Kimera Industries Project Nova: 17 liters of 5-slot mATX goodness

[Winebaths]

I've never really liked hard drive indicator LED's or even power button LED's, I much prefer lights to be subtle like the sleep indicator on some of Apple's unibody Macbooks.

The light shines through the aluminum while sleeping and turns off and is invisible when not

 

[iFreilicht]

I absolutely love stuff like that, it looks as beautiful as nothing, but I believe you have to machine the aluminium to an extremely thin level, something like 0,001mm or something like that with an even smaller tolerance of +-5% for it to really look good, and from what I know that starts to scratch the capabilities of machines regular manufacturers have access to.

I'd rather make a thin slot and glue a small piece of acrylic inside to achieve a similar effect.

 

[PNP]

If Task Manager isn't responding anymore, a small LED isn't going to save you

A contrived reason doesn't have to be a good one. You're typing to someone who's already laying out plans for a bank of analog meters to display things easily done in software for free.

I personally don't care for HDD activity LEDs, I have a combination of AIDA64 and RainMeter with a desktop graph showing me how much percent of usage there is and a history. No distractions !

I hate them, they always bother me and I prefer them not to be there, especially with such a clean case.

Definite preference for no external LEDs (other than maybe one integrated into power switch).

Well now, seems my particular neurosis puts me squarely in the minority. But I appreciate that the [redacted] provides options in this department by using standard parts.

 

[iFreilicht]

A contrived reason doesn't have to be a good one. You're typing to someone who's already laying out plans for a bank of analog meters to display things easily done in software for free.

Well, that at least looks pretty damn cool, but I totally get what you're saying. Sometimes you just feel better having something, no matter how little it will actually help.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

I've never really liked hard drive indicator LED's or even power button LED's, I much prefer lights to be subtle like the sleep indicator on some of Apple's unibody Macbooks.

Apple has actually depreciated these from all current-generation machines. The "newest" Mac that had this was the standard MacBook Pro that they kept around for a bit after introducing the Retina version (which you can still buy, but it hasn't meaningfully been updated in years).

I never really cared about it either way, but it looked nice and did its job well.

I absolutely love stuff like that, it looks as beautiful as nothing, but I believe you have to machine the aluminium to an extremely thin level, something like 0,001mm or something like that with an even smaller tolerance of +-5% for it to really look good, and from what I know that starts to scratch the capabilities of machines regular manufacturers have access to.

The effect is created by first thinning the metal a bit, and then making a very fine grid of micro-perforations with a laser. Not something we have access to, as you'd probably expect

 

[iFreilicht]

The effect is created by first thinning the metal a bit, and then making a very fine grid of micro-perforations with a laser. Not something we have access to, as you'd probably expect

Well, technically we do, but as we know, every hole costs extra, and as the normal beam of a laser cutter seems to be about 0.025mm, you'd need a substantial amount of holes, so it would be stupidly expensive.

How do you know how stuff like that is made, is there somewhere you can read about this?

 

[skukza]

Well, technically we do, but as we know, every hole costs extra, and as the normal beam of a laser cutter seems to be about 0.025mm, you'd need a substantial amount of holes, so it would be stupidly expensive.

How do you know how stuff like that is made, is there somewhere you can read about this?

Doesnt seem to be much on the web with more details than above some businessy focused discussion that has very little actual details they have were granted a patent on similar process that may or may not be used in newer macbooks.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

How do you know how stuff like that is made, is there somewhere you can read about this?

Because I find this stuff interesting, and I know where to look

Doesnt seem to be much on the web with more details than above some businessy focused discussion that has very little actual details they have were granted a patent on similar process that may or may not be used in newer macbooks.

Per an AppleInsider story from 2008:

A portion of the front edge is milled thin enough that a laser can be used to micro-perforate the metal to allow light from the sleep indicator LED to pass through the metal. When the sleep indicator is off, the metal appears to be solid.

In the world of manufacturing consumer electronics, there's Apple, and then there's everyone else.

 

[Phuncz]

Thanks for that link, bookmarked !

Indeed, Apple has been at the forefront of product design for years now. Not just how the products look but how they go a step further in what is possible each time. I've had my fair share in Apple products and I've been rarely let down in the build quality of these devices. You can feel the pride and joy the design department takes in developing these products.

 

[iFreilicht]

Wow, that is an interesting blog! Is this the only one of its kind or are there more like it you can recommend?

 

[Winebaths]

Thanks for the responses!

I had a feeling that the apple-esque sleep LED wasn't going to happen, haha. Very cool though, I'm not in the realm of hardware or consumer electronics manufacturing at all as a software dev.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

Wow, that is an interesting blog! Is this the only one of its kind or are there more like it you can recommend?

Stuff of that degree of specificity tends to be one-off analyses done by people in industry, so you have to do some digging to find it. Well worth the effort though!

(I am also helped by the fact that I studied at an engineering school, and know people in industry)

 

[wovie]

Over the weekend I completed my pre-Nova water-cooled build in a Corsair Air 240. It's a CPU + 2x GPUs running through a 240mm radiator. It idles under 30 °C, but at max loads the GPUs reach 60 °C and the CPU reaches 70 °C. The goal now is just to use the system normally and hope that no major issues arise. The system is super-quiet at idle, but I do need to find some quieter (maybe non-PWM) fans to mount on the radiator for high load scenarios.

