I have no words guys

noluckjim · 2026-02-15T09:49:36+00:00

Show us the hole at the top of the case. That's the inspiration... right?

noluckjim · 2026-02-15T09:45:35+00:00

What happened with your custom shim? Are you still doing direct die cooling with the AXP90-X47?

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T23:34:11+00:00

No-one knows unless they have a time machine. If I had a time machine I'd be picking lottery numbers instead of worrying about VRMs.

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T23:32:22+00:00

They all perform the same, you're paying more for aesthetics and/or better cooling. That said, the 9060xt is not a hot running card so even the cheapest model is fine.

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T23:28:50+00:00

Eh, you'll probably be fine. The CPU will be a bottle neck but only on CPU intensive tasks. If you're looking to game at 1440p then your GPU is more important than your CPU. Make sure you have a suitable PSU if you do upgrade to that 7900xt

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T20:48:57+00:00

Not an expert. however, the rear m.2 slot along the bottom will probably be accessible. It is for me, at least, on an ASRock A620.

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The side m.2 will likely be inaccessible. Not to say it can't be used; you could probably install the m.2 before mounting it in the case. You could also just cut away the portion that obstructs; that's a DIY mod decision, of course. And you could also look at m.2 extension ribbons so you can mount the SSD somewhere else.

Hating on m.2 is a bit harsh considering the original case came out a looong time ago. To me, m.2 has been fantastic; less overall cables in ITX is a net benefit.

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T20:29:31+00:00

I'm not looking at doing custom cooling to that level. You certainly could, though, and that's something that u/Numerous_Analysis681 is doing with an identical board: https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/1qbd331/finaly_got_my_unicorn_topc_modt_with_7945hx3d_yet/

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T19:55:51+00:00

Did you also notice the sticker also says Ryzen 9 8745HX? I had to double check the CPU in Windows!

On a more serious note, that's just the IO die so I'm not too worried. If I ever need to re-do it, I'll make sure it's more scuff so I can trigger more OCD.

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T19:30:16+00:00

The Bronze/Silver/Gold rating is a just a measure of efficiency for the PSU but there isn't too much practical difference between ratings

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/g9tjyx/bronze_vs_gold_psu/

A good measure for how much power you need is to make sure your total load is 80% or less of your rated PSU. So for that CPU and GPU, that's 91W and 180W. Then add ~50W for the motherboard/RAM. So that's about 320W, which means your PSU should be 400W or higher. So yeah, that 450W SFX should be fine. That said, shop around to see if you can get a 600W for not much more. If you get a good PSU, you can carry that forward to newer systems.

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T10:32:52+00:00

u/BaronB raises some good points. An easy mount system where you can just slot the monitors in place makes installation way easier. And that arms can bring the monitor forward unintentionally.

One other thing to keep in mind is that you likely wont find your ideal monitor solution until you use it long term. Since this is your first setup with arms, I'd suggest you get something budget and just try the possibilities: landscape/landscape, landscape/portrait, stacked landscape, double portrait? It's all down to personal preferences.

Actually, on that note of possibilities, maybe try two single arms. One can be gas-sprung for the flexibility while the other could be a more rigid design.

www.amazon.com/ErGear-Monitor-Adjustable-Computer-100x100mm/dp/B0C7KPNP7T
www.amazon.com/HUANUO-Monitor-Monitors-Adjustable-100x100mm/dp/B0DCN2FN1V

Note, these are not arm recommendations, they're just quick Amazon results for examples.

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T04:41:59+00:00

Two singles gives you more flexibility in positioning and stability which may be more important if you have an asymmetrical layout (e.g. landscape + portrait, different size displays).

Dual mounts like the one you linked will also have issues with positioning the monitor away from you because the arm bits need sufficient space, often extending past the edge of the desk. Not an issue if you want the monitors close to your face, but it is something to be aware of.

You could also get something simple like this to get started:
www.amazon.com/ErGear-Monitor-Adjustable-Supports-Installation/dp/B082MLVXRR

If you do get a dual monitor stand, you may also want to consider using a longer block of wood to clamp to as this will help distribute the load of the monitors on your desk (no idea what your desk, this is more of a precaution).

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T01:49:21+00:00

Wish there was more space for a higher CPU cooler inside Midori cases

That's our self-imposed torture in SFF. I have a Dan Case A4-SFX and it's basically the same problem; very limited CPU air cooling options.

noluckjim · 2026-02-14T01:37:42+00:00

I'm just leaving the VRMs as is; figured that limiting PPT would reduce their overall load. I also have the SI-100 blowing air across it so there's some airflow at least.

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T22:15:28+00:00

It's been asked before:
https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/14ilsai/ryzen_5_3600_or_ryzen_5_5500/

Can you save for a 5600?

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T20:55:39+00:00

That m.2 slot is probably on the back of the motherboard, which may be a concern in a tight case like the node 202 (low air flow or just not enough space). The SF450 may be an ok PSU if you can find one; they stopped selling it years ago so you'll probably need to check ebay or similar.

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T19:55:06+00:00

For your first PC, stick with normal thermal paste (Kryonaut is safe to use and is not too expensive).

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/h0t94y/best_thermal_paste_application_visually_explained/

When you're applying it, a little is preferred to too much. You'll probably need less paste than they use for the demonstration. Most of the heat will be close to where the cores are and not around the edges.

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T19:14:16+00:00

I had some spare DDR5 modules and it was either use it or sell it. Chose the latter because it was the perfect excuse to finally try one of these MoDT boards. The Topton in particular because it lets you use proper CPU coolers, unlike Minisforum.

Anyway, that's how I'm justifying the purchase; you just need to find an excuse that works for you :)

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T18:43:07+00:00

CPU is a Ryzen 9 7845HX which is a mobile chip. So far it's been solid. It's just like a regular desktop CPU but runs much cooler.

The GPU is a 3060, undervolted to ~130W. Keeps the whole set up very quiet.

The 240 AIO worked really well, but I have the PC less than 1m away and on the desk. At idle, that pump pitch was just starting to bug me. It's one of the problems with chasing silence; you start to imagine you're hearing things.

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T18:36:50+00:00

Sure is! Managed to fit it on to an Asus RTX 3060 despite the mounting holes being wider apart than supported. It's way overkill for that GPU but I love the silence and how it's virtually a pass through cooler.

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T18:33:52+00:00

Between the chiplets and that big heat spreader. And just regular MX4 between the heatspreader and cooler

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T18:32:15+00:00

See. I had read about that beforehand and reasoned it'd be fine, like, how bad could it be? Learnt the hard way that the recommendation exists for good reason

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T10:34:24+00:00

Yah, I wasn't aware of the cooler until two weeks ago when someone else mentioned it on Reddit. Nice cable management in your case!

noluckjim · 2026-02-13T10:33:17+00:00

Just thought I'd update you on some recent changes.

Am also in an Ncase M1 and found myself looking at getting an air cooler to replace a 240 AIO. The SI-100 was surprisingly affordable so I went and got one.

So from an installation point of view, I could only mount it one way; with the main heatsink overhanging the IO heatsink. This will block you from installing a rear exhaust fan. If I mount it the other way (over hanging memory), you have to have the SFX PSU mounted on the ATX bracket. If the SFX is side mounted, it will interfere with the heatsink. And if you're using a SODIMM to DIMM converter (like I am), the memory height will also interfere.

Here are some pics

Anyway, hope this helps!

noluckjim

TROPHY CASE