Well-Built Mini-ITX Case: Cooler Master NCORE 100 MAX Review & Benchmarks
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2024
- Sponsor: DeepCool AK620 Digital on Amazon geni.us/Nwc7
The Cooler Master NCORE 100 MAX is a well-designed, mechanically sound mini-ITX case that we're reviewing today. Despite some downsides that we'll talk about, we were overall impressed with the NCORE's mechanical execution of its concept. Key downsides include the 12VHPWR cable and its proximity to a wall, lack of flow-through space, and maybe limitations of build choice if you were hoping to select every single component. The case includes a PSU and cooler, pre-installing them in a compacted vertical "sandwich" of sorts. Today, we'll be testing the NCORE 100 MAX and comparing its design choices to the Fractal Terra and DAN A4-H2O that we recently reviewed, two very different approaches to ITX design.
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RELATED PRODUCTS [Affiliate Links]
Cooler Master NCORE 100 MAX on Newegg: howl.me/clq1ctnX3dD
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Fractal Terra on Newegg: howl.me/clq1cZTY1gj
Fractal Terra on Amazon: geni.us/jPbNqlh
DAN Case A4-H2O on Newegg: howl.me/clq1fXAjIil
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Cooler Master NCORE 100 Max ITX
02:14 - Specs Overview & Walk Around
06:50 - Case Size
08:52 - Building in the NCORE & Cable Management
12:05 - GPU Fitment & Expanded Mode
16:15 - Hidden Feature
17:23 - Thermals & Acoustics
18:07 - CPU Thermals
19:18 - GPU Thermals
20:12 - Conclusion
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Host, Test Lead: Steve Burke
Testing, Writing: Jeremy Clayton
Video: Vitalii Makhnovets
Video: Tim Phetdara - Hry
We have one ITX case review coming up we can't name (but many of you have requested it), but as for what's after that, options are wide open! What's next in ITX reviews? What do you want to see? We'll start buying or requesting them ASAP. In the meantime, check out our Fractal Terra review to see our first ITX review we published as part of this methodological approach! czcams.com/video/pKiFk7tBTLg/video.html
Formd T1
SAMA IM01 would be a great one, since it looks like a great option but it's kind of an unknown name so people generally can't pull the trigger on one.
Seconding FormD T1
While the AIO can't really be supplemented, I already have a good SFX PSU. So I'd like a version of the case for 250$ or less without the PSU, but WITH the AIO.
I'd like to see the Minisforum BD790i 👍
A few generstions and this case would be the shroud of the RTX8900
I am thinking of this case being more of the pcie bracket for said card
Hahaha! So true
😂😂😂Imagine sd cards joining the "I'm bigger" war
"In order to cool the 8900, we have added some "space" freshly harvested by astronauts in the International Space Station. Unfortunately, this "space" takes up lots of space."
- Nvidia, probably
Fast forward to 2032 and the GPU requires its own dedicated enclosure and PSU attached to the PC via Thunderbolt 7 cable.
I love the no BS start into the video!
bs?
@@heartborne123bullshit
@@heartborne123 =no bullshit
@@retrakor thanks:)
Exactly as it should be!
This is good to see Cooler Master improving their quality and providing an interesting case. Are cases just getting better? Are they learning and innovating? seems like it. Price on this is high but at least its a really cool case.
It does seem like, generally speaking, the case market has undergone a major revolution in the last 3-4 years. Things are overall much better than they were.
when you factor in that it comes with a cooler, psu, and 4.0 riser cable. the case itself is really only about 150 bucks
Honestly, for Micro/Mini ITX, Cooler Master has always been pretty dope. I have a Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced Mini-ITX case I bought 11 years ago for only like $50, that I still use for my HTPC.
When the 4090 came out and I upgraded my gaming PC to a 4090 over my 1080ti, I chucked the 1080ti in that case/PC and it both fit and works perfectly. It's a really good design.
This is a case for people with more money than sense or with extremely limited space
One of the plastic panel holders on my ncore 100 max snapped so ymmv
The renaissance of smaller PC cases in the DIY community is definitely something that's needed because the mid to full tower fellas already have all the fun.
We had nice SFF, then RTX4000 came ;/
love the focus pulling during the pan at 9:00
An an owner of a MasterBox MAX NR200P, I am happy to see a "soul sucessor" do well like this! Love the mITX reviews!
I am seriously thinking to rebuild my system from ATX to ITX and this case is definitely something i like. Cooler Master is doing a very good job actually 😎
I've been using an ITX system for about 5 years now with no complaints (Lian Li A4-H20 with a 4080). Once you own an ITX system, a full ATX system seems silly as modern computers don't need the extra space for hard drives or optical drives.
