Concept The VFC One: Sub 20L case with full ATX support! 320mm GPUs, 180mm PSUs, water cooling support, and more!

Heracles421

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Dec 27, 2020
6
7
Hello everyone! I'd like to present you all with something I have been working on for almost a month. Meet, the VFC One.


This case comes in at a final volume of 19.8L, 162 mm wide x 374mm deep x 327mm tall (not taking feet into account), with a weight of around 3.7Kg.

It's able to pack a full ATX board with a full ATX PSU at the same time, regardless of your cooling solution. Yay air coolers! This will most certainly allow you to bring your current system into the SFF world.


You can mount two 120/140mm fans on the top, provided they are 15mm thick and not 25mm, as well as a normal 120/140mm fan on the front and a 92/80mm fan on the back. This holds true regardless of your chosen mobo form factor and GPU length. Two 120mm fans can also be mounted on the right-side panel, however, this will only work if you're using air coolers with a height less than 115mm, or you can mount a 240mm radiator in this spot as well. If you go mATX or smaller you can also use 120/140mm fans on the bottom of the case to provide additional airflow to the GPU(s), or mount another 240mm radiator (only recommended for custom loops).


You can pack a GPU up to 280mm in length when using an ATX PSU longer than 150mm, or you could go full madman and pack full-length GPUs (343mm. Do those even exist?) with a 150mm or shorter ATX PSU OR an SFX PSU.

A total of 7 PCI slots are present in the case, plenty to run dual GPUs plus some other PCIe cards all at the same time.

Support for two 2.5" drives (if using PSUs longer than 150mm, only a single 2.5" drive can be added). 3.5" drives can be added as well with the use of an additional cage, designed to mount on the bottom of the case, near the front. Do note that using these cages blocks either one or two PCI slots.

Front IO consists of your usual 2 USB 3.0 ports, headphone, and microphone jacks. They're located near the top of the case on the front panel.

I'd love to know what everyone thinks about it, feedback is always useful when trying to design such things.

 

LcsWnbrg

Caliper Novice
Dec 28, 2020
21
6
You can pack a GPU up to 280mm in length when using an ATX PSU longer than 150mm, or you could go full madman and pack full-length GPUs (343mm. Do those even exist?) with a 150mm or shorter ATX PSU OR an SFX PSU.
So the GPU width would be the standard size or about 14cm?

Would it be possible to make the vent in the side pannel bigger, so the GPU could exaust out of the side? Or even better would be a complete Mesh Pannel in style of the front and top?
The Radiator size is limited to max 240 because of the ATX PSU right? Would it be possible to fit a bigger rad if switched to a SFX PSU or is the depth of the case the limiting factor?
Im really like the concept of this case
 

Heracles421

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Dec 27, 2020
6
7
So the GPU width would be the standard size or about 14cm?

Would it be possible to make the vent in the side pannel bigger, so the GPU could exaust out of the side? Or even better would be a complete Mesh Pannel in style of the front and top?
The Radiator size is limited to max 240 because of the ATX PSU right? Would it be possible to fit a bigger rad if switched to a SFX PSU or is the depth of the case the limiting factor?
Im really like the concept of this case
It can fit bigger than standard GPUs in width, up to about 150mm.
I do plan to improve the venting of the side panel. Currently I have two possible solutions. One is to simply add cutouts to the existing panel, the other is change the material of the panel for mesh (think FormD T1). I'd like to get some more feedback regarding this.

Yes, the radiator on the side panel is limited to 240mm because of the PSU. Even with an SFX PSU you wouldn't be able to fit 280mm rads, as they need abour 320mm of clearance but you only have 300mm.
 
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LcsWnbrg

Caliper Novice
Dec 28, 2020
21
6
I'd like to get some more feedback regarding this.
A complete black mesh cage with the white frame (top, front, back and buttom) would be absolutly georgeous, but than the mesh under the other pannels had to be the same. With that the Rad would need some support from a carrier. Another option would be to go like the NR200 hole venttype with a white side pannel.
 

Heracles421

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Dec 27, 2020
6
7
A complete black mesh cage with the white frame (top, front, back and buttom) would be absolutly georgeous, but than the mesh under the other pannels had to be the same. With that the Rad would need some support from a carrier. Another option would be to go like the NR200 hole venttype with a white side pannel.
So if I understand correctly, you're proposing inverting the current colors and changing the parts that are currently white for mesh?
 

LcsWnbrg

Caliper Novice
Dec 28, 2020
21
6
So if I understand correctly, you're proposing inverting the current colors and changing the parts that are currently white for mesh?
No.With option 1 what I meant was to leave the top, front and back as they are and do the side pannel a black mesh. For Option 2 the hole pattern for the side pannel (in white) with Screwholes for 120/140 fans/rads
 

thelaughingman

SFF Guru
Jul 14, 2018
1,413
1,566
You can mount two 120/140mm fans on the top, provided they are 15mm thick and not 25mm
15mm thick 140mm are hard to find and so bad it's not even worth mentioning it. IMO you should either increase the top clearance for full 25mm thickness fan, or just shrink the case and eliminate this altogether.

If I only use mITX/mDTX, is there an option to mount the PSU next to the motherboard, thus able to mount 280 radiator on the side?

EDIT: I don't like the vent hole pattern at all. hopefully you can come up with another design.
 

Heracles421

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Dec 27, 2020
6
7
15mm thick 140mm are hard to find and so bad it's not even worth mentioning it
Perhaps, but the option is still there. Not only that, but 120mm slim fans are relatively common, and using those is better than using none. I can't extend the case to fit 25mm fans because that'd put it over the 20L mark.

If I only use mITX/mDTX, is there an option to mount the PSU next to the motherboard, thus able to mount 280 radiator on the side?
Hadn't thought about this, but it'd be extremely easy to do. There is however one thing to keep in mind, part of the radiator would be located "on top" of the PSU, and there wouldn't be much clearance between the radiator's fan and the PSU (about 40mm), so I'm not entirely sure if it'd be useful. Perhaps it'd only be useful as far as compatibility goes?

I don't like the vent hole pattern at all. hopefully you can come up with another design.
Anything specific? Chose this pattern due to ease of manufacturing
 
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Heracles421

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Dec 27, 2020
6
7
With option 1 what I meant was to leave the top, front and back as they are and do the side pannel a black mesh
Ah, I see. Yes, this is something I had also planned. I just need to find a way to mount the radiator so that the panel doesn't deform.
I did plan to include an internal bracket at some point, but the design on that is not so easy as the PSU blocks most designs I've come up with
 
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