Hello Everyone - Back to building a PC been a long time - Current setup DAN A4 ver4.1 w/ Intel 12900KF & Nvidia 3080 Ti

It is has been a long time since I bothered to build out a PC, but I have built a lot of my original PCs back to my 80286. I have been using Intel NUC computer for about the last 7 to 8 years and really enjoyed them, but I needed a discreet video card, in what was to become my current build. I had actually bought a Intel NUC 9i9 machine and it was neat and small but had nothing but problems with it.

So I did a little research and ended up getting a DAN A4 Case and it is only a small amount larger (I would estimate 30%) then the Intel NUC 9i9. I was truly shocked how small MINI-ITX was and how much was on the board.

So the build so far:

Case: DAN A4 ver4.1 (black)
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I
Processor: 12900KF
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i-17xx Chroma Black
RAM: 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 4800Mhz
SSD(s): (2) Samsung 2Tb M.2 Drives (currently setup as C: and D:, but I might go to a RAID 0 setup)
Power Supply : Corsair SF600 (just like everyone else with a DAN case)
Video Card: ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 3060 Ti V2 MINI OC (current but going away this week)
Monitor(s): ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 1440 VG27AQ - First monitor upgrade in 12 years!

I got the above video card originally for the Intel NUC 9i9 as it was the best that would fit, and I am using it still but managed to score a nVidia 3080 Ti (FE) that gets here Thursday and I will install that on Thursday.

Imprecisions so far, the DAN case is amazing after having watch a few build videos on the case it was one of the easiest builds I ever did and it is also the smallest (not counting the NUC units but you dont really build those you install RAM and Storage). The Intel 12900KF is (no joke) twice as fast as the processor in the NUC9i9.

Since I can put a bigger video card I am going to go ahead and do it - hence the 3080 Ti, I look forward to see what this will do.

Future expansion - I would like to eventually get a closed loop water cooler on the CPU, but I am still investigating the best way to go with that, not sure if I want an AIO or I want to build custom.

Image
 

c0op3r

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Feb 13, 2022
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Took me a bit to get the photos to work, but here is the Dan A4 case next to the Intel NUC9i9 (cat for scale).

 

GuilleAcoustic

Chief Procrastination Officer
SFFn Staff
LOSIAS
Jun 29, 2015
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Welcome to the forum.

Be sure to read up on the terms and rules of the forum. Mainly for buying and selling or other commercial activity on the forum as the access is limited and the rules are strictly enforced.

As a new user you're probably not able to edit posts or links just yet, so if a substantial error was made, click the Report-button in the post.

Hope to see you around, enjoy the wonderful world of SFF!
 
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mizvekov

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Jan 14, 2019
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Hello! Welcome!

Nice cat by the way :)

I have very similar setup, same motherboard.

Did you fit a slim fan under the motherboard? If so, did you have trouble with the CPU 4+4 EPS connector latch not clearing the fan vanes?
 

c0op3r

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Feb 13, 2022
6
11
c0op3r.com
I did not add the lower fan. I am just getting back into computer builds and well have gone a little crazy. I just upgraded the GPU to a 3080 Ti FE and I am giving serious thought to moving everything to a DAN A4 H²O case. I have a preorder in for the case (blk) with the PCI 4.o riser cable.

If I move it I am thinking about going to a 3080FE and the EK custom water loop, I am just not sure it will all fit yet, I am going to wait till I get the case and look it over.

As to the cat she is super fat and way more then the 7.25L of the case - but I still love her.

Cooper

Hello! Welcome!

Nice cat by the way :)

I have very similar setup, same motherboard.

Did you fit a slim fan under the motherboard? If so, did you have trouble with the CPU 4+4 EPS connector latch not clearing the fan vanes?