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

Killaruna that's a good point, the non k chips probably don't auto overclock like that. It's good to have the configurable tdp then, 4.3 is a really high all core speed. I've had a look at the specs and the base frequency is 3.2 so I'd say that's what the 65 watt tdp is based on.
 
Thanks guys anyway I might just go with Ryzen dunno how to delid since i'm still a newb and nkt that much of an enthusiast to do such configurations.
 
Killaruna Thanks for reporting on 8700 temperatures. If you look at the specs, the 8700 has almost the same stock frequencies as the 8700K, yet it's rated at 65W TDP. It seemed like BS to me and your testing proves it as if it was anything close to 65W, the L9i would have no problem handling it. The 8700K itself consumes a lot more than 95W at stock, which makes sense as the stock all-core turbo clocks are only 100MHz lower than the 7700K, yet you have 2 extra cores. I don't know how Intel can lie so blatantly about their TDPs. 110W in your testing of the 8700 is nearly double what they're rating it for.

That being said, I think you should have gotten the 8700K. With an unlocked CPU, you can always undervolt/underclock it to be exactly the same as the 8700, and you have the flexibility to put it in another system and OC it there, plus it has better resale value. You could have underclocked it to 4GHz to alleviate the thermal issue and made it consume less than the 8700. You're getting an aftermarket cooler anyway and the two CPUs cost roughly the same, so there's no reason to choose the 8700. If you can still return it and get the 8700K, I'd do that.
 
QuantumBraced said:
Killaruna Thanks for reporting on 8700 temperatures. If you look at the specs, the 8700 has almost the same stock frequencies as the 8700K, yet it's rated at 65W TDP. It seemed like BS to me and your testing proves it as if it was anything close to 65W, the L9i would have no problem handling it. The 8700K itself consumes a lot more than 95W at stock, which makes sense as the stock all-core turbo clocks are only 100MHz lower than the 7700K, yet you have 2 extra cores. I don't know how Intel can lie so blatantly about their TDPs. 110W in your testing of the 8700 is nearly double what they're rating it for.

That being said, I think you should have gotten the 8700K. With an unlocked CPU, you can always undervolt/underclock it to be exactly the same as the 8700, and you have the flexibility to put it in another system and OC it there, plus it has better resale value. You could have underclocked it to 4GHz to alleviate the thermal issue and made it consume less than the 8700. You're getting an aftermarket cooler anyway and the two CPUs cost roughly the same, so there's no reason to choose the 8700. If you can still return it and get the 8700K, I'd do that.
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I mentioned above I think they calculate it based on the base all core frequency which is only 3.2ghz. with the configurable tdp option you can reduce it to a boost speed that your cooler can handle, seems like a great feature. That said with the k chip you can fine tune your voltage more so maybe you could get a higher boost speed than the configurable tdp option.
 
dondan said:
@Synomenon: I have no ETA for the USB 3.1 gen2 Type-C cable. I will wait til we see more boards with the internal header.
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So some of the new Z370 boards have the header for this as well. The further in the future we go, the more boards there will be that have the header for this...
 
On the cooler side of things, i made a custom fan duct for my motherboard.
With the cardboard prototype temps were 2°C lower on idle and 5°C on full load.

qEdHi0I.png


I will mount the 3D printed version today (just arrived 30m ago) and i will let you guys know how much the temps dropped.
 
richiegore said:
I mentioned above I think they calculate it based on the base all core frequency which is only 3.2ghz. with the configurable tdp option you can reduce it to a boost speed that your cooler can handle, seems like a great feature. That said with the k chip you can fine tune your voltage more so maybe you could get a higher boost speed than the configurable tdp option.
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Oh I see. Thanks for educating us, I wasn't aware of any of this... I think that's cheating haha, I mean they could lower the base frequency to 2GHz and say it's a 15W chip, in reality the stock config is with turbo boost enabled and how any normal person would use it. But I get it.

And agreed, with the unlocked CPU you can fine tune your frequency and voltage to what your cooler can handle, I think it's always worth it especially if you're getting an aftermarket cooler anyway. But I didn't know you had control over the boost clock with the locked chip.
 
Woxys said:
On the cooler side of things, i made a custom fan duct for my motherboard.
With the cardboard prototype temps were 2°C lower on idle and 5°C on full load.

I will mount the 3D printed version today (just arrived 30m ago) and i will let you guys know how much the temps dropped.
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Dangit, i just installed a custom 3d printed duct as well. Beat me to it ! :D Getting similar results to the Tape Mod i made a couple of pages back. Basically same principle anyway.

Neat one you have there.
 
QuantumBraced said:
Oh I see. Thanks for educating us, I wasn't aware of any of this... I think that's cheating haha, I mean they could lower the base frequency to 2GHz and say it's a 15W chip, in reality the stock config is with turbo boost enabled and how any normal person would use it. But I get it.

