S4 MINI Classic (S4M-C)
- Thread starter Josh | NFC
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I'm planning on doing some GOOD videos of the chassis (some builds, mods, and hacks) to go with my video series, but I made this quick "unboxing" video I'm going to post on social media later this week if anyone is interested. I'm pretty awkward in it and ramble on...so be warned.
Thanks again!
Nice video, that's very helpful for getting all the details. The only thing I would change next time is turning of auto focus, that really messed up the footage.
Are you planning on making a more professional overview video as well? You know with close-up pans and a white background and everything.
Yeah--I want to make a short series that also includes some builds and explains how the DC-DC PSUs work and mount. This was just a quick and dirty video to get it out to the people pre-ordering. Sorry for the quality.
I'm planning on doing some GOOD videos of the chassis (some builds, mods, and hacks) to go with my video series, but I made this quick "unboxing" video I'm going to post on social media later this week if anyone is interested. I'm pretty awkward in it and ramble on...so be warned.
Thanks again!
Great work! The S4 looks great. The video is excellent, and look forward to a build video!
If you don't mind sharing the info, I'd love to know what powder coating you're using, as I've personally been finding powder coating to be far less scratch resistant than anodizing. I've tried textured, but not wrinkles though. Also, I noticed someone was asking about power input mounting. In case you haven't already, note that the HDPLEX mounting is holes are 20 mm apart and use M3 screws (versus 19 mm apart and M2.5 for the PicoPSU Mini DIN connector).
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$56.51 ($75.19 CAD) USPS using Priority Mail Express International to my location. Darn Canadian Dollar.
It's the same for me regardless of being further east than you, but I suspect the actual cost would still be a bit lower than the quote. The size of the box is the major factor in this particular case.
The exchange rate is certainly making things difficult these days.
The exchange rate is certainly making things difficult these days.
The mix is custom, so I couldn't help you there. I can suggest this particular mix from Prismatic. It is pretty tough and looks great.
Powdercoating (like regular painting I guess) is reliant on so many different things to achieve desired results. The powder itself (crucial), the preparation of the parts, the chemicals used to clean it, the prebaking process, the application, reducing air swirl in the oven, the final bake, and the setting. If you get one of those things wrong, you get a bad result.
The people I use for my custom powdercoat jobs are MASTERS of their art, and they changed my mind about what can and can't be done with this process. They do show-cars for Cruisin The Coast, U.S. Navy projects, and even apply the C.A.R.C. to the local military vehicles as a powdercoat now...which in addition to being resistant to certain wavelengths is about as durable as you can get in a coating. The people who do the powdercoat for my manufacturers worked with me to get the powder mixed right and it took several tries. It isn't as bulletproof as the stuff used for my green "show" S4 with the heavy wrinkle, but it is very durable. I call this one "Prismatic Basalt" and it is very durable in addition to being immune from oily fingerprints.
This one I call "Paladin Black" and it is another special mix and it is the most durable mix I have achieved--strong enough for Jeep Bumpers! It is also immune to fingerprints.
Here is a glimpse on a special project I have been working on, that uses a mix between the Paladin Black and the coating used on the retail version of the S4 Mini. It has a softer texture than the last two, but the specularity of the flakes make fingerprints nearly invisible:
I like this picture because it shows the luminosity of the paint with the evening sun reflection. This was very close to how I wanted the S4, but I wanted to bring up the "flakes" a bit more in the S4 and reduce the specularity even further.
Here is the final mix:
I haven't destroyed this sample yet to test its durability, but I have done basic everyday use tests. It is not fingerprint proof like the other mixes which I am bummed about but I think this is as flat black as I can possibly get. My white background images look like I tampered with the saturation, but I did not. I have a high-end Bowens head with superb color rendering and all Bowens reflectors and silks so there isn't color perversion (blue or yellow tinting you get with cheap silks and reflectors).
I need to make it clearer on the preorder page:
Thanks for the comments and questions!
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Couldn't you drill the M3 holes in by default overlapping the M2.5 ones? The screwhead of the M2.5 screw shouldn't slip through and both versions can be mounted out of the box.
Dem powdercoats, doe. O_O
EDIT: Someting I just noticed: Is there enough space for the PCIe power connectors of oversized ITX cards like the ASUS or Gigabyte 970?
Dem powdercoats, doe. O_O
EDIT: Someting I just noticed: Is there enough space for the PCIe power connectors of oversized ITX cards like the ASUS or Gigabyte 970?
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This is a good idea, but they are SO close that this would need to be punched out not drilled. At least it is a clean design now, and I really would like to push people toward the Pico if at all possible.
Maybe next time I can use some of your brilliant ideas...but the chassis are all 100% made now and on the way to me!OK I'm convinced you have no faith in me at this point.
Just teasing you, brother!
