M3A2 Beta Project: Discontinued

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Stardog Champion said:
I guess I should clarify :). It'd be nice to be able to have a thin mini-ITX I/O plate option on the Ultra mini case for the new Gigabyte thin mini-ITX motherboards since they only have the thin mini-ITX I/O shield.

Thin mini-ITX boards do have a PCI-e slot.
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EnzoFX said:
This. Nevertheless focusing on the bigger one makes sense, so I'll be following the development of them all, while holding my excitement for the two smaller ones =P. 120mm on the ultra-mini =D, what more could we ask for, that's relatively huge.

@ Stardog,
Didn't realize you were simply talking about the I/O plate. Good to know they have PCI-e slots, the boards I saw only have mini-pcie? so yeah =P.
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well the intel thin-ITX board only has an X4 slot i think. stardog, are there any that are currently out that have an x16 slot?
 
CMadki4 said:
Not sure. Probably nothing beyond the top 120mm fan. Not really a whole lot of room in there without cutting vents in the front panel.
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Thought this might be the case. It's not a problem, was just asking if you were planning to put extra fans on the side or something.

Also, are you planning to support the two different PSU connectors that mini-box.com (or it might be mini-itx.com, can't remember) supports? I know one is mini DIN, not sure on the other, but they are two different sizes.
 
I ordered the 7950 and the Silverstone modular SFX PSU for this case on new egg tonight. I can't wait to get my beta case.
 
Any updates? I am getting excited!

Also, everyone reading this thread we need 4 more backers!
 
updawg said:
Any updates? I am getting excited!

Also, everyone reading this thread we need 4 more backers!
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I haven't done much designing over the past couple of days. I've been dealing with my machine and getting things ready to cut some metal!

And yes, we need 4 more backers! Check out the Indiegogo campaign ;)

EnzoFX said:
Man I keep checking for updates on the mini and ultra-mini lol.
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I'll try to do some more with it tomorrow. But essentially it's done, being a chopped down version of it's bigger brother.

Who all is interested in the M3A2 Ultra-mini? I think I'm going to forgo the Mini for the time being, focus mainly on the M3A2 and do a few Ultra-minis for those interested.

And for those of you receiving the M3A2 Beta, shoot me your specifications via email or on my website and I'll make a rendering matching your configuration.

Thanks! :D
 
I'm probably going to back the campaign later this week at the top level.

CMad, if you want any help with the final build's campaign, such as writing, photography or videography, send me a PM. I'll be more than happy to help.
 
M4rk said:
I'm probably going to back the campaign later this week at the top level.

CMad, if you want any help with the final build's campaign, such as writing, photography or videography, send me a PM. I'll be more than happy to help.
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That would be so great if do end up support the campaign! It'd be my pleasure to make you an M3A2 case.

And I just might take you up on your offer for help. Writing and photography are not among my skills, haha.
 
CMadki4 said:
I've been dealing with my machine and getting things ready to cut some metal!
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That's the kind of update I like to hear.

I do have a few questions about the PSU though. How is it mounted, and is there any flexibility as to it's position in the case? If I don't have any drives above it can it be moved up to try and fit one with a protruding fan, like the 300W Seasonic? Would this be simple, or something that would require different mounting brackets of some kind?
 
Drown Babies said:
That's the kind of update I like to hear.

I do have a few questions about the PSU though. How is it mounted, and is there any flexibility as to it's position in the case? If I don't have any drives above it can it be moved up to try and fit one with a protruding fan, like the 300W Seasonic? Would this be simple, or something that would require different mounting brackets of some kind?
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It looks like the fan protrudes about 13mm. There is just over 20mm above SFX power supply as shown in the renderings if you remove the ODD and it's bracket. So there is physically room for the taller SFX PSU w/ protruding fan.

Mounting will be the issue. The simplest approach is a second set of holes 13mm higher on the PSU bracket/duct. However, assuming many SFX power supplies are mounted by only 3 #6-32 screws, shifting it up 13mm would mean losing one mounting screw.

You can of course flip the PSU over and it would mount without modifications. However, you would be intaking from the inside of the case at the 7mm gap between the PSU fan and top panel of the case.

I'll look into it further.

And I got your PM. Noted. Nice and clean!
 
I'm probably going to buy one of the Silverstone PSU's so it shouldn't be an issue either way. It's just something I was thinking about when looking at the woefully underdeveloped SFX PSU market.
 
updawg said:
I ordered the 7950 and the Silverstone modular SFX PSU for this case on new egg tonight. I can't wait to get my beta case.
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With a little less than two weeks to go and only halfway backed at this point, hope you didn't order too soon.
 
The money is delivered regardless of what level the campaign reaches. This isn't like how Kickstarter works.
 
Skillz said:
With a little less than two weeks to go and only halfway backed at this point, hope you didn't order too soon.
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Drown Babies said:
The money is delivered regardless of what level the campaign reaches. This isn't like how Kickstarter works.
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What he said.