And agreed, with the unlocked CPU you can fine tune your frequency and voltage to what your cooler can handle, I think it's always worth it especially if you're getting an aftermarket cooler anyway. But I didn't know you had control over the boost clock with the locked chip.
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Yeah, the 65W TDP rating doesn't make much sense, as I have never seen the CPU operate at its base frequence of 3.2 GHz anyway: when there is no load, it directly goes into 800 MHz power-saving mode on all cores, and as soon as you have a load the frequency is pushed up to handle it until it reaches either the max boost frequency or the max temperature or the max TDP (as configured).
However, I am not sure if a k-type CPU would give you more fine-tuning options for usage in the DAN A4 or comparable cases: I can undervolt an 8700 just the same, and after discovering the max TDP option, I don't think it makes any sense to clock your CPU lower than the max. Why? Because once you reach the TDP limit (that you configured as manageable for your cooler), the CPU clocks down anyway, but just as much as necessary. From the review on Tom's Hardware, the 8700 used always slightly less power than the 8700k under the same load (apparently due to a different configuration of the loadlines). Under a fixed TDP limit, less power consumption means that the CPU can clock higher, so a non-k version might actually be able to run faster than a k version if you set both to the same TDP limit.
 
Killaruna said:
Hi all,

I have finally built a new PC in my DAN case and managed to get it running smoothly :)
Hardware is the following:
  • i7 8700 (non-k) Coffee Lake 6-core CPU
  • Noctua NH-L9i cooler
  • ASUS ROG STRIX 370i motherboard
  • 2x16GB G.Skill Ripjaws V 3200MHz CL14 DDR4 RAM
  • Samsung 960 evo M2 500GB SSD
  • Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD
  • Corsair SF450 PSU
I will chose a graphics card later on (still waiting how the 1070 TI will turn out). Anyway, as it seems I'm the first to report a Coffee Lake CPU in the DAN case, I thought people might be interested in how it's working. Some comments:
  • I opted for the non-k version because I had read the 6-cores are running hot, so I figured overclocking wouldn't be an option anyway
  • There is only one review of the 8700 non-k CPU on the web (by Tom's Hardware), and they were baffled that it reaches mostly the same performance as the 8700k (and sometimes better!), and they had no explanation for that and were a bit skeptical about their results
  • I can confirm that the 8700 is running very hot, a HandBrake encoding task would get it to 100C (and throttling) in less than 3mins - and yes, I checked that my cooler is mounted correctly and I am using a duct as proposed here in the thread
  • I can also confirm the benchmarking results from Tom's Hardware: I am getting the same numbers for the SPECwpc tests
  • The reason why it's running hot (and why it's as fast as the 8700k) is that by default, the power management is set to a kind of "no limits" mode: in HandBrake encoding tasks and under Prime95 (the older version), the 8700 (TDP 65W) is fed with >1.4V and consumes more than 120W of package power!
  • I tried undervolting by -150mV, but power consumption was still >110W, and of course the L9i is not designed to cope with that kind of heat, so no real improvement
  • I have found out that a setting in the BIOS allows to manually specify the power limit: I set the long term limit to 95W now and - heureka! - the worst temperatures I get now in stress tests are in the lower 90, in encoding tasks in the higher 80 - perfect!
  • Setting the power limit to 95W does have pretty much no impact on performance, as just a small number of super-high parallelized stress tests and tasks cause the limit to kick in and throttle, while in all normal tasks it has virtually the same performance as a 8700k
  • I don't want to delid my CPU, but even if you do, I am not sure you could have any notable overclocking success (with the 8700k of course), because the power consumption is really extreme if you just use a mini ITX sized cooler
So overall, I'm very happy now with my set-up, and of course the DAN case is gorgeous :) Cheers!
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As luck would have it, I just built an almost identical system.

- i7 8700 (non-k) Coffee Lake 6-Core CPU
- Noctua NH-L9i Cooler
- Asus ROG Strix 370i mainboard.
- 2x16GB Corsair DDR4 3200
- Samsung 960 EVO M2 500GB SSD
- Seagate Firecuda 2TB HDD
- Corsair SF600 PSU
- MSI GeForce 1070 Aero-ITX 8GB


First, the case was pleasure to build in.

I opted for the non-k version due to the heat and I wasn't planning to overclock. Plus it was available now, and about $80 cheaper than the K when I needed to buy it. I can also confirm, it is running very hot. At stock speeds, it will hit 100C within a minute of a stress test and begin to throttle hard.

I took a different approach to the situation though. I underclocked the 3 through 6 core max turbo to 4GHZ. I'm still seeing an occaisional throttle, but nothing severe, and temps stay in the 80s. I'm also going to try installing a thicker fan. I'll report back any changes with that.
 
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QuantumBraced said:
At stock you should be fine, though it may get noisy at load. If you get a good chip, with proper undervolting you may get away with 4.2GHz on all cores. (you should undervolt either way).
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So thats for sure? I will need to undervolt my 7900X? I'm waiting for the Asetek 545 AIO and the X299e-itx to arrive any day soon. Case already modded..

What about the "better alignment of Front USB-port"? Will we be able to keep it while using the Asetek 545 or not?


Also interested to see Pictures of that topmounted fan?

