2 Weeks, 2 Steam Box Designs

[esplin2966]

Update 2/9/2015:

 

 

Just spent the entire weekend on Makeathon, which is a school sponsored event for you to build something. I took this opportunity to do an extremely rough prototype of the Minimal Steam Box skeleton using a water jet cutter. Here are my conclusions:

 

1) 1.5 mm aluminum is definitely thick enough.

2) Cable management holes are very helpful. My Flex ATX PSU is non-modular, yet most of the cables, used or not, is hidden. However, I need to make some changes to it so that it is easier to attach zip ties/velcro ties.

3) I allocated too much room for the GPU. This means I can definitely make the internal layout even more compact.

4) Using a PCIe riser card is not a good idea. Better to use a PCIe riser cable.

 

Pictures:

 

Raw Skeleton 1:

 

Raw Skeleton 2:

 

Assembled PC:

 

Assembled PC Top View:

 

Cable Management 1:

 

Cable Management 2:

 

Cable Management 3:

 

 

Hi, my name is Ray. About 2 weeks ago, I sent out 2 surveys to determine what the market is for a small factor (SFF) PC case. Now, I have 2 designs ready.

 

Neither of these designs are at production level yet. I just want to put them out here to hopefully garner some suggestions, as well as requests for design features. To make this process as organized as possible, each case design will contain 5 logs:

 

1) Dimension - This section documents the dimension of the PC case. All changes will be dated.

 

2) Design Features - This section documents all the design features of this PC case. All changes, additions, and removals will be dated.

 

3) Planned Feature Upgrades - This section documents all design features that I plan to add in the next iteration of the design. All changes, additions, and removals will be dated.

 

4) Planned Feature Downgrades - This section documents all the design features that I plan to take away in the next iteration of the design. Reasons for design downgrade may include manufacturing cost, lack of interest, etc. All changes, additions, and removals will be dated.

 

5) Missing Design Details - This section documents further design details that I plan to add in the next iteration of the design. This may include small things like specifying exact size for any screw holes, making the design render look better, etc.

 

I would also just like to say that the process of finalizing the design will be an iterative process with you guys and the manufacturer. This means that I will be modifying the design based on what you guys suggest/want, as well as what the manufacturers say is cost effective. Doing so will allow the final design to better fit what your needs are keeping costs low. I have already contacted a few manufacturers and gotten a few quotes.

 

Without further ado:

 

Design 1: Minimal Steam Box

 

This design is basically the smallest possible design I can come up with that accommodates dual-slot graphics cards.

 

Red is PSU, Cyan is GPU, Magenta is Motherboard, Green is SSD/HDD.

 

3D view, Panel on, 1:

 

3D view, Panel on, 2:

 

3D view, Panel off, 1:

 

3D view, Skeleton, Empty, 1:

 

3D view, Skeleton, Populated, 1:

 

Top view, Skeleton, Empty, 1:

 

Top view, Skeleton, Populated, 1:

 

1) Dimension: 346mm x 264.5mm x 63mm (5.77 L) [2/4/2015]

 

2) Design Features:

a. 5/6 Panels removable. [2/4/2015]

b. Cable management routing holes around motherboard. [2/4/2015]

c. Accommodate:

i) 2 2.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 245mm (9.65") in length. [2/4/2015]

ii) 7 2.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 170mm (6.7") in length. [2/4/2015]

d. Accommodate Flex ATX PSU. [2/4/2015]

e. Maximum CPU cooler height: ~45 mm. [2/4/2015]

f. 2 front panel USB 3.0 slots. [2/4/2015]

 

3) Planned Feature Upgrades:

a. Dust filters. [2/4/2015]

b. Cable management routing holes around GPU. [2/4/2015]

c. Removable top and bottom frame rack. [2/4/2015]

d. Holder for GPU to prevent sagging. [2/4/2015]

e. Add stabilizing bar to PCIe riser card. [2/5/2015]

 

4) Planned Feature Downgrades:

a. Only top and bottom panels removable. From what I learned from manufacturers, doing so will decrease costs. For a steam-box style PC case, I don't think having removable side and front panels add much. Do not hesitate to let me know if you think otherwise. [2/4/2015]

b. Remove front panel vent holes. This is for the sole purpose of aesthetics. [2/5/2015]

