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Hutzy XS — Ultra Compact Gaming Case (<4L)
- Thread starter Hahutzy
- Start date
Yea, that 240W does not actually conform with FlexATX form factor. If you want to go fanless, the best bet is using an HDPLEX 250 with an external power adapter.
Maybe for a future revision/design. I wanted to make the side panels tool-less initially, but there is actually not enough room for clips to fit inside, because the FlexATX takes up almost the whole width of the case.
So instead, my design direction was to minimize the amount of screws needed, and to limit to phillips heads to minimize tools needed to a single screwdriver.
Boil
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The parts I was waiting for came today!
Specs to be tested:
i5-6400
GTX 970
8GB ram
Seasonic 300W Flex ATX
Putting it together this weekend!
System drive…?!?
2.5" SSD for now. The mobo I got has an M.2 on the back so I'll be testing that later.
iFreilicht
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Holy crap you are going at light speed. Awesome work!
Ok I finally finished building the system and took a series of shots while doing it!
I checked that it was booting and everything was in order. However, I cannot test it for now.
I have to tear it back down, because I have to bring in the case to the manufacturer tomorrow to have them smooth out some jagged edges left when they were doing the cuts.
So once I get the case back smoothed out, I will build it up again. Then I will start testing.
For now, hope you enjoy the build process shots!
(Edit: uhhh the forum's imgur album embed looks a bit wonky. I'll see how I can fix it up later tonight)
(for now, use the album link imgur.com/a/dkJrX/)
I checked that it was booting and everything was in order. However, I cannot test it for now.
I have to tear it back down, because I have to bring in the case to the manufacturer tomorrow to have them smooth out some jagged edges left when they were doing the cuts.
So once I get the case back smoothed out, I will build it up again. Then I will start testing.
For now, hope you enjoy the build process shots!
(Edit: uhhh the forum's imgur album embed looks a bit wonky. I'll see how I can fix it up later tonight)
(for now, use the album link imgur.com/a/dkJrX/)
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Alexreffand
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When you test it, can you specifically test the game Hawken? I know it's an odd random request, and even after I explain why I understand if you say no, but hear me out. A while back I wanted to build a gaming machine in a lunch box, and the layout I had was identical to this case. Obviously I had to use a flex atx power supply, and a pcie ribbon cable, but I made several mistakes when choosing my components and didn't have the budget to correct them. That project died as a result. Having now found this forum, I'm relieved that others had similar ideas, so I know there's still hope for having a rig that small. Having read through threads for this case as well as ones like the dan a4, I realized one of my mistakes was the pcie riser cable I used, but I could never find definitive proof that flex atx was viable as a form factor. The problem I was having, specifically, was Hawken. The system ran perfectly fine during stress testing (including simultaneous prime95 and furmark), and gaming was fine as well in tomb raider, crysis, battlefield, etc. But Hawken always killed the machine, causing it to immediately shut off as though the power was cut. It was something with the psu, but not something I could ever explain definitively. It may have just been my power supply, but not knowing exactly what went wrong has always kept me from trying again with flex atx. I'd love to buy into a case like this, and seeing the benchmark proving that it was my error before will put my mind at ease.
Edited for typo correction, typed this on my phone
Edited for typo correction, typed this on my phone
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Any thought on adjusting the venting hole position. It looks like the Noctua is partly covered.
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I will be sure to test Hawken when I rebuild the system, since it sounds like it makes for a demanding test.
Could you share details about the PSU, CPU and GPU you used?
Yea. The goal is for the vent design to be identical on both sides, while being able to give opening to the CPU HSF and the GPU. It gets tricky because the GPU fan location changes depending on the GPU.
But yes, adjusting it is still a possibility.
SamiiRoss
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Whats the expected release date?
Will the FSP Flex ATX 400W fit?
Are you going yo kickstart this or sell them on your own?
There will be prototypes available for sale?
Will the FSP Flex ATX 400W fit?
