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

This! This is similar to what i have been talking about this entire time, i was just too lazy to take a pic of my own setup :p
I'm lazy too - as evidence by the dust ...but that side panel is a hinged door, so easy picture

FWIW, probably makes sense to stick the foam to the inside of the dan side panel, so just part of the foam hits the frame of a fan / GPU shroud, and the rest of the foam rolls over the edge of the fan frame / GPU shroud
 
...We are talking going from 90s to 78 in realbench on the CPU (now able to OC to 3.5 1.2volts) and going from 86 to 77 on the GPU (now able to OC to over 1900mhz 120% power target)

This seems like a major design flaw, seeing as how a simple mod like this can give these kinds of results.

Please, try this yourself and see what kind of temp you can get with fresh air and post them back here. Be sure to use a fan duct. Even if it is only a janky one made with tape around the fan. Else you will be pulling hot air anyway...

Aww man, I get more or less the exact same temperatures. Perhaps I should play a bit more around with different aproaches.
 
Pr0Pain to me those temps seem high when compared to this guys overclocking results, what are your temps when running stock? Maybe you need a more aggressive fan ramp or maybe you could try re-seating the cooler. There is hardly that much difference between a C7 and an L9a... o_O
 
And? You dont know anything about his test setup. Was it open bench? Did he have a fan blowing to the cooler? Different CPU voltages etc etc etc.

You just cant compare different results from different test setups
 
Yes
And? You dont know anything about his test setup. Was it open bench? Did he have a fan blowing to the cooler? Different CPU voltages etc etc etc.

You just cant compare different results from different test setups

I know I don't know that much that's why I've asked him a few details, I'm just making a suggestion. It's just when he said it was "shooting instantly to 90degrees" I though that sounded odd, perhaps it was a slight exaggeration is all. I have heard a lot of people saying they had issues with mounting the C7 though, especially people reporting bad temps when not using the backplate...

Btw this is the link I was trying to find, 1700 @ 3.625 in an S4 mini closed case hitting 81 degrees. The S4 is a different case of course and each chip is different etc. etc.
 
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I am running Asrock X370 Fata1ty Gaming itx/ac with 3.5ghz on all cores at 1.2v. Planning on going higher, if i get a better duct. Maybe that bitspower one.

So basically what you did was duct the cpu cooler and the gpu cooler to the side panels, right? Or did you create additional compartments? I was sort of confused by your initial diagrams, I'm a little slow on the uptake sorry.

Did you ever try taking your I/O panel off?
 
Yes


I know I don't know that much that's why I've asked him a few details, I'm just making a suggestion. It's just when he said it was "shooting instantly to 90degrees" I though that sounded odd, perhaps it was a slight exaggeration is all. I have heard a lot of people saying they had issues with mounting the C7 though, especially people reporting bad temps when not using the backplate...

Btw this is the link I was trying to find, 1700 @ 3.625 in an S4 mini closed case hitting 81 degrees. The S4 is a different case of course and each chip is different etc. etc.

Well, "instantly" was clearly an overstatement on my part. I apologize. It kept going up until 90 and did not show any signs of stopping, so i stopped the stress test, before the board shut down because of temp limits.

But the guy you linked before is testing on an open air bench on his table, not in a hot cramped box :p

So basically what you did was duct the cpu cooler and the gpu cooler to the side panels, right? Or did you create additional compartments? I was sort of confused by your initial diagrams, I'm a little slow on the uptake sorry.

Did you ever try taking your I/O panel off?

Okay, so i think it is about time that i clarified what i actually did to make my "duct"

Also, yes. I am not using an IO plate.

Please see these pictures to get an understanding for how i did it. I took thick foam tape and taped AROUND the fans, not ON TOP of the fans, like some people do.

fGjGiIA.jpg

4IDWYa8.jpg

The CPU side has my custom acrylic plate for when i have it on the wall, to give the same effect that my sidepanel tape-mod does. Preventing hot air from being sucked in by the fan again and forcing it to exhaust from the top of the case instead. Coupled with the foam tape, the "duct" prevents it from drawing air from within the case as well.