 

5) Missing Design Details:

a. Specify exact size for screw holes. [2/4/2015]

b. Specify tap size for screw holes. [2/4/2015]

c. CAD files for components (as opposed to colored boxes). [2/4/2015]

d. PCIe brackets. [2/4/2015]

e. Front panel circuit board (power button, 2xUSB 3.0, maybe audio jack?). [2/4/2015]

f. Motherboard spacers. [2/4/2015]

g. Specify cutout for PCIe bracket mount. [2/5/2015]

 

 

 

 

Design 2: Powerful Steam Box

 

This design is a bigger steam-box design that accommodates full-length graphics card and anything else I can stuff in there.

 

Red is PSU, Cyan is GPU, Magenta is Motherboard, Green is SSD/HDD, Yellow is Fan.

 

3D view, Panel on, 1:

 

3D view, Panel on, 2:

 

3D view, Panel off, 1:

 

3D view, Skeleton, Empty, 1:

 

3D view, Skeleton, Empty, 2:

 

3D view, Skeleton, Populated, 1:

 

3D view, Skeleton, Populated, 2:

 

Top view, Skeleton, Populated, 1:

 

Top view, Skeleton, Populated, 2:

 

Bottom view, Skeleton, Populated, 1:

 

1) Dimension: 336mm x 344.5mm x 81mm (9.38 L) [2/4/2015]

 

2) Design Features:

a. 5/6 Panels removable. [2/4/2015]

b. Cable management routing holes around motherboard. [2/4/2015]

c. Accommodate:

i) 9 2.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 325mm (12.8”) in length + SFX PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

ii) 6 2.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 325mm (12.8”) in length + SFX-L PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iii) 9 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 230mm (9.06”) in length + SFX PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iv) 6 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 230mm (9.06”) in length + SFX-L PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

v) 6 2.5” drives + 6 3.5” drives + SFX PSU  + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

vi) 3 2.5” drives + 6 3.5” drives + SFX-L PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

d. Accommodate SFX and SFX-L PSU. [2/4/2015]

e. Maximum CPU cooler height: ~63 mm. [2/4/2015]

f. 2 front panel USB 3.0 slots. [2/4/2015]

g. Removable top frame rack. [2/4/2015]

 

3) Planned Feature Upgrades:

a. Dust filters. [2/4/2015]

b. Cable management routing holes around GPU. [2/4/2015]

c. Removable bottom frame rack. [2/4/2015]

d. Holder for GPU to prevent sagging. [2/4/2015]

e. Accommodate:

i) 4 2.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + dual-slot GPU up to 190mm (7.48") in length + SFX PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

ii) 4 2.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + dual-slot GPU up to 190mm (7.48") in length + SFX-L PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iii) 3 2.5” drives + 4 3.5” drives + 120mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iv) 3 2.5” drives + 4 3.5” drives + 120mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX-L PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

v) 4 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

vi) 4 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX-L PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

f. Mount for 140mm case fan over motherboard. [2/4/2015]

g. Accommodate 140mm x 25mm case fans below GPU. [2/5/2015]

h. Add stabilizing bar to PCIe riser card. [2/5/2015]

 

4) Planned Feature Downgrades:

a. Only top and bottom panels removable. From what I learned from manufacturers, doing so will decrease costs. For a steam-box style PC case, I don't think having removable side and front panels add much. Do not hesitate to let me know if you think otherwise. [2/4/2015]

b. Remove 3 2.5" drives hanging over GPU. Heat from GPU may compromise the drives. [2/5/2015]

c. Remove front panel vent holes. This is for the sole purpose of aesthetics. [2/5/2015]

 

5) Missing Design Details:

a. Specify exact size for screw holes. [2/4/2015]

b. Specify tap size for screw holes. [2/4/2015]

c. CAD files for components (as opposed to colored boxes). [2/4/2015]

d. PCIe brackets. [2/4/2015]

e. Front panel circuit board (power button, 2xUSB 3.0, maybe audio jack?). [2/4/2015]

f. Extra mounting brackets for 2.5” and 3.5” drives. [2/4/2015]

g. Motherboard spacers. [2/4/2015]

h. Specify cutout for PCIe bracket mount. [2/5/2015]

 

 

 

 

 

Questions for the Community:

 

1) I think I can make Design 2 accommodate 140mm x 25mm case fans if it accommodates 3 less 2.5" drives, or is maybe 5-10mm thicker. Would you want that?