All backers at his level get a case regardless of the final total raised. This funding is flexible, as opposed to fixed.
 
IndieGoGo allows early collection of funds and partial funding, but they take a slightly larger cut.

If you go with delayed collection (or the chance of getting nothing), then IndieGoGo charges a smaller service fee.

IGG also doesn't require a prototype to already exist, unlike Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is better for final runs of products. They have a better/larger mindshare among the greater consumer population.
 
Do you think this slightly smaller design could be possible? No ODD or 3.5" hdds, but with enough room (hopefully) for everything else:
 
DG25 said:
Do you think this slightly smaller design could be possible? No ODD or 3.5" hdds, but with enough room (hopefully) for everything else:
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Your PCI bracket tips on the GPU overlap the I/O shield. And on many motherboards it would interfere with the audio ports (or SMA connectors, depending on the model). And the motherboard standoffs add height to the case (around 6mm). Also need to take into consideration the material thickness. Which on the M3A2 is significant; each side panel being 4mm and the top and bottom 3mm. So +8mm on the width and depth, as well at +6mm on the height.

I started with a 300 x 300 x 90 size but quickly realized it is not feasible due to the reasons I mention. Dimensions grew to fit components tightly but still allow for serviceability.
 
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Indiegogo also has the added bonus of anybody in the world being able to start one, instead of just US or UK residents.
 
Small updates:

  1. I've just reduced the front-to-back dimension by 12mm. The current outer dimensions are 328 (width) x 308 (depth) x 90 (height). That's 9 liters pretty much on the nose.
  2. Though not modeled yet, the USB3.0 ports are further apart. Waiting on the parts to come in for accurate measurements to model from.
  3. The Ultra-mini is available upon request. If enough are interested I'll add it as a perk to the Indiegogo campaign for a little less than the full-size M3A2.
 
What exactly do these "HD Audio" connections look like, CMad? I see them as an option alongside USB on the IGG page but is that just fancy werds for 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks?
 
M4rk said:
What exactly do these "HD Audio" connections look like, CMad? I see them as an option alongside USB on the IGG page but is that just fancy werds for 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks?
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Haha, fancy yes. Yeah, just headphone and mic jacks w/ HD Audio header (as opposed to AC97).

Like so:
[USB] (O) (O) [USB]
 
CMadki4 said:
Haha, fancy yes. Yeah, just headphone and mic jacks w/ HD Audio header (as opposed to AC97).

Like so:
[USB] (O) (O) [USB]
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Ah, now I get the reference, it didn't even occur to me to think about the connector. Whoops.

Haven't had to hook one of those up for a while. Been using a DAC for my cans for a couple years now. Just curious.
 
I would think putting the USB ports up "top" by the power button makes more sense considering the LGA1155/1156 internal connectors are usually on the top left. Though that could just be a personal annoyance, having to route thick, inflexible cables, protruding so much even restricting some components placement, either too long or too short to route cleanly.
 
updawg said:
How wide can the card be? I noticed my 7950's cooler overhangs the PCB.
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There is just over 19mm between the side of the case and PCI tab on the GPU. I am contemplating widening the case 5mm to accommodate cards with coolers that my protrude beyond that. But there is room for power plugs and many coolers.
EnzoFX said:
I would think putting the USB ports up "top" by the power button makes more sense considering the LGA1155/1156 internal connectors are usually on the top left. Though that could just be a personal annoyance, having to route thick, inflexible cables, protruding so much even restricting some components placement, either too long or too short to route cleanly.
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There isn't much room for the USB over by the power button. The back of the power button already shares the space inside the power supply duct with the power supply cable. Also, since this is most likely to be a desktop case, having the USB ports at the top when in the vertical stance can be a little odd or inconvenient. Cable length (450-500mm, to be confirmed once they arrive) should not be a problem as there isn't really anything in the cable's way.
 
ekuest said:
well the intel thin-ITX board only has an X4 slot i think. stardog, are there any that are currently out that have an x16 slot?
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x4 with a 25W limit I believe.

My comment though was meant more to clarify that for the mini case it'd be nice to have the opening for the IO shield in the back somehow accommodate either the regular or thin mini-ITX IO shield -- like maybe a blank you can screw in when using thin mini-ITX.

I'd be interested in making barebones in the mini. I've also been looking for something micro-ATX very similar to the Silverstone ML03B but with a brushed aluminum façade instead of plastic. It'd be nice to work with some in the USA vs China (no that there's anything wrong with China beside it being really far away).
 
When I redimensioned the case from 320x320x90 to the current 328x308x90 (9 liters), it did shorten the graphics card capability from 12.25" to 11.8". Is that detrimental? Seems like most GPUs are 11.5" or shorter.

Please, let me know what you think.
 
