Log Yet Another NCase M1 (Zero compromise edition)

[Blubbie21]

@Kitsune great news from you! Hope you're doing fine. Dont forget to eat, drink and sleep from time to time - during the BUILD :-)

I've got also some got news. my package is arrived at Germany and is now processed. I also got the tracking id and now hopping things will go on as planed.
What is the exact type of radiator you are using? is it this one: EK Water Blocks Classic Line EK-CoolStream Classic SE 240 , it should be 27mm in height. But it should fit.

 

[wallsofjericho]

@Kitsune great news from you! Hope you're doing fine. Dont forget to eat, drink and sleep from time to time - during the BUILD :-)

I've got also some got news. my package is arrived at Germany and is now processed. I also got the tracking id and now hopping things will go on as planed.
What is the exact type of radiator you are using? is it this one: EK Water Blocks Classic Line EK-CoolStream Classic SE 240 , it should be 27mm in height. But it should fit.

Be patient then. Mine is already a full week in the international mail facility in Germany, and probably 1-3weeks to come until i have to deal with customs ?

 

[Kitsune]

@Kitsune great news from you! Hope you're doing fine. Dont forget to eat, drink and sleep from time to time - during the BUILD :-)

I've got also some got news. my package is arrived at Germany and is now processed. I also got the tracking id and now hopping things will go on as planed.
What is the exact type of radiator you are using? is it this one: EK Water Blocks Classic Line EK-CoolStream Classic SE 240 , it should be 27mm in height. But it should fit.

Im actually travelling this weekend so nothing else happening with the build just yet. Great to hear yours is on its way.

I have this radiator. The data on that page says 26mm, is it wrong? I won’t worry about 1mm either way!

I need to find some small M3 with a large head to fix the rad to the bottom of the case. All the supplies screw are too small. I need maybe M3x5mm with a decent sized head or some 3mm washers...

 

[Kitsune]

I found my digital callipers and measured the EK Coolstream SE, which it turns out is not 26mm as I thought it was. It's 28.5mm. The EK site actually says 28mm, so I would have done well to check there first. This airflow clearance space is shrinking every day at the moment!!

 

[wallsofjericho]

I found my digital callipers and measured the EK Coolstream SE, which it turns out is not 26mm as I thought it was. It's 28.5mm. The EK site actually says 28mm, so I would have done well to check there first. This airflow clearance space is shrinking every day at the moment!!

WatercoolingUK in UK claims to have XSPC rads on stock. Maybe try https://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/XSPC-TX240-Dual-Fan-Ultrathin-Radiator-Black_67699.html ? Still waiting for mine which i ordered in Germany ... But at least i considered ordering in UK ...

 

[Kitsune]

WatercoolingUK in UK claims to have XSPC rads on stock. Maybe try https://www.watercoolinguk.co.uk/p/XSPC-TX240-Dual-Fan-Ultrathin-Radiator-Black_67699.html ? Still waiting for mine which i ordered in Germany ... But at least i considered ordering in UK ...

Thanks for the heads up @wallsofjericho. Done. Will wait for that to arrive. Trying to add up what fixings I need, and still need to order a pump that will fit on the IMC res. This is relentless!!

 

[Kitsune]

So I had an XSPC in my hands. It arrived super-quick. One of the screw threads is bore too wide though, and won't hold the screw. Back it goes....

 

[wallsofjericho]

. One of the screw threads is bore too wide though, and won't hold the screw. Back it goes..

Reading this i hope they don't have a big quality assurance problem. Still over a week for mine to arrive.

 

[eyi526]

Reading this i hope they don't have a big quality assurance problem. Still over a week for mine to arrive.

Might be trying to rush the restock. I've been waiting to hear about a restock for months in the US, but to no avail. XSPC said by mid July...and we're right around that mark.

 

[Kitsune]

I got the replacement. All is well. Let's hope it was a random faulty unit.

I will say this. If you're fitting 15mm fans as I have, do NOT under any circumstances use a 20mm screw. The clearance between the screw point and the radiator fins beneath is miniscule. Maybe 3mm at most. I sided with caution after butchering an EK Coolstream and ordered some M3x18mm hardware which fit perfectly. Please, for goodness sake, if you're putting a 15mm radiator on, well, any radiator - get your butts on eBay and order some M3x18s.

Here it is located. I don't anticipate this coming back out now. Might do a test fix on the GPU. I also have everything I need to start making cables. I need to get a move on with those.

 

[eyi526]

I got the replacement. All is well. Let's hope it was a random faulty unit.

I will say this. If you're fitting 15mm fans as I have, do NOT under any circumstances use a 20mm screw. The clearance between the screw point and the radiator fins beneath is miniscule. Maybe 3mm at most. I sided with caution after butchering an EK Coolstream and ordered some M3x18mm hardware which fit perfectly. Please, for goodness sake, if you're putting a 15mm radiator on, well, any radiator - get your butts on eBay and order some M3x18s.

Here it is located. I don't anticipate this coming back out now. Might do a test fix on the GPU. I also have everything I need to start making cables. I need to get a move on with those.

NOTED! Thanks for the tip! Still waiting on the TX240 to restock in the USA so I got plenty of time to get ready!

 

[wallsofjericho]

Wondering how Optimum Tech fitted the quick disconnect fittings in between the rad and the PSU. I measure 22mm clearance whereas the quick disconnectors have a 24mm diameter. ?‍ Thinking about getting a thinner side radiator for my build. Have you measured the gap for your build?

 

[Blubbie21]

@Kitsune - you saved my day!!!! Yesterday i wanted to start to mount the 15mm slim fans on the radiator and cant find any crews.
It is outrageous that there are no suitable screws for an expensive and high-quality product as the NF-Slim fans.
Today i will go to a local shop and look for the recommended M3x18mm screws!