 

2) Do you want front panel audio jacks? Adding this will add costs.

 

3) Is it alright to make only the top and bottom panel removable for both designs? Doing so reduces costs.

 

4) How do the designs look aesthetically? Any suggestions on what would look better?

 

5) Are there any features that you think are unnecessary?

 

6) Are there any other features that you want?

 

7) Does it bother people that the power plug is on the side wall?

 

8) The cable management holes are designed so that you can put your own zip tie or velcro tie into it. Is the design too simplistic?

 

[APrettyCoolWalrus]

O_O this looks magnificent! Followed!

[esplin2966]

O_O this looks magnificent! Followed!

Thanks man! Do you have any features that you want or see things that seem unnecessary? Your opinions are very valuable because they help me improve the design of the case.

 

Also, which design do you like better?  :lol:

[ryanmmax]

Its an elegant design similar to SilverStone's new RVZ02.  What manufacturing process are you considering to produce this, your design seems hard to implement.  From a simplistic way I would look at water-jetting, using either Aluminum or steel sheet depending on your structural needs.  Ideally you could get the body down to 2-3 pieces (1. base with front/back 2. removable motherboard tray with riser for storage 3. Top with 2 sides)...  If these pieces could be cut from a piece of sheet then bent/rolled into necessary shape you could reduce machining down to a single step. 

 

 

Side note, is your intent to produce these, or post the part files for other DIY'rs?

[zlolslavez]

I really like this design, however, it looks like it will collect dust out the @$$ due to all the holes created for ventilation.

[APrettyCoolWalrus]

Thanks man! Do you have any features that you want or see things that seem unnecessary? Your opinions are very valuable because they help me improve the design of the case.

 

Also, which design do you like better?  :lol:

It features all that it needs, and I love the smaller design simply because it seems like a good challenge

[esplin2966]

Its an elegant design similar to SilverStone's new RVZ02.  What manufacturing process are you considering to produce this, your design seems hard to implement.  From a simplistic way I would look at water-jetting, using either Aluminum or steel sheet depending on your structural needs.  Ideally you could get the body down to 2-3 pieces (1. base with front/back 2. removable motherboard tray with riser for storage 3. Top with 2 sides)...  If these pieces could be cut from a piece of sheet then bent/rolled into necessary shape you could reduce machining down to a single step. 

 

 

Side note, is your intent to produce these, or post the part files for other DIY'rs?

 

My intent is to produce these.

 

Right now, what I'm thinking is to simplify the body down to 3 pieces: skeleton, top panel, bottom panel, then I have each piece be produced by metal stamping. The top and bottom panels are straightforward to stamp, while the skeleton will require bending/rolling.

 

I am already talking to manufacturers to get quotes and suggestions on how to push costs down. I believe that metal stamping is the cheapest method of production. Do you know of other methods that may work?

[esplin2966]

I really like this design, however, it looks like it will collect dust out the @$$ due to all the holes created for ventilation.

Thanks man! Dust filters are already in the "Planned Feature Upgrades" section of both designs.

[esplin2966]

It features all that it needs, and I love the smaller design simply because it seems like a good challenge

Cool, thanks man! Do you think the aesthetics could be improved?

[zlolslavez]

Also, there may be some heat issues with the drives depending on the graphics card you use as it may blow hot air onto them. Also I think front panel audio connectors aren't completely necessary for a steam box, but it would be nice to have. Tbh usb 3.0 is overkill for a steambox but that's a feature that's definitely a plus. Also To be honest you don't need too many 2.5 drive locations. As games are usually located on hard drives, and those are much better at the 3.5 size. And in a gaming box I  can't imagine much drives, let alone tons of drives  that are 2.5.

[APrettyCoolWalrus]

Cool, thanks man! Do you think the aesthetics could be improved?

It looks great, I would love to have it for another computer! The only thing I would like on the smaller case is a smaller intake area. I'm talking ever so slightly smaller though. I know nothing about airflow to be honest, so whatever you think will work out for the best!

