Toss In Functionality Ideas For A Size LARGE Multiple Pc Case Project.. please? :D

[TallBill]

Ok... right now... im just runnin on scratch.. but im looking at making a size large case project! Heres some ideas so far.

I wanna build a case somehow to hold 3 in it... a large metal/wood/plastic container or something.. maybe something that be compartmentalized, maybe not... btw, i actually am gonna put 3 pcs in it.. not just one big one

Right now I only have one pc, but am about done with #2.. and could possibly some day have #3... maybe more, but by that point maybe i'll have enough money for something crazier.

I'd like to implement battery backup into the case so that only 2 plugs come out the back of it.. maybe 1...
I'd like to have space in the box/case for the dsl modem/future router and obviously a hole or somehow access to the router from the outside for non box pc's
I'd like to possibly go water cooling on everything... on all pcs, perhaps the other equipment
I'd like to have 2 monitors for the box... one of the 3 systems would be dual monitor, and then i'd have a kvm switch to switch off one of the monitors to the other 2 systems
I'd like wheels.. portable box!

Possibly.. somehow a cd server? I've see these before.. acts like a drive on the network.. and its just a block of drives.. maybe if i could get ahold of an old one and h4x it?--- i'll probably just share a cd drive over the network

I cant think of anything else right now, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE post info on ideas on how to do this, or details i might find handy.

Just got a mini-idea.. purchasing a mini file cabinet on wheels with drawers... drop one pc in each drawer, and somehow hook up the watercooling.... maybe that wouldnt work.. who knows...

 

[Mrfrog840]

good luck
gimme it when your done....

 

[TallBill]

haha, i dont think so

 

[Jeff7]

Are you planning on being able to move this thing without an anti-gravity device? This is going to be very heavy.
So is this going to be a complete "container" for 3 individual PC's, or just a case the size of 3 conventional cases to house one high-power PC?

 

[TallBill]

it will hold 3 individual pcs in it... like one in each drawer.. altho im still not killing the idea of one big container.. hence need for suggestions.. i still dont know at all what im gonna do for sure...

 

[FlowerMan]

Maybe you could use one of those expensive Craftsman tool drawers

Or you could go with Rackmount and build a custom box for all the other stuff that you want. Wood is the easiest to work with. Plexiglass or other plastics is not recommended, because of all that weight. Metal would be nice... but harder to work with.

 

[TallBill]

well, i was thinkin if it was plastic... it would be like those storage tubs or similar tough plastic. we have a some storage bins in the basement stacked 3 or 4 high.. the bottom ones easily have more weight on top then would ever be inside.. wouldnt that be neat.. open up the tub to 3 pcs inside not sure if i could fit all the parts in one tho

 

[BA]

I'd like to implement battery backup into the case so that only 2 plugs come out the back of it.. maybe 1...
A UPS that can run three computers and two monitors is going to weigh a ton, and be hella expensive

Possibly.. somehow a cd server? I've see these before.. acts like a drive on the network.. and its just a block of drives.. maybe if i could get ahold of an old one and h4x it?
You've already got a computer there, just get a stack of SCSI CD drives, and then share them on the network.

 

[FlowerMan]

Just put a powerstrip in the case You can use a 500VA UPS for each system.

 

[TallBill]

hmm.. yeah.. i guess i could just share a cd drive... btw, new at networking stuffs too

 

[TallBill]

eh... wouldnt 2 battery backups do the job? how many outlets are on some of em? the one that i have now just has 3 plugs that are backed up and 3 on a surge protector.. altho the battery fried

 

[TallBill]

and... put one water cooling system in each drawer? whats a good system to get that cheap.. i dont need to oc...

 

[AkumaBao]

Just go with a short rackmount system. Other than that I'm not understanding the drawer idea. I mean, I picture like a 2 foot tall case with 3 drawers, but do you want them consealed? If so wouldn't the drawer faces cover access to a CD-ROm and such. If you don't want it to be consealed just do the rack mount. You can get cases that will fit Standard ATX.

 

[TallBill]

eh.. but do i really need a rack in my room? i dont think so! unless i just get a few desktop cases and stack em... and purchase quieter fans....or water, or whatever..

 

[CSFM]

I have quite a large desk that all my stuff sits on at home and I am toying with the idea of building the computer into the desk drawers. I have one that is realy big and could hold everything in it... giving me back the top of my desk. If you do get this thing "on the road" post some pics. for inspiration!

 

[Tetsuo316]

/me scrathes head.

maybe one of those horizontal freezers. y' know the ones that lay flat on the ground that people keep in their garages. i bet you could find one at the dump, clean it up and go to work on it.

OH! hey, check this out. it might not be big enough, but to me it looks like a step in the right direction. you could make standoffs on the rails. who knows? you asked for ideas.

