Log S396 Streaming System

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Custom modding with the Miningeek Neo S300 (a Shiny Snake S300 clone) right now. Components being reused are all as detailed in the spoiler below, except for the AIO.

The case gets a strategic cut out approx 6 x 7 cm mostly above the mainboard side has gotten a 7 x 11 cm rectangular hole in the bottom of the case, and a small cut on the middle frame to allow AIO tube routing. System has been inverted, and with the already existing fan mounting holes, the radiator + fans have been successfully mounted to the case.

Then from the second purchased case, the top frame is going to be cut at approx 6 - 7 cm length, to create a top hat, which will be placed on top of the main body; attachment is either using neodym magnets or folding the cut top frame by 90°, similar to the original structure, drilling screw holes both on the 90° angled bracket and the primary case, and then screwing them together. Both options should lead to a similar look as with the FormD T1, so a visible, but smooth transition from main body to top hat.

Its name derives from the fact that:

Maybe I should call it the S396? Cause its ~96% of the S400 v2, at least when I'm finished with it, including the top hat.

Parts being used:

- Case: 2x Miningeek Neo S300, 8.2L
- CPU: Intel i5-13500 (+ Thermalright Contact Frame)
- AIO: Silverstone Vida 240 + 2x Silverstone Air Blazer 120RW (120 mm)
- Board: MSI MPG B760i Edge Wifi DDR 4
- RAM: 2x 16 GB, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3600
- SSD: 1 TB Transcend 220S (from pre-existing build) - to be replaced with FireCuda 510 1 TB
- GPU: Asus Phoenix RTX 3050 (also from the pre-existing build)
- PSU: SeaSonic SGX-750 (true SFX)
- Case fans: 80 mm Thermalright TL-8015 for VRM cooling , Silverstone Air Blazer 120RW on the GPU side (improved all the temps by about 2 - 3 C)

Updated PPL: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/fwolf/saved/ZsV2rH

To-Do List:

- Add 60 mm fan for VRM cooling - only 60x10 or 15 would work, 25 mm is too tall; went with an 80x15 instead (Thermalright TL-8015)
- Replace PSU with a true SFX one (Corsair SF600 or Seasonic SGX / Phanteks Revolt SFX) - SGX-750 installed
- Try to add other fans to improve cooling performance - added 120 mm fan to the GPU side, might add a slim 92 or 120 mm to the PSU bottom, too
- Add + connect ARGB controller (the one supplied with the AIO)
- Add spacer / radiator / fan mounting bracket (to reduce noise and also better overall mounting; currently only the front fan is directly mounted to the case)
- Prepare the top hat (both side panels + the top frame of the second case)
- Find nice case feet
- Replace Manjaro with Endeavour OS (optionally)

Spoiler: Original S400 build (till 2024-03-02)

Rebuilding to the Miningeek Neo S400 (a Shiny Snake S400 clone) right now. Components being reused are all as detailed in the spoiler below, except for the AIO.

Parts being used:

- Case: Miningeek Neo S400, 10.8L
- CPU: Intel i5 13500
- CPU Air Cooler: Testing out several LP cooler options, but probably going to settle with the Thermalright AXP120-x67
- Board: MSI MPG B760i Edge Wifi DDR 4
- RAM: 2x 16 GB, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3600
- SSD: 1 TB Transcend 220S (from pre-existing build) - to be replaced with FireCuda 510 1 TB
- GPU: Asus Phoenix RTX 3050 (also from the pre-existing build)
- PSU: Fractal Ion SFX Gold 650W, SFX-L
- Case fans: 2x 120 mm, one slim 15 mm and a regular 25 mm; Silverstone Air Slimmer ARGB + Silverstone Air Blazer 120RW

New PPL: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/fwolf/saved/7yTH4D

Spoiler: Original Meshlicious build (till 2023-12-29)

Starting point of my Meshlicious Streaming System, as mentioned in the Mesh-mATX-Build Log.

