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

[Jirbin]

Well... After an hour of serious Doom action, I can say that the temperatures are quite low.
I'm running Doom in 1440p (2560x1440) on a Dell S2716DG with all the graphic options at maximum (so Nightmare where available).

These are my temperatures:

Termperatures for the CPU are a bit high, but the temperatures for the GPU are well within limits.

OMG 100c for max temp? @_@

 

[Sponge85]

Here are my stock results

Gear
i7 7700K
Cryorig C7
Asus Z270i Strix
Corsair Vengeance LED 3000 MHz
Corsair SF450
Samsung EVO 960 M.2
Asus 1070 Strix

Results after 10 min Prime 95
Temp 89ºC
1,2 V
4200 MHz
2400 RPM
50 dB close
30 dB 0,5 m away (crappy phone app)

 

[Shaav]

Could you guys post your results here?:

https://d
ocs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aZfTysWc4dtJC33qkLCjLkhPnzVLtbCtjpxoZeT92ZA/edit#gid=0

that would be great, thanks.

 

[sldr]

After setting the CPU fan to maximum RPM when playing Doom, max temperature is 72°C for the CPU...

 

[Wazzuppi]

Amazing builds guys

Im thinking of going

z270 strix
4000mhz (4266mhz if i get a bargain) 16gb trident ram
i7 7700k (going by charts ryzen has much lower ipc)
corsair sf450
noctua nh-l9i

And hook it all up to my laptop display via display port until i see a decent 1440p/120hz VA monitor pop up, could be a while due to TN stagnanation

When Vega comes out i will chuck that in aswell.

 

[Blackreplica]

Here are my stock results

Gear
i7 7700K
Cryorig C7
Asus Z270i Strix
Corsair Vengeance LED 3000 MHz
Corsair SF450
Samsung EVO 960 M.2
Asus 1070 Strix

Results after 10 min Prime 95
Temp 89ºC
1,2 V
4200 MHz
2400 RPM
50 dB close
30 dB 0,5 m away (crappy phone app)

Could you give us your impressions on the noise levels on the C7?

 

[mirgus]

The C7 is annoying loud with closed Sidepanel... the Noctua NH-L9i perform with the stock fan exactly like the C7 but quieter, because the gap between the NH-L9i and sidepanel is bigger.

Quietest setup with closed sidepanel --> NH-L9i + stock fan (same perfomance as the C7).
Quietest setup with open sidepanel ---> NH-L9i with a A9 25mm fan

 

[Sponge85]

Could you give us your impressions on the noise levels on the C7?

To high for me. I will try to do something about it. But I have not done any custom fan curvs yet.

 

[Meccabolix]

Have you tried the C7 with any of the noctua fans? I'm curious to know are they loud too and do they cool just as good?

 

[SaperPL]

We have tested Cryorig C7 in Sentry which has quite similar motherboard compartment as A4-SFX.

Both NH-L9i with 25mm fan on top and C7 were extremely loud under full CPU load.

The simple truth is that you need at least 1cm of space between the fan and the air inlet if you don't want to starve the cooler of proper airflow and make it spike up to full RPM as well as slash the air against the inlet.

You can find our test results here: https://hardforum.com/threads/sentr...-case-project.1832126/page-58#post-1042802888
(although we're still not sure about releasing the results on C7 since it's mounting system has some problems with our skylake board and it might've affect the test results)

 

[ShikikanZero]

Checking in from Honolulu, Hawaii, got my confirmation! Looks like dan is starting the US shipments!

 

[voodosheeb]

so for me and anyone else who got the c7 should we return it and get the NH-L9i?

 

[CknSalad]

I'm really curious how the lp53 with the slim noctua fan compares with the nhl9i

 

[SaperPL]

so for me and anyone else who got the c7 should we return it and get the NH-L9i?

