Any use for a DIY panel for an open-air PC case?


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W31 D0n9

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After searching for an open-air pc case, and only finding a few offerings (from Thermaltake, Lian-Li, Feros, InWin), then researching fully DIY build projects, I was inspired to design something on my own. I wanted something that had the quality and polish of the branded cases, with a more customizable layout, and less of a commitment than a scratch-build, although kept the endless design potential afforded when building from scratch.

I ended up with a simple, panel design that uses evenly spaced mounting holes across the entire surface for individual component mounting, and several well-positioned cable pass-through sockets for routing cables, peripherals, and the power cord behind the panel. (Think of a breadboard, but made of metal and with round mounting holes) It is a durable, open-air, open-platform design, aiming for near universal compatibility with current accessories and mountable products, that allows for unique component configurations limited only by the user's imagination. Essentially, it is a blank canvas for modders and DIYers to display their pc art.

Now I'm wondering if anyone else would be interested in such an offering and how this design could be improved. If the response is substantial enough, I'll submit the design for prototyping. Let me know what you all think. All questions and feedback are most welcome.

Cheers
 
We'd need to see way more of what this is about to have any real idea

Pics of said design

Just to clarify, this is still in a design phase, pre-prototype. That's why I created this thread, to see if there was any interest and if so, how better to shape the design. I'd prefer not to share the rudimentary sketchup model at this time, but I definitely understand the need for a visual representation, so I've included an aluminum panel with evenly spaced holes that is essentially how the panel will look - except for round mounting holes and several well-placed cable pass-through sockets.

Drop any questions or if you need any more details, feel free to post. And be sure to check out the poll at the top of the page.

Let me know what you guys think!
 

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It might be hard to determine just what the hole spacing needs to be if you are trying to attach motherboards of different form factors, as well as various peripherals. I would think that there are differences in the spacing for mounting things like water pumps or reservoirs from differing vendors. These holes would also have to be able to line up with the spacing used for platter & SSDs and optical drives, as well as PSUs. That near universal compatibility might be difficult to achieve for these reasons.

I guess you could make brackets for all these types of peripherals like the other vendors do while keeping the flexibility of organizing them around the base panel in the manner that personally suits you.
 
It might be hard to determine just what the hole spacing needs to be if you are trying to attach motherboards of different form factors, as well as various peripherals. I would think that there are differences in the spacing for mounting things like water pumps or reservoirs from differing vendors. These holes would also have to be able to line up with the spacing used for platter & SSDs and optical drives, as well as PSUs. That near universal compatibility might be difficult to achieve for these reasons.

I guess you could make brackets for all these types of peripherals like the other vendors do while keeping the flexibility of organizing them in the manner that personally suits you.

That's exactly right. The panel would use uniform spacing and utilize brackets/trays that components are mounted to, which are then mounted to the panel. Just as you said, this would allow the user to organize the layout of the components on the panel in any configuration.

Due to the flexibility of component layout, one of the main design challenges is the location of the cable pass-through sockets on the panel. I've gone through several designs and have almost settled on one that could accommodate the numerous component configurations, as well as not look like swiss cheese if not utilized. One of the solutions to an unused socket would be some sort of cover that could be mounted on either side of the panel. But this cover issue is a detail for further down the line.

Thanks for taking an interest! Is this something that you would consider using in a build of your own?
 
I have a "collection" of open air cases, including severa styles of Dimas Tech, Bancheto, Spotswood and a few others, so while the concept is interesting I don't know that I would be inclined to add any more to my collection. I can configure things to my liking pretty much with what I have, plus I've modified mounting / fashioned my own brackets when the need arose.

That said, for someone that was looking to get their first bench, this idea could have merit. Like is often the case (no pun intended), cost & build quality will impact interest / demand.
 
I have a "collection" of open air cases, including severa styles of Dimas Tech, Bancheto, Spotswood and a few others, so while the concept is interesting I don't know that I would be inclined to add any more to my collection. I can configure things to my liking pretty much with what I have, plus I've modified mounting / fashioned my own brackets when the need arose.

That said, for someone that was looking to get their first bench, this idea could have merit. Like is often the case (no pun intended), cost & build quality will impact interest / demand.

That IS quite the collection.

It's not actually meant to be a bench, but rather, a working panel that can be used/mounted horizontally or vertically. Certainly, it would be a bench if it was used as such, but the intention is to provide more customization than a traditional test-bench.

I think you're spot-on about cost and build quality. Thanks for your input!
 
I guess that I tend to think of "open air" as a bench table, even if the intent is more for a permanent build instead of an "ease-of-component-swap" build. :)

I recently had a discussion with a fella over on one of the other sites that was looking to build a rig inside a desk cabinet. This idea of yours would probably lend itself well to a use such as his, giving him much more flexibility (over a standard mobo tray) to arrange the components in the manner that best fit his needs, and or available space.

I'll keep checking back to see what develops.
 