 

[TallBill]

actually.. i was looking into one of those freezers as well.. an interesting idea.. i read an article about a pc in a freezer... just spray the electronics with some spray and they'll be fine from condensation.. i guess right now my biggest problem other then having no money is with exactly how water cooling setups work, and how i'd integrate them into whatever... i'd have to luck out and find the perfect desk or somethin... like one with a big compartment on the side where i could put the radiators/pumps and run hose into each pc, or simply one with big enough drawers to put all the water cooling stuff into each (i'd like this better, but would have to mod the back of the case or whatever so that the radiator fans could blow out.. then it just starts to get loud again... hopefully i can find a freezer

 

[Tetsuo316]

yeah, wouldn't those freezers also be really quiet? i've never put anything in the fridge that made noise before, so i don't know for sure... where's my cat? well, i couldn't find my cat, but i put my alarm clock in there and a rough estimate would be about 50% noise reduction. i think that the freezer would be a great idea. i'll see if i can dig up some info on the condensation issue. i know i've seen articles on it before.

 

[TallBill]

<< yeah, wouldn't those freezers also be really quiet? i've never put anything in the fridge that made noise before, so i don't know for sure... where's my cat? well, i couldn't find my cat, but i put my alarm clock in there and a rough estimate would be about 50% noise reduction. i think that the freezer would be a great idea. i'll see if i can dig up some info on the condensation issue. i know i've seen articles on it before. >>



sweet, a freezer would really kick ass!

 

[Tetsuo316]

ah ha! it came to me while i was walking through my neighborhood. you could use an old mailbox! like one of those big post office drop-off mailboxes. i'm sure that three systems would fit inside. it has those cool pull down doors and stuff. i bet you could come up with some sweet idea for access to your stuff using those doors. anyway, there's another idea for you. i hope that you're having fun with this. i am.

 

[TallBill]

ok.. well time to really hit the drawing boards now... the money will be here within a month or two.. and i still have no clue... and i have pc's throughout the house... now i might be going to school again next year... so i need a moveable unit... i was thinking.. maybe something with all the pcs in it like a rack... with either watercooling or a fan blowing out the back.. and an intake in front... blowing into a back panel... that ultimatly had a sound insulated big fan blowing down across all the out fans and out the channeled back.. heh

 

[FenrisUlf]

If you've got some decent building skills, here's an idea. Place four power supplies together with the fans pointing up (or down, your call). Place four motherboards vertically around them, with the back of the motherboards toward the power supplies. One edge of each motherboard should line up with one edge of the power supply "block". From above it should look vaguely like a four bladed impeller. Enclose in a circular plexiglass or clear plastic cylinder. You can put a UPS (or several) underneath as well as the drives, and a watercooling system if so inclined. Put some casters on the bottom for movability (and don't build it wider than a door). It would definitely be a conversation piece, plus there would be easy access to the motherboards if needed.

 

[flot]

dude this is just not worth it.

I thought about it a while ago, wanted to build my own case.. unless you're incredibly handy with wood/metal/plastic or whatever you plan on building out of, it really isn't worth the effort to build a single case, much less a huge case to hold 3 computers. Once upon a time I was going to build a huge cube which I thought cold hold 2, 3, maybe 4 computers - and balance it on one corner. Would have been very cool. But way too much work.

Do yourself a favor, and go buy 3 or 4 identical PC cases. Then just line them up or stack them on top of one another. I have always had 2-3 computers and the only thing that WASN'T cool is that I rarely had matching cases for them. When you have matching cases they line up together nicely and it makes life a lot easier. Plus they're lighter to move one at a time, etc, etc, etc.

Hate to burst your bubble - but think about things like mounting drives (especially "external" drives like Cd-roms etc) and even mounting hard drives - hard drives ideally should be surrounded by air on both the top and bottom, which means you need a close fitting cage to put them in, but it has to be able to support their weight... so metal is the best way to go.

I have thought about allllll these things before - back in the 386 days - and could never justify trying to build a "super case." The bottom line is, unless you are doing major metalworking or acrylic, you are just plain not going to be able to make details like the card slots etc line up. And you're going to sink so much money into materials you could have bought a few regular cases.

Sorry! Just my $0.02. If you're determined - go for it - but I think you'd be better off refocusing your efforts....

 

[ChefJoe]

Here's an idea, buy 4 full tower cases, real cheap and not too pretty looking, then go to lowes and buy an all metal shelf. (like the ones used in restaurant equiptment, metal posts and metal grill shelves... they're not too expensive lowes or somewhere comparable will have for $50) best thing is these things are damn sturdy too. Then, buy sheet metal and nice mounts, etc and enclose the thing. make it a cabinet. large open shelves, modular computers (hell, if you get fancy you can put the things on casters like kitchen drawers would use)... shelf and positionable racks to mount extra things you'd need for a good water cooling, cd-towers, etc... you should be able to pull that all off for like $200-250 + depending on how much you want to put into the tools you'll need.

 

[junthin]

As flot stated, this task isn't exactly efficient, but if you are up to it, more power to you!


I myself have tinkered with similar ideas (for a linux cluster), but it is far cheaper to just go with cases, or just get a big storage rack and put your systems on there with cardboard underneath. (Storage wire rack = $100, cardboard = $5 add them up, you can hold several computers, but it looks a bit ugly. )

FenrisUlf suggested an idea that I have thought of, and someone else has materialized. Check out: RenderCube.com for a container that holds 4 computers! :Q

Good luck with your endeavor, I have shifted my focus to building ultra small pc's.