Concept MK-2 (Sub 6L Watercooled SFF)

[Zackmd1]

keep in mind that when going with a single 25mm fan you have enough space for the fittings of the radiator. but when you got with 2 thin ones, the fittings might not fit anymore.

Exactly my concern... From what I have seen so far in terms of fittings, I will be locked to the 2 25mm thick fan option unfortunately.

 

[Zackmd1]

Added in countersunk screw locations to the render. Placement might change for the final iteration. I now need the front IO, power button, and radiator to arrive in order to finalize the inner frame design. Once that is done I should be able to order my first sample of the inner frame.

 

[Zackmd1]

If you want a pump/res combo, have you considered the XSPC Ion? It has a slimmer profile (about 50x58mm) with its pump smaller than the DDC types. The only possible issue I see is that I don't know if water will flow well if it's set horizontally. The pump seems to be designed for vertical orientation only.

I think moving forward I am going to go with the CPU block/Pump combos. It should allow for a much more compact water loop opening up more space for tubing and power delivery.

 

[GentlemanShark]

This looks crazy enough to work. If you want a pump/res combo, have you considered the XSPC Ion? It has a slimmer profile (about 50x58mm) with its pump smaller than the DDC types. The only possible issue I see is that I don't know if water will flow well if it's set horizontally. The pump seems to be designed for vertical orientation only.

Looking into it more if you want to fit a decent AC-DC power supply inside go with one of the Meanwell 300W units. Their open PCB has a size of 3x5 inches which should fit well on the side of the case. I imagine it will work best at the side facing the radiator. Doing rough calculations you can still keep the case within a foot long.

Keep in mind with the Ion that it has reliability issues and I'd be cautious with many reviews pointing out QC problems. It also isn't anywhere near quiet, but I doubt you were really going for that with slim 80mm fans and water-cooling.

 

[Zackmd1]

Just a quick and dirty size comparison....

Smaller overall footprint then an XBOX One S and just 9mm thicker.

 

[GentlemanShark]

Very nice!

 

[Biowarejak]

This looks crazy enough to work. If you want a pump/res combo, have you considered the XSPC Ion? It has a slimmer profile (about 50x58mm) with its pump smaller than the DDC types. The only possible issue I see is that I don't know if water will flow well if it's set horizontally. The pump seems to be designed for vertical orientation only.

I have this also, and I can confirm that horizontal is a no-go unless you absolutely have all the air out of your loop. It's powerful enough to suck bubbles down even when totally full.

 

[Zackmd1]

Just out of curiosity... As I am moving along with the design of this case, I am finding it more and more plausible to completely 3D print this design through Shapeways. A fully 3D printed version of this case would likely look very similar but with no acrylic window (although there would be no reason why it could not be modded to include one after purchase) and no aluminum outer shell. Specs would remain the same but with a few changes

Fully 3D printed design proposed specs

• Same size and overall design
• Standard mini itx components
• Pico style PSU or HDPLEX 400 watt PSU
• At least one 2.5" hard drive slot
• Support for both air and water cooling
• Support for single slot cards only if not water cooled
• Support for internal HDPLEX AC-DC adapter if not watercooled
• Highly customizable
• Estimated price around $200

Since the case would be designed to be printed in separate parts to minimize overall print cost, this would allow for a highly customizable case through different color and material options. I envision a case that could have a black main shell with bright red accents for the top and bottom vents as well as the front io area. Many different color combinations could be achieved. What would also be possible through Shapeways would be custom engraving of parts. So something like the window area in the current renders could be a flat panel that would have a giant area designated for custom engraved logos or text. Likewise, the front of the case could have the same treatment with custom engraved logos or text. What do you guys think? Would this be something worth pursuing if I could achieve the estimated price point?

 

[br3nd0]

 

[darksidecookie]

@Zackmd1 are you planning to use feet of some sort to lift the case of the surface to allow for airflow thru the radiator? or is this already taken into consideration?

 

[Zackmd1]

@Zackmd1 are you planning to use feet of some sort to lift the case of the surface to allow for airflow thru the radiator? or is this already taken into consideration?

In vertical orientation the case will require no lift or stands in order to have proper airflow over the radiator. There are plans to add previsions or design a separate stand for horizontal orientation to allow proper airflow.

 

[Zackmd1]

Radiator has arrived! Damn this thing is small!

 

[Chrizz]

Can't wait to see the temperatures!

 

[CC Ricers]

Make sure to flush it out well before testing!

 

[entropy]

Just curious, how much is it costing you on Shapeways and what material are you using?

 

[Zackmd1]

Just curious, how much is it costing you on Shapeways and what material are you using?

I will be using the new HP fusion jet nylon which provides a much more solid and strong part vs normal sls nylon. Right now it is looking like about $100 for the internal frame. Material cost is not much but their calculated machine build volume accounts for almost 2/3 the total cost. They certainly do not like big parts.

 

[Zackmd1]

Unfortunately it is not looking like the full 3d printed case is going to happen. With some basic test articles uploaded to shapeways the build cost alone is over $200...

 

[GentlemanShark]

Ah darn, what are your plans?

 

[Zackmd1]

I am looking into ways to decrease the size even further by changing the orientation of the radiator by 90 degrees. Instead of the radiator/fan assembly drawing air in on one side and exhausting it out the other, I toying with the idea of having a more traditional orientation where the the radiator will draw air in from the bottom and exhaust it out the top. This new orientation would work better for both horizontal and vertical placement of the case without the need for a stand and allows me to decrease the footprint quite a bit while only increasing thickness by 10mm. So the new dimensions for the case would be around 250mm x 210mm x 84mm at 4.4L.

 

[Zackmd1]

Tightly packed that is for sure.... This is a alternate design layout I am playing around with at the moment. Dimensions are 250mm x 210mm x 90mm for a total of 4.7L.

The benefits to this size increase are very apparent...

• No 90 degree fittings are required for the radiator which should allow for better flow with the lower power pump I plan to use
• Fans will be able to pull in cool air no matter the orientation of the case without the requirement for feet or an additional stand
• This design will allow the use of dual slot cards without modification to the DVI ports while also providing more height for RAM