DIY PC Case

[CoolMaximus]

Hi, sorry if this is not the right forum to ask this, but I am planning on doing my own pc case. Can you give me tips on how to make the motherboard backplate standoff and the pci brackets (atx)... and link me to a pic of an atx layout. Thanks and sorry if this was not the place to ask this.. 

[Streetguru]

1 minute ago, CoolMaximus said:

Hi, sorry if this is not the right forum to ask this, but I am planning on doing my own pc case. Can you give me tips on how to make the motherboard backplate standoff and the pci brackets (atx)... and link me to a pic of an atx layout. Thanks and sorry if this was not the place to ask this.. 

If you make it out of wood you can just screw the motherboard directly to the case

 

otherwise if you were going for metal, well good luck

[W-L]

1 minute ago, CoolMaximus said:

Hi, sorry if this is not the right forum to ask this, but I am planning on doing my own pc case. Can you give me tips on how to make the motherboard backplate standoff and the pci brackets (atx)... and link me to a pic of an atx layout. Thanks and sorry if this was not the place to ask this.. 

For the motherboard tray if you want an easy solution it would be best to purchase a tray itself all complete and ready to go and then build the case around that or modify it. 

http://www.mountainmods.com/motherboard-parts-c-21_34_66.html?osCsid=of5nosgs0voalgk26omirb1mc2

 

-Moved to Modding Section-

[CoolMaximus]

2 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

If you make it out of wood you can just screw the motherboard directly to the case

 

otherwise if you were going for metal, well good luck

WOW... thanks, i did not know that

[Streetguru]

Just now, CoolMaximus said:

WOW... thanks, i did not know that

It's non conductive, so shouldn't really matter, you could also just use a cardboard box, or a milk crate and just zip tie the PC to it.

 

 

Probably the best thing to use is PVC pipe, as it's going to be fairly easy to work with and add things onto it 

[CoolMaximus]

3 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

It's non conductive, so shouldn't really matter, you could also just use a cardboard box, or a milk crate and just zip tie the PC to it.

 

 

Probably the best thing to use is PVC pipe, as it's going to be fairly easy to work with and add things onto it 

I am making it out of wood...

[TidaLWaveZ]

2 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

If you make it out of wood you can just screw the motherboard directly to the case

 

otherwise if you were going for metal, well good luck

 

3 minutes ago, CoolMaximus said:

WOW... thanks, i did not know that

 

Do it carefully if you go that route, you'll want some distance between the wood and the board.

[CoolMaximus]

2 minutes ago, TidaLWaveZ said:

 

 

Do it carefully if you go that route, you'll want some distance between the wood and the board.

Why?

[Streetguru]

2 minutes ago, CoolMaximus said:

I am making it out of wood...

Should be fine then, didn't luke just do a thing on that? mounting a PC to a piece of wood instead of a case?

[Aytex]

Just now, CoolMaximus said:

Why?

too much heat=fire probably

You may want to add a coat of something idk whats it called

[CoolMaximus]

2 minutes ago, Aytex said:

too much heat=fire probably

You may want to add a coat of something idk whats it called

Yes, I will surely do that

[Streetguru]

4 minutes ago, Aytex said:

too much heat=fire probably

You may want to add a coat of something idk whats it called

If your PC is hitting 190C you have more issues than a wooden case

 

"Ignition temp of various woods

190°-260° "

of course a spark/something is still a thing as well but that'd only really happen with low end components, but all the heat is on the front side of the motherboard anyways.

I guess you could get some of this if you were really concerned, but overall it's probably going to be fine without it

http://www.amazon.com/No-Burn-1102A-Original-Retardant-32-Ounce/dp/B003M8G39E

[W-L]

1 minute ago, Aytex said:

too much heat=fire probably

You may want to add a coat of something idk whats it called

Just now, CoolMaximus said:

Yes, I will surely do that

 

The components wouldn't get hot enough to catch wood on fire, but you still want to add standoff's to give it the proper breathing room and spacing off the tray. I would recommend to use threaded inserts into the wooden backplate to let you install regular standoffs:

https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/0123224

[CoolMaximus]

3 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

If your PC is hitting 190C you have more issues than a wooden case

 

"Ignition temp of various woods

190°-260° "

of course a spark/something is still a thing as well but that'd only really happen with low end components, but all the heat is on the front side of the motherboard anyways.

http://makezine.com/projects/make-43/joseph-gay-lussac-and-the-technology-of-fireproofing/

Hmmm good to know.. 

[Brennan Price]

Ive made my own PC case from wood. I changed back to my previous case though because it was too loud.

[Streetguru]

1 minute ago, W-L said:

 

The components wouldn't get hot enough to catch wood on fire, but you still want to add standoff's to give it the proper breathing room and spacing off the tray. I would recommend to use threaded inserts into the wooden backplate to let you install regular standoffs:

https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/0123224

 

Just now, CoolMaximus said:

Hmmm good to know.. 

Or just find a local PC repair shop/Gut a cheap motherboard for the brass stand offs

 

I walked into my local PC shop and they just gave me a handful of them, just ended up buying a soda

[TidaLWaveZ]

9 minutes ago, CoolMaximus said:

Why?

 

8 minutes ago, Aytex said:

too much heat=fire probably

You may want to add a coat of something idk whats it called

 

Yes, heat.  Even if it's a bit of a stretch that it could catch on fire, motherboards aren't meant to rest flush on another surface.  It will effect performance and could ultimately damage the motherboard. 

 

Just hold the motherboard up to the wood and stick a sharpie in the screw holes to make dots on the wood.  Then screw standoffs in where the dots are and screw the motherboard onto the standoffs!  Easy as that!

[soup]

@CoolMaximus  Along with the heating aspect. The motherboard is not completely flat on the back.  If you screw it to a totally flat board, you will apply pressure in differing amounts to different parts of the motherboard, possibly pushing some components so hard that they only make intermitent contact .  For the sake of your sanity you do not want to be hunting down interrmitent faults.  Space the motherboard from ANY tray whether metal or wood or...

[Scheer]

Obligatory grounding information:

 

The return pins in your power supply connectors should never be confused with proper grounding. If the motherboard is not attached to something conductive that is in turn attached to the power supply housing I HIGHLY recommend running a few grounding leads from a couple motherboard standoffs to the power supply. Its unlikely a lack of grounds will cause you a problem... but IMO a few dollars in parts and a few minutes of your time is worth the piece of mind to potentially protect $1000 worth of electronics.

[TrazosD]

Hi, im Leonard, from Spain, sorry for my basic level English if anything is misspelled.

some time ago, i tried to build my first DIY PC Case... was a very fun proyect and i like it so much, this is the final case called "The Jail"

 

Spoiler

As you can see, the I/O Swithces can be change to put the 5'25 drive.... All of this was designed in Google Sketchup (now Trimble Sketchup) before shopping, cutting, and ensambling... this is the basic design:

 

Spoiler

To make the Backplate for MB i used a wooden plank, put the MB on the final site and mark the 6 points to pin up the MB... take the MB Standoffs and make the holes to pin it, very important thing, is make a hole on the backplate behind the processor, for manipulate the cooler backplate, and allow propper ventilation for the MB.

In my case, i take the PCI Brackets from my previous case, a NOX Coolbay SX... cut the rivets with any tool like Dremel or Drill... and put this on the new case after setup the final position of the MB.... and it will fit perfectly...

Spoiler

Hope you like this tips... im not a proffessional modder, but i made this case without knowledge of this.... at final, i like so much and feels very very proud! :-)

 

Again, sorry for my low level english... i've used google translate sometimes to help me... hope u understand this correctly. Let us know about your proyect process or final result!