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Gaming mATX Shoebox Interest Thread

R

Romo13

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Apr 2, 2011
Messages
16
Hi all,

I'm currently planning to build my first SFF PC. With the DaBox being out of stock, I didn't really see a lot of options available as far as Shoeboxes for gaming applications go. A friend is pretty handy with CAD and machining so we thought it might be a cool idea to design a case and potentially offer them to anyone who may be looking for something similar. It's currently planned to be a mATX case, however if this ends up working out we may investigate other sizes in the future. We're trying to keep the design as small as possible while still providing optimal airflow for dual GPU or watercooling applications.

So onto some specs and features. Please keep in mind that these are by no means set in stone, and we're very open to your feedback and suggestions.


Features

-All aluminum construction
-Size: 12” x 15” x 9.75” (W x D x H)
-120mm fan: 7 (standard configuration), 10 (depending on configuration)
-Able to fit at least 13” GPU's (final length will be determined at a later date)
-Room for 1x240mm rad (Will be able to fit a XSPC RS240 in push/pull with 25mm thick fans, H50, H70, etc.)
-2 3.5” bays (possibly 3)
-1-2 2.5” bays
-1 5.25” bay
-Relocated PSU to maximize GPU airflow
-Removable motherboard tray
-Fits up to mATX


Appearance

We definitely want to keep the look as clean as possible. It will be a shoebox style case. As for the 5.25” bay, we will almost definitely have it centered on the case. The only thing that could change this is if it would result in a large increase of practical component capacity. Although if you guys don’t want anything but a centered 5.25” bay, then that’s what it will be. A rendering of what the case will look like:


2vwfrxf.png


Price

While the price is still TBD, it would likely sell for close to $200. A final price will be posted before production.


If we've missed anything or make any revisions to this post they'll be listed in the second post. We value and look forward to your feedback - this case will be designed based on what the community would like to see.
 
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centered 5.25 you'll end up w/ something similar to nsk1380, with harddrives vertical on both sides.
perhaps mount psu under the 5.25.

alternatively only choice is slim dvd-drv
 
What you described is actually very similar to how the layout of the case would look. The PSU would sit below the 5.25" with vertically mounted HDDs. The placement of the HDDs is not 100% certain yet though.
 
Would definitely be interested, will need to see some internals first so I can see what is possible.

Ideally what I would like to see is room for two high end single GPU cards, 2 SSDs, 2 HDDs, and watercooling capacity for the GPU/CPU. But obviously this is a pretty high end wish list.
 
Very good looking mock up there. Very clean look & I love the fact that the side panels & top are all fitted for fans. But to be honest thats 10 case fans visible there (likely another in the back in the common placement as well). The only way I can see that being a real advantage is if there is 2.5" or so of clearance all around where radiators + fans could be mounted on the sides or top to allow for a completely self contained mATX LC rig. At that point though it would be very large for a MATX case (15"+ wide). Alternatively the side panels could just be heavily perforated (not necessarily for fans) and the top set for a 200mm exhaust it would keep the cool air coming in the sides & blowing out the top at a rapid rate & still keep the sound down.
 
First off, thank you for the feedback and compliments guys, it's really appreciated :D

To voklskier4452 - Your wish list sounds like it may very well be possible. The biggest unknown in your suggestions is the watercooling capacity, which I'll talk about now.

After doing some measurements, it looks like it could be very plausible to fit a 2nd 240mm radiator at the current dimensions. The biggest issue with this is that both would have to be placed at the top, resulting in no top exhaust fan. Why it might not be such a problem is because there are so many fan options. For those that would be planning on using 2 radiators, would you be opposed to this?

In terms of fan options, the standard configuration is now 8 (9 optional). This is also without rear fans (1 or possibly 2). To use the 9th fan spot, only 1 HDD can be used. Although the 2nd HDD and PSU will block fan spots, we will almost certainly be leaving the perforations there as this should help with airflow. The side fans will be placed low enough to provide enough clearance for a push/pull radiator setup on the top. We will be posting different "perforation configurations" for the side panels to see which one everyone seems to prefer.

