Custom case questions.

dtallon13

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
67
So I'm designing my own SFF case. I will use it for gaming, Web browsing, MS Office, Photoshop, and Solidworks to name a few. I will overclock and watercool.

Here's my current part list:

CPU: i7-4770K
GPU: GTX 1060 Mini
PSU: SF600
MB: GA-Z97N-WiFi
SSD: CS1311
I am also thinking of buying a pair of 1TB 2.5" hard drives.
Rads are both Corsair H60. CPU and GPU are independent.

I have the PC built now, in a Node 202 with air cooling. This post is about a custom case with water cooling. I want it small enough to fit in a backpack - My current design is under 7L.

I have a lot of experience with things like Dremels and soldering irons. My school is setting up a makerspace with 3D printers, a laser cutter, and a CNC, so I will have access to and already have some experience with those.



P8TOemu.png



Above is a screenshot from a CAD file. I want to know if this case design will work. Air comes in though the top, through the rads, and exhausts on the sides, rear, and front. Case will be made from 3mm PETG.

Will there be any airflow problems?
 
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Have you thought of the wiring end? Not sure what cable you could use for the P/S to the MB for the 24pin 8pin etc.

For air flow it is hard to discern from your drawing since you don't have the vent's in place. I built my own SFF case and it has water cooling for the cpu. I just use a Corsair Hydro Series H5
Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF Low-Profile Liquid CPU Cooler Cooling for high-performance Mini-ITX PCs CW-9060023-WW-Newegg.com

The H5 Cools great with a noisy blower system when you OC is the only downside, it is compact. Now my case would not fit inside of a backpack even being as small as it is. The Node 202 is a great case it looks like except very limited options for cpu cooling is the only thing I would be concern about.
 
Hey, great design!
There are two concern I have. Firstly, as noko pointed out, there is next to no room for cabling. How much space is between the power supply and the RAM sticks? With modular connectors you need at least 3cm. Also the motherboard 24-pin connector is in the way.
The second thing is the graphics card. You used a single-slot CAD model, but all current GTX 1060s are dual slot. Have you accounted for the extra height?
 
Have you thought of the wiring end? Not sure what cable you could use for the P/S to the MB for the 24pin 8pin etc.

For air flow it is hard to discern from your drawing since you don't have the vent's in place. I built my own SFF case and it has water cooling for the cpu. I just use a Corsair Hydro Series H5
Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF Low-Profile Liquid CPU Cooler Cooling for high-performance Mini-ITX PCs CW-9060023-WW-Newegg.com

The H5 Cools great with a noisy blower system when you OC is the only downside, it is compact. Now my case would not fit inside of a backpack even being as small as it is. The Node 202 is a great case it looks like except very limited options for cpu cooling is the only thing I would be concern about.

Yes, I will be modifying the cables that come with the PSU to a custom length.

Here's an outline of where the vents will be.

Front: PSU is vent.

w6VvrHL.png


Rear: Something like this, but not as messy.

fYelIZH.png


Side

O9BJPdO.png


Other side

YIpVAYn.png




Hey, great design!
There are two concern I have. Firstly, as noko pointed out, there is next to no room for cabling. How much space is between the power supply and the RAM sticks? With modular connectors you need at least 3cm. Also the motherboard 24-pin connector is in the way.
The second thing is the graphics card. You used a single-slot CAD model, but all current GTX 1060s are dual slot. Have you accounted for the extra height?

You're right, cabling will be very tight. I designed for the cables to be in before the components go in the case, which saves 1cm as the below image shows. A dual slot GPU will not fit very well, but as I am watercooling mine it will be more like a single slot with a tumor.

cg7gCHI.png
 
So…

A box with cables coming out of both ends…

No one makes a full-cover block for the 1060 ITX boards…

The area above the CPU seems limited, space for fittings may be an issue; if you are going with a water block / pump combo (either from an AIO or the Swiftech Apogee unit) it might be interfering with the GPU…

Almost one third of your radiator exhaust is right up against the PSU & drives; restricted airflow there and hot air dumping onto components…

I think a fully water cooled 7 liter design with standard ITX / SFX components is unrealistic…
 
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Honestly, simply for airflow and cabling, I would go with a smaller rad. You can get a thinner rad or a smaller footprint.
 
