PC Desk Case project!

[Fugly]

Hey guys,

 

So as some of you may know from my previous and first ever post regarding PETG vs soft piping, I am currently in the early planning phase of my PC desk case project. As you guys would expect, I was inspired by Linus' PC desk case project some time back. However due to budget constraints it will be somewhat less spectacular. Well, PC components wise at least.

 

So I will be updating this post as my project goes on to keep you guys in the loop, and also to pick all your brains for advice/suggestions so I don't make stupid or fatal mistakes. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

 

[Fugly]

Update 1: Found a cheap glass table for SGD$45! (~USD$32). Dimensions of the glass is 142cm x 56cm. I just went ahead and bought it cos it was super cheap. I'll be heading down to my friends woodworking shop with the glass and we'll try out best to plan component layout.

 

I also bought a cheap PC case for SGD$30 (~USD$22). My intention is to cut it up so it's just motherboard mounting tray, with rear IO ports and PCIe card openings. This was waaaay cheaper than buying a motherboard tray from case labs (http://www.caselabs-store.com/atx-motherboard-trays-pricing-varies/), which btw in my mind is stupidly expensive. I intend to incorporate this into the table so I don't have to measure and drill screw holes directly into the wood.

 

Anyways, more updates, hopefully with pics tomorrow!

[SquintyG33Rs]

6 minutes ago, Fugly said:

Update 1: Found a cheap glass table for SGD$45! (~USD$32). Dimensions of the glass is 142cm x 56cm. I just went ahead and bought it cos it was super cheap. I'll be heading down to my friends woodworking shop with the glass and we'll try out best to plan component layout.

 

I also bought a cheap PC case for SGD$30 (~USD$22). My intention is to cut it up so it's just motherboard mounting tray, with rear IO ports and PCIe card openings. This was waaaay cheaper than buying a motherboard tray from case labs (http://www.caselabs-store.com/atx-motherboard-trays-pricing-varies/), which btw in my mind is stupidly expensive. I intend to incorporate this into the table so I don't have to measure and drill screw holes directly into the wood.

 

Anyways, more updates, hopefully with pics tomorrow!

Ikea sells glass table tops for 20 to 30$ CAD

I bought a box pf nylon standoffs on eBay for a couple bucks and used those to mount the mobo (drilling 1.5mm holes in the MDF they fit snug in)

[Fugly]

41 minutes ago, SquintyG33Rs said:

Ikea sells glass table tops for 20 to 30$ CAD

I bought a box pf nylon standoffs on eBay for a couple bucks and used those to mount the mobo (drilling 1.5mm holes in the MDF they fit snug in)

Thanks mate! Well I'm from Singapore and Ikea doesn't sell glass panels here.. I checked. But thanks for the advice though!

 

As for standoffs, yeah I intend to get them regardless of whether I use the case or not.. just in case.

[SquintyG33Rs]

1 hour ago, Fugly said:

Thanks mate! Well I'm from Singapore and Ikea doesn't sell glass panels here.. I checked. But thanks for the advice though!

 

As for standoffs, yeah I intend to get them regardless of whether I use the case or not.. just in case.

they're cheap so it's not a big loss. i didn't buy the glass either because i had my own but when i saw ikea had some for cheap i considered trying to build some for other people and selling them.

[Fugly]

46 minutes ago, SquintyG33Rs said:

they're cheap so it's not a big loss. i didn't buy the glass either because i had my own but when i saw ikea had some for cheap i considered trying to build some for other people and selling them.

Oh so you've built your own PC desk case? Awesome! Any advice or things I should look out for? 

[SquintyG33Rs]

14 hours ago, Fugly said:

Oh so you've built your own PC desk case? Awesome! Any advice or things I should look out for? 

i only overlooked the simplest dumbest thing. it's a 2 PC desk, one on either side and i completely forgot to give leg space to the second person

[Fugly]

6 hours ago, SquintyG33Rs said:

i only overlooked the simplest dumbest thing. it's a 2 PC desk, one on either side and i completely forgot to give leg space to the second person

haha... 2 PC desk? now that's interesting. Honestly if that was the only thing you overlooked, sounds like you planned everything as very well. 

[SquintyG33Rs]

8 minutes ago, Fugly said:

haha... 2 PC desk? now that's interesting. Honestly if that was the only thing you overlooked, sounds like you planned everything as very well. 

I modelled the whole thing in 3d before starting anything but leaving all the small details to figure out when i reached them. so fan mounting and mobo mounting came later. also because of that those aren't perfect but they don't look jenky

[Fugly]

16 minutes ago, SquintyG33Rs said:

I modelled the whole thing in 3d before starting anything but leaving all the small details to figure out when i reached them. so fan mounting and mobo mounting came later. also because of that those aren't perfect but they don't look jenky

Awesome! I intend to do some 3D modelling of my table. Problem is I have no idea how to use the software so I'm meeting a friend tonight who's gonna help me out.

