Completed Salvo Studios S402: ~9L Steel Console Style Case

Poblopuablo

King of Cable Management
Jan 14, 2018
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grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
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I'm so stoked for this case. I made an account just to say that it looks great. Can't wait to order one.
Thank you and welcome! I know I've been a little scarce of late but I can say I've been working as hard as I can on getting the S402 ready for a production run. The first prototype design has been submitted to the fabricator as of last week, but they are so busy they only just acknowledged receipt of the PO yesterday. I assume it's going to be at least two weeks before they will have it completed and ready to ship to me.

In the meantime, I'm working on putting the final touches on my prototype #1 S700 Threadripper build. I'm nearly done but I've had some laser cutter failures that require new power supplies (which will arrive tomorrow). I'm hoping to have that build completed and listed on Ebay this weekend as I could use the money from that build to help pay for production costs of the S402. Then I'll be getting started on the S700 prototype #2 build with dual-Epyc 32-core Engineering Sample CPUs. I got the board and CPUs to boot with the 64GB of memory I purchased so now I just have to polish up the S700 chassis and actually build the water loop again. It's going to be a busy several months moving forward.

Also, my wife has mono and Bell's Palsy, we had a stomach bug go through the house, my daughter has teeth coming in and hand-foot-mouth, and we're trying to get the house ready to sell in case we find something in the new area we are looking to move to. Stress...

Regardless, my newsletter will go out as soon as I finish the 1950X build and at the same time I'll list the C7 adapters on my website. The price for those adapters is going to be $15/each (free shipping to lower 48). J-Hack informed me that he will have the brackets available on his site in the next few days (and they will be a few dollars less than mine).
 

annasoh323

Master of Cramming
Apr 4, 2018
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Thank you and welcome! I know I've been a little scarce of late but I can say I've been working as hard as I can on getting the S402 ready for a production run. The first prototype design has been submitted to the fabricator as of last week, but they are so busy they only just acknowledged receipt of the PO yesterday. I assume it's going to be at least two weeks before they will have it completed and ready to ship to me.
Yes, welcome! And good news about the proto order! This is the new fabricator, yes?
In the meantime, I'm working on putting the final touches on my prototype #1 S700 Threadripper build. I'm nearly done but I've had some laser cutter failures that require new power supplies (which will arrive tomorrow). I'm hoping to have that build completed and listed on Ebay this weekend as I could use the money from that build to help pay for production costs of the S402. Then I'll be getting started on the S700 prototype #2 build with dual-Epyc 32-core Engineering Sample CPUs. I got the board and CPUs to boot with the 64GB of memory I purchased so now I just have to polish up the S700 chassis and actually build the water loop again. It's going to be a busy several months moving forward.
YES! Been really excited to see the S700 builds come to life, especially the Epyc!
Also, my wife has mono and Bell's Palsy, we had a stomach bug go through the house, my daughter has teeth coming in and hand-foot-mouth, and we're trying to get the house ready to sell in case we find something in the new area we are looking to move to. Stress...
Dang, things keep piling up. Best wishes to you and your family!
Regardless, my newsletter will go out as soon as I finish the 1950X build and at the same time I'll list the C7 adapters on my website. The price for those adapters is going to be $15/each (free shipping to lower 48). J-Hack informed me that he will have the brackets available on his site in the next few days (and they will be a few dollars less than mine).
I may have bought an AM4 motherboard so the news about the C7 adapters might be relevant to me. I'll keep my eyes open. I've bought stuff from both of you guys at various times - both of you are standup guys.
 

SilverJS

Airflow Optimizer
Feb 8, 2018
244
117
This is all looking fantastic. I know I'm late to the party but you've actually gone in the directions I would have chosen in your polls in almost all aspects anyways! :). Twin type-a USBs on the front, triple slot for GPU, etc. Well done.

Certainly too late now, but - did you ever consider Josh's SkySlots for a venting pattern? I understood he made the pattern available freely.

BTW, best of luck with the move, congrats on that - and, so terribly sorry to hear about your wife. I can't even imagine going through all that - only one of those things would overwhelm most people, and yet you have all that AND case design... You are a man of incredible capacity!
 
