Concept My first case design, Water Cooled

[Mince]

As the title suggests, this is just a concept.
This has been a very enjoyable project of mine that I've been working on for some time now. Being 15 and having access to a student version of Autodesk inventor 2017, I decided to make what was originally some sketches into an actual design in inventor. I've planned this to be a mITX custom loop capable case with 2 280mm rads and a 140mm fan. Overall, I'm really happy how it turned out, but it could still use a lot of work. Although it looks like a regular case in the picture, if I had something for scale, it would be much easier to tell how small it is.

MOBO: Nothing special here, just a regular mITX board
GPU: just a vertically mounted GPU to show off the nice looking side of the gpu (also to align the holes in the water blocks on the GPU with those on the CPU)
Fans/Radiators: Im planning on using caselabs' radiator mounts and slim 30mm radiators to be able to fit everything. I've double checked on all clearance issues that might exist and have given an extra 5mm in all spots where fans+radiators need to be mounted.
PSU: I've desgined it so the PSU (supports ATX PSUs) is mounted on its side at the bottom of the case, with a vent for the fan on the back of the case.
Resovoir: Still not sure on this one... I might try to mount it next to the 140mm fan and remove the hole for cables below it.
Storage: Planning on using M.2 storage for the most part, but there is enough room next to the mobo tray to mount a 2.5in drive of some sorts (or a Hue+)
Case: The overall dimensions of the case are around 420mm x 320 mm x 160mm (I cant get exact dimensions since I made this in a trial of autodesk inventor 2017 before I knew I could get a copy of the 2015 version through my school and autodesk inventor isn't backwards compatible. These dimensions are just from memory, the pictures are through autodesk's software "autodesk view")

Feedback is welcome, and appreciated.

As I said, this is my first design, I have plenty more ideas and I really enjoy sketching and designing cases and I really would love to get a job in a field like this one day

Plans for the future with this design:
- Determine Reservoir Location
- Determine 3.5in and/or 2.5in drive locations
- Make it look nice
- Turn it into actually manufacturable parts instead of one concept part.

 

[grumpyrobin]

I'm a noob at this but dimensions don't add up in my head.

so provided your ATX psu sits on its side it would be 150 mm + 170mm for mini itx = 320mm which leaves 0 mm for rad or fans. unless you have them leaning over the top of your mobo using that bracket you linked.

 

[Mince]

I'm a noob at this but dimensions don't add up in my head.

so provided your ATX psu sits on its side it would be 150 mm + 170mm for mini itx = 320mm which leaves 0 mm for rad or fans. unless you have them leaning over the top of your mobo using that bracket you linked.

Sorry should have been clearer, the PSU is sideways, not on the side of the case, if you look at the diagram and the cutout for the PSU at the bottom of the case it should be a bit clearer

 

[wywywywy]

But then the PSU would take 150mm of the 160mm or so width. How do you put a rad next to it?

 

[Mince]

But then the PSU would take 150mm of the 160mm or so width. How do you put a rad next to it?

As I said, it's mounded sideways, the PSU's 150-160mm side is sideways with a vent on the BACK of the case the height of the PSU would be the thing restricting the radiator mount. which I've allowed clearance for

 

[wywywywy]

So which side is the PSU intake fan facing? Because what you said just now goes against what you said to @grumpyrobin ?

 

[Colinreay]

Hey man, your case looks really cool right now! I'm in the same boat as you, 15 year old highschooler, who loves to think up concepts for cases. Your layout looks like a great start to me, the hard part comes when trying to envision how to make it out of sheetmetal. However, the PSU layout that others have discussed is a potential problem. If it is mounted sideways with a vent on the back (I assume you mean right side) of the case, then it still stands that you're going to need to make the height bigger. If you are making this out of aluminum, you'll need at least 1.5mm+150mm(PSU)+1.5mm+170mm(ITX Board)+50mm(Slim rad+fan)+1.5mm. That comes out to 324.5mm. Keep in mind that is assuming perfect tolerances, I'd suggest adding a few mm for clearance of the motherboard and PSU.

 

[Pendra]

You will be able to place one double or two single radiators. They will be bolted behind the front cover, air coming in through the front cover. This will reduce the length of the GPU you can use. Probably to something ~25cm. With one hole on it, you will be able to use only 1 single size radiator. Not enough for both the mobo and the GPU.
The ATX PSU have the fan facing up or down, not sideways. In this case, you will need more clearance between the Mobo/GPU compartment and the PSU. You have to raise that section higher. Or maybe turn it upside down, cut the bottom out and add legs to the case.

There is no such thing as perfect tolerance. My mobo, for example has the power right on the edge. The plug and clip is outside the 17x17 area.

 

[wywywywy]

If you are making this out of aluminum, you'll need at least 1.5mm+150mm(PSU)+1.5mm+170mm(ITX Board)+50mm(Slim rad+fan)+1.5mm. That comes out to 324.5mm. K

374.5mm

 

[Colinreay]

374.5mm

Derp. Maths is hard

 

[Mince]

But then the PSU would take 150mm of the 160mm or so width. How do you put a rad next to it?

