CWWK/Topton/... Nxxx quad NIC router

[Stovar]

If this is a reply to me; I have a 120 mm Noctua Fan sitting on the fins and with the standard bios settings it is enough cooled and the fan is not noticeable.

Just in general, sure its fine even mine is without a fan but what happens if you hit hot humid summer temperatures? (if you get that weather)

Imo its better to have some form of active cooling then not, PC hardware can certainly get by but it can only go so far, choice is yours.

 

[alexw1982]

I think more importantly than a fan ontop of the fins is some airflow where the ram and ssd are situated. The cpu cooling seems to work fairly decent after repasting even without a fan but the heat gets trapped in the lower part of the case. I am looking the use this 3d printed part to fix the issue. Will report back on the impact …

 

[splifingate]

not good, check the Shipping Policy page and send them an email, if no result you will have to contact PayPal

No reply via email, but success using "Chat" on the cwwk net site:

Established dialogue, and was notified that the n305 4-port tall-fin is currently out of stock, and in production. He will be going to the factory tmrw. to determine availability, and will let me know about delivery timelines.

I asked if the i5-1235U 6-port tall-fin version was available/in-stock. He replied that it is available, and that he could "help me upgrade to the 1245P". When I asked for a product/specification page, he stated that it (whatever "it" actually is) was in-stock, but 'not on the shelf' (which I presumed to mean that there is no product page).

*sigh*

I will wait till tmrw. for delivery timelines before I decide to choose another product, or cancel the order altogether.

[20231016 update:]

{Chat} "Hello, the goods will be delivered today. I am so sorry to keep you waiting"

 

[AdamAu]

I am thinking of getting a couple of the CWWK N305 6 port variants (CW-ADL-6L)

Is there any way to see how are the PCIe lanes are assigned ?

If someone has one, can I please get a dump of some hardware commands:
sudo dmidecode
sudo lspci -tv
sudo lspci -vv

by my count the PCIe lanes are oversubscribed, I'd like to know if the USB3 interfaces can run at 10Gb.
I'm tossing up between these lower power units or waiting for the next generation to come out with pcie4.

 

[Becks0815]

Just in general, sure its fine even mine is without a fan but what happens if you hit hot humid summer temperatures? (if you get that weather)

I am just waiting for some components (single wire temp. sensors), then I can finally assemble my cooling solution, which will consist of a ESP32C3 to read out the temperature of the box, drive the speed of a PWM fan based on the temperature profile I'll create, then send all the data to Iobroker via MQTT. The program is already written and is working.

Then it's just the decision of a user where to place the fan. Because I don't have an 3D printer, I'll just stick the fan on top of the box. Maybe I could drill some holes into it, between the cooling fins, to enable air to flow through the box.

Btw.: my box survived 30°C room temp., while pushing 20 MB/sec in both directions (WAN to LAN and LAN to WAN) for days, without any crash/hick ups. The hardware is designed to run at 60°C and higher temps without breaking down, so pushing those temperatures down to 40°C or less is "nice to have", but actually not really required.

 

[alexw1982]

I am just waiting for some components (single wire temp. sensors), then I can finally assemble my cooling solution, which will consist of a ESP32C3 to read out the temperature of the box, drive the speed of a PWM fan based on the temperature profile I'll create, then send all the data to Iobroker via MQTT. The program is already written and is working.

Then it's just the decision of a user where to place the fan. Because I don't have an 3D printer, I'll just stick the fan on top of the box. Maybe I could drill some holes into it, between the cooling fins, to enable air to flow through the box.

Btw.: my box survived 30°C room temp., while pushing 20 MB/sec in both directions (WAN to LAN and LAN to WAN) for days, without any crash/hick ups. The hardware is designed to run at 60°C and higher temps without breaking down, so pushing those temperatures down to 40°C or less is "nice to have", but actually not really required.

You can just fix the fan to the fins using rubber fan mounts. Works like a Charme and no drilling is needed … just slide the fan with the rubber attached through the gaps between the fins.

 

[Becks0815]

The idea is to drill holes into the upper part of the case, between the cooling fins, but not to attach the fan but to enable the possibility of (hot) air streaming out of the box, instead of being captured there. If this idea works, I don't need a cooling solution at the bottom of the box to exchange air and cool the components which seem to get to hot (SSD/NVME drive, RAM).

 

[AnthonyUK]

The idea is to drill holes into the upper part of the case, between the cooling fins, but not to attach the fan but to enable the possibility of (hot) air streaming out of the box, instead of being captured there. If this idea works, I don't need a cooling solution at the bottom of the box to exchange air and cool the components which seem to get to hot (SSD/NVME drive, RAM).