Are you going yo kickstart this or sell them on your own?
There will be prototypes available for sale?
Alexreffand
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CPU and GPU are the same as I'm running in my main build right now. Core i5 3550 and GTX 670 (ASUS DirectCU Mini). The PSU is where I made my mistake, I didn't research thoroughly enough and bought an Athena Power AP-MFATX40. A hundred different things could have gone wrong with it, but the one I ended up having wasn't one that made any sense to me. Why would it not have a problem supplying power during prime95 and furmark for more than 12 hours but fail three minutes into Hawken? It's not like the power supply itself stopped working, it just shut down. It reset just fine and was able to stress test just as reliably, and every other game worked.
It's worth mentioning that I kept that PSU just in case I had a low-power system I ever needed to run. I ended up recently using it in a case I didn't have another PSU for to power a Core 2 Quad Q9550 and GTX 460 (just a quick machine for the living room with what I had laying around). For a couple months it was fine, even gaming reliably in hours-long sessions of Fallout 4, Skyrim, and Dark Souls. Then our roommate tried to play Alice: Madness Returns and it did the same thing as it used to do with Hawken. Again, only that game, the rest were fine, and stress tests didn't trigger it no matter how unrealistic the scenario. I don't understand what's going on with it.
Thank you for taking my (likely silly) fears into consideration. Your case is exactly what I wanted to build, and I'm glad the idea is in more capable hands than mine.
Edit: Have I really been typing "Hawkin" this entire time? Dafuq is wrong with me.
pendragon1
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maybe its something to do with the vram load. furmark uses next to nothing but games on the other hand...
I hope to launch a Kickstarter some time this year, just have to do some final testing and confirming production.
The FSP 400W will fit, I have one and it is being used on a different machine currently. But I test fitted it.
The prototype pictured will not be for sale, but I may be doing a small sample run before a public run. If so, the small sample run will be available.
Ah you see, I've also had the misfortune of using an Athena Power FlexATX power supply before. The 500W version in fact.
I was trying to use it in a system with a GTX 980 and i5-4440S, an estimated load of 250W
It crashed every time I tried launching 3Dmark Firestrike. Swapped to a FSP 400W, run it perfectly fine.
Moral of the story: avoid Athena Power whenever possible.
SamiiRoss
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wantapple: I'll keep that in mind.
--
Update:
I got the smoothed parts back today, so I will assemble it and do some testing this weekend. Will have to take it apart again next week to bring it to different anodizers to price the finishing/dyeing on the pieces.
While that's happening, I want to know what the thoughts are between the 2 vent designs. Theoretically, if I go with another manufacturer, it is possible to change the vent design back to the rounded squares.
Poll: Which Vent Hole design do you prefer?
Higher resolution pics in this album: imgur.com/a/v00CL
--
Update:
I got the smoothed parts back today, so I will assemble it and do some testing this weekend. Will have to take it apart again next week to bring it to different anodizers to price the finishing/dyeing on the pieces.
While that's happening, I want to know what the thoughts are between the 2 vent designs. Theoretically, if I go with another manufacturer, it is possible to change the vent design back to the rounded squares.
Poll: Which Vent Hole design do you prefer?
Higher resolution pics in this album: imgur.com/a/v00CL
pendragon1
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I like the triangles! nobody else has them!
Boil
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That PCIe riser cable is blocking off virtually all of the CPU top venting, and the M.2 is directly under that section…
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That PCIe riser cable is blocking off virtually all of the CPU top venting, and the M.2 is directly under that section…
There's some clearance between the top of the case and the ribbon, so air is still coming out through the top (I put my hand over that section when I ran it last week and felt air coming out)
But yes, M.2 is still to be tested.
Also Boil, can you add a lower-case L to the imgur link, at the end of the file name? Like this: http://i.imgur.com/06FRyiJl.jpg
So it will scale down. Thanks!
