DAN C4-SFX - old

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Mallot

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Jun 3, 2017
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Ok I found the post. It looks as though the case is designed only for fans mounted on the bottom, which confuses me since I think Dan said in the opening post that the C4 can be flipped. In that case, wouldn't the fans be switched to top exhaust? That might work for water cooling, but how would that impact air cooling since it looks like there's not as much space for the bottom air intake in that case?
I assume the best way if you have an air cooler is to have bottom or top as intake, and then have the GPU as exhaust.
 

Edward Hay

Trash Compacter
Aug 5, 2016
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Ok I found the post. It looks as though the case is designed only for fans mounted on the bottom, which confuses me since I think Dan said in the opening post that the C4 can be flipped. In that case, wouldn't the fans be switched to top exhaust? That might work for water cooling, but how would that impact air cooling since it looks like there's not as much space for the bottom air intake in that case?
The CPU fan and the GPU cooler (especially with an open air design) would work as intakes for the case
 

staircase

Trash Compacter
Jan 26, 2018
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I just read thru all the post on this thread
Beautiful cases, Dan

It's a little disappointing for me (I came too late to vote).
(I also missed the vote for the front logo/no logo too)
I am sold on the original "connection strip" (As @Arboreal said) but not as much as the 45° bevel.

I don't think the 45° bevel belongs to this design.
Everything on the original was orthogonal (on the exterior), but now we have 2 angled element.

Another reason I like the "connection strip", it reminds me of pulling out of a drawer and put stuff in or out. But in this case, you would be pulling files from an USB. Plus, I like the color contrast and the recess resulted from the case shell (outside) vs the guts (inside).

I am not saying the 45° bevel design is bad, it's just I love the original one too much that I really want to see it on sale.
 
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Arboreal

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Oct 11, 2015
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can this be laid on its side, motherboard facing up

I don't think it would work well that way, Although the airflow from the case fans, (on one side or the other in this orientation), would be across the motherboard/GPU/SFX PSU, the intake for the GPU and PSU would be cut off by being laid on a hard surface or a carpeted floor.

I just read thru all the post on this thread
Beautiful cases, Dan

It's a little disappointing for me (I came too late to vote).
(I also missed the vote for the front logo/no logo too)
I am sold on the original "connection strip" (As @Arboreal said) but not as much as the 45° bevel.

I don't think the 45° bevel belongs to this design.
Everything on the original was orthogonal (on the exterior), but now we have 2 angled element.

Another reason I like the "connection strip", it reminds me of pulling out of a drawer and put stuff in or out. But in this case, you would be pulling files from an USB. Plus, I like the color contrast and the recess resulted from the case shell (outside) vs the guts (inside).

I am not saying the 45° bevel design is bad, it's just I love the original one too much that I really want to see it on sale.

@staircase - thank you for expressing my thoughts in an interesting and considered way. It reinforces my original thoughts on the design choices.
That said, for me, ANY C4-SFX variant will be better than none.
 

Jotunn

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Jan 25, 2018
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Fresh and new here, and this is looking pretty good so far, might consider for use making a system for my buddy when the design is completed and goes on to production.
 

jkiejr

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Jan 26, 2018
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I don't think it would work well that way, Although the airflow from the case fans, (on one side or the other in this orientation), would be across the motherboard/GPU/SFX PSU, the intake for the GPU and PSU would be cut off by being laid on a hard surface or a carpeted floor.



@staircase - thank you for expressing my thoughts in an interesting and considered way. It reinforces my original thoughts on the design choices.
That said, for me, ANY C4-SFX variant will be better than none.

well i wouldn't just lay it flat on it side, i would stick or tap holes for for feet on the side to give it airflow to that side
 
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Arboreal

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well i wouldn't just lay it flat on it side, i would stick or tap holes for for feet on the side to give it airflow to that side

That's fair enough, I was worried that you weren't thinking that way.
Really, until we see a prototype, it's all still up in the air.
Still excited nevertheless, the potential is really great on this design.
Dan seems quiet, I guess he's busy with the A4 v2 shipment that's upcoming IIRC.
 

Arboreal

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Oct 11, 2015
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It's been a bit quiet from Dan about how the C4-SFX development is going. I want to get this too, having followed it from the start.

