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

[Poblopuablo]

finally after not being on this sub for 3 weeks and having to read through 10 pages of posts before i post to ensure i dint miss anything.... here is my review:



First and foremost i want to give a huge shout out to @macbosco for the unit to review. I was hoping to not get stuck with pink but ill be like Google and call it “Not Pink” ;p


Sorry for the long delay on this review i have been waiting almost a month to receive the mounting hardware for my AIO thus delaying my review.


I know the round one painting issue has been resolved and should be taken with a grain of salt, but in the condition I received my unit in is how I reviewed it.



Specs:

CPU: i5 - 4690k delidded and overclocked to 4.2@ 1.2125v
CPU cooler 1: Id cooling is-60 with noctua nf-f12 PWM
CPU cooler 2: noctua nh-L12s (didn't fit due to cpu socket location on motherboard)
CPU cooler 3: coolermaster ML240 with dual nf-f12 pwm Motherboard: Asrock Z87e itx
Ram:2x8gb 1866mhz kingston hyper x
Gpu:MSI gaming Rx 580 8gb
Ssd: 2.5” SanDisk Ultra 3d 500gb
Psu:Corsair sf450 gold stock cables


All items unboxed: https://photos.app.******/rLuT7bgw27Rqt1Mo6


All pictures: https://photos.app.******/QVFrAZVx57aNNfXX7


I know I’m being nit-picky, this is a great case and I do recommend it. But i'm going to be honest and possibly brutally so.

• Score (without thermal testing) 80/90 = 88.89% (B+

• =====

• Size for SFF - 9/10
  • A little taller and a little wider than i was expecting, but this offers a lot of space for flexibility

• Aesthetic (SUBJECTIVE) - 6/10
  • this is very low because of a couple reasons that other colors(black and white) might not have an issue with.
    • Corners of the top plate don't match the corners of the front and back (aesthetic). This is quite noticeable on the pink and might not be on the black version. https://photos.app.******/m3LWY3cT87qm8S1fA
      
      
    • It's noticeable where the stamped standoffs are *especially* on the front plate https://photos.app.******/aMh7b6S7KeBeR6zK8 it’s hard to see here, but in person it’s very visible
      
      
    • 2 different shades of pink (very difficult to capture a good picture with this poor lighting that I have) https://photos.app.******/ZvfaUC6FY47HDhbq8
  • Wish there were some black screws instead of silver (would look nice on the back… but nobody really sees the back anyways)
    
    
  • Magnetic strips make the side panels not sit flush https://photos.app.******/m3LWY3cT87qm8S1fA
    
    
  • Factory bumps and bruises. Unfortunately 2 on the front plate quite visible and very sad. https://photos.app.******/m3LWY3cT87qm8S1fA and a couple on the HDD brackets (not seen so not a big deal, but still unfortunate) https://photos.app.******/drUzWsub4cdYQvCg6

• Ease of installation - 10/10
  • Simple and straight forward, only had an issue with one screw being quite difficult (mounting the rear plate to the central frame… might have been user error).

• Price (say for USD 190 full bundle, USD160 base unit only + shipping, for full retail price) 10/10
  • pretty solid for the case (depending on shipping costs and TAX/VAT charges) if you can get the base case for $200 (+/- $10) shipped it seems solid.

• Finishing (paint work, metal work etc) 8/10
  • (again) 2 different shades of pink (very difficult to capture a good picture with this poor lighting that I have) https://photos.app.******/ZvfaUC6FY47HDhbq8
    
    
  • Magnetic pannels aretn too stong (or maybe i applied the wrong) when i turned the pc on its side the magnets could not even hold the wight of the pannel it was attached to. (this could be user error, but i applied them a couple times slightly moving the magnets each time. And the issue persisted)

• Flexibility and compatibility - 18/20
  • Will work with lots of hardware with many cpu cooler configurations(very awesome!!)
    
    
  • Seems like it would not be too hard to swap the cooler and gpu out for upgrades down the line which is awesome!!
    
