Other What's on Taobao

yensteel

Caliper Novice
Aug 10, 2017
32
30
I see your concern about heat from the CPU cooler.
Suggest you check the orientation of your CPU cooler.
If possible, install the cooler with its fins pointing to that long strip of vents so that roughly half of the exhaust will go in that direction and escapes the case. This is better than having the fins running parallel to the strip of vents.
See the 2 pics below for illustration. Pic #1 is not ideal while pic 2 shows a better orientation.

Got it, thanks a lot for the help :) . It seems to be already in that orientation. Sorry for going off track.

I'm not entirely sure if this has been mentioned before, but there's pre-orders on two new Mac Pro inspired cases. One is a M1 layout with 240mm aio support with the included bracket, The other is in Cerberus layout with M-ATX motherboard support.


 
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tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
There is this new case coming out soon. An actual case (prototype?) will be shown this month.
It has similar 'style' (not sure if this is an accurate choice of word) of the T1.
It looks like it supports a bottom 240 and a front 120 support.
218x135x352-->10.3L
BTW, it is called 'Archer'.

 
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Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
I agree with you, thanks for your explanation. It might be too noisy or produce not enough airflow to be worth it in a lot of cases. Was hoping it could help with my RVZ02 case, as the chamber doesn't have a reliable way to vent out the heat from the CPU cooler. There is a long strip of vents above the IO shield at the back so this idea popped up.
Blower/radial fans really have two advantages: lots of static pressure, and low Z-height. Their drawbacks still make them a poor choice for most use cases though: low airflow, high RPM as a necessity to move any real amount of air, high power requirements, high noise levels (partly due to high RPMs, partly due to needing double ball bearings for longevity), and the fact that they need a shroud/airflow guide to work at all - otherwise they just vaguely throw air around in all directions. They're only really suited for applications where you don't have another choice, such as laptops or other space-restricted builds. They are also relatively well suited for specialty radiator use with thick, low Z-height radiators where using an even noisier server style high pressure axial fan wouldn't be an option (like in Asetek's recently launched PCIe-slot mounted GPU AIO)
 
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pseudobacon

Average Stuffer
Jan 9, 2018
59
97
There is this clean looking Ghost S1 clone at JD: https://item.jd.com/100006200493.html
It costs around 140USD. Anybody bought it or has taobao link?
Theres now a Taobao link. But mind you, there is a 3% credit card fee with Alipay on Taobao if you are purchasing directly, whereas there is no fee for JingDong using WeChat pay
 

RobBobbins

Caliper Novice
May 28, 2020
26
3
Hi,

Does anyone know of any ITX open air case / test benches? Looking for something that is well built because I want it to be a display piece. Maybe something like (but not exclusively) BC1 mini or the motif monument

Thank you!
 
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tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
Hi,

Does anyone know of any ITX open air case / test benches? Looking for something that is well built because I want it to be a display piece. Maybe something like (but not exclusively) BC1 mini or the Motfi momentum.

Thank you!
I am currently using BC1 Mini and so the comparison is based on it.
I recommend these 2 candidates for your consideration:-
a. Small N1 ITX test bench
Quality is on par with BC1 Mini (I rate both at 9.5 out of 10) but with much cheaper price (about 50% cheaper)
It comes with a built-in power button.
Very sturdy, very solid.

b. JXK K3 Mini ITX bench
Quality is slightly below that of BC1 Mini and N1. I rate it 8.5 out of 10. Still sturdy and solid.
Much much cheaper than BC1 Mini (about 75% cheaper).
It comes with a built-in power button + reset button + 2 USB 3.0 I/O (which saves you buying an USB hub).
An top cover is available as accessory.
It receives ATX PSU natively. For SFX(L), a transfer bracket is needed.

Strength of BC1 Mini is, of course, its quality. But it costs much more and lacks any power/reset button + USB ports.

For benches like the Momentum, I have used JXK J1 before.
Quality is also very good. I give it a 9.
However, the shipping packaging is only average. However, I receive mine without any damage.
One thing I discover of this particular design is that the cantilever part can sag a little bit (3-4mm) due to the weight of the CPU cooler (NH-C14S for my case). But the easy solution is to 'pre-stress' that part slightly (upward by a few mm) so that the end result will be a perfect level and horizontal cantilever. No sweat.
J1 receives both ATX and SFX(L) PSU natively.

