DAN A4 v4.1 - My first SFF build - need your help

[Xandrae]

Hi everyone, I am new in the SFF world. So be kind to me.
It has been some month now that I discovered that Small Form Factors could handle high-end gaming configurations, and so I wanted to try the experience.
I ve already build like 3-4 normal configurations for me, family or friends, so I consider myself not a total beginner. But this Dan A4, damn, has taken me already some hours.

I came to present my build. It is not finished yet ( i am waiting for the SSD M.2), but I ve been able to go into the BIOS and begin to custom my fan curves, CPU voltage, ... and check the idle temps

Here is my setup, then I will say about my concern. Sorry if my english is not perfect, you have a baguette guy in front of you. ^^

Case: Dan A4 v4.1​

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Motherboard: MSI MPG B550I GAMING EDGE WIFI MINI ITX​

Cooling: Noctua NF-A9x14 HS-PWM chromax.Black (as Intake pulling air into the case - located under the MoBo)​

M.2 Cooling: included in the MoBo​

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CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz (Base clock 1.430Ghz with an -0.1 offset voltage)​

Thermal paste: Thermal Grizzly - Kryonaut​

Cooling: AIO Asetek 645LT 92mm + Noctua NF-A9x14 HS-PWM fan (Exhausting air outside the case - located below the PSU)​

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Memory: Gigabyte Designare 64 Go (2 x 32 Go) DDR4 3200 MHz CL16 (Mobo natively maxed at 2600MHz so I activated XMP (D.O.C.P) to change clock at 3200MHz)​

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GPU: Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 6800​

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Storage: AORUS NVMe Gen4 SSD 2TB​

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PSU: Corsair SF750 80PLUS Platinum​

Now let's talk about this AIO Asetek 645LT. (For information - It is my first time mounting a CPU watercooling)
First thing I ve struggled to get everything inside the case clearly because of the Asetek. I feel like it is taking a big place for nothing.
Secondly, the temps. Only being in the BIOS, my CPU core already reach 60-65C. All my other temps are around 40-45C.

That is my concern. Do you think I ve been doing something wrong? I dont think the thermal paste spreading was badly done (as said, I already build several PC already without issues).
The air going out under the case is hot as f**k and I am not even playing yet.
I am really dubitated about the efficiency of an AIO cooling inside this kind of case. The fan can barely take air inside the case (PSU cable are just above). The hot water has not time to cool that is already going back into the CPU. Not a good first experience for me right now with this AIO.

I ve read other topic such as this one :my-first-itx-build-dan-a4-sfx-v4-1 in which he cool his CPU with the Alpenföhn Black Ridge. Do you think i might have better results with this one (and more free space also) ?

Pictures will come soon, I not at home right now.
Thank you for reading me, see you.

 

[riba2233]

1. Put the aio fan into intake orientation, so it gets cool air from the outside

2. install windows and run some proper tests, bios temps are worthless

 

[Xandrae]

1. Put the aio fan into intake orientation, so it gets cool air from the outside

2. install windows and run some proper tests, bios temps are worthless

Of course, I will do additional tests when I have my SSD & windows. nevertheless, I dont think BIOS temps are worthless

Regarding your first point, (get CPU fan as intake), I am also not sure about the move. You are probably right about having fresh air for the CPU radiator, but is that the good thing to do for all the remaining components?? I will probably get fresh air from the outside, but I will surely increase the overall temperature of the case because that fresh will directly turn into +60C air inside the case after the CPU cooling.

 

[riba2233]

Of course, I will do additional tests when I have my SSD & windows. nevertheless, I dont think BIOS temps are worthless

Regarding your first point, (get CPU fan as intake), I am also not sure about the move. You are probably right about having fresh air for the CPU radiator, but is that the good thing to do for all the remaining components?? I will probably get fresh air from the outside, but I will surely increase the overall temperature of the case because that fresh will directly turn into +60C air inside the case after the CPU cooling.

Other components get air directly from the outside, since their fans are close to the mesh. Yes, exhaust would benefit gpu temps a bit because it would help with exhausting its hot air, but that is too big of a compromise for cpu temps, so definitely set it to intake.

Bios temps don't tell much, since cpu is in some kind of high power state without power management and max voltage.

 

[joconnell]

I'm on a 3950x and the 645lt also, I have the block at the bottom of the case, a NF-A9x14 on top of that in intake mode and a second NF-A9x14 under my motherboard also in in take mode. Idle temps are around 55-60c and up around 75c during gaming in cyberpunk. As far as I heard, the 5000 ryzen run hotter than the 3000 by a little bit due to better single thread performance and also the 3950 is cooler than other cpus since it has more cores but running slower.

In one way it's very impressive that this entire setup can run at all! It'd be worth your while waiting until you have windows installed to see if you have any real world problems with your system like throttling or crashing.