    
  • Unfortunately can’t install 2 x 120mm aio’s (like one for cpu and one for gpu) i was really looking forward to this.
    
    
  • Unfortunately my motherboard won't support the nh-l12s i tried (in every direction) but my cpu socket is lower than normal.

• Thermals - 9/10
  • With the id-cooling is-60
    • Ambient: 18.8*
      
      
    • Prime 95 30 min: max: 92* / avg: 79*
      
      
    • Unigine valley 20 minutes: cpu: 51*/ gpu: 74*
      
      
    • Idle: 34*
  • ML240 with dual nf-a12 pwm (perforated panel)
    • Ambient: 17.3
      
      
    • Prime 95 30 mins: Max: 72* / avg: 61*
      
      
    • Unigine valley 20 mins: 52*/75*
      
      
    • idle:28.5*
  • ML240 with dual nf-a12 pwm (glass panel)
    • Within margins of error as perforated panel.

• Potential for modding 10/10
  • Would say the sky’s the limit, but honestly this could be brought to the moon if one so desired.
    
    
  • I moved the ssd to in front of the power supply: https://photos.app.******/x6gV6Udq3QYKVHXx7 this would work well with the 15mm fan under the PSU

• Comments for further improvements
  • Power supply could be moved up ~3-4mm more to allow more space underneath for cables. (Not necessary at all just a thought/suggestion)
    
    
  • Pcie riser should be out another 1-2mm and the slots of the GPU I/o should also be moved out. My card (which has a backplate and might be the cause of the issue) is being bowed by the pressure. https://photos.app.******/4qVGbFfjfyTqoqVH7
    
    
  • With my CPU cooler it was hard to install the bottom right motherboard standoff screw(just a heads up for some people)
    
    
  • Can't screw in all 4 screws for HDD bracket to bottom plate. (Won't affect stability of the drives, since 3 screws are plenty.) https://photos.app.******/6GzHfcQUhGs86fNt6
    • One of the 3 screws required sits in the way of the magnetic dust filter https://photos.app.******/bvGh79L3WoMAvJXw9
  • Rear io shield is further from the ports than normal. (Won't affect normal usage, just something I noticed) https://photos.app.******/Jr9grYFPcMfmX6TS7
    
    
  • Sides and top are not perfectly flat (probably due to current packaging **new packaging is already in the works so this shouldn't be an issue**) Once its bent, even a little, it pretty difficult to get it flat again, but that's Kind of the way it goes with sheets of aluminum on cases so I can't really dock it for that)
    
    
  • Top plate doesn't sit flush, but @macbosco said that he is working on a fix for this And should be resolved for future cases.) https://photos.app.******/9eDAoN2wHhAb2Jr2A
    
    
  • Paint coverage is pretty decent. On the radiator stek unit you can tell that it was painted as one piece because there are certain spots where paint is lighter(not in color but in coverage). That being said you won't be able to tell once the unit is fully assembled so this shouldn't affect aesthetics. https://photos.app.******/fjK1bipXFTBG4ot6A

Cable management is very easy there is lots of space for extra cables (stock sf600/sf450) should fit no problem…. I know mine did https://photos.app.******/juXenQ51JDyb7gZq5

 

[macbosco]

@Poblopuablo , thanks for your review, some of the issues you mentioned should be solved in v1.1. Testers will get free upgrade in due course.

@Testers, as for custom loop, let us know if there is any CPU block / reservoir combo. As mentioned by other testers, there is considerable space left in the motherboard side if one contemplates custom loop. CPU block is usually very low profile but with tubing sticking outwards (upwards).

I am thinking of a custom CPU block /reservoir combo as such, it will probably use 1/8" - 1/4" tubing:

 

[Longbow072]

I forgot to mention, to avoid potentially strip outs, might want to look at were area's might have overlap preventing good 90 degree engagement with the frame to hole to threads (like when screwing down the top hat that some slight bevels in the frame were possible to make for easier screw driver engagement might be a good idea. That or a rethink on how the top hat is screwed all together in to the frame itself to prevent this happening.

