Planning on custom case

[Ru66ian]

tldr: I need help with a case layout.

 

So i have a woodworking shop at my disposal and planning to build a custom case for my new pc. My main priority is for the pc to make almost no noise when the cpu is under load because i have a small bedroom studio and need minimal noize coming from the pc. (GPU noise is irrelevant since it is basicly at idle when using fl studio). So im planning to go for a fanless solution for the cpu. I'm going to be getting an intel 11400f and putting a Phanteks PH-TC14PE on top of it with no fans from what i have researched its one of the best fanless solutions for the price. Im going to be putting the cpu into a mini itx board and whatever gpu i can get my hands on for some light video editing. I have had a play with some potential layouts of the case but I would love some suggestions as I feel stuck. (Also i will probably use a pcie extension cable)

 

 

 

 

[Ru66ian]

The shape of the case can be whatever, i just need some ideas

[tdkid]

i see two main things that need to be changed. the first is that the case should be made out of metal not wood because metal will not warp over time. the other thing is the no fans which will cause severe overheating issues and you will not get the PC you are wanting because it will spend its time idle throttling to cool itself

[Freakwise]

I would suggest to have 3 fan for the top compartment, one for intake, one for in the middle slot of that cooler and one as exhaust, kinda air tunnel ish design and run it at their quite but not their slowest...

 

And maybe the top compartment can have the same length or just be longer a little bit...

 

 

[SAmsonIsThaBest]

You should take a look at some noctua fans. Even though you MIGHT get it to work you should propably  have some airflow.

[jaslion]

Why not get a normal case?

 

The phanteks cooler you picked is on the louder side. A similarly priced fuma 2 or freezer 34 duo is quieter and both perform better (the fuma 2 being the best of em all).

 

You want to go fanless but you still need airflow and there really is no point in going fanless. Just put the cooler to extreme low rpm mode and call it a day. The gpu WILL spin it's fans in a case that doesn't have active airflow. Your current case is a box with no air intake or outlet so you can just as well wrap the system in a blanket and it will be the same overheating scenario.

 

You really want AT LEAST one fan for in and out in the top part and the same for the gpu. The psu DOES NOT COUNT as a cooling device.

 

Also for fans I recommend arctic p series fans. Just as good as noctua performance and silence for a fraction of the price.

[Ru66ian]

10 hours ago, James Evens said:

Plan for a NH-D14 sized cooler and buy the Noctua passive cooler once it launches.

when is it coming out? I'm in New Zealand so I'm not even sure we would get it

[Ru66ian]

15 hours ago, tdkid said:

i see two main things that need to be changed. the first is that the case should be made out of metal not wood because metal will not warp over time. the other thing is the no fans which will cause severe overheating issues and you will not get the PC you are wanting because it will spend its time idle throttling to cool itself

I think i confused everyone by my original post. What im trying to ask is for suggestion of case shape and component location. I just put up a draft of an unfinished idea as my original image. My first concept is below with the fan placements i was thinking. The two fans that are the intake and exhaust in the cpu chamber will run at low rpms to minimize noise. The reason I want to not have the fans on the CPU cooler but rather on the case is so the vrms and other mobo components are also getting cold air. and if i also had fans on the CPU cooler that many fans would intefere with eachother and make even more noise. 

[tdkid]

2 minutes ago, Ru66ian said:

I think i confused everyone by my original post. What im trying to ask is for suggestion of case shape and component location. I just put up a draft of an unfinished idea as my original image. My first concept is below with the fan placements i was thinking. The two fans that are the intake and exhaust in the cpu chamber will run at low rpms to minimize noise. The reason I want to not have the fans on the CPU cooler but rather on the case is so the vrms and other mobo components are also getting cold air. and if i also had fans on the CPU cooler that many fans would intefere with eachother and make even more noise. 

first off the NH-D14 was already realsed years ago, so long ago in fact its not discontinued by noctua. the NH-D15 would be a good substitute for it though if you decided to go with this one instead.

 

secondly i think it was more that we all saw you say that you were thinking about going fanless in this design and we were all like "no dont do it" so i think it was us whop misunderstood that you were just talking about no having fans on the CPU cooler which is ok as long as there is adiquite airflow over and thru the cooler by other fans on the system.

 

for any cooler i would make sure you can place it in a way in which the heatpipes will be side by side to each other and not front to back in front of the fans you do use to move the air.

 

is this going to be an enclosed case or open air?

[thrasher_565]

the fans have to go thow the cpu cooler. imo i would move the psu and add fans to the bottom to blow at the gpu and put slots on the sides for the gpu air to go out unless you have a blower gpu?

 

 

[Blue4130]

17 hours ago, tdkid said:

i see two main things that need to be changed. the first is that the case should be made out of metal not wood because metal will not warp over time. the other thing is the no fans which will cause severe overheating issues and you will not get the PC you are wanting because it will spend its time idle throttling to cool itself

Done properly, wood will not warp either. 

