SENTRY: Console-sized gaming PC case project

[SaperPL]

Quick question for you guys - are there any additional standards you'd like to have supported that might be added without too much remodelling?

I mean something like antenna mounts for wifi/lte. I'd like to know which standards are most popular to make those additional holes.

I've never had any antennas mounted this way so it would be nice to know if there's some additional stuff to do with it beforehand, so you don't need to drill/enlarge the holes yourself.

 

[Canyouseeitnow]

If this case can support sfx-l, 3 2.5 drives without losing gpu clearance, comes in a nice matte industrial finish, I would buy it in a heart beat! Also, I don't mind the screws. They add a great industrial look to it that many other cases do not have.

 

[Padraig]

Sorry if this has been asked before :-

Will the final case have rounded corners or the current 45 degree corners?

I'm assuming its easier to get the wrap around for the front/back panel using the current method and probably a darned sight cheaper for prototyping.

 

[SaperPL]

If this case can support sfx-l, 3 2.5 drives without losing gpu clearance, comes in a nice matte industrial finish, I would buy it in a heart beat! Also, I don't mind the screws. They add a great industrial look to it that many other cases do not have.

Its a really cramped space and unlike dondan's A4, our free space parts are scattered all over so it's not easy to fit so many drives like in A4.


I've explained it few times but maybe it's still not enough:
We've got 4 2.5" mounts, two of them centrally positioned above the board & in front of psu above its cables area. The other two are just screw holes on the bottom of VGA bay.

Slot #1 will be obstructed if you'll use motherboard with cpu socket close to pci-e slot like the MSI ones AND tall, over 30mm cooler.
Slot #2 will be obstructed if you'll use SFX-L power supply.
Slot #3 will obstruct bottom VGA bay inlet partially closer to the back - you may use it if you have blowler type cooler with fan at the end of the card, single slotted card or no card at all.
Slot #4 will obstruct bottom VGA bay inled partially closer to the front - you may use it with shorter cards, single slotted cards or no cards.
There's also alternate configuration for slot #4 - you may also place a 3.5" drive there but it will only fit with single slotted cards or without any or somehow with short cards which cooler will fit within 155mm leaving 10-15mm from the back of the ITX sized card.

Lastly, as last resort, for those who have no other option BUT their card has a backplate they'll be able to mount the drive screwed only by the side laying on the backplate but we're not recommending this.

It will be easy to understand once you'll see the interior of the case (someday )


We did it this way because of the distribution of what most people will do depending on how many cash they are willing to spend on the rig.

Most expensive builds will have SFX-L, full length cards and most likely M.2/mSATA drives attached to the board so single slot for the data drive above the board like in steam machine prototype should be enough.

Cheapest builds will be those migrating with older components from other ITX builds which most likely won't have SFX-L so there'll be 2 main slots for 2.5" drives so you can have both system ssd and data drives installed this way.

Those who simply want to make a HTPC will be able to put their 3.5" drive inside along with system ssd if they don't need dedicated gpu.

If you checked how RVZ01 VGA and HDD handle is built you'd see there's 12mm distance between drive and the backplate of card including some ventilation.

What LRPC design shows is putting the drives directly over the VGA with almost no distance at all. We don't want this situation if someone were to fry their drives because of it and we can't move the card mount down because it would harm the stiffness of construction and limit card thickness not allowing installation of some thicker cooler equipped cards. We're also leaving this distance from the top cover to VGA backplate free so the cover won't unnecessarily heat up.

Sorry if this has been asked before :-

Will the final case have rounded corners or the current 45 degree corners?

I'm assuming its easier to get the wrap around for the front/back panel using the current method and probably a darned sight cheaper for prototyping.

We're staying with 45 degree corners. We did test the rounded corners configuration but it would make problems with bending the edge of the cover without additional material(distance) after the bend.

 

[ChronoDog]

Quick question for you guys - are there any additional standards you'd like to have supported that might be added without too much remodelling?

