S4 MINI Classic (S4M-C)

[CubanLegend]

Yup, and someone on that [H] thread confirmed that it fits on the Asus Z270I in one orientation:

src

I see, thanks for the link. I'll have to do more research so see if i can actually mod it or my mobo to get it to fit properly on my z270i, Id hate to only be able to fit it with the fins facing the least optimal orientation.

Mine is a 7700T so it's a little different of a scenario than yours. I wish SFF setups were a LITTLE more common (not a lot, because then we wouldn't all be so cool) so I knew what my temps were supposed to be.

I have V-Sync enabled and the monitor is 60Hz, so all these benches cap at 60fps. Also, "Gaming" means Tom Clancy's The Division at 1080p on all Ultra, 8x MSAA, and V-SYNC (60 Hz/fps).

Ambient: 20C

This is after a delid (which affected it about 2C):

Idle: 38C <--- I feel like this is high, but maybe it's not
Gaming: 45C
AIDA64 Load (2+ Hours): 76C

Here are my Gigabyte 1070 temps as well, in case anyone is curious:

Idle: 28C
Gaming: 54C
Unigine Heaven (everything maxed, 1080p): 66C

Nice work bro, I was on mobile earlier so i couldnt see your rig in your sig. Nice temps!

 

[Tact1calBeard]

Mine is a 7700T so it's a little different of a scenario than yours. I wish SFF setups were a LITTLE more common (not a lot, because then we wouldn't all be so cool) so I knew what my temps were supposed to be.

I have V-Sync enabled and the monitor is 60Hz, so all these benches cap at 60fps. Also, "Gaming" means Tom Clancy's The Division at 1080p on all Ultra, 8x MSAA, and V-SYNC (60 Hz/fps).

Ambient: 20C

This is after a delid (which affected it about 2C):

Idle: 38C <--- I feel like this is high, but maybe it's not
Gaming: 45C
AIDA64 Load (2+ Hours): 76C

Here are my Gigabyte 1070 temps as well, in case anyone is curious:

Idle: 28C
Gaming: 54C
Unigine Heaven (everything maxed, 1080p): 66C

yeah that are nice temps! I like the way you mounted a slim fan underneath your GPU

 

[blisscalintz]

As a side note...I will be offering thicker 2D bezels so you won't need to mod your 1080.

I am working on learning the CAM needed to cut out these 3D bezel concepts I have. No ETA on them, but this is what I am aiming for:

You read my mind! Looks great!

 

[all-in]

The lenghts people will go not to see those beige fans (even more so in a somewhat see-thru case like the S4 mini).
But thanks for the temps testing cubanlegend. Yet another confirmation that the best fan for the L9i is its stock fan, for most scenarios.

 

[TheDreamingMonk]

I personally like the Noctua colour scheme... The creme/brown colour are a nice compliment. It's not nearly as bad as the beige from the horrid 90's electronics I grew up with when everything was beige ( more of a dirty white really ).

 

[CubanLegend]

@michaelmitchell pointed out the Thermolab LP53.

Okay so I've been reading on that thread and the performance advantage of that ALL COPPER Thermolab (Cooltek) LP53, using the Noctua NF-A9x14PWM fan that is on the NH-L9i cooler, is AMAZING vs the NH-L9i! It's great to see that it's marketed as being able to handle upto 100W TDP CPUs.

I'm just curious though. The poster on that [H] forum was able to get it down to 42mm height by using the beige Noctua fan I noted above (instead of the stock fan that came with the cooler)... but how CLOSE is that to the S4 mini's side panel? Let's do the math: The S4-mini page on Josh's site stated 40mm compatibility for RAM and the CPU HSF... The NH-L9i's site page lists it at 37mm, but when I measure the empty space left between the top of the NF-A9x14PWM and the S4 side-panl it leaves a little under 8mm, giving me 45mm total height (which is more than the 40mm listed on the S4mini page, YAY!) So this thing WILL fit into the S4 mini...

