Concept (Working Name NR-1) <15L Dual Rad Al Case

jon_pertwee

Case Bender
Original poster
New User
Apr 12, 2018
2
7

Case
- 325x153x300mm, 14.9L external volume (excluding feet)
- 325x153x320mm, 15.9L external volume (including feet)
- 14ga Al case, rubber feet, likely acrylic side panel

Motherboard
- mITX only

GPU
- 2.5 slot, 310mm max

CPU Coolers
- 55mm air cooler clearance
- Support for up to 2x240 rads (30mm thick w/ 25mm thick fans)

Storage
- 2x2.5" drives (max 14mm thick)

PSU
- SFX only (not SFX-L)

While I'm designing it with (limited) air cooler compatibility, it should be fairly obvious I'm designing this with the intent of doing a dual rad cooling setup. Most of the design choices were made with this in mind. Additionally, I'm going to be attempting to fabricate it myself, so made a couple of compromises to eliminate the need for welding as I'm...less than experienced in any kind of welding (eg, using standoffs/pop rivets in place of welding). I think I'll be able to get away with it since I do have access to a CNC router and a press brake?
I don't think I'd be attempting to sell this, as it's more of a personal passion project than anything? That being said, I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on ways to simplify/improve on the design. Dummy checks are always appreciated ^^;;
 

Windfall

Shrink Ray Wielder
SFFn Staff
Nov 14, 2017
2,117
1,582

Case
- 325x153x300mm, 14.9L external volume (excluding feet)
- 325x153x320mm, 15.9L external volume (including feet)
- 14ga Al case, rubber feet, likely acrylic side panel

Motherboard
- mITX only

GPU
- 2.5 slot, 310mm max

CPU Coolers
- 55mm air cooler clearance
- Support for up to 2x240 rads (30mm thick w/ 25mm thick fans)

Storage
- 2x2.5" drives (max 14mm thick)

PSU
- SFX only (not SFX-L)

While I'm designing it with (limited) air cooler compatibility, it should be fairly obvious I'm designing this with the intent of doing a dual rad cooling setup. Most of the design choices were made with this in mind. Additionally, I'm going to be attempting to fabricate it myself, so made a couple of compromises to eliminate the need for welding as I'm...less than experienced in any kind of welding (eg, using standoffs/pop rivets in place of welding). I think I'll be able to get away with it since I do have access to a CNC router and a press brake?
I don't think I'd be attempting to sell this, as it's more of a personal passion project than anything? That being said, I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on ways to simplify/improve on the design. Dummy checks are always appreciated ^^;;

I can't see anything unmanufacturable based of the pictures.
 

Platypus

Efficiency Noob
Oct 30, 2019
6
4
You have to consider some questions.

Why this case?
What makes it unique and worth while?
What would cooling be like with an enclosed space, would there be vents on the sides, if so would it be the entire side and look like 90% of the cases out there?

Questions like these and also would it be that sturdy without one of the side panels attached? It looks very thin in the renders with very little corner support. Once you have that many components installed it will make the structure very strained without support.

The case looks pretty damn cool though. Additionally showing how the airflow could work best would be a nice touch.
 

deathadder666

Trash Compacter
Feb 4, 2018
49
22
I would be interested in a case like this. Add a Type C front panel port and you'd be more "competitive" with the other cases. I agree with Platypus too, what makes this unique? For people like me that don't like RGB lights and symbols and graphics and fancy crap all over their cases (I prefer mine to be bland and blend into my surrounding area - totally a personal preference) then a plain case that is functional is important. But in the sea of concepts that never get beyond wishful designing, what can you do to spruce it up?

Maybe add a bit of width and have more cable management area behind the MB tray? Vents on the side panels? Maybe get a bit crazy, I would love to see your design elongated to make 360mm rads on top and bottom available. Or take a page from the Lian Li PC-011 and mount a 280 on the front like theirs? The best part of dreaming something up is coming up with something different and new, or re-imaging something that exists.

