New SFF gamer case: Mini ITX

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Making progress on the prototypes. The covers just shipped and are going to be painted sometime next week hopefully.;)
 
saweeeet! I'm getting the rest of my home theater together. Just picked up an Onkyo 7.1 1200w setup with HDMI 1.4 and repeater. This mini-ITX will be the HTPC, for sure!
 
i think it would look pretty cool if the top case was orange and the front panel remains black.. would look pretty cool.. would remind me of HL2
 
mattinv said:
Making progress on the prototypes. The covers just shipped and are going to be painted sometime next week hopefully.;)
Click to expand...

So, does that imply you've got the rest of the chassis in hand? Can't wait to see what the updated design looks like!
 
if you post new updated pictures, i can't promise i wont touch myself :D
 
Hi everybody,

Wooow, it has taken a few weeks to get these cases ready for the BETA.
THERE ARE DONE!!! 9 of them. High quality paint, silked screen, revision 2.0.:D. All aluminum, compatible H50, compatible 240mm water cooling heatsink, HD 5970, ATX PSU, relatively tall heatsinks, etc... about the same volume as the SG05 -- I love that part-- And hopefully, all that in a classy enclosure.

Here is the schedule:
The case will ship Fedex Ground from the factory tomorrow. They will arrive to our warehouse July 8th. We will pack some electronic in it (switched, buttons, LED, etc...). It will leave the next Friday or Monday depending on my schedule.
In the mean time, we are building the list of BETA testers. It is extremely crowded so we are taking into account various factors such as:
- Do you have equipment on hand and what type (having a H50 and a 5970 is for sure a plus:p).
- How motivated are you to participate in the BETA? Being very active with DA BOX for sure helps; sending tons of pictures will do that too;)
- Are you willing to pay $100 + $5 (flat rate shipping) to cover some of the prototyping cost?
- Are you interested in modding the case?
- How soon did you request to participate in the BETA?
- Are you willing to get in a new adventure with us? That includes a few headaches, sweats, screaming and maybe some cuts (although we eliminated all the sharp edges -- thanks to the paint).

If you are interested and have not applied yet, send me an email at [email protected]. Everybody will be taken into consideration.

In the mean time, we should vote on a new name!:D

I'll do my best to be very active on the forum in the next days. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Additional info
/!\ The tallest heatsink we could fit is 143mm tall.
Scythe SCKTN-3000 92mm Sleeve "KATANA3" 3Heat Pipes CPU Cooler
scythe_katana3.jpg
 
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shoot i wanted to be in the beta but.. it would be awhile before i could get a build completed in one of those cases...

what i have on hand:

h50
dfi p55-t36
 
Mediocre name ideas:

- Pandora (not-so-subtle reference to her box... and I don't mean her nana )
- Lynx (small but ferocious animal; has a badass, but cute ring to it)


Terrible ideas:
- Da... FOX 100?!?!!
- Da... BOOK 100?!?!


more to come..
 
I'd love to get my hands on one of these beta cases but would they ship to AU ???
 
hhmm...names...
heh, I actually wanted to say Pandora, then read up, and another user has already suggested it. Kinda works for something like this. it's a flexible case, so maybe the Lan-Gear Flex mITX case? Or.....since it's the ultimate or max in terms of compatibility, some play on the word max? I'm bad at this. Or a horrible idea would be to play on it's size, you've got Da Box, this could be the Itsy Box. If I have a revelation, I'll post it here!

So, you're going to randomly pick beta testers from those that have contacted you? Cause back when I emailed you, you didn't ask us those questions, so, or are those just to draw people in?
 
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U238Shell said:
Oops, read the post. It's not at your warehouse yet.
Can we get pictures when it arrives? With a 240mm radiator installed too. :)
Click to expand...

I don't have a 240mm on hand. So I'll have to rely on our BETA testers to post that!
 
So when is the retail release? Don't know if its worth it to beg for a spot in the beta since Im going to be pretty busy for the next 6 weeks. That means I wouldn't be able to give you any good feedback for 2 months.


As for the name:

Le Box

Why is that name so good you ask? Well... first it contains a little tribute to your french colleague who has been very helpfull by e-mail. But also the acronym "Le" can refer to that the case is fairly limited edition. It isnt exactly produced by the thousands yet... also, Le can be an acronym for "Lite".

