Wooden ITX box

[Vario]

This is a concept I have been working on and have discussed in a few other threads.

I have a set of late 80's Infinity RS2001 speakers.

This design is inspiring this build.

I am going to be making a perfectly smooth wood box with rounded edges with ITX, overclocked 2550k and a 7850 2GB. Cooling will be an H100.

These are the parts so far:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2550K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($266.59 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77E-ITX Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair XMS 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($120.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($173.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($35.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Plus 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1025.51
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-30 20:14 EDT-0400)

I am using the Coolermaster Elite 120 because it is the ideal chassis. Here is the naked chassis picture:

Here is mine, I bought the white edition for $35 after rebate and coupon code.

The yogurt and lighter are for size comparison.

I have already cut a 92mm cooling hole in the bottom as the main intake. There will be NO front panel on this case. Just a smooth wooden edge.


Heres the cut:

Air will intake from a 92x38mm fan and then be ducted into the main compartment with that cougar 120mm. The stock front fan will not be there. Remember, completely smooth wooden face. I will probably make a curved duct that routes the air up and to the back straight to the 120mm cougar. I want to keep the stock drive bay system incase I add harddrives though.

I haven't picked the fan yet, probably a 92x38mm atleast 40 cfm fan. It must be capable of operating in the horizontal position, I don't want to have it die if its a sleeve bearing, so probably a ball bearing fan like this one:

http://www.coolerguys.com/840556097556.html

Sunon 92x92x25 Med speed 3pin 12V fan KD1209PTB2

Sunon 92x92x25mm Fan is an Medium Speed 12V fan. Comes with a 3 pin/3 Wire connector.

ROHS Compliant

Features:

Dimension: 92 (L) x 92 (W) x 25mm (H).
Bearing Style: Ball Bearing
Air Flow: 45.0 CFM.
Speed: 2,600 RPM.
Noise Level: 4 dBA.
Power Input: 12V DC.
MTBF: 50,000 hrs.
Connector: 3 pin
Tail: 12 inch

Model # KD1209PTB2

I wonder how well this fan runs at 7-9v. Might get the noise down a good bit with a rheostat.

 

[Vario]

This is another fan I am considering:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...-_4000_RPM_FG00-0041-AKS.html?tl=g36c435s1101

Fan Size: 92 x 92 x 38mm
Bearing: 12V DC Sleeve Bearing
Rate Power: 12V DC rated
Wattage: 7.56 watts
Fan Speed: 4000 RPM
Air Flow: 79.81 CFM
Air Pressure: 9.42mmH2O
Noise: 46dBA
Connector: 4-Pin Molex

 

[Vario]

I ordered my fans, going with a japanese made Sanyo Denki Mini Ace 92mmx38mm. I ordered a couple of them, they will likely be used in other locations on this case because of the strange form factor and I want a fan that will scale really well noise to pressure. These dual ball bearing server fans should do that very well. Ebay auction indicated they are rare and the best 92mm fan available. We will see how they scale. I may be able to fit two 92mm fans in that front area below the drive cages and then build a curved plexiglass cowl that will funnel the air into the main ITX area.

 

[Nordic]

I am using the Coolermaster Elite 120 because it is the ideal chassis.

I disagree, but frankly that is a matter of opinion and not relevant... Yet I say it anyways. I like wood cases. I am eager to see what you can do and if you can possibly even change my opinion.

 

[Vario]

I disagree, but frankly that is a matter of opinion and not relevant... Yet I say it anyways. I like wood cases. I am eager to see what you can do and if you can possibly even change my opinion.

I'd like to know the reasoning you have and which chassis you would have picked? I don't ask this to start an argument, but because I am eager to learn more.

This will be flipped so it is a vertical tower similar to the speakers I showed in the OP. Power supply and IO panel will be on the bottom. It will not resemble the elite much once it has its wood skin on.

I will first build the case with the components (waiting on a few more) then dissemble it and start making the modifications and cut the wood. I am still not sure if I am retaining the drive bays. It depends on how well it all cools with the bays in. If I take the bays out I could even shorten the case by a few inches!

 

[micropage7]

I'd like to know the reasoning you have and which chassis you would have picked? I don't ask this to start an argument, but because I am eager to learn more.

This will be flipped so it is a vertical tower similar to the speakers I showed in the OP. Power supply and IO panel will be on the bottom. It will not resemble the elite much once it has its wood skin on.

I will first build the case with the components (waiting on a few more) then dissemble it and start making the modifications and cut the wood. I am still not sure if I am retaining the drive bays. It depends on how well it all cools with the bays in. If I take the bays out I could even shorten the case by a few inches!

nice idea, and its pretty challenging since most of mini ITX cases has limited space

 

[Vario]

Cleaned up the hole a bit and put the screw holes in. I used a few factory 92mm fan cutsheets and one from mnpc so I am very sure the holes will match up. If not, I cut the whole bottom off that area and lexan it. Things will be slow like this until I get more parts. This is a very large case for a microitx but I do need airflow around the components and places for wiring so its not a downside to me. This will sit above my TV between my infinity speakers.

 

[Vario]

Man I am having second thoughts about the wood part of this. Lets just see how things bolt in first. I really do want the H100 installed since I have it lying around though and I love woodworking.

The white paint on the case is just so damn pretty...

