Log RAAM version of the A4-H20, 280 AIO, 13600k, RTX 4070 X3, starting today:)

[RAAM]

This will be my second SFF this year, two Optiplex SFF's last year. I love the Fractal Ridge but ended up not being "practical" with a 280mm AIO. I have enough parts to sell the FR nearly complete or completed with a few more bits needed as some transferred to the A4-H20

UPDATES made as parts are upgraded, changed out, etc....

Case, A4-H20
Motherboard, Asrock Pantom Gaming Z690
CPU, i5-13600K (might end up with i7-13700k)
GPU, MSI 4070 OC Ventus X3, 2 slot, 8 pin power connector
RAM, 2x16 G.Skill RipJaws 6000
Drive 1, 1TB Samsung 980 Pro (might get a 2TB 990 Pro deal from a buddy)
Drive 2, 1TB Samsung 970 Evo
AIO, Corsair i115 280mm AIO with two Silverstone SF high dynamic pressure fans.
Power Supply, Corsair SF600 (considering stepping up to SF750)
Riser cable, trying a low cost non ribbon Ebay one for now, 300mm, Gen 4
Top fans, two Silverstone SF 120mm high static pressure and flow fans above GPU blowing up, powered and controlled by GPU
Noctua 92mm black fan PS upgrade, still sorting it out.
Noctua 40mm fan to replace 30mm, about 3 times or more air flow, VRM fan with air passage opened up in heatsink
Thermal past MX-6
Filters, nylon mesh for all air intakes, other openings sealed off except exhaust

Trim, Wood Veneer, seriously looking into some fine quality wood veneer, maybe just the fronttua
but perhaps top and sides as well, might have to have it laser trimmed. This is not
for traveling so not much to worry about it getting dinged up.

Progress, test fit MB, PS, all cables, working on top and bottom fans and filters
now while waiting for GPU and riser cable to arrive in the mail.

SF600 stock cables are great, much easier that ribbon cables and I cut off all
not needed extra connectors so the wiring will come out pretty neat and organized
with good air flow.

Rick
Still having fun at 72

 

[RAAM]

All together except new GPU on the way and the planned top fans.

I found a non ribbon cable riser, 300mm on Ebay for just $28 and it works great but unfortunately around 20mm to short for having the GPU fans down in the top of the case. If I wanted the fans facing up it fits but I want it down with two 120x15mm fans above it facing up at the very top of the case.

I am searching for a solution, would prefer a 350mm cable, only found one, would have to order from China, hard to be that patient if they have a long delivery time, I guess I better go check it out.

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Posted separate thread looking for a longer internal power supply cable.

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GPU mount plan:
Will sort it out as I go but for now the plan is to remove the GPU slot mount, cut a hole in the case where the slot mount is ventilated and screw the GPU directly to the rear case wall for a nice solid fit.
The Riser cable plan is mounted to the case as well and a rear of the card, which is the front side of the case, make a mount there also.

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Radiator mounting:
The Corsair I have is a perfect friction fit to the front and rear inside of the case, holds itself in position quite well.
I have it at a height in the case so non of the fins are blocked by the case cover.
For now I just have two strips of cloth electrical tap that locks it in place better than one would expect, when I get the rest of the build sorted out I will use some thin wall aluminum angle above and below the radiator, front of case to back, to fill in any gaps so no air is brought in there.

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System is up and running quite well on temp GPU just sitting in the top of the case, new GPU due to arrive tomorrow and riser extensions due Saturday so I can really get into this project.

Rick

 

[RAAM]

4070 just arrived, temp installed, tested, works great, got an RMA in sealed packed on Ebay for $439 and easy to tell a brand new card

Old card, well tuned, 3060 ti FE, Heaven score 158.2 FPS, Score 3986, Temp 67, Hot Spot 80

New Card.

MSI Ventus 4070 3x stock tuned first run on Heaven 183.9 FPS, Score 4631, Temp 68, Hot Spot, forgot to log it.

