Kimera Industries Project Nova: 17 liters of 5-slot mATX goodness

[Phuncz]

I win the first prize A packet of pepper seeds

It's a pepper I've tried to conquer but it was just too much at 1 mil Scoville (Tabasco sauce is 2.5 - 5.0 k). I did finish a bottle with Red Savina (0.5 mil) quite quickly though. When I go to a SubWay, I order a Spicy Italian, covered in jalapenos and with the hot sauce #spicyforlife

 

[jeshikat]

Well, I'm using Habanero as a code name for one potential future design, I'll use Jolokia for another one I'm considering

The EVGA board inspired me to get around to modding the NZXT X41. I prefer to run the fans off the motherboard headers so the USB and fan plugs on the X41 annoy me because they just take up space and look ugly sitting there around the CPU block.

So I disassembled the X41 and cut them off

The problem

Just take these 3 screws out. Don't take any of the others out unless you plan on refilling the cooler

Cap off

I guess this pattern diffuses the light?

And we're in!

It looks so clean now

Done, for now

 

[Phuncz]

Nice, well done ! I'm also annoyed by those craptacular cable spaghetti with in-between connectors just for the sake of forcing software on you. If anything they should focus on quality PWM support and push motherboard manufacturers to follow suit.

 

[jeshikat]

I really hope the EVGA has full PWM but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm tempted to buy a cheap oscilloscope and find out once and for all what boards actually have full PWM. Some models are extremely difficult to determine whether the 4-pin headers are really PWM or voltage-control only from reading the manual.

 

[Phuncz]

You'd also think they are purposefully obscuring the fact that 4-pin headers are PWM or not. Apparently it's the most expensive tech in the world to implement, as $ 240 Asus M7I boards don't have it. Why else waste so much money on the absurd CoolHub daughtercard.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

You'd also think they are purposefully obscuring the fact that 4-pin headers are PWM or not. Apparently it's the most expensive tech in the world to implement, as $ 240 Asus M7I boards don't have it. Why else waste so much money on the absurd CoolHub daughtercard.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[jeshikat]

Even the Asus X99-E WS doesn't seem to have it and that's a $500+ board.

 

[Phuncz]

The common denominator seems to be "ASUS's expensive boards"
I guess that's what you get when you want to ROG everything.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

The common denominator seems to be "ASUS's expensive boards"
I guess that's what you get when you want to ROG everything.

But the red color accents make everything run so much faster!

 

[Phuncz]

Now something completely different: some days I cry. Because not much news on the Kimera Habanero* makes me cry a river.
And I feel it's close. It's like being blind on a pitch black night, knowing something is there, ready to pounce you.
Maybe it's because time moves so slowly when you want something so bad. So how are you guys coming along ?

* maybe I should start calling it Jalapeno now that Habanero is a future project name

 

[jeshikat]

Maybe it's because time moves so slowly when you want something so bad.

I'd definitely feel this way if there wasn't so much prep work to do for crowdfunding and production. As it is all I can think about is that there just isn't enough hours in the day, even with going to bed at midnight oftentimes and getting up at 5

Engineering is currently underway, a few issues have come up due to manufacturing limitations that required design changes but the biggest one has been worked around. An old proposed feature made a comeback as a result actually and I think you guys will really like it

Unless something goes terribly wrong with engineering/manufacturing the prototypes we should have a big update in weeks, not months. Can't be more specific than that unfortunately, too many variables.

 

[Phuncz]

I like weeks ! Can't wait ! I can also imagine the work that you and Phoenix need to do to get this done properly and that's why I'm such a fan of this project: because it's being done properly. Set a new bar for the industry !

 

[QinX]

I really hope the EVGA has full PWM but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm tempted to buy a cheap oscilloscope and find out once and for all what boards actually have full PWM. Some models are extremely difficult to determine whether the 4-pin headers are really PWM or voltage-control only from reading the manual.

Why go with an oscilloscope, the easiest way to find out is to connect he fans to a regular 12V source and only hook up Tacho and PWM to the header you want to test. If the header needs a load on it in order to function just plop in a high resistance load to pull like 1/4W or 1/2W.

 

[jeshikat]

Why go with an oscilloscope, the easiest way to find out is to connect he fans to a regular 12V source and only hook up Tacho and PWM to the header you want to test. If the header needs a load on it in order to function just plop in a high resistance load to pull like 1/4W or 1/2W.

Because taking a picture of the oscilloscope output is more dramatic

But also I suspect that some boards are cheating by pulsing the 12V line for pseudo-PWM instead of using the 4th pin like they're supposed to.

 

[WiSK]

It looks so clean now

Very good!

 

[jeshikat]

Very good!

Thanks! I'm narrowing down my parts list and getting some sleeving to go with it. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Parge]

Hello SFF.

I'm Parge. Massive ITX fan here, usually hang out at Bit Tech. You can see my current project here. Been following the Nova for a while and thought it was time I signed up to the board.

It seems like a lot of the next generation GPUs (AMD Fury and some of the new 980ti’s) are shipping with AIO coolers fitted. I am hoping to run SLI (to take advantage of one GPU per eye in VR) and have a couple of NZXT Krakens and two Corsair H55s and I’ve been wondering if the Nova would be able to fit two 120 AIOs side by side at the bottom of the case?

From the pics such as this one it looks like there should be sufficient space at the back for the tubing exit area, and with the kraken being much thinner than a normal heatsink, I think height should be ok too – what do you think?

The only concern would be the mounting holes – unless a rail like solution, similar to the one employed at the front of the case was implemented? I could always drill my own I guess?

 

[Phuncz]

Hello Parge, welcome !

Phoenix and Aiboh, I saw the newsletter, well done ! Can't wait for the new stuffs !!

 

[jeshikat]

Hi Parge, seen some of your posts on Bit-Tech, glad to have here.

The Kraken G10 doesn't look that short, from pics it seems about as thick as a normal double-slot cooler. Both rads may just barely fit on the bottom. It'll require 15mm thick fans but even then it'll be a really tight fit between the video card and the rad/fan.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

Putting them both on the bottom wouldn't be the only way to do this, either - You could put one radiator on the side bracket (if using a relatively shallow air CPU cooler), for example. Or, you could put one radiator on the front, below a SFX power supply.

(And if you're going the rear-mounted ATX route, you'd have the whole front of the case open for mounting hardware.)

The only concern would be the mounting holes – unless a rail like solution, similar to the one employed at the front of the case was implemented? I could always drill my own I guess?

The bottom mounts will include rails.