!nverse: A Highly Versatile Console Form-Factor Case Design

[esplin2966]

Update 08/18/2015:

 

The second prototype is complete! ...kinda. All the surface finishing are done, but our manufacturer made a mistake on one of the parts, so we're having them redo that part before sending the complete package over to us.

 

For our second prototype, we have two different surface finishing for comparison: Brushed Aluminum and Powder Coated Aluminum. Please do this very short survey and let me know which you prefer!

 

Edit: Images

 

 

 

 

 

[W-L]

Linus approved color scheme 

 

Looks totally awesome!

[esplin2966]

Linus approved color scheme 

 

Looks totally awesome!

 

Thanks!

 

I'm a fan of the cherry red + black look too!

[FLUFFYJELLO]

It gets more enticing every time I see it. I really want one of these, I'll be the first on your pre order list I swear.

[esplin2966]

 

It gets more enticing every time I see it. I really want one of these, I'll be the first on your pre order list I swear.

 

 

 

I'll try to get it as good as possible!

[k1llampt]

Overall I think it is a very efficient use of space and a cool idea and design, however I do not like the placement of the power button. Also you might want to think about some sort of dust filter, otherwise this thing will be a dust magnet and will be a nightmare to clean. Other than those two small things I think you have a real great case here, If you could fix those I think it would be a home run.

[esplin2966]

 

 

 

What's this?

 

 

Is that an !nverse Prototype #2 I see?

 

 

It's finally here!!!!!!!

 

 

 

So now that I have the prototype in my hands, I will be doing a bunch of tests in the next few weeks. There is a mountain of new PC components sitting in my room, ready for testing of every configuration. I will be doing some temperature tests and possibly some noise tests.

 

Some initial thoughts:

 

1) This thing is solid! I was worried that my design was too flimsy, but it definitely felt like I can throw a few 45 lb weights on it. Monitors and stuff should definitely be fine on top. I think I can actually reduce the thickness of the 2 exterior aluminum panels and it'll still be fine.

 

2) There are some parts that employ sliding mechanisms. Our manufacturer was concerned with how difficult they are to use, but they feel fine to me.

 

Some people were concerned with AIO coolers not fitting into this case due to the bend radius of the tubing. I just received my cooler master AIO coolers with FEP tubing and I can confirm that they fit fine. AIO coolers without FEP tubings will most likely not be supported due to the larger bend radius of the tubing.

 

That's all for now. Super excited to start building in this thing!!

 

 

Overall I think it is a very efficient use of space and a cool idea and design, however I do not like the placement of the power button. Also you might want to think about some sort of dust filter, otherwise this thing will be a dust magnet and will be a nightmare to clean. Other than those two small things I think you have a real great case here, If you could fix those I think it would be a home run.

 

Wow, I missed your comment somehow. Sorry for the late response!

 

A few people have expressed concern with the power button placement. Are you mainly concerned with difficulty reaching it or are you concerned with aesthetics? A few people have asked about the power button placement, so I will look into changing it, but it would be greatly helpful if you could let me know why you dislike the current placement so a new placement isn't still bad.

 

I have been thinking about dust filtering, and I think the best way is to add some steel nubs in the bottom to allow the use of magnetic dust filters. That way, you have a big range of dust filters you can use, and they'd be easily removable.

[FLUFFYJELLO]

 

 

 

-snip-

 

Beautiful. Can't wait to get my hands on one! A few things:

Have you decided on a PCIe riser cable yet?

Will you be making different color versions of the case, or just the red?

Whereabouts is this looking in terms of price? I remember you said you wanted to try and keep the cost in the sub $100 range.

[esplin2966]

Beautiful. Can't wait to get my hands on one! A few things:

Have you decided on a PCIe riser cable yet?

Will you be making different color versions of the case, or just the red?

Whereabouts is this looking in terms of price? I remember you said you wanted to try and keep the cost in the sub $100 range.

 

I will be testing a few PCIe riser cables with this prototype, and then I will decide which one to use. Hopefully we can make it work with cheaper risers, since I really don't want to raise the price.

 

For the initial kickstarter, the case will probably be available in 4 colors or so, including black and white. There will also be other perks

 

It's still looking to be in the ~100 USD range. I can't be 100% sure until final production negotiations with the manufacturer, unfortunately. I don't think cases should be the most expensive component in any build, so I will be trying my best to keep prices down without compromising quality.

 

Thanks for your continual support man! I really appreciate it.

[k1llampt]

@esplin2966 I think the power button placement seems off aesthetically as well as It seems like it would be difficult to reach if it was on a flat surface. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can come up with! 

[Blu]

Link for the kickstarter?

[DragonTamer1]

I think that the power button can fit in on the front or top of the case for easier acess, my only concern would be the matching of the colors. You might be able to get a custom board made with a pink LED for a pink case.

