Log Travel Case Mini-ITX SFF PCVR Gaming + AVI DIT Workstation

[rohitbanerjee]

RTX A2000 + n3rdware custom copper cooler (120×60×20mm; 450g)+ NB-PR-2 6025 fans = 0.2+1.57+6.1+20+25=52.87mm;
actual = 33+12 = 55mm
39.04(2-slot)+12=51.04mm

RTX A2000 + n3rdware custom passive single slot copper heatsink (170×52×13.5mm; 300g) + 6025 fans = 0.2+1.57+6.1+12+25=44.87mm;
170mm x 69mm x 20mm

Question for @robbee , can the n3rdware RTX A2000 passive single slot copper heatsink be de-shrouded of its stainless steel cover to support dual 6025 fans? If so, did you get a chance to test and compare its performance with the original RTX A2000 copper cooler?

 

[rohitbanerjee]

Does @Josh | NFC or @robbee or @REVOCCASES or @sergiiua or @riba2233 or @k0n or anyone else know any case that matches to these measurements? It doesn't need to be exact, but as tight as possible ...

I have a better internal volume footprint measurement / calculation, based on which the options that I am looking for are:

1. 263 × 213 × 58 (±1.5) mm
2. 263 × 228 × 50 (±1.5) mm
3. 263 × 228 × 54 (±1.5) mm
4. 263 × 228 × 58 (±1.5) mm
5. 302 × 200 × 58 (±1.5) mm
6. 317 × 200 × 50 (±1.5) mm
7. 317 × 200 × 54 (±1.5) mm
8. 317 × 200 × 56 (±1.5) mm
9. 317 × 200 × 58 (±1.5) mm

 

[robbee]

Question for @robbee , can the n3rdware RTX A2000 passive single slot copper heatsink be de-shrouded of its stainless steel cover to support dual 6025 fans? If so, did you get a chance to test and compare its performance with the original RTX A2000 copper cooler?

You can deshroud the passive cooler, but it will perform worse than the copper cooler. While the weight is only a bit less, the fins have much less contact surface and the orientation is suboptimal for axial fans.

 

[rohitbanerjee]

You can deshroud the passive cooler, but it will perform worse than the copper cooler. While the weight is only a bit less, the fins have much less contact surface and the orientation is suboptimal for axial fans.

Understood.

Followup question - Can the original RTX A2000 copper cooler's height be "reduced"? Let's say 3-5 mm "trim" from the top ...

 

[hrh_ginsterbusch]

Re: Foldable legs - had the same issue for my S396 project, so after a bit of research I stumbled upon these: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0DP9Z3B8X (also available on amazon.com, just replace "de" with "com") - "AOZUO Mini Portable Laptop Stand for Desk"

Those are foldable laptop or keyboard "riser" that should take at least 5 - 6 kg of weight (tested with my abandoned A4-H20 280 project). If they look too flimsy, one could use these as a template, retrace them, and recreate them with more solid materials, eg. stainless steel etc.

They allow for up to 5 cm height, so should be plenty distance esp. for a bottom intake / exhaust.

The double-sided tape attached is supposedly pretty garbage, but I wanted to add holes anyway, so I could attach them directly to the original feet screw hole of the S300 base. But if one still wants to go for "sticky tape", I'd simply replace them with proper VHB tape, eg. 3M VHB 5952F.

cu, w0lf.

 

[ignsvn]

Understood.

Followup question - Can the original RTX A2000 copper cooler's height be "reduced"? Let's say 3-5 mm "trim" from the top ...

I believe you can. If it's the one with heatpipe, I guess the heatpipe will be the trim limit. If it's just normal copper, then you can go all the way. There will be some impact in terms of performance/noise though, so do be careful.

Some people here chase (small) volume as the main goal so they are usually willing to take such tradeoff (including doingi undervolt etc)

 

[rohitbanerjee]

Like I hinted in my earlier comment, I have temporarily "Bitten the Bullet" and have submitted myself to use a commercially available enclosure design for my build (sellout, I know!), so that I can at least start using my build functionally for daily use. And so, I am happy to announce that I have recently ordered an SLM3 500 from @sergiiua (Custom MOD).

While the SLM3 500 is definitely not ≤3 litres in internal volume, it will however serve both as a functional enclosure for my current daily use, and as a practical physical prototype for my potential future optimised design . Unfortunately, I might have to travel again very soon for work assignment and might actually miss out receiving the delivery in India in person, so it might be another couple of months of delay, in assembling everything up in one neat box.

 

[robbee]

Followup question - Can the original RTX A2000 copper cooler's height be "reduced"? Let's say 3-5 mm "trim" from the top ...

These coolers are milled from pre-skived blocks. Reducing the height of the fins requires specialized equipment, a CNC mill won't be able to do that cleanly without damaging the fins. To customize dimensions, I need to place a bulk order.

There are standard dimensions that I can buy with a MOQ of just 1, though. One of them is 150x50x15, which could be perfect in your case.

 

[rohitbanerjee]

There are standard dimensions that I can buy with a MOQ of just 1, though. One of them is 150x50x15, which could be perfect in your case.