The standard # of HDDs will be at least 2. It will likely be possible to add a 3rd HDD if the middle GPU side panel fan is removed. SSD capacity is currently being worked on.

Here is a rendering showing what the general layout will look like (PSU, motherboard, and top/side fans included). Please keep in mind that it's still in the early designing stage and has many things that need to be worked on. This is just to give you a general idea of what the layout will look like. A rendering with HDDs and SSDs will hopefully be posted by the end of Friday:


28m1gt2.png
 
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Hi guys, been doing some more work over the past few days. Here's a picture of what we're thinking the layout for the case is going to be. If there's anything else you'd like to see or would like some measurements let us know :


15s8qog.jpg


Another thing we've found is that if you're using a 5.25 device longer than 4" a second rad won't fit. This is an estimate, we'll post a final number when we get closer to finishing the design. We've also changed the number of standard GPU fans - There's only one now. If anyone has any feedback, we'd love to hear it.
 
Some feedback on your design. I like that you guys are trying to be original and innovative, but some of the design choices don't make much sense. Having vents\fans mounts over almost every square inch of side panels doesn't nessicarily give the best temps. Airflow path needs to designed carefully so it is directed to the components in a good order.

I have researched a lot of cases in the shape\size you propose and even looked at building one myself, in the end I came to the conclusion the Lian-Li V350\V351\V352 layout is the best on the market, it just needs some tweaks to make it truely great. The V351 is actually smaller than the dimensions you posted and fits everything you have mentioned with the exception of dual rads (there is room for one 2x120mm rad in the front with modding) and the video card max length is 280mm.

If you were to make a case like the V351 with some updates to fix the flaws, I think it would allow better airflow and more options than the design you have posted. The extra long sideways dual 5.25" bays give a lot of options for watercooling or other enthusiast gear like fan controllers, LCDs etc (when using short 5.25" devices you effectively have 4x drive bays in a compact case.). What the V352 layout needs to make it true great is something like this:

New back panel: Change rear fan size from 80mm to 120mm (several users here modded the V351 like this via custom backplates swapping the PSU and fan positions with great success)
Changed front fan mount to fit a 2x120mm radiator without modding.
Increase case depth about 30mm to support longer video cards and PSUs
 
CrimsonFury said:
Some feedback on your design. I like that you guys are trying to be original and innovative, but some of the design choices don't make much sense. Having vents\fans mounts over almost every square inch of side panels doesn't nessicarily give the best temps. Airflow path needs to designed carefully so it is directed to the components in a good order.
Click to expand...

I agree, the airflow path looks to be a big problem.
I think the Lian-Li PC-V354http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=546&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=63&g=spec is a closer match to what you are trying to achieve:
Rotated onto its side the dimensions are very similar;
It has 5 slots instead of just 4 (useful for SLI air cooling);
Positive airflow from front to back asures good coverage;
The rear mounted power supply minimizes the internal footprint since the power cord is attached externally (I would orient it to intake and exhaust externally form the case)

Personally, I would avoid exhaust fans in a positive airflow design; in my experience they do little more than add noise and possibly divert air form getting to important places. I would just locate exhaust vents where necessary to direct airflow (generally, opposite the intake fans).
 
Thanks for your feedback guys, you both made excellent points and we're going to try and adjust our designs accordingly. We haven't put too much work into the airflow just yet, we're going to do some testing once we have the design a little more finalized.

2v27b4p.png

As you can see, right now we've moved the PSU back to the rear of the case, we've implemented sideways 5.25" drives, a rear 120mm fan, two vents on the front, and potentially a single fan on both the GPU and CPU sides.. Overall we've decreased the height of the case to roughly 9.5". This figure may go up slightly with the new PSU positioning however we're hoping this isn't the case. There may be the possibility of a second rad up front depending on the length of the GPUs. We still have to do some work on the front end of the case, it's been untouched since moving the PSU. We're hoping to decrease the depth of the case, which is delaying this slightly.

Here is a render of how the side now looks.

