DAN C4-SFX

[dondan]

@Boil:

FAN Question:
You will be able to fit a slim 120mm fan

PSU Question:
No this is not possible but you can use the Linus Hole PSU mounting to achive something similar.

Linus Holes:
I will ask him

 

[Bonusround]

@Boil:

FAN Question:
You will be able to fit a slim 120mm fan

Two with PSU in the LTT position?

 

[dondan]

Nice idea yes this should work. I will add more mountpoints

 

[BRSxIgnition]

What're the odds this ends up being a July 'Q3' case rather than a December 'Q4' case?

5 months is a lot more time to wait.

EDIT: Also, is the TG panel shown in the prototype images still planned to ship with the C4 alongside the traditional aluminum panels?

 

[thelaughingman]

Two with PSU in the LTT position?

Nice idea yes this should work. I will add more mountpoints

guess I kinda told you so! just didn't expect there to be enough for a slim fan but this is only possible with SFX PSU right? If it was SFX-L the cable connector coming out of the PSU would hit the motherboard?

the only advantage I see is that by rotating the PSU 90 degrees and mount to front frame, you gain back the volume up top that was not usable before because of the tall power extension plug. but IIRC it's only about 10mm in height (?) so not sure what can be squeezed in there haha

 

[Revenant]

I 100% agree with this. Having a logo would be much better. Im not talented enough to come up with one, but I love the idea of a community contest. We got some super talented people in the community.

Alternatively, I liked the power button + usb c connector that was used before. If that is an option as well, I can do without the logo.

If there is a logo, please make it removable. I’m hoping to have a beautiful piece of art style case with nothing but metal on the front, top, and sides.

 

[Boil]

@Boil:

FAN Question:
You will be able to fit a slim 120mm fan

PSU Question:
No this is not possible but you can use the Linus Hole PSU mounting to achive something similar.

Linus Holes:
I will ask him

The overwhelming compute should skew the scores enough to make the "Lower Volume Or Death" crowd realize there ain't no replacement for displacement (and the ensuing ability for more horsepower, aka compute resources)...! ;^p

Two with PSU in the LTT position?

Nice idea yes this should work. I will add more mountpoints

the only advantage I see is that by rotating the PSU 90 degrees and mount to front frame, you gain back the volume up top that was not usable before because of the tall power extension plug. but IIRC it's only about 10mm in height (?) so not sure what can be squeezed in there haha

So by using the LinusHole PSU mounting, there would be room for two 15mm thick fans on the top (bottom when inverted)...?

Will the shipping internal power lead extension be long enough when using the LinusHole PSU mounting option...?

Or might an option at purchase be to add in the proper length power lead & the required stand-offs...!?!

Because if I can get two NF-A12x15 PWM fans in the mix (although ten extra mm for full 25mm fans would be optimal; wink, wink, nudge, nudge), that would be cool (pun intended)...!

Looking forward to future updates...!

 

[dondan]

Two with PSU in the LTT position?

 

[Bonusround]

nice!

 

[BRSxIgnition]

This case just keeps getting better and better.

(And you want us to wait another 8-12 months!?)

(I kid, I kid, take your time.)

( ... Just not too much time.)

 

[ignsvn]

@dondan

Can I double check that the latest iteration supports only 1 x 2.5" drive? (At least that's what's written on the front page of the thread at the moment)

 

[dondan]

Yes only one drive.

 

[Boil]

Will the shipping internal power lead extension be long enough when using the LinusHole PSU mounting option...?

After further staring at a few of the renders posted above, I can see where the stock internal power lead extension will fit either regular of LinusHole postions without any issues...?

Or might an option at purchase be to add in the proper length power lead & the required stand-offs...!?!

Because if I can get two NF-A12x15 PWM fans in the mix (although ten extra mm for full 25mm fans would be optimal; wink, wink, nudge, nudge), that would be cool (pun intended)...!

Looking forward to future updates...!

LinusHole stand-offs should be included with the chassis (in black if possible), to provide the most modularity possible...!

