DAN C4-SFX

[Wolfe1]

how about adding a small plate to cover the IO cutout? it's for those who don't like the aesthetics of front IO and not using it. then these users can get create / customise that small plate to whatever they like. IIRC the Ncase M1 used to come 2 front panels, one of which doesn't have the IO cutout

I like the idea of having two plates come with it. One plate that just has a spot for the power switch and another that has all the top IO. That way people who want a more minimalist look or just want more space (longer GPU perhaps?) could do so.

Or perhaps if the power switch was moved elsewhere it could just be an IO plate and a blank plate for maximum GPU length.

This will be flat packed so I assume people would have to assemble that piece anyway so it doesn't really add much complication to the build I would think.

 

[dondan]

All that aside, I think my main gripe with it is the fact that all the promo pictures show the case with the D12L and two fans, and it looks freaking cool, but they were most likely taken without any RAM installed, and so learning I can't actually reproduce that look without making significant sacrifices is more than a little disappointing.

What do you mean? I use vlp ram so the pictures was taken with ram installed.

 

[Hudbox]

@Metroversal thank you for your inspiration and help. Here is my concept including your ideas:

I will move forward with this deesign for C4-SFXv2. Btw here is the result of the survey:

Pretty conculsive results. Just to add my thoughts for what it's worth, I'd prefer the IO on top to keep the clean look and the other feet as I feel these in the render are at odds with the minimal design of the case.

 

[Numen]

Pretty conculsive results. Just to add my thoughts for what it's worth, I'd prefer the IO on top to keep the clean look and the other feet as I feel these in the render are at odds with the minimal design of the case.

Second this, IO Ontop, without Analog Audio.

 

[spacemonQee]

Dan is brilliant. The D4 is a masterpiece! No riser for GPU, airflow ducts for the FE cards, space for 280 AIOs, minimalistic and beautiful design. I must say, there is no much room for big improvements, even if the other players on the market join this competition ... Dan is the Beatles of the SFF cases

did you get your case already?

 

[Rem Freeman]

Hey, all! New to this site, but there is a ton of great information here and I'm new to a lot of this, so it's been a lot of help. Also never thought I'd get to see such feedback from the creator of the case, so that's very cool. I was also late to this party so I had to buy my case through a reseller, though I was "lucky" in that regard. Found a case on Amazon Japan (through Amazon US), and though it was a fair markup, it's not as bad as other prices coming up now. That being said, I did purchase it two and half weeks ago and I still haven't gotten a shipment notification on it, so naturally I'm now freaking out about that . Hopefully, I'll be getting it soon enough and then the building can commence! Anyway, thanks to everyone for posting such great information and, with any luck, I'll be able to post my own build in the near future!

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

For a tower air cooler, the 2nd fan almost always does not bring much benefit. This is more so for a single tower, and less so for a dual tower. But nonetheless, cooling benefit is minimal or negligible. (But the 'wow' factor is certainly there, visually speaking.)
Eg https://tech4gamers.com/noctua-nh-d12l/ shows an i9-12900K cooled by NH-D12L, single fan vs dual fan only has 2-3C difference.

Another eg i5-12600K OC to 5.1GHz (https://www.funkykit.com/reviews/cooling/noctua-nh-d12l-low-height-dual-tower-cooler-review/4/)

Actually, I think, in the entire chain of thermal transfer (in the path of airflow) , whether or not there is a 2nd fan is usually not the bottleneck. Other factors will more likely being determining. If one really really wants to squeeze that 2-3 degrees off, maybe use a top-notch thermal paste and ultra fine tuning/undervolting will be more useful.

It also heavily depends on the case and its orientation.

For a real life example: While I had my SAMA-IM01 sitting in its normal orientation, temps were a bit lower in idle than when moving it to the vertical position. Adding the optional secondary fan improved the temps by 5 C (keeping the system in idle cooler and VERY nice on full load). But the ultimate weapon was adding an outer fan "on top" (what normally would have been the back), which reduced temps on full load by another whooping 6 C. For system specs: i5 12400, RTX 3050, Noctua D9L.

cu, w0lf.

 

[nuku]

@dondan
I am new to this forum and wouldn't call me an SFF enthusiast either (yet). I was just looking for a small new case for a future build and somehow stumbled upon the C4-SFX. I am really impressed by the product itself but also how you include the community in your product design process and answer questions here. Thank you! I hope some of the comments here won't demotivate you. It will never be possible to please everyone.
I will probably buy the v2 or a later revision for my next build in the distant future (I will wait for next generation of CPUs and GPUs, so probably not before 2025) . Do you already have a long term road map for the C4-SFX?

