Parallel TEN: a cast aluminum Mini-ITX case for enthusiasts

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hooplish

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Parallel TEN: a cast aluminum Mini-ITX case for enthusiasts (Originally: "A SFF case with a difference")

A unique Mini-ITX case born from the need of a better looking 'steam machine' style case.



Update 5/18/2015
Since the reception of the previous design was lukewarm, I've decided to go back to the original design which is better aesthetics wise, which is what this case is all about.

Specifications
  • Dimensions (when stood up vertically)
    Width: 85.5mm - 75.5mm
    Height: 318.5mm - 307mm
    Depth: 310mm
  • Mini-ITX motherboard
  • GPU upto 280mm, 2 slot
  • CPU cooler upto 51mm
  • Min. of two 2.5" drives
  • SFX and SFX-L PSU support
Remember, the specs aren't final as I might have to make it slightly bigger due to the fact that I may need to increase the wall thickness to ensure consistency and keep prices at an acceptable level (moneys always the problem :rolleyes:).


Original Post
Looking at all the new generation SFF cases really intrigued me, such as the ncase m1, compact splash and the A4 case that Dondan is currently working on (yes, I was one of those guys who just lurked around the forums). But these are all the 'cube' type cases, I'm more interested in slim SFF or HTPC style cases. I wanted a beautifully designed case that would still be able to pack a punch. But most of the cases I find just seems to be simple, boring, boxes, which left me wanting. So, I thought to myself "Why not design a case myself?".

That's how this came to be:
OXZNpJOl.jpg

Its still in the design stage but I'm hoping to get a prototype up around May.

Current Features
Dimensions: 100mm x 307mm x 347mm; 10.7L
Motherboard Support: Mini ITX
GPU Support: Upto 300mm; 3 or 2 slot cooler (if no radiator is installed)
CPU cooler support: Upto 66mm
Drive Support:: Current configuration only allows 2 2.5" drives, but omitting the radiator will probably allow the use of a 3.5" drive
PSU support: SFX
Water Cooling Support: Yes. Dual 120mm Rad. Maximum thickness of radiator+fans (55mm). Recommended to use a GPU block with a thickness of <=19mm. Also still thinking about pump placement (for those not using an integrated CPU block+pump like the apogee drive II)

pBXzVSxl.jpg


teY5tvfl.jpg

The components will be mounted on an inner skeleton and slide into the case from the back; secured by thumbscrews.

Still have lots to do but getting there :D

Any help or feedback would be much appreciated

Previous Updates
UPDATE: 3/10/2015
Changed the layout of the case, made it smaller, made accommodations for a reservoir and a ddc pump, made ventilation holes.

Update 3/13/2015
It's survey time! Please take this short survey to help me with the case before I go any further.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EYy1gjxnbYuhoNjkvrTMUCDMAq0z4xn5xfM9gjgnSAA/viewform?usp=send_form

Thanks for your help :)

Update 4/17/2015
Its been quite a while since my last update as I've been pretty busy these last few weeks. So based on the feedback I got from my survey and some additional research, I've made some major design changes. The main thing is I optimized the case for air cooling and also decreased its size by 15%, down to 8.5L. So what do think about the new design?




Updated Specs
Dimensions: 83.5mm x 318mm x 320mm (wxdxh) ; 8.5L
Motherboard Support: Mini ITX
GPU Support: Upto 308mm; upto 3 slot
CPU cooler support: Upto ~50mm
Storage Support:: Upto two 2.5" drives
PSU support: SFX and SFX-L
Water Cooling Support: Dependent. You'll be able to fit a 140mm radiator if you use a short video card.
 
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I like it. A bit thicker but allows for watercooling. @fusionxr, I'm sure he means in relation to the shoebox type of chassis.

Two things pop up in my head though, but for the first, pictures where the rads are would be nice (the concern is about space allocation).

The second thing, how will you handle the vibration transference between the skeleton and the chassis? I might be wrong, but I'm thinking securing with thumbscrews means that the skeleton will be lying loose elsewhere; vibrations will make the skeleton "bang" against the chassis amplifying the sound. Or do you intend to secure it with like 36 thumb screws? :D
 
You say you want this to be different, but honestly this is pretty similar to all the other 'steam box'' designs.
 
