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DAN A4-SFX - The smallest ITX gaming case in the world! [Crowd-funding coming soon]

M

MRORANGE

Member


http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1799326

some of you might be aware of HardForums, a few years ago some of the members were unhappy with ITX case designs and decided to create a new itx case to suit gamers who wanted a sleek and professional case, using their designs and managing to get crwodfunded for the NCASE M1. This case has been highly praised by the gaming community for it's premium build quality and form factor with no compromises.

Now another member from HF called dondan has come up with a ITX form factor smaller than the NCASE which can still hold high end components and long graphics cards has come up with the DAN A4-SFX. This project has been in the works for a few years and with the same hopes with the NCASE the plan is to crowd-fund it and get the cases out by 2016.

Some quotes and images

"The A4-SFX case is a one-man project with my goal being to create the smallest case possible
while still using high end standardized components such as Core i7 processors and powerful full length GPUs such as the Nvidia GTX 980.
The result is a unique product that is much smaller than all competing cases. This case is perfect for SFF enthusiasts,
those who need a portable system, developers who require a case with a smaller footprint due to limited desk space,
and gamers who want a PC experience in their living room. ":

dan_a4-sfx_1_1200p1j42.jpg


dan_a4-sfx_6_1200w3jw4.jpg


1030k0r.jpg


img_2553plrt1.jpg


picture48sb2.jpg
Click to expand...

I honestly think it's worth checking out the thread, as he explains in detail on how cooling is handled, what temps you will get and how developments is going.
 
D

Darryl M R

Member
So these are the people who made the nCase? That case is already amazing I want to see what they do this with!

Oh it is just another guy from the same forum. . Hmm I don't know the nCase is a masterpiece, it would be hard to improve by using a different design.
 
G

Guy LeDouche

Banned
i want it so bad. I'm probably still a few years off from a full build, but it will be m-itx for sure. my big fractal r3 has been great but I want a mac pro sized gaming pc.
 
D

Darryl M R

Member
I don't know why but I think the nCase looks better. But if this is better for air flow and GPU card fitting then it would be a no brainer.

Is there a price for the case? (edit 150-250)
 
A

Airan

Member
Only 1 USB port? NO SALE!

Really though, a 2nd would've been nice for those rare couch co-op PC games.
 
G

Grief.exe

Member
Airan said:
Only 1 USB port? NO SALE!

Really though, a 2nd would've been nice for those rare couch co-op PC games.
Click to expand...

You're really stretching multiple USB cables across your living room instead of going wireless? Yet you can't justify an extra foot of cable to reach to the back?

Co-op PC games are far from rare.
 
D

Darryl M R

Member
So examining the nCase and this, where is a dedicated earphone/headphone plug in? Or how will I be able to use my non bluetooth headsets?
 
Z

ZOONAMI

Junior Member
Hadron air isn't much bigger, comes with a gold 500w psu, would be easier to build, and you can throw a slot load bluray in it.
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
ZOONAMI said:
Hadron air isn't much bigger, comes with a gold 500w psu, would be easier to build, and you can throw a slot load bluray in it.
Click to expand...
The 500W PSU in the Hadron is fairly noisy, especially for a living room case. This can hold Silverstone's 700W SFX PSU.

That's about the only benefit. I don't think it's significant enough to where I would consider getting one of these over a Hadron Air if I were looking for a super small case.
 
cyberheater

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
Airan said:
Only 1 USB port? NO SALE!

Really though, a 2nd would've been nice for those rare couch co-op PC games.
Click to expand...

A single microsoft Xbox dongle can handle up to 4 controllers.
 
S

secretanchitman

Member
Looks sweet. If they had interchangeable front panels it would be a bonus (maybe for backing it on Kickstarter/IndieGoGo).

I would pick one up if the reviews are solid. I'm fine with getting rid of the 5.25" and 3.5" drive bays and going SSD/2.5" drives only. The single USB 3.0 port on the front is also no big deal.
 
A

adamantypants

Member
I always wonder why high quality PCIe risers aren't used more regularly in case designs. This case is so absurdly small it's probably gonna push me into SFF building.
 
M

mkenyon

Banned
adamantypants said:
I always wonder why high quality PCIe risers aren't used more regularly in case designs. This case is so absurdly small it's probably gonna push me into SFF building.
Click to expand...
It's becoming more of a thing.

But, a tl;dr of why is because it adds cost. Any case above $100 is a niche of a niche.
 
A

Azure Phoenix

Member
It's impressive how cases have got smaller and smaller while still being able to pack good components, but I'm disappointed that they all just focus on cutting the height and not so much the depth. My desk simply cannot take a regular PC case because they're all far too deep, and it seems Silverstone are the only company that have made cases designed for small desks.
 
J

justgames7604

Member
Man sfx power supplies suck, because of low availability and only Silverstone make them right now. They used to suck harder because of the 450 watt limit.

I just avoid anything that conforms to sfx due to being in Australia with them mark ups.
 