Regarding the Optimum Tech video... yes the videos are well done but a lot of the important stuff is kept unmentioned.
my soft-tubes are now very close to the psu, there is only 1-2 mm space. I think i will start without quick disconnects.
But i assume Optimum Tech used some more Softtube-length and routed the tubes at the buttom of the psu. So he dont need the extra clearance between psu and radiator/fans.

 

[Blubbie21]

btw this is my clearance.... also using the thick 39mm rad from EK.
fittings are 16/10 from alphacool and soft tube is 16/10 from masterkleer .

 

[Kitsune]

Wondering how Optimum Tech fitted the quick disconnect fittings in between the rad and the PSU. I measure 22mm clearance whereas the quick disconnectors have a 24mm diameter. ?‍ Thinking about getting a thinner side radiator for my build. Have you measured the gap for your build?

Hi @wallsofjericho. I mounted the Coolstream PE along with the Noctua A112x25s to the side plate and put it up in position and measured the gap to the PSU with digital callipers. I got just shy of 26mm. I could pass the quick release connector through that space but I don't think either actually needs to. Optimum routes one so that it ends up below the PSU, and the other is out in the void over the GPU and motherboard.

What's concerning me today is routing the 24-pin from the top right of the motherboard around to the bottom left of the PSU. If I cut a custom sleeved cable as planned it's gonna be one chunky little cable and has to transition through 2 obtuse axis twice in a very short distance. Cable combs are going to be out of the question. I know it's not a visible cable, but I don't care. It needs to be clean AF.

The only way I can get my head around it at the moment is to measure and insert one pin at a time in-situ.

Having already purchased a Coolstream SE before getting the XSPC, I do now have that as an option instead of the PE. It would open up a solid 10mm or so of space between the PSU and fan. It will also solve another potential problem. Looking at the case from the rear, the right-side entry point for the reservoir is very very close to the bottom corner of the radiator. I don't have any compression fittings yet so I can't test this, but I'm almost certain that this corner of the PE rad would be pressing on the tubing right at the point it connects to the compression fitting. Sounds like a recipe for leakage. In this scenario, The SE will definitely end up replacing the PE - both for cable and tubing clearance.

Does anyone have any notion what the cooling difference is going to be dropping from a PE to an SE?

 

[Kitsune]

btw this is my clearance.... also using the thick 39mm rad from EK.
fittings are 16/10 from alphacool and soft tube is 16/10 from masterkleer .

Nice!! You're making better progress than I am right now ?. Remind me what you're doing for a pump? CPU top or external?

 

[Kitsune]

Also @Blubbie21 - what are you doing about your 24-pin?

 

[Blubbie21]

@Kitsune,
i am also using the ICEMAN DDC-Pump Combo Reservoir at the back of the case.
Clearance with fittings should also be no issue. At least i have taken some pictures from my "Dry-Build"

here is a picture from the side. The thick 39mm sideradiator is mounted with 25mm noctua. As you can see the fittings at the rear have at least some clearance.

and another picture from another angle...

Here is another picture from above... this one was only made with some spare 45° angle adapter to the CPU waterblock.
This will definitely not fit. I have tried to get the thick radiator in but the fan will crush on the 45° adapter.

For my "real / final" build i will only use 90° adapter.
Another thing to notice - the cpu waterblock will be closer to the mainboard, currently i am using some cardboard between AM4-socket and CPU-waterblock as a placeholder.

 

[Blubbie21]

coming to the 24pin cable and cable management in general:

I am planing to do it like these guys (both pictures dont belong to me... just found on internet or maybe somewhere here...)
I think both pictures show a nice cable management and also some nice tubing - especially the first one shows what are hard tubes are for - not only for appearance but for a perfect housing guide. both builds are using icemen reservoir and both aren't using any quick disconnect fittings.

First one you see the stock /default cables routed on left side and below the psu.
So you should'nt have any lost of cleareance between psu and rad/fans:

the second one uses custom cables, but he (she?) is routing the cables the same way as the in first picture. Looking at the first one - i came to the conclusion that custom cables are not really necessary for the ncase.

Another thing worth mentioned, is the orientation of the side radiator. Most users using the in/out-lets to the front of the case. this one is is using them on the backside. Also noticable is the lack of rear slim-fan. The first build pictures does have a rear fan.

I'm only posting these images because I've collected a lot of custom loop build images over the past few weeks to pick out some of the best ideas for my upcoming build.

 

[eyi526]

coming to the 24pin cable and cable management in general:

I am planing to do it like these guys (both pictures dont belong to me... just found on internet or maybe somewhere here...)
I think both pictures show a nice cable management and also some nice tubing - especially the first one shows what are hard tubes are for - not only for appearance but for a perfect housing guide. both builds are using icemen reservoir and both aren't using any quick disconnect fittings.

First one you see the stock /default cables routed on left side and below the psu.
So you should'nt have any lost of cleareance between psu and rad/fans:

the second one uses custom cables, but he (she?) is routing the cables the same way as the in first picture. Looking at the first one - i came to the conclusion that custom cables are not really necessary for the ncase.

Another thing worth mentioned, is the orientation of the side radiator. Most users using the in/out-lets to the front of the case. this one is is using them on the backside. Also noticable is the lack of rear slim-fan. The first build pictures does have a rear fan.

I'm only posting these images because I've collected a lot of custom loop build images over the past few weeks to pick out some of the best ideas for my upcoming build.

Hmmmmm makes me think I should've tried a X-flow radiator for the top. Have the IN closer to the CPU block (from CPU to radiator), and the OUT on the other side (rad to rad).