Completed S401: Salvo Studios <8L mITX Steel Unibody Chassis w/ GPU & CPU fans in same direction

annasoh323

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Apr 4, 2018
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I laser cut 130 button spacers (1 will be included in each case).

As for the panel spacers, they are going to be expensive to produce so I'm unsure yet how I'll price them. If I can't reduce the cost they will probably be around $30 for a set.

I have 50 sets of each type (2.5"/3.5") of disk stackers. I think I'm going to price them around $7. Pre-orders will get a free 3.5" stacker set with their order.

I'm nearly done with the quick install guide and will be sending out a newsletter tonight if I can get the time.

Parts went to paint today so I expect they'll be packing them up tomorrow and I *should* have them Wednesday. If things change I'll update this thread.

Awesome to see all these accessory updates at once. And the cases themselves are almost ready! That's great to hear too. I did have a feeling that the material and machine time for the spacers would add up (does material you have to end up scrapping come into that calculation?). I suppose individual users will have to determine if the price/performance/size tradeoffs are worth it to them. If I'm not mistaken, 58mm is just barely enough for something like the Scythe Big Shuriken V2 (or something like that. Anyone with a better idea of what the biggest cooler that can fit in that size can chime in). I personally probably won't upgrade coolers until I do a full platform upgrade (curse you, Gigabyte motherboard layout engineers and your USB 3.0 header!) and at that point, what's another $30?

It's kinda' funny as seeing the stackers has me thinking how dense I could make the S700. The idea is you hope to have them be usable in both, right?

Front button updates look great! Case will be here soon, and of course my luck, right as I'll be leaving for vacation next week. Haha! That's ok, all parts are ready to go minus this 2080Ti order coming in who knows when, so we're in the home stretch!

Speaking of upgrading... Please please post pictures of your completed build! It'll be mighty satisfying to see a 2080Ti out in the wild in an S401. What CPU and PSU are you pairing with it? That'll be some thermal/power stress test on the S401...
 

Sparkles

Trash Compacter
Jul 24, 2018
43
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Awesome to see all these accessory updates at once. And the cases themselves are almost ready! That's great to hear too. I did have a feeling that the material and machine time for the spacers would add up (does material you have to end up scrapping come into that calculation?). I suppose individual users will have to determine if the price/performance/size tradeoffs are worth it to them. If I'm not mistaken, 58mm is just barely enough for something like the Scythe Big Shuriken V2 (or something like that. Anyone with a better idea of what the biggest cooler that can fit in that size can chime in). I personally probably won't upgrade coolers until I do a full platform upgrade (curse you, Gigabyte motherboard layout engineers and your USB 3.0 header!) and at that point, what's another $30?



Speaking of upgrading... Please please post pictures of your completed build! It'll be mighty satisfying to see a 2080Ti out in the wild in an S401. What CPU and PSU are you pairing with it? That'll be some thermal/power stress test on the S401...

I got a 7700k in my M1 build that I'm transplanting along with a Corsair SF600 PSU. I picked up a Cryorig C7 CU along with a Noctua fan hoping to cool it. No idea how this will fair as I've always done a basic 120mm rad on CPUs in the past, but I'm looking forward to trying nonetheless. Haha!!
 
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grsychckn

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Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
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It's kinda' funny as seeing the stackers has me thinking how dense I could make the S700. The idea is you hope to have them be usable in both, right?

Front button updates look great! Case will be here soon, and of course my luck, right as I'll be leaving for vacation next week. Haha! That's ok, all parts are ready to go minus this 2080Ti order coming in who knows when, so we're in the home stretch!

Thank you! Yes, the idea would be that the stackers could be used in both but I'm not done designing the S700 yet so there may have to be some modifications.
 

papayo

Caliper Novice
Jun 4, 2018
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Love how everything is coming together. The spacers look very interesting and I already have a shuriken on hand... Now I'm wondering if the added height would allow for an 80mm fan to be squeezed in and jerry rigged. Don't feel compelled to test this lol. I'm fine waiting to find out myself.
 

grsychckn

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Oct 11, 2017
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I got a 7700k in my M1 build that I'm transplanting along with a Corsair SF600 PSU. I picked up a Cryorig C7 CU along with a Noctua fan hoping to cool it. No idea how this will fair as I've always done a basic 120mm rad on CPUs in the past, but I'm looking forward to trying nonetheless. Haha!!

FYI, the C7 Cu with a Noctua fan (via a 3d printed bracket) will be too tall to fit in the S401, at least the one I tested with when I reviewed the C7 Cu.
 

Sparkles

Trash Compacter
Jul 24, 2018
43
65
FYI, the C7 Cu with a Noctua fan (via a 3d printed bracket) will be too tall to fit in the S401, at least the one I tested with when I reviewed the C7 Cu.


Lol oh my gosh don't tell me that! Ha dangit! Was it close? That bracket adds an extra 2mm and thought that mathed out. Was it close or fit without that 3D printered bracket?
 

