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

Hello everybody, I am not exactly new to the Dan Case. I actually ordered the v2 back in 2017 and got it but never built in it. So actually on this note, if anybody wants an open box but never built in Dan Case v2, I am trying to sell it. Anyways, I am parting out a newer build in the v4 of the Dan Case.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/LrGCYT

Do all the parts here look compatible and if not, any suggestions? I decided not to build in the v2 due to the lack of compatibility between the v2 and the Asetek AIO. But now the v4 supports it and supposedly has been made a bit bigger to accompany the Asetek cooler. I don't know if that last bit is true, so if anybody could confirm that fact, I'd appreciate it. Also, how would thermals be with the 2700x and the Asetek? I've seen Black Ridge but would rather have more optimal cooling. Thanks for any replies!
 
It'd be pretty neat to buy upgrade kits for dan cases. Assuming the previous generation panels are compatible with the newer frame.
 
Jandresen: Yes it has 20pin
darxder: The Corsair Dominnator is too tall so you can't fit the tubes of the Asetek 645LT. Furthermore there is no need to buy the Asus X470 the B450 is more than enough. The temps on the 2700x with the Asetek should be very good.

Aegelward: Sorry we do not offer upgrade kits.
 
How do I work out the specifications / compatibility dimensions, of the old DAN v2 model, which I own?

The website currently gives the v3 specifications. And soon, I imagine, it will be giving the v4 specifications.
 
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I updated www.dan-cases.com with all information about the A4-SFXv4. Furthermore I updated the tutorial section under FAQ with some helpful guides.


>> If you find typos or misspelling please send me a private message <<


With best regards

Daniel
 
oblongpolygon: I do not change the size of the case so the specifications are the same and also the compatibility. Please refer to the changelog section under specification on dan-cases.com to see what I changed. All outer parts are compatible on every version. Only for v4 the USB fron cutout changed.
 
Hmmmm,

ordering via Caseking or SFFLAB, which one is faster for Austria....SFFLAB ships direct from the factory.
 
I use a 100 mm fan that fits under the board in my DAN A4 V1, it just need a small cut to the board mountingplate and fan mounting holes (fan = Scythe SY1012SL12L, production unfortunately expired).
My 92mm slim fans do not fit, they are a bit too high.
IMG_20190413_230032.jpg IMG_20190414_003048.jpg
 
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Pretty nice :) How are temps now?

This weekend I had time to do the test.
IMG_20190414_003633.jpg
I7-6700K, delidded, no oc, undervolted -0,15V
Asus Z170I
Alpenföhn Black Ridge
DAN A4 V1 with 2 casefans and custom panels

I did the test with Prime 95
1.jpg

Result after 15 minutes Prime without sidepanels:
2.jpg

Result after 15 minutes Prime with sidepanels:
3.jpg

With sidepanels temperature has only risen by 1 degree, but the speed of the fans has increased significantly, also the noise.
I like to have a quiet and cool computer that still has a few reserves, so I like the result.
 
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Does the extra 100mm fan help with the temp much? I can't decide if I should do something like that or order a new V4..
 
Does the extra 100mm fan help with the temp much? I can't decide if I should do something like that or order a new V4..

That's an interesting question, I just tested it. Since the 92mm Noctua is connected to the CPU fan port, I've covered it for the test, without a fan at this port, the computer does not start.

mit.jpg ohne.jpg
Without the two case fans, the CPU temperature remains the same and the board temperature rises by 4 ° C. In addition, there is higher fan speed and noise. The 92 mm Noctua will probably have little to no effect here, maybe I should completely expand it.
The result surprises me a little, I expected a bigger difference. It looks like the 120mm Noctua with the Alpenföhn Black Ridge is a good combination for my DAN A4.

broddy it looks like there is no need to buy a V4 just because of the option to have a extra casefan below MB
 
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I'd be VERY interested in tests how these additional fans help with the cooling of the GPU.

Especially cards with zero fan mode. These never keep on zero during desktop mode. And this on-off-on-off is nuts - especially when the fans ramp up for a short time during the on-phase.

I'm no fan of these work-around solutions with the fan curves....
 
I'd be VERY interested in tests how these additional fans help with the cooling of the GPU.

Especially cards with zero fan mode. These never keep on zero during desktop mode. And this on-off-on-off is nuts - especially when the fans ramp up for a short time during the on-phase.

I'm no fan of these work-around solutions with the fan curves....

