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

It takes time to properly engineer, prototype, test, manufacture, fund, and distribute a case.

Given the timescale involved in the development of this case my only reaction to "March" is "IT'S HAPPENING!!!!1111one".

Go look at the first post. Look at the date. 2013. Then rethink complaining about it being ready ~6 months from now.
 
It's not surprising this has been a long project. Dondan is a one-man team doing this PC case pretty much himself with of course the input of the awesome HardOCP SFF community. I'm really happy that he has taken the time to address everyone's concerns and suggestions as well as continuously fine-tuning the PC case.

It would be pretty awesome to see eventually maybe Dondan, wahaha, Necere, QinX, and SaperPL be all on the same team to make the ultimate SFF case. :)
 
IIRC The case is ready to go, it's mostly legal stuff holding it up.

Dondan has to deal with the EU's electronics waste regulations and it's complex, so it's taking a while.

Regardless I'm fine waiting, as much as I don't want to! :p
 
The Waiting Game…

I am waiting on ASUS to release the Maximus VIII Impact motherboard…

I am waiting on Cryorig to get the C7 onto shelves here in the US…

I REALLY need a new computer, and I need it before the end of this year, the sooner the better…

I totally plan on assembling the motherboard, CPU, CPU cooler, RAM, SSD, & GPU; and then placing that assembly, along with the PSU, on my anti-static mat & running it from there until I get my DAN Case A4-SFX early next year…

I will also hold off on ordering custom cables from IceModz until I get the A4-SFX & can take accurate measurements…

Good thing the M8I has a power & reset button onboard…!

EDIT:

Also waiting on the Silverstone 700w SFX-L PSU, but will go with the currently shipping 500w SFX-L PSU if they delay the 700w too long…

I can wait on a case & run the rest of it from my anti-static mat/'test bench', but I cannot do that without a PSU…! So I may need to get the 500w first, then buy the 700w later…
 
Last edited:
I'm waiting for the Impact VIII to determine if I'll upgrade to skylake or wait, also for benchmarks on the i3 6320.


Hype!
 
Just watched the ASUS / PCDIY channel live stream, there will be a 'ROG Event' on Friday, Oct. 9th, JJ would not respond to my ? on the location of the M.2 slot on the M8I…
 
Abit paranoid of the A4's airflow... am thinking of slapping small fans (e.g noctua 40mm x2 at the case's bottom to help drawing air intake.....

In additional, I am also consider to double up the mobo's stand offs so that m.2 has more space to breath. But doing so I have to op for shorter CPU cooler - e.g Noctua 9i...
 
Talking about back-mounted M.2 SSDs over in the Maximus VII Impact thread, it was suggested to use either thermal pads or copper shims between the SSD & the motherboard tray to help transfer some of the heat.

Then over on the ASUS/ROG forums, there is some thought that the real issue is the drivers in Windows. A few have used Intel drivers & have not had any thermal issues after. The general thought is that with the 950 Pro that is coming up, Samsung will actually have drivers that will work as well. They do not support the OEM SM951, I would assume the drivers used in the laptops these were originally intended for were from the OEM itself & very machine specific?

Just waiting for more info on the M8I come next Friday with the ROG Event…
 
@dondan
End 2015 on Indiegogo or Kickstarter. For Europe I plan to sell the case through a distributor.
Click to expand...

This might have been asked before, but I didn't find anything:
Q: As an European, would I also have to wait for the kickstarter/indiegogo to end or would I be able to buy your chassis earlier?

Great job man, I'm really impressed by your design! It has all a gamer would want, especially one like me who only used laptops prior to this (due to need of mobility).
 
I'm not certain, but I imagine right angle or those low profile Silverstone cables would be usable.

SATA-SilverStone-CP11-2.jpg

cp11-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Boil said:
Just watched the ASUS / PCDIY channel live stream, there will be a 'ROG Event' on Friday, Oct. 9th, JJ would not respond to my ? on the location of the M.2 slot on the M8I…
Click to expand...

