I think I found a little gem: Realan E-i7

rokabeka

network packet manipulator
Jul 9, 2016
248
268
Here's one that's 20mm in depth and 12v. They also have 2.8v if you wanted to get a resistor and use it with the front panel connector instead.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071JGBWJ2/?tag=theminutiae-20
the reason I have not replaced it is that this is not just a regular switch. there is a small circuit panel behind it and the button actually presses a microswitch. a regular anti-vandal switch could be used here e.g. if you have either the power or the hdd activity led connected.
but yeah, not it started to bother me again, too :)
 

Craiga35

Trash Compacter
Dec 17, 2017
35
17
That pcb is just to mount the microswitch and power the LED. It's cheaper for the manufacturers to use an off the shelf microswitch with a plastic button facade than to use a machined bulgin switch. If you opened a bulgin switch there is still a PCB inside just like any other LED microswitch, they're just usually sealed because they were designed for use in cars and motorcycles.

As I stated the button is only completing a circuit, that's why shorting the front panel header pins with a screwdriver works to turn the PC on. All you're doing when you push the button down is completing the circuit between the two pins.

The only voltage you need to worry about is the LED. Even then as long as it's close it'll be fine. It will just run a little brighter or dimmer depending on your LED's voltage.
 

Runamok81

Runner of Moks
Jul 27, 2015
445
621
troywitthoeft.com
So - just to recap - we've got a 140mm Cryorig cooled octo-core Ryzen, a GTX1050Ti, 3 SSDs (1 NVMe M.2 + 2 2.5 SATAs), 16GB RAM crammed into 5.7L of space. Oh.. AND it's overclocked WITH noiseblocker fans on fresh air duty. Nice.

I've gotta ask... looking at your photos... for that Cryorig and the dual-slot GPU... How did you know that they would fit? Those tolerances are sooo close. Did you just eye-ball the measurements and go for it? If so, gutsy move. Anyways, amazing stuff here and bravo.
 

theGryphon

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Jun 15, 2015
299
237
So - just to recap - we've got a 140mm Cryorig cooled octo-core Ryzen, a GTX1050Ti, 3 SSDs (1 NVMe M.2 + 2 2.5 SATAs), 16GB RAM crammed into 5.7L of space. Oh.. AND it's overclocked WITH noiseblocker fans on fresh air duty. Nice.

I've gotta ask... looking at your photos... for that Cryorig and the dual-slot GPU... How did you know that they would fit? Those tolerances are sooo close. Did you just eye-ball the measurements and go for it? If so, gutsy move. Anyways, amazing stuff here and bravo.

Thank you for acknowledging that!

That is why I called this case a gem. It's accommodating hardware that belies its size, and it does an excellent job in terms of temps and noise. Yes, it's only the two 80x25 NB fans that brings in cool air and even ramped up to 2000RPMs at the highest of CPU loads (IBT AVX), it's not "loud". At idle the rig is "quiet", albeit it's a subjective definition. Under heavy 3D gaming or similar combined CPU+GPU load (like 3DMark), all 80mm fans ramp up to only ~1600RPM, while keeping the CPU temps below 70C and GPU under 80C.

Currently, that intake is on the bottom, and exhaust is on the top (GPU side), which is by far the best orientation for temps and noise (the thinner 15mm fans make a whiny noise when the blades are close to the case, and the bottom to top airflow is naturally better for temps).

About component selection, to be honest, Cryorig C1 was not the first cooler I tried. I first purchased a used Raijintek Pallas locally for very cheap, but given that it's even larger, it did not fit in the pictured orientation so I had to install it with the heatpipes extending towards the case front. This made installing the 2.5" drives a nightmare, plus the heatsink (being lower profile than the C1) was touching the RAM sticks (I even had to bend the heatsink so it sat at a slight angle), plus this all meant I had no access to the RAM sticks or cabling. So, I made some measurements. Note, three dimensions were critical: 1) the height of the heatsink in comparison to the height of the IO bracket, 2) the length of the heatsink+fan in comparison to the depth of the IO bracket indentation, and 3) the combined height of the fan+finstack in comparison to the clearance between the IO bracket and case lip. At the end, quiet miraculously, it was a perfect match, so much so that in each of the three dimensions the cooler fit with literally zero clearance (once you include the vibration dampening inserts for the fan). As if I had the case+cooler combo custom made, lol.