FU5ajmT.jpg


yI18wrJ.jpg

The GPU side is 3xNF-A9x14 fans modded on a Gigabyte 1080ti and "foam taped" duct around the edge.

Bonus picture of the mount for the wall:

mwr9u5t.jpg
 
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Your ducts are great! Basically great work all around!

Well, "instantly" was clearly an overstatement on my part. I apologize. It kept going up until 90 and did not show any signs of stopping, so i stopped the stress test, before the board shut down because of temp limits.

But the guy you linked before is testing on an open air bench on his table, not in a hot cramped box :p



Okay, so i think it is about time that i clarified what i actually did to make my "duct"

Also, yes. I am not using an IO plate.

Please see these pictures to get an understanding for how i did it. I took thick foam tape and taped AROUND the fans, not ON TOP of the fans, like some people do.

fGjGiIA.jpg

4IDWYa8.jpg

The CPU side has my custom acrylic plate for when i have it on the wall, to give the same effect that my sidepanel tape-mod does. Preventing hot air from being sucked in by the fan again and forcing it to exhaust from the top of the case instead. Coupled with the foam tape, the "duct" prevents it from drawing air from within the case as well.

FU5ajmT.jpg


yI18wrJ.jpg

The GPU side is 3xNF-A9x14 fans modded on a Gigabyte 1080ti and "foam taped" duct around the edge.

Bonus picture of the mount for the wall:

mwr9u5t.jpg
 
Pr0Pain: I think I know the issue with the ducts vs no ducts. With the side panels on, the air that is being forced through that specific area and the air expelled from your graphics card side is not being refunneled into the processor. Essentially you arent blowing hot air on the CPU. With the panels off, the air goes everywhere and is grabbed by the CPU fan when it intakes. Have you tried using a blower cooler (if you have one).

Maybe this was already said, but Ive been really thinking about this issue for the past couple days.
 
Today i tried something for my gpu side. I prepared my sidepanel with foam that has adhesive on one side and taped the spots which werent covered by the gpu fan (not seen on the pictures)

2.png 3.jpg 4.jpg 5.jpg
So when i install the sidepanel, the foam gets pressed against the cover from the GPU cooler (example in the 3rd picture).
The temperatures where just a little bit worse then without a sidepanel but only about 1-2 degrees. Much better then without that mod. The GPU fan would run 300-400rpm with the sidepanel unmodded.

One downside is, that is noiser with the foam installed
 
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Hi

I'm a new member, have been following hardopc and this thread since dan case v1 there are alot if interresting posts that kept me waiting and waiting and waiting :), hopefully I will get my v2 with the 92mm Noctua NF - A9x14 in january according to the info.

To my question, I hate my case, I hate my computer, I just want to scream.
Right now I will trash my computer and keep some things until the dan case arrives, I was hoping for suggestions what to buy. (that can be transferred to dan case in january)


Most is old shit (intel ddr3 and so on it will be retired)
I will temporarily keep my Node 304 (which I hate, and it will burn in hell when the dan case arrives) or maybe switch temporarily if any cheap suggestions just for mental stability
I might keep my PSU SilverStone Strider Gold S ST85F-GS 850W but I think it's a bit to big so I might switch it (maybe it's a good fit for dan case, but not for the node and the cables are insanely long)
I will for now keep my GPU Sapphire RX Vega 64 (for freesync) hopefully it will not melt the dan case
Im going Ryzen 7 (1700, 1700x or 1800x) don't know the difference yet exept price
a mini itx ryzen mobo (seems there are some problems with them, trying to find a match)
DDR4 (seems ryzen wants more speed)
A NVME/M2 (pci-e) 500GB SSD samsung seems to be a good bet 960 evo or pro (with a passive heatsink)
For coolers i think it might be best to wait until v2 comes and go stock until then?
I will not overclock though I might underclock (never done either before, just reading in this thread) if there is major noise/temperature gains without to much performane drop. (therefor abit unsure about CPU)

Any suggestions regarding this so I can have a working PC until january dan case v2 (transfer of the components to that chassi)? Im to afraid to order and something will not work together or not fit later
 
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Anybody knows if and when will asus release an am4 mitx? I would prefer the Strix over the Gigabyte gaming. I'm thinking of a R7 1700 and GTX1070/2070 build for my Dan case. Can wait for Volta but I'm not sure about Ice lake since it might take forever before Intel to release it. I'm slowly buying parts now for that January build :)

Asus will release AM4 Mitx, unless the past can not predict the future. Mitx is close to a laptop with huge expansion possibility, and we always see a lot of work on the motherboards compared to the almost cookie-cutter Micro-ATX boards.

