ZS A4 v3 (inverted)

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cowffeeee
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South Korea
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ZS A4 v3 (inverted)

I started planning a SFF build around the time the NR200 was announced, and my original intention was to build in the NR200. However, before purchasing, I found out about the SFF spreadsheet and after looking through the list I settled on the ZS A4 v3. I chose the 5900x for my CPU as I'll be using this rig for both gaming and creative productions & wanted a CPU that could last me for a few years without the need to upgrade. I went with the B550i AORUS for my motherboard as I didn't need USB-C. I chose the AXP100 for my cooler mainly after watching Hardware Canucks's P-ATX video. They used the same combination of CPU + Cooler and their testing results were very nice. For the RAM, I went with 64 GB of Vulcan Z as it was low profile, high capacity, and on sale for $175 on newegg around black friday. The SK Hynix P31 was my choice of SSD. As I was planning to install a Gen 3 drive in the back slot of the B550i Aorus so I could save the front slot for a Gen 4 drive (when prices for those drop), I wanted something that wouldn't produce much heat while still being fast, and the P31 fit the criteria perfectly (I still bought a slim heatsink for it as well). The 1070 FE I reused from my old ATX build and with the GPU shenanigans going on right now I decided to just stick with it as it's still a very serviceable card.

The build process wasn't very difficult - it just took some time mainly due to me screwing in some of the brackets and panels upside down a few times. Some time was also spent figuring out how to route the PSU extension cable so that it wouldn't interfere with the A12x15 at the bottom. The tolerances are incredibly tight and the case is overall very sleek. The only thing I didn't like is that the extra fan bracket didn't come threaded so I had to spend extra time and effort threading it myself with the included screws and had to blow away the metal dust afterwards.

CPU thermals: max temps of 87C on a -15 all core undervolt.
GPU thermals: 77C max with a 900/1865 undervolt.
Noise level wise, ambient is 33dBA and it maxes out at 39dBA using a decibel meter app.

I added a little pull handle made of a shoelace for lifting the top panel up as I cannot use the lever after flipping the case.

The build pictures have the fans in the wrong direction, I flipped them the day after the initial building
Color(s): Black
RGB Lighting? No
Theme: none
Cooling: Air Cooling
Size: SFF
Type: General Build

Contests

This build participated in 2 contests.

Hardware

CPU
$ 262.99
AMD - Ryzen 9 (5900x)
Socket: AM4
Cores: 12
Motherboard
$ 147.81
Gigabyte - Aorus Pro AX (B550I)
Chipset: B550
CPU Socket: AM4
Size: Mini-ITX
Memory
$ 179.99
TeamGroup - Vulcan
Type: DDR4
Capacity: 64 GB
Graphics
$ 229.99
NVIDIA - Founders Edition
Chip Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip: GTX 1070
Storage
$ 94.99
SK Hynix - Gold P31
Form Factor: M.2
Interface: M.2 (M)
Capacity: 1 TB
PSU
$ 285.00
Corsair - SF750
Wattage: 750
Form Factor: SFX
Efficiency: 80+ Platinum
Case
$ 130.00
ZS Cases - A4 V3
Type: Mini-ITX
Side Panel: Mesh
Case Fan
$ 29.95
Noctua - NF-A12x15 PWM (Brown)
Size: 120 mm
Case Fan
$ 10.00
Scythe - Slip Stream
Size: 120 mm
Case Fan
$ 19.99
Thermaltake - Toughfan 12
Size: 120 mm
Cooling
$ 217.00
Thermalright - AXP-100 Full Copper
Type: Air Cooler
Size (WxHxD): 120 mm
Estimated total value of this build:
$ 1,623.72
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