[Fugly]

Hey guys,

 

Another update. I visited my friend at his workshop. This is the guy who's gonna build the table for me. Here's a couple of pics of his workshop:

Workshop pic 1

Workshop pic 2

 

Just a quick recap, I purchased a glass table for about SGD$45 (CAD$43) without really checking if it's what I need cos it was really cheap. So last night My friend and I took a look at the glass and did a rough layout plan for the PC components. We've managed to make it work according to the design that I want. The table is going to be similar to Linus' PC desk case project as in it will be "U" shaped. It was difficult to get a good pic of the glass but here's some pics just to give s rough idea:

Glass pic 1

Glass pic 2

 

I bought a cheap PC case for about SGD$30 (CAD$28). I intend to use the motherboard tray, as well as the back IO port hole and Card mounts and incorporate it to the table.

PC Case Pic 1

PC Case Pic 2

 

Lastly, I purchased 4 2.5" to 3.5" adaptors at about SGD$5 (CAD$4.60) each. I intend screw or glue them down to the table, and mount the 3.5" on it. The reason for this is so that if I need to swap the HDDs out, I dont have to unscrew them from the table, ruining the screw hole. I would have to basically slice the mounts in half and lay them slightly apart so the HDD would fit. I'm not sure if this is my best solution so if anyone has any suggestions or alternatives for this I'm all ears

2.5 to 3.5 adaptor

 

Well that's all for now. Tonight I'm meeting another friend who's going to tech me how to use the 3D software Sketchup and hopefully I'll have a 3D render of my table soon.

 

[SquintyG33Rs]

so much more professional i basically did it all on my own by hand with a jigsaw and a plunger router.

[Fugly]

6 minutes ago, SquintyG33Rs said:

so much more professional i basically did it all on my own by hand with a jigsaw and a plunger router.

haha... that's only cos I have no woodworking skills whatsoever..  so I need help!

 

Only jigsaws i'm familiar with are jigsaw puzzles 

[SquintyG33Rs]

Just now, Fugly said:

haha... that's only cos I have no woodworking skills whatsoever..  so I need help!

 

Only jigsaws i'm familiar with are jigsaw puzzles 

oh i love those

[Fugly]

Hey guys!

OK just to update, I've managed to do up a 3D render of what my table would look like. I used a 3D design software similar called Sketchup, which is absolutely brilliant! Special thanks to my friend Nathaniel, who gave me a crash course on how to use the software and helping me make the 3D model of my desk!

 

The 3D render is dimensions accurate, as in every panel was made to correct dimensions. As for the PC components 3D renders, they were imported from a website called 3D warehouse. It's a website where people can upload and share 3D renders they created in Sketchup of just about anything.

 

Do take note that the layout of the PC components are not finalised. Also, I will be using water cooling and I did not make water cooling pipes in my render as I didn't think it was necessary right now, important thing is finalising my layout of the components. Besides, I do have some concerns regarding my first draft of layouts so any and all suggestions to improve my layout would be greatly appreciated.

 

Anyways, here are screenshots of my PC desk table.

 

Overview:

 

Front:

 

Rear:

*Do take note for the rear, I did not cut out the whole for IO ports and PSU.

 

Ride Side:

 

Top View without glass:

 

Like I mentioned before, I do have some concerns:

1) My HDDs are on the other side of the table, meaning my SATA cables would have to be super long. I'm guessing even if I could find SATA cables that long, it will definitely effect data transmission speeds drastically?

 

2) As you can tell, the PSU is upside down. I have done this on purpose as I intend to cut out a hole at the bottom for it so it gets proper circulation. Is this a problem?

 

3) the radiator and pump for my water cooling system I've only put there cos I have no idea where else to put it. I'm leaning towards using soft piping since this is my first time doing this so I think soft piping might be the safer option. Is there a maximum length soft pipes can be before they start to be weighted down to the base of my table?

 

4) I have 2 intake fans and 2 exhaust fans on either side of my table. Is this enough?

 

This is probably my most pressing concern. I intend to get the MSI GTX 1080 ti Sea Hawk EK X graphics Card. It's the one that comes together with the waterblock already installed. Problem is according to online dimensions, the height is about 17cm, EXACTLY the height of the recess in my table where the components are installed. Coupled with the fact that it's going to be slotted in to a motherboard that already screwed on standoffs, it's easily going to reach 20-25cm in height, which screws up my entire  project.

 

The alternative is to use a PCIe riser and lay the card down flat like what Linus did. I found one on Newegg (Link) that is pretty expensive. But the last thing I wanna do is cheap out on something so crucial.

 

The reservations I have with this are:

 

1) I definitely want it to be connected to the first PCIe slot on my motherboard. If I used a PCIe riser, is there one long enough to run all the way to the side of the motherboard?

 

2) Even if there was, how bad is the degradation in performance? I know Jayztwocents just did a video on it and he showed that there was no noticeable difference in performance, and proved that with benchmark tests, but I don't know if that shows the full picture.

 

3) If I do lay it flat, doesn't that just eliminate the option to SLI a 2nd card in the future?

 

Once again, any and all suggestions and advice will be greatly appreciated!

[Fugly]

Hey guys quick question.. with my potential setup, what kind PSU should I get?

