Production Velka series cases for ultra compact and portable desktops

[QuantumBraced]

Sorry for the confusion. Basically, replacing the bend with a simple slot simplifies things greatly. I think that the slot is enough because the card is supported from all sides; screws in the back may be redundant because the front panel will prevent back and forth movement.

Ohh by front and back panels I thought you meant the motherboard plate and side panel mounting plates, but you meant literally the front and back, because you kind of "fasten" the entire case to the graphics card. This case keeps stumping me, the innovative design defies all conventional thinking. Yeah, you don't need a flap with a screw if the card is perfectly cradled, unless someone wanted to give themselves more wiggle room, so they could take the card in and out without disassembling the case -- just curious, how short would a card have to be to take it out w/o disassembly with the case extended to maximum length?

 

[VELKASE Michael]

How about something like this ?? - says 20mm

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ONOO1S6/?coliid=I284K3169VMYZ4&colid=TRTND3B9HC9T&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

That should fit. You would still have to either buy one yourself and replace the default button or pay extra for wiring this type of button. Do you think this should be offered as an option at extra cost?

Ohh by front and back panels I thought you meant the motherboard plate and side panel mounting plates, but you meant literally the front and back, because you kind of "fasten" the entire case to the graphics card. This case keeps stumping me, the innovative design defies all conventional thinking. Yeah, you don't need a flap with a screw if the card is perfectly cradled, unless someone wanted to give themselves more wiggle room, so they could take the card in and out without disassembling the case -- just curious, how short would a card have to be to take it out w/o disassembly with the case extended to maximum length?

If a card uses the entire width of the graphics card chamber, then it would have to be 130 mm to be uninstalled without removing the front panel. Making the front panel L shaped in some future revision would make this process easier.

The length of the case can be adjusted during assembly and disassembly, so it would be generally best to keep it at the shortest length that the parts allow to ensure a secure fit. Having the front panel make contact with the front part of the card also helps to keep the card from moving up and down if there are no cables that support it underneath as shown here.

 

[ZMan]

VK-7:

• PSU: SFX, SFX-L, ATX
• CPU cooler (with two expansion slots and ATX PSU): 71 mm
• CPU cooler (with three expansion slots and SFX PSU): 48 mm
• External volume (with 315 mm card): 7.5 L
• Footprint: 230 cm^2

Why don't you make the VK-7 a bit longer. This way you can have a nice pattern in the series volume 3.7, 5.7 ,7.7.
Also the case will be able to fit monstrosities like Zotac GAMING GeForce RTX 2080 Ti AMP Extreme or MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti LIGHTNING. That would be ANY video card.

 

[VELKASE Michael]

Also the case will be able to fit monstrosities like Zotac GAMING GeForce RTX 2080 Ti AMP Extreme or MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti LIGHTNING. That would be ANY video card.

If length were to be increased, then it would be increased for this reason. That could be a good selling point.

 

[Weredawg]

Why don't you make the VK-7 a bit longer. This way you can have a nice pattern in the series volume 3.7, 5.7 ,7.7.
Also the case will be able to fit monstrosities like Zotac GAMING GeForce RTX 2080 Ti AMP Extreme or MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti LIGHTNING. That would be ANY video card.

At this rate why not make one 11.7 and call it the Master Chief?

 

[sid21177]

Do you think this should be offered as an option at extra cost?

Yes

 

[LegendsofMace]

@VELKASE Michael Forgive me for being a bit behind on knowledge of the specs here... Is it possible to do a brickless build in the Velka 3? That is with the 400W HDplex in the upcoming revision 1.1?

 

[sid21177]

@VELKASE Michael
Last page of the user guide, where it says how to reduce the size of the case to its min volume.
Wouldn't we have to:
A) unscrew the 2 front standoffs OR,
B) unscrew the rear standoff

as well in order to push the halves together ??
Can you please add photos to show the final positions of the screws in this configuration ??

 

[sid21177]

Those vandal switch LEDs are so bright. I know I'm in the minority on this, but I don't even want a front power button. Would rather have a small, discreet one on the back. The clean front would give the case a cool monolithic look and leave more room for cable management.

