SFF.Network Streacom Launches the DA2
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I suggest watching Hardware Canucks' Youtube video review of this case.
Dmitry was able to fit the Kraken X52 into an Asus Z390i Gaming motherboard with two 2.5'' SSDs on the bracket.
Watch beginning at around 12:15. The main point is the orientation of the pump block and the tubing exiting from the rad faces the rear of the case. I do not think one 3.5'' HDD + one 2.5'' SSD should make a big difference from his two 2.5'' SSDs.
https://streacom.com/products/da2-chassis/
Also, I think we should not forget this DA2 is still a SFF case (even though it is far from the smallest), which means components have to be chosen carefully in order to make a good fit into it. We have all left the comfort zone of building inside a mid-tower or full tower case.
Additionally, IMHO, this kind of things (eg a standoff misaligned from the motherboard, GPU not lining up perfectly and needing some adjustment) come from the removable brackets supporting the motherboard. Any slight displacement of the brackets (say, even 1mm) on the track would the motherboard's IO and GPU's IO with their respective opening of the case.
I reckon, this is the price one has to pay in exchange for a flexibility/versatility of an adjustable mounting bracket system. I suppose, if it is a standard case with a fixed motherboard tray, then this kind of things would not happen at all. Not offering an excuse for Streacom but I personally would tend to forgive and just swallow it hard. However, if Streacom reads this, I also suggest finding ways to improve. There are things that can be improved easily (eg redesigning the PSU mounting hole to cater for Corsair SF450/600/750's power switch, offering a pair of vertical brackets as accessory).
Dmitry was able to fit the Kraken X52 into an Asus Z390i Gaming motherboard with two 2.5'' SSDs on the bracket.
Watch beginning at around 12:15. The main point is the orientation of the pump block and the tubing exiting from the rad faces the rear of the case. I do not think one 3.5'' HDD + one 2.5'' SSD should make a big difference from his two 2.5'' SSDs.
https://streacom.com/products/da2-chassis/
Also, I think we should not forget this DA2 is still a SFF case (even though it is far from the smallest), which means components have to be chosen carefully in order to make a good fit into it. We have all left the comfort zone of building inside a mid-tower or full tower case.
Additionally, IMHO, this kind of things (eg a standoff misaligned from the motherboard, GPU not lining up perfectly and needing some adjustment) come from the removable brackets supporting the motherboard. Any slight displacement of the brackets (say, even 1mm) on the track would the motherboard's IO and GPU's IO with their respective opening of the case.
I reckon, this is the price one has to pay in exchange for a flexibility/versatility of an adjustable mounting bracket system. I suppose, if it is a standard case with a fixed motherboard tray, then this kind of things would not happen at all. Not offering an excuse for Streacom but I personally would tend to forgive and just swallow it hard. However, if Streacom reads this, I also suggest finding ways to improve. There are things that can be improved easily (eg redesigning the PSU mounting hole to cater for Corsair SF450/600/750's power switch, offering a pair of vertical brackets as accessory).
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For keeping the X52 with one 2.5'' SSD, please see my post above and watch the video review by Hardware Canucks.
EVGA 1080Ti FTW3 is a big card. What temp did you get when this card was inside your previous case? It is good to compare your previous chassis with this DA2.
You can try to improve on removing its exhaust more efficiently. As it dumps exhausted air inside, I bet those air are not extracted quickly enough.
Your card exhausts air along card's top and bottom. And since the card is a tall card (143mm), its top edge gets closer to the case side panel, thus making air exhausting relatively harder. But I think 69C gaming temp is not really too high though.
However, 50C for idle temp is a little high. Check to see if it downclocks while idle. If not, you have to find out why (eg high refresh rate monitor? dual monitor? something else running in the background?)
For air cooler, I also suggest NH-U9S.
