Prototype MT5: 5.4L Expandable case for mini GPUs

[CC Ricers]

the woodpanal looks rly nice ^^

There's actually no wood on the front, that's just the lighting reflecting from the vinyl texture Side wood panels could be an option for the case, though!

 

[CC Ricers]

I'm planning to add front vents for better GPU cooling and also break up the bare front. Here, I'm going for a basic vertical pattern. This is just one of several updates to the case design that will be done for the production run. What do you think?

More and more I'm also thinking about carrying the vents motif to the top and bottom sides. This way the case's look is more uniform, and attachable side panels are limited to the left and right only.

 

[Yuhuo]

I think the bare panel design looks better, but the vents will probably help alot with the cooling.

 

[winterbladexx]

Agreed. Solid front panel looks better in my opinion. Glad the way this project is progressing.

 

[CC Ricers]

Thanks. And that's some interesting feedback on the slotted panel. I'm trying to keep printing costs as low as I can, and seeing if the slots would make a big difference in that.

 

[CC Ricers]

Going back to the solid front for now, here's a few changes to the case. It also clearly shows how the GPU is inserted into the case. Mainly, you should only have to remove the top part and sides most of the time to install anything. The motherboard with its components should just place in when the case is laid on one side. This is the wider version, by the way.

 

[CC Ricers]

I recently upgraded my test build. I now have the Sapphire mini RX 570 inside which I think looks more slick here with the all-black look.

Will have to take some better pictures soon, with side panels and in better lighting. That's not the only upgrade I'm making, though. I also have a Ryzen 3 2200G which will then has to be paired up with an AM4 motherboard, so I'll be all AMD in my build by next month. The 2200G is also tempting me to make a design for APU-only builds...

Right now I'm still getting used to Radeon Wattman software as I can't get the power settings how I want them to be. I've had my computer shut down at least three times due to high power consumption, strangely coming from a R9 285 which uses even more watts. I have to resort to using Afterburner again to tune the power settings.

 

[CC Ricers]

Some further developments with my continued use of the case:

• When I printed the prototype, I mistakenly made the model 2mm narrower than intended. The side panel on the motherboard side won't close completely with a HD-PLEX 160W or Dynamo Mini installed. Production version will not have this problem as it will have the correct dimensions.
• Top side feels very warm when running the GPU in semi-fanless mode. That can be easily corrected with a fan curve, though.
• Still debating whether to design around brass threaded inserts or have the holes self-thread in the plastic.
• I was able to tame most of the PSU cables with some Velcro ties. The 4x SATA cable is a huge pain in the neck, though- it's rather excessive for a case this size.
• I have figured out that the best orientation for a HD-PLEX 400W DC unit is to have the heatsink face the outside, with connectors towards the inside. This gives the most possible room to route the cables in the case.
• The 400W setup will obstruct the vantal-style switch. Whooops! I would be into replacing the vandal switch to something more subtle, in particular a capacitive touch switch in the same location. Now that will be stealth!

For the side panels, I have settled on some rather oversized diagonal vents at least for the initial design on releasing this case. All the "first run" cases will have this design. The opposite side will have a different vent arrangement that is more suitable for CPU cooler coverage.

As first run, probably a run of 8 or 10. TBH, I haven't done much market testing to see the potential sales I could make. I'm doing the promotion all alone it definitely doesn't have the buzz that the LZ7 case did during its prototype phase. (Maybe people have gotten less excited about new cases or I just need to be better at marketing....)

 

[CC Ricers]

Been a short while since I posted an update, but now I'm considering an additional channel to provide the case. In order to make logistics easier for me, I will consider offering the .STL files for sale, via a storefront for 3D printing, so you can purchase them and print the case for yourself.

These .STL files will contain all the parts necessary to build the entire frame and motherboard tray, and you just need to supply the screws to put it together (which will be specified among the group of files). For sake of completeness, I could also create .STLs for the side panels so you can have a full enclosure.

I haven't yet chosen a storefront to upload my files to, so stay tuned.

 

[xcrco]

any updates CC?

 

[jujudk]

I haven't followed the projetc but oh boy
That look so nice

 

[CC Ricers]

Sorry for the inactivity but I'm still figuring out what steps I should take next for the following model update. I want the next design that I produce to be the final, production design and with that everything must fall into place very well. The biggest difficulty of building in my case is getting the GPU to fit without bending the case. The parts won't break when you flex it a little, but I'd like to maintain good user friendliness especially with this size.

Also, using different materials for an updated design is possible. I may switch to PETG or ABS for the outer shell, also going with a single continuous wrap around piece, which would provide a glossy, hairline texture for the exterior like the Chopin case.

