Hey guys,

Thinking of doing an M3 Round level 9 build but noted that the round will have airflow restrictions at the front (compared to the grater). Has anyone had experience with building the level 9 in this case and what temps are looking like?

Otherwise, will probably just have to purchase another M3 Grater and just follow the norm :(

Will the PNY 5080 slim twin fan still fit in the classic config even though its height is 150 and the case limit is 148?

https://preview.redd.it/pxlhln2co5kh1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=3bd2811e25282a81afa83172869e1c52ce233483

Coming from a Lian Li A3-mATX, which has been a great case but I want to go even smaller. Case and a few accessories are already ordered; everything else is still open, including the motherboard. I do a lot of work that loads the CPU and GPU hard at the same time, so thermals under simultaneous load matter more to me than acoustics.

Current components (all carrying over except possibly the mobo):

• GPU: PNY RTX 5090 ARGB Epic-X OC (328.7 × 137.7 × 71 mm, 3.5-slot)
• CPU: Ryzen 9 9950X3D (~200-230 W package power all-core in my logs)
• PSU: ASUS ROG Loki SFX-L 1200W Titanium (125 × 125 × 63.5 mm)
• SSD: Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB with heatsink (25 mm wide)
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2×32 GB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO
• mATX Motherboard: MSI MAG B850M Mortar WiFi (happy to replace this if an ITX board makes the build meaningfully better)

Already ordered from NCASE:

1. M2 Grater Flatpack Kit, 2× Mesh Side Panel / Silver + Gray Dust Filter
2. Screws + Fittings, M2 + M3 + S5M + T1 Screw Kit / Black
3. Power Supply Inlet Cable, Left Angled

What I can't figure out

I've gone through M2 Build Levels 5 through 8 and I can't work out which one my parts should actually follow. None of them specify a CPU, and none publish any temperature data, so I can't tell what the thermal consequences of each config actually are for a 600 W card plus a 200 W+ CPU in the same volume.

Specifically:

1. Classic vs Flipped? From what I understand Flipped puts the GPU against the top panel instead of the bottom, which seems like the better place for a card that has to breathe passively (just using the GPU's fans). But Classic seems to be what most ITX builds run. Which one would you pick for a 3.5-slot 5090 that's going to sit at 600 W for hours?

2. Do I keep the mATX board or buy an ITX one? My read is that mATX eats the tray's 5 mm vertical adjustment and closes off the top/bottom fan positions. Level 8 is mATX and lists only the two radiator fans, which suggests there's nowhere else to put a fan with a 244 mm board in there. If that's right, an ITX board buys me actual case fans and tray adjustment for the GPU clearance. Is that worth ~$350-450 to you, or is it fine to run a 280 rad as the only active cooling?

3. Which AIO? I've seen a comment claiming an Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 fits on the side mesh bracket if you pull the magnetic VRM fan and mount the block upside down on the CPU. Can anyone confirm that with a 38 mm radiator? If not, is a 27-30 mm standard radiator the safer call, and how much does it actually cost me thermally on a 9950X3D?

4. Case fans? Depends on the answer to #2, but I'd like to know what positions are genuinely usable in each config, and whether slim 120s on the bottom are worth it. I already own a few Arctic P12 Slims.

Happy to provide anything else that would help such as exact clearances, photos, whatever. Thanks in advance.

UPDATE (Aug 18): everything's ordered. Motherboard and AIO are settled; Classic vs Flipped is the only thing still open.

Build:
Case: NCASE M2 Grater (flatpack, 2× mesh)
GPU: PNY RTX 5090 Epic-X OC (328.7 × 137.7 × 71 mm, 3.5-slot, axial, not flow-through, 600 W)
CPU: 9950X3D (200–230 W all-core)
Motherboard: MSI MPG X870I Edge Ti EVO
AIO: Noctua NL-LC1-24
PSU: Loki SFX-L 1200 W
RAM: 64 GB DDR5-6000 CL30
SSD: 9100 PRO 2 TB with Heatsink
Cables: Cablester custom 24-pin + 8-pin EPS
Riser (Instead of taller case feet): 64 mm riser stand

What this thread settled

AIO: Noctua NL-LC1-24. Noctua's compatibility page lists it as M2-compatible 279.5 × 120 × 30 mm, 59 mm assembled stack. At 279.5 mm it also dodges the length clash a 280 runs into with a 125 mm SFX-L. Hardware Canucks measured it at 82 °C on a 250 W 9950X noise-normalised to 32 dBA, beating 360s at that noise level. Also this post shows that it fits on the side mount.