First tune, add Undervolt .900 ........not liking it, worse numbers, searched YT and found a decent guide to start from and now at .990 undervolt, 2835 MHZ, +1200 memory clock,186.7 FPS, 4703 Score, 57c temp, hot spot 68c.

A few more tweaks now hitting 193.1 FPS, 4839, 54c.

So far really like this light weight, actually 2 slot, very quiet GPU.

This is the standard version of the card, not the OC and the voltage cannot be turned up but does not seem it will matter.


Card is a true 2 slot, low weight at just 28.4 ounces, .805 KG. Old card, 3060 TI FE is 36.2 ounces, 1.026 KG.

My plan for the riser has not paid off, 300mm just a bit to short it looks like I need a 270 degree one, not 90 degree.

I will figure it out or just get lazy and get a 240mm AIO

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Updated the last post with a bit of tuning done, more to go, really liking this low cost decent performance GPU

 

[RAAM]

Havingn trouble getting riser cable figured out so decided to try something I have been thinking of, so far good news!

Deshrouded the GPU, fanless, removed back plate, borrowed two white BioniX P120 fans, rerouted riser between chassis and MB instead of behind chassis, had to mod the riser mount, mod the case a bit but not much. Now the GPU sits low enough to run those fans on the stock bracket.

8 pin power cable is a temp and will be watched, had to bend the wires quite a bit and they are tight against the case side, I would have to mod the case crossbar but enough clearance for testing.
I have a low profile 8 pin adapter cable on the way that will run on top of the GPU between the fans, much better fitment than under it, card will go just a bit lower.

I will be testing blowing down and pulling up, case sides on and off and see what works best.
For now it is running great, not loud at all, two BioniX 120 and two Bionix 140 fans in service, lots of higher pressure air at low dB.

PS cable will have to be extended and new mount location on bottom of case but it be very clean and clear up airflow instead of going between PS/MB/fans on radiator.

DP cable plugged into card through original PS receptacle, I will make a new plate to mount to the GPU and make it nice and clean when done testing.

This SFF PC is coming along nicely

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

8 pin power cable is a temp and will be watched, had to bend the wires quite a bit and they are tight against the case side, I would have to mod the case crossbar but enough clearance for testing.
I have a low profile 8 pin adapter cable on the way that will run on top of the GPU between the fans, much better fitment than under it, card will go just a bit lower.

I bought 180° angled connectors. They work fine, but require space below, which didnt work with the RX 6800 which pretty much fills up the top compartment. A test fit with my GTX 1660 totally worked, even with a bit room to spare, so dual-slot cards should be perfectly fine

cu, w0lf.

 

[RAAM]

Great, thanks for the info

I have one on the way that will fit over the top of the fan facing up mounting of the GPU (though mine no longer has the fans or shroud on it) and between the 120mm case fans as separated them a bit to better direct the air flow centered over the areas most needed.

This is turning out to be a really fun build, just enough to sort out, test, make things fit, minimal case mods, good cable management and look nice while doing it. I guess I better start taking some good pictures to post.

Testing with GPU facing up, fans blowing down and in right now, it was a tough fit to get the riser cable set just right. If I will test with fans blowing up and out next, see what works best. I ordered a 300mm 90 degree riser cable which I can barely but effectivily make work but if I need to flip the card facing down as originally planned then I have to order a 350-40mm 180 degree cable. I also bought a Silverstone small riser card combo and when it arrived realized the 90 degree should of been 270 degree to work.....

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Testing, testing and more to go.....hot spell here and our conversion from ducted AC to ducted evap cooling was not quite setup all the way, running tests that cause heat building up in 82F ambient temperture soon had the area up to 85 degrees, still the system was able to run most everything and stay in the mid 50c to mid 60c range which is quite good all things considered.

I tried the top BioniX fans aiming up and then down into the case which flipped the CPU/GPU temps about 5c higher for either unit depending on where the fans were oriented. I tried running Cinebench but after 8 minutes it finally hit 100c on the CPU and stopped running.

This AM, 71F Cinebench finished with a good score and 92c CPU temp but sill way to high, I need more airflow into the case. I am going to mount an 80mm fan on the bottom facing up and a 140mm slim fan over the CPU blowing on the MB and forcing more air into the case. Then I will try the GPU to mounted 120mm Bionix fans facing in and then facing out and see how it turns out.

