Discussion Safe to buy from Taobao / Superbuy at the moment?

[aggressivehog]

Hey guys,

I am looking at purchasing a case in the near future - some of the cases I've got in mind are:

• Formula 1X
• WDEAN Dora R1S
• WDEAN Dora D1S (whats the difference between this and the R1S??)
• WDEAN Dora R2S

There is a few warning notes on the Superbuy site that basically say there might be delays etc etc due to COVID.

Has anyone comfortably put any cases on order and/or received their order lately with no issues?
Or is this just a blanket statement and highly dependent on the actual vendor of the respective case?

In your opinion... should we wait or should we just purchase anyway and just wait for it?

I'm pretty risk averse but i know that's the nature of buying boutique SFF Cases that aren't mainstream - so its cool.

Thanks in advance for the guidance

 

[tinyitx]

From the R1S and D1S webpages, R1S is a newly released version. From my casual comparison, the main difference is the length (width and height are the same). D1S is 322mm long vs R1S 310mm. CPU cooler height clearance and display card size are also slightly different. Go and compare those yourself.

Regarding the impact of COVID on the delivery system, I suggest you ask Superbuy directly. Chat with their agent if possible. In addition, suggest you to check the flights between your country/city with, say, Shanghai. Let's say you are in Berlin, Germany. You can check the weekly commercial flights between Berlin and Shanghai (or better check a few more like Shenzhen). Just go to the airport website which should supply that info. If you find regular flights ongoing, then this is a very good sign that an ordered case will be delivered to you without much delay.

 

[aggressivehog]

From the R1S and D1S webpages, R1S is a newly released version. From my casual comparison, the main difference is the length (width and height are the same). D1S is 322mm long vs R1S 310mm.

Interesting... Ill take a better look and make sure there any deal-breaking differences to throw me off. Otherwise I'll probably just get in touch with them and ask directly.

In addition, suggest you to check the flights between your country/city with, say, Shanghai. Let's say you are in Berlin, Germany. You can check the weekly commercial flights between Berlin and Shanghai (or better check a few more like Shenzhen). Just go to the airport website which should supply that info. If you find regular flights ongoing, then this is a very good sign that an ordered case will be delivered to you without much delay.

Thanks @tinyitx, really appreciate how much time you put into responses around here. Very good idea, and will definitely try it out.

 

[tinyitx]

D1S and R1S both use the A4 sandwich layout. D1S is closer to the original design.
The internal structure of them is different. Compare the 2 top view pics.
Heard that the surface treatment is slightly different too.

Video review of R1S:- (in Chinese)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1yZ4y1s7qH/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.10

Video comparison of R1S vs Formula X1 (in Chinese)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1LK411W7xC/?spm_id_from=333.788.videocard.0

 

[aggressivehog]

D1S and R1S both use the A4 sandwich layout. D1S is closer to the original design.
The internal structure of them is different. Compare the 2 top view pics.
Heard that the surface treatment is slightly different too.

Video

Video

Man thank you so much for those resources.

Yes, youre right in that the D1s and R1s are built differently to eachother.. Most notably for me, was the spine mounting. R1s seems fixed, where D1s seems you can bolt in and out... good if im looking to do custom setups in the future. Build quality overall seems just 'ok'.
I like the CPU clearance for DDC custom water cooling though. I want a near silent build.

X1 seems to be way better built overall, fixed spine(?) and slightly smaller at 7.5L, though suffering a CPU clearance of 57mm vs the R1s at 65mm. Another issue would be top hats - X1 does not currently have any stocked on their taobao page? WDean Dora Does have bottom and Top. Great for water cooling.

Ill have to do more research on all three cases to see which ones work for my build in mind.

Thanks a LOT @tinyitx !

 

[revo175]

That WDEAN Dora R2S looks VERY nice, does someone know where can we find actual photos of the case, not just renders?