The Arctic LF III is out: on tube stiffness and congestion, not radiator thickness. A 9950X3D in an M2 with an LF3 280 and T30s at 3000 rpm sits at 92-93 °C; the builder in this post couldn't move the fans to the side bracket without kinking the tubes, and pulling the rad out of the case dropped him 13 °C.

Radiator inlet air temperature is the dominant variable. My A3 logs: ~0.85 °C of Tctl per 1 °C of inlet air, ~8.8 °C going from room air to case air. GamersNexus measured ~5-6 °C for the same effect in a 41 L mid-tower, so an SFF case with a 600 W card being worse tracks.

A 3.5-slot card eats every fan position. Roughly 80 mm of vertical budget against 71 mm of GPU leaves ~9 mm, so no top fan in Classic, no bottom fan in Flipped, not even a 15 mm slim. The side bracket is the AIO; the rear is the only position left (NCASE spec: 1× 92 mm). Under-GPU fans are a VGPU feature, not a Classic option. This is also the real reason I went ITX, not fan count. With a thick card that vertical budget goes to the GPU either way; ITX buys tray adjustment and cable room.

Nothing at the rear is native: no factory screw pattern, no manual step, no NCASE STL. What people actually do: NF-A9 held by a Noctua NA-FD1 spacer kit (rhialto.com/ncase-m2); NF-A9x14 slim; a printed 90 mm bracket needing 20-30 mm M3 bolts (Thingiverse 7036754); or a 120 mm NF-A12x15 on a printed mount (MakerWorld 1016234, designed for a vertical-GPU build). Usable rear width is ~121 mm after the ITX I/O shield, which is why 120s have to be slim.

VGPU is out on CPU thermals while being the best or near-best for GPU thermals vs Classic and Flipped.

Still open: Classic vs Flipped for a thick axial card

The one measured M2 config comparison (Chris Russell Tech) found Classic best, up to 12 °C on the CPU in 4K Cyberpunk, but he attributes the flat GPU results to the 5080 FE's flow-through design, and his configs used supplementary fans. Bottom fans not possible for my 71mm thick GPU.

Classic: GPU breathes the bottom panel through the riser and exhausts sideways. The rad sits above it but can't physically overlap it, and as intake against a mesh panel it pulls room air rather than re-breathing case air.

Flipped: GPU exhaust leaves through the top of the side panel instead of rising past the rad, but the card is then intaking where hot air collects, which is what the M3 "heat cushion" report in this thread describes. Worth noting everyone here with an M2 said Classic; both inverted recommendations came from M3 owners, which has bottom-fan room my card takes away in an M2.

What I'm asking:

1. Has anyone run a thick axial (non-flow-through) 4090/5090 in an M2 in both (Classic and Flipped) configs? I can't find this comparison anywhere.
2. Rear fan as intake or exhaust? Two M2 owners here run it as intake. With an AIO it isn't feeding a heatsink, it's ventilating the board zone, and it's the only outlet when the rad and the GPU are both pulling in. Has anyone actually A/B'd it?
3. Has anyone fitted a 120 mm at the rear in Classic or Flipped (rather than a vertical-GPU build), and did it clear the side radiator bracket?

Plan unless someone talks me out of it: Classic, 240 as side intake, rear (92mm for now unless 120mm fits) as exhaust, riser feeding the GPU, nothing else because nothing else fits. The Cablester cables are already ordered for Classic. I'll post simultaneous CPU + GPU load temps once it's built.

hey guys

i have just come across ncase and done some research, i like what i see

i want to migrate my current itx system into a M2

my components are

9800x3d

asus strix b850i

trident z 48gb ram

astral 5090

sf1000

i would like to put the arctic liquid freezer 3 280mm in but i am having trouble working out if it can fit, do i

A) go the freezer 3 240mm

B) normal thickness 280mm

C) normal thickness 240mm

ny current case is the cooler master nr200pv3 good little case but i want something more premium and if i can smaller i know the M3 is about the same size at the cooler master

much appreciated

you can't even buy a bottom filter from them. theirs says for the front or top. the manual recommends side intake with top and bottom exhaust to minimize dust yet I didn't see any builds on YT doing that. Even their own youtube tutorial doesn't do that.

