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SKYREACH 4 MINI (S4M)

SushiOne1

Cable Smoosher
Nov 5, 2018
11
1
Has there been a build that utilized a regular (ATX, mATX) power supply as a power brick for the S4M? For example, make a cable harness that supports: +12 V, -12 V, 5 V, 3.3 V, etc. Then fan the voltages out internally in the S4M.
 

teisysadmin

Caliper Novice
Oct 15, 2018
26
20
Has there been a build that utilized a regular (ATX, mATX) power supply as a power brick for the S4M? For example, make a cable harness that supports: +12 V, -12 V, 5 V, 3.3 V, etc. Then fan the voltages out internally in the S4M.

I think I've seen some users fish cables from an ATX psu into their S4M through the IO shield or the PCIe slots or the included power connector cutouts. The problem with this is that there are many different voltages and signal wires so you would have a large bundle of wires coming in, and some of those wires would either need to be very thick (making it difficult to source a standard connector that could do the job), or you would need to use many smaller connectors / wires in parallel. Basically, the back of your case would look more or less like the outputs from an ATX PSU in a standard PC case.

12V builds allow you to use any power supply which can deliver sufficiently high amperage on the 12V rails, and break that 12V out into the voltages that your motherboard needs, and pass 12V straight through to the CPU and GPU. Look into some 12V options. Depending on how nice you want your system to look, how good you are with a soldering iron / crimping tool, and how mindful you are of the dangerous voltages inside of a typical PSU, you can use a standard ATX power supply (or a server PSU) as an external power brick. IMO, if the size of your power brick isn't a concern for you, an ATX PSU with a 12V build is kind of the ideal because it should be much quieter than most other options for very high wattage systems.
 

SushiOne1

Cable Smoosher
Nov 5, 2018
11
1
I think I've seen some users fish cables from an ATX psu into their S4M through the IO shield or the PCIe slots or the included power connector cutouts. The problem with this is that there are many different voltages and signal wires so you would have a large bundle of wires coming in, and some of those wires would either need to be very thick (making it difficult to source a standard connector that could do the job), or you would need to use many smaller connectors / wires in parallel. Basically, the back of your case would look more or less like the outputs from an ATX PSU in a standard PC case.

12V builds allow you to use any power supply which can deliver sufficiently high amperage on the 12V rails, and break that 12V out into the voltages that your motherboard needs, and pass 12V straight through to the CPU and GPU. Look into some 12V options. Depending on how nice you want your system to look, how good you are with a soldering iron / crimping tool, and how mindful you are of the dangerous voltages inside of a typical PSU, you can use a standard ATX power supply (or a server PSU) as an external power brick. IMO, if the size of your power brick isn't a concern for you, an ATX PSU with a 12V build is kind of the ideal because it should be much quieter than most other options for very high wattage systems.

Wow so many power supply configurations. I did not research too much. Right now I have an HDplex 400 and a dell 330 W brick on its way. This solution cost around $250 but oh well.
 

Nightblade

Airflow Optimizer
Nov 29, 2017
294
243
Wow so many power supply configurations. I did not research too much. Right now I have an HDplex 400 and a dell 330 W brick on its way. This solution cost around $250 but oh well.
Those "configurations" that @teisysadmin mentioned I would not consider configurations at all. The S4M was designed for use with an external power brick or a brick you could fit inside the case. Having a full size atx power supply dangling outside the case is not only unsafe, but just a plain bad idea. I would do it only if i had to, and only as a temporary measure.


So today I upgraded to a gtx 1080, with the Zotac GTX 1080 mini. I originally had the usb mounts mounted on the side panel, but with the bigger graphics card, it completely blocked the skyslots I was using.

So, I came up with an alternative solution:


Also you may have noticed that I filed the outer washers a little bit so that the side panels don't push up against them.
 

SushiOne1

Cable Smoosher
Nov 5, 2018
11
1
Those "configurations" that @teisysadmin mentioned I would not consider configurations at all. The S4M was designed for use with an external power brick or a brick you could fit inside the case. Having a full size atx power supply dangling outside the case is not only unsafe, but just a plain bad idea. I would do it only if i had to, and only as a temporary measure.


So today I upgraded to a gtx 1080, with the Zotac GTX 1080 mini. I originally had the usb mounts mounted on the side panel, but with the bigger graphics card, it completely blocked the skyslots I was using.

So, I came up with an alternative solution:


Also you may have noticed that I filed the outer washers a little bit so that the side panels don't push up against them.

For future reference, can you clarify why this would be unsafe and/or bad idea? My plan was not to remove the power supply enclosure but unite the necessary pins and feed through the connector panel cutout on the S4M. Obviously, the unused panel connector on the power supply would be sealed away. I do not think @teisysadmin hinted towards removing the power supply enclosure either. If you are referring to an unmodified ATX power supply operating outside of a computer case as being unsafe, I do not see your reasoning. Obviously, the back panel of the power supply within or outside of a case will remain exposed to the user. Depending on the orientation, the bottom and two sides are completely sealed or meshed. If a fan exists on the power supply it is typically guarded. Small enough fingers could get through but if I were to use an external ATX power supply approach I would buy one with minimal exposure; like this one. The only other thing I could think of is the cabling which if wired wrong would be bad. Obviously, I would double ....no triple check my pinouts and even refer to another experienced person if I was to take this approach.

Personally, I think that is a very unsafe place to set your desktop. It would be very easy to knock over.