[esplin2966]

It looks great, I would love to have it for another computer! The only thing I would like on the smaller case is a smaller intake area. I'm talking ever so slightly smaller though. I know nothing about airflow to be honest, so whatever you think will work out for the best!

 

Are you talking about the intake area on the top panel or on the bottom panel?

[esplin2966]

Also, there may be some heat issues with the drives depending on the graphics card you use as it may blow hot air onto them. Also I think front panel audio connectors aren't completely necessary for a steam box, but it would be nice to have. Tbh usb 3.0 is overkill for a steambox but that's a feature that's definitely a plus. Also To be honest you don't need too many 2.5 drive locations. As games are usually located on hard drives, and those are much better at the 3.5 size. And in a gaming box I  can't imagine much drives, let alone tons of drives  that are 2.5.

 

Yeah, people have been advising that I remove the 2.5" drives over the GPU in the second design. I have already put it in the "Planned Design Downgrades" section.

 

Hmm, maybe I should just try as hard as I can to squeeze in as many 3.5" drives as possible. The reason I make lots of space for 2.5" drives is because I think some people are looking to build a small PC as a media server, and I want the case to be able to double as that function as well.

[APrettyCoolWalrus]

Are you talking about the intake area on the top panel or on the bottom panel?

Oh wait... never mind, I was looking at the picture of the second design.

[Aibohphobia]

My intent is to produce these.

 

Right now, what I'm thinking is to simplify the body down to 3 pieces: skeleton, top panel, bottom panel, then I have each piece be produced by metal stamping. The top and bottom panels are straightforward to stamp, while the skeleton will require bending/rolling.

 

I am already talking to manufacturers to get quotes and suggestions on how to push costs down. I believe that metal stamping is the cheapest method of production. Do you know of other methods that may work?

 

Short run stamping may be cost-effective but you'll probably want to look into turret punches and press brakes, they're more common for producing enclosures in low volume.

 

Avoid water jet, it's expensive. Same thing with laser cutting for the exterior panels due to all the small holes.

 

BTW, what country are you trying to get this made in?

[esplin2966]

Short run stamping may be cost-effective but you'll probably want to look into turret punches and press brakes, they're more common for producing enclosures in low volume.

 

Avoid water jet, it's expensive. Same thing with laser cutting for the exterior panels due to all the small holes.

 

BTW, what country are you trying to get this made in?

 

 

Hmm, so you're saying that I might save on tooling costs if I try my best to design the case to be produced by turret punches and press brakes as opposed to short run stamping?

 

I have been talking to manufacturers in both China and US, trying to weigh shipping costs vs higher labor costs. I'm mainly focused on the US market, but if other countries show interest that'll be cool too.

[esplin2966]

Oh wait... never mind, I was looking at the picture of the second design.

 

 

Oh haha. Any issues with the ventilation in the first design?

[Aibohphobia]

Hmm, so you're saying that I might save on tooling costs if I try my best to design the case to be produced by turret punches and press brakes as opposed to short run stamping?

 

I have been talking to manufacturers in both China and US, trying to weigh shipping costs vs higher labor costs. I'm mainly focused on the US market, but if other countries show interest that'll be cool too.

 

If you don't need any really tight bends and the shop is well equipped you shouldn't need to pay for any tooling if it's made with press brakes.

 

Most US shops have invested heavily in advanced CNC equipment so they can compete. Main problem is other parts like power cords and front IO, they're readily available in China and Taiwan since so much computer stuff is made there but it's harder to source here.

 

I wouldn't focus too heavily on the US market, something like half of the NCASE M1s went to people outside the USA.

[esplin2966]

If you don't need any really tight bends and the shop is well equipped you shouldn't need to pay for any tooling if it's made with press brakes.

 

Most US shops have invested heavily in advanced CNC equipment so they can compete. Main problem is other parts like power cords and front IO, they're readily available in China and Taiwan since so much computer stuff is made there but it's harder to source here.

 

I wouldn't focus too heavily on the US market, something like half of the NCASE M1s went to people outside the USA.

 

 

Yeah, I'm probably looking to get front panel USB ports, pcie risers and stuff like that produced in China/Taiwan.

 

Where did you hear that a good part of the Ncase M1's went to outside the US?