I am trying to move my existing m-ATX tower build into the Ncase M2.

However, as I'm researching this case, I realized I only have 2 mm to spare on each side for GPU installation. (In classic orientation, and I can't have it as VGPU because it's matx)

I own a special edition 3080ti from Zotac, which has 3090 ti amp extreme holo's shroud, that bumps up the dimensions to 355.9mm long, 145.7mm tall, and 3 slots.
According to Ncase website, the maximum GPU support is 359mm long, 148mm tall, and 4-Slots. If you do the math, that is only 3mm in length, 2mm in width, and 1slot thickness margin!

I do plan on getting those 180degree connectors for my PCIe gpu power (which is another story), this is very concerning that my GPU won't fit at all due to those TIGHT margins. Even if my gpu does fit inside, I just don't think it wouldn't interfere with front io ports unless I do an inverse position.

I saw some people putting in TUF 5090, which is 348mm long, 146mm tall, and 3slots, but my card is slightly longer than that, so I have no clue.

If anyone has played with those tight margins due to massive GPUs, please leave some comments below so I know if I should invest in this case or get a bigger SFF case.

Zotac 3080ti special edition

Ncase m2 case GPU compatibility.

When I bought my M3 I had a 5090 Vanguard. I had build setup 8 with the GPU inverted and the AIO on the side as intake, and the rear exhaust. Would not exceed 62c.

Now with the 5090FE it's under-volted at 900v 2800mhz. Fans hit 100% and it's at 78c. This is fresh out of the box new. Now I'm wondering if I should change from AIO to Air? Change orientation? Anyone with an FE what's your take? Now I figured with a 2 slot card I can put fans beneath. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I am building a Noctua themed NCase M3 Grater build. I wanted to get some compatibility check on the hardware whether it will cause any issues or not. Bought the case already with the glass pane. My biggest concerns are regarding the B850M-Plus motherboard's top slot PCIE and the big Noctua cooler not working together. If anybody has any experience with this, let me know.

Motherboard (TUF Gaming B850M-PLUS WIFI7): https://www.amazon.com/TUF-B850M-PLUS-WIFI7-Motherboard-DisplayPort/dp/B0FTNXMLRQ

CPU (9800x3D): https://www.microcenter.com/product/687907/amd-ryzen-7-9800x3d-granite-ridge-am5-470ghz-8-core-boxed-processor-heatsink-not-included

Cooler (Noctua NH-D15 G2): https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-D15-Quiet-High-Performance-Cooler/dp/B0D5B6MXJF

GPU: 5080 FE (Already have it)

RAM: GSkill Flare X5 64 gb Cl30 (Getting it locally over the weekend) or T Force Vulcan 32 gb CL38 (Bought it already)

Fans: 2x Noctua 140 mm fans from bottom, 1x 140 mm or 120 mm intake from up top, and 1x 120mm exhaust behind the cooler.

Also wanted to know if there is a good 3d print file for a support bracket for the gpu with the Matx layout? Thank you for your help.

I am planning to build a PC using ncase m2 next month I kind of wonder if I can use rog Loki 1000W PSU with a big graphics card or should I change it to the lian LI sp1000.

Currently deciding which 240 AIO to go with for Ncase M2 case. These are currently $89 - $99. I'd like to stay <$100. Selected based on Hardware Canucks review shootout. Which would be most recommended? CPU 9800X3D & RTX 4080.

* Corsair Nautilus 240 RS

* EKWB EK-Nucleus CR240

* Lian Li Galahad II Lite 240

* Kraken Plus 240

* Atmos Stealth 240 (no stock. Can only find on ebay. No warranty)

Good Day All!

I posted previously about a build I was going to do, but unfortunately had to pivot as NZXT parts seem to be almost non-existent in Canada - so no more H2 Flow or Kraken Elite 280mm.

I have decided to go with the NCase M3 Grater case, but I am stuck deciding between the air route (Noctua NH-D15 G2) or Liquid AIO (Be Quiet Pure Loop 3).

I am going ahead with these other components

• Asus ROG Strix B850i
• Ryzen 7 9800x3d
• Asus Prime RX 9070xt
• Corsair SF1000
• WD_Black SN8100 2tb

I do know that if I go the air route, I will have to be aware of the type of RAM I use, as there will be height restrictions due to cooler.

