If you want a super compact PC case that’s classy without being flashy, Cooler Master’s new NCore 100 Max might be the chassis you’ve been waiting for. Introduced at the company’s Computex 2023 demo suite, the NCore 100 Max measures just 6.1 to 6.7 inches (155 to 172mm) thick, just 18.9 inches (481mm) high and 8.3 inches (212mm) wide, yet RTX 4090 CPUs up to 14 inches (357mm) long.
We looked at the NCore 100 Max and were blown away by the small dimensions of the ITX chassis and the attractive bronze or deep green aluminum shell. There are no wide windows here and no RGB lighting at all, but you can still see a little inside the case thanks to the large bend patterns that adorn the anodized aluminum panels (one on each side).
| material | steel, plastic, aluminum |
| size | 155 x 212 x 481mm (3 slots) / 172 x 212 x 481mm (4 slots) |
| motherboard support | ITX |
| drive bay | 1x 2.5 inch |
| I/O panel | USB 3.0 x 2, USB 3.1 Type-C x 1 |
| Included power supply unit | V SFX Gold 850W ATX 3.0 |
| pre-installed fan | 1x 120mm Silencio 4-pin, 1x 120mm Sickleflow 4-pin PWM |
| radiator support | 120mm, 38mm thick (top mount) |
| clearance | CPU fan (47mm), GPU (357×180mm) |
The NCore Max 100 has a PSU on board in the form of an 850W SFX Gold unit that incorporates a unique custom cooling solution for the CPU with a thick radiator and a 2,400 rpm Silencio fan. Cooler Master claims that using 250 watts he tested the cooler at 13900K and did not see any thermal throttling.
You can install a GPU that requires 3 or 4 slots. However, using the fourth slot increases the thickness by about 0.6 inches.
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The tool-free design looks easy to assemble, especially since the radiator and PSU are pre-installed. However, there isn’t much room for customization, and it can accommodate just one 2.5-inch SSD.
No pricing or availability for the NCore 100 Max has been announced yet. However, once it hits the market, it looks like it could compete with the best PC cases in the compact segment.
