Concept Modal Mk I: Adaptive Chassis Design - v2 UPDATE

c12

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Jun 25, 2020
9
12
Update 8.12.20

We are back at it with a pretty major update. I wanted to condense the overall design and really push the modularity concept. Some big changes happened and are listed below:

V.2 Changes

CNC'd Main Plates ( may return to a sheet metal concept given the machining complexity )
Reduced Volume by ~30%. Now just 12.6L ( opted to streamline the core product and allow for greater expansion )
Added Exterior Paneling and Front I/O
Developed 7L "Caddy" for air/water cooling and component expansion ( not sure if anyone would ever want to but you can add as many caddies as you want )
Removed reliance on thumb screws for module adjustments
Simplified PSU Mounting

Primary Renders:




v2 Specifications

Dimensions (H x W x D)

Main Chassis: 235mm x 148mm x 362mm
Caddy: 235mm x 82mm x 362mm

Volume
Main Chassis: 12.6L (Exterior)
Caddy: 7L (Exterior)

Material
2mm Aluminum Sheet
CNC Aluminum or Acrylic

Motherboard
mITX

PSU
SFX

CPU Cooler
~58mm (Primary Layout)
~140mm (w/ Caddy)

GPU
Length 330mm (2-2.5Slot)

Fans
4x 140mm or 4x 120mm (Primary Layout)
6x 140mm or 6x 120mm (w/ Caddy)


Radiator
1x 120mm (Primary Layout)
1x 120mm + 1x 240/280mm (w/ Caddy)

SSDs
4 Mounts (Primary Layout)
ALOT (w/ Caddy)

So yea... a lot has changed. I appreciate the feedback I have received so far and look forward to the continued responses. Thanks so much!

Heyo!
Been working on this project for a month now and I am excited to get some feedback. I am a long time lurker of the forum and long dreamed of designing a case but never got around to it. Given the times I figure it was a perfect opportunity to learn something new so I downloaded Fusion 360 and got too it. I have experience in digital design (graphic/product) but never 3D.

The original goal was to design an SFF case optimized for water-cooling as my current pc, although showing its age, is water-cooled and I am looking to downsize and upgrade in the somewhat near future. This soon evolved into a greater challenge: designing a malleable case able to adapt to different cooling and hardware needs/desires.

So introducing...

Modal
An adaptive ITX chassis.








Current Specifications

Dimensions (H x W x D)
271.5mm x 168mm x 392mm (no exterior/panels)

Volume
17.9L (Exterior)
Material
2mm Aluminum​
Motherboard
mITX​
PSU
SFX (Vertically or Horizontally Mounted)
CPU Cooler
Up to ~140mm (Expand Layout)
GPU
Length 360mm (2-2.5Slot)
Fans
4x 140mm or 4x 120mm (All configurations)
Radiator
1x 280mm/240mm (60mm Fan+Rad)
1x 140mm/120mm (60mm Fan+Rad)

Unkowns/Future Goals

Exterior
Dabbled with some ideas but wasn’t satisfied with anything yet. Definitely the hardest part of the build so far. Open to suggestions/inspiration.​
Orientation
It started vertical… went horizontal… thinking vertical again. Biggest drawback of a vertical orientation is the additional height needed to clear the I/O. Already feel like I am at the outer limit of the dimensions to be considered SFF so don’t want to add any more.​
Pump Locale
Currently would be a pump/res combo mounted behind the PSU on the sandwich layout, haven’t thought much more beyond that.​

Excited to hear some feedback on anything and everything. My experience in case design is obviously in its early stages to pointers, advice, and criticism is welcomed. Also, would anyone be interested in seeing this adaptive approach focused on a smaller chassis, perhaps one that focused less on water-cooling support?
Cheers!
 
Last edited:

Stinkybear

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Apr 7, 2020
98
91
Why not add an optional "stand" for vertical orientation. Then people can decide if they want it and they can choose whether to have I/O coming from the bottom like the H1 or from the top like Sliger SV. Maybe just make a hole for the power button and have enough cable for it to extend a few inches.
 

c12

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Jun 25, 2020
9
12
Why not add an optional "stand" for vertical orientation. Then people can decide if they want it and they can choose whether to have I/O coming from the bottom like the H1 or from the top like Sliger SV. Maybe just make a hole for the power button and have enough cable for it to extend a few inches.
Great point! Appreciate the response. I am currently working on an alternative version of the design that is smaller and a simplified a bit. In this version I am definitely trying to integrate an optional vertical stand component.
 
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