2utq5nm.png
 
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darrella said:
I agree, the airflow path looks to be a big problem.
I think the Lian-Li PC-V354 is a closer match to what you are trying to achieve:
Rotated onto its side the dimensions are very similar;
It has 5 slots instead of just 4 (useful for SLI air cooling);
Positive airflow from front to back asures good coverage;
The rear mounted power supply minimizes the internal footprint since the power cord is attached externally (I would orient it to intake and exhaust externally form the case)

Personally, I would avoid exhaust fans in a positive airflow design; in my experience they do little more than add noise and possibly divert air form getting to important places. I would just locate exhaust vents where necessary to direct airflow (generally, opposite the intake fans).
Click to expand...

I have looked at the V354 before, it has a lot of disadvantages compared to the V351 for my uses:
1x 5.25" vs 4x 5.25" bay
No where to mount a 2x120mm radiator (the front fan mounts are blocked unless you cut out the optical bay and remove ALL HDD bays)
32 litre vs 27 litre (20% larger)
HDD cages in front of the motherboard = restricted airflow to the hottest components (CPU\GPU\chipset) and the air that is reaching those parts is hotter
No slide out motherboard tray makes it more difficult to work on
No where to hide wires

If Lian-Li had through through the design of the V354 a bit more they could have made it full ATX with only a 1" increase in height. Ditch top fan, move mobo up 1", add 1" to the bottom, thus providing 2" to add the extra 2x PCI slots. This would also move the PSU 2" further down from the CPU area, allowing large tower heatsinks. These changes would also add room for a 2nd optical bay and rear 140mm instead of 120mm.

Putting no exhausts is a bad idea even for positive air pressure. If you have no exhausts the air will mostly exhaust at gaps closet to the intake fans (such as gaps around bay covers or side panel joins) and airflow will not pass over the main components.

The updated design posted above this post looks quite good. I would suggest having the primary intakes on the front panel (2x120mm) as it provides the best airflow and also provides the perfect place for a radiator when short video cards are used. If you want to keep the front panel looking sleek (no air vents) you could use a fan bracket and side intakes similar to the Lian-Li X500FX case http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/produc...ex=562&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62&g=f

I assume the brackets in the front left are for 2x3.5" drives? They might be better positioned next to the PSU (you could probably squeeze 3x drives in there). If you use a removable drive cage this would still allow the use of large tower heatsinks (by mounting a HDD in one of the optical bays)

I still think the number of fan mounts is unessacary. 2x 120mm intake and 1x120mm exaust is plenty for a mATX case around 30 litre capacity. The top and side vents would require increasing the case height 25mm and width 50mm to fit standard 25mm thick case fans.
 
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CrimsonFury said:
I have looked at the V354 before, it has a lot of disadvantages compared to the V351 for my uses:
1x 5.25" vs 4x 5.25" bay
No where to mount a 2x120mm radiator (the front fan mounts are blocked unless you cut out the optical bay and remove ALL HDD bays)
32 litre vs 27 litre (20% larger)
HDD cages in front of the motherboard = restricted airflow to the hottest components (CPU\GPU\chipset) and the air that is reaching those parts is hotter
No slide out motherboard tray makes it more difficult to work on
No where to hide wires
Click to expand...
Agreed, the layout of the back panel and front fans are the V351's strong points, the rest needs work.

CrimsonFury said:
If Lian-Li had through through the design of the V354 a bit more they could have made it full ATX with only a 1" increase in height. Ditch top fan, move mobo up 1", add 1" to the bottom, thus providing 2" to add the extra 2x PCI slots. This would also move the PSU 2" further down from the CPU area, allowing large tower heatsinks. These changes would also add room for a 2nd optical bay and rear 140mm instead of 120mm.
Click to expand...

Or in the case of this project, ditch the same fan, and reduce the size by 1-inch. I suggest 5 slots are useful for an air-cooled mATX system with SLI or CrossFire video.

CrimsonFury said:
Putting no exhausts is a bad idea even for positive air pressure. If you have no exhausts the air will mostly exhaust at gaps closet to the intake fans (such as gaps around bay covers or side panel joins) and airflow will not pass over the main components
Click to expand...
I wasn't implying NO Exhaust, just NO exhaust Fan. When you have plenty of appropriate exhaust vents, a fan running in one of them does very little, I have experimented with this by just disconnecting my exhaust fan and the only siginificant change was the amount of noise (air was still exiting the case through the fan vent just fine).

