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Completed Project Thin-X case: Super small, super flexible
- Thread starter CC Ricers
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- case thin mini itx
nah... I don't think you'll gain much, especially with m.2 drives being rare on thin itx.Here's a (rather blurry) pic just showing comparison between the ASL GTX 1050 and Radeon Pro WX 4100 in length. The WX 4100 is shorter by 20mm, and will be easier to install in this case.
And that I did. I installed the WX 4100 with drivers, and @Windfall you'll be happy to know that the system runs much quieter in this case with this GPU than the ASL 1050. Even with benchmarks running, it sounds like it's hardly breaking a sweat, and uses less power too.
This almost makes me want to save up for another workstation card as they would be amazing for this case. Maybe even the WX 5100 which Josh reviewed and he says are about as powerful as the 1050 Ti. I could make a custom back panel to fit full height graphics cards with it.
Not compared to others
Looks very nice !
I can tell you that after I installed a 2pin to 3pin adapter to my G1504 and hooked it onto an external fancontroller is it so much quieter. I also added some Arctic Cooling 1mm thermalpads to the Vram and replaced the thermal paste on the GPU with some Gelid GC Extreme, and the temperatures have reduced drastically. So now the card runs cool and much quieter.
I can tell you that after I installed a 2pin to 3pin adapter to my G1504 and hooked it onto an external fancontroller is it so much quieter. I also added some Arctic Cooling 1mm thermalpads to the Vram and replaced the thermal paste on the GPU with some Gelid GC Extreme, and the temperatures have reduced drastically. So now the card runs cool and much quieter.
this is turning out very very nice
Too much projects are turning out to be nice here
@cleveland , ebay and amazon, just go trhough the last 2 pages it's here
I have the WX 4100 installed in this case now. I also moved the SSD to the back to give the CPU cooler more air room. It does not seem to have any effect on temperatures, as the SSDs are mounted high enough so it doesn't obstruct the cooler much.
You should be able to mount even a 15mm thick SSD such as the new Intel Optane 905p. It depends on the cooler height, of course.
A new hard drive bracket will make it easier to install your 2.5" hard drives. First you will need to connect the SATA cables to the motherboard, then install the GPU and move the SATA cables underneath it, mount the hard drives to the bracket and then screw the bracket on to the case.
I recommend Akasa ProSlim cables or SilverStone CP11/CP11B cables as these are the best slim SATA cables to fit around the small spaces inside the case.
For my case I will be making it out of 1.6mm acetal, but for the rest, they'll be 3mm matte black acrylic. This is because I'm able to update the frame design to accommodate the 3mm brackets.
I'm still waiting to produce the brackets and also the corrected bottom panels as I have some other things to sell, to cover the costs.
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Other remarks I have about this case are that the air around the backside gets very warm when the GPU is at full load, as this is where most of the exhaust area is. The acrylic doesn't get hot to the touch, but the metal screws in the back might.
Also, when installing the GPU, hold it steady against the front, as well as when plugging in video cables because the rear panel might bow inward as you push it. I am looking into a sturdier panel design for a future batch of cases to reduce this.
You should be able to mount even a 15mm thick SSD such as the new Intel Optane 905p. It depends on the cooler height, of course.
A new hard drive bracket will make it easier to install your 2.5" hard drives. First you will need to connect the SATA cables to the motherboard, then install the GPU and move the SATA cables underneath it, mount the hard drives to the bracket and then screw the bracket on to the case.
I recommend Akasa ProSlim cables or SilverStone CP11/CP11B cables as these are the best slim SATA cables to fit around the small spaces inside the case.
For my case I will be making it out of 1.6mm acetal, but for the rest, they'll be 3mm matte black acrylic. This is because I'm able to update the frame design to accommodate the 3mm brackets.
I'm still waiting to produce the brackets and also the corrected bottom panels as I have some other things to sell, to cover the costs.
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Other remarks I have about this case are that the air around the backside gets very warm when the GPU is at full load, as this is where most of the exhaust area is. The acrylic doesn't get hot to the touch, but the metal screws in the back might.
Also, when installing the GPU, hold it steady against the front, as well as when plugging in video cables because the rear panel might bow inward as you push it. I am looking into a sturdier panel design for a future batch of cases to reduce this.
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Maybe temps will be bettet if you close the sides an add case fans like 3x40mm on left and right side.
For you idea for an full 1slot card i think an back to back design like the Dan A4 case would be work better cause gpu and cpu gets fresh air and hot air can go to the sides out of the case.
I realy like your work.
For you idea for an full 1slot card i think an back to back design like the Dan A4 case would be work better cause gpu and cpu gets fresh air and hot air can go to the sides out of the case.
I realy like your work.
Here my suggestion (if possible) for coolers with bigger than 80mm area:
First problem will be GPU temperature (but CPU cooler fan will surve as intake).
The following picture shows there's enough breathing room for the CPU cooler below the SSD. There's at least 10mm of space there.
Here's a view of the GPU through the top vents. It should be able to cover some CPU coolers for mini ITX as well, though in a few boards where the CPU socket is closer to the PCIe slot, it may not cover it as effectively. I have yet to test thermals for that kind of setup.
