Production Lazer3D LZ7 - Quiet Gaming Cube PC Case

[K888D]

I meant corner pieces hand carved from wood, with threaded inserts to attach the panels. No idea on the panels materials yet, maybe gunmetal steal for top and motherbard back, tained perpex or glass for hardware eye-candy, concrete casted for the bottom to add some weight (with cork sole to prevent scratches).

That sounds awesome, I can't wait to see how it turns out!

I've put together a few quick renders to show the new proportions with the 155mm height, it doesn't look much different. The vents on the top panel now line up along the rear edge:

I wasn't sure about what style of handle to create, so I've come up with 3 concepts. One of my concerns with adding a handle onto the top panel is the flex of the top panel, supporting the weight of the case will cause a small amount of bend in the panel when you lift the computer, if this load can be spread outwards as close to the corners as possible the flex and stresses will be reduced.

The first concept is based around spreading the mounting points into the corners, this will result in minimal flex. The cost to 3D print this handle is coming in at around £25, but I think I can bring that down a few quid. Also, the handle looks quite big, the main reason for this is because the case is so small! There is a minimum size you can make a handle before you can't get your through it:

The second concept is a basic hinged handle, the render shows it stood up. The cost to 3D print this is coming in at around £20:

The final concept is just a standard bolt on handle, the thickness of this handle is making this quite expensive at around £30 to print, could probably bring this down to under £25 if pursued:

​

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

Thanks mate ! My idea, as a human that value life, nature and Hearth, is to use raw materials as much as possible.

About the handles, maybe fabric handles wrapped around the chassis would be better. I agree with you about flex, and considering the overall size an handle is maybe less useful than then feet you added and that provides a gap to grab the case.

 

[confusis]

... https://smallformfactor.net/article...k888ds-lz7-quiet-gaming-cube-internal-sfx-psu

 

[MarcParis]

Very impressive job.

In fact, I'm pretty interested in LZ9, with this so clever plexi cover on GPU, and vent all around GPU...a kick ass idea!

I guess the pinnacle of your LZ9 will be its ability to receive a MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X/Z card (very tall, but shorter)...that will be an absolute beast in air cooling...what do you think?

 

[K888D]

... https://smallformfactor.net/article...k888ds-lz7-quiet-gaming-cube-internal-sfx-psu

Thank you for featuring this work log on your website, what a great surprise!

About the handles, maybe fabric handles wrapped around the chassis would be better. I agree with you about flex, and considering the overall size an handle is maybe less useful than then feet you added and that provides a gap to grab the case.

Your probably right, I'm not sure how useful a handle would be, but I remember some people were asking about adding one earlier in the project. It won't hurt to make the designs available if people would like to order one as an optional extra.

The fabric handles are an interesting idea, I'll give that some thought.


LZ7 v0.2 PROTOTYPE
I've had a few quotes come back in, but so far only 1 company has given a price that is even worth considering, I'm hoping that some more quotes will come in over the next few days with perhaps some better prices.

Based on the prices I've received so far the cost to produce a 1 off prototype (including all accessories, 3D prints, IO PCB, etc) would be:

• 1x Case = £150 each

To produce multiple prototypes, the price would reduce per complete case as follows:

• 5x Cases = £135 each
• 10x Cases = £115 each
• 20x Cases = £110 each

The above prices are quoted at cost price to me and include VAT, shipping is extra, import duties would be the responsibility of the buyer. I am UK based so shipping within the EU would not incur any import taxes and shipping cost would be under £17.

If multiple colours of the same panel are ordered they would not count towards the same price break, i.e. I would need to order 5x cases with the same Acrylic Panel colour combination to get the £135 price.

It would be nice to be able to get the price down to £115, so if I can get near 10 people interested at this stage it would be great.

The prototype cases would be ordered with matte black material for the 5mm panels (Front, Top and Bottom), and smoked transparent for the 3mm panels (Sides and Rear). If you wanted to order a prototype with different colours it would be classed as a 1 off and would cost £150 (unless you can get some other people to order the same colour combination for at least 5 cases).

The 3D printed parts cost the same if I was to order 1, or 100. So if you wanted a different colour for the corner components the price would be the same.

