Production Velka series cases for ultra compact and portable desktops

[prebsus]

Has anyone confirmed if the AXP-90 full copper is the best cooler? (excluding a BR with 120mm fan)

I'm trying BR with a9x14 on 5600X once my BR arrives, but I'm interested to see the different between that and the AXP-90. Do you have any data for comparison of those two?

 

[labmonke101]

I'm trying BR with a9x14 on 5600X once my BR arrives, but I'm interested to see the different between that and the AXP-90. Do you have any data for comparison of those two?

I’ve got a BR with 120mm fan on a 9700k and for gaming it’s fantastic since games rarely push it over 95 watts anyway

Just curious if the AXP90 could get close without the huge pain that is mounting a BR + 120mm

 

[Snerual]

Here's an suggestion: What if the Velka 3-RL was slightly taller to accommodate a dual slot, half-height graphics card (i.e. no riser)? I think it would be a nice solution for users who would like extra cooling height for the CPU but still want some sort of graphics solution that isn't an APU (which are hard to come by and seem to not be a very large focus at AMD these days). Existing cases of this type, like the Lone L5 and the J-Hack Pure Mk2, require a power brick, which stinks. With this layout, we could use Flex ATX instead and have a nice self-contained solution.

Sounds like the SKTC A02 is exactly what you are looking for.

 

[prebsus]

I’ve got a BR with 120mm fan on a 9700k and for gaming it’s fantastic since games rarely push it over 95 watts anyway

Just curious if the AXP90 could get close without the huge pain that is mounting a BR + 120mm

"huge pain of mounting BR + 120mm" - do you mean having to use VLP RAM (and replacing the stock 92mm fan below the fins with 120mm slim)? Or are you talking about mounting 120 mm "on top" of the fins, so there's two fans on the BR?

 

[labmonke101]

"huge pain of mounting BR + 120mm" - do you mean having to use VLP RAM (and replacing the stock 92mm fan below the fins with 120mm slim)? Or are you talking about mounting 120 mm "on top" of the fins, so there's two fans on the BR?

I actually got my hands on some great VLP ram pretty easily, but the general fit is still a bit tricky. Had to remove a heat sink, bend the BR a bit (it came bent down so the pcie slot was blocked), put spacers on the 120mm so the blades didn’t hit parts of the BR that protrude downwards, etc

 

[NAVIAR]

I'm looking for some feedback on this idea

For those who would prefer having direct access to the graphics card IO in the Velka 5 and 7 without the use of HDMI and DP extension cables, another design could be used for the main body of the case with a rectangular cutout on top above the graphics card. This can be backwards compatible with the current design but require re-and Iassembly.

I like this idea and I have been thinking about it for a few days. I think the solution is quite elegant, but I wonder if 90 degrees plugs would fit. I would consider those the optimal solution.

Did you get a chance to test on a prototype? What do you think about a small U-shaped (or similar) cutout in the back for such connectors?

 

[prebsus]

I actually got my hands on some great VLP ram pretty easily, but the general fit is still a bit tricky. Had to remove a heat sink, bend the BR a bit (it came bent down so the pcie slot was blocked), put spacers on the 120mm so the blades didn’t hit parts of the BR that protrude downwards, etc

Hmm, good to know - thanks for the detailed explanation. I'm not going 120mm just yet, but down the line I might opt for VLP RAM an 120mm, so I'll look out for fits on my specific mobo in that case

 

[VELKASE Michael]

I like this idea and I have been thinking about it for a few days. I think the solution is quite elegant, but I wonder if 90 degrees plugs would fit. I would consider those the optimal solution.

Did you get a chance to test on a prototype? What do you think about a small U-shaped (or similar) cutout in the back for such connectors?

I have not tested this exact part but it's really nothing new.

Are you referring to cables that are 90 degree terminated on one end and plug directly into the monitor on the other end? Those would be compatible, they would just protrude past the top of the case which is what the top rectangular cutout would be for.

What would the U shaped cutout do?

 

[prebsus]

@VELKASE Michael: I was having pretty high temps (high 70C) in my Velka 7 (v2) with RTX 3060 Ti FE. The GPU blow-through which looks like it goes straight to the SATA-tray (marked in red). Is the SATA-tray important for the integrity of the internal mounts, or can I choose to not install this (as shown in 2nd picture).
SATA-tray:

SATA-tray removed to allow for GPU air-flow:

PS: Velka 7 was my first SFF build and I absolutely loved putting it together. Thanks for an excellent product!

 

[NAVIAR]

I have not tested this exact part but it's really nothing new.

Are you referring to cables that are 90 degree terminated on one end and plug directly into the monitor on the other end? Those would be compatible, they would just protrude past the top of the case which is what the top rectangular cutout would be for.

Yes, I was referring to those. Glad to hear they fit.

What would the U shaped cutout do?

I am bad at eyeing from the pictures (and do not own a Velka 7 --- yet , I thought a U shaped cutout at the top (back) would be useful for cleanly routing the display cables to the back as flush as possible to the case, if the 90 degree cables would not fit well. Since they are compatible, I guess nevermind then.

 

[VELKASE Michael]

@VELKASE Michael: I was having pretty high temps (high 70C) in my Velka 7 (v2) with RTX 3060 Ti FE. The GPU blow-through which looks like it goes straight to the SATA-tray (marked in red). Is the SATA-tray important for the integrity of the internal mounts, or can I choose to not install this (as shown in 2nd picture).
SATA-tray:

SATA-tray removed to allow for GPU air-flow:

PS: Velka 7 was my first SFF build and I absolutely loved putting it together. Thanks for an excellent product!

