Concept M-itx gaming PC based on PS4 looks and flex-atx PSU (8.6 litres)

allison_Protocase

Chassis Packer
Protocase
Jul 2, 2015
16
26
www.protocase.com
I tried the program after posting this. to be honest it is not very easy to use but I got the hang of it. I have quite a few issues however i was able to choose a ready made template for mini itx...entered my case dimensions and it was automatically drawn as a rectangular box.
problems are
1. I cannot edit the location of the cutout for the rear IO + PCIe...tried everything
2. I can do the angles on the side panels...but I cannot make the front panel + back panel inclined...they are just straight up and making the side panel
angled creates a gap.
3. I think I am able to create the needed cutouts for like Front IO and rear power for the PSU.
4. I am not able to easily create the SSD mounts that also serve as cable management hideouts

Sorry to hear you're having troubles. Protocase Designer is a helpful tool, but for certain kinds of builds, it might not be able to do everything you need it to. I've forwarded your comments to our Protocase Designer developer team to see if there are any workarounds. Will keep you posted!
 

allison_Protocase

Chassis Packer
Protocase
Jul 2, 2015
16
26
www.protocase.com
I tried the program after posting this. to be honest it is not very easy to use but I got the hang of it. I have quite a few issues however i was able to choose a ready made template for mini itx...entered my case dimensions and it was automatically drawn as a rectangular box.
problems are
1. I cannot edit the location of the cutout for the rear IO + PCIe...tried everything
2. I can do the angles on the side panels...but I cannot make the front panel + back panel inclined...they are just straight up and making the side panel
angled creates a gap.
3. I think I am able to create the needed cutouts for like Front IO and rear power for the PSU.
4. I am not able to easily create the SSD mounts that also serve as cable management hideouts

I heard back from our lead developer, he says:

1) The locations cannot be edited because they need to line up with the board on the base

2) The templates weren't intended for modification to the 3D geometry, only size.

3) You can find SSD mounts in the Cutout Library (under Hardware > Computer Hardware) but if you want special ones, we may need to add them. If you have CAD drawings for the SSD mounts you wish to use, you can send them to me (marketing (at) protocase . com).

You can also use the ones found in the Cutout Library as a placeholder, and then ask for modifications in the notes of your file. Our Engineering and Design Services team can handle it from there.
 
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ashrafmmahdy

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Jul 26, 2017
22
12
I heard back from our lead developer, he says:

1) The locations cannot be edited because they need to line up with the board on the base

2) The templates weren't intended for modification to the 3D geometry, only size.

3) You can find SSD mounts in the Cutout Library (under Hardware > Computer Hardware) but if you want special ones, we may need to add them. If you have CAD drawings for the SSD mounts you wish to use, you can send them to me (marketing (at) protocase . com).

You can also use the ones found in the Cutout Library as a placeholder, and then ask for modifications in the notes of your file. Our Engineering and Design Services team can handle it from there.
thank you for the very detailed reply really appreciate it :)
does that mean I have to create my own template from scratch? will I be able to create a similar one to the google drive images?
as for the ssd mounts I think my problem is the not the mounts themselves :D but the cable management bracket they mount on to hide the cables of the psu...cant imagine drawing it to scale easily enough :/ i want to send you guys the sketch but I am afraid of the design costs (I live in Egypt and our economy is not the best right now :S)
 
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allison_Protocase

Chassis Packer
Protocase
Jul 2, 2015
16
26
www.protocase.com
thank you for the very detailed reply really appreciate it :)
does that mean I have to create my own template from scratch? will I be able to create a similar one to the google drive images?
as for the ssd mounts I think my problem is the not the mounts themselves :D but the cable management bracket they mount on to hide the cables of the psu...cant imagine drawing it to scale easily enough :/ i want to send you guys the sketch but I am afraid of the design costs (I live in Egypt and our economy is not the best right now :S)

I understand completely. It's difficult for me to give many definitive answers, since our engineering & design services team are the best ones to answer those questions. So, I'd recommend getting your design as close as possible to what you're envisioning, and then sending it into info@protocase.com. An account manager will connect you with our engineering team to provide a quote for what you've mapped out for your design.

Of course, you can just send in your sketch if you'd prefer - we do offer design services for an hourly fee, but that would add in an additional cost.
 
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ashrafmmahdy

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Jul 26, 2017
22
12
The video card bracket overlapping the motherboard's rear I/O is a bit of a problem, don't you think?
sorry for the super late reply, yes the fitting is not ideal due to sketchup's way of attaching objects to each other, but fret not, when i decided on the dimensions I measured my actual Itx PC (RVZ01-E) took my MBs width, my GPUs width (Asus and G1 gaming 1070), got the PSU dimensions online and went from there. I think 350mm is plenty :)

I have little expeience with 3d modeling software like solid works, i'm a civil eningeer so autocad and sketchup and (somewhat loosely) revit are my strong(ish) points XD
 

ashrafmmahdy

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Jul 26, 2017
22
12
Pretty cool concept, but yeah that overlap is a bit of a problem. I assume you don't like external PSUs? Also, I think there might be enough room for a 240mm rad above the GPU, and if you stick with a short PSU, you can probably stick it behind the MB, reducing the volume and wasted space a tad, but it would make cable management an absolute nightmare.
sorry for the super late reply, for the external PSU i made another design that is even smaller, check it out, its about 6.5 litres and uses HDplex
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MdEYf5WpFMToQRc5-8BZC9CgxOLCAybu

for the overlapping, this comment is a copy from the one before it, basically, the fitting is not ideal due to sketchup's way of attaching objects to each other, but fret not, when i decided on the dimensions I measured my actual Itx PC (RVZ01-E) took my MBs width, my GPUs width (Asus and G1 gaming 1070), got the PSU dimensions online and went from there. I think 350mm is plenty :)

I have little expeience with 3d modeling software like solid works, i'm a civil eningeer so autocad and sketchup and (somewhat loosely) revit are my strong(ish) points XD
 

Necere

Shrink Ray Wielder
NCASE
Feb 22, 2015
1,719
3,281
sorry for the super late reply, yes the fitting is not ideal due to sketchup's way of attaching objects to each other, but fret not, when i decided on the dimensions I measured my actual Itx PC (RVZ01-E) took my MBs width, my GPUs width (Asus and G1 gaming 1070), got the PSU dimensions online and went from there. I think 350mm is plenty :)
On the contrary, 350mm is borderline inadequate:

 
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Necere

Shrink Ray Wielder
NCASE
Feb 22, 2015
1,719
3,281
ooh, increasing that dimension to 355mm bumps me up to 9 litres :/ well this is bad news
It's only bad if you think it is. Protip: don't worry about it. Liter counts are just a you-know-what measuring contest. A 5mm difference doesn't matter in the real world. Make it the size it needs to be do what it needs to do.