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

[CC Ricers]

I think the next steps I will take are to purchase a 5cm riser of the same 4x kind, and then design a back panel with the new positioning of the discrete GPU card for rear I/O expansion. The front vents of the case were meant to for intake air for the GPU but the 10cm riser puts the card right next to the power button.

I still probably have to do testing with the Ryzen APU in the meantime, though. These risers take up to 3 weeks to arrive to the US, and I can't find another place besides AliExpress to get this exact kind...

 

[jujudk]

Something like that ? (more expensive than the ones on aliexpress though)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BZBGX6/?tag=theminutiae-20

 

[Jello]

Something like that ? (more expensive than the ones on aliexpress though)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BZBGX6/?tag=theminutiae-20

Those are usually not shielded, which I don't think you'd want in a case this small, I could be wrong @CC Ricers.

 

[CC Ricers]

Something like that ? (more expensive than the ones on aliexpress though)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BZBGX6/?tag=theminutiae-20

Well, I can find those anywhere, and they're not always more expensive. They usually go for under $10 but the quality is not as good.

Also as @Jello said, these are unshielded. I'd prefer shielded risers in such a small case, just as the Dan A4 or the S4 Mini didn't use generic unshielded risers.

 

[CC Ricers]

After doing more test layouts with the discrete card, looks like stacking it on top of the motherboard will not work within the current size specs. But I can still use a case this small.

I'll have to go with the tried-and-true layout of placing the GPU to face opposite of the motherboard, like with the Dan A4 layouts or CustomMod Mini. Only difference here is my case using a thin Mini ITX board with a single slot card so the case can keep its narrow profile at 6cm tall.

I've also found another PCIe riser that looks to be of reasonable quality, made by Sintech.

These cables are thinner than the test riser I'm using so they should be able to flex more, and still have a low risk of EMI. Plus, it provides 75W power with a molex connection, so you can ensure that a single slot 1050 or 1050 Ti will work well with the cable. My current card consumes about 45W and the slot officially only supports 25W so I've just been a bit lucky that Gigabyte's boards can handle a bit of extra power output. But that cannot be guaranteed if you push up towards the 60W-75W range.

 

[CC Ricers]

I've started using my main system inside this case. The case is meeting my expectations well so far, but there's still a lot of improvements to be made.

I have pictures of this but they'll be uploaded later. I am not using it with an LP graphics card, but I have been able to tuck the SSD underneath. The motherboard has been raised by about 16mm with extra screws and standoffs, just enough to put the CPU cooler almost right underneath the top of the case. I believe it's just 1mm of air between the cooler and top.

I am using a Pentium G4400 (51W TDP) and CPU stays cool even with the case top in place. Remember, there are no vent holes in the top cover. 30C Idle, 40-45 while web browsing and watching videos, and 55C when running graphics intensive programs (I decided to give Overwatch a go- not a fun experience with Intel iGPU )

Based on the space availability I have with this build I have a much better idea on how to make the next case prototype. Here are some design features I want to include:

• More efficient use of 3D printed part space. Making the first prototype proved more costly than I thought. For the next iteration I want to reclaim print space by adding angled borders around the entire top perimeter for a better look, but leaving the bottom areas open, and removing the bottom back border. This results in minimal change in costs.
• Design for discrete GPU builds first, then for Ryzen APU. This doesn't have to do with how I think most users will plan their builds. I think, given the two options, Ryzen APU builds will probably be more popular with this case. However, it is easier to plan a case layout around the more complex setup of a motherboard with discrete GPU first, and then cutdown/reduce the interior part complexity for a APU build.
  
• Custom rear I/O panels. I want to sell the case with custom rear panels for select motherboards. The size constraints of this case reduces the number of optimal choices for motherboards and coolers, especially if you want to use a thin Mini ITX board. The upside to this is that I can narrow down good choices for motherboards and offer custom panels as a nice perk.
• Variety of front I/O panels. This feature won't be as hard to add as the others, but it will reflect on the type of case build the user wants to do. You'd be able to choose from an almost clean front panel with power button only, or up to 4 USB front ports. I'm not sure yet about adding front audio jacks, but I'll probably make a survey covering that.

 

[jujudk]

Really nice, but for the gpu not a lot are available as single slot ? Looking forward to this case for an apu build ^^ (with the custom rear panel it's a good idea)

For the front panel seriously i think a power button, a usb and an headphone jack is already great as all the IO is at the back (and not far)

Edit : upon checking i've found gt 1030 and rx 550 ti have single slot but no rx 560 or gtx 1050 :/
As for the pro gpu most of them are single slot but expensive

 

[warfreak131]

This is some cool stuff. I am building a very similar case myself. If you search for "The Gnome" here in the custom cases section you'll see it, along with its 0 replies...