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grsychckn

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Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
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Update to show off the S700 prototype #1 I've been work so hard on. I have yet to try turning it on as I'm waiting on some 4-pin fan power extenders before the pump and fans will operate. Also, today might see the arrival of a late addition to this build that is going to throw it over the top.





I had a power supply problem with my laser cutter so I stumbled through cutting these panels at great frustration. After ordering the wrong replacements (110V instead of 220V), I realized it was the transformer that was bad. I still want to replace the PSUs in the cutter though because the new ones had digital readouts of the outputs they were supplying.
 

Allhopeforhumanity

Master of Cramming
May 1, 2017
540
526
Update to show off the S700 prototype #1 I've been work so hard on. I have yet to try turning it on as I'm waiting on some 4-pin fan power extenders before the pump and fans will operate. Also, today might see the arrival of a late addition to this build that is going to throw it over the top.





I had a power supply problem with my laser cutter so I stumbled through cutting these panels at great frustration. After ordering the wrong replacements (110V instead of 220V), I realized it was the transformer that was bad. I still want to replace the PSUs in the cutter though because the new ones had digital readouts of the outputs they were supplying.

You really out did yourself, the S700 and accompanying build look phenomenal!
 

Linero

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 9, 2017
103
95
Man... That's a lot on your plate to handle. Do whatever is needed to be done and stay strong! I am still following this thread closely and diligently.

Certainly too late now, but - did you ever consider Josh's SkySlots for a venting pattern? I understood he made the pattern available freely.
Really? I actually love his design and it seems like it's proven to be fully efficient at this point by now (I hope we are both talking about the skyreach S4). Though, it does sound like it is too late. Otherwise, I would totally go with it.
 

SilverJS

Airflow Optimizer
Feb 8, 2018
244
117
Man... That's a lot on your plate to handle. Do whatever is needed to be done and stay strong! I am still following this thread closely and diligently.


Really? I actually love his design and it seems like it's proven to be fully efficient at this point by now (I hope we are both talking about the skyreach S4). Though, it does sound like it is too late. Otherwise, I would totally go with it.

I was indeed taking about the Skyreach 4 Mini (hence S4M).
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
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So here's the deal. I've been waiting a few weeks for my fabricator to get me a quote and I just heard from him and they are extremely behind with large orders and don't have much time in the near future to look at my small project. Therefore, I've been trying to find a new source for fabrication and have sent out about 8 RFQs to various shops located in my region. Along the way, I have received suggestions for changes that would make the design easier to produce and thus cheaper. I'm making those changes when I can and hope to have some updates in the next two weeks. This is how small manufacturing goes though as I can't demand much with these shops that fill 6-digit orders.

On top of that, my 1950X build has been giving me problems. I suspect that there is a problem with the Taichi X399 and the PCIe riser cable brand that I am using because of the 6 cables I have, only 1 works sporadically. I can't seem to figure it out as I've changed the CPU, motherboard (new Taichi), RAM, SSDs, and tried 4 different GPUs. The interesting thing is that if I use a GPU that is not externally powered, it works consistently. What I've decided to try though is a new PCIe 4.0 cable that will arrive tomorrow. The Thermaltake cable I have seemed to work but because of its orientation I can't mount it into the chassis. I suspect there is a problem with signal interference because the cable runs underneath the mainboard and even though I've tried insulating it with various materials, it still misbehaves.

The good news is that the 1950X has been put on the shelf and I'm now using a 2970WX CPU for this build. Once I get it stable I'm going to post more pictures and get that listing completed. Then I can start on the Epyc S700 build and hopefully have that done before the 1st S402 prototype is complete.

Lastly, thanks for the kind words and support for myself and my family as we were all going through various illnesses. It seems most of that is behind us but as of yesterday we agreed to purchase a new home which is great, but since the delivery date is December I'm not sure how much time I'll have for case design and production while we get our current home ready to sell. There is so much work to do and not enough time to do it. Regardless, I'll keep updating here as the smaller projects are complete so I can hopefully set my target on the S402 again full-time. Seems like I'll be waiting on the fabricator anyway.
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
I've gotten 3 quotes back for production of the S402. I'll be making a decision on how I move forward with production within the week. The shortest lead time for a single prototype is 2 weeks and the longest is 6 weeks (my current fabricator). It appears as if the S402 will need to be priced in the $200 range. I'd love to be able to produce it for around $150 but the combination of the complexity to build and the choice to use US fabricators means costs are higher. That said, I think the support of a triple-slot PCIe device is unique enough to justify that price point and then you throw in the support for AIOs and custom open loops and I think the S402 is a great option. Below are renders of the latest S402 revision. You'll notice that I've gone back to a slotted design because I realized after discussing with J-Hack that the slotted design is just more flexible for fabricators. If they have the circle punch tool, they can make basically any slotted shape without new tooling.