The colour options are:

ACRYLIC PANELS (3mm and 5mm)

• Black polished
• Black matte
• White polished
• White matte
• Clear (transparent) polished
• Smoked (grey tinted transparent) polished
• Red polished
• Orange polished
• Blue polished
• Green polished
• Grey polished

3D PRINTED PARTS

• Black matte
• White matte
• White polished
• Red polished
• Orange polished
• Blue polished
• Purple polished
• Green polished
• Yellow polished

 

[K888D]

In fact, I'm pretty interested in LZ9, with this so clever plexi cover on GPU, and vent all around GPU...a kick ass idea!

I guess the pinnacle of your LZ9 will be its ability to receive a MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X/Z card (very tall, but shorter)...that will be an absolute beast in air cooling...what do you think?

Thank you very much!

I think I am going to have to rename the LZ9 the LZ11 instead as the previously proposed design is sitting at 11 litres, the number in the name refers to the volume of the case.

The proposed design of the LZ11 is only 150mm height in total, so I doubt it will fit the MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X as that card is 140mm tall not including the PEG connector, an extra 10mm - 20mm of case height would likely be required making the case move up to between 12 and 13 litres.

The EVGA FTW is stated at 150mm tall which would require even more height! But saying that, looking at the photos of the EVGA and MSI versions, the MSI PCB looks taller. So it seems like MSI have taken their measurements differently, unless I'm missing something?

The 11 litre design would however (in theory) fit the standard EVGA SC 1080, but not the FTW version. I'm not sure if a 12 or 13 litre case would have the same niche and ring to it?

 

[LucasTheRed]

I am very interested in this case, as long as you can confirm that one of the GTX 1070s will fit, either the Gigabit one, or an unannounced one! Do you know what the cost to US will be?

 

[MarcParis]

Thank you very much!

I think I am going to have to rename the LZ9 the LZ11 instead as the previously proposed design is sitting at 11 litres, the number in the name refers to the volume of the case.

The proposed design of the LZ11 is only 150mm height in total, so I doubt it will fit the MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X as that card is 140mm tall not including the PEG connector, an extra 10mm - 20mm of case height would likely be required making the case move up to between 12 and 13 litres.

The EVGA FTW is stated at 150mm tall which would require even more height! But saying that, looking at the photos of the EVGA and MSI versions, the MSI PCB looks taller. So it seems like MSI have taken their measurements differently, unless I'm missing something?

The 11 litre design would however (in theory) fit the standard EVGA SC 1080, but not the FTW version. I'm not sure if a 12 or 13 litre case would have the same niche and ring to it?

In fact evga ftw is lower than msi gaming x/z... it could be confusing, evga ftw is 128.6mm tall where msi is above 14... But msi gaming x/z is the most quiet of all gtx 1080..

If you go with box height of 150mm, and more depth, that implies you pivot power supply and leave more space for cpu cooler?

 

[K888D]

I am very interested in this case, as long as you can confirm that one of the GTX 1070s will fit, either the Gigabit one, or an unannounced one!

At the moment I can't confirm that it will fit as nobody knows for sure exactly how they have measured its height. The Gigabyte GTX 1070 ITX is listed as 131mm tall, whether this is just the PCB or whether it includes the cooling shroud with the bump is unknown. On the positive side though it does look like the PEG connector is recessed, which will hopefully mean the power connector does not protrude past the shroud.

The latest LZ7 design is 155mm tall, you have to take off 10mm for the top and bottom 5mm acrylic panels, there is then the 6mm motherboard standoff spacing and the thickness of the motherboard itself (say 2mm). So this leaves 137mm clearance from the top surface of the motherboard to the underside of the top panel.

I would like this case to fit that card as I think it will be an important card to the success of cases like this one, I also hope other manufacturers release alternative versions, hopefully without adding too much extra height.

If it turns out that the Gigabyte GTX 1070 ITX does not fit the current LZ7 design, then I would amend the design so that it would fit, as I said, it is important that the LZ7 is compatible with this card. Just need to somehow confirm how its measured!

Do you know what the cost to US will be?

