S4 MINI Classic (S4M-C)

[Zackmd1]

I wouldn't recommend the Pico if you are using it out of spec as I am (65W CPU + 120W GPU + system load) - it's only rated for 160W with a peak of 200W. I'm pretty sure during system spikes, some of the USB ports get their power cut, and that causes the intermittent mouse tracking / keyboard inputs. It will ultimately impact your gaming experience if you push the system to it's limit. If you really wish to pursue the pico, i would perhaps suggest using a 35W "T" variant of the CPU.

The issue is not exactly the pico but rather the power brick you have driving it. The pico can be viewed as simply a power distribution block with the main power coming from the power brick. In my testing (65 watt cpu (undervolted and IGPU disable for 45 watt operation) and the 120 watt GPU) my system peaks at 215 watts under artificial stress testing and around 180 watts while gaming. So that 192 watt power brick might not be up to par with powering the system for extended periods of time near its max power output. Pair the Pico with a stronger 12 volt power adapter (like the xbox one adapter I am using) and you should not see any more issues (I have not come across any issues with my rig).

For any interested, here is the link to my build log where I detail my power numbers and some of the modifications I did to the pico.

https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/nfc-systems-s4-mini-72-build.740/

 

[Josh | NFC]

Now i'm worried - i was excited to test the 1070

I guess the safest option is to underclock the GPU and use a "T" proc, if we really want to use the HDPlex.

But time will tell!

I don't think it will be a problem with the HDPLEX. The Nano is a very strange card. All the Fury's are really, but the Nano was the most unpredictable GPU I've ever benched.

 

[Josh | NFC]

Now that we're wrapping up the final production run, Josh will you be working on an S5 Mini?

No--at this point I view the S4 Mini as a model number, not an iteration. I do want to make more (it would be a S4 R.2) but I need to find funding. I definitely need help in this area. If I did an Indiegogo I would need everyones's support in this thread to make it work. I have alot of love and passion into this project and it is stressing me out how to continue.

I have a waiting list a mile long and not near enough Mini's in the pipe to go around, but still not the numbers I need for a 1000 unit run. I feel caught against a rock and a hard place.

I have gotten the manufacturing cheaper at this point, but every mini I have sold so far has been at a loss. I hope to break even on the next small batch (not the run) after operating costs but I have a long way to go to making this profitable enough to where I can not kill myself working.

I'm sharing with you guys because I literally LOVE you. My customers have been amazingly supportive and it is overwhelming that people genuinely seem to like the S4 Mini. I want to keep going (and I will, God willing), I just need to figure out how.

But yeah, buying my overpriced buttons and turnkey systems does massively help!!!

 

[RenG]

No--at this point I view the S4 Mini as a model number, not an iteration. I do want to make more (it would be a S4 R.2) but I need to find funding. I definitely need help in this area. If I did an Indiegogo I would need everyones's support in this thread to make it work. I have alot of love and passion into this project and it is stressing me out how to continue.

I have a waiting list a mile long and not near enough Mini's in the pipe to go around, but still not the numbers I need for a 1000 unit run. I feel caught against a rock and a hard place.

I have gotten the manufacturing cheaper at this point, but every mini I have sold so far has been at a loss. I hope to break even on the next small batch (not the run) after operating costs but I have a long way to go to making this profitable enough to where I can not kill myself working.

I'm sharing with you guys because I literally LOVE you. My customers have been amazingly supportive and it is overwhelming that people genuinely seem to like the S4 Mini. I want to keep going (and I will, God willing), I just need to figure out how.

But yeah, buying my overpriced buttons and turnkey systems does massively help!!!

Sad to hear that you are doing this with a loss. Hopefully your next batch (or run) will provide you enough profit that will not hurt your finances but still consumer friendly.

 

[NRG]

Can't honestly say I've ever seen a person so enthusiastic about his work, Your chassis really is the pinnacle of sff!

Your dedication and resolve is inspiring Josh, everyone here appreciates your efforts and sacrifices

 

[MrNintend0]

Have you tried this yet? The picture on Digi-Key doesn't quite match the header on my pico as far as I can tell. Let us know your experiences!

... Good catch, I'll have to change that soon. I just looked at my Pico, and the connector I was basing it off of was the one attached to the P4 ATX connector. Those links are correct for the P4 ATX side, but the peripherals side is different. I'll get some links up for the correct connector housing. As far as experience, I just ordered the connectors and should receive them in a week tops (again, thanks for pointing that out, otherwise I would be sitting here wondering why the square peg won't fit in the round hole...) Another thing is I don't have a Mini yet, I've sent Josh an email to see if he has any left unclaimed from this current batch/run (hoping for a blue one), so it'll be a while until I can wire it up for the correct lengths of wire, but I will report back when the connectors come in and let everyone know if they fit or not.

