SKYREACH 4 MINI (S4M)

[kulbida]

No, the costs that @Josh | NFC had posted regarding the manufacturing costs of the case.

Oh. Ok. Wasn’t quite sure what you meant. Those costs are a little outdated now, as I am sure his profit margins have increased some since partnering with Lian Li. Which is fantastic. He deserves to make more than what he once was making this enclosure. After all the blood, sweat, tears, cigars, custom Jeeps, love, and passion he has given to produce such a magnificent product, I honestly hope he is making more than he was.

I couldn’t be happier with my S4M and love what he has done for the SFF community.

 

[Penguin]

Thank you.

Do note that the breakdown is for the S4M-C (before Skyreach), although I believe it is still pretty accurate.

 

[kevlar]

@Josh | NFC any plans on restocking polarized pre-wired C8 connectors in the near future?

 

[SumGhai]

@Josh | NFC any plans on restocking polarized pre-wired C8 connectors in the near future?

I think in his livestreams he's mentioned that he won't be stocking them anymore, but also said the C8 connectors will come bundled with the upcoming HDPLEX 400W AC-DC units.

 

[TheDrifter363]

Hey just wanted to ask a few questions. I recently bought the Skyreach 4 Mini, and I have a MSI RX 580 V1. I wanted to remove the shroud, on the GPU, and use the Sky Bracket duo with noctua 92mm fans. Would that fit? Or could I use the original sky bracket with a 120mm fan? Any suggestions? I know there's a gpu fan adapter, and I can get fan splitters for the sky bracket duo. I'd appreciate the help. Thanks! Oh! Also, the cpu will be a Ryzen 7 1700x, with a noctua nh l9i, with am4 adapter, m.2 sata ssd samsung 2 TB, etc. Simple specs.

 

[Josh | NFC]

Hey just wanted to ask a few questions. I recently bought the Skyreach 4 Mini, and I have a MSI RX 580 V1. I wanted to remove the shroud, on the GPU, and use the Sky Bracket duo with noctua 92mm fans. Would that fit? Or could I use the original sky bracket with a 120mm fan? Any suggestions? I know there's a gpu fan adapter, and I can get fan splitters for the sky bracket duo. I'd appreciate the help. Thanks! Oh! Also, the cpu will be a Ryzen 7 1700x, with a noctua nh l9i, with am4 adapter, m.2 sata ssd samsung 2 TB, etc. Simple specs.

Howdy!

The dual 92mm option will undoubtably perform better than the single 120, but being that GPU has a good shroud, I would try recording temps and seeing if you are OK with the sound first. You might lose performance going with dual 92mm fans. It will fit, however.

Your build is cool.

Peace!

 

[TheDrifter363]

Howdy!

The dual 92mm option will undoubtably perform better than the single 120, but being that GPU has a good shroud, I would try recording temps and seeing if you are OK with the sound first. You might lose performance going with dual 92mm fans. It will fit, however.

Your build is cool.

Peace!

Thanks Josh! This is exactly what I was looking for. So I would just mount the skybracket duo on the bottom, near the intake of the gpu, and call it a day? Hmm..awesome! I just got the rx 580 from MSI, and I noticed its fan is quite horrible. Especially compared to my old gtx 1070 founder's edition and any noctua fan. I'm so used to quiet, that to hear the rx 580 at default speeds, 1700 RPM, was quite annoying. I had to lower it to 900 RPM for it to be bearable. I'll test it out with the original setup first for a bit, and then change it out later on. I'd prefer quiet over performance anyway. I need to research how to undervolt the rx 580 without overclocking it. I've done it with CPUs before, but never GPUs.