I went back to ATX after a few years of using ITX both are fun. No cooling compromises in ATX
You won't have any cooling compromises with a well thought out ITX case. My GPU is pulling air directly from outside as opposed to a typical ATX case which is still pulling air from inside the case. @@MoneyMaking861
Do it. Its awesome. Unless you have an intel cpu. Then I can’t really recommend. I have the nr200p max. It’s amazing. I slightly prefer it to this other style of largely the same case as it gives slightly more room behind gpu for fe cards and it is just a more traditional look compared to this one which I personally prefer for my setup.
Very glad to see this release and appear virtually just as good as the NR200P MAX. It’s awesome that legendary most-in-one ITX SSF solution now has a “portrait mode” alternative on the market for those needing to prioritize desk footprint. CoolerMaster have been true pioneers in the SFF space with these cases, sfx PSUs, and AIOs. They have answered the call for cases that can hold the largest, most powerful GPUs-both dimensionally and thermally-while still minimizing overall volume.
8:59 loved that shot! I got into videography last year and knowing what I now do about depth of field in cinematography, it's really nice the way you timed the focus of the camera to your notes about the features of the panels too.
Always good to see someone come up with an innovative case design, and it seems there is a lot more of that in ITX cases than elsewhere.
What I really want from the ITX market is for them to keep doing revisions and updates to successful releases; the Hyte Revolt 3 is great but it didnt exactly account for new bigger gpus with wonky extra appendages.
The way CM is doing this with the optional extra space is a good way of approaching the problem so props for that
Excited to see more itx reviews btw
Not in the market for a case right now, but I love this in depth review! It's a super intriguing design with a really compelling footprint. Thanks for the deep dive!
Literally ❤️ itx context. Good job guys!
Great review, i really like this case. Thank you for getting into SFF reviews, ive really enjoyed them.
I'm a simple woman, i see video about ITX Case, i click
she a simp womann i rikeeee
You cannot possibly be a real woman
you're part of the nexus now !!
I am also simple woman. Still using my overcrowded SG05 case. Has 120mm AIO push pull, two 3.5in HDDs, two 2.5in drives, two 70mm exhausts, on top of the usual components like a GPU, SFX PSU, m.2 drives, etc. Still havent seen another ITX case I can stuff so much with.
Edit: because we're also talking specs down below: Pink SG05, 5800X, 16+16GB DDR4-3200CL16, Aorus B550i R1.1, pink 120mm AIO with white Arctic P12 push-pull, Corsair SF650 Gold, Sapphire RX570 ITX pink.
SN770 1TB, 870EVO M.2 500GB, 2x4TB WD Blue/Red, 2.5in Patriot Burst SSD 500HB, 2.5in Adata 128GB SSD, one 70mm exhaust beside PSU and on top of GPU, one 70mm exhaust to the side opposite the GPU.
I'm still waiting for the insane gpu prices to come down a bit and for GPUs to become a more normal size again before I upgrade
Cringe 😬
Since a decent AIO and PSU both retail near the $100 mark on average, at a £399 msrp you are paying somewhere in between $150 - $200 for what is essentially an interesting ITX SFF case. This puts it in the luxury case bracket but not unreasonable next to others on the market. Personally, I would have been more interested in a case that allows for a 240 or 360mm radiator by mounting it vertically rather than trying to bury a minimal radiator footprint at the top leaving said top port as an exhaust. Yes, that would mean a slightly larger footprint but to me that would be worth it.
I think I'd be a bit more comfortable with a larger footprint anyway given the position of the power supply. It just seems rather top heavy to me and I'd worry if anyone bumped it that it might fall over.
Like the original nr200 did, where you could fit up to 3 240 rads now, we are down to 1 120 😆
I asked a manufacturer about those "Deceptive" thermal paste tubes once, and they made a good point. It's easier for a larger number of people to handle than the teeny tiny ones some companies ship, and I quite agree. Still, it would be better to leave a "Viewing" strip in the label.
Kind of like what they are doing with groceries. “Downsizing” for the same price.
I was hoping you would do this case, I love the design!
Been really enjoying the mini-ITX reviews
Loved the use of overlay graphics during the case size section of the vid. Your vids have always been about quality over quantity and it shows. Keep up the good work Steve and team!
Thanks for all you do guys. I’ve been planning out a build in a fractal ridge, but really liking the look of this. Also be nice to have the psu / cooler already good to go for my first ITX build, I do have shaky hands…
4:43 I tip my hat to the editor. Nice cut.
So smooth I didn't even see it the first time
I still don't see it
Thank GN / Steve for a great ITX case review 😇👍.
