Completed Lone Industries L5 - 4.6L Mini ITX

[Lone]

Status

• June 4, 2021 - This batch marks the end of production for the foreseeable future. If you'd like to produce your own L5, please feel free to use the CAD files provided under Resources. I will post here if production resumes.

Features

• Front to back cooling (positive pressure, fans blowing into case)
• Removable front dual 80 mm fan mount
• CPU vent (120 mm)
• External PSU support reduces heat, noise, and wires
• Motherboard rear cutout
• Dual low profile expansion slots
• Black anodized aluminum power switch (16 mm anti-vandal)
• Adhesive case feet
• Supports vertical or horizontal orientation
• Aluminum construction with stainless steel threaded inserts
• Powder coat finish
• Dimensions: 225 x 216 x 94 mm
• Weight: 0.89 kg
• Made in Canada

Hardware Support

• Motherboard: Mini-ITX
• CPU Cooler: Top down style
  • Maximum clearance to side panel: ~72 mm
  • Noctua NH-L9i
  • Noctua NH-L12S
  • Cryorig C7
  • Scythe SCSK-2000
  • Silverstone AR05, AR06
  • Thermolab LP53
  • Arctic Alpine Passive
  • Alpenföhn Black Ridge (APU only)
  • Other CPU coolers under 70 mm in height
• Fans: 2x 80x80x25 mm
• PSU Support: External AC power supply with plug-in DC-ATX board
  • G-Unique Arch Daemon 200W plus (12V)
  • Mini-box.com PicoPSU 150W/160W (12V)
  • J-Hack ONE2 Plugin 160W (12V)
  • HDPLEX 200W DC-ATX (16-24V)
    • According to HDPLEX, the front heatsink may be removed with direct airflow to the DC-ATX
• Storage: M.2 recommended. Three different mounting locations for 2.5 inch storage:
  • 1 x top (7.5 mm max height)
  • 1 x front (in place of front case fans)
  • 3 x bottom (in place of graphics card)
• Expansion Slots: Dual low profile (half height)

Internal Dimensions

• Inside front width: 86mm
• Inside front height (usable, without fan mount): 204mm
• Motherboard to fan mount: 40mm
• Motherboard to inside front (without fan mount): 46mm
• Motherboard to bottom flange: 30mm
• Motherboard to bottom side panel: 32.5mm
• Motherboard to top flange: 7.7mm

Fasteners

• M3 x 6mm Flat Head Phillips (case screws, #31490 at Fastener Express)
• M3 x 6mm Pan Head Phillips (expansion ports, #31542 at Fastener Express)
• 6-32 x 1/4" Pan Head Phillips (motherboard, #32040 at Fastener Express)
• M2.5 x 8mm Pan Head Phillips Self Tapping (Mini DIN connector screws, ebay)

Purchasing

• Lone Industries

Version 2 (July 2019)

Spoiler: L5x (limited edition)

Spoiler: Version 1

Spoiler: Version 1 - Colour Concepts

Customer Builds

• algapaf
• Analogue Blacksheep (2, 3)
• aquelito
• August (2, 3)
• blisscalintz
• bOcy
• chn
• DoneFor2
• Dynamite
• fabio (2, 3, 4, external gallery)
• fleetfeather (2)
• GuilleAcoustic
• II StigZ II
• jhautz
• LTX conference
• masbroo69
• NoSk0pz
• nubbins
• Philth
• robinpfeiffer
• SEGFAULT
• staircase
• the1q
• vanbeveren (2)
• xcrco

 

[thewizzard1]

Why not a hex grid faceplate, with mounts in the back for 60/80/92MM fans?

Also, considered supporting single-width graphics, mounted parallel with and over the motherboard? A cutout and threaded holes to mount a separate bracket would do the trick.

And are you still using hex screws? I have an L3 and they are kind of a pain.

 

[Lone]

Why not a hex grid faceplate, with mounts in the back for 60/80/92MM fans?

Also, considered supporting single-width graphics, mounted parallel with and over the motherboard? A cutout and threaded holes to mount a separate bracket would do the trick.

