LEGO case

[KasperN]

Hi!

 

I've planned to build a Pc case made of LEGO. Now the plan is to take a old pc case and tear it appart, so I only have a metal frame left to place the hardware in. Then I will make a LEGO "frame" and place the metal frame into the LEGO and build around the frame and hardware.

 

I have made a sketch how my idea is gonna look like. It's not in correct measure. (The blue and red arrows are cold and varm air)

 

What do you think?

- I have bought two 120mm bitfenix spectre as intake and a 120 or 140 mm as exhaust. The PSU takes fresh air in outside the case.

- I choose to have the metal frame for hardware, to get rid off static electricity.

- I can make an Arduino and program it to measure the air temperature inside the case, so I can control the temperature

[TheCatShuriken]

Would be cooled well if the plastic didn't absorb the heat. Worst case scenario the legos melt and get all over your important PC components. If your not gonna be overclocking the CPU, or doing very demanding tasks (Such as most modern games at 1080p high settings), and plan on playing minecraft it might work, but make sure that your legos cant possibly melt onto your computer components.

[manikyath]

honestly, if you dont have the bricks required for it on hand you'd be spending that much on buying bricks its pretty much not worth it outside of novelty.

there's offcourse this guy that built his server out of knex, but thats a cheaper "building material" while also needing less of it.

 

2 minutes ago, TheCatShuriken said:

Would be cooled well if the plastic didn't absorb the heat. Worst case scenario the legos melt and get all over your important PC components. If your not gonna be overclocking the CPU, or doing very demanding tasks (Such as most modern games at 1080p high settings), and plan on playing minecraft it might work, but make sure that your legos cant possibly melt onto your computer components.

pretty sure lego bricks easily go well beyond TJmax before they melt.

a quick google reveals generally ABS plastic starts to lose integrity at 80°c, and melts at 105°c, while the transparent bricks gladly take beyond 200°c.

 

while heat shouldnt be the biggest issue, its "one of the reasons you really shouldnt".

[TheCatShuriken]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

honestly, if you dont have the bricks required for it on hand you'd be spending that much on buying bricks its pretty much not worth it outside of novelty.

there's offcourse this guy that built his server out of knex, but thats a cheaper "building material" while also needing less of it.

 

pretty sure lego bricks easily go well beyond TJmax before they melt.

a quick google reveals generally ABS plastic starts to lose integrity at 80°c, and melts at 105°c, while the transparent bricks gladly take beyond 200°c.

 

while heat shouldnt be the biggest issue, its "one of the reasons you really shouldnt".

Well said. If you want a novelty case you could build legos all around a basic metal case, it would still look cool and stay cool (provided you didnt cover the exausts at all).

[KasperN]

1 minute ago, Julian2000nl said:

You are an hero.

What do you mean?

[KasperN]

17 minutes ago, TheCatShuriken said:

Would be cooled well if the plastic didn't absorb the heat. Worst case scenario the legos melt and get all over your important PC components. If your not gonna be overclocking the CPU, or doing very demanding tasks (Such as most modern games at 1080p high settings), and plan on playing minecraft it might work, but make sure that your legos cant possibly melt onto your computer components.

That's why I want to have an Arduino (Have one in hand) to measure the temp in the case. I'm not gonna overclock my CPU, I only have a stock cooler for my Q6600, but I do game at 1080p on medium settings. - I hope not that the LEGO's gonna melt since the plan is only to make it out of regulare bricks

[KasperN]

15 minutes ago, manikyath said:

honestly, if you dont have the bricks required for it on hand you'd be spending that much on buying bricks its pretty much not worth it outside of novelty.

there's offcourse this guy that built his server out of knex, but thats a cheaper "building material" while also needing less of it.

 

pretty sure lego bricks easily go well beyond TJmax before they melt.

a quick google reveals generally ABS plastic starts to lose integrity at 80°c, and melts at 105°c, while the transparent bricks gladly take beyond 200°c.

 

while heat shouldnt be the biggest issue, its "one of the reasons you really shouldnt".

I have plenty bricks in hand, that's why I want to make this case.

 

I have also read that on the internet. I don't think it's gonna reach 80 or 105 degrees, but i'm not sure.

 

I know, I have read many forums about heat and static electricity, but since I have the metal frame, some new fans and I my sketch is not compact.

[KasperN]

I can try just to build the LEGO case as I want it, without the metal frame, to see the temperatures. Don't think it will harm the componets for a day or two?

[TheCatShuriken]

6 minutes ago, KasperN said:

I can try just to build the LEGO case as I want it, without the metal frame, to see the temperatures. Don't think it will harm the componets for a day or two?

I recommend you just build a lego frame around the case so it still looks cool but the components are fine. If the legos melt into your GPU fans dont blame me lol.

[KasperN]

26 minutes ago, TheCatShuriken said:

I recommend you just build a lego frame around the case so it still looks cool but the components are fine. If the legos melt into your GPU fans dont blame me lol.

That could also be cool!

[TheCatShuriken]

3 minutes ago, KasperN said:

That could also be cool!

