Production Lazer3D LZ7 - Quiet Gaming Cube PC Case

[Boil]

Wow thanks for all the questions, I'll do my best to answer them for you below!

Thanks for the answers, sorry if I threw a lot out there...

Originally they were added in case I ever developed a handle, but as you say, they could potentially be used for a multitude of different gizmos I suppose.

Storing light sabers yes!

I would DEFINITELY use those handle mounting points for a custom light saber hilt holder...!

Yes this is something I have put some thought into but not done anything about yet. Potentially a small bracket could be 3D printed that attaches and hangs from the holes in the top panel and provides a small ledge for the PSU to rest on. As you mention you would need to think about the order in which you install your components, it would add some difficulty.

I will see what I can do to design a bracket for this and report back to see what you think.

I would see this a a U-shaped bracket that would fit snug around the PSU bottom & sides, two new screw holes would be needed on the top panel for securing. I would leave the lightsaber mounting points, er, I mean, the potential handle mounting points alone...

Thanks, yes when you finish off your cabling in front of the PSU make sure you bundle and tie up those cables nice and tight, the cable bundle becomes very rigid doing this and provides extra support for the PSU.

I would want to get some custom cables to minimize cable clutter blocking any airflow...

Yes you can select an 'open' panel for the GPU side which can then either have a fan guard or dust filter mounted to the panel.

Actually, I am REALLY digging the Radial vent pattern, so I would go with that on both the chassis fan side & the GPU side...

This is definitely possible and was actually tried by @Phuncz in his build thread HERE. But something to bare in mind is that when you remove the shroud of a GPU you are reducing the efficiency of the heatsink, the shroud plays a very important role in directing airflow into and along the entire length of every metal fin. Without the shroud airflow will hit the heatsink fins and just bounce off greatly reducing its effectivity, the airflow doesn't get into the nooks and crannies so to speak, just flows over the top.

I think Phuncz reported mixed results using this method.

I DID see that thread, and it seems he also attributed the not as expected performance of the set-up to the "less robust" GPU heatsink...

I would be using either the EVGA GTX 1060 SC or possibly the MSI GTX 1070 Aero ITX GPUs, of which I believe both have more substatial heatsinks...

I am sure the gap between the fan & heatsink in @Phuncz's set-up did not help either...

Y...Big Shuriken 2...

I'm sure you could try it with other 120mm slim fans aswell and find the best one, I can't wait for Noctua to release those 120mm and 140mm slim fans they showed off a while back.

Kinda leaning towards the Cryorig C7 CPU cooler & XT140 chassis fan at this point; any experience in the chassis with either...?

And I know there are a LOT of people awaiting those Noctua slim fans...!

Unfortunately Black is not possible as the PCB assembly which includes the USB ports is an off the shelf component and cannot be modified.

In terms of the LED light colours, yes it can look blue in the photos but I think this is just my camera, its actually a white LED.

When choosing coloured corner pieces the light bleeds through the material and takes its colour, so if you have green corners the power LED will appear green as it glows through the material.

Bummer on the USBs & Black, but I can understand why...

Cool on the white LED...!

I would be going for black corners...

Efficient airflow and low noise was my primary objective for the LZ7. Heat re-circulation is SFF's number 1 enemy, lowering the full potential of high end hardware when used over extended periods of time.

Using a combination of a positive pressure wind tunnel effect and 360 degree direct GPU exhaust ventilation, all of the heat produced inside the LZ7 is pushed straight out the case before it has chance to re-circulate, giving the installed hardware the best chance to maintain high boost/clock speeds at low fan speeds.

Exactly what I am looking for...! SFF chassis that actually has GOOD cooling...!!!

I know, I can only apologise. The case design is complete, I am just waiting for a final confirmation on something before I can make the announcement and kick off production to get the ball rolling again. I am just as frustrated as you guys as I want to get this moving, hopefully it will be worth it in the end.

Excuses, excuses...! ;^p

Come on man, spill the beans already, I won't tell...!