You want all your parts to be bought so that the return periods overlap. Otherwise, when you are able to test your parts together you may find broken/incorrect items and be unable to return the bad parts.

Hi

I'm a new member, have been following hardopc and this thread since dan case v1 there are alot if interresting posts that kept me waiting and waiting and waiting :), hopefully I will get my v2 with the 92mm Noctua NF - A9x14 in january according to the info.

To my question, I hate my case, I hate my computer, I just want to scream.
Right now I will trash my computer and keep some things until the dan case arrives, I was hoping for suggestions what to buy. (that can be transferred to dan case in january)


Most is old shit (intel ddr3 and so on it will be retired)
I will temporarily keep my Node 304 (which I hate, and it will burn in hell when the dan case arrives) or maybe switch temporarily if any cheap suggestions just for mental stability
I might keep my PSU SilverStone Strider Gold S ST85F-GS 850W but I think it's a bit to big so I might switch it (maybe it's a good fit for dan case, but not for the node and the cables are insanely long)
I will for now keep my GPU Sapphire RX Vega 64 (for freesync) hopefully it will not melt the dan case
Im going Ryzen 7 (1700, 1700x or 1800x) don't know the difference yet exept price
a mini itx ryzen mobo (seems there are some problems with them, trying to find a match)
DDR4 (seems ryzen wants more speed)
A NVME/M2 (pci-e) 500GB SSD samsung seems to be a good bet 960 evo or pro (with a passive heatsink)
For coolers i think it might be best to wait until v2 comes and go stock until then?
I will not overclock though I might underclock (never done either before, just reading in this thread) if there is major noise/temperature gains without to much performane drop. (therefor abit unsure about CPU)

Any suggestions regarding this so I can have a working PC until january dan case v2 (transfer of the components to that chassi)? Im to afraid to order and something will not work together or not fit later

This is really not the appropriate place to solicit upgrade advice, but I understand that you want your upgrade to be designed to fit into the Dancases A4-SFX. It is never good to buy part of a collection that is meant to work as a system separately: it limits your eventual flexibility.

If you have a quad-thread processor from Sandy Bridge (2011+) and 8+ GB of system memory, then you should stay put on your core platform. It sounds like the combination of the Node 304 and the PSU are driving you crazy. I think you should buy a new power supply unit, as the A4-SFX will require an SFX power supply and you have an ATX power supply.

I would suggest you buy the Corsair SF600, as it will leave you with more space for cable management then alternatives. Be sure that you buy SFX power supplies and stay away from SFX-L power supplies. If you had trouble with cable management in the Node 304, you will need every advantage you can get in the A4-SFX.

https://www.hardocp.com/article/2016/06/22/corsair_sf600_600w_sfx_power_supply_review/

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=477

You can use an SFX power supply in the Node 304 by using an ATX-to-SFX adapter plate. Both SIlverstone and Corsair make adapter plates.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01BYB33J8

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/sfx-to-atx-psu-adapter-bracket

I expect that you could also be complaining because the never-quality and now-old case fans are loud. You should replace them all with their Noctua equivalents. You will need a PWM fan-plug splitter. I included fan grills because they keep cables out of fans, but you might not want them because they cause airflow noise and cost money. One 92 mm fan could be moved into the A4-SFX.

Finally, a PCPartPicker list with the items you need to ease your short-term case pains!

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/M3wJLD
 
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Hi

I'm a new member, have been following hardopc and this thread since dan case v1 there are alot if interresting posts that kept me waiting and waiting and waiting :), hopefully I will get my v2 with the 92mm Noctua NF - A9x14 in january according to the info.