 

[aggressivehog]

That WDEAN Dora R2S looks VERY nice, does someone know where can we find actual photos of the case, not just renders?

Yeah looks really nice and I really dig the configuration of a single-fan water cooled rad in a small footprint... The caveat seems to be a max GPU length of 178mm which is fairly small. I suppose its well suited to those who arent 100% gaming but more like smaller workstations with some casual gaming to boot.

I couldnt find anything relating to real photos... there arent many reviews either! Puts it in a risky-purchase situtation IMO.

If you find anything on it, plz let me know!

 

[thelaughingman]

X1 seems to be way better built overall, fixed spine(?) and slightly smaller at 7.5L, though suffering a CPU clearance of 57mm vs the R1s at 65mm.

please check the build log in my signature for the X1 review and build process. the spine is fixed in place by screws and the CPU cooler clearance is the same 65mm as other Ghost clones. I'm running a Black Ridge in 2 fan config which is at minimum 63mm in height.

Another issue would be top hats - X1 does not currently have any stocked on their taobao page?

Formula never has cases in stock. They take in orders until there's sufficient batch size for them to start production. It took 3 weeks from when I ordered for them to ship my case. Another person who order the case with 2 tophats has to wait even longer than I did - 5 or 6 weeks and he did use Superbuy. So no, it's not a bug, it's a feature.

 

[thelaughingman]

@tinyitx not sure if the specs are correct - same 140mm width yet somehow the R1S has an extra 3mm clearance on the CPU side and 1mm extra on the GPU side over the D1S - thinner spine and/or side panels maybe?

 

[aggressivehog]

@thelaughingman thanks for chiming in!

Just had a look at your build thread and confirmed my suspicions - the X1 has amazing quality. HUGE thanks for all the documentation and pictures you've taken along the way.

A few questions if you dont mind haha..
Can you confirm what the cpu cooler height was? For some reason i thought it was 57mm but i read in your imgur log its actually 65mm.
Is there anything you would change about this case? Oh and can the spine be easily taken off/put back on? I might be toying around with other designs to fit those mounting holes to fit other power supplies.

Most of concerns, did you happen to find anything regarding their manufacturing of tophats? - theres pics on the taobao but nothing on their sales page. Lastly, any reason why you cant mount a 240rad + 2*120 fans on the top? im assuming you just not use the magnetic top filter thing?

Hope these make sense, and thanks again for reaching out.

 

[thelaughingman]

@aggressivehog hey glad I could help!

Q: Can you confirm what the cpu cooler height was? For some reason i thought it was 57mm but i read in your imgur log its actually 65mm.
A: It is 65mm for sure, I measured it and all the dimensions are spot on. Tolerance is tight. For the peace of mind, you can refer to this video where they have a Noctua NH-L12, not S, which is 66mm tall fit snuggly inside
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1kz411q7jF/

Q: Is there anything you would change about this case?
A: Nothing comes to mind right now. It's just sitting pretty on my desk in front of me ?

Q: Oh and can the spine be easily taken off/put back on? I might be toying around with other designs to fit those mounting holes to fit other power supplies.
A: Yes, you can take apart the "core" completely. The front and rear panel just hold on to the spine by a few screws, then the spine itself is just a single piece of alumnium with the PSU bracket and Riser cable screwed in. The PSU bracket actually have 2 sets of rails so you can adjust the height and depth of the PSU.

Q: Most of concerns, did you happen to find anything regarding their manufacturing of tophats?
A: There shouldn't be any concern, as I mentioned another buyer just got his 2 tophats last week. Worst case you can ask Superbuy agent to chat with the seller through AliWang and get direct info from him.

Q: Lastly, any reason why you cant mount a 240rad + 2*120 fans on the top? im assuming you just not use the magnetic top filter thing?
A: Nope, you can easily mount fan & rad to the top rail that I pictured, and just have the entire block sitting on top of the case, "Naked". The lid itself is for aesthetic reason, doesn't affect the strength and rigidity of the case.