Cooler Master has been coming out with some great ITX cases in recent times, the NR200 series (I currently own the NR200 original model with mesh side panel and it’s a cool case for higher end setups), The Popcorn Tower series and now this, Ncore 100 Max 🤩🤯🥰👍. In addition, I own their Tempest GP27U 4K HDR Miini LED monitor and it’s a great HDR and SDR 4K monitor imo 🥳🤩😘. Great job once again to Cooler Master
Quality review as always, team!
I got my GN tour shirt today and absolutely love it. Great job, guys.
Been eyeing this case since they were shown off in 2023. Happy to see that Cooler Master did many things right considering the footprint. I currently own the old 1st Phanteks Evolv Shift case due to the verticality. Really exciting to see another case manufacturer do their take on this vertical footprint style of case! Hoping to see a non-max version of this case in the near future!
Great review. This case looks very easy to work with. A nice solution for someone who doesn't want to take on the full challenge of an ITX or Mini ITX build.
Yes, please more ITX / SFF case reviews. Thank you.
Over the years, I've always been more of a fan (pun intended XD) of how GN does testing. Above all the others as well. Your dedication to methodology and the reduction of variances has always supported my PC building buying decisions. Keep up the amazing work and "Never stop never stopping."
Great job team! I enjoyed the detailed overview of all components, and the up-close look at each aspect of the case. One thing I noticed that wasn't covered here is how well the display adapter cable routing works with four full-sized monitor cables plugged in simultaneously. I've noticed that some ITX cable routing solutions (such as on my wife's Tower 100) work okay, but become cumbersome or painful to manage as you add more and more USB/display cables to a build. Thanks again!
Agreed, as someone who has 3 monitors and a VR headset plugged into their GPU (in a small form factor Ncase M1) I am worried about the ability to route cables with this case.
This case looks amazing. It's a little tall but I love it. Thanks for the review.
I like how creative companys get with itx cases. My favorite formfactor.
Wow, there is a lot to unpack here! You did a good job too.
This case looks awesome. I will definitely will consider this down the road. Cooler Master is my family's brand for cases. I got the H500m right now. My only complaint was the cable management with the back cubbies was nearly impossible. So bad actually it ruined a sata cable by pinching it. I spent hours trying everything and finally just tightened it down and ruined a cable. Never dealt with that issue before with any other case. I'm sidetracked.... great video!
Dope 👍I'm glad more companies are working on tall/small footprint cases. I do still prefer my Corsair 2000D over this for being able to fit a 360 aio, not needing a riser and having more accessible io. But the 2000D has its own shortcomings. It's a great thing that we're getting more options :]
Man, awesome to see Cooler Master doing new things. I've yet to be persuaded to change from the N200 (especially after only paying $20 for it) because it's still essentially a perfect case for my use, but this one is interesting! Curious if CM has solved the noise/coil whine in their power supplies. I tried 2 of theirs and returned both because of it.
Sorta new things. This seems very inspired by the Corsair One.
You mentioned previously that the perosity and design of the case panels does not just affect airflow, but also the acoustics. I would love to see a comparison of different brands' panels in your fancy new chamber.
Pretty neat lil case, actually tempted to pick one up
It’s so nice having a real consumer advocate like GN. We, as consumers, are shat on to often so it’s nice watching you meme on these companies. The atonement joke was hilarious 🤣.
I do like these cases that come with the PSU and a Cooler, just makes life a little easier for casual builders
Next build I do very well may be an ITX chassis so I'm very very interested to see that things I should be looking for
Thank you for covering these :o
I am loving all this ITX content. I am going to be building one soon because how much I have been traveling.
Could you guys do a cpu cooler shootout with 55mm height or less. Asking for a friend 😂
I like this. I might try it for next build.
This is a beautiful case / piece of furniture!!!
Glad to see chassis manufacturers finally getting more invested into providing sff. The market needs moar competition in that space.
Thanks for the review.
Absolutely fantastic!
I think Cooler Master did a great job on this ITX enclosure. Smart engineering that makes sense and performs well.
I have just done a build in this case, second ever ITX build. was really good to build in
I think this is awesome! I would love one of these
i love these mini builds . I did one a few years back. A pain in the ass to work on due to the tight squeeze of certain components. So it is great and neato, however i went back to a proper mid-tower just because of ease of access. Best case ever made : Lian Li LANCOOL III ( it even fits my 420mm AIO )
That extra feature was them thinking ahead. I like that.
I still love my thermaltake v1, such an efficient little cube with a 200mm fan keeping it cool.
