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

[macbosco]

Well, if the only reason to get a wider space for the GPU is the “new” GPU trend, I don’t agree.
There is a good post of De.Zaber in the sentry thread.
The SFF is having more presence, and we have seen this also at computex. Everything will become a bit smaller and energy efficient in my opinion, especially with the 7nm node. Every brand has its own 2 slots GPU. Ok, is not overclocked, no rgb etc, but IF I choose an SFF, I accept and I am aware of the limit. Of course there are case with a lot of possibilities like your Steck, but doesn’t mean it should suit for everyone and everything!
If people want 3 slots, there is the Ncase already!
Of course is my personal opinion! But if you see which are the most selling SFF, the DAN, Skyreach S4 they speak for themself.

I actually went to calculate the width of slots. Based on current Steck width approx. 145mm (for 70mm CPU heatsink and 2 GPU slots), the width will end up to be about:

• 1 slot = 20mm
  
• 2 slots = 40mm => 145mm (current)
  
• 2.5 slots = 50mm => 152mm (limit?)
  
• 2.75 slots = 55mm => 157mm (!!! = NCase?)
  
• 3 slots = 50mm => 162mm (!!! = NCase?)

Note: NCase M1 is only 160mm width, going anything wider than 160mm, one can just switch to NCase (& cheaper without riser cable!)

 

[teodoro]

SFF is (currently) a decidedly enthusiast market. Enthusiasts are more likely to want and use high end hardware—just look at the number of people cramming 2080TIs into existing sff cases. It’s hard to say how big a portion of the current SFF consumer base this is, but it definitely exists.

I’m definitely in that camp where I don’t want to compromise much for what tier of hardware that I can use because of chassis restrictions. Support for 2.75-3 slot cards appeals to me because of their beefier cooling power and lower noise. I’d be interested to see (external) renderings of the Steck being wide enough for them to see how much it impacts the overall look (vs somewhat arbitrary numbers when you consider the volume increase). You definitely don’t want to become a cube-looking because then you’re competing against a ton more cases (albeit with different layouts).

For this gen, keep in mind that some companies (eg Asus) only have two retention brackets for their 2.7 slot cards while others (eg Evga) use three.

 

[Allhopeforhumanity]

FF is (currently) a decidedly enthusiast market. Enthusiasts are more likely to want and use high end hardware—just look at the number of people cramming 2080TIs into existing sff cases. It’s hard to say how big a portion of the current SFF consumer base this is, but it definitely exists.

At the point that one is going to throw a ($1200-1400!) 2080ti into the Steck, I'd say go the extra $200-300, monoblock it back down to sub 2-slot thickness, and make use of the tophat for a radiator. Then you can use the sexy glass side panels without having to sacrifice performance too.

 

[fabio]

SFF is (currently) a decidedly enthusiast market. Enthusiasts are more likely to want and use high end hardware—just look at the number of people cramming 2080TIs into existing sff cases. It’s hard to say how big a portion of the current SFF consumer base this is, but it definitely exists.

I’m definitely in that camp where I don’t want to compromise much for what tier of hardware that I can use because of chassis restrictions. Support for 2.75-3 slot cards appeals to me because of their beefier cooling power and lower noise. I’d be interested to see (external) renderings of the Steck being wide enough for them to see how much it impacts the overall look (vs somewhat arbitrary numbers when you consider the volume increase). You definitely don’t want to become a cube-looking because then you’re competing against a ton more cases (albeit with different layouts).

For this gen, keep in mind that some companies (eg Asus) only have two retention brackets for their 2.7 slot cards while others (eg Evga) use three.

Ok, but I mean, what has the EVGA 2080 TI XC of less "enthusiast" than the XC Ultra? Nothing apart points in 3Dmark, and is quiet and powerful more than enough!!

 

[loader963]

There are maximum power enthusiasts and then there are efficiency enthusiasts, both high tech and both cutting edge. You can guess which one thrives in sff culture.

My 8700t, a 35w rated chip, smashes a 6700k in 3d mark and in most games I benchmarked showed equal or slightly better FPS. Only a few points behind the 8700k in 3dmark, I couldn’t tell the difference in real world applications between the two.

Gpus I admit are getting larger. It’s the easiest way for them to get cooler and quieter. But those are also the top end versions of those specific cards. There are still reference, blower, and itx versions of most of the cards. And I believe the same results will apply as my cpu example, you won’t notice much of a performance difference at all without measuring it with monitoring software or benchmarks.

The biggest barriers in sff design are thermals and acoustics. Sometimes, we have to prioritize and even make compromises depending on what you prioritize. You can make an all mighty mini jet engine, or a sleeker build that is quieter with a bit less power that is tolerable to sit beside for the average person.

 

[macbosco]

Let me know what you think, for v2 how about PSU mounted to the bottom panel, i.e. no hanging brackets needed. There will be more room at the top, possibly for SSD mount. But 1 less fan. But 1 fan remains blowing up at the motherboard.

 

[RockZors]

Since this case has a vertical GPU, is it possible to have a movable PCI-E bracket in the case? I personally would like to have more room for the GPU, and I dont need much room for the CPU since I have an AIO.

Let me know what you think, for v2 how about PSU mounted to the bottom panel, i.e. no hanging brackets needed. There will be more room at the top, possibly for SSD mount. But 1 less fan. But 1 fan remains blowing up at the motherboard.

Where will you put the power plug? Underneath?

 

[macbosco]

Where will you put the power plug? Underneath?

Yes, the PSU will be raised slightly about 10mm low profile right angled plug will be used and the wire will still go back inside the case to the rear adapter. The PSU power switch can be accessed from the bottom.