I have no plans for metal panels at the moment, perhaps down the line it will be something to look into. I want to concentrate on making a success of the current design first.

I understand that, but maybe as an option (with countersunk screw holes added) for purchase thru the Ponoko website...?!?

I would definitely pay extra for aluminium panels...!

If the countersunk screw holes are an issue (two separate CAD files, one with countersunk & one without), than some nice black low profile button-head hex screws could do for attaching metal panels to the 3D corner pieces (but please DO put the threaded metal inserts into said corner pieces)...

Looking forward to that next production run, definitely add me to your "Will Purchase" list...!!!

My 'low end' parts list, coming in at a whooping 251 watts...

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7600 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - C7 40.5 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock - H270M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill - NS 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB SC GAMING Video Card
Power Supply: Corsair - SF 600W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply
Case Fan: CRYORIG - XT140 65.0 CFM 140mm Fan

I would eventually add a pair of 500GB Samsung 850 Evo 2.5" SSDs, possibly in a RAID configuration...

 

[cmyk78]

@Boil Get the SF450 instead of the SF600, it has a better fan curve and is cheaper.

 

[Boil]

@Boil Get the SF450 instead of the SF600, it has a better fan curve and is cheaper.

I already have the SF600, it was the prize in a giveaway contest right here on this very site from almost a year back...!

 

[Biowarejak]

@Boil I mean I guess you could sell it, get the cheaper one, and then use the money towards an upgraded component. But that's a lot of hassle.

 

[Boil]

@Boil I mean I guess you could sell it, get the cheaper one, and then use the money towards an upgraded component. But that's a lot of hassle.

It is a hassle, and most buyers want a receipt for warranty purposes, which I cannot provide...

On the plus side, proposed build maxs out at 251 watts (according to PCPartsPicker), so real world usage should see the PSU barely breaking a sweat, the fan might never (or at least rarely) turn on...?!?

 

[Biowarejak]

Depends on if it has a semi-fanless mode, but yes!

 

[Boil]

Okay, I figured out an Easy Fix for the PSU Sag...

Mount the HiFi feet to the TOP panel & flip the unit over...!

Plus, when people look at the chassis & wonder "Is that a standard or reverse mounting for the motherboard?", you get to look them square in the eye & tell them "Why neither, my Good Man, that is the highly elusive Inverted Mount configuration!"

LOL...! ;^p

 

[Boil]

Okay, seriously, I think I have a Condition...

I was staring at pics of the Noctua NH-C14S on NewEgg...

And thinking to myself; custom top panel, SFX PSU block-off plate (or custom back panel), integrate the 2-piece HDPlex 300w solution into the chassis...

Hmm, that honking large cooler might fit nice, WITH push-pull on the heatsink...!

 

[cmyk78]

I don't think the NH-C14S will fit. On Noctua's website it's listed as 142mm with the top fan on and the NHL-U9S is listed as 125mmm. I have the U9S installed and there is <10mm of extra height.

 

[Boil]

I don't think the NH-C14S will fit. On Noctua's website it's listed as 142mm with the top fan on and the NHL-U9S is listed as 125mmm. I have the U9S installed and there is <10mm of extra height.

My mistake, I got a little loose with the 69mm stated space to the PSU & the 63mm (?) that removing the SFX PSU would grant...

But it would definitely fit with just the bottom fan...?

I need to stop thinking from a "how can I mod that?" mindset, I gotta use this perfectly good SFX PSU I have here...!

Now, if we strip the shroud, fans & heatsink off of the Zotac GTX 1080 Mini, replace with a custom copper (because, copper) heatsink which has the fins aligned in a radial / 'sunflower' design, one that literally FILLS the GPU chamber section of the chassis, making the panels & vents around it the new shroud, and there is a Cryorig XT140 (which is connected to the GPU fan header) fitted to the side panel & nestled into the heatsink as well; well, air straight in from the sidepanel thru the 140mm fan, directly thru the radial heatsink & out the 4-way venting...?!?