I like the idea of the frame, having both a vertical and a horizontal stand included, and pulling out the whole mount from the back, but I'm curious as to how you want to manufacture that.

In a watercooling scenario, where would pump and res go? (EDIT: I saw you mentioned pump-cpu blocks in the OP. Question about reservoir still stands, though)

@rawrr there's only so much you can do with steam box designs, the small details in the design are what you need for differentiating yourself from competitors. In this case, it is the frame that makes feet unnecessary and the sliding skeleton. Watercooling isn't really a thing in this type of case so far, aswell. Not that it's not possible, I'm working on that as well, but the cases of this form factor that exist right now just don't have that feature.
 
rawrr said:
You say you want this to be different, but honestly this is pretty similar to all the other 'steam box'' designs.
Click to expand...

http://www.xcase.co.uk/home-theater-cases/x-case-x301-home-media-htpc-case-22-50-x-case.html looks awesome I know the thing is no ODD, but I don't like it & the case I linked would be a good one if it had better airflow...Or this http://www.chieftec.com/BT04.html if you could do something with the feet & lay it lay the black like the silver, the handle (or whatever it is) is a little annoying...
 
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Raphaei said:
I like it. A bit thicker but allows for watercooling. @fusionxr, I'm sure he means in relation to the shoebox type of chassis.

Two things pop up in my head though, but for the first, pictures where the rads are would be nice (the concern is about space allocation).

The second thing, how will you handle the vibration transference between the skeleton and the chassis? I might be wrong, but I'm thinking securing with thumbscrews means that the skeleton will be lying loose elsewhere; vibrations will make the skeleton "bang" against the chassis amplifying the sound. Or do you intend to secure it with like 36 thumb screws? :D
Click to expand...

1. The Radiator+Fans will be placed under the GPU. Also note that the GPU is angled to allow better airflow.

XeBlSpQl.jpg


pGxyMAkl.jpg



2. Vibration is going to be a real challenge for this type of design. So I do have a few ideas to make sure that it is kept to a minimum:
  1. Having hilariously long screws :p
  2. Coating the skeleton with silicon to dampen the vibration while still allowing it to be pulled in/out easily


iFreilicht said:
I like the idea of the frame, having both a vertical and a horizontal stand included, and pulling out the whole mount from the back, but I'm curious as to how you want to manufacture that.

In a watercooling scenario, where would pump and res go? (EDIT: I saw you mentioned pump-cpu blocks in the OP. Question about reservoir still stands, though)
Click to expand...

The case will be cast aluminum, while the skeleton may be cast as well or will probably use more conventional methods.

Why cast? Because casting allows to create a single seamless piece. Also, casting is relatively low cost and good for small volumes (I mean investment casting not die casting).

Also, concerning the res I was planning to make a custom one that would fit in the space between the rad and case:
iyOxeTnl.jpg
 
Oh, the angled GPU makes that setup pretty interesting I guess the frame is closed at the back, then?
 
SaperPL said:
I don't get it. Why is it angled?
Click to expand...

If you mean why the GPU is angled, its because it would make for better airflow.
See images below:

nowsa5fl.jpg

If it was straight like this the GPU would become a major obstruction and the result of this would be poor airflow and thus poor cooling.

gHGDdIjl.jpg

By putting the GPU on an angle there would be a larger gap between the GPU and Rad+Fans, accommodating better airflow and cooling.
 
Is there a vent below the that WC under VGA?

Also if you are already making 10cm high case then you could make a difference making mATX or full ATX case. Its entirely possible with that dimension. You would need to place graphics over the motherboard pci area.
 
SaperPL said:
Is there a vent below the that WC under VGA?

Also if you are already making 10cm high case then you could make a difference making mATX or full ATX case. Its entirely possible with that dimension. You would need to place graphics over the motherboard pci area.
Click to expand...

Yes there is an intake vent under the radiator.