 

[Longbow072]

Preliminary testing on Aida65 and Cinebench with zero OC. Cinebench CPU scored 1344 with zero OC.

Not delidded, thermal paste is whatever came on the corsair preapplied.

Seeing temps on a quick 5 min run on Aida64 immediately after a Cinebench run of nothing over 70 degree's C, this is with the dust filter in the bottom. I need to do a longer 20-45 min burn in to see how it handles heat soak over a longer period. Should have a reasonable amount of room for a modest OC up to 5.0.

Never had a CPU water cooled before, super impressed on the noise level. The corsair PWM fans are super quiet. My GPU Blower card is much loader even when the CPU is going full throttle.

 

[RockZors]

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.

Maybe we can do a survey?

Is there any way to have the spine flippable that way if you have a wider GPU, you can sacrifice cpu cooler clearance? Would just have to get creative with the back of the case for io. Also dont know how you would solve the PSU either.

 

[Longbow072]

Why not make the bracket for the PSU more modular? I mean I eyeballed it and while it would be tight the Wilverstone 700 watt SFX-L I had in my old build would have fit.

 

[macbosco]

Why not make the bracket for the PSU more modular? I mean I eyeballed it and while it would be tight the Wilverstone 700 watt SFX-L I had in my old build would have fit.

I planned to have SFX-L fit, but end up the power switch is in the way I think. I may make it compatible again for later version, but that means I need to make the case tad bit longer. But only Silverstone makes SFX-L, it's their own standard? Coz I think it is not proper ATX standard.

I read that SFX-L comes out because of being able to use 120mm fan.

 

[Allhopeforhumanity]

I planned to have SFX-L fit, but end up the power switch is in the way I think. I may make it compatible again for later version, but that means I need to make the case tad bit longer. But only Silverstone makes SFX-L, it's their own standard? Coz I think it is not proper ATX standard.

I read that SFX-L comes out because of being able to use 120mm fan.

Seasonic has their focus gold SGX which is 5mm smaller than the silverstone SST SFX-L line (125x125mm): https://seasonic.com/focus-sgx

Edit:
beQuiet also has an SFX-L model here, but I'm not seeing its size . Maybe the same 125x130mm as the silverstone (amazon says 125x130mm, so same formfactor as the silverstone): https://www.bequiet.com/en/powersupply/1151

SFF Networks coverage of computex 2017 had a bunch of upcoming SFX-L type supplies from Akasa, Superflower, EVGA, etc but it doesn't seem like any of those others have made it to market yet: https://smallformfactor.net/news/sfx-l-computex-2017-roundup

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Good news! I have my Discourse forum online. It is not quite ready yet, though, since I need to touch it up and tweak the server-side plumbing. Bad news... Custom cables were a bit short with the 8-pin CPU and 24-Pin motherboard cables and I already added 2-mm. So I am ending up adding 10 mm more over the recommended lengths and reordering in the next day. It will likely be another week and a half before the cables come in.

 

[Poblopuablo]

@macbosco since you plan to re-manufacture the PSU adapter, caoul you add official support for the SSD mounting that I did in my post?

I moved the ssd to in front of the power supply: https://photos.app.******/x6gV6Udq3QYKVHXx7

 

[macbosco]

@macbosco since you plan to re-manufacture the PSU adapter, caoul you add official support for the SSD mounting that I did in my post?

I moved the ssd to in front of the power supply: https://photos.app.******/x6gV6Udq3QYKVHXx7

Will probably move to v2 coz need to change spine also? PSU bracket and other parts change is limited to certain degree. Remake of die is needed for bigger changes. So v1.x is mainly for die modifications behind the scene. V2 will be a complete remake of all toolings

 

[chyll2]

Since the spine will be updated to make the PSU 10mm higher, is it feasible to use 120mm AIO below the PSU? There should be enough space if it will be using slim fans.