I was tidying up at work a few days ago and saw this external hard drive on the shelf....something familiar about it ;)



It reminded me that I needed to post here and see how Dan is getting on with creating my next case!
 

jkiejr

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Jan 26, 2018
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you know what would be neat interchangeable front panels, like have a wood or bamboo one
 

Arboreal

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Other fronts look to be a nice option, I'd be happy with a plain C4-SFX some time soon

I want the reflection on my desk to stay silver though.
Ahhhhh, you'll need either the SpecialReflect TM Desk, or the VampireCoat TM finish on your front cover - all coming to the 'Arboreal Accessories' Store somewhen :p
 

FdeFons

Caliper Novice
Dec 8, 2017
31
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Well, look at this one below

It is really brilliant, I love this, wish a case with frontal panel of wood.

I like very much this design and the fact that it is mini itx, my next case will be this definitively, good work DAN.

Sorry for my english I'm learning and can be wrong.
 
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m-i-c-k-e-y

Average Stuffer
Feb 13, 2018
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Hello guyz! First post here. Just registered to chip-in my comments of such a great design. Many thumbs up to Dan and his pursuit to a perfect SFF case.

Here it is:

On Name:


C4-SFL for C4 -> size (A4, C4, A3?) SFL -> PSU size (SFX, SFX-L, ATX)

On Cooling:

A while you gave an illustration about how cooling was affected on the proposed design.



Have you considered that your placement of the PSU would draw-in air from the inside (thus reducing overall cold air intake) and expending the hot air on top together with the cold air coming in? As illustrated with the 6 violet arrows in the middle and 2 red arrows on top.



One reccomendation would be (w/c i think was suggested already) to: a. rotate the PSU where the fan is facing outward to the sides and have cutouts for it AND invert it where its exhaust fires downward. OR revert back to the A4-SFX layout.

On the argument of too many holes / air will go out: On the contrary, you have twin fans at the bottom. All the air (from all sides) will be drawn in by them.

On Front Panel/Plate:

Can't squeeze in a slim ODD sideways?

More power!

Michael
 
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mtrapuzz

What's an ITX?
Feb 13, 2018
1
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I don't like how the GPU covers the motherboard. Now-adays even the motherboards being manufactured are nice to look at, and I don't think many people would want crap blocking the view of their motherboard. Not to mention, you are making it unnecessarily hard to access motherboard components for trouble shooting and upgrading etc. I like the integration of the space for a 240 radiator, but you should keep the dual chamber layout the A4-SFX had and I would possibly replace my Ncase M1 with this. I am sure other folks would share my criticism.

There isn't really any beneficial attributes this case has over the A4-SFX V2. It still doesn't look as though you could do a custom loop and cool both CPU and GPU because of both getting in the way of each other, but I could be wrong. If you are just planning to use an AIO to cool your CPU, stick with the A4-SFX V2, because it can already do this is is 2 liters smaller.
 
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m-i-c-k-e-y

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Feb 13, 2018
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Yeah, as you said. IMO too the dual chamber layout of the A4-SFX is novel and efficient already. Add in only the 240 AIO cooler.
 
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Mallot

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Jun 3, 2017
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The fans are at the bottom, creating a negative pressure inside the case (not a positive pressure). The air coming out of the PSU will have some velocity/momentum, and so it won't really be recycled. There's already a movement in the air around the case is it's slowly being sucked in, and that's a movement of cool air, there may end up with some turbulance outside the case so that a small amount of hot air will be recycled.

The same goes for when it's exhausted, a lot of the air will have it's velocity outwards, but the velocity inwards will probably be much weaker, which will prevent most of the air to be recycled.
Turning the PSU upside down would probably have very minimal impact on temperature changes. But, it'd be nice to have the PSU have it's intake come from the backside, or an option to put it that way.


There isn't really any beneficial attributes this case has over the A4-SFX V2. It still doesn't look as though you could do a custom loop and cool both CPU and GPU because of both getting in the way of each other
A4 doesn't offer much of a cooling solution to the CPU, so if you have anything more high-end or overclockable it'll be wasted because of the limited cooling capacity.
Making it dual-chamber would add to the size, or require you to have a CPU smaller cooler if you don't go with CPU cooling. It looks like it'd also cause much more turbulence, which means more noise.

I think a custom-loop could fit in it, but it'd have to be custom. Why would you want to make a custom loop in an SFF case anyway? That kind of defeats the purpose of portability.
 
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