S4 MINI Classic (S4M-C)

CubanLegend

Steely-Eyed NVFlash Man
Dec 23, 2016
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I like the number 2 option lol, do you have any idea what he did to the card because the fans stick out of the side. If you know where that is so I don’t have to dig though the pages I would appreciate it!
Reldey just removed the 1080 mini's fan shroud and fans and replaced them with 2x Noctua Nf-A9x14's, it's here in his build thread.

Also,he used some thermal pads between the end of the 1080 mini's heatsink and the original wrap-around bezel, to mate the two surfaces, which dropped temps or slowed down how quickly the temps rise (I think),

I'll actually be trying out that method actually, on my S4M-C once Josh ships me my original wrap-around bezel. So stay tuned! :D
 

Broxin

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jun 16, 2017
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I picked up an i7-8700K and a Strix Z370-I and ran some thermal tests in an S4 Mini. Here's what you can expect to see with two of the more popular coolers, a Noctua NH-L9i and a Thermolab LP53 (using the Noctua fan):



Details:
Test Configs:
The CPU was stressed with Prime95 26.6 (no AVX) with 8K in-place FFTs. All testing was done in an S4 Mini. The following images show how the coolers were mounted:

BIOS/UEFI Settings:
The latest BIOS update is supposed to disable multicore enhancement by default but it still reverts to overclocking focused "Auto" settings once you enable XMP for your memory. As a result, the CPU will draw about 120W at 4.3GHz before power limiting and throttling to 95W at 3.9-4.0GHz. When properly tuned, the CPU power drops to 86-88W and maintains 4.3GHz under all-core load. The "Tuned" settings listed below simply force the processor back to stock behavior. The VCCIO/VCCSA voltages work fine for typical DDR4-3200 and can be adjusted for higher speed kits.

VRM Heatsinks:
Removing one or more of the VRM heatsinks improves airflow and reduces CPU temperature at the expense of warmer MOSFETs. Since no one will be overclocking much, or at all, in the S4 Mini, the MOSFETs should stay reasonably cool. You can buy some small heatsinks if you want more peace of mind. Here are some thermal images of the bare VRM under Prime95 load:

Delidding:
Just like the 7700K, delidding is helpful and pretty easy to do. I used the Rockit 88 kit and liquid metal. There's no tiny resistors to worry about on this chip.

Thermal Paste:
I used Noctua NT-H1 for every test except the last. Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut reduced core temperature by 2-3°C but there's nothing wrong with the stuff Noctua includes with their coolers and it's easier to apply.

Conclusion:
Managing the 8700K in the S4 Mini is a lot like the 7700K and 6700K before it. Expect to spend some time getting temperatures under control by delidding, tuning, or modding. My guess is that the i7-8700 will also be difficult to cool, despite the claimed 65W TDP. Strongly consider the i5-8400 or Ryzen 5 1600 for an easier time. For cooling, like @Josh | NFC has mentioned before, Noctua is still the best overall when considering mounting, compatibility, and price.
Hey ceski, thanks for the hints.
Are those tuning hints also applicable for the z270i with i7 6700k to cool it down or is it only applicable for your configuration?
 
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slimjim

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Jul 5, 2017
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Sean Crees

Airflow Optimizer
Jan 1, 2017
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@Josh | NFC I've got a pair of Aviation Snips, do you think it'll be enough to cut the internal chassis metal so that i can flip the HDPLEX connector on the back of the case to fit the MSI 1070 so the connector sits flush? I was thinking i might be able to just make 2 cuts, and bend the metal between the cuts back.
 

Josh | NFC

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NFC Systems
Jun 12, 2015
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@Josh | NFC I've got a pair of Aviation Snips, do you think it'll be enough to cut the internal chassis metal so that i can flip the HDPLEX connector on the back of the case to fit the MSI 1070 so the connector sits flush? I was thinking i might be able to just make 2 cuts, and bend the metal between the cuts back.

Interesting idea...but I don't know how I would go about doing it.

@Josh | NFC what's the PN/Manufacturer of the powder coat you used on this one? I freaking love it.


I don't remember...I'll try and look it up but yeah that's one of my favorites. Looks amazing in person and has an indigo sheen.
 
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Sean Crees

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Jan 1, 2017
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Interesting idea...but I don't know how I would go about doing it.