As I recall, the problem isn't only airflow for the M.2 SSD, but that current solution on Impact VII does not allow a heatsink/pad on the SSD due to the metal shroud being too tight?

It will be interesting to see whether Asus does something about this. I am doubtful, however.

Really hope they have good color theme on the board, as well.
 
jameshca said:
judging from the picture, I think this mobo, with side facing Sata slots, is not suitable for A4?

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-LGA1...=1443749373&sr=8-1&keywords=z170+gigabyte+itx
Click to expand...

The top view board pic on Newegg (http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/13-128-846-02.jpg) shows what appears to be two SATA ports near the memory slots and PCH. Yes, I realize that they might still be difficult to access, depending on the CPU cooler.

How many SATA drives are you planning on mounting in this case, anyway jameshca?!
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Mackan said:
Really hope they have good color theme on the board, as well.
Click to expand...

It's a closed case and you're (likely) going to mount a CPU cooler on top of the mobo - you probably won't be able to see it, unless you replace that side panel with something transparent.
 
I didn't even notice the two near the PCH, I expect with the gaming 5 you could definitely get at least two drives working in this case.


Just because you can't see it doesn't mean you don't want it to look good. :)
 
jtd871 said:
The top view board pic on Newegg (http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/13-128-846-02.jpg) shows what appears to be two SATA ports near the memory slots and PCH. Yes, I realize that they might still be difficult to access, depending on the CPU cooler.

How many SATA drives are you planning on mounting in this case, anyway jameshca?!
Click to expand...

Didn't see the 2 sata ports near the memory... :D

I will go for 1ssd and 1 hdd.

Probably I will settle for M.2 pcie ssd (256G) for OS and steamgames, and the hdd for other data - Onedrive, itunes lib, etc.

For mobo, I will go for this:

http://www.msi.com/product/mb/Z170I-GAMING-PRO-AC.html#hero-overview
 
jameshca said:
Didn't see the 2 sata ports near the memory... :D

I will go for 1ssd and 1 hdd.

Probably I will settle for M.2 pcie ssd (256G) for OS and steamgames, and the hdd for other data - Onedrive, itunes lib, etc.

For mobo, I will go for this:

http://www.msi.com/product/mb/Z170I-GAMING-PRO-AC.html#hero-overview
Click to expand...

If you want to use M.2 pcie SSD like the upcoming Samsung 950 pro, you should choose another mobo. Only 4.2cm/ 6cm length M.2 SSD cards can be mounted. Seems like the 950 will be 8cm only like SM951 already is.

Big fail from MSI imo.
 
Currently the 3 mobos on Newegg that support 8cm PCIe3 x4 M.2 on a mITX (according to the filters) are the Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5 (rev 1), the ASRock Z170 Gaming ITX and ASRock X99 ITX. Please add to this list if I missed something.
 
The Gigabyte Z170N Wifi and the Asus Z170I Pro Gaming also support 2280, maybe they aren't on newegg yet.
 
It's possible that the data to enable filtering on M.2 support is missing or incorrect.
 
Mackan said:
As I recall, the problem isn't only airflow for the M.2 SSD, but that current solution on Impact VII does not allow a heatsink/pad on the SSD due to the metal shroud being too tight?

It will be interesting to see whether Asus does something about this. I am doubtful, however.

Really hope they have good color theme on the board, as well.
Click to expand...

Read back some, I talk about what others are finding in relation to the Samsung SM951 series of M.2 SSDs. These are OEM drives, with NO support from Samsung. That also means NO drivers. Most folks have been loading them in with default Windows drivers, which apparently are the actual cause of the overheating issue. Switching to drivers intended for Intel SSDs is supposed to be a stop gap at this time. The hope is that when Samsung finally releases the 950 Pro M.2 SSD, they will also offer support & drivers, since it is not an OEM product, but a consumer product.

As for the Impact boards, they should have the best cooling of any, as the M.2 is mostly exposed on the front of the board, but running perpendicular to the board, not parallel. This would allow air to flow over the card.
 
ta0801 said:
Hopefully this one will fit with C7:

http://nl.hardware.info/productinfo/324506/asus-maximus-viii-impact/fotos
Click to expand...