 

[K888D]

I don't think the NH-C14S will fit. On Noctua's website it's listed as 142mm with the top fan on and the NHL-U9S is listed as 125mmm. I have the U9S installed and there is <10mm of extra height.

Is that in the LZ7? Would love to see photos of what you've done if it is.

 

[Boil]

Well there is 1 possibility to make this simple for everyone, I could setup a store on Ponoko who have manufacturing Hubs in America and New Zealand for custom panels. I've been thinking about this for a while.

If I understand their website correctly, ponoko is similar to shapeways, but for laser cutting? In that case, that would be an ideal solution!

I've used their service before. It's good.

[JEDI_MIND_TRICK] ... availability to order aluminium panels with powder coating (and countersunk screw holes)... [/JEDI_MIND_TRICK]

 

[K888D]

[JEDI_MIND_TRICK] ... availability to order aluminium panels with powder coating (and countersunk screw holes)... [/JEDI_MIND_TRICK]

It would be cool if they did, but as far as I am aware Ponoko don't do Metal laser cutting.

 

[cmyk78]

Is that in the LZ7? Would love to see photos of what you've done if it is.

It's really really ghetto right now, since I don't have a G-Unique yet the SF450 is just hanging out the back of the case with barely enough cable length. My ultimate goal is to mount a Meanwell to the hard drive space, and nothing external.

 

[Boil]

It would be cool if they did, but as far as I am aware Ponoko don't do Metal laser cutting.

Looks like they do Brass, Copper & Stainless Steel; but the prices are a bit steep & the thickness is a bit thin...

 

[Biowarejak]

Looks like they do Brass, Copper & Stainless Steel; but the prices are a bit steep & the thickness is a bit thin...

They don't laser cut it, it's photo-chemically etched.

 

[Boil]

Looking at some pics of the latest matte black Radial chassis, the flat head screws are messing with my OCD...

Countersunk for beveled heads would be awesome, but not at the expense of panel structural integrity...

Button head hex screws would be preferred to flat head Philip, aesthetically speaking...

Or, just a list of proper types / threads / lengths of screws to source ourselves would also work...!

 

[Biowarejak]

I didn't notice until now I agree about the list of screws

 

[K888D]

It's really really ghetto right now, since I don't have a G-Unique yet the SF450 is just hanging out the back of the case with barely enough cable length. My ultimate goal is to mount a Meanwell to the hard drive space, and nothing external.

A custom rear panel and HDD mount panel for fitting DC power supplies is a good idea, perhaps something I can look into soon if there is enough interest for it.

Now, if we strip the shroud, fans & heatsink off of the Zotac GTX 1080 Mini, replace with a custom copper (because, copper) heatsink which has the fins aligned in a radial / 'sunflower' design, one that literally FILLS the GPU chamber section of the chassis, making the panels & vents around it the new shroud, and there is a Cryorig XT140 (which is connected to the GPU fan header) fitted to the side panel & nestled into the heatsink as well; well, air straight in from the sidepanel thru the 140mm fan, directly thru the radial heatsink & out the 4-way venting...?!?

I'm sure it possible to fit a 1080 into the case with some serious mods, but I fear that removing shrouds, customising heatsinks and using different fans will SERIOUSLY HARM their thermal performance.

I would only recommend using non-modified graphics cards.

I am happy with the thermal and noise performance of the Gigabyte GTX 1070 in my own LZ7. MSI have since released their own Aero ITX cards which according to the reviews have even better cooling than the Gigabyte version.

Looks like they do Brass, Copper & Stainless Steel; but the prices are a bit steep & the thickness is a bit thin...

They don't laser cut it, it's photo-chemically etched.

Yeah I had a look into a while back and I think it cost a couple hundred £ for a single set of panels, so not really viable!

Countersunk for beveled heads would be awesome, but not at the expense of panel structural integrity...

I tried countersinking the screw holes during early prototyping stages, but I found it really difficult to get a nice and consistent shape and depth, plus its really time consuming to do for every screw hole when it's not an automated process or you don't have specialist equipment set up for it. I decided against it in the end.