That might just work! Let me get the SLM3 500 case in my hands from Custom MOD and start laying out components in physical space. Once I'm sure of the clearance, I will place that order with you. Thank you for all the help @robbee

 

[rohitbanerjee]

Apologies for the very late (a year late) update. Still struggling with components and layouts.

While on the path of designing and developing my custom SFF-PC, I have come across a strange and puzzling problem, for which I have been struggling to find a solution, and still scratching my head, wondering why no one has thought of this before.

My custom SFF-PC design requires the GPU and the Motherboard to be placed on the same plane, i.e. both of the top-sides and back-plates of the circuit boards, and most importantly the exhaust fans, face the same direction.

However, the orientation of the PCIe slot on the motherboard, and the PCIe "key" / "finger" of the GPU always face away from each other, and the notch is exactly opposite. This means the GPU would never be able to face the same direction as the motherboard, and the PCIe contacts would never be near to each other. Even the Dual Reverse Riser cable, further extends the GPU PCIe contact away from the motherboard's PCIe slot.

Wouldn't it be easier to orient the GPU in such a way, that the GPU PCIe "key" is actually facing the motherboard's PCIe slot? I know the entire IO shield gets blocked on the other side, but there isn't much IO needed from GPU anyway! Also, the miniDP ports can easily be extended all th way to the other side with extension cables, in fact with the full DP ports on the IO side of the motherboard.

I searched the entire internet (not really, just couple of days of focused keywords searches), but couldn't find any practical solutions for such a seemingly simple logical problem. The only possible way that I see it working, would be to "twist" my very expensively imported PCIe riser cable, which I do not wish to do, except as a last resort. I cannot fathom that no one else has thought of this before.

I write this long technically-inclined post, so as to invite opinions and insights from other technology enthusiasts like @robbee and @REVOCCASES. Please help!

Did someone get inspired from my idea posted here?

 

[rohitbanerjee]

Something very similar to what I have in my mind on "Travel Case" part of my build.
Custom 5L bazzite box - RX 9060 XT + 7500X3D

 

[rohitbanerjee]

@sergiiua (Custom_MOD) SL3m 500 3.4L case enclosure finally arrived on 22nd May 2026, after almost 3 months of delay. The package came well-cushioned, and the enclosure has no imperfection on arrival. I already recorded an unboxing video, but got caught up with assembling the components inside it. While physically assembling and laying out the components, I encountered some quirks, which I will try and list out in the next post.

 

[rohitbanerjee]

@sergiiua (Custom_MOD) SL3m 500 3.4L case enclosure finally arrived on 22nd May 2026, after almost 3 months of delay. The package came well-cushioned, and the enclosure has no imperfection on arrival. I already recorded and unboxing video, but got caught up with assembling the components inside it. While physically assembling and laying out tye components, I encountered some quirks, which I will try and list out in the next post.

1. Side panels could have had few more holes for mounting exhaust or intake fans (2x or 3x 4010 fans on either side panels). This can be easily resolved by either drilling more holes directly on the side panels, or using the 2 holes already provided to mount a custom fan mount.
2. The vertical mounting panel for the HDPLEX 500 is perfect, so I don't know why the same panel was not continued the entire length of the case, instead of adding another "cover" panel on the top plate. Eliminating the extra vertical panel on the top plate can save few grams at least.
3. The GPU riser mount clips into the slightly taller NVMe cooler that comes with the Gigabyte AORUS B650i Ultra, but I had to remove it anyway as I plan the mount the GPU upside down (see my earlier posts above).
4. Unfortunately, due to my own plan of mounting the GPU upside down (actually right-side up, if you think of a conventional GPU bracket mounting, the SL3m 500 falls short length-wise by at least 15mm, and cannot accommodate the edge of the riser cable. Even if a GPU bracket style riser cable is used, that is 90° and almost flush with the 164P male connector, the case would still be ~5mm short.
5. I need to mount couple of other I/O components like 2-ports USB-A receptacles, IEC320 C14 integrated socket, etc. which the current I/O cut-out on the case doesn't accomodate, and obviously doesn't match with the reverse GPU mounting position. I can't make up my mind whether to cut out the entire vertical piece (will definitely weaken the case as there is no other vertical support other than that piece), or find creative ways to extend the cut-out area ( perhaps by welding a little more aluminium sheet to also extend the gap of the missing length).
6. As the case cannot be expected to handle all the oddities of the I/O customisations, I will have to make a custom I/O bracket / baffle for the GPU, to mount almost all the planned I/O receptacles. I'm not sure if a post got deleted from this thread, but I remember someone (either @REVOCCASES or @robbee ) hinting on fabricating a custom I/O bracket for the GPU. I have been brainstorming quite hard on this, and came up with "The Shracket", my own design and name (Shroud + Bracket = Shracket; hat tip, I thank you!). I will post about the Shracket later, once I confirm and prototype the measurements, using card stock.
7. I might have to drill more holes into the case, for mounting the Shracket, and cut out ventilation on the top plate, and attempt to close the ventilation on the bottom plate (by reusing the ventilation cut-out pieces to welding them).
8. I might have to even spray-paint / powder-coat all the modified areas.

All of this, so that I don't have to buy another case, and don't have to modify the existing case too much. If anyone of you have any ideas or suggestions, I am all ears ...