The next NCASE project: a Steam Machine-style case (indeterminate)

With this layout I think you might as well add the extra height to allow low profile cards to be used in those extra slots.
 
Siba said:
I took a look at the case, but I think it's missing something pretty important: 240mm or 280mm radiator support on a side panel along with being designed with the SFX psu in mind. Also not a fan of the looks compared to Necere's aesthetics.

Maybe i'm just pipe dream drooling over a watercooled SLI setup with a window in a form factor not much bigger than the current M1, and a 280mm rad to cool stuff, but I figured it was probably close to a year since I last bugged about it...
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A side-mounted rad and a window? That wouldn't be a very interesting view though eh?

Also, with a front-mounted PSU like in the SG09 you can't do a side rad without making the case deeper.
 
I was thinking front+side mounted SFX PSU just like the NCase, and then a flipped orientation on the whole thing with the PSU at the bottom-front-side, then a top-half window only with vents for the radiator on the bottom half. Maybe I'm just retarded haha.

I might have to look into some 3d modelling stuff, is there anything with adjustable shape templates for me to piece together?
 
Siba said:
I was thinking front+side mounted SFX PSU just like the NCase, and then a flipped orientation on the whole thing with the PSU at the bottom-front-side, then a top-half window only with vents for the radiator on the bottom half. Maybe I'm just retarded haha.
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The window would be fairly narrow, but it's possible. I'm not sure I favor the layout for other reasons, though.

Siba said:
I might have to look into some 3d modelling stuff, is there anything with adjustable shape templates for me to piece together?
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Sketchup is what a lot of us use. There are a lot of user-made free models available for it to download and use.
 
I'm using Solidworks and there's a lot of free models to get on grabcad in different. But you probably won't use Solidworks...
 
I'll tinker around with Sketchup. Necere, can you elaborate on the reasons against the layout? Is it mATX in general or the reversed orientation? I haven't had any cases with that orientation so I've got no experience to work on
 
Siba said:
Necere, can you elaborate on the reasons against the layout? Is it mATX in general or the reversed orientation? I haven't had any cases with that orientation so I've got no experience to work on
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MicroATX opens the door to SLI, and while it is possible to run a pair of current-gen high end GPUs on the 600w Silverstone SFX, I still think ATX PSU support makes more sense. There are many more PSUs to choose from, and noise, cost, and power headroom are all better with ATX. So IMO, for mATX, ATX PSU > SFX PSU.

My other objection is to do with airflow, and making something with that layout that fulfills the following criteria:

1. Positive pressure
2. Filtered intakes
3. Works well in both air and watercooling configurations
 
This looks promising. I really like the look of DigitalStorms Bolt case. This seems close enough to that.
 


The case is a a prior design with a cool stand (like hydrofoil). However, the stand is not practical for production, just something cool for distraction.
 
Case looks PERFECT. USB ports and power on at the top .... great. It's very practical with stand. I prefere screw to assembly. Please do not use clips..;). Case should be sturdy and consistent. When will production ?
 
^That's an older design that w360 felt like posting, I guess. He may have been drunk.

W360 hates pedestals, for some reason (possibly a traumatic childhood event, he won't tell me), so the 'hydrofoil' stand design was one of my attempts to appease him. I abandoned it in part because I don't believe it's manufacturable. Still, I'd be interested to know if anyone actually prefers it to the rounded pedestal?

mpp said:
Case looks PERFECT. USB ports and power on at the top .... great. It's very practical with stand. I prefere screw to assembly. Please do not use clips..;). Case should be sturdy and consistent. When will production ?
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Power button is actually still on the front in that design. USB on the top makes for a cleaner front, but I think it's less than ideal in horizontal orientation where the case might be in a cabinet, making the USB more awkward to access.

