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

[MrClippy]

I think you mean Computex. I'm going to be super sad if 3000 series doesn't launch until next January =)

Yea, that convention thing. My b. Too many things starting with 'c'. Though Threadripper 3000 might be withheld from Computex.

Ok - took a little time today to work on the S402. No promises this will be anything like the final design (especially the vent pattern).

As it stands, this is going to be more expensive to produce than the S401 due to the flex slot. I'll need to come up with some new ideas to save on production cost if I'm going to make this design feasible to sell. Lots of time to work on it so that's why I'm not posting this on a new thread.

P.S. The last S401 cases will be available on my site Thursday April 25th at noon Eastern.

I like the vent support for AIOs. How have the dimensions changed in this new model?

 

[vanbeveren]

I'm not sure where I stand on the front USB ports. It will save 5-10% of costs just not to have them. I purchased some type A cable-based ones that are much less expensive than the type C boards I used on the S401 so I might go with type A only. No decisions made there yet.

Type A works for me - I don’t get all the clamoring for C anyhow.

It’d be a shame not to have any up front I think.
A big step back in usability on a case that’s the size where I think many would expect one up front.

I of course could be very wrong on overall opinion. I just know I use my front port daily and it would be a PITA not to have it.

 

[Piewalker]

Ok - took a little time today to work on the S402. No promises this will be anything like the final design (especially the vent pattern).

As it stands, this is going to be more expensive to produce than the S401 due to the flex slot. I'll need to come up with some new ideas to save on production cost if I'm going to make this design feasible to sell. Lots of time to work on it so that's why I'm not posting this on a new thread.

P.S. The last S401 cases will be available on my site Thursday April 25th at noon Eastern.

@grsychckn
Pumped!

New Dimensions? What dimensions are you considering? Slightly wider and taller? I know you were tossing around the idea of minor changes to the dimensions earlier in this thread. I agree you shouldn't change the dimensions too much and only to facilitate more flexibility.

Flex. It's really great to see the concept of removable flex panel. But why not just extend that panel the entire width from back to front? That would provide more flexibility and access to ventilation whether one is water cooling or air cooling. And you could gain even more flexibility by dividing a full-width flex panel in half (say separated by a single strut) so you'd have 2 flex panels.

On vertical height, remember I was able to fit a 280 radiator, so sizing for 2 x 140mm fans would be optimal instead of only considering the height of 120mm. While we're at it, how about a flex panel for the PSU, as well, or at least some hex ventilation in that area (kinda joking, but also kinda not joking, too). Yes, those vents for a single 120mm AIO rad are useful, but that ventilation area would still be functional if a full-width flex panel covers that space. Can 2 types of flex panels be sold separately? Both solid and hex?

Hex. The smaller hex pattern looks good. No complaints.

Solid front? I'm against this because it precludes one configuration I almost went with—mounting a small radiator. The existence of hex vents below the power button can provide cooling for a small radiator such as Alphacool's NexXxos XT45 Full 50mm x 2 or 40mm. This is literally the only place in the case that could fit one of these.

Alphacool NexXxos XT45 Full Copper Radiator 100, 50mm x 2, Dual Fan

Alphacool NexXxos XT45 Full Copper Radiator 120, 40mm x 3, Triple Fan

Power Button. I'm fine with it being central on the front panel. Since it's moved there, can't you move the PSU more toward the top of the case? That could free up a bit of room in the center for cable management (PSU cables and the power button itself, as well as more space to route the 2 tubes of an AIO or 1 or 2 custom loop lines).

USB Access. You could also squeeze in 1 or 2 Type A ports at the very top facing front or even facing left or right in that front corner. I'm fine with any USB or none. I'm thinking the majority of people, however, want some sort of satellite USB location.

 

[annasoh323]

I've been getting use out of both front USB ports but I'm just one user. By the same token, I may have been picking up more USB-C devices because I knew I would have use for them. I still haven't started embarking on my "internal connection for an external USB header" idea (without really knowing if such devices truly exist) but I'm hoping to have my cake and eat it too.

