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DAN A4-SFX v4.1
- Thread starter dondan
- Start date
I'd buy a spacer in a heartbeat, so long as it's compatible with all previous versions of the case.Request
Yesterday I asked you about what do you think about a new revision of the A4-SFX (named v5) that does have support for 2.5 slot gpus. The response on the forums and reddit was very positive and many customers would love support for 2.5 Slot gpus. Yesterday I read many time "please offer spacer" so I throught around the idea and came up with this. Optional spacer side panels. These panels are some slices every 4mm that are stacked up. So the space you can see in the picture will add 8mm more space. I could be possible to offer these also on the CPU side. The main advantage of this solution is no change required to the original A4 and everyone is able to upgrade.
What do you like the most these optional side panels or a A4-SFX that has 5mm more in width?
you're a legend!Request
Yesterday I asked you about what do you think about a new revision of the A4-SFX (named v5) that does have support for 2.5 slot gpus. The response on the forums and reddit was very positive and many customers would love support for 2.5 Slot gpus. Yesterday I read many time "please offer spacer" so I throught around the idea and came up with this. Optional spacer side panels. These panels are some slices every 4mm that are stacked up. So the space you can see in the picture will add 8mm more space. I could be possible to offer these also on the CPU side. The main advantage of this solution is no change required to the original A4 and everyone is able to upgrade.
What do you like the most these optional side panels or a A4-SFX that has 5mm more in width?
Setting ECO mode increases the temp slightly as the voltage goes to almost 1.29 with cores set to 4600Mhz. I can ran it without any problems at 1.2375V and it passes all tests. If I don’t set the core frequency manually then I’m getting worse multi core results in Cinebench when it’s just in ECO mode.
Spacer seems fine. If someone might not like how it looks, they do not need to use it, but it could be there as an option for a lot of users - might just be a last minute lifesaver for some when they realize that their components won't fit by a few mm a bit too late. I mean it certainly looks a lot better to me than some top hats or other bulging radiators other cases feature. And if it would work on both sides of the case, that might mean the option to consider taller air coolers too for those who need them.
With that said, I consider the current version to be the best overall. It great being slim like that and it's not like there's no 2 slot options from the new gen gpu's. Besides, the need to make it bigger because it can't fit this or that will always remain in people with +5mm or without, maybe with just different components. It also have to uphold it's difference from the C4. That could be the case for builders wanting to use bigger parts, A4 is for the ones willing to compromise power for the sake of size and optimization (or are just regular pc users with regular pc requirements, without the need of 20GB gpu's).
Still a mere 5mm does not hurt for the compatibility benefits gained. A tiny, L-shaped metal plate covering the inner structure of the power button on the top and towards the motherboard would be nice too, so it's protected from the accidental weight of a routed power; sata; pcie cable straining the fragile white plastic.
With that said, I consider the current version to be the best overall. It great being slim like that and it's not like there's no 2 slot options from the new gen gpu's. Besides, the need to make it bigger because it can't fit this or that will always remain in people with +5mm or without, maybe with just different components. It also have to uphold it's difference from the C4. That could be the case for builders wanting to use bigger parts, A4 is for the ones willing to compromise power for the sake of size and optimization (or are just regular pc users with regular pc requirements, without the need of 20GB gpu's).
Still a mere 5mm does not hurt for the compatibility benefits gained. A tiny, L-shaped metal plate covering the inner structure of the power button on the top and towards the motherboard would be nice too, so it's protected from the accidental weight of a routed power; sata; pcie cable straining the fragile white plastic.
Yeah. Of course this would need the actual frame of the case to be wider with that 5mm (actually 3). With that said it's fine if you don't go this route, I mean the 120mm aio builds are not all that popular in the first place (let alone the custom made ones), also no new gen itx gpu's in sight either. But it could be nice. And your case could also boast to house so many different types of builds from 2.5 slot full sized gpu gaming rigs to watercooled cpu focused workstations with such premium components - that's a very wide range of modularity possible in such a small form factor. But if I think about it, that idea's kinda achieved already.
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With some luck an Asus TUF 3080 OC Gaming fell into my lap today. Currently running it with an open case. I'll cut my 15mm GPU spacer panel so that I can close it. Will post another update then. Album here: Imgur Album
I double this. Not even 3080, most of AIB 3070's are 3-slot. In the end, the cards are consuming sh*t ton of
Request
Yesterday I asked you about what do you think about a new revision of the A4-SFX (named v5) that does have support for 2.5 slot gpus. The response on the forums and reddit was very positive and many customers would love support for 2.5 Slot gpus. Yesterday I read many time "please offer spacer" so I throught around the idea and came up with this. Optional spacer side panels. These panels are some slices every 4mm that are stacked up. So the space you can see in the picture will add 8mm more space. I could be possible to offer these also on the CPU side. The main advantage of this solution is no change required to the original A4 and everyone is able to upgrade.
