DAN A4-SFX: The smallest gaming case in the world

Ok my temperature findings as follows:

As it stands, on the 970, I was running 4.3GHz @ 1.12V and everything was great, temps maxed out at 95-96 degrees in sythetic loads where the CPU + GPU were both running at 100% in a worst case scenario very high ambient temperature environment with absolutely no airflow. When I put the FTW3 in and ran the same test, it crashed very quickly

Next I tried 4.2GHz @ 1.1V and it the test would run fine with no crashes, but the CPU was thermal throttling every 5-10 seconds or so. I tried to set the FTW3 fan speed at 100% (to see if forcing more air into the case helps) but it did nothing to alleviate the CPU temperatures and it continued to throttle. So I decided to work again on the CPU settings

I tried 4.1GHz @ 1.05V next. This brought temperatures down quite a bit, and I saw max spikes of 95 degrees (average 90 degrees) on the CPU with no throttling.

In all cases, the GPU was left at default settings with steady boost clock at 1900-1911MHz.

So my conclusion is:
If you want to run the 7700K stock, along with a 1080Ti in the case, and would like a very safe starting CPU setting which will work in even the worst possible situations at the highest reasonable ambient temps, go with 4.1GHz at 1.05V and work your way upwards depending on your ambient temperature, airflow, and how lucky you got with the silicon lottery

Hey I'm pretty new to OCing and wondering how difficult is it to adjust the CPU settings like this on the 7700k?
 
Hey I'm pretty new to OCing and wondering how difficult is it to adjust the CPU settings like this on the 7700k?

It is pretty easy as long as you have a Z-270 mini-itx board. I would get a $150 and above board (at least the Gigabyte Z207-N Gaming). Pretty much disable turbo-boost and then change the base clock speed to 41. You could try adaptive voltage at 1.05V for vcore. Auto voltage settings is pretty terrible in general especially when your cpu gets loaded. If you can, delidding your i7 7700k really helps.
 
As I reported already a while back, I am running my delidded 6700K happily with an NH-L9i and a cheap cardboard fan duct, which looks like this:



Finally I got around to testing the C7, which I originally bought for my A4 build: Long story short, after testing it, I reverted back to the configuration as shown above.

In my setup the C7 does not yield a better (lower) delta than the NH-L9i + fan duct, while sounding considerably worse. I replaced the C7 fan with the NF-A9x14 fan, which sounds slightly less annoying, but it is still too close to the side panel and therefore too loud. This combo actually performed worse at equal RPM.
In other words: The C7 performs better than a "naked" NH-L9i, but as soon as you install a simple fan duct, the NH-L9i performs equally strong temp-wise, while sounding much better (softer and no tonality).
Here are the numbers, which you also can find in the google spreadsheet:



I also replaced the Corsair SF-450 PSU fan as it suffered from the fan-on/fan-off problem, as soon as the GPU was hot. The Noctua fan is running off a mobo fan header, always on (inaudible) and about as fast as the CPU fan.

I consider the system silent under most loads (including Full-HD gaming), only when benchmarking and running Handbrake it becomes audible, but never loud. During gaming all fans (including the MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X) stay below 1000 RPM, mostly between 700-900.

dondan: Do you think, it's possible to test the NH-L9i naked and with fan duct? It took me 5 minutes to create this thing and it makes a huge difference. It would be so interesting to see this combo also in your tests.

EDIT: typo
 
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As I reported already a while back, I am running my delidded 6700K happily with an NH-L9i and a cheap cardboard fan duct, which looks like this:



Finally I got around to testing the C7, which I originally bought for my A4 build: Long story short, after testing it, I reverted back to the configuration as shown above.

In my setup the C7 does not yield a better (lower) delta than the NH-L9i + fan duct, while sounding considerably worse. I replaced the C7 fan with the NF-A9x14 fan, which sounds slightly less annoying, but it is still too close to the side panel and therefore too loud. This combo actually performed worse at equal RPM.
In other words: The C7 performs better than a "naked" NH-L9i, but as soon as you install a simple fan duct, the NH-L9i performs equally strong temp-wise, while sounding much better (softer and no tonality).
Here are the numbers, which you also can find in the google spreadsheet:



I also replaced the Corsair SF-450 PSU fan as it suffered from the fan-on/fan-off problem, as soon as the GPU was hot. The Noctua fan is running off a mobo fan header, always on (inaudible) and about as fast as the CPU fan.

