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

[arkitec]

So... Micro ATX?

Sorry... ?

I personally think that it if possible shouldn't be bigger. While I totally agree that it would be awesome to have both fans, I would rather see a solution where the motherboard is for example moved a bit up, and the 240mm rad supports two slim fans instead of having the case be taller.

To not screw up the beautiful ratio between height and width, you'd also have to make the case wider if the 240mm rad was to support a second fan, further contributing to the size increase. Small dimension increases make a larger volume difference that you'd think.

Also, having a 240mm rad isn't the only option. Right now, the back most fan slot (in your scenario probably covered up by the second half of the 240mm rad) could be used for a beefy 120mm fan, while only having a 120mm rad up front, maybe even making a bigger difference temp wise (if not to the CPU, probably to the GPU with the added airflow from the bottom).

You are right. I didn't mean that to change the proportion of the case. They should absolutely keep the beautiful design "golden ratio"
It seems like their design is slightly bigger than Dan S4-SFX but again, seems like hitting the same thermal issues?!
Then with this price,.... I've been seen people disagree with the price range so was too worried......

But making it bigger wouldn't be a solution. But like you said, move MOBO bit upwards and make space for another fan with rad would be great I think.

 

[AlexTzone]

The case looks stunning! Though the ventilation on the panels looks a little limited.

From what I've seen, almost all case designers increase their ventilation amount either from early to later prototype, or from early to later batches/versions.

Since it seems that AMD and Intel are coming up with higher and higher TDP chips, it may be worth it to just have "excessive" ventilation to prepare for that.

I know it may compromise the looks. But I do think the case will look beautiful either way, even with bigger ventilation.

IMO there is no need for that, after completing the thermals tests we're really happy with the results. Especially in the optimal config, will post them in the next update

Thanks for the answer. Just to confirm: the graphics card is held in place firmly in the upside-down configuration? So there is no chance that the GPU might drop out of the slot e.g. during transportation? Could you please verify this by shaking the case?

Oh yeah, it sits very firmly and doesn't budge even when shaking violently. The 2 screws are not necessary

Hmm, the M22 doesn't have the best of reviews for 120mm AIOs. The Corsair might be the better option.
The interesting comparison will be a 120mm AIO/25mm fan + 15mm under the motherboard vs. the Silverstone Tundra TD02-Slim with just one 25mm fan. I'm thinking the lack of a second fan will negate the extra radiator length, with overall reduced airflow in the case.

While the outer shells are out getting anodized, could you get some shots of the inner frame with components mounted? Want to see how real components look compared to the (beautiful) renders on your site.

I completely agree! The M22 tubes were really rigid and we managed to only fit a 15mm thick fan on top of the rad (also no 120mm fan below the mobo). However, the Corsair H55 was a whole different story, managed to easily fit the rad & 25mm thick fan and a 120 mm fan below the motherboard. Sure thing, we'll be sure to post some pics in the next update.

Is it possible flip install the SMPS when frame fliped?
SMPS has less heat than graphics card. What about venting through aio?

Is there sufficient space between the power supply and the frame that can help with cable management?

I don't know since we haven't tried it out :/ Well there is just enough space to fit a full-size GPU, 120mm AIO & 25mm thick fan, SFX PSU and 120mm fan below the motherboard.

Great update as usual!

Much appreciated friend

Hello Team Thor Zone,

Simple thought, since the case size is this big already (still nice and compact), why not making the case bit more larger to make 240mm rad with 2 fan to fit in?
Lets say like Dan is working on C4 case. SFF, I get it but your design is amazing so maybe not this time but would love to see a case size like between ATX and ITX case size in the future?!
Thank you,

P.S. Design is very nice, Quality is very nice, but airflow issues are same as most of other mini itx case.....

Dan's A4 - First mini itx case cool design so people jump in
M1 Case - Slightly larger than Dan's A4 (still compact) but better airflow solution so people jump in

Why no make Thor Zone mjolnir take advantages from both Dan's A4 and M1 Case?
I just love your case so I am wishing it's gonna happen so.....

We don't want to make the case any larger, it's already grown from about 8L to 9.7L. As you will se in the thermals docs (next update), the results are damn great Especially in the optimal configuration.