What is the black riser you are using? I found one just like that on Ali Express but's it's pretty pricey, $27 inc. shipping for a 5cm length.

 

[Jello]

Really nice, but for the gpu not a lot are available as single slot ? Looking forward to this case for an apu build ^^ (with the custom rear panel it's a good idea)

For the front panel seriously i think a power button, a usb and an headphone jack is already great as all the IO is at the back (and not far)

Edit : upon checking i've found gt 1030 and rx 550 ti have single slot but no rx 560 or gtx 1050 :/
As for the pro gpu most of them are single slot but expensive

There is a gtx 1050ti that is single slot low profile.

 

[CC Ricers]

This is some cool stuff. I am building a very similar case myself. If you search for "The Gnome" here in the custom cases section you'll see it, along with its 0 replies...

What is the black riser you are using? I found one just like that on Ali Express but's it's pretty pricey, $27 inc. shipping for a 5cm length.

Thanks for the feedback, and I found your case too. I originally wanted to make a case out of metal but more difficult to follow through. Hope yours turns out well.

The riser you saw is probably the same kind I bought if it's in the area of $27. They do cost a lot although they are also nicely made, plus you have the option to add a 4-pin power cable to the side.

Really nice, but for the gpu not a lot are available as single slot ? Looking forward to this case for an apu build ^^ (with the custom rear panel it's a good idea)

For the front panel seriously i think a power button, a usb and an headphone jack is already great as all the IO is at the back (and not far)

Edit : upon checking i've found gt 1030 and rx 550 ti have single slot but no rx 560 or gtx 1050 :/
As for the pro gpu most of them are single slot but expensive

As @Jello said, there exist some single slot GTX 1050's. ASL makes a GTX 1050 that is single slot low profile, and found it's possible to buy on GearBest. It's not a common card but it's not impossible to buy. The 1050 Ti variety is called G1504 by model number.

 

[warfreak131]

Thanks for the feedback, and I found your case too. I originally wanted to make a case out of metal but more difficult to follow through. Hope yours turns out well.

The riser you saw is probably the same kind I bought if it's in the area of $27. They do cost a lot although they are also nicely made, plus you have the option to add a 4-pin power cable to the side.



As @Jello said, there exist some single slot GTX 1050's. ASL makes a GTX 1050 that is single slot low profile, and found it's possible to buy on GearBest. It's not a common card but it's not impossible to buy. The 1050 Ti variety is called G1504 by model number.

Thanks for the reply. How flexible are they if you don't mind me asking? The flexibility will determine what length and slot orientation I buy.

 

[CC Ricers]

Thanks for the reply. How flexible are they if you don't mind me asking? The flexibility will determine what length and slot orientation I buy.

They are a bit more flexible than the cheap PCIe risers with gray and blue ribbons. Still a bit wobbly but hold their shape better. Here is my 10cm riser from AliExpress pinched about 1.5cm along from the short end.

With the riser pinched, I can achieve the magical 7cm-8cm length I was hoping for and get a good mounting location for the GPU without it interfering with cables underneath. So these 10cm cable would do fine. At first I didn't want to bend the cable too much as I was concerned about damaging it, but it's holding up well.

The extra space on the left is so that the hard drives are able to fit alongside the GPU. This should be easier to design for the next prototype. I'm thinking one single tray for two SSDs and screw mounts for the riser on top of the CPU fan. The tray will be right above the fan, enough to keep the contacts insulated and away from metal.

 

[warfreak131]

They are a bit more flexible than the cheap PCIe risers with gray and blue ribbons. Still a bit wobbly but hold their shape better. Here is my 10cm riser from AliExpress pinched about 1.5cm along from the short end.

With the riser pinched, I can achieve the magical 7cm-8cm length I was hoping for and get a good mounting location for the GPU without it interfering with cables underneath. So these 10cm cable would do fine. At first I didn't want to bend the cable too much as I was concerned about damaging it, but it's holding up well.

The extra space on the left is so that the hard drives are able to fit alongside the GPU. This should be easier to design for the next prototype. I'm thinking one single tray for two SSDs and screw mounts for the riser on top of the CPU fan. The tray will be right above the fan, enough to keep the contacts insulated and away from metal.

Thanks for the info. I've also been eyeing that very same heatsink /fan which I've seen on eBay for about $30, how does it perform and is it quiet?

 

[CC Ricers]

Thanks for the info. I've also been eyeing that very same heatsink /fan which I've seen on eBay for about $30, how does it perform and is it quiet?

In open air it is very quiet, it only really is noticeable for some CPU heavy crunching tasks like benchmarks or high-quality rendering. Tends to get louder with it covered by the lid (which has no vents BTW) with just 1mm of space above it. I kind of expected it to be loud here since there's hardly any room for it to breathe. I've reported my temperature findings in this post.

