Completed Project Thin-X case: Super small, super flexible

[CC Ricers]

Here is the near final version of the case design. It shows a set up with a Thin Mini ITX board with discrete GPU, and two 2.5" HDDs/SSDs. The front panel shown is blank but more likely it will come standard with front USB ports (shown in the other drawings)

I've been going back and forth with different ideas on how to mount the SSDs, and decided that the simplest way for this case was to have the mounting holes directly integrated into the 3D printed shell. They're at 90 degrees with respect to each other so that the CPU cooler is allowed to breathe in fresh air more easily from above.

About the vents, I know that these vents are different from the circular vents I used in previous renders. But I decided to change them to harder edge slots as they fit better with the more angled look of the final design. They also ended up costing a bit cheaper to cut with laser.

Some ortho and iso views of the case. These show the front USB and audio ports installed in the front panel. This front panel setup is based on actual front panel board, which I have orderd a few of. These can be pre-installed for the case.

 

[CC Ricers]

Some news, not extremely good nor extremely bad but it's gonna involve launch delays. The case design as it is right now seems like it's gonna be too expensive for my budget to reproduce as well as to sell at a reasonable price. There exist several metal mini ITX cases in this form factor that cost about 50-60% of the price point that I was aiming for. So I would need to do a redesign, mainly on the 3D printed parts to reduce costs.

Due to the nature of 3D printing, it's not possible to receive bulk discounts for printing several pieces at once. This could mean either smaller 3D printed parts or even mod cubes (like these) would be necessary to reduce the costs. It will affect the design, in that it will not have all the angled edges as shown. Will be more of a traditional boxy look. I'd like to know if anyone would be willing to go for that style more.

 

[CC Ricers]

So I've decided that to keep costs down, and reduce complexity of the design a bit, I will first produce these cases as designed for Thin Mini ITX only, as it was in the original vision. That means that for now, it'll be a more niche product, but that also makes it easier to modify the design around the smaller selection of CPU coolers and graphics cards for these systems.

 

[Jello]

Are there any thin m-itx boards available for 8th gen Intel? Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but seems like it's almost dying off.

 

[CC Ricers]

Are there any thin m-itx boards available for 8th gen Intel? Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but seems like it's almost dying off.

That seems like it is unfortunately. Mini STX is on its way to replace it, however Skylake and Kaby Lake CPUs are still pretty good for gaming purposes. Asrock and Gigabyte have the best boards around for that right now. According to Gigabyte's product roadmap they do plan to release a new series based off the H310 and Q370 chipsets this summer (models with "TN" are their thin mini ITX boards).

While Mini STX is smaller in footprint, it has a few disadvantages I see with using it for adding discrete graphics cards. First, they don't come with PCI express slots, so an additional m.2 adapter is required to connect it, and you still need a riser cable after that. My case for thin mini ITX only needs the riser cable. Second, while larger STX boards exist for MXM graphics cards, these cards are still very expensive, and not easy to find in the open market.

My goal with this case has been all along to maintain a very small footprint with a board that can support the smallest discrete GPUs, without breaking the bank. Right now an ASL single slot GTX 1050 Ti is $208 which is a pretty good deal given its form factor. That is twice as powerful as the Vega 11 graphics in Ryzen, while fitting in a case of the same size.

This case can still support regular Mini ITX (so you could use Ryzen APU) but it will come with reduced support for storage (either stick a 2.5" SSD with strong tape somewhere, or use m.2 storage only).

 

[CC Ricers]

I've made some changes to the case in a way that don't deviate from the overall look and feel. By themselves, these changes are subtle, but altogether make it easier to produce.

First, the vent areas have been updated. The top is smaller, so less to look at, but is enough still to cover the area for low profile GPUs, or APU coolers. Side vents are also diagonal to match the look. Second, the power button has been moved from the middle right to the bottom right to remove risk of interfering with any GPUs. Third, the 2 hard drive mounts went from 90 degrees to each other, to mounted in parallel. This cuts a lot of 3D printed material to be used. Fourth, width of the case has been made slighly shorter as a result.

Here are the updated designs. A separate panel will be made for regular mini ITX boards (with additional input holes for DC power connections). I just need to check for measurement inconsistencies, clean up models and vector drawings to send the parts to be made. I'll be able to make 4 cases (and sell 3) for the first batch run.

 

[Windfall]

This would be awesome for a WS. Radeon Pro WX4100, i7, 32GB of ram. Oh man DROOOOOL.

 

[CC Ricers]

This would be awesome for a WS. Radeon Pro WX4100, i7, 32GB of ram. Oh man DROOOOOL.

I do have the Radeon Pro at least, just need 32GB ram and the i7

 

[Windfall]

I do have the Radeon Pro at least, just need 32GB ram and the i7

What mobo are you recommending? I wish there was room for an HDPlex.

 

[CC Ricers]

If you're talking about a thin mini ITX mobo to use for the Radeon Pro, there's no need for HDPlex. These have a DC input built in so you just need the power brick. I'm using the Gigabyte GA-H110TN GSM. This mobo works great with non-powered risers and cards that don't need an additional power connector.