 

[tinyitx]

@tinyitx not sure if the specs are correct - same 140mm width yet somehow the R1S has an extra 3mm clearance on the CPU side and 1mm extra on the GPU side over the D1S - thinner spine and/or side panels maybe?

The spec of them should be accurate.
I talked to the seller (via AliWangWang chat) briefly today. He said the main difference between these 2 cases is the internal structuring.
I asked him about the difference between the CPU cooler clearance (3mm) and GPU thickness allowance (1mm) difference. He said some portion of the internal structure of the R1S has been shrunk/reduced.
I think it is the thickness of the panels and/or certain part of the spine because I read it somewhere in an ITX forum in Baidu that this is the case.

 

[revo175]

Yeah looks really nice and I really dig the configuration of a single-fan water cooled rad in a small footprint... The caveat seems to be a max GPU length of 178mm which is fairly small. I suppose its well suited to those who arent 100% gaming but more like smaller workstations with some casual gaming to boot.

I couldnt find anything relating to real photos... there arent many reviews either! Puts it in a risky-purchase situtation IMO.

If you find anything on it, plz let me know!

I found someone one Reddit that ordered one and waited for months and did not receive the case.

I wrote to him to see if he actually received the case and if he has any pictures (no answer yet).

 

[aggressivehog]

@tinyitx not sure if the specs are correct - same 140mm width yet somehow the R1S has an extra 3mm clearance on the CPU side and 1mm extra on the GPU side over the D1S - thinner spine and/or side panels maybe?

Yep, youre correct on that one - I checked out the vids posted by @tinyitx above. They've 'shaved' the internal walls of the case by a few mm to make up the extra room (Ive taken a screenshot below, see the internal grooving on the side wall?). I'm fairly certain this is what makes up increase in gpu/cpu height. Please do correct me if this aint it.

A: It is 65mm for sure, I measured it and all the dimensions are spot on.

Big thanks for verifying for me - I might be looking at custom watercooling down the road with the Apogee Drive II which comes in at 60mm 61.5mm. Shame it wasnt 70mm... otherwise id get Noctua L12s for the time being! ?

Q: Is there anything you would change about this case?
A: Nothing comes to mind right now. It's just sitting pretty on my desk in front of me

Awesome... things are looking like the X1 for now...hopefully they can get different size top hats (see below)

A: Yes, you can take apart the "core" completely. The front and rear panel just hold on to the spine by a few screws, then the spine itself is just a single piece of alumnium with the PSU bracket and Riser cable screwed in. The PSU bracket actually have 2 sets of rails so you can adjust the height and depth of the PSU.

Sweet - sounds good. are the screws standard measurement of some sort or just random? ... also curious, maybe too big of an ask, but if its easy to get to, could you pls post some pics of the mounting of the spine? ?.

Q: Most of concerns, did you happen to find anything regarding their manufacturing of tophats?
A: There shouldn't be any concern, as I mentioned another buyer just got his 2 tophats last week. Worst case you can ask Superbuy agent to chat with the seller through AliWang and get direct info from him.

Ah yes, didnt see you earlier posts above ... the only reason i ask is that their product page has nothing on it (https://shop115365854.taobao.com/?spm=2013.1.1000126.3.6f676871Y3Wyey).

Unless... the X1 sales page listed 'chassis module' is in fact the top hat (which i think has a height of 57mm (thats where i got the 57mm from originally). Would have been nice to select different size top hats like WDEAN does though. ?

Q. Oh and i realised yours is that nice gunmetal grey colour... Is that something you just have to communicate with the seller on Superbuy? (there aint no selection for it on the taobao sales page)

Q: Lastly, any reason why you cant mount a 240rad + 2*120 fans on the top? im assuming you just not use the magnetic top filter thing?
A: Nope, you can easily mount fan & rad to the top rail that I pictured, and just have the entire block sitting on top of the case, "Naked". The lid itself is for aesthetic reason, doesn't affect the strength and rigidity of the case.

yep, naked is exactly what i meant. Thanks so much for your help man.