Had the mini ITX one with a Noctua 200m fan in the front. Such an awesome case. Got rid of it once GPUs ballooned in size though, maybe there’s been a refresh.
I've got the TT v21. Love the cube design. Getting a 3D printer soon and going to see if I can print a fan shroud to mount the 200mm fan to my 240 AIO rad lol, or if I'm feeling brave enough, remove the plastic fan molding from the spindle and 3D print some static-pressure fans 🤣
This case may make me interested in PCs again. Maybe move my current system out of my HYTE ITX case into this. Great review.
This looks like a great evolution of ITX cases by Cooler Master. I purschased the NR200P MAX case which featured that same MAX branding which included the PSU, Custom cables, Cooler and riser cable for $449.99 when it released. To see almost identical specs in a completely new design for $50.00 cheaper is actually impressive. I still thoroughly enjoy my NR200P, but this is a case ill be eyeballing for when i finally decide my 5800X3D is in need of upgrade and build new for AM5.
Really like these mITX cases. Small footprint. Look great. Next build is mITX for sure.
I love ssf builds. The form factor and final product is alluring and satisfying.
I feel like they should move the psu at bottom like how Corsair One changed after 2019. Great to see more vertical itx cases! I'm waiting for the perfect replacement for my Corsair One. Thanks for the review!
Would love to see you guys cover the SSUPD Meshroom S Mini-ITX case. Its a weird case where it can fit ATX parts but in a smaller case, with lots of mesh. Could be good for smaller builds while allowing users to upgrade to bigger parts and cases later on.
Very glad to see this release and appear virtually just as good as my NR200P MAX. It’s awesome that the legendary most-in-one ITX SSF solution now has a “portrait mode” alternative on the market for those needing to prioritize desk footprint. CoolerMaster have been true pioneers in the SFF space with these cases, sfx PSUs, and AIOs. They have answered the modern call for cases that can hold the largest, most powerful GPUs-both dimensionally and thermally-while still minimizing overall volume 🙌
I managed to buy one before it officially released as Newegg was just chucking them early, lmao. I was able to fit in a Corsair SFXL 1000W and a LARGE 4090. My fans were garbage, however, and squealed at higher RPMs. Noctua and Phanteks fixed that. It looks nice on my desk! The cooler is just about perfect for a 7800X3D, I wouldn't go higher
Really want to see a breakdown of the Fractal Ridge case too. Looks like ITX builds are getting more and more popular.
I'm glad sff cases slowly becoming norm. I jumped to this train with Cooler Master NR200 when they launched it and I'm really happy now I can pretty easily bring my pc to places.
Good case! Hang onto that. I don't have high hopes for V2 😂
I like how adjustable many of them are becoming. would be cool if a flat pack model had notches and lines along the rails etc. making it easy to cut it down to whatever size you wanted with a hacksaw.
Nice to see Cooler Master using braided PSU cables for this case. I know it doesn’t matter as much since the cable lengths are all case-optimized, but I don’t think their normal 750W PSUs are on braided cables yet and it does help with the cable management
As someone who purchased "this card" and has been recently forced to downsize my tower, this itx case is verrrry intriguing.
@unholydonuts not yet, I'm still looking at a parts list. This case is definitely on my list of potential buys. I need to double check that it will fit where I need it to but if it does then I might have to pull the trigger on it.
CM get a brownie points for putting a fan right above the exhaust of the psu; the benefit of having a fan above the psu’s exhaust is understated - they lose the point for then dumping the psu heat straight into the aio
Thanks Steve!
Thanks, Steve.
Hoping for a Deepcool CH160 review soon. 🤗
Love ITX! Sadly don't have any ITX videos myself, yet, but I have a project on the way as we speak! Wish there would be some cheaper ITX power supplies available though, those things are so expensive.
As gorgeous as it is, and despite the pre-installed components, I'm glad I didn't hold off on this case and got the Jonsbo V11... slightly wider, but shorter (no top radiator and longer GPU support, but room for a 140 top exhaust and 70mm of clearance for the Mobo) and with an overall a lower volume of ~13 Litres. Plus the outside is one solid piece of thick and smooth aluminium, and the entire pc slides out for even easier access. It has the same sandwich layout (but can be laid horizontal) with the PSU blocking some airflow and acting as an exhaust... hopefully I can find a PSU that has good ventilation to let air be drawn through. The NCORE is definitely better looking and I'll consider it for a build for a friend.
The last time I got an ITX case with included parts (the N1), first the riser cable was stupidly defective (thank you for covering that GN), and then the liquid cooler got blocked up with gunk (for some reason no one ever covered this even though it was quite common). NZXT refused to replace any of their defective garbage, so no more NZXT for me. And I'll probably steer clear of cases where they include those parts since there's always that risk where they'll screw you over by cutting a bunch of cost and giving you defective garbage components.