Yeah, it would fit a mATX Mobo but the matter is that mATX is not only longer, but also wider (305x240 vs 170x170). So there will be a lot of tradeoffs just to fit it in, which I think outweigh some of the advantages; I'll probably stick to mini-ITX. But putting the GPU above the motherboard is pretty good idea, I messed around with the component positioning and managed to take off ~0.8L.

If everyone was ok with it being exclusively water cooled than I might be able to make it slightly smaller
 
I think Saper is talking about 170mm deep µATX boards like this one:

950970.jpg


Something like that should fit into your case without a problem
 
Yeah, but aren't they pretty hard to find? Even if you did manage to get one it'll probably be abysmal at best.
 
They're actually quite common for the lower end chipsets. A lot of B85 boards have that form factor. But yeah, a Z97 board that small doesn't exist.
 
So, messing around with the layout based on SaperPL's reply and this is what I came up with:

UwNcdABl.jpg

This new layout has the Rad placed in the front, where it'll get the best ventilation and the GPU moved above the motherboard.
Also, the PSU moved up top, requiring no more internal AC cabling like before.

So, what do you think about it?
 
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I was thinking about putting the short ITX gpu over the pci slots and PSU at GPU end over the chipset.

There would be some things to figure out about the cables and maybe some fight over the air between chipset and psu cooling but with good side vents it could make better airflow over the chipset.
 
I think this layout has quite a few benefits.

As you said, you have the PSU at the back again, so you don't have to mess around with AC cabling.
And the whole radiator has more space to breathe now, because both its fans are pulling in air from the front..
Not sure if it's still possible to use non-watercooled GPUs, probably not.
How are you going to route the flexible riser? Below the mainboard? Between mainboard and GPU?

I personally like the layout, it is pretty unique and has benefits no other case in this market can offer.
 
SaperPL said:
I was thinking about putting the short ITX gpu over the pci slots and PSU at GPU end over the chipset.

There would be some things to figure out about the cables and maybe some fight over the air between chipset and psu cooling but with good side vents it could make better airflow over the chipset.
Click to expand...

Yeah that would work. Though it would limit the case to only ITX type GPUs, so that's a pretty big drawback.


iFreilicht said:
I think this layout has quite a few benefits.

As you said, you have the PSU at the back again, so you don't have to mess around with AC cabling.
And the whole radiator has more space to breathe now, because both its fans are pulling in air from the front..
Not sure if it's still possible to use non-watercooled GPUs, probably not.
How are you going to route the flexible riser? Below the mainboard? Between mainboard and GPU?

I personally like the layout, it is pretty unique and has benefits no other case in this market can offer.
Click to expand...

It is still possible to use a standard 2 slot air cooled GPU:

2PcCxnRl.jpg

But to use an air cooled GPU I would recommend watercooling the CPU as they share so much of the same air space and overheating could become a real problem.
Either by using an AIO or a low profile CPU block.


jF51aVjl.jpg

You would also lose support of the 240mm rad by using a air cooled GPU.
But there's still enough room for a 120mm or even 140mm rad for the CPU, which is more than enough.

This case will probably not support full air cooling. But it will support:
  1. Full water cooling
  2. GPU air cooled, CPU using a 120mm/140mm AIO OR custom watercooling 120mm/140mm with low profile CPU block
  3. GPU watercooled, CPU air cooled (upto 50mm cooler)

Concerning where the riser will be routed, it will most likely go under the motherboard.
 
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Making a case that supports only water cooling is a bad idea for a commercial product. It's a lot bigger drawback than limiting card length to ITX size.
 
I think there is also the possibility of using a low profile CPU cooler with a reference blower type graphics card. That won't fight with the CPU for air. Still, this case is definitely designed for watercooling of some sort, and I think that's just fine.

@SaperPL I don't think you have to make a case like this commercially successful. We're already in a niche market here, there's no way of making something like profitable anyway, so why not make something you'd want to use yourself and give others the opportunity to get that unique thing as well? I love that we're starting to see some diversity in this non-market.
 