What do you like the most these optional side panels or a A4-SFX that has 5mm more in width?
I love this! Especially, if there's open space between thos spacers, adding some vents for the hot GPUs (if they're not hot, then why they're taking more room than 2 slots?)
Crap, how do I edit the post? There're some remains from the draft that I didn't intend post
Official metal spacers would be a good option. You'll have a ton more ready customers too.
I'd buy one, maybe two of the spacers! I'd worry about the cost of shipping it around the world though. If it's going to be $40USD each or something, that might be a tough pill to swallow - at that point I'd probably prefer the option to sell my case and get the 2.5 slot version of the A4 that you pitched.
@dondan
Why not do both? I'd buy spacers in a heartbeat for my v4.1, and then buy a bigger A4 in the future if the current trend of top end GPUs going away from dual slot becomes the norm
edit: an extra thought - if you did both, you could sell the v5 with 50mm of GPU space for 2.5 slot cards, and people could buy the spacer and go to 2.7 or 3 card slots to their delight. Best of both worlds for everyone from your v4 customers to your new v5 customers you'd be bringing in!
Why not do both? I'd buy spacers in a heartbeat for my v4.1, and then buy a bigger A4 in the future if the current trend of top end GPUs going away from dual slot becomes the norm
edit: an extra thought - if you did both, you could sell the v5 with 50mm of GPU space for 2.5 slot cards, and people could buy the spacer and go to 2.7 or 3 card slots to their delight. Best of both worlds for everyone from your v4 customers to your new v5 customers you'd be bringing in!
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The spacer idea is interesting to me. I was happy with the build until the size of the new cards made things tricky. In optimum tech's build with the sidearm t1 it's interesting the difference that having a little bit of space between the sandwich board and the back of a 3080 makes to the thermals. If a panel spacer added the ability to fit that and add some additional standoff screws for better thermals I'd be very happy!
Just creating an account to post this, since I also posted my new build on /r/sffpc. In short, the 3080 FE works great as long as you install additional spacers on the GPU riser. Below is just a copy and paste of my /r/sffpc post. Hope it helps!
Specs:
• Case: Dan A4 v4.1
• CPU: Ryzen 5600x
• CPU cooler: Noctua NH-L9a with J-HACK duct
• GPU: 3080 FE
• Mobo: Gigabyte B550i
• RAM: 16 GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3600
• Storage: 1 TB Sabrent Rocket NVME
• PSU: Corsair SF600 Platinum with stock cables
• Case fans: 1xNF-A9x14 chromax, 1xNF-A9 chromax (both exhaust)
• Monitor: Alienware AW3420DW
I haven't seen many air-cooled-only DAN A4 builds here with the 3080 FE, so I wanted to give back to this community that helped me so much with my build. This was my first build in ~15 years and I’m upgrading from a Razer Blade 14 (970m).
1. Build was fun, but the DAN A4 manual was really lacking in detail. I'm left with a whole bag of screws that I have no idea what they're for.
2. The fan installation below the mobo was a pain. You have to install the mobo first, as it won’t fit with the fan. The PSU connector also gets in the way, so you have to force it in place. I derped and ended up scratching the inside a bit.
3. The mobo needed to be updated to the latest BIOS to run the Ryzen 5600x.
4. CPU temps are very high at idle (40-50°C). Supposedly, high idle temps are normal for Ryzen. Even with the silent fan curve in the BIOS, the fans were almost always on. I adjusted it further to only kick in once the temps hit 60°C, so now my build is essentially silent. If anyone has any tips on lowering CPU temps, please let me know!
5. At the stock configuration, the GPU runs VERY hot and loud. When running Heaven and Time Spy, the GPU was hitting 86°C and fans were about 58 dB (measured from ~1 foot away). Core clock throttled to 1710 MHz.
6. To resolve this problem, I added the extra mobo standoffs that came with the case to the GPU riser (idea from u/Maeiourk). The extra space allows the flow-through fan to exhaust hot air out, causes no alignment issues, and drastically reduces temps and noise. At stock with the mobo standoffs, max temps and noise were 80°C and 58 dB in Heaven and Time Spy at 320W.
7. After adding standoffs and adjusting voltage/core clock to 825 mv/1850 MHz, my max temps and noise were 77°C and 50 dB in Heaven and Time Spy at 290W. Heaven score was 4,586. Time Spy scores were 7,910 (CPU), 17,430 (GPU), and 14,764 (3DM).
8. I was too lazy to flip my PSU and redo my cables, so I didn't bother. Another user mentioned this caused instability anyway.