I guess that I tend to think of "open air" as a bench table, even if the intent is more for a permanent build instead of an "ease-of-component-swap" build. :)

Haha, yep, you get it. :)

I recently had a discussion with a fella over on one of the other sites that was looking to build a rig inside a desk cabinet. This idea of yours would probably lend itself well to a use such as his, giving him much more flexibility (over a standard mobo tray) to arrange the components in the manner that best fit his needs, and or available space.

I'll keep checking back to see what develops.

That sounds worth checking out as this is exactly the type of project I'm hoping the panel could be built around. Very cool, indeed.
 
There you go: https://hardforum.com/threads/case-construction-kit-project.1930693/
An open-air subframe with universal compatibility, due to the small building blocks, paired with side paneling using standard holes. You can throw any hardware to it (ITX to ATX, SFX to ATX, whatever size GPU). It gathered zero interest but anyway it doesn't change my opinion that it is the best case (cases whatever) I've ever had :D.
 
There you go: https://hardforum.com/threads/case-construction-kit-project.1930693/
An open-air subframe with universal compatibility, due to the small building blocks, paired with side paneling using standard holes. You can throw any hardware to it (ITX to ATX, SFX to ATX, whatever size GPU). It gathered zero interest but anyway it doesn't change my opinion that it is the best case (cases whatever) I've ever had :D.

Love the idea! It's a little rough around the edges, but I like the creativity.
 
Love the idea! It's a little rough around the edges, but I like the creativity.
Thanks :). It is the very first iteration, so issues were expected. The panels are very thin, only 0.8mm to keep the weight down. This also means they are not as flat as one would expect. The other issue is that I used 3D printed elements instead of CNC-d aluminium pipes as planned. It was faster and cheaper to prototype this way. Unfortunately, the 3D printed parts are weaker and their size vary. I can't tighten the bolts fully because the plastic would break, this mean they have a little play. The size difference is not big, but visible. Coupled with the loose bolts, the side panels don't mesh as they should.
If gathered some interest, I would add backplates, better front panels with front sockets (customize your frontplate layout), corner side panels with 90* bend, panels with nicer looking hole design, plexi panels and half size panels for really small builds.
 
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Thanks :). It is the very first iteration, so issues were expected. The panels are very thin, only 0.8mm to keep the weight down. This also means they are not as flat as one would expect. The other issue is that I used 3D printed elements instead of CNC-d aluminium pipes as planned. It was faster and cheaper to prototype this way. Unfortunately, the 3D printed parts are weaker and their size vary. I can't tighten the bolts fully because the plastic would break, this mean they have a little play. The size difference is not big, but visible. Coupled with the loose bolts, the side panels don't mesh as they should.
If gathered some interest, I would add backplates, better front panels with front sockets (customize your frontplate layout), corner side panels with 90* bend, panels with nicer looking hole design, plexi panels and half size panels for really small builds.

Wow, I couldn't tell that the frame was 3D printed until you pointed it out. I was actually considering 3D printing the mounting brackets that attach the components to the panel for the same reasons as you. It's just cheaper and faster to prototype than metal if you don't have the tools, although now I'm worried they won't be durable enough to withstand the load.

What type of filament did you end up going with?

As for the general idea, I'm surprised there wasn't any interest in the project. I'm in love with the idea of being able to customize a case layout, which is where the idea for the pc panel came from. And as you can tell by the length of this thread, this approach hasn't garnered as much interest as I had expected, but I'd still like to put a prototype together and build from there.
 
Wow, I couldn't tell that the frame was 3D printed until you pointed it out. I was actually considering 3D printing the mounting brackets that attach the components to the panel for the same reasons as you. It's just cheaper and faster to prototype than metal if you don't have the tools, although now I'm worried they won't be durable enough to withstand the load.

What type of filament did you end up going with?

As for the general idea, I'm surprised there wasn't any interest in the project. I'm in love with the idea of being able to customize a case layout, which is where the idea for the pc panel came from. And as you can tell by the length of this thread, this approach hasn't garnered as much interest as I had expected, but I'd still like to put a prototype together and build from there.

I didn't print myself, I ordered them locally. The guy who made them was really knowledgeable so I think the parts are as good as they get in this size. They do the job, but metal is the way to go if you are looking for resilience.
I'm not that surprised. I learned over the years that anything that requires higher level of creativity from the public usually fails. Honestly, I don't regret this outcome. It is not me, who is missing out. I have the most flexible case ever. I can just kick back and silently laugh on topics and posts like, "OMG I bought this expensive case and some part doesn't fit inside" or "Help, I don't know if my stuff will fit into this and that case".
Plus I have one less project to worry about. I have been working on this on and off for 2 years and I can call it done.
Next thing on my plate to build by universal eGPU docker just for kicks. Then I will build a full metal airsoft version of the Mass Effect Black Widow sniper rifle. Then complete my airsoft Barrett M95s series. I have like seven receivers to be assembled and sold. Then I will fix up my universal touchscreen controller app.
 
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