To my question, I hate my case, I hate my computer, I just want to scream.
Right now I will trash my computer and keep some things until the dan case arrives, I was hoping for suggestions what to buy. (that can be transferred to dan case in january)


Most is old shit (intel ddr3 and so on it will be retired)
I will temporarily keep my Node 304 (which I hate, and it will burn in hell when the dan case arrives) or maybe switch temporarily if any cheap suggestions just for mental stability
I might keep my PSU SilverStone Strider Gold S ST85F-GS 850W but I think it's a bit to big so I might switch it (maybe it's a good fit for dan case, but not for the node and the cables are insanely long)
I will for now keep my GPU Sapphire RX Vega 64 (for freesync) hopefully it will not melt the dan case
Im going Ryzen 7 (1700, 1700x or 1800x) don't know the difference yet exept price
a mini itx ryzen mobo (seems there are some problems with them, trying to find a match)
DDR4 (seems ryzen wants more speed)
A NVME/M2 (pci-e) 500GB SSD samsung seems to be a good bet 960 evo or pro (with a passive heatsink)
For coolers i think it might be best to wait until v2 comes and go stock until then?
I will not overclock though I might underclock (never done either before, just reading in this thread) if there is major noise/temperature gains without to much performane drop. (therefor abit unsure about CPU)

Any suggestions regarding this so I can have a working PC until january dan case v2 (transfer of the components to that chassi)? Im to afraid to order and something will not work together or not fit later
Welcome!

I will put this in a spoiler to keep the thread smaller. (I would appreciate it if everybody would do this with pictures so I don't have to scroll like an idiot, thanks)

The biggest difference between the 1700, 1700x and 1800x is the stock frequency. If you want to overclock it doesn't really matter. If you just want 'the best' get the 1800x, if you want the best performance at a good price get the 1700 and OC it.

You will need a 600W PSU for sure with the Vega 64 (like the Corsair SF600) and you cannot use your current ATX form factor PSU. You need to buy an SFX or SFX-L PSU (I recommend SFX because SFX-L won't leave you any space).

As far as I have seen the Vega 64 needs power like crazy but can manage the temperature somewhat (in a normal case). You will probably have to use one of these foam mods or even more things (like seperating the sidepanel with a standoff) to keep the temperature down.

As for motherboards, I personally use the Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac for my custom NAS with an R3 and it works fine. Don't know how it would do with an OCed R7 so I would read some reviews.

I would buy the 960 evo instead of the pro. The difference is just too small if for the price increase if you ask me.

Do the R7s come with a stock cooler? If one is included and it is small enough to fit it is fine to use it without OC but not if you want to OC. I would recommend the Noctua NH-L9a, it isn't too expensive and it performs quite well.
 
Pr0Pain: I think I know the issue with the ducts vs no ducts. With the side panels on, the air that is being forced through that specific area and the air expelled from your graphics card side is not being refunneled into the processor. Essentially you arent blowing hot air on the CPU. With the panels off, the air goes everywhere and is grabbed by the CPU fan when it intakes. Have you tried using a blower cooler (if you have one).

Maybe this was already said, but Ive been really thinking about this issue for the past couple days.

Yes, you are correct. I believe that was the entire point i was trying to make by making this mod. To not suck hot air back in.

Also no. The stock cooler for the Gigabyte is 3 noisy 90mm coolers.
 
Yes, you are correct. I believe that was the entire point i was trying to make by making this mod. To not suck hot air back in.

Also no. The stock cooler for the Gigabyte is 3 noisy 90mm coolers.

Been a fan of the EVGA and MSI fans on their gpus. Gigabyte gpus have always been pretty loud (own the GTX 670 WindForce OC) and terrible in noise efficiency, while Asus gpus have a very polarizing fan profile sound. Noise (dBs) is a small part of noise. Fan noise profile at various speed ranges is far more important imo.
 
Hi

I'm a new member, have been following hardopc and this thread since dan case v1 there are alot if interresting posts that kept me waiting and waiting and waiting :), hopefully I will get my v2 with the 92mm Noctua NF - A9x14 in january according to the info.

