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

[MrClippy]

Managed to find a few minutes to work a little more on the S401 vent pattern. I tried a few different options but I like the simple repeating patterns because the design doesn't get overly complex (although it can take hours to change the pattern). The one below is a test using a rectangular hole with rounded corners. Let me know what you think.

I quite like this look as it sort of blends well with everything being some sort of rectangle.

 

[Talyrius]

Rounded rectangles. ?

They're still large enough to not overly impede airflow while small enough to keep kids' fingers out. I think they look better as well.

 

[MrClippy]

Rounded rectangles. ?

They're still large enough to not overly impede airflow while small enough to keep kids' fingers out. I think they look better as well.

Good point. I like that perspective - "finger proofed" holes

 

[Ichiban]

I know I might have asked this before, but does anyone have experience mounting the top two 60mm fans as intake?
I bought these ones from China called Sunon 60mm case fans, they allow for the other mounting as the ones that came from Brian directly have larger holes that won't allow them to be mounted as an intake fan unless you got longer screws.
I mounted them, they clear fine but the noise is a little bit more than I expected, these Sunon fans also are much faster. Well... to ear at least.
Can anyone else shed some light on this?

Thanks!

 

[BeethovenNinja]

Hex yes. Rectangles ... those will work, too. But then you'll have to make the handle a rectangle for design continuity, but a rectangular handle is less comfortable.

Circles

 

[grsychckn]

I know I might have asked this before, but does anyone have experience mounting the top two 60mm fans as intake?
I bought these ones from China called Sunon 60mm case fans, they allow for the other mounting as the ones that came from Brian directly have larger holes that won't allow them to be mounted as an intake fan unless you got longer screws.
I mounted them, they clear fine but the noise is a little bit more than I expected, these Sunon fans also are much faster. Well... to ear at least.
Can anyone else shed some light on this?

Thanks!

Not quite sure what you're asking as I read your post two ways:

1. How do you mount the Delta Clones as intake? The longer screws are the only option I'm aware of unless you can find some short screws and nuts you can use that pass through the larger holes on the 60mm PWM fans I sell. Unfortunately, I didn't know this was a problem until after I ordered the second batch of fans from the supplier.
2. Has anyone used the Sunon fans and what to do about noise? I would recommend a noise reducing adapter like you see on the Noctua fans. If you need one, I can send you one or more for the cost of shipping, just let me know. This will reduce the RPMs at the same PWM control input to help reduce the floor of the RPMs on the fans.

 

[Ichiban]

Not quite sure what you're asking as I read your post two ways:

1. How do you mount the Delta Clones as intake? The longer screws are the only option I'm aware of unless you can find some short screws and nuts you can use that pass through the larger holes on the 60mm PWM fans I sell. Unfortunately, I didn't know this was a problem until after I ordered the second batch of fans from the supplier.
2. Has anyone used the Sunon fans and what to do about noise? I would recommend a noise reducing adapter like you see on the Noctua fans. If you need one, I can send you one or more for the cost of shipping, just let me know. This will reduce the RPMs at the same PWM control input to help reduce the floor of the RPMs on the fans.

Maybe let me clarify more, would the cooling to the CPU temps be better if the fans were mounted as an intake?

I'm running the Sunon fans with the Noctua PWM fan controller, its great silent except I just wanted to know if the setup would be cooler as the 60mm fans being intake instead of exhaust.

 

[grsychckn]

Maybe let me clarify more, would the cooling to the CPU temps be better if the fans were mounted as an intake?

I'm running the Sunon fans with the Noctua PWM fan controller, its great silent except I just wanted to know if the setup would be cooler as the 60mm fans being intake instead of exhaust.

Ahh, I see. I have not tried running the 60mm CPU fans as intake primarily because I run my S401 vertically with the CPU on top and thus I have my 60mm fans extracting the hot air from the top of the case. I have been patiently waiting for my C7 adapter brackets to arrive so that the cooling fins on my C7 Cu will be parallel with the RAM slots and thus allow more air to be extracted. I say that to conclude that it might not even matter for me as the fins on my C7 Cu actually block air from leaving the cooler because the IO ports are on one side and the RAM on the other. Personally, I find this a flaw with the C7 for AM4 mainboards.

Long story longer: I have not tried orienting the 60mm CPU fans as intake. I do have records of them being oriented as exhaust can actually reduce the CPU temperatures by 3-4 degrees C when the S401 is vertical with the CPU on top. I discovered this with my recent i9-990k customer build when I was trying various configurations to reduce temps. Hope this helps - if you want me to try changing my orientation I'd be happy to but I would prefer wait until after I get the C7 adapter that rotates the cooling fins.

