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Log N0RDR1 NANO - Cool&Quiet 4.5L Custom Build with Wood Front

REVOCCASES

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
REVOCCASES
Silver Supporter
Apr 2, 2020
2,169
3,507
www.revoccases.com
update time: all components for my build have arrived and metal parts should come in within the next week or so... in the meantime I've done some prep work to make this build really Cool&Quiet...

20230313_111330.jpg

1) the GPU: I love the A2000 but I don't like the stock cooler... the ball bearing blower fan makes some unpleasant noise and NVIDIAS decision to have it run at min. 3000RPM, even on idle, doesn't help either... in order to fix that, I made my own cooler with three SilverStone FTF 5010 fans connected to the motherboard and controlled via Rem0o/FanControl

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2) the PSU: I played around with different ideas (Meanwell & DC-ATX, HDPlex, FLEX, etc...) but then decided to allow for different PSU options and check during the build what I'll finally use...

Screenshot 2023-03-13 112207.jpg

one option would be the STREACOM ZF240 which is passive cooled but has mustard cables...

20230304_124532.jpg

another option would be the FSP FLEXGURU which looks nice and is small but has a noisy fan that needs to be replaced/modded...

20230307_112751.jpg

3) CPU / Cooler / Fans: since this build shall be as quiet as possibel I decided to pair an i7 11700T with the NOCTUA L12s... depending if I need a little bit more performance or lower noise I can run the 11700T either at stock 35W or remove the power limits and let it pull ~80W... as for the three 80mm case fans there are unfortunately not too many "slim" options. I decided to try the AKASA SLIMFAN 80 which seems to run pretty quiet at lower RPMs.

next update when the metal parts come in... :)
 

princess_daphie

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jan 26, 2019
210
194
Really loving the design overall! Coming together really nicely!

Though if I had to make one criticism, and it's one that ends up being true for so many SFF designs, is that I don't find the compromise of needing to use slim fans worth it. Like you said, the choice of slim fans is very limited, and for the hassle it causes, I'd rather my case be 1cm deeper in one direction than not having the clearance for regular Noctuas or something like that. It's a small nitpick, but one that's made me pass up on many neat looking SFF cases.
 

REVOCCASES

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
REVOCCASES
Silver Supporter
Apr 2, 2020
2,169
3,507
www.revoccases.com
Really loving the design overall! Coming together really nicely!

Though if I had to make one criticism, and it's one that ends up being true for so many SFF designs, is that I don't find the compromise of needing to use slim fans worth it. Like you said, the choice of slim fans is very limited, and for the hassle it causes, I'd rather my case be 1cm deeper in one direction than not having the clearance for regular Noctuas or something like that. It's a small nitpick, but one that's made me pass up on many neat looking SFF cases.

thanks, that's a good point - wouldn't even look too bad with the added depth

1678722891341.png

tbh I already had the design ready and just started to look for suitable fans afterwards... XD well, let's see how the Akasa fans perform...
 

REVOCCASES

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
REVOCCASES
Silver Supporter
Apr 2, 2020
2,169
3,507
www.revoccases.com
the metal parts came in a little earlier - not yet painted/coated, but I could already test fitment of the parts...

20230315_101922.jpg

before I wasn't quite sure if I'm using the STREACOM or FSP PSU...

20230314_145735.jpg

and despite both would theoretically work, the FSP certainly make the build process much easier...

20230314_145440.jpg

one issue I ran into: if you mount the fan below the fins, the Noctua L12S is not really compatible with the GIGABYTE board... previously I had bent the cooler a little upwards to make it fit but in this case I really only have 70mm cooler clearance...

20230314_150404.jpg

anyway, "Where There's a Will, There's a Way" (or in German: was nicht passt, wird passend gemacht)... XD

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now it fits and I'm pleasantly surprised how well it performs...

Screenshot 2023-03-15 093032.jpg
 

BaK

King of Cable Management
Bronze Supporter
May 17, 2016
968
958
Great fan mod!
How did you attach the remaining of the fan to the heatsink?
 
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REVOCCASES

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
REVOCCASES
Silver Supporter
Apr 2, 2020
2,169
3,507
www.revoccases.com
I couldn't wait to get the build up and running so I still painted the parts last night... here's the last part of the build log...

20230316_123829.jpg

first step was wiring the 8010 fans and pressing in some M3 nuts to mount them at the front of the case...

20230316_111805.jpg

next, attaching the wood panel...

20230316_112320.jpg

and the fans...

20230316_113341.jpg

sliding in the motherboard from the left side...

20230316_114747.jpg

connecting all the cables, fans and mounting the modded FLEXGURU...

20230316_122957.jpg

last but not least, some beauty shots...

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if someone is interested in my design, I'm happy to share the drawings here... :)
 

BaK

King of Cable Management
Bronze Supporter
May 17, 2016
968
958
And one more great build from @REVOCCASES !
Looks indeed beautiful!

I couldn't wait to get the build up and running so I still painted the parts last night...
Lol I know that kind of hitch! XD

first step was wiring the 8010 fans and pressing in some M3 nuts to mount them at the front of the case...

20230316_111805.jpg
Did you have to warm the m3 nuts before inserting them? Brilliant idea btw!

No problem running the three fans on the same header?
Parallel circuit with only one PWM wire kept?

Looking at the case in that orientation makes me think the GPU fans could have been set to exhaust air on top.
 
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REVOCCASES

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
REVOCCASES
Silver Supporter
Apr 2, 2020
2,169
3,507
www.revoccases.com
And one more great build from @REVOCCASES !
Looks indeed beautiful!

Thanks :)

Did you have to warm the m3 nuts before inserting them? Brilliant idea btw!

No problem running the three fans on the same header?
Parallel circuit with only one PWM wire kept?

no need, the fans had this kind of recessed holes, perfect fit with a small M3 nut

1678980427129.png

no problem as long as you stay below the fan headers Amp rating... just leave away the Tacho Signal (RPM) for two of them, PWM you need to keep for all three

Looking at the case in that orientation makes me think the GPU fans could have been set to exhaust air on top.

hmmm... from my experience fans work much better in push than pull, but I could try!
 
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BaK

King of Cable Management
Bronze Supporter
May 17, 2016
968
958
just leave away the Tacho Signal (RPM) for two of them, PWM you need to keep for all three
RPM yes, my mistake...

hmmm... from my experience fans work much better in push than pull, but I could try!
If it's an easy shift I'm always curious about such comparison!
But you are probably right, and looking at it again, fans in pull would likely draw hot air from below into the GPU heatsink.
 
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REVOCCASES

Shrink Ray Wielder
Original poster
REVOCCASES
Silver Supporter
Apr 2, 2020
2,169
3,507
www.revoccases.com
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