Is this at stock settings? I would just suggest increasing the fan speed but high 70s should not be that concerning.

You can remove that part, but there is a higher chance that the motherboard tray could get dislodged in the event that you bump the case hard. You would need to temporarily remove the front panel and nudge it back into place if that happens.

Yes, I was referring to those. Glad to hear they fit.



I am bad at eyeing from the pictures (and do not own a Velka 7 --- yet , I thought a U shaped cutout at the top (back) would be useful for cleanly routing the display cables to the back as flush as possible to the case, if the 90 degree cables would not fit well. Since they are compatible, I guess nevermind then.

Like a simple cable comb / routing channel, right?

 

[prebsus]

Is this at stock settings? I would just suggest increasing the fan speed but high 70s should not be that concerning.

You can remove that part, but there is a higher chance that the motherboard tray could get dislodged in the event that you bump the case hard. You would need to temporarily remove the front panel and nudge it back into place if that happens.

Thank's for the quick feedback! Yes, stock settings for the GPU. I'll play around with undervolting and increasing fan speed settings as well a bit, as I haven't done that yet.

And the higher chance of dislodged motherboard tray makes sense - I'll probably put the SATA-tray back in once this pandemic is over and I start traveling again. Cheers!

 

[NAVIAR]

Like a simple cable comb / routing channel, right?

Exactly!

 

[Nichronos]

92 mm AIO support when?

 

[oldmonk]

Received my Velka 7 a month or so ago and it's an amazing case. Main thing I would improve upon is including better cables (riser + GPU port extensions) or at least including them as options. Assembling the build only to have to take apart everything to set the BIOS to PCIE 3 before reassembling was pretty frustrating.

There are several things I'd like to do to optimise my Velka 7 build. Are any of these worth it?
https://j-hackcompany.com/?product=j-hack-m2426-customizable-kit
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D88XFDT/

Ideally there's a left/right version of this with more flexible cabling and both male+female connectors are angled, but I can't seem to find one:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000308855899.html

Otherwise, I've already done a NF-A12x15s fan mod on the L9a using J-Hacks 3D printed bracket + deshrouded my GPU (Gigabyte 3070 Eagle OC) + undervolted + added 2x Noctua NF-A12x15s, which has made a significant difference in terms of noise + temps. Had to use the widest setting for the GPU-side panel so it sticks out by 2mm but hoping to also create/print a 3D bracket for the GPU to replace the current hack job of zip-tying the fans to the panel grill.

 

[prebsus]

Received my Velka 7 a month or so ago and it's an amazing case. Main thing I would improve upon is including better cables (riser + GPU port extensions) or at least including them as options. Assembling the build only to have to take apart everything to set the BIOS to PCIE 3 before reassembling was pretty frustrating.

There are several things I'd like to do to optimise my Velka 7 build. Are any of these worth it?
https://j-hackcompany.com/?product=j-hack-m2426-customizable-kit
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D88XFDT/

Ideally there's a left/right version of this with more flexible cabling and both male+female connectors are angled, but I can't seem to find one:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000308855899.html

Otherwise, I've already done a NF-A12x15s fan mod on the L9a using J-Hacks 3D printed bracket + deshrouded my GPU (Gigabyte 3070 Eagle OC) + undervolted + added 2x Noctua NF-A12x15s, which has made a significant difference in terms of noise + temps. Had to use the widest setting for the GPU-side panel so it sticks out by 2mm but hoping to also create/print a 3D bracket for the GPU to replace the current hack job of zip-tying the fans to the panel grill.

Thanks for sharing the links to the possible optimizations you're considering.

I think it's worth noting, on your first point, that the manual *specifically* tells you to assemble the mobo+cpu+gpu w/ riser and extensions *before* you put the case together, to avoid having the problem you had. I also have a B550-series board with RTX3000-series GPU, so this would've also been a problem for me if I hadn't read the manual first. I think the way that Velkase is addressing this point in the manual is sufficient (although I would of course like a PCIe Gen4 riser and more up-to-date extensions as well, if that was readily available on the market)

 

[oldmonk]

I think it's worth noting, on your first point, that the manual *specifically* tells you to assemble the mobo+cpu+gpu w/ riser and extensions *before* you put the case together, to avoid having the problem you had. I also have a B550-series board with RTX3000-series GPU, so this would've also been a problem for me if I hadn't read the manual first. I think the way that Velkase is addressing this point in the manual is sufficient (although I would of course like a PCIe Gen4 riser and more up-to-date extensions as well, if that was readily available on the market)

Yeah, I'm aware, I got a bit over confident/excited and just went ahead with the full build, even having known about the potential required BIOS setting. My fault and can consider the PCIE3 part to not be a valid complaint.

 

[velka5simp]

92 mm AIO support when?

Would require relocating power button and cutting a hole in the front panel, ruining the entire deisng of the case. And it would need to get bigger if you wanna fit 645LT (Alphacool 92mm AIO is slimmer but has stupid tube routing).

 

[labmonke101]

Would require relocating power button and cutting a hole in the front panel, ruining the entire deisng of the case. And it would need to get bigger if you wanna fit 645LT (Alphacool 92mm AIO is slimmer but has stupid tube routing).

Your username is 10/10

 

[VELKASE Michael]

92 mm AIO support when?

There is no timeline for revisions yet. 92 mm AIO support might only be possible in the Velka 7 with a Flex ATX PSU instead of an SFX one and a short graphics card.