Poblopuablo

King of Cable Management
Jan 14, 2018
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Awesome to see all these accessory updates at once. And the cases themselves are almost ready! That's great to hear too. I did have a feeling that the material and machine time for the spacers would add up (does material you have to end up scrapping come into that calculation?). I suppose individual users will have to determine if the price/performance/size tradeoffs are worth it to them. If I'm not mistaken, 58mm is just barely enough for something like the Scythe Big Shuriken V2 (or something like that. Anyone with a better idea of what the biggest cooler that can fit in that size can chime in). I personally probably won't upgrade coolers until I do a full platform upgrade (curse you, Gigabyte motherboard layout engineers and your USB 3.0 header!) and at that point, what's another $30?



Speaking of upgrading... Please please post pictures of your completed build! It'll be mighty satisfying to see a 2080Ti out in the wild in an S401. What CPU and PSU are you pairing with it? That'll be some thermal/power stress test on the S401...


Id-cooling is60 or the new Raijintek Pallas micro which should be out in October sometime (according to a rep I talked to last week) both are 55mm coolers


FYI, the C7 Cu with a Noctua fan (via a 3d printed bracket) will be too tall to fit in the S401, at least the one I tested with when I reviewed the C7 Cu.

I have the c7(aluminum) with the 3d printed bracket, and the nf-a9x14 in my s400 with no clearance issue.


I got a 7700k in my M1 build that I'm transplanting along with a Corsair SF600 PSU. I picked up a Cryorig C7 CU along with a Noctua fan hoping to cool it. No idea how this will fair as I've always done a basic 120mm rad on CPUs in the past, but I'm looking forward to trying nonetheless. Haha!!

The performance is essentially the same as the stock fan. It's just quieter. :) (R5 1600 oc to 3.9 on all cores with stock voltage and with an EVGA 1080 SC)
 
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grsychckn

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I have the c7(aluminum) with the 3d printed bracket, and the nf-a9x14 in my s400 with no clearance issue.

That's good to know. I was using the NF-A9 standard depth (25mm) and it was too tall to fit with the panel installed. The slim 14mm NF-A9 might fit in the S401 without clearance issues then.
 

Sparkles

Trash Compacter
Jul 24, 2018
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That's good to know. I was using the NF-A9 standard depth (25mm) and it was too tall to fit with the panel installed. The slim 14mm NF-A9 might fit in the S401 without clearance issues then.

Oh right right that's something like 57mm if I recall, but regardless a good amount too high. I ended up ordering the 14mm fan and should all fit. Ha, giving me a scare!
 

annasoh323

Master of Cramming
Apr 4, 2018
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When I checked the specs of the Noctua NF-A9x14, the air flow and pressure specs seemed a bit underwhelming but the noise reduction over the stock fan is probably amazing. I'm going to see if a Thermalright TY-100 fits. I've not tried it in any way so far so it's a pure leap of faith. I'm a bit shaky on how to measure CPU cooler height (i.e. from motherboard, from top of IHS, from standoffs etc). I was largely estimating based on a picture that grsychckn posted a while back. Hopefully the stock fan still works as a fallback option.
 

grsychckn

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Good news: I'm picking up the first 23 S401 units today. Last night while I was reviewing and preparing as much as I could for shipping, I realized just how much work there is left to do once I get the parts. The following is my current list of items that need to be completed for each unit before packaging is done and I can ship:

1. Laser etch hole labels on chassis (for 2.5", 3.5" and 120mm mounting holes).
2. Install front panel button, USB adapter, power cable extenter, PCIe extender, and PSU anti-vibration pad.
3. Package 2 stands and PSU adapter bracket into accessory box.
4. Double-check packaging list.
5. Pack accessories inside chassis and pack optional items (fans, 2.5" stackers, removable handle, custom panels).
6. Install metal side panels.
7. Triple-check packing list.
8. Print out shipping label and tape up box.

Needless to say, there's a lot to do and not much could have been done without the finished chassis in my hands. I feel that even though I'll have the first 23 chassis this afternoon I'm not going to complete packing for shipping on all pre-orders until Friday. That said, I'll do my best and most likely not get much sleep between now and Saturday. Exciting times!
 

annasoh323

Master of Cramming
Apr 4, 2018
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Please do get some sleep - think of the children!

That being said, I'm going to go check my own checklist for what I need to do before I can start re-building! I'll probably go revisit the S400 build logs for inspiration.

Also, can I suggest step 9. "Tape shipping labels to boxes and drop off with shipping companies"? It'd be something else if you did all that and didn't actually send them, wouldn't it <nervously> hahahahahahahah ha ha... ha....... He isn't going to skip that step, is he?
 

grsychckn

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Oct 11, 2017
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Take your time, breathe, be with family! Best of luck with the 23 orders!
Thanks for the support. I've only managed to get two of the cases packed tonight but tomorrow will be more fruitful I'm sure as I now just have to make sure everyone gets all the screws and accessories they should. Going to take a nap now, have a meeting early in the morning I can't miss but I'll be back to work on packaging everything tomorrow afternoon.
 

annasoh323

Master of Cramming
Apr 4, 2018
424
314
Thanks for the support. I've only managed to get two of the cases packed tonight but tomorrow will be more fruitful I'm sure as I now just have to make sure everyone gets all the screws and accessories they should. Going to take a nap now, have a meeting early in the morning I can't miss but I'll be back to work on packaging everything tomorrow afternoon.