 

[Josh | NFC]

Thanks Josh! This is exactly what I was looking for. So I would just mount the skybracket duo on the bottom, near the intake of the gpu, and call it a day? Hmm..awesome! I just got the rx 580 from MSI, and I noticed its fan is quite horrible. Especially compared to my old gtx 1070 founder's edition and any noctua fan. I'm so used to quiet, that to hear the rx 580 at default speeds, 1700 RPM, was quite annoying. I had to lower it to 900 RPM for it to be bearable. I'll test it out with the original setup first for a bit, and then change it out later on. I'd prefer quiet over performance anyway. I need to research how to undervolt the rx 580 without overclocking it. I've done it with CPUs before, but never GPUs.

It's a slider in MSI afterburner. Couldn't be easier (until you really start pushing it).

 

[Prothea]

Always thought the S4M was an awesome SFFPC, but the barrier to entry with the additional components needed to build always seemed high. I opted to buy into the next run of the MI6, but I'm thinking that they won't make their 100 order mark the closer we get to the deadline. But I've been thinking of trying to make a Mini work if that falls through.

Unfortunately I won't be able to build until January, being military stationed in the Middle East I can't get many components shipped directly to me, but here's my planned build and thoughts:

• Ryzen 5 1600 - I have this already, and it works great, but I'm considering selling it and my MB for a 2600+450 combo
• ASRock Fatality 350 ITX - Works fine, I like the USB-C port but the ASUS ROG 450-I would look good in the Mini with it's skyslots and RGB
• Noctua L9a - for obvious reasons
• Corsair Vengeance LPX 4x2GB - Currently at 2800 Mhz, but I might upgrade to 16GB at 3000 Mhz. Good low profile RAM
• AMD Vega 56 Nano - Small, powerful card that should work fine when undervolted and tuned correctly. And I want to support AMD so NVidia has some competition
• HDPlex 400W DC-ATX - My estimate calculator gave me around 340W, so the 400W should be plenty. And the AC-DC will hopefully be out by January, so I can go brickless.

In my opinion, the S4M has always been the pinnacle of "go anywhere with your PC in a backpack", which is really convenient when your job requires a fair amount of travel. Even moreso if the AC-DC finally releases and we can all live brickless.

 

[TheHig]

First, thanks for your service.

Second, the build list looks good. I ran a 2600 on the B350itx ,bios update , just fine in my mini. Temps were good and clocks around 3.75 under the L9a on auto. Nice bump over a 1600. Hopefully we see the HdPlex 400w in quantity when you build.

 

[Prothea]

Hah, man, the most stressful parts of my day are making sure people more important than me can still check their email and watch ESPN, I'm just a dude who has to wear the same thing every day.

But that auto boost isn't too bad. Seems like it'd be worth it. I can get a fair return on selling the 1600+cooler and MOBO, so I might as well spring for a 450 and a 2600

 

[SpringerTheNerd]

Alright quick question. I was just playing Forza with on my PC (i7 7700k 1080) and I started to smell a slight electrical burning smell and then my PC turned off and the smell was definitely coming from my PC. So I start unplugging everything and the barrel connection on the power is very hot to the touch. Probably even hot enough to burn myself.

Does this mean that I'm over loading my HDPLEX400? I have had this same PSU for over a year but I did upgrade from a i5 7500 to a i7 7700k not too long ago.

Small update: now it won't turn back on. RIP HDPLEX

 

[Nanook]

Alright quick question. I was just playing Forza with on my PC (i7 7700k 1080) and I started to smell a slight electrical burning smell and then my PC turned off and the smell was definitely coming from my PC. So I start unplugging everything and the barrel connection on the power is very hot to the touch. Probably even hot enough to burn myself.

Does this mean that I'm over loading my HDPLEX400? I have had this same PSU for over a year but I did upgrade from a i5 7500 to a i7 7700k not too long ago.

Small update: now it won't turn back on. RIP HDPLEX

Oh no. What AC-DC adapter are you using? If it’s a 330w adapter, that would have been your bottle neck, right?
I ran my 8700K with 1080 for extended periods, and haven’t had a problem.

 

[Josh | NFC]

Alright quick question. I was just playing Forza with on my PC (i7 7700k 1080) and I started to smell a slight electrical burning smell and then my PC turned off and the smell was definitely coming from my PC. So I start unplugging everything and the barrel connection on the power is very hot to the touch. Probably even hot enough to burn myself.