The motherboard tray mounts could be integrated more easily into the wrap around piece as well as optional add-on attachments for power components like a Dynamo 360, Meanwell, or J-Hack One2 distro board. This might mean printing less pieces for the entire case.

 

[dv4der]

instead of having the SSD centered. Arrange so it maximizes the amount of 2.5 drives are you can install.

 

[jujudk]

Isn't this setup with a smaller psu than flex atx ?

 

[CC Ricers]

I'm trying my shot at another type of design, which is a departure from the rounded cube case. In fact this shares the same design cues as the Thin-X case that I've made before, so I may actually want to go in this direction to add consistency to the products. That means you'll get a more angled look to the case instead of rounder, smooth shapes.

It's still mostly an extension (literally) of the Thin-X design but set up to accommodate the GPU in the same layout. You'll need a different set of acrylic side panels but this might actually prove cheaper to build the frame due to less material being used.

Isn't this setup with a smaller psu than flex atx ?

Yes, it doesn't use an internal AC-DC PSU but instead would be designed to rely on a DC only unit like the HD-PLEX. Won't be able to fit a Flex ATX without making it at least 40mm taller or longer.

 

[Thehack]

I'm trying my shot at another type of design, which is a departure from the rounded cube case. In fact this shares the same design cues as the Thin-X case that I've made before, so I may actually want to go in this direction to add consistency to the products. That means you'll get a more angled look to the case instead of rounder, smooth shapes.

It's still mostly an extension (literally) of the Thin-X design but set up to accommodate the GPU in the same layout. You'll need a different set of acrylic side panels but this might actually prove cheaper to build the frame due to less material being used.




Yes, it doesn't use an internal AC-DC PSU but instead would be designed to rely on a DC only unit like the HD-PLEX. Won't be able to fit a Flex ATX without making it at least 40mm taller or longer.

One can install a meanwell UHP-200 below the gpu, laid next to the riser. May require a couple mm increase to the depth of the case. It was one of my brainstormed layouts.

Also for something like this, material cost is likely very small compared to machine time and machine volume cost.

 

[CC Ricers]

I'm going to keep optimizing this for better use of exterior machine volume. It's slightly over 200mm in two dimensions but I can get it down to less than that. ABS is strong enough I hope to have the frame stand on its own but having the front, top and bottom panels will definitely work for sturdiness.

I'll even entertain the option for metal panels, although it may look a bit weird having metal sides with a plastic frame.

The UHP-200 could fit without additional depth. It will be a tight squeeze, though. You'd definitely need to have the AC plug offset from the ends of the PSU, meaning you won't have it routed directly behind the PSU, but above it or to one side.

 

[Thehack]

I'm going to keep optimizing this for better use of exterior machine volume. It's slightly over 200mm in two dimensions but I can get it down to less than that. ABS is strong enough I hope to have the frame stand on its own but having the front, top and bottom panels will definitely work for sturdiness.

I'll even entertain the option for metal panels, although it may look a bit weird having metal sides with a plastic frame.

The UHP-200 could fit without additional depth. It will be a tight squeeze, though. You'd definitely need to have the AC plug offset from the ends of the PSU, meaning you won't have it routed directly behind the PSU, but above it or to one side.

I would put it above the GPU. You need at least 15mm of clearance anyways for the GPU's power connector.

 

[CC Ricers]

I would put it above the GPU. You need at least 15mm of clearance anyways for the GPU's power connector.

That could work. The PSU is skinnier than I thought- 26mm is a great profile. It's narrow enough to not interfere with the PCIe cable placed behind it so there can be more room for the GPU.

Looks like I'll update the design to make it work with the ULP-200. One caveat though is that it needs a large aluminum plate as an extra heatsink to meet the 200W passive capacity. Otherwise I'll add support for thin case fans as an added countermeasure.

 

[CC Ricers]

After giving it some thought I've decided to work on the extended version of the case next. I will call this one the MT5, as it is about 5.2 liters in size.

I think this case would be accessible to more users as it can accommodate more internal power supplies. It is the same kind of case design I posted a while back, with room for either a Flex PSU in the front or a longer GPU.

Possible GPU length is up to 175 mm with a Flex ATX power supply, or up to 219 mm without. The shorter RTX 2060's and 2070's could fit inside this case.

This is the final design I am going with the 5 liter version. It is cleaner and can be 3D printed out as one larger part or a few smaller ones. The motherboard tray is not shown as that part won't be printed. It would make up part of the internal frame out of sheet acrylic. Essentially this would be an all plastic case with a hard outer shell.

I've already placed an order for one prototype to be printed in ABS. After receiving this part, production of the interior frame and panels could begin.

I may immediately buy a 300W flex PSU afterwards to try out cable management with. The Seasonic SSP-300SUB is a likely choice.