Parts being used:

- Case: Meshlicious all mesh panels, black, PCIe 3 Riser (replaced with EZ-FAB PCIe 4 Riser)
- CPU: i5 13500
- Board: MSI MPG B760i Edge DDR 4
- RAM: 2x 16 GB, Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3600
- SSD: 1 TB Transcend 220S (from pre-existing build)
- GPU: Asus Phoenix RTX 3050 (also from the pre-existing build)
- PSU: Fractal Ion SFX Gold 650W, SFX-L (repositioned to the back / GPU side of the case)
- AIO: be quiet Silent Loop 2 280mm (has been working flawlessly as a space heater so far)
- Spacer set for testing out the standoff mod (was a requirement to be able to install the GPU in "itx" position)
- additional fans for improved cooling (92 mm or 120 mm slim size fan on top as exhaust, 50 mm for VRM cooling etc.)

Some notes on the choice of components:

CPU: i5-13500 because its pretty versatile, and potential future upgrade path (and then having an upgrade path for the the NAS / media server, too), and also not meant as a gaming system.

AIO: Overkill, but I want to test out things, eg. if my RX 6800 fits side by side with the radiator, for future building within the Meshroom S. Side effect is getting a very low-noise system, too.

PSU: Originally planned to reuse the Seasonic Focus PX 550, but after a test fit in the case, the fumbling around with the missing space seemed to be too tedious. On the other hand, going straight for a Loki 1000W SFX-L for the main build seemed a bit of overkill, so I went for a compromise and decided to pick a mid-tier SFX PSU (in terms of power).

SSD: Might add another 1 TB Transcend 220S, because of its high TBW, and then set both up as RAID1

PPL for reference: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/user/fwolf/saved/mw8vRB

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

On a second thought: I may or may not have to replace the riser cable. I dont really have a clue if the 3.1 riser packed together with the Meshlicious is gonna work or not (with PCIe 5, that is) *sighs*

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

All the parts are now .. FINALLY around.
Probably wont ever order from a specific store in Berlin again. And no, its NOT Mindfactory.

And now for something completely different: Good goth, that Silent Loop 2 280 is soooooo light-weight. Really nothing compared to the brick called Liquid Freezer II 240.

I was first like: Uhm, is this thing actually filled with anything? Does it consist of plastics? After a few checks and weight tests etc. it actually looks ok, but still have to test if its actually working or needs a bit of refill .. ordered from Amazon, having no clue how long it sat around (yet).

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

OT: Just did a test fit with my Gigabyte RX 6800 and one of the Silent Wings 3 140 mm fans - in the Meshi. Not quite 100% fitting, a bit too tight, but in theory, it could work out side-by-side in the Meshroom S. Ie. for the Mesh-mATX build

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Note to whom it may concern: Installing the Silent Loop 2 280 mm is a total PITA, no matter which PSU you use (I tried all: SFX, SFX-L and regular "small" ATX, in just about any direction) - the tubes are always prone to collide with the PSU or bend nonsensically over the side, at least when using the supposedly "intended" direction of the pump block.

But it looks like as if one is able to rotate the block by 90° - the mounting bridges can be installed in both directions. So I'm going to try an installation of the pump block with the tubes going upwards and then running down. That was the most successful direction I tried at the very start (about 4 hours ago).

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Ordered a "PCIe 4.0 Riser Dual Reverse" cable. Its enough space left for using the "SFX GPU" installation, ie. vertical. Also ordered two different types of external power buttons. One also includes USB and audio, while the other is "only" a power button. The regular power / usb / usb C essemble is clashing with the 280 radiator, as I cannot install the rad in the most upper position when the power button card is still installed.

Going to install the rest and hope everything is gonna work (for now). The 13500 got its iGPU, so I should be able to boot.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Note: If you want to do what I'm doing rn, ie. use a short-sized GPU in the vertical direction, be 100% to get yourself one of those "standoff mod" kits, because I wouldnt be able to install the GPU WITHOUT two 10 mm standoffs.

Pics gonna follow.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

After a lot of drama, I decided to do the GPU standoff mod, move the PSU to the other side (like I planned for the Mesh-mATX in some scenarios), and move the "spine" of the Meshlicious to the 4 slot GPU position. That gives enough room for the PSU, the GPU standoff mod, and no change at all for the mainboard, because I just needed to remove the MB standoff mod. BUT: The AIO tubes can now be routed without any issues, because of the empty space in front of them.

