Greetings!
Build Objectives (in no particular order):
I’ve been a lurker on the SFF.Network forums since I discovered the sff scene. I'm about to commence my own small form factor journey with the build described below. Hopefully I can get the input from the great community here as I make progress towards the finish line.
Build Objectives (in no particular order):
- Smallest form factor possible, with the goal to mount the build to the back of a monitor with a VESA 100 mount
- Ease of build within parameters of smallest form factor
- Ease of maintenance (where I live, that mostly comes down to controlling dust intake and making it easy to clean dust from a surface)
- Low power consumption
- No external power brick
To achieve the objectives above, I’ve chosen a path with an ITX motherboard, RTX A4000 GPU, and HDPLEX 250 GaN PSU. Because the A4000 utilizes a somewhat fully enclosed design itself, I have chosen to isolate the GPU from the enclosure of the motherboard and PSU. This allows the overall volume of the build to be reduced and produces a somewhat unique design aesthetic of putting the GPU on display outside of the case. To maintain Objective #3, custom mesh filter elements will be 3D printed and attached to either side of the A4000’s fan intakes.
Taking a page from @robbee's design for the Yocto / Talos build, this build will feature an aluminum backplate providing the mounting plate for the motherboard and GaN PSU. The aluminum backplate also serves additional purposes of a heatsink for the GaN (and potentially the motherboard), and a solid mounting point for the VESA 100 mounting system that will be utilized to mount the build to the back of a monitor. An enclosure for the motherboard and PSU will be 3D printed and then mounted to the backplate. This design also allows for a totally open build area, meeting Objective #2 above.
Cooling for the CPU/motherboard would be the Noctua NH-L9i. The PSU would be cooled passively by the aluminum backplate and potentially supplemented by a custom fan if needed (shown in images).
Dimensions are still being finalized based on the hardware chosen, but preliminarily the 3D printed enclosure has a volume just under 2L. The backplate adds another 0.2L. Finally, the A4000 has a volume of approximately 0.45L. Total volume comes in at around 2.7L.
Due to the diminutive size of the enclosure, I need to find an alternative to the typical C14 connector for the AC input. I’m looking at possibly using a MR60 connector as an option that would mount (along with the power switch) in the location of a void in the I/O area. The issue with the MR60 is that I have been unable to find a panel mount version of the connector, so mounting the connector could be cumbersome.
I would appreciate everyone’s input on the design.
Some preliminary images of the build layout:
Taking a page from @robbee's design for the Yocto / Talos build, this build will feature an aluminum backplate providing the mounting plate for the motherboard and GaN PSU. The aluminum backplate also serves additional purposes of a heatsink for the GaN (and potentially the motherboard), and a solid mounting point for the VESA 100 mounting system that will be utilized to mount the build to the back of a monitor. An enclosure for the motherboard and PSU will be 3D printed and then mounted to the backplate. This design also allows for a totally open build area, meeting Objective #2 above.
Cooling for the CPU/motherboard would be the Noctua NH-L9i. The PSU would be cooled passively by the aluminum backplate and potentially supplemented by a custom fan if needed (shown in images).
Dimensions are still being finalized based on the hardware chosen, but preliminarily the 3D printed enclosure has a volume just under 2L. The backplate adds another 0.2L. Finally, the A4000 has a volume of approximately 0.45L. Total volume comes in at around 2.7L.
Due to the diminutive size of the enclosure, I need to find an alternative to the typical C14 connector for the AC input. I’m looking at possibly using a MR60 connector as an option that would mount (along with the power switch) in the location of a void in the I/O area. The issue with the MR60 is that I have been unable to find a panel mount version of the connector, so mounting the connector could be cumbersome.
I would appreciate everyone’s input on the design.
Some preliminary images of the build layout:
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