Completed The MI-6 Microtower Case: Performance in 6.7L
- Thread starter firewolfy
- Start date
I was lucky enough to grab one before this mining boom. I see people on local buy and sells selling 1050TIs for $300 Canadian, like some kind of sick joke lol.
Wow that is the 1060 I want out of the ones available. Yeah I would be interested, are you in the US?
I actually have an EVGA GTX 650 that I had previously used in my HTPC, not a high end card but I could use it on a temporary basis.
Let me know when you are ready to sell, hopefully it won't take too long for a 1080 Ti to show up.
Yeah, I'm in Virginia, the northern part. And okay, I'll let you know when I'm ready.
got mine today, can't wait to build in it. feels really solid
Well here is a pic. Cases about to get feet, and cases bagged and tagged. All of them waiting for covers.
Mine arrived today. Unfortunately I don’t get back in town until tomorrow. I’ll be transferring my current Dan A4-SFX rig into it.
Specs:
8700 non-k
MSI 1070 aero
Asus Z370 Strix
Samsung NVME EVO 512GB
32GB Corsair DDR4-3200
Specs:
8700 non-k
MSI 1070 aero
Asus Z370 Strix
Samsung NVME EVO 512GB
32GB Corsair DDR4-3200
built this morning (rushed due to work). edit: thoughts added
The MI-6 is one of the first cases that helped introduce me to the world of SFF, so I was super excited to finally build in this case. This is my third mini-ITX build (after CustomMod Slim and modded S4M). I’m using all components that were used in the Slim with a few new additions. I would have liked to build an entirely new system, but I don’t have the components for that.
Build Quality
The build quality is great. All pieces of the case feel extremely solid and well-crafted. All of the cutouts, screw positions, etc. are perfect. The pre-sleeved power button feels premium. It’s a fairly easy and straightforward case to build in. The feet are secured via some adhesive, but they are very sturdy and aren’t going anywhere. I’m also a fan of the additional rubber on the bottom. The edges of the body shell are a bit sharp. One small issue is the inner side of the shell scrapes on the frame when removing/attaching it. I think this might be remedied with the included anti-friction tape. I will take a look when I get home. Other than that, top-notch quality. (Note: fingerprints will be visible.)
Build Experience
There was plenty of room to install parts without any flexing or real tampering with the case. I could easily install a bigger cooler if needed. Every component had its designated space and everything fit properly. My one struggle was cable management. There’s a nice bit of space in front of the PSU, but I’m not the best when it comes to wrangling cables. I basically bunched up what I could and used zip ties to hold everything together. I am tempted to order some custom cables so it would look cleaner and free up some room at the bottom for a fan.
Temperatures
I haven’t had time to run any tests. I will update when I have some results.
Customer Experience
Communication with firewolfy was great. Main communication occurred via email. There were some unforeseen delays, but firewolfy was always quick to communicate any issues. The packaging seemed pretty professional. Extras included FE sticker, zip ties, some anti-friction tape (I need to install this on the body to prevent scraping [assuming that’s what it’s for]), labeled/separated screws, and a pre-installed power button. I also received the HDD mounting bracket (not pictured). It’s a simple, no-frills piece of equipment (although I haven’t yet installed an HDD).
Conclusion
I’ve been anticipating this case for a long time. It’s one of the first that got me interested in SFF. Firewolfy has done a great job building and designing a solid product. He communicates well with his customers, and his passion and attention to detail really show. There aren’t really any downsides to the case: it’s sturdy, well-built, and easy to work in. I’m very excited to finally get my hands on this case.
The MI-6 is one of the first cases that helped introduce me to the world of SFF, so I was super excited to finally build in this case. This is my third mini-ITX build (after CustomMod Slim and modded S4M). I’m using all components that were used in the Slim with a few new additions. I would have liked to build an entirely new system, but I don’t have the components for that.
Build Quality
The build quality is great. All pieces of the case feel extremely solid and well-crafted. All of the cutouts, screw positions, etc. are perfect. The pre-sleeved power button feels premium. It’s a fairly easy and straightforward case to build in. The feet are secured via some adhesive, but they are very sturdy and aren’t going anywhere. I’m also a fan of the additional rubber on the bottom. The edges of the body shell are a bit sharp. One small issue is the inner side of the shell scrapes on the frame when removing/attaching it. I think this might be remedied with the included anti-friction tape. I will take a look when I get home. Other than that, top-notch quality. (Note: fingerprints will be visible.)