 

Poblopuablo

King of Cable Management
Jan 14, 2018
816
465
I've gotten 3 quotes back for production of the S402. I'll be making a decision on how I move forward with production within the week. The shortest lead time for a single prototype is 2 weeks and the longest is 6 weeks (my current fabricator). It appears as if the S402 will need to be priced in the $200 range. I'd love to be able to produce it for around $150 but the combination of the complexity to build and the choice to use US fabricators means costs are higher. That said, I think the support of a triple-slot PCIe device is unique enough to justify that price point and then you throw in the support for AIOs and custom open loops and I think the S402 is a great option. Below are renders of the latest S402 revision. You'll notice that I've gone back to a slotted design because I realized after discussing with J-Hack that the slotted design is just more flexible for fabricators. If they have the circle punch tool, they can make basically any slotted shape without new tooling.


Love this design it looks awesome. :)

Will it have native support for hdplex/meanwell solutions? :)
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
Love this design it looks awesome. :)

Will it have native support for hdplex/meanwell solutions? :)

Thanks! It won't have native support for hdplex/meanwell solutions but I can add that if it becomes something a lot of people want. I really struggle with those as it adds the external brick and they end up leaving a void where the SFX PSU is designed to fit. I guess a better design would provide an option for either while maximizing space, but I just don't see HDPlex being used that often in chassis this large. Maybe you can help me out by describing what your goal would be if you swapped out the SFX PSU for an HDPlex.
 

Poblopuablo

King of Cable Management
Jan 14, 2018
816
465
Thanks! It won't have native support for hdplex/meanwell solutions but I can add that if it becomes something a lot of people want. I really struggle with those as it adds the external brick and they end up leaving a void where the SFX PSU is designed to fit. I guess a better design would provide an option for either while maximizing space, but I just don't see HDPlex being used that often in chassis this large. Maybe you can help me out by describing what your goal would be if you swapped out the SFX PSU for an HDPlex.
I don't really know what I'd use it for, but perhaps for more impressive water cooling options. The meanwell 400 (not yet finish by j-hack) wouldn't require an external brick, but it's quite small. :) And there are some configurations to do similarly with a hdplex I believe. More just a thought, but now that I think about it, support would require more work/time on your side and the fabrication side that it would increase pricing, making it probably to niche to make worth while.

Just thinking out loud here. :)
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
I don't really know what I'd use it for, but perhaps for more impressive water cooling options. The meanwell 400 (not yet finish by j-hack) wouldn't require an external brick, but it's quite small. :) And there are some configurations to do similarly with a hdplex I believe. More just a thought, but now that I think about it, support would require more work/time on your side and the fabrication side that it would increase pricing, making it probably to niche to make worth while.

Just thinking out loud here. :)

Well, if the spec hasn't changed, the HDPlex mounts are underneath and thus would only require an additional 4 holes be added to the PSU bracket. I guess I'll see how difficult it is by reaching out to J-Hack as we have an ongoing dialog now for months. Once I get the specs I should be able to add support at any time. The S402 uses a bracket to raise the PSU up and away from the main chassis where I then have 2 more slim 2.5" drive bays underneath. This bracket should be easy to change out for newer revisions even if I decide to add support in later revisions.
 

madejackson

Chassis Packer
Jan 18, 2019
20
32
Hi, I really like your design and considering this case as my next upgrade as I really like the 3-Slot option for the pcie.

But Im looking for a case where you can choose between two install variants: 3-Slot-pcie ITX/SFX or 2-Slot-pcie ATX/flexATX variant. (I'm fine with loosing SFX-PSU-Support in the ATX variant).

You see where I'm going with this? More compatibility, same Dimensions. It would even widen up your potential customer base. I would probably be able to hack the case, but I'd rather have it thought of in the design phase of the case.

I would need at least two, probably three cases. (1x me ITX, 1x gf mATX, 1x unraid ATX)

A mix between this case and the P-ATX would be my real go-to.
 
