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https://www.dan-cases.com/dana4_spec.html

Great, glad to hear it. Okay, but read upthread a bit. Apparently orienting the heatpipe curves at 12:00 reduces cooling performance. Honestly, after mounting the fan you won't see much of the heatsink anyway, especially if you use a fan shroud. Which, by the way, I highly recommend for the A4.

The pipes do clear the RAM when the curves are pointed to 9:00. I avoided this orientation at first because one of the heatpipe stubs blocks a fan header, but decided to work around this given Engr62's advice above. If those stubs clear that trapezoid-like structure on the Strix Z390-I this...

Hmm, I see. I've read others cite a supposed airflow benefit to a vertical orientation for the fins, but I couldn't achieve that orientation with this motherboard. What you shared is the first heat pipe orientation advice I've seen from a manufacturer. I wish Cooltek said the same. Let me see...

Care to explain why?

I completely agree. It's really tricky fitting a troll-shaped case on top of a desk. :android:

This should help. All measurements are eyeballed in-case, and may be off by a mm or two.

Alas, ultra-SFF with TOTL components is dead. Long live SFF.

Sandwich layout, please. It’s a more elegant and visually iconic solution. An A4-like case with room for top-mounted* radiator(s) sounds perfect to me. *(the rads must sit above the pumps!)

Twin 120 rad flexibility is more important as it opens up many closed-loop GPU options, out-of-the-box and otherwise. That's an unfortunate tradeoff with case aesthetics, though. Is there no alternative to the snap-in pegs for side panel mounting – perhaps some sort of thin hook and latch...

Dan, doesn't ASUS make a 2080 version of the Turbo GeForce that would fit the A4?

https://www.amazon.com/JIUWU-NGFF-PCI-Express-Adapter/dp/B01I2WVFLU

It's a good question; let's address it empirically. Dan designed the C4's riser and case back + spacer to support up to '2.5-slot widths'. What, precisely, does that mean in mm? Knowing this value we can compare all the new RTX boards as OEMs begin publishing their physical dimensions.

There's always the locking plastic tab that latches onto the card, just behind the slot. I had presumed this was part of the PCI standard... for full-length slots, at least. Is it not?

^ This. Especially noticeable since my A4 sits on a white surface. Like a muddy child, the case leaves behind footprints wherever it goes. Anyone have a good source for replacement feet?

Still, you make a good point, pendragon1. I do not understand why Dan shows the rad-on-bottom layout as the 'default'.

Shroud plans and discussion, both upthread.

A fan shroud between the Noctua and the side panel will help with the temps. In lieu of a 3D-printed part, makeshift 'flaps' around the edge of the fan can easily be fashioned with gaffer's tape.

Perfect, glad to help. I'm curious how well it mounts in the A4; guessing it will need standoffs to set flush against the front case. If you try it, please post pics.

Dan's cable is a custom design, so you won't find a drop-in replacement unless he chooses to source one. Last I heard, he does not intend to at this time. I don't have a USB 3.1 header on my mobo, but have considered trying to mod one of these cables into my A4. Similarly, you could try the...

Sorry, no, these won't fit in the A4. Dan's in-progress C4-SFX does have accommodations for 2.5-slot cards, however. Hard to tell, but if I had to guess from eyeballing the photos: no. I have a Gigabyte 10-series card, with a similar plastic shroud, but it doesn't extend nearly as much as the...

If aesthetics is your goal, the Founders Edition RTXs look cleaner than the OEM designs, IMO. They're also smaller: 10.5" long, vs. 11"+ for many of the others.

Why do you prefer blower cards in the A4?

dondan, congratulations and good health to you and your family!

dondan, on the SFF forum you alluded to a (possible) return of the A4-style riser and layout. Can you elaborate?

Got it. The concerns raised earlier in this thread involved the lag or responsiveness of these portable displays. With this, a native DisplayPort model, that concern is eliminated. But yeah, no bueno if your GPU of choice won't drive it; clearly they designed these for laptops. If these...

And a thought: for the metal side panels, would it make sense to expand the vents / perforations, extending them further toward the top and bottom? Looking at the GPU in the pics above, a portion of the fan sits below the perforations. This will be even more pronounced with two or three larger...

dondan the front panel looks really nice. Is it a thicker cut of aluminum than the top and sides, or just an illusion of the photograph?

Nice pics! Did you take any with the radiator on top?

That monitor is native. It does not require DisplayLink drivers. It's using either DisplayPort or HDMI (most likely the former) and connecting through the USB-C port, but not communicating over the USB protocol. It would be perfectly fine for gaming.

dondan, for the top panel place the front screws in the corners just like the rear ones. This way they'll align with the side panels' fasteners as well as the side-mounted ports.

There's no need for Thunderbolt, even. If it's a USB-C connector it could use alternate mode for a true DisplayPort link. Take advantage of USB-PD for power and you have a single-cable, native-performance display. EDIT: have been searching for detailed specs on the new HP display richiegore...

Fabrice974, nice work, I love that color scheme. What going on with those cables on the GPU side – did you flip the PSU?

Personally I see a lot of lines, and in particular, exposed seams. The lack of these seams is exactly what made the A4 so beautiful, IMO of course. I'll ask this once and then let it go. But, dondan, is there any chance of: 1. Bringing the window panels edge-to-edge on the top and bottom 2...

^^ That's the trouble with a non-randomized order; the first items in the list are more likely to receive a middling score, in the middle of the bell. I liked to your case, amvoith – a very clean look.

Then give it a 1 in your vote, but lay off Dan. Some like a retro vibe and not everyone shares your tastes, obv.

So... you must vote as you see each image before proceeding to the next. You can't view them all before voting. And the order appears to fixed, not random. Dan, I think this process will bias the results. How do I baseline my curve? What defines a three vs a four, and won't that change by the...

That's a good list. I'm glad you're testing the dual water block Alphacool configuration, and eager to learn how well it works. Regarding the other components, if possible could you test some higher power and hotter components? It seems wise given the kinds of rigs A4 users are building...

Having to accept a reorientation of the radiator just to place the ports on your preferred side? That seems an odd tradeoff to me. On the other hand, how many other cases can be flipped in the first place? Symmetrically placed ports – top or front – seems the most user-friendly solution. Front...

Right, I was recalling a requirement that PC-mounted Type-C ports only serve USB spec 3.1 or greater. Perhaps I misremember, or this was a recommendation and not required. I think this is more on Intel. Apple's first Type-C port did not include Thunderbolt. Intel, by withholding gen2 speeds...