Does this mean that I'm over loading my HDPLEX400? I have had this same PSU for over a year but I did upgrade from a i5 7500 to a i7 7700k not too long ago.

Small update: now it won't turn back on. RIP HDPLEX

I've seen the DC Jack melt before. It's really rare but it definitely is the bottleneck when you are pumpin' 330w constant under it and if the jack is old or not clean. Switch to a beefier connector. Hopefully your HDPLEX is fine.

 

[Kmpkt]

Alright quick question. I was just playing Forza with on my PC (i7 7700k 1080) and I started to smell a slight electrical burning smell and then my PC turned off and the smell was definitely coming from my PC. So I start unplugging everything and the barrel connection on the power is very hot to the touch. Probably even hot enough to burn myself.

Does this mean that I'm over loading my HDPLEX400? I have had this same PSU for over a year but I did upgrade from a i5 7500 to a i7 7700k not too long ago.

Small update: now it won't turn back on. RIP HDPLEX

Yeah. I'd think you've probably just melted the DC jack. I'd consider scaring up an extra (I have some I can probably part with if needed) and see if swapping it tixes the issue.

 

[SpringerTheNerd]

Yeah. I'd think you've probably just melted the DC jack. I'd consider scaring up an extra (I have some I can probably part with if needed) and see if swapping it tixes the issue.

I did notice that it was rather difficult to plug it back in.. I'll look into to it

Upon further inspection it's definitely the DC Jack. You where right on the dot. Any idea why it could have gone out? I have seen a few rigs that are running higher end gear without issues.


UPDATE#1: I transferred everything to my dan case (sfx PSU) and everything seems to be working just fine. I was a little worried something else might have died with it.

UPDATE#2: Reached out to HDplex and they are sending me out a new cable.

 

[Khan_81]

Hi! I´m in the process of collecting components for my future S4M build so a little guidance would be appreciated.

I´m aiming for a good noise/performance balance and on top of that I´m not a hardcore gamer so I thought a i5 8400 + MSI Geforce 1070 Aero would fit my needs over many years (I have another PC build, a i5 6600 + Geforce 970 GTX and it´s snappy, dead-silent and pretty capable yet so I don´t feel it needs upgrading)

Not very fan of AAA games, maybe 3 or 4 a year, mostly invested in indie games but even many of those aren´t oblivious to bad optimization or powerful engines. Also, no need for 4K, I´d gladly stay at 1080p/60 fps for a long time (or until my 1080p smart TV dies )

1) So, are there signficative performance gains if I upgrade to a i7 8700? I don´t plan to overclock o using video edition / CPU intensive software but I don´t know if hyperthreading in i7 raises the bar on overall system responsiveness or fps difference in games. I´m pretty concerned about thermals, too (specially, in that cramped enclosure)

2) When it comes to the motherboard, the logical step would be H370 ones but....what about memory overclocking? Is it important enough to justify the purchase of a Z370 MoBo?

3) Regarding SSD Nvme thermal-throttling.....is it really an issue? Should I couple it with a heatsink?

4) How do you fix the hdplex 400W to the case? Double sided tape?

Thanks for reading

 

[SpringerTheNerd]

Hi! I´m in the process of collecting components for my future S4M build so a little guidance would be appreciated.

I´m aiming for a good noise/performance balance and on top of that I´m not a hardcore gamer so I thought a i5 8400 + MSI Geforce 1070 Aero would fit my needs over many years (I have another PC build, a i5 6600 + Geforce 970 GTX and it´s snappy, dead-silent and pretty capable yet so I don´t feel it needs upgrading)

Not very fan of AAA games, maybe 3 or 4 a year, mostly invested in indie games but even many of those aren´t oblivious to bad optimization or powerful engines. Also, no need for 4K, I´d gladly stay at 1080p/60 fps for a long time (or until my 1080p smart TV dies )

1) So, are there signficative performance gains if I upgrade to a i7 8700? I don´t plan to overclock o using video edition / CPU intensive software but I don´t know if hyperthreading in i7 raises the bar on overall system responsiveness or fps difference in games. I´m pretty concerned about thermals, too (specially, in that cramped enclosure)

2) When it comes to the motherboard, the logical step would be H370 ones but....what about memory overclocking? Is it important enough to justify the purchase of a Z370 MoBo?