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grsychckn

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Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
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Hi, I really like your design and considering this case as my next upgrade as I really like the 3-Slot option for the pcie.

But Im looking for a case where you can choose between two install variants: 3-Slot-pcie ITX/SFX or 2-Slot-pcie ATX/flexATX variant. (I'm fine with loosing SFX-PSU-Support in the ATX variant).

You see where I'm going with this? More compatibility, same Dimensions. It would even widen up your potential customer base. I would probably be able to hack the case, but I'd rather have it thought of in the design phase of the case.

I would need at least two, probably three cases. (1x me ITX, 1x gf mATX, 1x unraid ATX)

A mix between this case and the P-ATX would be my real go-to.

That's an interesting idea and not one I've considered. The reason why I think this hasn't been considered is because FlexATX PSUs are ~1.6" at their smallest dimension, which is actually 2-slots for a standard PCIe device. If I understand you correctly, you would want me to offer a FlexATX PSU mount where the PCIe devices mount, but that would only leave 1 slot for your actual device. I think it's interesting in concept, but it would greatly add to my volume to support a FlexATX and a 2-slot PCIe device as I'd have to increase the width by 1/3 (and thus volume increases by same ratio).

Having thought about it though, it might be perfect for a AIO or open loop build as the area where the SFX PSU is located could actually house the radiator/fans if the FlexATX PSU was to be used. But at that point, you're either not using a top-end GPU (because of 1-slot), or your are wanting to WC it and there wouldn't be enough space for a radiator large enough for both the CPU and GPU. I guess you could WC the GPU with a single 120mm radiator and then use an air cooler for the CPU - stream of consciousness to be continued in my head. Suffice to say I will think about this hard for the next day or so and see what I come up with.
 

madejackson

Chassis Packer
Jan 18, 2019
20
32
That's an interesting idea and not one I've considered. The reason why I think this hasn't been considered is because FlexATX PSUs are ~1.6" at their smallest dimension, which is actually 2-slots for a standard PCIe device. If I understand you correctly, you would want me to offer a FlexATX PSU mount where the PCIe devices mount, but that would only leave 1 slot for your actual device. I think it's interesting in concept, but it would greatly add to my volume to support a FlexATX and a 2-slot PCIe device as I'd have to increase the width by 1/3 (and thus volume increases by same ratio).

Having thought about it though, it might be perfect for a AIO or open loop build as the area where the SFX PSU is located could actually house the radiator/fans if the FlexATX PSU was to be used. But at that point, you're either not using a top-end GPU (because of 1-slot), or your are wanting to WC it and there wouldn't be enough space for a radiator large enough for both the CPU and GPU. I guess you could WC the GPU with a single 120mm radiator and then use an air cooler for the CPU - stream of consciousness to be continued in my head. Suffice to say I will think about this hard for the next day or so and see what I come up with.

Very fast response. Thanks :)

But I think you missunderstood me.

I am going to build my first sff pc soon. I really like to have a beefy gpu with +2 slots. Hence why I like your case.

I share my office with my gf and for asthetics, I'd like to have the same case for her pc. She has an existing mATX mobo, which I'd like to reuse with this case. The gpu would just sit on top of the mobo. This would limit gpu compatibility to 2 slots and an sfx psu would not fit anymore. But that's ok. The flexATX was just an idea. It could go in the place of the sfx psu, as the sfx psu + mATX combo would be wider than your case dimensions.
 

grsychckn

SFF Guru
Original poster
Salvo Studios
Oct 11, 2017
1,093
1,845
Very fast response. Thanks :)

But I think you missunderstood me.

I am going to build my first sff pc soon. I really like to have a beefy gpu with +2 slots. Hence why I like your case.

I share my office with my gf and for asthetics, I'd like to have the same case for her pc. She has an existing mATX mobo, which I'd like to reuse with this case. The gpu would just sit on top of the mobo. This would limit gpu compatibility to 2 slots and an sfx psu would not fit anymore. But that's ok. The flexATX was just an idea. It could go in the place of the sfx psu, as the sfx psu + mATX combo would be wider than your case dimensions.

Ahh, I did misunderstand you. Let me take a look at how an mATX will fit inside the S402 tomorrow and see what can be done.