CrimsonFury said:
The updated design posted above this post looks quite good. I would suggest having the primary intakes on the front panel (2x120mm) as it provides the best airflow and also provides the perfect place for a radiator when short video cards are used. If you want to keep the front panel looking sleek (no air vents) you could use a fan bracket and side intakes similar to the Lian-Li X500FX case http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/produc...ex=562&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62&g=f
Click to expand...


Agreed, maybe even 2x140mm if it fits. Intake at front and exhaust at rear will likely provide the most effective cooling.
 
Thanks for the input CrimsonFury and darrella, we really appreciate the suggestions. The brackets in the front are for 2x2.5" drives, although they are being placed somewhere else, we just haven't got around to it yet. We've decided to completely get rid of the side fans altogether, as well as the vents. Right now we're looking at having 2 120mm fans, however we're looking at possibly putting 2 140mm fans as well.

So far we've got two ideas for the front fans - Either front vents or a side intake, like Crimson suggested.


Side Intake

This design would keep the front panel clean, however it would decrease the total GPU length available.

Max GPU Length
No radiator: 13"
With radiator (not push/pull): 11.65"
With radiator (push/pull): 10.65"

Version 1:
ei40nl.png

Version 2:
2j2fc5d.png


Front Vents

Max GPU Length
No radiator: 13.75"
With radiator (not push/pull): 12.4"
With radiator (push/pull): 11.4"


2zgxnj8.png

All specs are approximate and based on 25mm thick fans. There is a restriction with the front mounted radiator - when one is used, there can't be any lower 5.25"s
 
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Romo13 said:
-2 3.5” bays (possibly 3)
-1-2 2.5” bays
-1 5.25” bay
Click to expand...

I'm wondering how important it is to have so many drive bays in a pure gaming system any more.

Maybe do a single 3.5" and a convertable 3.5" / 4x 2.5" bay (thinking 2TB HDD and 4x240GB SSD:D).

It seems to me, the only point of 5.25" bays anymore is for DVD or Blu-Ray drives, so:
How often do you need more than one DVD drive for gaming?
Wouldn't even a decent slim drive be just fine (a slot-load drive might look pretty sweet near the top front of the case) for gaming?
Also, is blu-ray important for gaming at all (why are blu-ray drives so big anyhow)?
 
Go mITX, mATX is still too big and there is plenty of options.

Also screw the 5.25 bay, heck, I would even skip any CD/DVD/BR option to save even more space. There is plenty of usb-drives you can have in a drawer for the 5 times you actually buy something that isn't digital.

Maybe do some kind of modular thing where one "core part" is everything that really needs to be in there (mobo, cpu + cooler, gpu, memory) and then a top/side/back part where you can have different configurations for those who want a 5.25 or extra HDD space or whatever.

Instead of the boring drilled fan holes I suggest mesh á la Apple computers. Also, make it symetrical, dont put a rounded side if it is not rounded in the back. And if you round things off make it on the other direction imo, looking straight on it it should be rounded top (and bottom) corners.

Front should be a flat surface, power buttons and possibly leds and 2 usb ports on the side or back. I would love for nothing to be present at all but I guess a power button is ok.

And make it black inside, and maybe have a few different colors outside to choose from. Due to heat issues at times you want to run the case "cabed" and then it is nice if it still looks good.

Don't forget airflow, it will probably be the most important aspect, and try fitting a standard atx-psu in there for us to drive the mega-gpus.

Go micro, mini is just half-arsing it =)
 
Gnoma said:
Go mITX, mATX is still too big and there is plenty of options.
...
Go micro, mini is just half-arsing it =)
Click to expand...

Uhh, well that's mini-ITX and micro-ATX; I believe you have your terms confused.
However, I agree, mini-ITX would be half-arsing it since it cannot do SLI or CrossFire; this is why the design is micro-ATX;).
 