Many (me included) could probably appreciate openings for eSATA connectors.
They're not large and should be a fairly easy thing to implement.

I'm talking about these (without the metal plate):

 

[SaperPL]

@ChronoDog - sadly, we don't have a proper place to make an opening for such connector. We've got some space directly above motherboard IO but that's limited to smaller parts and the sata cable would go directly over the cooler.

Another question:

What do you think about filters - is that a standard feature, a must have for this case? If yes, than can those be installed on the outside?

What about DEMCIflex? We can see the possibility of installing two 140mm x 280mm filters on top and bottom + two 60mm x 240mm on the sides but with bent edges if that's possible. This whole packet would cost around $44 + shipping according to DEMCIflex page.

In general the problem is seriously tight space and the way the cover is installed by sliding which in the end is a downside of not making this case as a mass produced product with plastics and complex bended cover.

On the other hand the case construction is flat and simple enough that you should be able to clean off the dust from it by simply using the vacuum cleaner without opening it.

 

[ZombiPL]

Tbh this filter issue is the last thing holding us from sending the 2nd prototype to the laser cutting. There is a posibility to add a permanent filter made from tight steel mesh inside the case, but it would cost us another 1-2 mm in two directions. It means, if we add an additional filter inside, our case will grow up... again. At this moment we are a little bit below 7 Litres. If we try to add some filters we will get 7Litre+ case. And another issue is that i've mentioned before: inside filters would be probably with permanent mounting, which (as we've noticed) won't be a solution for everyone. Any suggestions?

 

[Urelure]

Good airflow is hard enough to achieve as is in cases this small, and demciflex filters are VERY restrictive. I would drop it. That will require more maintenance, but better performance overall.

All of these cases would be off the ground, so there's that. Those that are used vertically on the stand would be fine, but I guess people using them in a media rack would need to pay attention. Bottom line, there will be compromises, and this is probably one of them.

 

[SaperPL]

Yeah, for me it was never the problem - dust accumulated slowly over time but it really never dropped the performance enough to notice if I were to clean it out once a year or so.

The thing is, most reviewers check out these things and case in this price range around 150$ should have fan filters but that's for standard mass produced products. Also I don't know how it works in other countries where for example you can have open windows for most of the year because of a hot climate.

The problem with the installation in general is that any mounting points on the cover with collide with sliding the case and making the cutouts for them in the back wall will make it really soft.

The only good solution if someone really wanted filters is to buy sticky or magnetic filters in size ~100x280 + 140x280, put the first one in VGA bay and the second one on the top and that will be filtering the both air inlets. I'm not sure if sides need filtering because those are mainly outlets. Anyway that's how it looks if you wanted to do it yourself. It's possible but unless we find a good solution to making it a case feature that's on the customer.

 

[ZombiPL]

The thing we didn't mention is that, magnetic filters mounted outside the case will change its look. The whole case will look different and, hmmm... maybe not as nice as it looks without them (but this is my subjective opinion).

 

[hooplish]

I don't think not having filters would be a problem, seeing how diminutive the case is. Sure, you'll have to clean it more often but as Urelure said, the performance will be better.

 

[backfeed]

Demciflex filters on the outside would be just fine I think. Simple, effective and convenient. Wouldn't perhaps look as good as without filters, but at least Demciflex filters look a lot better than any other.

 

[darksable]

I'd love to have the Demciflex filters, but I don't think you need to include them as a standard option.

Demciflex has a specific filter kit for the M1, right? Can't you send them what you would need for this case and have them provide the same? You could even add it as an option when ordering the case, with an increased shipping delay, for international customers.

Definitely buying one of these, by the way - now that the NCase steam machine is gone, I found this... which might actually be better for what I need.


EDIT: What if you just went with lips around the inlets, like the Silverstone Raven RVZ 01 has?

 

[backfeed]

I'd love to have the Demciflex filters, but I don't think you need to include them as a standard option.

