• Save 15% on ALL SFF Network merch, until Dec 31st! Use code SFF2024 at checkout. Click here!

S4 MINI Classic (S4M-C)

Curiosity

Too busy figuring out if I can to think if I shoul
Platinum Supporter
Bronze Supporter
M...M...M...M...Multi-Tier...Subscriber...
Apr 30, 2016
724
838
Yes. DisplayLink. I never said display port, did I? :-P
No you didn't, I just forgot displaylink was a thing and thought you might be misnaming DP for some reason and was confused aha

@CubanLegend what kind of temps were you seeing with those OC's?
 

Zero

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Jan 27, 2017
120
262
Hey Josh, mind sharing how you got the power port in the stock position with the 1080 mini? You needed longer screws than what the HDPlex includes, right?
 

CubanLegend

Steely-Eyed NVFlash Man
Dec 23, 2016
834
1,011
smallformfactor.net
Nope, not for me anyways.

Youtube is for my longer projects. Twitter is for the content I don't have time to include or distracts from that. My goal is to have different content for Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, but right now there is some crossover. I do have lots of Twitter only vids up though.
I like the crossover. Sometimes I'd like to save a video offline on my PC but facebook/twitter only allow for low bitrate 480/720p downloads. But Youtube uploads can be streamed and downloaded at up to 4K which really shows the details crisply and clearly, for the highest bitrate file provided for minimal macroblocking.
 
Last edited:

ragnarok666

Case Bender
Feb 12, 2017
2
0
Does anyone know the Ainex CC-02? My L9i is late and I found it when searching for a replacement. 37mm high and 4 6mm heat pipes. Does anyone know this one? On the paper it sound like it could be better than the L9i because of more heat pipes.
 

CubanLegend

Steely-Eyed NVFlash Man
Dec 23, 2016
834
1,011
smallformfactor.net
No you didn't, I just forgot displaylink was a thing and thought you might be misnaming DP for some reason and was confused aha

@CubanLegend what kind of temps were you seeing with those OC's?
Not good temps. And i perfected my NTH1 Noctua Thermal Grease application on the NH-L9i, here's what I got (all cores synced to same multiplier, LLC4, XMP on:

GHz IDLE x264 STRESS TEST Vcore AVX OFFSET & LCC
4.2 37c 87c 1.24 0 /off
4.3 37c 88c 1.24 0 /off
4.4 38c 90c 1.24 0 /off
4.5 38c 92c 1.24 0 /off
4.7 39c 93c 1.24 0 /off
4.8 40c 95c 1.24 0 /off
4.9 41c FAIL/unstable 1.24-1.3 0 /off
4.9 42c 99c/thermal throttle 1.31 0 /off
5.0 44c FAIL/unstable 1.32-1.34 0 /off
5.0 45c 99c/thermal throttle 1.35 0 /off
5.1 46c FAIL/unstable 1.35 0 /off
5.1 47c 99c/thermal throttle 1.36 0 /off

The x264 stress test i did was this "Custom x264 with Loop Functionality and Other Improvements v2.06" form the Overclock.net forum thread on "Kaby Lake Overclocking - Guide and Statistics".

I will try to run a -1 or -2 AVX offset for all of the FAIL/unstable stress tests, but Im already hitting my thermal ceiling without a delid on this cooler. In gaming (Watch_dogs2 1080p all max settings w/textures on low & shadows on ultra) My CPU will sometimes spike to 88-92c AT 4.8GHz with 1.24vcore... so I'm hoping my Delid will drop temps at load so i can have a more stable OC at 4.9/5.0 and maybe 5.1... Since I really cant test those clock speeds because the CPU thermal throttles and drops the core clock down automatically when it hits 99c, So for now I'm sticking to the stable 4.8 @ 1.24 until after my system is build inside the S4, i will RETEST ALL above temps/clocks. And then I will delid, and try them all again inside the S4 for real world temp results.

