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

Off-Topic, but how can you access the arrow keys and functions like Ctrl+Alt+Del on pok3r?
I might get one because it has the same size the A4 has...
 
From what i know, you can install m.2 normally because the riser is behind the gpu rather than behind the mobo. Also, it's just like 1mm thick...
 
superblockio said:
-wordswordswords-
The main thing I don't like about those 60% keyboards is they don't appear to have a dedicated function row. I play Planetside 2 where the function keys are used to switch seats in a vehicle, and the number rows switch weapons, and I need quick access to both... then again I usually don't have to switch weapons when I'm in a vehicle so maybe I could re-map number keys to seats, and get by with the mouse wheel for the semi-rare cases where I need to switch weapons in a vehicle. The only other issue is... can you adjust volume with that keyboard? I guess I could use my headset's in-line volume rocker, it's kind of a hassle is all.
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I'm looking forward to the A4-SFX for that reason.
A little bit because I'm a size queen when it comes to computers though.

I used to have a TK, loved it! Too big for air travel though, so it had to go. (And I wanted clears)

FN + 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,-,= is F1 - F12, Volume controls were added with the new firmware you can download here.
FN + S/D/F for Down/Up/Mute

To make getting to the F keys easier you can flip dipswitch 3 to change Capslock into another FN key.

I don't miss my TK too bad, just occasionally wish I had a numpad for stuff like sketchup.

Aircoookie said:
Off-Topic, but how can you access the arrow keys and functions like Ctrl+Alt+Del on pok3r?
I might get one because it has the same size the A4 has...
Click to expand...

Arrow keys are FN + I/J/K/L
Ctrl+Alt+Del is Ctrl+Alt+FN+Backspace (Delete)
 
Curiositie said:
It definitely won't take up too much space on a desk for LAN.

I took my Ncase to Quakecon, and while the space you get to use is roughly 29" x 36" was far from cramped, I had no issues fitting everything in. From what I saw most people midtowers into that space anyway.

Keep in mind that the A4 is about a cm wider than my keyboard, and not much deeper.
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Well that's just one example. I went to a private LAN this saturday and I had issues comfortably fitting everything on the desk, and I'm using a Q12.
To be fair, I also brought my 24" screen, but I wouldn't've been able to fit the A4 comfortably.
Maybe a niche (HA!) use having a space that small, but it might be worth considering.
 
Aircoookie said:
From what i know, you can install m.2 normally because the riser is behind the gpu rather than behind the mobo. Also, it's just like 1mm thick...
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Behind the GPU? I doubt that:

4pusfx.jpg
 
Oh, you're right on that one. still, the riser should not be thicker than 1mm and standard for motherboard standoff is 7mm, so you should still have 6mm for the m.2
 
Aircoookie said:
Oh, you're right on that one. still, the riser should not be thicker than 1mm and standard for motherboard standoff is 7mm, so you should still have 6mm for the m.2
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It is your choice you can route it behind the MB ord behind the plastic shield.

Behind the MB you will have 5mm thickness for m.2 or 7mm if you route the cable on the gpu side. Both solution work with it. I test it with m.2 and msata.
 
Cryorg C7 is only $29.99 in the States! Though makes me wonder if this is aimed more at the Noctua Nh-L9i. I can't wait for the C7 cpu temp results!
 
Oh sweet

I didn't read the tomshardware article all the way through the first time I saw it.

Glad to see it's going to be $30, now we just wait for stock to show up.
 
cowsgomoo said:
There's always the 75% keyboards. I'm using a KBT Race 2.
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Hmm that's a good point. But I'm super infatuated by the 60% form factor now, it's way too sexy. Took a peek at some of the other 60%'s like the Ducky Mini... oh boy. Not sure I can spring for anything bigger now.

Curiositie said:
(keyboard shortcuts)
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Ooh neat, that's good that it has volume controls, I already have to hold the Fn key to adjust volume on my blackwidow that I use at home so that wouldn't be any worse. (Granted I could program it to be single key if I was less lazy.)