Exactly. Including them would raise the price of the case considerably for no good reason, and most people may not even care about filters at all.

 

[SaperPL]

Those "lips" around the inlets are something that we can't do with our manufacturing process. We're simply designing a laser cut and bent metal parts without any plastic (except for some functional parts) and creases or complete parts made with press.

Also external filters could completely change the look of the case. RVZ01 can have those because he looks ugly and silverstone doesn't care about those additional millimetres anyway

 

[Urelure]

Also I don't know how it works in other countries where for example you can have open windows for most of the year because of a hot climate.

Yeah, that can be an issue. I desert areas sand and/or silt can be a serious issue. Here in Norway, having a cold climate, we usually don't have AC in our houses. Heating only. So in spring time open windows are a must and pollen is a serious problem because it sticks to everything and needs to be washed of. Not sure how i'll handle this in my M1 as it is my first non-filtered case. The intake filter of my old CM 690II case usually went yellow and needed to be cleaned with water.

Anyway, all of these things are possible to fix by the user. If the case is used in a media rack, changing the looks of the top/bottom panel doesn't matter that much anyway, as really only the front is visible.

 

[ZombiPL]

We have some ideas for those filters which we have to check, but there is a possibility that our filters will be permanent. Today I'll try to finish our design for the laser cutting and i hope we will know everything until the end of next week.

 

[ZombiPL]

2nd prototype sent for cutting. Now we have to wait... again.

 

[darksable]

Yay, excitement!

And I would personally much, much rather have external filters (even if I just had to buy them through demiflex) than I would permanent filters. I live in Reno, which has dust fine enough that it really behaves more like silt - permanent filters would cause me no end of hell... I would probably end up taking a dremel to them instead of having to take my rig apart and wash my case every month.

 

[SaperPL]

We're checking the possibility of permanent filters, but those still should be easily cleared out using vacuum cleaner without taking the rig apart.

By the way, good news is, most of the internal parts from china for prototypes got shipped quite quickly in less than two weeks from ordering and those fit well in first prototype. Still waiting for one package though thanks to seller sending it with two weeks delay regardless of the quick contact during transaction.

The second prototype was ordered at local metal shop which is more expensive but have the bending precision we require now. We're still waiting for the designated metal shop to gain required precision. If this prototype will work well and we won't find any new problems in it then it probably will be the reference unit for production.

 

[darksable]

Ehh, I suppose so. I would still probably remove them and go for the convenience of a removable filter, but I'm happy to mod whatever needs it.

Also, I'm probably a bit late on this, but I just saw your note about extra holes - I would LOVE to have wifi antenna mounts on the case. Some motherboards give a metal panel on the I/O shield to mount them to, others just make you mount it to the foam and thin plastic, which means they wiggle and rotate FAR too much. Only other thing I can think of would be holes for watercooling quicklinks, but that's something I'm sure I'll be doing myself.

(...if I can even find a place for it; you've done an amazing job making that thing tiny. I'll have to run the tubing out the side panel, or maybe the top.)

 

[SaperPL]

We've already added those to the back, directly above IO shield. They are not entirely cut out so you'll need pliers to make two cuts, similar to those pci-e slot plugs that once removed cannot be mounted again.

As for water cooling holes I don't really see a place where we would make those holes without loosing the stiffness yet it being a proper place to route the hoses there. If you're thinking about AIO CPU watercooling then maybe you'll be able to fit the radiator with ITX sized card within the VGA bay.

 

[darksable]

Great design on the antenna mounts, I love it!

Yeah, that's perfectly understandable, and I wouldn't ask you to make a sacrifice like that for a scenario that I would be surprised if three of us used.

(My plan is to stuff my components into an even smaller case (hopefully this one) and send two tubes out to an external radbox that I'm designing to be extremely small and very powerful. Obviously, that's not going to be a standard use of this case.)

