Log Full Circle

[smitty2k1]

I am currently just using an ATX power supply with the machine right now. The plugs on the 12V plug-in board prevent it from plugging in. The motherboard won't require the 8-Pin EPS connector but the APU/CPU might. The 8-pin EPS connector is absolutely necessary for the Ryzen 7 2700X but probably won't be for the APU at stock clocks. APUs can still pull a fair amount of power though.


Thanks for the heads up. I may just do so. Had I researched the Mean Well EPP power supplies sooner, I would have gone with a Ryzen 5 2600 or Ryzen 7 2700 and a RX 560 AERO ITX as that would get me near 200W and the EPP-200-12 is a 2" x 4" board. The entire build could be in a slim, console style instead of whatever this may turn into.

I just wanted to comment and say I'm running the Mean Well 200w + a cheap Realan 250w power board from Aliexpress for my 2400G APU build. Although my B450 motherboard has an 8 pin EPS connector, the Realan power board just has a 4 pin EPS connector. I just did a 90 minute stress test yesterday with Prime95 and Furmark and, although both power boards got hot, I saw no issues nor throttling of CPU/GPU clocks due to insufficient power delivery.

Note: a 4 pin to 8 pin adapter would not matter (I have one sitting in a box but chose not to use it as it takes up space in the case), as the same power draw is going through the 4 pin connector either way. I doubt the connector on the motherboard would be limiting factor.

 

[Soul_Est]

I just wanted to comment and say I'm running the Mean Well 200w + a cheap Realan 250w power board from Aliexpress for my 2400G APU build. Although my B450 motherboard has an 8 pin EPS connector, the Realan power board just has a 4 pin EPS connector. I just did a 90 minute stress test yesterday with Prime95 and Furmark and, although both power boards got hot, I saw no issues nor throttling of CPU/GPU clocks due to insufficient power delivery.

Note: a 4 pin to 8 pin adapter would not matter (I have one sitting in a box but chose not to use it as it takes up space in the case), as the same power draw is going through the 4 pin connector either way. I doubt the connector on the motherboard would be limiting factor.

Thank you for that comment. It will help me further plan the wiring for the build.


To catch everyone up on the past six months, Full Circle ended up being unstable under load no matter what I tried. Whether it was under Linux or Windows, a load on the GPU signified a reboot. It probably is the power supply that I was using. Since then, I packed away the parts and made moves to sell them but never did. I ended up switching main computers, building a NAS, starting another job (three now), and getting another part (not a power supply though ). I am looking to get a "test bench" setup going in the interim to dial in the individual components before shrinking the build. I am currently looking at 16GB memory kits at moment. My current choices are:

• Team T-Force Vulcan
• G.Skill Flare X
• HyperX Fury

Thoughts?

Full Circle's current part list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor (Purchased For $446.34)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9a-AM4 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $56.44)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG Strix B450-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard (Purchased For $228.25)
Memory: Team - T-Force Dark 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (Purchased For $126.23)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX6000 128 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Purchased For $58.74)
Video Card: PowerColor - Radeon RX VEGA 56 8 GB Red Dragon Video Card
Total: $916.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-24 00:01 EDT-0400

More to follow.

 

[Soul_Est]

Today, I finally have a Linux distro running and stable (?) on the computer. This is with a new, temporary power supply to allow me to start dialing in efficient speeds and voltages for each component. I have not put it through the paces of compiling code or gaming, but I will soon. Currently looking at memory, storage, and a different motherboard for it (MSI has better VRMs overall). Power conversion and delivery will have to wait until the Meanwell EPP-500-12 lands several weeks from now. I will bide my time by designing a chassis for it. No restrictions.

 

[Soul_Est]

Been working on this machine still. Dialed in the voltages for the CPU (-0.1V for now) and RAM (1.355V for now) so far. The GPU is to come especially as I plan to go with a smaller heatsink for it. Unfortunately, getting Radeon ProRender working on any of the Linux operating systems that I have tried, has been fruitless. That was one of the main reasons for having such a powerful card. I am now in the process of installing Arch Linux. I also had borrowed another m.2 drive from a friend/colleague to have a bit of extra space to work with for now until I get the ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro that I want.

I have been considering my options for the "final" build of Full Circle. Do I go for the opposite-direction intake layout like Skyreach 4 Mini and Sentry 2.0, a same-direction intake layout like the P50 and S401, or an offset, same-direction intake layout like the Reaper IV Mini? Having looked at the prices of current power supplies, doing a modular 500W power delivery system will be at least 50% more than the cost of the 600W Enhance Platinum FlexATX PSU that Z-Cases sells. Going FlexATX would limit the layout of the machine but at this point, the layout would stay standard for a long time. Implementing either of the first two would bring back my RSC project as well although the Skyreach 4 Mini is very tempting to acquire despite the physical challenges that my current component selection presents.

 

[Soul_Est]

Having gone over the entire thing and sketching out some ideas for cooling and placement, I've decided to go for the Skyreach 4 Mini (Black or two-tone? Hmmm.) to house it in. RSC was supposed to be for this machine but it is no longer necessary. I will explain more about why in the respective thread. This decision frees me up to explore (within constraints) other details related to this build and future SFF projects.

