Ncase M1. The Grey Beast. 4.6Ghz with Noctua

[winterfart1]

Built
CPU:
Intel 6700k @4.6Ghz
CPU Cooler:
Cryorig M9
with 1x 120mm Noctua NF-S12B & 1x Cryorig 92mm
GPU:
GTX1070 Gigabyte G1 Gaming
with 2 x 120mm Noctua NF-S12B Redux 1200PWM as Intake for GPU
SSD:
Samsung 850 EVO SATA drive
Mobo:
Asus Z170i Pro Gaming
PSU:
Corsair SF600 w Custom Red Cables
Fans:
1x 120mm Noctua NF-S12B as exhaust
Case:
Ncase M1 V5

Temps:
Ambient:
23 - 25C
CPU Temp:
Min 35 Max 70C
GPU Temp:
Upright position
Min 41C Max 78C
Rested on the side
Min 41C Max 64C

Updates coming soon..

Upcoming plans:
1. 3D printed legs (similar to Optimum Tech)
2. Samsung 960 Evo NVME as boot drive
3. NAS for games & media

Links
Optimum Tech https://optimumtechmedia.wixsite.com/optimummods/product-page/ncase-m1-element-feet
Corsair SF600 psu sleeved cables https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Win...32811930355.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.xHGbTO

Teaser Pic

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[winterfart1]

So the reason why I started this was because I wanted, by my definition, the perfect air-cooled Ncase M1 built which was truly a beast and run very quietly.
- Cryorig M9 was great but the 92mm fan was too loud at 4.4Ghz OC.
- my gpu was going upwards 79-81C during load and was noisy even with 2 thermaltake SP fan as intake
- Corsair PSU cables were good but too long for the Ncase and made the built very cluttered (making airflow worse)
- Ncase feets are too low for enough clearance
- Wires were too tight
- 850 evo not snappy when I have premier and photoshop loaded

I did also try out water cooling for my first built on my CPU with a H100i (check out this album for more info: ) but the clearance were too tight and they pushed my mb too much for comfort.

Hence, my solutions:
1. Design my own Ncase feet (in process)

2. Buy Noctua Redux fans bc I hate the brown colour

3. Swap out the GPU stock fans with 2x 120mm Noctua fans, connected via Gelid PWM to gpu fan connctor

4. Fit in a 120mm fan onto my M9

5. Buy Sleeved cables off Aliexpress as opposed Cablemods I was not planning to pay almost 5x the price including shipping for cables.

6. Order myself a 960 evo

 

[rfarmer]

Build looks good and your temps are very good. So did you just remove the fan shroud from your GPU?

Also curious how you have the 120mm exhaust fan mounted?

 

[Chann3l]

Nice looking build

 

[winterfart1]

Build looks good and your temps are very good. So did you just remove the fan shroud from your GPU?

Also curious how you have the 120mm exhaust fan mounted?

Sooo with regards to this, it just fits. (from Mobo to the radiator holder was 120mm), you could try fitting a 120mm x 25mm fan and you will know what I mean if you have the same cooler and mobo. But I won't recommend doing it.

 

[winterfart1]

*UPDATE*
Sooo I have been busy with school for a bit now and the final parts for this built finally came today too. Here is the updated build

Built
CPU:
Intel 6700k @4.6Ghz
CPU Cooler:
Noctua D9L
with 2x 92mm Noctua NF-B9 redux 1600PWM
GPU:
GTX1070 Gigabyte G1 Gaming
with 2 x 120mm Noctua NF-S12B Redux 1200PWM as Intake for GPU
SSD:
Samsung 960 EVO as Boot 250GB
Samsung 850 EVO SATA drive 500GB
Mobo:
Asus Z170i Pro Gaming
PSU:
Corsair SF600 w Custom sleeved Red Cables
Fans:
1x 120mm Noctua NF-S12B as intake
Case:
Ncase M1 V5

Temps are slightly better.

I was always a skeptic for Noctua products and didn't like the Noctua fan boys. But after getting the cooler and having sitting beside my PC for a week now with the Noctua fans, I have to admit.. They are pretty darn silent and I am officially a Noctua fan boy.