Hmm, maybe with this approach, as a hobbyist case maker it could work for him but for me it looks like a pain for both interested parties - the maker that does it in his free time and the buyer that wants the case he paid for asap.

The only thing that makes it possible is I believe thats a really niche-ception product.
 
SaperPL said:
Making a case that supports only water cooling is a bad idea for a commercial product. It's a lot bigger drawback than limiting card length to ITX size.
Click to expand...

Maybe. But my goal here is to create a beautiful case that still can house powerful components. And that means having some tradeoffs. I think losing air cooling support for the CPU is a better tradeoff in my opinion than limiting card length to ITX as I designed this case to utilise more powerful, full-length PCB GPUs. Anyway, AIO CPU liquid coolers are pretty affordable right now so I wouldn't see why there would be much of a problem.

iFreilicht said:
I think there is also the possibility of using a low profile CPU cooler with a reference blower type graphics card. That won't fight with the CPU for air. Still, this case is definitely designed for watercooling of some sort, and I think that's just fine.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that would probably work. But as you said, this case is definitely made for watercooling of some sort.
 
The general idea about water cooling is that you transfer the heat to a place where you can better ventilate and cool off the radiator so the hot air doesn't circle around inside huge case.

This problem doesn't exist inside a slim case with VGA in parallel to motherboard because you have to make those vents near the component radiators anyway.

If you read dondan's thread, I believe there was info about temperatures under load on his early prototype and those were really low.

I'm not saying the water cooling is generally bad idea here, but putting WC next to VGA to cool it makes no sense especially when there's also not much space around the pipes to dissipate the heat from them.

The cpu is a different thing - If you were to copy dondan's construction that puts VGA and motherboard side by side, BUT put the power supply facing rear like in your last renders, than it could make sense to let user choose between low profile air cooling and water cooling.
 
SaperPL said:
The general idea about water cooling is that you transfer the heat to a place where you can better ventilate and cool off the radiator so the hot air doesn't circle around inside huge case.

The cpu is a different thing - If you were to copy dondan's construction that puts VGA and motherboard side by side, BUT put the power supply facing rear like in your last renders, than it could make sense to let user choose between low profile air cooling and water cooling.
Click to expand...

Here's the design with your suggestions:

gF9W2Hwl.jpg


E0FybyKl.jpg


The problem with this layout is that I would have to make the case wider as there is only ~5mm between the GPU and MB. I would also lose support of the 240mm rad as you can see.

I do agree with you that watercooling is to transfer the heat where it can be better dissipated. The thing is that the airflow in my case is different as the best airflow is at the front and the hot air exhaust upward through the back:

V8gKuNQl.jpg


So putting a rad in the front portion of the case may provide better cooling, maybe not. But that can only be proven with real world tests.
 
I don't really get why would you loose support of that 240mm if you're simply doing the same thing as here but with opposite rotation of card and motherboard:
jF51aVjl.jpg

Anyway the whole idea is weird.
 
@SaperPL The reason why it will lose 240mm rad support is because the GPU board will be in the middle of the case, like so:

ct5SD4Rl.jpg


You'd still have 240mm rad support if you use a GPU thats <=170mm. Though that kinda beats the purpose.
 
Finished the new layout:

Mlx027ul.jpg


Would love to hear what you think about it. More updates [post=1041458445]here[/post].
 
I like this idea better than former configurations.

Angling the whole thing looks interesting but i don't know if that's efficient. Also in desktop (horizontal) configuration it would be weird.

With 10cm of height you could go for standard ATX power supply form factor instead of SFX and still have those 15mm over it to stack 2.5" drives up there.

As for the GPU vs motherboard configuration - I'd still opt for opposite one, like dondan's A4 config.

With 10L case you're getting close to upcoming new silverstone case RVZ02. It doesn't look like competitive product to that.
 
SaperPL said:
Angling the whole thing looks interesting but i don't know if that's efficient. Also in desktop (horizontal) configuration it would be weird.

With 10cm of height you could go for standard ATX power supply form factor instead of SFX and still have those 15mm over it to stack 2.5" drives up there.

