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Production Nouvolo Steck - SFF 8.7-11.2L ITX PC Case, supports liquid cooling

Longbow072

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Sep 25, 2018
92
50
I take it based on your photo that you have to remove the heatsinks and lighting on the GSkill Trident Z ram for the 12s to fit?
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
To mount the L12S on this Asus, I've removed the I/O shroud and replaced the VRM heatsink with the full copper by Enzotech.

How easy for you to remove the stock Asus' VRM heatsink?
Just unscrewing the 4 little screws (2 on each side) ?

BTW, the CMOS battery is supposedly hidden inside. But I do not see it in your first pic. Where is it?
 

fabio

Shrink Ray Wielder
Apr 6, 2016
1,885
4,325
How easy for you to remove the stock Asus' VRM heatsink?
Just unscrewing the 4 little screws (2 on each side) ?

BTW, the CMOS battery is supposedly hidden inside. But I do not see it in your first pic. Where is it?
Very easy! 4 screw in the bottom and the 4 on the sides. That’s it! And here the cmos battery

 

fabio

Shrink Ray Wielder
Apr 6, 2016
1,885
4,325
I take it based on your photo that you have to remove the heatsinks and lighting on the GSkill Trident Z ram for the 12s to fit?
Yes, I had to! But was very easy using an heat gun.

BTW, the ram under load stay between 42 and 45 degree, using the XMP profile of 3200MHz, 1.350V and CAS14.
 
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tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
Yes, I had to! But was very easy using an heat gun.

BTW, the ram under load stay between 42 and 45 degree, using the XMP profile of 3200MHz, 1.350V and CAS14.

I see you remove the heatsink from only 1 module while the other module still has the heatsink.
So, what is the temp difference between them? Just curious to see how the heatspreader works.
 

Hifihedgehog

Editor-in-chief of SFFPC.review
May 3, 2016
459
408
www.sffpc.review
I see you remove the heatsink from only 1 module while the other module still has the heatsink.
So, what is the temp difference between them? Just curious to see how the heatspreader works.
I have read, at least, that in stock form the heatspreaders are just for aesthetics. I would imagine, though, that they may become functionally important in the case of memory overclocking.
 
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chyll2

Master of Cramming
Jun 27, 2018
431
362
If you are running it at 1.35v. it should be non issue

@macbosco
At this point my photos are delayed. My camera is still broke and will only be available next week.

As for the 120mm fan on the bottom. I was able to fit standard size fan below the PSU. If you are raising the PSU mount on the spine, would it be possible to raise it more than the planned 10mm. I imagine that it would be possible to mount a 120mm AIO on the base Steck. (Like how a dancase accommodate a 92mm AIO).
 

fabio

Shrink Ray Wielder
Apr 6, 2016
1,885
4,325
I see you remove the heatsink from only 1 module while the other module still has the heatsink.
So, what is the temp difference between them? Just curious to see how the heatspreader works.
No no, was already removed the other one I don’t know the temp with the heat spreader, but for example, in my Cerberus the ram LPX with the same voltage stay between 42 and 44.
 

macbosco

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Mar 20, 2018
304
710
www.nouvolo.com
I got a 8700K lying around, will build another rig with that in the next few days. Will use a 120x25mm fan this time. Hope to get even better thermals than 15mm.

And I got a question, do you think Intel runs cooler in general vs Ryzen? say 8700K vs 2700x ? @fabio you seem to get really good temp with your 9900K.
 

Longbow072

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Sep 25, 2018
92
50
Well thats a bummer, because I really don't want to have to disconnect that whole thing, might as well just get an AIO and then sell it when I leave work for a new job since I can't ship it. Unless there is an option out there that has a drainable AIO loop like the Liqfusion.
 

fabio

Shrink Ray Wielder
Apr 6, 2016
1,885
4,325
I got a 8700K lying around, will build another rig with that in the next few days. Will use a 120x25mm fan this time. Hope to get even better thermals than 15mm.

