Log ZZAW C2 WHITE Build

[e214vall]

So I sent the file with along with a description to 6 different shops. Of them 2 replied but in the end I got only 1 offer . Nevermind the project is progressing so I don't complain. He asked for 20euros for this sheet of 1mm depth galvanised steel. I think this is a good offer, I mean I can't compare prices because I didn't receive other offers but I was expecting something more expensive. So far so good. Unfortunately he won't paint it since it would raise the cost considerably. I will have to do it myself it seems.

 

[e214vall]

So, while waiting for the side panel, I conducted an extensive thermal test of my CPU Cooler with the current i3 14100F that I have on hand.
I used OCCT to conduct 8 test runs. Each one lasted 5 minutes and after each run the programm was reset. I used the CPU stress test selecting between 1 and 8 threads each time. I took the average temperature and the average power draw after each run. The tests were conducted with the side panel off and all fans at 100%.

Results (ambient temperature 24oC):

1 Thread	31.27W	51.44oC
2 Threads	47.66W	57.75oC
3 Threads	60.89W	62.58oC
4 Threads	79.75W	68.74oC
5 Threads	87.46W	71.60oC
6 Threads	100.89W	80.45oC
7 Threads	106.25W	83.16oC
8 Threads	110.13W	83.67oC

Using now these values I made a graph predicting how the temperatures will behave if I stress test the i5 14600KF all the way to 180W:

Code Generated Image hosted at ImgBB

Image Code Generated Image hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

At 180W: The mathematical prediction is 112.3°C.
At 200W: The mathematical prediction is 120.6°C.

The actual CPU will hit 100oC and start to throttle at around 150W.

So what I get from this? I won't be able to cool the CPU during stress testing and heavy multithread workloads. But I don't care since the primary CPU usage will be into gaming.

What I also found out is that CPU temps stayed pretty much the same with side panel on or off. So my airflow is perfectly fine and I am fighting the limits of the peerless assassin 120 mini. Of course the situation changes drastically when the GPU comes into play, but the upgraded side panel will hopefully take care of that as well.

 

[samsonbl4]

You can try to do the tests without Noctua 92mm, as it may interfere with the normal operation of Corsair RS 120 MAX.

 

[e214vall]

You can try to do the tests without Noctua 92mm, as it may interfere with the normal operation of Corsair RS 120 MAX.

So I tried this and to my surprise the 92mm is quiet useless. Meaning that the difference between 100% and 20% which is its minimum speed, is 1 or 2 degrees (with the side panel on). The difference is within margin of error basically. This is good news actually because that 92mm fan can get quiet noisy. I also did a proper test with side panel on and off. The difference is about 3 degrees, so yeah there is a difference but it is marginal. I concluded that the CPU is entirely dependent to its cooler, airflow is a minor concern since I did what I could to maximise it.

 

[samsonbl4]

You can try moving fan up to provide fresh air to the CPU cooler. To avoid creating turbulence, it's best to use a low Noctua speed.

 

[e214vall]

Good afternoon,
unfortunately the guy from the shop I sent the side panel file called me and said something like this: "the lines of the hexagons and all the shapes in general are not closed and the programm is giving me errors, also the mounting holes don't have the same dimensions. I can cut it but the result will not be good." Unfortunately I really don't know what he means by the "lines are not closed" I am literally translating in english what he said by word so I don't know if it is called something else. Sorry to bother you my friend, I know you designed this in your free time and I am grateful for that. Do you know by any chance what the problem might be?
Thanks in advance.

 

[e214vall]

An update in CPU cooling for the case:
Since I am really trying to find the best possible way to cool my "future" i5 14600K inside my little case, I made an extensive search of what liquid cooling options I have. I know I currently have the best possible air cooler for my setup but I am open to suggestions. Unsuprisingly the options are very limited since the case does not natively support liquid cooling:

1) Some people mounted a 92mm AIO at the back of the case where my noctua fan sits. 92mm rad is going to be trash.

2) Some people mounted a 120mm AIO at the top of the case. 120mm rad is going to be trash as well.

3) One guy mounted a 240mm AIO (SilverStone VIDA 240 Slim) at the bottom of the case. 240mm rad would most certainly beat my PA 120 mini but it is not an option for me. The GPU sits flash with the front panel so there is no space for the tubes to reach the CPU area.