I have seen a couple other similar ones but I cannot remember their names at this moment. But I think these 3 should be good choices.
 
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RobBobbins

Caliper Novice
May 28, 2020
26
3
I am currently using BC1 Mini and so the comparison is based on it.
I recommend these 2 candidates for your consideration:-
a. Small N1 ITX test bench
Quality is on par with BC1 Mini (I rate both at 9.5 out of 10) but with much cheaper price (about 50% cheaper)
It comes with a built-in power button.
Very sturdy, very solid.

b. JXK K3 Mini ITX bench
Quality is slightly below that of BC1 Mini and N1. I rate it 8.5 out of 10. Still sturdy and solid.
Much much cheaper than BC1 Mini (about 75% cheaper).
It comes with a built-in power button + reset button + 2 USB 3.0 I/O (which saves you buying an USB hub).
An top cover is available as accessory.

Strength of BC1 Mini is, of course, its quality. But it costs much more and lacks any power/reset button + USB ports.

For benches like the Momentum, I have used JXK J1 before.
Quality is also very good. I give it a 9.
However, the shipping packaging is only average. However, I receive mine without any damage.
One thing I discover of this particular design is that the cantilever part can sag a little bit (3-4mm) due to the weight of the CPU cooler (NH-C14S for my case). But the easy solution is to 'pre-stress' that part slightly (upward by a few mm) so that the end result will be a perfect level and horizontal cantilever. No sweat.
J1 receives both ATX and SFX(L) PSU too.

I have seen a couple other similar ones but I cannot remember their names at this moment. But I think these 3 should be good choices.


Awesome recommendations! Maybe I should be mentioned in the original post that I was looking for something really minimal. SFX PSU, no need for usb ports, SSD card mounting not requried, as small as possible. The N1 and K3 looks really promising!

The JX1 would have been ideal but I dont like that the PSU mount / platform is so much bigger than the motherboard tray as it takes ATX PSU. Thanks for the heads up as I will be using the C14S as well.

I am open to anymore open case / test bench suggestions!
 
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tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
Awesome recommendations! Maybe I should be mentioned in the original post that I was looking for something really minimal. SFX PSU, no need for usb ports, SSD card mounting not requried, as small as possible. The N1 and K3 looks really promising!

The JX1 would have been ideal but I dont like that the PSU mount / platform is so much bigger than the motherboard tray as it takes ATX PSU. Thanks for the heads up as I will be using the C14S as well.

I am open to anymore open case / test bench suggestions!
If the goal is ''as small as possible'', then N1/K3/BC1 style cannot be beaten. The JX1 style is definitely, relatively speaking, more 'complicated' and larger than the traditional test bench style.

Below is a pic of my JX1 system. That was my C14S there. The system was very stable. I think that is why the base needs to be large enough to provide stability (rather than to provide the space for an ATX PSU). Remember that this style also caters for having watercooling hanging on the back, which can add some more weight.
IIRC, besides the JX1, the other one or two similar styled test bench that I saw also have the base this large. (If I come across them again, I will post them here.)

There is yet another style of open test bench, in the form of A4 sandwich style. Basically, it is an A4 sandwich case without the enclosure shell. Of course, this will be even more 'complicated' and larger.
Ultra Civiliz A4-X is a prime example.
 

RobBobbins

Caliper Novice
May 28, 2020
26
3
If the goal is ''as small as possible'', then N1/K3/BC1 style cannot be beaten. The JX1 style is definitely, relatively speaking, more 'complicated' and larger than the traditional test bench style.

Below is a pic of my JX1 system. That was my C14S there. The system was very stable. I think that is why the base needs to be large enough to provide stability (rather than to provide the space for an ATX PSU). Remember that this style also caters for having watercooling hanging on the back, which can add some more weight.
IIRC, besides the JX1, the other one or two similar styled test bench that I saw also have the base this large. (If I come across them again, I will post them here.)

There is yet another style of open test bench, in the form of A4 sandwich style. Basically, it is an A4 sandwich case without the enclosure shell. Of course, this will be even more 'complicated' and larger.
Ultra Civiliz A4-X is a prime example.

Thank for the help! I'll try to look around Taobao for more options before deciding to go with an open air case.

I was already planning for my next build to be in an M1 so I've recently just purchased all my cooling components for it. If I go this route I'll have to sell em hahaha.