As long as ASUS has kept to the parameters of the Keep Out Zone for miniITX boards, the C7 should fit just fine. Remember, it has the same footprint as a stock Intel CPU cooler.

The more disturbing thing I see in these pics is the lack of M.2 SSD slot…

I have not seen a pic of the backside of the board yet, but from the front, there is nothing. The spot it was on in the M7I version is now filled by the Ethernet port & some USB ports. It cannot slide in next to the new spot the WiFi is, otherwise it would be encroaching the Keep Out Zone.

I guess I will continue to wait until this Friday for more official info from ASUS. But if the M.2 is GONE, that would explain why JJ never responded to any of my questions on the last PCDIY live chat stream. I DO see a U.s port (ports?) next to the WiFi, but that is not any help, as I would still need to have extra wiring/cabling in the case for the drive; which is what I am trying to avoid…

No Water Pump header either; shame that the M8I is not getting the same upgrades as the larger ROG boards…

asus-maximus-viii-impact.jpg
 
Last edited:
What do you mean by no pump header?

There's a 4pin fan header in the top right of the picture, and another by the USB3.0 header.


If there's no M.2 I'll be skipping skylake, at least for now, and wait for Zen. If Zen runs too hot for me I'll keep waiting.

it's not like my 3570K is slow yet.
 
Curiositie said:
What do you mean by no pump header?

There's a 4pin fan header in the top right of the picture, and another by the USB3.0 header.


If there's no M.2 I'll be skipping skylake, at least for now, and wait for Zen. If Zen runs too hot for me I'll keep waiting.

it's not like my 3570K is slow yet.
Click to expand...

Just what I said, no Water Pump header. The most recent Z170-based ROG boards have all included a dedicated Water Pump header onboard, as well as CPU Fan header & Case Fan header(s). Having the dedicated header would allow for separate profiles on the water pump & the radiator fans…

Other ROG boards still have M.2, but the M8I seems to have gone for a pair of U.2 ports instead. Probably due to space constraints, but still a negative in my book.

I will find another miniITX for an A4-SFX build; but I am also now looking at an ATX build with this new chassis…

Thermaltake Core P5 Open Air Chassis

pic1.jpg


I am strongly looking at the MSI Z170A Gaming 7 ATX motherboard. This has TWO M.2 slots on the front of the board, which BOTH support PCIe 3.0 4x interface, and can be set up in either RAID 0 or RAID 1, and bootable from same. As an added plus, EK is already making a Monoblock cooling solution for the board.

If I decide to stick with a ROG board (excepting the, in my eyes, failed M8I), which I would like to, I am looking at the Maximux VIII Hero. EK does not have a water cooling solution for that yet, but they DO have a 'ComingSoon' label when you run the M8H thru their Cooling Configurator.
 
Last edited:
Boil said:
Just what I said, no Water Pump header. The most recent Z170-based ROG boards have all included a dedicated Water Pump header onboard, as well as CPU Fan header & Case Fan header(s). Having the dedicated header would allow for separate profiles on the water pump & the radiator fans…

Other ROG boards still have M.2, but the M8I seems to have gone for a pair of U.2 ports instead. Probably due to space constraints, but still a negative in my book.

I will find another miniITX for an A4-SFX build; but I am also now looking at an ATX build with this new chassis…

Thermaltake Core P5 Open Air Chassis

pic1.jpg


I am strongly looking at the MSI Z170A Gaming 7 ATX motherboard. This has TWO M.2 slots on the front of the board, which BOTH support PCIe 3.0 4x interface, and can be set up in either RAID 0 or RAID 1, and bootable from same. As an added plus, EK is already making a Monoblock cooling solution for the board.

If I decide to stick with a ROG board (excepting the, in my eyes, failed M8I), which I would like to, I am looking at the Maximux VIII Hero. EK does not have a water cooling solution for that yet, but they DO have a 'ComingSoon' label when you run the M8H thru their Cooling Configurator.
Click to expand...