Edit: Links updated/found, I'll post them here as well for convenience.

PicoPSU Header Connectors:

P4 ATX Header: Housing & Pins

Peripheral Header(s): Housing & Pins

*Note these connectors work for the Mini-Box picoPSU-160-XT, other models I'm unsure of... would be kinda stupid to use completely different connectors on other models though if it's the same brand...

**The peripheral housing link also has a schematic of a 5 pin housing, don't be confused, it's just a generic schematic pic for that series of connector. If you look at the "Product Attributes", it is correctly listed as a 4 pin (listed as 4 "position" 1 "row").

***These pins are very small, so for a proper crimp, you'll probably want a crimp tool for these smaller pins (or use the one you've already got or even a pair of small needle-nose pliers might work). Digi-Key sells the official tool for this, but I doubt most of us are willing to pay 500 USD for one tool, so use this LINK to find some alternatives if you wish; or just Google "JST crimp tool" for more/other options.

 

[MrNintend0]

I'll gladly pay more for the case Josh, it's expensive for the size yes, but from pics and users' experiences I'd say it's well worth it. Heck, if/when you get an Indiegogo page up, I'll buy at least a couple to support it.

No--at this point I view the S4 Mini as a model number, not an iteration. I do want to make more (it would be a S4 R.2) but I need to find funding. I definitely need help in this area. If I did an Indiegogo I would need everyones's support in this thread to make it work. I have alot of love and passion into this project and it is stressing me out how to continue.

I have a waiting list a mile long and not near enough Mini's in the pipe to go around, but still not the numbers I need for a 1000 unit run. I feel caught against a rock and a hard place.

I have gotten the manufacturing cheaper at this point, but every mini I have sold so far has been at a loss. I hope to break even on the next small batch (not the run) after operating costs but I have a long way to go to making this profitable enough to where I can not kill myself working.

I'm sharing with you guys because I literally LOVE you. My customers have been amazingly supportive and it is overwhelming that people genuinely seem to like the S4 Mini. I want to keep going (and I will, God willing), I just need to figure out how.

But yeah, buying my overpriced buttons and turnkey systems does massively help!!!

 

[Josh | NFC]

Thanks guys! I really want success for other people working on their chassis on this awesome forum and not have them run into the same headaches I have. I love doing this...just gotta figure out how

 

[Shaun]

The issue is not exactly the pico but rather the power brick you have driving it. The pico can be viewed as simply a power distribution block with the main power coming from the power brick. In my testing (65 watt cpu (undervolted and IGPU disable for 45 watt operation) and the 120 watt GPU) my system peaks at 215 watts under artificial stress testing and around 180 watts while gaming. So that 192 watt power brick might not be up to par with powering the system for extended periods of time near its max power output. Pair the Pico with a stronger 12 volt power adapter (like the xbox one adapter I am using) and you should not see any more issues (I have not come across any issues with my rig).

For any interested, here is the link to my build log where I detail my power numbers and some of the modifications I did to the pico.

https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/nfc-systems-s4-mini-72-build.740/

Thanks for the info! I'm gonna run more tests.. i also got a couple of new Z4s i want to put through the paces.

I guess i'm rebuilding the mini one more time today

 

[zhl146]

... Good catch, I'll have to change that soon. I just looked at my Pico, and the connector I was basing it off of was the one attached to the P4 ATX connector. Those links are correct for the P4 ATX side, but the peripherals side is different. I'll get some links up for the correct connector housing. As far as experience, I just ordered the connectors and should receive them in a week tops (again, thanks for pointing that out, otherwise I would be sitting here wondering why the square peg won't fit in the round hole...) Another thing is I don't have a Mini yet, I've sent Josh an email to see if he has any left unclaimed from this current batch/run (hoping for a blue one), so it'll be a while until I can wire it up for the correct lengths of wire, but I will report back when the connectors come in and let everyone know if they fit or not.

Edit: Links updated/found, I'll post them here as well for convenience.

PicoPSU Header Connectors:

P4 ATX Header: Housing & Pins

Peripheral Header(s): Housing & Pins

*Note these connectors work for the Mini-Box picoPSU-160-XT, other models I'm unsure of... would be kinda stupid to use completely different connectors on other models though if it's the same brand...

