alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 Initially started as an idea to fit a whole PC inside a Jack Daniel's metal gift box. However, due to the fact that it was practically impossible to do so, because of the box's rounded corners and top and bottom double walls, I decided to build my own case. Therefore, Jack's ITX became Lumberjack's ITX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 I had to come up with a way to build a sturdy enclosure. Had to make sure that all the hardware fit, so, as with any other project, this too began with a SketchUp project. I cut out a sheet of aluminium and bent it, then crafted a motherboard mount that I later attached to the aluminium sheet. The motherboard mount also has enough room for the CPU cooler mount and the M.2 NVMe beneath. Used 4 standard motherboard standoffs to mount the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 The PSU is one of the heaviest pieces of hardware inside a PC, so it had to be properly mounted, to avoid any possible breakage/damage in case of shock to the case. I made a small mount out of cut and bent aluminium to hold it in place. As for the GPU, the PCI mounting bracket is probably built out of one of the most toughest materials out there. It took forever to bend and make it possible to fit inside the case, while also providing good mounts directly to the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 After some more drilling and cutting through the box, to fit the 40mm Alphacool triple radiator and 3 Noctua fans that are to cool the CPU, I needed to enforce the case with 2 pillars made from aluminium profiles. These will enhance the case's toughness and also provide stability as the case is supposed to stand vertically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 While browsing through my accesories stash I found an EL wire which happened to be orange. I tried to put it through the GPU's radiator and I immediately knew that I had to use it with my project. As many of you know, the 12V power supply makes a pretty annoying sound, so I closed it inside a small wooden box. I cut the wooden panels that are to cover the case and tested them out to see if they fit properly. I also mounted 3 metal profiles that will hold the side panel with magnets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 Knowing that my fiancée enjoys painting stuff, I decided to take a short break and allow her to stain the wooden panels. As for the perforated aluminium sheet, I spray painted it myself, because she doesn't like the smell. Once the box is finished, I can now start setting up the hardware. Noctua's NT-H2 is an amazing thermal compound, and it does its job flawlessly. I also linked together the 3 40mm Noctua PWM fans and put together Alphacool's Eisbaer Solo (LT) with their 40mm tripple full copper radiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 Assembled the hardware and did a few tests. Everything turned out perfectly. Temperature wise, while in idle, the CPU would not exceed 35°C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 After putting it all together, I also glued the 12V power supply for the EL wire to the case's front wooden panel. Cable management was the best I could do without custom cables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 All of the wooden panels were then mounted with screws, except for the side one, that stays in place with neodymium magnets, for easy access inside. And it's done! The project came out even better than I expected, and the way that the stained wood stands out is amazing. I really like its industrial looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexvoloaca Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 I decided to go with https://media2.giphy.com/media/YMYc0VvUXZPiq3fB4I/200.gif peripherals since they were the perfect choice for this project. Sponsors: Cooler Master, MSI, Silicon Power, Alphacool, Noctua, Seasonic Final specs are as follows: CPU: Intel I3 9100F Motherboard: Gigabyte B360N WiFi GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1650 VENTUS XS 4G OC RAM: Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine RGB 16GB Storage: Silicon Power PCIe Gen3x4 P34A80 1TB PSU: Seasonic M1U Flex 350W CPU Cooling: Alphacool Eisbaer LT (Solo), Alphacool NexXxos XT45 40mm Triple radiator, 3x Noctua NF-A4x20 5V PWM Keyboard: Cooler Master SK621 Mouse: Cooler Master MM830 Mousepad: Cooler Master MP750 (Large) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.