Fans for the S4M?

[Selendipitous]

Salutations, all! I'm looking to go brickless for my first build, and plan to get a bezel to help with airflow in the case. Well, as much flow as one can get in there, haha! Static air pressure is fine too.

But yeah. So, I was wondering about fans. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with a Noctua L9-i for the CPU, but in regards to the other fans I'm still searching.

My plan:
Two fans above the GPU - well remove shroud to provide room for the SSDs

Two 50mm fans by the bezel - also, maximum length for the GPU to provide enough clearance?

One 120mm slim fan.. uh.. wherever it was in the case, I can't say off the top of my head

Being brickless and all, I wanna keep the rig relatively cool even with the power brick contained within the system. If possible.

Edit: I just realized I never really asked a question! I'm wondering if the planned set up would work, and what advice on fan selection or fitting you guys might have.

 

[AdventSign]

Well, the S4 Mini has a width of 57mm. Not sure how much of that the motherboard uses up, but the Noctua L9-i fan is
37 mm, which doesn't leave you a lot of room for that 120mm fan if you're planning to put it around your motherboard. There isn't a lot of 50mm fans, but I'll be going with the Scythe Mini Kaze 50mm fans since the Gelid ones had mixed reviews.

I've tried asking the same questions around here, but have come up short mostly. It could be because everyone's builds are different. I'm thinking of installing the motherboard and the CPU cooler and ordering the fans one I have all the other "mandatory" parts in the case so I can see how much room I have to work with, take pictures and then ask questions while posting pictures so people have a better idea on how to help.

I was thinking a Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM, but it's a 120mm fan with a 25mm height fan, which might not fit. I might try for the NF-A12x15, which is also a 120mm fan, but only has a 15mm height. That way, the motherboard and the CPU stay cool. The height restriction of CPU coolers is 45mm though, so I'll have to play around a bit to see if this is possible.

There's a 215mm in length restriction for GPUs. I'm not going to have one in my build, so I don't know much about them.

Here ya go. This link might help you not spend as much time asking and waiting for questions that need to be answered like I did and more time ordering and building your computer!

https://www.sfflab.com/collections/enclosures/products/nfc_s4m

 

[Josh | NFC]

Well, the S4 Mini has a width of 57mm. Not sure how much of that the motherboard uses up, but the Noctua L9-i fan is
37 mm, which doesn't leave you a lot of room for that 120mm fan if you're planning to put it around your motherboard. There isn't a lot of 50mm fans, but I'll be going with the Scythe Mini Kaze 50mm fans since the Gelid ones had mixed reviews.

I've tried asking the same questions around here, but have come up short mostly. It could be because everyone's builds are different. I'm thinking of installing the motherboard and the CPU cooler and ordering the fans one I have all the other "mandatory" parts in the case so I can see how much room I have to work with, take pictures and then ask questions while posting pictures so people have a better idea on how to help.

I was thinking a Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM, but it's a 120mm fan with a 25mm height fan, which might not fit. I might try for the NF-A12x15, which is also a 120mm fan, but only has a 15mm height. That way, the motherboard and the CPU stay cool. The height restriction of CPU coolers is 45mm though, so I'll have to play around a bit to see if this is possible.

There's a 215mm in length restriction for GPUs. I'm not going to have one in my build, so I don't know much about them.

Here ya go. This link might help you not spend as much time asking and waiting for questions that need to be answered like I did and more time ordering and building your computer!

https://www.sfflab.com/collections/enclosures/products/nfc_s4m

You need to use a 1U cooler if you plan to use a slim fan over it. There are no compatible fans you can stick over the NHL9i.

Hope this helps!

Skip ahead a bit:

 

[Selendipitous]

Thanks for all the info, AdventSign! And to you too, Josh, for the video - I'll go through it when I get off work!

Edit: I got too excited and ended up sneaking a view at work, haha. I think I'm gonna go with the combo for the CPU fans! The noise won't be too noticeable with headphones, and the added cooling would be nice in the event I upgrade.

 

[Selendipitous]

Is it possible for the Sky Bracket Duo to hold both SSDs and fans, or is it one or the other? Could I put two SSDs on top and two fans on the bottom to give more cooling to the GPU?

---though I just realized the drives would block the fans from pulling air. Derp. I feel so silly omg.

But a part of me still wonders if that's a viable setup, haha.

If I use the slots for two 90mm fans, where would be an alternative location to put the storage? If I want more airflow towards the GPU in that aspect, should I go for broke and invest in a larger-sized NVMe SSD on the mobo?

Sorry for all the questions!