Pictures gonna follow. Prolly just gonna pre-generate and drop them in a folder (on one of my sites), with a few links in here

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

More fun to have: I've ordered a few helpers, including hifi standoffs (for the case) and smaller rubber standoffs (for the PSU).
Plus a Thermalright AXP120-67 and some more thermal paste (Noctua NH-H2), to stay on the safe side.

And if push comes to shove (eg. Riser issues), I just do some body switching - the mATX NAS to the Meshi, and this system to the SAMA01.

Thats also because I want to have a working system by tomorrow evening - I'd like to do a stream, and that wont happen if there is no system to stream with

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Quick update: I was looking for something that could be repurposed as a kind of holder, to close up or bridge over the "GPU breathing hole" in the meshlicious bottom. Turns out, the SFX-L to ATX bracket that comes with the PSU fits tight, but perfectly between the motherboard tray and the rest of the case.

So I'm gonna add some stand offs, and then try if I can fit it at the right outer position, so I may have a working system by today and not just tomorrow. I can still replace the metal standoffs with rubber ones or so afterwards, anyway.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Finshed it. And it finished me. My whole upper body hurts. Also, I found out, there are different revisions of the MSI B760i Edge DDR4 around. Or at least of the manual. The older one I got was showing the JFP1 (Front panel connector, specifically the power switch etc.) in a different position than its actually located on the mainboard.

For the setup: PSU is indeed now in the GPU compartment, situated right below the SFX GPU. Because of the (straight) riser cable, I wasnt able to position it upside down (ie. the power connector facing downwards), so its now basically set up identical to when being installed "correctly", ie. in the front = CPU / MB compartment. Not 100% done with cable management, and also need to do a few shots of the new front, plus find a decent method to "lock in" the PSU. I've got qute a few ideas, but am too tired rn.

Its 02:37 am CEST, and I've been up since 8 am, with only 4 hours sleep.

TL;DR: All works, needs a bit of fine-tuning, going to bed now.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

You know you're firing only on 3 cylinder heads when you realize: The top plate of the meshlicious is missing. And you cant find it anywhere. And also, you put the case up on the same shelf the SAMA IM01 vertical mod was sitting on, while having NOT realized this while doing so.

Good goth, I must have been SOOO out of my mind ..
It cannot have gone far, but its waaay to late rn (04:15 am CEST), so I will investigate in the morrow = after I've got some sleep in

Update: Found it. Apparently I somehow managed to dislodge it while putting it up on the shelf. Guess it got caught on the lamp stand thats mounted there, and because I was so dead-tired, I neither did hear the panel being shoved off nor feel it being snagged on the lamp stand.

Originally wanted to remove the front panel, because it got mightly hot during todays stream, despite the temps staying essentially the same as on my main big system. My guess is its because of the slight distance between the panel and the radiator (its approx 4 - 5 mm), but oughta test it tomorrow or so if this helps any.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Note about thermals: Temps under full load havent gone above 43 C so far. The Silent Wing 4 HS can get a bit abrasive in the upper levels, noise-wise, but I tend to only hear it when strongly focusing on it. GPU is a bit louder, but is basically stuck at 40 C, like in the other case.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Those panels get lost quite often. I managed to dislocate the "front" panel, too, and cant seem to find it. I guess I know where to look, but dont want to dig through layers and layers of boxes and crates right now.

Somehow the panels of the Meshroom S feel better attached. And that although they weight about 10 - 15% less, too.

Also to note: Preparing to move the system into the S400.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Did a few more tests to see if all components are going to fit in the S400 (v2). Seems like everything should be smooth sailing, at least

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Did disassemble the current system in the Meshlicious. Had lots of "fun" with installing the Thermalright AXP120-x67, because of its mediocre setup. The only issue I didnt have is heatsink vs. RAM height, LPX memory chips avoid this issue from the very beginning

<RANT>
Really, I build with a lot of cheap CPU coolers, but this one reminded me of times thought long past; the manual is more like a picture book - it tells you just the rare basics, missing important information like HOW and WHERE to attach the somewhat flimsy CPU fan clips. First I thought it was because I've been trying to use the Silverstone Air Slimmer ARGB right from the start - but NO: Its the idiotic bare-minimum manual, cause it didnt work with the original fan either!