Would you rather 1.) toolless clips, like the M1 uses, or 2.) small screws holding the side panel, but they are externally visible?

vipz said:
Can we not have the screw holes on the left side panel? If for economical reasons we have to settle for a single version, I would much rather have a no-holes version and use something like the 3M molding tape for attaching the feet. http://www.amazon.com/3M-03614-Scotch-Mount-Molding-Tape/dp/B002JOVUO0
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That'd be pretty inconvenient if you wanted to switch from horizontal -> vertical though, don't you think?
 
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My mistake, power button not at the top (side panel) but on the top front panel. Easy to access, when stand.
I prefer small screws holding the side panel. Right, they are visible but if has a that case color it will be ok. That's my opinion only. ;)
..
stand is absolutely necessary :)
 
I prefer the rounded pedestal by far. Far classier. And also 2 USB ports on the front for ease of access and all that. Basically I really really really really like the design as it is in the first post (though perhaps with the USB ports rotated by 90 degrees as I may have mentioned once or twice;)). And I would like one in silver for xmas. When's production???:p
 
Necere said:
That'd be pretty inconvenient if you wanted to switch from horizontal -> vertical though, don't you think?
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That 3M tape comes off pretty easily and doesn't leave a mess. How inconvenient do you expect that to be?
 
vipz said:
That 3M tape comes off pretty easily and doesn't leave a mess. How inconvenient do you expect that to be?
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Seriously, M3 tape is far to MacGyver-ish to have a place anywhere near a high quality case like this. You cant expect people to pay over 200$ for a case held together with tape.
 
vipz said:
I beg to differ. That 3M tape good enough for automotive use, where parts can easily exceed $200. If you must have the feet screwed in, you could always drill and tap your own hole. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Irwin-6-32-Tap-Drill-Combo-Pack-80213/100096226
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3M tape to attach the feet? Comparisons to automobile parts? Drilling and tapping your own screw holes? There are many, many good reasons why none of these things have been discussed until now or are hardly ever discussed outside of modding boards and indeed why they aren't a feature of any other case on the market.
 
3M VHB is really cool stuff. It's used to bond cosmetic metal panels to the outside of buildings, but as long as neither surface is porous it will release cleanly. I've used it for load-bearing metal-on-metal joins with great success.
That said, it's not really a viable solution for a consumer product though, particularly as it would be attaching the base to the side panel rather than to the case frame. Any tilting would quickly lead to warping of the side panel if the chassis is an edge-attached box-frame.
 
Phuncz said:
vipz obviously doesn't like the visible screw holes.
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Well I agree with him on that. I even commented on them early in the thread. The screw 4 holes for the feet are more of an issue than those for the base in my opinion, but so far noone has been able to come up with a better solution. Maybe it would be possible to hide the screw holes in the vents so that the screws go through the panels through holes that are already there and screw into a structural base inside. I don't know.
At this point Necere seems to have far bigger concerns regarding this project, so I have no need for pressing to hard on it. I'd rather this get realized with the 6 screw holes in question than not at all.
 
3M adhesives are definitely strong and durable, but doesn't seem like the most elegant solution imo.

I'd much rather see the case include some set screws (grub screws) without heads, or nearly flush rounded heads, to plug the holes on either side. Small plastic or rubber push-in plugs might also work.
 
I want to clarify that I'm only for using tape to attach the 4 round "joystick style" feet to the side panel so we don't see the 4 screw holes when there are no feet. I imagine the feet can be easily twisted off when needed.

For the vertical mode stand I don't think the tape would be a good idea due to difficulty in removing it. Trying to remove the exterior holes for the vertical mode stand would probably involve hiding them behind the existing grill like Urelure mentioned couple posts above. 2 screw holes on the narrow side would still be a lot less obnoxious than 4 holes on the biggest side panel, so I'm ok with that.

I don't think set screws are a good way to go either - it probably wouldn't look any better than the top panel screw on the M1 V1.