The cost to ship to the USA from the UK is £15 using United States Postal Service, this is for a parcel up to 5kg. For a parcel below 1Kg the cost is £10 for the same size parcel. I haven't weighed the case on its own yet, But I think it will come in just above 1Kg and then you have packaging to add on. So the likely cost is £15 for shipping, plus any import taxes at your end. I'm not sure how import taxes are dealt with as its not something I have done before.

In fact evga ftw is lower than msi gaming x/z... it could be confusing, evga ftw is 128.6mm tall where msi is above 14... But msi gaming x/z is the most quiet of all gtx 1080..

If you go with box height of 150mm, and more depth, that implies you pivot power supply and leave more space for cpu cooler?

The height of the case is what determins how much CPU clearance there is, so if the case is increased in height to allow for a taller GPU then that would also increase the CPU cooler clearance.

The MSI Gaming X is a massively tall card, I am not sure how tall the case would need to be to fit these cards.

In fact, all these different manufacturers measuring their cards differently is giving me a massive headache! Its so difficult to figure out what will and what won't fit. its part of the reason why I bought the Gigabyte GTX 960 OC, this is listed as being 136mm tall and it doesn't quite fit the 150mm case design due to the extra PEG connector height, but would likely just about fit a 155mm tall design.

The MSI 1080 Gaming X is listed as 140mm tall, if this has been measured in the same way as the Gigabyte 960 at 136mm, then the LZ11 would probably need another 5mm height to fit it, making it 160mm tall.

But, looking at the pictures of the 1080 gaming X the card looks allot taller than the Gigabyte 960 OC to the eye, possibly in the region of another 15mm - 20mm taller. So in that case the LZ11 would actually need to be 175mm tall, which dramatically increases the volume by around another 2 Litres! I wish there was a standard way to measure these cards!

Rant over!

 

[MarcParis]

Lol to be honest, please look at Asus direct cu mini 970 (or for sure 1070), most people will go for it as it was by far the quiestest of all short GTX970.
As we discussed in our conversation, you can use this extra height to better cool gpu, but also CPU.

 

[K888D]

Lol to be honest, please look at Asus direct cu mini 970 (or for sure 1070), most people will go for it as it was by far the quiestest of all short GTX970.
As we discussed in our conversation, you can use this extra height to better cool gpu, but also CPU.

Yes the Asus ITX Direct CU cards should fit the LZ7 no problem, I've just seen one in the flesh in a shop and they don't look as tall as the Gigabyte GTX 960 OC.

 

[K888D]

I've started a new thread here for the larger designs (LZ9/11/etc) so this thread can stay focused on the LZ7.

 

[iFreilicht]

That sounds awesome, I can't wait to see how it turns out!

I've put together a few quick renders to show the new proportions with the 155mm height, it doesn't look much different. The vents on the top panel now line up along the rear edge:

I wasn't sure about what style of handle to create, so I've come up with 3 concepts. One of my concerns with adding a handle onto the top panel is the flex of the top panel, supporting the weight of the case will cause a small amount of bend in the panel when you lift the computer, if this load can be spread outwards as close to the corners as possible the flex and stresses will be reduced.

The first concept is based around spreading the mounting points into the corners, this will result in minimal flex. The cost to 3D print this handle is coming in at around £25, but I think I can bring that down a few quid. Also, the handle looks quite big, the main reason for this is because the case is so small! There is a minimum size you can make a handle before you can't get your through it:

The second concept is a basic hinged handle, the render shows it stood up. The cost to 3D print this is coming in at around £20:

The final concept is just a standard bolt on handle, the thickness of this handle is making this quite expensive at around £30 to print, could probably bring this down to under £25 if pursued:

​

You're going to print those handles from steel, right?

I'm really jealous of the low prices you're achieving, 150 bucks was the cost of just two steel panels for me, for you it's the whole prototype, which some would already want to buy as-is. Great job!

 

[MarcParis]

IFreilicht, using 3d printing, you can add very high customization, both in appereance or dimensions.

My only question will be how strong it could be at the end.. my cats (6-9 kg each) often jump on my computer...I wonder if 3d print will resist to these tests..

 

[K888D]

You're going to print those handles from steel, right?

I'm really jealous of the low prices you're achieving, 150 bucks was the cost of just two steel panels for me, for you it's the whole prototype, which some would already want to buy as-is. Great job!