The main time I need to use function keys quickly is in Planetside, and I should be able to remap those reasonably well. I guess my main other concern is that certain keyboard shortcuts might become cumbersome or even impossible when I'm programming. But again, I can just customize those so there's no real issue, and call me crazy but I'm inclined to say it's worth it just for the form factor. :p

Madpacket said:
Nice case dondan! Other than the Osmi I think you've got the best design here for the size.
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Agreed. I really love the look of the Osmi, even a little better than the A4. But it can't fit a full-length GPU. The A4 is amazing because not only does it support full-length GPUs, but it's even smaller than Osmi. The only other case I'm really interested in is the Sentry. But I prefer the mini-tower form factor of the A4 to the steam-machine-style. The A4 has plenty of GPU ventilation out the side and top which is great for open-air coolers. You can stand the Sentry vertically too, but then it's really tall and I'd be living in constant fear of tipping it over. :p
 
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Here's a YouTube installation video of the Cryorig C7 for the Intel motherboards. :) Dondan, maybe it would be nice to include installation video link on the front page of this thread?
 
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rawrr said:
Those bezels though... would have been nicer if they had trimmed them down a little.
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Agreed. After researching a bit, I'm pretty sure I want a pok3r simply for the programmability. I wish it had backlights, and there is a backlit model coming, but I kind of feel like not waiting because who cares.

Anyway, sorry to get so off-topic. I will just ask Curiositie one more thing. How do you like the clears, how do they feel? :D
 
superblockio said:
Agreed. After researching a bit, I'm pretty sure I want a pok3r simply for the programmability. I wish it had backlights, and there is a backlit model coming, but I kind of feel like not waiting because who cares.

Anyway, sorry to get so off-topic. I will just ask Curiositie one more thing. How do you like the clears, how do they feel? :D
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If you want programmability, you can also get the HHKB Pro 2 and add Hasu's controller to it (that's what I did). Once you try Topre, you never go backre... except when you try buckling springs ;)

They've already updated the Pok3r firmware to allow for backlights, so if you can't wait for the backlit version, just get the regular version right now and then add the LEDs yourself.
 
Will be pulling together parts for this build soon!

REALLY want to do a M.2 SSD for my only drive, but a few issues there…

Preferred is going to be the Samsung SM951, 512GB model. I have read reports (Tom's Hardware, I believe) that covers the throttling issues these particular SSDs have when they get hot, so it would seem any boards that have the M.2 on the back might be out of the picture. If I am paying 400 bucks for a 512GB SSD, I want every bit of that performance!

All the Skylake boards I have seen so far have the M.2 on the back, excepting the EVGA Stinger board, but that has it jutting up from the board like an 80mm skyscraper. And that is actually a mSATA slot, not a M.2, unless EVGA screwed up their specs…

Time will tell what future Skylake boards will offer, but for right now I am REALLY looking at the ASRock X99 board. But I WON'T be using the SSD as a fan tie-down like some people have…! ;^p

Plus, the idea of stuffing a 6-core i7, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB SSD that is about 4 or 5 times faster than SATA III & a blower-style GFX980 Ti into such a small form factor is exciting!

Only thing better would be the Octo-core model & a SC Titan X, but that would bump the cost of the build up another grand or so…

Dondan, if you get Cryorig to make you a mounting bracket for the (forthcoming) C7 that works with the 2011-v3 narrow socket; please, Please, PLEASE ask them to make a batch for you to sell on your website for others wanting to go the X99 route…?!?

A side thought, the MSI Nightblade M1… That radial blower they got on the CPU… Seems like that would be something that could be integrated into the A4-SFX. Pull cold air in from the bottom/side, blow it all out the top. Might be an add-on item to also sell on the website.

THANK YOU for all the hard work you are putting into this project, I will be honored to have one of these cases in the near future! But until then, I will collect my parts, maybe even assemble them in this cardboard mock-up…!
 
