Project MT4 - 3D printed mini tower case

I'm building another custom small form factor case, this time it's 4.2 liter case that can fit a short GPU.

Unlike most custom cases shown here, this one isn't made of metal. Most of the frame and exterior structure is 3D printed. Since I don't have a printer of my own, I had to choose third party supplier, using Markforged One printer and Onyx filament. This material is more expensive than most FDM filament, but it's also a bit tougher than ABS plastic with some more flex to the material. So as cost is a consideration I seeked a printer that can still get the parts made relatively cheap.

Not satisfied with just making a simple box, I designed the case to be a bit more refined with rounded corners and screw-less front, back, and top surfaces.

This material is pretty tough for a non-metal material, and the surface feels like a mix of plastic and vinyl. It has a somewhat matte to satin black finish which I like more than the glossy finish of most ABS printed material.

Without anything inside, the case is very light and a bit flexible. But once a build is complete it is very stable and easy to carry and transport. Most configurations require an external power brick as it's mainly designed for DC-DC power supplies similar to the S4 Mini case.

Case specs:

• Dimensions: 199 x 200 x 105 mm
• Volume: 4.2L
• Expansion card: max length 181mm
• Storage: m.2 plus 1x 2.5" hard drive
• Motherboard: Mini ITX
• CPU cooler: 39 mm max
• Power: internal DC-DC (HD-PLEX, PicoPSU, G-Unique, etc)

Photos with a graphics card installed (and riser cable)





Installation of motherboard





The 2.5" hard drive fits in the bottom end of the case (as partly visible in the last picture).

I am using the Sapphire R9 285 ITX card for my personal build and also as a demo for the case. This card has the 8-pin connector pointing forward instead of upward, which is uncommon, so it would be also an example of how much room it can allow with the connector plugged in.

Still in progress are additional side, top, and bottom panels to complete the case. These panels will be made of laser cut acrylic. I will probably be able to have different designs for the panels.

I love it! Very nice

Wow! Very nice. Looking forward to seeing the finished case. Be sure to post thermals when you get it finished.

Where does the PSU (HDPlex, etc) mount?

Edit: Initially asked if it was an external PSU, but didn't read the initial post.

incredadamible said:

Where does the PSU (HDPlex, etc) mount?

Edit: Initially asked if it was an external PSU, but didn't read the initial post.

Click to expand...

A fully internal PSU is possible if you go with something like a MeanWell EPP-200 which is small enough to fit completely under the card. It just requires more of a DIY approach to wiring.

that is a great design. Subbing to see the side panels (or top and bottom panels depending how you look at it I guess)

Here's some more build pics, this time with the Dynamo Mini installed. You can see from the photos a clear sense of scale next to a 240W power brick, and shows how long the cables are in the case, and the height limitations (which will be fixed in the next version of the case design).

http://imgur.com/a/liAoQ3z





I'm planning an improved iteration of the design which should fix some usability problems with installation. In addition, I'm planning to add front vents for better GPU cooling and also break up the bare front. Here, I'm going for a basic vertical pattern. This is just one of several updates to the case design that will be done for the production run. What do you think?

I like the look but I'd be afraid of wobble with the slats that way. I know nothing I've printed so far would be stable on it's own like that but maybe as part of a torsion box from the entire assembly it will stiffen up.

Amazing accomplishment for a 3D printed case, but I see the PSU being a bottleneck. With this design you can run a system that draws 300W, possibly more. The highest wattage "normal" PSU you can get for it is the HDPlex 160W at the moment. Yes, G-Unique and Meanwell are options but those are more DIY. If you could somehow fit an HDPlex 400 at the bottom, that would widen the case's appeal.

QuantumBraced said:

Amazing accomplishment for a 3D printed case, but I see the PSU being a bottleneck. With this design you can run a system that draws 300W, possibly more. The highest wattage "normal" PSU you can get for it is the HDPlex 160W at the moment. Yes, G-Unique and Meanwell are options but those are more DIY. If you could somehow fit an HDPlex 400 at the bottom, that would widen the case's appeal.

Click to expand...

That is one of the priorities for the next version of this case. Right now I can answer if a HDPlex 400W can fit with a "maybe" but the cables will be a tight squeeze. The next version should have better positioning for the 400W. Alternatively there's also a KMPKT Dynamo 360 which can augment the support of higher-power components by using it together with a 160W unit. The 360 unit is out of stock now, unfortunately.

Love it! I'm hoping you're going to post this on Thingiverse so I can make my own!

I'm not sure yet if the design will be posted on Thingiverse, as I was originally intending to have it distributed by some other means.

Now, I recently bought a newer GPU. I swapped out the R9 285 for a RX 570. The mini Sapphire Pulse looks great and it should not get as hot as the old card (I have yet to test it out)!