 

[annasoh323]

I know I might have asked this before, but does anyone have experience mounting the top two 60mm fans as intake?
I bought these ones from China called Sunon 60mm case fans, they allow for the other mounting as the ones that came from Brian directly have larger holes that won't allow them to be mounted as an intake fan unless you got longer screws.
I mounted them, they clear fine but the noise is a little bit more than I expected, these Sunon fans also are much faster. Well... to ear at least.
Can anyone else shed some light on this?

Thanks!

I haven't tried it yet. I would have a couple of problems right off the bat: Currently, my CPU cooler fan is in downdraft mode, so I'd have to flip it to make it not compete with the 60mm's as intake. Then, I'd be blowing air out the side panel of the case toward my monitor and I'm not sure how that would work out. The other thing is (and this is partially applicable to the current setup as well) I don't know how much pressure differential I have at the inlets and outlets of the various fans. If I did flip my CPU cooler fan and used the 60mm's as intake, would I actually be generating enough positive pressure at the cooler fins (oriented vertically for me, toward the fans) to actually help the CPU fan work more efficiently? Or, since it's so open, would I just be blowing air around? You could argue the inverse scenario I currently have going as well: are the 60mm's actually generating enough negative pressure at the fins to pull hot air away from them out of the case? I can't quite answer that, only to say that I can feel hot air being pulled up and out from the top of the case.

 

[grsychckn]

Alright, I've been working when I can on the S402 and unfortunately I don't have enough time to start the new thread, but I wanted to get some more feedback on the vent situation as I've changed it yet again. I'm thinking about getting a 3D printer and printing panels that would allow me to change the vent pattern to whatever I want assuming I have enough time to make a few generic ones. Custom ones could be made as well but I'd have to charge for those. Below is the latest rendering I have of the S402 as it sits. I'm still debating what USB front panel connectors I will use though as the S400/S401 units are no longer available through my sources. I bought the last 4 from them a few weeks ago. This means USB type C will probably not be available on the S402.

One of the cool things about 3D printed panels is that I can do some cool things like angle the holes as I have above. These diamond holes actually have a 45-degree cut to them back towards the case. Of course, I could also use the laser cutter to cut the panels straight down for a more smooth surface. My biggest complaint with 3D printed items is the uneven surface it creates. If I leave the surface flat, I can also sand it down and paint it if need be.

I know I've been out of pocket but I've been working on three builds that I'm going to be selling on Ebay soon:

S401 Build
i9-9900k delidded with conductonaut liquid metal applied
Big Shiruken 2 Rev B Cooler
Gigabyte H370 Wifi ITX Motherboard
16GB Corsair 3200Mhz DD4 Memory (2 x 8GB)
EVGA 1080ti SC2
500GB HP EX900 m.2 drive
1TB 660p Intel m.2 drive
Corsair SF600 Gold PSU

S700 Prototype 1 Build
Threadripper 1950X
ASRock X399 Taichi Motherboard
64GB G.Skill RGB 3866 RAM (8 x 8GB)
Custom loop CPU cooler using XSPC Raystorm Neo TR4 block and 360mm radiator with 3 x 120mm ID Cooling RGB fans and Bykski DDC pump/reservoir combo
Vega Frontier Edition GPU (air cooled)
500GB m.2
2 x 1TB m.2
Corsair SF750 PSU
Modified to support prototype flex bracket for PCIe devices/radiator/HDD/SSD

Epyc Build - have yet to pick a chassis but might sell with the last prototype of S700
2 x 32-core Epyc 1.4Ghz base Engineering Sample CPUs
64GB 2400 DDR4 ECC Registered RAM (16 x 4GB)
Supermicro H11DSi Dual Epyc Motherboard
Radeon WX9100 16GB Professional GPU
500GB m.2
2 x 1TB m.2
Corsair SF750 PSU

When I list these builds I'll be sure to post here.

 

[Talyrius]

I can understand how using a 3D printer could be extremely beneficial for prototyping, but if it's your intention to use it for production, even if it's just the vents, I'll be disappointed.

My preference: Metal > Plastic.

 

[annasoh323]

Alright, I've been working when I can on the S402 and unfortunately I don't have enough time to start the new thread, but I wanted to get some more feedback on the vent situation as I've changed it yet again. I'm thinking about getting a 3D printer and printing panels that would allow me to change the vent pattern to whatever I want assuming I have enough time to make a few generic ones. Custom ones could be made as well but I'd have to charge for those. Below is the latest rendering I have of the S402 as it sits. I'm still debating what USB front panel connectors I will use though as the S400/S401 units are no longer available through my sources. I bought the last 4 from them a few weeks ago. This means USB type C will probably not be available on the S402.

