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

[Thehack]

FYI no one measures cooler height like this. You measure from the base of the cooler, not from the mounting feet. The base of the cooler sits on top of the CPU, which for LGA115X is about 8mm above the surface of the motherboard (where the feet sit). That means the cooler compatibility of your case is only 42mm.

Can't believe I glossed over that... 42mm, that means NH-L9i is the most powerful consumer cooler you can get.

Without proper ventilation it's gonna be one thermal throttling case!

 

[AlexTzone]

Can't believe I glossed over that... 42mm, that means NH-L9i is the most powerful consumer cooler you can get.

Without proper ventilation it's gonna be one thermal throttling case!

We’ll get it up to 50mm proper height in the next update. Thanks for letting us know!

Sorry if you felt offended.

MJOLNIR I isn’t just dependent on this forum and Reddit, a lot of people from other social media have signed up to get it. We can’t tell one forum that we’ll change the specs without talking with the others. If majority of people prefer >50mm and thicker case then yes we’ll change it, otherwise no. We respect Necere and Yourself, but we have to take into the account the opinions of others as well (Instagram, Twitter etc) where the majority of our followers are.

Now when it comes to things that don’t directly heavily impact design, that’s a whole different story.

 

[AlexTzone]

I mean, I'm not opposed to new construction techniques and stuff, and it does look great, but the hardware limitations are pretty disappointing from a consumer standpoint.

In your opinion, what’s the most important adjustment you want to see?

 

[Biowarejak]

Whatever it takes to improve the cooling capacity of the chassis So, I guess, either more ventilation or finding a way to improve CPU cooler clearance.

 

[AlexTzone]

Whatever it takes to improve the cooling capacity of the chassis So, I guess, either more ventilation or finding a way to improve CPU cooler clearance.

Thanks for sharing your opinion (+in a friendly manner), we thought that till the next update:

• Proper 50mm CPU cooler distance
• Work in an AIO space for water cooling (for those who aren't satisfied with the CPU cooler max height)
• Make cutouts for airflow on the top/bottom of the chassis (discretely)

Hopefully that'll put a smile on some more people’s faces

 

[AlexTzone]

I agree with MrBreakfst . The decision to use tempered glass for ssff case is not functional is more for atx case with watercooling systems , RGB . You can make some grille for front similar to your design case or take some ideas from HP :
Hp Omen External GPU - look front grill design for airflow also the back side of panel is very nice and clean, HP Z2 Mini , HP Elite Slice .
If you decide to make window panel make it more functional ( fan speed and temperatures CPU/GPU make it from transparent LCD display) look Paul Tan six years before he made very nice project call Reventon PC ( here is some youtube link ) and here is some Antec Cube Razer Edition from GGF Events internal screen from ebay , it need only to make software look from 4:56 And the last one is iBuypower's Snowblind case ( here is official webpage https://www.ibuypower.com/Signature/Snowblind ).
For 299 USD you must put more technology not just ssff with aluminum/windows panels, its not hard to make all this in reality if you decide make something unique this is some ideas which is nice looking for me.

Really appreciate it that you share your opinion!

We're aiming for a simpler look than those cases (even though they look fantastic). The glass panels are one of the more appreciated parts of MJOLNIR I according to Instagram votes, so to be fair we'll have to keep them.

I understand that 299 USD is a lot, but it costs a lot to build this case (lost was casting is significantly more expensive as compared to sheet metal and extrusions).

Best,
Alex

 

[Tim]

Thank you for reply Alex,
I understand that the build cost a lot and this must be the price (299 USD) but there is and will be maybe more companies which will present similar cases. Imagine what can happen if fox example Lian Li or In Win ( unique design ) will announcement some ssff case on CES 2018 ?
I insist that you must put more technology and design ( Transparent LCD display, maybe capacitive panel (switch), better temperature/airflow , custom watercooling, wireless charging cover for mobile device ) make something from this list , not only better materials ( nobody take care about if it is made from Alloy 1100 or 7075 ).
Stand on challenges and make a difference.
Best , Tim.

 

[AlexTzone]

Thank you for reply Alex,
I understand that the build cost a lot and this must be the price (299 USD) but there is and will be maybe more companies which will present similar cases. Imagine what can happen if fox example Lian Li or In Win ( unique design ) will announcement some ssff case on CES 2018 ?
I insist that you must put more technology and design ( Transparent LCD display, maybe capacitive panel (switch), better temperature/airflow , custom watercooling, wireless charging cover for mobile device ) make something from this list , not only better materials ( nobody take care about if it is made from Alloy 1100 or 7075 ).
Stand on challenges and make a difference.
Best , Tim.

Insipiring words and great reflections Tim!

I think you're right, but it's important that we make promises that we can keep (especially since we're a startup). As we get more experience and better network (suppliers, logistics, etc) we can start implementing cool features. Need to learn how to walk before we can run.

Btw we'll improve the airflow and include AIO compatibility

Cheers,
Alex

 

[dlal1520]

Hey Alex,

I really like where this design is going and I hope all goes well for this project.

