I guess you're right, screws are the easier and more reliable solution here. It also slipped my mind that anyone who wanted to mod or replace the sidepanel would have a hard time if I implemented that sliding solution. Thanks for getting my feet back on the ground, guys 
If you may need FLEX PSU for the development of this project, please feel free to let me know
So I've made a mockup for a banner. First the Freilite banner, the logo would be just the F. (Click images for full-sized version)
Personally, I somwhat dislike the first "e", it does look kinda off, but I can't really put my finger on it.
And two ideas for the Brevis S banner. The only difference is the font. Not sure which one I like better.
Whaddya say?
Personally, I somwhat dislike the first "e", it does look kinda off, but I can't really put my finger on it.
And two ideas for the Brevis S banner. The only difference is the font. Not sure which one I like better.
Whaddya say?
That could be the problem, but diagonal ends don't really fit into the middle of the text either. I had them and they looked strange as well.
I thought about changing the height as well. The logo for my profile has the top-middle:middle-bottom ratio at about 1:1 while for the banner I used the golden ratio. 1:1 looks a bit better to me.
It's also somewhat unsettling how the logo is devided from the rest of the text. I'd like it to be integrated more, but connecting the top and middle strokes on the F looked even worse.
Will try it. I'd like to somewhat overlap them, though. Maybe the case name should be larger in comparison to the Freilite as well.
I agree. This is something you can try when your brand (Freilite) is established and recognizable, otherwise it will be harder for people to identify both.
Thank you for your feedback everyone, I'll be trying to incorporate some of it in the next mock-ups. Meanwhile, I've made a parts compatibility list for the case for Mainboards, GPUs and CPU coolers. I don't think it covers every last component in existence, but it's still quite extensive and I tried to give a good explanation on what sort of restrictions you're facing with different components. It's read only at the time, but your feedback would be much appreciated, especially on the Footnote explanation table.
During the compilation of that list, I also decided to make the case 6mm wider (so we're at 420mm now) in order to make sure that every mainboard and every GPU can fit 2 HDDs when angled SATA connectors are used. That was possible before, but only with very specific connectors and close to no clearance whatsoever.
During the compilation of that list, I also decided to make the case 6mm wider (so we're at 420mm now) in order to make sure that every mainboard and every GPU can fit 2 HDDs when angled SATA connectors are used. That was possible before, but only with very specific connectors and close to no clearance whatsoever.
Very nice, good work !
I would suggest that in the future you do a couple of "example builds" that you or someone else verified will fit without issue and offer a good price/performance for people that don't want to figure it all out and/or don't feel confident enough for that.
There are many people that will follow another person's build anyway.
I would suggest that in the future you do a couple of "example builds" that you or someone else verified will fit without issue and offer a good price/performance for people that don't want to figure it all out and/or don't feel confident enough for that.
There are many people that will follow another person's build anyway.
Yes, that was the plan anyway. I think I'll go for two main goals with those builds. One is a low-budget build with a 750Ti and a Celeron or Pentium Processor, maybe even something for AM1. And the other one will be a high-end gaming build with an i7, one of the high end boards like the VII Impact or even the ASrock X99 and a GTX 970 or R9 Nano. Ill go for as many different combinations of components as I can afford.
A few updates!
1. Thermal Divider
So I've finally made up my mind about how the thermal divider should look and this is what I came up with (as always, the images are linked to the full sized version):
As you can see, there are cutouts for the HDDs and the PEG connectors, but other than that, this 6mm thick piece of acrylic insulates the PSU from the GPU both thermally and in terms of airflow, so when a GPU is used that dumps most of its heat into the case, the PSU should stay as unaffected as possible and the heat will be exhausted through the side and back vents.
2. Back Vents
Because cards like that partially exhaust at the PSU and because there are a few Mainboards that block their side exhaust, I decided to add back vents to the case to allow the hot air to take a controlled path. The vents above the Mainboard and below the GPU are cut over the bend to prevent the sheet from ripping at those edges. When the time to prototype comes, I'll get different versions of those back panels to see whether the vents will actually make a difference.
On a side note, that picture also shows the new GPU mounting with screws and small cutouts for the bracket tabs to fit in.
4. Vent redesign
As you can also see in the previous picture, the vents for the top and front panel were redesigned to fit together better. I didn't find a vent pattern for the front panel that fit with the angled vents on the top panel satisfyingly, so I made them the same. These may still be changed but right now I'm quite happy with them. Maybe I'll get different versions for those parts as well and see which pattern looks best in reality. I could also learn to render properly, but that's not nearly as much fun.
5. Horizontal Stand
You may have noticed four odd holes in the top panel in the last picture. "What are those?", I hear you ask. Well, I'm glad you did because those are the mounting holes for the new Horizontal Stand:
This stand consists of a sheet of aluminium and a block of transparent acrylic which is screwed to the top panel from the inside. Then the top panel is screwed to the case, and then the stand is screwed to the block of acrylic.
This means that the installation is a bit complicated, but it also means that the stand is very sturdy, very stylish, and allows for optimal airflow. I reckon the stand will be sturdy enough to place a screen of virtually any size on the case. This design also allows the top panel to stay relatively unaffected optically.