Increasing the height by 10mm to allow for 25mm thick fans in the top (normal) or bottom (inverted) would increase the overall PPL bounding box (feet included, no PCIe tab) measurement from 12.77L to 13.27L, a half liter increase...

Still just below the PPL bounding box measurement for the NCASE M1; which comes in at 13.46L, but with the ability for a 280 AIO, an inverted mode (for improved GPU exhaust with deshrouding & dual 120x25mm fans), and possible dual intake/exhaust (depending on config) 120x15mm fans...!

 

[ignsvn]

Yes only one drive.

A ~12L case but only supports 1 x 2.5" drive is quite.. surprising.

Is it because there's no other possible location, or.. ?

 

[definelicht]

A ~12L case but only supports 1 x 2.5" drive is quite.. surprising.

Is it because there's no other possible location, or.. ?

Honestly I'm always annoyed at how much space some ITX cases waste on room for drives when M.2 is such a better solution for ITX cases. I get having room for one because they're cheaper, but this is not a case oriented towards people who want to build a NAS.

 

[Retrias]

generally a case of this size have 2 and even way smaller case have 2 so I get where he is coming from. 1 is enough for me but its still a space constraint since anything above 2tb of m.2 storage is expensive

 

[Prothea]

generally a case of this size have 2 and even way smaller case have 2 so I get where he is coming from. 1 is enough for me but its still a space constraint since anything above 2tb of m.2 storage is expensive

You're right. I'm sure there are plenty of unofficial places to mount drives, like if you're using an air cooler for your CPU you may be able to fit a couple in the space between a front mounted PSU and the cooler, either attached to the side panel or somewhere in the frame

 

[ignsvn]

Honestly I'm always annoyed at how much space some ITX cases waste on room for drives when M.2 is such a better solution for ITX cases. I get having room for one because they're cheaper, but this is not a case oriented towards people who want to build a NAS.

The thing with onboard M.2 is.. well ITX mobos can only have.. 2 right? And yes I have my own use case. Not NAS - it involves having multiple OS and, ideally, I can detach a drive (an OS) quickly & bring it somewhere, be it as slave or master, attach it to older mobos that doesn't yet support M.2, etc.

Instead of wasting space, there are some smaller ITX cases out there that utilize whatever space left to put 2.5" drive. NFC Skyreach is one example. (And inb4 one say "then just use that case..")

Agree that C4's side frame / fan / radiator holder can be a candidate for more mounting points.

Anyway.. too tired to debate further. I'll just see the final spec around Q3/Q4? 2021.

 

[SFF Watercooled]

I mean, nowadays M2 SSDs are only about $10 more expensive than SATA SSDs. Plus, I'm pretty sure most people have only one 2.5" drive in the first place. Although if you do want extra storage, more drives might be necessary. But, most people only have 1 M2 SSD or 2.5" drive, or maybe both. So, the Dan C4 should accommodate most people in the current revision, although if you want some extra storage and fans, here are some ideas:

Mounting ideas:

1. Up where the top 120mm slim fan when not in use
2. ADD an option to move the PSU down for a 120mm slim fan or a 2.5" drive (SFX PSU only, may result in harder cable management. Keep in mind, there should be two options: The original one and the one I'm suggesting. The higher option is for people with SFX-L PSUs or people who want better cable management. The lower option is for a 120mm slim fan or 2.5" drive, although using SFX should probably be required. It will be a little harder for cable management, although I think people will find the tradeoff worth it for an extra 120mm slim fan or a 2.5" drive. Beware of cable management woes!
   Clarification: I mean without Linus PSU mounting)
3. 2.5" drives below the GPU if it's 2 slots or less (It will probably drive up temperatures, but it should be still considered as an option, just in case. (Pun not intended) If you have a waterblock on the GPU for example, it will even fit 3.5" drives!)
4. When there is a shorter GPU, there will be space for a lot of extra storage
5. Below where you plug in the power cable
6. In front of the PSU (If the PSU fan is not facing towards it)

Some of these will be pretty hard to implement, including 5 and 6
So, instead of arguing about storage, why don't you contribute some ideas? Put them down below!