 

[Bonusround]

In the option A design, is the black portion a single piece, top+sides, or is there a seam? If the former, how does it flat pack?

Understand that it’s out of the running, but still curious how this design would have worked. Answer please, @dondan?

 

[dondan]

three parts

 

[dondan]

@dondan
Do you already have a long term road map for the C4-SFX?

No

 

[Tesserae]

Mod-break:
This is against our rules. Message removed and warning issued.

 

[kuj0]

Damn, sad to hear that my chances of ever scoring a V1 are out the window. I only just came upon the C4 recently and fell in love with the design and compatibility. V2 looks great, but I'll definitely still try to snag a V1 on the aftermarket if I can

 

[FredL]

One suggestion for the C4-SFX v2 would be to have a couple of options for mounting 2.5" drives, e.g. at the base of the case. The A4-SFX 4.1 came with an optional attachment which could hold two drives at the bottom of the case (I tried to use it on my C4 but alas couldn't find an easy way to attach).

 

[betovzky]

did you get your case already?

Yes

 

[Covuk]

Warning to all owners - edited:

With my Loki 1000w PSU, the standoffs included in the kit and labelled as PSU standoff in the manual do not fit - or at least woiuld require so much force that it feels they will damage the threads. The correct standoffs should be 6-32 Female-Male (i.e. both threads are 6-32) and are tricky to get in UK/EU but I've sourced some from a supplier and these fit absolutely fine. I'm wary of advertising anything here, but I have loads now and can arrange supply to anyone who needs some, just drop me a message.

Not sure if this is just me, as I've received email from someone who thought they fitted fine, but on a different PSU

If you want to mount the PSU to the SSD drive area this is possible, but you need these standoffs for the PSU so that you can clear the power plug when you refit the front panel. I've done this for my SFX-L PSU to allow use of the Founders Edition exhaust slot at the same time (which requires removal if you use the PSU bracket and an SFX-L power supply).

 

[konnerbllb]

While I could save some millimeters in the length I will add them to the height and shift the motherboard 5mm lower to fit also mATX next to ITX in the v2. mATX is limited to air cooling or 240 AIO support only because the PSU is mounted 90° rotated at the front.

I like the addition of mATX support, that should help with cost in future builds. Forgive me if I've missed it but with the PSU rotated where does the PSU intake and exhaust point? Currently the PSU intake pulls air from outside of the case and exhausts into the case. With it rotated 90 degrees does it intake and exhaust air into the case?

 

[kuj0]

Warning to all owners:

The standoffs included in the kit and labelled as PSU standoff in the manual are NOT actually threaded correctly to screw into a PSU - they are threaded 6-32 female and M3 male. These are motherboard/case standoffs and you will damage either the standoffs or the PSU if you try to force them into a PSU. Were they intended as PSU cage standoffs not for the PSU itself? I couldn't work out how this would work.

If you want to mount the PSU to the SSD drive area this is possible, but you need these standoffs for the PSU so that you can clear the power plug when you refit the front panel. I've done this for my SFX-L PSU to allow use of the Founders Edition exhaust slot at the same time (which requires removal if you use the PSU bracket and an SFX-L power supply).

The correct standoffs should be 6-32 Female-Male (i.e. both threads are 6-32) and are tricky to get in UK/EU but I've sourced some. I'm wary of advertising anything here, but I have loads now and can arrange supply to anyone who needs some, just drop me a message.

@dondan It's worth chasing this up with LianLi to ensure this error does not reoccur with v2

Thanks for sharing your experience - I'm also planning to use an SFX-L power supply for my 4090fe build, so I'd like to avoid running into the same issue. Could you share any photos of what mounting points / standoffs you're referring to?

 

[Acropastix]

After some weeks with this case i would like to give my pro and cons.( I had previously a Ncase M1 as my main case.)

Pros :
- i can switch my rear M2 drive without dismounting the mother board. (love it)
-i can access easily to fans headers with the remove of the bottom grid.
- 240 or 280 radiators if i want or change my mind

Cons :
- front UsB C cable too short for some motherboards
- No Passage for watercooling at the rear (loved my Ncase pump/reservoir combo). but its minor since there are so many other options (barrow pump/res, Ek pump/res, aquanaut nouvolo, Modultra LOBO, etc)
- i use Front I/O usb mainly for Usb Key, so Usb C is not the best only choice (USB A and USB C would be the best IMO).

Totally personal opinion : I perfectly undersand the choice of having the front without any brand sign, but i would love having a front panel like a wall of a forerunner door (halo infinite).

Thanks for this beautiful case Dan !

 

[kuj0]

@dondan Can you use an SFX-L PSU and the 4090FE airflow bracket at the same time?