In all honesty, if this case were to go on the market and be able to support a slightly larger cooler such as the nh-l12, I would buy it instantly. I feel like the common concern I'm seeing is with the throttle on the cpu. This is a gaming computer, so I feel many want to be able to put in 8700k and higher end cpus. The l9i will barely handle these without superior air flow in this form factor and won't allow for overclocking.

Is there a possibility to open up a poll for all your followers to see if such a change would be accepted? Apologies if you already have, and if this feels a bit spammy since you've gotten the same concerns from a few others.

I'm just concerned that this project may fall short of your goals without these adjustments as the ghost s1 is also working on aesthetic upgrades such as tempered glass combined with their larger compatibility. Granted your design, imo, is much more striking and elegant; but function should still be a concern.

Hope this is all constructive,
Best of luck

 

[AlexTzone]

Hey Alex,

I really like where this design is going and I hope all goes well for this project.

In all honesty, if this case were to go on the market and be able to support a slightly larger cooler such as the nh-l12, I would buy it instantly. I feel like the common concern I'm seeing is with the throttle on the cpu. This is a gaming computer, so I feel many want to be able to put in 8700k and higher end cpus. The l9i will barely handle these without superior air flow in this form factor and won't allow for overclocking.

Is there a possibility to open up a poll for all your followers to see if such a change would be accepted? Apologies if you already have, and if this feels a bit spammy since you've gotten the same concerns from a few others.

I'm just concerned that this project may fall short of your goals without these adjustments as the ghost s1 is also working on aesthetic upgrades such as tempered glass combined with their larger compatibility. Granted your design, imo, is much more striking and elegant; but function should still be a concern.

Hope this is all constructive,
Best of luck

Fantastic constructive advice, it’s just must easier for us to take such advice to heart when it’s said in such a nice manner (as opposed to the more aggressive/harsh/demeaning comments about similar things from a couple of people on Reddit).

What would you feel about AIO compatibility to battle CPU throttling? We’re currently working on it till the next update & discrete air flow cutouts on the top/bottom.

Great idea, after next update we’ll definitely open up such a pole!

One more question:

• Say that we make room for NH-L12 and the case goes from 8-10L, is it a deal breaker for you?

Thanks a lot for liking our design

Best,
Alex

 

[dlal1520]

Fantastic constructive advice, it’s just must easier for us to take such advice to heart when it’s said in such a nice manner (as opposed to the more aggressive/harsh/demeaning comments about similar things from a couple of people on Reddit).

What would you feel about AIO compatibility to battle CPU throttling? We’re currently working on it till the next update & discrete air flow cutouts on the top/bottom.

Great idea, after next update we’ll definitely open up such a pole!

One more question:

• Say that we make room for NH-L12 and the case goes from 8-10L, is it a deal breaker for you?

Thanks a lot for liking our design

Best,
Alex

Thanks for the reply.

I would rather use an air cooler personally but I'm in a specific situation. As a college student I travel back and forth and an aio adds a lot of weight. However, if you and your team find a way to implement in 120/240mm rad without detracting from the design (utilize space in the basement could be an idea), I would probably use an aio. I think an nzxt kraken would look amazing in this. Overall I would like as close to an 8L design but I wouldn't mind a size increase if it allowed for performance gains.

If you decide to go for the nh l12 compatiability. You could use the format of the ghost s1 as information. Their format is similar in layout to yours and supports such a cooler. They seem to support the cooler in only bottom fan configuration. This fact can be used to help limit the size of the case. I don't know if your team has availability to the ghost s1 updates, but they have shown performance with this cooler in bottom fan configuration as very satisfactory.

But to be more specific, as long as the case doesn't become larger than the ncase in overall size it would not be a deal breaker. Personally, I'm looking to upgrade from my window modded ncase to a slightly smaller enclosure that natively supports tempered glass with improved thermals.

It would also be cool if a size change could allow compatiablity with the 2.5 slot cards like the Asus 1080ti strix card. This would help differentiate yourself from the competition since it's rare to see the shoebox design hold these parts. Personally I'd be ok if I could fit this card and aio with a slightly larger size case. But as I said before, the only deal breaker would be if this case kept the same limited cooling support.

Hope this helps!

Happy to answer any other questions.

 

[Windfall]

Hello another Alexander,

I really like the case. I hope you have a sucsessful campain.

What is that copper heatsink? Is it something custom? Does it include a fan? Who is the manufacturer of it?

Sorry for many questions, but i am curious.

"Hello another Alexander"....

 

[Windfall]

Hey Thor Zone.
Mjolnir has a handle.
So will this one have a handle? Like in a lan party situation.

 

[Megaden44]

Thank you for reply Alex,
I understand that the build cost a lot and this must be the price (299 USD) but there is and will be maybe more companies which will present similar cases. Imagine what can happen if fox example Lian Li or In Win ( unique design ) will announcement some ssff case on CES 2018 ?
I insist that you must put more technology and design ( Transparent LCD display, maybe capacitive panel (switch), better temperature/airflow , custom watercooling, wireless charging cover for mobile device ) make something from this list , not only better materials ( nobody take care about if it is made from Alloy 1100 or 7075 ).
Stand on challenges and make a difference.
Best , Tim.

