DIY Wood pc case

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

So I am planning on building a pc case out of 9mm MDF, I have searched the internet and it has been done before but I still have a couple of questions about building with wood. On the forum under case modding sub forum it says working with wood is perfectly safe to build a pc out of wood, but I have a couple of questions.

Q: Will the mdf warp due to the heat produced by my components?

Q: Can I mount the standoffs to the mdf itself or do i need to sacrifice a old pc case and use the motherboard plate from that? (Reason I am asking is because some people say you need a metal mobo plate for grounding)

 

Heres a couple of pictures of a mock up I drew, everything is to scale.

 

 

Edit: I will also be using some AcousticPack 3 layer sound dampening foam on the top panel(https://www.quietpc.com/ap-kits)

[3 Lions]

If this is going to be your main PC that will get the most use, the I don't recommend you use wood. 

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

Just now, LinusTechTipsFanFromDarlo said:

If this is going to be your main PC that will get the most use, the I don't recommend you use wood. 

how come?

[3 Lions]

Just now, Jack Kaye Pc Gamer said:

how come?

Because wood can degrade much faster than a metal. 

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

3 minutes ago, LinusTechTipsFanFromDarlo said:

Because wood can degrade much faster than a metal. 

Degrade in what way?

[3 Lions]

1 minute ago, Jack Kaye Pc Gamer said:

Degrade in what way?

The constant heating up and cooling down also say for instance you spill a drink on it, it will rot the wood. 

Edited July 25, 2017 by LinusTechTipsFanFromDarlo

[Elerek]

As long as the wood is completely dry it shouldn't warp. My pc is still in an unfinished wood box, and it's been fine.

As far as grounding, if you're really worried, you can always run a wire from one of the standoffs to ground on the psu, but it should be fine regardless. 

[Elerek]

If you're worried about the case lasting, you can always put a nice heat resistant finish on it.

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

Just now, Elerek said:

If you're worried about the case lasting, you can always put a nice heat resistant finish on it.

Yh im not too worried about the whole grounding thing really just wondering if it was just a myth, also a heat resistant finish would be a good idea. Also I'm guessing the whole radiate EMI thing is rubbish as well seen as though test benches used by all the tech youtubers are open and 'vulnerable' to iemi as they aren't inside a metal box

[Elerek]

1 minute ago, Jack Kaye Pc Gamer said:

Yh im not too worried about the whole grounding thing really just wondering if it was just a myth, also a heat resistant finish would be a good idea. Also I'm guessing the whole radiate EMI thing is rubbish as well seen as though test benches used by all the tech youtubers are open and 'vulnerable' to iemi as they aren't inside a metal box

yeah emi shouldn't be an issue. It only really effects longer un-shielded cables and the like.

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

Just now, Elerek said:

yeah emi shouldn't be an issue. It only really effects longer un-shielded cables and the like.

what kind of cables would you say are at risk and what would emi actually do?

[Elerek]

Just now, Jack Kaye Pc Gamer said:

what kind of cables would you say are at risk and what would emi actually do?

Probably none. The only cables that are really vulnerable to actually having issues due to emi are things like pcie extensions that are carrying tons of high speed data and are very sensitive to interference, but that's why most of them are shielded.

It would take a TON of emi to interfere with things like power cables, and at that point you probably have other issues.

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

32 minutes ago, Elerek said:

Probably none. The only cables that are really vulnerable to actually having issues due to emi are things like pcie extensions that are carrying tons of high speed data and are very sensitive to interference, but that's why most of them are shielded.

It would take a TON of emi to interfere with things like power cables, and at that point you probably have other issues.

Ah good, nothing to worry about then

[Marshnt]

8 hours ago, Jack Kaye Pc Gamer said:

So I am planning on building a pc case out of 9mm MDF, I have searched the internet and it has been done before but I still have a couple of questions about building with wood. On the forum under case modding sub forum it says working with wood is perfectly safe to build a pc out of wood, but I have a couple of questions.

Q: Will the mdf warp due to the heat produced by my components?