And I got a question, do you think Intel runs cooler in general vs Ryzen? say 8700K vs 2700x ? @fabio you seem to get really good temp with your 9900K.
In my experience, yes! But i’ve only had the 95W one, like the 8700K and i’ve delidded it.
 

fabio

Shrink Ray Wielder
Apr 6, 2016
1,885
4,325
Well thats a bummer, because I really don't want to have to disconnect that whole thing, might as well just get an AIO and then sell it when I leave work for a new job since I can't ship it. Unless there is an option out there that has a drainable AIO loop like the Liqfusion.
There is! Check the Alphacool Eisbaer LT!

 

Longbow072

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Sep 25, 2018
92
50
Oooh, that looks perfect. Not as pretty as the Corsair but it works for what I need. Least this way I can drain it, ship it back home, and then refill it when I get it stateside.
 

fabio

Shrink Ray Wielder
Apr 6, 2016
1,885
4,325
Oooh, that looks perfect. Not as pretty as the Corsair but it works for what I need. Least this way I can drain it, ship it back home, and then refill it when I get it stateside.
But watch out because mine is customed. I’ve replaced the Radiator and Fans, and shortened the tubes!
 
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Longbow072

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Sep 25, 2018
92
50
Now its got me wondering if a little good thermal compound would lower ram temps... or liquid metal.

Also, would it be worth it to find a Z390 board to give myself a bit of upward upgradability or go for a Z370 board to fit the 8700K and not worry about it tell the next wave?
 

Allhopeforhumanity

Master of Cramming
May 1, 2017
546
535
Now its got me wondering if a little good thermal compound would lower ram temps... or liquid metal.

Also, would it be worth it to find a Z390 board to give myself a bit of upward upgradability or go for a Z370 board to fit the 8700K and not worry about it tell the next wave?
''

There isn't anything particularly special about Z390 boards unless you need the VRM to power a 9900k. You might as well get a z370 and an 8700k for the price to performance ratio, not to mention keeping it cool in a small package, and then spend the savings on a nicer GPU or monitor .
 

Hifihedgehog

Editor-in-chief of SFFPC.review
May 3, 2016
459
408
www.sffpc.review
To verify, the PSU cable length is 21cm and 23cm for the two cables respectively, correct? If so, I indeed think I am all set and ready to go to order. modDIY.com indicates that they can manufacture custom sheaved cables for the Enermax Revolution SFX. As for completed build photos, I should have some janky looking photos with the nasty, twisty, long stock cables installed up very soon. I am aiming to upload these photos sometime Tuesday with also at least a side by side with the RVZ02 and hopefully a NUC and Streacom FC8 Alpha. Holy enchilada, I dig this setup or should I say portable battlestation. I have a portable 10-inch QHD monitor, Beyerdynamic headphones, and an AIO-cooled 4GHz Ryzen 7 1700 and GTX 1080 Ti-powered Nouvolo Steck and I am in hog heaven with it. All loaded up, the Nouvolo Steck weighs in at just 16 pounds of awesomeness which is featherweight for the sheer processing punch in this beast. Best of all, I can easily throw it into a backpack and then have all my computing gear in tow with me when I embark to a weekend road trip.
 
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macbosco

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Mar 20, 2018
304
710
www.nouvolo.com
To verify, the PSU cable length is 21cm and 23cm for the two cables respectively, correct? If so, I indeed think I am all set and ready to go to order.
Just to elaborate, the very small difference of 21cm and 23cm is for long and short graphics card respectively. If you don't plan to ever use a short video card then you just order the 21cm one (order 1 less cable = cheaper?). For me I just prepare a full set coz I need to test out for short card also (goes with the x2 hdd bracket)

AND NOTE: the measurements may differ if you use sleeved cables instead of silver plated, coz they will be chunkier, maybe need to be longer with the bends taking up more space.
 
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macbosco

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Mar 20, 2018
304
710
www.nouvolo.com
Some initial design parts for Steck v2:
  • Double 120x15mm or 120x25mm, hidden inside the current feet, pushes air up the case.
  • Feet style re-designed also with a curve opening
  • Fans hidden in the "pocket" inside the feet, but still raised up by 10mm to allow air get sucked in
  • Overall case height maybe raised by 15-18mm, even though can house 25mm fans
EDIT: please feedback, in particular, is the curved opening better?

 
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