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QuantumBraced
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Definitely B! It's a much cleaner look that goes along with the overall clean and minimalist aesthetic of the case. The triangles look out of place and weirdly aggressive. It's not even close in my view, no offense to anyone who thinks otherwise. I hope the round holes win as the triangles are so ugly, it's almost a deal breaker for me. Otherwise, I love the concept and the case. Great job!
Also, would it be possible to fit 2 USB ports on the back side, maybe near the button? I like the fully clean front (in fact I think Dan should have gone that route), but 2 extra USB ports could be useful as some ITX boards only feature 4 or less ports.
Also, would it be possible to fit 2 USB ports on the back side, maybe near the button? I like the fully clean front (in fact I think Dan should have gone that route), but 2 extra USB ports could be useful as some ITX boards only feature 4 or less ports.
Boil
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I voted for B…
I think you need to make the side venting asymmetrical, adding a larger area on the CPU side to allow for better breathing by the CPU cooler fan…
I think you need to make the side venting asymmetrical, adding a larger area on the CPU side to allow for better breathing by the CPU cooler fan…
Ok I finally got some testing done. Over the weekend I found out that Windows 7 doesn't install on Skylake chipsets so I had to go through getting Windows 10 etc. to set up the prototype. PITA
Anyways, the testing methodology is the same as I had done with the plastic prototype:
Time
0min - Start Prime95, Large FFT 4 threads
30 min - Start Furmark, default settings
60 min - Screenshot, Turn both off
Looks more or less the same as the previous result.
With i5-6400, GTX970 and the Seasonic 300W:
I got it running at 1080p High settings and it stayed at 110-120 FPS
Alexreffand I'm pretty sure your setup was perfectly fine, except for the Athena Power FlexATX.
Guys, tell your friends to stay away from Athena Power!
There's actually no space at all in the back for anything else. The space aboe the power button is occupied on the inside by the GPU's bracket. And the space above the GPU is reserved for tall GPUs' pcb.
Modern day entry-level mobos like H110 have at least 4 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 ports, so it should be okay.
Since the CPU fan's center is lower than the GPU, the CPU fan actually has ~24mm of exhausting vent holes directly above the fan on the side panel
And during the torture test I performed, I held my hand over the top vents for a little bit and felt air coming out on both the GPU and CPU side.
I think the A voters voted for it because the Triangle Vents are uniquely-shaped, while the B voters voted for it because they like the smaller holes that look more tame, and functionally more comforting in not having to worry about having big things fly into the system fans.
It's a nice thought to try to compromise, but I'm afraid that would lead to both sides being unhappy.
----------------
Things I need to do moving forward:
- When the filters come in, I need to install them and redo the torture test to see if the thermals get affected by them
- Waiting on my HDPLEX to arrive to test fit the holes I left for them
- Need to source a place to anodize the parts
- Need to check out other manufacturers that can make the parts without warping them
Anyways, the testing methodology is the same as I had done with the plastic prototype:
Time
0min - Start Prime95, Large FFT 4 threads
30 min - Start Furmark, default settings
60 min - Screenshot, Turn both off
Looks more or less the same as the previous result.
With i5-6400, GTX970 and the Seasonic 300W:
I got it running at 1080p High settings and it stayed at 110-120 FPS
Alexreffand I'm pretty sure your setup was perfectly fine, except for the Athena Power FlexATX.
Guys, tell your friends to stay away from Athena Power!
There's actually no space at all in the back for anything else. The space aboe the power button is occupied on the inside by the GPU's bracket. And the space above the GPU is reserved for tall GPUs' pcb.
Modern day entry-level mobos like H110 have at least 4 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 ports, so it should be okay.
Since the CPU fan's center is lower than the GPU, the CPU fan actually has ~24mm of exhausting vent holes directly above the fan on the side panel
And during the torture test I performed, I held my hand over the top vents for a little bit and felt air coming out on both the GPU and CPU side.
I think the A voters voted for it because the Triangle Vents are uniquely-shaped, while the B voters voted for it because they like the smaller holes that look more tame, and functionally more comforting in not having to worry about having big things fly into the system fans.
