Akasa Plato X7D with NUC7i7DNHE - doesn’t fit

Hi,

This is my first post. I’m new to Roon and have decided to build a ROCK from a NUC7i7DNHE in an Akasa Plato X7D case to make a low power silent ROCK.

I’ve disassembled the NUC and have come to the part where the NUC board should be mounted in the Plato X7D case. But it doesn’t seem to fit.

On the NUC board there’s some kind of a standoff - a small threaded fastener - that seems to be in the way so the NUC board cannot lay flush in the case and the CPU therefore cannot touch the alu cooling plate.

I’m stuck here and don’t know how to move on from here. I hope someone in here would kindly help me. Any help is much appreciated.

I have taken two photos of the parts that seem to be conflicting.

image
image

Obvious question…is that computer advertised to fit in that case?

Akasa states that the Plato X7D is the right one for the NUC7i7DNHE:
https://www.akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=product/product.detail.tpl&no=181&type=Fanless%20Chassis&type_sub=Fanless%20NUC&model=A-NUC39-A1B

Other than looking at the box, are you able to verify they sent the correct one?

The enclosed manual indicates the right product number. But there is no way I can identify the case since it has no markings of any kind.

I have filed a complaint with Akasa. I’ll wait for their respons.

Looking at the pictures and the instructions, there are four raised post at the corners and three others. When you place the board where it is supposed to go, do all 7 of these fit properly? It looks like you are supposed to glue a piece on top of the processor using the included heat transfer glue. Did you do that?

https://www.akasa.co.uk/download/manual/A-NUC39%20manu.V1_web.pdf

The problem is that one of the “raised posts” on the NUC board is in the way. It touches the alu heat block in the case so there is no way the CPU can lay flush against the heat block. The two parts just don’t fit each other. I have given up on this case and will wait an answer from Asaka.

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Are you able to seat the ports on the NUC board properly into the openings on the side of the case?

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Darn. I think my NUC is the same model, and I had thought about the Akasa Plato. I’ll be interested to hear what you discover. Short of the post being removable, it’s hard to see there being any options.

I recall there are several members here who use(d) X7D, see if they have any suggestions:

I think the board will go in, but carefully at an angle as the edge connectors have to fit through the plate holes before it will flatten down on the heat sink. The smaller chip (left in your pic) gets the pad Stich to it, the larger chip gets heat sink compound.

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I feel confident he’s not getting the ports on the board lined up and inserted into the openings in the side of the case.

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Hi again, I’m in dialogue with Akasa customer service. They confirm that the NUC7i7DNHE and the Plato X7D case should fit. Which is also confirmed by users of this forum. I’ll try to get some technical assistance from a tech-savvy friend and look further into it during the forthcoming weekend.

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Very responsive customer service at Akasa, I should mention

If you’ll notice, there are three of those “standoffs” on the board and four on the bottom of the case. They should all line up properly if you simply insert the ethernet port, USB ports, and HDMI port that are on the side of the board with the holes in the side of the case. You’ll have to work at it to get them all matched up and inserted properly.

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Hi, @Powderfinger I’m curious on what the resolution was for you? I’m considering using this case for a build.