<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p/?c1=2&amp;c2=10055482&amp;cv=4.4.0&amp;cj=1"> Skip to main content
PC Gamer PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • Hardware
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Video
  • Forum
  • More
    • PC Gaming Show
    • Software
    • Movies & TV
    • Coupons
    • Magazine
    • Newsletter
    • Community guidelines
    • links
    • Meet the team
    • About PC Gamer
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$32.49
View
Popular
  • Memorial Day Deals
  • Computex 2025
  • TES4: Oblivion
  • Elden Ring: Nightreign
  • GTA 6

Recommended reading

Geometric Future Model 9 PC case
PC Cases All hail the biggest PC case to ever grace my eyes, a true monument to Prometheus and other gods of unfathomable technology
Two Mini-ITX PC cases on a white/silver background with the PC Gamer recommended logo in the top right.
PC Cases The best Mini-ITX PC case in 2025: the top tiny cases I've tested so far
A photo of the Cooler Master Cosmos 2025, as displayed at Computex 2025
PC Cases For this year's Computex, Cooler Master showcases two new PC cases: a fresh look for the legendary Cosmos and a weird-but-cool goldfish bowl 360 Panoramic
Hyte&#039;s booth at Computex 2025, where it showed off brand new colourful PC cases.
PC Cases Hyte's latest case is a bold and colorful break from today's obsession with angular and understated
InWin&#039;s commemorative ChronoMancy PC case seen from three different angles in a blue-pink gradient void. The angle on the far-left and far-right expose the innards of the chassis, demonstrating how various PC parts sit inside the cylindrical shape of the case.
PC Cases InWin unveils all-singing, all-dancing 'trophy-inspired' case that also looks a little bit like my morning brew
A Havn BF 360 case on display at Computex 2025, Taipei.
PC Cases I've seen every PC case that Computex has to offer and this new Havn chassis is my top pick thanks to its abnormally large fans, front grille and airflow optimisation
The MSI Mag Pano 1130R PZ series case with internal screen, lit up in blue
PC Cases Computex has made me finally care about PC cases and it's not just because of rig envy
  1. Hardware
  2. PC Cases

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

Features
By Amber Bouman published 22 June 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an commission. Here’s how it works.

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 Aibohphobia was an early er. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, U, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that deg 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 U, 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 (s 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

U: Intel i7 5930K
U Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid U 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)

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7

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 Aibohphobia was an early er. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, U, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that deg 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 U, 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 (s 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

U: Intel i7 5930K
U Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid U 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)

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7

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 Aibohphobia was an early er. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, U, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that deg 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 U, 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 (s 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

U: Intel i7 5930K
U Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid U 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)

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7

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 Aibohphobia was an early er. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, U, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that deg 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 U, 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 (s 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

U: Intel i7 5930K
U Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid U 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)

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7

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 Aibohphobia was an early er. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, U, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that deg 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 U, 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 (s 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

U: Intel i7 5930K
U Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid U 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)

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7

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 Aibohphobia was an early er. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, U, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that deg 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 U, 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 (s 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

U: Intel i7 5930K
U Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid U 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)

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7

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 Aibohphobia was an early er. However, as the M1 is Mini-ITX, its limitations with RAM, U, and expansion slots became an issue. Hence this custom designed beauty.

Aibohphobia said that deg 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 U, 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 (s 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

U: Intel i7 5930K
U Cooler: NZXT Kraken X41 140mm CFM Liquid U 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)

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Amber Bouman
Read more
Geometric Future Model 9 PC case
All hail the biggest PC case to ever grace my eyes, a true monument to Prometheus and other gods of unfathomable technology
Two Mini-ITX PC cases on a white/silver background with the PC Gamer recommended logo in the top right.
The best Mini-ITX PC case in 2025: the top tiny cases I've tested so far
A photo of the Cooler Master Cosmos 2025, as displayed at Computex 2025
For this year's Computex, Cooler Master showcases two new PC cases: a fresh look for the legendary Cosmos and a weird-but-cool goldfish bowl 360 Panoramic
Hyte&#039;s booth at Computex 2025, where it showed off brand new colourful PC cases.
Hyte's latest case is a bold and colorful break from today's obsession with angular and understated
InWin&#039;s commemorative ChronoMancy PC case seen from three different angles in a blue-pink gradient void. The angle on the far-left and far-right expose the innards of the chassis, demonstrating how various PC parts sit inside the cylindrical shape of the case.
InWin unveils all-singing, all-dancing 'trophy-inspired' case that also looks a little bit like my morning brew
A Havn BF 360 case on display at Computex 2025, Taipei.
I've seen every PC case that Computex has to offer and this new Havn chassis is my top pick thanks to its abnormally large fans, front grille and airflow optimisation
Latest in PC Cases
Tryx&#039;s Computex 2025 booth, showcasing various new PC cases and coolers.
A fabric-covered PC case was not on my Computex 2025 bingo card but I'm surprisingly into it
A Havn BF 360 case on display at Computex 2025, Taipei.
I've seen every PC case that Computex has to offer and this new Havn chassis is my top pick thanks to its abnormally large fans, front grille and airflow optimisation
The MSI Mag Pano 1130R PZ series case with internal screen, lit up in blue
Computex has made me finally care about PC cases and it's not just because of rig envy
Noctua x Antec PC case
Noctua finally cracks the case market with a fan-equipped chassis that 'can substantially reduce noise' and now I want an all-Noctua rig
NZXT H3 Flow
NZXT H3 Flow case review
Silverstone FLP02 retro PC case on display at Computex trade show
This retro PC case has a big red button and a turnkey and it hits me square in the chest with nostalgia
Latest in Features
A Lian Li prototype liquid cooler with a motorised screen attached.
Computex 2025 showed that innovation in PC hardware often involves sticking a screen on something but don't let that distract you from the genuine improvements underneath
Elden Ring: Nightreign
Sorry, nightfarers: Elden Ring Nightreign does not have crossplay
Persona 5: The Phantom X characters
Persona 5: The Phantom X is a solid RPG, but even adding gacha can't hide the fact that Persona 5's been stretched awfully thin over the last 9 years
A screenshot of the PC version of Elden Ring Nightreign, taken using maximum quality settings and Nvidia DLDSR enabled
Elden Ring Nightreign PC performance analysis: A bare-bones console port with glitches a-plenty
A 3D printed custom PC case build fashioned to look like a triumphantly-posed Palico from Capcom&#039;s Monster Hunter series. It has a long sword strapped to its backpack. A GPU features prominently in the sword&#039;s hilt. This was photographed on the show floor at Computex 2025.
Computex 2025 made me realise I have no time for extravagant PC parts, just give me a simple, solid design and function
Oblivion Umbra NPC close up
The best videogame RPGs are really tabletop RPGs in disguise—and that might just be their secret sauce
  1. Annapro carrying case, GameSir Nova Lite controller, SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, and Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile keyboard on a blue background with PC Gamer Recommended logo
    1
    Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
  2. 2
    Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop
  3. 3
    Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
  4. 4
    Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I've held in these hands
  5. 5
    Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I've tested
  1. A kid doing ballet while other kids clap and a mom and a dog watch
    1
    To a T review: Not just wholesome, but wonderfully weird
  2. 2
    Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review
  3. 3
    Elden Ring Nightreign review: A messy co-op action RPG that shouldn't be this good
  4. 4
    F1 25 review: Commendable upgrades, but this is fundamentally the same game as before
  5. 5
    NZXT H3 Flow case review

PC Gamer is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • Future's experts
  • and conditions
  • Cookies policy
  • with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please or to comment

Please wait...