Build of the week: Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Say hello to the petite and compact Nova custom designed 5-Slot mATX case, which packs in a whole lot of punch for 17.0L and dimensions of 300 x 170 x 333 mm. It’s a project started out of inspiration from the NCASE M1, of which Overclock user Aibohphobia was an early supporter. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, CPU, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that designing his own case “turned out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated, but it’s been a really great learning experience,” with the little details of the case design being the hardest part. Making sure parts could be manufactured without extra tools and equipment, and finding places for the screw holes that wouldn’t interfere with other parts (but was still accessible) were particularly challenging.

On the interior are an Intel i7 CPU, a 140mm NZXT water cooler, 32GB worth of Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz memory, and a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD.

The case itself is crafted from 20 gauge steel (panels and frame) with a removable carry handle made from aluminum; everything has been powder coated. Aibohphobia said if you’re considering building a similar case to take that old adage “measure twice, cut once” to heart; while going over and over the 3D model checking for problems was “extremely boring,” it was well worth it in the end when everything fit nearly perfectly. Right on Aibohphobia!

Check out the images in the gallery for some shots of the Nova case being custom machined and the build coming together.

Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case parts list

CPU: Intel i7 5930K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 motherboard
Memory: 32GB Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
Video Card: 2x EVGA GTX 980 reference models in SLI
Power Supply: SilverStone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX PSU
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Case Fan: Noctua P12 120mm (on front)
Case Fan: Noctua 92mm slim (on rear)
Case: Nova
OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (OEM)

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Say hello to the petite and compact Nova custom designed 5-Slot mATX case, which packs in a whole lot of punch for 17.0L and dimensions of 300 x 170 x 333 mm. It’s a project started out of inspiration from the NCASE M1, of which Overclock user Aibohphobia was an early supporter. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, CPU, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that designing his own case “turned out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated, but it’s been a really great learning experience,” with the little details of the case design being the hardest part. Making sure parts could be manufactured without extra tools and equipment, and finding places for the screw holes that wouldn’t interfere with other parts (but was still accessible) were particularly challenging.

On the interior are an Intel i7 CPU, a 140mm NZXT water cooler, 32GB worth of Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz memory, and a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD.

The case itself is crafted from 20 gauge steel (panels and frame) with a removable carry handle made from aluminum; everything has been powder coated. Aibohphobia said if you’re considering building a similar case to take that old adage “measure twice, cut once” to heart; while going over and over the 3D model checking for problems was “extremely boring,” it was well worth it in the end when everything fit nearly perfectly. Right on Aibohphobia!

Check out the images in the gallery for some shots of the Nova case being custom machined and the build coming together.

Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case parts list

CPU: Intel i7 5930K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 motherboard
Memory: 32GB Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
Video Card: 2x EVGA GTX 980 reference models in SLI
Power Supply: SilverStone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX PSU
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Case Fan: Noctua P12 120mm (on front)
Case Fan: Noctua 92mm slim (on rear)
Case: Nova
OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (OEM)

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Say hello to the petite and compact Nova custom designed 5-Slot mATX case, which packs in a whole lot of punch for 17.0L and dimensions of 300 x 170 x 333 mm. It’s a project started out of inspiration from the NCASE M1, of which Overclock user Aibohphobia was an early supporter. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, CPU, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that designing his own case “turned out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated, but it’s been a really great learning experience,” with the little details of the case design being the hardest part. Making sure parts could be manufactured without extra tools and equipment, and finding places for the screw holes that wouldn’t interfere with other parts (but was still accessible) were particularly challenging.

On the interior are an Intel i7 CPU, a 140mm NZXT water cooler, 32GB worth of Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz memory, and a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD.

The case itself is crafted from 20 gauge steel (panels and frame) with a removable carry handle made from aluminum; everything has been powder coated. Aibohphobia said if you’re considering building a similar case to take that old adage “measure twice, cut once” to heart; while going over and over the 3D model checking for problems was “extremely boring,” it was well worth it in the end when everything fit nearly perfectly. Right on Aibohphobia!

Check out the images in the gallery for some shots of the Nova case being custom machined and the build coming together.

Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case parts list

CPU: Intel i7 5930K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 motherboard
Memory: 32GB Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
Video Card: 2x EVGA GTX 980 reference models in SLI
Power Supply: SilverStone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX PSU
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Case Fan: Noctua P12 120mm (on front)
Case Fan: Noctua 92mm slim (on rear)
Case: Nova

OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (OEM)

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Say hello to the petite and compact Nova custom designed 5-Slot mATX case, which packs in a whole lot of punch for 17.0L and dimensions of 300 x 170 x 333 mm. It’s a project started out of inspiration from the NCASE M1, of which Overclock user Aibohphobia was an early supporter. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, CPU, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that designing his own case “turned out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated, but it’s been a really great learning experience,” with the little details of the case design being the hardest part. Making sure parts could be manufactured without extra tools and equipment, and finding places for the screw holes that wouldn’t interfere with other parts (but was still accessible) were particularly challenging.

On the interior are an Intel i7 CPU, a 140mm NZXT water cooler, 32GB worth of Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz memory, and a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD.