As far as I can tell though, the high temps are the trade-off we'll have to make for those who want a quiet SLI system. The reason I added the CPU to the loop is because I'm using a Swiftech Apogee Drive II Combo unit. For better performance, you could use a low-profile CPU air cooler and just have the 2x GPUs in the loop - but then you'd have to find space to mount a pump somewhere.

 

[Phuncz]

Personally, if the Nova would come out tomorrow, I'd just transplant my current mITX rig in anticipation of the new GPUs and what AMD might possibly be cooking up in the CPU department. We all know Intel isn't going to do more than bump the performance a few percents, but I'm not sure what would interest me more if Zen fizzles: Broadwell/Skylake-E or Kabylake.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

Over the weekend I completed my pre-Nova water-cooled build in a Corsair Air 240...

You'll be happy to know that migrating your build into Nova will effectively halve the size of your build And not look horrendously ugly, to boot.

It's a CPU + 2x GPUs running through a 240mm radiator. It idles under 30 °C, but at max loads the GPUs reach 60 °C and the CPU reaches 70 °C. The goal now is just to use the system normally and hope that no major issues arise. The system is super-quiet at idle, but I do need to find some quieter (maybe non-PWM) fans to mount on the radiator for high load scenarios.

What GPUs and CPU are you using? For all that hardware on a single 240mm radiator, that's actually good performance. The only number I would wish to be lower is the CPU, since 70° C on a loop is pretty unimpressive... but overall I would have expected marginally higher temps (especially with the GPUs). Unless you're rocking particularly efficient chips, at least.

As far as I can tell though, the high temps are the trade-off we'll have to make for those who want a quiet SLI system.

Certainly, but we're talking higher temperatures that are still within comfortable operating ranges. 60° C for a GPU is nothing - reference cards are designed to touch 80+ when under sustained load. And although 70+ for the CPU is on the high end of normal, it's still normal insofar that you wouldn't be surprised to see it when slamming your processor continuously with the included heatsink.

From my perspective, at least, all of that is an easy 'compromise' to make in exchange for desirable acoustics and a very compact profile for the hardware. On paper, some enthusiasts might complain that the temps could be lower, but in reality there's no practical cost to the user, and a ton of upside.

The reason I added the CPU to the loop is because I'm using a Swiftech Apogee Drive II Combo unit. For better performance, you could use a low-profile CPU air cooler and just have the 2x GPUs in the loop - but then you'd have to find space to mount a pump somewhere.

That cooling solution is what I'm considering for myself, once I'm finally able to get my hands on a case and purchase some hardware. My current debate is whether or not to rear-mount ATX and use a rad on the front, or stick with SFX and put a 240mm on the bottom and a 140mm on the side.

Personally, if the Nova would come out tomorrow, I'd just transplant my current mITX rig in anticipation of the new GPUs and what AMD might possibly be cooking up in the CPU department.

I'm definitely waiting. I've subsisted on gaming with my rMBP and external display for this long... I can push it a few more months and then go big with truly next-gen hardware

 

[wovie]

You'll be happy to know that migrating your build into Nova will effectively halve the size of your build And not look horrendously ugly, to boot.

C'mon man, as if the wait wasn't difficult enough...

What GPUs and CPU are you using?

I'm running an i5-4690K and 2x GTX 980 Ti at stock speeds. I didn't run benchmarks to stress the system, so it's possible that there's some headroom there for even higher temperatures. I just played some FO4, MGSV and Witcher 3. I'm also only sitting at 1080p currently. When I upgrade my monitor I'll be sure to keep monitoring the temps.

Certainly, but we're talking higher temperatures that are still within comfortable operating ranges. 60° C for a GPU is nothing - reference cards are designed to touch 80+ when under sustained load. And although 70+ for the CPU is on the high end of normal, it's still normal insofar that you wouldn't be surprised to see it when slamming your processor continuously with the included heatsink.

Yeah that was pretty much my line of reasoning. I'm not worried about the GPUs at all, and the CPU should be fine as well - but even in the worst case, a new CPU is relatively cheap to replace (as long as it can survive a few years).

From my perspective, at least, all of that is an easy 'compromise' to make in exchange for desirable acoustics and a very compact profile for the hardware. On paper, some enthusiasts might complain that the temps could be lower, but in reality there's no practical cost to the user, and a ton of upside.

100% agreed there. You know all those flashy builds with bright LEDs, UV lighting, etc... they're cool and all, but personally I'm trying NOT to attract attention to my "nerd machine". (I mean, isn't that why we're all here )

That cooling solution is what I'm considering for myself...

If you're going to go with the Swiftech MCP35X Pump (which is what's inside the Apogee Drive II), and if acoustics is a concern, you must find a way to PWM-control it. At 3000+ RPM, it's loud. At 2000+ RPM, it's audible. I just set mine to 1400 RPM (just above the minimum operating spec of 1300 RPM) and it's very, very quiet - but I haven't stressed the system long enough to get good temperature readings. From what I've read, though, there should be minimal, if any, performance hits.

 

[wovie]

Took a phone pic for shits and giggles. In the Nova, I'll probably have to flip the radiator orientation and replace the reservoir with a FrozenQ M1, or something smaller.

 

[Pesceman3]

^what case are you using at the moment?

 

[wovie]

^what case are you using at the moment?

That's the Corsair Air 240. The picture is deceiving because there's this whole other half of a monstrosity you're not seeing

 

[VirtualVoid]

So my Rift is ordered, which should arrive sometime in April. Any chance the [Redacted] will be available by then?

Also, is anyone else closely watching CES for more mATX motherboard options?