I am willing and happy to pay the premium for this quality tbh being a sound freak.

and here are some things you can expect next:
1. Server built! (Still getting some of the parts shipped!)
2. Case feets (if i still have the time)

Possible revisions
1. Shorter fan cables

Here is the finished product:

 

[MultiDoc]

Nicely done, and yes Noctua are indeed the fans to go to when silence and airflow matters. And after all these years I found them to be cost effective too since they last too (I have been transferring them from build to build over the years)

 

[Phuncz]

That looks like it'll do well noise and performance wise ! Well done !

I was always a skeptic for Noctua products and didn't like the Noctua fan boys. But after getting the cooler and having sitting beside my PC for a week now with the Noctua fans, I have to admit.. They are pretty darn silent and I am officially a Noctua fan boy.

Wise man once said: "Only when you have the experience and knowledge, can you call someone a fanboy legitimately, otherwise you're a just a hater."

 

[tinyitx]

The pics show a NH-D9L, not NH-U9S.
Attention to details is important.

 

[winterfart1]

The pics show a NH-D9L, not NH-U9S.
Attention to details is important.

Yes sir, amended it. Thanks for pointing it out

That looks like it'll do well noise and performance wise ! Well done !

Wise man once said: "Only when you have the experience and knowledge, can you call someone a fanboy legitimately, otherwise you're a just a hater."

Thanks Mod. your quote is just too true. haha

 

[tinyitx]

May I ask a few questions:-
a) Did you simply remove the stock shroud and fans of the Gigabyte 1070 and rely on the 2 bottom case intake fans for cooling?
b) In the top post regarding the original setup, you reported GPU temps for 'upright position' and 'rested on the side', what do these 2 scenarios mean?
c) The main difference of in-case airflow between the original setup and this updated one is that the side fan changed from exhaust to intake. And, you reported 'temps are slightly better'. Could you be a little more specific, numerically? 1-2 degrees or, maybe, 3-5 degrees? For both CPU and GPU?
d) Are you using any air filter?
e) The Aliexpress link for your SF600 cables please?

 

[MultiDoc]

What I think he has set it up to is:

Top side fan is intake, cpu cooler fans are exhaust and gpu/bottom case fans are also exhaust (correct me if i'm wrong).

I'll be doing mine similarly coming weekend (finally got the tracking number for my case today!!!), except that to start I'll keep the oem shroud on my gpu so i can compare. But after (wayyyy too much) reading about this, I most probably end up removing the oem shroud and fans and using two noctuas at the bottom as exhausts, since this way it is reported to have better thermal performance while maintaining low noise levels.

 

[tinyitx]

I think his 2 bottom case fans are intaking.

Frankly, I expect intaking bottom case fans should offer better thermal performance for the GPU as cold fresh air is directly blowing to the heatsink. When the fans are exhausting, I think air, choosing the path of least resistance, will not choose to go through the GPU heatsink first and then being exhausted but will choose to through the surroundings of the heatsink and then being exhausted. But, of course, this is just my theoretical guess. So, I am very eager to see if you can confirm which setup is better for the GPU.

At the same time, I think exhausting vs intaking bottom case fans will affect the CPU in just the opposite way. If they are intaking, hot exhausted air from the GPU will be pulled up and go through the CPU cooler, thus making higher CPU temp. If they are exhausting, hot air from GPU will escape from the case at the bottom and will not affect the CPU, thus offering a 'lower' CPU temp. So, this is something to keep an eye on.

 

[winterfart1]

I think his 2 bottom case fans are intaking.

Frankly, I expect intaking bottom case fans should offer better thermal performance for the GPU as cold fresh air is directly blowing to the heatsink. When the fans are exhausting, I think air, choosing the path of least resistance, will not choose to go through the GPU heatsink first and then being exhausted but will choose to through the surroundings of the heatsink and then being exhausted. But, of course, this is just my theoretical guess. So, I am very eager to see if you can confirm which setup is better for the GPU.

At the same time, I think exhausting vs intaking bottom case fans will affect the CPU in just the opposite way. If they are intaking, hot exhausted air from the GPU will be pulled up and go through the CPU cooler, thus making higher CPU temp. If they are exhausting, hot air from GPU will escape from the case at the bottom and will not affect the CPU, thus offering a 'lower' CPU temp. So, this is something to keep an eye on.