I think you are talking about GPUs with side-mounted MOLEX connectors:
And the concern is because of the orientation of the GPU in the S4, that it might clip the bottom of the chassis:
(note that this system is 100% wired, save for the 4" SATA cable I forgot to put in. )
Not to worry! This was a prime consideration, and there is nearly an inch of space to accommodate the connector and bent wires. The total length you have to cram a card is 8" and keep in mind that a molex connector with bent wires will take up (safely) 3/4". Add a little more for sleeving.
I highly encourage everyone who is interested in an S4 build to check out the 3D Sketchup Model to see how your particular hardware will fit.
Thanks!!!
Haha I do have faith in you but I trust my eyes more than another person. I know that regular sized GPUs with PEG connectors on the side will fit, the problem is that some ITX cards are oversized by more than 1 cm, which means installing the power connectors might require some modding to get the cables to fit.
Of course you could just choose not to install such a card and go for one with sensible dimensions, instead.
Of course you could just choose not to install such a card and go for one with sensible dimensions, instead.
Ohhh, ok, thanks for clarifying, and thank you for pointing this out.
I don't think we need to worry...I based the design off a slightly oversized card:
You have a little over an inch.
Should be good:
I suppose if your card is waaaaayyy out of spec like the Asus ARES, then you might have a problem. But the S4 Mini is really small and I had to make some tradeoffs. People who want really big cards should look at other awesome cases...like yours!
Thanks again!!! Keep 'em coming!
Josh, another specs questions for you: what's the max RAM height? I'm looking at the Trident Z's which are 44mm. Is there a list of various internal dimensions somewhere that gives some info on that? (I guess taking into account standard board heights, does that vary?)
BTW, I saw the Zalman CNPS2X is the recommended cooler - I've had a hard time finding one, seems to be out of stock in most places, but was looking at some reviews. Is there any reason that it's preferred over the Noctua NH-L9i? That looks like it should fit (37mm) and seems to perform better looking at some benchmarks.
BTW, I saw the Zalman CNPS2X is the recommended cooler - I've had a hard time finding one, seems to be out of stock in most places, but was looking at some reviews. Is there any reason that it's preferred over the Noctua NH-L9i? That looks like it should fit (37mm) and seems to perform better looking at some benchmarks.
The advantage of the CNPS2X is the omnidirectional exhaust airflow that cools all components on the motherboard, including VRMs and even RAM. It is also significantly lighter than the NH-L9i (89g vs 420g) which is important when you're moving the case often.
As to cooling performance on the CPU itself, Josh has to answer himself, but if you want to get the absolute maximum performance and overclock, I'd personally still side with the NH-L9i. I did a bit of testing myself but that isn't representative of the cooling performance in this case.
As to cooling performance on the CPU itself, Josh has to answer himself, but if you want to get the absolute maximum performance and overclock, I'd personally still side with the NH-L9i. I did a bit of testing myself but that isn't representative of the cooling performance in this case.
As much as I dislike AIOs, I think this case is the perfect candidate for one, especially since Josh made the room for it. The TD03-Slim should fit with ease.
If the 5775C had better availability it would be the perfect CPU for this case... have to wait for Kaby Lake-C instead, since Intel has no plans for Skylake-C currently.
If the 5775C had better availability it would be the perfect CPU for this case... have to wait for Kaby Lake-C instead, since Intel has no plans for Skylake-C currently.
iFreilicht - thanks, that's useful info. Since I'll porting over from an existing portable rig (w/ less power/cooling constraints) that has an i7-4790K, I'll probably end up going w/ the NH-L9i to be safe. Is there anywhere to get the CNPS2X btw? It's listed as currently unavailable on Amazon, and discontinued on Newegg.
Thanks for your questions and interest! Have you looked at this page yet? I also have some more information on the pre-order page with a lot of embedded links. To answer your question directly, 44mm is cutting it extremely close (though man, those DIMMS are sexy...) My official compatibility measurements are 40mm memory and CPU cooler height (without the Scythe 12mm thick fan installed). However I did include some (use at your own risk) wiggle room...the technical distance from the top of the ram slot to the cover is 43.7mm...I don't know how RAM is measured, because if it is the total height not-installed this means you _might_ be able to squeeze it in as the ram keys are 2mm. Plus, everything can flex a tiny little bit (your motherboard for instance)...but again, officially, the supported height is 40mm.
Thanks!!!
The CNPS2X is still easily available on german amazon and in the EU in general.
EDIT: I shot Zalman a mail about the sale and distribution status. My employer is using the CNPS2X frequently, if it was discontinued that would be really bad news. We'll probably buy some left over stock off of resellers if that is the case.
EDIT: I shot Zalman a mail about the sale and distribution status. My employer is using the CNPS2X frequently, if it was discontinued that would be really bad news. We'll probably buy some left over stock off of resellers if that is the case.
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