How should I measure the volume of a test bench?

el01

King of Cable Management
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Jun 4, 2018
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I would like to produce instructions for a LEGO SFF test bench, but I would like to qualify it for this site. How should I measure volume on the project? Should I measure with:
  • (I assume) a card smaller than the motherboard, at full PCIe height, and a Cryorig C7 or something
  • Outer bounds (max sizes defined by the case)
  • Other methods?
Thanks!
-el01
 

PlayfulPhoenix

Founder of SFF.N
SFFLAB
Chimera Industries
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Feb 22, 2015
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The size of an open workbench is the internal dimensions of the room that it's in. So for instance, if your room is 15'x15' and 9' tall, your enclosure is 57341.61L ;)

(Kidding aside, I don't think there's a very good method for measuring enclosures that don't enclose... in a sense, when we measure a PC we're really sizing the build rather than the case, but we can 'get away' with sizing the case instead because it almost always encloses everything. So by that logic, the size of a PC on a workbench is based on the protrusions of all the parts.)
 

el01

King of Cable Management
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Jun 4, 2018
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The size of an open workbench is the internal dimensions of the room that it's in. So for instance, if your room is 15'x15' and 9' tall, your enclosure is 57341.61L ;)

(Kidding aside, I don't think there's a very good method for measuring enclosures that don't enclose... in a sense, when we measure a PC we're really sizing the build rather than the case, but we can 'get away' with sizing the case instead because it almost always encloses everything. So by that logic, the size of a PC on a workbench is based on the protrusions of all the parts.)
OK, so I will just assume that someone is using a MSi Aero ITX GPU and a 120mm CLC/AIO on their test bench.
Or, I might cheat and use only the base in my volume.
Also, about your joke... Shouldn't be the negative part of the room (as in the area outside the test bench?)
 
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tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
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My method is:- complete the build with all the components. Then, measure the length. width and height of the finished system. So, this is like having the bench sitting inside an imaginary rectangular box whose volume will be the size of the testbench build.
 
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PlayfulPhoenix

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My method is:- complete the build with all the components. Then, measure the length. width and height of the finished system. So, this is like having the bench sitting inside an imaginary rectangular box whose volume will be the size of the testbench build.

I like this method since it essentially measures what usable space is taken up by the build. Practically speaking, that's what you'd want to measure.
 
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jtd871

SFF Guru
Jun 22, 2015
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And since components vary and can extend beyond the bounding limits of the frame, the volume of the testbench is irrelevant. You might as well ask "What is the true shape of fire?".
 
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el01

King of Cable Management
Original poster
Jun 4, 2018
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And since components vary and can extend beyond the bounding limits of the frame, the volume of the testbench is irrelevant. You might as well ask "What is the true shape of fire?".
It's like the shape of an atom-undefined, if anything.. It may be spherical, for all we know ;)
Also, here's an easy to use volume calculator- I configured it with MM inputs, and outputs in liters, but that can be changed easy. It can calculated many other things too- neat site:

https://www.sensorsone.com/custom-tool/lwhv-set-units-calculator/?ctlunit=millimetres+(mm)&ctlfctr=mm&ctwunit=millimetres+(mm)&ctwfctr=mm&cthunit=millimetres+(mm)&cthfctr=mm&ctvunit=litres+(L)&ctvfctr=L

Have you tried the Water Displacement Method?

I'd say its size would be the smallest bounding box that could house the bench and all fitted components.
I might as well just measure the volume around the outer bounds of the case, and then measure the volume of each of the attachments and tack those on somewhere. No water around my LEGO collection, by the way, @NOKYARD ;).