So... Micro ATX?

Sorry... ?

I personally think that it if possible shouldn't be bigger. While I totally agree that it would be awesome to have both fans, I would rather see a solution where the motherboard is for example moved a bit up, and the 240mm rad supports two slim fans instead of having the case be taller.

To not screw up the beautiful ratio between height and width, you'd also have to make the case wider if the 240mm rad was to support a second fan, further contributing to the size increase. Small dimension increases make a larger volume difference that you'd think.

Also, having a 240mm rad isn't the only option. Right now, the back most fan slot (in your scenario probably covered up by the second half of the 240mm rad) could be used for a beefy 120mm fan, while only having a 120mm rad up front, maybe even making a bigger difference temp wise (if not to the CPU, probably to the GPU with the added airflow from the bottom).

Actually, the motherboard is already moved up as high as possible

You are right. I didn't mean that to change the proportion of the case. They should absolutely keep the beautiful design "golden ratio"
It seems like their design is slightly bigger than Dan S4-SFX but again, seems like hitting the same thermal issues?!
Then with this price,.... I've been seen people disagree with the price range so was too worried......

But making it bigger wouldn't be a solution. But like you said, move MOBO bit upwards and make space for another fan with rad would be great I think.

The motherboard is already moved up as high as possible, we did this in the previous design iteration As I said to you above, you're gonna like dem thermals results in the next update!

Regarding price, remember that this is not a sheet metal case. People that disagree with the price haven't quite understood the costs of CNC / casting yet. However, I do understand that not everybody cares about high quality thick panels etc

 

[AlexTzone]

Hey guys, I think you'll like this one!

After a whole month of testing, we’re finally ready to present MJOLNIR thermal results – CHECK THEM OUT HERE.

It’s good to point out that we have tried all possible fan configs (push vs pull), in some cases improving thermals by up to 9°C. Head over to page 14 (in the link above) to check out some recommendations – we tried it all so you don’t have to. I'll post a brief summary of the results below.

Hardware

CPU	INTEL CORE i7 8700
GPU	ASUS RTX2070 TURBO
PSU	CORSAIR SF600
37 mm COOLER	NOCTUA NH-L9i
48 mm COOLER	NOCTUA NH-L9i & NF-A9 PWM
120 mm AIO	CORSAIR H55 & NOCTUA NF-A12x25 PWM
FRONT FAN	NOCTUA NF-A12x25 PWM
BACK FAN	NOCTUA NF-A12x15 PWM

CPU Testing Methods
All tests reached equilibrium long before 30 minutes, but we kept them running for the sake of consistency. First, we test CPU thermals in the standard orientation, for both metal- and glass panels. Next, we check if something improves in the reversed orientation. Last, we test how thermals are affected by swapping around the top panel and dust filter.

CPU Thermals - Standard Orientation
It’s pretty evident from the results below that the 120mm AIO is vastly superior to any of the air-cooling options we tested. The difference really can’t be overstated. Setting the radiator fan to pull instead of push performed between 3°C to 9°C better. Using a 120mm fan below the motherboard (back fan) improved VRM thermals by 22°C. If you plan to go for a high-TDP CPU like the 8:th / 9:th gen Core i7 or Ryzen equivalent – definitely go for the water-cooling option.

CPU Thermals - Reversed Orientation
Reversing the orientation yields an additional improvement of between 1°C to 6°C. Keep in mind that when using the 48mm cooler, the case fan should be configured in PULL for the metal panels and PUSH for the glass panels. Next, we check if thermals are improved further by swapping around the top panel and dust filter.

CPU Thermals - Reversed Orientation & Dust filter top
Having the dust filter on top of the case, in reversed orientation, improves thermals further by about 1°C to 3°C, not much but still significant for those looking to overclock their high-TDP CPUs. If you’re the type of person that likes to push their system to the limit, definitely check out our setup recommendations on page 14 (in the link above).

GPU Testing Methods
All tests reached equilibrium long before 30 minutes, but we kept them running for the sake of consistency. Keep in mind that we’re using a blower-style GPU, a cooling solution optimized for thigh spaces. Thermals for open-air GPUs may vary, something to keep in mind.