Though personally, make this case in black and with the Type C in the front panel and I would buy it (make space for 280mm rads and I would definitely buy). Good work and good luck.
 

Hacko

Cable Smoosher
Jul 29, 2019
11
1

Case
- 325x153x300mm, 14.9L external volume (excluding feet)
- 325x153x320mm, 15.9L external volume (including feet)
- 14ga Al case, rubber feet, likely acrylic side panel

Motherboard
- mITX only

GPU
- 2.5 slot, 310mm max

CPU Coolers
- 55mm air cooler clearance
- Support for up to 2x240 rads (30mm thick w/ 25mm thick fans)

Storage
- 2x2.5" drives (max 14mm thick)

PSU
- SFX only (not SFX-L)

While I'm designing it with (limited) air cooler compatibility, it should be fairly obvious I'm designing this with the intent of doing a dual rad cooling setup. Most of the design choices were made with this in mind. Additionally, I'm going to be attempting to fabricate it myself, so made a couple of compromises to eliminate the need for welding as I'm...less than experienced in any kind of welding (eg, using standoffs/pop rivets in place of welding). I think I'll be able to get away with it since I do have access to a CNC router and a press brake?
I don't think I'd be attempting to sell this, as it's more of a personal passion project than anything? That being said, I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on ways to simplify/improve on the design. Dummy checks are always appreciated ^^;;


I was waiting for this, finally a dual AIO sandwich case. Perfect, i want one!

Answering to others, IMO a dual rad almost SFF case is the perfect portable gaming/workstation, i have never pushed the button on other (still very beautiful) cases because of cooling and undervolting requirements which are a big nono TO ME.

If OP does a good job developing appealing externals/front venting/IO this could be my choice

Peace
 

jon_pertwee

Case Bender
Original poster
New User
Apr 12, 2018
2
7
I mean it's not dead yet <insert monty python reference here>. That being said, this is gonna be a pretty slow project, with how active/away from home my job keeps me. Time span I'm looking at here for prototyping/production is at least a year, maybe two. Turns out the navy frowns upon free time.
To answer some questions:

Why this instead of something else?
-- Dual rad sandwich. I'm aware there's expansions for some cases that allow it (*cough*loque ghost hats*cough*), but to be honest, I'm a fan of the tempered glass & rgb life (even if I usually have rgb disabled). Also, I wanted to try my hand at something personal as a challenge and for fun!

Size? 280rad/360rad?
-- This is designed for my use case, and in particular what I feel comfortable/to be within my capabilities to manufacture. By hand/press. Myself. I'd considered adding support for larger 140mm fan-type rads, or for front fans, but to make the internal layout support those options it was making it too large for my comfort; 360mm radiators in particular would've brought it up to almost 20L, hardly a "compact" build. Although, in the most recent tweak I upped it to 16L to support more room behind the tray for wiring...

Front IO Support?
--Front IO was picked out in the renders based off of what I could actually find available for purchase relatively wholesale; I'm not out to custom wire a USB-C front port. If anyone could point me to places where I could find readily available io for internal mounting, I'd be more than willing to adjust it

Structural Integrity?
-- I'm not sure! That's what the prototyping stage is hopefully help me figure out with how much I can get away with; if I have to use a thicker sheet of aluminum, I will; part of the benefit of making/prototyping it myself (it's cheaper on me to test)

And as more of a blanket statement, while I'm flattered that anyone is interested (even mildly) in potentially buying this, that's not the goal. I would not hold my breath on that being offered. It's a personal thing that I'm trying out in my (very little) spare time. If any interest is shown in it, I'm more liable to host/upload the 3d files before anything else.
 

Kallus

Caliper Novice
Feb 27, 2018
24
8
You could mount the gpu in this style as well. I think that would be easier to build in and you can support rads in the same fashion too. I think that would extremely sleek
 
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