SFF keyboard is a real trend. 60% boards like the Poker 3 or GH60/KC60 are a good starting point, and sooner or later you'll be itching to build your own from scratch or from a kit.
 
iFreilicht said:
Eff you guys, I just spent 1 hour researching <TKL keyboards and now want one or two or all of them.
Click to expand...
The infection is spreading! I just purchased a Cherry MX key tester to help me decide which poker 3 to get.

Also @ the HHKB Pro 2, those switches sound cool but I'm not ready to spend that much on a keyboard, especially since I don't know of an easy way to try out the topre switches beforehand, and I'd have to do some DIY for the programming... Which does hold a certain appeal but meh.
 
vipz said:
OS X supports swapping Alt and Win natively.

GH has a list of Mac-friendly mechs: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=63028.0

There's also the Matias 60% keyboard but I'm not sure when it'll be available.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I have actually looked at some of those (the Matias' offerings only come in white for Mac, black for PC), but I want the actual keys to be correct as well as the mapping…

Will look thru the link you sent though, gotta be some vendor that offers the proper replacement key caps to 'convert' to Mac.
 
These two items look very interesting for CPU cooling in the A4-SFX.

bd-h5sf.jpg


The Corsair water cooling AIO unit looks like it will be available as a standalone product. To quote from the Corsair website, "We’ve developed a small form factor liquid CPU cooler designed specifically for Bulldog but that can also fit our Carbide Series Air 240 and Obsidian Series 250D cases. It utilizes a small radiator and a blower fan to pull ambient air from inside the chassis and cool the CPU. Under the Hydro Series H5SF, a mainstream K-series Intel CPU can be overclocked while still maintaining both low thermals and low noise."

Now, imagine two of the above, one on the CPU & the other on a miniITX-sized GPU…! A full dual loop water-cooled system in such a low volume case!

internallayout_pc01.png


Not sure if the MSI unit might become an available item; I can see that some serious work would need to be done to reposition the unit to blow up rather than out…
 
Dang&#8230;! Well, looked it over a bunch more, Corsair unit will not fit. Even if the blower fan was replaced with something smaller, the unit would be too thick.

That is good though, as I was drawn to this case because it would force me to air cool, thereby reducing overall system costs.

Cost-wise, I am (now) leaning towards an i5 4690S CPU (nineteen less watts to worry about dispersing the heat from) on a Gigabyte H97 board, 16GB of Crucial RAM, a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD (mounted in the front panel slot) and an EVGA GFX 970.

Trying to decide on the reference model or the ACX model, leaning towards the reference because of the blower; but wondering if the ACX model might give a better positive pressure to the case and help evacuate air out the top. Would worry about the air eventually just recirculating back thru the ACX unit&#8230;

For the CPU cooling duties, looking at the (forthcoming) Cryorig C7. Will want to see reviews on that first though, numbers on how it performs in the A4-SFX. If they are not better than the Cooltek LP53, then I would go with the Cooltek LP53 head sink/Thermalright TY-100 fan combo. Or maybe just cheese out and go with the Silverstone Argon AR05, just to avoid having to find a source for the Cooltek unit. I know I could order the TY-100 from England, but I have not really looked for the Cooltek unit yet, aside from looking at their website (which only listed European distributors).

Any thoughts on mounting a 140mm fan over the MB area, to serve as both a fan for the CPU cooler AND a general case fan?
 
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What type of aluminium would be DAN4 made of? Will it be not heavy? Is there possibility to make it with sturdy plastic, for the sake of lightness and portability?
 
Plastic is cheap and unneccesary, since the A4 weights only 1.2kg. I don't know the type of aluminium, however it's high quality from Lian Li.
 
Boil said:
These two items look very interesting for CPU cooling in the A4-SFX.

http://www.corsair.com/~/media/Cors...s-Bulldog-A-Preview-Guide-and-FAQ/bd-h5sf.jpg

The Corsair water cooling AIO unit looks like it will be available as a standalone product. To quote from the Corsair website, "We&#8217;ve developed a small form factor liquid CPU cooler designed specifically for Bulldog but that can also fit our Carbide Series Air 240 and Obsidian Series 250D cases. It utilizes a small radiator and a blower fan to pull ambient air from inside the chassis and cool the CPU. Under the Hydro Series H5SF, a mainstream K-series Intel CPU can be overclocked while still maintaining both low thermals and low noise."