Mostly just sitting here waiting for news about Ryzen 3000. I've got a bajillion Chrome tabs (more than any reasonable human being should have), Resolve, Dying Light, and assorted other things running on my i5-7600K and 16GB of 2666MT/s RAM. Nothing has burst into flame yet so that's nice.

 

[grsychckn]

New Dimensions? What dimensions are you considering? Slightly wider and taller? I know you were tossing around the idea of minor changes to the dimensions earlier in this thread. I agree you shouldn't change the dimensions too much and only to facilitate more flexibility.

Current Dimensions: 2.91" (74mm) x 14.446" (367mm) x 12.83" (326mm)
Volume: 8.8L

Flex. It's really great to see the concept of removable flex panel. But why not just extend that panel the entire width from back to front? That would provide more flexibility and access to ventilation whether one is water cooling or air cooling. And you could gain even more flexibility by dividing a full-width flex panel in half (say separated by a single strut) so you'd have 2 flex panels.

On vertical height, remember I was able to fit a 280 radiator, so sizing for 2 x 140mm fans would be optimal instead of only considering the height of 120mm. While we're at it, how about a flex panel for the PSU, as well, or at least some hex ventilation in that area (kinda joking, but also kinda not joking, too). Yes, those vents for a single 120mm AIO rad are useful, but that ventilation area would still be functional if a full-width flex panel covers that space. Can 2 types of flex panels be sold separately? Both solid and hex?

I'm not sure I'm correctly envisioning what you're describing. I'm thinking what you mean is to suggest venting the entire backside where the backplate of the GPU would sit and then making the flex slot have enough void space to allow for ventilation if someone wants to install a radiator for example. I think there's plenty of room to play around with ideas but TBH it's going to be hard to tailor the design for the possible use of a > 120mm radiator inside the case when the probability of use is going to be tiny. I will play with it though and see what I can come up with.

Hex. The smaller hex pattern looks good. No complaints.

Thanks, but this will require new tooling be purchased which when I purchased the .5" hex tool was around $500. For this single reason I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze. I'm thinking of going either slotted or back to the original hex pattern. I'll present some options though.

Solid front? I'm against this because it precludes one configuration I almost went with—mounting a small radiator. The existence of hex vents below the power button can provide cooling for a small radiator such as Alphacool's NexXxos XT45 Full 50mm x 2 or 40mm. This is literally the only place in the case that could fit one of these.

I'm still unsure what to do here as well. I received a lot of feedback about the front vents because seeing inside the case was undesirable. I know for a lot of people here it seems that the size and practicality of the case overcame any aesthetic complaints they may have. I feel the vent pattern I choose is going to have the most impact here as well though.

Power Button. I'm fine with it being central on the front panel. Since it's moved there, can't you move the PSU more toward the top of the case? That could free up a bit of room in the center for cable management (PSU cables and the power button itself, as well as more space to route the 2 tubes of an AIO or 1 or 2 custom loop lines).

The PSU cannot be moved toward the top of the case as the 90-degree C14 connectors available all stick out by about 3/4" and the orientation of the PSU must remain how it was for both the S400 and S401 to help direct the hot air out the nearest vents. I would really love to find a source for the C14 connectors that are low-profile. The only option I've ever seen would be for me to make my own and right now that prospect is discouraging. Maybe in a few months I'd consider it but I need to keep the feature creep at a minimum if I want to finish this design on time and for the right price.

USB Access. You could also squeeze in 1 or 2 Type A ports at the very top facing front or even facing left or right in that front corner. I'm fine with any USB or none. I'm thinking the majority of people, however, want some sort of satellite USB location.

I'm looking into a few different things regarding the USB options right now. If I had all the resources in the world, I'd probably try to find a way to make the USB optional to include looking at external options that would be modular. Being that I don't have an endless supply of R&D, I'm going to make front-panel USB port(s) required but definitely not as pricey to me as the Type C adapter was in the S400 and S401. I was paying around $10/each adapter when I purchased in bulk and if I only needed a few I was forced to pay around $14/each. I purchased a few dual-Type A adapters and they were around $4/each which is a significant price difference - especially when you consider that price is not the bulk price.