This is a great idea, instead of only going for aesthetics you guys could definitely gain support with the SFF community if you added technologies like this that haven't been seen in a case before, you could be the Tesla Motors of SFF cases. That could win you a piece of the market for sure.

 

[rahl07]

Someone's probably going to accuse me of heresy for saying this, but:

Offer just the unibody - no exterior - with feet and a handle on it as an alternative to the complete unit. I don't particularly care about a premium exterior, gorgeous though it is, but the engineering on the inside is very aesthetically pleasing. This would make an absolutely sick portable PC if you're not super concerned about component theft.

 

[Ca11idus]

I want to see some thermal tests. The original pics show zero ventilation for the gpu or the cpu heatsinks. I'm not talking about the glass panels with the case name but the flat panels. How is this going to stay cool enough to be a viable performance system?

I understand the case and design is your selling point but has it been tested?

 

[AlexTzone]

Thanks for the reply.

I would rather use an air cooler personally but I'm in a specific situation. As a college student I travel back and forth and an aio adds a lot of weight. However, if you and your team find a way to implement in 120/240mm rad without detracting from the design (utilize space in the basement could be an idea), I would probably use an aio. I think an nzxt kraken would look amazing in this. Overall I would like as close to an 8L design but I wouldn't mind a size increase if it allowed for performance gains.

If you decide to go for the nh l12 compatiability. You could use the format of the ghost s1 as information. Their format is similar in layout to yours and supports such a cooler. They seem to support the cooler in only bottom fan configuration. This fact can be used to help limit the size of the case. I don't know if your team has availability to the ghost s1 updates, but they have shown performance with this cooler in bottom fan configuration as very satisfactory.

But to be more specific, as long as the case doesn't become larger than the ncase in overall size it would not be a deal breaker. Personally, I'm looking to upgrade from my window modded ncase to a slightly smaller enclosure that natively supports tempered glass with improved thermals.

It would also be cool if a size change could allow compatiablity with the 2.5 slot cards like the Asus 1080ti strix card. This would help differentiate yourself from the competition since it's rare to see the shoebox design hold these parts. Personally I'd be ok if I could fit this card and aio with a slightly larger size case. But as I said before, the only deal breaker would be if this case kept the same limited cooling support.

Hope this helps!

Happy to answer any other questions.

Really valuable input, we'll definitely ask once more questions pop up

Hey Thor Zone.
Mjolnir has a handle.
So will this one have a handle? Like in a lan party situation.

This one doesn't have a handle unfortunately, do you mean for portability purposes or for using it as a hammer?

This is a great idea, instead of only going for aesthetics you guys could definitely gain support with the SFF community if you added technologies like this that haven't been seen in a case before, you could be the Tesla Motors of SFF cases. That could win you a piece of the market for sure.

That would be something indeed! And I'm not saying that we'll only be about aesthetics, but we do have to get down the basics first and evolve from there. We don't want to be the startup that overpromised and didn't deliver

Someone's probably going to accuse me of heresy for saying this, but:

Offer just the unibody - no exterior - with feet and a handle on it as an alternative to the complete unit. I don't particularly care about a premium exterior, gorgeous though it is, but the engineering on the inside is very aesthetically pleasing. This would make an absolutely sick portable PC if you're not super concerned about component theft.

Well selling the internal frame of MJOLNIR I shouldn’t incur additional fixed costs on our part so I guess it's possible for those people who want it. The unibody exterior shell is the most expensive component out of the metal parts, so such an option would be significantly less expensive. I agree, seeing the hardware like that looks quite badass

I want to see some thermal tests. The original pics show zero ventilation for the gpu or the cpu heatsinks. I'm not talking about the glass panels with the case name but the flat panels. How is this going to stay cool enough to be a viable performance system?

I understand the case and design is your selling point but has it been tested?

We're currently working on airflow improvements for MJOLNIR I + Side panels, they will be posted in the next update (or the update after that, we need to deal with glass panel design as many people have disliked the "MJOLNIR" cutouts).

To answer your question when you’re going to see thermal tests; after we finish tolerance adjusting the model and build the first basic prototype. We don't know the real world distances between things like PSU fan and side panels (etc) before the nominal dimensions are tolerance adjusted, this thus makes it difficult to conduct tests now (since we would have to guess the distances).

 

[Windfall]

Thor Zone, I was thinking a removable carrying handle. But as a hammer, no. I wouldn't be worthy.

 

[AlexTzone]

Hey guys!

This is just a mini-update: the new MJOLNIR I website is up.

The next major update will be regarding better Air flow and AIO. Also we have done instagram-votes regarding a bunch of aspects, can post the results here if you want to know / discuss / give your opinion

Best,
Alex

 

[dlal1520]

Hey guys!

This is just a mini-update: the new MJOLNIR I website is up.

The next major update will be regarding better Air flow and AIO. Also we have done instagram-votes regarding a bunch of aspects, can post the results here if you want to know / discuss / give your opinion

Best,
Alex

Hey Alex,

The website looks great and cant wait for the updates to airflow. Im really interested to see how you adapt the project to our concerns.
I would also be interested to see the results of the Instagram votes.

Thanks,

Dhruv