You can always choose to not hook up the LED leads ? (thats why its better to offer as an option)
It helps in knowing whether the PC is on or not - lol

The only space on the back i see for a button is the top left corner above the PCI slot - not sure if there is enough space there. And it would most likely require the power cable going diagonally across the interior

 

[QuantumBraced]

Out of sheer curiosity, would the case fit a T318/R15 cooler + A9x14 = total height of 41mm in dual-slot mode? Or is 37mm the absolute limit. I'm interested in the case for a mobile rig, but as a thought experiment I wonder if it would be possible to move my X99 system to it from my M1.

On a related note, is there a native LGA 2011/2066 cooler that would fit in the case in single-slot mode?

 

[ExplodingWaffle101]

two q's about vk-5:
1) does the ac just come out of the side? if so, i think that's very clever, utility over having all your connectors on one side. if not, im super surprised at how you got this thing so darn small
2) i wouldnt use this, but would 92mm aio be possible with itx length gpu?
i really like the footprint/size/specs of vk-5 in the main post: flex atx is probably not as bad as i think but sfx is more future-thinking imo (big fan and modular). i also appreciate 3.5in support so i can procrastinate getting new drives even longer! *laughs in not having an ssd in 2018*

 

[VELKASE Michael]

@VELKASE Michael Forgive me for being a bit behind on knowledge of the specs here... Is it possible to do a brickless build in the Velka 3? That is with the 400W HDplex in the upcoming revision 1.1?

Brick-less builds will only be possible with Flex ATX.

Out of sheer curiosity, would the case fit a T318/R15 cooler + A9x14 = total height of 41mm in dual-slot mode? Or is 37mm the absolute limit. I'm interested in the case for a mobile rig, but as a thought experiment I wonder if it would be possible to move my X99 system to it from my M1.

The clearance is theoretically only 37 mm but when I tested this with an L9A (a 37 mm cooler) on the AM4 platform, there were 3 mm left between the panel and fan. 41 mm may be possible with a slight bulge in the side panel which may or may not be noticeable. I will get back to you on this if I get more information on real use case scenario clearances.

On a related note, is there a native LGA 2011/2066 cooler that would fit in the case in single-slot mode?

I do not know of any LGA 2011/2066 cooler with of height of 57 mm or less. What is the rare 60 mm Noctua cooler that people use in the Loque Ghost S1 case? That one may work.

@VELKASE Michael
Last page of the user guide, where it says how to reduce the size of the case to its min volume.
Wouldn't we have to:
A) unscrew the 2 front standoffs OR,
B) unscrew the rear standoff

as well in order to push the halves together ??
Can you please add photos to show the final positions of the screws in this configuration ??

Sorry for the lack of detail. The 2 screws that fix the 2 front standoffs to the side need to be loosened and then they can slide along the slot. I will update the guide with pictures as soon as possible.

two q's about vk-5:
1) does the ac just come out of the side? if so, i think that's very clever, utility over having all your connectors on one side. if not, im super surprised at how you got this thing so darn small
2) i wouldnt use this, but would 92mm aio be possible with itx length gpu?
i really like the footprint/size/specs of vk-5 in the main post: flex atx is probably not as bad as i think but sfx is more future-thinking imo (big fan and modular). i also appreciate 3.5in support so i can procrastinate getting new drives even longer! *laughs in not having an ssd in 2018*

1) The AC input (if that is what you mean) is in the back.
2) 92 mm AIO compatibility has not been tested but it may be possible to make it work with an ITX length graphics card.

 

[QuantumBraced]

I do not know of any LGA 2011/2066 cooler with of height of 57 mm or less. What is the rare 60 mm Noctua cooler that people use in the Loque Ghost S1 case? That one may work.

After some googling, I found 2 coolers that come close:

Cooler Master GeminII M4 - 59mm
Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B - 58mm

I think the cooler you were referring to is the discontinued Noctua L12 -- it's 66mm, so it won't work. The new L12S is 70mm.

I suspect out of those 2, the Big Shuriken 2 performs better, but it's been discontinued. Perhaps the GeminII M4 with a Noctua A12x15 would perform the same or better, but it's 2mm above the limit. You said there is 3mm of additional clearance, but I'm guessing having the fan touch or almost touch the panel would hurt performance some and add noise because of turbulence. This is such a niche use case anyway, I doubt anyone would do X299 + GT 1030 or similar class GPU.

But maybe in a future iteration you could make the vent holes much larger to help with cooling and turbulence, something like the SM560 vented panels, that is if you have access to that kind of tooling. That would help with cleaning too, you could effectively clean the case with something like a CompuCleaner without taking off the side panels. And it's almost like you have windows, so a lot of positives to that type of panel.

