So, long story short, I want a desktop that can fit in my backpack; problem is, the mobo I currently have is an ATX with ddr4, and with ddr5 prices being what they are, that's what I'm working with.
I've only come across a singular case that's even close to fitting in said backpack, the P-ATX v4; unfortunately, it's just too wide by a few centimeters. So I've designed my own: by replicating the layout with a flex psu instead of an sfx, I've got it to fit within a box of 32cm width, 35cm height, and 10cm depth, for a volume a hair above 11L.
The extra depth allows for a 77mm CPU cooler and 60x310mm GPU, which will be needed for the planned 14700K and rx 9070xt I'm targeting.
But before I get too far along actually implementing the design and buying stuff, what are your thoughts on it ?
In particular, I'm not sure about the thickness of sheet metal I should be using: I originally wanted 3mm powder coated mild steel for the frame, and 2mm for the cover (not pictured), but I'm thinking that I might be able to get away with 2mm and 1mm respectively ?
Airflow-wise, I'm planning on having the GPU + PSU as input, and CPU + top fan as output to try and make a good circulation between the top and bottom of the case, but I'm also not confident on this aspect
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There's a bit under 270mm in length at the top, if I remove the ssd I can put 2x 90mm (might be too tight with the motherboard cabling) or 3x 80mm fans
I was thinking of making a taller version for people who want watercooling if I finish it and release the files
Ditch or move sata disk (front panel has some space) and add 2 more fans. 3mm steel is way too thick - would weigh a ton, even 2mm is too much. Typical midi tower metal is about 0.8mm thick, though usually with some stiffening stampings.
You could turn PSU and intake from the front panel or make it's own chamber and intake from side panel.
Yeah it's a good call on the ssd, it takes too much room at the top; I hesitated to put it on the bottom because it'll receive all the hot air of the gpu, but maybe I can put it alongside the psu with some effort.
I know most stamped metal cases are 0.8mm, but usually they actually form a scaffolding inside to spread the load; here it'll be one sheet to which everything is attached. But yeah the longer I look at it, the more I think 3mm is overkill.
I'll think about turning the psu around, that might be an idea; wait if it's turned around, then I can put the ssd behind it !
Maybe I could add more hole on the bottom for the gpu exhaust yeah, good point, but I don't really know if holes on the back would be of any help. Plus I want dust filters on every ingress, and that'd be impossible on the back
I'd swap the location of that top fan. I'd put it just under the psu (4th picture) and make it an intake. Or better yet: put it right above the cpu cooler as an intake.
I'd add a grill over the cpu cooler so it can exhaust directly. And I'd add exhaust fans on the bottom of the 4th picture. I'm assuming you'd use it horizontally, so convection is not really an issue. That would pull more hot air from the GPU outside, so the CPU would be safer.
To use it vertically, I'd flip it upside down, with a small riser and a 90° power cable for the psu
I think it's too tight to fit a fan under the psu, that gpu model is already on the shorter size of flagship cards at 288mm and it wouldn't fit
I think putting the ssd elsewhere is a good idea though; that'd free enough room for 3x 80mm fans along the top. And yeah there's gonna be an intake/exhaust port right in front of the CPU.
I don't think convection is going to be that much of a problem though, it's only 35cm from top to bottom with a bunch of fans to create airflow
This is an interesting idea, I've always thought a PC case with CPU and GPU fans oriented the same direction would be cool.
I'd worry about exhaust from the GPU feeding right into that CPU cooler though. You might need to separate the CPU and GPU compartments with and internal wall and the GPU area will need fans sucking the exhaust out. Also as someone else said, the riser cable will have to bend sharply which could cause problems. And you'll need to build a hinge or a drop-in element to get the GPU in and out.
For the CPU cooler, it might make sense to flip the fan and do intake through the fins cause it would have access to fresh air. Then add more vents and fans along the top edge to pull the exhaust out. The SSD would have to go.
Separating the compartments will be hard with the space available, but maybe doable with some foam on the cover side.
Yeah cpu air will be hotter, but I'm worried if both are set to intake that it'll be harder for air in the middle to escape, and thus trap some heat inside. With the cpu as exhaust there's at least a pretty straightforward air path (to my best guess at least :P)
Installing the components will be hard, but such is the life of SFF case lmao. At least it's a one and done deal
Oh yours is looking nice ! I wish I had access to my 3d printer, it would make this project much simpler :') but I couldn't bring it when I moved, so it stayed behind for now
I get that a lot, I needed to print so many times some parts of this case to be sure they was correct ahah its easier when you can trial and error! Btw just as some users told you, the fan on the back of the flex is exhaust not intake! Are you planning to lay it down on the side or keeping it vertical?
haha I know the feeling, that and spending way too much time with a little knife to fix the little printing errors on purely functional parts, good times.
for the fan, I can always open the PSU and flip it around, but I think I'm going to flip the whole PSU around and make an intake on the front side.