4) Finally, one guy mounted a 180mm AIO (Metalfish 180 AIO) at the top of the case. Problem is it was not my exact case but the C2P which is slightly larger. I made my measurements and the AIO could fit at my top area except for one problem. It would propably collide with the power socket that sits at the back. If the performance was better I could consider modifying the case a bit to make it fit. But the 180mm rad is essential 2 92mm fans long. Its surface area sits between a 120mm AIO and a 140mm AIO. I don't think it is worth it. If there were any actual reviews of this specific AIO I good judge for myself but unfortunately there is none. 180mm rad would propably be on par with my PA 120 mini but there is no way to test this and in any case the improvement would not be enough to warrant buying it.

So if ever anyone needs this, I believe the PA 120 mini is the absolute best possible CPU cooler for this case. I would be happy to be proven wrong though.

* As a side note, I also am aware of the existence of this thing: Jiushark JF13K Diamond. This CPU cooler actually beats the PA 120 mini according to gamer nexus and I have seen it fitted in my case. But in this specific case it would boil since it doesn't have access to fresh air. It would need a special side panel built around it and even then I don't know if it would match the PA 120 mini. Also it wouldn't fit in my specific configuration, it needs a SFX PSU in order to fit and I have a ATX. Nevertheless, it is an honorable mention.

 

[e214vall]

You can try moving fan up to provide fresh air to the CPU cooler. To avoid creating turbulence, it's best to use a low Noctua speed.

I really want to try this configuration but unfortunately it would need removing the GPU to move this fan around, which in turn means dissmantling the case. I will do it though when I change thermal paste in my GPU which needs to be done sooner or later.
I am also considering adding a second fan up there. So having 2 92mm noctuas running slowly (~500rpm) to provide plenty of fresh air for the PA 120 mini. What do you think?

 

[samsonbl4]

Good afternoon,
unfortunately the guy from the shop I sent the side panel file called me and said something like this: "the lines of the hexagons and all the shapes in general are not closed and the programm is giving me errors, also the mounting holes don't have the same dimensions. I can cut it but the result will not be good." Unfortunately I really don't know what he means by the "lines are not closed" I am literally translating in english what he said by word so I don't know if it is called something else. Sorry to bother you my friend, I know you designed this in your free time and I am grateful for that. Do you know by any chance what the problem might be?
Thanks in advance.

I understand the problem, but I don't understand why it occurred. I created a new file in two different programs, and I hope everything will be fine this time.
I also noticed that the letters "C2" were too large, and it was easy to insert a finger into the hole. In the new file, I made the letters thinner.
I created different holes because the left holes in the guy's drawing in the article were offset by 1 mm from each other. Since I didn't know which direction to move the hole, I made the two left holes identical slots. The right holes remained normal.

 

[e214vall]

You are really great my friend. Thank you very much! I sent the files and will share feedback tomorrow. If he has any problems again, I will find someone else. Thanks again!

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

So I tried this and to my surprise the 92mm is quiet useless. Meaning that the difference between 100% and 20% which is its minimum speed, is 1 or 2 degrees (with the side panel on).

Just create a fan duct. For tests, using simple card board is totally fine. I did the same, but not with the useless Noctua 92 mm, but instead with the Silver Soul 110 92 mm fan. Also tested with the Arctic P9 Max, which is a bit louder in the top range, but aside of that performs almost identical. As this one is probably much easier to come by, I suggest getting that one and just tune it so it doesnt quite hit the max rpm (and noise level).

So my exact setup was:
- Ryzen 9 7950X untamed (because of a weird BIOS reset in the B650-E board)
- Asrock PG-ITX B650-E (look it up, its all those weird letters)
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135 with P12 Max - set to intake
- P9 Max / Silver Soul 110 92 mm - set to intake
- Silverstone Air Slimmer 120 mm - mounted on top, directly between the CPU cooler and the PSU, set to exhaust
- fan duct using card board, from the 92 mm intake directly to the CPU cooler
- fan duct from the front of the CPU cooler up to the top exhaust fan

Test results:

Log - Portable workstation (K77 Lite)

Ok, test results are in: Dual-Fan: NF-A9 + Arctic P9 Max, overall temp ~22° C (+0.8 than normal) a) Idle: - 36.2 C (tcl) - 25.2 C (tccd1) - 26.2 C (tccd2) - nvme: 40.9 C / sensor 1: 34.9, sensor 2: 38,9 C b) full sustained load (5 minutes) - 73.2 C - 72.8 -...

smallformfactor.net

cu, w0lf.

