SKYREACH 4 MINI (S4M)

[Thehack]

I think the biggest barrier to 12V right now is the cost of certification. I was talking to one company about a 12V brick a while ago and they said that just to get the UL certification increases the cost of their unit by 15%.

The offset is a much cheaper plug-in board. You then don't need a second board to handle the PCIe power either. Though the connectors for an external brick would have to be pretty beefy. I was imagining an internal unit.

It'll probably end up costing as much as a 19V system but should be able to handle 300-400W internally.

 

[Kmpkt]

Well I didn't think this was possible but I was excited to see if this stuff would fit.

Hmmm so close but not quite. I can't get a 160 unit to fit in front of the motherboard with the Dynamo Mini installed--the PCIE connectors stick out too far. I have a 1060 Aero installed right now and its juuuuuuuuuuuust too long for me to install the second 160 unit in front of it, but I think it could be possible with the 1070 mini from GB.

The Aero 8G ITX is 175mm while the Gigabyte is 169mm. If 6mm will make this fit then the build is a go.

 

[Andrew.J.Vigil]

The Aero 8G ITX is 175mm while the Gigabyte is 169mm. If 6mm will make this fit then the build is a go.

Fan, tastic. Craig could you PM me about the 4x2 adapter plate? Thats still in my mind too

 

[Sean Crees]

The offset is a much cheaper plug-in board. You then don't need a second board to handle the PCIe power either. Though the connectors for an external brick would have to be pretty beefy. I was imagining an internal unit.

It'll probably end up costing as much as a 19V system but should be able to handle 300-400W internally.

The other problem with doing 12v straight from the AC/DC converter without a DC/DC component, is its difficult to get the variance within tolerance without really expensive components. It's a lot easier and cheaper to have kind of sloppy ac/dc conversion and just clean it up with a dc/dc board. I once tried to use a fairly high power 12v external brick to power straight to the pcie connector on a GPU and while it "worked" most of the time, the voltage dropped a lot more than normal and sometimes under heavy load would get unstable.

 

[Nightblade]

So, first time poster, and new to the forums. I found out about this as I watch Linus Tech Tips videos, and he featured the S4C in his "hot rod" video on youtube. Although I am still relatively new to the SFF concept, my current and first build(with small form factors) was using a Silverstone Sugo Series SG10B.

Spoiler: Silverstone Sugo Series SG10B build

CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K CPU @ 3.30GHz
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty X99M Killer LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Pro (CLW0223) Water/Liquid CPU Cooler 120MM
GPU: ASUS Republic of Gamers Strix GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
Ram: G.SKILL Value 16GB (4 x 4GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2133
Case: Silverstone Tek Micro-ATX/DTX/Mini-ITX Aluminum Front Panel/Steel Body Mini Tower Computer Case SG10B, Black
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2 220-G2-0750-XR 80+ GOLD 750W Fully Modular
Blu ray drive: HP Slot load Blu-ray UJ-235A Internal Slim 4X Blu-ray Burner DVD RW SATA Drive
Boot drive: Plextor M6e PX-G128M6e M.2 2280 128GB PCI-Express
Storage: Seagate Hybrid Drive ST4000DX001 4TB MLC/8GB 64MB - OEM
Sound Card: HT | OMEGA FENIX 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz

Currently have pulled the trigger and pre-ordered a Skyreach 4 mini.

my current(to be) build so far:


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor ($199.89 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.15 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z370N WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($160.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (Purchased For $149.99)
Storage: Western Digital - Black PCIe 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($97.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX300 1.1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Purchased For $270.99)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Mini Video Card ($448.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Other: NFC Skyreach 4 Mini (Purchased For $199.99)
Other: HDPLEX 400W HiFi DC-ATX ($95.00)
Other: Dell Alienware M18x 330W AC Adapter XM3C3 (Purchased For $99.00)
Total: $1761.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-12-03 21:59 EST-0500


The only thing I need to select now is the case fans. Any suggestions, or things that I may not be aware of?

Also, I noticed that while the case provides places to mount front usb ports, but the front panel is solid, meaning it blocks the ports. If I have to cut the holes for the ports myself, what should I use to cut out the holes with?

 

[Josh | NFC]

So I have this 7920X + 1080ti build here and I actually am impressed with the cooling performance of the stock MINI. Using the Dynatron R30 (going to replace the fan) with a pretty flat fan curve for being quiet I idle high 40s low 50s in a room that is 24C. Hits about 82 under full bore and holds there. I love how you can populate the DIMM slots pretty much however you want, so the CPU cooler has a clear path to dump heat out the side of the chassis.