To my question, I hate my case, I hate my computer, I just want to scream.
Right now I will trash my computer and keep some things until the dan case arrives, I was hoping for suggestions what to buy. (that can be transferred to dan case in january)


Most is old shit (intel ddr3 and so on it will be retired)
I will temporarily keep my Node 304 (which I hate, and it will burn in hell when the dan case arrives) or maybe switch temporarily if any cheap suggestions just for mental stability
I might keep my PSU SilverStone Strider Gold S ST85F-GS 850W but I think it's a bit to big so I might switch it (maybe it's a good fit for dan case, but not for the node and the cables are insanely long)
I will for now keep my GPU Sapphire RX Vega 64 (for freesync) hopefully it will not melt the dan case
Im going Ryzen 7 (1700, 1700x or 1800x) don't know the difference yet exept price
a mini itx ryzen mobo (seems there are some problems with them, trying to find a match)
DDR4 (seems ryzen wants more speed)
A NVME/M2 (pci-e) 500GB SSD samsung seems to be a good bet 960 evo or pro (with a passive heatsink)
For coolers i think it might be best to wait until v2 comes and go stock until then?
I will not overclock though I might underclock (never done either before, just reading in this thread) if there is major noise/temperature gains without to much performane drop. (therefor abit unsure about CPU)

Any suggestions regarding this so I can have a working PC until january dan case v2 (transfer of the components to that chassi)? Im to afraid to order and something will not work together or not fit later
It's a good idea using "Spoilers" hahaha.
I think all the hardware is fine for your DAN A4 SFX, just the PSU has to be a SFX, like JackGLemmon says.
If you already have the RX Vega, it's fine, the problem is that it consumes a lot of power, and if you just want it to game, you would be better with a GTX 1080 or GTX 1080 Ti.
Talking about CPUs, the "X" versions will consume more wattage than the "non-X" models. That means you could keep them cooler and get less noise. Some people say that the "X" models will OverClock better, but if you won't do it, you could save some money and keep things quiet. Noctua NH-L9a is a good option.
With the M2 NVMe, unless you transfer a lot of data, you won't notice a big difference between the 960 evo vs pro.
 
Been a fan of the EVGA and MSI fans on their gpus. Gigabyte gpus have always been pretty loud (own the GTX 670 WindForce OC) and terrible in noise efficiency, while Asus gpus have a very polarizing fan profile sound. Noise (dBs) is a small part of noise. Fan noise profile at various speed ranges is far more important imo.

The Gigabyte Gaming was the first one to come out being only 2 slots wide. So i had to buy that at the time :/
 
lappenlappen I think that you should consider buying the faster chips and not over-clocking. It is far more efficient way of getting higher gaming performance. 2 threads @ 4.00 and the rest at a lower frequency almost always matches a 4ghz all core overclock for gaming in all the benchmarks I have seen and uses way less power.

P.S. based on my stock 1700 temps I think an L9a will cool a stock 1800x no bother in the Dan A4
 
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lappenlappen I think that you should consider buying the faster chips and not over-clocking. It is far more efficient way of getting higher gaming performance. 2 threads @ 4.00 and the rest at a lower frequency almost always matches a 4ghz all core overclock for gaming in all the benchmarks I have seen and uses way less power.

P.S. based on my stock 1700 temps I think an L9a will cool a stock 1800x no bother in the Dan A4

Couldnt you just use the 1700 and Ryzen master to only over clock 2 cores for the same results?
 
Anyone else having trouble with their Corsair SF600 PSU ?

Mine seems to never stop spinning the fan, even though it is pulling fresh cold air from the outside.

When i start the pc in the morning, it is silent.

After a simple gaming session it have ramped to over 2000rpm and never goes down, until the entire A4 has cooled.

I hate the noise! I have 4 Noctua fans mounted and all i hear all day is the dang PSU fan.

I have googled around and only found 2 other instances of this with no fixes.
 
Anyone else having trouble with their Corsair SF600 PSU ?

Sorry man, sounds like an RMA. My SF600 spins on boot and stays off even when gaming (PUBG, Dreadnaught, and Smite). During benches it'll spin, but it's whisper quite compared to my 1070 GPU at 70%.
 
Anyone else having trouble with their Corsair SF600 PSU ?