 

[Windfall]

If you're talking about a thin mini ITX mobo to use for the Radeon Pro, there's no need for HDPlex. These have a DC input built in so you just need the power brick. I'm using the Gigabyte GA-H110TN GSM. This mobo works great with non-powered risers and cards that don't need an additional power connector.

i MAY be interested in one of these cases... if you cannot do a production run, maybe, sell me the cad files that way I could have my own made? I wouldnt share it. But for my fusion 360 work, this would be AWESOME!

 

[Windfall]

If you're talking about a thin mini ITX mobo to use for the Radeon Pro, there's no need for HDPlex. These have a DC input built in so you just need the power brick. I'm using the Gigabyte GA-H110TN GSM. This mobo works great with non-powered risers and cards that don't need an additional power connector.

Also- @aquelito's powered riser- could I power it off the Gigabyte GA-H110TN GSM? If so, I THINK I want one of these.

 

[Windfall]

Man. I'm spamming this thread. So: I have found a solution to my biggest issue with this case: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/project-cpr-customizable-pci-e-riser-up-to-x16.6120/page-3

This riser uses THIN cables. If that becomes a thing, I want one of these cases.

 

[CC Ricers]

What workstation card do you have? I figured quite a long time ago that aside from budget gaming, the case would also do well for a mini workstation rig as there are several different single slot workstation GPUs out there.

I'm using these PCIe Cables from AliExpress for now. They seem to be from the same OEM that @aquelito had for his flexible cables. They're non-powered, but the Gigabyte board (which he also uses) is handling the card with no problem.

 

[Windfall]

What workstation card do you have? I figured quite a long time ago that aside from budget gaming, the case would also do well for a mini workstation rig as there are several different single slot workstation GPUs out there.

I'm using these PCIe Cables from AliExpress for now. They seem to be from the same OEM that @aquelito had for his flexible cables. They're non-powered, but the Gigabyte board (which he also uses) is handling the card with no problem.

I'm going to GET a WX4100, but I want more cable management.

 

[CC Ricers]

I advise getting a roughly 10cm riser for this case. That's what I'm using, and it should be flexible enough so you can fold it about 2-3 cm along the way as this is how you'd get it to fit inside.

The moment of truth will be when I receive the case parts and start building inside it, because I would be able to fully test it for thermals with the lid covered and uncovered. And also try to see if I can flip it upside down and prop it up with some small feet so the card takes in fresh air from the bottom.

 

[Windfall]

I advise getting a roughly 10cm riser for this case. That's what I'm using, and it should be flexible enough so you can fold it about 2-3 cm along the way as this is how you'd get it to fit inside.

The moment of truth will be when I receive the case parts and start building inside it, because I would be able to fully test it for thermals with the lid covered and uncovered. And also try to see if I can flip it upside down and prop it up with some small feet so the card takes in fresh air from the bottom.

So, would you be willing to sell the cad files? I would pay the price of the case, so i could do some customization. Plus I have contacts who can 3d print stuff cheap!

 

[CC Ricers]

So, would you be willing to sell the cad files? I would pay the price of the case, so i could do some customization. Plus I have contacts who can 3d print stuff cheap!

So since the case is a combination of 3D printed and acrylic materials, I'm ordering the raw parts separately.
I'm more than likely going to order acrylic panels to be laser cut, enough for 5 cases. However, I will only be ordering one 3D printed frame, for my own case. The reason for that is, volume discounts for ordering parts only works well for the panels. Plus, this frame has never been printed before so I want to make sure the parts are a near perfect fit.

To take orders, I can sell the full price of the case. If you wish to pay full price, I would be able to print the frame for you and then ship you the case pre-assembled. The frame will be made of SLS plastic, so higher quality than PLA plastic.

Also, I've promoted this case in the SFF sub-reddit and had a few people suggest Kickstarter so they can make orders but for me still seems like a huge ordeal to take on...

 

[Windfall]

So since the case is a combination of 3D printed and acrylic materials, I'm ordering the raw parts separately.
I'm more than likely going to order acrylic panels to be laser cut, enough for 5 cases. However, I will only be ordering one 3D printed frame, for my own case. The reason for that is, volume discounts for ordering parts only works well for the panels. Plus, this frame has never been printed before so I want to make sure the parts are a near perfect fit.

To take orders, I can sell the full price of the case. If you wish to pay full price, I would be able to print the frame for you and then ship you the case pre-assembled. The frame will be made of SLS plastic, so higher quality than PLA plastic.

Also, I've promoted this case in the SFF sub-reddit and had a few people suggest Kickstarter so they can make orders but for me still seems like a huge ordeal to take on...

I think Im game. How much will this cost?

 

[CC Ricers]

I think Im game. How much will this cost?

Good question. I have priced these at $90 plus shipping for now, and with it you get rear panels for both mini ITX and thin-mini ITX, front I/O and necessary fasteners. They will come in matte black (exterior side) with the front panel being gloss black.

Might hold off on power buttons as part of the price, though, since I haven't yet gotten all of them, and unless I can find short vandal-style switches that have connection cables already, I will have to solder them myself.