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Geeek A50 case

serin

Case Bender
Oct 21, 2018
2
0
With a case so small why would you need front audio ports?

My current build is in a core v1. First and only build so far. I have yet to experience the conveniences of a true sff case, but if Geeek's customer service doesn't respond before the product ships I'm wondering if I'll be stuck with it. I can see how the extra space will leave a lot more room for workarounds when connecting various audio devices. But its just so convenient to have the front ports where I can easily switch devices without messing with a bunch of cables in the back or sacrificing the saved space with more peripherals.
 

aa12bb

Cable Smoosher
Sep 28, 2018
12
0
What is this slot thing I keep reading about? Apparently others have the same issue with stripping.

On when you put together the frame, I had an issue connecting one of the bottom rails to the middle piece. I went to Lowe's, got a M4 x 16mm flat for like $2 bucks, I had to bend the aluminum to get it in but minimal damage and it is secure now.


Trace the panel onto a pair of pre-patterned sheet metal from home Depot. Done.

Can you elaborate on this? If temp becomes an issue, I would consider swapping out the side panels.
 

toufensen

Efficiency Noob
Oct 11, 2018
7
0
Well I just ordered other parts of my build and I can start to build it even without the graphic card that I will ordered later.
I will keep you posted maybe this weekend if I have the time to build it.
 

Skarum

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Aug 21, 2018
108
88
Wrote to Geeek about alternative sidepanels:

Hello Sir,

Thanks for your like for our case. We are also considering to release
more options for the side panels at a later date.
It is still under-evaluating..
However, due to the limited resources at our company, we'll focus on
A50 case and A50X (upgrade kit) at this moment.

Best Regards,

GEEEK
 

sfxbajan

Average Stuffer
Original poster
Dec 4, 2017
58
15
A couple shots from taobao.

 

Tsuchinoko

Caliper Novice
Sep 28, 2018
32
5
Hello.
Is there a power switch with a short depth corresponding to GEEEK A50? or L-Type.
I would like to put the Asetek 545LC on the A50 but the switch interferes.
 

neilhart

Cable-Tie Ninja
Apr 18, 2017
149
271
Hello.
Is there a power switch with a short depth corresponding to GEEEK A50? or L-Type.
I would like to put the Asetek 545LC on the A50 but the switch interferes.

Well you could move the switch to another location ( drill a 16 mm hole at the new location) and place a label over the existing hole. Or you could build a new panel which was my solution.



I installed a modded switch that has a blue LED for power and a white LED for drive activity. I added the front audio receptacles (HDaudio) and a reset switch (the small hole near the bottom).

neil
 
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Brent

What's an ITX?
Nov 6, 2018
1
0
Well you could move the switch to another location ( drill a 16 mm hole at the new location) and place a label over the existing hole. Or you could build a new panel which was my solution.



I installed a modded switch that has a blue LED for power and a white LED for drive activity. I added the front audio receptacles (HDaudio) and a reset switch (the small hole near the bottom).

neil

neil, this is great! Can you please post more detailed pics and info of the front panel audio ports? What ports did you use/buy? Maybe some info as to how you built the new front panel?

The lack of front panel audio is the only thing stopping me from getting this case.
 

neilhart

Cable-Tie Ninja
Apr 18, 2017
149
271
neil, this is great! Can you please post more detailed pics and info of the front panel audio ports? What ports did you use/buy? Maybe some info as to how you built the new front panel?

The lack of front panel audio is the only thing stopping me from getting this case.

Geeek A50 front panel mod.

I purchased the Geeek A50 case and moved my main 24/7 workstation into it. This project is not unique enough to warrant a “build log” but I did spend time modding the front panel.

I modded an Adafruit 16 mm RGB Vandal power switch. I used the Dremel to cut off the back of the switch an remove the RGB LED and added a blue and a white LED. And then used JB Weld epoxy to hold it all together. This mod gives me a blue power indicator and a flashing white indicator of HDD activity.

Added HD Audio (head phone out and mic in) by going through my collection of salvage parts.

I found this assembly and tested it for proper operation. Please note the audio harness is attached and did not need any modding.