Mine seems to never stop spinning the fan, even though it is pulling fresh cold air from the outside.
When i start the pc in the morning, it is silent.

After a simple gaming session it have ramped to over 2000rpm and never goes down, until the entire A4 has cooled.

I hate the noise! I have 4 Noctua fans mounted and all i hear all day is the dang PSU fan.

I have googled around and only found 2 other instances of this with no fixes.

I had the same problem (though not as bad as you describe it) and someone in this thread found out that the problem might be that your graphics card is touching the back of your PSU (or almost touching) which will heat it up. He suggested putting some plastic or so between it. I just used some folded paper and it improved it a lot!
 
First time I've heard of something like this... makes sense though.

I wonder where the temp sensors are on the SF600 that makes this an issue... normally the PSU shell warming up wouldn't be an issue. But it's a neat fix!
 
Its not an issue with the temperature sensor... when your gpu warms up the power supply, then thats its the issue. Not that the PUS gets warmer...

Edit:

I tested the 92mm to 120mm adapter which i posted earlier. I tested three states, no casepanel, casepanel taped and casepanel taped + adapter on the 92x14 noctua fan. The adapter is ~1mm to high (can be seen in the pictures). I probably will grind that off or use my dremel

Test Setup:
Xeon 1230v3 + NH-L9i with the 14mm fan
MSI GTX 1070 Quick Silver
Aida 64 Stress CPU + Valley Benchmark

Here are the results
test.PNG

Edit: Used my dremel to cut the adapter, gonna finish it next week with grinding it straight

gyIEUH1.jpg


DSC_4712.JPG


DSC_4708.JPG


DSC_4709.JPG




No Sidepanel
no sidepanel.PNG


Sidepanel closed + taped
sidepanel closed_taped.png


Sidepanel closed, taped + adapter
sidepanel closed_taped_adapter.PNG
 
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Couldnt you just use the 1700 and Ryzen master to only over clock 2 cores for the same results?
Interesting, I haven't investigated Ryzen master much. It's not ideal having software control an overclock in my opinion but I'll probably give it a whirl!
 
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Its not an issue with the temperature sensor... when your gpu warms up the power supply, then thats its the issue. Not that the PUS gets warmer...

Edit:

I tested the 92mm to 120mm adapter which i posted earlier. I tested three states, no casepanel, casepanel taped and casepanel taped + adapter on the 92x14 noctua fan. The adapter is ~1mm to high (can be seen in the pictures). I probably will grind that off or use my dremel

Test Setup:
Xeon 1230v3 + NH-L9i with the 14mm fan
MSI GTX 1070 Quick Silver
Aida 64 Stress CPU + Valley Benchmark

Here are the results
View attachment 35209
Edit: Used my dremel to cut the adapter, gonna finish it next week with grinding it straight
View attachment 35234

View attachment 35232

View attachment 35214



No Sidepanel
View attachment 35210

Sidepanel closed + taped
View attachment 35211

Sidepanel closed, taped + adapter
View attachment 35212

Awesome tests ! These pretty much confirms my mod.

I am gonna get my friend to 3d print a custom adaptor for the A4 asap and try for myself on the Ryzen 1700 :D Getting 78c in load on 3500mhz 1.2v right now. Would be nice to go lower. He might even be able to print one that covers almost all of the side panel :p

Also, i used a piece of sound dampening foam on the back of the PSU to insulate it from the GPU during load and it seems to spin down to a slower speed after gaming sessions now. Never back to a full stop like a fresh boot and it is still the loudest fan in the system by far.
 
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Also, i used a piece of sound dampening foam on the back of the PSU to insulate it from the GPU during load and it seems to spin down to a slower speed after gaming sessions now. .