I can't see that working. The majority of the heat is from the underside. It would make more sense to make holes in the bottom (there are punch out plates already for this) and sit the box upside down.

 

[ToniCipriani]

I am thinking of getting a couple of the CWWK N305 6 port variants (CW-ADL-6L)

Is there any way to see how are the PCIe lanes are assigned ?

If someone has one, can I please get a dump of some hardware commands:
sudo dmidecode
sudo lspci -tv
sudo lspci -vv

by my count the PCIe lanes are oversubscribed, I'd like to know if the USB3 interfaces can run at 10Gb.
I'm tossing up between these lower power units or waiting for the next generation to come out with pcie4.

Here you go... mind you one of my M.2 slots I have an Wi-Fi card installed.

CW-ADLN-6L - Pastebin.com

Pastebin.com is the number one paste tool since 2002. Pastebin is a website where you can store text online for a set period of time.

pastebin.com

 

[ToniCipriani]

You can just fix the fan to the fins using rubber fan mounts. Works like a Charme and no drilling is needed … just slide the fan with the rubber attached through the gaps between the fins.

I just screwed my fan onto the fins like an old-school 486 cooler, lol.

 

[Pro100x3mal]

Posting an update on my experience with the N305 based device.So far so good! I upgraded my other proxmox host to 8 and clustered them together for ease of use. This fanless system runs like a champ.

Recap: Ordered the unit with no mem or ssd. Added a 32 gig samsung DDR5 SODIMM and a 2tb Samsung 970 evo plus. Installed proxmox 8 the day it went gold.

Running OPNSense as VM as my router. Passed the 2nd and 3rd NICs to the VM for wan and lan. Nic 1 is the VM host network. All interfaces connected at 2.5gbit.
There is a CT running the Omeda controller for my Tplink AP and another VM running Ubuntu server as a Docker host for network-related containers. (Wiregaurd, Nginx reverse proxy server) - I may move wiregaurd to the OPNSense but it was trivial to migrate the container over without re-doing my existing setup.

Runs great. My internet tops out at 500mbit and at full tilt it bumps cpu usage up maybe 8 percent. I'll bet getting gigabit in a month but I don't think it will have any problems.

Temps are acceptable given the circumstance. In a closet in my currently-un-airconditioned-in-california-summer apartment (In the office rn) it's hovering 50c. Last night I added a heatsink to the SSD and that seems to have brought it's temps down a good 10C.


sensors
coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Package id 0: +53.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 0: +53.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 1: +53.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 2: +53.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 3: +53.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 4: +51.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 5: +51.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 6: +51.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 7: +51.0°C (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)

acpitz-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
temp1: +27.8°C (crit = +110.0°C)

nvme-pci-0100
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite: +70.8°C (low = -273.1°C, high = +84.8°C)
(crit = +84.8°C)
Sensor 1: +70.8°C (low = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)
Sensor 2: +72.8°C (low = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)

The case really is doing it's job! When I pulled the unit to add the SSD heatsink the case cooled off very quickly. It really dissipates the heat. The temperatures monitored track the ambient temp in my apartment degree-for-degree. Might add a fan, but probably not nessissary.

Please tell me what temperature values you get in stress-ng tests? Is there enough passive cooling for the n305 in this case to prevent CPU throttling? If throttling occurs, tell me to what frequency the processor drops and how quickly does this moment occur?

 

[Pro100x3mal]

Hello! Question for owners of n305 in different types of cases (A, B, C) without an additional fan. At maximum loads in stress tests (stress-ng), does the processor throttle? In the video review on Youtube there was throttling in the stress tests. I wonder if anyone managed to avoid throttling by replacing thermal paste and optimizations in the BIOS?

 

[ToniCipriani]

I can't see that working. The majority of the heat is from the underside. It would make more sense to make holes in the bottom (there are punch out plates already for this) and sit the box upside down.

That's where the factory fan mount is as well.

However I don't know if it's really necessary, I have a SATA drive mounted there and so far no problems with the fan blowing the fins on top.

 

[dragonfly]

I think that I have ordered a variation b case as the fin style is y and it looks like there is a fan already installed. Is this fan optional in the sense that this case is still able to be passively cooled if the fan is removed? I wasn't sure if there was an additional fundamental cooling difference like a lack of heat pipes in variation b as the variation c image in the first post appears to be showing more copper.