I consider the system silent under most loads (including Full-HD gaming), only when benchmarking and running Handbrake it becomes audible, but never loud. During gaming all fans (including the MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X) stay below 1000 RPM, mostly between 800-900.

dondan: Do you think, it's possible to test the NH-L9i naked and with fan duct? It took my 5 minutes to create this thing and it makes a huge difference. It would be so interesting to see this combo also in your tests.

This post summarizes what I think are the most important cooler findings. Having a fan right against the case vents lets a lot of noise out. If you have 3 giant GPU fans running at low speed this is okay, but one small CPU fan is not okay, especially if it is pointed at your head.

These results show why Dan's custom cooler will be THE BEST for this case. His cooler is sized as big as possible, and it will have the fan close to the motherboard, not the case door. You could say his design has a duct "built in." We shall see how the testing goes when he receives his samples.
 
I don't have a real need for a m-itx case right now but maybe in a year or so I'll be ready to build something for it. Do you all think it would be worth it to get in on the kickstarter now? It's way before I need the case, but I really like it and haven't found any alternatives that are regularly produced.
I think, especially if you don't need the case RIGHT NOW, it's the perfect time to back the Kickstarter - it will take some time for the Case to get shipped anyways

Wow the copper C7 looks really nice. Would probably save a few more degrees over the regular aluminium version. Personally I'm done with fooling around with coolers for the Dan A4, but I would like to see how it performs when it becomes available
I'll get the copper C7 for sure (as I won't be able to combine my needs for Storage devices with a Watercooler) - so I can tell you how it performs with a Ryzen 5 1600 CPU, somewhen in december (hopefully) ^^
 
I have become a fan of the Noctua fan and the fan-duct, too. :)

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I tried it, but a capacitor between the CPU and the PCIE slot is blocking so I don't have a choice.
Now a lot of heat is pushed against the I/O panel. Thanks to the fan duct, the hot air won't circle endlessly inside the case.
 
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My home set up. When I travel, two twist ties to release the fan and side panel goes back on. I have the 92mm noctua on the inside which cools the delidded 7700k just fine alone whjile 165 fps gaming. Temps are way down with the push pull setup for home use! Since the right side faces the wall I don't even notice the naked right side day to day.
 

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My home set up. When I travel, two twist ties to release the fan and side panel goes back on. I have the 92mm noctua on the inside which cools the delidded 7700k just fine alone whjile 165 fps gaming. Temps are way down with the push pull setup for home use! Since the right side faces the wall I don't even notice the naked right side day to day.
This is necessary even with a delidded 7700k? Are you OCing?
 
Does anyone know if a 1080 TI SC2 will have better temps than a 1080 TI reference in the Dan case?
 
This is necessary even with a delidded 7700k? Are you OCing?

I am not OCing. It doesn't seem to be necessary but it's looking like temps are 65-72 while gaming at high frame rates now, from maxing at 85-87 C before with just the 92mm fan. I may have headroom for a slight OC but I'm holding off for now. I just installed this 120mm fan so I need to test it more. Idle temps are down as well. (36 C from over 40C before, not sure what my ambient temps are). If nothing else, it offers peace of mind and no noise at all. Perhaps it'll add some longevity to the CPU as well.
 
I am not OCing. It doesn't seem to be necessary but it's looking like temps are 65-72 while gaming at high frame rates now, from maxing at 85-87 C before with just the 92mm fan. I may have headroom for a slight OC but I'm holding off for now. I just installed this 120mm fan so I need to test it more. Idle temps are down as well. (36 C from over 40C before, not sure what my ambient temps are). If nothing else, it offers peace of mind and no noise at all. Perhaps it'll add some longevity to the CPU as well.