3) Regarding SSD Nvme thermal-throttling.....is it really an issue? Should I couple it with a heatsink?

4) How do you fix the hdplex 400W to the case? Double sided tape?

Thanks for reading

I haven't noticed any thermal throttling with my nvme and the HDplex just kinda sits in it's spot. With everything cramed in there it keeps it in place

 

[Josh | NFC]

Hi! I´m in the process of collecting components for my future S4M build so a little guidance would be appreciated.

NFC Bat Signal!

´m aiming for a good noise/performance balance and on top of that I´m not a hardcore gamer so I thought a i5 8400 + MSI Geforce 1070 Aero would fit my needs over many years (I have another PC build, a i5 6600 + Geforce 970 GTX and it´s snappy, dead-silent and pretty capable yet so I don´t feel it needs upgrading)

Not very fan of AAA games, maybe 3 or 4 a year, mostly invested in indie games but even many of those aren´t oblivious to bad optimization or powerful engines. Also, no need for 4K, I´d gladly stay at 1080p/60 fps for a long time (or until my 1080p smart TV dies )

1) So, are there signficative performance gains if I upgrade to a i7 8700? I don´t plan to overclock o using video edition / CPU intensive software but I don´t know if hyperthreading in i7 raises the bar on overall system responsiveness or fps difference in games. I´m pretty concerned about thermals, too (specially, in that cramped enclosure)

You don't need to be worried about thermals with the i7 8700. In addition, I find that the i7s run a teeeeeeeny bit cooler than the i5s. Go figure that out. Either way, a 65w CPU will be perfect for you--even the i3 8100 should do you fine, it is an excellent chip. You don't need to worry about hyperthreading for games, in fact, some games do better with it disabled!

2) When it comes to the motherboard, the logical step would be H370 ones but....what about memory overclocking? Is it important enough to justify the purchase of a Z370 MoBo?

No. I would just buy a motherboard based on I/O and if you need dual M.2 or not...which IMO I think is a really important consideration.

3) Regarding SSD Nvme thermal-throttling.....is it really an issue? Should I couple it with a heatsink?

I or any of my full system build customers have never had an issue with thermal throttling of NVME M.2 drives. There have been good, logical, and insightful posts showing that it can happen, but there have also been good, logical, and insightful posts on why running a heatsink is a BAD idea on a NVME drive. Until I see it happen first hand to me I am not going to worry about it, and I buy more than the average person

4) How do you fix the hdplex 400W to the case? Double sided tape?

Throw it in there and wire it up. I only use a smidgeon of double sided tape for when I am shipping the system. For end user builds I would not bother.

Peace!

 

[brt02]

I or any of my full system build customers have never had an issue with thermal throttling of NVME M.2 drives. There have been good, logical, and insightful posts showing that it can happen, but there have also been good, logical, and insightful posts on why running a heatsink is a BAD idea on a NVME drive. Until I see it happen first hand to me I am not going to worry about it, and I buy more than the average person

I ran a RAID0 array for a while and I only got throttling on the rear m.2 drive when running benchmarks to test the array, not in normal day to day use. The one on the front was fine at all times. So don't worry about it.

For cooling, you want to cool the controller not the NAND flash. NAND longevity actually benefits from higher temperatures, whereas the controller will throttle. So cool the controller chip and try not to cool the NAND itself. This can be as easy as cutting the included thermal pad to the required size.

EDIT: Found my link https://www.anandtech.com/show/9248/the-truth-about-ssd-data-retention