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

Hi guys, I'm new. I have a A4-SFX but I'm using is as a low power media server. Anyone tried the Noctua NH-L9x65 cooler without the fan? It's 51mm without the fan, 3mm too high. Does anyone have any experiences with lowering this cooler by 3mm? Preferably by bending the heatpipes and not cutting the fins.
 
Man said:
Hi guys, I'm new. I have a A4-SFX but I'm using is as a low power media server. Anyone tried the Noctua NH-L9x65 cooler without the fan? It's 51mm without the fan, 3mm too high. Does anyone have any experiences with lowering this cooler by 3mm? Preferably by bending the heatpipes and not cutting the fins.
Click to expand...

You can also try using shorter motherboard standoffs. Some of the guys using the V1 case went with 4mm (I think motherboard standoffs) which saved another 3mm or so for the cooler height. But maybe the V2 has fixed standoffs that you cant remove now?
 
Won't using lower standoffs mess up the alignment between the motherboard/case? I think I'll just take the easy route and go for the Phanteks PH-TC12LS (47mm wo fan) or Prolimatech Samuel 17 (45mm wo fan) ...or Thermalright AXP-100 @44mm
 
Man said:
Won't using lower standoffs mess up the alignment between the motherboard/case? I think I'll just take the easy route and go for the Phanteks PH-TC12LS (47mm wo fan) or Prolimatech Samuel 17 (45mm wo fan) ...or Thermalright AXP-100 @44mm
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It just messes up alignment with the IO plate, but a lot of us left that off for better temperatures anyway.
 
bAMtan2 said:
the non-k is a better match for this case. A4-SFX only supports small heatsinks. 8700k will work, but it will throttle more. you can save money and buy a 8700 if you want.

we must test this to make sure, but I believe a 8700 will perform the same as 8700k when using small heatsinks. the only way the 8700k can be faster than 8700 is if the fan runs faster and more noisy...

in the end, ANYTHING will WORK, because modern CPUs down-clock automatically for safety when overheating. I personally believe 8700 (or 8700k down-clocked like 8700) is more appropriate because it is more energy efficient.
Click to expand...

I would still say always go the the K over the non-K. Where I live, they are the same price, og within 1-2%, and then undervolt it, so it will match in heat-output but be more powerfull.
 
Jspr said:
I would still say always go the the K over the non-K. Where I live, they are the same price, og within 1-2%, and then undervolt it, so it will match in heat-output but be more powerfull.
Click to expand...

There is a big difference here in the US, $379 vs $314.
 
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Thanks! I dont
OmenemO said:
It just messes up alignment with the IO plate, but a lot of us left that off for better temperatures anyway.
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Thanks. I think I'll just go with the the standard standoff. I'd like to keep the look as "pretty" as possible. TBH even the stock cooler without a fan will probably suffice. It's only for music playback, and running Linux without a GUI. Besides, when I upgrade the motherboard in the future I'll probably need to use the standard standoffs or there won't be any room for back mounted M.2 SSDs. (not a big deal in itself but then the cooler won't fit)
 
bAMtan2 said:
the non-k is a better match for this case. A4-SFX only supports small heatsinks. 8700k will work, but it will throttle more. you can save money and buy a 8700 if you want.
Click to expand...

Can you undervolt a non -K? I've managed to undervolt mine by 0.04V and after a delid + LP53+A9x14 am running 70°C during prime 95 Benchmarks @ 4.5ghz. If you can't undervolt a non K processor then I don't think they'll end up being a better choice for thermals.
 
The only thing that works is to get heated air out of a computer case
20170930_135744.jpg
20170930_170221.jpg
 
^ You should have turned your heatsink 90 degrees, fins in vertical orientation, so air can more easily flow upwards. It's also better for heatpipe performance. Which heatsink is that anyway?
 
theGryphon said:
^ You should have turned your heatsink 90 degrees, fins in vertical orientation, so air can more easily flow upwards. It's also better for heatpipe performance. Which heatsink is that anyway?
Click to expand...
Code: 
http://www.evercool.com.tw/categories/global/cooler/cpucooler/intel/1366/hpl-815/hpl_815.php
can not rotate
 
Hi,
Recently I bought a Dan case and im changing some pieces:
I received the cooltek LP53, I was wondering what the best option is for the fan. People are using the noctua NF-A9x14 92dia / 14mm thikness but Is there a possibility to put a bigger fan like a 120mm, i've checked the thikness and room available seems to be 20mm at maximum ?
Noctua or different how do you fix the fan on the LP53?
The other solution is the thermalright TR-Y100, but not sold separately ? or i didnt have the good ref.

