Completed Pluto: a 13L wood top tower by Artesian Builds

[Shatrod]

Thanks for the feedback @neiru37 and @Diamorif ! this is extremely valuable.

I am still waiting on paperwork from Artesian to settle, but in the meantime I have been thinking about updates to the case that I want to try to do going forward. Some of these are directly driven by the feedback, and I wanted to share what the plans are. In no particular order:

Power button - strongly considering putting a low profile mechanical switch on a dedicated PCB and hiding it completely between the top metal panel and the wood. There will be no protrusion at all into the case. Since this is interfering with radiator placement and thus functionality, I really want to address this. While were on this PCB topic, how do people feel about top IO? I can maybe conceivably put a usb-c port next to the button... maybe. wont know for sure until I try.

second radiator mount - I want to abandon the two little side brackets and instead go with one large panel, kind of like the NR200 does it. Not sure about putting it on a hinge. Although hinges would be great, it may be a rather costly addition if something needs to be welded. I will explore it but no promises.

wiggly feet - im trying to move away from wood feet entirely, and only leave the wood top. Small pieces of wood love to warp and the feet are susceptible to this. Im considering going with 3d printed feet instead. in small-ish quantities I can make these myself for just the cost of filament which is nice. But im not married to this idea either if there are strong objections.

shrouding - I feel like this very specific. I dont think il include a shroud but if you want I can supply a file for you to 3d print?

overall dimensions - I will very very likely make the case about 8mm wider, and probably 2-3mm taller. I feel like it will not make a significant difference to how the case looks, but will open up a lot of new possibilities. The extra height will allow corsair 280mm AIOs to fit (they currently dont by... about 1-2mm, NZXT ones fit). The added width will allow us to: a) fit true 3-slot GPUs. b) replace the 60mm fans in the rear with 80mm fans. and c) add enough air cooler clearance to fit a Noctua C14S (with only one fan though).

new hardware compatibility - full ATX motherboards. Putting one of these in would require the PSU to relocate which is okay, and will completely eliminate support for liquid cooling. It will have to use an air cooler. But still, having this support doesn't hurt. I am thinking of how to best incorporate tube pass throughs so external radiators remain supported.

 

[threestripevida]

Glad to see the case will still live and these changes seem pretty good. Looking forward to seeing more.

 

[SFFMunkee]

Thanks for the feedback @neiru37 and @Diamorif ! this is extremely valuable.

I am still waiting on paperwork from Artesian to settle, but in the meantime I have been thinking about updates to the case that I want to try to do going forward. Some of these are directly driven by the feedback, and I wanted to share what the plans are. In no particular order: * snip *

So glad to see you've not abandoned it @Shatrod!! Your design really is a masterpiece and deserves the continued development

 

[neiru37]

Power button - strongly considering putting a low profile mechanical switch on a dedicated PCB and hiding it completely between the top metal panel and the wood. There will be no protrusion at all into the case. Since this is interfering with radiator placement and thus functionality, I really want to address this. While were on this PCB topic, how do people feel about top IO? I can maybe conceivably put a usb-c port next to the button... maybe. wont know for sure until I try.

+1 on low profile switch, I was actually looking for alternatives on amazon, but since abandoning the idea of a second radiator after finding out a single one is sufficient for my current build, I was okay with the current button.

RE: top IO: Might be practical, but might also break the aesthetics of the case. Personally I'm fine either way since my PC is lengths away from my desk anyway.

second radiator mount - I want to abandon the two little side brackets and instead go with one large panel, kind of like the NR200 does it. Not sure about putting it on a hinge. Although hinges would be great, it may be a rather costly addition if something needs to be welded. I will explore it but no promises.

Hinge is definitely going to cost more, so this would not be a good idea for mass production. Would make for a great However a compromise I can think of is using the front lip where the side panel is screwed onto as the mounting point for the radiator mount instead of the front and back of the case where it is now. It might be easier to plop the entire second radiator assembly on top of the case and screwing it all down from the side panel instead of needing to float the radiator in place while you screw the mounts from the sides.

I think the current two piece radiator mount works well though, especially since I can do something like this:


where I can add additional cooling without losing the ability to showcase the motherboard area.