 

[Thirumal Kumaran]

There is hardly 2mm gap between skybracket duo and the outer panels..
so nothing can go in between.
Other option is, Buy another skybracket duo.. remove the fans from your GPU, mount 2x92mm slim on the front gpu side and mount the HDD on the back of GPU side

 

[Selendipitous]

There is hardly 2mm gap between skybracket duo and the outer panels..
so nothing can go in between.
Other option is, Buy another skybracket duo.. remove the fans from your GPU, mount 2x92mm slim on the front gpu side and mount the HDD on the back of GPU side

Oh darn, that detail completely slipped past me! Thanks for pointing it out.

I /think/ I have a rough grasp of what you're saying, but I'm not totally confident. Could I probe you to elaborate?

From what I'm gathering:
1x GPU
2x SSD
2x 92mm fans
2x Sky Bracket Duo

Visualization top-down:

----- Chassis -----
_ Sky Bracket _
---- ❆ Fans ❆ ----
----- 〘 GPU 〙 -----
--- ❖ SSDs ❖ ---
_ Sky Bracket _
----- Chassis -----

Please, do correct me if I misunderstood! Is there enough room and mounting points for a Sky Bracket Duo and two SSDs beneath the GPU? Is the mounting setup differently?

Thanks!

 

[Thirumal Kumaran]

Oh darn, that detail completely slipped past me! Thanks for pointing it out.

I /think/ I have a rough grasp of what you're saying, but I'm not totally confident. Could I probe you to elaborate?

From what I'm gathering:
1x GPU
2x SSD
2x 92mm fans
2x Sky Bracket Duo

Visualization top-down:

----- Chassis -----
_ Sky Bracket _
---- ❆ Fans ❆ ----
----- 〘 GPU 〙 -----
--- ❖ SSDs ❖ ---
_ Sky Bracket _
----- Chassis -----

Please, do correct me if I misunderstood! Is there enough room and mounting points for a Sky Bracket Duo and two SSDs beneath the GPU? Is the mounting setup differently?

Thanks!

That's exactly what I meant...
There might not be enough gap if you are planning to keep your GPU unaltered.
Best way is to remove your GPU fans and mount your skybracket to find how much space you have.
that would give an idea.
If its above 15mm (Which I'm certain should be more) you can be rest assured it can fit..

 

[Selendipitous]

That's exactly what I meant...
There might not be enough gap if you are planning to keep your GPU unaltered.
Best way is to remove your GPU fans and mount your skybracket to find how much space you have.
that would give an idea.
If its above 15mm (Which I'm certain should be more) you can be rest assured it can fit..

Alright, thanks! Just wanted to confirm as I don't think I've seen any builds yet running GPU fans and SSDs - or at least, any pictures that showed it was possible? It's always either been one or the other.

 

[Thirumal Kumaran]

Alright, thanks! Just wanted to confirm as I don't think I've seen any builds yet running GPU fans and SSDs - or at least, any pictures that showed it was possible? It's always either been one or the other.

The GPU cannot be moved up or down...!!!
SO , if they are able to do both of them separately, it should be possible to do both together.

 

[Choidebu]

What single slot gpu runs so hot that you need to put fans on top of it?

Also, consider your choice of internal brick. If you can manage to cram it in the motherboard side you'll have better chances to be able to mount two ssd. On the gpu side, you're more likely to block one of the ssd mounting points in the skybracket.

 

[brt02]

+1

A brickless build is unlikely to need that level of cooling. I can't think of a scenario where i would need to populate the 50mm fan mounts, but I'm probably missing something. I can imagine most of the airflow getting blocked off by the 24pin connector or by the RAM. Also those fans will eat into the space that you will need to mount a PSU if you decide to mount it there.

I can see value in fitting a slim 120mm fan over the motherboard area, but this comes at the expense of CPU cooling, as you'll need a smaller cooler for that extra fan to sit on top, as Josh alluded to earlier. If you're using a motherboard with decent power delivery and your not planning on using an M.2 drive, the benefits of that extra fan is very much reduced.

I can't think of an example where someone has used a GPU that fits in the S4M and then needs extra cooling. Replace the GPU fans if you feel the stock ones are too loud sure, but you really don't need to add extra fans on top of the one that comes on the GPU.

 

[Selendipitous]

What single slot gpu runs so hot that you need to put fans on top of it?

Also, consider your choice of internal brick. If you can manage to cram it in the motherboard side you'll have better chances to be able to mount two ssd. On the gpu side, you're more likely to block one of the ssd mounting points in the skybracket.

I've no clue! I'm super new to PC building - this build with the S4M will be my very first - and I've only recently begun educating myself more on PC components. I plan to upgrade my CPU and GPU in the future (Ryzen 7, 1080 [ti?]), and from what I've seen they'll draw more power and generate more heat. The internal power brick will get pretty hot in general, too, from personal experience with a laptop, so I thought I'd need more fans to help keep the guts cooler. I wanted to 'future-proof' it as much as I could, so I wouldn't have to rearrange too much or have to redo the cables to adjust for new lengths.