GPU Thermals

Cable Management

As you can see it gets pretty crammed in there, especially when maxing out (i.e AIO + 25mm thick fan + 120 mm fan below the motherboard + full-lenght GPU). I think it may be well worth the effort to create custom cables.

Really hyped to hear what you guys think!! ?

Best,
Alex

 

[rfarmer]

Very nice @AlexTzone,. Very comprehensive testing, looks like the 120mm AIO is the way to go.

 

[Sebbie]

What a nice Update!
Please release so i can sell my Ghost S1 that case didnt live up to the premium standard it costs!

 

[keepcoding]

The results look great! I appreciate the thorough testing in different configurations. Looking forward to some photos of the anodized version and first reviews!

The only remaining question mark for me is the space between the PSU and the AIO fan. Could you share a photo (with components installed) that shows how much space there is in-between? Unfortunately, right-angle adapters for PSU cables are nowhere to be found, and I don't like the idea that the cables of the PSU might hit the AIO fan...

 

[teodoro]

Push/pull (to me) are terms for the relative position of a fan to radiator and the movement of air through that radiator. If a fan is attached to a rad and the air flows through the rad toward the fan, it's in pull. If the air moves through the radiator away from the fan, it's in push. Intake/exhaust are also relative terms, but it's rather obvious that intake is into-the-case and exhaust is out-of-the-case. If a fan is not directly attached to a radiator (be it the H55 rad or the L9 fin stack), I much prefer the intake/exhaust nomenclature to reduce ambiguity.

The document's "standard orientation" for the 120mm AIO lists the back fan in push and the rad fan in pull. The render shows both fans facing the same direction, as intakes. So the rad fan is in pull relative to the radiator, and the back fan is in push...relative to the chassis? The reverse orientation is the same, except the case has been inverted. There are no tests with the 120mm AIO and the fans set to exhaust.

For the air coolers (is there a reason you swapped the renders' front/back positions vs the aio?), the front fan is push and the back fan is pull. The render shows the front fan as an intake, the back fan as an exhaust. So I guess the front fan is in push relative to the chassis, while the back fan (which is also affixed to the chassis) is in pull relative to the noctua heatsink?

Assuming I have that correct, isn't there concern that the 25mm intake fan will be recycling the warm air that the slim fan just exhausted? My intuition may well be wrong but there's no data to disprove it. The 48mm reverse orientation has the render with both fans as intakes for glass panels, but also the fans at the top of the case (assuming reverse orientation means inverting the entire case). The 48mm reverse, glass panel orientation performed 6C better than the 48mm standard orientation glass panels (where fans are on bottom, one intake and one exhaust)--but I don't know if that improvement came from the change is case orientation (fans on top vs bottom) or the fan direction orientation (both as intakes vs. one intake/one exhaust). I would be interested to compare direct results for an air cooled setup with:

1. both case fans as intakes (this exists only for 48mm glass panels, fans on top)
2. both case fans as exhaust
3. one as intake/one as exhaust (this data already exists)
4. the effect of case orientation on each of those three fan positions

If you've already done other testing to show that these aren't necessary, I'd love to peruse the results.

 

[dlal1520]

The testing looks great but I have to bring up one question. Have you guys done testing for open air gpus? They are farm more common and better performing then the blower style card you used for this test?

But all of the testing looks very promosing and I love how cleanly you detailed everything.

Looking forward to more!

 

[arkitec]

IMO there is no need for that, after completing the thermals tests we're really happy with the results. Especially in the optimal config, will post them in the next update



Oh yeah, it sits very firmly and doesn't budge even when shaking violently. The 2 screws are not necessary



I completely agree! The M22 tubes were really rigid and we managed to only fit a 15mm thick fan on top of the rad (also no 120mm fan below the mobo). However, the Corsair H55 was a whole different story, managed to easily fit the rad & 25mm thick fan and a 120 mm fan below the motherboard. Sure thing, we'll be sure to post some pics in the next update.



I don't know since we haven't tried it out :/ Well there is just enough space to fit a full-size GPU, 120mm AIO & 25mm thick fan, SFX PSU and 120mm fan below the motherboard.



Much appreciated friend



We don't want to make the case any larger, it's already grown from about 8L to 9.7L. As you will se in the thermals docs (next update), the results are damn great Especially in the optimal configuration.