I obviously have a lot of work left to do but I really appreciate the feedback as it helps me look at some of my ideas with a critical eye. I guess I should start a new thread though to keep this one focused on the S401. I may try to do that this weekend but I've got a lot of cases to pack and ship which reminds me: The last few S401 cases are available on my site for purchase.

 

[vanbeveren]

Do you guys ever put your S401 horizontally?

I've been doing lots of temp under full load testing the last week or so and trying different fans and sizes, etc..

Finally I tried the case horizontally and -- umm wow...
I'm seeing a 4-6° C drop across the board under full load in this configuration.

This case is like the opposite of a Node 202 that's known to be hotter/louder when horizontal.
Amazing!

Perhaps this is why people use the 60mm fans on top when in vertical?
I would use those, but I can't stand the ever so slight whine they make at all speeds as my office is dead quiet (love it that way).

Now I'm testing vertical with the GPU side up - this also seems better than CPU side up, but not quite as cool as horizontal.

btw: @grsychckn - this design where you can swap the handle/feet to the opposite sides (or just remove them) in about 20 seconds is AWESOME

I'm going to roll with vertical, GPU on top, for now. One thing I prefer about it also is the USB port up higher since my case is on the floor next to me and I use that front USB a fair bit.

Man - I just can never get over the build quality of this case. Has there ever been a computer case this heavy/strong/"built"? - incredible.. It's like the "hum-vee" of cases.

 

[grsychckn]

Do you guys ever put your S401 horizontally?

I've been doing lots of temp under full load testing the last week or so and trying different fans and sizes, etc..

Finally I tried the case horizontally and -- umm wow...
I'm seeing a 4-6° C drop across the board under full load in this configuration.

This case is like the opposite of a Node 202 that's known to be hotter/louder when horizontal.
Amazing!

Perhaps this is why people use the 60mm fans on top when in vertical?
I would use those, but I can't stand the ever so slight whine they make at all speeds as my office is dead quiet (love it that way).

Now I'm testing vertical with the GPU side up - this also seems better than CPU side up, but not quite as cool as horizontal.

btw: @grsychckn - this design where you can swap the handle/feet to the opposite sides (or just remove them) in about 20 seconds is AWESOME

I'm going to roll with vertical, GPU on top, for now. One thing I prefer about it also is the USB port up higher since my case is on the floor next to me and I use that front USB a fair bit.

Man - I just can never get over the build quality of this case. Has there ever been a computer case this heavy/strong/"built"? - incredible.. It's like the "hum-vee" of cases.

Thank you! I've been out of pocket lately as I've been working very hard each night to get the remaining cases prepared to ship. I finally finished tonight and all orders outstanding will ship tomorrow. With all that's been going on, if you've contacted me lately and I've either promised something to you or I've not responded please follow up with me as according to my records I'm all caught up on communications and items to ship.

 

[annasoh323]

Do you guys ever put your S401 horizontally?

I've been doing lots of temp under full load testing the last week or so and trying different fans and sizes, etc..

Finally I tried the case horizontally and -- umm wow...
I'm seeing a 4-6° C drop across the board under full load in this configuration.

This case is like the opposite of a Node 202 that's known to be hotter/louder when horizontal.
Amazing!

Perhaps this is why people use the 60mm fans on top when in vertical?
I would use those, but I can't stand the ever so slight whine they make at all speeds as my office is dead quiet (love it that way).

Now I'm testing vertical with the GPU side up - this also seems better than CPU side up, but not quite as cool as horizontal.

btw: @grsychckn - this design where you can swap the handle/feet to the opposite sides (or just remove them) in about 20 seconds is AWESOME

I'm going to roll with vertical, GPU on top, for now. One thing I prefer about it also is the USB port up higher since my case is on the floor next to me and I use that front USB a fair bit.

Man - I just can never get over the build quality of this case. Has there ever been a computer case this heavy/strong/"built"? - incredible.. It's like the "hum-vee" of cases.