It's a nice thought to try to compromise, but I'm afraid that would lead to both sides being unhappy.
----------------
Things I need to do moving forward:
- When the filters come in, I need to install them and redo the torture test to see if the thermals get affected by them
- Waiting on my HDPLEX to arrive to test fit the holes I left for them
- Need to source a place to anodize the parts
- Need to check out other manufacturers that can make the parts without warping them
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Hey bro congrats on getting the testing done. From your case pic it looks like you have a low cost unshielded PCIe cable in there. If that's the case, did you have any problems with it in testing? Do you know if it was connected at pcie gen 2 or gen 3?
I've heard of probs running Gen 3 thru a long unshielded Riser cable.
I've heard of probs running Gen 3 thru a long unshielded Riser cable.
GPU-Z reports it is connected with PCI-E 3.0 x16
I haven't really ran into any issues with risers yet. I tried to reproduce things like not being able to boot etc. that some have reported, but couldn't get it to happen.
I've tried cards like GTX 750 Ti, GTX 980, GTX 980 Ti, and the current GTX 970
Alexreffand
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Thank you for fulfilling my silly request. I was under the impression it had something to do with the power getting split between two 12v rails with neither being able to supply enough for the gpu or something, but I'm glad to have been mistaken. Honestly I should have done more research before buying parts. Lesson learned! As silly as my fear was, and as much as the problem is obvious in hindsight, seeing that your setup suffers from none of the issues mine did under the exact same conditions is very comforting. Hopefully I'll be able to thank you for your time by preordering one of these cases when you get to that stage
I had the same thoughts, I like the triangles but I voted for B because the smaller holes are cleaner looking. For a compromise couldn't you add a third option with small triangles? It would keep the uniqueness of the triangles in A while keeping the cleaner look of B.
The same people that want smaller vent holes seemed to have a strong opinion against the aggressiveness of the triangular shape. But it's worth considering, I will play around with it in the drawings and see.
-------
I have to wait until tomorrow to take apart the metal prototype, but I was dying to test the mounting of the HDPLEX, so I pulled out the 3D printed part again.
Fitting looks good! There's about the same clearance between the HDD and the DC connector when compared to my drawings
What about hexagonal holes? Maybe it could be something between A and B...
I have personally voted for the triangle shape because different from others.
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I tried on the hexagons, but instead of sharp edges, I rounded them out a little bit.
Gotta say, it looks nice to me. I might redo the poll with all 3 options.
Also included is a picture of the patterns with a filter secured underneath it, which was not shown in the current poll's pictures.
Gotta say, it looks nice to me. I might redo the poll with all 3 options.
Also included is a picture of the patterns with a filter secured underneath it, which was not shown in the current poll's pictures.
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Alexreffand
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You mean circles?
Joking aside, I really like the hexagons, definitely more than the other two, but they all look good enough to be acceptable.
I like the option A but since you have removed the sharp edges, it looks like little "mistake" to me visually. Something like a circle was designed first but the process lost control...
Please understand that it is only my opinion
from my eyes.Yea I really hope they arrive soon so I can test the thermals to see if the filters are feasible. As you can see, they cover quite a bit of venting area.
You mean circles?
Joking aside, I really like the hexagons, definitely more than the other two, but they all look good enough to be acceptable.
I like the option A but since you have removed the sharp edges, it looks like little "mistake" to me visually. Something like a circle was designed first but the process lost control...
Please understand that it is only my opinion
I went back to check the dimensions, and the edges (straight lines) were shorter than they were intended to be. Whoops!
I'll redraw the parts and setup the poll tomorrow. Hope the properly sized hexagons don't look as circly as current ones (from afar
).QuantumBraced
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C is by far my favorite. Also, a bit of an odd question, but if I got creative with double sided tape, is there anywhere I could possibly stash another SSD without blocking airflow? Maybe on top of the PSU?