Actually, the motherboard is already moved up as high as possible



The motherboard is already moved up as high as possible, we did this in the previous design iteration As I said to you above, you're gonna like dem thermals results in the next update!

Regarding price, remember that this is not a sheet metal case. People that disagree with the price haven't quite understood the costs of CNC / casting yet. However, I do understand that not everybody cares about high quality thick panels etc

Dear AlexTzone,
I totally understand the price and the quality. I am ready to purchase it. I have been saving money for this. My previous post was just bit worried saw many people was disagree the price range. But again, I'm ready!!!!!!!!!

 

[wolfatpno]

.

 

[wolfatpno]

If I use an open-type graphics card, is it advantageous to have aio at the bottom?

Two 2.5-inch SSDs can be mounted on the front panel. It is 7 mm thick each.

Seagate's 2.5 5tb hard drive is 15mm.

Is it incompatible?

 

[CaBrAcHo83]

Hello Alex,

great job that I am with the greatest attention, the 2080 Ti FE OC will be compatible with these 310watts do you think? And attached level too, I notice that the end of the attachment of the FE is slightly curved and that on your 2070 Asus she looks flat and lay flat on the chassis?

HTC-se-une-al-consorcio-Virtual-Link hosted at ImgBB

Image HTC-se-une-al-consorcio-Virtual-Link hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

update-29-4-min hosted at ImgBB

Image update-29-4-min hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[sebastianreloaded]

Hi,
not sure whether this was already discussed, but i couldn't find anything:
How much clearance to the bottom of the case is there, when using a SFX-PSU? Is it more than the Dan A4?
Because fitting the Asetek 645lt in Dan A4 is really tight.

 

[arkitec]

Hi Alex,
Are you guys launching soon????
Sorry.... just can't wait.
Cheers

 

[Sharknose]

How much clearance to the bottom of the case is there, when using a SFX-PSU? Is it more than the Dan A4?
Because fitting the Asetek 645lt in Dan A4 is really tight.

They list clearance for 120 mm radiator up to 155mm long, and combined height of 56mm for radiator thickness + fan. For a 25mm fan, that means a radiator max thickness of 31mm.

 

[Aviswa]

Based on the recent thermal testing, would it be possible to run a 9700k with a slight overclock, using the 120mm AIO and optimal cooling configuration for the case?

 

[Tazpr]

Based on the recent thermal testing, would it be possible to run a 9700k with a slight overclock, using the 120mm AIO and optimal cooling configuration for the case?

I think you'd be fine, depends on your voltage, but a lot of 9700k's can run at a high 4Ghz all core OC with a slight undervolt - if you want 5Ghz all core OC then you *should* be able to get that with a 120mm AIO granted it's a good AIO - just expect some toasty temps when the CPU is under full load.

 

[dfrgu]

The testing looks great but I have to bring up one question. Have you guys done testing for open air gpus? They are farm more common and better performing then the blower style card you used for this test?

But all of the testing looks very promosing and I love how cleanly you detailed everything.

Looking forward to more!

Open air GPUs usually do not perform better in such a small case. Due to the limited airflow in the case, the exhaust of those cards cannot be removed from the case fast enough and the ambient temperature in the case will go up because of that. Blowers push exhaust directly out of the case.

 

[dlal1520]

Open air GPUs usually do not perform better in such a small case. Due to the limited airflow in the case, the exhaust of those cards cannot be removed from the case fast enough and the ambient temperature in the case will go up because of that. Blowers push exhaust directly out of the case.

Ya, thats why I would like to see what the temps look like for open air gpus. Im aware that open air in a small case usually fair poorly, but most use cases wont have a blowers just cause they arent easily available/ few companies even make them for the newer cards. When I said better performing, I meant in the sense that they usually have beefer coolers and are clocked higher

 

[Shinken1]

Ya, thats why I would like to see what the temps look like for open air gpus. Im aware that open air in a small case usually fair poorly, but most use cases wont have a blowers just cause they arent easily available/ few companies even make them for the newer cards. When I said better performing, I meant in the sense that they usually have beefer coolers and are clocked higher

I agree and would be very interested in how more common open air coolers would perform in the Mjolnir.