 

This is my potential setup:

 

1)  Intel i7-7700k

2) ASUS ROG Maximus IX Formula

3) MSI GeForce GTX 1080 ti DirectX 12 GTX 1080ti SEA HAWK EK X

4) TridentZ RGB Series DDR4 3200MHz 4x 8GB 

 

My assumption is the an 850w PSU would be sufficient. DO you guys agree or should I go a step up?

[Zando_]

2 hours ago, Fugly said:

Hey guys quick question.. with my potential setup, what kind PSU should I get?

 

This is my potential setup:

 

1)  Intel i7-7700k

2) ASUS ROG Maximus IX Formula

3) MSI GeForce GTX 1080 ti DirectX 12 GTX 1080ti SEA HAWK EK X

4) TridentZ RGB Series DDR4 3200MHz 4x 8GB 

 

My assumption is the an 850w PSU would be sufficient. DO you guys agree or should I go a step up?

I'd go with an RM1000x or SuperNOVA 1000 G3, so you have headroom if you ever decide to go SLI with your 1080 Ti. And since they have 10 year warranties, it'll give you plenty of room to upgrade in the future. 

[Fugly]

Just now, Zando Bob said:

I'd go with an RM1000x or SuperNOVA 1000 G3, so you have headroom if you ever decide to go SLI with your 1080 Ti. And since they have 10 year warranties, it'll give you plenty of room to upgrade in the future. 

Got it.. thanks! Yes I do intend to go SLI in the future.. although now with the complications i'm facing, I don't know if that will be possible.. which is annoying.

[Zando_]

Just now, Fugly said:

Got it.. thanks! Yes I do intend to go SLI in the future.. although now with the complications i'm facing, I don't know if that will be possible.. which is annoying.

You should be able to fit another 1080 Ti in there, by hook or by crook. ?

[Fugly]

3 hours ago, Zando Bob said:

You should be able to fit another 1080 Ti in there, by hook or by crook. ?

haha.. actually... I've got a major concern.. the recess in my table is about 17cm, exactly the height of the graphics card I want. and once it's slotted on the motherboard, it'll be too high... so an alternative is to put it flat down like Linus did using a riser. Problem is once I do that I can't SLI.

[Zando_]

4 hours ago, Fugly said:

haha.. actually... I've got a major concern.. the recess in my table is about 17cm, exactly the height of the graphics card I want. and once it's slotted on the motherboard, it'll be too high... so an alternative is to put it flat down like Linus did using a riser. Problem is once I do that I can't SLI.

Oh.... There isn't flexible extended SLI bridge available? Can you recess the mobo slightly, but not make it look janky?

[Fugly]

18 hours ago, Zando Bob said:

Oh.... There isn't flexible extended SLI bridge available? Can you recess the mobo slightly, but not make it look janky?

I did some research on flexible SLI bridges and they're all pretty bad. So that's definitely not going to be an option.

 

As for recessing the mobo portion slightly... I"m currently looking into that to be honest. I'd rather not cos in my mind it's not going to look very good. But I've decided against laying the GPU flat next tot he mobo cos I feel the cons far outweigh the pros so my only option might actually be making a deeper recess for the mobo.

 

I'll be doing some design drafts. Once I decide on a design I"ll upload the pics here again.

 

Wish me luck! 

[Zando_]

4 hours ago, Fugly said:

I did some research on flexible SLI bridges and they're all pretty bad. So that's definitely not going to be an option.

 

As for recessing the mobo portion slightly... I"m currently looking into that to be honest. I'd rather not cos in my mind it's not going to look very good. But I've decided against laying the GPU flat next tot he mobo cos I feel the cons far outweigh the pros so my only option might actually be making a deeper recess for the mobo.

 

I'll be doing some design drafts. Once I decide on a design I"ll upload the pics here again.

 

Wish me luck! 

Awesome! I hope you find a way to keep a good aesthetic, but still have room for SLI. Could you make a mounting bracket where you could stack the GPUs on top of each other? So you use two PCIe extenders, and then stack the GPUs the same way they are in a normal PC. 

[Fugly]

15 hours ago, Zando Bob said:

Awesome! I hope you find a way to keep a good aesthetic, but still have room for SLI. Could you make a mounting bracket where you could stack the GPUs on top of each other? So you use two PCIe extenders, and then stack the GPUs the same way they are in a normal PC. 

Yeah I looked into that actually. Couldn't find anything online that would work. 

 

So right now I have 2 alternatives:

 

1) Create a deeper recess just for the motherboard, maybe an additional 5cm

 

2) Look for a different graphics card with a shorter form factor. I still want it to be water cooled though, which will still add height.

 

I'm glad I started the planning stage this early as I'm sure this is going to take a long time to figure out.

[Zando_]

5 minutes ago, Fugly said:

Yeah I looked into that actually. Couldn't find anything online that would work. 

 

So right now I have 2 alternatives:

 

1) Create a deeper recess just for the motherboard, maybe an additional 5cm

 

2) Look for a different graphics card with a shorter form factor. I still want it to be water cooled though, which will still add height.

 

I'm glad I started the planning stage this early as I'm sure this is going to take a long time to figure out.

I'd see if you could make the side walls a bit taller, making the interior deeper, without sacrificing on looks. Just 1 inch would probs be enough headroom.