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Production S700: Salvo Studios <23L ATX Steel Watercooled Unibody Chassis

Allhopeforhumanity

Master of Cramming
May 1, 2017
546
535
I've decided I like the hexagonal vent pattern better than the slotted design. The slots are nice when hiding the mounting holes for the radiators, but this design is not going to have vents on either side to keep machine time down and perhaps allow for tempered glass to be used (if possible). At this point however, I think I will be using acrylic panels and will need to find a way to make them easily removable.

I just need to stop sitting on this design and make it. Therefore, I am going to stop trying to get a slim DVD drive mount squeezed in but I am going to make sure I can support a dual-slot PCIe device (or 2 x single-slot).

Therefore, I am going to make the remaining mounting and button holes, create the hexagonal vents, and ensure all fastener clearances are good to go. I am going to try and take a day off this upcoming week (other than Labor Day) and get this design ready for prototyping. Updates are going to come "fast and furious" beginning next week.

I agree, integral DVD drives should be low on the priority list and that the hex vents are nicer. When you say 2-slot, are you thinking anything thicker is a no-go, or will a 2.5 maybe fit?
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
I agree, integral DVD drives should be low on the priority list and that the hex vents are nicer. When you say 2-slot, are you thinking anything thicker is a no-go, or will a 2.5 maybe fit?

A 2.5" PCIe device *might* fit. I need to get the design done and produced so I can actually test. Tolerances during manufacturing will most likely determine this.

A side note very much worth mentioning is to support an air-cooled PCIe device the S700 will require acrylic panels so that I can cut vents for the devices to breathe.
 
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grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
Quick renders. This is easily the most complex design I've done thus far. The number of fasteners is ridiculous and I'm probably going to have to find a way to engineer a better solution. The PEM-serter is going to get a workout on this thing. Some holes need to be adjusted for clearances but I don't have any more time this weekend to work on it.

S700_rev-4c_3_small.jpg
S700_rev-4c_4_small.jpg

I'm showing both the 240 and the 120 reservoir/pump combo mounting locations. Behind the 240 reservoir is a base plate that will also accommodate 3 x 2.5" or 1 x 3.5" drive (that can then be stacked).

The front panel ports currently include headphone/mic/1xUSB Type-c/2xUSB Type-A and one 16mm pushbutton. My concern here is how to mount the USB PCB securely and ensuring enough depth to avoid interference with the upper 280mm radiator.

I also need to adjust the 280mm radiator mounting holes to look better with the hexagonal pattern.
 

Allhopeforhumanity

Master of Cramming
May 1, 2017
546
535
Definitely liking the new hex pattern on the vents.

Is that a custom PCB for the PCIe riser? Just thinking that it would be cool if it could be extended to the back for multiple card support.
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
Definitely liking the new hex pattern on the vents.

Is that a custom PCB for the PCIe riser? Just thinking that it would be cool if it could be extended to the back for multiple card support.

I've always preferred the hexagonal pattern as well. That PCIe riser PCB is not custom. It is a model of the Li-Heat cable which unfortunately I cannot use because they don't make PCIe 4.0 cables yet. They've been telling me for a year that they're coming but I think I'm going to start using LinkUp instead ($$$$). I want to cover my bases though and try to come up with a bracket that will be compatible with any/most straight PCIe riser cables and perhaps even some bifurcation risers.

As for wrapping the cable to the backside, I really didn't want to support that as the the resulting cable has to be very long and I'd have to engineer some sort of bracket that wouldn't interfere with the reservoir. However, I realize now that I want to make a bracket for the PCIe mounts so I might as well review if I can get one to fit up there. Your PCIe device width will be restricted up there - probably to 120mm but I'll get a more specific measurement as soon as I finalize the bracket and mounting.
 