Here is the Pallas fitted as described:


When I was buying the case, I was also quiet sure the Cryorig C1 would not fit, funnily, so I was scratching my head about the CPU cooler, and was thinking about the Pallas or modding the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 RevB for AM4, or modding (bending) the NH-L2s (which doesn't fit by 4mm due to RAM stick height). I'm still curious about NH-L2S but I doubt it can beat the C1 here in temps. Also C1 fits so hilariously well, and looks so good, I really wanna keep it.

The only problem C1 caused was killing the spot I had planned for the PSU plug, so I had to devise the solution I did, and again, it was done on spot and it's possible I would have an awful result like having to have the PSU cable dangling out the case, etc. Thankfully, it all worked out.

The GPU was easier. I could find good photos of the MSI card, and of some rigs that did the similar mod (Aibohphobia's Jolokia mainly), and of the case. So with some good use of GIMP, I was quiet sure it would fit and I purchased the card before I had received the case. The DVI connector thing (with respect to the IO bracket) though was a real Hail Mary situation: I was totally not sure it would fit, heck I wasn't even thinking about that case screw that comes so close too. If it didn't fit, I was thinking, I would do some modding, but quiet miraculously again, it wasn't necessary.
 

rokabeka

network packet manipulator
Jul 9, 2016
248
268
motivated by the topic (especially theGryphon and Craiga35) I have replaced the switch button to a 16mm bulgin switch (green light) and it feels much much better to turn it on and looks much much better, too.
because the original switch handled both the power LED and the hdd LED, there are a few options if I still want to keep both indicators.
- there is an awesome project and Iris16 will be capable of lot more than just showing power and hdd status
- as the slot for the disks is unused for both of us we could put there a waterclear plastic or acryl insert and make it lit by an LED. actually even the power LED could go there. or even all indicators of Iris 16, making a strip instead of the circle...

actually right now I am prototyping it with a yellow straw :)

EDIT:


 
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Craiga35

Trash Compacter
Dec 17, 2017
35
17
It is an Ulincos momentary switch
EDIT: but the switches Josh | NFC sells feel better. they go on shorter way. this Ulincos goes a bit deep to my taste, but this is what I had at home.

I would've personally ditched the HDD activity light, but I like that straw mod, even if yellow isn't my color. Wire a second LED for the other side of the straw and it would be perfect.

Also according to the comments on that switch it seems running a 12v led is fine at 5v, which is what I'm assuming @rokabeka is doing as well, that makes things easier.

EDIT: Also technically you could wire the power led as the hdd led and it will work as an hdd led. It will just flash instead of staying lit.
 

rokabeka

network packet manipulator
Jul 9, 2016
248
268
I would've personally ditched the HDD activity light, but I like that straw mod, even if yellow isn't my color. Wire a second LED for the other side of the straw and it would be perfect.

Also according to the comments on that switch it seems running a 12v led is fine at 5v, which is what I'm assuming @rokabeka is doing as well, that makes things easier.

EDIT: Also technically you could wire the power led as the hdd led and it will work as an hdd led. It will just flash instead of staying lit.

yes, you are right. I did not really need the hdd LED, it was just fun to play with that. I am running linux and always have a tiny performance monitor on the desktop so I get the internals from there. this machine is silent so having a power indicator is useful.

yellow is not my color, either (but does not look too bad with the green) but this was the only one I found in the kitchen apart from the black ones :) the 3mm LED fits in nicely.
 

Craiga35

Trash Compacter
Dec 17, 2017
35
17
This case is impressive. Pretty much everything you would want to mod can just be fit stock. I do wonder if a motherboard with a different layout would struggle with that cooler. It seems like everything you have fits together perfectly, like a puzzle. That perfect cutout for a bulgin switch at the front is just icing on the cake to me.
 

theGryphon

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Jun 15, 2015
299
237
This case is impressive. Pretty much everything you would want to mod can just be fit stock. I do wonder if a motherboard with a different layout would struggle with that cooler. It seems like everything you have fits together perfectly, like a puzzle. That perfect cutout for a bulgin switch at the front is just icing on the cake to me.

