[Build log] ベール (Vert) | A NFC-4TF build

[cityle]

Elmo has a crippling addiction to SFFPC!

So right now I’m saying farewell to my old components by building the Re;Gamecube build, but I already have my new components so I could have at least a working PC that I don’t need to disassemble and play with all the time.

I intend to finish the Gamecube build first, but I’m now creating this build log because I’m already started tinkering about it, and wiritng it down on paper will help remove it from my brain lol.

This time around, for this build, I’m going with mainstream-ish components and I’m gonna 3D print again my PC case, this time following the blueprint created by Josh from NFC System, creator of the well known S4 mini. Since the first time I saw his video about the NFC-4TF, I always wanted to build a PC in this case. I found the compactness, look and layout really enticing.

His case already inspired me when I did [Build log] パープルハート: A 3D printed case to house unusual components, but this time around I’m doing for real, and I’m gonna even laser cut the panels to have that well-build look (I just hope that the city’s libraries finish their strike one day so I can go use their laser cut and reduce spending)

As per the tradition, the build is themed around a character of the Neptunia franchise. Usually, I go with Neptunia, and therefore, a purple theme, but this time around I wanted to mix things up. I wanted to have something more natural. So Vert is this time the inspiration for the build!

Her gorgeous stature and good attributes while fit well with the roundness of the case. Her color-theme also fits nicely with the use of wood paneling for the front and back that I will satin light. And the green then allows me to use Aloe as the colour of my acrylic panels. The structural beams for their parts will be black so the build stay classy.

I just bought today the acrylic panels online because there was a rebate. The natural colour will really make the case look refined and blend well with the decor. Also it will fit a bit with my Slate Pixel 8 and my Olive Samsung Buds 2 lol.

Otherwise, the components are the following:

• Ryzen 7600 (bought with a flash deal)
• MSI MPG B650I Edge WiFi (also got a really good price on that one, I was intending to A650i first)
• 32GB Crucial Pro 5600Mhz DDR5 ram
• Solidigm P41 Plus 2TB (got one for cheap)
• LP RTX 3050 (will get in the future or when there will be a rebate)
• HDPlex GaN 250W

[cityle]

Reserved for final pics

[cityle]

And that was why I wanted to already create this vlog. I already start thinkering about the cooler lol.

Because I could just went with a Noctua NH-L12S, or go cheaper with a Thermalright AXP120-X67, and have no problem and call it a day. But I like pushing the envelope and doing stuff the complicated way lol.

What made me want to go the more risky route was the fact that:

1. the NFC-4TF has a pretty large area above the CPU that will uncluttered and will benefit from the flow of the front fan, which led me to
2. wonder if I can possibly pull off cooling the CPU passively in that case, as I only deal with a 65W TDP CPU.

So that made me buy the Thermalright SI-100. It’s a 100mm tall CPU cooler, but if you remove the 25 mm thick fan, it becomes a 75mm fan. So technically, if I go by the size of the front piece in the .stl, I should still have maybe 1-2mm of clearance (Also I bought Noctua mounting bars to hopefully mount the cooler with the fins parallel to the airflow, but the threading is not the same unfortunately)

I did a quick and dirty test with my two 92mm fan I had, and an acrylic sheet to simulate the kind of airflow in the case to see if I could cool it passively that way, but after 5 minutes of Prime95 it throttles.

However, there is a metal part underneath the cool to help support it, and it’s removable. And when removed, you can slide a slim fan underneath and cool the cooler successfully that way! So I will buy a slim 120mm fan at some and cool the cooler with it, positioning it to exhaust the hot air through the side panel that will have the ventilation holes. (ignore the zip ties, that was to be able to test with the 92mm fan I had on hand lol)

[Charles_VT]

I ordered these last year, worked at 2933 gear 1 on my erying mobile tiger lake board, didn’t try gear 2 3200

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803968985011.html

[cityle]

That would have been an interesting option, unfortunately at the end I returned the cooler because there was always some interference with the VRM cooler when mounting a slim 120mm fan below. Plus having to install the cooler in the orientation I would have wanted would have required to buy a cooler type CPU cooler (Thermalright don’t sell any mounting kits like Noctua), which would have been wasteful imo.

So right now I’m on the lookout for a discounted Noctua NH-L12S hahaha

[cityle]

Some update on the project, the libraries have finally finished their strike, so I swiftly went to the central library to get my pieces printed and pieces cut…

But the laser cutter was not available because during the renovations, the contractor overlooked to install an exhaust for it, and the 3D printer was lacking a spool, only having a carbon enriched one that didn’t gave good result.