Allhopeforhumanity

Master of Cramming
May 1, 2017
546
535
I've always preferred the hexagonal pattern as well. That PCIe riser PCB is not custom. It is a model of the Li-Heat cable which unfortunately I cannot use because they don't make PCIe 4.0 cables yet. They've been telling me for a year that they're coming but I think I'm going to start using LinkUp instead ($$$$). I want to cover my bases though and try to come up with a bracket that will be compatible with any/most straight PCIe riser cables and perhaps even some bifurcation risers.

As for wrapping the cable to the backside, I really didn't want to support that as the the resulting cable has to be very long and I'd have to engineer some sort of bracket that wouldn't interfere with the reservoir. However, I realize now that I want to make a bracket for the PCIe mounts so I might as well review if I can get one to fit up there. Your PCIe device width will be restricted up there - probably to 120mm but I'll get a more specific measurement as soon as I finalize the bracket and mounting.

Makes sense. Yeah I applied to the LinkUp beta, but since I don't have an RTX or Navi card, I didn't feel the $90 was worth it over the LiHeat's that I have.

The bifurcation riser on the Sliger SM series has worked flawlessly in my experience (assuming your mobo supports it). Cooling on the card closer to the backplate (mobo in your case) can get a bit dicey though depending on the card. Those 4k capture cards can get awfully warm, but NVMe expanders seem to run cooler with their tiny fans than they would passive cooled on the board slots.

Excited to see how things come together on the backside.
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
I do like the new iteration of the set a lot, really a lot. At its current stage, what are the outer dimensions?

Awesome - really glad to hear my changes are going in a good direction.

The current dimensions are 15.5" (H) x 15.375" (L) x 6.25" (W) which puts the volume at 24.4L. Remember though, I want to support EEB (E-ATX) boards as well as standard ATX boards so it's going to be bigger than it probably needs to be for ATX users, but in this instance I'm designing for my own needs.
 

vutorious

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Feb 19, 2020
3
3
Not going to lie, your latest newsletter answered the questions I was just going to post. The additional 2 PCIe slots on the PSU side was just what I was looking for.

Really excited for what's next!
 
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duynguyenle

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 20, 2019
331
331
Well, the forum stopped sending me thread updates again, it seems I've missed out on the recent updates (I didn't even realise there were updates until the email newsletter.

Overall I like the updated renders. I have a few thoughts:
1. From the cutouts on the front panel it looks like we've got fairly comprehensive front I/O (USB-A, Type C and audio jacks), this is much appreciated for me, I do make frequent use of front USB ports.
2. Will there be options for vented side panels or are we going exclusive with glass/acrylic?
3. What is the maximum radiator thickness supported in this latest iteration at the front and top? It looks like 45mm rad on top based on eyeballing the new render, but I am not 100% sure, and ditto for the front rad?
4. I personally don't like the look of EK's flat rad but there looks to be decent amount of room at the rear chamber for alternative res/pump options. What is the maximum depth available in this chamber? (I'm assuming 65-70mm on account of the SFF PSU filling up most of the depth on this side of the case, is that about right?)
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
Well, the forum stopped sending me thread updates again, it seems I've missed out on the recent updates (I didn't even realise there were updates until the email newsletter.

Overall I like the updated renders. I have a few thoughts:
1. From the cutouts on the front panel it looks like we've got fairly comprehensive front I/O (USB-A, Type C and audio jacks), this is much appreciated for me, I do make frequent use of front USB ports.
2. Will there be options for vented side panels or are we going exclusive with glass/acrylic?
3. What is the maximum radiator thickness supported in this latest iteration at the front and top? It looks like 45mm rad on top based on eyeballing the new render, but I am not 100% sure, and ditto for the front rad?
4. I personally don't like the look of EK's flat rad but there looks to be decent amount of room at the rear chamber for alternative res/pump options. What is the maximum depth available in this chamber? (I'm assuming 65-70mm on account of the SFF PSU filling up most of the depth on this side of the case, is that about right?)