Now, imagine two of the above, one on the CPU & the other on a miniITX-sized GPU&#8230;! A full dual loop water-cooled system in such a low volume case!

http://www.msi.com/pic/image/feature/desktop/Nightblade/internallayout_pc01.png

Not sure if the MSI unit might become an available item; I can see that some serious work would need to be done to reposition the unit to blow up rather than out&#8230;
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Even if it would fit, you'd get absolutely zero performance benefit from using it. As the case is extremely small already and you get your fresh air directly from outside the case, using an AIO like this practically has no performance gain whatsoever, it just weighs more, costs more and is more likely to fail.

Vexel said:
What type of aluminium would be DAN4 made of? Will it be not heavy? Is there possibility to make it with sturdy plastic, for the sake of lightness and portability?
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Aluminium is way lighter than steel and the PSU alone will weigh more than the case, at least in the case of the silverstone units.
Using plastic instead would mean a complete redesign of the case as manufacturing would be vastly different for practically no benefits whatsoever. Dan would have to search for a new manufacturer as well, so we'd start at zero at that point.
IIRC, the Parvum cases, which is the only manufacturer doing full plastic cases, are way heavier than most other cases of their size because they have to use multiple layers of plastic of higher thickness to achieve high sturdiness.

I think PC cases made from plastic entirely don't comply with the IECs EMI emission regulations, because they have no shielding properties whatsoever, so selling a case like this in Europe from Germany could be rather hard.
 
That C7 backplate looks like a big. Any information if that block or not m.2 connector in MB back?
 
It should be no bigger than the CPU keepout zone (92mm). Moreover you are able to turn it 90° if something does not fit. Since all those ITX boards out there seem to have a decent distance between CPU and m.2 slot, there should be no worries.
 
Boil said:
But is there anyone that makes a Mac 60% keyboard…?
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Matias Makes one
http://matias.ca/60/pc/

I personally use the HHKP2 with OS X drivers. The play/pause key works sometimes, but the volumes keys work just fine. I bought mine from:
http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=pfu_keyboards,hhkbpro2

Plus if you don't mind relying on 3rd party software for key remapping you can use Karabiner to remap any key on a windows board to whatever you like, media keys included.
https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/

It's a bit tough to configure since there are thousands of options. But it works reliably and well. The developer is continually working on it and publishing updates as well.
 
superblockio said:
Also @ the HHKB Pro 2, those switches sound cool but I'm not ready to spend that much on a keyboard, especially since I don't know of an easy way to try out the topre switches beforehand, and I'd have to do some DIY for the programming... Which does hold a certain appeal but meh.
Click to expand...

Topre switches are great. I've got a Topre Realforce 86U and a HHKP2. They are I used to have a mech board with cherry blacks but found it too stiff. The action between Topre and Cherry switches is very different. There is much more of a pop sensation when typing on Topre. They are very similar to the feel of a brand new regular rubber dome keyboard. However as they age they get a better feel to them, my Realforce is as smooth as butter. Also the capacitive switches mean I never miss a keystroke like the regular boards do with the contact switches under the domes.

Checkout the http://geekhack.org/ forums to learn everything you'd need to know about keyboards ;)
 
dondan said:
The first review of the case is online on Computerbase.de
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Hey dondan. Can you explain why and how did they run tests on 5V when they reached 100 degrees?

I'm kind of baffled why isn't it mentioned in the test summary if they test stuff like this and its included in the top of summary, but the result isn't (both temps and noise on 5V/12V)
 
This is an old test relict of them for testing the noisequality of the casefans that are shiped with the case. Every fan in the case whould setup with speedfan to 5v or 12v and then they test the temperatures.

It should be clear that it isn't possible to run a 5820k in my case with the fan voltage to 5V XD.

rawrr said:
I'd replace "his" with "its" on the website
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Thanks rawrr :)
I change it on the side.
 
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