Fans on my MSI 1060 do not rotate in desktop mode, and case fans are probably not required to do so. While playing 7 days to die the fans just rotate very slowly, which is barely noticeable.
 
I'm no fan of these work-around solutions with the fan curves....
Ah, I see what you did there!

More seriously, though, tweaking your fan curves is the best way to get the results you need in terms of when fans cycle on and off.
 
I use a 100 mm fan that fits under the board in my DAN A4 V1, it just need a small cut to the board mountingplate and fan mounting holes (fan = Scythe SY1012SL12L, production unfortunately expired).

Is that fan slim enough to fit above the Riser as a top exhaust?
 
Hi guys, quick question:

I am buying my parts Monday for the Dan Case v4. I just now realized the Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM is like 3mm too tall to fit in the case, but I have also seen some people use the sticks in the case. Is it compatible and how does it affect the side panel on the case? If the RAM sticks are indeed too large, does anybody have suggestions for black/grey RAM sticks that fit?
 
I realized with the V4 and the right parts you'll be able to do a fully dust-managed build in the A4, albeit low powered. You can do dual Demciflex filtered 92mm fans on the bottom with one feeding the Asetek 645LT AIO. You can get the SF750 which the fan of will almost never spin for a build like this, and you can get the Palit 1050 Ti KalmX fanless GPU which will get airflow from the fan under it. There's no direct dust intake anywhere and the bottom fans will provide enough pressure to prevent dust from settling in through the top. Window panels would also be great for something like this since there actually isn't any side intake and it will help channel air from the bottom better. I like that the case is becoming more and more versatile with each iteration.
 
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Hi guys, quick question:

I am buying my parts Monday for the Dan Case v4. I just now realized the Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM is like 3mm too tall to fit in the case, but I have also seen some people use the sticks in the case. Is it compatible and how does it affect the side panel on the case? If the RAM sticks are indeed too large, does anybody have suggestions for black/grey RAM sticks that fit?
They won't fit.
The Vengeance Models will fit
 
Is that fan slim enough to fit above the Riser as a top exhaust?

I've just measured it. In my V1 the distance between board and top is 14mm. If you deduct 2 mm for the RISER cable, 12 mm remain for a fan, so the fan should fit exactly. Pity that it is no longer produced.
 
I believe that we should never do things that we do not feel like doing!

I repeat, a risk of compromising the riser or worse still the motherboard is,
you have to be very delicate in handling the riser and when you screw the mobo,
you have to be very careful because it will beat slightly on the fan, but I have it mounted and like me also other!
(among the options also put the one that breaks the fan, but that, of the three, would be the least damage!)

View attachment 61176

NF-A9x14 fits under motherboard in V2 (since Feburary 2018) (y)
 
NF-A9x14 fits under motherboard in V2 (since Feburary 2018) (y)
I'm glad you posted a picture of it. I have the L9a fan just sitting out, and now I could be putting it to use in my v2. How much did it help temps?
 
I'm glad you posted a picture of it. I have the L9a fan just sitting out, and now I could be putting it to use in my v2. How much did it help temps?
In Air Conf, just 1 degree for CPU, but my mobo it's damn hot and tends to heat up the 2 m2 behind, so with just 20€ this helps a lot, it's dead silence, and fresh air helps mobo/m2 and ram too!
In my opininon everyone should put a NF-A9x14 under mobo :)
In this 374 pages thread you can find a lot of picture and usefull information, many of us have experienced different solutions, use them ! ;)

IMG_8233.jpg
 
Was the motherboard tray lifted from the bottom after V1?
I have a V1 and don't remember there being enough room to fit a fan into the bottom. Seems like a really involved mod / not possible without a new case if that is the case.

I now see that V4 has the bottom fan mount added under the motherboard, but was the space always there?
 
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I'm glad you posted a picture of it. I have the L9a fan just sitting out, and now I could be putting it to use in my v2. How much did it help temps?

There are 2 different NF-A9x14, probably your is 2.5W, bundled with cooler, better for cooling but a bit noisy compared to the 1.3W, but don't waste money, it'll work great!

IMG_7253.jpg
Was the motherboard tray lifted from the bottom after V1?
I have a V1 and don't remember there being enough room to fit a fan into the bottom. Seems like a really involved mod / not possible without a new case if that is the case.

I now see that V4 has the bottom fan mount added under the motherboard, but was the space always there?

V1 and V2 should be the same...
 
I'm having problems with my rear installed m2 970 evo. It gets really hot, in gaming the max temperature I've seen is 75°. Do you guys know any solution abut this issue?
 