You will be able to place one double or two single radiators. They will be bolted behind the front cover, air coming in through the front cover. This will reduce the length of the GPU you can use. Probably to something ~25cm. With one hole on it, you will be able to use only 1 single size radiator. Not enough for both the mobo and the GPU.
The ATX PSU have the fan facing up or down, not sideways. In this case, you will need more clearance between the Mobo/GPU compartment and the PSU. You have to raise that section higher. Or maybe turn it upside down, cut the bottom out and add legs to the case.

There is no such thing as perfect tolerance. My mobo, for example has the power right on the edge. The plug and clip is outside the 17x17 area.

Maybe this will help clear things up

 

[Mince]

374.5mm

Sorry, I guess I messed up with writing the dimensions down. I'll fix that.

 

[Pendra]

Yep, 42x32x16 makes a whole lot more sense. Also, it results a case that is bigger than some ATX cases.

 

[Mince]

Yep, 42x32x16 makes a whole lot more sense. Also, it results a case that is bigger than some ATX cases.

really? I can't imagine that being true. The height of a PSU and ATX Mobo is around 39.1cm which is only 2.9cm off from the total height of the case, and that's not counting any kind of fans on top. I guess some really weird design with the PSU put somewhere else could be smaller, even still, I could instead switch thing around and have a 280mm rad in front and the 140mm to the right of the mobo on top

 

[Pendra]

really? I can't imagine that being true. The height of a PSU and ATX Mobo is around 39.1cm which is only 2.9cm off from the total height of the case, and that's not counting any kind of fans on top. I guess some really weird design with the PSU put somewhere else could be smaller, even still, I could instead switch thing around and have a 280mm rad in front and the 140mm to the right of the mobo on top

How about this?

29x29x18cm, 15,1L. GPU goes all the way through. Can house 5cm tall RAM, a double size and a single size radiator+fan (6cm total thickness), ATX PSU plus it has space for plenty of 2.5s and a slim DVD.

Or this 34x23x19cm 14,8L. GPU goes all the way, 4cm RAM height and you need a 30cm PCI riser.

Hm, now that I think about it, I have already built a 35x25x20cm C4 case. That layout would make it Type D.

Also, a game. Be the first to name the case with this layout and link a picture .

 

[Mince]

-SNIP-.

I was wanting to make a custom loop PC and be able to show off the GPU, MOBO, RAM and the loop. which is why I made the top half have a "window" (just a hole in the picture).

Basically, a SFF fully custom loop but still being able to show off the internals. I know some people have crammed loops into the Node 202 but I dont know of a SFF case out there that also lets you show off your components with a nice window instead of just ventilation holes.

Currently im using the Lian-Li PC-05SX which is not exactly a "SFF" mini ITX case. It's also not a custom loop nor would it be capable of a custom loop with only support for a 240 rad.


Also, what program do you use for those pictures?

 

[Pendra]

If you switch the PSU and the Mobo position in the 1st design and add a riser cable, you can show off the Mobo and the GPU too.
SFF is more about cramming things and less about making it look clean, nice, tidy and spaceous.
Also your own design contradicts the idea to show off the internals because you put the GPU over the Mobo.

Edit
PC-05SX you say? That is something like 47x39x14cm. If you are up for a little chop chop then you can mod that case to hold 2 even 3 double radiators and a full size GPU and an ATX PSU and still show off. You would sacrifice some of the drives but who need 5.25 or 3.5 drives anyway?

 

[Mince]

If you switch the PSU and the Mobo position in the 1st design and add a riser cable, you can show off the Mobo and the GPU too.
SFF is more about cramming things and less about making it look clean, nice, tidy and spaceous.
Also your own design contradicts the idea to show off the internals because you put the GPU over the Mobo.

There is a 280mm Rad there so you wouldnt be able to see the mobo. However, I could just leave the GPU in the MOBO's PCI-E slot and not use a riser at all. That also wouldn't block the mobo.

When I was first designing this case I didn't intend it to be water cooled. As you probably know, the nice looking part of a GPU is the side normally facing down. Given I wanted it to look nice I figured I would add a riser, but now, that doesn't make much sense.

OH! Sorry, I thought you meant my design! Yeah, that's pretty neat, I could experiment with that layout, but that probably would have airflow issues with the bottom rad, If I move it to the right side of the mobo and a res and pump on the bottom, that probably could work.

 

[Pendra]

There is a 280mm Rad there so you wouldnt be able to see the mobo. However, I could just leave the GPU in the MOBO's PCI-E slot and not use a riser at all. That also wouldn't block the mobo.

When I was first designing this case I didn't intend it to be water cooled. As you probably know, the nice looking part of a GPU is the side normally facing down. Given I wanted it to look nice I figured I would add a riser, but now, that doesn't make much sense.

There you go, PC-05SX with ATX, double rads, mobo visible, GPU visible, front fan and plenty of space below the mobo/GPU to hold drives, cables etc. Stuff you don't want to be that visible.

On the other hand, if you keep the PSU below the GPU, you will have plenty of space for the pump to be visible and lit up.

 

[Mince]

-SNIP-

I would go into modding if I could... Being 15 years old, I don't really know where to start or how to get the tools I would need, not to mention, money is not unlimited.