Overall I would recommend this heatsink for this case if you were to use a discrete graphics card. This cooler is 21mm tall and max clearance should be 23mm with a GPU in place.

 

[warfreak131]

In open air it is very quiet, it only really is noticeable for some CPU heavy crunching tasks like benchmarks or high-quality rendering. Tends to get louder with it covered by the lid (which has no vents BTW) with just 1mm of space above it. I kind of expected it to be loud here since there's hardly any room for it to breathe. I've reported my temperature findings in this post.

Overall I would recommend this heatsink for this case if you were to use a discrete graphics card. This cooler is 21mm tall and max clearance should be 23mm with a GPU in place.

Thanks. I've been considering this cooler for some time. Based on the design of the Gnome, I think I have just a hair over 23mm available for cooler space, which means that the Silverstone nt07-115x should fit.

I've also been considering the fits for various graphics cards, right now the case is designed for single slot cards less than or equal to the length of an itx board, 17cm, and right now the GT 1030 reigns supreme, but I haven't looked up much on the 4100 mainly because it's a workstation card. How does it perform?

 

[jujudk]

In open air it is very quiet, it only really is noticeable for some CPU heavy crunching tasks like benchmarks or high-quality rendering. Tends to get louder with it covered by the lid (which has no vents BTW) with just 1mm of space above it. I kind of expected it to be loud here since there's hardly any room for it to breathe. I've reported my temperature findings in this post.

Overall I would recommend this heatsink for this case if you were to use a discrete graphics card. This cooler is 21mm tall and max clearance should be 23mm with a GPU in place.

Temps are pretty fine but as the fans are all at the "front" of the case, why not perforate it ? (the top:front of the case)
I do not mean to perforate it all but like a third or a quarter of the portion of the top cover, it should breathe more easily then
(also what cooler is this ? i thought blower desktop coolers didn't exist)

 

[CC Ricers]

Thanks. I've been considering this cooler for some time. Based on the design of the Gnome, I think I have just a hair over 23mm available for cooler space, which means that the Silverstone nt07-115x should fit.

I've also been considering the fits for various graphics cards, right now the case is designed for single slot cards less than or equal to the length of an itx board, 17cm, and right now the GT 1030 reigns supreme, but I haven't looked up much on the 4100 mainly because it's a workstation card. How does it perform?

There's also an Akasa cooler that is 21mm I believe, I'll have to go look for it.

The WX 4100 is roughly on par with the performance of a RX 460. Same Polaris 11 based chip with 1024 instead of 896 CUs. But its lower clock speed offsets that. It's pretty well made and handles a non-powered riser very well, hell I even put it through mining for a bit.

Temps are pretty fine but as the fans are all at the "front" of the case, why not perforate it ? (the top:front of the case)
I do not mean to perforate it all but like a third or a quarter of the portion of the top cover, it should breathe more easily then
(also what cooler is this ? i thought blower desktop coolers didn't exist)

At the time I didn't yet come up with a pattern for the top vents so I just made the top panel solid. I was able to try out the build with both extremes (open air and completely covered w/o vents). The next version should have vents that run across the length of the GPU if you want a discrete GPU, or the CPU cooler if you're going with a Ryzen APU build.

The CPU cooler I got from eBay, discovered it on another topic on these forums. Here is my post showing the cooler and the packaging it came in. Seems to come in several brands from an OEM.

 

[warfreak131]

What program are you using to design the case? I've been considering going with laser cut acrylic for The Gnome to further reduce costs, unfortunately, Protocase doesn't allow you to design with acrylic, as far as I know.

 

[CC Ricers]

I have bought a ASL G1502 from AliExpress (the GTX 1050 LP card) which I'll use for this setup, and paid extra for a faster shipping option. It should arrive in 12 days at the latest.

Just a bit over $170 with shipping included. It's a pretty good price considering the market affected by the mining craze, plus you get the nice LP form factor. The 1050 Ti (ASL G1504) goes for $220. Both these cards are a considerable step up over the GT 1030 and 2400G. And all still fit in the same 2.6 liter case

I'll also open up a poll to gauge interest on preferred builds for this case.

What program are you using to design the case? I've been considering going with laser cut acrylic for The Gnome to further reduce costs, unfortunately, Protocase doesn't allow you to design with acrylic, as far as I know.

I use Sketchup for all my designing and Indigo Renderer (free version) for higher quality renders. If you're going for laser cut acrylic mind the costs included in shipping and laser cutting time. I used Ponoko for my first prototype, but shipping does get expensive if you need bigger sheets, and they only give you a few sizes to choose from. I might shop around for other places for better prices.

 

[AleksandarK]

That card looks like a tiny rocket

But good job on finding it for 170$ !!! Its hard these days to find a solid GPU for that price.