Q: Can I mount the standoffs to the mdf itself or do i need to sacrifice a old pc case and use the motherboard plate from that? (Reason I am asking is because some people say you need a metal mobo plate for grounding)

 

Heres a couple of pictures of a mock up I drew, everything is to scale.

 

 

 

Edit: I will also be using some AcousticPack 3 layer sound dampening foam on the top panel(https://www.quietpc.com/ap-kits)

Wood is a great material but if your worried about grounding just get a stand alone mobo tray. As for heat and mdf, if shouldn't b a a problem with a well ventilated case. Lastley you can use stand offs but i would suggest the mobo tray.

[Not_Sean]

MDF will be fine, you can even Vinyl wrap the insane to give it a more unique look, My wall PC I started the Standoffs were screwed directly into the wood after drilling a small hole and it worked perfectly. 

 

This looks pretty cool, Almost like a draw, which could also be a cool idea to mount it into a desk top draw, than do a cut out of the top of the table table and pop a small glass pane in, you can still get to your PC easy through the draw but can see your creation.  

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

7 hours ago, Not_Sean said:

MDF will be fine, you can even Vinyl wrap the insane to give it a more unique look, My wall PC I started the Standoffs were screwed directly into the wood after drilling a small hole and it worked perfectly. 

 

This looks pretty cool, Almost like a draw, which could also be a cool idea to mount it into a desk top draw, than do a cut out of the top of the table table and pop a small glass pane in, you can still get to your PC easy through the draw but can see your creation.  

Might put a veneer on at a later date depending on whether or not I like the look of the mdf on its own 

[You_are_a_cunt]

No, the wood will not warp.

While you can mount the standoffs right into the wood, it's a bit easier to sacrifice an old case for the mobo plate and I/O plate. Saves a bit of headache when measuring, drilling holes and cutting out the I/O shield and PCI slots

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

Just now, revsilverspine said:

No, the wood will not warp.

While you can mount the standoffs right into the wood, it's a bit easier to sacrifice an old case for the mobo plate and I/O plate. Saves a bit of headache when measuring, drilling holes and cutting out the I/O shield and PCI slots

yh think i might sacrifice an old case as it will also allow me to secure my gpu properly aswell

[You_are_a_cunt]

Just now, Jack Kaye Pc Gamer said:

yh think i might sacrifice an old case as it will also allow me to secure my gpu properly aswell

Yeah, forgot about that.

 

 

It's funny how people that used to come into my workshop kept asking why I have so many case panels yet no actual cases (you never know when you need a 5.25" cover!)

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

Just now, revsilverspine said:

Yeah, forgot about that.

 

 

It's funny how people that used to come into my workshop kept asking why I have so many case panels yet no actual cases (you never know when you need a 5.25" cover!)

got an old hp case in the loft which i should be able to use(same case as bitiwit used in his sleeper build)

[You_are_a_cunt]

Just now, Jack Kaye Pc Gamer said:

got an old hp case in the loft which i should be able to use(same case as bitiwit used in his sleeper build)

I don't follow bitwit, but any case should do (depending on mobo size, that is) as long as it's not one of those single removable side-panel ones

[Jack Kaye Pc Gamer]

1 minute ago, revsilverspine said:

I don't follow bitwit, but any case should do (depending on mobo size, that is) as long as it's not one of those single removable side-panel ones

yh havent looked yet but should be fine

[Ginger_]

Your build is solid, but I would make one recommendation. Use plywood instead of mdf. Its not too much more, and if you spray/paint it with polyurethane, not only will it look 100x better, but it'll give the whole case a lot more solid build, waterproof, easier to build as you can just use screws, and you'll only need one sheet anyway. 

[akio123008]

My DIY computer case has a wooden floor, and I've mounted the mobo to it in a different way that might work for you as well.

 

Instead of using standoffs, I just drilled some 3.5 mm holes through the floor plate, and put some 3 mm bolts through them. (sticking up into the case) Then I put 2 nuts onto each bolt on top of the wooden plate, functioning as the standoffs. The motherboard can then be mounted on top of it using some nuts. For grounding I guess you could just connect a wire to one of the bolts and ground it, but I don't think that's neccessary. My mobo works fine without that.