NFC S4 Mini #77 - Orangulan Brickless S4

raysurfer

Minimal Tinkerer
Feb 26, 2017
3
0
The problem with the new 300W isn't going to be the height (will be 41mm as well), but the width which as of the last set of spec drawings we received will be 62mm. The inner width of the S4 mini is 57mm, while the outer is 63mm. The only way I could possibly see managing to cram a 300W into this enclosure would be to cut out the inner case where you want it to fit and that MIGHT buy you just the amount of space you need to screw the side panels back on, but it would be a very very tight fit.

The one build I could see this combo working in (and I may try it myself) is if a 150mm RX Nano is released. Considering this was the length of the original R9 Nano, it's not unreasonable to think they might repeat on producing another card in this form factor. Hypothetically you could do the exact build I am talking about with an RX Nano and an HDPlex 300 and have what will likely be a 1080's power in a completely enclosed case.

Mmmmmm....
Hi @Kmpkt , I love your build and I want to try something similar. My ideal though is an HD-Plex 300W with one of the 1070 mini, shortest one is Gigabyte's 169mm + 41mm from HDPLEX 300W =210mm (exceeding original S4's length dimensions), meaning I will need the new optional 2D bezel @Josh | NFC is making available for the next batch of S4 minis next to it (Assuming that does the trick). You mention the width being the next problem, so how is that the newer RX NANO would be able to make everything fit? Or did you mean grinding HDPLEX 300W AC-DC + Untouched R9 + Untouched OG S4 mini Bezel combo?
 

Kmpkt

Innovation through Miniaturization
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Feb 1, 2016
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There are a couple problems with the mod you are suggesting. That being said, I don't think it's impossible but it will require a LOT of cutting. Firstly the HDPlex 300W is currently specced to be 62mm wide while the inner width of the S4 mini is 57mm. This means you need to find 5mm somewhere. My personal choice would be to chop the inner case to create ~2mm of space and then sand/grind down the cooling fins on the side of your HDPlex 300 to get the other three. Obviously at this point you've essentially voided any kind of warranty on a 155+ dollar case and a 70-80 dollar AC-DC power supply. Also you're possibly going to create heat dissipation problems in the HDPlex which will possibly lead to its premature demise. I don't know enough to comment on whether changing the cooling structure of the HDPlex would introduce any kind of safety issues (read FIRE), and therefore wouldn't personally endorse it. What I would consider is seeing if Josh can do a 2D bezel out of brushed aluminum instead of acrylic (significantly more expensive) to act as a heatsink for the HDPlex 300

As far as the RX Nano goes, its existence is pure speculation and there is no guarantee it would have the same length (or other dimensions) that the present R9 Nano has. The R9 Nano is very SFF unfriendly in the context of smaller power supplies because its momentary power spikes would likely kneecap your HDPlex the first time you gamed.

I hope this helps and good luck with your mod if you decided to go ahead with it.
 

raysurfer

Minimal Tinkerer
Feb 26, 2017
3
0
This helped a lot. Thank you very much! Yes I wasn't considering the orientation of the case when thinking about the 2d bezel since I forgot Josh is going for acrylic, I know you place you HDPlex 160 on that side. I will keep thinking about it, since I really want to make it a reality. When preorders go up, I will send a message to Josh to see what he has to say about possible mods.
 

Kmpkt

Innovation through Miniaturization
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KMPKT
Feb 1, 2016
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The best way in my mind is to do an over thickness bezel. I will be doing a build log in the next month or so that will have a 5/8" thick custom bezel with an unchopped 1080 Zotac inside (as well as some other cool hardware). Were you to do this with the 300W HDPlex, you could probably turn an aluminum version into a massive heatsink negating the need for fins. In fact having talked to Larry, his rationale for having the fins was that he can't reliably expect people to heatsink properly.
 
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raysurfer

Minimal Tinkerer
Feb 26, 2017
3
0
is Larry the engineer behind the 300W HD-plex I presume? How do you plan on producing your over-thickness Aluminum bezel If I may ask? Looking forward to that 1080 build!
 

Kmpkt

Innovation through Miniaturization
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Feb 1, 2016
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Larry is the owner of HDPlex and the one you'll communicate with if you have any business with them. Super guy and always very willing to help.

The over thickness bezel I am producing is actually made of Mahogany and not aluminum.
 

Kooki

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Mar 30, 2016
129
56
The color of your S4 is very cool. The dc plug mod also looks very clean.

I really like your desk setup too! That monitor arm!

And the carrying case which includes the monitor is nuts! 8D
 
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TheHig

King of Cable Management
Oct 13, 2016
951
1,171
@Kmpkt Front page!

I really like seeing the evolution of your mini with various hardware changes and configurations. Nice ingenuity there and the final build looks awesome. +1 for the all in one travel case as well.
 

Kmpkt

Innovation through Miniaturization
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Thanks for the positive comments. Had a lot to do with having a great platform to build on. Thanks to @Josh | NFC !
 

Kmpkt

Innovation through Miniaturization
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TH-X00 Massdrop edition. They will be featuring heavily in my next build titled Timbre.
 

stefan33

Average Stuffer
Jan 13, 2017
73
24
Hi, please how many mm the HDPlex direct plug goes outside from the border of the mainboard? I mean with cable ecc.. Thak you.
 

stefan33

Average Stuffer
Jan 13, 2017
73
24
Please where did you get this white connector? Where is it possible to buy it? Thank you.
 
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CubanLegend

Steely-Eyed NVFlash Man
Dec 23, 2016
832
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smallformfactor.net
Time for a build log necro I think!