 

[SaperPL]

A little update for you guys:

We've received the metal parts for the second prototype just before Easter. Sadly, it's not production ready yet. The reason is that even the local metal shop exaggerated the precision of bending they have. The problem looks to be the lack of experienced operators of bending machines and we have to take that into account for the production. Because of this we have to redesign some internal pieces introducing more margin for bending errors. It's not like we didn't have any before but it looks like it wouldn't be enough for the production.

Some additional conclusions from this prototype and what we learned last two weeks:
1) We've found the way to ensure top cover surface coming together nicely with the front
2) We've tested the installation of whole system inside the case. Even with non-modular SFX the wiring hell looks still manageable, but for the SFX-L we'd recommend using modular cables.
3) The P4 cpu power connector will need an extending cable. We'll most likely provide one with the case. P8 doesn't look to be common at all in ITX boards.
4) The power button looks just like the one on renders. The led ring is white/grey lightly-translucent plastic when not powered.

Stay tuned, we are still trying to make it real as soon as possible.

 

[darksable]

Wonderful news!

Sorry to hear about the leniency required with the bending, that must be awfully frustrating. Here's hoping it doesn't increase the final footprint too badly.

What's the deal with the CPU power requiring an extension? Is that just an issue with some ITX motherboards with funky layouts, or is it because of where you can and can't route the cable in this case?

 

[ZombiPL]

Wonderful news!

Sorry to hear about the leniency required with the bending, that must be awfully frustrating. Here's hoping it doesn't increase the final footprint too badly.

Of course it is frustrating Our 1st laser company was quite cheap, but they had problems with bending (new staff, new machines, etc) . Now we worked with a company, who call itself "experienced/better/more accurate/etc". We've payed 3 times more this time for the 2nd prototype and it looks like this 2nd company also makes such bad mistakes as the 1st one. Now we are preparing 3rd prototype. This time we've redesigned almost every part to make it "idiot-proof". Probably it will take a little longer for us to assembly our case in the manufacturing process, but we have to try. We're fighting to keep the final price as low as possible (<200$.. maybe <150$), so we can't afford to order 10, 50 or 100 cases where only 5 or 10 can be assembled according to the project and they will keep the dimmensions. That is why it takes us so long...

What's the deal with the CPU power requiring an extension? Is that just an issue with some ITX motherboards with funky layouts, or is it because of where you can and can't route the cable in this case?

There is a problem with the distance from the PSU sockets to the additional CPU power socket in the motherboard. We've assembled the 2nd prototype and we found out that, power cable can be too short while using some motherboards. It's not the problem with lack of space to route the cable. The only problem here is the distance. If You won't use an extension cable, with some motherboards You will have your cable on the diagonal line, throught whole mobo, sometimes even interacting with the CPU fan. We will probably add such extension cable so people who will buy our case won't have such problems.


We're finalizing our 3rd prototype and we'll inform You about the progress. I hope this week we'll send it for the laser-cutting.

 

[shambaha]

SlimITX Gaming Enclosure

But I would definately try to have all fans pointing in one direction(up) so that you could VESA mount it.
So the GPU is the wrong side up, in my opinion.

 

[SaperPL]

Why did you post it here?

 

[shambaha]

Why did you post it here?

Sorry for that post, I didn't read to the end and thought it was still in design stage.

 

[SaperPL]

So you wanted to drop the idea here? Cool. You should check out the topic about the "Inverse" case. It's something more like what you linked with all stuff facing one side. I don't really like such form factor though because it's really wide.

The valve steam machine layout is the way to go if it's gonna be a mainstream design. Feel free to read through the first few pages where we discussed different layouts before the final looks were decided.

 

[SaperPL]

Looking for the slimmest itx case that can fit a dual-slot GPU(750ti).
I'm going to VESA mount it behind my TV.
Any ideas?

That being said, looking at the case you already have, I would recommend either the RAVEN RVZ01 or waiting a little bit for SaperPL & co's build

You won't be able to put RVZ's on VESA mount. I'm not yet sure if we're gonna make one for our case, we'd rather investigate making a nice integrated stand for both case and the VESA mounted monitor. that's because of the whole computer weight which I wouldn't attach to an expensive screen and hope it won't tip over.