I started in vertical, CPU up and haven't changed it since then. Mainly, it was so that I could see everything

It kind of boggles my mind that you'd be getting better temps via horizontal. I suppose that with open cooler components, they wouldn't be interfering with each other as much. Maybe the fans work more efficiently when oriented that way? I'm grasping at straws here.

 

[vanbeveren]

I started in vertical, CPU up and haven't changed it since then. Mainly, it was so that I could see everything

It kind of boggles my mind that you'd be getting better temps via horizontal. I suppose that with open cooler components, they wouldn't be interfering with each other as much. Maybe the fans work more efficiently when oriented that way? I'm grasping at straws here.

I don’t get it either… But the CPU on top configuration has been the worst for me so far.

Now that said, with the GPU on top, when gaming, I noticed the GPU getting a little warmer than before but with the games I play that seem to stress the CPU the most it’s a better trade off than the opposite.

The other benefit there is my day to day normal desktop usage basically doesn’t stress the GPU at all so effectively my CPU is cooler the majority of the time in this configuration.

 

[Ichiban]

Hey Brian,

What size are the front screws for the case? I want to order some thumb screws for it, so I can easily change up the stuff in the case.
I

 

[vanbeveren]

Hey Brian,

What size are the front screws for the case? I want to order some thumb screws for it, so I can easily change up the stuff in the case.
I

Looks like #6-32 according to the install guide

https://www.salvostudiosltd.com/uploads/1/1/8/9/118922138/s401-quick-start-guide.pdf

 

[grsychckn]

Hey Brian,

What size are the front screws for the case? I want to order some thumb screws for it, so I can easily change up the stuff in the case.
I

Yes, most screws are #6-32. The panel screws specifically are #6-32 x 1/4". The only exceptions I can think of right now are the USB standoffs which had to be smaller (#4-40). Even the thumbscrews for the stands/handle are #6-32.

 

[grsychckn]

I don’t get it either… But the CPU on top configuration has been the worst for me so far.

Now that said, with the GPU on top, when gaming, I noticed the GPU getting a little warmer than before but with the games I play that seem to stress the CPU the most it’s a better trade off than the opposite.

The other benefit there is my day to day normal desktop usage basically doesn’t stress the GPU at all so effectively my CPU is cooler the majority of the time in this configuration.

The only thing I would posit regarding the horizontal performance is that when in vertical orientation (either way), the heat from the equipment at the bottom of the case (CPU/GPU) rises directly to the top where the devices on top are.

 

[Ichiban]

Awesome thanks guys, order some 6-32 thumb screws!

 

[grsychckn]

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.

 

[vanbeveren]

Hmm. I think I honestly prefer the honeycomb to that

 

[RioupWR]

Finally had the time to move my system from a Node 202 to the s401.
GPU temps are a little hotter since I had two Noctua 120 mm blowing into the 2080 ti.

Ordered custom cables from Moddiy and once I get my cables in order and maybe tinker with added/changing fans, I'll have a set up I'm extremely happy with.

System:
i9900K with Big Shuriken 2 rev B and prolimatech 140 mm.
EVGA Black 2080 Ti
SF750

Thanks Bryan for an amazing case.

 

[rfarmer]

Finally had the time to move my system from a Node 202 to the s401.
GPU temps are a little hotter since I had two Noctua 120 mm blowing into the 2080 ti.

Ordered custom cables from Moddiy and once I get my cables in order and maybe tinker with added/changing fans, I'll have a set up I'm extremely happy with.

System:
i9900K with Big Shuriken 2 rev B and prolimatech 140 mm.
EVGA Black 2080 Ti
SF750

Thanks Bryan for an amazing case.

I was using that exact cooling setup on my 8700k, how are the thermals with the 9900k.

 

[Linero]

Hmm. I think I honestly prefer the honeycomb to that

I second that. The rounded rectangle pattern looks ugly and unmodern, in my opinion. Simple circles is also a viable route to take.

 

[Piewalker]

Hmm. I think I honestly prefer the honeycomb to that

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.