So I stopped this build last summer as life got busy and then as I heard about more and more suitable hardware being released, I decided to wait to complete it (namely the HDPlex 160 Direct Plug). Now that I've received that as well as the new copper coloured riser for the S4 mini I've finally found the time to complete this build.

So firstly you can see the new HDPlex 160W Direct Plug minus the mess of SATA cables that it shipped with:


And here you can see the polarized C7 plug I left the build with last, now cabled and crimped with the correct hardware:


Also my trusty old Gigabyte Phoenix and 4690S combo with the oh-so-lovely new S4 Mini Riser from NFC:


First step of the completion of this mod was to remove the lowest four studs from the front of the S4 bezel so they didn't interfere with the mounting of the HDPlex 160W AC-DC unit:


Next up, prepping the 160W AC-DC for mounting with 3M 8810 Thermal Adhesive:


And mounting said PSU:


Test fitting with the EVGA 1050ti:



Next adding in motherboard and riser:


You can see how tight the motherboard and the casing of the HDPlex AC-DC are. < 1mm of distance between them to eyeball it:


Slightly better spacing between the 1050ti and the AC-DC. Enough that I hope there won't be impedance of airflow around the GPU


Lastly the wiring:


Plugged in and powered on for the first time and nothing seems to be smoking:


And everything runs!

Okay, this build is amazing, it's so cool to see you went from a half-height card to a full height 1050ti! Such power in a brickless build!

The last bit of this build is making it portable. I plan to take it with me when I travel to visit friends as well as to and from my office when I want to game instead of work. As such I've gotten the perfect case for the purpose:

Nanuk 1535 is carry-on friendly and just the right size for the S4 Mini for anyone interested:


Add to that a 20.7" 1080P Monitor from Acer that JUST fits inside the roof of the case:


And I'm good to go:

Okay I've got to get myself that carry on case now. Thing is i'm having trouble finsing it.. I can find the Pelican 1535 but not the NANUK one... I wonder if there's a retail outlet that sells the NANUK so i can get an idea of how much size im dealing with and what I can fit inside. I'll probably go to a Walmart today with my S4 Mini and try to cram it inside variouos NANUKs they have in stock and see how well it fits, if I can go any smaller or if the 935 is my perfect choice. Ideally I'd like to be able to fit my S4 in there but I've also got that huge Dell 330W power brick, and that LCD you have, and maybe a slim wireless keyboard/touchpad and maybe a few xbox controllers... XD

EDIT: So @Kmpkt looks like you might have accidentally mistaken the Pelican 1535 with the NANUK 935. The NANUK 935 seems to be the carrying case you have. Here's a review comparing both of them though. :) Either way, i found it. And I'm going to make sure I can fit everything I want inside of it and then I'll order it. Thanks for the inspiration! :D
 
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Kmpkt

Innovation through Miniaturization
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KMPKT
Feb 1, 2016
3,382
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It is the Nanuk 935 (not 1535). The other case I was looking at when purchasing this was the Pelican 1535, but I obviously got it confused. The case is amazing, has beautiful construction, and the wheels handle really nicely - nothing shoddy about any part of the construction. Also if you're in the US, it is made in Canada not China which means the Customs should be much less due to NAFTA. The one thing I would say to consider is if the carry on function and rolling is crucial for your use. If it is not, I would actually recommend the 945, because I am pretty sure you can get a proper 23.8 (24") monitor in the lid which makes the whole setup that much more attractive. I personally like this one:

http://www.lg.com/ae/monitors/lg-24MP88-ips-monitor
 

CubanLegend

Steely-Eyed NVFlash Man
Dec 23, 2016
832
1,011
smallformfactor.net
It is the Nanuk 935 (not 1535). The other case I was looking at when purchasing this was the Pelican 1535, but I obviously got it confused. The case is amazing, has beautiful construction, and the wheels handle really nicely - nothing shoddy about any part of the construction. Also if you're in the US, it is made in Canada not China which means the Customs should be much less due to NAFTA. The one thing I would say to consider is if the carry on function and rolling is crucial for your use. If it is not, I would actually recommend the 945, because I am pretty sure you can get a proper 23.8 (24") monitor in the lid which makes the whole setup that much more attractive. I personally like this one:

http://www.lg.com/ae/monitors/lg-24MP88-ips-monitor
Kmpkt, we are on the same wavelength, bro! I actually WAS considering the 945 since it offers more space for controllers and stuff. I dont actually travel in a plane with my S4, it's only really carried from place to place locally from my house to my car and then from my car to the friends house... (I've been using a raggedy 15 year old school backpack and wrapping the S4 in an old shirt.)

I've been looking at the interior measurements compared with all the other NANUK cases here ... But honestly, now that I see how much bigger the 945 is and how i can fit a proper 24 inch display, I'm liking it. But I've still gotta search around for a more affordable option. Ideally for me, I'd like to have a gaming or laptop backpack with pockets for controllers and stuff, mainly since I don't REALLY need a portable screen to take with me, I always have a screen to plug into wherever I go.... We shall see though. Regardless, I thank you for your advice and guidance, and for the inspiration! :D
 

gunpalcyril

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 7, 2016
294
319
Hi Kmpkt, I love your build. It inspired me to build a brickless pc for autocad and solidworks applications that is portable.

Where did you purchase the polarized c7 socket? I've been looking everywhere online and in store, I can't seem to find the polarized socket, only the unpolarized sockets. I'm so close to finishing the build... haha.
 
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