 

[thelaughingman]

@aggressivehog

For the spine mounting you can refer back to my review gallery, specifically these pictures

picture on the left - look at the black bracket, silver screws holding the front panel, black screws holding the spine
picture on the right - at the top of the picture you can see a black bracket holding the spine and the rear panel togehter, similar to the front.
screws are pretty much standard size, but they are all hex screws. don't worry though, cause a hex screwdriver is included in the toolbox, along with plenty of extra screws (10+ for each type of screws used in the case)

For the tophat, you can only see it from the X1 listing, it's the 3rd option that cost 349 CNY as the seller doesn't list the tophat separately. The gunmetal gray colour was available when I ordered but is now EOL, others have asked the seller after they saw my review and wanted the same colour. Only black and white available now. You can ask the seller directly for confirmation.

You may also want to check this case out https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/whats-on-taobao.885/post-204369

 

[aggressivehog]

picture on the left - look at the black bracket, silver screws holding the front panel, black screws holding the spine
picture on the right - at the top of the picture you can see a black bracket holding the spine and the rear panel togehter, similar to the front.

Perfect. Exactly what I'm after - thanks again for the excellent documentation and pictures. I should've looked harder.

For the tophat, you can only see it from the X1 listing, it's the 3rd option that cost 349 CNY as the seller doesn't list the tophat separately.

Understood - only on the x1 listing page. I'll probably get in touch and see if he does other sizes... doubtful though.

The gunmetal gray colour was available when I ordered but is now EOL, others have asked the seller after they saw my review and wanted the same colour. Only black and white available now. You can ask the seller directly for confirmation.

Ah spewing... ill just get in touch and see if he's got enough orders to satisfy a grey coloured manufacturing run.

You may also want to check this case out https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/whats-on-taobao.885/post-204369

Thanks for the link - ive checked it out and seems good build quality but seems to be missing the 2 rails for the top where you could stick the 2xFan + Rad (like yours for example) (or it probably comes with the top hat and just not pictured lol). its dimensions also suggest at least another +1L larger than Formula X1, but cheaper with a top hat included in the price, judging by what that OP was saying. Ill keep my eyes on it though...

 

[thelaughingman]

Thanks for the link - ive checked it out and seems good build quality but seems to be missing the 2 rails for the top where you could stick the 2xFan + Rad (like yours for example) (or it probably comes with the top hat and just not pictured lol). its dimensions also suggest at least another +1L larger than Formula X1, but cheaper with a top hat included in the price, judging by what that OP was saying. Ill keep my eyes on it though...

yep, that case seems to have S/M/L tophat system similar to the Ghost S1. the X1 shave the length and height a little bit compare to other cases to achieve smaller volume, most other Ghost clones just stick with the original dimensions and/or add a little more height/width for more compatibility. I'm debating also whether to get the EK 240 AIO and have it naked since it's getting pretty toasty over here (33-35C ambient indoor, 38-40C ambient outdoor) but then I might relocate in the next couple of months haha

Personally for me I chose the X1 because of the smaller volume and the very high quality as commented by others, along with that comparison shot against the original Ghost. Price was not an issue for me since I could justify that it is easily 100+ USD cheaper than getting the actual Ghost S1. Just focus on what you really want (be it size, quality, price/performane, expandability, etc.) and balance all the factors, hope that helps your thinking process.

 

[rfarmer]

Big thanks for verifying for me - I might be looking at custom watercooling down the road with the Apogee Drive II which comes in at 60mm 61.5mm. Shame it wasnt 70mm... otherwise id get Noctua L12s for the time being! ?

61.5mm is to the top of the heatsink for the pump, once you attach fittings it will be taller. I was using Koolance low profile 90 degree adapters with the Apogee in my Ghost and just cleared with my 66mm clearance, I would say the fittings are at least 65mm.