In Air Conf, just 1 degree for CPU, but my mobo it's damn hot and tends to heat up the 2 m2 behind, so with just 20€ this helps a lot, it's dead silence, and fresh air helps mobo/m2 and ram too!
In my opininon everyone should put a NF-A9x14 under mobo :)
In this 374 pages thread you can find a lot of picture and usefull information, many of us have experienced different solutions, use them ! ;)

View attachment 157594
With the ROG x470i, it was tough shoving the NF-A9x14 in the small space. Now it makes like a rattling sound when it spins and no cables are in it. It seems like the fan blades touch the bottom of the case or something. Everything runs cooler, but I'd like to figure out why.
 
With the ROG x470i, it was tough shoving the NF-A9x14 in the small space. Now it makes like a rattling sound when it spins and no cables are in it. It seems like the fan blades touch the bottom of the case or something. Everything runs cooler, but I'd like to figure out why.
Rattling sound isn't good! :(
Probably your mobo is 0,2/0,3 mm more than mine and touch too much the fan? :facepalm:
Did you put the fan first and then screw "delicate" the mobo in place? :sneaky:
How are the temps now on mobo/ram/cpu/gpu? Better? :nailbiting:
 
Rattling sound isn't good! :(
Probably your mobo is 0,2/0,3 mm more than mine and touch too much the fan? :facepalm:
Did you put the fan first and then screw "delicate" the mobo in place? :sneaky:
How are the temps now on mobo/ram/cpu/gpu? Better? :nailbiting:
It was fixed after I redid my cable management somehow. Glad it's fixed. And my CPU on the same voltage can actually hit a max temperature of 81c instead of climbing up to around 90c in Prime95 Everything minus GPU is running a tad cooler. Very happy with the final build for its size.
 
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It was fixed after I redid my cable management somehow. Glad it's fixed. And my CPU on the same voltage can actually hit a max temperature of 81c instead of climbing up to around 90c in Prime95 Everything minus GPU is running a tad cooler. Very happy with the final build for its size.
WOW !!!
(y)(y)(y)
 
What do you do when u get bored? Buy unnecessary stuff :D I bought a used peli case for transporting my case safely when i'm traveling. I will transport everything except for the display.
  • Dan Case
  • Mouse
  • Keyboard (currently looking for one 60%, maybe SK621 or ducky one 2 mini)
  • Xbox Controller
  • Cables (power cable, usb etc)
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What do you do when u get bored? Buy unnecessary stuff :D I bought a used peli case for transporting my case safely when i'm traveling. I will transport everything except for the display.
  • Dan Case
  • Mouse
  • Keyboard (currently looking for one 60%, maybe SK621 or ducky one 2 mini)
  • Xbox Controller
  • Cables (power cable, usb etc)


I'm using this one (464x366x176 h), super compact! :)(y)

f7f1fe02-df06-47a7-a4e9-10648fc684b4.JPG
 
I'm having 88°c peaks with my i5 8400 & nh-l9i while gaming... is that normal? I'm really concerned about the temperatures with this case.
 
I'm having 88°c peaks with my i5 8400 & nh-l9i while gaming... is that normal? I'm really concerned about the temperatures with this case.

First, you'll want to try re-installing the NH-L9i just in case it's not making good contact. Next, what RAM speed are you running? If I run my Supermicro z370i motherboard using the XMS profile (at 3000 MHz) for my RAM, my i5-8600K runs about 5 to 7°C hotter than it does if I just use the default RAM speed (2133 MHz). With Intel CPUs, the RAM speed won't make a lot of difference in performance. Lastly, you may be able to run a little lower voltage for your CPU. I'm able to run my i5-8600K with a -0.05 V offset.
 
First, you'll want to try re-installing the NH-L9i just in case it's not making good contact. Next, what RAM speed are you running? If I run my Supermicro z370i motherboard using the XMS profile (at 3000 MHz) for my RAM, my i5-8600K runs about 5 to 7°C hotter than it does if I just use the default RAM speed (2133 MHz). With Intel CPUs, the RAM speed won't make a lot of difference in performance. Lastly, you may be able to run a little lower voltage for your CPU. I'm able to run my i5-8600K with a -0.05 V offset.
I have a z370i with an XMS profile at 3200mhz. I'm going to try that, thanks for the advice. I reinstalled the NH-L9i 3 times, and the spread pattern of the thermal paste seems fine... maybe I was just very unlucky with the cpu lottery.
 
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