I'm not a fan of ITX builds but, that's pretty neat. AND, they put the front I/O at the bottom. I like that. I want to see MORE of that.
I hope you'll do NR200P one of these days just so we can compare the thermal/noise benchmarks of other SFF cases to it.
Great review! Wonder how stable this is as I have cats who loves to sit/sleep on top of my O11 Dynamic. Is the wider variant stable enough that when a cat jumps in or away of the top, will it tilt and fall?
This is great. Using an NZXT H1 V2 right now with an EVGA 3080. I really like that there's a low footprint option (really important to me) that can support larger GPUs. The 4080/4090 FE just barely fit in the H1 V2 and you have to remove the dust filter to get it in there. This would be great, definitely my next case.. perhaps when the 4080 Super launches might be time for an all new build.
Not an ITX fan (no pun intended) but I do like that case a lot. If I went the ITX form factor, this is a case I'd give a lot of strong consideration to.
Loving the case and the review. Is there any cooling available that can handle a 14900k in there?
What's the clearance for the HDMI cables at the bottom? Would someone need to worry about a harsh bend on the connections?
cool case. I have a Meshroom S just sitting waiting for me to decide what to put in it
I would really love to see a test for the Silverstone GD04B or similar case.
Cooler Master doesn't usually make very good products. but when they do, they really turn out good
Not bad case, that issue of raising the power of that 4090, engineers don't think of temp probes on the wiring to auto protect, a client would have to point it out. Cool review.
I too am uncomfortable with that bend on the 12v cable. Looks like it might not be too bad on the larger cards that may protrude past the MB tray.
Can you use a different off-the-shelf AIO or is the case limited to the included AIO, like the NZXT H1?
You should take into account drawn power from the chord vs temperature... thats a good indicator to quantify energy disipation.
Love that peacock blue Meshroom!
I see these pop up more and more, a year ago I build also one with an old i7 4790 iGPU and a nVidea Quadro T1000 GPU for my bedroom, just to surf on the net and watch BR movies on my LED TV. The ease to build these systems is remarking. But the new ones are even more remarkable, and a lot of use Aluminum panels, beautiful. Btw, I'm wondering nVidea keeps making GPUs with that rotten 12V "high power" connector, from the moment I saw these and the power draw, I knew this was fodder for disaster, being busy with automotive cars on 13,5VDC with currents from 20 up to 300Amps. If these connectors were made of bakelite or ceramic, then you would have much fewer problems.
My Noctua Nh-N1 10g pastes had more than I expected in them. I thought it was empty, and bought another for standby, but it kept pushing out paste when I tried 2 more repastes.
Steve you all gotta do a review of the NR200P v2 when it comes out next month!
I love it. Jesus bless you, keep up the good work. Steve's explanatory and precise manner is wonderful. ❤
Nice! Was looking forward to a review of this case. It's sadly not out yet in Europe :/ Would have been interesting to see how a 7800X3D deals with the single fan CPU cooler in a gaming workload.
For gaming, I don't really care about whether the cooling solution can dissipate the waste heat of a synthetic load. I want to know, whether the cooling solution can get rid of the waste heat of BF2042 (or BG3 or Skylines 2).
could you do a review of the asus ap201? imo the go-to case in terms of matx, would be nice as a comparison-baseline for the next matx reviews
Honestly really love the small footprint of this case regardless of how tall it is, and the design looks great. My only gripe with it would be difficulty with custom watercooling capability. I have a MO-RA 420 external radiator that I use for (2) of my builds, and getting fat quick disconnect fittings to exit under the case might end up causing issues with a custom build in an otherwise seemingly great case design. I also already use short extensions for my DP and HDMI inputs on my GPU already, so if anyone is worried about accessibility with the GPU, they could invest in short extensions that make cable management life much easier.
Super cool case. I do wonder if a blower-style fan like what's in the PS5 would work better in this kind of space.
I like the design
Reminds me of the Corsair One
Oh, and that reminds me that someone should get on that "Corsair One" copy form factor
Another consideration on the included parts is that they're guaranteed to fit, unlike with my DAN A4, where the lian li sp750 has the powder cable connector in position that wedges the cable against the motherboard and makes it to a sharp bend, or cooler compatibility where many itx motherboards can only work with specific coolers, and those specific coolers may not be compatible with the case. It's very forgiving for builders who are new to the itx space
With regards to GPU cooling, if the FE pull through would struggle with handling the temps, would the partner card cooling systems be better?
Damn, that's gorgeous.