Yikes, I looked at the time stamp on this post. We who are about to build computers salute you!

Are you able to say how many preorders came in vs how many cases are coming in from the fab shop? Just wondering how much word-of-mouth advertising to engage in since I am fairly certain that no one really offers what you're offering here. I'm sure there are others like me that just need to be connected.

And, um, @DSmithBYU... is that Snape in your profile pic? I'm, uh, just a bit... unsettled, I think is the word? Yeah, let's go with unsettled.
 

grsychckn

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Oct 11, 2017
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Yikes, I looked at the time stamp on this post. We who are about to build computers salute you!

Are you able to say how many preorders came in vs how many cases are coming in from the fab shop? Just wondering how much word-of-mouth advertising to engage in since I am fairly certain that no one really offers what you're offering here. I'm sure there are others like me that just need to be connected.

And, um, @DSmithBYU... is that Snape in your profile pic? I'm, uh, just a bit... unsettled, I think is the word? Yeah, let's go with unsettled.

Simply put, I did not sell all of my initial batch of cases. Of course, I haven't advertised at all other than on the forum here so I didn't expect them to sell out. I hope that by early next week I'll have all the cases I haven't sold ready to ship and then I'll start focusing on the ad campaign. I really don't want to have to pack and organize last minute like I am for the pre-orders. I'd rather pull one off the shelf ready to ship barring any accessory purchases. That is why I removed the pre-orders from my website and haven't yet make the standard S401 available for purchase yet.
 

grsychckn

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Oct 11, 2017
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All pre-orders have been shipped and everyone who made a pre-order *should* have received an e-mail confirming the shipment via UPS. If you did not receive a shipping update with a tracking number for your pre-order, or your tracking number is not working contact me ASAP.

This weekend my goal will be to take a few new pictures of the S401 now that I have the final product (with USB adapter installed) and to build up some pre-packaged units so I can quickly and easily pull the base product off the shelf and then add accessories as needed.

One unit has been shipped to @confusis for review. He should receive this by Friday next week according to the tracking number.

I'll also have the v1.0 quick start guide finished this weekend (including handle and stacker instructions) for users to reference when they receive their cases.
 

grsychckn

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Oct 11, 2017
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Couple updates:

1. S401 Quick Start Guide V1.0
2. S401 Stacker Quick Start Guide V1.0
3. Custom Demciflex filters ordered (should arrive in 5-8 business days). These are 1-piece filters that cover the vented-side panel to replace the 2-piece 140mm standard filters. I will paid just over $17/each and will price them around $18-20 each depending on what extra costs I incur (shipping/packing). These are the non-ferrous filters so they include the optional adhesive magnet for use with the acrylic panels if you desire.
4. I'm going to create new product pages for the Demciflex filter, 60mm fans, and stackers.
5. I'm updating the website now in preparation for opening up regular sales of the S401. Users will be able to add accessories like the handle, stackers, fans, etc. "a la carte" to create their own bundle. In order to do this I'm going to have to purchase some more packing materials so I can include these accessories as an additional box so the basic chassis and accessories can be packaged before an order is made.

I still need to take pictures for the new products (and write up specs for each), pre-package the remaining cases for shipping, and finalize accessory packaging (to be shipped with or without a case purchase).
 
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annasoh323

Master of Cramming
Apr 4, 2018
424
314
Couple updates:

1. S401 Quick Start Guide V1.0
2. S401 Stacker Quick Start Guide V1.0
3. Custom Demciflex filters ordered (should arrive in 5-8 business days). These are 1-piece filters that cover the vented-side panel to replace the 2-piece 140mm standard filters. I will paid just over $17/each and will price them around $18-20 each depending on what extra costs I incur (shipping/packing). These are the non-ferrous filters so they include the optional adhesive magnet for use with the acrylic panels if you desire.
4. I'm going to create new product pages for the Demciflex filter, 60mm fans, and stackers.
5. I'm updating the website now in preparation for opening up regular sales of the S401. Users will be able to add accessories like the handle, stackers, fans, etc. "a la carte" to create their own bundle. In order to do this I'm going to have to purchase some more packing materials so I can include these accessories as an additional box so the basic chassis and accessories can be packaged before an order is made.

I still need to take pictures for the new products (and write up specs for each), pre-package the remaining cases for shipping, and finalize accessory packaging (to be shipped with or without a case purchase).
Rats, your website doesn't work on this network. I can't start salivating over the quick start guide...

I was actually just wondering about the filters and if they were still in the works. In prep for the case arriving, I swapped out my full-thickness Noctua for a slim fan on my CPU cooler and while I was there, I gawked at the thick layer of dust on my existing dust filter. Custom dust filter is :( for looks but is :thumb::thumb::thumb:for not choking the inside of my computer with vacuum cleaner debris.

That was a nice diversion from hitting "refresh" on the shipping tracking every five seconds...
 

papayo

Caliper Novice
Jun 4, 2018
29
27
Damn that quick start manual looks sharp! You sure you don't have a factory in China, 100s of employees, and multiple product divisions?