That OP gave me an idea though, that probably anyone will be able to make a cheap wallmount for our case with two profiles like this:

Profiles are needed to make distance between the wall for VGA inlet and to make whole thing easily detachable for maintenance. You'll just need to remove the rubber feet from the case bottom, make two screw threads/holes on each profile matching the case feet holes and two wall mounting holes, maybe something like this:

And that's all without drilling additional holes in the case. Also note that you'll need to attach those profiles to the case before installing the motherboard and VGA so it's not a perfect solution.

Otherwise you could use screws with head smaller than feet mounting hole and put the case directly on those. But that would require some distancing from wall and the screws would need to be really strong to not bend under the weight of the case.

Hope that solution applies to other cases too.

I'll just crosspost it here, because it may be worth talking over if the case really needs a VESA mount or something like this apart from that thread's question.
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1041552501&postcount=7

 

[jtd871]

I'd say from a liability point of view (even if not legally enforceable, your reputation could be on the line) you don't want to go there. It would be easy enough for individuals to create a plate that would connect to the foot-holes on the one side of your case with VESA-compatible holes for mounting to another device/ bracket. As you indicated before, the weight will vary considerably depending on what's put inside. Let owners mod at their own risk.

 

[SaperPL]

I think it's the best scenario to left it to the modders who want to mount it on the wall, but still I'd like to make a stand for both case and screen like the one I've made a concept of early in the design phase.

Spoiler: Internal Renders

Also I think there's a thing now for mounting consoles and cables on a wall.

It would be possible to make a mounting holes for the rubber feet also to work as a wall mount holes. If there's demand for it, we might consider change like that. Those wouldn't be plugged/hidden on a stand in vertical position though since custom plugs would probably be costly for that.

Anyway I'd like to know if there's something that is a cheap tweak in the design that helps in a new use case but don't destroy others, so if you got an idea for a tweak, we're never closed with the design because we're laser cutting.

 

[Andorski]

Couple of questions about fitting components in the case:

1) The drive mounts description says that a primary backup 2.5" drive will fit underneath any sized GPU (towards the back of the case), but the secondary backup 2.5" drive will only fit if a short GPU card is used (towards the front of the case). Why can't both drives fit side-by-side underneath a full length card?

2) I've never used a flex riser before. Would this one work for a GTX 970 or 980? http://www.performance-pcs.com/pci-express-pci-e-x16-extension-cable-riser-19cm.html

 

[SaperPL]

The drive mounts description says that a primary backup 2.5" drive will fit underneath any sized GPU (towards the back of the case), but the secondary backup 2.5" drive will only fit if a short GPU card is used (towards the front of the case). Why can't both drives fit side-by-side underneath a full length card?

As stated in OP:

-Primary Backup 2.5" drive mount, in the VGA bay, near the back of the case, to be used with full length, blower type cooled cards
-Secondary Backup 2.5" drive mount, in the VGA bay, near the front of the case, to be used with short cards

Primary backup should be used with full length blower type cards, not any sized GPU. It's not about fitting - the thing is they block air inlet for the GPU. So depending on where your card has a fan you'll decide if you want to put a drive in there or not. Two 2.5" drives will fit but will partially block the bottom air inlet.

As for the side by side installation - we're missing about 10mm to simply fit those side by side and that's partially because of the 45 degree edges.Also we can't make mounting holes too close to the edge of bottom surface. The other thing is that we're not making additional mounts inside VGA bay for drives so the mounting holes are placed within the area of VGA bay air inlet to not brake the looks. If we were to add second drive side by side there we'd have to make the case wider by 15mm to make the place inside VGA bay to increase its inlet size and make place for proper side by side 2.5" mounts the way those won't break the external looks of the case in vertical position.

