musashin Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 INTRODUCTION Hey folks, welcome to my build log. This is actually going to be a lot of firsts for me. First build log! First custom-built case! First SFF build at all! First CMWS entry! I have always been interested in the SFF concept, being able to pack as much firepower into a small space as possible. As is my nature, I have been researching SFF builds and components for ages to plan out how I envisioned my own future build. However, there are a few parts I tend to be disappointed in the majority of SFF cases / builds. They tend to sacrifice noise and temperatures for the sake of size. Sub-10L cases often require undervolting, sacrificing performance as well. Flex ATX PSUs have pretty severe noise profiles because they can only accept tiny fans. Low-profile downdraft CPU coolers just can’t keep up with modern high-end processors. I don’t want my build to sacrifice on any of that. Ultimately the design is about 14L, will fit full size 300mm+ GPUs, 140mm intake fan, 2.5 and 3.5” HDDs, SFX PSU, and full-size CPU coolers. HARDWARE + SPONSOR Current parts list: Intel Core i9 9900k Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition RGB CPU Cooler Aorus z390 Pro Wifi ITX Motherboard 2x16GB G.Skill Trident Z Neo 3600MHz CL16 Asus Strix RTX 2060 OC Samsung 970 Evo 500GB NVMe Samsung 860 Evo 500GB 2.5” SSD Toshiba 2TB 3.5” HDD Corsair SF600 Gold SFX PSU Scythe Kaze Flex PWM 140mm intake, 92mm exhaust (kindly provided by Scythe!) Custom Aluminum Case CONCEPT + DESIGN Design inspiration for this case comes from the visually engaging GPU shrouds that modern GPUs have, especially the Strix cards which are a favorite of mine. The Antec Striker case has a vertical GPU setup in the front, which is a design concept my case will mirror. The trouble with that case is that it’s water-cooling focused, as well as being nearly 40L! Hardly an SFF case at that point. I am also a big fan of air coolers vs AIO water cooling, so I wanted to make sure the design had plenty of room for a tower air cooler. These concepts led me to an initial MS Paint layout design: The design has evolved quite a bit from there, when I built the design in SketchUp: My latest progress is fabricating the aluminum framing pieces that will then be riveted together to create the base frame: Once that frame is fully together, the motherboard tray will be anchored into the case and fitting of storage drives and PSU will be done, followed by fabrication of brackets for those to be mounted. I have some idea of magnetic attached side panels to allow for easy access to components and further customization of front plates and side panels. I have extracted a power button from an old Fractal Design case to use, but am planning to forgo all other IO outside of the motherboard ports to simplify the design. I have a wife and 2 kids and run a completely unrelated small business so progress may ultimately move slowly here, but am hoping that beginning the build log will motivate me to push forward on progress! Thanks, will check back in soon! Jacob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musashin Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 Case frame is constructed! Currently working on preparing the motherboard tray and IO shroud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musashin Posted October 26, 2020 Author Share Posted October 26, 2020 I found a better set of renders with the front window concept fleshed out as well. This will be fashioned from acrylic and attached with some distance from the front panel for effective GPU airflow. Please excuse my poor rendering skills! I plan to have radiused curves around each corner of the front window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musashin Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 You're not really working if you're not throwing some sparks! Currently cleaning up the motherboard tray before riveting into the case frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musashin Posted November 26, 2020 Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 Internal layout is starting to take shape! Will be featuring a Hyper 212 Black RGB edition CPU cooler in finished CMWS form! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Ann Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Welcome to the contest!! Glad you joined us this year, excited to see your finished work!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Ann Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Just out of curiosity, what made you join us this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musashin Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 Thanks Ann! 17 hours ago, Ann Ann said: Just out of curiosity, what made you join us this year? You know it's funny, I had the inspiration to create my own scratch built case at pretty much the same time I discovered the cmws competition for 2020! Serendipity, let's call it. I've never done anything like this but thought I'd try my hand at it! It's been a great experience so far to be a part of this community of modders and builders. Thanks for having me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musashin Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 Hey folks, a couple updates to bring! Few hardware changes: Now using: 2x16gb Trident Z Neo 3600MHz CL16 Nvidia 3060ti Founder’s Edition I was able to do a couple swaps around and ultimately upgraded these pieces without cost. Internal framing is done, PSU and HDDs are mounted. Final stage is the exterior. Planning a wooden stand with a nice staining to it, external panels of wood with a two tone black and white staining theme. Will be giving a nice thorough paint job to the frame as well for a cohesive look inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musashin Posted December 11, 2020 Author Share Posted December 11, 2020 Here is a shot of the basic frame build up and running! Still need to re-design the HDD mount, as they are both sitting a little high vs the side panel. 3.5" HDD is mounted against high density foam to reduce vibration noise, with the 2.5" SSD mounted on the front side. Power cord will run in front of the CPU cooler and behind the GPU, to a panel mount on the back panel. Using the 3060ti is going to free up some room for the top mounted 140mm fan versus a longer card in the initial concept, but I plan to adjust the front panel window size to account for that. Addressable LED strips will be mounted around the GPU window for a light show on demand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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