Prototype Slim console-style case from Velkase. Looking for tester and reader feedback.

VELKASE Michael

King of Cable Management
Original poster
VELKASE
Gold Supporter
Oct 7, 2018
742
913
So how did all these specs change (from the prototype website)?

Specification:
Dimensions: 309 x 70 x 332 mm
Weight: 2.1 kg
Volume: 7.2 L external, 6.8 L internal
It’s actually not finalized yet so I will have to share that later, otherwise there will be several sets of conflicting specifications.
320 mm long GPU and 7.9 L volume mentioned previously are some of the goals.
 
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Diamorif

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jun 9, 2020
211
105
Hi, I bought one of the test units awhile ago and managed to lose the PSU standoffs. do you happen to have anymore in stock or a suggestion on ones that will work as replacements?
 

VELKASE Michael

King of Cable Management
Original poster
VELKASE
Gold Supporter
Oct 7, 2018
742
913
Hi, I bought one of the test units awhile ago and managed to lose the PSU standoffs. do you happen to have anymore in stock or a suggestion on ones that will work as replacements?
Unfortunately I do not spares to offer but they can be purchased separately on other sites. They just need to be 1 inch long and have a 6-32 thread on both the male and female ends. I would suggest checking Digikey and Mouser for replacements.
 

wipefox

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Apr 25, 2021
3
5
Small background story
This is actually my first post on sff.net.
I had an eye on this project for over one year and finally decided to spend a small fortune on this case.

"Was it worth it?" you may ask. Absolutely I would say!

It replaced my SSUPD Meshlicious that I used for 1.5 years. Before that I had a Cougar QBX, Louqe Ghost S1 and a Cube X1.
The build took my some nerves and about 2.5 hours to complete.

Positive feedback
- Overall build quality is insane. None of the cases mentioned above come even close to the quality of this case. The case is built like a tank. There is no flex on any materials. Tolerances are on point.
- The design is unique. I love especially the illuminated power button and the clean front.
- There is no space wasted. The PSU almost melts into the case because of how perfectly it sits between the silver support struts.

Suggestions
- Some instructions would have helped me a lot - at least the best order of assembly. I had to take the case apart and start again twice.
- Despite previous explanations in this thread, I could not get the feet attached. For me, the holes did not line up with the honeycomb pattern pefectly. The good news is: the case does not tend to tip over even without the feet (at least not on my desk which is made out of concrete).
- The power chord tail exiting on the top of the case looks a bit messy.
- The biggest problem during assembly was the routing of the GPU power cables. I managed to close the case, but the cables are really bent and squished now. Does not feel quite right to me, but it works. I saw that there are some 90° angled power connectors available but I did not find the perfect solution yet. Maybe simply carving out a piece of the plastic housing would already help a lot here. One side effect of the cables is that the GPU is slightly bending towards the left side of the case.


Build instructions (that worked for me, might be helpful for others)
1. Take the entire case apart
2. First install the PSU to the top panel
3. Route the power chord to the back of the case (for me through the front)
4. Install the (pre-assembled) mainboard which already has RAM, CPU, CPU cooler and PSU cables attached to it
5. Plug the GPU riser card into the mainboard (but wait to tighten the screws until the GPU is in place)
6. Install the GPU (plug into riser, screw the metal PCI bracket from the outside)
7. Tighten the screws of the riser card (gives stability for the GPU)
8. Squish the bottom part
9. Install the two vertical silver bars to the front
10. Install the side panels
11. Install the front panel and connect the power cable (this was tricky because there is literally zero space between mainboard and CPU)


 

VELKASE Michael

King of Cable Management
Original poster
VELKASE
Gold Supporter
Oct 7, 2018
742
913
Quickly about the feet: just rotate the stainless steel bracket 90 degrees if the holes don’t seem to line up.

The grid spacing is different horizontally and vertically due to the honeycomb pattern.
 
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DaHans

Average Stuffer
May 11, 2018
58
23
Hi, feedback is always welcome. It's useful for other cases too.

The design of this one has changed significantly and is looking to be 7.9 L with triple slot 320 mm card support, different I/O, and other more refined features. A new sample should be ready in about 2 months and then the first batch will be scheduled.
Sounds great, so there might fit a RTX 4090FE?
 

3090FE

Case Bender
New User
Feb 2, 2023
2
0
Hi Michael, is the new 7.9L version available as a sample ? I'd like to order one ASAP.
Also, will the 3090FE fit in it ?
 

VELKASE Michael

King of Cable Management
Original poster
VELKASE
Gold Supporter
Oct 7, 2018
742
913
Hi Michael, is the new 7.9L version available as a sample ? I'd like to order one ASAP.
Also, will the 3090FE fit in it ?
Only the shown model is currently available so the 3090FE will not fit, sorry
 

Atlas

Chassis Packer
Nov 14, 2022
13
7
Unfortunately, I cannot as much as I’d like to be able to. Everything is in flux.
Will additional feedback aid you somewhat?

And is it save to say that the 50 mm CPU cooler height won't grow in your newest/final version? But the RTX 4090/4080 FE (at least with flexible 3rd party power cables) should fit, right?
 

VELKASE Michael

King of Cable Management
Original poster
VELKASE
Gold Supporter
Oct 7, 2018
742
913
Will additional feedback aid you somewhat?

And is it save to say that the 50 mm CPU cooler height won't grow in your newest/final version? But the RTX 4090/4080 FE (at least with flexible 3rd party power cables) should fit, right?
CPU cooler clearance should stay in the 50 mm ballpark, 4080/4090 FE might fit but can’t confirm yet as the design is not finalized. I can still use feedback, if not for this exact case then for a revision of it should it come to that.
 

Diamorif

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jun 9, 2020
211
105
Happy to provide my feedback. The v1 prototype is by far the best console case I've used other than my Salvo S402, but that us also 9.5 liters and long out of production. The fit and finish are amazing and ventilation has made it reall one of the few cases that lets my reference 6800XT run at decent temperatures. I do wish there was a touch more cooler clearance, 53 to fit on of the full black axp 90 or 55 for on of the ID cooling 120mm coolers would be my preference but that is also subjective. The only real bugbears I've experienced are that the assembly/disassembly can be a a bit of a pain (the front panel needing to hang while unscrewing the side panels is precarious and an accidental drop killed the included the provided power button) and the power extension cable could be longer (mine currently has to be routed across the middel section of the GPU to reach). A power button that detaches at the panel and a longer internal cord would be welcome, but they are small annoyances to an otherwise amazing design.

Edit: The case feet are also not ideal. easier panel mounting or a separate stand would be a feature that i think would solve this relatively easily.
 

labmonke101

Average Stuffer
Jun 22, 2020
84
40
I’m sure I’m in the minority with this, but one of the things I love about this case is that using it with the panels off still looks completely normal (as opposed to it very much looking like you’re using a case with the side panels off)

Temps are significantly better on my 3080FE, I get a better and more aesthetically pleasing view of my components, and I have infinite clearance for a cpu cooler.

I’m one of the SFF people that likes SFF for the sake of space optimization and less so for travel, so I’m not taking it to LAN parties or anything. When I moved internationally I took the CPU cooler off, threw the panels back on and put it in my luggage.

The flexibility of this case is truly incredible 👌