Project water-cooled small box type thing

[Dark Horse]

I was bored last night so have decided to make my own case. I'm pretty pissed off at having to lug my metal case about so I'm going to make a custom small case from something like perspex.

The basic brief is that it has to be as physically small as possible while still being able to do everything my computer can do now. Cost is an issue so the cheaper the better. The biggest issue is that it also has to fit watercooling!

The components are the same as below save for I have a matx motherboard to swap into and I'll probably get a MCW60 or maze 4 for the gpu. The most awkward items seem to be the psu and dvdrw so I will almost certainly get a modular psu and slimline cdrw drive. Even better would be a shuttle psu but I don't know where you can get a 350w version as I can only find the 250w ones for sale and I don't think they are up to the job.

Airflow will be done by two input 120mm fans on the radiator and a 92mm fan on the back. I'd like the 120mm fans to be inside the case but this means making it slightly longer so we'll see.

I would quite like to use perspex sheets as the case material and then epoxy it together and cut suitable holes for each part. Not sure about mounting things yet though (dvd drive, standoffs for mobo etc). I haven't yet included the hdd or pump but the pump will go up by the radiator barbs and the hdd will go on some convenient gap somewhere.

Things are very much in the planning stage so any ideas/comments would be great.

Here are some sketches I quickly did in google sketchup, dimesions are all correct. Final size has come out to be 300x300x180mm. By comparison my slk3000b is 450x460x210mm and an SN25p is 325x 220 x 210mm. Volumes are : 16.2m mm3 for mine, 43.5 for the slk3000b and 15.0 for the sn25p.

[Steve B]

lookin good mate, you gonna opt for a thermochill pa120.2 rad?

[Madafwo]

The only thing I can see being a probolem is getting the panels together and staying together. A shuttle PSU wouldn't be up to the task of a X1900 I don't think.

[Dark Horse]

I'm happy with the Swiftech rad I've got at the moment, I get 44c max load on the cpu at the below settings during gaming with two akasa ambers on low on the fan controller. Not bad considering there is an X1900 at max voltage being pumped into it too.

A 350w shuttle psu would be fine as they're incredibly efficient but you can't seem to buy them anywhere.

I will probably glue the base, back and rear panels together and build custom supports for the components. Something like epoxy along the overlap of the panels would work a treat. I'm thinking of hinging the top and side so I can open them easily.

Other things to work out are the fillport, on/off switch and fan controller. Looks like there could be a lot of cabling inside this little box!

[Madafwo]

On off switch could be done with a vandal switchy thingy mabob, could route it close to the motherboard to keep wiring down to a minimum. maybe mount the PSU in a different place too, with a custom case like this the possibilities are endless. Or you could follow in Steve B's footsteps and mod an Aspire X- Qpack to your requirments

[Dark Horse]

Have come up with a new plan to make it even smaller. Unfortunately it means no water cooling but it should take about 3/4 of the volume to 12.4m mm3 and at least half the weight as there will be no radiator, pump etc.

The psu will be inside the case down at the front with the power cable actually running inside the case down to it - red line on the diagram. This is a bit fiddly but is the most efficient way of fitting it space wise. I can then put the dvdrw drive right at the top with an 80mm input fan below it. I'll then suspend the hdd in that gap from some sort of framework which I haven't worked out yet.

It looks like the tallest cooler I will be able to fit in will be the cnps9500 so no tuniq tower or scythe ninja. I think I'll go with a VF-900 for the graphics cooling.

As for putting the case together I will probably fix the bottom, front, back and rear panels leaving the top and close side in the diagram open. I will probably hinge the top so it opens along its long side but I'm not sure how to do the window/open side. I'm thinking a sliding up/down panel with the groove recessed to keep it flush. It would then be held down by the hinged top panel which I will have to find some sort of clip for.



I aim to buy the perspex and parts this coming week and then out it together in the next two weeks or so - its going to be interesting to see how this actually turns out!

[Madafwo]

One thing, will blowing hot air from the PSU on to the graphics card be the best idea? Even with the VF-900 it will be sucking hot air from the PSU, which will be working over time using that graphics card. could the PSU not be mounted higher and have the 80mm fan blowing towards GPU?

[Dark Horse]

Reasonable point, I'll have a good think about it once I get the perspex. I mainly left the big gap there for the fan so I could have space to hang the hdd and have it cooled aswell.

The good thing about doing a custom case is that you have these options rather than just having to go with whatever you're given.

[Madafwo]

The only way you are realy going to get round that problem is having the PSU fan exhausting hot air out of the case. no matter which way you put it it is going to be blowing hot air on something you don't want it too. could possibly mount it at the back and have a fan blowing over the graphics cards.

[Dark Horse]

If I move the PSU it makes the case bigger as it would have to clear the ports at the back of the motherboard. The whole point of the case is to be as small and space efficient as physically possible.

In reality the PSU never really exhausts hot air anyway as it the fan moves so slowly and only 1/6 of the sides of the PSU can be looked at as exiting the case. It is a small price to pay to have a few degrees more temp on my graphics card in return for a miniscule case that I can almost fit in a rucksack.

[Dark Horse]

Decided to go with the water option, I realised that I would just want watercooling back anyway so no point in avoiding it.

Bought the perspex today, have begun cutting and drilling today, should be finished over the next few days. Get paid tomorrow so can get a mcw-60 for the x1900, 92mm fan, slimline dvdrw, some quiet nexus 120mm fans and possibly a modular psu.

[Steve B]

pics pics pics!

[Madafwo]

Decided to go with the water option, I realised that I would just want watercooling back anyway so no point in avoiding it.

Bought the perspex today, have begun cutting and drilling today, should be finished over the next few days. Get paid tomorrow so can get a mcw-60 for the x1900, 92mm fan, slimline dvdrw, some quiet nexus 120mm fans and possibly a modular psu.

For the DVD drive you know LOW have a sony one for under £40 right, and yes, we need pictures.

[Dark Horse]

Took a bit longer than expected, these things always do!

I have cut all of the sides and marked the bits I need to cut out of them. I will finish the hole cutting tomorrow and then tidy up the sides of the panels a bit as they are still messy after the jig saw.

The slimline drive arrived and I got one of those sharkoon golfball fans to see how they sound. I'll probably get two 120mm nexus/yate loons to replace the akasa ambers as I really don't like them too much.

Have found some nice case corners to protect the case from bashes so they will be going on soon. Hopefully glue time will be tomorrow night!

Things still left to arrive are the MCW-60 and some rubber feet for the case. I also have to make a custom bracket for the hdd (still haven't worked out where to out it, do they work vertically?) and the slimline drive. I'll see how the cable looks but a modular psu is looking increasingly likely.

The old case


Busy cutting, what fun!


The front, rhs is top. Hole for the input flow still to be cut


Bit many pink wires on the psu...


Sides sat together, 30cm ruler for scale. Depth is 16cm.


The corner thingemy

[awm]

Things are coming along nicely. Congrats on the great start! Look foward to seeing this unfold.

[Dark Horse]

So...I got bored waiting for the glue to arrive (needed some special Tensol cement that melts the plastic together) and decided to gaffer tape it together as a test - works fine!

Only issue is the pump has now broken...

Pics later tonight when I find the camera.