 

[Nordic]

I will repeat this here, from my pm. You can try and have both wood and paint. How can you blend them and make it look good. Maybe wood accents?

If you do decide to try and fit the h100. Try and be creative in how you mount it.

 

[Vario]

This is my leading idea. Wood roof, white sides. H100 on top. The wood would be routed down smooth so it joins with the white of the case seamlessly.

Rear of the h100 (case-rear 120mm mount location) is exhausting down from below and out the back from the flipped powersupply. The front of the h100 is exhausting up from below. There are no fans on top of the h100. The h100 top is what you see when you look down on the case, no fans, just radiator. I would cut a hole in the bottom of the 5.25 fan bay so that a 120mm fan could be put there and blown straight up into the h100.

 

[Vario]

Fan will fit at the top of the 5.25 bay blowing up into the radiator. I don't want to de-rivet the drive cage because I want the strength it provides and the drive storage.

next step is figuring out how the hell I am going to route the tubing for the h100i as well as have that fan there...

 

[Vario]

The more I think about it the more I think about just derivetting the damn drive cage. Then I could moount the h100 nicely no kink hose big fans etc. I just wanted a nice solid drive cage but I am only going to be running a 240GB SSD which could pretty much be attached anywhere.

 

[Nordic]

After you have thought everything out, put it all together, and it is all said and done. You will feel good. I am excited to see what you can do.

 

[Vario]

After you have thought everything out, put it all together, and it is all said and done. You will feel good. I am excited to see what you can do.

Yeah I am just really wondering if the H100i is really worth all this aggravation. The damn thing grinds as it is. I could make it a whole lot smaller without the h100i and go with my all wood design again.

 

[Nordic]

Size is important to me. Really depends on how much cooling you want.

 

[Vario]

Size is important to me. Really depends on how much cooling you want.

This 2550k supposedly is capable of 5.0ghz (received in a trade), so I wanted to try for that in the smallest package I could. I also have this here Asetek AIO cooler that I am currently water leak testing.

The build quality appears higher on the Asetek over the h100, especially the radiator, but the unit is probably from 2010 or 2011. It was on a friend's Phenom X6 that I replaced for him with a 3570, and therefore acquired a few months back.

 

[Vario]

Made a simple fan shroud to enhance the performance of this Asetek. So far no leaks on it, its probably good for another 3 years.

 

[Vario]

F-CK YOU drive cage:

Simple de-rivet job. It could be reinstalled in minutes with screws or poprivets. Recommend doing this to anyone who buys this because now I could probably put a beast-ass radiator in here. I still haven't received my amazon order for the mobo and power supply so its all speculative stilll.

 

[Vario]

This case is huge without the drive bay and the best part is the 5.25 is still there! Also the 120 rad fits up front push pull front exhaust using these little m3 screws and a really tiny screw driver set! Pics to come. James888, you might want to reconsider this case because its monstrous inside without that dumb cage.

To come:

Probably cut off more of the bottom and then replace with lexan (so I can see inside from the bottom and run different fan configuration and feet for the case). I want to have intake from the bottom and exhaust out the front.

Replace the white with wood. I already cut the damn cage out, might as well go all the way now.

 

[Nordic]

Too monstrous for my desire. Although I could fit one of those square 480 rads in there.

 

[de.das.dude]

sub

 

[TheSchnitzelkiller]

Cool little build, subbed

 

[micropage7]

F-CK YOU drive cage:

http://i.imgur.com/Y4ak0dp.jpg

Simple de-rivet job. It could be reinstalled in minutes with screws or poprivets. Recommend doing this to anyone who buys this because now I could probably put a beast-ass radiator in here. I still haven't received my amazon order for the mobo and power supply so its all speculative stilll.

umm i guess you need to take a tripod or something stable to get better pics

 

[Vario]

Okay so I am changing things back to original plan. The Asetek radiator is going to exhaust straight down (expanding the 92mm hole I already cut to a 120mm hole. Then the front is going to be featureless smooth pretty wood, probably 1/4" oak. The sides and top will probably be 1/2" oak. I will have two buttons only on the front in the corner (maybe upper right), the rest is wood. The 5.25 bay will not be accessible from the exterior.

As far as the 5.25 bay, I may use it for a fan controller turned backwards to run some fans at low voltages or I may use it to cram all my wiring. Still don't have a SSD or HDD, but that may be contained in the 5.25 bay if theres no where else to put stuff.

I ordered two chrome/silver momentary switches, a larger one with a green backlight for the power and a smaller one for the reset. Not going to have USB or audio ports or anything on the front.


There won't be any cool pics for a few more days because I still haven't received my power supply, wiring, or motherboard. Still waiting on the fancy san ace fans as well. Therefore, I do not want to make too many more modifications until I have an idea of how it will all play out. Likely I will run 92mmx38mm intake fans along the right side and have a vented left side for the videocard with intake slim 120x12mm fans. This will give me positive case pressure and let the exhaust be the asetek downfiring and the power supply blow out the back.

This new layout will probably reduce the front dimension by an inch (no need for a vent or io panel). I may be able to shift the power supply in more so that will reduce the back by an inch as well.

 

[Vario]

Horizontal radiator mounted and testing for leaks:

The fans for the sides: San Ace Denkyis Japanese 92mmx38mm