Keep in mind that most people on the 7700K who idle at 32c are using HUGE air coolers or AIOs, or even custom loops with 1,2,3 or 4xfan-sized rads. Our little NH-L9i WILL NOT cool the 7700K if overclocked at all above the turbo of 4.5Hz if applied to all cores. If you drop hyperthreading you can manage, but that essentially neuters the 7700k into a 7600k, nobody want's that. the ONLY way to get decent Full-size air cooler temps on a 7700k with an NH-l9i is with a delid, sadly. Here's a note from the Noctua site that I will echo here:

Caution: The NH-L9i is a highly-compact low-profile quiet cooler designed for use in small form factor cases and HTPC environments. While it provides first rate performance in its class, it is not suitable for overclocking and should be used with care on CPUs with more than 65W TDP (Thermal Design Power). Please consult our TDP guidelines to find out whether the NH-L9i is recommended for your CPU.

The 7700k is a 91W TDP part, so it's punching above the TDP class of the NH-l9i, although this IS THE BEST AIR COOLER in it's class to have in an S4 mini right now, it's not designed for it, so... expect to delid a K chip if you really want it to stay cool or give you ANY stable overclocking headroom.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Curiosity

ant247

Minimal Tinkerer
Jan 5, 2017
4
1
Can someone link me Josh's video on how to remove the S4 mini bezel?

I can't seem to find the video, and have trouble removing it :(
 

Curiosity

Too busy figuring out if I can to think if I shoul
Platinum Supporter
Bronze Supporter
M...M...M...M...Multi-Tier...Subscriber...
Apr 30, 2016
724
838
Appreciate the detailed reply, Cuban.
I was just curious since I didn't think before now that the l9i would be able to keep a 7700k a t those clocks from thermal shutdown, I'm impressed!
(Still going with a T part for my build though aha)
 
  • Like
Reactions: CubanLegend

CubanLegend

Steely-Eyed NVFlash Man
Dec 23, 2016
834
1,011
smallformfactor.net
Appreciate the detailed reply, Cuban.
I was just curious since I didn't think before now that the l9i would be able to keep a 7700k a t those clocks from thermal shutdown, I'm impressed!
(Still going with a T part for my build though aha)
Here's the thing though, at 4.8GHz this thing in a BEAST. The real-world gaming performance difference between 4.8 & 5.0/5.1 is not really that much, like 2-3% or like 1-2fps in most cases, so I've got no problem being stable at 4.8 with stock volts. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Curiosity

BrainTaste

Average Stuffer
Jan 3, 2017
66
93
steamcommunity.com
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CubanLegend

CubanLegend

Steely-Eyed NVFlash Man
Dec 23, 2016
834
1,011
smallformfactor.net
Bit gutted I missed out on the first round of these cases :(
I feel you, I wanted an S4 mini during the initial run but i missed it since I had no money back then due to student loans. Good news was, the waiting allowed me to actually build my rig with better parts from waiting a year! :D

i7-7700K & DELIDDING PROTIP: to any of y'all with or planning on getting a 7700K chip in your S4 mini, I found a VERY interesting peice of info on them from a guy whose delidded 8 of them already:
"I usually idle around 21c depending on ambient of course. May dip lower or a hair higher, but that's about average....

...So far into my binning, I've come across A LOT of 5.1 and slightly better chips without delidding while using the AIO cooler on my bench. I've got 3 from L640F761 that are running great delidded. 2 are 5.2 GHz (1.37v and 1.38v) using an AIO (Corsiar H115i) and the 3rd is the one in my daily rig at 5.3 GHz with 1.44v at the moment. It does 5.2 GHz at 1.34v in RB and may be lower, but didn't spend much time with it.

Having popped the top on 8 of these things already, I can say that what a chip does prior to delid is not a very good indicator of how it will do after delid. I have ones that I thought were going to be worthless due to voltage requirements before delid turn out to be great chips onced delidded. Then there are those that are really good before delidding that end up improving temp wise, but not really voltage wise once delidded. The TIM / gapping from the factory is so inconsistent that it's truly hard to gauge a chip based on stock performance. You kinda just have to chance it and delid it anyways. I've given up on batch numbers,"

So it's good news to know that a Delid is not only necessary for us since we don't have AIO coolers available in the S4 mini, but that once we DO go and delid, our chip might turn out better thatn we thought. It might need LESS volts and we might be able to undervolt it and still run it at stock with no performance decrease, so a vcore decrease equals a temperature and heat decrease, making a 91watt K chip even more possible inside an S4 mini on a cooler that is rated for 65watt chips! :D