Completed MJOLNIR: The minimalistic – but not boring – 9.7L Case

Which MJOLNIR I are you interested in?

  • Standard Version - 299 USD

    Votes: 484 74.3%
  • RGB Version (No controller) - 319 USD

    Votes: 63 9.7%
  • RGB Version (With controller) - 349 USD

    Votes: 104 16.0%

  • Total voters
    651

AlexTzone

I design minimalistic – but not boring – PC stuff
Original poster
THOR ZONE
Silver Supporter
Sep 23, 2017
1,287
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thor-zone.com
Hi! : )
I just found this because of Optimum Tech.

How much costs the shipment to Switzerland, Post Code: 9552 for:

MJOLNIR R + 2X Panel Sets
Color choice: Stealth
Panel choice: Performance Panels + Tempered Glass Panels
Lighting: RGB
Limited: 50 units
Pledge: $389 ($60 off MRSP $449)

Maybe cheaper as we are not part of the EU?

Thank you very much and BR.
For some strange reason shipping + tax is almost the same for Switzerland as it is for countries in the EU.
For Mjolnir S it is around 83$, so I think Mjolnir R + Panels will be around 100$.

Basically, we can't use our fulfillment center in EU to ship to Switzerland, so instead we have to use air shipping. The lower tax in that country + higher shipping costs = balances out the difference between EU and Switzerland.

So now that we won't get a unibody case, how solid (torsionally rigid) is the case actually? Will it survive a drop from 1m without splitting in pieces?

How are the individual elements kept together? Glue? Bolts alone without anything to lock them in place won't do it I fear.

Production models are press-fitted together with dowel pins (2 for each corner) made from A4 steel. It's going to take a lot of force to separate the pieces (I can't understate how much I mean by a lot), we basically had to go to a factory to help us remove one of the dowel pins we tested with. The prototypes use much weaker spiral roll pins (inserted by hand), but still provide an extremely solid structure.
 
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For_Science

Master of Cramming
Feb 16, 2018
446
612
OK, let's take a step back here a bit get me to clear up a few things. I am not attacking the case/product, just... most of the things outside of it... I have written the previous post and keep writing this one not attack you for the sake of it, but to point out where, in my opinion, you were and still are going very, very wrong. I have been waiting for this case for what feels like 2 years and must admit invested emotionally a bit in it, otherwise I would have just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and moved on.


The post you linked with the picture illustrates it perfectly why you chose to go for one method and not the other, it is pretty self-explanatory and I understand, and support, it (in a perfect world I would prefer some post-processing done to the cast shell to make it look awesome, but don't know if that is even possible... not my area of expertise).

Here is the problem though:

This whole operation suffers from appalling communications.
Until I have pointed it out, your official website was incorrect (technically still is, the renders do not represent how the final product will look like as it doesn't have the "lines" where elements would be joined). Sure, it's no longer a flat out lie, but still leads people to believe that the product will turn out differently than it will. Obviously you can't make new renders just like that, but that just demonstrates that the priorities outside of the product itself are placed incorrectly.

I understand you are under a lot of pressure now, but please don't use the "we don't have the resources of Apple" line. It sounds both like a deflection of the issues and is insulting (I took it as "we don't have a market cap of 1.1T $$$ so be happy with/accept whatever we do"). I don't want to write "you", because I don't know if it was you, but the fact of the matter is that on the "THOR ZONE" side of the project someone made a decision to dedicate their time to designing T-Shirts and help people with calculating shipping, VAT and customs on multiple platforms, instead of tending to the website and being clear about fundamental changes to the product.

To me, the design changes you have made significantly alter how I see the case and I'm looking at it as if it was a completely new product (the unibody aspect was a huuuuge point). I am looking forward to seeing the youtube reviews and the posts about v1, might still join the kickstarter, who knows, maybe I'll get re-hyped/convinced or just wait for v2.
What I would really like is to get the internal spine/skeleton/whatever it's called now, and then maybe get the outside panels/elements in the future...

Your stand point is reasonable and I understand how you take issue to the fact that the website was out of date.

However i question what difference it would have made for you to have found out about the change 2-3 weeks ago as opposed to now. I guess you are upset because you missed the moment to discuss this with the creators at the time.

As far as the audience not on this forum is concerned, the case is still Unibody. They will in the coming weeks receive an email from ThorZone informing them of the change. Since this will (hopefully) be before the Kicstarter launches and as a minimum be before the campaign ends, those who have had their feathers ruffled can back out with no financial repercussions.

There will be undoubtedly be a wave of upset when this email goes out, but thats life. Its just that you managed to find yourself on this forum before receiving the email.

So instead of critising the company for not sending out the email notifying the audience of the change, perhaps pat yourself on the back for arriving onto this thread where the developers share the behind the scenes.
 

gwertheim

King of Cable Management
Nov 27, 2017
938
1,555
Not everyone is going to be happy with these changes. I've found out that if 90% of the potential customers have found what they are looking for in the product your selling, your doing something right.