Had to watch multiple YT videos to figure out, that you have to move the clip to a slight indentation / notch thats located roughly 5ish mm from the top of the heatsink. Pointing out the most helpful one by DalraeMyo; its primarly a test / review, but it shows the proper "clamp down" position perfectly.
</RANT>

Right now, the only thing remaining in the Meshi is the 280 mm radiator / AIO (Silent Loop 2). Its been doing its work flawlessly, and might be soon repurposed in the actual Mesh-mATX build, as the RX 6800 + the rad should fit snuggly together (although I'm still sooo happy with the AP201, not gonna give this one away, its SUCH A JOY to build with it, even with the slight flaw with the PSU mounting).

BTT: There was quite an amount of thermal paste smeared everywhere. Guess one cant complain about not enough pressure. But cleaning it up was such a PITA! So for the air cooling setup, I'm going with the suggested method of Noctua, and use only 5 "dots" (found in the supplied mini-manual of the NH-T2).

The thermal paste before was Arctic MX-6, the new one is the Noctua NH-T2.

Also got a cheap contact frame, but only out of curiousity (not installed). Probably going to get another one by Thermalright or the original by Thermal Grizzly instead. The current temps didnt seem to warrant replacing the original frame just yet.

Another thing to note: One major disadvantage of the S400 is the GPU non-cutout. Instead of small slots or just a big cutout, you get a much more rigid structural frame. This removes the option to do a proper GPU standoff mod, because you cannot position the GPU in-between slots. Hence I cannot reuse the PCIe 4 Riser cable from the Meshlicious build, because it sits / bends too tall, and without half a slot distance it would interfere with the case or remove the option for a slim fan above the front mainboard / GPU slot compartment. Should not be a big issue with the current RTX 3050 for now, because of the moderate use (I really only need NVenc).

Done yesterday:
- disassembled the Meshlicious
- cleaned CPU and installed Thermalright AXP120-x67 (+ Silverstone Air Slimmer ARGB)
- replaced the aftermarket PCIe 4 Riser with the original PCIe 3 thats supplied with the S400, because of afore-mentioned fitting issues
- test-fit of the GPU, has to sit in the inner two slots, else the fan shroud interferes with the side panel; not happy with this, because that means if I was to use the second m2 slot on the back of the MB, I'd have to ensure proper circulation somehow
- test-fit of the PSU and initial figuring out how to do the cable management; PSU fit seems flawless, cable routing probably needs a few more bends and folds to safely store them away (ie. less clutter); surprisingly, because the original cables are already pretty short

To-do list for today:
- make lunch (the dinner of yesterday didnt happen, went to bed at 2:30ish am)
- put everything together for initial test-run
- find another 2 or 3-way PWM fan splitter (there should be 1 - 2 left hidden away somewhere)
- install the second Silverstone Air Slimmer ARGB
- install the Silverstone Air Blazer 120RW (also ARGB)
- if all works, figure out a place to mount an ARGB mini-controller / fan hub
- change the CPU fan curve to a specific base level
- do a few synthetic stress tests (50% and 100% CPU load)
- do some cable management
- do a test stream of the new system with OBS Studio, maybe even set up a multicast plugin / option (for streaming both on Twitch and Live.Space at the same time), there is supposed to happen a NYE stream after all

Future to-do list:
- replace the SSD (Transcent MTE220S) with the soon-to-be available FireCuda 510 1 TB from the main workstation build (got myself a P41 Platinum 2 TB to help out as additional drive); there seem to be multiple issues with this specific SSD, ie. high failure rate, despite its supposedly big TBW
- continue with the low profile CPU cooling tests; probably one per week or every two weeks
- replace PCIe Riser cable
- upgrade to RTX 4060 Solo / LP or one of the ITX 4060 Ti StormX-like variants
- maybe replace air cooling with 120 or 140 mm AIO

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Its done, its alive!