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If you go full air don't underestimate the importance of a good intake fan (I am working on a way to install 2 of them), this single NF-A12x25 is doing wonders for me, I have it on a curve based on CPU temps and during load I can feel so much hot air being pushed through the back panel, amazing what some good positive pressure can do.
The DA2 brackets we will make available for the channel to sell them as a kit after the CNY, till the brackets are available @ your local store ( which would be probably around Q2 due to the CNY +production+shipping), we will provide the service to buy them trough our support department ( please make a ticket to theTechnical Department on https://streacom.com/contact/)
I disassembled the case twice to change things and the best I can figure, the standoffs are a tad short. When all are aligned, there is an observable vertical gap between the standoff and the board.
The GPU is misaligned simply because it's way too massive and this by proxy made cable space far less and tube space in relation as well.
I'll post some pics later today, so few things will be cleared up.
I've attempted pretty much any AIO rotation that can be mounted on the mobo, the massive radiator next to the IO shield blocks one rotation.
The GPU is misaligned simply because it's way too massive and this by proxy made cable space far less and tube space in relation as well.
I'll post some pics later today, so few things will be cleared up.
I've attempted pretty much any AIO rotation that can be mounted on the mobo, the massive radiator next to the IO shield blocks one rotation.
Current AIO rotation is as shown. It allows mounting if the tubes are reversed than on the video shown. I've attempted to put it in with this orientation and after applying considerable force had no tangible result. Tubes are very stiff and the straight tubes connected to the rad it self do not help.
The board he uses is also a Z370i, the Z390 has a pretty sizable rad on the left as well as preinstalled IO shield, as far as i've seen it doesn't block much but it sure doesn't help. Generally this board has been a pain, should have went with the asrock, but too late for that now.
https://www.evetech.co.za/repositor...i-gaming-intel-motherboard-1000px-v1-0006.jpg
The board he uses is also a Z370i, the Z390 has a pretty sizable rad on the left as well as preinstalled IO shield, as far as i've seen it doesn't block much but it sure doesn't help. Generally this board has been a pain, should have went with the asrock, but too late for that now.
https://www.evetech.co.za/repositor...i-gaming-intel-motherboard-1000px-v1-0006.jpg
I do not have much experience of building inside a SFF case. But it seems that watercooling is gaining popularity even in the SFF circle. Stuffing a rad, pump, fans, tubings all inside a small case is really not so straight forward.
So, if you are not a hardcore watercooling fan, maybe it is time to say hello to cooler like NH-U9S?
Keep updating your build and I like to see what you end up with.
For the benefit of those not knowing what CNY is, it is Chinese New Year. For 2019, New Year Day is 5th Feb.
Expect factories shutting down beginning 1st or 2nd Feb and will reopen on 11th Feb the earliest. Frankly, the slowing down of everything may continue as far to the 24th.
@tinyitx I'm definitely looking at air now. Probably won't be able to OC, or at least not as i would be before but hey.
bq quiet! Dark Rock TF shows up in reviews with some better performance than the U9S (and by all indications, compatible with both the board and case), but it's a downwards oriented blower which will trap heat within the case. Any idea about will this cause significant issues for an SFFPC?
bq quiet! Dark Rock TF shows up in reviews with some better performance than the U9S (and by all indications, compatible with both the board and case), but it's a downwards oriented blower which will trap heat within the case. Any idea about will this cause significant issues for an SFFPC?
I would be very curious to see how it performs, but are you sure it clears on your motherboard? Your ASUS boars is a pain for coolers.
Yes, the Dark Rock TF dumps air inside the case. If you are using 1080 FE which exhausts all air out the rear, I would not mind considering using the Dark Rock TF. But as your EVGA 1080Ti FTW3 dumps heat inside the case as well, to handle both components (GPU and CPU) simultaneously becomes very tricky, IMHO.
I suppose, if you are an adventurous type and like to tackle this hard-to-solve airflow management problem, then you might consider using this downward air blower. If you are not, use NH-U9S. I imagine, you cannot go wrong with a NH-U9S.