[Aibohphobia]

Where did you hear that a good part of the Ncase M1's went to outside the US?

 

The M1 spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuQJbc_Aru20dDdLbmJWMjZYSXJvNWNOVzJkdkJPTWc&usp=sharing#gid=29

 

Of course that's assuming the geographic distribution of people who filled in that sheet are representative of actual orders, but it gives some insight.

[esplin2966]

The M1 spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuQJbc_Aru20dDdLbmJWMjZYSXJvNWNOVzJkdkJPTWc&usp=sharing#gid=29

 

Of course that's assuming the geographic distribution of people who filled in that sheet are representative of actual orders, but it gives some insight.

 

That's pretty interesting. And here I am thinking that most of the prospective buyers are in the US.

 

Thanks for the info man! I will try to get some preliminary quotes for international shipping.

[kkpatel87]

 

Update 2/5/2015:

 

 

Added "PCIe riser stabilizer bar" to "Planned Feature Upgrades" of both designs.

 

Added "Accommodate 140mm x 25mm case fans below GPU" to "Planned Feature Upgrades" of design 2.

 

Added "Remove 2.5" drives above GPU" to "Planned Feature Downgrades" of design 2.

 

Better renderings.

 

Added 2 questions for the community.

 

 

Hi, my name is Ray. About 2 weeks ago, I sent out 2 surveys to determine what the market is for a small factor (SFF) PC case. Now, I have 2 designs ready.

 

Neither of these designs are at production level yet. I just want to put them out here to hopefully garner some suggestions, as well as requests for design features. To make this process as organized as possible, each case design will contain 5 logs:

 

1) Dimension - This section documents the dimension of the PC case. All changes will be dated.

 

2) Design Features - This section documents all the design features of this PC case. All changes, additions, and removals will be dated.

 

3) Planned Feature Upgrades - This section documents all design features that I plan to add in the next iteration of the design. All changes, additions, and removals will be dated.

 

4) Planned Feature Downgrades - This section documents all the design features that I plan to take away in the next iteration of the design. Reasons for design downgrade may include manufacturing cost, lack of interest, etc. All changes, additions, and removals will be dated.

 

5) Missing Design Details - This section documents further design details that I plan to add in the next iteration of the design. This may include small things like specifying exact size for any screw holes, making the design render look better, etc.

 

I would also just like to say that the process of finalizing the design will be an iterative process with you guys and the manufacturer. This means that I will be modifying the design based on what you guys suggest/want, as well as what the manufacturers say is cost effective. Doing so will allow the final design to better fit what your needs are keeping costs low. I have already contacted a few manufacturers and gotten a few quotes.

 

Without further ado:

 

Design 1: Minimal Steam Box

 

This design is basically the smallest possible design I can come up with that accommodates dual-slot graphics cards.

 

Red is PSU, Cyan is GPU, Magenta is Motherboard, Green is SSD/HDD.

 

1) Dimension: 336mm x 344.5mm x 81mm (9.38 L) [2/4/2015]

 

2) Design Features:

a. 5/6 Panels removable. [2/4/2015]

b. Cable management routing holes around motherboard. [2/4/2015]

c. Accommodate:

i) 9 2.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 325mm (12.8”) in length + SFX PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

ii) 6 2.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 325mm (12.8”) in length + SFX-L PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iii) 9 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 230mm (9.06”) in length + SFX PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iv) 6 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + dual-slot GPU up to 230mm (9.06”) in length + SFX-L PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

v) 6 2.5” drives + 6 3.5” drives + SFX PSU  + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

vi) 3 2.5” drives + 6 3.5” drives + SFX-L PSU + 2 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

 

d. Accommodate SFX and SFX-L PSU. [2/4/2015]

e. Maximum CPU cooler height: ~63 mm. [2/4/2015]

f. 2 front panel USB 3.0 slots. [2/4/2015]

g. Removable top frame rack. [2/4/2015]

 

