UPDATE:
Guys let me first start off with an apology, I've been a bit quiet over the past few months.
Life hit me hard and between work pressures, a completely unexpected divorce and health complications I had to go back to basics and start taking care of my physical and mental health. I didn't want to do a half-ass job and rush this to market so the project was delayed on my own accord only.
Where things are at, at the moment:
- I need to provide feedback back to manufacturing around the most recent changes / optimisations.
- I need to order PCIe riser cables once the optimisations are done
Not sure how we're going to tackle the new NVLink connector. I'm hoping LiHeat can pull a magic trick out of their hat and make a shielded flexible NVLink connector.
In a way, this delay has been a good thing. The new cards are a very radical design shift. We now have a VRPort, new NVLink connector, VERY radically different founders cards, and several advancements in other fields. As the case is still awaiting final manufacturing corrections, these can be accounted for.
Things that I can see changing, but are not at all demands:
- Changing the front panel IO
- With the new VRPort, the space required for VR headsets on the front panel are dramatically reduced. While the legacy HDMI should not be forgotten, I have one suggestion for this. I think putting all the ports on one modular component would provide for a cleaner look and potential cost savings as you are manufacturing fewer parts per case, but equal total. Although a minor point, I think this would improve both the density and aesthetics of the front IO. (Also see edit 1)
- Potential change to riser cables/slightly complex NVLink riser.
- I know that the new NVlink connectors are both larger and farther forward. This poses obvious problems. Either you must make the top PCIE riser even slimmer, shift it back, or you have to make an NVLink connector which slims up towards the back like the OEM ones. Let's hope Li-Heat can pull it off. I don't quite have the ability to do High-speed stuff yet.
- As much as I love clean as possible acrylic with very few holes, I'm now questioning feasibility with the new generation.
- I'm concerned with the death of the founders edition blower cards, we have lost our last good blower card as far as I can recall. However, it's up to you if you want to keep it as is, or provide for the ability to use dual-fan cards, using the founders as a template (should be close enough for most dual-fan cards, but I can do an overlay to see where the best locantio.. With using the front radiator as exhaust, you should still have a negative pressure in the case, preventing stagnation of hot air. I still would have to model everything and sim it, but based on my understanding of fluid Dynamics, I (personally) don't see a problem with using open coolers like the new founders since you don't (read: shouldn't) really have the problem of it recirculating warm air. You may raise CPU temps 2-3C due to the increased temperature of the incoming air, but the air shouldn't saturate at all if what I am thinking is correct.
Like I was saying to Dan, you have a community around you that is willing to step up and lend a hand. I'm sure you have people all around that are able to do things that would help you in any way they can, me included.
[Away from talking about the case]
What's important is you keep moving forward in life. As you have already taken a step back and reassessed, you already did what I was going to say to do next. Now, that you have done that, make a list of what is important to you, put it somewhere you see every day, and always make sure you are doing what you need to to either achieve the goals you have set and are doing what you need to to maintain the rest. If you need to write down the steps to get there or stay there, do it. If you realize you can't do something by yourself, or realize you are slipping, reach out for help. Any momentary embarrassment you experience is far outweighed by what would happen had you neglected it. People are so busy nowadays that they forget anything that happens in a matter of days, but you shouldn't care what other people who don't matter think anyways.
Personally, I know I struggle with that last portion. However, I know that doing so would greatly benefit me, especially in hindsight when I told myself I should reach out and ask for help.
EDIT: While I dislike the decrease in the amount of front IO, I seem to be coming around on the keystone system. It's a cheap method of allowing users to *mostly* choose what's important to them and thus customize the case to their liking/needs. Doesn't change my opinion that it doesn't look great in my opinion. If it would be possible to have a front plate available that locks into those mounts and makes that area more flush, I think that may be a compromise.
EDIT 2: Now that I think more on it, my method slightly concerns me structurally, and that may be one of the contributing factors of it being the way it is. As a point against that line of reasoning, if you're punching through that much aluminum, I think you have more problems than that part breaking.
Edit 4 (I know out of order): With the additional width and height of the case, does it now support 280mm rads?
Edit3: With all the updates made to the case, do you plan to update the first post with updated information and photos for ease of access?