The RV has 19 vents for the ceiling ducted AC system which I had some blocked off and the highest ambient temp reached 77F, much better than 82F but still a bit warn for testing as the computer is sitting on a big shelf in the corner where heat builds up when running tests. I will move it to a more open area and have a fan sitting a few feet away to circulate the room air around it better as it is 74F there now.

The evap is on the other end of the RV, 40 ft from where my desk is located. If I can get Cinebench to stay at or below 80c when it is 75-80F in this location I will be quite pleased with the result.

I do promise some pics, it is turning out really nice and a bit easier than expected for having a full size GPU and 280mm AIO

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Update:
System runs everything great with reasonable temps even if my desk area is 80 degrees plus....then it might get up to 85 after running benchmarks but stays within reasonable heat ranges except the VRM, one sensor reports pretty hot, see below. I am satisfied with the built layout and now exploring ways to get more air into the case, plenty of exit, need more fresh coming in and all will still be filtered. The CPU gets pretty hot running Cinebench, high 70 to low 80s if not hot in the RV, low 90s if ambient temps are over 80 F in the RV. Those numbers should drop quite a bit when I am done.

To make things much easier for testing I used blue masking tape to seal things off as needed, works great, no mess, now time to do the metal work.

1) Edit, case feet will be taller now, see below.

2) EDIT: Already ordered but decided not to use two 120mm sliim fans on the top of the case along with the GPU triple fans, went with two 120mm high pressure fans and took the fans and shroud off the graphics card, working well.

So, bottom of the case is now going to have two slim 120mm fans mounted on the exterior blowing up into the case. There will be filters over them, and a bit taller legs, maybe 1 inch, 25.4 mm, or taller. I will not use the case bottom metal, just cut the openings a little to maximize the the 20mm fan air flow.

3) 140 slim fan over MB is just a bit to big so only about 120mm effective area and bigger flans have lower pressure, looks cool with side panel off but going to switch to 120mm as it will flow better though more work to mount.

4) VRM, as mentioned, one temp sensor showing much hotter than the other two but I cannot find which one is which even though I asked on the Asrock site. I might try again with a different approach. In the mean time there is a useless 30mm fan under the heat sink butting right up to it so no real air flow. I have to mod things to fit but putting in a 40mm fan which has around 50% more surface area and drilling holes through the heat sink towards the water cooled CPU and I have the 140 but switching to 120mm fan blowing air into the case over the CPU. Now it will have positive pressure plus and much larger fan that has actual flow out through the vented I/O cover.

5) Raising GPU up to be against the case fans that cool it to get more air flow around it has helped a few degrees and I am going to use an approx 160mm by 20mm slot above the AIO radiator to bring more air to the GPU, going to have to buy a roll of nylon filter and will tape it on with the great cloth electrical harness tape I use for many things. I will make a shroud over the radiator/fans to keep the air flow from just sucking down and into the AIO fans, direct it up to the GPU.

6) PS mount, going to vent it a bit to allow air to be pulled in by the AIO fans, it is already covered by a filter. And I removed the stock grill in the PS and will open up the area on the mount for far more air flow than it came with.

7) PS cable, could not find an appropriate longer replacement so DIY it is, I used to be a union electrican and 20 years in electronics, going to make it longer and this will keep it out of any important air flow.

8) GPU, slot for just the ports, custom internal mount, no ventilation as it will all be handled by the two 120mm high pressure fans above it. I do have to make a custom section as have to cover up the not in use PS cable port, new one will be at the bottom of the case.

This is sure a fun project though not working on it for awhile due to gardening and repairing my silly fast Fiesta ST to prepare to sell it, finally had enough go fast at 72 years old it seems

Rick

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

3) 140 slim fan over MB is just a bit to big so only about 120mm effective area and bigger flans have lower pressure, looks cool with side panel off but going to switch to 120mm as it will flow better though more work to mount.

