The case IS the cooler?? - Streacom DB1 Max Fanless PC

[ColinLTT]

The Streacom DB1 Max is a teeny tiny case with BIG dreams – can it FANLESSLY dissipate the 65 watts of heat it claims?

 

 

[darknessblade]

sadly its just 40mm too thick for my use-case [mediacenter pc]

 

otherwise its quite the nice case

[Somerandomtechyboi]

The case : has good heat dissipating capabilites while being passively cooled

 

The exterior of the case when you touch it :

[MultiGamerClub]

Heatsinks on the outside.. Damn, i want that.. but the size of my actual pc..

[Sorenson]

Linus sponsor spot: I’m going to guess you’re not an accountant… 
 

Me: sad accountant noises as I review IT controls for public companies. 

[Quackers101]

you can hear anthony is glad he doesn't need to build in the case again... until the next episode

 

Another year, another fire... oh wait, oh no?!?

1 hour ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

The case : has good heat dissipating capabilites while being passively cooled

The exterior of the case when you touch it :

Edited February 2, 2022 by Quackers101

[CAELB42]

Could you toss on some stick-on passive heat sinks for the VRMs on the Mobo to make this work with AM4?

[Luscious]

Given the inclusion of that serial port I very much doubt gaming was the intended use case of this mobo - a lesser chip would perform just fine, and there are numerous applications where this can be used that don't need a dGPU. Fanless systems are really meant where the air can be very contaminated like in a workshop or dust is a serious problem.

 

You could try some stick on passive heatsinks for the VRM's but again this mobo was designed for something else, otherwise they would have included a more robust VRM cooler with it.

 

The fact that they include that 2nd HDMI port tells me this is aimed more for use as a POS or kiosk application, displaying static graphics, or for digital signage. Many custom LCD's now have HDMI fitted as their interface as well, so it's not just for plugging in a PC display. This "may" work as a HTPC pulling content off a NAS, but I'd limit that to 1080p30 - you would need beefier specs to run a 4K TV, and there are better fanless HTPC boxes out there.

[RageTester]

I know you have been buying things from chinese shops, but not every shop ships to Canada...  Maybe they would make exception for LTT.

Looking at bigger case from https://www.caseking.de/en/cases-and-modding/pc-cases/aluminium-cases#search:query=fanless+cases&tplview=desktop

What I am looking for is a case that could run AMD APU with RDNA2 without any fans. Problem is such APU wattage is yet unknown, so I am waiting for it. Obviously proper size RAM. No moving parts means longevity, at least I hope so. And no noise is a huge bonus.

 

It would be nice for change if you review something that we Europeans can actually buy without messing with customs.

 

[Raykahn]

This video was a little off I think. 

 

Fanless PCs for consumer use are meant for light applications; web browsing, word processing, and media consumption.  They really aren't ever meant to be used for anything remotely taxing on the system.  Spending 25% of the video trying to stress test it isn't really the right way to evaluate a fanless PC.  The testing should match its use-case.  A quick blurb about how cpu intensive workloads are really outside the bounds of what it was meant to handle with the thermal data as emphasis would have been more appropriate, while focusing on what it can provide; a quiet, comfortable, and tidy computer space for people who just have basic needs for a computer. Maybe even a little history bit on how fanless PCs really stem from the industrial sector in environments where dirt, dust, or vibration can destroy fans in a matter of months but the overhead of constant fan replacement is not feasible.

 

I also think the cpu selection for this was improper.  I looked up this case on the Streacom website and it says this about it:

Quote

Is it safe to use a CPU with the same maximum specified case TDP?

 

In the past, CPU TDP was a measure of the maximum required cooling performance of a cooler to maintain the normal operating temperature of the CPU. With the advent of performance “boosting” technologies, the specified TDP is no longer an accurate representation of the required cooling performance, but more a baseline reference. When these technologies are enabled, CPUs can boost well above the specified TDP rating and they try to take advantage of thermal overheads. It is therefore important when choosing a CPU for a fanless case to consider the actual maximum TDP that the CPU can output. Wherever possible, aim for a CPU TDP that is below the case TDP rating or consider BIOS settings that will limit the CPU to the maximum TDP supported by the case.

 

Neither was done for the video, even though the video acknowledges issues with TDP ratings from manufacturers.  A matching TDP processor was selected without adjusting the bios to ensure it conformed to the case's rating...and then it was stress tested.  It just feels out of touch.  This warning is listed on all of Streacom's fanless PCs, and just a cursory look into fanless PCs should have indicated this issue would immediately be a problem.  Generally you would also buy some thermal pads and affix static heatsinks to the VRMs to aid them.

 

I understand this was a video review of a specific product and that the audience here mostly enjoys the 'ermagerd can it game or edit?' template, but generally you need to put the product in the right context so people understand what it is trying to accomplish.  You don't buy a Golf Cart and then complain it can't match performance metrics of a proper automobile, but that is pretty much what was done here.

 

Anyways, Anthony did a good job.  Always enjoy watching his videos.  Thanks for the content!

 

 

[Hairless Monkey Boy]

You folks should check out the Akasa Euler next. I think it's a better design for passively cooled THIN min-ITX systems. See my HTPC "BlackBox" in my sig.

[keeperofthegood]

Hey Colin, had to make an account since I don't socialize with media.  I did enjoy this video, lots of comments about the serial port.  Would be interesting if Anthony were to do a show on those devices and their application.  I know from entry level JAVA about 15 years back programming the serial port to student designed sensors was a common element in many university programs but I'm not as aware of industry or medical or financial uses/applications as much.  I do wish AMD had done a better job in pushing out support for this chip set, like I said in a previous video, it isn't that bad a deal when reviewed by folk, and Anthony didn't over state it at all as well.

[Rex Hite]

I wonder how this compares to a Mac mini. The mini doesn't need a power brick, so maybe that's a win. But workstation, creative and productivity tasks could be compared.

[Bitter]

Is there a reason that some add-on heat sinks were not considered for the 5700G ITX board?

https://www.amazon.com/DGZZI-Heatsink-9x9x12mm-Conductive-Adhesive/dp/B0988Z1JT3/

Those or something similar ought to be able to shed a good deal of VRM chip heat even without airflow. I used a much much much smaller set of stick-ons to resolve some VRM heat issues in a Lenovo Tiny with no internal airflow to the VRM.

[DJRWolf]

Could something like this with the Ryzen 5 5600G be good for a HTPC since it is silent? I just wish we could get a motherboard with multi-gig Ethernet but I guess you could just use one of the USB ports with an adapter.