BUT, I'd like to avoid slamming the HSF in the S4 if it sits right UP AGAINST the bezel, as we all saw what happened in the last page with the Noctua NF-B9 not having enough room for proper airflow, thus destroying temperatures when the S4 side panel was on. . Sooo... if I can even get this in my motherboard, with 45mm of available HSF height, and the LP53 down to 42mm, that leaves me 3mm of space between the top of the NF-A9x14PWM and the side-panel... I don't know guys... maybe the LP53 performs better than the NH-L9i's heatsink, but closing the air gap that helps the fan breathe might hurt the fan's optimal airflow and lessen performance to a point where the temperature lead the LP53 may hold, would be useless due to a rise in temps from the fan being just 3mm away from the side-panel.

BUT WHY am i being such a stickler for a 5mm loss in the airgap from the NH-L9i to the LP53?... Because apparently this LP53 has some weirdly shaped heatpipes that can interfere with VRM heatsinks! Especially as noted in the quote below which links to that same [H] thread where a user installed it on his ASUS Z270i STRIX!... AHAAA! The true issue rears it's head.

Yup, and someone on that [H] thread confirmed that it fits on the Asus Z270I in one orientation:

src

Having it fit on my ASUS Z270i mobo with the fins parallel to the RAM would be crucial, but that poster on that linked [H] thread had to mount the LP53 on his z270i with the fins perpendicular to the RAM... which is going to hurt its cooling performance sadly.

So I went into that thread and asked him if he would try the following test fitment: remove the one DIMMs closest to the CPU to try to have the bulky curved end of the heatsink fit in the missing DIMM's place, or he could try to remove the VRM heatsink thats near the rear I/O and flip the LP53 180 degrees with the curved end of the heatsink facing the rear I/O. In both cases the fins would finally be able to sit parallel to the RAM, for optimal cooling comparisons to the NH-L9i when inside the S4-mini, on a z270i mobo.

If he can get it to fit on that mobo in those orientations, I'll buy the LP53 and hold off on my delid in hopes of better temps than my NH-L9i.

EXTRA: Here's a video review I found of the LP53 and its little brother the ITX30.

 

[|||]

I use the ID-Cooling IS-VC45 cooler with the Noctua fan on it. The ID-Cooling fan works but is noisy and sits immediately against the side of the case. The extra millimeter (total height now 44mm) and quieter fan made a HUGE difference in noise. I wouldn't worry about a 42 mm high cooler and fan set-up.

 

[CubanLegend]

I use the ID-Cooling IS-VC45 cooler with the Noctua fan on it. The ID-Cooling fan works but is noisy and sits immediately against the side of the case. The extra millimeter (total height now 44mm) and quieter fan made a HUGE difference in noise. I wouldn't worry about a 42 mm high cooler and fan set-up.

wait, that's the vapor chamber cooler that Josh tested and made a video about. I remember he discovered that it didn't outperform the NH-L9i though..., right?

 

[|||]

Perhaps it doesn't. It works though. The fan that it comes with sucks, however.

 

[bledha]

discovered that it didn't outperform the NH-L9i

I can verify this. For as interesting as it is, its performance is not better than available offerings. I find myself circling back to the NH-L9i in most SFF builds.

fan that it comes with sucks, however.

...and another strong benefit of the NH-L9i, the fan that it comes with is quiet and quite effective. The color is the sticking point usually. I have used the NH-L9i with the 92mm shadow wings from be quiet! with pretty good results. Nothing measured, but perhaps I can do that sometime.

 

[CubanLegend]

So I just took one for the team and ordered that ALL COPPER Thermolab (Cooltek) LP53 from an ebay seller for $56usd shipped. Should be here in 3-6 weeks, I'll hold off on my delid for now... here's hoping I get it to fit on my z270i STRIX properly.

At least I have 3-6 weeks to figure out ways to get it to fit. I can try removing (or trimming) 1 of the 2 VRM heatsinks, or i could remove the nearest RAM DIMM to the CPU socket. We will see in due time. IF I can get it to mount into the z270i STRIX with the fins parallel to the RAM, then I'll see what (if any) cooling performance it has over the NH-L9i while using the NF-A9x14PWM within the limited confines of the S4 mini chassis.