HI tinyitx and multidoc,

I apologise for the late reply as I have been in school finishing up my lab reports! hahah but to answer ur question, I do agree with you, and my bottom fans are configured as intake and connected directly to my gpu fan header. ( i honestly can't wrap my head around the idea that positioning them as exhaust would improve thermal performance but ill give it a shot and update here accordingly!)

Another reason why I did so was because my PC was beside me, on the table, next to a wall, I did not exactly like the idea of air being pushed down onto the table and blowing the hot air onto my hand (a lame reason, i know), but my hand is positioned next to it and it can feel uncomfortable. Haha below is a schematic of what i mean

 

[MultiDoc]

@winterfart1 if you do try the bottom fans as exhaust, do take off the stock fans and shroud from your card. Otherwise they will be just antagonizing the card fans for air (card fans will be trying to suck air towards the card, while bottom case fans the opposite).

Unfortunately my case hasn't arrived yet, but as soon as it does I'll try 2 configs:
option 1: case fans as intake along with the card's fans
and
option 2: remover the card's fans and shroud and put the bottom case fans as exhaust.

Will see how both perform in regards to temps and noise and will keep the better one.

 

[winterfart1]

May I ask a few questions:-
a) Did you simply remove the stock shroud and fans of the Gigabyte 1070 and rely on the 2 bottom case intake fans for cooling?
b) In the top post regarding the original setup, you reported GPU temps for 'upright position' and 'rested on the side', what do these 2 scenarios mean?
c) The main difference of in-case airflow between the original setup and this updated one is that the side fan changed from exhaust to intake. And, you reported 'temps are slightly better'. Could you be a little more specific, numerically? 1-2 degrees or, maybe, 3-5 degrees? For both CPU and GPU?
d) Are you using any air filter?
e) The Aliexpress link for your SF600 cables please?

a) yes, i removed the stock fans and wired it with a gelid pwm adapter to the bottom two fans. Noise and Performance were so much better
GPU temps: 2x 120mm noctua fan(64C) whereas when used with stockfans + 2x 120mm thermal take SP fan (76C)

b) here is the schematic of what i meant HAHA

c) slightly better as in
CPU temps: Side fan positioned as intake, (66C) Side fan positioned as exhaust (70C),
Noise was much better too as now the fan was not blowing onto the side panel grill.

d) I did not use any filter as it affected airflow and sound (air blowing onto the filter gives a quiet but audible "whoosh" sound). Also, the noctua redux fan is not optimised for static pressure (see the blades of the redux fan and you'll know what I mean). Hence, a little blockage do affect how much air can be circulated into the case. I am not so bothered by dust too so... ye. If color of the fan doesn't bother you and you have money to spare, I would definitely recommend noctua P12 PWM fans. They may even perform better. (Chromax series was just to expensive for me too)

e) it was in the first post! here it is again:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Win...32811930355.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.xHGbTO

I havent had any issue with these cables when used with my PSU (1 month). Do take note that you cannot use any random wires from other modular psu as all modular psu are usually not wired the same

 

[winterfart1]

@winterfart1 if you do try the bottom fans as exhaust, do take off the stock fans and shroud from your card. Otherwise they will be just antagonizing the card fans for air (card fans will be trying to suck air towards the card, while bottom case fans the opposite).

Unfortunately my case hasn't arrived yet, but as soon as it does I'll try 2 configs:
option 1: case fans as intake along with the card's fans
and
option 2: remover the card's fans and shroud and put the bottom case fans as exhaust.

Will see how both perform in regards to temps and noise and will keep the better one.

I already did remove the stock fans and shroud. That's why you wont notice any stock fans on the built Otherwise, you are right. that config would have suffocated my gpu. Also, i did experiment with option 1 (76C) and changed to option 3* no stock fan, only case fans as intake (64C)


I might not have done the test optimally so do let me know the outcome too!

 

[MultiDoc]

It just occurred to me, if you are indeed using both the cpu cooler fans and the bottom gpu fans as all being exhaust, you will be practically having the main intake to be the top panel, therefore a dust filter there would take care of the dust without affecting much - if at all - the noise.