Note that it's a backup, not main drive mount. We're thinking that most people will use config of msata/m.2 + 2.5" hdd with SFX-L for more expensive builds and 2,5" SSD + 2.5"HDD + SFX for cheaper builds. Considering that Valve's prototype had only one drive mount at place of our primary master slot it's still a lot more configuration options.

I've never used a flex riser before. Would this one work for a GTX 970 or 980? http://www.performance-pcs.com/pci-express-pci-e-x16-extension-cable-riser-19cm.html

People on this forum did test multiple risers and they seem to work. Anandtech made a test on limiting pci-e lanes for GTX 980 and testing it bandwidth and it seems that there's almost no loss until you drop to pci-e x4 with older version than 3.0. Dondan's A4 has the problem on riser's quality because A4 need really long raiser like 25cm one. We'll need something around 5cm but we've got good offer on 8cm ones. Standard ones have around 19cm and they seem to work well. Those also will fit inside our case. I've already tested that it works.

 

[Andorski]

Primary backup should be used with full length blower type cards, not any sized GPU. It's not about fitting - the thing is they block air inlet for the GPU. So depending on where your card has a fan you'll decide if you want to put a drive in there or not. Two 2.5" drives will fit but will partially block the bottom air inlet.

As for the side by side installation - we're missing about 10mm to simply fit those side by side and that's partially because of the 45 degree edges.Also we can't make mounting holes too close to the edge of bottom surface. The other thing is that we're not making additional mounts inside VGA bay for drives so the mounting holes are placed within the area of VGA bay air inlet to not brake the looks. If we were to add second drive side by side there we'd have to make the case wider by 15mm to make the place inside VGA bay to increase its inlet size and make place for proper side by side 2.5" mounts the way those won't break the external looks of the case in vertical position.

Note that it's a backup, not main drive mount. We're thinking that most people will use config of msata/m.2 + 2.5" hdd with SFX-L for more expensive builds and 2,5" SSD + 2.5"HDD + SFX for cheaper builds. Considering that Valve's prototype had only one drive mount at place of our primary master slot it's still a lot more configuration options.

When I said side-by-side, I meant having drives in both the primary and secondary backup positions. As you said though, the 2.5" drives will block the air intake of either a short and full length GPU if both SSDs are installed in those positions. How about two 2.5" drives stacked on top of each other in the secondary backup drive position (in front of the case) when a short GPU card is used? Would that be possible if the 2.5" drives are mounted perpendicular to the GPU rather than parallel like it currently is?

Also, have you tested whether a full-sized blower GPU will overheat a HDD if the HDD is installed right underneath it? From my experience with the NCASE M1, when I had a 3.5" HDD installed right underneath my GTX 780 (blower), the heat from the heatsink radiated enough to make my hard drive reach +50C when playing games. The GPU fan just didn't move enough air towards the backside of the card causing heat from the heatsink to heat up its surrounding area.

People on this forum did test multiple risers and they seem to work. Anandtech made a test on limiting pci-e lanes for GTX 980 and testing it bandwidth and it seems that there's almost no loss until you drop to pci-e x4 with older version than 3.0. Dondan's A4 has the problem on riser's quality because A4 need really long raiser like 25cm one. We'll need something around 5cm but we've got good offer on 8cm ones. Standard ones have around 19cm and they seem to work well. Those also will fit inside our case. I've already tested that it works.

Is their a specific 5-8cm riser that the community recommends on getting?

 

[SaperPL]

When I said side-by-side, I meant having drives in both the primary and secondary backup positions. As you said though, the 2.5" drives will block the air intake of either a short and full length GPU if both SSDs are installed in those positions.

I get it now. Yeah, generally I wouldn't recommend that but it's physically possible and the air inlets ain't completely blocked.

How about two 2.5" drives stacked on top of each other in the secondary backup drive position (in front of the case) when a short GPU card is used? Would that be possible if the 2.5" drives are mounted perpendicular to the GPU rather than parallel like it currently is?