I just checked my new card and its 11.4, so I am in the clear. Like any custom case you have to select your hardware to fit your case and this is pretty liberal in what it accepts.
 
updawg said:
I just checked my new card and its 11.4, so I am in the clear. Like any custom case you have to select your hardware to fit your case and this is pretty liberal in what it accepts.
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Make sure you check where the PCIE power cables plug in. If they plug in at the end of the card it my not fit. If they plug in along the "top" (long edge) you should be ok.
 
updawg said:
I just checked my new card and its 11.4, so I am in the clear. Like any custom case you have to select your hardware to fit your case and this is pretty liberal in what it accepts.
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Excellent! 7970?

SithSolo1 said:
Make sure you check where the PCIE power cables plug in. If they plug in at the end of the card it my not fit. If they plug in along the "top" (long edge) you should be ok.
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True, but are there any cards with the plugs on the end that are even near that length? That's usually a characteristic of short cards. Not to say there aren't any acceptions
 
CMadki4 said:
When I redimensioned the case from 320x320x90 to the current 328x308x90 (9 liters), it did shorten the graphics card capability from 12.25" to 11.8". Is that detrimental? Seems like most GPUs are 11.5" or shorter.

Please, let me know what you think.
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11.8 should be more than enough, you could even get a GTX Titan in that space.
 
CMadki4 said:
Excellent! 7970?


True, but are there any cards with the plugs on the end that are even near that length? That's usually a characteristic of short cards. Not to say there aren't any acceptions
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I went with a 7950 got it for 260 plus two games I sold for $60.
 
Just a small update: I've been testing some of my parts that have come in. One of the things I wanted to look into was the brightness of the LED ring on the power buttons. I took a shot of the button LED powered on straight off the motherboard, no resistor in daylight. Doesn't look too bright to me. I'll take a shot of it in a dark room and try to have some light source as a reference (like maybe an iphone screen). If it ends up being too bright I may add a resistor, but I don't think it will be necessary.
1f24619d-c8a2-4e12-801c-63eec5bda899.jpg


As it stands right now, I'm still waiting for:

  • aluminum profiles (side panels)
  • aluminum plates (top and bottom panels)
  • aluminum bar (for feet/stand and PCI bracket)
  • USB3.0 front I/O
  • front panel 1 and 2 pin wire headers (for power button/LED)
Otherwise, I've already got:

  • power buttons
  • PCI risers
  • PCI spacers
  • PEM thread inserts and standoffs
  • Rubber feet
  • M4 and M3 screws
  • 0.063" aluminum sheet (for drive brackets)
Over the next few weeks I'll be finalizing the setup of the CNC machine, which has had some very inconvenient delays. But the remaining parts are inbound and I should be test cutting within a week.


I've got a lot of other things going on right now, so I've been plenty busy, But that's the way I like it!


M3A2 Mini: I'm still hashing out the details on the mini, but I suspect it will be limited to no optical and only 2 x 2.5" drives, mounted towards the front of the case, clear of the CPU cooler area. I'll post more as it develops.
 
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Just curious, for the rubber feet you mention, are those just going to be stick-on rubber ones or something a little fancier?

I feel like something that looks nicer would be preferable, obviously.

(For what it's worth, while I haven't contributed for the Indiegogo campaign yet, it seems highly likely that I'll be buying the regular size one as it meets almost all of my needs... I just want to see something physical and put together first as opposed to just renders so I can know for sure it'll work for me. :D )
 
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JoeH823 said:
Just curious, for the rubber feet you mention, are those just going to be stick-on rubber ones or something a little fancier?

I feel like something that looks nicer would be preferable, obviously.

(For what it's worth, while I haven't contributed for the Indiegogo campaign yet, it seems highly likely that I'll be buying the regular size one as it meets almost all of my needs... I just want to see something physical and put together first as opposed to just renders so I can know for sure it'll work for me. :D )
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The rubber feet that I have are conical bolt on feet, but I'm not sure how happy I am with them. They are great for vibration isolation and give the bottom decent height for intake, but I'm still looking for the perfect feet.

Ideally the feet will be mounted using commons holes/screws as the ones that hold the bottom panel on. I like this idea because it keeps you from having additional holes visible if you end up standing the case up on its side.

One recipient of an M3A2 case has requested Lian Li feet, which I will be adding 4 holes w/ M3 threaded inserts to mount these. If they ever choose to stand the case vertically they will be able to "plug" these holes with black countersink head screws to make it look cleaner.

I don't blame you on wanting to wait to see the case materialize before you commit. I won't be able to machine one before the end of the campaign, but they will be available in limited quantities after. For fear of the Ban Hammer I hesitate to say where you'll be able to get them, but just look a little lower and you'll figure out where. ;)
 
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Drown Babies said:
Will the aluminum bars for the vertical position have any kind of feet or rubber strips?
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Indeed. They will have low-profile rubber feet. They will also likely have a vinyl layer between them and the case to prevent scratching.

Bad news: I got a shipment in and they sent the wrong cables. Unless everyone wants USB2.0 x 2 and an eSATA port instead of USB3.0, haha. I'm going to have them correct this as soon as possible.
 
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