Also while on the topic of mounting hardware, might be a good idea to add specific screw holes for the EK FLT series of pump/res combos. I know the case is currently set up for tubular pump res combos but the EK FLT series enforces the theme of having a "slim and sleek" build. This isn't necessary though as the current hexagonal perforations are spaced well enough for me to mount them FLT80.

wiggly feet - im trying to move away from wood feet entirely, and only leave the wood top. Small pieces of wood love to warp and the feet are susceptible to this. Im considering going with 3d printed feet instead. in small-ish quantities I can make these myself for just the cost of filament which is nice. But im not married to this idea either if there are strong objections.

I say keep the wood feet. It adds a nice splash of accent color. I think the issue is less of the wood warping and more of the mounting not being secure enough. This can be addressed with thicker screws or a smaller hole in the metal frame. Also 3d printing that many feet would take a while, I feel like additive manufacturing processes like 3d printing take longer than subtractive manufacturing like CNC-ing wood.

shrouding - I feel like this very specific. I dont think il include a shroud but if you want I can supply a file for you to 3d print?

Would love some, thanks! Could also be an optional add on or a DIY thing for people with 3d printers.

overall dimensions - I will very very likely make the case about 8mm wider, and probably 2-3mm taller. I feel like it will not make a significant difference to how the case looks, but will open up a lot of new possibilities. The extra height will allow corsair 280mm AIOs to fit (they currently dont by... about 1-2mm, NZXT ones fit). The added width will allow us to: a) fit true 3-slot GPUs. b) replace the 60mm fans in the rear with 80mm fans. and c) add enough air cooler clearance to fit a Noctua C14S (with only one fan though).

+1 on a few mm more height especially for radiator mounting. I originally planned to use an alphacool 280mm rad but it was just a few mm short of fitting so I ended up using the corsair 280mm.

The added width would also allow for thicker rads and more space for tubing when using dual radiators which is a plus, however it does take away from the slimness of this case which is one of the things I really liked about it.

Adding a few mm for GPU length could also be considered. This is my earlier test fit for a 3070 ti before watercooling and it was pretty tricky to slot in. I had to put pressure on the plastic GPU shroud so it would bend slightly and force the card through the frame lip.

new hardware compatibility - full ATX motherboards. Putting one of these in would require the PSU to relocate which is okay, and will completely eliminate support for liquid cooling. It will have to use an air cooler. But still, having this support doesn't hurt. I am thinking of how to best incorporate tube pass throughs so external radiators remain supported.

Would be great if the case would be flexible enough to support this wide of a selection for configs, but maybe consider separating/spinning off the case into two versions: a thicker air version and a slimmer water cooling version. I worry that trying to accommodate the flexibility would lead to the case growing more and more in volume and would lose the essence of being a sleek and compact case with a focus on watercooling.

 

[MRRT]

As someone who was planning to both try an air-cooled build in this case and mod in a minimal top or front I/O panel these potential revisions sound good to me! With the rumours about the power draw of next generation GPUs compatibility for 3 slot cards may keep a lot of options open for people not looking to go fully liquid-cooled.

 

[Shatrod]

Hello everyone!

It has been quite some time, and I sincerely apologies for the lack of updates. The existing stock of the Plutos was purchased along with all other inventory from Artesian Builds by Computer Headquarters. I have been in touch with Alex, the CEO of Computer Headquarters. We chatted about the Plutos and I tried my best to highlight all the different pieces of the case to ensure that nothing is lost in shipping. Alex and his team have been spearheading an effort to assemble some of the Plutos and bring them back for sale.

As of now, they are available again to purchase on the CHQ ebay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dk...er-hq&store_name=computerhq&_oac=1&_nkw=pluto

I believe some of the earlier prototypes are mixed in with the production units, but dont hesitate to drop us an email to confirm. Additionally the manual is something that was lost in the ordeal as well, but I am here for any kind of assembly help and to answer any questions

 

[etal]

The manual could be salvaged from the web archive, here you go
Pluto Manual

 

[Shatrod]

The manual could be salvaged from the web archive, here you go
Pluto Manual

You are a legend. Thank you