S

Siddiqui

Member
I saw this a while ago. 7.25L, not only the smallest but smallest by a good amount. Next smallest decent case AFAIK is the sugo sg05 [I have this one] at 10.8 L. The ncase m1 is 12.6L, upcoming rvz02 is 12 L still, etc.

It's expected to be very expensive though. It uses an insulated ribbon cable instead of a riser card. It's of high quality and supports pcie 3.0 and 4.0 but it's supposed to be quite expensive. The cost is expected to be between 150 and 250 dollars and this depends mostly on how much the cable will end up costing.

I'm not a fan of sacrificing a second front usb port just for aesthetics. Also, there's minimal room for CPU cooling. It would limit some options and might force a small and loud cooling solution.

If it was cheaper I would certainly be more interested but for $200 I don't know.
 
M

Momentary

Banned
pantsattack said:
I really wish someone from this case design crowd would make a matx case with as much thoughtfulness and nice design.
Click to expand...

There's plenty out there. Even the slim ones fit fullsized graphics cards:

Rayge said:
Speaking of small cases, RVZ02 should be getting released out into the wild soon.

rvz02-34-2.jpg
rvz02-front.jpg
rvz02-front-1.jpg



They also have the ML08 for those looking for something a bit less gamey.

ml08-34right.jpg
ml08-front-2.jpg




Even the small and elegant PC-O5S can fit a full loop in it.

Digi%20Storm_zpsp9apon8u.png
Click to expand...
 
D

dmshaposv

Member
So happy that not only small cases are becoming a thing, but the disgusting tacky blue/green neon light gaudy aesthetic of bigger cases and alienware/razer shit (glowy lights for 'gamers') are dying out.

I want my pc to look premium and elegant with subtle design cues.
 
M

MLH

Member
I'm currently using the NCASE M1 and I'm super happy with it. It offers the small size but easy access to all my components, a brilliant design. This looks like it might be more difficult to access the SSD, plus it can't fit a larger CPU heat sink. Still, it's tempting, I'll certainly keep an eye on it, but for the time being the NCASE is perfect for me.
 
A

adamantypants

Member
mkenyon said:
It's becoming more of a thing.

But, a tl;dr of why is because it adds cost. Any case above $100 is a niche of a niche.
Click to expand...
Makes sense. I've been telling myself I'm gonna go SFF for over a year now and I've just been too lazy/cheap to do it.
dmshaposv said:
So happy that not only small cases are becoming a thing, but the disgusting tacky blue/green neon light gaudy aesthetic of bigger cases and alienware/razer shit (glowy lights for 'gamers') are dying out.

I want my pc to look premium and elegant with subtle design cues.
Click to expand...

Amen. That stuff is infuriating. I just want my case to be as small and simple as possible. For me, the 1 USB port up front is a positive. I rarely have anything plugged in the front, other than a flash drive from time to time.
 
G

GloriousBagel

Banned
wsippel said:
Glad to hear that, I'll get mine tomorrow. :)
Click to expand...

Oh man, you're going to love it. It was so easy to set up the cable management. All I did was shove the cables into the other chamber where the power supply is housed. My build looks very sleek, wish I was home so I could post pics.
 
W

wsippel

Banned
GloriousBagel said:
Oh man, you're going to love it. It was so easy to set up the cable management. All I did was shove the cables into the other chamber where the power supply is housed. My build looks very sleek, wish I was home so I could post pics.
Click to expand...
Sounds great. I'm really bad at cable management, which is exactly why I wanted this case in the first place.
 
B

Boombox On

Member
Someone's going to have to explain to me why no major hardware manufacturer can manage to make a case as small as this or the Steam Machine prototype (which actually beats this by a miniscule amount). There must be some caveat for having it mass-produced

EDIT: did the math, this case (442 cubic inches) is smaller than an xbox one (449 cubic inches)
 
D

Darryl M R

Member
MLH said:
I'm currently using the NCASE M1 and I'm super happy with it. It offers the small size but easy access to all my components, a brilliant design. This looks like it might be more difficult to access the SSD, plus it can't fit a larger CPU heat sink. Still, it's tempting, I'll certainly keep an eye on it, but for the time being the NCASE is perfect for me.
Click to expand...

I would love to hear more from nCase owners on what they think about this case. I feel like both designs are great but for some reason the nCase looks better to me.
 
X

Xplatformer

Member
dmshaposv said:
So happy that not only small cases are becoming a thing, but the disgusting tacky blue/green neon light gaudy aesthetic of bigger cases and alienware/razer shit (glowy lights for 'gamers') are dying out.

I want my pc to look premium and elegant with subtle design cues.
Click to expand...

Yup. Agree 100%. I'm an older gamer though.

I'm curious what the internal thermal temps are for this case.

Airflow, if you throw in 1 SSD, a 3.5 hd...has got to be a bitch. I have plenty of open space in my Node 304 but compared to that this case looks like the internals would run hot with the lack of airflow.
 
L

Lothars

Member
dmshaposv said:
So happy that not only small cases are becoming a thing, but the disgusting tacky blue/green neon light gaudy aesthetic of bigger cases and alienware/razer shit (glowy lights for 'gamers') are dying out.

