestions, I saw LINKUP.

 

[N9neBreak3r]

Sorry man, I saw this information a long time ago and maybe it’d have changed since.

So +100€

If you guys have model suggestions, I saw LINKUP.

You got it linkup looks to be the best, the link above is what I'm looking to buy.

@AlexTzone what is the exact length of the pcie riser you guys have in Mjolnir. I want to know so I can buy the right size gen 4 to have ready for when I get my case.

 

[abdulla]

There's also the Louqe Cobalt on Amazon:

 

[MaZo]

There's also the Louqe Cobalt on Amazon:

Or ADT-Link, which is the brand used in e.g. the FormD T1: https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005001949185438.html

You could also build and boot the system outside of the case, with your video card plugged into the PCIe slot directly (without the riser). That will save you the money. Just don’t update the BIOS then, or you’d have to do the same thing again.

 

[For_Science]

Don’t buy any parts and accessories for a case that’s not in your hands yet. Things may change

 

[Goatee]

There is a riser linked here on the forum that may be suitable:

Production - PCIe 16x Gen 4 cable (3M) - Official support for Steck &🥪compatible

PCIe 16x Gen 4 cable is available now. Please visit product page at: https://www.nouvolo.com/products/pcie-gen-4-riser-cable-3m Quantities will be limited at the beginning, but we will try to maintain supply going forward. PCIe 16x Gen 4 cable with 3M™ Twin Axial Cable technology to ensure...

smallformfactor.net

 

[AlexTzone]

Is there going to be any delay on the dark/gray colored cases being completed due to the change? Are all three colors going to ship at the same time or is dark/gray going to ship later than the other two?

Nope, there will be no delays for dark compared to stealth or steel

I rewatched Optimum's initial video on the Mjolnir and his final comment is verbatim "overall thermal performance for the Mjolnir is pretty good". I think it's when you start decking out the Ghost S1 with top hats and liquid cooling that it ends up better so I suppose you could argue that while it's not a 1:1 comparison, it's certainly a factor that there's some flexibility with those cases to improve performance (namely the Ghost S1 and the FormD T1). The price is also Ali's biggest concern but like you said, it's a premium for the target market.

I wouldn't take it personally and he's also really good at doing cinematography and appreciating the case's build quality (he raves about the FormD T1's build) so there is some value to that. IMO he's one of the big SFF reviewers so there's more upside in terms of exposure (and potential future improvements/future directions) for the product.

At the end of the day it's kind of like an iPhone: you'll get lots of people who claim it's not worth it, but Apple is still sending review units to everyone.

His initial video was epic, both in terms of info as well as quality.

His second video almost took us down and if we hadn't intervened with improvements later that day the "cancellation" trajectory was pointing at total KS funding under SEK 500.000 at the end of the campaign. So MJOLNIR could have not happened and that would've been tragically sad. One could ask, why were the cancellations so high after that video? Well there was that PSU + AIO&GPU thing (not a MJOLNIR-specific problem but can easily be solved in MJOLNIR) as well as prototyped glass panels. Since I saw all kind of pledges get cancelled (not only glass panel versions) I have to believe it must be the PSU + AIO&GPU thing, which in my opinion was undeserved.

So in summary, the same MJOLNIR was in both videos, where the first video boosted it and the second nearly killed it. I'm still sad that Circle Pro case is dead and wholeheartedly believe that if he had sent it to another reviewer it might have still been around today. Small companies (such as ourselves and Circle Pro) have limited number of review units and must use them wisely. The last thing I'd want is for MJOLNIR to get tarnished because it's not a mesh-panel case, which I don't want to make since I don't consider meshes to be high quality (maybe an addon for later though).

@AlexTzone since shipping may or may not be close, I thought I'd ask again since I don't remember the actual answer. At some point I remember there was a confusion as to what was meant by "Shipping includes import fees & sales tax / VAT.". Does this mean that import fees that normally the receiver has to pay on goods entering the country (e.g. I always had to pay some SEK for PC parts I bought in China when I lived in Sweden) are already sorted?

Recently for a CoolerMaster Pi Case 40 Kickstarter (Awful campaign, terrible job, CM is now refunding everyone essentially). Some people (in India? and Belgium, maybe?) experienced that they still got charged import fees by customs based on the value of the goods.

I think it would be very good if you could be explicit in whether this is to be expected, and whether people should reach out to you if they are charged anything by the authorities. IIRC you might have said to do this already in an update long time ago, but perhaps closer to shipping now, it may be better to remind people of what to expect and what to do if those expectations are not met.

The goal is for you guys not to pay anything more. We'll refund the "tax" portion of shipping to backers/pre-orders who still get charged by customs (if that would happen for some reason) or if some countries have changed their import policies since then.

Will we have a PCIE 4.0 riser ?

I heard there would be problems if we have MB + GPU with PCIE 4.0 but with PCIE 3.0 riser
Sorry it’s in French : https://www.cowcotland.com/news/749...r-un-riser-pci-express-3-0-marche-ou-pas.html

This has already been answered and discussed extensively. No, your case will come with a PCIe 3.0 riser, and you will be able to overcome some of the issues by using a 3.0 (or onboard) video card to set the BIOS from Auto to 3.0 prior to booting with your 4.0 card. You will have to do this again though after every BIOS update. The easiest option would to purchase a 4.0 riser in addition.

Or ADT-Link, which is the brand used in e.g. the FormD T1: https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005001949185438.html

You could also build and boot the system outside of the case, with your video card plugged into the PCIe slot directly (without the riser). That will save you the money. Just don’t update the BIOS then, or you’d have to do the same thing again.

We use an improved version of ADT-link (gen 3) and I didn't need to use a gen3 GPU to change the bios prior to using a gen4 GPU.

I simply stuck an RTX 3090 (gen 4) into that cable and it booted without a problem. It was obvious that the GPU jumped between Gen3 and Gen4 every 5 seconds, so I went into BIOS and changed the PCIe x16 slot to Gen3 and all problems were gone. My motherboard is Strix x570-i and was at bios version 2800 something something at that time (now update to 3001 I think).

IMO you guys should wait a bit before getting a Gen4 riser, since they are expensive and seem to be unstable at the moment. Wasn't there a review of the linkup riser that showed it was performing worse in Gen4 as compared to Gen3 (because of signal instability)? I may be mistaked though.