Button head hex screws would be preferred to flat head Philip, aesthetically speaking...

The original v0.1 prototype (look HERE) had hex head screws, they looked good but it was a bit of an 'industrial' look that many people were not keen on, the flat head screws look allot more refined.

I think the lighting in the that photo you picked out does highlight the screws more than normal, but to be honest to the naked eye the screws look fine, the look pretty flush when you see the case in the flesh.

I spent ages searching absolutely everywhere for the most suitable screws, these are the best ones available for non-countersunk holes. Bare in mind that these screws are very small (M2.5) and the photo makes them look big when enlarged on a PC screen.

Or, just a list of proper types / threads / lengths of screws to source ourselves would also work...!

I agree about the list of screws

• All panels are secured using M2.5 x 8mm wafer head phillips PH1 head screws.
• Motherboard, hard drives and GPU are secured with M3 x 6mm phillips head screws
• Case Feet can be secured with M3 x 10mm bolts + M3 nuts (depending on design of case feet, bolt length may change)
• Case fans are secured using standard case fan screws (black ones provided with case)
• Power Supply is secured using 6-32 x 8mm thumbscrews

I would see this a a U-shaped bracket that would fit snug around the PSU bottom & sides, two new screw holes would be needed on the top panel for securing. I would leave the lightsaber mounting points, er, I mean, the potential handle mounting points alone...

I don't think that PSU sag is anything to worry about, but if this is something that still concerns you then a bracket like this will be sufficient:

It can be secured through the top panel using 2x M2.5 screws, you may need to alter the order in which you assemble the case to get it to fit. The cost to 3D print is around £9.

 

[Boil]

MSI have since released their own Aero ITX cards which according to the reviews have even better cooling than the Gigabyte version.

That is the exact GTX 1070 card I am interested in, if I decide to upgrade my parts list from the EVGA GTX 1060 Gaming SC...

Yeah I had a look into a while back and I think it cost a couple hundred £ for a single set of panels, so not really viable!

Totally agree, a set of replacement panels that cost more than the entire original chassis, no bueno...!

I tried countersinking the screw holes during early prototyping stages, but I found it really difficult to get a nice and consistent shape and depth, plus its really time consuming to do for every screw hole when it's not an automated process or you don't have specialist equipment set up for it. I decided against it in the end.

The original v0.1 prototype (look HERE) had hex head screws, they looked good but it was a bit of an 'industrial' look that many people were not keen on, the flat head screws look allot more refined.

I think the lighting in the that photo you picked out does highlight the screws more than normal, but to be honest to the naked eye the screws look fine, the look pretty flush when you see the case in the flesh.

I spent ages searching absolutely everywhere for the most suitable screws, these are the best ones available for non-countersunk holes. Bare in mind that these screws are very small (M2.5) and the photo makes them look big when enlarged on a PC screen.

• All panels are secured using M2.5 x 8mm wafer head phillips PH1 head screws.
• Motherboard, hard drives and GPU are secured with M3 x 6mm phillips head screws
• Case Feet can be secured with M3 x 10mm bolts + M3 nuts (depending on design of case feet, bolt length may change)
• Case fans are secured using standard case fan screws (black ones provided with case)
• Power Supply is secured using 6-32 x 8mm thumbscrews

The only screws I would replace would be the external, with some nice black button head hex screws...

Kind of a middle ground between the bulkier hex heads originally used & the current wafer heads, I think they would look nice & would accent the chassis...

I don't think that PSU sag is anything to worry about, but if this is something that still concerns you then a bracket like this will be sufficient:

It can be secured through the top panel using 2x M2.5 screws, you may need to alter the order in which you assemble the case to get it to fit. The cost to 3D print is around £9.

That is PERFECT, I'll take two, please...! Metal inserts on these as well...?!?

And one could still use a longer screw, going thru the (custom) light saber hilt brackets above, thru the top panel & into the threaded insert on the PSU support brackets...!!!

REALLY excited to hear the forthcoming announcement regarding this chassis, gathering parts for a build in it now...!!!