Build Experience
There was plenty of room to install parts without any flexing or real tampering with the case. I could easily install a bigger cooler if needed. Every component had its designated space and everything fit properly. My one struggle was cable management. There’s a nice bit of space in front of the PSU, but I’m not the best when it comes to wrangling cables. I basically bunched up what I could and used zip ties to hold everything together. I am tempted to order some custom cables so it would look cleaner and free up some room at the bottom for a fan.
Temperatures
I haven’t had time to run any tests. I will update when I have some results.
Customer Experience
Communication with firewolfy was great. Main communication occurred via email. There were some unforeseen delays, but firewolfy was always quick to communicate any issues. The packaging seemed pretty professional. Extras included FE sticker, zip ties, some anti-friction tape (I need to install this on the body to prevent scraping [assuming that’s what it’s for]), labeled/separated screws, and a pre-installed power button. I also received the HDD mounting bracket (not pictured). It’s a simple, no-frills piece of equipment (although I haven’t yet installed an HDD).
Conclusion
I’ve been anticipating this case for a long time. It’s one of the first that got me interested in SFF. Firewolfy has done a great job building and designing a solid product. He communicates well with his customers, and his passion and attention to detail really show. There aren’t really any downsides to the case: it’s sturdy, well-built, and easy to work in. I’m very excited to finally get my hands on this case.
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Got home today, and got to take a quick look at the case. Absolutely excellent. It's exactly what I was hoping for. Excellent material, design, and craftsmanship. If he makes another that has a bit more depth to accommodate a 3.5 inch hard drive, I will buy it again.
Tomorrow I will build the system. I'm waiting on some more thermal paste to arrive. (Kryonaut).
Here is the case next to an InWin 301, and a CustomMod 3.5 Mini
Tomorrow I will build the system. I'm waiting on some more thermal paste to arrive. (Kryonaut).
Here is the case next to an InWin 301, and a CustomMod 3.5 Mini
Thanks for the pics and impressions @Revenant and @NoSk0pz, man I can't wait. Please, please hurry @firewolfy. 
Well, I got it half built tonight until the sciatica got too bad for me to keep standing. For the life of me, I can't figure out how the 2.5 inch hard drives install. Is it possible that we can get an instruction video for them?
I used a Noctua PWM 92mm thin fan on the bottom. It's buzzy. I'm probably going to remove it.
The Corsair SFX 600 watt cables are a nightmare to work with. You must install the PSU before you install any bottom fans.
The i7-8700 (non-k) is still hitting low 90C while in BF1 despite the Noctua NH-L12 with Kryonaut. CPU is maintaining a solid 4.3GHZ on all cores though. It's only hit 100C once during 3D Mark CPU test.
More to come later.
I used a Noctua PWM 92mm thin fan on the bottom. It's buzzy. I'm probably going to remove it.
The Corsair SFX 600 watt cables are a nightmare to work with. You must install the PSU before you install any bottom fans.
The i7-8700 (non-k) is still hitting low 90C while in BF1 despite the Noctua NH-L12 with Kryonaut. CPU is maintaining a solid 4.3GHZ on all cores though. It's only hit 100C once during 3D Mark CPU test.
More to come later.
Revenant,
For the HDD install, I made a quick video HERE that you can take a look at and see if that helps.
I put a few pictograms on the back of the case ID card regarding mounting and build order. I don't know if those helped you or not.
It certainly helps to warm up those cables to make them flexible.
I have the Noctua 92mm fan in mine and run it on silent mode all the time and can't hear it, -but I only have a i7-6700K, so you do have the 2 more cores to deal with. You might try running your test with the cover off and/or with a bigger cpu cooler, to try to understand where the problem is.
Fire
EDIT: Here is the video imbedded--
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Video was very helpful.
I’m going to say this now and all can laugh: I didn’t look at the back the card!
I’m swapping to a different Noctua Fan. I think mine just might be defective.
My 6700K does run substantially cooler than my 8700. Right now the issue is that it will only boost to 3.7ghz on a 65watt TDP. 4.3 is a pipe dream. When I bump the wattage to 95 it stays around 4.2ghz. I’m going to keep balancing it. When I turn on the mainboard core enhancement, I get 4.3 all the time.
I had pretty much given up on being able to find a decent video card in the recent market, at least at a price anywhere close to reasonable. Been keeping my eye on ebay for a GTX 970 mini, either a Gigabyte or Asus. Just picked one up for $225 for a Gigabyte mini, that should hold me over until prices are sane again.
I had a GTX 970 previously and they are very decent.
I had a GTX 970 previously and they are very decent.
Yeah I did some reading up on it, unfortunately crypto mining is not the only problem. A big problem is the shortage of GDDR5 memory and that doesn't look like it will be fixed anytime soon.