 

[e214vall]

So, an update:
Unfortunately no one seems to bother making the custom panel, all the shops I contacted simply ignore me and the few who responded went quiet as well when I tried to discuss the details. Anyways the side panel is crucial so I won't stop trying to make it.
To keep me occupied, I bought several stuff for my PC through AliExpress and Ebay and I am currently waiting for them to arrive. Among others, PTM 7950 for CPU and GPU cores plus UTP-8 thermal putty for a complete GPU thermal overhaul. I considered deshrouding but decided against it eventually cause I love the aesthetic. I want to see results after the thermal overhaul first and if I still got problems, I will proceed to slap 2 T30 on it and observe.
I also experimented with some ducting and I want some advice:

IMG 20260628 125435 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG 20260628 125435 hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

IMG 20260628 125445 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG 20260628 125445 hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

IMG 20260628 125450 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG 20260628 125450 hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

IMG 20260628 125459 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG 20260628 125459 hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

I am mostly concerned about the top left corner. samsonbl4 suggested I put a 92mm fan there as an intake, but I am concerned that it will be sucking hot air back in from the much more powerful exhaust fan sitting beside it. The other option is to cover it with the duct as I did with the other side. So the back fan is enclosed from all sides and pulling air only through the back. But then again, will the enclosed 92mm fan be enough to feed the 120mm thick CPU fan? Maybe I should replace the Noctua fan with something more powerful but louder as a result? I want your opinion. Unfortunately I can not do testing right now because I have opened my GPU waiting my stuff to arrive so it will all be guesswork for the time being.

 

[samsonbl4]

Hi, friend. I think the hot air on the right will immediately mix with the outside air, preventing the hot air from escaping to the left. You could try ordering a laser cutting service on AliExpress. I don't know how much it would cost, but I've seen such services there.

 

[samsonbl4]

Right now, the metal shop is manufacturing the case according to my design. During our work‑related communication with the craftsman, I learned that when the metal shop opens the file for laser cutting, problems can arise not only with the lines. The part’s dimensions may change due to reading errors — even though all the lines will look fine. As a result, the metal shop might produce a part with incorrect dimensions. I wasn’t aware of this before. When you send a file to the metal shop, I recommend also sending an image of the part showing its dimensions, and asking the metal shop to compare the dimensions in the file with those in the image to avoid any issues.

 

[e214vall]

Hello friend! I was right about to post an update! I finally found someone who seems to be willing to proceed with your design! I am really excited! Problem is that for whatever reason, again he can't open the files, both of them, his software just gives him an error with no context this time. He asked if I can provide the file in .pdf, he said it will be easier that way, I found some .dxf to .pdf converters online so I will give it a shot. Hope I will make it this time. By now I must have contacted at least 10 to 15 shops, their main problem being that I only want 1 prototype and not more. Anyways, regarding your latest message, it got me thinking, which country are you from? If the metal shop you made business with can send the part overseas I would be glad to be his customer as well, provided he has an online shop of some form and I can place an order. I am from Greece, Athens by the way.

 

[e214vall]

The idea being that since he can open your files, then he will be able to make my panel as well. If this asking too much though don't hesitate to tell me, you have already helped me greatly with my project and I thank you for that!

 

[samsonbl4]

I’m from Ryazan, Russia. I could help with the manufacturing, but given the current situation, that’s not possible.
I saved the file as a PDF and in two universal formats—STEP and IGES. These aren't used for laser cutting directly, but the metal shop can generate a DXF file from them in a couple of minutes. I hope this helps.

 

[e214vall]

It's been like 3 months? Anyways I finally placed an order for the side panel. I mean I paid so they should make it . It was harder than I expected but nonetheless I am happy! It should arrive early next week so I will post an update here with everything I had done then. Just hope it will fit at the case! Will post an update as soon as it arrives.

 

[e214vall]

IMG 20260829 114937 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG 20260829 114937 hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

First look! Will come back with impression!

 

[samsonbl4]

Looks good. As far as I can see, the dimensions are correct? Why did you decide to turn the cover around? Is it better for the temperature?