I don't remember...I'll try and look it up but yeah that's one of my favorites. Looks amazing in person and has an indigo sheen.

I was just curious if you think the snips would be able to cut through the internal chassis sheet metal.

Also about powder coatings. I noticed it usually makes the screws that normally sit flush to stick out a little. How well does taping off those holes, or cutting the paint off the chassis right where the screws go so they still sit flush? Also how well does painting or anodizing the screws work to try to get them to be the same color as the side panel?
 
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Josh | NFC

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I was just curious if you think the snips would be able to cut through the internal chassis sheet metal.

Also about powder coatings. I noticed it usually makes the screws that normally sit flush to stick out a little. How well does taping off those holes, or cutting the paint off the chassis right where the screws go so they still sit flush? Also how well does painting or anodizing the screws work to try to get them to be the same color as the side panel?

It depends on your snips I suppose but I think it won't be a problem--but you will get some tearing so it might be best to use a rotary cutter.

There is high-temp tape for powdercoating that is used for masking, as well as bump dots for screw holes. I don't think cutting the paint will work because you might tear more than you bargained for. As for painting fasteners, you totally can do that, but really only when they are installed, and you wont be able to remove them.

Happy to answer any powdercoating questions I can!
 
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DocH

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Apr 2, 2017
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@guryhwa i am interested in purchasing your products. let me know how we can make this arrangement. i sent you a pm with a couple questions. once i figure out which product will work, i am ready to buy.

thanks!
-steve
he has a discord he is active on go to his sales thread in the marketplace. he usually doesn't look at the forums to often
 
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ngriesdo

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Feb 15, 2017
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It depends on your snips I suppose but I think it won't be a problem--but you will get some tearing so it might be best to use a rotary cutter.

There is high-temp tape for powdercoating that is used for masking, as well as bump dots for screw holes. I don't think cutting the paint will work because you might tear more than you bargained for. As for painting fasteners, you totally can do that, but really only when they are installed, and you wont be able to remove them.

Happy to answer any powdercoating questions I can!
Can you I send you my case to be powdercoated? lololol you already have my PSU ;) I'm sure you aren't that busy to take this one! Jk but if you can for real powdercoat it let me know! I know your slammed right now.
 
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Sean Crees

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Jan 1, 2017
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There is high-temp tape for powdercoating that is used for masking, as well as bump dots for screw holes. I don't think cutting the paint will work because you might tear more than you bargained for. As for painting fasteners, you totally can do that, but really only when they are installed, and you wont be able to remove them.

Happy to answer any powdercoating questions I can!

Are the screws supplied able to be anodized? I know it likely wouldn't be the exact same color as a powder coat, but could you say anodize the screws black and powdercoat the panels black just so they don't stand out as much as silver on black?

Have you ever tried painting or anodizing the silver buttons you sell to match a powdercoat?
 

Biowarejak

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Mar 6, 2017
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Are the screws supplied able to be anodized? I know it likely wouldn't be the exact same color as a powder coat, but could you say anodize the screws black and powdercoat the panels black just so they don't stand out as much as silver on black?

Have you ever tried painting or anodizing the silver buttons you sell to match a powdercoat?
Can't anodize steel, and aluminum fasteners aren't wise. Also, anodizing would make the threads flake off. :/
 

Josh | NFC

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Are the screws supplied able to be anodized? I know it likely wouldn't be the exact same color as a powder coat, but could you say anodize the screws black and powdercoat the panels black just so they don't stand out as much as silver on black?

Have you ever tried painting or anodizing the silver buttons you sell to match a powdercoat?

Hey Sean! Great questions (as usual)


A. I use steel screws because aluminum screws would be bad for this application...but colored screws would look nice.
B. For anodizing to work, you need parts to be the same size for the electrons to flow correctly. You could leave in screws the same material if they were the same material though (but see A).
C. In addition to A and B high quality anodization you need to do in extremely large batches because it is extremely bad for the environment, so I couldn't do personalization of buttons. I don't really need to though because there are lots of colored bulgin switches out there...red, blue, green, etc. I prefer stainless steel housings to aluminum though.
D. All the screws for the S4M-C were 6-32. All the screws for the S4M are M3, so you can purchase screws of any color you want!

Keep em coming brother!