3) Planned Feature Upgrades:

a. Dust filters. [2/4/2015]

b. Cable management routing holes around GPU. [2/4/2015]

c. Removable bottom frame rack. [2/4/2015]

d. Holder for GPU to prevent sagging. [2/4/2015]

e. Accommodate:

i) 4 2.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + dual-slot GPU up to 190mm (7.48") in length + SFX PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

ii) 4 2.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + dual-slot GPU up to 190mm (7.48") in length + SFX-L PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iii) 3 2.5” drives + 4 3.5” drives + 120mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

iv) 3 2.5” drives + 4 3.5” drives + 120mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX-L PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

v) 4 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

vi) 4 2.5” drives + 2 3.5” drives + 140mm AIO liquid cooler + SFX-L PSU + 1 120mmx15mm case fans. [2/4/2015]

f. Mount for 140mm case fan over motherboard. [2/4/2015]

g. Accommodate 140mm x 25mm case fans below GPU. [2/5/2015]

h. Add stabilizing bar to PCIe riser card. [2/5/2015]

 

4) Planned Feature Downgrades:

a. Only top and bottom panels removable. From what I learned from manufacturers, doing so will decrease costs. For a steam-box style PC case, I don't think having removable side and front panels add much. Do not hesitate to let me know if you think otherwise. [2/4/2015]

b. Remove 3 2.5" drives hanging over GPU. Heat from GPU may compromise the drives. [2/5/2015]

 

5) Missing Design Details:

a. Specify exact size for screw holes. [2/4/2015]

b. Specify tap size for screw holes. [2/4/2015]

c. CAD files for components (as opposed to colored boxes). [2/4/2015]

d. PCIe brackets. [2/4/2015]

e. Front panel circuit board (power button, 2xUSB 3.0, maybe audio jack?). [2/4/2015]

f. Extra mounting brackets for 2.5” and 3.5” drives. [2/4/2015]

g. Motherboard spacers. [2/4/2015]

Questions for the Community:

 

1) I think I can make Design 2 accommodate 140mm x 25mm case fans if it accommodates 3 less 2.5" drives, or is maybe 5-10mm thicker. Would you want that?

 

2) Do you want front panel audio jacks? Adding this will add costs.

 

3) Is it alright to make only the top and bottom panel removable for both designs? Doing so reduces costs.

 

4) How do the designs look aesthetically? Any suggestions on what would look better?

 

5) Are there any features that you think are unnecessary?

 

6) Are there any other features that you want?

 

7) Does it bother people that the power plug is on the side wall?

 

8) The cable management holes are designed so that you can put your own zip tie or velcro tie into it. Is the design too simplistic?

 

 

8. I would look into putting standoffs or epoxying panduit mounts to provide stable points. Straight holes create stress points.

 

FYI, we dont use tapped holes in aircraft or spacecraft because they are so shitty, especially in sheet metal. I would recommend nutplates or rivet nuts.

 

The cross members look like flat bars . You want a T or I member in the middle to ensure torsional rigidity but thats just me

 

What does the airflow look like? Do you have a CFD plot or sketch of the internals?

 

Looks good, good luck!

[esplin2966]

8. I would look into putting standoffs or epoxying panduit mounts to provide stable points. Straight holes create stress points.

 

FYI, we dont use tapped holes in aircraft or spacecraft because they are so shitty, especially in sheet metal. I would recommend nutplates or rivet nuts.

 

The cross members look like flat bars . You want a T or I member in the middle to ensure torsional rigidity but thats just me

 

What does the airflow look like? Do you have a CFD plot or sketch of the internals?

 

Looks good, good luck!

 

Thanks man! I didn't know about not using tapped holes in aircrafts, and I'm majoring in aerospace engineering lol...

 

I'm not sure if I'll need the extra reinforcements on the removable frame, since only 2.5" drives and cables will be hanging from it. I'll be doing a rough prototyping this weekend though, so we'll see about that.

 

I didn't know people do CFDs on PC cases 

 

I do have colored boxes in place of internal components to figure out if everything will fit. Working on adding CAD models of internal components in the render of the next iteration. Aside from intake vents, there is a vent on 2 sides of the GPU, and a vent on 2 sides of the motherboard. I think the airflow should be sufficient.

[APrettyCoolWalrus]

Oh haha. Any issues with the ventilation in the first design?

Make sure there are attachable feet so air can easily get to the GPU ventilation area.

[esplin2966]

Make sure there are attachable feet so air can easily get to the GPU ventilation area.

 

Oh yeah, good catch. I'll add that to the "Missing Design Details" section.

 

Thanks!