I want my pc to look premium and elegant with subtle design cues.
Click to expand...
Best case I have ever owned is a Corsair Obsidian 700D, it's a massive case but it is top notch.
 
M

MLH

Member
Darryl M R said:
I would love to hear more from nCase owners on what they think about this case. I feel like both designs are great but for some reason the nCase looks better to me.
Click to expand...

The NCASE is obviously bigger so allows more options, which is good if you're someone like me that inevitably ends up swapping components every year plus efficient cooling is very important to me.

So far the DAN A4 looks like it has taken the idea of the NCASE to the extreme, limiting ones component choices to SFX PSUs, Specific Dual Slot GFX cards (still full length though!) and small CPU heat-sinks. It reminds me of the Steam Boxes we've seen, tightly packed off shelf components. It's a very appealing, and I have no desire for the many useless components of the past decade (multiple 3.5" HDDs, Large 5.25" ODDs, bulky useless fan controllers) Everything the DAN-A4 allows for is all you need.

It's certainly won't be for everyone, I imagine many non-blower style cards won't fit due to bulky heat-skins (it's clearly a conscious design decision) but the same could be said for the NCASE (limited to mITX boards seems to be a common complaint). If money wasn't so limited I would jump on this in a second, probably use it as a living room steam box.
 
Y

Yudoken

Member
Airan said:
Only 1 USB port? NO SALE!

Really though, a 2nd would've been nice for those rare couch co-op PC games.
Click to expand...

Maybe you are talking about a current gen console but the PC is THE multiplayer device, our Wii U and PS4 is just keeping more dust and dirt.
Look up various websites/gaf threads and be amazed how many games there are for multiplayer.
Just get a Bluetooth stick and DS4s and/or DS3s or a wireless 360 pc dongle and 360 pads and you're good to go!

IF you really just want to use wired ones just buy an extension USB cable and a USB hub with an charger.
 
D

Darryl M R

Member
MLH said:
The NCASE is obviously bigger so allows more options, which is good if you're someone like me that inevitably ends up swapping components every year plus efficient cooling is very important to me.

So far the DAN A4 looks like it has taken the idea of the NCASE to the extreme, limiting ones component choices to SFX PSUs, Specific Dual Slot GFX cards (still full length though!) and small CPU heat-sinks. It reminds me of the Steam Boxes we've seen, tightly packed off shelf components. It's a very appealing, and I have no desire for the many useless components of the past decade (multiple 3.5" HDDs, Large 5.25" ODDs, bulky useless fan controllers) Everything the DAN-A4 allows for is all you need.

It's certainly won't be for everyone, I imagine many non-blower style cards won't fit due to bulky heat-skins (it's clearly a conscious design decision) but the same could be said for the NCASE (limited to mITX boards seems to be a common complaint). If money wasn't so limited I would jump on this in a second, probably use it as a living room steam box.
Click to expand...

I do not have a nCase so I don't know how big/small it really is but I thought this case was right around that size to be honest.
 
Y

Yudoken

Member
pantsattack said:
I really wish someone from this case design crowd would make a matx case with as much thoughtfulness and nice design.
Click to expand...

sg10-2b.jpg


Got a Silverstone SG10 and put a SLI 970 in it without having to buy special components (other than a matx mainboard) and it looks and works fantastic!
Got a lot praise from my friends especially how fast and easy I can get ready for a LAN party somewhere else and beating other rigs which are way bigger and even hotter than mine! (thanks to the two 120mm fans directly cooling the gpus, one 120mm for the cpu and one big 180 mm fan cooling everything else).
I can even carry everything to the car without any help.
One of the best looking and designed cases without compromising almost anything!
 
S

Siddiqui

Member
Boombox On said:
Someone's going to have to explain to me why no major hardware manufacturer can manage to make a case as small as this or the Steam Machine prototype (which actually beats this by a miniscule amount). There must be some caveat for having it mass-produced
Click to expand...

Not sure but there are some things I've noticed. If you look closely at the back of the prototype you'll realize that it can't accommodate normal graphics cards. There's two pieces of metal jutting out normally that would bump into the IO area.

Valve-Steam-machine-prototype-7.jpg
Click to expand...

Instead it uses this card with a custom backplate you can't find anywhere:

VNiZkFWHMMgMoxAr
Click to expand...
Normal:
GeForce-GTX-780_4.jpg
Click to expand...

It assumes the cpu and cooler is in a certain position so it can sneak the hard drive in above the MB:
oiqYDvQAPGiI1Cps
Click to expand...

The power cable may also have to be routed properly instead of in the way of the air intake of non blower type gpus:
BDGQNPBcglYQ1mZG
Click to expand...
This might be trivial or it might be harder than it looks since the connection at the back is mounted to the wall rather than directly to the back [which may not even be a sturdy way to mount it in the first place] to save space thus limiting options. Also, note the prototype uses only regular sfx power supplies but these can get loud at load so people are now designing cases to accommodate larger sfx-L power supplies.
 
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