6. VESA Mounting
And the four holes for the stand also allow for a VESA mounting solution. To make that work, I adapted the idea of french cleats in woodworking to sheet metal:
The grey piece get's screwed to the VESA75 mount, for example the back of a screen while the blue piece get's screwed to the top panel like the horizontal stand. Then, you just let the blue piece slide into the grey piece and secure them with two screws. Those pull the angled flanges together so they are secured quite easily. I may need to add ball-washers to account for bending, but the basic principle should work.
That's it, thanks for reading!
1. Thermal Divider
So I've finally made up my mind about how the thermal divider should look and this is what I came up with (as always, the images are linked to the full sized version):
As you can see, there are cutouts for the HDDs and the PEG connectors, but other than that, this 6mm thick piece of acrylic insulates the PSU from the GPU both thermally and in terms of airflow, so when a GPU is used that dumps most of its heat into the case, the PSU should stay as unaffected as possible and the heat will be exhausted through the side and back vents.
2. Back Vents
Because cards like that partially exhaust at the PSU and because there are a few Mainboards that block their side exhaust, I decided to add back vents to the case to allow the hot air to take a controlled path. The vents above the Mainboard and below the GPU are cut over the bend to prevent the sheet from ripping at those edges. When the time to prototype comes, I'll get different versions of those back panels to see whether the vents will actually make a difference.
On a side note, that picture also shows the new GPU mounting with screws and small cutouts for the bracket tabs to fit in.
4. Vent redesign
As you can also see in the previous picture, the vents for the top and front panel were redesigned to fit together better. I didn't find a vent pattern for the front panel that fit with the angled vents on the top panel satisfyingly, so I made them the same. These may still be changed but right now I'm quite happy with them. Maybe I'll get different versions for those parts as well and see which pattern looks best in reality. I could also learn to render properly, but that's not nearly as much fun.
5. Horizontal Stand
You may have noticed four odd holes in the top panel in the last picture. "What are those?", I hear you ask. Well, I'm glad you did because those are the mounting holes for the new Horizontal Stand:
This stand consists of a sheet of aluminium and a block of transparent acrylic which is screwed to the top panel from the inside. Then the top panel is screwed to the case, and then the stand is screwed to the block of acrylic.
This means that the installation is a bit complicated, but it also means that the stand is very sturdy, very stylish, and allows for optimal airflow. I reckon the stand will be sturdy enough to place a screen of virtually any size on the case. This design also allows the top panel to stay relatively unaffected optically.
6. VESA Mounting
And the four holes for the stand also allow for a VESA mounting solution. To make that work, I adapted the idea of french cleats in woodworking to sheet metal:
The grey piece get's screwed to the VESA75 mount, for example the back of a screen while the blue piece get's screwed to the top panel like the horizontal stand. Then, you just let the blue piece slide into the grey piece and secure them with two screws. Those pull the angled flanges together so they are secured quite easily. I may need to add ball-washers to account for bending, but the basic principle should work.
That's it, thanks for reading!
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Thanks! I mean, a huge TV would work in theory, but I think for that sort of thing I'd rather make a reinforced version.
Actually, that sounds like a funny idea for a slogan: "That's no cable box!" Hm, maybe not.
Very nice designs on the base and VESA mount !
The thermal divider seems to be a little strict on the PCIe socket connectors. If the card ever needs to be replaced, you'd have to make sure it's not a 6+8-pin configuration or is 5mm shorter, because it would not fit. Maybe for future-proofing sake upon it up a little more ? Even though it compromises integrity, but maybe you can salvage this by using an L-shaped bend along the length of the divider ?
The thermal divider seems to be a little strict on the PCIe socket connectors. If the card ever needs to be replaced, you'd have to make sure it's not a 6+8-pin configuration or is 5mm shorter, because it would not fit. Maybe for future-proofing sake upon it up a little more ? Even though it compromises integrity, but maybe you can salvage this by using an L-shaped bend along the length of the divider ?
Thanks! I have to say I really like the way the VESA mount turned out as well.
Yeah I'd really want to do that. The initial plan was to just have the stand make a U-bend at the back so the case would really be floating, but that makes mounting quite a bit harder and you can't put anything heavy on top at all.
Maybe I could still make the plate quite a bit shorter, but I have no idea how sturdy the case is at all. Maybe I'll try different depths and just test how much weight they can support.
Thank you very much!
Two points why I don't think this would be necessary or feasible:
- The cutout in the thermal divider ends where the PSU starts. Giving it a few more mms would hardly change anything.
- What GPU could we imagine that needs more than 225 Watts of power, which is what two 6pin or one 8pin connector can supply, that can still be reasonably cooled with an ITX sized cooler?
Something that does bug me about the divider is that you can't pull out the cables once the GPU is installed because your fingers can't push on the tabs on the connectors. You'd first have to unscrew the GPU mount, unplug the GPU riser, then move the GPU out a bit and then you could remove the cabling.
On the other hand, if the thermal divider didn't extend into that area above the receptables, the PSU would suck quite a bit of hot air from the GPU, especially with the cards like the ASUS DirectCU Mini 970. And additionally, if it didn't extend there, it could only be secured with a single screw at the front, which would hurt rigidity of the case. I guess the user still has the option of just not using the divider if it bugs them.
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