Trying Dark Rock TF is probably like a hit-or-miss. If it misses, thermal will, of course, worse than using U9S. It it hits, I suppose you will have 'marginal' thermal advantage over a U9S.
At 140mm tall, the Dark Rock TF may actually be able to get fresh air from the side panel, but yeah, it's hit or miss there.
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I've seen the Dark Rock TF fit over the Z390-I on some images under a specific rotation. Now the question is can it fit in the case and over my RAM sticks. They are pretty low key but still. I'll have to research but in the end i may end up with the safer choice
Here are some images of my current situation. NOTE a bunch of cables are left out, in the end i got pissed off, installed the pump and shoved everything in
Small update over the GPU situation. Today's Idle: 40C. I haven't done anything at all, so my presumption is a windows or a driver glitch. The idle frequency is as it should be, around 140 MHz. Also it seems the FTW3 has a passive mode for it's fans. It's 40 with the fans completely off and not spinning. In my previous case (Corsair 600T) the idle was about 32C but i had much better airflow there.
Oh, almost forgot. Currently the AIO fans are aimed to exhaust air out (not that they are anywhere in to begin with). I wanted to try all exhaust so the natural intake to be from the filtered back and see how it goes. My guess is that in this case will be less dust, but there are plenty of gaps everywhere now.
PS: I decided to check PSU cable mods for shorter in length cables and jesus, they would cost more than the PSU it self. I find that insane
Here are some images of my current situation. NOTE a bunch of cables are left out, in the end i got pissed off, installed the pump and shoved everything in
Small update over the GPU situation. Today's Idle: 40C. I haven't done anything at all, so my presumption is a windows or a driver glitch. The idle frequency is as it should be, around 140 MHz. Also it seems the FTW3 has a passive mode for it's fans. It's 40 with the fans completely off and not spinning. In my previous case (Corsair 600T) the idle was about 32C but i had much better airflow there.
Oh, almost forgot. Currently the AIO fans are aimed to exhaust air out (not that they are anywhere in to begin with). I wanted to try all exhaust so the natural intake to be from the filtered back and see how it goes. My guess is that in this case will be less dust, but there are plenty of gaps everywhere now.
PS: I decided to check PSU cable mods for shorter in length cables and jesus, they would cost more than the PSU it self. I find that insane
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I'm surprised by the GPU not fitting as it satisfies the PCI size requirements for the case of Dual Slot, 330x150x50mm (LxWxH).
I'm also still not sure about the backplate issue. Mine line up with the correct standoffs. Having said that my backplate is not integrated to the motherboard, so maybe that gives me a greater degree of flexibility.
Maybe it's the same problem affecting both?
I would reverse the air flow, having the radiator intake and the back fan as exhaust. Will give you better temperatures all round
The AIO defaults fan speed to liquid temperature, with the stock curve being too relaxed IMO. You can change that in CAM to set fan speed against CPU temperature, which will increase fan speeds a lot more quickly and reduce temperatures.
Where are you getting your MB temperatures from? I would advise you to HWinfo64 6.00 to get VRM temperatures. They are the same values that the motherboard uses to balance load across the VRMs. The other temperatures are rather meaningless in comparison.
I'm also still not sure about the backplate issue. Mine line up with the correct standoffs. Having said that my backplate is not integrated to the motherboard, so maybe that gives me a greater degree of flexibility.
Maybe it's the same problem affecting both?
I would reverse the air flow, having the radiator intake and the back fan as exhaust. Will give you better temperatures all round
The AIO defaults fan speed to liquid temperature, with the stock curve being too relaxed IMO. You can change that in CAM to set fan speed against CPU temperature, which will increase fan speeds a lot more quickly and reduce temperatures.
Where are you getting your MB temperatures from? I would advise you to HWinfo64 6.00 to get VRM temperatures. They are the same values that the motherboard uses to balance load across the VRMs. The other temperatures are rather meaningless in comparison.