Also I did consider the Arctic Liquid Freezer III, but given the thickness of the rad, I thought it prudent to consider the Pure Loop 3 instead.

I won't be doing any overclocking or pushing the limits of the system, so keeping everything as cool as possible, with minimal footprint are my primary goals.

As this is my first build in 16 years, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Addtl: Right now the Noctua is $219.99 cad and the Be Quiet is on sale for $99 cad.

I'm planning my first SFF build and have settled on the NCASE M3 Grater. Before I start ordering the case and accessories, I'd really appreciate a sanity check from people who have actually built in the M3.

I'm less concerned with squeezing out another few percent of benchmark performance and more concerned with M3-specific issues I may not know to look for: clearances, component positioning, airflow, brackets/accessories, cable routing, GPU support, and anything that made you say "I wish I'd known that before I built this."

Current build

CPU: Ryzen 5 9600X
Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Black
Motherboard: ASRock B850M Steel Legend WiFi (mATX)
RAM: 32GB DDR5, exact kit TBD based on pricing
SSD: 1–2TB NVMe, exact model TBD
GPU: RX 9070 XT, exact model TBD based on price/fit/aesthetics
PSU: SFX 850W, exact model TBD
Case: NCASE M3 Grater, Silver or Arctic White if I can find it
Side panel: Tempered glass on the display side

Current cooling idea

I'm considering using the High Flow Dual 140 Fan Bracket on the non-glass side with 2×140mm intake fans, plus a 120mm rear exhaust. The idea is to keep the glass on one side while using the opposite perforated side as the main intake.

I'm open to changing that completely if M3 owners have found a better air-cooled configuration.

Questions for M3 owners

1. Does anything in this parts combination raise a clearance/compatibility red flag?
2. Does 2×140 side intake + 120 rear exhaust make sense with a glass panel on the opposite side, or would you recommend a different airflow layout?
3. Is the High Flow Dual 140 Fan Bracket worthwhile/necessary for that setup?
4. Are there any M3 accessories you consider must-haves?
5. Conversely, which accessories did you buy and discover you didn't need?
6. I'm considering the GPU anti-sag/travel kit because I expect to occasionally move the PC between my desk and TV. Worth it?
7. Standard GPU orientation vs vertical GPU: any thermal, compatibility, or structural reason to prefer one in the M3? I'm currently leaning standard/direct mount for simplicity and travel.
8. Are the 15mm feet worthwhile for airflow even if I'm not using bottom intake?
9. Any reason to buy the I/O covers or other small accessory kits beyond aesthetics?
10. Any cable-routing issues or custom/short cables you'd recommend with an SFX PSU?
11. Any particular motherboard position/configuration you'd recommend for mATX + a large air cooler + 9070 XT?
12. What am I not thinking about? Any M3-specific mistake or annoyance you'd warn a first-time SFF builder about?

The goal is basically a high-performance but relatively easy-to-live-with SFF-ish gaming PC, rather than chasing the absolute smallest volume. I originally considered the FormD T1 but moved to the M3 because I liked the additional cooling, mATX support, GPU compatibility and future flexibility.

Thanks! I'm especially interested in advice from people who have actually built in the M3.

Looking to get a rose gold M2 for my wife. I should have bought one when I had the chance but didn’t.

The website says “waiting for restock” but I don’t believe I’ve gotten an update since the original launch. Are they still in development? Any estimated restock dates if anyone knows?

Thanks y’all!

Hi again!

I'm planning this build:

Осьо

Ryzen 7 9700x
Asus TUF AMD B850M-PLUS
RTX 5080
Kingston FURY Beast 64GB 6000 CL30 amd EXPO
Corsair sf850
THERMALRIGHT Phantom Spirit 120 EVO

Яка має бути довжина відеокарти 5080 для цієї збірки та цього корпусу?

This week I plan to order components and the Ncase M3 case in turn. Should I bother with cable management inside? I see some people bought custom cables because they are short and soft. Will it be an unnecessary overpayment?

I would also be grateful if someone could tell me what I should buy for my build. Or not:) I think I saw video card holders somewhere, but I'm not sure if I remembered correctly.

Important clarification: I plan to transport the computer in hand luggage on the plane.

I would appreciate any other advice or warnings regarding my build.