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

How would this case fare with a passive GPU?
I mean the actual movement of air is not that close to the GPU.
 
sgtspiff said:
How would this case fare with a passive GPU?
I mean the actual movement of air is not that close to the GPU.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt it would work well. As you said, there is not enough airflow around the middle and back of the card.

What cards did you have in mind?
 
Hi Dondan,
is there a reason you didn't flip the graphicscard by 180° with the pcie contacts pointing to the top? That way you wouldn't have to require a blower style graphics card.
Anyway, I like the whole idea with the pcie cable.
 
Nick Papagiorgio said:
Hi Dondan,
is there a reason you didn't flip the graphicscard by 180° with the pcie contacts pointing to the top? That way you wouldn't have to require a blower style graphics card.
Anyway, I like the whole idea with the pcie cable.
Click to expand...

The riser cable would have to be very long, which would increase the cost and the chance of issues in the cable.
 
To be honest due to the small size of the case, negative air pressure would probably be enough to supply enough air for aftermarket gpu coolers.
 
Nick Papagiorgio said:
Hi Dondan,
is there a reason you didn't flip the graphicscard by 180° with the pcie contacts pointing to the top? That way you wouldn't have to require a blower style graphics card.
Anyway, I like the whole idea with the pcie cable.
Click to expand...

My first idea was the Palit 750ti kalmx. But since there's room for larger card maybe the Powercolor R9 270.
 
Yeah but I only run passive GPUs never had one with a fan.

That's why I would like to see the A4 with a version where the case fans are placed so they move air across mobo and GPU.
And also with room for a SFX PSU (mostly to get rid of the brick(but also as the HDplex/dell combo is expensive)).
 
sgtspiff said:
Yeah but I only run passive GPUs never had one with a fan.

That's why I would like to see the A4 with a version where the case fans are placed so they move air across mobo and GPU.
And also with room for a SFX PSU (mostly to get rid of the brick(but also as the HDplex/dell combo is expensive)).
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're looking for a different case :-P
 
sgtspiff said:
Yeah but I only run passive GPUs never had one with a fan.

That's why I would like to see the A4 with a version where the case fans are placed so they move air across mobo and GPU.
And also with room for a SFX PSU (mostly to get rid of the brick(but also as the HDplex/dell combo is expensive)).
Click to expand...

That would become an entirely different case model, C4, or something. :)
 
sgtspiff said:
That's why I would like to see the A4 with a version where the case fans are placed so they move air across mobo and GPU.
And also with room for a SFX PSU (mostly to get rid of the brick(but also as the HDplex/dell combo is expensive)).
Click to expand...

Do you have a case layout in mind? Maybe you should start your own design :)
I've ran some calcs and it can be done at ~6.5 liters.
 
niksus said:
Do you have a case layout in mind? Maybe you should start your own design :)
I've ran some calcs and it can be done at ~6.5 liters.
Click to expand...

I had some other layout ideas as well. With this compact mobo-GPU arrangment, it is possible to make a variant of the case which is 45mm taller, to fit a 1U PSU at the bottom. Size would still not too bad at 6.67 liters. The space freed up from where the Pico/HD Plex power supply would have originally been is opened up for more hard drives.
 
So back to topic.

What do you think of this option to mount a second 2,5" drive:

rendered7szpl1.jpg
 
I like it but I would suggest making it off center to make cabling easier and to not have to worry about the cables resting against the fan blades.
 
Ok thanks for that feedback. By the way yesterday i made a picture of the A4 prototyp next to an LianLi Q07. And for info the Q07 is already very small.

a4vsq07_2xgpzg.jpg


a4vsq07_3qip22.jpg
 
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Second drive location looks good to me, maybe a little higher up as mentioned by updawg.

Happy to see a second drive, and that comparison shot makes the A4 look tiny and the Q07 look huge haha.
 
In the 2D CAD i put the driver higher as you submitted it. Rendered pictures i will show you later.
 
Which USB3 front I/O panel are you using? I cannot find one with a short cable and no audio outputs, to mount in a space the size you have (or smaller, preferably).

Thanks
 
niksus said:
Do you have a case layout in mind? Maybe you should start your own design :)
I've ran some calcs and it can be done at ~6.5 liters.
Click to expand...

Hehe are a consumer not a producer.
My thoughts are exactly like the A4 just wide enough to house 2 fans (one on each side of the mobo/GPU waffle. Also as a SFX wouldn't need airflow in the way the HDPlex does you could place 2x2,5" bays on the side of the SFX.

But still it's soo close to the perfect case so I just might buy it anyway.
 
dondan said:
This is the answer of hdplex:


Computerbase said they will offer a review early october and they ask me if they can test the A4 Lian Li prototyp. This could be very helpful to make a successful crowdfounding campaign :)
Click to expand...

This but with Sweclockers.com would open up the Swedish market fully (sweclockers is almost a monopoly).
 
Yes i already know this cooler same performance like L9i. I add it to the list.
 