 

[Longbow072]

We are already steering the V2 design towards being bigger anyway to allow for more fans to help with overall performance, so why is a few MM's difference to accommodate the new cards a big deal? I don't buy the "efficiency" line. Some might be building with this in mind, but to me that's as much an enthusiast stance as the guy who wants the most power to size ratio. Like it or not if you aren't buying Team Red the 20 series are the current cards being sold by Nvidia so while we are looking to the recent past designs as for specs, wouldn't it make more sense to project forward to current market trends to make it more viable to a consumer base because it accommodates what cards are actually in the market? Eventually all those 10 series cards are going to be gone. Certain 1080 Ti pricing make the 2080 Ti seem like a viable option due to scarcity. That and I get a real performance boost over say the 2070, which is equivalent to my 1080 roughly.

 

[chyll2]

This is slowly turning into a wish, but would it be possible to make the rear panel flat and composed of two parts. The one part has the IO and PCI cut out, the other one is the vented panel that you can place on either GPU or CPU side.

Spine would have to have flexible mounting position. I really like the 70mm cpu height clearance but it is wasted once you use an AIO.

 

[macbosco]

This is slowly turning into a wish, but would it be possible to make the rear panel flat and composed of two parts. The one part has the IO and PCI cut out, the other one is the vented panel that you can place on either GPU or CPU side.

Spine would have to have flexible mounting position. I really like the 70mm cpu height clearance but it is wasted once you use an AIO.

Do you mean an adjustable compartment inside, where overall width remains the same? i.e. small motherboard side, giving more room for GPU?

 

[chyll2]

Do you mean an adjustable compartment inside, where overall width remains the same? i.e. small motherboard side, giving more room for GPU?

Yes. It is an idea I had for sometime. Case dimensions remain the same but you let users decide what compromise they will make.

GPU or cpu cooling, if user want both, get stack unit for AIO

 

[macbosco]

Once v2 design spec is ready I will make a new thread for it. And you can trust me that I won't let certain things hold up development.

V1.x marketing is in progress right now and 2019 will mainly be 1.x world. V2 will be announced towards end of 2019.

As long as you see me involved you know I don't tolerate delays myself also

 

[Longbow072]

AIO, 8700K, and PSU came in... hopefully MB and drive come in today.

Also, now I know what you guys are talking about with the stiff corsair cables...

 

[Longbow072]

So, just out of curiousity, since a 2080 Ti is probably my next big upgrade down the line, are their any cards that can fit within the Pre-Production case?

 

[JohnCA]

This case fits most of my current hardware, so I'm very interested. Any idea when the next batch will be available? Thanks

 

[Longbow072]

https://photos.app.******/cGzxks9ftpLdqWE38https://photos.app.******/cGzxks9ftpLdqWE38

FINALLY! Its done. After much stress, cursing, and head scratching I've proven a semi-old Army grunt can learn new tricks. Its basically a cannibalized and upgraded from my old rig and some new parts as well which was build in a Node 202. This is a gaming rig and maybe a light editing rig as I want to do some product demo video's with a friend in the near future. Yes I went for all the unicorn farts with this and blinged it out.

Specs-
I7-8700K
AsRock Z370i Fatality MB
GSkill TridentZ 32gb 3000mhz ram.
Samsung 970 Evo 1TB
Corsair 450w SFX Power Supply
Nvidia 1080 Founders Edition
Corsair H100i Platinum RGB
Windows 10


This is technically my first real build, so needless to say were it would take most of your experienced guys an hour tops to put together and build this, it took me 4, as I REALLY didn't want to eff it up. Since mail is a 10 day minimum turn around, I didn't get the chance to swap out a bad part or one that i broke. Plus my first water cooled rig (I know I know, AIO's almost don't count) and I'm amazed at how silent it it is.


Building in the Steck- I'm very fortunate there was space behind the PSU to put cables. My cable management is.... not bad for a newbie. Needless to say I could have had better forethought with regards to plugging somethings in what order to better manage cables with other cables. Its a bit of a puzzle and mines about three fifths the way done. The AIO pump and fan cables, which were super streamlined with no RGB controller to deal with (controlled on corsair's software), also complicate things since you cant install X before you put together XYZ in the steck but overall not too terrible. I do feel like there is some way to simplify or make the bottom lengthwise brackets on the ends of the spine could be made in to one piece WITH the central spine to give the system more rigidity when attaching the other pieces around step 2-3 of the video's. Its a minor nit pick. It gets a bit fiddly having a loaded up spin and having to reinstall the brackets with tiny screws in order to attach the base. But it might complicate production and make it more expensive.



Testing and burn in start today! Will share the temp results. Will report on temps running various benchmarks with this AIO and dust fulter combo in the bottom. I will say that I think that the idea of making some sort of air draw in the bottom of the case and out the top via the radiator fans might be compromised by such large gaps in the glass, unless that's by design. Overall temps are 30 C at idle and general use, so I'm encouraged to get some good temps and solid OCing room. Will report later.

 

[chyll2]

@Longbow072
check the code or link for the image. I cant see it.

 

[Longbow072]

Should be fixed

 

[Poblopuablo]

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What is the consensus for supporting wider GPU cards e.g. 2.5-3x slots?

I am planning for v2 now, and it will probably support longer cards up to about 315mm. But these longer cards are usually also wider?

If the GPU compartment is made larger, maybe there is more possibility for custom loop setup? e.g. thin profile reservoir, etc?

Lets have your feedback.

if you haver to make the case wider maybe add syupport for 280mm aio's?