Also this is kinda interesting...I'm doing my major thermal testing with this machine, but it seems that the new best position for thermals (with this hardware config anyway) is vertical (duh) CPU side up. So 180 out from the S4M-C.

I think I am most impressed that this is with the stock front bezel...so with an aftermarket one with SkySlots in the front I think the GPU temp will drop or the turbo will increase. She stays at about 1850Mhz now, which is pretty dang good.

Oh, I know that many of you are considering the SkyLakeX for your insanity builds...I've been tuning all afternoon and have a LONG way to go still, but the performance isn't there for games. You are far better off with a K series i5. With TB 3.0 enabled and tweaked a bit I did increase my Valley score, but it's not as fast as a 4 core with a fast clock for games.

Now, for unzipping things...holy cow...can't wait to give it some chores...

 

[McTeags]

@Nightblade I believe you can mount slim 92mm fans like the Noctua NF-A9x14 onto the SkyBracket Duo or one 120mm slim fan onto the SkyBracket. I mean, you could probably mount standard fans too but I'm not sure off the top of my head how much space you'd have with all of those parts. The brackets can be mounted in various places inside of the case.

They're there if you want to use them but honestly with a 65w CPU and a 150w GPU I'm not sure you need any case fans. I run a GTX 1080 and an 84w CPU in my case and the case is so well ventilated that I don't feel the need to cram extra fans and wires in there.

Is there any reason you're going with a 7th gen intel CPU over an 8th generation one? I think the i5 8400 @ $200 is a much better buy than the i7 7700 @ $300.

Edit: Ah, the Asus Strix Z370 itx board is $60 more expensive at the moment. That being said I still think the 8th gen combo is less expensive while having about the same performance.

 

[Nightblade]

@McTeags I'm trying to balance price, power, and space, so if there is an 8th gen CPU that is cheaper, and provides the same or better performance versus power, sure, I'd go for it. I'm not so dead-set on getting a 7th gen if there is a better cpu out there that doesn't use too much power. I'm mainly making this case to replace my current one (the Silverstone SG10B) as the SG10B is too heavy and not near small enough to fit in a backpack or at least is too bulky to move around(with ease, it can be done, just unconfortable if I were to try to lug it around). While I am not always on the go(otherwise I would just buy a laptop), I would like to be able to take my desktop with me to places, be it a LAN party, a family visit, on business or whatever. I currently use it for gaming, modding(like games, build maps/game levels, etc), word processing/Office/etc. On occasion I do some programming too. I plan to either buy a pico projector or a 15 in portable monitor and a folding keyboard at some point to make it easier for travel.

@Josh | NFC What do you suggest I use to cut the front panel with to make holes for any front panel usb ports?

 

[Sean Crees]

@Nightblade
Edit: Ah, the Asus Strix Z370 itx board is $60 more expensive at the moment. That being said I still think the 8th gen combo is less expensive while having about the same performance.

That's my biggest hangup on 8th gen CPU's right now. If you don't get a K and overclock, you are wasting so much money because only z boards exist. Also i hate how Intel locked 8th gen CPU's out of 7th gen motherboards for no good reason. Not to mention the Intel CPU's are vulnerable to hacks.

So many good reasons to stay with team red this generation.

 

[Thehack]

The other problem with doing 12v straight from the AC/DC converter without a DC/DC component, is its difficult to get the variance within tolerance without really expensive components. It's a lot easier and cheaper to have kind of sloppy ac/dc conversion and just clean it up with a dc/dc board. I once tried to use a fairly high power 12v external brick to power straight to the pcie connector on a GPU and while it "worked" most of the time, the voltage dropped a lot more than normal and sometimes under heavy load would get unstable.

You don't need expensive equipment. You need properly specced power supply. Not a dinky external PSU. We're talking about reliably powering an 65W CPU and a 120W CPU internally, on a board that is approximately 50mm x 300mm x 35mm. A monster packed 300W internal PSU that fits in that dimensions would not be cheap at all.

Secondly, 19V is not easier or cheaper. There's also a lot more R&D in developing a board that can handle the high power DC-DC conversion. 12V systems on the other hand, you just have to worry about a load-switch circuit that powers your EPS and PCIe direct for the PSU. All the costs will be with customizing the PSU and having the correct hook ups.

