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Thread: Case Design

  1. #1
    clocker's Avatar Shovel Ready
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    I made the casual statement a while ago that perhaps it was time to design my own PC case.
    Although that was a off the cuff remark, since then I've done quite a bit of thinking about it.
    Right now I'm not particularly concerned with the materials/construction aspect, but rather, the desired features and layout.

    It seems to me that there are number of inherent flaws in the standard case layout.
    For instance, the PSU and CPU/HSF are typically very close together, creating an area of intense heat concentration, which necessitates more extreme cooling methods to deal with.

    Think outside of the box if you will ( the final product doesn't have to be box shaped, after all), and tell me what you would like to see in a computer set up.

    Any little obervation will do....

    To start, my case has an absurdly sized "reset" button. Even my little finger is too big to press it in past the bezel. Not that I use it much, but if it's going to be there, it should work properly.

    Okay, anyone?
    "I am the one who knocks."- Heisenberg

  2. Software & Hardware   -   #2
    Virtualbody1234's Avatar Forum Star BT Rep: +2
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    How about no case?

    Find a way to support all the parts without an enclosure.

  3. Software & Hardware   -   #3
    clocker's Avatar Shovel Ready
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    Well, that's a start, but dust and general vulnerability become an issue.

    I know that you have personally assembled many PCs. Thinking back, isn't there something ( or somethings) that makes you say " Damn I wish they would do .... instead"?
    "I am the one who knocks."- Heisenberg

  4. Software & Hardware   -   #4
    Virtualbody1234's Avatar Forum Star BT Rep: +2
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    Dust is an issue anyway you look at it. It always gets in.

    I think the most important thing to consider with a case design is easy access to each part. I mean to be able to remove and replace any part without having to dismantle a whole bunch of things.

  5. Software & Hardware   -   #5
    I have always wanted to make a pc case out of scratch. Just starting of with the motherboard plate and drive bays

    It would be very cool to have a case you have made your self.

    Maybe you could use one of those mini PSU's like this one



    Not sure if their is any above 200 watt.

    Hey it might be fun to make your own PSU from the parts of an existing one

  6. Software & Hardware   -   #6
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    Originally posted by Virtualbody1234@28 November 2003 - 20:29
    Dust is an issue anyway you look at it. It always gets in.

    So true.

    My initial thoughts center around a modular case design.
    One enclosure for the PSU, one for the mainboard and chip and the third for the drives/controls.
    This could be as easy as just subdividing a standard sized PC box shape, or as complex as three separate enclosures.
    Each area/component has specific and different heat issues to deal with and the separate enclosures would allow me to deal with airflow introduction/extraction as needed.
    I have been studying sound baffling techniques as applied to studio design and constructing anechoic chambers. Very interesting and not too difficult to apply if implemented in the design phase rather than grafted on later.
    "I am the one who knocks."- Heisenberg

  7. Software & Hardware   -   #7
    bigdawgfoxx's Avatar Big Dawg
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    I would say put the PSU in a very separate area...like have a little nook for it..and have a fan blowing on it. Then have everything else away from it and organized cables...and have like 3 or 4 fans to keep the whole thing cool...The no case idea is good for coolling..just put a huge floor fan on it haha but you could get electric shock, and damage parts easily.
    [SIZE=1]AMD 4200 X2 @ 2.65Ghz, ASRock 939-VSTA
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  8. Software & Hardware   -   #8
    i wish that the main components of my pc were more spread out
    more space between the components should mean less heat inside therefore less wear and tear on the parts
    plus, of course, repair work would then be easier too
    <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>BLAH</span>

    <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Wayne Rooney - A thug and a thief</span>

  9. Software & Hardware   -   #9
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    Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@28 November 2003 - 20:48
    Then have everything else away from it and organized cables
    Organizing cables is a particular fetish of mine...no probs there. In fact I&#39;m lucky in that I have access to a custom cable fabrication company right here in Denver, so if I need custom cables for the drives it&#39;s not a big deal.

    I think that water cooling for the CPU is a definite option for this project. It solves several problems and reduces the airflow requirements in the motherboard enclosure. The pump/reservoir/radiator can all be in a separate space, thus reducing the risk to the electronics.

    As far as drives go, I think that two optical and space for two HDDs should be plenty. This is probably the easiest of all areas to deal with as heat is not so much of an issue. Probably the most difficult aspect here is the neat routing of cables....
    "I am the one who knocks."- Heisenberg

  10. Software & Hardware   -   #10
    _John_Lennon_'s Avatar Poster
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    Btw, about the PSU so close to the HS/F thing, just put the PSU on the bottom of the base, like, on the floor of it in the back.........

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