Not necessarily - There's a "plan B" - C7 feels kind of perfect for putting 140mm slim fan on top of its radiator since it is taller than standard memory. It should be easier to mount such fan on top of radiator rather than hanging it in the air. A4-SFX doesn't have hard drive mount above the motherboard so 140mm slim fan will definitely fit while with Sentry I'll have to figure this out whether it'll be 120 or 140mm.

Question remains if you'll have problem with mounting it on your Skylake/KabyLake cpu - if that happens Cryorig may provide some solution for you, otherwise just return it and take NH-L9i or wait for some LP53 test results either in Sentry or A4-SFX.

 

[ultraman982]

Checking in from Honolulu, Hawaii, got my confirmation! Looks like dan is starting the US shipments!

Same here in California and saw the confirmation this morning!

 

[voodosheeb]

I'm really curious how the lp53 with the slim noctua fan compares with the nhl9i

found this
https://hardforum.com/threads/thermolab-cooltek-lp53-review.1923635/
so give an idea it looks promising

 

[FISCHER]

Anyone know when Overclockers UK will get another shipment? Says 'Out of Stock' but looks like you can order it.

 

[larsroholm]

A Danish guy is selling a case here: http://www.dba.dk/kabinet-dan-case-a4-perfe/id-1030716336/

 

[dondan]

So here are some words from me to the topic cooling and noise level:

Some users found out that the distance between FAN and site panel should be 0.5-1cm to not have air turbulences.
These air turbulences make noise. I think there are three options for different types of users that will be the best practice.


1.) Noctua L9i with default A9x14 FAN (default User)

+ easy implementation
+ silent ( very low air turbulences)
+ good temperatures
- no overclocking


2.) Cooltek LP53 with A9x14 FAN (Advanced User)

+ silent ( very low air turbulences)
+ 7°C better temps as L9i
+ small overclocking space
- expansive
- you have to mount the fan with zip ties


3.) Nexus Low 7000 R2 with Noctua A9x14 FAN or Prolimatech Ultra Sleek Vortex 12 (Modder)

(You have to mount the fan under the heatsink and mod the retention kit)

+ 15-20°C better temps as L9i
+ great overclocking space
+ silent ( very low air turbulences)
- expansive (import from US)
- you have to mod it


So if somebody seriously plan to overclock pick solution three.

Some pictures of the Nexus MOD (I will offer a How-to on www.dan-cases.com in some weeks:

 

[XstreamHard]

Dondan how high are the motherboard stand-offs on the A4?
I was thinking about replacing the 5mm ones (if they are) with 4mm ones (or grind them down) to gain the extra mm needed for a modded AXP 100 with an A9x14 under it. Of course that would mean the I/O shield would no longer fit properly but I can live without one (or mod it).
The Nexus cooler is very hard to get in Germany (unlike the Thermalright) and I generally had only very good experiences with Thermalright (both in terms of performance and in terms of support).

 

[SideSwiped]

Same here in California and saw the confirmation this morning!

Checking in from Honolulu, Hawaii, got my confirmation! Looks like dan is starting the US shipments!

People in kickstarter are commenting the address formatting is incorrect. Is that the case for you? Just wondering.

 

[SideSwiped]

People in kickstarter are commenting the address formatting is incorrect. Is that the case for you? Just wondering.

NVM! Just saw DAN's update:

"In the confirmation E-Mail that includes the tracking link and the address, the street name and street number is in the wrong format. On the shipping label it has the correct format. For some countries (like Germany) the street number is after the street name. The E-Mail is in the German format. So don't send me a message that your address is wrong, on the shipment label it is correct."

 

[dondan]

XstreamHard: The height of the stand offs comply with the ATX standard so it is 7mm

 

[xinux]

Done moving from the M1!
The guide in the instruction manual worked great.

 

[akhilv1]

Any update on US shipping? I hope you can get them out this weekend so they'll arrive in the next 2 weeks.