For cost comparison:

An HD-PLEX 160W DC-ATX costs $58. 160W (200W) PSU supply that accompanies it is $45.

$103

A 12V Plugin DC Board costs $20. RPS-200-12 costs $45.

$65. Assuming the custom work, It would not be far-fetched to imagine a 12V kit that hits the $105 range while delivering 200W reliably.

 

[Andrew.J.Vigil]

Guys let's be constructive, there's a bunch of smart folks here, we all have ideas and we all want solutions. Help each other reach those and just be wary of an argumentative spirit.

 

[Tanax]

That's my biggest hangup on 8th gen CPU's right now. If you don't get a K and overclock, you are wasting so much money because only z boards exist. Also i hate how Intel locked 8th gen CPU's out of 7th gen motherboards for no good reason. Not to mention the Intel CPU's are vulnerable to hacks.

So many good reasons to stay with team red this generation.

I also don't think there is a 35W version with the 8th gen yet, is there? At least not with i5 or up.
Is the 8th gen vulnerable to those hacks discovered? Or have they fixed it?

 

[rfarmer]

I also don't think there is a 35W version with the 8th gen yet, is there? At least not with i5 or up.
Is the 8th gen vulnerable to those hacks discovered? Or have they fixed it?

I have a Gigabyte Z370 and they released a BIOS update soon after release to fix the vulnerability.

 

[Obelisk]

I also don't think there is a 35W version with the 8th gen yet, is there? At least not with i5 or up.

No, not yet. Just K and 8X00 SKUs for now.

 

[busisgo]

so, I already bought these components for for Black Friday, and I saw your case too late, but eventually, in the near future, I would like to move onto the ITX form factor with really really miniscule PC with my main rig. So components I have right now is:

CPU: Ryzen 7 1800X
GPU: Zotac GTX 1080 mini
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 3200 mhz 8GB x 2
SSD: Samsung EVO 850

In the next round of upgrade, I want to switch to M.2 SSD, instead of regular SSD, and if I do so, will I be able to fit all these components in a working condition in your case? And would HDPLEX 400W power supplies work as a solution for this set up as well? And what are the accessories I will have to buy to make it work??

 

[Josh | NFC]

so, I already bought these components for for Black Friday, and I saw your case too late, but eventually, in the near future, I would like to move onto the ITX form factor with really really miniscule PC with my main rig. So components I have right now is:

CPU: Ryzen 7 1800X
GPU: Zotac GTX 1080 mini
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 3200 mhz 8GB x 2
SSD: Samsung EVO 850

In the next round of upgrade, I want to switch to M.2 SSD, instead of regular SSD, and if I do so, will I be able to fit all these components in a working condition in your case? And would HDPLEX 400W power supplies work as a solution for this set up as well? And what are the accessories I will have to buy to make it work??

You will need a mini-itx motherboard (as you know), and a cooler under 45mm (like the Noctua NH-l9a) but everything else (including your 2.5" SSD) will drop right in. The 1800X is going to be toasty but it will still work.

You will also need a 16mm power button. You can find these everywhere, but I try to sell a premium ON/OFF switch in my NFC Shop to make things easier.

To power it the tried and true method is the (genuine) Dell 330w brick and the HDPLEX 400. You don't need to buy anything else, but there are other accessories like my SkyWire cable set which make the install faster and neater.

Of course there are tons more options for powering the rig which you can find by poking around here and I plan to have more info up, but I like to keep things simple.

Peace

 

[Wasim]

Ok, got Dell 330w brick delivered today. This thing is huge. Double the size of my dell xps 120w brick. Now I know why ppl want brickless solution

 

[Dubnobass]

I move my xbox around a bunch and don't mind having a brick.

Anyone here running a 1600x and 1080 mini? Curious if the 1600x will bottleneck the 1080.

 

[Biowarejak]

I move my xbox around a bunch and don't mind having a brick.

Anyone here running a 1600x and 1080 mini? Curious if the 1600x will bottleneck the 1080.

I really don't think you'll have bottlenecking issues, not unless you go with a dual core or a low power quad core. Just my thoughts

 

[Zuuk]

I move my xbox around a bunch and don't mind having a brick.

Anyone here running a 1600x and 1080 mini? Curious if the 1600x will bottleneck the 1080.

Hell, I'm running a dualcore Pentium with a 1080 mini just finished playing PUBG @ 4K .
Mostly getting constant 60fps with some dips here n' there, very playable.