It's quite hard to decide between the N1 & K3. I love how clean the N1 looks but I also really like how the K3 is more open
 
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tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
Thank for the help! I'll try to look around Taobao for more options before deciding to go with an open air case.

I was already planning for my next build to be in an M1 so I've recently just purchased all my cooling components for it. If I go this route I'll have to sell em hahaha.

It's quite hard to decide between the N1 & K3. I love how clean the N1 looks but I also really like how the K3 is more open
Going caseless is a big switch. A very fundamental one, indeed.
What hardware have you purchased for an M1? A SFX PSU, ITX mobo and C14S can all be used on an open bench.
But you can sell all case fans now.

I read that you want it to be a display piece. Of the 2, I would say the N1 has a higher 'wow' factor, due to its higher quality and less complicated (no reset button and USB 3.0 cables/ports hanging around and getting in the way as you have no use of them). If you want to show off, I would recommend the N1 over the K3.
 

RobBobbins

Caliper Novice
May 28, 2020
26
3
Going caseless is a big switch. A very fundamental one, indeed.
What hardware have you purchased for an M1? A SFX PSU, ITX mobo and C14S can all be used on an open bench.
But you can sell all case fans now.

I read that you want it to be a display piece. Of the 2, I would say the N1 has a higher 'wow' factor, due to its higher quality and less complicated (no reset button and USB 3.0 cables/ports hanging around and getting in the way as you have no use of them). If you want to show off, I would recommend the N1 over the K3.

Awesome, looks like i'll be leaning more towards the N1 then.

I havent bought much for the Ncase M1 build yet. I'm still using a really old rig with an i5 3470. I will only be buying bulk of the parts after Ryzen 4000 comes out.

As of now, I will be moving over only the SF600 Plat & C14S that I just bought. I just wish that I got this idea a little earlier as mounting a D15 would look better, esp on a ITX board. Selling the Noctua components are going to be a pain but I'll have to do it if I decide to go with this plan.
 

732

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
May 11, 2020
4
1
Hello everyone,
I've been following this thread for a while, and I really want the Acat x1.
Can anyone tell me the specs of the case, such as GPU compatibility?

Thanks!
 

yensteel

Caliper Novice
Aug 10, 2017
32
30
Hello everyone,
I've been following this thread for a while, and I really want the Acat x1.
Can anyone tell me the specs of the case, such as GPU compatibility?

Thanks!

显卡 means graphics card for most Taobao products, so it's 310*135*48mm.
散热 means heat disapation but it's usually referencing CPU height so it's 67mm tall.
Total size is 320*140*188, usually it's the largest set of 3 numbers that indicate outside dimensions, not to be confused with the GPU support dimensions.

You can use google translate on your phone for live translation if you want to know more. I hope it helps!
 

thelaughingman

SFF Guru
Jul 14, 2018
1,413
1,566
@hereforthefeast nice one! is that a medium tophat you have at the bottom? next step custom cables? (they save lives) or another fan below the motherboard for VRM/M.2 airflow?

@Nero yeah there are so many of them now and complete price range from the very cheap to the very expensive also. some popular ones that I've seen is Kevcases and ZS-A4
 
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hereforthefeast

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Oct 25, 2019
129
133
Nice, thoughts on the quality of this Ghost clone? So many on the market right now, i'm trying to figure out which ones have the best price/quality ratio.
I did a lot of research on ghost clones and I narrowed it down to the Formula X1, Kevcases clone, and this one.
I got a slightly cheaper preorder price but I still think this one has the best price/quality ratio. (I own a Formula 2s so I think I have a pretty good reference for comparison)

@hereforthefeast nice one! is that a medium tophat you have at the bottom? next step custom cables? (they save lives) or another fan below the motherboard for VRM/M.2 airflow?

Yes this is the medium tophat for 25mm fans (sold as air cooling cap). I am thinking of adding another fan below the mobo and possibly sneaking in a tiny 40mm somewhere.
I’m not rushing to get custom cables yet, the plat cables from Corsair should suffice for now
 
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Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
Wow, the finish on that looks really good, excellent CNCing. Color matching looks kind of sub-par, though. Or is the top hat a different tone on purpose? It kind of works. Also, are the side panels actually different colors, or is that just some weird effect of the lighting in the photo?
 

hereforthefeast

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Oct 25, 2019
129
133
The color matching is indeed off between the top hat and the main chassis, which is one noticeable downside. The side panels however are the same color as the rest of the case, just a lighting issue I think.
 
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