Prototype Horizontal Case Concept

Colinreay

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Aug 28, 2016
198
490
Hi all,

I hope you’re doing well. I want to share a new case project I’m working on, a 10.4L “classic” layout in a horizontal orientation. This layout is inspired by cases like the SG13, which have proportions I find very satisfying.

I have prototyped two front panels out of wood. One panel has perforations to enable front PSU intake, and the other panel is solid with engraved line accents.

I’m still waiting on a custom PCB to arrive for my PSU, but want to show my current progress. I’m excited to hear any feedback you may have! I'm loosely considering expanding the case to support 3-slot GPU's up to 305mm long and 240mm AIO's at around 11.5L, and possibly doing a small batch run if there's enough interest.






 

paulesko

Master of Cramming
Jul 31, 2019
415
322
It´s very beautifull. I love wood, but it generally doesn´t match cases very well, but you´ve make it work apparently, very well done..
 
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iksretep

Trash Compacter
Oct 21, 2016
51
25
Beautiful case. I love the design, the color combos, everything. I don't like giving "you must do this" feedback ... but since you mentioned the possibility of having a 240 rad, maybe even find ways to cram in two :) I'd be a customer.
 
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newtothegame

Average Stuffer
Sep 1, 2018
68
84
I'm also guilty of uttering another 'beautiful' after seeing the embebed pictures. Congrats on your achievement. With that frontal wooden panel the case really resembles a piece of furniture.

Of the two orientations I like the vertical one better (I have a horrible bias towards elongated horizontal cases such as the Dan A4, Ghost S1, T1, etc), but I can see the horizontal one contributing a bit more towards keeping the temperatures as low as possible.

I'm not an industrial designer myself so this may be an extremely stupid question on my behalf but taking picture #4 as a reference and assuming a non-blower graphics card usually generates more heat inside the case than the CPU, would rotating the case 180º on the vertical axis (as seen in picture #5) and using the case fan as exhaust, help to dissipate more heat from the components? So graphics card on top, motherboard on the bottom, and also power cable routed through the bottom of the case. Please forgive my ignorance if my assumptions are absolutely erroneous.

On another note, and regarding the possible support for AIOs and 3-slot graphics cards, I am of the opinion (and this is more philosophical (if you will) than practical) that not all SFF cases should be made to accommodate AIOs and 3-slot GPUs. Mostly because air cooling is more convenient and cheaper, but also because I find that the best trait of SFF designs is compromising and coming up with creative solutions for a limiting factor such as volume or heat. I think the functional essence of design and the specific beauty of SFF design are somehow lost when you require an AIO or two to cool a 12 or 16 core CPU and a RTX 3900 which would be better suited to bigger enclosures. Small cases and humble components are often a better mach, but that's only my take and hopefully it serves better as a conversational piece and doesn't prevent you from trying to reach as many people as possible with your design.

Best of lucks!

Quick edit: I'd definitely consider buying the case!
 
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Stinkybear

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Apr 7, 2020
98
91
Reminds of the SGPC K77 v2 but I think I like this vented over glass style. Looks like it could fit 2.5 slots but I don't know what the feet situation looks like right now for the gpu to be at the bottom. 3 slots could give options for 2 slot graphic and some fans.

This is more of an idea for the next project but something like the SGPC K88 that has full matx and atx psu support at 14.6L would be nice. And bring back the mechanical keyboard power button. That would be my ideal tinker box with a mix of spare parts.
 
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Shipright

Caliper Novice
Jan 30, 2020
24
22
I like it! On the wood panel, could you do the plank design with slats so that there is intake through the front. Maybe the pictured one does that but it looks to me to just be grooved for decoration.
 
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tttt

What's an ITX?
New User
Sep 29, 2020
1
1
Love the design with the ventilated wooden (walnut?) front panel!
A furniture-like walnut horizontal case with front-to-back airflow accommodating large air coolers is my dream.
For me it would be better with 3-slot GPU support, and probably switching the white panels to black or wood.
I love the approach!
 
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Marwan

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 5, 2018
125
125
Very beautiful, I prefer the perforated front wood panel. it's very appealing and adds abit of premuim to the case's look in my opinion. laying it horizontal will give a low profile vibe i guess. good luck.
 
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Colinreay

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Aug 28, 2016
198
490
Love the design with the ventilated wooden (walnut?) front panel!
A furniture-like walnut horizontal case with front-to-back airflow accommodating large air coolers is my dream.
For me it would be better with 3-slot GPU support, and probably switching the white panels to black or wood.
I love the approach!