If the new design isn't right for you in some way, find something that works for your needs.
 

thekinghippo

Average Stuffer
Feb 1, 2019
55
93
Production models are press-fitted together with dowel pins (2 for each corner) made from A4 steel. It's going to take a lot of force to separate the pieces (I can't understate how much I mean by a lot), we basically had to go to a factory to help us remove one of the dowel pins we tested with. The prototypes use much weaker spiral roll pins (inserted by hand), but still provide an extremely solid structure.

Sorry to add to the barrage of questions today, but are the final pins better looking in any way than the spiral roll pins? Ali's picture makes them seem unfortunately visible. Probably being accentuated by the studio lighting though.

Edit: I regret asking this. At the end of the day it's gonna be what it's gonna be. Mjolnir's well past the point of revision. :p Looking forward to reviews.
 
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For_Science

Master of Cramming
Feb 16, 2018
446
612
Sorry to add to the barrage of questions today, but are the final pins better looking in any way than the spiral roll pins? Ali's picture makes them seem unfortunately visible. Probably being accentuated by the studio lighting though.
Are they not the ends of the screws from the core?
 
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AlexTzone

I design minimalistic – but not boring – PC stuff
Original poster
THOR ZONE
Silver Supporter
Sep 23, 2017
1,287
2,739
thor-zone.com
Sorry to add to the barrage of questions today, but are the final pins better looking in any way than the spiral roll pins? Ali's picture makes them seem unfortunately visible.


These are actually screws on the Core, the dowels/pins are hidden inside the joined enclosure parts:


But after seeing that pic it has really started to bother me, so perhaps it can be fixed by shortening the screws (countersunk) from 5mm to 4mm or 4.5mm. It wouldn't affect cost but I'll have to evaluate if there will be issues with stability :)
 
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For_Science

Master of Cramming
Feb 16, 2018
446
612
Sorry to add to the barrage of questions today, but are the final pins better looking in any way than the spiral roll pins? Ali's picture makes them seem unfortunately visible. Probably being accentuated by the studio lighting though.

Edit: I regret asking this. At the end of the day it's gonna be what it'll be. Mjolnir's well past the point of revision. :p Looking forward to reviews.

Since i found the perfect picture illustrating what it is.
 

AlexTzone

I design minimalistic – but not boring – PC stuff
Original poster
THOR ZONE
Silver Supporter
Sep 23, 2017
1,287
2,739
thor-zone.com
@thekinghippo Actually small revisions are possible all the way up till we place the production order. Shorter standard screws and screw holes are definitely things that can be adjusted if it's reasonable :)
 
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AlexTzone

I design minimalistic – but not boring – PC stuff
Original poster
THOR ZONE
Silver Supporter
Sep 23, 2017
1,287
2,739
thor-zone.com
That’s a good looking board. It’s color is like a Dark Mjölnir, right? In your opinion, would it go well with the Stealth as well or would it be better paired with a black keyboard?

It's somewhere between the Stealth (Black) and Dark (Dark gray), but it's also brushed rather than bead blasted. For me personally it look very similar ?

Edit: sorry, I mean similar enough when sitting at a normal distance (from both the keyboard and case) ?
 
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PBJ

Airflow Optimizer
Jan 6, 2019
358
546
It's somewhere between the Stealth (Black) and Dark (Dark gray), but it's also brushed rather than bead blasted. For me personally it look very similar ?
Thanks! Hope you find a solution for the Core screws that you’re happy with. Wish I knew something about metal work, but I’m pretty sure your team can figure it out.
 
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lerues

Cable Smoosher
Feb 24, 2019
10
4
Hi there, late to the game but I wanted to throw out my opinion on the updated design. I think with the new non-unibody design, the placement of the pieces would look better if the pieces fit together where the lines were horizontal (on the short sides or "height sides" of the case) instead of vertical lines on the length of the case.
 

For_Science

Master of Cramming
Feb 16, 2018
446
612
Hi there, late to the game but I wanted to throw out my opinion on the updated design. I think with the new non-unibody design, the placement of the pieces would look better if the pieces fit together where the lines were horizontal (on the short sides or "height sides" of the case) instead of vertical lines on the length of the case.
How do you suggest this would work with the front piece with the integrated metal "grill" portion?
 

For_Science

Master of Cramming
Feb 16, 2018
446
612
Well I'm not sure how feasible it is, maybe Alex could tell us, but here's my very rough sketch.


Interesting as a concept, I suppose the amount that would have to be milled away is substantially more than in the current design. I assume that would increase the cost of production a decent amount?
 
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AlexTzone

I design minimalistic – but not boring – PC stuff
Original poster
THOR ZONE
Silver Supporter
Sep 23, 2017
1,287
2,739
thor-zone.com
Well I'm not sure how feasible it is, maybe Alex could tell us, but here's my very rough sketch.

Interesting as a concept, I suppose the amount that would have to be milled away is substantially more than in the current design. I assume that would increase the cost of production a decent amount?

It's definitely a cool idea, but its going to be too costly :/ As @For_Science said, it will significantly increase machining time