As for the GPU vs motherboard configuration - I'd still opt for opposite one, like dondan's A4 config.

With 10L case you're getting close to upcoming new silverstone case RVZ02. It doesn't look like competitive product to that.
Click to expand...

The angle may or may not effect the cooling efficiency, I'll need to test that. But the upside to this is that you can place it flush to a a wall/floor without the need for case feet or spacing as the case takes fresh air from the front and exhausts through the back.

The RVZ02 is a good case, but it still trails behind my case in terms of features as it doesn't support water cooling and also supports less drives.

Also, I'll have a go at fitting an ATX power supply in my case later on today. So stay tuned.
 
hooplish said:
The angle may or may not effect the cooling efficiency, I'll need to test that. But the upside to this is that you can place it flush to a a wall/floor without the need for case feet or spacing as the case takes fresh air from the front and exhausts through the back.
Click to expand...
It's really bad idea to take air directly from the front if it's not covered like in cm 120/130 advanced or in Nova. It will be loud.

hooplish said:
The RVZ02 is a good case, but it still trails behind my case in terms of features as it doesn't support water cooling and also supports less drives.
Click to expand...
It will probably be cheaper, it will support standard air cooling and will be sold worldwide.
Unless your case is a high quality refined classy looking thing that people will want spending more money on it and on a whole build it won't do.
 
As promised, I did a little modelling to see whether or not a standard ATX power supply would fit in the case. Unfortunately, ATX power supplies are significantly larger than their SFX counter parts and I had to increase the width by 18mm and the height by 3mm.

The reason for this is that my case has a kind of 'integrated case stand' .So in reality the interior space of my case does not actually have 100mm height throughout, as it is angled. It is more like 80mm at the front and gradually goes up to 100mm at the back (same concept with the width). See the pictures for a better understanding:





Notice that the actual interior space for the components is smaller than the exterior of the case because of the angles of the case and the 'integrated case stand'.
 
Seeing the render, airflow seems to be limited more than needed in vertical mode.
Not sure if it is a good thing because there are no vents on the side so it looks good from all directions or if that is too much of a limitation.
 
iFreilicht said:
Seeing the render, airflow seems to be limited more than needed in vertical mode.
Not sure if it is a good thing because there are no vents on the side so it looks good from all directions or if that is too much of a limitation.
Click to expand...

  1. Are you trying to say that there's more limited airflow in the vertical position?
  2. Yeah, I designed it like that so as to hide the vents for aesthetic reasons. It may pose as a slight restriction to the overall airflow. I need to conduct some tests to see whether it limits airflow or not.This will probably take place a few weeks from now, so hopefully I'll get an answer about airflow of the case by then.
 
hooplish said:
  1. Are you trying to say that there's more limited airflow in the vertical position?
Click to expand...

No, I meant if the case had vents in the sidepanel, it would have better airflow in the vertical position. But I agree that it looks very good and if your tests suggest that it doesn't increase the internal temperature too much, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Question: Do you think air cooling is sufficient to keep all the components cool and quiet?
 
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Small update

I need your opinions on the USB placement on the case. I was thinking on the lines of pop out USB ports since I wanted to keep the front clean.

Simple gif of where the usb ports may be placed:


Also, here's where the power button(circle, bottom right) will reside:


Thanks.
 
Update 4/17/2015
Sorry for the long hiatus as I've been pretty busy these last few weeks. Anyway, based on the feedback I got from my survey and some additional research, I've made some major design changes. The main thing is I optimized the case for air cooling and also decreased its size by 15%, down to 8.5L. So what do you think about the new design?




Updated Specs
Dimensions: 83.5mm x 318mm x 320mm (wxdxh) ; 8.5L
Motherboard Support: Mini ITX
GPU Support: Upto 308mm; upto 3 slot
CPU cooler support: Upto ~50mm
Storage Support:: Upto two 2.5" drives
PSU support: SFX and SFX-L
Water Cooling Support: Dependent. You'll be able to fit a 140mm radiator if you use a short video card.
 
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