Performance
I currently still dialing in the voltages and frequencies (and timings) for various parts. I also have some tuning to do under Linux for the CPU, GPU, and storage. I have been looking at getting a new RAM kit that can hit higher frequencies with tighter timings and a new NVMe 1.3 SSD as well.

Cooling
This is the most interesting part as I have a lot to cool. The NVMe SSDs are covered. The CPU will be undervolted further and have it's frequency capped for thermals. A Noctua NH-L9a SE-AM4 will be cooling this for now. That may change in the future. The GPU is another story. Being a Vega 56, I'll need to figure out a custom cooling solution for it. RAM isn't an issue because heat spreaders.

Power
Given that I have decided to go with the Skyreach 4 Mini presents a unique challenge: Powering everything. This was something I moaned about in the "In which we discuss the evolutionary stage of the MINI" (in the Live chat at 55:18 ) as the build needs more than 200W at stock performance and power levels. While going 12V is tempting, the Mean Well AC-DC units with the right wattage are too large to be internal. The current HDPLEX AC-DC units can be made internal which is in line for the next phase of the build.

Off to do some more research now. Having trouble getting my Arch Linux live media to boot properly and looking for parts

EDIT: Reset BIOS to defaults and left the boot options alone. Arch Linux install media boots now. Onto installation now. Had a wild thought of getting four minimal-bezel, 1080p Freesync monitors for a 2x2 grid arrangement. Would give me the equivalent of a 45" 4K display without the exorbitant cost.

 

[Soul_Est]

As alluded to here: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/realan-k3-2400g-linux-box.10795/post-150309 , I tried getting as much sensor data as I could for fan control and monitoring to no avail. I just see what I can get done with regards to fan control and undervolting the VEGA 56 that I have. I have also not been able to build Blender 2.8 or FreeCAD 0.18 from git. Frustrating all around so far.

 

[Soul_Est]

Ordered the Skyreach 4 Mini in black.

EDIT: *looks at cost of HDPLEX 400W combo* This may be a purchase for next month

 

[Soul_Est]

Well that album embed didn't work.

 

[Soul_Est]

Time definitely flew for the past three months and there is a lot to unpack here.

I did order the HDPLEX 400W AC-DC and 400W DC-ATX to power Full Circle. They arrived days before the Skyreach 4 Mini did. Seeing it beside the parts that were going to go into the build showed just how far power supply design and technology has come since I last built my own computer.

After receiving the S4M, I had then built Full Circle using the S4M and the parts that I had originally sourced for it. It was quite enjoyable getting these shots and building the machine.

When I was finished, I ended up with a small, dense, and capable system. All it needed was some extra storage and new RAM. For the storage, I got the Sabrent Rocket 1TB. This was yet another order of magnitude faster than the ADATA XPG SX6000 Lite drive that I have already installed and many orders of magnitude faster than the SATA III SSDs that I had grown accustomed to.

It was not to be however. The Sabrent drive had some bad blocks on it which led a higher load on the RAM which led to crashing when installing and configuring Linux on it. Windows did not crash which I attribute to the quality of the ADATA drive. For now, I'm going to take a step back, plan a new build, sell some parts, buy some parts, and assemble and setup a temporary iteration of this build.

 

[Soul_Est]

I rebuilt Full Circle in an open air test bench configuration for the time being. Will be using it that way until I have a concrete plan for the next iteration and have earned and saved up enough funds for implementing the next iteration.

I will add the relevant pictures to this and previous post in the near future.

 

[Windfall]

I rebuilt Full Circle in an open air test bench configuration for the time being. Will be using it that way until I have a concrete plan for the next iteration and have earned and saved up enough funds for implementing the next iteration.

I will add the relevant pictures to this and previous post in the near future.

Can't wait!

 

[Soul_Est]

So I meant to upload these much earlier. Sorry about my extreme tardiness @Windfall . Without further ado, here was the update for 2019:

Spoiler: Open air!

Spoiler: All the parts (and one extra)

Spoiler: Another SSD

Spoiler: CPU

Spoiler: CPU Cooler, RAM, and SSD

Spoiler: Another SSD

Spoiler: Skyreach 4 Mini

Spoiler: HDPLEX 400W Combo

Spoiler: Planning the cable runs

Spoiler: PCIe Riser cable

Spoiler: Solder leads to switch

Spoiler: With enough slack

Spoiler: Why you don't need velcro

Spoiler: Why I cannot go brickless yet

Spoiler: Fully installed motherboard side

Spoiler: Fully installed video card side

Spoiler: Finished front

Spoiler: Finished rear

Spoiler: Finished video card side

Spoiler: Finished motherboard side

If there are any other pictures of or any other information about Full Circle then or now, feel free to ask.

 

[Soul_Est]

I'll probably adopt this post style going forward and tweak the layout as necessary. This should cut down on the amount of the pop in that many experience as the text and visual layout (buttons, menus, icons, etc.) load first, but then the pictures load after the page loads and you start scrolling, creating a jarring experience.