 

[Chinaman]

Just a heads up the new AMD motherboards x570 motherboards will be supporting PCIe 4.0. Don't know will we need to riser to support 4.0 or the riser we have are already compatible. The other thing will be will there be any GPU that will be able to take advantage of 4.0 speeds

 

[chyll2]

irc, 2080ti can saturate the 3.0 standard, next gen, there maybe more cards that will need it. But for mid-tier system builder, 3.0 will still be enough for maybe a year or two.

We will need a new riser when that happens unless you are using the one used by Dancase before, the 3M riser which was confirmed to be 4.0 compliant.

 

[macbosco]

@Ryzen_Users

I have found some information about Ryzen CPUs and thermal related issues:

2700x temperature spikes
Extended Frequency Range (XFR) 2 / Precision Boost (PB) 2
Manual setting XFR

Apparently if your bios settings are on "auto", XFR and PB will always be turned on (inside the CPU). This means that the CPU will try to reach boost clock whenever thermals/TDP/VRM allow, it will quickly tune down again if limit is reached. This leads to the phenomenon that CPU temp will keep spiking even at idle (from say 45degC to 55degC) and depending on your fan settings, you may see your fan ramping up and down constantly.

Not sure if you can disable XFR/PB with locking the clock multiplier (don't think you can from what I understand from reading subredits), or you can try set control mode to manual in Ryzen master software. EDIT: You can disable it in the bios, but many motherboards come with it enabled as default. But you can lessen the problem with fan speeds by setting the fan curve with base speed at higher temps. Fan speed will stay higher even at idle but it will be quieter without the speed change constantly.

Also it is normal to expect higher average CPU temp with Ryzens with XFR/PB active, comparing with that of Intel equivalent e.g. 8700k (MCE disabled). You will see this difference as you can probably disable MCE (or its already off by default) for Intel CPU. Note: some say enabling MCE can cause instability for certain lower quality batch of CPU chips, so it's no guarantee, better off OC manually.

Conclusions: There will be variance in thermal performance between Ryzens and Intel i7s purely based on XFR/PB (or the lack of in Intel CPUs) factor alone. Basically, Ryzens run hotter (coz it's not running locked at stock clock speed). With nothing touched in the above regards, expect Ryzens to run 10degC hotter than Intels

Your feedback and comments are welcome. Let us know if I haven't got everything spot on.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

I am making excellent progress on the road to the review since today I finally was able to tackle an mail server issue that involved signing emails. I have run and managed my own Windows servers in the context of domains but never a VPS Linux system serving up web content. It is a rewarding experience if I do say so myself. In meantime, however, I will be waiting to get the "full" review up since the custom cables I had ordered were not the correct lengths for the CPU and motherboard. I will likely opt to pay for expedited shipping so I receive them by the end of next week. For now, I have a lot of web server housecleaning and web setup to do when I am off hours from my day job as a data solutions developer.

 

[Longbow072]

Hifihedgehog- Were did you order the cables and what were the lengths you specified?

macbosco- I may have missed it in the all the chatter on the 1.1 and 2.0 of the case, but do you forsee putting USB 3.1 or Type C on the front in some way in the future? It will mess with the front panel look, but make it more awesome for day to day use.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

Hifihedgehog- Were did you order the cables and what were the lengths you specified?

ModDIY. I used Macbosco’s recommended lengths some pages ago.

 

[Poblopuablo]

Hifihedgehog- Were did you order the cables and what were the lengths you specified?

macbosco- I may have missed it in the all the chatter on the 1.1 and 2.0 of the case, but do you forsee putting USB 3.1 or Type C on the front in some way in the future? It will mess with the front panel look, but make it more awesome for day to day use.

As an option: With the space on the bottom, one could add a hub pointing out the side. (However if he changes it to the rounder bottom vs what we have now, then it might notworkn)

 

[macbosco]

ModDIY. I used Macbosco’s recommended lengths some pages ago.

Add 2-3cm to the 24pin cable to be safer