 

[Boil]

A ~12L case but only supports 1 x 2.5" drive is quite.. surprising.

Is it because there's no other possible location, or.. ?

The chassis appears to be designed to host the mobo / CPU / GPU / PSU / AIO as best as possible; this leads to compromises...

Honestly I'm always annoyed at how much space some ITX cases waste on room for drives when M.2 is such a better solution for ITX cases. I get having room for one because they're cheaper, but this is not a case oriented towards people who want to build a NAS.

Yes...! This case is not designed to be a NAS...

generally a case of this size have 2 and even way smaller case have 2 so I get where he is coming from. 1 is enough for me but its still a space constraint since anything above 2tb of m.2 storage is expensive

M.2 prices are not too much more than 2.5" SSDs at this point...

And either option gets expensive as the capacity goes up...

2.5" HHDs are a cheaper mass storage option, but they are usually 15mm thick, and can be noisy, and generate more heat than SSDs...?

The thing with onboard M.2 is.. well ITX mobos can only have.. 2 right? And yes I have my own use case. Not NAS - it involves having multiple OS and, ideally, I can detach a drive (an OS) quickly & bring it somewhere, be it as slave or master, attach it to older mobos that doesn't yet support M.2, etc.

ASRock X299E-ITX/ac "Little Monster" mobo would like a word...! It has three M.2 SSD slots...!

So you want to bury a drive in your system, with the two required cables (SATA data & SATA power), only to be able to access it ("quickly") for removal & reinsertion in the future...?

Seems like a quality external drive might be the best solution for that...!

But if you absolutely need an internal drive that you can remove for use elsewhere on occasion, I believe the 2.5" drive location is behind the front panel, so removal should be pretty painless...

You would just need to stick with the mobo M.2(s) for your main OS in the rig...? But an external drive (for removal from system to be used elsewhere) still seems the best solution...

And regarding "older mobos that doesn't yet support M.2", there are plenty of external enclosures that hold M.2 drives...

Agree that C4's side frame / fan / radiator holder can be a candidate for more mounting points.

At the expense of reducing air flow / cooling potential...

The side bracket is designed for fans or an AIO...

I mean, nowadays M2 SSDs are only about $10 more expensive than SATA SSDs. Plus, I'm pretty sure most people have only one 2.5" drive in the first place. Although if you do want extra storage, more drives might be necessary. But, most people only have 1 M2 SSD or 2.5" drive, or maybe both. So, the Dan C4 should accommodate most people in the current revision, although if you want some extra storage and fans, here are some ideas:

Mounting ideas:

1. Up where the top 120mm slim fan when not in use
2. ADD an option to move the PSU down for a 120mm slim fan or a 2.5" drive (SFX PSU only, may result in harder cable management. Keep in mind, there should be two options: The original one and the one I'm suggesting. The higher option is for people with SFX-L PSUs or people who want better cable management. The lower option is for a 120mm slim fan or 2.5" drive, although using SFX should probably be required. It will be a little harder for cable management, although I think people will find the tradeoff worth it for an extra 120mm slim fan or a 2.5" drive. Beware of cable management woes!)
3. 2.5" drives below the GPU if it's 2 slots or less (It will probably drive up temperatures, but @dondan should still add it as an option, just in case. (Pun not intended) If you have a waterblock on the GPU for example, it will even fit 3.5" drives!)
4. When there is a shorter GPU, there will be space for a lot of extra storage
5. Below where you plug in the power cable
6. In front of the PSU (If the PSU fan is not facing towards it)

Some of these will be pretty hard to implement, including 5 and 6
So, instead of arguing about storage, why don't you contribute some ideas? Put them down below!

Regarding #2 - There is an option already for that, the LinusHole PSU position...

But it is more for the use of the Epyc mobo in the chassis, with the side benefit of allowing two slim fans for intake / exhaust (depending on normal or inverted orientation of the chassis)...

I, personally, do not like the idea of cluttering up what is already a small area in the system with more cables (two cables per drive), and I feel M.2 drives are The Solution for storage in a SFF chassis...!