I will also follow the idea of top fan above :p if it works
Thanks,
 
But i think you will get better cpu temps if you use an 92mm fan on the cpu cooler because the most of the air would be blow over the sides of the cpu cooler.
 
hopp2 said:
I received the cooltek LP53, I was wondering what the best option is for the fan. People are using the noctua NF-A9x14 92dia / 14mm thikness but Is there a possibility to put a bigger fan like a 120mm, i've checked the thikness and room available seems to be 20mm at maximum ?
Noctua or different how do you fix the fan on the LP53?
The other solution is the thermalright TR-Y100, but not sold separately ? or i didnt have the good ref.

I will also follow the idea of top fan above :p if it works
Thanks,
Click to expand...

While it might seem logical to put a larger fan with higher airflow on there, the majority of a fan's airflow happens near the tips of the blade. Because of that, using a 120mm fan is actually a bad idea- the fan is pushing more air, but less of it is going over the heat sink (hence dondan's idea for the HSLP-48). As for attaching the fan, the usual recommendation seems to be zip ties.
 
thanks for the explanations, I check again the dimension and I have a prb with the USB 3.0 cable on the mother board, so I will go with the noctua ;)
 
voodosheeb said:
would it not be better to move the fan to the left a bit so that the raiser cable doesn't block air flow, or could have have 2 fans ?
have you tested temps before and after?
Click to expand...
it is not very possible
20170228_170152.jpg 20170228_170221.jpg
duke00 said:
But i think you will get better cpu temps if you use an 92mm fan on the cpu cooler because the most of the air would be blow over the sides of the cpu cooler.
Click to expand...
CPU temps OK, the temperature / noise ratio is totally different with the fan 120 mm
 
dondan,so I have an ASUS Strix Z270I with a USB3.1 Gen. 2 header. I will be upgrading to the Z370I which also has a USB3.1 Gen. 2 header. Is there an ETA on the "USB 3.1 Gen2 Kit" for the A4?
 
As maybe some of you noticed, I had issue with PCI-e extension cable. After contacting Dan, he managed that very fast. When I was waiting for the new one, I had bought some regular PCI-e extension and I have tried adding 4x Noctua 40mm fan on the top cover and to do a small adjustments to my Asus Z270i motherboard (to fit the LP53 heatsink with better positioning) and m.2 SSD (960 Pro). Now when the new original is home, I have also made some pictures of i for you.

Here are the photos of the result one by one:

1) Z270i heatsink removed and replaced with RASPBERRY Pi RB-Heatsink (I bought 3 packages - in each package was 1x 14x15mm and 2x 8x8mm (height is 5mm for both) plus they already have the heat tape on them). The smaller ones fit exactly on the chips that original heatsink was.
- The small ones (8x8mm) fit exactly in that small space - I had to apply them with the tweezers and apply small pressure on them.
- You can also notice how close are the endings of he LP53 copper base CPU heatsink.


2) Here it shows the positioning of the LP53 cpu heatsink. So the airflow from Noctua PWM fan goes to the top of the case.



3) m.2 SSD adjusting with rest of the RASPBERRY Pi RB-Heatsinks.
After running 2 stress tests to SSD to find out how are the temps, it never went above 54°C. I in idle temps are usually around 40°C (ambient temp was 20°C) (link to my previous post with testing: link)


4) Now the main thing, 4x Noctua 40mm fans

Attachment view - inside + outside



2x fan in CPU area



2x fan in GPU area (for one fan, I had to use extension that was in the package)


Top view on closed case - you can see the Noctua fans



Final word and notes:
- Noctua fans are attached thanks to the slim zip-ties. Silver case is a plus, because you can scratch your case a little when installing due to the bending them and cutting them.
- Temps in idle for CPU are usually around 30°C (ambient 20°C). They are very quiet but it depends how you set Noctua fans speed in bios.
- My GPU supports 2 additional fans (Asus Strix GTX1080 OC), but but minus is that you cant control them. They will just start when gpu hits the temp limit (usually 55°C). If I have missed the possibility to set them and I am wrong with this one, please let me know.
- On CPU, I used Arctic MX-4 spreaded all across the heatsink (very thin layer).
- As you can see, further cable management (both, for fans and custom psu cables) would be required, but it still runs alright.