 

[Soul_Est]

So I received these items last week:

A couple 180 degree PCI-E power adapters

Spoiler

and another XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro

Spoiler

Installing the adapters worked but then I could not install the HDPLEX 400W AC/DC in the case. ? Installing the GAMMIX S11 Pro was fine however.

That's it for pics for now until I find something else to post. ?

 

[Windfall]

Hey, an update! o_0

Those PCIe power thingamagadgets are very cool.
I think that if you used a PCB to clear the top of the card and then put 14 gauge wire on it, you could clear the HDPlex. Maybe.

 

[thelaughingman]

put this on watch list now haha! Wanted to make my build in the S4 Mini for a long time but there is just not enough ITX GPU option on AMD side that is a clear upgrade GPU wise for me, then I would have to go brickless, so yeah I abandoned it. look forward to more updates on your build ?

 

[CubanLegend]

Nice build!

So why havent you gone brickless yet exactly? are you needing a shift bracket? or are you going to go bracketless instead?

 

[Soul_Est]

There are a lot of big changes described in this post so I'm going by dates. This is part one of two everyone. Thank you @Windfall , @thelaughingman , @CubanLegend , and others for holding me to account.

April 24, 2020 - VEGA 56 Nano

This card really is small for the performance it has.

Spoiler: VEGA 56 Nano size

April 27, 2020 - Rebuild and Test Fitting

Tested the fitment of the Dynatron T318 for max clearance for side fans. Originally shown as possible by SaberPL on [H]ardForum.

Spoiler: Dynatron T318 fitment

I stuck with the L9a-AM4 as there were some comprises in clearance and mounting.

Tested the fitment of the VEGA 56 Nano with HDPLEX 400W AC-DC installed. About 5mm clearance. Maybe.

Spoiler: VEGA 56 Nano and HDPLEX 400W AC-DC fitment

Back to bricked at that time though. This was the last rebuild until I decided to start working on the rest.


June 2, 2020 - 180' PCI-E Power Adapters

I got them finally and they are good quality. Got them from and .

Spoiler: Cablecc ATX Female to Male 180 Degree Power Adapters

June 5, 2020 - XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro

Finally got the drive to hold a Linux installation. Same one as the one holding the Windows installation. Main build complete. ☺

Spoiler: XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro

 

[Soul_Est]

Here is part two of two.

June 20, 2020 - Custom Power Cable

I wanted to have a custom power cable ever since I knew what was possible. I decided to build my own to learn and see what I could do.

I first got some GX16-3 Aviation Connectors, a spare C13 power cable, and started building:

Spoiler: Building a Custom Power Cable

And then I realized that I forgot the connector. ? Triple-check when working on stuff if you're tired.

Spoiler: Oops

So I began again.

Spoiler: Once More, with Feeling!

And then realized that I tinned too much of the wires. ?‍ Oh well.

Spoiler: Once More, with Feeling!

I finished them though and so so satisfied. Make sure the connect the cable to the computer first before plugging it into the wall.

Spoiler: Wonderful Darling!

Still haven't gone brickless yet.


June 23, 2020 - Brickless!

Seeing as I only needed about 3mm off of the 7mm that the 180' PCI-E power adapters extend past the power connectors on the card, I decided to modify them. I removed the foam, cut the pins flush, and taped them over with electrical tape.

Spoiler: There we go

And with that, Full Circle is complete!

Spoiler: ~ Fin ~

Thank you @loader963 , @Runamok81 , @CC Ricers , @rfarmer , @el01 , @Windfall , @Legion , @AleksandarK , @Valantar , @thelaughingman , and @CubanLegend for your input on here. Thank you to @Damascus , and many others on the NFC Systems Discord for your input on there.

P.S.: Here is the part list for my build
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor (Purchased For $446.34)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $56.44)
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix B450-I Gaming Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard (Purchased For $228.25)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 CL16 Memory (Purchased For $116.03)
Storage: ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (Purchased For $192.00)
Storage: ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (Purchased For $203.38)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX VEGA 56 8 GB NANO Video Card (Purchased For $315.87)
Custom: TCSunBow NGFF(M.2) 2242 32GB 64GB 120GB 240GB Solid State Drive(SSD) for Notebook Cloud Terminal Advertising Machine (N4 240GB) … (Purchased For $56.49)
Custom: Ulincos Momentary Push Button Switch U16F1 1NO1NC Black Metal Shell with White LED Ring Suitable for 16mm 5/8" Mounting Hole (White) (Purchased For $11.78)
Custom: HDPLEX 400W HiFi DC-ATX (Purchased For $132.05)
Custom: HDPLEX 400W AC-DC (Purchased For $164.02)
Custom: NFC Systems Skyreach 4 Mini (Purchased For $276.67)
Total: $2199.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-13 14:01 EDT-0400

As you can see, I accomplished everything I set out for in this build.

 

[Windfall]

Awesome work!
To me, all the nit picky engineering that goes in that sff builds is what draws me to them!

By the way, where did you get those aviation connectors?