 

I really like this case, and would be interested in buying one for an HTPC or a low prifle/low power computer. I know you're designing it to be able to use higher power parts but personal preference keeps me from putting high power components in such a small case.

 

Out of curiosity, how much were you planning on selling this for?

[FLUFFYJELLO]

It's still looking to be in the ~100 USD range. I can't be 100% sure until final production negotiations with the manufacturer, unfortunately. I don't think cases should be the most expensive component in any build, so I will be trying my best to keep prices down without compromising quality.

 

^Right there

I think that the power button can fit in on the front or top of the case for easier acess, my only concern would be the matching of the colors. You might be able to get a custom board made with a pink LED for a pink case.

 

I really like this case, and would be interested in buying one for an HTPC or a low prifle/low power computer. I know you're designing it to be able to use higher power parts but personal preference keeps me from putting high power components in such a small case.

 

Out of curiosity, how much were you planning on selling this for?

[DragonTamer1]

^Right there

 

Woops... Thank you.

[esplin2966]

@esplin2966 I think the power button placement seems off aesthetically as well as It seems like it would be difficult to reach if it was on a flat surface. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can come up with! 

 

Thanks for the feedback man! I'll try to figure something out

 

Link for the kickstarter?

 

No kickstarter yet, unfortunately. First, I'll have to finish testing the prototype, make necessary changes, feel satisfied with everything, talk things over with the manufacturer regarding prices and QC, and then I can maybe get a kickstarter going. I want to make sure you guys get something you deserve, so it takes a bit of time.

 

I think that the power button can fit in on the front or top of the case for easier acess, my only concern would be the matching of the colors. You might be able to get a custom board made with a pink LED for a pink case.

 

I really like this case, and would be interested in buying one for an HTPC or a low prifle/low power computer. I know you're designing it to be able to use higher power parts but personal preference keeps me from putting high power components in such a small case.

 

Out of curiosity, how much were you planning on selling this for?

 

Cherry red would not be the only color haha. It's just a color we chose for the prototype. I think that there is one place on the top for a power button, so I'll have to look into that.

 

One of the configurations I designed the case for is a low-powered media storage build, which should fit your needs. That configuration can hold something like 6 x 3.5" drives and 8 x 2.5" drives

[DragonTamer1]

Would it be possible to see some more close ups of just the inside of the case?

[k1llampt]

@esplin2966 Ultimately these minor details are what makes a case perfect or have that one little bug that annoys the hell out of you lol. But honestly you have an amazing design and it's only a few small tweaks away from being one of the best cases I've ever seen. 

[esplin2966]

Would it be possible to see some more close ups of just the inside of the case?

 

Absolutely. I just started building in it, so you'll have to make do with cellphone pictures.

 

Once you remove the red top and bottom panels, the !nverse case decomposes into something that looks like a test rack, shown below:

 

 

In my early interviews with builders, they all stated that one of their biggest frustrations with building in a mITX case is that there is almost no room to build in. That, along with the adage that you always want to build outside of the case first, gave birth to this design.

 

 

This way, you can test individual components while building within the case, all with ample space for your hands to reach everywhere.

 

 

Now you just attach all the wires, flip them over...

 

 

...and then you have a completed PC block that the red top and bottom panels can attach to. Note that in this picture, I'm using a 120mm AIO cooler instead of the 240mm AIO cooler in previous pictures. This is because I found out after I took the first 3 pictures that my Cooler Master 240M is defective, so I had to switch it out. Hopefully I can get a replacement soon so I can show you guys how a 240mm AIO cooler fit in the case.

 

@esplin2966 Ultimately these minor details are what makes a case perfect or have that one little bug that annoys the hell out of you lol. But honestly you have an amazing design and it's only a few small tweaks away from being one of the best cases I've ever seen. 

 

I completely agree, that's why I keep posting pictures of project updates for the community to see. You guys are my best critic!

[k1llampt]

@epslin2966 one of the things I really love about this case is the separation of the gpu from the rest of the system which will help keep the temps lower. This is why alot of small form factor cases suck. They cant get enough airflow through the case and because there are so many hot components crammed together they all suffer and its much louder and hotter as a result. With the separate areas it fixes all of those issues and takes up even less space! I can't stress enough how well this case is designed.

[DragonTamer1]

One minor thing that doesn't seem to be in the case yet that I would love to see is tie down points for cable managment. Even if these aren't used, just having them in the case as an option is huge.

 

I love that you found space for so many drives inside the case, do you have any plans to include a slimbay for a 5.5 inch drive?

[esplin2966]

@epslin2966 one of the things I really love about this case is the separation of the gpu from the rest of the system which will help keep the temps lower. This is why alot of small form factor cases suck. They cant get enough airflow through the case and because there are so many hot components crammed together they all suffer and its much louder and hotter as a result. With the separate areas it fixes all of those issues and takes up even less space! I can't stress enough how well this case is designed.