1. Yes - I think I'm going to have to include a 90-degree adapter to clear the top radiator but that is going to be an inexpensive cost.
2. Yes, I've decided I will offer acrylic panels only which means I'll be able to cut out vent holes per the customer requirements if necessary.
3. The top radiator clearance is 67mm total (fan + rad). The front is around 109mm (fan + rad) for an 11" wide motherboard.
4. The clearance on the PSU side for the reservoir is 67mm from mounting plate to the inside edge of the metal chassis.
 
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Vacceo

Average Stuffer
Mar 17, 2020
76
49
I have been running some measures of my intended build and this case is simply overkill. What I am counting is two radiators on the 280 category, but one of them is 45mm thick. Considering a HWL GTS on top and a GTX on the front, the cooling capacity is massive so overclocking like a madman almost feels mandatory.

Running the measures I realized that you get a case smaller than a Singularity Wraith (perhaps not the most functional case but definetly stunning) with a LOT more cooling capacity. In my particular case, width is a problem as the PC stays on a quite narrow spot so this case esentially makes it a non-issue. The layout minimizes the tube runs and with a bit care, it is possible to relatively conceal it, reducing the amount of fittings. Also, the fact that you can use E-ATX means that you can run essentially everything on it.

I just hope it will be released this year. :D
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
I just hope it will be released this year. :D

Me too. I'm still a good 12 hours of work away from handing over drawings to the fabricator for the first prototype, but I need to be sure I get things right before I spend multiple $1k on it. Of course, cost to produce is going to be the major hurdle but we'll find out soon.
 

Vacceo

Average Stuffer
Mar 17, 2020
76
49
Me too. I'm still a good 12 hours of work away from handing over drawings to the fabricator for the first prototype, but I need to be sure I get things right before I spend multiple $1k on it. Of course, cost to produce is going to be the major hurdle but we'll find out soon.
It´s not your first rodeo, so I trust you can iron out the little details like clean edges and so on.

And in terms of cost, I´m sure you´re far from the 700 bucks the mentioned Spectre Wraith costs. :D
 
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duynguyenle

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 20, 2019
331
331
I'm hoping final costs won't come out too much more than about $300 or so!

Will there be options for metal side panels or is acrylic the prefered option?
 
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Vacceo

Average Stuffer
Mar 17, 2020
76
49
I am wondering a how airflow will perform in the case. I am aiming to a frontal HWL GTX280 rad and an upper GTS280. That creates a massive headroom for really hot components and an excelent headroom for overclocking, at least on paper. However, what should be the recommended airflow pattern? Front intake and uper outake? Dual out? Dual in?

I also wonder if that airflow from the radiators will be fine to cool of VRM´s (for those not using monoblocks) and NVME´s.

With this configuration I have considered the Noctua 140mm´s (becasue you cannot go wrong with Noctua), but those reach a max of 1500 rpm and perhaps that may not be enough to provide enough airflow due to rad restrictions.

Also, looking at the renders, would it be possible to mount a reservoir (flat or not) in vertical position at the left of the PSU? That could help both draining and bleeding the loop.
 
Last edited:
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duynguyenle

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 20, 2019
331
331
I am wondering a how airflow will perform in the case. I am aiming to a frontal HWL GTX280 rad and an upper GTS280. That creates a massive headroom for really hot components and an excelent headroom for overclocking, at least on paper. However, what should be the recommended airflow pattern? Front intake and uper outake? Dual out? Dual in?

I also wonder if that airflow from the radiators will be fine to cool of VRM´s (for those not using monoblocks) and NVME´s.

With this configuration I have considered the Noctua 140mm´s (becasue you cannot go wrong with Noctua), but those reach a max of 1500 rpm and perhaps that may not be enough to provide enough airflow due to rad restrictions.

Also, looking at the renders, would it be possible to mount a reservoir (flat or not) in vertical position at the left of the PSU? That could help both draining and bleeding the loop.

Isn't that exactly what this render shows?