I will make a custom shroud for my gpu :) since i can remove it from my cooler and the fans are attached to the heatsink i can 3d print a custom shroud :)

MSI-GTX-1070-Gaming-X-8G_2.png

My MSI 1070 is warming up my psu too, so i undervolted it and now it consumes 40Watt less under gaming load. Since then the PSU is very quiet because it has to deliver 40watt less and gets less heat from the GPU VRM
 
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I will make a custom shroud for my gpu :) since i can remove it from my cooler and the fans are attached to the heatsink i can 3d print a custom shroud :)

MSI-GTX-1070-Gaming-X-8G_2.png

My MSI 1070 is warming up my psu too, so i undervolted it and now it consumes 40Watt less under gaming load. Since then the PSU is very quiet because it has to deliver 40watt less and gets less heat from the GPU VRM
How easy is it to remove the GPU backplate, that might resolve the issue too.
 
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Which issue? U mean the PSU noise issue? I doubt it, because the hotspot from the VRM would be still at the same place.
 
Interesting, I haven't investigated Ryzen master much. It's not ideal having software control an overclock in my opinion but I'll probably give it a whirl!
Its worth playing with. It works more like reprogramming the xfr settings than a traditional overclock since it wont run at the specified speed unless needed and cooling is up to snuff. It doesn't seen to work correctly under windows 7 despite offering a download for windows 7.
 
Question for every one with a Asus Z270i and a M.2 SSD:

In which M.2 Port do you have assigned the SSD, Front or Back?
I'm very interested about the temperatures of both side.

My Samsung 960 Pro is in the front Port under the Heatsink.
In Gaming i get temperatures up to 76°C permanent.
i think this is much to high.

I ordered a custom Heatsink. The temperatures ist a bit better, but not enough.
 

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Question for every one with a Asus Z270i and a M.2 SSD:

In which M.2 Port do you have assigned the SSD, Front or Back?

I do have both slots filled with SSDs: An 960 Evo in the back and an WD Blue in the frontslot, because only the frontslot supports S-ATA...
Have seen the WD Blue rising about 62ish°C while gaming a few hours but that was okay for me. The Evo in the back stays cooler because the hot air of my CPU is pushed upwards over the SSD.
 
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Question for every one with a Asus Z270i and a M.2 SSD:

In which M.2 Port do you have assigned the SSD, Front or Back?
I'm very interested about the temperatures of both side.

My Samsung 960 Pro is in the front Port under the Heatsink.
In Gaming i get temperatures up to 76°C permanent.
i think this is much to high.

I ordered a custom Heatsink. The temperatures ist a bit better, but not enough.
Page 14, section 7 of the user manual:

M.2 in the front supports NVME and SATA.
M.2 in the back supports NVME only.

Since you have a 960 Pro, it doesn't matter which one you put it in. However, if you have a NVME M.2 and a SATA M,2, then the NVME must go in the back while the SATA M.2 must go in the front. If you have two NVME M.2 drives, then there is a possibility that one in the front, or even both, will throttle due to not enough PCIe lane assignments.

For the A4, putting the NVME drive in the front may be better because only top down coolers fit in this case. That means you should have somewhat proper cooling going to the entire motherboard overall. In other words, I think you are already at the best case scenario.

However, if you want to improve on this, I think there are a few ways:

1. Orient the fins on the cooler to be parallel with the ram sticks so that air moves directly over the chipset region when being sucked in (might be hard to do as some coolers will only allow you to mount it in a certain way).

2. Create a makeshift funnel from the top down heatsink/cpu fan to the case opening. This prevents hot air from being recirculated back into the cooler and will allow it to exit the case properly via to the top vents in the A4.
 
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Question for every one with a Asus Z270i and a M.2 SSD:
In which M.2 Port do you have assigned the SSD, Front or Back?
I'm very interested about the temperatures of both side.

My Samsung 960 Pro is in the front Port under the Heatsink.
In Gaming i get temperatures up to 76°C permanent.
i think this is much to high.

I ordered a custom Heatsink. The temperatures ist a bit better, but not enough.


That is pretty much the opposite of what I do with all of my electronic stuff, I have three different sized heatsinks which I can just slap on everything (low profile 12mm x 12mm, lp 6x6 and 8mm high 6x6). On my SSD I put four of the high heatsinks on the controller and on each memory chip there is a lp 6x6 heatsink, this works perfectly fine for me. (I DIY a lot so I have a bigger need but I still recommend everybody to buy a lot of smallish heatsinks in bulk instead of buying custom ones)
 
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