Edit for English
 
Last edited:

Nightblade

Airflow Optimizer
Nov 29, 2017
294
243
@SushiOne1 Since you asked, I will explain why having dangling/tethering an atx power supply outside of your case is a bad idea. But first, my S4M is placed there to get adequate airflow and cooling. My desk has all my hardware on top, as there are no drawers or places to put things underneath. It is also very close to the corner of the wall, and no one, even myself goes behind it or past it because there's another wall to the left less than 3 feet away.

Anyway, here's why you shouldn't use an ATX power supply outside of your case as a permanent solution:
1. It is a fire hazard.
2. there is danger of electric shock.
3. An atx power supply is heavy enough to, if it were to fall, take your computer with it. Not to mention that putting strain on soldiered wires will damage the soldering and/or the components inside. This is not even considering the connectors inside the case.
4. If you are putting this on the floor, I hope its not carpet.

As for non-lethal reasons:
1. it looks bad or silly
2. its something else to worry about
3. could be prone to damage easier
 

Dooooofy

Efficiency Noob
Nov 12, 2018
5
3
Hi everyone! Just wanted to ask a couple of questions, I was wondering if the noctua L9i would be sufficent enough for an i5-7600k?

and if not i saw this Titan cooler from a post here and i was wondering how i would go about getting my hands on it if anyone knows
https://www.titan-cd.com/en/product...n-46-mm-Height-TDP-130W/TTC-NC75TZ_PW_RB.html

i think everything else i looked at should be okay, im gonna go with the gigabyte 1070 and some 16 gb corsair vengance ram which is 31mm tall, and the Asus ROG strix b360 motherboard, just trying to make sure everything is set and stone when the winter comes!
 
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br3nd0

Airflow Optimizer
Sep 29, 2016
307
297
Hi everyone! Just wanted to ask a couple of questions, I was wondering if the noctua L9i would be sufficent enough for an i5-7600k?

and if not i saw this Titan cooler from a post here and i was wondering how i would go about getting my hands on it if anyone knows
https://www.titan-cd.com/en/product...n-46-mm-Height-TDP-130W/TTC-NC75TZ_PW_RB.html

i think everything else i looked at should be okay, im gonna go with the gigabyte 1070 and some 16 gb corsair vengance ram which is 31mm tall, and the Asus ROG strix b360 motherboard, just trying to make sure everything is set and stone when the winter comes!

Throwing in my quick 2c worth here, with so many people here using the k variants (all the way up to 8700k) inside their S4 minis, I'm sure you'll be just fine with the L9i. The S4M cooler height is restricted to 45mm though so the Titan cooler might be a tad over. @Josh | NFC speaks highly of the L9i though.
 
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brt02

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jan 3, 2018
224
234
7600K and B360 don't play together. Double check the compatibility list for the motherboard you want to use.

Get a 100 or 200 series chipset motherboard to go with the 7600K
or
8000/9000 series CPU and 300 series motherboard.
 

Dooooofy

Efficiency Noob
Nov 12, 2018
5
3
7600K and B360 don't play together. Double check the compatibility list for the motherboard you want to use.

Get a 100 or 200 series chipset motherboard to go with the 7600K
or
8000/9000 series CPU and 300 series motherboard.

Ah you’re right my bad, I totally didn’t check that before I posted it, I changed it to the asus rog z370i and the i5 8600k, should be good with the L9i right?
 

brt02

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jan 3, 2018
224
234
You can*
* will probably need to delid (voids CPU warranty), and tune the BIOS first though (easy and reversible). If you're fine with that then the L9i will work well. This is true of any cooler that will fit in the S4 Mini.

CubanLegend's build log has a great comparison of different coolers for the S4 Mini and i would point you in that direction.
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...rylic-ant-man-7700k-1080mini.1646/#post-36019

Something like an i5-8400 is a far better match (the L9i is rated for 65W after all)
 

Dooooofy

Efficiency Noob
Nov 12, 2018
5
3
You can*
* will probably need to delid (voids CPU warranty), and tune the BIOS first though (easy and reversible). If you're fine with that then the L9i will work well. This is true of any cooler that will fit in the S4 Mini.

CubanLegend's build log has a great comparison of different coolers for the S4 Mini and i would point you in that direction.
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...rylic-ant-man-7700k-1080mini.1646/#post-36019

Something like an i5-8400 is a far better match (the L9i is rated for 65W after all)

Thanks for the link man! Question, would I get decent temps with the 8400 and the L9i without delidding? Or is that just something that needs to happen haha, I have no issues with it just curious!
 
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Thirumal Kumaran

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jan 22, 2018
146
67
Thanks for the link man! Question, would I get decent temps with the 8400 and the L9i without delidding? Or is that just something that needs to happen haha, I have no issues with it just curious!
Mate!!!
I run a 8700 (Non-k) delidded with l9i, Max temp in stress is 89-90deg C.
Idles at 38 deg C, non-undervolted.,.
it should run cooler than mine...
 

Nightblade

Airflow Optimizer
Nov 29, 2017
294
243

So I drew @Josh | NFC this pretty picture. It is a concept to extend the front bezel out a good bit to allow for more connections and things such as:

  • possibly housing the HDPlex DC/DC
  • if DC/DC is moved, can put in the 50 mm fans to allow for moar airflow.
  • allowing for Front usb ports, front audio ports.
  • This would also allow for slightly longer graphics cards.
If this were made as one unit, could remove the visibility of the front screws by screwing the 3D front bezel in from the inside.
Comments, suggestions?