One of the cool things about 3D printed panels is that I can do some cool things like angle the holes as I have above. These diamond holes actually have a 45-degree cut to them back towards the case. Of course, I could also use the laser cutter to cut the panels straight down for a more smooth surface. My biggest complaint with 3D printed items is the uneven surface it creates. If I leave the surface flat, I can also sand it down and paint it if need be.

I know I've been out of pocket but I've been working on three builds that I'm going to be selling on Ebay soon:

S401 Build
i9-9900k delidded with conductonaut liquid metal applied
Big Shiruken 2 Rev B Cooler
Gigabyte H370 Wifi ITX Motherboard
16GB Corsair 3200Mhz DD4 Memory (2 x 8GB)
EVGA 1080ti SC2
500GB HP EX900 m.2 drive
1TB 660p Intel m.2 drive
Corsair SF600 Gold PSU

S700 Prototype 1 Build
Threadripper 1950X
ASRock X399 Taichi Motherboard
64GB G.Skill RGB 3866 RAM (8 x 8GB)
Custom loop CPU cooler using XSPC Raystorm Neo TR4 block and 360mm radiator with 3 x 120mm ID Cooling RGB fans and Bykski DDC pump/reservoir combo
Vega Frontier Edition GPU (air cooled)
500GB m.2
2 x 1TB m.2
Corsair SF750 PSU
Modified to support prototype flex bracket for PCIe devices/radiator/HDD/SSD

Epyc Build - have yet to pick a chassis but might sell with the last prototype of S700
2 x 32-core Epyc 1.4Ghz base Engineering Sample CPUs
64GB 2400 DDR4 ECC Registered RAM (16 x 4GB)
Supermicro H11DSi Dual Epyc Motherboard
Radeon WX9100 16GB Professional GPU
500GB m.2
2 x 1TB m.2
Corsair SF750 PSU

When I list these builds I'll be sure to post here.

What!? You made the Threadripper custom loop?! Where have I been? Looking forward to seeing more of it!

Re: vent design, would you happen to have any more zoomed-in renderings of the new prototype design? I feel like I can't quite get a good look at it currently. The rectangles I thought of as a fair compromise between a more traditional industrial sort of aesthetic while maintaining a good amount of vented surface area. 3D printing would be an intersting step forward though I'd be concerned about the costs associated with purchasing a machine that can fabricate parts that large.

 

[grsychckn]

I can understand how using a 3D printer could be extremely beneficial for prototyping, but if it's your intention to use it for production, even if it's just the vents, I'll be disappointed.

My preference: Metal > Plastic.

Message received. I am actually on the fence because I share your reservations about the quality. The reason for my investigation into using it though is the flexibility to provide more customization. That said, I have one last idea to play with and that will be rounded slots that I can place such that static fan holes are unnecessary. I'm not an artist (as evidenced by the S400/S401 design) and I like the ease in which I can quickly layout standard patterns but I think an asymmetrical design would really go a long way towards breaking up the monotony of the hexagons/square/circles. I may have to contract out the vent pattern just to keep me from trying to come up with 17 designs of which none really wow me or anyone else.

 

[grsychckn]

What!? You made the Threadripper custom loop?! Where have I been? Looking forward to seeing more of it!

Re: vent design, would you happen to have any more zoomed-in renderings of the new prototype design? I feel like I can't quite get a good look at it currently. The rectangles I thought of as a fair compromise between a more traditional industrial sort of aesthetic while maintaining a good amount of vented surface area. 3D printing would be an intersting step forward though I'd be concerned about the costs associated with purchasing a machine that can fabricate parts that large.

The first S700 prototype supported a standard ATX motherboard layout and I already had the 1950X and mainboard from over a year ago. I've swapped various components in and out of the case but to make it useful I've had to hand modify various parts of it so it definitely won't be as polished as a final run product. It will however be quite unique and will also support custom side panels so those will also be a part of the auction when it comes time.

I may try to post a video of the vents because I really like that they are not a 2D design and simply cut at a 90-degree angle. This would hide the components inside but allow for the air to still flow. It actually ended up very much like the front vent design of the Dell Workstation series.

 

[Linero]

I can understand how using a 3D printer could be extremely beneficial for prototyping, but if it's your intention to use it for production, even if it's just the vents, I'll be disappointed.

My preference: Metal > Plastic.