 

[ngriesdo]

Alright I have just ordered all my parts for my custom S4 mini!
1. Intel Core i5 7600 (non k)
2. Asus z270I (overkill I know but that m.2 doe)
3. 16gb G-Skill RGB 3000mhz Kit
4. EVGA Gtx 1060 6gb Mini (I can sense upgrades in my future )
5. Noctua L9i but I am going to order one of the b9 fans and mod it, I think the lower power won't be an issue for temps but we will find out I guess! (P.S. that stock fan... yeah it's ugly....)
6. I still need to get my HDPlex for this build, and that dell brick is ridiculously priced on amazon over a 100 bucks now!
7. Samsung 500 GB 850 Evo SSD (already had this guy laying around not m.2 sadly)
8. M.2 in my future! I am unsure what drive I want yet and I am on fence with it but I have a motherboard that supports it so I will be switching to all m.2 in time!
9. I plan on getting custom cables made for the HDPlex, I want this to be a full RGB build and when I say full RGB thats what I mean! LOL It is going to look sweet when it's done if I can get what I want out of the cables! The custom powder coat should make the color pop!
Now we shall wait for my custom s4! I have big plans for this bad boy!

 

[Smallform Gaming]

Alright I have just ordered all my parts for my custom S4 mini!
1. Intel Core i5 7600 (non k)
2. Asus z270I (overkill I know but that m.2 doe)
3. 16gb G-Skill RGB 3000mhz Kit
4. EVGA Gtx 1060 6gb Mini (I can sense upgrades in my future )
5. Noctua L9i but I am going to order one of the b9 fans and mod it, I think the lower power won't be an issue for temps but we will find out I guess! (P.S. that stock fan... yeah it's ugly....)
6. I still need to get my HDPlex for this build, and that dell brick is ridiculously priced on amazon over a 100 bucks now!
7. Samsung 500 GB 850 Evo SSD (already had this guy laying around not m.2 sadly)
8. M.2 in my future! I am unsure what drive I want yet and I am on fence with it but I have a motherboard that supports it so I will be switching to all m.2 in time!
9. I plan on getting custom cables made for the HDPlex, I want this to be a full RGB build and when I say full RGB thats what I mean! LOL It is going to look sweet when it's done if I can get what I want out of the cables! The custom powder coat should make the color pop!
Now we shall wait for my custom s4! I have big plans for this bad boy!

*I have a spare used 250w HDPLEX, longer HDPLEX PCIE cable, and a 230 Dell brick. Should be enough to run that system.

 

[EdZ]

So I just took one for the team and ordered that ALL COPPER Thermolab (Cooltek) LP53 from an ebay seller for $56usd shipped. Should be here in 3-6 weeks, I'll hold off on my delid for now... here's hoping I get it to fit on my z270i STRIX properly.

At least I have 3-6 weeks to figure out ways to get it to fit. I can try removing (or trimming) 1 of the 2 VRM heatsinks, or i could remove the nearest RAM DIMM to the CPU socket. We will see in due time. IF I can get it to mount into the z270i STRIX with the fins parallel to the RAM, then I'll see what (if any) cooling performance it has over the NH-L9i while using the NF-A9x14PWM within the limited confines of the S4 mini chassis.

Don't forget to order some narrow-gauge cable ties. The LP-53 normally mounts a fan using rubber standoffs with 80mm spacing, so if you want to use the NF-A9x14 you will need another method to mount it.

 

[zovc]

Don't forget to order some narrow-gauge cable ties. The LP-53 normally mounts a fan using rubber standoffs with 80mm spacing, so if you want to use the NF-A9x14 you will need another method to mount it.

Hey @Smallform Gaming, do you know if there's a flat adapter like the 92mm to 120mm one you used on the Noctua heatsink for 80mm to 120mm? I may try to do your mod with this heatsink instead of the Noctua since it supposedly performs a fair amount better. (~15C lower according to one person's testing!)

 

[EdZ]

An adapter plate probably won't avoid needing alternative mounts. The existing rubber mounts project up through the mounting holes, so using them to attach an adapter plate would end up with the rubber mounts poking into the fan mounted above the plate.

