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DAN C4-SFX - old
- Thread starter dondan
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I second that.
I believe a NZXT Kraken X52 (the largest AIO pump to my knowledge) would fit since the space left is 54mm and the pump is 52.9mm.
Hi, just registered to say how much I love the look of the C4-SFX, and can't wait for its release! I hope I'll be able to purchase it from Australia, however.
I love the addition on another USB port, and the ports moved to the side for a cleaner front make it look more elegant compared to the A4-SFX.
Great work, @dondan!
I love the addition on another USB port, and the ports moved to the side for a cleaner front make it look more elegant compared to the A4-SFX.
Great work, @dondan!
Today I reviewed the result of the second survey.
94,4% of all voters like the design of the C4-SFX. So this makes me happy because it looks like I found a new outer design that is different to the old one that match your taste.
Relating the front logo question there is no real winner. So this is something I have to decide by myself. I think there are people that can’t life with the front logo because they like it clean. On the other hand people that like the logo will also buy the case without it. So I think I will do it like with the A4-SFX and make the C4-SFX without front logo.
For the back side 68,5% like to have venting holes. What I forget to say, these holes have no real function and will not have a real impact on cooling performance. Maybe this question is now biased because it is based on wrong hopes. In my opinion it would be the best to make the backside clean. External water cooling lovers can easily mod the case and everyone else will have a clean back side that looks more aesthetic then pre drilled tube holes. But the last word isn’t spoken I have to think about going the democratic or the dictatorial way.
Now we come to the last question. This one was the most important for me. For around 55% of the participant 2 Slot is enough and 45% like to have 2.5 Slot card support to fit cards like the Asus GTX 1080Ti Strix.
I thought the last days about it and found a solution that match everyone tastes. The C4-SFX will be the first sub 10L case that will fit both 2 and 2.5 Slot cards.
In the first step I made the cutout and mounting bend 10mm longer. I removed the slot bar so the I/O ports of the card will be not covered if you shift it. In the second step I created a cover that will be useable in two directions. Direction one will support 2 Slot cards if you rotate the cover and screw it again to the case it will support 2.5 slot cards. I made two different types of covers. One cover with center bar and the other without it. What version do you prefer?
Supporting both card types require also changes on the riser car. So I have two ideas for it. The first idea is including two risers one for 2.5 slot cards and the other for 2 slot cards. The second idea is adding a second PCIe port to the current riser. Both PCIe Ports will be connected to the same lanes so you can’t use them simultaneous but both ports will have full PCIe 16x speed.
What do you think?
Thank you for your support.
Daniel Hansen
94,4% of all voters like the design of the C4-SFX. So this makes me happy because it looks like I found a new outer design that is different to the old one that match your taste.
Relating the front logo question there is no real winner. So this is something I have to decide by myself. I think there are people that can’t life with the front logo because they like it clean. On the other hand people that like the logo will also buy the case without it. So I think I will do it like with the A4-SFX and make the C4-SFX without front logo.
For the back side 68,5% like to have venting holes. What I forget to say, these holes have no real function and will not have a real impact on cooling performance. Maybe this question is now biased because it is based on wrong hopes. In my opinion it would be the best to make the backside clean. External water cooling lovers can easily mod the case and everyone else will have a clean back side that looks more aesthetic then pre drilled tube holes. But the last word isn’t spoken I have to think about going the democratic or the dictatorial way.
Now we come to the last question. This one was the most important for me. For around 55% of the participant 2 Slot is enough and 45% like to have 2.5 Slot card support to fit cards like the Asus GTX 1080Ti Strix.
I thought the last days about it and found a solution that match everyone tastes. The C4-SFX will be the first sub 10L case that will fit both 2 and 2.5 Slot cards.
In the first step I made the cutout and mounting bend 10mm longer. I removed the slot bar so the I/O ports of the card will be not covered if you shift it. In the second step I created a cover that will be useable in two directions. Direction one will support 2 Slot cards if you rotate the cover and screw it again to the case it will support 2.5 slot cards. I made two different types of covers. One cover with center bar and the other without it. What version do you prefer?
Supporting both card types require also changes on the riser car. So I have two ideas for it. The first idea is including two risers one for 2.5 slot cards and the other for 2 slot cards. The second idea is adding a second PCIe port to the current riser. Both PCIe Ports will be connected to the same lanes so you can’t use them simultaneous but both ports will have full PCIe 16x speed.
What do you think?
Thank you for your support.
Daniel Hansen
Dan, thanks for the new visuals and ideas. I have been meaning to post on this for ages, but haven't got round to it.
I did vote and found the results interesting, your 2/2.5 slot solution even more interesting - that really is impressive!
I have to say that your C4 is my favourite upcoming case at the moment; I had great hopes for @Necere's Sidearm as a home for my travelling LAN gamer, but that isn't going to happen any time soon.
The A4 was brilliant, but a little too compact IMHO for some reason. The C4 form factor looks great for me with SFX power, longer than ITX cards and an 'upright' style.
Keep up the good work, you really are going places with your ideas.
I did vote and found the results interesting, your 2/2.5 slot solution even more interesting - that really is impressive!
I have to say that your C4 is my favourite upcoming case at the moment; I had great hopes for @Necere's Sidearm as a home for my travelling LAN gamer, but that isn't going to happen any time soon.
The A4 was brilliant, but a little too compact IMHO for some reason. The C4 form factor looks great for me with SFX power, longer than ITX cards and an 'upright' style.
Keep up the good work, you really are going places with your ideas.
