NCASE M1 V6+ 3.5" HDD behind PSU + side feet

Sjakal

What's an ITX?
Original poster
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Oct 20, 2019
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Sorry if this has been posted before; I could not find it but do direct me to proper thead if so. Thanks.

Once DDR5 and PCIe 5 arrive for next AM socket motherboards I aim to build a new PC to replace my aging i5-750 from 2009. Hoping for a bit of airflow advice, but first I'd like to check if some requests for a future M1 revision could make sense:

1. Threads in the corner holes on each side panel, so if you lay the M1 on its side you can move the bottom feet to that side instead.

2. Mounting of CPU exhaust fans inside the top of the case; maybe the rearmost half could have 120/140mm fan rails/screw holes.

3. Additional ATX bracket screw holes a bit away from the front panel, so a 3.5" HDD can be sandwiched in-between the PSU and the front panel, with a mounting frame screwed into the inside front panel where the an HDD can be attached, similar to: http://www.logilink.com/media/images/produkt/_800/AD0012.png

Third request would likely make the PSU dangle rather flimsily unless an ATX bracket variant somehow is used as the HDD mounting frame itself, screwed into the inside front panel. Just some thoughts I had, that might be useful for other builders in future M1 revisions; and now to the airflow part.



I aim to lay my future M1 case down on its side, so a Strix GPU with fans replaced by NF-F12 PWM as exhaust can blow air directly out of the case without hitting obstacles/table underneath. I am not brave enough for AIO or removing the entire GPU heatsink for an Accelero, so a Strix with exhaust fans seems like a reasonable compromise. Has anyone tried this and did it improve GPU and case thermals after 30+ minutes of gaming, compared to standing the case upright?

CPU would likely get NH-C14S to exhaust out the side panel, maybe with NF-A12x15 PWM slim fan on top, using rear 92mm NF-A9 PWM as intake. Most would likely recommend I just install SFX power supply normally without the ATX bracket, and use the existing side panel frame to mount my 3.5" HDD on its frontmost half. Is it then best to face the SFX power supply fan inside the case (so it can exhaust hot CPU/case air) or have the PSU fan outside the case to avoid PSU overheating?

Is there enough room for the NH-C14S in the above config with low profile memory, or will it in most socket locations hit the SFX power supply or 3.5" HDD on the side frame front? And am I better off with two NF-A12x25 PWM fans exhausting the GPU instead of their static pressure F-variants? Is there enough room under a Strix GPU? And are there other considerations I have missed? Thanks in advance, everyone; this is my first SFF build so any advice/thoughts will be appreciated.
 
Last edited:

Necere

Shrink Ray Wielder
NCASE
Feb 22, 2015
1,719
3,281
1. No plans for screw holes on the side panel, nor for orienting the case horizontally more generally. The design doesn't lend itself to this.

2. There's not enough room between the top of the motherboard and top of the case for fans.

3. The SFX bracket uses the ATX bracket mounting holes as well, so they can't really be moved without affecting other things.

CPU would likely get NH-C14S to exhaust out the side panel, maybe with NF-A12x15 PWM slim fan on top, using rear 92mm NF-A9 PWM as intake. Most would likely recommend I just install SFX power supply normally without the ATX bracket, and use the existing side panel frame to mount my 3.5" HDD on its frontmost half. Is it then best to face the SFX power supply fan inside the case (so it can exhaust hot CPU/case air) or have the PSU fan outside the case to avoid PSU overheating?
I would face it outside in your case.

Is there enough room for the NH-C14S in the above config with low profile memory, or will it in most socket locations hit the SFX power supply or 3.5" HDD on the side frame front?
The C14S heatsink itself won't conflict with the PSU in the standard mounting, but the cooler's underside 140mm fan will. I've seen people replace it with a 120mm fan which will clear, though.

As for the 3.5" HDD bracket on the side, I think it will conflict with the C14S, unfortunately. With the brackets as far forward as they can go, it's about 10mm from the edge of the motherboard. So if the C14S overhangs more than that, it will conflict.