Overall, the build was a fun experience and the overall quieter system is awesome. I haven't had a chance to actually play any games yet, but hopefully soon!
Specs:
• Case: Dan A4 v4.1
• CPU: Ryzen 5600x
• CPU cooler: Noctua NH-L9a with J-HACK duct
• GPU: 3080 FE
• Mobo: Gigabyte B550i
• RAM: 16 GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3600
• Storage: 1 TB Sabrent Rocket NVME
• PSU: Corsair SF600 Platinum with stock cables
• Case fans: 1xNF-A9x14 chromax, 1xNF-A9 chromax (both exhaust)
• Monitor: Alienware AW3420DW
I haven't seen many air-cooled-only DAN A4 builds here with the 3080 FE, so I wanted to give back to this community that helped me so much with my build. This was my first build in ~15 years and I’m upgrading from a Razer Blade 14 (970m).
1. Build was fun, but the DAN A4 manual was really lacking in detail. I'm left with a whole bag of screws that I have no idea what they're for.
2. The fan installation below the mobo was a pain. You have to install the mobo first, as it won’t fit with the fan. The PSU connector also gets in the way, so you have to force it in place. I derped and ended up scratching the inside a bit.
3. The mobo needed to be updated to the latest BIOS to run the Ryzen 5600x.
4. CPU temps are very high at idle (40-50°C). Supposedly, high idle temps are normal for Ryzen. Even with the silent fan curve in the BIOS, the fans were almost always on. I adjusted it further to only kick in once the temps hit 60°C, so now my build is essentially silent. If anyone has any tips on lowering CPU temps, please let me know!
5. At the stock configuration, the GPU runs VERY hot and loud. When running Heaven and Time Spy, the GPU was hitting 86°C and fans were about 58 dB (measured from ~1 foot away). Core clock throttled to 1710 MHz.
6. To resolve this problem, I added the extra mobo standoffs that came with the case to the GPU riser (idea from u/Maeiourk). The extra space allows the flow-through fan to exhaust hot air out, causes no alignment issues, and drastically reduces temps and noise. At stock with the mobo standoffs, max temps and noise were 80°C and 58 dB in Heaven and Time Spy at 320W.
7. After adding standoffs and adjusting voltage/core clock to 825 mv/1850 MHz, my max temps and noise were 77°C and 50 dB in Heaven and Time Spy at 290W. Heaven score was 4,586. Time Spy scores were 7,910 (CPU), 17,430 (GPU), and 14,764 (3DM).
8. I was too lazy to flip my PSU and redo my cables, so I didn't bother. Another user mentioned this caused instability anyway.
Overall, the build was a fun experience and the overall quieter system is awesome. I haven't had a chance to actually play any games yet, but hopefully soon!
Request
Yesterday I asked you about what do you think about a new revision of the A4-SFX (named v5) that does have support for 2.5 slot gpus. The response on the forums and reddit was very positive and many customers would love support for 2.5 Slot gpus. Yesterday I read many time "please offer spacer" so I throught around the idea and came up with this. Optional spacer side panels. These panels are some slices every 4mm that are stacked up. So the space you can see in the picture will add 8mm more space. I could be possible to offer these also on the CPU side. The main advantage of this solution is no change required to the original A4 and everyone is able to upgrade.
What do you like the most these optional side panels or a A4-SFX that has 5mm more in width?
Personally I dislike the aesthetics of LEGO-cases like the Ghost, and even the split on the FormD T1. The single sheet sides look much nicer. I would be in favor if the 5mm wider version.
Request
Here is my next Offset-Panel concept. These panel will add 10mm on each side of the case. You can fit 55mm thick GPUs and CPU heatsinks like Thermalright AXP-100 Copper.
The panels are made from an black colored plastic-mold and an anodized brushed aluminum panel. These parts are connected without visible screws. The panel will be attached on the case main frame clips.
I like the look. What do you think?
Here is my next Offset-Panel concept. These panel will add 10mm on each side of the case. You can fit 55mm thick GPUs and CPU heatsinks like Thermalright AXP-100 Copper.
The panels are made from an black colored plastic-mold and an anodized brushed aluminum panel. These parts are connected without visible screws. The panel will be attached on the case main frame clips.
I like the look. What do you think?
IMHO: as an owner of the silver version, i like 1st model better. Just from a look perspective. I dislike having two colors front and top.
Also i would prefer to have the possibility add 1 or more spacers on one side, instead of having one +10 spacer max only.
Anyway it would still be a good option.
Also i would prefer to have the possibility add 1 or more spacers on one side, instead of having one +10 spacer max only.
Anyway it would still be a good option.
We are now on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DanCases/