I understand now.
Though I wonder why not just treat a different header as a pump header, and keep in mind which it is.
I suppose it's a case of the Impact VIII will be expensive and that should be included for how much it'll be.

U.2 vs M.2 is a negative for me too.
 
Curiositie said:
I understand now.
Though I wonder why not just treat a different header as a pump header, and keep in mind which it is.
.
Click to expand...

That's what you do, but it creates the issue of having the case fan and rad fan ganged together and not controllable individually.

The issue boils down to Asus removing one of the headers.
 
Silentbob343 said:
That's what you do, but it creates the issue of having the case fan and rad fan ganged together and not controllable individually.

The issue boils down to Asus removing one of the headers.
Click to expand...

Well, you're not likely going to need more than 1 fan header with this case.
 
There's a EXT_FAN header in the top left corner, presumably for the Asus fan extension card if more headers are needed.
 
jtd871 said:
Well, you're not likely going to need more than 1 fan header with this case.
Click to expand...

Nor will you be using an AIO in the case, I was merely explaining the previous poster's perspective about the lack of a dedicated header being a potential issue for those using AIOs and this motheboard. I ran in to it building an ITX system my brother and most people don't think about lack of headers.
 
Silentbob343 said:
Nor will you be using an AIO in the case, I was merely explaining the previous poster's perspective about the lack of a dedicated header being a potential issue for those using AIOs and this motheboard. I ran in to it building an ITX system my brother and most people don't think about lack of headers.
Click to expand...

molex plugs and splitters solve things very well. in my Ncase M1 build i had 2x AIO's with the fans both split from the CPU fan header, the pumps split off a 3pin header, all my case fans off the only other 3pin header (with molex power supplied through the splitter) and that worked very well for 3 fan header mobo. 2 or less presents challanges.
 
callumbolch said:
molex plugs and splitters solve things very well. in my Ncase M1 build i had 2x AIO's with the fans both split from the CPU fan header, the pumps split off a 3pin header, all my case fans off the only other 3pin header (with molex power supplied through the splitter) and that worked very well for 3 fan header mobo. 2 or less presents challanges.
Click to expand...

This will be my last response on this off-topic topic seeing as the issue will almost never happen with this case as mentioned previously.

I used a splitter in the build for my brother, the fans on the splitter are ganged to one controller. So his pump had it own header and the case fan and rad fan shared a header...or perhaps I put both case case fans on the splitter and gave the rad fan it's own header can't recall at this point. I would prefer they be controlled separately, but alas without investing a bit more money and effort it wasn't going this happen. It isn't a huge issue, but one I can understand trying to avoid especially if a previous board version had the additional header.
 
A small update:

-Next week Lian Li will finalize the work on two new prototypes. One will be for some review sides and the other for a huge European case reseller.

- I made one little change on the new case. The front top screws moved some centimeters more to the middle. The reason is the light bending of the top panel. The bending is the result of NCT pressing manufacturing, because of the huge count of holes. I move the screws to make sure that every panel will flush 100% with the topside of the side panels.

top7bsrs.jpg


- Lian Li and Li Heat developed a completely new riser card that looks like the 3M ones with shielded cables in black. This cable cost only 60% of the 3M ones. I will test it if the cable has the same performance and features like the 3M ones. Then we could achieve a price of $180-210

- The A4-SFX was pictured in the most popular gaming magazine in Germany. “PC Games Hardware 11/2015”. The article is about computer technology nowadays and prior 15 years. The case represents cases today.

- Currently we have more than 1450 people on the subscription list. This is so amazing I never thought that so many people are interested in to buy this case.
 
Last edited:
Really the most important comparison as it pertains to this case is how it does vs the L9I and the LP53/Thermalright combo. The former is, I'm guessing, the standard choice for this case, and the latter represents (IIRC) the best performance.

If it performs well without the inconvenience of the LP53/Thermalright combo it's going to be a solid winner.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top