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Once again, thanks a lot for the feedback and suggestions guys. As you can see, our design has come a long way since we posted and it's mostly because of your ideas. While we would definitely consider an ITX case in the future, we wanted to do a MicroATX case first. If this case ends up going over well, we'll most certainly be working on an ITX case for those who would like an even smaller form factor.

As far as the number of 5.25" bays go - four is definitely a lot of them, there are very few people who would make use of them all, however they aren't using up unnecessary space -The length of the GPUs means there'd be empty space there anyways. We will definitely be looking into ways to make use of those empty bays (IE: HDD, SSD). Using a front radiator would also result only 2 usable 5.25 bays. After reviewing the design, it looks like the use of a top radiator would mean the upper CPU side 5.25 would not be able to be used. So using a dual 240mm radiator setup would mean there is only 1 available 5.25 bay (the upper GPU side 5.25).

Right now we're thinking of having the USB and other ports located above the GPU side 5.25s. We've been trying to find a place other than the front panel for the power and reset buttons but so far that seems to be the best place. We will more than likely be manufacturing the buttons ourselves instead of using an OTC product, so we should be able to maintain a clean look. If you look closely at the render in this post, you can see where they are placed (middle top of front panel).

Gnoma- Below is a rendering of what you described. We definitely like it the most so far. The frame will have to be changed to accommodate the extra bend but that shouldn't be a problem. If I understand you correct, you also said for the top rear edge to be bent as well. The problem with this is that we would have to increase the height of the case. Overall though, we think it looks pretty good as is.

t514l5.png

The first run would likely be only black. We would definitely look into offering additional colors for future runs (white and red come to mind). Another thing we're considering is offering custom colours. The plan is for the interior of the case to be black - It looks much better, and we're 99% sure we'll be able to make it happen.

Right now, we just need to decide which panel design to use. We are leaning towards the one in this post. Once we have that figured out, we can start finalizing the placement of different components and hopefully get started on a prototype. Which design do you guys like the most so far?
 
I would love to see as much room as possible for 120mm or 140mm fans and radiators. The more the merrier for high-end gaming builds in a box.

2vwfrxf.png


This design with a front 240mm or 280mm dual radiator/fan hole would be ideal.
 
Romo13 said:
As far as the number of 5.25" bays go - four is definitely a lot of them, there are very few people who would make use of them all, however they aren't using up unnecessary space -The length of the GPUs means there'd be empty space there anyways. We will definitely be looking into ways to make use of those empty bays (IE: HDD, SSD). Using a front radiator would also result only 2 usable 5.25 bays.
Click to expand...

I would suggest moving the 5.25" bays higher up so they are not blocked by a rad. This works in the V351 (I currently have a 2x120mm rad in the front).

You would need to ditch the 2x fan mounts above the optical bays to fit this. For me one of the main benefits of 4x 5.25" bays is for water cooling gear (bay res taking up a dual bay on one side, short depth fan controller\LCD taking up a dual bay on the other side). Having half the bays blocked by a radiator would defeat the point of having so many bays in the first place.

I think trying to fit 2x dual fan radiators stock is probably trying to stretch it to far and will end up making the case too large. You could easily mount a 1x120mm at the rear however. Combined with 2x120mm at the front this gives you 3x120mm of rad area which is great for such a small case. Hard core water coolers who want more can always mount an external rad on the back using a bracket.
 
I would be *very* interested if it could fit 3x240mm rads, for SLI, overclocking I don't think 2 is enough.
 
Hey guys, sorry for the lengthy delay in response. Once again, thank you all for your feedback, it's greatly appreciated:)

In regards to more spots for radiators, the current dimensions will not allow more. Although, if everything goes well with this case, we will definitely look into making something with more radiator spots while staying as close to SFF as possible. Maybe something like this case but with a compartment at the bottom for 2 more 240mm radiators.

Like Crimson suggested, we moved the 5.25 bays higher. This didn't completely solve the problem, but it helped. With that being said, we're 99% sure we'll be able to get the needed clearance. This would allow 3 5.25s when using 2x 240mm radiators. The only restriction would be that you cannot do push/pull on the top radiator half that sits above the CPU side 5.25.