Ahh okay! Any chance you can post your GPU temps? Very curious about that card.
 
jenosmaverick
Well it's a i5-3570k @ 4,3 GHz, NH-L9i max 1900 rpm)+ fan-duct, Z77E-ITX, 2*4GB SAMSUNG VLP (Hyk0), 1000GB Evo 840 mSATA, SF450, ASUS GTX 970 Mini (replaced the fan with a NF-A9x14 (max 1900 rpm).
CPU, GPU and Chipset have liquid metal on them. The CPU has been delidded.
 
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uhhhh is the corsair besides the vcard the psu? then whats besides the mobo? kinda got me confused.. still a newbie here hehe.
 
Well on the one side there is the Mainboard with the CPU and RAM and next to it the PSU.
On the other side there is the GPU and thats it. It's so short, so that you can see the back side of the Corsair PSU.
And in between the Mainboard and the GPU there is the mSATA-SSD
 
Oh my bad I thought that either corsair sits besides the gpu aswell or you had a similar build like with the one saw I was at the dan a4 build thread with the gpu having a radiator besides it, didn't notice it was just the back of psu and it just seems besides the gpu. Thanks :D
 
Am still confused between the two. I never ventured into desktops since I had my laptop a decade ago. So itx is smaller than atx? sorry if this is abit off topic now.Thanks :D
 
wow..... zotac just released two types of 1080 TI, one mini and one mini on liquid....... both have a length of 210.8mm vs to a full maxed out space of EVGA 1080Ti FTW3 which is 299.72mm. So with a remaining space of 88.92mm, if using zotac mini 1080 ti i can smell watercooling.. hehehe. Lucky i haven't bought the FTW3.
 
WOW! that in an even smaller dan case with the psu rotated to have the fan front facing the case. 5L gaming case?
 
wow..... zotac just released two types of 1080 TI, one mini and one mini on liquid....... both have a length of 210.8mm vs to a full maxed out space of EVGA 1080Ti FTW3 which is 299.72mm. So with a remaining space of 88.92mm, if using zotac mini 1080 ti i can smell watercooling.. hehehe. Lucky i haven't bought the FTW3.
lol nevermind, apparently I missed this post somehow.
 
wow..... zotac just released two types of 1080 TI, one mini and one mini on liquid....... both have a length of 210.8mm vs to a full maxed out space of EVGA 1080Ti FTW3 which is 299.72mm. So with a remaining space of 88.92mm, if using zotac mini 1080 ti i can smell watercooling.. hehehe. Lucky i haven't bought the FTW3.

Main issue is space for a radiator with proper airflow on it, and not having the radiator heat up from other parts. Air cooling seems to be the ticket for the DAN but I cannot wait to see what someone tries with that zotac!
 
Holy shit a mini Ti?? This is crazy.

I'm not sure there is enough room on top in the case for the water cooled version, taking into account pipe bends even if the card and the top of the block fit, but with the mini air cooled one you could stick another fan on the GPU side I suppose. Has anyone tried that yet with any other mini cards?
 
With that Zotac card having a waterblock available, and the v2 having a radiator mound. How's the chances of fitting a reservoir and pump somewhere? Any thin variants available to put behind the PSU for instance?
 
WOW! that in an even smaller dan case with the psu rotated to have the fan front facing the case. 5L gaming case?
It's still longer than the itx motherboard so doesn't enable maximum efficiency of space.... Only the r9 nano and small 970/1070s allow for that. I do think it would be a great case though!
 
WOW! that in an even smaller dan case with the psu rotated to have the fan front facing the case. 5L gaming case?
An SFX is 125mm wide so if you rotated it, the width of the case would need to be increased from the current 112mm to at least 130mm. Meanwhile the 1080 Ti mini is 218mm long, so it's still going to extend 48mm past the motherboard, in which case rotating the PSU only saves (125-63.5) - 48 = 13.5mm. So the case would be only slightly less deep, but because of the 18mm+ of additional width, you'd end up with a larger overall volume - close to 8L.
 
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