I don't have it in my possession yet as I used a buying service that received it and took some photos. I'm trying to figure out whether to have the buying service return the product to the seller or go ahead with shipping it to me. A really big draw to the product was the passive cooling as I'm not wanting to hear the fan.

It's supposed to be the N100 six port variant and it has the CWWK branding.

 

[rinat_sabirov]

Hi all! Few days ago I ordered N100 4x2.5GB version from CWWK on aliexpress, asking to put 1xNVME x4 -> 4xNVME x1 splitter, but forgot to ask if this is the new version of the board.

Here they mention this board as an old version, and here they mention some new board, and what concerns me is that not only manufacturer added screw holes so that expansion board would be fixed better, but also he added some additional power lines to it. There are mention of some even 5xM.2 version of that board, maybe it's for this version and power for 4 nvme get enough in an old one too, but... what if there's some issue in an old version with all 4 nvme working high load?

 

[Stovar]

Is this fan optional in the sense that this case is still able to be passively cooled if the fan is removed?

I'm trying to figure out whether to have the buying service return the product to the seller or go ahead with shipping it to me. A really big draw to the product was the passive cooling as I'm not wanting to hear the fan.

Its the same debate few comments above, you probably will be fine running it passive but imo and I know others feel different these mini type pcs really do benefit from some active cooling or some good natural air flow passing through it's chassis and internal parts.

Think about it, why is that fan already pre-installed in the case? Why is there ventilation holes on the underside, there not just doing it for fun.

All hardware imo can fail even the ones checked and passed QC standards, add in Chinese Sellers and its even more fun.

If you are concerned with noise check for the silent Noctua fans, or add a better quality silent fan on it. I have a 120mm usb noctua fan with 7volt adapter strapped to the my N5105 unit and sleep 2 metre's away from the unit and can't hear it. Its hearable only when 2-3 inches away from it and even then its with my ear pressed close to it.

Choice is yours as always but I sleep better at night knowing its got that fan on it.

 

[fta]

Hello! Question for owners of n305 in different types of cases (A, B, C) without an additional fan. At maximum loads in stress tests (stress-ng), does the processor throttle? In the video review on Youtube there was throttling in the stress tests. I wonder if anyone managed to avoid throttling by replacing thermal paste and optimizations in the BIOS?

I would not buy a n305 because the thermal design of this particular case cannot support it. You will always throttle if you max out the n305. I have the 1235u version of this design, except it has a much better thermal design built into the case (heat pipes), but it can still only dissipate 27W. With a 140mm fan on top it can dissipate 47W. The n305 case does not have heat pipes so I don't think it will be able to dissipate as much as the 1235u case.

 

[Pro100x3mal]

I would not buy a n305 because the thermal design of this particular case cannot support it. You will always throttle if you max out the n305. I have the 1235u version of this design, except it has a much better thermal design built into the case (heat pipes), but it can still only dissipate 27W. With a 140mm fan on top it can dissipate 47W. The n305 case does not have heat pipes so I don't think it will be able to dissipate as much as the 1235u case.

I wonder if it is possible to purchase separately a case with heat pipes, such as in the cwwk line with i3, i5, i7 processors? And install a motherboard with n305 into it. Will the n305 be throttled in this case?

 

[Stovar]

Zotacs N300 with new solid state cooling

 

[splifingate]

Ordered the CW-AL-4L N305 tall-fin (case Type C, I suppose), and the Unit, arrived, yesterday.

I received a CW-AL-4L-V2.0 N305 tall-fin Unit

On the outside, it was (somewhat) different than the original photos/specs which led me to purchase.

6 USB 2.0
2 USB 3.0

Outside these (and a physical ON/OFF external switch (the usage of which is currently indeterminate)), the rest of the external portage is the same.

Multiple photos, attached.

Heartened by the statements of success in the comments to:

Beelink EQ12 Pro: Cheap Home Server with 8 Cores and 32 GB RAM . . .

. . . I purchased a Crucial CT48G56C46S5.M16B1 48GB SODIMM for the unit. It arrived, today.

48GB recognized, and "Populated & Enabled"

Contrary to the posts (before, where HDMI was problematic)) I have only been able successfully get to BIOS with an HDMI screen (old 19" dell 1080p). My Dell P2715 would not respond....

I have populated the Unit with two PCIe 3.0 x4 Inland Premiums, and a Crucial 48GB SODIMM, and only just now gained access to the BIOS.

The Unit is (subjectively) comfortably warm to the touch with such (e.g., "no load"). Simple CPU -> Copper-Block -> Frame design.

Now, testing will begin