In my S396 build, I added a 80 mm slim (TL-8015) fan with an approx 20° angle on top of the CPU waterblock, which did drop the overall temps of VRM etc. by a few C (at least the hot spots arent as concerning as before). Originally planned to use a 60 mm fan directly on top of the VRM, but it was just too thick (regular 25 mm).

6) PS mount, going to vent it a bit to allow air to be pulled in by the AIO fans, it is already covered by a filter. And I removed the stock grill in the PS and will open up the area on the mount for far more air flow than it came with.

7) PS cable, could not find an appropriate longer replacement so DIY it is, I used to be a union electrican and 20 years in electronics, going to make it longer and this will keep it out of any important air flow.

There are quite a few ones found on Amazon. Important detail: Search for "C13 / C14 extension mounted plate" or "mounting" or so. Else you get a lot of useless stuff.

I'm currently using the PSU extension cord supplied with the S400, because that one fits really well, and the Inno3D 4070 is small enough to route the cable underneath without any issues; planning to get some spacers to keep properly leveled, but for the initial approach it works very well.

cu, w0lf.

 

[RAAM]

Yeah, I found one, perfect for my needs, .6m, better angles than the stock cable, $12.99 shipped to arrive in 3 days

THANKS!!!

I have four 120mm fans and need added air flow so using 3 of them to blow air into the case, two on the bottom and one above the water block. I should of dug out my drill press but decided to just use a drill, file, etc and now the VRM heat sink as a big hole in it for the 40mm fan I made fit under it. I hope this works out or I will have to find a new heat sink. It will look OK but did not come out as planned and was many times more work. I guess I need to slow down and listen to myself instead of just jumping into things....

Rick

 

[RAAM]

New power cable came in, perfect! angle at PS is opposite so not over the vents, better air flow, and it tucks into the case better along the front then it goes down and under the AIO fans, off to the side so not blocking much bottom air flow. Instead of a 90 degree at the case mount end it is straight in which will allow me to have the radiator/fans as low as I can so more airflow over the top of them up to the GPU.

I worked on my car until to hot then modded the PC case PS mount, opened up the intake area so less air restriction, now the PS has no grill at all but the air still have to come through the mesh side panels and nylon filter, better than having 4 things to flow through!

 

[RAAM]

Got some riser feet, needed 4 but these were the best I could find for my needs, pack of 12 for $20 shipped.

Furniture feet.

The allow approx 8mm of space below the exterior 120mm slim fans I have temp taped to the bottom of the case, it will be a bit less with the nylon air filters on but still not bad and they are tapered and round, not one long block across the front and rear of the case.

I had some self tapping stainless sheet metal screws that are perfect, only took a minute or so to mount the feet, nice and solid, no wobbles. The stiff but not solid so a bit of cushion to them.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Got some riser feet, needed 4 but these were the best I could find for my needs, pack of 12 for $20 shipped.

Furniture feet.

The allow approx 8mm of space below the exterior 120mm slim fans I have temp taped to the bottom of the case, it will be a bit less with the nylon air filters on but still not bad and they are tapered and round, not one long block across the front and rear of the case.

Potential mounting options: Magnetic tape - OR MUCH better: Flat neodym magnets. There are some that come with m3 / m2 screw holes and are just 2 mm thin. I got a set of small 2 x 10 x 10 mm neodym magnets which I did use for various things like fixing the top fan frame to the most front position of the S400 case - those things are STRONG.

Just screw them to the fans, then plopp them straight underneath, et voila!

cu, w0lf.

 

[RAAM]

That is a great idea, thanks

I will look for some the right size to glue into the fan mount holes or if a big bigger drill out the holes and glue the magnets in. It would be nice to put the filters above the fans instead of under them, easy to pop them off for cleaning.

The filters are magnetic as well so turned the right way should work fine between the filter and fan magnets.

I was going to make trim around the fans, just simple very thin angle aluminum but kind of liking how they look with the sides exposed.

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Testing, Testing, Cooling Fans, and more Cooling Fans......