But I guess with those many fans it's a little overkill, ha ha! Thanks for the advice

+1

A brickless build is unlikely to need that level of cooling. I can't think of a scenario where i would need to populate the 50mm fan mounts, but I'm probably missing something. I can imagine most of the airflow getting blocked off by the 24pin connector or by the RAM. Also those fans will eat into the space that you will need to mount a PSU if you decide to mount it there.

I can see value in fitting a slim 120mm fan over the motherboard area, but this comes at the expense of CPU cooling, as you'll need a smaller cooler for that extra fan to sit on top, as Josh alluded to earlier. If you're using a motherboard with decent power delivery and your not planning on using an M.2 drive, the benefits of that extra fan is very much reduced.

I can't think of an example where someone has used a GPU that fits in the S4M and then needs extra cooling. Replace the GPU fans if you feel the stock ones are too loud sure, but you really don't need to add extra fans on top of the one that comes on the GPU.

Thanks! I guess I overestimated how hot the various parts would get inside the S4M and overcompensated as a result. I do aim to upgrade the CPU and GPU in the future while still keeping it brickless, though, so I was trying to plan for that also!

I was hoping to minimize the amount of things purchased in the end-game -- like removing the need to upgrade the PSU or re-mod the cables -- because I worry with my inexperience I'd damage something dismantling my PC that much.

I do plan on utilizing the M.2 drive! I think I'll go with just the Noctua then, and see if any additional cooling is needed before I look into adding more fans. Thanks for all the help!

 

[SFFnewb]

You need to use a 1U cooler if you plan to use a slim fan over it. There are no compatible fans you can stick over the NHL9i.

Hope this helps!

Skip ahead a bit:

@Josh | NFC

Will the Noctua keep a i7-8700k cool in the skyreach?
MOBO: Z370-I

 

[Josh | NFC]

@Josh | NFC

Will the Noctua keep a i7-8700k cool in the skyreach?
MOBO: Z370-I

It works without overheating, yes.

 

[Josh | NFC]

I've no clue! I'm super new to PC building - this build with the S4M will be my very first - and I've only recently begun educating myself more on PC components. I plan to upgrade my CPU and GPU in the future (Ryzen 7, 1080 [ti?]), and from what I've seen they'll draw more power and generate more heat. The internal power brick will get pretty hot in general, too, from personal experience with a laptop, so I thought I'd need more fans to help keep the guts cooler. I wanted to 'future-proof' it as much as I could, so I wouldn't have to rearrange too much or have to redo the cables to adjust for new lengths.

But I guess with those many fans it's a little overkill, ha ha! Thanks for the advice



Thanks! I guess I overestimated how hot the various parts would get inside the S4M and overcompensated as a result. I do aim to upgrade the CPU and GPU in the future while still keeping it brickless, though, so I was trying to plan for that also!

I was hoping to minimize the amount of things purchased in the end-game -- like removing the need to upgrade the PSU or re-mod the cables -- because I worry with my inexperience I'd damage something dismantling my PC that much.

I do plan on utilizing the M.2 drive! I think I'll go with just the Noctua then, and see if any additional cooling is needed before I look into adding more fans. Thanks for all the help!

Hello, Selendipitous!

Have you seen my example build sheets? They might help as a starting point:

www.nfc-systems.com/boms

 

[SFFnewb]

It works without overheating, yes.

Using stock specs? In other forums users have reported throttling and then they delid. I am just hoping I didnt just bite off more than I can handle in a first time build.....lol

 

[Josh | NFC]

Using stock specs? In other forums users have reported throttling and then they delid. I am just hoping I didnt just bite off more than I can handle in a first time build.....lol

It's going to throttle, sure, but its going to do so intelligently and I haven't seen it drop below 3Ghz. It's fine. If you are really worried you could buy the 8700, but honestly the 8700K works pretty good and throttles to about the same level. Real world use its hard to benchmark these things because you might like more air conditioning than me or run higher loads than some of my customers, but it works and you aren't going to have shutdowns or system slowdowns or anything.

Peace

 

[SlyHooper]

Are there any 1u coolers for Ryzen?

You need to use a 1U cooler if you plan to use a slim fan over it. There are no compatible fans you can stick over the NHL9i.

Hope this helps!

Skip ahead a bit:

 

[Josh | NFC]

Are there any 1u coolers for Ryzen?

The Zalman CNPS2X might have a kit, but honestly just using a NHl9i with the adapter kit or the NHl9a is the best option.

Peace