[tdkid]

6 hours ago, Blue4130 said:

Done properly, wood will not warp either. 

if you get the right type of wood but making it to where its also easy to clean could take weeks.

[Blue4130]

12 minutes ago, tdkid said:

if you get the right type of wood but making it to where its also easy to clean could take weeks.

I don't know what you are going on about. I have many wood projects that have been quick to make, and have not warped after many years. Wood can be an incredibly stable medium to build with. I've got a large format camera that is decades old, the focus is as smooth and accurate as the day it was made.

[tdkid]

Just now, Blue4130 said:

I don't know what you are going on about. I have many wood projects that have been quick to make, and have not warped after many years. Wood can be an incredibly stable medium to build with. I've got a large format camera that is decades old, the focus is as smooth and accurate as the day it was made.

you are right but we are talking about a PC case where there is going to be dust collecting in areas not easy to reach or to clean. its a little more of an important detail then just getting any 2x4 to make a shelf.

[Blue4130]

2 hours ago, tdkid said:

you are right but we are talking about a PC case where there is going to be dust collecting in areas not easy to reach or to clean. its a little more of an important detail then just getting any 2x4 to make a shelf.

It's no different than any other case for cleaning. You are set at making it sound like a hard/difficult or impractical task. It's not rocket science, it's a case for a computer. 

 

As for important detail, it's way less than the precision needed for a large format camera. If those can be reliable after 100 years, pretty sure a case is no problem. 

[TVwazhere]

Depending on what CPU you choose and if you can undervolted it, a passive CPU heatsink is completely doable. It just wont be fast but it will work. 

 

[thrasher_565]

 

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2021 by thrasher_565

[Ru66ian]

22 hours ago, tdkid said:

first off the NH-D14 was already realsed years ago, so long ago in fact its not discontinued by noctua. the NH-D15 would be a good substitute for it though if you decided to go with this one instead.

 

secondly i think it was more that we all saw you say that you were thinking about going fanless in this design and we were all like "no dont do it" so i think it was us whop misunderstood that you were just talking about no having fans on the CPU cooler which is ok as long as there is adiquite airflow over and thru the cooler by other fans on the system.

 

for any cooler i would make sure you can place it in a way in which the heatpipes will be side by side to each other and not front to back in front of the fans you do use to move the air.

 

is this going to be an enclosed case or open air?

the sides will be closed, my idea is to make the cpu and gpu compartments kind of like air tunnels

[Ru66ian]

21 minutes ago, thrasher_565 said:

 

 

 

 

thank you 

[tdkid]

11 hours ago, Blue4130 said:

It's no different than any other case for cleaning. You are set at making it sound like a hard/difficult or impractical task. It's not rocket science, it's a case for a computer. 

 

As for important detail, it's way less than the precision needed for a large format camera. If those can be reliable after 100 years, pretty sure a case is no problem. 

you think so? if OP wanted to cheap out and make this case completely out of plywood, would it be as easy to clean as say what you would make a dresser out of with the levels of stain and lacquer that you would normally find on a dresser?

 

 

[Ru66ian]

1 minute ago, tdkid said:

you think so? if OP wanted to cheap out and make this case completely out of plywood, would it be as easy to clean as say what you would make a dresser out of with the levels of stain and lacquer that you would normally find on a dresser?

 

 

I will be making it out of rimu wood. 

[tdkid]

28 minutes ago, Ru66ian said:

the sides will be closed, my idea is to make the cpu and gpu compartments kind of like air tunnels

that would probably work since you will have air moving over the components which is what i think we were all saying dont do it because i think we were all thinking you were not putting in any fans at all that are not in the PSU or GPU. if you are going to make it like a wind tunnel then in all seriousness i would suggest you look up some designs for the best airflow. of course you are going to need 4 fans. 2 for intake and 2 for exhaust.

[tdkid]

2 minutes ago, Ru66ian said:

I will be making it out of rimu wood. 

i had a feeling you would make it out of something better than the cheapest you could get. i was just trying to explain to blue that it would be a good idea to do it that way because some or most cheap materials do not last meaning you have to replace them causing more problems later.

[Ru66ian]

1 minute ago, tdkid said:

i had a feeling you would make it out of something better than the cheapest you could get. i was just trying to explain to blue that it would be a good idea to do it that way because some or most cheap materials do not last meaning you have to replace them causing more problems later.

My mate is a tradie and a lot of good wood gets chucked out on site so we recycle some of it into cutting boards and a range of furniture.  So we want something different to try. So decided to make a unique pc case!!

[tdkid]

3 minutes ago, Ru66ian said:

My mate is a tradie and a lot of good wood gets chucked out on site so we recycle some of it into cutting boards and a range of furniture.  So we want something different to try. So decided to make a unique pc case!!

well it will be ionteresting to see but if you are going to do it then you are going to have to show us pics of it in the process of being build and pics of when its done becasuse i am sure we would all like to see it.