Cheap SFF case - A box file from Tesco.

[Pealy]

If anyone (like me!) on a serious budget wants to save some cash, a box file has made a pretty reasonable case for my Mini ITX HiFi PC. It cost £2.58 from Tesco and holes are really easy to cut (being made mostly of cardboard). The ends are made from wood which gives it some additional strength. I'm using an external DC brick power supply, I don't think there would be room for a full size PSU. Inside I have a VIA fanless mobo, 2.5" samsung spinpoint HD and a Terratec soundcard. It hardly makes a sound. I have it mounted on its side with ventilation holes in the (wooden) top end. The power and hd led's are inside the opening catch and actaully look great. I've put 2 fans inside the 'lid' but haven't needed to switch them on at all. Oh yeah, quite alot of elephant tape is required to keep cables from shifting around too much.

(I freely admit to getting the idea from someone on ebay selling a pc in a box file)

[chuckskull]

Love to see some pics of that, I've been meaning to build a SFF, low power server for a while, but i keep spening the money on my main rig

[Pealy]

Love to see some pics of that, I've been meaning to build a SFF, low power server for a while, but i keep spening the money on my main rig

I'll try and take a couple of pics tomorrow, should give you a laugh, loots neat & tidy on the outside but like an explosion at Scan on the inside.

[chuckskull]

I'll try and take a couple of pics tomorrow, should give you a laugh, loots neat & tidy on the outside but like an explosion at Scan on the inside.

So does my main PC.

[Pealy]

The pics aren't coming out too well. If anyone REALLY wants to see them then shout and I'll put them up..

[johnny02004976]

mate, i wouldnt say no to seeing a snap or two. im intreged to see what it looks like

[dave87]

Yup, I must say I'd be interested too

[Pealy]

Fair enough - I'll get them uploaded tonight.

[behappier]

Any news re the pics ?

[Steve B]

i would also like to see these pics

[dave87]

TTIUWP

damn anti-all capitals thing

[Pealy]

Here goes, quality is poor but they're the best I could do.

A few notes, the fans are on a switch for emergency use only, haven't needed them yet. One is on the outside of the case because I forgot about the sound card being higher in the box than the mobo so had to move it out. HD is pretty much under the sound card (follow the IDE ribbon!). HD and Power lights are in the plastic button used to open & close the lid. I drilled holes in both ends for ventilation, box normally sits on its end with mobo in the bottom part.

[chuckskull]

Haha, thats ace.

Nice work.

[Bluecube]

I'm not seeing any pics for some reason?

[dave87]

Yup, no pictures here for me either?

[chuckskull]

They were there earlier. Gone now.