DAN A4-SFX v4.1

[MarcParis]

Good news for evga acx 3.0 gtx 1070/1080 (not classified version), it should be compatible with dan case a4-sfx...look at this video :

 

[ipla]

I've been playing a while with Sketch comparing a few <15L mini-itx cases, the Razer Core and even the new Xbox One S, just for fun:
I hope it would be helpful for someone else. BTW, I'm a happy backer of this project!

 

[Phuncz]

Well done, very useful !

 

[ipla]

Well done, very useful !

Thanks @Phuncz! I do want to go full Skylake with the 6700k (with some overclocking, whatever I can achieve with the Cryorig C7), but I'm struggling between the ASRock Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac and the Asus Z170i Pro Gaming. Any advice?

 

[Phuncz]

Unless I'm missing something in the comparison, the Asus has all the interesting features like PCIe M.2, better sound, USB 3.1. It seems the better allround choice for the 10-20% higher price.

 

[EdZ]

Thanks @Phuncz! I do want to go full Skylake with the 6700k (with some overclocking, whatever I can achieve with the Cryorig C7), but I'm struggling between the ASRock Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac and the Asus Z170i Pro Gaming. Any advice?

Have you considered the ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac? Silly name aside, it has most of the same features as the Asus Z170i Pro Gaming except:
- It swaps 2x USB2 ports for 2x USB3 ports on the rear
- Has one of its USB 3.1 ports as Type C rather than Type A (bay not be a benefit if you have to Type-C devices yet)
- Has an extra 2x SATA ports,
- Has 3x PWM fan headers (the Asus has 1x PWM and 2x non-PWM)
- The on-board HDMI is 2.0 rather than HDMI 1.4 on the Asus (4K60 capable rather than 4K24)

 

[jeshikat]

- Has 3x PWM fan headers (the Asus has 1x PWM and 2x non-PWM)

Has there been any confirmation on that? The manual suggests non-PWM but JJ from Asus says it has full PWM and he's knows his stuff.

 

[EdZ]

Has there been any confirmation on that? The manual suggests non-PWM but JJ from Asus says it has full PWM and he's knows his stuff.

JJ's video had a few other inaccuracies in it, like stating the m.2 lanes came from the CPU and use of it would cause the PCIe slot to drop down to 8x. This is not the case. It seemed almost like some parts of the script to that video were copy & pasted from the overview an mATX Z170 board, and some nonapplicable details slipped in with them.

 

[jeshikat]

Well, that's a bummer if it doesn't have full PWM. ASUS said their boards from Z97 on would have it so that's a regression.

 

[ipla]

Have you considered the ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac? Silly name aside, it has most of the same features as the Asus Z170i Pro Gaming except:
- It swaps 2x USB2 ports for 2x USB3 ports on the rear
- Has one of its USB 3.1 ports as Type C rather than Type A (bay not be a benefit if you have to Type-C devices yet)
- Has an extra 2x SATA ports,
- Has 3x PWM fan headers (the Asus has 1x PWM and 2x non-PWM)
- The on-board HDMI is 2.0 rather than HDMI 1.4 on the Asus (4K60 capable rather than 4K24)

Yeah, that one was the one I was saying (forgot the Fatal1ty on the name). So, Asrock's seem better. I had Asus before and I do loke their Firmware. I just hope Asrock delivers as well in this matter as well.

 

[dondan]

What do you think of my four hardware example configurations?

Pricebreaker: https://geizhals.eu/?cat=WL-678544
Performance: https://geizhals.eu/?cat=WL-678542
High-End: https://geizhals.eu/?cat=WL-677321
Enthusiast: https://geizhals.eu/?cat=WL-677324

 

[daedos]

Dan - great that you're really engaging with the community on this. The configs seem sound, since the new wave of GPUs are just coming out the specs should hold up when the cases actually ship.

BTW really hoping you can add 2 front USB ports and audio on the A4 v2

 

[Phuncz]

I'd certainly look at the Samsung 950 Pro for the Enthusiast and maybe High-end configs. With it being the only storage inside the system, it would be weird for the newest tech to be limited to last decade's storage performance.

 

[ipla]

Yes, I agree. Selection of motherboard, m.2 ssd and ram can be different from one build to another unless you consider just gpu and cpu are the only real game players here which I'm not totally agree. Those are the more important things, but there's more room to play with the other components too.

That being said, and according on what we've been discussing, why those MSI imotherboard? For the high-end, I'll go with the Asrock Fatal1ty plus the 512Gb Samsung 950 Pro and 2x16Gb DDR4 Corsair Vengeance at 3200Mhz.

@dondan, for the GPU, it's a rear exhaust better in terms of cooling on your case? Or there's no much difference?

 

[MarcParis]

Well, having one of them, I definitely recommand Gigabyte Z170N Gaming 5...super clearance for cpu cooler...nothing to complain..

 

[Necere]

I was just poking through some of my old CAD files and came across this from 2009:

Look familiar? I had a 1U/flex PSU with a ducted 80mm fan rather than SFX, but it's otherwise very similar to the A4 - back-to-back motherboard and GPU and everything. Great minds and all that, eh? I kind of wish I had been able to do something with it at the time, but I'm nevertheless happy someone finally did.

 

[dondan]

Nice concept. Looks like a design based on Streacom manufacturing. Maybe in future Ncase an DAN can cooperate for a project. Because I have tons of future ideas.

 

[Phuncz]

DANcase M2 ?

 

[Necere]

Nice concept. Looks like a design based on Streacom manufacturing.

At the time I didn't know much about manufacturing methods and sheet metal design, so it wasn't very fleshed out in that regard. But yeah, I can see the resemblance to Streacom's cases.

Maybe in future Ncase an DAN can cooperate for a project. Because I have tons of future ideas.

That's certainly a possibility.

 

[iFreilicht]

I just noticed how similar your logos are looking. Have you been planning something out already?