In my quest to have a cool running system and or at least reasonable heat levels when running the harshest bench tests I have tried a few different things but still a little hotter than I prefer for the CPU or GPU under certain loads but mainly the VRM was the major issue, the 3rd sensor showing 90c+.

The I/O cover/heatsink had a 30mm fan mounted to it but no actual air flow through the fan, very poor design, useless basically. Since the trim panel on the output side has holes in it I decided to bore through the heatsink so air could flow through the fan from inside the case to out the trim panel. I should of dug out my bench top drill press, my full size one would of been even better but buried in storage....So I just used a drill and of course that did not go as planned, I ended up with one big hole through the heat sink but at least the heat pipe is exposed to air flow now.

I swapped to a 40mm fan which looks to have about 3 times the area to move air through it than the 30mm fan, had to rewire it, got it wrong so not spinning up but I know what I did so took it back apart. In the mean time I just ordered a 3 pin Noctua 40mm fan with better specs to use instead, still have to swap the end of the cable but easy enough to do.

While ordering the fan I thought about upgrading the PS fan at the same time and then found the Noctua NF-A9x14 Chromax that would work before recalling a thread here where it as already been done, with the same fan. The PS in my version of the SF600 has a 4 pin connector, I just need to swap to that end by soldering on the one on the current fan and make sure the wiring is correct in case the pinouts are different. Not likely much improvement but why not go all out on this, not much cost, nice insurance....

 

[RAAM]

And more testing, swapped to two 140mm Arctic BionX fans on the 280mm radiator, liked them, swapped to two of the same in 120mm for right over the GPU. Very nice, very quiet, high flow, higher pressure.....

Since blocking all air access into the case unless passing through filters and only room for an 80mm fan on the bottom of the case, running pretty cool but decided to use taller feet and test two 120mm thin fans, Arctic Slim fans, under the case mounted to it.

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Then thanks to

hrh_ginsterbusch​

I learned about the Silverstone Shark Force fans so ordered two of them in 140mm for the AIO and they are super quiet and have higher flow and pressure, great! Of course I then ordered two in 120mm for the GPU cooling and using some Ensolite foam, moving the AIO as low as I could, made a 25mm slot above it, full length of the case, for GUP air intake that will be filtered.

Now I have some of the very best fans in all locations being installed and the intake air from the bottom of the case is just passing through two 120mm fliters, skipping the bottom fans for now. Also the either 120mm or 140mm slim fan over the motherboard I have planed is on hold while I test these new changes.

Majority of AIO intake air from bottom of case, some through filter over motherboard, PS air flows in through filter but blows up towards GPU, and the rest of the air flow is directed from above the AIO and mostly sealed for GPU use. GPU gets some air from intake over MB as well and the two 120mm fans over the GPU will deal with PS exhaust but that is ont he cooler end of the GPU heatsink.

If this works out I will have full control over all the fans which are top tier, controlled flow though the case and should run nice and quiet and keep 99.9 percent of dirt out of the case.

If I still have any heat issues it is pretty simple to mount either the 120 or 140mm slim fan over the motherboard and or two 120mm slim fans on the bottom of the case and still have filtered intake air and likely more than enough heat control.

Rick

 

[RAAM]

Only working on the computer part time, days off in a row, busy repairing my highly modded Fiesta ST, street, track, fast and fun car.

 

[RAAM]

Noctua fans ordered yesterday, arrive tomorrow
Silverstone SF 120mm ordered yesterday as well, arrive Friday so one day to wait on them.

Cool thing is they come with little jumpers for the modular socket so you can link two together closely but the male side fits right into the GPU socket so I can use them to save a bunch of extra wiring in the case without having to mod the cables. They are 7" long, 178mm, two male ends and one female 2 inches from one end which I will not need to use.

The 92mm Noctua is a PMW so 4-pin just like the PS fan I removed so it should be just plug and play, that will be nice

The 40mm Noctual is 3-pin like the header on the MB so hope it is plug and play as well but not a big deal if I have to mod the cable.

This is turning out to be quite a nice compact, powerful and quite system that is far more than I have any need for so I might sell it when all done playing around having fun building it.

Rick