8L Full ATX Challange!

[SaperPL]

As probably some of you remember, I've had this idea to make a steam machine like case with ATX.
I did drop the idea and I'm making the ITX one, but while researching random stuff lately I thought of something like shown in screens below.



This thing has volume of 7.5L but there's few problems to be solved:
1) The case will have its original rear IO as side-panel and it will require using internal USB/HD Audio connectors to create custom rear panel
2) PSU is too close motherboard power connector and extended ITX VGA are mostly taller than standard cards so it might need some additional space.
3) PCI-E riser needs to be the longer 24cm one and has to be twisted
4) It looks like power button can only be placed above motherboard IO
5) Cards with DVI connectors on the PCB edge will obstruct connectors on the motherboard corner.

Note that sata connectors are unobstructed below the card

The thing is If you use only wifi and your card is on USB or you can move the antennae connectors as you wish, then you're all okay with using only USB on the back of the case. Original IO could be cofvred by sliding shroud for example. Theoretically it is possible to make 8L case (395x310x65.5mm) like this with awesome steam machine style looks.

Anyone up for the task here ?

 

[babadook]

Is there any advantage to having a full atx board when you fold the GPU across the expansion slots?

 

[SaperPL]

8 slots of DDR4 ram or dual processor configurations though dunno if those would run well on SFX PSU. Good point there.

 

[Necere]

Dual CPU on standard ATX? I don't believe such a thing exists - there's not nearly enough room for it.

 

[Rav3n]

This idea entirely defeats the purpose of going with a full ATX motherboard. People who go minimal build itx.

 

[iFreilicht]

I have to agree that full ATX is a bit too much. You can't make use of all the expansion slots, you can't make use of the SATA ports. But if you really, really need a lot of RAM in the smallest case possible, then this of course fits into your niche. mATX would make more sense here, though. I think the PCIe riser is a non-issue, but 24cm probably won't suffice, because you'll have to fold it two times.

I also think it would make more sense to have an angled HDMI/DVI cable included to move the display connectors to the same side as the motherboard I/O. That would of course increase the width, but from all possible ways to move around connectors, that would probably be the best one as it allows access to the full mobo I/O.

What about storage in this case? The last time I checked, full ATX boards don't bother to include mSATA or M.2 slots, and if you have 64GB or RAM in case, you'll probably want more than 1TB, except in very niche scenarios.

I definitely see this work with about 9L, but I fail to see the use of it.

 

[SaperPL]

Dual CPU on standard ATX? I don't believe such a thing exists - there's not nearly enough room for it.

Oh, you're right on this - there is a standard 10" ATX which I thought is max ATX width but its the extended one - it's 1cm bigger than standard ATX.

Those boards are 12" x 10" and look like this:

The first one looks like standard ATX - note screw holes are on the edge and other three have a distance, so it looks like there are still some dual-socket standard ATX ones.

I actually owned last two of those and I thought the last one was standard ATX


It doesn't defeat the purpose of ATX use if it's a workstation - some jobs require as much ram as you can get and sometimes those dual-socket boards are like having only one PCI-E X16 but 16 dimms, 8 for each socket.


But I noted that commercially is a useless idea, unless I put VGA somehow over motherboard, where the slots are and magically fit power supply somewhere.

Anyway I was curious about your opinion on reversing the rear IO with front/side panel functions.

@iFreilicht - about the storage - I think with this config it should be easy to fit two 2.5" drives somewhere above expansion slots area.

 

[iFreilicht]

@iFreilicht - about the storage - I think with this config it should be easy to fit two 2.5" drives somewhere above expansion slots area.

That's true, didn't think about that.

 

[babadook]

I didn't consider the non-availability of Socket 2011(-3) Mini-ITX boards. I think more than 16 GB of (ECC) memory and 8+ cores (Xeons) in a small enclosure *is* an interesting enough proposition.

Carry on then

 

[geostation]

there is lot a of workstations that require all the ram slots they can get. anyway from mainstream sake why not a matx board ? 4 slots of memory is good enough even for prosumer / workstation stuff

 

[SaperPL]

there is lot a of workstations that require all the ram slots they can get. anyway from mainstream sake why not a matx board

I started thinking about mATX and thought there would be some 8 DIMM X99 LGA2011-3 mATX boards like there were 6 DIMM LGA1366 mATX boards.

But there's none of those and also I noticed that when you put mATX in this configuration ( of course IO facing rear normally) you get 6cm of free space to the front which you just literraly can't use for nothing except front panel. Add 6cm to mATX and you get full ATX

 

[iFreilicht]

I started thinking about mATX and thought there would be some 8 DIMM X99 LGA2011-3 mATX boards like there were 6 DIMM LGA1366 mATX boards.

But there's none of those and also I noticed that when you put mATX in this configuration ( of course IO facing rear normally) you get 6cm of free space to the front which you just literraly can't use for nothing except front panel. Add 6cm to mATX and you get full ATX

Well you'll have to but the power button somewhere, so 6cm of space for that don't really hurt.

 

[SaperPL]

Its 6cm x 24.5cm which in total is 1L of almost unused space

 

[kierwest]

Im not a fan having the gpu above the cpu. Heat accumulates to easily on both boards and it really creates a problem long term.

 

[SaperPL]

I don't really get what are you talking about. The idea here doesn't position gpu above cpu, at least not directly above. Both would have separate exhausts.