But at least, it’s convenient because they will print my pieces for me when the new spool will arrive and they will call me when they will be ready for me to get. And it’s so cheap, like 1$ per 10g of printed material, so the total cost for the printing will be like max 10$ in total.

Also, speaking of low cost, I’m happy with how I sourced my wood for the front and back wood panel. It’s difficult to find any thin adequate wood panel, and often it’s plywood and often ends up expensive for the quantity of material. But I recalled alcohol stores sometime sell the wood boxes they get with shipments. So I got one, only 5$ and I have real pine panels!

And speaking of cutting cost, Josh original plan calls to use 4 different of hardware sets to secure pieces and panels together. But I don’t have any on hand, and ordering the required hardware would have been expensive at the end. So instead I will only use heat brass and m3 screws, that helps reduce hardware-related cost by half.

[cityle]

It’s been a while Being away for three weeks didn’t helped lol

But now some progress. I got my hands on the laser cutted pieces and 3D printed pieces. It looks amazing, love the colour! Sole problem is there was an issue with my order, I have three of the four beams that have not been printed, so I need to wait for that.

[cityle]

So last week I finally got my missing 3D printed pieces. I’m quite glad that the fit is great.

So I lightly sanded the side for painting and today after days of rain I was finally able to paint everyhting. I’m glad it covered well, I had a small leftover of black paint and didn’t wanted to buy a new can lol.

I will let it sit for a couple of day, and then assemble everything this weekend. I only to do the hdplex support bracket.

I already test fitted everything.

And I used the feet of the steam deck dock I bought to use them for the case lol. They fit the bill quite nicely

Also I noticed I did had long enough screws to screw everything together with the wooden front and back. So I wanted to try if I could drill halfway a bigger opening to get that missing 4mm, but nope the wood shattered right at the beginning. So gonna get longer screws for that too

[cityle]

Ok so the build is finally finished, after like 4-5 months lol

So I did the holder for the HDPlex. I did all by hand and sourced small screws to screw it to plate. The I realized afterward there was screws included with the HDPlex for that exact purpose, but too late lol. The bottom acrylic piece was already in place.

Like that I found that the HDPlex was bouncing a bit when moving, so I added just a bit of hot glue. But it becomes a non issue when all the cables are jammed in the case.

Some cable management and then I had to did a lot of back and forth when building it. At some point I just stopped taking pictures because of that.

One issue I encountered was that the low profile bracket was sitting too high for the GPU. So I cut the ends on the GPU bracket so it become at the right height. Still was a bit of a pita to screw the bracket to the GPU. You need the top part accessible, without the acrylic piece, to do it.

Also it shows that the case was made with the RTX A2000 in mind and its miniDP ports, because right now the HDMI are barely usable. So I will use DP now, the HDMI will be a leftover cable so I can quickly plug other devices, like my Dreamcast project.

Also installing the wood panels was king of difficult. For the front one, I had to bend the leads of the power button so it could fit with the HDPlex. The HDPlex is longer than a flex PSU, so it changes a lot of thing internally.

And similarly, I had to jam and pressed down the back panel, as the the leads of the power connector when entering in conflict with the HDPlex inside too. But I had no way to change the position of the HDPlex without having even more issue with the power button. So everything is well tight and mushed together lol.

But at last everything assembled.

And the sexy pics of everything finished. In retrospect, I should have painted it brown instead of black, and used the normal Noctua fans. The brown/beige of the fans, and brown sides would have fitted better with the wood colour and the green of the panels. But hey, too late lol.

[MazeFrame]

Beautiful machine! Amazingly well done!

Just not very cat-proof with those exposed fans

[cityle]

Thanks!

Hahaha I have no cats, so no issue on that side But I know the model also has an optional fan filter mount with carbon filters to put in front of the fans.

[cityle]

Vert has become a goth girl because she’s all black now.

I was not totally satisified with how the colours match together with the build, and I think I always need to thinker a bit. So I decided to do a remix of the NFC-4TF by making it looked a bit like the Fractal North case.

Also, I added intake holes at the top for the GPU so it doesn’t rely only on the front fans providing air, and minimize all venting on the CPU side to offer the CPU fan only as an exhaust fan (with the opening also on the back for exhaust). This way I hope I’m able to force better positive air flow. Also did the opening with the grill pattern used in the Noctua X Seasonic PSU to hopefully make the computer a bit quieter.

Also installed air filters because the PC was dusty despite being on the desk that is regularly cleaned lol. I like this case, but my god it’s a bitch to work in hahahah.

And the sexy pictures