Shaav said:
I will do that.
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Just an update on the temps for the 8700 on the L9i. I swapped the fan from the stock one to a Noctua NF-B9 Redux -1600 PWM. The temps ended up being almost the same. However, the noise has been cut down substantially.
 
Hello everyone. I've been following this forum since about a month or two before the Kickstarter of the A4-SFX v2, and boy was I glad I didn't miss the opportunity to back it. I'm estatic and counting the weeks till I get it. I've got a gnarly Zen+ build planned out (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Yfb9VY), but I have questions:

1. Is it 100% necessary to get rid of the front USB to use the AIO? Is there no workaround or easy mod without cutting the case to use it still?

2. I know the EVGA GTX 1080ti FTW3 is a very tight squeeze, as is the AIO, but would they work fine together? I feel like they would be extremely close
 
Revenant_Knight said:
Just an update on the temps for the 8700 on the L9i. I swapped the fan from the stock one to a Noctua NF-B9 Redux -1600 PWM. The temps ended up being almost the same. However, the noise has been cut down substantially.
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I did the same and didn't see any difference. Do you use a fan duct?
 
If anyone saw my post a few days ago regarding Overclockers swapping me to the V1 if they still had any left in stock or if any were returned, just received the unit! So looks like I'll be busy tonight porting my current system over. Going to upgrade my 7500 + Noctua N9i to 7700k delid + LP53 over the next week or so.
 
I'm going to order custom length cables for the SF600. I see the recommended lengths are - ATX 150mm, EPS 300mm and PCIe 350mm, but what about SATA power? Specifically for a two drive combo below the PSU?
 
I guess I have to be more precise. Did you use the fan duct with the NF-A9x14? I noticed an improve in cooling performance over the NF-B9 while being equaly loud.
 
For the DAN A4SFX owners that was able to fit a 1080ti FTW3 in this case, did you have to make any mods or get it to fit? (eg. low profile/right angle PCI power cables)
 
J_bravo14 said:
For the DAN A4SFX owners that was able to fit a 1080ti FTW3 in this case, did you have to make any mods or get it to fit? (eg. low profile/right angle PCI power cables)
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No just unscrew the riser cable so it fits in a lot easier then screw it back in.
 
Shaav said:
I guess I have to be more precise. Did you use the fan duct with the NF-A9x14? I noticed an improve in cooling performance over the NF-B9 while being equaly loud.
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No. I actually open benched that. Can't imagine a fan duct being better than open cold air.
 
This question was probably already raised previously, but I can't go through 315 pages of replies.. so

Would you guys recommend Blower type fan or Open air type fan for A4-SFX?

Oh, I'm talking about GTX1080 by the way.
 
Playing Destiny 2 at 165 fps for hours, my 8700k delidded is hitting max 84C no overclock with the cooljag modded cooler. Noctua 10mm fan blowing inside out. No side panel. Happy with it! With side panel on the game played fine but I wasn't measuring (brought pc into work, it played just fine no overheating)
 
jtcera said:
Playing Destiny 2 at 165 fps for hours, my 8700k delidded is hitting max 84C no overclock with the cooljag modded cooler. Noctua 10mm fan blowing inside out. No side panel. Happy with it! With side panel on the game played fine but I wasn't measuring (brought pc into work, it played just fine no overheating)
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Would you say the 1080ti FTW3 has enough space underneath to fit the Asetek 545lc and a thin fan like the NF A9x14?
 
jtcera said:
Playing Destiny 2 at 165 fps for hours, my 8700k delidded is hitting max 84C no overclock with the cooljag modded cooler. Noctua 10mm fan blowing inside out. No side panel. Happy with it! With side panel on the game played fine but I wasn't measuring (brought pc into work, it played just fine no overheating)
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what is the fan underneath the Cooljag, is it pushing air outside or pulling air inside ?
 
can someone do me a huge favor and measure the edge of the mobo to front inner panel?

VnnErUR.jpg
 
Don't have a case here atm, but the top shows the mounting frame for the SFX power supply - which has a width of 125mm.
 
dondan I just pre-ordered my dan case on OCUK (so excited!!!) and I was wandering, will you also be offering the windowed side panel kit on there as well at some point? Will it be available to preorder? If not through OCUK, is there anyway to get a window kit if you did not partake in the kickstarter? (Sorry if you're seeing this post for the second time, I wasn't sure which forum you frequented more often!!)
 
bennyGrose said:
dondan I just pre-ordered my dan case on OCUK (so excited!!!) and I was wandering, will you also be offering the windowed side panel kit on there as well at some point? Will it be available to preorder? If not through OCUK, is there anyway to get a window kit if you did not partake in the kickstarter? (Sorry if you're seeing this post for the second time, I wasn't sure which forum you frequented more often!!)
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I will sell my Silver with window kit when arrive. If you want it....
 
Does anyone knows where can i buy the Asetek 545LC cooler here in Europe? (i live in Spain)

(Can't find it anywhere besides the Asetek.com website and they ship it from USA making it highly expensive)
 
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