Urelure said:
At this point Necere seems to have far bigger concerns regarding this project, so I have no need for pressing to hard on it. I'd rather this get realized with the 6 screw holes in question than not at all.
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That's certainly fair and I agree.
 
vipz said:
I want to clarify that I'm only for using tape to attach the 4 round "joystick style" feet to the side panel so we don't see the 4 screw holes when there are no feet. I imagine the feet can be easily twisted off when needed.

For the vertical mode stand I don't think the tape would be a good idea due to difficulty in removing it. Trying to remove the exterior holes for the vertical mode stand would probably involve hiding them behind the existing grill like Urelure mentioned couple posts above. 2 screw holes on the narrow side would still be a lot less obnoxious than 4 holes on the biggest side panel, so I'm ok with that.

I don't think set screws are a good way to go either - it probably wouldn't look any better than the top panel screw on the M1 V1.
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First off, I thought you were talking about the stand all along. I agree that those two holes aren't going to be the biggest issue.
As for the holes for the feet, I think AFD's idea with some sort of rubber plug could work if done properly. Still not ideal though. Necere have mentioned the possibility of separate panel with and without the screw holes. Guess it would be like the No-ODD panel for the M1. I suspect that will be the solution if there ever is one, and i would probably buy one of each to keep my options open.
 
Honestly i just wish he'd take what he has pictured in the OP and ask for pre-orders. i'm sure he'd meet his batch requirements to get it made. I think he's too caught up in the little details everyone is asking for. Trust me i have little things id prefer were different, but if the choice is nothing, or not exactly what i want, id rather have the latter.
 
Yeah, same. I too wish it would just be made like the first post because it already ticked all of the Steam Machine boxes for me. But then people started asking for ODD, watercooling and 3,5" support.
 
I know we all have our own wants and priorities, but a system like this pretty much has little-to-no need for ODD or 3.5" support. You can make the case for water-cooling, but anyone looking at a case like this in the first place should already be in the mindset to accept compromises based on the functional size. That's kind of the point -- there are dozens of other cases that are slightly larger and cater to those needs. Ship it! My money is ready. :)
 
Just out of curiosity, how far is this from actually purchasing one and getting our hands on it?

I've skimmed the thread and didn't see anything about it.
 
I believe there's no definite response to this question if ncase team still have a technical problems with their design. They'll have the schedule when they're sure current design works. We also can't say anything for sure until we solve every design problem.

We need to minimize production cost for something that will make a profit and I'm guessing ncase is on the opposite end needing to make a case that will be classy, quiet and will fit every possible requirement for the price to reach good preorder quantity.
 
Yeah, there's no timeline for production right now. Basically I put the concept out there to get some feedback on it, and go from there. I've put it aside for a while to let the feedback settle to the back of my mind and regain some perspective. Worrying about little details doesn't lend itself to making good big-picture decisions.

At this point I'm kind of feeling the same way as the last few posts - the original concept is pretty good as-is, and things like ODD support would complicate things just to cater to relatively few. Spinning discs are on the way out, and if people really need one, then this probably isn't the case for them. I personally can't remember the last time I used one - probably to install an OS. And for those rare occasions, an external drive will do fine.
 
Yea i like how you can now just download copies of Windows directly from Microsoft as long as you have a cdkey for it. They even have a program to make usb drives boot devices for windows.

About the only thing companies haven't started doing yet is selling software in brick n mortar stores on usb thumb drives. So maybe if you live someplace in the country using dial up internet or satellite internet you might still need a cd rom for installations. I was really disappointed when i saw the PS4 and Xbox One come with optical drives. 4GB thumb drives are so cheap now a days places give them away for free, you'd think companies could ship physical copies of software on small thumb drives instead of cd roms.
 
Screes said:
I was really disappointed when i saw the PS4 and Xbox One come with optical drives. 4GB thumb drives are so cheap now a days places give them away for free, you'd think companies could ship physical copies of software on small thumb drives instead of cd roms.
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Please tell us how you play all the major games and any Blu-ray discs you may have without an optical drive in your game console.
 
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