The case itself is crafted from 20 gauge steel (panels and frame) with a removable carry handle made from aluminum; everything has been powder coated. Aibohphobia said if you’re considering building a similar case to take that old adage “measure twice, cut once” to heart; while going over and over the 3D model checking for problems was “extremely boring,” it was well worth it in the end when everything fit nearly perfectly. Right on Aibohphobia!

Check out the images in the gallery for some shots of the Nova case being custom machined and the build coming together.

Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case parts list

CPU: Intel i7 5930K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 motherboard
Memory: 32GB Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
Video Card: 2x EVGA GTX 980 reference models in SLI
Power Supply: SilverStone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX PSU
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Case Fan: Noctua P12 120mm (on front)
Case Fan: Noctua 92mm slim (on rear)
Case: Nova

OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (OEM)

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Say hello to the petite and compact Nova custom designed 5-Slot mATX case, which packs in a whole lot of punch for 17.0L and dimensions of 300 x 170 x 333 mm. It’s a project started out of inspiration from the NCASE M1, of which Overclock user Aibohphobia was an early supporter. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, CPU, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that designing his own case “turned out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated, but it’s been a really great learning experience,” with the little details of the case design being the hardest part. Making sure parts could be manufactured without extra tools and equipment, and finding places for the screw holes that wouldn’t interfere with other parts (but was still accessible) were particularly challenging.

On the interior are an Intel i7 CPU, a 140mm NZXT water cooler, 32GB worth of Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz memory, and a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD.

The case itself is crafted from 20 gauge steel (panels and frame) with a removable carry handle made from aluminum; everything has been powder coated. Aibohphobia said if you’re considering building a similar case to take that old adage “measure twice, cut once” to heart; while going over and over the 3D model checking for problems was “extremely boring,” it was well worth it in the end when everything fit nearly perfectly. Right on Aibohphobia!

Check out the images in the gallery for some shots of the Nova case being custom machined and the build coming together.

Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case parts list

CPU: Intel i7 5930K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 motherboard
Memory: 32GB Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
Video Card: 2x EVGA GTX 980 reference models in SLI
Power Supply: SilverStone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX PSU
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Case Fan: Noctua P12 120mm (on front)
Case Fan: Noctua 92mm slim (on rear)
Case: Nova

OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (OEM)

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Say hello to the petite and compact Nova custom designed 5-Slot mATX case, which packs in a whole lot of punch for 17.0L and dimensions of 300 x 170 x 333 mm. It’s a project started out of inspiration from the NCASE M1, of which Overclock user Aibohphobia was an early supporter. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, CPU, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that designing his own case “turned out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated, but it’s been a really great learning experience,” with the little details of the case design being the hardest part. Making sure parts could be manufactured without extra tools and equipment, and finding places for the screw holes that wouldn’t interfere with other parts (but was still accessible) were particularly challenging.

On the interior are an Intel i7 CPU, a 140mm NZXT water cooler, 32GB worth of Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz memory, and a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD.

The case itself is crafted from 20 gauge steel (panels and frame) with a removable carry handle made from aluminum; everything has been powder coated. Aibohphobia said if you’re considering building a similar case to take that old adage “measure twice, cut once” to heart; while going over and over the 3D model checking for problems was “extremely boring,” it was well worth it in the end when everything fit nearly perfectly. Right on Aibohphobia!

Check out the images in the gallery for some shots of the Nova case being custom machined and the build coming together.

Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case parts list

CPU: Intel i7 5930K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 motherboard
Memory: 32GB Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
Video Card: 2x EVGA GTX 980 reference models in SLI
Power Supply: SilverStone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX PSU
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Case Fan: Noctua P12 120mm (on front)
Case Fan: Noctua 92mm slim (on rear)
Case: Nova

OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (OEM)

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Say hello to the petite and compact Nova custom designed 5-Slot mATX case, which packs in a whole lot of punch for 17.0L and dimensions of 300 x 170 x 333 mm. It’s a project started out of inspiration from the NCASE M1, of which Overclock user Aibohphobia was an early supporter. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, CPU, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that designing his own case “turned out to be much more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated, but it’s been a really great learning experience,” with the little details of the case design being the hardest part. Making sure parts could be manufactured without extra tools and equipment, and finding places for the screw holes that wouldn’t interfere with other parts (but was still accessible) were particularly challenging.

On the interior are an Intel i7 CPU, a 140mm NZXT water cooler, 32GB worth of Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz memory, and a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD.

The case itself is crafted from 20 gauge steel (panels and frame) with a removable carry handle made from aluminum; everything has been powder coated. Aibohphobia said if you’re considering building a similar case to take that old adage “measure twice, cut once” to heart; while going over and over the 3D model checking for problems was “extremely boring,” it was well worth it in the end when everything fit nearly perfectly. Right on Aibohphobia!

Check out the images in the gallery for some shots of the Nova case being custom machined and the build coming together.

Nova Custom Designed 17.0L 5-Slot mATX Case parts list

CPU: Intel i7 5930K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X99M-Gaming 5 Micro ATX LGA2011-3 motherboard
Memory: 32GB Crucial Ballistic Sport DDR4 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
Video Card: 2x EVGA GTX 980 reference models in SLI
Power Supply: SilverStone 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX PSU
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
Case Fan: Noctua P12 120mm (on front)
Case Fan: Noctua 92mm slim (on rear)
Case: Nova

OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (OEM)