I wish! No the handles are intended to be printed in the same polyamide (nylon) SLS material. I didn't have time to set the lighting up properly in the render scene and the matte plastic turned out looking metallic.

But, you could print in stainless steel if you wanted, for reference the cost of the £20 handle would be closer to £100, the surface would also be quite rough and pitted. You can also print in raw aluminium which would be £250. Precious metals such as gold and silver can also be created through an investment casting process where the actual model is printed in wax and then cast, these prices are much much higher and only available for much smaller parts.

IFreilicht, using 3d printing, you can add very high customization, both in appereance or dimensions.

My only question will be how strong it could be at the end.. my cats (6-9 kg each) often jump on my computer...I wonder if 3d print will resist to these tests..

The SLS parts are pretty much as strong as a moulded version of the same part.

Where I work we had some parts printed out of this same material for a firefighters backframe we were designing, we were able to stand on the prototype backframe, it just flexed and took the weight in a similar manner to the Glass Filled Nylon 66 that it was intended to be moulded in. We never took the prototype to breaking point, but it was impressively strong.

I will see if I can find something heavy to place on top of the case and take a photo for you.

 

[Thehack]

What about the general strength of the case? can it survive being put inside a backpack?

Have you thought about a 3mm aluminum version? Obviously, that would be far off in the future, but I'd expect you'd only have to shave off the edges to accommodate 2mm less.

 

[MarcParis]

The SLS parts are pretty much as strong as a moulded version of the same part.

Where I work we had some parts printed out of this same material for a firefighters backframe we were designing, we were able to stand on the prototype backframe, it just flexed and took the weight in a similar manner to the Glass Filled Nylon 66 that it was intended to be moulded in. We never took the prototype to breaking point, but it was impressively strong.

I will see if I can find something heavy to place on top of the case and take a photo for you.

Cool and big thank you for that!

 

[iFreilicht]

I wish! No the handles are intended to be printed in the same polyamide (nylon) SLS material. I didn't have time to set the lighting up properly in the render scene and the matte plastic turned out looking metallic.

But, you could print in stainless steel if you wanted, for reference the cost of the £20 handle would be closer to £100, the surface would also be quite rough and pitted. You can also print in raw aluminium which would be £250. Precious metals such as gold and silver can also be created through an investment casting process where the actual model is printed in wax and then cast, these prices are much much higher and only available for much smaller parts.

Have you tried to upload the STLs to i.materialise for an automated quote? Printing the same part there is cheaper in steel than in PA. Maybe their PA prices are just very high, though.

 

[K888D]

Here are a few quick pics of the case sat next to other things, the first pic is next to the Silverstone Fortress FTZ01b (14.1L), it's not really a fair comparison I guess as the FTZ01 can take a full length GPU:

Next is the LZ7 and a 24" monitor, I've not really got a proper desk setup to show it off properly:

My only question will be how strong it could be at the end.. my cats (6-9 kg each) often jump on my computer...I wonder if 3d print will resist to these tests..

What about the general strength of the case? can it survive being put inside a backpack?

The case is robust once assembled, but as I've mentioned before it won't be as strong as a full metal case. I would say it's probably not suitable for carrying in a back very often, I'm not sure it would take well to being bashed around, plus the cube shape won't lend itself as well for transport, you may be better off with an S4 Mini.

But to answer your questions about strength and resisting the weight of a cat, here is the case with my 4 year old daughter stood on top of it!

And here is the 24" monitor on top:

Have you thought about a 3mm aluminum version? Obviously, that would be far off in the future, but I'd expect you'd only have to shave off the edges to accommodate 2mm less.

It is certainly something to consider once the design has been finalised, any type of sheet material could be used, wood would be nice. The design would still work with different thickness sheets.

Have you tried to upload the STLs to i.materialise for an automated quote? Printing the same part there is cheaper in steel than in PA. Maybe their PA prices are just very high, though.

Good point, I've not revisited them since I got the initial prices, I'll give them another shot with the latest designs.

 

[Mango]

Would it be impossible, while staying under 7L, to add colour accents via "underplates" similar to how Parvum System does it with their cases?

Spoiler

If there was enough interest and you got your own laser cutter, I could see this as a nice way to customize the front plate with an accented design/logo.