Good point - I'll try to work on this and see if that's possible. Currently it wouldn't work because of the way the 3.5" and 2.5" mount use same holes(some of them) and the 2.5" up front is around 160mm from the back wall of the case. Also the idea of stacking one on another would be nice if there were brackets holding both (or more) by the sides.

Also, have you tested whether a full-sized blower GPU will overheat a HDD if the HDD is installed right underneath it? From my experience with the NCASE M1, when I had a 3.5" HDD installed right underneath my GTX 780 (blower), the heat from the heatsink radiated enough to make my hard drive reach +50C when playing games. The GPU fan just didn't move enough air towards the backside of the card causing heat from the heatsink to heat up its surrounding area.

We didn't test any blower type cards yet since we're still working on preparing the production for working prototype as in the one that can be properly manufactured and testing stuff that mostly relevant at this point. Also note that putting GTX780 which is simply a 250W heater next to a hard drive is a generally bad idea. We are thinking more about reference GTX980 and blower type GTX970 which are 145W and 165W gpu's.

Is their a specific 5-8cm riser that the community recommends on getting?

We're getting a generic riser to ship with the case so that won't cost too much. If you'll want something with better quality you should be able to mount it without problems.

 

[Andorski]

Yea, it would be great if two 2.5" or one 3.5" HDD could fit in the secondary backup mount in the perpendicular position with a short GPU, like the GTX 970 ITX. Also didn't know that a riser would be included with the case, so that's good to hear.

 

[ZombiPL]

Yea, it would be great if two 2.5" or one 3.5" HDD could fit in the secondary backup mount in the perpendicular position with a short GPU, like the GTX 970 ITX. Also didn't know that a riser would be included with the case, so that's good to hear.

We will try to check this idea with those 2 ssd's. Maybe we could add 2 more angled plates or something similar. We'll see...

And about the riser: When we will get our next prototype and it will be good according to the project dimmensions, than we will make some test like system stability test, overheating test, noise test, etc. Stability tests will include checking how our riser will work with the high-end graphic cards. I predict we won't have any problems with it, and as Saper said before, we are going to include it in the final price of our case. So yes, the riser will be included. What is more, our riser mounting system will allow to change our riser to some other manufacturers product.

 

[SaperPL]

I've been investigating the idea of stacking 2.5" drives inside VGA bay that Andorski posted.

It's possible to make it really cheap with two simple brackets cut out with laser but it has its limitations.

Using the bottom drive's thread holes to both mount the whole package to the bottom of the case and the drive itself to brackets its possible to do this without adding the bends to brackets or adding fasteners to them.

There's two problems with this approach: You'll need to use short 3.5mm long screws to mount bottom drive to the brackets (see third image). It's not a good idea to use such method on hard drives because of the weight and vibrations.



This configuration would let us install inside VGA bay:
- 12 x 2.5" drives when no VGA installed
- 3 x 2.5" drives when full length card is installed (physically possible, not recommended)
- 4 x 2.5" drives when short, 200mm max VGA installed
- 6 x 2.5" drives when short, 200mm max VGA installed (physically possible, not recommended)

Rearranging the bottom inlet and backup hard drive mounts to fit this system sacrifices the mounts of for the 3.5" drive and I'm not sure if I can fit them in neat manner with this configuration.

That's just an idea at the moment. I'm not sure if supporting 14 x 2.5" drives is not an overkill, unless someone would want to build a NAS in this.

Note that we're not supporting oversized PCB short cards such as Asus 970 Mini unless the PEG connectors are flushed in, keeping to the PCI-E specification. Otherwise you'll need to get angled PEG connector or make yourself one that will fit. The model of Asus 970 Mini (made from official dimensions) placed within our case assembly leaves around 10mm for PEG connector and we checked that normal straight connector at least 19mm. Because of that I'd rather let you fit Zotac/Galax 970 Mini's that are around 195mm long rather than increase the case size.