Feel free to ask any questions or if you have any suggestions, they would be welcomed.
 
I suppose it is too late to change the design, but i do think a proper dorsal cooling solution would aid the A4-SFX's cooling significantly
 
dondan Thermaltake PCIe extenders sure are quality: (lower your volume, Linus screams a lot towards the end of the video and it's annoying)
 
irebel said:
Has anyone tried using this https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812183022 in the A4-SFX? Just wondering in case I need a replacement out of warranty or purely because of the colour preference :)

The length is identical but not sure about the width for the two screws.
Click to expand...

galletabah said:
I have this questión too. I need a replacement for the future
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Different than 3m riser will not fit into those holes in case. 3m riser has screw holes more distant on both sides than other regular cables. Approx 10mm on each side.

But you can go to your local hw store and ask them to make small metal stripe with 4 holes in it. 2 for case and 2 for new cable.
 
dondan said:
DAN A4-SFX cooling performance:


coolertest2kopie3op7k.jpg




Cooltek LP53:
With the default height of 53mm the LP53 wouldn't fit inside the case. But if you switch the f an with an thinner version like the A9x14 it fits.
However the mounting of at thin 92mm FAN must be performed with cable ties, because the default 92mm fan has mounting points of an 80mm fan.
As a special highlight I'm going to test this cooler with the Thermalright TR-Y100, which is the default fan of the AXP100 Cooler.
Whats special of this fan are the dimensions of 100x100x15mm and the increased air pressure towards to the A9x14.
Click to expand...

dondan

the pic show only the side of cooler

How do I tie the A9X14 and LP53 together?
 
pedrofan said:
Hi everyone, I'm here to present you the all new


:punch: >>> A4-SFX-TURBO <<< :punch:



Or how i've managed to drop the temps on my 22 cores cpu by -18ºC for 15,9$ + shipping costs (don't expect any shiny polished solution :LOL:)




After eight months with my 22 cores XEON E5-2696, I have realized that I had to do something with the high temps.

This CPU behaves like two. When you are gaming or working with any app, it hardly gets 70ºC, but when I use it for 3d rendering, It rises up to 99-100ºC after just some minutes.

I think that the max temp that it can handle without throttling is 105ºC, so it is going hot as hell.

After trying MANY fans and heatsinks, I've realized that the best combo was the Dynatron T-318 with Thermalright ty-100 fan. It is the only combination that dind't lead to +100ºC while rendering (yes I have tryed noctua fans, falcon and thermalright heatsinks, gamersotrm fan, etc etc, and none of them can handle this cpu).

In august, reaching 100ºC was very very easy so I used to have a hair dryer in cold mode to cool down the cpu very quick if required (it is able to drop temps drastically if you put it directly on the fins in the dynatron side, even from 100º to 75ºC in a minute) so I thought on trying to make some kind of wind tunnel like the ones on FE GPUs, with small fans like the ones on the pictures below that acted like an integrated "hairdryer".





So, the first idea was to put four 40x40 fans in each side of the dynatron heatsink in pull configuration, leaving the main fan in the middle in push configuration, but ty-100 is too wide, so 40+100+40mm didn't fit.


That's why I tryed with the noctua NF-A9x14 + 4x 40x40 fans in the following scheme that fits perfectly:

1.jpg


After that I tryed with this configuration:

TY-100 + 2 x 40x40 fans.


1.jpg


After tryng both configurations, ty-100 fan + 2x 40x40 fans was definetly the one that presented better temps as the ty-100 has been better than the noctua in all of my tests.





So the next step was to select a fan height.


There are a lot of small and inexpensive fans out there but most of them have a fixed voltage, so they always run at maximum speed. After some researching I discovered a very versatile format that has PWM capablitities.