 

[Philfreeze]

I

Dondan how high are the motherboard stand-offs on the A4?
I was thinking about replacing the 5mm ones (if they are) with 4mm ones (or grind them down) to gain the extra mm needed for a modded AXP 100 with an A9x14 under it. Of course that would mean the I/O shield would no longer fit properly but I can live without one (or mod it).
The Nexus cooler is very hard to get in Germany (unlike the Thermalright) and I generally had only very good experiences with Thermalright (both in terms of performance and in terms of support).

just found this Phantek cooler which should also work.

 

[XstreamHard]

Damn now we need to find out if the Nexus, the Thermalright or the Phantek performs better. I'm kind of partial to Thermalright because of the reasons mentioned before but if there are significant performance differences...

 

[Ozymandias]

I


just found this Phantek cooler which should also work.

I bought one of those. A slim (12mm thick) 120mm fan fits underneath the fins and the whole package should fit in the A4, but I don't have the case yet or motherboard to know for sure. I think RAM clearance with an underslung fan might be an issue.

 

[larsroholm]

If you trim the bottom part of the fins of this one then it might also work: http://thermalright.com/product/axp-100-muscle/

As a bonus it already comes with a 14 mm fan and it looks like the mount could be reversed by drilling a few extra holes for the screws. I am also worried about ram clearance though.

 

[absolut_zero]

I just found this Phantek cooler which should also work.

Damn now we need to find out if the Nexus, the Thermalright or the Phantek performs better. I'm kind of partial to Thermalright because of the reasons mentioned before but if there are significant performance differences...

Dondan already tested that cooler with Scythe 120x12mm slim fan, see post #2173, which didn't perform quite well.

 

[mrtea45]

Case arrived yesterday (UK), quickly transferred an existing build over and managed to span some quick photos.

Gear
i7 6700
Cryorig C7
Asus Z170i
16GB Corsair Vengeance 2400 MHz
Silverstone SX500-LG
EVGA GTX 970 FTW
512GB Samsung SM951, M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
2X SanDisk Ultra II 480GB

Up and running

Not seen many builds posted with a SFX-L PSU

Plenty of room

Overall Impressions
Really happy with the case, fantastic quality and the designed tolerances for components is perfect, great gob Dan! Might have to order one in silver in the future!

Build it's self was pretty quick and simple, the included manual was also excellent, probably took around a hour most of which was planning and attempting cable management. Having a SFX-L PSU is somewhat of a pain as it give's you a lot less room to work with, it does fit much better than the M1 though and i'll probably be ordering some custom length cables which will make the cable management a lot simpler.

Temps
The 6700 idles around the mid 30's with the C7, highest I've had it was 77. GTX 970 idles around 58 without the fans. Some quick stress testing with firestrike got it to a high of 79.

Noise
As most people have figured the C7 is way to noisy due to the low clearance from the sidepanel, without the sidepanel its perfectly acceptable and I'm pretty impress with it as a cooler considering its size. I've already ordered a Noctua L9i.

 

[bAMtan2]

Is this a joke? So you make a hole, put stand-offs and screw a randomly cut glass piece on top?

This has to be the worst side panel idea i have yet to see. By far.

Even more so because the glass? panels dont even resemble the shape of the case.

Jeeez christ. A complete disgrace

this might be the most disgraceful comment I've ever read on a forum

 

[Eggyegg]

Damn that modded cpu cooler is really intriguing. I'm happy i haven't purchased my noctua l9i yet!

 

[Suneks]

Damn that modded cpu cooler is really intriguing. I'm happy i haven't purchased my noctua l9i yet!

Agree!

 

[XstreamHard]

Dondan already tested that cooler with Scythe 120x12mm slim fan, see post #2173, which didn't perform quite well.

Thermalright it is then I guess

 

[FISCHER]

this might be the most disgraceful comment I've ever read on a forum

+1 guy has no class at all

so you don't like it, no need to be rude about it. I see you in all the sff threads spouting off and being rude not constructive and so I ask again; since you seem to know better, whens you sff case coming out?

and dan I like the panels and how the glass angles match the pull tabs at the back.