While cad had it uses it can be somewhat misleading as well. Make up a mock up version using cardboard and if you have a spare mother board it would be golden. If not copy images of the motherboard, power supply etc. and glue then on to the correct size pieces of cardboard. You will realize real fast where the problems will be. Then after fixing those and building it you will most likely find many more issues. My build integrates the case into a custom workstation/desk - still a work in progress but I can OC my I7 6700K and Nano to 1000mhz and keep the temperature less than 76c for the Nano. The cpu I have at 4.4ghz 100% stable and it keeps less than 60c with a mild profile on the AIO cpu cooler (still it becomes too noisy for my tastes). Really the cables were one of the biggest issues and if you can make custom cables that can help a lot (something I did not do but open to it).

In my instance I've been running it for a longer period of time to get a better feel but I will scrap the case and rebuild another, fine tuning it more. Doing something unique is very rewarding but be advise it does not come easy and if it did then everyone would be doing it. To design an effective SFF case for Enthusiast type performance on a scale to 1 - 10 for hardness I would give it 9.5 or higher.
 
So…

A box with cables coming out of both ends…

No one makes a full-cover block for the 1060 ITX boards…

The area above the CPU seems limited, space for fittings may be an issue; if you are going with a water block / pump combo (either from an AIO or the Swiftech Apogee unit) it might be interfering with the GPU…

Almost one third of your radiator exhaust is right up against the PSU & drives; restricted airflow there and hot air dumping onto components…

I think a fully water cooled 7 liter design with standard ITX / SFX components is unrealistic…

All cables come out the back except the power cord (And obviously front USB). I will use a right angle cord and run it to the back. I myself don't mind one cord, but I know some people are different.

I have the resources to manufacture a bracket, and I will be using the stock block on my radiators.

I have measured and space will not be an issue.

I am aware of this. It is one of the reasons I started this thread. It is not as close as you think. The image doesn't show it too well, but the radiator is providing airflow to the PSU intake. I am aware that this may still be a thermal issue though.

I can redesign with a 500W FlexATX PSU instead if that's what it takes.

Honestly, simply for airflow and cabling, I would go with a smaller rad. You can get a thinner rad or a smaller footprint.

The rads are Corsair H60s. Do you know of one that is smaller and around the same price point?

While cad had it uses it can be somewhat misleading as well. Make up a mock up version using cardboard and if you have a spare mother board it would be golden. If not copy images of the motherboard, power supply etc. and glue then on to the correct size pieces of cardboard. You will realize real fast where the problems will be. Then after fixing those and building it you will most likely find many more issues. My build integrates the case into a custom workstation/desk - still a work in progress but I can OC my I7 6700K and Nano to 1000mhz and keep the temperature less than 76c for the Nano. The cpu I have at 4.4ghz 100% stable and it keeps less than 60c with a mild profile on the AIO cpu cooler (still it becomes too noisy for my tastes). Really the cables were one of the biggest issues and if you can make custom cables that can help a lot (something I did not do but open to it).

In my instance I've been running it for a longer period of time to get a better feel but I will scrap the case and rebuild another, fine tuning it more. Doing something unique is very rewarding but be advise it does not come easy and if it did then everyone would be doing it. To design an effective SFF case for Enthusiast type performance on a scale to 1 - 10 for hardness I would give it 9.5 or higher.

I will definitely make a mockup. How big is your case? (not desk)
 
There's no full-cover blocks for the GTX 160 but EK Thermosphere is compatible with some of its models. However I would just as well go for a RX 480 as it does have a full cover waterblock and you can easily convert it into single slot to save room.

My biggest critique with the layout is simply that the radiator sits on top of the mobo and GPU. I'm thinking if you gotta water cool you gotta least show off some of those components ;D Would putting the radiator and fans behind the mobo affect cooling that much? I would put the fans in between the mobo and radiator and push the air out as exhaust. You'd have to stand the case on its side so the motherboard is vertical for better results though.
 
All cables come out the back except the power cord (And obviously front USB). I will use a right angle cord and run it to the back. I myself don't mind one cord, but I know some people are different.

I have the resources to manufacture a bracket, and I will be using the stock block on my radiators.

I have measured and space will not be an issue.

I am aware of this. It is one of the reasons I started this thread. It is not as close as you think. The image doesn't show it too well, but the radiator is providing airflow to the PSU intake. I am aware that this may still be a thermal issue though.

I can redesign with a 500W FlexATX PSU instead if that's what it takes.



The rads are Corsair H60s. Do you know of one that is smaller and around the same price point?



I will definitely make a mockup. How big is your case? (not desk)

Well the case and desk go together integrated so to speak, idea is Small Form Factor for the whole system. Getting the computer out of the way on the desk as much as possible, free up floor space, cable mess typical of PCs on the floor, wall etc. minimized or eliminated and allow enthusiast level performance (as much as possible). Anyways here are some images to give you some ideas. Your build will probably need to meet different requirements and should be different to reach those goals.