Thank you! Adding 3-slot GPU support is high up on my priority list for the revised, production-ready design. The front panel attaches magnetically, which would make it very straightforward to order custom panels through a site like Ponoko for a reasonable price. I think offering one or two official front panel options would be best for inventory management.
I like it! On the wood panel, could you do the plank design with slats so that there is intake through the front. Maybe the pictured one does that but it looks to me to just be grooved for decoration.

Thanks! Yes, you're correct; the cherry front panel has decorative grooves, not slats. I think adding slats is a great idea to increase airflow while maintaining a very sleek appearance. Diffusing LEDs through the slats would also look amazing!

Reminds of the SGPC K77 v2 but I think I like this vented over glass style. Looks like it could fit 2.5 slots but I don't know what the feet situation looks like right now for the gpu to be at the bottom. 3 slots could give options for 2 slot graphic and some fans.

This is more of an idea for the next project but something like the SGPC K88 that has full matx and atx psu support at 14.6L would be nice. And bring back the mechanical keyboard power button. That would be my ideal tinker box with a mix of spare parts.

Haha, the mechanical keyboard power button was super fun! It's a bit of a pain to design/produce PCBs (even though the power button PCB is quite simple) but feels great. The current case prototype has support for 2.5 slot GPUs, but nothing above that. I'm revising the design to support 3-slot GPUs or 2-2.5-slot GPUs with intake fans. My current idea is to have a fan bracket that can slide, allowing you to position intake fans directly against the GPU and account for card-to-card thickness variations. Hopefully, this bracket will maximize cooling efficiency, particularly for deshrouded cards.

I'm also guilty of uttering another 'beautiful' after seeing the embebed pictures. Congrats on your achievement. With that frontal wooden panel the case really resembles a piece of furniture.

Of the two orientations I like the vertical one better (I have a horrible bias towards elongated horizontal cases such as the Dan A4, Ghost S1, T1, etc), but I can see the horizontal one contributing a bit more towards keeping the temperatures as low as possible.

I'm not an industrial designer myself so this may be an extremely stupid question on my behalf but taking picture #4 as a reference and assuming a non-blower graphics card usually generates more heat inside the case than the CPU, would rotating the case 180º on the vertical axis (as seen in picture #5) and using the case fan as exhaust, help to dissipate more heat from the components? So graphics card on top, motherboard on the bottom, and also power cable routed through the bottom of the case. Please forgive my ignorance if my assumptions are absolutely erroneous.

On another note, and regarding the possible support for AIOs and 3-slot graphics cards, I am of the opinion (and this is more philosophical (if you will) than practical) that not all SFF cases should be made to accommodate AIOs and 3-slot GPUs. Mostly because air cooling is more convenient and cheaper, but also because I find that the best trait of SFF designs is compromising and coming up with creative solutions for a limiting factor such as volume or heat. I think the functional essence of design and the specific beauty of SFF design are somehow lost when you require an AIO or two to cool a 12 or 16 core CPU and a RTX 3900 which would be better suited to bigger enclosures. Small cases and humble components are often a better mach, but that's only my take and hopefully it serves better as a conversational piece and doesn't prevent you from trying to reach as many people as possible with your design.

Best of lucks!

Quick edit: I'd definitely consider buying the case!

Thank you! I appreciate your detailed reply. My original design idea was a purely horizontal case, but after rotating an early CAD mockup 90 degrees for a render, I instantly knew I wanted to support both orientations. I have a hunch that the horizontal orientation will yield better thermals, but I still need to do more testing.

Regarding the layout of the vertical case - that's not a stupid question at all! I've designed several cases with an inverted layout like the one you mentioned and never ran into a thermal problem. With the GPU at the top, you probably have less airflow restriction for low static-pressure open-air coolers. This is an area that I am very excited to learn about in college (fingers crossed in the next few quarters!). Seeing projects like Winter One that fully utilize the engineering process is very inspiring.

I think you nailed it on the head. There is always a compromise between component support and space efficiency while maintaining a unique, elegant design. It isn't easy to decide where to draw the line. For a small production run of cases, enlarging the case for more component support would likely generate more interest and drive purchases but also runs the risk of diluting the core idea of the case and losing some uniqueness. I still have a lot of thinking to do!
 

CircleTect

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Circle Studio
May 1, 2017
127
536
circlestudio.co
Nice. I like the perforated timber panel, the bend radii, the white powder coat and the inlaid perforated mesh. Certainly more efficient than lasering into a single shell piece.

How are you holding the mesh in place?
 