@dondan, With the covers, would it cost much extra to include both types? Personally, I like the one with the center bar, however I have had the center bar get in the way of connectors before, so it would be handy to have the option of not having it.
In regards to the PCI-E riser, if you go the dual slot method I am 100% sure you will get some users trying to use both slots despite notices saying only one can be used. That being said, I say go with whichever method is cheapest, as they would both perform the same.
In light of the vent holes at the back having no purpose, a flush look might be better for modders. I voted vents as I thought it might actually vent, lol.
Hopefully the case is relatively quiet when done (maybe with some sound dampening materials, idk), as I would like the case to be sitting on my desk to admire.
In regards to the PCI-E riser, if you go the dual slot method I am 100% sure you will get some users trying to use both slots despite notices saying only one can be used. That being said, I say go with whichever method is cheapest, as they would both perform the same.
In light of the vent holes at the back having no purpose, a flush look might be better for modders. I voted vents as I thought it might actually vent, lol.
Hopefully the case is relatively quiet when done (maybe with some sound dampening materials, idk), as I would like the case to be sitting on my desk to admire
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Radical idea here, @dondan: I like the idea for the 2/2.5-slot riser. It's (almost) idiot-proof. But how about a BIFURCATED riser with each slot x8? No current GPU saturates x16 anyway, but it would require using a motherboard that supported bifurcation. Fortunately, many more do now.
FWIW, I'm very happy with my A4, and no plans to get this case, but I did want to throw out my suggestion even if you and the community ultimately decide against it.
FWIW, I'm very happy with my A4, and no plans to get this case, but I did want to throw out my suggestion even if you and the community ultimately decide against it.
Something on my mind is how well the GPU will be sucking in air from the outside. Some things I've thought about would be having some adjustable rubber rings to seal the rest of the case off (pretty simple to make, take any thin rubber tube, slice it on one side, make it into a self-eating snake, and pad the insides if needed (stiffness likely means it won't be needed)), so that the GPU fans have to suck air in from outside the case.
Otherwise I'd be worried much of the air ends up recyceled, but I suppose it's possible the exhaust fans at the bottom will provide enough passive intake for the GPU to be saturated and move the air that would otherwise be circulated.
Another thing that has me wondering is... Is those few mm really enough for exhaust? While you do have enough clearance inside the case for the fans to get enough air. I don't know if the bottom has enough area to successfully remove the air, to me it seems like the air would simply bounce up again and cause a lot of turbulence at the bottom of the case.
Flipping the case, as apparently possible, would I suppose fix that issue.
Otherwise I'd be worried much of the air ends up recyceled, but I suppose it's possible the exhaust fans at the bottom will provide enough passive intake for the GPU to be saturated and move the air that would otherwise be circulated.
Another thing that has me wondering is... Is those few mm really enough for exhaust? While you do have enough clearance inside the case for the fans to get enough air. I don't know if the bottom has enough area to successfully remove the air, to me it seems like the air would simply bounce up again and cause a lot of turbulence at the bottom of the case.
Flipping the case, as apparently possible, would I suppose fix that issue.
What's the point in a bifurcated riser when you'll never fit 2 GPUs into that? (well I guess there's a 1slot gtx 1050ti, but yeah..)
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I played with my rendering tool:
(click for 4K view)
(click for 4K view)
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They both don't need to be GPUs. In fact, neither of them *need* to be GPUs.
Someone in a German forum requested this picture:
@dondan, How does the airflow go with the PSU? That picture looks like the PSU is venting air upwards, although the air is getting pulled downwards by the case/radiator fans at the bottom.
I guess just mounting the PSU with the power plug facing down would work, unless it needs to be in that specific orientation due to cables, etc.
I guess just mounting the PSU with the power plug facing down would work, unless it needs to be in that specific orientation due to cables, etc.
I'll take a stab: The intake for the PSU is on 1 side or the other (guessing the side panel of the case), so the PSU exhaust direction doesn't matter - it shouldn't interfere with the exhaust fans on the bottom, and the PSU always gets fresh air..
Yes warm air of the PSU will be recycled by the case, but this doesn't matter because the heat that is geneareted by the psu isn't that high.
I can't rotate the psu so the warm air will directly go to the bottom fan. The reason for this is that it will make mounting the bottom fan under the psu impossible. Furthermore it will make routing the psu cables harder. In this way the GPU power wires have to go berween PSU and GPU. This will not work with 2.5 slot GPUs. Also in this direction the 8pin CPU (ESP) 12v connector has to be routed over the board.
I can't rotate the psu so the warm air will directly go to the bottom fan. The reason for this is that it will make mounting the bottom fan under the psu impossible. Furthermore it will make routing the psu cables harder. In this way the GPU power wires have to go berween PSU and GPU. This will not work with 2.5 slot GPUs. Also in this direction the 8pin CPU (ESP) 12v connector has to be routed over the board.
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I (will) have the Zotac 1080 ti AMP Extreme (a gift). The dimensions on their website aren’t 100% as it factors in the PCI bracket for its length and height. I’ve guesstimated (as I don’t physically have the card yet) that’s its actually more around 315x135x54mm. But it’s still one of the largest cards available which is making it hard to find a SFF case that suits
@Sandez: The maximum length is 305mm so the card will not fit
I am thinking of a version with tempered glass window kit. Yes you are looking right, there are no venting holes on the side panel. I think the fans in the bottom create enough airflow through the complete case so the GPU will get enough air.
I am thinking of a version with tempered glass window kit. Yes you are looking right, there are no venting holes on the side panel. I think the fans in the bottom create enough airflow through the complete case so the GPU will get enough air.
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