Hello everyone. I am new to the forums and a novice at creating projects from scratch. Regardless of that I have had deep interest in modding for several years. About 3 years ago, life demanded I acquired a laptop to use as my main machine. I did the best I could at the time, which involved purchase of an HP HDX9400... barely a "laptop", but still portable. It has served me well, but now it's coming of age and I must replace it. My initial thoughts were towards an alienware m18x, but I just can't stomach buying an overpriced bundle of inferior hardware a second time. So I set mind to the task of creating a case small enough to fit in a cabinet bag, yet big enough to house a proper gaming system. I started by drawing everything by hand in 2D. I can't recall any other time in my life when I've been so mired in tech documents and specifications... then I searched the web for some place where I could find assistance with my task, and came across this website. After brief moments navigating the forums I learned about SketchUp, and that if my project was to see the light of day I'd have to evolve it into 3D. The task was easy enough, SU really is an easy tool to learn, and now I have something to show. BUT I would ask for help in checking everything is OK. Could anyone here please perform a quick sanity check on my project? Verify that there are no issues with screw placement, that the case structure is sturdy, that the hook I used to hold the MB tray in place works, that the side panels can be fastened without any need for additional screws, that there are no component overlaps, that all the pieces/parts I designed can be easily machined, etc... I would be most grateful. Thanks in advance to anyone who read my story.
Hi there, You need to embed the images like this: Code: [#URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/27/sffmatxdraft3.png/][#IMG]http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/853/sffmatxdraft3.png[/IMG][/URL] BUT REMOVE THE TWO #'s i put in there... If you go onto your ImageShack image, in the bottom right corner is "embed this image" and click on "Forum" If you wish to upload your 3D file, ZIP it and then upload it to a site like megaupload or something (there are lots of free sites) and then paste the URL in here Lookin' good, looks quite small, i love the compact PCs
and here's the SU file, linked from my dropbox (I hope correctly) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16611812/SFF_mATX_Draft2.skp
so, can anyone assist me with the stuff I asked? (why does it take 4hrs for my posts to appear?? it's annoying, inefficient, distracting...)
Does it need to be a gaming powerhouse? You could chop back a considerable bit of size if you switched to one of the new ITX boards. If watercooling, the two top fans are probably overkill. Prop wash from the radiator will do in most cases.
Yes, the point is exactly to make it the smallest gaming powerhouse it can be. The size is designed to support a Black Ice SR1 280 radiator (pretty powerful) AND still have enough room for a GPU card slightly over 11" (for a quad SLi setup) The 2 fans on top may be overkill, but they don't make the case itself any taller, since the limiting factor is the radiator. In any case I have some concerns with the other MB components that aren't water-cooled... everything is pretty much cramped-up together... and can always have really quiet 800-900 rpm 140mm fans anyway. Currently the case stands at 390x330x180mm... I could probably shave of 5-10mm to make it "as small as can be", but it would be hardly noticeable from the outside and this way it's a bit more future-proof.
Its because you have less than 10 posts, so each post you make has to be approved before its shown! Once you get 10 it should all be good
AH, I see, thanks for the explanation Forgive my insistence, but has anyone found fault in the case's structural design? I'm sure there must be some flaws there.
I've redesigned the hdd cage to support 3x 2.5" drives now. It is also less obstructed for cables to connect, and provides a base for the PSU to rest on top of if so desired. I took some new images that illustrate the individual parts.
so I guess I'm not getting any help with this... kind of disappointing considering the incredible pool of knowledgeable people I see here... but thanks anyway. does anyone know where I could commission someone to build the parts required?
Nice work dude Few comments: Your PSU will hide any pretty cpu waterblocks, also might lead to nasty tight bends in tubing or having to use 90 degree bends Do you have access to the tools needed to bend and stamp material like that? With 4x 120mms in, how's the air going to get out? not through the psu I hope. I'd suggest turning the top 2 fans around so they exhaust. I'm also not a fan of pushing the hot air from the rad into the case - WC pros may disagree here. Structurally I'd make the Motherboard tray mount to the top and bottom with tabs or something, Without the side panels on i can see this flexing a bit You have brought up a few design elements I will be considering in my next design, thanks heaps
Thanks for the feedback, I've been waiting for some You are correct about the PSU obstructing the CPU WB, but well, I'm not going to leave a see-through side panel anyway. As for the clamps, I tried a koolance model from the collection of items gathered in this forum and it fit well, but anyway, I have nothing against 90º plugs either if necessary. I don't have the tools. And I do have some eye problem which would probably impede me from working with such precise measurements. I'll need to find help somewhere... suggestions are welcome. those fans are actually 140mm... I'm rather proud of being able to fit them there... the 2 top ones will be flipped yes, also, there's enough room to attach a 3rd fan to the radiator's front if necessary. I'd really appreciate it if you could demonstrate your tray mounting suggestion. Thanks again for your feedback!
Will grab your sketchup file this evening when I get home - my first gen ASUS eeepc has nowhere enough grunt to even load sketchup! Not sure as to any manufacturers, ask your local metalwork shop and they may be able to do it or send you in the direction of someone who can. You may have to simplify the chassis a bit though, the little tabs the side slides into look rather difficult to make w/out the specialised tools. Also the motherboard/io backplates have pretty tight margins - the IO shield area (where the motherboard ports are) have a +/- 1mm tolerance for the plate that comes with the motherboard. similar deal with the expansion card slots, 1mm either way could force the card too hard into the board, flexing it, or hold the card too far out of the slot
Thanks! MB Plate, Fans and Radiator were all taken fro the component collection. I've noticed the fans are a bit off (hole spacing is 125mm instead of 124.5mm) but everything else seems rather precise (according to spec and testing with other components)... however, as I said, I am a total novice, so I greatly appreciate your advise. I'm currently working on the exterior looks... although I've been experimenting for hours and haven't really done anything yet... Also wondering what to do about the "Power ON" button... I have some ideas, but might be too tight... and I'd really love to add some USB ports there, but I may be dreaming...
See how much room you have between rad and top panel - you may be able to fit the power button and usb in there, top mounted
yep, that's exactly where I was thinking... but there's only about 5mm over the front fans there's a little bit more room (height-wise), but maybe still not enough... anyway, the biggest issue with the USB ports would be to actually make the circuit board