Very good news,
today news of videocardz said, that the new Gtx 980 will only have 170w power consumption this will mean that in combination with a 4790k the system will reach by 280W (3d mark+ prime).

My favorite build for my A4 is:

Cpu: i5-4590S or 4790S (TPD 65W)
Ram: 8GB or 16GB DDR3
Motherboard: Asrock H81M-ITX/Wifi
Graphiccard: GTX 970 or GTX 980
Cooler: Cooltek LP53 with Noctua A9x14
SSD: Crucial MX100 256GB 2,5"

I use the S CPU because the power is enough and they are a bit cheaper.
 
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The waiting is the worst part... any updated pics of your Lian-Li prototype?

I am almost considering going with one of the i3 Haswell dual cores... cheaper, lower TDP and for gaming seems like it would do fine.
 
So I've been thinking.
I'm getting closer to buying this case but I'm truly a "don't want to hear my computer at all" kind of guy.

I do expect the Noctua cooler to perform quiet enough so I won't hear it from my chair (the pc would hang under the desk beside my knees). That also I believe would be the same for the two 92mm fans.

The situation is the graphics. As I stated before I never owned a card with fans as all of them has been passive. So thinking of a card with active cooling is hard. I dislike my 120mm fans runnning at 900rpm now as noisy.
As blowerstyle is what probably works much better then other cards I always ends up in the 760 Mini cards (asus and MSI). They would also allow me to mod a SFX to put in behind the card.

Is there a way to get this rig quieter without landing on 90 degrees celsius as soon you power up.

(would use a "T" CPU and m.2 to get less heat and less cables).
 
A4 have now flex-PSU support :) and...

Great news for SFX lovers i will make a drawing of an A4 Version with 6,6L and SFX support. Then i will let the community decide SFX or DC-Powerboard Version.
 
sgtspiff said:
So I've been thinking.
I'm getting closer to buying this case but I'm truly a "don't want to hear my computer at all" kind of guy.

I do expect the Noctua cooler to perform quiet enough so I won't hear it from my chair (the pc would hang under the desk beside my knees). That also I believe would be the same for the two 92mm fans.

The situation is the graphics. As I stated before I never owned a card with fans as all of them has been passive. So thinking of a card with active cooling is hard. I dislike my 120mm fans runnning at 900rpm now as noisy.
As blowerstyle is what probably works much better then other cards I always ends up in the 760 Mini cards (asus and MSI). They would also allow me to mod a SFX to put in behind the card.

Is there a way to get this rig quieter without landing on 90 degrees celsius as soon you power up.

(would use a "T" CPU and m.2 to get less heat and less cables).
Click to expand...

Those sfx psus are pretty loud. You'll have to replace the fan if you want quiet!
 
dondan said:
A4 have now flex-PSU support :) and...

Great news for SFX lovers i will make a drawing of an A4 Version with 6,6L and SFX support. Then i will let the community decide SFX or DC-Powerboard Version.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing the flex PSU will be in the same location as the DC-powerboard?
 
tehshirt said:
I'm guessing the flex PSU will be in the same location as the DC-powerboard?
Click to expand...

Yes this is right, but with the disadvantage that you couldn't use the 2 x 92 mm fans. Because in the top-area is the powercable and in the button-area the wire of the flex psu.

So the normal A4 supports:
- HdPlex 250W
- Picobox X3-Atx-300
- Flex PSUs
- For modders SFX
 
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dondan said:
Yes this is right, but with the disadvantage that you couldn't use the 2 x 92 mm fans. Because in the top-area is the powercable and in the button-area the wire of the flex psu.

So the normal A4 supports:
- HdPlex 250W
- Picobox X3-Atx-300
- Flex PSUs
- For modders SFX
Click to expand...

That makes sense, thanks for the explanation. You could get crazy and add a third design to the idea pool that uses a flex PSU/1U PSU located at the bottom of the case. The case would need to be a bit taller...
 
dondan said:
Great news for SFX lovers i will make a drawing of an A4 Version with 6,6L and SFX support. Then i will let the community decide SFX or DC-Powerboard Version.
Click to expand...
Will this have the gpu flipped?
 
No because, long Risercards are very expensive and because of the position of the pciport of the gpu you have to bend the risercable too much. This wouldnt be got for the cable. But there is enough room between SFX and GPU, that the gpu can get fresh air. In the button of the case is a 92mm fan which push fresh air to the GPU-Fan.

Today evening i will show you the first pictures.
 
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That's some interesting news. Looking forward for you new designs :)

Is it possible to flip the GPU with no so expensive risers, if the GPU is low profile? A DC board can be fit over the GPU (behind MB), even HDPlex 250W. Smallest possible case :)
 
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Yes the cable could be 40mm shorter. But the A4 is a fullsize Gpu Case and actualy i dont think about creating other cases.
 
Couldn't the pci case bracket be made symmetrically? This would allow gpu flipping for those who want or need it, without making two different versions of the case just for that option.
 
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