 

[VELKASE Michael]

But maybe in a future iteration you could make the vent holes much larger to help with cooling and turbulence, something like the SM560 vented panels, that is if you have access to that kind of tooling. That would help with cleaning too, you could effectively clean the case with something like a CompuCleaner without taking off the side panels. And it's almost like you have windows, so a lot of positives to that type of panel.

It might be better keep the round cutouts because vents with angled geometry (all other factors kept the same) generate more noise, although having side panels with different vent geometry may become an option as production quantities increase.

I would be all for improving cooling, which can be done by increasing hole diameter and changing hole staggering from 45 to 30 or 60 degrees to fit more holes in the same area. A higher open area would help with dusting off components regardless of geometry.

 

[QuantumBraced]

It might be better keep the round cutouts because vents with angled geometry (all other factors kept the same) generate more noise, although having side panels with different vent geometry may become an option as production quantities increase.

I would be all for improving cooling, which can be done by increasing hole diameter and changing hole staggering from 45 to 30 or 60 degrees to fit more holes in the same area. A higher open area would help with dusting off components regardless of geometry.

Round holes have a nice aesthetic. I think if you have large enough holes, the geometry doesn't matter for noise. I mean if you look at the SM560 side or bottom vents or the old CustomMod Mini honeycomb panels, it's like 90% hole 10% metal. I wouldn't even call them vents, it's more just some structural beams so you could say there is a panel at all. At that point, airflow is completely unobstructed. I think geometry only matters for cleaning inasmuch as it allows you to stick an electric duster's attachment through and see inside as if the panel was off.

There are pros and cons to this though, like a lot of FlexATX cables are ketchup-and-mustard colored, which doesn't look great. And it's not as structurally sound or protected/concealed for transportation or mobile use.

I'm nitpicking here, I'm just excited about this case.

 

[VELKASE Michael]

Just to put it out there, this VK5 prototype is 5.7 L, supports SFX power supplies and 295 mm graphics cards. The NFC S4 mini (which I presume is not focused on minimum size) is 5.0 L, supports HDPLEX power supplies and 210 mm graphics cards. The 330 watt Dell AC-DC adapter is 0.8 L.

 

[Parge]

Nice. I'm in for a 5.7l VK5 when they go into production.

 

[QuantumBraced]

I like the larger vent holes on the VK5, the honeycomb ones are nice too. Would be nice if it was the same style vent holes everywhere.

Where do the space savings come from compared to the A4-SFX? No 92mm fans, does it really yield that much?

 

[VELKASE Michael]

I like the larger vent holes on the VK5, the honeycomb ones are nice too. Would be nice if it was the same style vent holes everywhere.

Where do the space savings come from compared to the A4-SFX? No 92mm fans, does it really yield that much?

The circular holes are actually the same size as on the VK3. Perhaps they look larger because of the white graphics card shroud?

A4-SFX: 200 x 112 x 317 mm
VK5: 174 x 109 x 301 mm

16 mm difference in the first measurement (height of A4-SFX, depth of VK5) is from 92 mm fan support and power cable extension support
3 mm difference in the second measurement (width of either case) is from a power supply mount that does not require an internal bracket
16 mm difference in the third measurement (depth of A4-SFX, height of VK5) is from the A4-SFX having an SSD mount in the front behind a curved front panel

 

[QuantumBraced]

The circular holes are actually the same size as on the VK3. Perhaps they look larger because of the white graphics card shroud?

A4-SFX: 200 x 112 x 317 mm
VK5: 174 x 109 x 301 mm

16 mm difference in the first measurement (height of A4-SFX, depth of VK5) is from 92 mm fan support and power cable extension support
3 mm difference in the second measurement (width of either case) is from a power supply mount that does not require an internal bracket
16 mm difference in the third measurement (depth of A4-SFX, height of VK5) is from the A4-SFX having an SSD mount in the front behind a curved front panel

Oh wow that quite the optical illusion. What's your rationale for using honeycombs on the back and circular on the panels?

And that is amazing space savings, wow. I was also looking at your VK7 tentative specs and I cannot figure out how on Earth you have ATX PSU support, 71mm CPU cooler clearance and 315mm card support in 7.5L, short of using magic. Maybe too early to discuss that though.

I hope I'm not spamming this thread too much, I get excited by space savings.