Onto dimensions - It looks like the current height (9.5") and depth (15") will be the final dimensions. The width (12") may be decrease. We are currently checking exactly how much we can decrease it and what features it would take away. If kept at the current width, it would likely be possible to fit up to 6 or more HDDs (depending on configuration). There will likely be 2 3.5" mounts standard, with extra "cages" being optional. If we decrease the width, it looks like the absolutely most we could take off is 0.5" (making it 11.5" wide). This would probably remove 2 optional 3.5", but the other 2 would likely be unaffected.

Airflow restriction - This is definitely something that we are concerned about with the "side intakes." We've increased the intake surface area, although we are still looking at ways to reduce the restriction (short of having an open intake). We will definitely be testing this during the prototype stages though. We're also working on a "back-up plan" if the restriction is too high.

Anyways, I think that's all for now. Sorry we don't have any new renderings:(
 
Romo13 said:
The width (12") may be decrease. We are currently checking exactly how much we can decrease it and what features it would take away. If kept at the current width, it would likely be possible to fit up to 6 or more HDDs (depending on configuration). There will likely be 2 3.5" mounts standard, with extra "cages" being optional. If we decrease the width, it looks like the absolutely most we could take off is 0.5" (making it 11.5" wide). This would probably remove 2 optional 3.5", but the other 2 would likely be unaffected.
Click to expand...

I vote reduce the width as much as possible
A single 5.25" ODD bay and room for two 3.5" HDDs is plenty for gaming IMO.
One could throw in a slim ODD and half a dozen SSDs in that space. :)
 
Perhaps an option to remove cages? Gamers really only need one hard drive, and in this case, I think one SSD would help cut down on size, leaving more room for hardware and cooling options.

Side window option instead of intake fan option? You know, we want to show off what's inside!

I think the main focus should be on main hardware, cooling options, and wire mangaement, not storage. If someone wants to buy a rig for storage, they should simply look into a larger case, because a microATX case is not exactly a case for storage, LOL.
 
Romo13 said:
Like Crimson suggested, we moved the 5.25 bays higher. This didn't completely solve the problem, but it helped. With that being said, we're 99% sure we'll be able to get the needed clearance. This would allow 3 5.25s when using 2x 240mm radiators. The only restriction would be that you cannot do push/pull on the top radiator half that sits above the CPU side 5.25.
Click to expand...

Can you post an updated pic? I can't visualize what is blocking the bays\fans with the dimensions you posted?

Below are some photos of my rad setup in my Lian-Li V351 to show how I got it to fit. Case dimensions 279mm x 262mm x 373mm (W,H,D)

PS. 300mm width would be ideal for a front mounted rad. With My V351 I had alot of trouble finding a 2x 120mm rad that would fit in the 279mm width (the one I have has 1mm clearance between each side panel). 300mm width would really open up the selection of rads a lot without increasing size too much (21mm is not much on a case this size)

Below you can see there is plenty of clearance between the drive bays and rad. You can use all 4x bays (2x full length devices and 2x short) AND have push\pull on the rad if you don't mind using a shorter GPU. With my setup max GPU length is 260mm with push pull using bottom vents (no front panel vents). You could do W/C and 300mm GPU with one set of fans and rad mounted to front panel (front vents required)

water_project_b1.jpg


water_project_9.jpg


The 2nd image above gives you a better view of where you can fit the 2nd set of fans for push\pull (I\O ports would need to be moved to the front or top panel).
 
Yeah, V350/351 is a great case, especially for WC. I guess size-wised it is very close to what you're doing here.

Personally, I'd like to see a second 120x2 rad on top.Even though it will cost a 5.25" drive bay.

BTW, remove excess storage bays please. Unless you want a small server in 30L chassis ?

Just my two cents.
 
First off, I just want to apologize for another very lengthy delay in responding. It’s been a very busy week, although things are starting to clear up and progress should really start to pick up. With that being said, we have accomplished quite a bit in the past few days and are getting very close to having a final design.

UrbanSmooth- a side window option is definitely something we want to offer. At this point, we are not sure whether or not it will be available at launch, but it will definitely be available at some point. We’ll be posting more details on this closer to release.