 

[aggressivehog]

yep, that case seems to have S/M/L tophat system similar to the Ghost S1. the X1 shave the length and height a little bit compare to other cases to achieve smaller volume, most other Ghost clones just stick with the original dimensions and/or add a little more height/width for more compatibility. I'm debating also whether to get the EK 240 AIO and have it naked since it's getting pretty toasty over here (33-35C ambient indoor, 38-40C ambient outdoor) but then I might relocate in the next couple of months haha

Personally for me I chose the X1 because of the smaller volume and the very high quality as commented by others, along with that comparison shot against the original Ghost. Price was not an issue for me since I could justify that it is easily 100+ USD cheaper than getting the actual Ghost S1. Just focus on what you really want (be it size, quality, price/performane, expandability, etc.) and balance all the factors, hope that helps your thinking process.

Yep, the smaller size at ~7.5L is definitely keeping me from considering other cases, plus the x1's quality seems pretty up there too. Haha, that sounds really toasty! Are you moving somewhere colder?

As for price, I'm from Aus so the price is quite high - but yeah ITX tax is real, combined with small manufacturing runs and uprated quality (like 4mm thick panels) probably comes out to be a justifiable amount. I really dont mind paying up. Thanks @thelaughingman - youve been tremendous help making my decision process much faster than I anticipated.

61.5mm is to the top of the heatsink for the pump, once you attach fittings it will be taller. I was using Koolance low profile 90 degree adapters with the Apogee in my Ghost and just cleared with my 66mm clearance, I would say the fittings are at least 65mm.

Woah, thanks @rfarmer... It will be my first water cooling setup so im glad you pulled me up on that - i hadnt thought about that. That Koolance LP 90deg adapter looks like something ill be needing for sure. Would you at all be able to measure the final height with the adapter fittings? if not, thats okay.

If the limit is 65mm for the cpu height of the X1, and the cooler+fittings ends up at 65mm, does that mean it will foul on the sidewall? +/-1mm of manufcaturing tolerance could really make or break this idea hahah. Given the 4mm thick walls, I'm also presuming you couldn't just 'stuff' 1mm in - judging by @thelaughingman and his post regarding his GPU on his build thread (https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/my-sff-builds-journey.13645/post-204102).

(Not too keen on using an Eisbaer LT Solo either for the weaker pump - even though it might meet my needs)

 

[rfarmer]

Yep, the smaller size at ~7.5L is definitely keeping me from considering other cases, plus the x1's quality seems pretty up there too. Haha, that sounds really toasty! Are you moving somewhere colder?

As for price, I'm from Aus so the price is quite high - but yeah ITX tax is real, combined with small manufacturing runs and uprated quality (like 4mm thick panels) probably comes out to be a justifiable amount. I really dont mind paying up. Thanks @thelaughingman - youve been tremendous help making my decision process much faster than I anticipated.



Woah, thanks @rfarmer... It will be my first water cooling setup so im glad you pulled me up on that - i hadnt thought about that. That Koolance LP 90deg adapter looks like something ill be needing for sure. Would you at all be able to measure the final height with the adapter fittings? if not, thats okay.

If the limit is 65mm for the cpu height of the X1, and the cooler+fittings ends up at 65mm, does that mean it will foul on the sidewall? +/-1mm of manufcaturing tolerance could really make or break this idea hahah. Given the 4mm thick walls, I'm also presuming you couldn't just 'stuff' 1mm in - judging by @thelaughingman and his post regarding his GPU on his build thread (https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/my-sff-builds-journey.13645/post-204102).

(Not too keen on using an Eisbaer LT Solo either for the weaker pump - even though it might meet my needs)

Here is a picture showing the fittings with the side panel on, wish the picture was a bit better. There is at least 1mm possibly 2mm. I no longer have the loop in my Ghost so I can't take any additional pictures.