 

[zovc]

Oh wow. What a rough mounting platform.

You think Cable Ties would be able to get the job done?

 

[EdZ]

You think Cable Ties would be able to get the job done?

 

[CubanLegend]

Alright I have just ordered all my parts for my custom S4 mini!
1. Intel Core i5 7600 (non k)
2. Asus z270I (overkill I know but that m.2 doe)
3. 16gb G-Skill RGB 3000mhz Kit
4. EVGA Gtx 1060 6gb Mini (I can sense upgrades in my future )
5. Noctua L9i but I am going to order one of the b9 fans and mod it, I think the lower power won't be an issue for temps but we will find out I guess! (P.S. that stock fan... yeah it's ugly....)
6. I still need to get my HDPlex for this build, and that dell brick is ridiculously priced on amazon over a 100 bucks now!
7. Samsung 500 GB 850 Evo SSD (already had this guy laying around not m.2 sadly)
8. M.2 in my future! I am unsure what drive I want yet and I am on fence with it but I have a motherboard that supports it so I will be switching to all m.2 in time!
9. I plan on getting custom cables made for the HDPlex, I want this to be a full RGB build and when I say full RGB thats what I mean! LOL It is going to look sweet when it's done if I can get what I want out of the cables! The custom powder coat should make the color pop!
Now we shall wait for my custom s4! I have big plans for this bad boy!

2. Youre gonna love that dual m.2 once prices drop and we can afford to install 2x 2tB M.2 drives.
4. COUGH What kinda upgrade COUGH
5. If you look at this post I made last week, I just got the B9 Redux 1600 PWM fan in, and it didnt outperform the stock NH-L9i fan, sadly. It DID end up fitting inside the S4 mini and was quieter BUT it was the worst performing heatsink/fan combo I tested out of all the HSF tests i did... because it sat flush with the S4 mini's side panel and had no air gap for proper air flow... so although I modded it and the screws to mount it flush, it was sadly too big anyway. and the lack of an airgap between it and the side panel destroyed any performance gain i would have gained from it. In the posts after that one, you can see that @LodisKnight also tested his B9 and it had the same results. Sorry bro. Just giving you a heads up.

Instead, wait for me to get my LP53 Heatsink in and see if I can fit it on my z270i STRIX, its supposed to be 10C cooler at load than the NH-L9i, while using the NH-L9i's fan. I KNOW ITS BEIGE AND UGLY AND WE HATE IT...But its the best performing 92mm fan right now that is also a slim fan that will fit inside the S4 mini, so we'll have to deal with using it in the name of performance and fitment.
6. Get the HDPLEX-300 directly from the HDPLEX site (if its out of stock on amazon), its the same price ($85 USD) so you can have more power headroom in the future in case you upgrade. Also that DELL 330W will be a great future proofing upgrade alongside it in case you plan to move up to a 7700k/1080mini without any problem if you want, I've had no problems at full gaming loads with this PSU/Power Brick combo.
8. Look into the Intel 600p M.2 SSDs, they are cheap and perform great (the 256GB one is like $100 on amazon), they are cheaper than the Samsung 960 EVOs and you wont notice any performance difference in gaming over them as almost all NMVE m.2 drives are good enough for gaming and perform roughly the same in gaming within a margin of error.
9. Just ask @Josh | NFC to do the HDPLEX Cable mod ($75 i think) and send him your HDPLEX like I did. He did an amazing job cutting all my cables to length and making sure they're all black. Make sure you specify to him and send him pics of your motherboard so he can perfectly cut the 24-pin power wires to length. I dont know how I'd fit everything in my S4 mini without the shorter cables, plus they look AMAZING!

Don't forget to order some narrow-gauge cable ties. The LP-53 normally mounts a fan using rubber standoffs with 80mm spacing, so if you want to use the NF-A9x14 you will need another method to mount it.

Thanks for the heads up! By "narrow-guage cable ties" you mean those black zip ties, right? I've got a few hanging around I can use.

 

[Tact1calBeard]

lovely =)