I then made a trip to Tap Plastics in downtown San Jose, CA and purchased 12 inch squares of dark grey and white acrylic. Unfortunately the store did not have perfect match on the acrylic material.

The dark grey is a little different shade and instead of 0.163 inch (4.1 mm) it is 0.171 inch (4.32 mm).

And the white is a close match in color but the original is 0.102 inch (2.57 mm) and the new material is 0.62 inch (1.56 mm).

I purchased the acrylic material as a plan B should I not be able to mod the original front panel; plan A . It did not take long to learn that the Geeek front panel was not going to come apart with out damage. So it was onto plan B.

I cut the new acrylic material to size as the original panel on my 10” table saw and drilled and counter sunk the four panel mounting holes.

Using RTV (100% Silicone Adhesive Sealant) I mated the panel parts and let it cure for about 4 hours. The RTV mated parts can be separated and the RTV removed with no damage to the panels.

I used a 5/8 inch (15.9 mm) to drill the new switch hole and 1/4 inch drill for starting the USB port holes. I used small tool maker files to file the USB port holes into rectangles as the original.

I located where I wanted the audio receptacle holes and drill the two holes.

I then separated the two panels and used Goo Gone to help remove the RTV from the panels.

Then the grey panel needed clearance holes at the HDaudio receptacles and I drilled and tapped holes for the standoffs.







Once I was happy with the new panel assembly; I test fitted it several times, I used acrylic clear fast set solvent cement to join the panels.

Not shown here is the Reset switch that I added near the bottom of the panel.

While most will not have the large collection of salvage parts to search for the pieces needed, you can search for front panel upgrade kits. In recent years I have seen these panels from Corsair and maybe BitFenix .

Also a note on working with acrylic material. The acrylic is easily chipped and the saws and drills may not perform as desired. My solution was to make some test cuts and drilled some test holes. Also the dust from the cutting and sanding of acrylic sticks any part that will hold a charge. I used dish soap and water on the near final parts to remove the dust particles.

I used an M3 thread tap on the grey panel for the standoff mounting holes. The threaded holes worked very well.

neil
 

sfxbajan

Average Stuffer
Original poster
Dec 4, 2017
58
15
What CPU cooler is this in the 2nd PIC? I was wanting to use a Phanteks TC12LS, but I'm not sure it'll fit. I'll get some components in tomorrow and can start trying to build my case out.
I have no idea lol, probably something only found in china. Maybe someone else may be able to help.
 

dbjungle

Caliper Novice
Apr 17, 2017
29
13
Finally opened mine up. The finish is not as nice as I was expecting. I also noticed my side panels on the black model are frosted and not clear compared to the pictures I've seen. I made the mistake of putting the Wraith Spire heatsink on from my 1700 instead of the one that came with my 2600 and the door can't fit. It's not a big deal since I'm still waiting on my NVMe drive to come in. I'm amazed how much can fit into a tiny space, but the cabling situation is a nightmare. I'll take a couple pics once I get everything in its final form.
 

dbjungle

Caliper Novice
Apr 17, 2017
29
13
Finished my build last night and took a few pics. I'm using an SFX-L PSU with 3 fans and just getting all of the stock cables into the case was a real challenge.

Here are the specs I've got in this case:
ASRock Fatal1ty B450 GAMING-ITX/AC
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Patriot Viper Elite Series DDR4 32GB 2666MHz
Samsung 970 EVO 500GB
Seasonic FOCUS SGX-650 SSR-650SGX
MSI TwinFrozr R9 270X

Overall I'm quite pleased with the size and the design. I noticed the top panel bows out a bit where the fan and the PCIe riser meet. I've got the stock Wraith Stealth cooler on atm and I've noticed some runaway thermals when the side panel is on. Taking off the panel instantly dropped the temperature by about 15C within a minute. I'm trying to work out which cooler will be the best to change to or if I can sort out thermals with the stock cooler.

 

dbjungle

Caliper Novice
Apr 17, 2017
29
13
That Black on black looks amazing. I like it better than the white/Black.
I had to take it all apart. That frosted window look is just the film and it was on pretty hard so I thought it was just frosted. Now I'm having some trouble with the power cables rubbing the bottom fan so I need to figure my routing out. This case looks sick, but cable routing is a total nightmare.