I have tested these three fans with three different heights:

· 40X40X10mm Everflow PWM

It was the first that I purchased, I thought on putting towers of two of them to achieve double of air flow, but it didn't make any difference and they sound like bees at full speed.

· 40X40X15mm Evercool PWM

This ones are by far the most powerful of the three, and they fit perfectly on top of the dynatron leaving 5mm of room between the case and the fan, but they are extremely loud. If you want the highest performance these ones are the best by my testing.

· 40X40X20mm Evercool PWM <<< the one that I've chosen

It is by far the most silent of the three, although It can achieve the same performance as the others without speeding up so much. It is taller so the propeller is bigger and it needs less speed to move the same amount of air. Even at full speed it is definetly quieter.



So the last step was to create an air duct, to ensure that the air pressure isn't lost through any hole, so I made one as you see in the picures with some plastic cardboard, a pair of scissors and double sided tape.


1.jpg


I used the same fan curve for the main ty-100 fan as I had before, but for the other two I configured them to be at 30% all the time, till the system reaches 70ºC, when the fans speed up at 100%.
That ensures that most of the time, even while gaming the computer should be quiet, but while rendering the turbo would turn on keeping it cold.

And here the results while rendering (ambient temp 30ºC):

Open case:

TY-100 + dynatron T-318 ----------------------------------------------------- 100ºC
TY-100 + dynatron T-318 + 2 x 40X40X20mm Evercool PWM ----- 82ºC - 18%

Closed case:

TY-100 + dynatron T-318 ----------------------------------------------------- 100ºC (the same as opened in testings, but I used to open it for precaution)
TY-100 + dynatron T-318 + 2 x 40X40X20mm Evercool PWM ----- 87ºC - 13%


It is a 13-18ºC gain!


Using this kind of fans in this case is a joy, so try them and let me know your results!!
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can't see any of the images :(
 
i moved and changed adress on the survey thing on kickstarter. is that all i have to do to change my shipping adress?
 
Meccabolix said:
OK so this post is going to be a long but very interesting one.

All tests are done on my 6700K @ 4.4Ghz with the LP53 and Noctua NF a-9x14 PWM fan

i unplugged the titan x pascal because sometimes it makes a little rumble when idle, and the NF a9x14 PWM is so quiet you can slightly hear the graphics card in the background, we don't want to hear that, we just want to hear the CPU fan.

i applied fresh thermal paste when i changed orientation of the cooler, the thermal paste i use is Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut.

The first test i did was with the LP53 heatpipes in a horizontal orientation. i used the 4mm standoffs and the a9x14 fan:



Idle temps:

View attachment 17799

Prime 95 temps:

View attachment 17800

Next test was the LP53 heatpipes in a horizontal orientation. i used the 7mm standoffs (the original ones) and the a9x14 fan:



Idle temps:

View attachment 17802

Prime 95 temps:

View attachment 17803

Next test was the LP53 heatpipes in a vertical orientation. i used the 4mm standoffs and the a9x14 fan:



Idle temps:

View attachment 17804

Prime 95 temps:

View attachment 17805

Next test was the LP53 heatpipes in a vertical orientation. i used the 7mm (the original ones) standoffs and the a9x14 fan:



Idle temps:

View attachment 17806

Prime 95 Temps:

View attachment 17807

All fan speeds og the above tests were:

Idle speed: 800 RPM

Full speed: 2200 RPM

As you can see, those temperatures are very very low, but i don't know how, surely they would be higher with a smaller fan than the TY-100?????

Anyway, as you can tell, all noise tests at idle are silent, but i think the 4mm standoff tests are slightly quieter with the side panel on with max fan speed, theres hardly any difference in it, but the 4mm tests have a slightly lower pitch sound.

For fun i did one last test as i was feeling rather confident with those low temps.

I tested the LP53 heatpipes in a vertical orientation. i used the 4mm standoffs and the a9x14 fan AND used the low noise adaptor that came with the fan:



Idle temps:

View attachment 17809

Prime 95 temps:

View attachment 17810

Idle speed: 618 RPM

Full speed: 1611 RPM

Not bad! as you can tell from the video it's silent even at full fan speed! this setup is the one to go for if you want a completely silent Dan pc.

if anyone has any questions feel free to ask.
Click to expand...

thank u for u test
 
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