@brt02 I'm using HWMonitor latest ver. It shows pretty much the same temp as HWInfo. Just checked it's ~40C. When the mobo was out the case the temp was pretty much the same. As for the AIO i would have played around with the curves and fans, if it actually went inside, but for now it's an ornament on top of the case so no need to change anything too much
I'll probably disassemble the whole thing and try to align the mobo better, that said, if I'm right, there isn't much to be done. Still, it will take me at least an hour doing so don't really have motivation for it right now.
I'll probably disassemble the whole thing and try to align the mobo better, that said, if I'm right, there isn't much to be done. Still, it will take me at least an hour doing so don't really have motivation for it right now.
Was cleaning up my closet and found an H7 Quad Lumi, then decided to do something for science 
Here it is, I know I'm crazy lol
Also fixed the alignment, once the mobo is in, loosening all the screws and pushing the mobo forward seems to work, check the alignment in the photo, it also eliminated the gap, yay
This install is not for the faint of hearth, listen to me, don't do it lol, as you can see in photo you will also have to remove the wifi/bt module to fit the second fan and be able to close the case (I don't care, I don't use it).
Was it worth it? Well, temps are the same, but boost clocks for CPU and GPU are higher and are sustained under load, also it is nice to know something like this is viable, the H7 is 145mm tall and turns out you can actually fit a cooler at the declared limit
Here it is, I know I'm crazy lol
Also fixed the alignment, once the mobo is in, loosening all the screws and pushing the mobo forward seems to work, check the alignment in the photo, it also eliminated the gap, yay
This install is not for the faint of hearth, listen to me, don't do it lol, as you can see in photo you will also have to remove the wifi/bt module to fit the second fan and be able to close the case (I don't care, I don't use it).
Was it worth it? Well, temps are the same, but boost clocks for CPU and GPU are higher and are sustained under load, also it is nice to know something like this is viable, the H7 is 145mm tall and turns out you can actually fit a cooler at the declared limit
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Hi there DA2 owners! I was having a think and was curious if the rail system would allow usage of an HD Plex 400W NanoATX PSU inside the case with either a subtly mounted internal brick or external brick and if this would be a way of mounting through and through radiator configs like a 280+140mm radiator where the PSU mounts and over the Motherboard?
Is there space for this if the HD Plex was mounted on the bottom of the case in from of the graphics card or at the top but up against the front edge? Just seems like a potential solution for cramming heaps of cooling into the case or freeing up additional space.
Is there space for this if the HD Plex was mounted on the bottom of the case in from of the graphics card or at the top but up against the front edge? Just seems like a potential solution for cramming heaps of cooling into the case or freeing up additional space.
Was cleaning up my closet and found and H7 Quad Lumi, then decided to do something for science
Here it is, I know I'm crazy lol
Also fixed the alignment, once the mobo is in, loosening all the screws and pushing the mobo forward seems to work, check the alignment in the photo, it also eliminated the gap, yay
This install is not for the faint of hearth, listen to me, don't do it lol, as you can see in photo you will also have to remove the wifi/bt module to fit the second fan and be able to close the case (I don't care, I don't use it).
Was it worth it? Well, temps are the same, but boost clocks for CPU and GPU are higher and are sustained under load, also it is nice to know something like this is viable, the H7 is 145mm tall and turns out you can actually fit a cooler at the declared limit
Thanks for posting this! I have a H7 Plus on the way and was hoping it would fit, even if it potentially means sacrificing the wifi/bt module (which I also do not need).
Happy to help! After some testing have it on a super quiet fan curve (this is with the Noctua fans, not sure how it would work with the cryorig ones):
After 1h of PUBG never went over 65C, my 2080 Ti FE goes up to 83C in PUBG but that is whitin normal and I do prefer to have it quiet, I may play with the GPU fan curve a bit to see to have it just below 80.
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