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What is about if you stick the low profile card in the normal way on the Board, how much bigger would be the case then in high? Then you can use normal itx pico psu and normal cooler like l9i. The base diminsion can be 180x180xH. And so long your high would be under 60mm you are under 2l volumen. Its a complet other design but be smaler and hold the same hardware with full pcie x16 Support
I think if you want to support full height gpu like amd wx 5100, hdd bracket will not compatible. You should add 2 style hdd mount first like main plan and second rotate 90°. That's what I hope you can create, and if it ready to order I hope can order it with 2 style back panel. (Or maybe 3 : mini-itx, thin mini-itx low profile, and thin mini-itx full height)
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For duke00 if you want full pcie x16 support, asrock can give it to you with upcoming thin mini-itx.
https://www.asrock.com/ipc/overview.asp?Model=IMB-1212#Specification
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For duke00 if you want full pcie x16 support, asrock can give it to you with upcoming thin mini-itx.
https://www.asrock.com/ipc/overview.asp?Model=IMB-1212#Specification
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Another small update:
Today I have removed the Thin mini ITX build for the case so I can test compatibility for Ryzen APU builds. I installed a regular mini ITX motherboard with the Noctua NH-L9a cooler, same configuration as used in the first prototype. I won't be testing this config with power and temperatures yet. For now it's just to see how well the parts fit. Pictures are not ready but I will explain in detail soon.
To further my testing endeavors I may sell my other mini ITX parts to help pay for other parts but I might consider other avenues for funding. When I showed off my previous build on Reddit a few have suggested doing a Kickstarter, but I'm not experienced with that and would need to figure out how to promote it effectively to reach the funding goal.
Does adding the 2 pin to 3 pin adapter actually let you adjust the fan speed with the controller? My guess is it plugs into one of the case fan connectors of the motherboard, but you adjust it through a dial on the controller?
If you plug the low profile card the normal way, with no risers, the case will be approximately the size of a Lone Industries case. Making the height approximately 90mm. The base also needs to be bigger than 180x180mm because of the added room in the front requierd for the power button and cables, and also to adjust for the angled edges that are all around the case. 190mm x 195mm may be the absolute smallest I could get it but that will make fitting parts more of a chore.
Yeah, I was thinking the same. Instead of one large bracket, I could probably split up the bracket into two parts, and combine both with two SSDs mounted normally. These are just very rough examples to illustrate the idea.
For one SSD, that can be rotated 90 degrees with another hole in the middle to hold it in place, and remove one of the bracket parts. You can choose to place it more towards the back or towards the front of the case.
Other possible ways that these brackets can be used is to mount case fans (for heatsinks above the CPU), or for those that want to go brickless in power, mounting points for MeanWell's smaller 150W power supplies.
Today I have removed the Thin mini ITX build for the case so I can test compatibility for Ryzen APU builds. I installed a regular mini ITX motherboard with the Noctua NH-L9a cooler, same configuration as used in the first prototype. I won't be testing this config with power and temperatures yet. For now it's just to see how well the parts fit. Pictures are not ready but I will explain in detail soon.
To further my testing endeavors I may sell my other mini ITX parts to help pay for other parts but I might consider other avenues for funding. When I showed off my previous build on Reddit a few have suggested doing a Kickstarter, but I'm not experienced with that and would need to figure out how to promote it effectively to reach the funding goal.
Does adding the 2 pin to 3 pin adapter actually let you adjust the fan speed with the controller? My guess is it plugs into one of the case fan connectors of the motherboard, but you adjust it through a dial on the controller?
If you plug the low profile card the normal way, with no risers, the case will be approximately the size of a Lone Industries case. Making the height approximately 90mm. The base also needs to be bigger than 180x180mm because of the added room in the front requierd for the power button and cables, and also to adjust for the angled edges that are all around the case. 190mm x 195mm may be the absolute smallest I could get it but that will make fitting parts more of a chore.
Yeah, I was thinking the same. Instead of one large bracket, I could probably split up the bracket into two parts, and combine both with two SSDs mounted normally. These are just very rough examples to illustrate the idea.
For one SSD, that can be rotated 90 degrees with another hole in the middle to hold it in place, and remove one of the bracket parts. You can choose to place it more towards the back or towards the front of the case.
Other possible ways that these brackets can be used is to mount case fans (for heatsinks above the CPU), or for those that want to go brickless in power, mounting points for MeanWell's smaller 150W power supplies.
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Here's an album of pics I took when I test fitted parts for a possible Ryzen APU build. The third pic shows the vent area exposing part of the CPU cooler, and the fourth pic is the clearance height above the Noctua NH-L9a. There's 8mm of clearance between the top interior and 37mm cooler, so it can occupy coolers up to 45mm in height.
Someone at /r/sffpc pointed out how they think total volume should include also the power brick, as it's considered getting around the limit for some. I consider it as a challenge to put a AC-DC PSU in the case and make my build completely brick-less Other case owners will be able to mount certain power supplies for the DIY-ers out there that also prefer brick-less builds.
Someone at /r/sffpc pointed out how they think total volume should include also the power brick, as it's considered getting around the limit for some. I consider it as a challenge to put a AC-DC PSU in the case and make my build completely brick-less
Other case owners will be able to mount certain power supplies for the DIY-ers out there that also prefer brick-less builds.
I need the apu version.. frealziesHere's an album of pics I took when I test fitted parts for a possible Ryzen APU build. The third pic shows the vent area exposing part of the CPU cooler, and the fourth pic is the clearance height above the Noctua NH-L9a. There's 8mm of clearance between the top interior and 37mm cooler, so it can occupy coolers up to 45mm in height.
Someone at /r/sffpc pointed out how they think total volume should include also the power brick, as it's considered getting around the limit for some. I consider it as a challenge to put a AC-DC PSU in the case and make my build completely brick-less
That's part of the design, to make the rear panels modular so you can either use a mini ITX or thin mini ITX board
Would you be okay with going completely m.2 for storage? You'll probably need to for most APU builds, unless you use a very short cooler under 30mm in height.
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