Don't listen to that guy, hes a douchecanoe. It looks good except for the screws which you might want to go with something a bit more professional otherwise its damn good, no idea wtf he was talking or have up his butt.

Am i the only one who is using the case as an excuse the upgrade the hardware ? I have to swith my Sapphire 390 against an other graphic card because its too big never thought thats a thing

LOL I got a good deal on a GTX 1080 and didn't realize it was little too big for NCase and others but found it will fit in the Dan4, too bad I missed the FEB 1st drop.

Probably gonna have to put it in RVZ02 for while till I can get my hands on this bad boy.

 

[pendragon1]

+1 guy has no class at all

Don't listen to that guy, hes a douchecanoe. It looks good except for the screws which you might want to go with something a bit more professional otherwise its damn good, no idea wtf he was talking or have up his butt.


LOL I got a good deal on a GTX 1080 and didn't realize it was little too big for NCase and others but found it will fit in the Dan4, too bad I missed the FEB 1st drop.

Probably gonna have to put it in RVZ02 for while till I can get my hands on this bad boy.

are you calling me or prava a douchcanoe? ive been banned for spelling douchebag so tread carefully....

 

[Jonas Mellkvist]

So here are some words from me to the topic cooling and noise level:

Some users found out that the distance between FAN and site panel should be 0.5-1cm to not have air turbulences.
These air turbulences make noise. I think there are three options for different types of users that will be the best practice.


1.) Noctua L9i with default A9x14 FAN (default User)

+ easy implementation
+ silent ( very low air turbulences)
+ good temperatures
- no overclocking


2.) Cooltek LP53 with A9x14 FAN (Advanced User)

+ silent ( very low air turbulences)
+ 7°C better temps as L9i
+ small overclocking space
- expansive
- you have to mount the fan with zip ties


3.) Nexus Low 7000 R2 with Noctua A9x14 FAN or Prolimatech Ultra Sleek Vortex 12 (Modder)

(You have to mount the fan under the heatsink and mod the retention kit)

+ 15-20°C better temps as L9i
+ great overclocking space
+ silent ( very low air turbulences)
- expansive (import from US)
- you have to mod it


So if somebody seriously plan to overclock pick solution three.

Some pictures of the Nexus MOD (I will offer a How-to on www.dan-cases.com in some weeks:

Where in US can i buy it ?? Nexus Cooler

Dont find it on Ebay wordwide.

 

[illram]

Not necessarily - There's a "plan B" - C7 feels kind of perfect for putting 140mm slim fan on top of its radiator since it is taller than standard memory. It should be easier to mount such fan on top of radiator rather than hanging it in the air. A4-SFX doesn't have hard drive mount above the motherboard so 140mm slim fan will definitely fit while with Sentry I'll have to figure this out whether it'll be 120 or 140mm.

Question remains if you'll have problem with mounting it on your Skylake/KabyLake cpu - if that happens Cryorig may provide some solution for you, otherwise just return it and take NH-L9i or wait for some LP53 test results either in Sentry or A4-SFX.

Thanks for this. So is the idea they can run at lower RPM, so the turbulence issues won't be as apparent?

I don't think I have ever hemmed and hawed so much about a CPU cooler purchase! The Thermolab takes over a month to get to the US and is super expensive, same with the Nexus. Also unsure about RAM clearance.

 

[Cherry Dude]

...
3.) Nexus Low 7000 R2 with Noctua A9x14 FAN or Prolimatech Ultra Sleek Vortex 12 (Modder)

(You have to mount the fan under the heatsink and mod the retention kit)

+ 15-20°C better temps as L9i
+ great overclocking space
+ silent ( very low air turbulences)
- expansive (import from US)
- you have to mod it


So if somebody seriously plan to overclock pick solution three.

Thermalright it is then I guess

A "buy in Europe-friendly" alternative to the Nexus would be fantastic! Anyone playing aorund with this, please post updates