How small can it be?

[Flexon]

Hello. I have no idea where to post this so I post it here.

I see a lot of great (but tiny) cases being designed on this site and I am interested in something that is as portable as possible.

I don't really like to have an external power brick. So with the Internal HDplex 300w coming soon (hopefully) just how small a PC could one build using that and say a GPU of the size Gigabyte GTX 1070 ITX and a mITX motherboard with at least a 37mm CPU cooler?

Shouldn't it be possible to make a case using all those components in around 3.5 liters?

 

[GentlemanShark]

Would this case be built around the components? Would you care about cooling/noise? I'm designing a case that should fit with those parameters and be about 2.9 L. It can fit a GTX 1080 mini, a 400 watt EPP Meanwell PSU, G-unique DCATX, a 60mm CPU cooler, and an M.2.

 

[Matt3D]

Those are great components for such a small case @GentlemanShark . No wonder you are looking into 3D printing it. Probably one of the most efficient components placements out there if you'll fit all those components in such a tight space.

 

[GentlemanShark]

Those are great components for such a small case @GentlemanShark . No wonder you are looking into 3D printing it. Probably one of the most efficient components placements out there if you'll fit all those components in such a tight space.

Yeah, I hope so. I am very bad at accurate CAD though, hole placement and brackets kill me.

 

[Matt3D]

Which CAD program are you using? That's actually the opposite problem to mine. I'm a perfectionist and I love to handcraft the design for a very long time. Fortunatelly I've been developing the skill to fastly iterate and manufacture new prototypes almost every day.

 

[GentlemanShark]

Which CAD program are you using? That's actually the opposite problem to mine. I'm a perfectionist and I love to handcraft the design for a very long time. Fortunatelly I've been developing the skill to fastly iterate and manufacture new prototypes almost every day.

Sketch Up to initially model it. I am attempting to learn Fusion 360 to further my model and have it printed. I seem to struggle with reading technical documentation and fully understanding what it is saying or just determining where points are.

 

[Flexon]

Would this case be built around the components? Would you care about cooling/noise? I'm designing a case that should fit with those parameters and be about 2.9 L. It can fit a GTX 1080 mini, a 400 watt EPP Meanwell PSU, G-unique DCATX, a 60mm CPU cooler, and an M.2.

Yes that's very interesting indeed, although G-unique is an external power brick right? But would love to see your design.

As for cooling and noise I want it to be cool enough to not throttle the components during load and without it sounding like an airplane, I mean it doesn't need to be silent but it should be reasonable. That's why I was thinking about the Internal HDplex because it's a fanless PSU so one fan less to worry about.

 

[trik777]

Hello. I have no idea where to post this so I post it here.

I see a lot of great (but tiny) cases being designed on this site and I am interested in something that is as portable as possible.

I don't really like to have an external power brick. So with the Internal HDplex 300w coming soon (hopefully) just how small a PC could one build using that and say a GPU of the size Gigabyte GTX 1070 ITX and a mITX motherboard with at least a 37mm CPU cooler?

Shouldn't it be possible to make a case using all those components in around 3.5 liters?

Take a look at the S4 mini itx chassis I think it might fit your bill. https://smallformfactor.net/reviews/cases/nfc-systems-s4-mini-review

 

[Flexon]

Take a look at the S4 mini itx chassis I think it might fit your bill. https://smallformfactor.net/reviews/cases/nfc-systems-s4-mini-review

I have looked at it quite a bit and I like it, but doesn't it require modding the case / GPU to fit a 1070 GTX? And also it too uses an external power brick.

I would like to see something about as small but just slightly bigger enough to fit an internal PSU such as the upcoming internal 300w HDplex for example.

 

[trik777]

I have looked at it quite a bit and I like it, but doesn't it require modding the case / GPU to fit a 1070 GTX? And also it too uses an external power brick.

I would like to see something about as small but just slightly bigger enough to fit an internal PSU such as the upcoming internal 300w HDplex for example.

Yeah your right. I did not see that the card is 10" long thats a big boy. Would have to do a pretty intense custom build to fit everyhing your asking for into that small of a package. Not sure it would be even possible with thermal issues. If there is a will there is a way!

 

[jtd871]

Why don't you ask @Josh | NFC about what is possible in the S4 mini before you write it off?

 

[Josh | NFC]

Would this case be built around the components? Would you care about cooling/noise? I'm designing a case that should fit with those parameters and be about 2.9 L. It can fit a GTX 1080 mini, a 400 watt EPP Meanwell PSU, G-unique DCATX, a 60mm CPU cooler, and an M.2.

The Zotac 1080 Mini occupies 1.7L, so you you have 1.2L left for everything else, including the case. That is pretty dadgum impressive!

 

[GentlemanShark]

The Zotac 1080 Mini occupies 1.7L, so you you have 1.2L left for everything else, including the case. That is pretty dadgum impressive!

RIP, meant to say 3.9

 

[trik777]

Check out this vid , he fits the psu into the S4 Mini... might solve your problems. Not sure about the card but maybe a small form factor card could get you close to the performance of the GTX 1070.I have also seen people using a Pico for the motherboard and a HDPLEX for the GPU in one build. If you want it enough you can build it!

 

[Flexon]

Check out this vid , he fits the psu into the S4 Mini... might solve your problems. Not sure about the card but maybe a small form factor card could get you close to the performance of the GTX 1070.I have also seen people using a Pico for the motherboard and a HDPLEX for the GPU in one build. If you want it enough you can build it!

This HDplex is the one that requires an external power brick.

 

[trik777]

This HDplex is the one that requires an external power brick.

Yeah I forgot about that part. Still its cool to know you can get that many watts into the S4 mini. Putting a PSU directly into a small form factor case that is less than 3.5 liters with a large GPU could cause some serious thermal issues. At least with the power brick you can hide it reasonably well.

 

[Flexon]

Yeah I forgot about that part. Still its cool to know you can get that many watts into the S4 mini. Putting a PSU directly into a small form factor case that is less than 3.5 liters with a large GPU could cause some serious thermal issues. At least with the power brick you can hide it reasonably well.

Yes well maybe you are right but around 4l should be possible, I basically want something like the Hutzy XS but I thought maybe using the HDplex passive PSU would be better because it's more silent.

 

[GentlemanShark]

Yes well maybe you are right but around 4l should be possible, I basically want something like the Hutzy XS but I thought maybe using the HDplex passive PSU would be better because it's more silent.

I'm not 100%, but I believe it is recommend to get some airflow over it to use at a high wattage.

 

[Karamazovmm]

We have some options here...

The case from custom mods, the 3.24L one is very portable although it uses the Brick outside the case... although he is very accommodating of user requests for some custom parts, maybe you can ask space to put the dell adapter inside the case...

Then we have the @K888D LZ7 which is acrylic and has a sfx psu. It's very portable and the format is cubic

Aside that we have the 7.2L @dondan A4 sfx that as the name says uses the sfx psu

Those are readily available cases that you can get right now.

And as usual we have the ines that are still in the prototype stage like the @firewolfy Mi 6 which also houses a sfx psu as well