How do you cool Pentium G4400 in a 1U form factor?

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chieften

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Sep 20, 2018
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Got to do kinda the same setup but for Atom CPU with heatsink already installed.
So what you are saying is you are using the stock cooler for the c3000 with socket FCBGA1310, and the stock cooler is passive so you fastened the dynatron blower on top of your passive stock cooler? How is that working for your temps? Is there no aftermarket cooler which fits the FCBGA1310?
 

jang430

Active Member
Mar 16, 2017
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For those interested to know how I finally did it.

I initially used Gelid fan. Finally, I thought the chassis top was getting a bit hot, and the fan might not be enough to handle the processor. I bought a Dynatron K199 instead, and just installed it right now. Seems the heat on top of the case is about the same. Will just leave the Dynatron as it is. BTW, I have a Gigabit metal switch directly on top of the 1U chassis, maybe that's why it's a bit hot on top. But I have my Gelid fan running for over a month, with the switch on top, without a problem.

Then there's the other issue of how to get it silent. If I were to use the PSU that came with the chassis, it will be too noisy. I had to improvise. I have a pico psu lying around from old mini itx case (industrial type). I gutted out the psu board. I used Epoxy on the standoffs, and had it mounted on the chassis. Screwed the pico psu on the standoffs. For portability, and compactness, I used Velcro on the power adaptor, and put it inside instead of outside the chassis. Used Velcro on the SSD as well. I manually traced the pins on the chassis, and only got the power switch, reset switch, power led, and hdd led working. I don't have the network activity led functioning. Although getting the network activity led will make this DIY case/ Firewall look awesome. As for the back, I don't have I/O plate, so I had to manually file :D the holes. I could have cut out the whole rectangular section, to put in a backplate, but this motherboard of mine is missing backplate too, so I had to file the holes, cut the rectangles manually instead. Comments on how to improve this is more than welcome :D

I forgot to mention, I used this as a home firewall. I bought a dual port Intel NIC card, and bought a riser cable to fit it on the chassis. Though I feel my riser cable is too wide, 16x whereas a x4 riser cable could probably been better for air circulation.

Again, if anyone can offer how to get network activity led working, I'm happy to hear it.
 

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canta

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Nov 26, 2014
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For those interested to know how I finally did it.

I initially used Gelid fan. Finally, I thought the chassis top was getting a bit hot, and the fan might not be enough to handle the processor. I bought a Dynatron K199 instead, and just installed it right now. Seems the heat on top of the case is about the same. Will just leave the Dynatron as it is. BTW, I have a Gigabit metal switch directly on top of the 1U chassis, maybe that's why it's a bit hot on top. But I have my Gelid fan running for over a month, with the switch on top, without a problem.

Then there's the other issue of how to get it silent. If I were to use the PSU that came with the chassis, it will be too noisy. I had to improvise. I have a pico psu lying around from old mini itx case (industrial type). I gutted out the psu board. I used Epoxy on the standoffs, and had it mounted on the chassis. Screwed the pico psu on the standoffs. For portability, and compactness, I used Velcro on the power adaptor, and put it inside instead of outside the chassis. Used Velcro on the SSD as well. I manually traced the pins on the chassis, and only got the power switch, reset switch, power led, and hdd led working. I don't have the network activity led functioning. Although getting the network activity led will make this DIY case/ Firewall look awesome. As for the back, I don't have I/O plate, so I had to manually file :D the holes. I could have cut out the whole rectangular section, to put in a backplate, but this motherboard of mine is missing backplate too, so I had to file the holes, cut the rectangles manually instead. Comments on how to improve this is more than welcome :D

I forgot to mention, I used this as a home firewall. I bought a dual port Intel NIC card, and bought a riser cable to fit it on the chassis. Though I feel my riser cable is too wide, 16x whereas a x4 riser cable could probably been better for air circulation.

Again, if anyone can offer how to get network activity led working, I'm happy to hear it.
I use the same 16x extenstion for my 4 years old build proxmox (need to get a replacement with a beefy-one . this is a4-5000 embedded x86 processor, . I just rebuild with haswell e3 /16G ram and printing supports and case with 3d printer for my own taste)

my suggestion is do not put powerbrick inside the case, powerbrick is generating heat-much and need passive ambient cooling. you can use DC jack for connector from powerbrick to the u1 case.

blower fan is perfect for low height situation. can you motherboard control the fan?, if does., it is good. if not you have no choice to build temperature control Fan ( I did with arduino pro mini clone, very easy) or just you do to use fix fan rpm.

DIY network acitivity is not hard. just find the right pin and simple re-soldering.
I did it before for 1U supermicro case, but lost the documentation as how sloopy I am.
 

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ullbeking

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Jul 28, 2017
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I could imagine maybe using a SC505-203B with a Pentium G4560 (the Pentium I have that is most similar to yours). When the case is normally used with an Atom 2758F it's quiet enough for me. I'm considering a chassis like this for the G4560. I'm thinking about the Noctua NH-L9i but it requires a 37 mm clearance on top. I don't think there will be enough space. Would somebody who has similar hardware be kind enough to do a sanity check please? I'd greatly appreciate it!
 

jang430

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Mar 16, 2017
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@ullbeking , if I didn’t have a server chassis already there, I would have chosen the SC505-203B case. Since it is a firewall, I also prefer the rj45 ports to be in front. Though the case is only good for mini-itx, and upgrading in the future will be limited. Also, you have to find boards that have I/O plate.
 

ullbeking

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Jul 28, 2017
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@ullbeking , if I didn’t have a server chassis already there, I would have chosen the SC505-203B case. Since it is a firewall, I also prefer the rj45 ports to be in front. Though the case is only good for mini-itx, and upgrading in the future will be limited. Also, you have to find boards that have I/O plate.
The SC505-203B chassis is fantastic. I have many of them.

However... are you simply assuming that the G4400 will be able to be cooled sufficiently in this chassis?

Your concerns can be addressed by purchasing a SuperServer with the board you want rather than putting the whole thing together from many pieces. It's always preferable to opt for a SuperServer if it checks all the right boxes, and it saves you a LOT of time in the long run.

Personally I like the SC505-203B for Atom C2000 (and hopefully C3000 series in the future) boards with SoC's because they are SO QUIET. This makes them ideal for general purpose home servers where quietness is the most important factor.
 
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