Yeah. And literally because your legos wont melt (much).

[tbake0155]

@KasperN

 

It's not something I would venture into personally, but if you have the drive you should do it.  Heat is not going to be a significant issue as long as you have fans moving air through the case. 

 

I think you should just do it and not even bother with other peoples opinions.  Innovators and creators are constantly told their ideas are stupid, pointless, futile.  So is life, eventually you die. If you want to build it, build it.  Even if the outcome is terrible at least you tried and turned an idea into a tangible thing.

 

I don't suppose you really need an arduino to monitor temperatures and control your fans, because you are obviously using a motherboard.  But maybe your motherboard doesn't have a lot of bios support for custom fan control.  Or you could use the arduino to control the fans just because you can, but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to power the fans directly off the arduino because they will need too much current.  I know you can send PWM signals from an arduino but you want to make sure you can deliver the current you need or figure out a way to do it with transistors. 

 

Sounds like a fun project!

[TheCatShuriken]

2 minutes ago, tbake0155 said:

@KasperN

 

It's not something I would venture into personally, but if you have the drive you should do it.  Heat is not going to be a significant issue as long as you have fans moving air through the case. 

 

I think you should just do it and not even bother with other peoples opinions.  Innovators and creators are constantly told their ideas are stupid, pointless, futile.  So is life, eventually you die. If you want to build it, build it.  Even if the outcome is terrible at least you tried and turned an idea into a tangible thing.

 

I don't suppose you really need an arduino to monitor temperatures and control your fans, because you are obviously using a motherboard.  But maybe your motherboard doesn't have a lot of bios support for custom fan control.  Or you could use the arduino to control the fans just because you can, but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to power the fans directly off the arduino because they will need too much current.  I know you can send PWM signals from an arduino but you want to make sure you can deliver the current you need or figure out a way to do it with transistors. 

 

Sounds like a fun project!

If hes not overclocking or putting huge workloads on CPU and GPU it should be fine.

[tbake0155]

If legos are melting then your whole system is getting way too hot.  Does the plastic molding on case fans melt?  I could be wrong, but temperature is not even a slight concern from my perspective.

 

I do think using the metal frame to hold your components is a good idea, to control static electricity, but you can use wires and connect the components to your PSU case and have the same effect.

 

 

[tbake0155]

3 minutes ago, TheCatShuriken said:

If hes not overclocking or putting huge workloads on CPU and GPU it should be fine.

Even if he was, I think if his system is getting that hot he was way more issues.  The airflow through his system should be adequate to move the hot air out. 

 

@KasperN

 

I would recommend you use a 140mm fan for the exhaust, to help prevent too much positive pressure in the case.

[TheCatShuriken]

1 minute ago, tbake0155 said:

Even if he was, I think if his system is getting that hot he was way more issues.  The airflow through his system should be adequate to move the hot air out. 

Should be. But the practicality of it is next to nothing.

[tbake0155]

2 minutes ago, TheCatShuriken said:

Should be. But the practicality of it is next to nothing.

Again though, if innovators only did things that were practical nothing would ever change   Not every idea is the best idea, but you never know unless you try.

[TheCatShuriken]

1 minute ago, tbake0155 said:

Again though, if innovators only did things that were practical nothing would ever change   Not every idea is the best idea, but you never know unless you try.

Fair point. I think if he made the case a little more roomy it would function well. Its a cool idea, I hope he can follow through with it. Water cooling might work with it too, and look a little extra snazzy while hes at it. If he made it in a traditional PC shape he could make one or both of the sides out of clear colored bricks and maybe add some LED bricks too! Its a cool idea, I just dont want him (or her) to have their computer components melted.

[tbake0155]

1 minute ago, TheCatShuriken said:

Fair point. I think if he made the case a little more roomy it would function well. Its a cool idea, I hope he can follow through with it. Water cooling might work with it too, and look a little extra snazzy while hes at it. If he made it in a traditional PC shape he could make one or both of the sides out of clear colored bricks and maybe add some LED bricks too! Its a cool idea, I just dont want him (or her) to have their computer components melted.

That sounds like it could look really cool, and I agree that water cooling would be a good way to keep the heat down inside the case. 

[TheCatShuriken]

1 minute ago, tbake0155 said:

That sounds like it could look really cool, and I agree that water cooling would be a good way to keep the heat down inside the case. 

And also function compactly! Man, that would be so cool, a lego case with see through colored light up legos on one side with water cooling to keep the temp down becuase the fans would not be too efficient on a compact case! Man I kinda want to make this now!

[KasperN]

That is some really cool ideas you gave me! I would think more about it, and post a picture some time i'm done with my projekt

[TheCatShuriken]

11 minutes ago, KasperN said:

That is some really cool ideas you gave me! I would think more about it, and post a picture some time i'm done with my projekt

Yeah! Good luck with your project, cant wait to see how it turns out!

[Spotswood]

LEGO PC cases are for sale from here:  http://www.totalgeekdom.com/?page_id=1694