Colinreay

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Aug 28, 2016
198
490
Nice. I like the perforated timber panel, the bend radii, the white powder coat and the inlaid perforated mesh. Certainly more efficient than lasering into a single shell piece.

How are you holding the mesh in place?

Thanks! I'm a huge fan of your designs. The sheet is tack-welded behind the cutouts in the top panel, with several tacks on each side. I used Protocase for the prototype; they stock 20 ga. aluminum perforated sheet. Here's a photo of the tack welds on an example part.

 
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Colinreay

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Aug 28, 2016
198
490
Hey all,

As I wait for my power distribution PCB to arrive for my initial prototype, I want to share the progress I'm making on the revised, production-ready design. Here are some things I've changed over the original model:

  • Increased the volume by 1.3L to 11.7L. Added support for 305mm long, 63mm thick GPU's.
  • Laid the PSU on its side for increased internal clearance. Added venting holes on the bottom panel for PSU's with fans facing downwards.
  • Enlargened the GPU cutout on the front of the case frame. If you remove the front panel, you can fit a 125mm tall, 3-slot GPU of any length. Spacers for the front panel will be needed (similar to NR200 owners adding a side panel spacer to increase clearance for tower coolers).
  • Added a top bracket that supports 2x 140mm or 2x 120mm fans, multiple 2.5 drives, and 240mm radiators.
  • Moved the internal power cable to the top of the case. Cable routing should be much better.
  • Mounted the front power button to the case frame. This makes it easier to install front panels magnetically.
  • Added support for 2x USB 3.0 front ports (optional).
  • Designed a fan support bracket for the GPU. This fan bracket is mounted to two standoffs and can slide up and down. This enables you to position intake fans directly against the GPU to minimize static pressure loss. This should be particularly beneficial for deshrouded cards.
  • Added mounting holes for a front-mounted LED diffuser strip. I've uploaded a photo of an LED diffused strip I made a few years ago for reference.
  • Redesigned the GPU mounting bracket. This bracket is now a separate piece, removing the need for the window bend from the initial model.





I'm not sure how I feel about the increased case width. It's only a few mm wider, but the proportions seem a little off to me. I also don't like how the USB port cutouts look on the front panel with the straight hole pattern. However, these port cutouts will likely look better with different front panel designs.

Also, I forgot to post a few photos of the current prototype. Here are pictures of the internal power cable and power button. I sleeved the power cable in 4mm PET and think it turned out fairly well!





Diffused LED panel:

 
Last edited:

Houdini

Cable-Tie Ninja
Aug 15, 2019
155
83
beautiful design! Always have admired cases that use wood, there are too few of them! Love the perforated walnut front, gives a feeling of retro radios (like this one 33532318.webp (550×309) (todocoleccion.online))

Going a bit bigger in volume to be future proof for thick GPUs is totally worth it imo.

Will watch this project closely! Keep up the great work!
 

Fueled By Yams

Trash Compacter
Jan 21, 2020
38
35
This is very, very good looking. I always prefer black, but the white is very stunning; I can appreciate it. I love the layout and dimensions of the original design, though I understand your revision changes. A lot of people want bigger gpu support. Personally, I’d keep it smaller as I think 2.5-2.7 slots is usually enough, but that’s just me and it doesn’t seem to be a very popular opinion 😅

Awesome work! I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for a production unit.
 
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Colinreay

Cable-Tie Ninja
Original poster
Aug 28, 2016
198
490
Hey all, just wanted to give a quick update on the case's status.

Here are a few more photos of a complete build in the first prototype. I've been using the computer for CAD and schoolwork for the past week and it has been running great. I just ordered a second prototype that expands the volume to 11.7L and includes all of the features outlined in my previous post. I am excited to receive the new prototype and do some extensive thermal testing.






 

newtothegame

Average Stuffer
Sep 1, 2018
68
84
Thanks for the reply @Colinreay, this is very impressive work for someone who's still in college, hats off to you.

Having the case fan working as if it was a part of the CPU heatsink is pretty clever. I can imagine that system also working nicely with smaller heatsinks pulling air into the CPU such as a NHL-12, 12S, etc. I'm certainly curious about the thermal testing, will you test with the solid front panel as well?

Side note: am I the only one seeing the shape of a quadruped on the penultimate picture? I bet you could customise the case as a cute dog or sheep and sell them like hot cakes, or I guess, like hot dogs?

Anyway, good luck mate!
 

lawney

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Jun 28, 2018
104
68
Great looking case, one of my favorites that I've seen here. Outer panels are very reminiscent of the CaseLabs BH2.