Chimera Industries Cerberus: The 18L, mATX, USA-made enclosure

[Qrash]

FYI, This morning PC Perspective posted a news item announcing the Cerberus:

http://www.pcper.com/news/Cases-and-Cooling/Meet-Cerberus-Crowdfunded-Micro-ATX-Case-Made-USA

So far there are 11 comments, so interest is good.

 

[Syber_Tv]

That first comment though..........

 

[Blackout]

https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...ials-and-tribulations-of-designing-a-case.60/

Readily available: maybe, maybe not. You need to ask @Jeffinslaw

Thanks for the reference but I am not paying $300 for a computer case. Wife would have my head....

 

[Vittra]

This won't be that much cheaper.

 

[Phuncz]

The Cerberus would cost around $250, a normal price for a very high quality crowd-funded PC case.

That first comment though..........

Yeah people associate cheap SECC cases with 0,2mm mass-produced cases with any kind of steel.

Maybe it would be beneficial to include some focus on the high-end steel construction, instead of this being hidden in the many paragraphs of text:

Finding the right raw materials for our enclosures meant forgoing the cheap plastics, flimsy meshes, and thinly-pressed metals utilized by name brands. Furthermore, rather than manage the complexity of a broad selection of materials, we chose to embrace the simplicity of our designs, and utilize steel and aluminum alone in the creation of our enclosures. This enabled us to achieve cases that are rigid and uniform, yet visually striking from almost any angle — minimalism at its best.

The chassis and panels of every enclosure we craft are cut from thick sheets of steel, yielding frames that are surprisingly rigid, without bulkiness or excessive weight. Steel clips, pins, and fasteners all ensure precise fitment, and last substantially longer than their plastic counterparts. Custom components, such as enclosure handles and case feet, are milled from solid billets of aluminum alloy. And every surface is given an industrial-grade powder coat finish, or a durable Alodine coating.

 

[jeshikat]

That first comment though..........

Haha, I know right? It's funny how in PC cases aluminum is associated with quality while steel is cheap when most other industries and products it's the other way around.

 

[Qrash]

That first comment though..........

Not really unexpected. I think the benefits of steel over aluminum can be easily stated and will be appreciated. I'm a bit more concerned about the later comments about the lack of filters.

 

[Qrash]

Haha, I know right? It's funny how in PC cases aluminum is associated with quality while steel is cheap when most other industries and products it's the other way around.

Reminds of some recent Ford (aluminum) vs. GM (steel) pickup truck commercials.

 

[Vittra]

But it's a small case and I want it as light as possible

Why you ruining my life with steel, Aibo?

 

[jeshikat]

I find the handle evens things out. Like my NCASE M1 is much lighter but it's harder to carry around without a carry bag or harness since it doesn't have a handle to easily pick it up by.

 

[tedlas]

Seems like people are spooked of no included filters.

 

[Qrash]

But it's a small case and I want it as light as possible

Why you ruining my life with steel, Aibo?

As light as possible? So you'd prefer plastic? I'm kidding !

I think in a small case the weight of steel constuction will be acceptable at 5.3 kg (11.7 lbs). Once you fill it with components the weight difference of aluminum vs. steel for the case will be less percentage-wise of the total weight.

 

[Vittra]

Full ABS Cerberus - new stretch goal!

Steel is fine with me, I'm just antagonizing in the interim while we wait for the interest polls to begin .

 

[Qrash]

Seems like people are spooked of no included filters.

Agreed. Many of the Demciflex filters for the Ncase M1 have notched corners so they can be applied to the inside of a Cerberus case panel. Alternatively, fan filters designed to attach to the fan's mounting holes (like the original ones included with the M1) could be used, between a panel and a fan.

 

[Phuncz]

Seems like people are spooked of no included filters.

I personally don't mind. The filters that came with my Ncase M1 have not left their packaging because they are horrible to remove, the filter much too coarse and the frames are thick. I believe these were included to make people shut up about filters.

The Demciflex filters I bought afterwards were a waste of money: too dense to allow a reasonable amount of airflow and too easily warped by cleaning, so they hit the fans after a few cleanings. I have a new filter in my Ncase from their recent versions with steel brackets (in an aluminium case oh no) and while it's a much better filter (not too dense, strong) it just doesn't prevent all the dust from entering, like no filter ever can without reducing airflow to 0 in a week.

I say: save the money, get a cheap can of PC duster once a month or two/three and blow it out.

 

[Qrash]

Phuncz's experiences are exactly the same as mine with the M1 filters. I got the Demciflex filters after eveyone praised them, but then suffered very reduced airflow.

I blow my cases out regularly whether they need it or not. A Cerberus (or an M1) on a desk will not accumulate dust and animal hair as quickly as one closer to the floor.

 

[jeshikat]

That's my experience as well. I think the problem is dust filters sound nice in theory but it's hard to test so you can't really conclusively prove it instead of just using anecdotal evidence.

 

[hiepphotog]

My view as well. I would rather have nonrestrictive air flow and clean the case once a month than still have to clean every 6-month with much less airflow (the longer you wait, the lazier you become). And it's therapeutic for me when I clean my case. I have no doubt the all removable panels would help tremendously.

 

[m4dcow]

Haha, I know right? It's funny how in PC cases aluminum is associated with quality while steel is cheap when most other industries and products it's the other way around.

I typically look for aluminum cases because where I live it is very humid, close enough to the sea for salt air to be a factor and in a house that has open windows most of the time. So intake spots where dust can build up and hold moisture can cause corrosion.
I think the powdercoating should be good enough to guard against that sort of stuff, and I love everything else about the case.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately that is quite a bit further out than I can wait.

I'd just note that we're purposefully being very conservative in terms of stating how long it will take to deliver cases to backers - mostly since we've been burned before by mentioning a date, only to blow past it. The likelihood that we're shipping these on the latter part of the year is low, it's just that it's also theoretically possible that - if we have a lot of unexpected issues in production - it could happen.

Our choice of manufacturer insulates us from a lot of this ambiguity and risk, though, since we've got proximity and rapid/rich communication channels established. In addition, the fact that we're manufacturing domestically will shave 4-6 weeks of time away all by itself, for backers based in North America, since we don't have to freight cases from Asia across the ocean on slow boats.

TLDR: If we have no major issues in production, turn-around time will be pretty quick. If issues do arise that we have to work on, that's when we'd see delays that push delivery towards the second half of the year. And that's why our estimated ship date is so conservative.

Agreed. Many of the Demciflex filters for the Ncase M1 have notched corners so they can be applied to the inside of a Cerberus case panel. Alternatively, fan filters designed to attach to the fan's mounting holes (like the original ones included with the M1) could be used, between a panel and a fan.

I'd think most people would be best served by buying filters for their fans, and then ensuring that there's positive case pressure. Assuming that they can't or don't want to use Demciflex filters, at least.