And are you still using hex screws? I have an L3 and they are kind of a pain.

Round holes are easy because most manufacturers have round punches. The L5 has a fan mount bracket that sits away from the front panel to provide clearance for the fan.

I haven't considered putting a GPU over the motherboard. There's already some excellent cases available that are designed specifically for high end GPU.

I switched to phillips head screws for the L4.

 

[Windfall]

Background

I've been slowly working on the L5 design since the L4 production ceased. The goal was to address the various issues I encountered with the L4, which mostly affected me and prevented any further production of that model.

• Front to back cooling strategy
• Powder coat finish
• Access to back of motherboard
• Up to 4x 2.5" drives (less if using dual slot width GPU)
• Supports external power supplies

Will add more information here as I can.

Possible option:

The L5 has been confirmed. HYPE!

Also, second! (Other than te OP that is.)

 

[ChinStrap]

I like those front fans.

 

[Solo]

I totally prefer hex screws lol. They don't strip, and as long you have a hex driver or multi bit driver with hex bits, I literally have no idea what the big deal is.

 

[kittysox]

Call me crazy but I love the retro mountain mods esque look of the grills

 

[NoSk0pz]

yeah i'm kind of digging the grills. vented option looks good as well, but the grills are unique (at least to me)

 

[dumplinknet]

Don't like how the top has that metal seam all in your face with those screws. Can't it be relocated to the bottom?

 

[brt02]

Looks like the same is true of the bottom side though.

Loving that second render. Agreed with the comment above, it's unique.

 

[Daemos]

I still use my L2 although I wish it could support more powerful graphics cards

 

[el01]

looks beautiful

 

[Lone]

I totally prefer hex screws lol. They don't strip, and as long you have a hex driver or multi bit driver with hex bits, I literally have no idea what the big deal is.

Luckily, it's very inexpensive for someone to buy hex screws for the case if they would like. I could never find hex screws with a nice dark black finish. They often had an oily residue. Despite being M3 in size, the M3 hex head diameter was noticeably larger than the M3 phillips flat head diameter. I prefer the phillips head screws I use now, and have never stripped one. They are stainless steel, which may help. The finish is a nice deep black, no oil residue, and they have a smaller diameter head, which fits the cases countersink holes better.

Don't like how the top has that metal seam all in your face with those screws. Can't it be relocated to the bottom?

I think the seams give it character. The L4 had two seams on the right side, and interestingly I found I enjoyed the look of that side more than the side that had no seams. The screws, I would like to get rid of someday if possible. In reality, I've found most of these minor issues tend to disappear (especially with black), and aren't worth delaying production over. I went down that road with the L4, and it came back to bite me. The first L4 designs actually looked identical to the L5 (with the seam on top).

Here's an early rendering of the L5 without screws:

 

[smitty2k1]

I like the circular grills instead of vents but one question - is it possible to use rubber pins to mount fans for silence in combination with those grills?

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

/* subscribed */

I like both option. The second one looks like a laboratory tool, would totally see a suite case like handle.

 

[Biowarejak]

I like the circular grills instead of vents but one question - is it possible to use rubber pins to mount fans for silence in combination with those grills?

Depends on the hole sizing on the grill, the case, the fan, and the depth of all three. Fitting those is not what I'd call a fun time, but might actually look better than screws

 

[owliwar]

I like the screws honestly, and the front vent, but I can see the circular grills working.

 

[NoSk0pz]

i prefer the seam without screws, but totally understand that removing them could cause some unforeseen issues

 

[rcradiator]

Just curious, is there any chance of supporting the HDPlex 160w AC-DC? A 4L build with good CPU cooler clearance and internal PSU would be the dream portable pc.

 

[Lone]

Just curious, is there any chance of supporting the HDPlex 160w AC-DC? A 4L build with good CPU cooler clearance and internal PSU would be the dream portable pc.

@Thehack is working on something for this. There's no room in the L5. Personally, my wish is for a 12V internal AC PSU that's the same length as a Mini-ITX motherboard, but much narrower than current offerings.