All cabling etc. are tucked, wrapped etc. so they are not strung everywhere to be seen - I hate my other computer cable nightmare.



Looking inside at the components, Corsair AIO cpu water cooler left top, Gigabyte G5 mITX motherboard left bottom. Top right 600w Corsair SFF power supply reviewed at HardOCP, bottom right AMD R9 Nano.

 
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There's no full-cover blocks for the GTX 160 but EK Thermosphere is compatible with some of its models. However I would just as well go for a RX 480 as it does have a full cover waterblock and you can easily convert it into single slot to save room.

My biggest critique with the layout is simply that the radiator sits on top of the mobo and GPU. I'm thinking if you gotta water cool you gotta least show off some of those components ;D Would putting the radiator and fans behind the mobo affect cooling that much? I would put the fans in between the mobo and radiator and push the air out as exhaust. You'd have to stand the case on its side so the motherboard is vertical for better results though.

Already have the 1060, and I'm going with a Thermosphere style solution. I agree, a redesign is in the works.

dtallon13
Please have a look a these resources. They will help you a lot with designing the case. Useful references for case design

I already use most of these, but thanks!

Well the case and desk go together integrated so to speak, idea is Small Form Factor for the whole system. Getting the computer out of the way on the desk as much as possible, free up floor space, cable mess typical of PCs on the floor, wall etc. minimized or eliminated and allow enthusiast level performance (as much as possible). Anyways here are some images to give you some ideas. Your build will probably need to meet different requirements and should be different to reach those goals.



All cabling etc. are tucked, wrapped etc. so they are not strung everywhere to be seen - I hate my other computer cable nightmare.



Looking inside at the components, Corsair AIO cpu water cooler left top, Gigabyte G5 mITX motherboard left bottom. Top right 600w Corsair SFF power supply reviewed at HardOCP, bottom left AMD R9 Nano.






Nice work, mouse brother! :D
 
Already have the 1060, and I'm going with a Thermosphere style solution. I agree, a redesign is in the works.



I already use most of these, but thanks!







Nice work, mouse brother! :D
Why thank you, more of a test at the moment. The desk top will get tinted 1/2" Polycarbonate once I get the configuration right (the desk top has holes for the keyboard wire and speaker cables so to keep cables as free as possible). The case will be rebuilt, a little bit wider, less tall with the power supply blowing out back in a more traditional way plus a better sound system ( Harman Kardon SoundSticks III 2.1 Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System-Newegg.com ). Two 140mm fans on the bottom filtered, currently one 120mm and one 140mm. I may make a divider between the MB section and GPU area similar to the Node 202. Debating on trying air cooling as well for the CPU, mostly due to noise of the current AIO cpu cooler when OC, it is rather good at default CPU speeds for noise and OK at 4.4ghz speeds on the cpu. The bottom line is I am loving this setup more and more as time goes on and really enjoying the customizations that fit me -> Worth every penny and minute of time by a long shot.
 
I came up with this layout. It is 7.5L but only the CPU, GPU, and PSU get cooled like this. I am concerned about whether or not I will need a fan for the passively cooled components (RAM, VRMs, GPU RAM, GPU VRMs)

kIkvUWu.png
 
I like your original design...

But likely not enough room to properly route your WC fittings. Either with hard or soft tubing.
Maybe if you flipped the bottom components (everything but the radiator and fans) onto their sides to give you more vertical room?
This might also help with presenting less back pressure on the radiator fans - I've read that effective fan performance needs approx. 1 fan diameter of free space on either side of the fan. This is not practical in a computer case this small - but the orientation change would still help.
 
I like your original design...

But likely not enough room to properly route your WC fittings. Either with hard or soft tubing.
Maybe if you flipped the bottom components (everything but the radiator and fans) onto their sides to give you more vertical room?
This might also help with presenting less back pressure on the radiator fans - I've read that effective fan performance needs approx. 1 fan diameter of free space on either side of the fan. This is not practical in a computer case this small - but the orientation change would still help.

Like this?

7o9skg1.png


Only problem is that's nearly 11L.
 
I could make the case L shaped, then it would be about 7.3L

FXC4b8t.png
 
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Like this?

7o9skg1.png


Only problem is that's nearly 11L.

Like this... But with the PSU placed with the fan facing down to intake cool air from the bottom. The Long dimension is 125mm, so very close to the width of the radiator.
This would then let you move the motherboard and GPU up a little. The SSD could be relocated above the PSU.

Overall volume would reduce also.


Alternatively, the PSU could be place along side the SSD's in its current orientation. This should still fit in the footprint of the radiator above.
 
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