Is that a 5 pin housing? I thought the peripheral housings were 4 pin? Just checking! Thanks for the links!

Edit: I think it might just be the wrong schematic image. Might want to make sure though!

 

[MarcParis]

No--at this point I view the S4 Mini as a model number, not an iteration. I do want to make more (it would be a S4 R.2) but I need to find funding. I definitely need help in this area. If I did an Indiegogo I would need everyones's support in this thread to make it work. I have alot of love and passion into this project and it is stressing me out how to continue.

I have a waiting list a mile long and not near enough Mini's in the pipe to go around, but still not the numbers I need for a 1000 unit run. I feel caught against a rock and a hard place.

I have gotten the manufacturing cheaper at this point, but every mini I have sold so far has been at a loss. I hope to break even on the next small batch (not the run) after operating costs but I have a long way to go to making this profitable enough to where I can not kill myself working.

I'm sharing with you guys because I literally LOVE you. My customers have been amazingly supportive and it is overwhelming that people genuinely seem to like the S4 Mini. I want to keep going (and I will, God willing), I just need to figure out how.

But yeah, buying my overpriced buttons and turnkey systems does massively help!!!

Josh, you need to officially call for gift, either through paypal gift or kickstarter.
Paypal would be more sensible with a tracker on your website to see amount retrieved from this campaign. As i'm a very pleased client, I've no issue to support your work in order to see more nfc products on the market..

If button, pci express extension, feets are profitable, don't propose them as an option, include them in the base price (220$ all included for example).

Long live nfc systems!..

 

[Tanax]

Does Kickstarter campaigns cost anything to put up? If not, launch a campaign for it, I'll def. back you!
Also, you make quite professional videos so you'll be able to make a really nice intro video for the project

 

[Zackmd1]

Does Kickstarter campaigns cost anything to put up? If not, launch a campaign for it, I'll def. back you!
Also, you make quite professional videos so you'll be able to make a really nice intro video for the project

This could be a very good option! Kickstarter does not cost anything to launch a campaign and you will get far more exposure on that site then any other I think!

 

[aquelito]

Lots of people have recently considered modding the Picobox Z4-ATX-200.
As MOQ are 50 units, it could be a good idea to partner up with Picobox and propose a modded PSU with the case.

 

[zhl146]

I think the dancase a4 got fully funded in 40 minutes and his case cost like $300 USD.

1) Once you buy a s4 mini, you need to buy a bunch of other stuff to even start the build (power button, ribbon cable, pico or hdplex, brick

I think it's great to give people options to customize, but you can probably get more customers if you offer a product that is "ready to go".
Maybe you can include all of these things with the case and make some minor profit from them.

You can always sell a more bare-bones version for the people who want to tinker with their own stuff.

2) Maybe you can sell more accessories

Didn't you mention that you wanted to sell a case stand? Maybe you can sell custom cable harnesses that are the right lengths for the pico/HDplex. Lots of people like having the look, but don't want to do it themselves. You can fetch a premium for such a custom product.

I know the case stand takes design time, but the cabling should be something you can whip up pretty fast, I think.

Maybe you can sell a neoprene travel bag or something?

I really appreciate the way you treat your customers. I'd buy more of your stuff if you sold it

 

[hat1324]

My side panels are in Biloxi ATM but that eont stop me from sharing my new setup

 

[NRG]

My side panels are in Biloxi ATM but that eont stop me from sharing my new setup

edit: Did you have a build log somewhere?

 

[MrNintend0]

Is that a 5 pin housing? I thought the peripheral housings were 4 pin? Just checking! Thanks for the links!

Edit: I think it might just be the wrong schematic image. Might want to make sure though!

I checked when I saw the schematic. You are correct, the schematic shows a 5 pin housing, but the "Product Attributes" lists it as a 4 pin (4 position, single row) housing. I did take my Pico and compare the measurements that the schematic did provide (length was just labeled "A" and "B"), and the measurements match up. I've already ordered my connectors however, so we'll see when they get here.

I also added a link for crimp tools for those connectors. The official one is stupid-expensive...

 

[hat1324]

edit: Did you have a build log somewhere?

Naw. Wouldnt been too exciting anyway, cutting LED strips and 2 inches of mounting tape

 

[NRG]

Naw. Wouldnt been too exciting anyway, cutting LED strips and 2 inches of mounting tape

But most of use enjoy builds logs and those sorts of things!