 

Thanks man! 

 

The compartment divider sheet actually doubles as a structural support for the interior and is removable in case you're not using a GPU and want to put hard drives in the GPU compartment.

 

One minor thing that doesn't seem to be in the case yet that I would love to see is tie down points for cable managment. Even if these aren't used, just having them in the case as an option is huge.

 

I love that you found space for so many drives inside the case, do you have any plans to include a slimbay for a 5.5 inch drive?

 

I am planning to include removable cable tie mounts with the case, but I'm trying to decide which type. Maybe something like this?

 

The current plan is to have a screw-down point for slim ODD drives on the case stand (currently in the design phase) and provide a SATA to USB adapter for it. However, if I find in my testing that having fans over the GPU doesn't really help with the cooling much, I think I might move the GPU up to allow for slim ODD drives underneath.

[k1llampt]

Thanks man! 

 

The compartment divider sheet actually doubles as a structural support for the interior and is removable in case you're not using a GPU and want to put hard drives in the GPU compartment.

 

 

I am planning to include removable cable tie mounts with the case, but I'm trying to decide which type. Maybe something like this?

 

The current plan is to have a screw-down point for slim ODD drives on the case stand (currently in the design phase) and provide a SATA to USB adapter for it. However, if I find in my testing that having fans over the GPU doesn't really help with the cooling much, I think I might move the GPU up to allow for slim ODD drives underneath.

I like the idea of the removable cable tie mounts, but I would be interested in the durability of it. Have you thought about having ones actually on the panels of the case? I think it would be nice to have a case where the end user doesn't have to worry about what parts they have to mess around with to get it how they want, that becomes an enthusiast/hobbyist market and might limit buyers. If it is just a well designed case that just works people will be excited for it I know I am. You could maybe even have them on the divider as well! Just a thought. Keep up the good work man.

[DragonTamer1]

Thanks man! 

 

The compartment divider sheet actually doubles as a structural support for the interior and is removable in case you're not using a GPU and want to put hard drives in the GPU compartment.

 

 

I am planning to include removable cable tie mounts with the case, but I'm trying to decide which type. Maybe something like this?

 

The current plan is to have a screw-down point for slim ODD drives on the case stand (currently in the design phase) and provide a SATA to USB adapter for it. However, if I find in my testing that having fans over the GPU doesn't really help with the cooling much, I think I might move the GPU up to allow for slim ODD drives underneath.

 

I was thinking something more along the lines of a small metal tab punched out inside the case to mount the zip ties to. Having peel'n'stick cable mounts could probably work but I would be worried about how well they are going to adhere or how long they will stay on. On the other hand, it would give the user more flexibility to put cable mounting points wherever they wanted to in the case.

[ryanmmax]

Nice, I was looking at the same form factor....  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811128067

 

As a 1.5U server rack its about the same size... My plan was the exact opposite of yours, I was going to flip the PCI over so the intake would be on the top, then make an acrylic top with intakes for CPU/PSU/GPU

 

Hope to see yours as an alternative option as it will be more flexible;e for full size GPU

[esplin2966]

Hey guys, just put together the build and...

 

 

...IT LIVES!!

 

Preliminary temperature tests are promising I'll do a more detailed write-up once I do a systematic test and gather up enough data.

 

I like the idea of the removable cable tie mounts, but I would be interested in the durability of it. Have you thought about having ones actually on the panels of the case? I think it would be nice to have a case where the end user doesn't have to worry about what parts they have to mess around with to get it how they want, that becomes an enthusiast/hobbyist market and might limit buyers. If it is just a well designed case that just works people will be excited for it I know I am. You could maybe even have them on the divider as well! Just a thought. Keep up the good work man.

 

I was thinking something more along the lines of a small metal tab punched out inside the case to mount the zip ties to. Having peel'n'stick cable mounts could probably work but I would be worried about how well they are going to adhere or how long they will stay on. On the other hand, it would give the user more flexibility to put cable mounting points wherever they wanted to in the case.

 

I think it might be possible to punch out a bridge in various parts of the case for cable routing and management. I'll have to look into how much extra tooling cost it will be to manufacture though. The removable cable tie mounts can also be attached via a screw and nut, so there shouldn't be any issues with it falling off and stuff.

 

Nice, I was looking at the same form factor....  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811128067

 

As a 1.5U server rack its about the same size... My plan was the exact opposite of yours, I was going to flip the PCI over so the intake would be on the top, then make an acrylic top with intakes for CPU/PSU/GPU

 

Hope to see yours as an alternative option as it will be more flexible;e for full size GPU

 

Thanks for the support man! I think most cases that has the gpu on its side puts it in the direction you specify. It's definitely simpler that way, but I want to reduce footprint by having no holes on the top so you can put stuff on the top, that's why I went with the other orientation.