In regards to storage options, it’s looking like the maximum number of standard 3.5” mounts will be 2 (along with 2x 2.5” mounts). I feel like this would be a good number, although this is definitely something that we can change if that’s what you guys want. More details on this further down in the post.

CrimsonFury- I must apologize as I wasn’t too clear when explaining the clearance issue. At the current height (9.5”, may have to be increased slightly), there is enough vertical clearance for the radiator and ODDs. The problem was that we were trying to fit a SSD/HDD underneath the radiator/fan.

I also just wanted to note that I will be going over the thread and removing any out-of-date information (fan capacity, HDD capacity, etc.). I will make sure to add a list of current specifications and features when I do that too.

Now back to the storage capacity. Basically, we've come up with two different designs, with one being taller than the other. The main difference between the two is the addition of a 5th PCI slot, and horizontal HDD mounting. Here are the designs:

Design A
-Shorter (9.5" height)
-Vertical HDD mounting
-4 PCI slots
2lwtbh0.png


Design B
-Taller (~10.25"); final height TBD
-Horizontal HDD mounting
-More clearance below PSU
-More airflow venting (approximately 16%)
-5 PCI slots
-Potential problem: fitting 2nd HDD without the use of a converted 5.25" bay
i5bvh0.png


**Some parts have been removed to help improve visibility in areas of interest**

Above are the two designs we are currently looking at. We are partially leaning towards design B, although this could definitely change. We also would definitely prefer to use a horizontal mounting solution for HDDs if possible. Another thing that we like about design B is that it would add other uses to some spaces that not all users need. For example, without the use of a CPU side front fan (assuming one wants to sacrafice airflow and the front dual radiator mount), it should be possible to "stack" a number (most likely ~4) of HDDs if you wanted to, for example, setup a server.

Which design do you guys prefer?

Another feature that should be available on both designs is the use of an extended ATX PSU, although it would block the GPU side 5.25" bays.

Once again, thank you for all the feedback! It is greatly appreciated and we cannot wait to get a prototype going.
 
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No problem at all, sorry it took so long! I can get some additional angles for both hopefully sometime tonight. Do you have any that you are looking for in particular?
 
Just got these pictures from the designer (see below). Please note that clearances between certain parts are not final, this is just a representation of where components will be placed. Also, the orange parts shown in the top views are 120mm fans. The colour was changed to give a better visualization.

Design A
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Design B
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If there are any other angles you'd like to see, just let me know and I will get them ASAP:)
 
I like some of the design elements of Design B (5th slot, better intake fan position).
The taller profile is a bit of a turn-off, especially viewed from front. I would think just enough clearance to fit a video card with a water block should be enough height.
What's the block under the fans? SSD?
 
darrella said:
I like some of the design elements of Design B (5th slot, better intake fan position).
The taller profile is a bit of a turn-off, especially viewed from front. I would think just enough clearance to fit a video card with a water block should be enough height.
What's the block under the fans? SSD?
Click to expand...

I definitely agree with you about the taller profile. I saw a height comparison picture the other day and it definitely has a more square look to it. Also, I forgot to mention this in the previous post, but version B is currently taller than the final design would be. The model shown is actually 10.5" tall, so about 1/4" taller than it should be. We'll have the correct version posted sometime later today (Wednesday) hopefully.

Also, the block underneath the fans is a HDD. We haven't put too much thought into where the SSDs will mount, although it should be relatively easy to find a good spot. One idea we had was to vertically mount them next to the CPU side of the motherboard (similar to the HDDs in Version A), although we probably won't put too much thought into it until we've decided on which design to use.

Thanks again for the feedback:)
 
Hey guys, just got some pictures of the correct case model (10.25" height). Also included are two other heights, as well as a quick HAF 932 model to help get an idea of size.

Grey: 9.5" tall
Orange: 10" tall
Black: 10.25" tall
Green: HAF 932 (~22" tall)

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We also talked a bit more about which design we want to go with. While we still haven't decided, we're definitely leaning towards version B. It's also likely that we would be able to shorten it past 10.25" (why we included a 10" tall case), although we won't know for sure until we are pretty much finished the design.
 
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