Currently running it as an open test bench.Didnt get around to working on it on Saturday, but finished with a working system just about 50 minutes before the fireworks started. Had a glitch with NVenc and PCIe 3 vs 4, which I got fixed, and then it was live streaming till 3:30 in the morning

Fan curve was and is still optimized for the AIO, so noise > thermals, but even with that, its 68° C at max on all core sustained load. Fan curve starts with a low 25% at 35° C and ramps to the max at 75° C.

Yet to do:
- reassemble the case
- add before-mentioned fans (I found a PWM extension, and am going to use it together with a Noctua PWM Y-splitter cable)
- figure out mounting position for ARGB controller (except if sth. like OpenRGB already supports the mainboard)
- (maybe) change fan curve to a slighty more aggressive profile
- do CPU / GPU tests with closed case
- replace CPU fan with original fan and test again
- replace original CPU cooler fan with Arctic P12 Max for another nice test (open panel)
- and then, return back to the Silverstone Air Slimmer

Future plans:
- do the tests of the remaining LP cpu coolers every other week or so (next: Thermalright SI-100)
- (rest is still as detailed above)

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

And its also done: Reassembled and done a bit of cable routing, too. And yeah, there is really exactly zero space between the panel and the cpu fan. I do understand why people come up with mods like cutting out the space above the CPU section .. but thats not a good option for keeping things "safe" when carrying the case around.

My goal is definitely going to be using a small AIO, either a Silverstone Vida 120 with a push-pull config (20 mm radiator + 2x Air Slimmer, but maybe a T30 might do the trick as well), or a Rajintek 140 with a slightly better fan (eg. the Silent Wings 4 Pro; but I'd also like to try out the Silverstone Sharkforce 140 ARGB - 120 CFM air flow and 4 mmH₂O air pressure sound so .. intriguing, esp. for a 140 mm ARGB fan ).

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Trying to figure out a different method to attach the side panels without permanent (visible) damage. The "cut a hole, keep the cut out as a sorts of cover" would be the other option, but I dont want to go that far yet. Its my first sub 11L case AND also the first ever white one.

Also, second time I had to use something else than my finger nails to pry the panels away from the front; I really hate this kind of basic "slide in" 'tool-less' method for panel mounting. Yes, back in the 90s it was kind of a joy compared to other "methods", but these days? Clips like Lian Li or Coolermaster or SAMA etc. use are so much more fun. And even the old-school "just use screws" has become more attractive.

And now for something completely different: Temps difference closed vs. open panel is about 7 - 8 C. Still need to optimize the fan curve of the top fans.

There might be a need for a small fan duct, too. Got myself the Nocta fan duct stuff, might give it a try.

In detail: The split top / handle of the frame - where the actual handle on top of the case is attached to - does cover a bit of breathing room, but the installation method of the fan frame leaves a space of about 2 - 3 mm, so that might lead to less-than-ideal air flow.

cu, w0lf.

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Update to the panel issue: Several thoughts.

#1: Use strong magnets (neodym) and some kind of extender - I would call it "bracket", but as its just a long sheet of metal with holes inside, it aint; hooray for missing english words when you need em - to be able to attach the side panel with the frame (using the mounting holes + screws).

#2: Some kind of slot-in / push-pin mechanism, similar to the ones of Lian Li, Cooler Master, SAMA, Asus AP 201 etc. cases. The pin would sit in the position of the current slide-in hooks on the panel, and the pin hole would be located on / inside the slide-in holes of the original method.

#3: Hinge / Push-pin attachment on the end of the panels. There are small holes located on both ends (top and bottom, each side) of the panels, that could be used with some kind of pin / hinge mechanism. The pin, with a slight extender bracket, would be attached to the case, and use the holes as "push-in holes" / hinges. Of corpse, this would have to be made very sturdy.

Gonna try and figure out option No. 1 first. Maybe a 4th option may surface while doing so.

cu, w0lf.