So when Lan-Gear presents its catalogue you would have your Da Box, and your Le Box. Putting them together one would represent the bigger american case which backs a real punch. The other would express a more lean smaller look, like european sport cars... which still goes really fast.


You can thank me later by giving me a discount...
 
Bakkone said:
So when is the retail release? Don't know if its worth it to beg for a spot in the beta since Im going to be pretty busy for the next 6 weeks. That means I wouldn't be able to give you any good feedback for 2 months.


As for the name:

Le Box

Why is that name so good you ask? Well... first it contains a little tribute to your french colleague who has been very helpfull by e-mail. But also the acronym "Le" can refer to that the case is fairly limited edition. It isnt exactly produced by the thousands yet... also, Le can be an acronym for "Lite".

So when Lan-Gear presents its catalogue you would have your Da Box, and your Le Box. Putting them together one would represent the bigger american case which backs a real punch. The other would express a more lean smaller look, like european sport cars... which still goes really fast.


You can thank me later by giving me a discount...
Click to expand...

Retail will start shortly after production starts (depending on shipping). That gives us probably 2.5 months wait. In fact, the BETA is to find every little issues we might have overlooked and polish the product. So we have probably a good 2 weeks of testing before we can even finalize the drawings and get it going. 2 more weeks to launch production and another 4 to get it done. This would be my best estimate.;)
 
The name is a no-brainer:

GEARBOX

What else could the name for Lan-GEARs little brother of Da BOX be? ^^
 
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I would like to post a list of component that might not be provided, but that you will need to fully test the case.

- Slimline SATA cable (not provided in the BETA)
12-706-026-S01

- Slim drive (not provided)
27-106-322-S01

- Anti-Vibration Hard Drive Screws (working on a supplier as we speak)
U12-40643-Main-sp.jpg

- 120mm fans (25mm depth)
- 80 mm fans (10 & 25mm depth) --- 25mm deep 80mm fan can interfere with H50 if mounted.


I will add to it as I find more stuff missing.
 
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+1 for anti vibration screws. I was going to fill this with Noctua fans so that'll be a nice silent PC addition.
 
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I have already contacted you about about beta testing. I would definitely be putting it underwater and I would be willing to mod the case as well as provide pictures and feedback for the duration of the test.

I'd be willing to cover some prototyping cost as long as that cost some how incorporates itself into my retail price when I decide to buy the case. I don't want to pay $100+ to help you test, than pay again to purchase it when it goes retaiil.

I have everything I need to build a pc with this case other than a board/cpu but picking up an i3 and a mITX isn't a problem, I've just been waiting for the case. :D

The important parts I have on hand:
5870
bunch of custom watercooling parts. Blocks, Fittings, Rads, Pumps etc.
 
How about "Neutronium" since it'll be the densest container of computer parts in the universe?
 
Machupo said:
How about "Neutronium" since it'll be the densest container of computer parts in the universe?
Click to expand...

I like it! All my parts are waiting for a home! only thing I don't have, aside from a case, is a fan-controller, was waiting on the case before I pull the trigger.
 
TheBlueChanell said:
I have already contacted you about about beta testing. I would definitely be putting it underwater and I would be willing to mod the case as well as provide pictures and feedback for the duration of the test.

I'd be willing to cover some prototyping cost as long as that cost some how incorporates itself into my retail price when I decide to buy the case. I don't want to pay $100+ to help you test, than pay again to purchase it when it goes retaiil.

I have everything I need to build a pc with this case other than a board/cpu but picking up an i3 and a mITX isn't a problem, I've just been waiting for the case. :D

The important parts I have on hand:
5870
bunch of custom watercooling parts. Blocks, Fittings, Rads, Pumps etc.
Click to expand...

Hi Bluechanell,

I understand what you are saying. But there are many ways you can look at it.:D

First, this case is not your basic scratch prototype. Meaning that we are hoping we have a decent version and that no major revisions will be needed. If a bracket must be modified, the way the case is built, it can be replaced. So if we do an important change to the case, we could provide the Beta tester with the new part.
In fact, every part of this gamer's mini ITX case can be removed and replaced with something difference.:cool:

The second point is that prototyping cost way more than $100 / part. A $5 flat shipping fee is to cover a portion of the shipping. Just to ship the case to your door, it will cost a minimum of $11-$12 (average). The cost to ship the parts from all over the country/world to our warehouse, etc... And this is not counting the wrapping and handling at our warehouse. All that to say that the BETA is costing quite a bit but we really want your guys feedback. And we are willing to make a sacrifice for that because we understand that working with a BETA product can be a bit of a headache.
At the end, for $105, you get a full Mini ATX case kit made of 100% high quality aluminum (1.5mm), all glossy black painted (excellent quality paint as you can maybe tell on the first prototype). It is small, portable, and accommodate a lot of hardware out there. This is not your standard Mini ITX case, although it is small like some of the ones out there. We really tried to go beyond what you can get right now.
If you count the shipping, you'll end up paying probably slightly more than $140 when available for retail. So getting into the BETA allows you to get your hand 2 months before anybody else on a case at a 25% discount.

Doing the BETA is also about the fun, the adventure of helping develop a new case, a case that answer your specific needs. You also get the opportunity to develop accessories for certain application that we would have not thought of otherwise.

That being said, I hope that if you are selected, you'll jump on the opportunity. Because I would really enjoy seeing some cool watercooling mods!;)
 
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i am giving very serious consideration to dumping my dual 5850s from my current build in Da Box (see sig) and going to either a 5970 or a 480, and cramming that into this little bastard. The slim optical drive might be a challenge though... I have a 2x BD-reader / DVD burner that's usb and slim, but 2x bd read will kill me for ripping my movies to my WHS. I guess I should start looking for a solution to this problem.
 
mattinv said:
Hi everybody,

Wooow, it has taken a few weeks to get these cases ready for the BETA.
THERE ARE DONE!!! 9 of them. High quality paint, silked screen, revision 2.0.:D. All aluminum, compatible H50, compatible 240mm water cooling heatsink, HD 5970, ATX PSU, relatively tall heatsinks, etc... about the same volume as the SG05 -- I love that part-- And hopefully, all that in a classy enclosure.

Here is the schedule:
The case will ship Fedex Ground from the factory tomorrow. They will arrive to our warehouse July 8th. We will pack some electronic in it (switched, buttons, LED, etc...). It will leave the next Friday or Monday depending on my schedule.
In the mean time, we are building the list of BETA testers. It is extremely crowded so we are taking into account various factors such as:
- Do you have equipment on hand and what type (having a H50 and a 5970 is for sure a plus:p).
- How motivated are you to participate in the BETA? Being very active with DA BOX for sure helps; sending tons of pictures will do that too;)
- Are you willing to pay $100 + $5 (flat rate shipping) to cover some of the prototyping cost?
- Are you interested in modding the case?
- How soon did you request to participate in the BETA?
- Are you willing to get in a new adventure with us? That includes a few headaches, sweats, screaming and maybe some cuts (although we eliminated all the sharp edges -- thanks to the paint).

If you are interested and have not applied yet, send me an email at [email protected]. Everybody will be taken into consideration.

In the mean time, we should vote on a new name!:D

I'll do my best to be very active on the forum in the next days. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Additional info
/!\ The tallest heatsink we could fit is 143mm tall.
Scythe SCKTN-3000 92mm Sleeve "KATANA3" 3Heat Pipes CPU Cooler
scythe_katana3.jpg
Click to expand...

If you are interested in the BETA, keep submitting. I'll wrapped it up Sunday.
 
All I sent to you when I emailed you back a few months ago was that I was interested. Do you need any more info, or are you just picking names from a hat, so to speak?
 
KrylonArt said:
If it was to be called the Massive Overkill Mini-ITX, wouldn't that make it MOMI (mommy) and not MOM?
Click to expand...

mattinv said:
I like MOMI. so many meanings.
Click to expand...

It could go either way. Usually you consider words with hyphens just one when making acronyms. I'd be honored if you called it MOMI ;)

I'm copying some names from an eVGA rig-naming post I made:

Massive Overkill's Minion
Massive Overkill Marauder
Massive Overkill Rampage Extreme (MORE!) good name for RIIE owners
Massive Overkill Really Extreme (MORE!)
Massive Overkill Obsesssively Righteous Rig (MOORR!)
Massive Overkill's Monstronsity (If I ever upgrade to a Fermi and Gulftown, that's what I'm naming my new mATX box)
Massive Overkill's Obsession! (MOO!)
Massive Overkill Othello! (MOO!) or if you're getting sick of MOM variations, just Othello
Execution of Perfection Inspired by Conviction (EPIC), just noticed your handle, didn't even know what it was when I came up with this one.
 
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