 

[Shaytanya]

The Acetek 92mm is both wonderful and terrible - it works a treat cooling my i5-10600k overclocked, but getting it in and my m2 temperatures were troublesome.
1. Fit - there is a very small gap between the AIO, Noctua 92mm fan and the PSU which means fitting the cables is very hard. I went to the website PSlatecustoms.com and purchased a full set of custom made, unsleeved (this is key) Dan A4 cables - you tell Phil your setup and he handmake cables to the exact measurements for the Dan A4 - without this, I could not fit the cables in. The cables are not cheap and it cost around £15 shipping to the UK, which I would imagine would be similar for France. However, top quality. https://www.pslatecustoms.com/collections/dan-a4-sfx;

2. Temps - My biggest issue with the AIO was that it meant there is a lack of airflow over the MOBO/M2 slots - I have the Asus ROG Strix Z490 which also said it has adequate M2 cooling, but in the Dan A4, it was not sufficent. I purchased a Noctua NF-A4x20 PWM 40mm 5000RPM fan to promote airflow. This reduced my M2 temps from 100 degrees to 65 degrees at load. It has also reduced CPU temps by a few degees.

I note that I am also using the 3080 FE, which adds heat in my set up.

You can see the 40mm fan top right in the below:

 

[Xandrae]

The adventure still on going.
Here you have some news and pictures.
I received my SSD yesterday, installed windows and missing drivers, so now I will be able to run proper tests.
By the way, what softwares/benchmark should I run? what do you recommend? (I am new to this, usually I just plug and play, not optimize)
I've put the Asetek fan as intake as recommended by riba2233.
Idle, I barely go above 55C. I will provide you more details after the benchmarks.
See you soon


Picture 1: As you can see, I passed PSU cable behind to save some space on the other side.

Picture 2: Behind Cables reordered

Picture 3: CPU side (sorry for the quality)

Picture 4: GPU side with the GPU installed

 

[riba2233]

I hate to tell you this since I know it is not easy to change, but your AIO fan is set to exhaust, not intake.

The way it is set in this picture, it is taking hot air from the inside of the case (mainly the gpu), heating it even more through the radiator. and then exhausting it out of the case.

For radiator to work well you want as high as possible delta T in air temp, if you take air that is already hot radiator won't work at its peak efficiency.

 

[Xandrae]

I hate to tell you this since I know it is not easy to change, but your AIO fan is set to exhaust, not intake.

The way it is set in this picture, it is taking hot air from the inside of the case (mainly the gpu), heating it even more through the radiator. and then exhausting it out of the case.

For radiator to work well you want as high as possible delta T in air temp, if you take air that is already hot radiator won't work at its peak efficiency.

These are photos before the change, while dismounting, but thank you for the comment, you have good eyes.

 

[riba2233]

These are photos before the change, while dismounting, but thank you for the comment, you have good eyes.

Ok, I was hoping that was the case

 

[Xandrae]

Hi again,
I am back with some information.
It is the first time I perform some benchmarks and modifications to control my temperatures so please let me know if I am doing something wrong.

Software used:
- AMD Radeon Software (for GPU modifications test)
- Ryzen Master (for CPU modifications and load test)
- CPUID HWMonitor (for detailed monitoring)
- Passmark Performance test (for benchmark test)
- UserBenchmark (for benchmark test)
- Red Dead Redemption (for gaming test)

IDLE
First my purpose is to have a silent, yet performant PC, so I adapted my fan curves (see hereunder), and I manage to have ~50 C avg temps at idle. Which I am happy with.

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LOAD
CPU: Without any limitation, I launched CPU load in Ryzen Master just to see how hot this toaster is getting. As you can see my CPU was capped:
Ryzen master load test: f= 4400 MHz (capped) instead of 4800MHz / T= 85 C / U= 1.4 V (variable)
Passmark test= 15978 / T= 68 C

I saw that I can define manually frequency and constant voltage through Ryzen Master which I have done as here is the result have:
Setting: f= 4400 MHz / U= 1.15 V (constant)
Ryzen master load test: T= 71 C
Passmark test= 26468 / T= 85 C (I launched it several times to confirm, strange dont you think?)

But I dont like to have constant voltage into my CPU (I dont know why but that is my feeling regarding the result above?) and to open Ryzen master everytime to apply modifications.

Now I need your help, first, what do you think, then what modifications do you recommend, finally where to perform these modifications in the BIOS to not use Ryzen Master? My objective is to not reach 75 C.

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GPU
For the GPU I think I will come back later if I manage to solve my CPU problems.

Thank you for having reading me, and thank you for your time.

 

[Xandrae]

Up someine to comment? Help me about it? Thank by advance