It really is.

If the CPU socket position was any closer to the back (IO side), the 140mm fan would not fit while being screwed on the Cryorig C1.
If the CPU socket was moved more than 3mm, Cryorig C1 would not fit there at all (but it would fit with the heatpipes pointing to the front).
If the distance between the CPU socket and the first DIMM slot was increased by 4mm, then a Noctua NH-12S would fit there without any modding (both in the pictured orientation, and in the vertical orientation with heatpipes parallel to DIMMs). But then again, if the CPU socket was moved towards the back IO by more than 3mm, NH-L12S would also not fit in the pictured orientation.

Very very close clearances. One needs to measure carefully before purchasing the components, as is the fact for a true SFF build. There is always a part that works though. In terms of cooler, for example, Big Shuriken 2 RevB is a great alternative for an Intel build but DIMM height must be watched. Raijintek Pallas is great with a caveat; great temps but as pictured it covers a lot of things (no problem for a 'set it and forget it' person), and you have to get your own AM4 bracket or mod it like I did ;).

EDIT: Thermalright AXP-200 and variants would also work but same issues as the Pallas.

EDIT: Another thing to recall is that there is a net 77mm clearance for a CPU cooler.

EDIT: At the end, if one was getting this case, I would say get the Cryorig C1 :thumb: That top vent aligning with the CPU fan is not possible with any other cooler I'm aware of.

For all coolers though, I would strongly recommend the airflow I arrived at: 80x25mm fans as intake, CPU heatsink fan as 'pull', and 80x15mm fans as exhaust. Either vertical (as pictured) with the exhaust side on top, or horizontal (as the manufacturer intended)...

LAST EDIT: So I made some measurements (using hi-res images), so confirm that I was actually using the worst possible motherboard layout for this case to achieve the pictured orientation for the Cryorig C1 cooler. All Asrock Z370, ASUS AM4, ASUS Z370, Gigabyte AM4 and even the Asrock X299 boards have better clearance! I wouldn't recommend the Gigabyte AM4 board in this case though due to cable placements... If money was no concern, I would get the Asrock X299 board but I'm still crossing my fingers for an X399 (Threadripper) ITX board from them ;)
 
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smitty2k1

King of Cable Management
Dec 3, 2016
967
492
Hey I got one of these cases too. Mine has a little IR window in it which I've installed a CIR receiver in. See signature for details of hardware, just HTPC duty, nothing special.

I've used the PCIe slot to install a mSATA SSD/adapter.
 

theGryphon

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Jun 15, 2015
299
237
Curious, when/where did you get your case? It doesn't seem like they make that model (without the ODD) anymore...
 

smitty2k1

King of Cable Management
Dec 3, 2016
967
492
Curious, when/where did you get your case? It doesn't seem like they make that model (without the ODD) anymore...

I bought it several years ago... IIRC from a user on AVS Forum who had set themselves up as an importer. I think that user did the IR window mod themselves but can't remember exactly.

I started off with a standard 2.5" SSD using the top try. However, I upgraded some other PCs and had a higher capacity mSATA SSD laying around so I took out the 2.5" SSD and installed it instead. Otherwise this album is mostly up-to-date.

 
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smitty2k1

King of Cable Management
Dec 3, 2016
967
492
No you guys got me wanting to replace this shitty power button. Ugh. Never done tinkering.
 

RedTomato

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Feb 28, 2018
4
3
Looks very nice. The Imgur album is gone, is it possible to restore the link? I'd really like to look more closely at how that GPU fits in there.
 

xcrco

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Apr 16, 2017
111
84
Love this forum! I saw the case and was thinking the same thing, I was planning for a single 1030 build, a quick google search and I saw your build! I think the Zotac LP might also fit, You did an awesome job cramming the gpu, and everything all together.
 
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theGryphon

Airflow Optimizer
Original poster
Jun 15, 2015
299
237
Thanks!
I think the heatsink on the Zotac is a little taller. So it may fit but could be too close to the fan blades and might even touch, idk.

Besides, I think MSI has the better card here; probably the best 1050Ti LP. I haven't seen any reviews of the EVGA one though, it looks from specs to be just as good. I generally vouch for EVGA cards, so if you can, buy either MSI or EVGA.
 
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