Agreed! Not only that, but having two side plastic panels sticking out of the case is probably disastrous with any level of handling and frequent transportation. Which is a strong selling point for such a designed SFF case. I also wouldn't like that aesthetically.

Message received. I am actually on the fence because I share your reservations about the quality. The reason for my investigation into using it though is the flexibility to provide more customization. That said, I have one last idea to play with and that will be rounded slots that I can place such that static fan holes are unnecessary. I'm not an artist (as evidenced by the S400/S401 design) and I like the ease in which I can quickly layout standard patterns but I think an asymmetrical design would really go a long way towards breaking up the monotony of the hexagons/square/circles. I may have to contract out the vent pattern just to keep me from trying to come up with 17 designs of which none really wow me or anyone else.

I hope that I am not weighing in with unwanted feedback. I am trying my best to be as constructive as possible, because I really am interested in this case. Furthermore, I would honestly recommend a standard approach and layout for the perforation and quality aspect. It will probably be the safest in terms of thermal performance and aesthetics. My nonfactual assumption is that people would be unlikely to find it unappealing or monotonous, as you stated above, because they are mostly used to it. In fact, the less it stands out and the more subtle the design is, the better. Subtly is definitely the key here.

 

[mxsoundtube]

Really digging the design for the S402, personally i wish the USB C is here to stay though haha

 

[grsychckn]

Agreed! Not only that, but having two side plastic panels sticking out of the case is probably disastrous with any level of handling and frequent transportation. Which is a strong selling point for such a designed SFF case. I also wouldn't like that aesthetically.


I hope that I am not weighing in with unwanted feedback. I am trying my best to be as constructive as possible, because I really am interested in this case. Furthermore, I would honestly recommend a standard approach and layout for the perforation and quality aspect. It will probably be the safest in terms of thermal performance and aesthetics. My nonfactual assumption is that people would be unlikely to find it unappealing or monotonous, as you stated above, because they are mostly used to it. In fact, the less it stands out and the more subtle the design is, the better. Subtly is definitely the key here.

No - this is exactly the kind of feedback I need. I think you're right BTW on the 3D printed < metal and so I'm going to work on getting the vent pattern finalized in the sheet metal and drop the idea of the 3D printed accessories. If I actually decided to offer 3D printed products I'd most likely need more than one printer anyway but now I won't have to worry about it. Maybe one day 3D printing will produce a much more polished product while still being available but for now I'll wait before dipping my toes in that water.

 

[grsychckn]

Really digging the design for the S402, personally i wish the USB C is here to stay though haha

Yes, and maybe as I near the final design I'll review my options. For now I'm actually not going to spend much time on the front USB as it's really just a location/size issue that can be handled once I determine what adapter I am going to use. Most of the options available really stink either because the quality is bad or the mounting options are bad.

 

[Linero]

Yes, and maybe as I near the final design I'll review my options. For now I'm actually not going to spend much time on the front USB as it's really just a location/size issue that can be handled once I determine what adapter I am going to use. Most of the options available really stink either because the quality is bad or the mounting options are bad.

Not sure where the extreme need for USB C comes from. I would say a standard double 3.0/3.1 USB at the front panel is more than enough. I feel like USB C is still too niche and expensive for its actual worth on an SFF case.

 

[SFF EOL]

Not sure where the extreme need for USB C comes from. I would say a standard double 3.0/3.1 USB at the front panel is more than enough. I feel like USB C is still too niche and expensive for its actual worth on an SFF case.

Not that my opinion matters much, as I am highly unlikely to purchase (not because I don’t like the case, just, other reasons), but I think USB C is the way forward (or USB 3.1 Gen2?). I’m coming across more and more USB C, regardless of actual speed, to the extent dongles are becoming an issue- I don’t like dongles and adaptors.

That said you are not building a utility case run of thousands so your customers will have different expectations- but I think USB C has become a want to have rather than a nice to have and it should be on the front. It is also a less ugly socket than USB2/3 in my eyes.

Now it is bearable, but I think you might be just on the curve if you ignore USB C. Just my two pence (sterling). Then again I guess you run short production runs so you can adapt with each generation, unlike HP who will be planning 3 years’ ahead.

I do sense you may have a general dislike of USB, in which case I do share that dislike, but it is what it is. Whoever designed it should have come up with something more physically robust and attractive but at least USB C is discrete compared to the past. At the same time I’ve read that USB C is spec’d for 13 uses a day over two years for its lifecycle, which is a joke for a connector that is supposed to be used as a universal.

Anyway, I’m drifting off topic.