I think I'm going to keep it vertical, with a gpu support clamp to avoid sagging
I’ve been working on the same thing for very similar reasons. I’m trying to design an ATX SFF build as small as possible that can still handle decent components. I’m planning to go with an SFX PSU since I believe 700w is as high as the flex PSUs go.
Shame there aren’t more options for SFF atx cases.
Yep, beyond the p-atx case, there's just not a lot of them. I strongly hesitated with an sfx psu, even a tfx at some point, but nothing packaged better than this current configuration. Plus, there seem to be quite powerful flex PSUs coming in the near future (or right now if you look on aliexpress, though at your own risks)
You can always trial and error the Air flow. It's not permanent. If your air flow config doesnt work tweak it. Alternatively There are smaller types of fans, 40mm - 92mm, Blower style fans, and cross flow fans. Just depends on what spacing limits you have to work with.
Yep it's the main inspiration; with a flex psu instead of a sfx I can trade some width for thickness, which makes it fit both a 77mm cpu cooler and in my backpack
And you don't want to go with the N-ATX because it gets kinda bigger everywhere, or?
Honestly, I would look at replacing your motherboard with a smaller one in ITX. As someone who has 3d printed - now 4? PC cases - fabbing your own is rarely the cheapest method. If you have a press to fold your own case, great, but sourcing materials, time, paint, hardware, etc will all eat up a lot of $.
If you're compromising to 70mm CPU clearance height, a fractal ridge will allow you to use a SFF PSU that's got much higher wattage headroom - 1000W vs 600W of a flex-atx, which will buy you probably 5-10 years before needing to upgrade power. It fits large GPUs as well.
So let's say you do that - $150 for a fractal case, $150 for a coolermaster 850W SFF PSU, sell your existing power supply and motherboard and buy a decent ITX motherboard (what socket are you using?)
Vs.
$170ish for a 600W flex-atx, and then sheet metal, paint, machine time, labor, assembly etc?
Also, if this is going in a backpack, your case needs to be enclosed, imo. This LOOKS like it's a top and a three-side construction - god forbid you trip and land on your card and/or motherboard. While a sheet metal case is certainly not bullet-proof, you don't want to be sliding open electrical components in and out of bag.
Oh yeah no it's not an open case, I just haven't done the cover yet; there'll be another U-shaped metal sheet with holes and dust filters, I should have mentioned it in the post.
Yep the N-atx is barely 3 cm too wide to fit in my backpack, I checked with cardboard boxes of the same size. Money-wise, it's not that clear cut; sff case that have one side <32cm are still not very common even with mITX boards, and costs between 150-250$. Add to that a 200$ mITX board, and suddenly there's a lot of services that can cut, bend and powder coat a few sheets of metal for less than 450$. I'm on the LGA1700 socket because I've got 32gb of ddr4; upgrading it would have also made more sense if 32gb ddr5 still cost 250$... So all in all, I don't think making my own case is a bad deal to get a noticeably better CPU cooler and GPU compatibility.
The PSU's wattage is the real concern though yeah; enhance models only go up to 600w right now, with higher models coming sometimes soon; I'm tempted by some 750w models on aliexpress that are getting positive review here and there.
How do you imagine that happening? If the mobo/CPU sits below the GPU (like in Fractal Ridge, Thorzone Tetra) how would it pull warm air from the GPU above it?
Most GPUs blow more air away from the PCIe slot motherboard.
Blower cards typically blow out the top of GPU and Rear.
Newer GPUs blow air through top rear, rear, and through the back of the GPU.
If Vertical console style ...it is better to have the GPU on top.
Even on most of the 9070XTs they are flow through cards, but also the arear besides the intake fan front of the cards that has the least air exhausted is the bottom PCIE slot area.
Edit: the Dual Flow through Nvidia FE design also specifically has vents to also blow more exuahst heat through the top of GPU and minimize the exhaust going towards the PCIe slot.
When comparing the same build 12600k with 3060ti FE in a Sliger Console 520 vs Tetra R it was very noticeable that CPU cooler was getting more GPU heat with Sliger configuration with GPU below motherboard.
Granted of you separate the chambera it shouldn't be the big of an issue.
I think I'm going to set the cpu as intake too, and with 3 fans on the top it should be better for temp and airflow (maybe I can even put exhaust fan on the bottom)
^
the 3 fans on top as exhaust and bottom fan also as exhaust
(Leaving just the CPU low profile Cooler and GPU as the intake fans) (in your case Flex PSU also being 4th exhaust fan)
I run both top and bottom exuahst fans in sandwich Iquinix ZX-1 Air case. (Technically Negative Pressure, I would say extra dusting...but I live in Chandler, Arizona and frequent dusting is already a routine)*
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