- Jun 3, 2011
- 14,640
- 3,008
- 136
Hello folks,
i'v just discovered Zalman's CeBit 2011 prototype case and i wanted to get some opinions about it, about my case-related ideas, and tips on custom-building cases.
Here is a couple pictures of this case which i find magnificent:
ok maybe magnificent is too much. it looks good.
the video (skip to 3:12 to see the case)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOXfgedJ3as&feature=fvwrel
FYI this case is NOT on their website and probably will never be in production.
What i am looking for is ideas to do a scratch-build using alluminium/steel sheets and customizing parts.
the idea is to have a build as minimal as possible, favouring looks over extreme performance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, this case has some things i really like, and would like to replicate :
1) it has a full-metal front faceplate.
i positively hate plastic faceplates. i hate *all* plastic but faceplates more than anything else. also love that "unibody" that has the side and bottom being one sheet of metal.
2) it also has three 5 1/4 and imho that's already two too many; however it doesn't have a fixed cage and that makes it better.
specifically, i'm thinking the slotted DVD readers like this: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=271&area=usa
Silverstone slim-line slot DVD rewriter
they way i see it, this doesn't even need to be installed in the faceplate. it could be installed top-fed. or even at the bottom! (who uses it anyway)
3) i love the HD retention system. since they are individual i assume it's possible to mount only two. does anyone know what brand they are and again, for the top cage?
4) the whole "mesh grill" thingie is aesthetically pleasing but not a necessity and will probably be different; one possibility is a fourth metal sheet (what would be the window-side panel) coming to the height of the PSU, making the bottom more solid structurally, and having hinges for a similar "swing to open" solution.
i understand this doesn't allow for side fans and also, i'm aware of how little cooling this case has but hopefully the new design will beat all that.
Honestly what we have here is three sheets of powdered alluminium bolted together and a metal rod, but it lacks the horrid, cheap look of the cages that make up the base of every other PC case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flipping the mobo - raven style - so that the IO ports are on top is definitely a possibility;
This case has no cable management which means buying/building a removable
motherboard tray, integrating the C.M. in the side panel - possibly having a screw-on panel. i'm thinking a large cut in what now is the side panel, rubber washers, and a second offset side panel with large standoffs and four thumbscrews, the cables being held in place by either clips or cable ties. it would be somwhat see-thru if you will but i think that adds to the charm (exp. if i sleeve them all).
Also moving the PSU to the right-hand side (behind what would be the front faceplate) is an idea; the HDs could then go below the mobo, and a 140mm fan could be installed inside blowing air on them. with the mesh screen making the side practically open, it would draw air from the surroundings and not strictly from outside.
as of now i'm not thinking WC as i'd like this thing to cost less than a cruise missile, getting the sheets cut, machined and powdered from a local shop. i can already see the "bend" costing more but i like it a lot, it does away with a lot of the boxiness of typical PC cases.
With the IO shield facing upwards, the grill would have to latch next to it and would have to be cut to fit around it, but this is going to be a single build, not a one-size-fits-all. Budget for the case, HD cages, DVD cages, etc.. is around £500. Total budget is £2k unless i get a raise but let's not count on that just yet.
This will be a IB build; the only thing carrying over would be a hard disk, so there won't be a lot of money to do this.
I'v been lurking the cases ' n ' cooling section for almost two years but i'v yet to find a case i really like; The TJ series is possibly the nicest but they aren't just expensive, they got stuff about them i positively hate; for example:
rivets - rivets are horrible
the DVD cage - and specifically the cuts in it. looks cheap.
the raised edges on the metal unibody and those horrid cuts in them.
call me a maniac, obsessive compulsive, anal retentive, i just love a plain slab of metal with nothing on it. the purity of it.
One case that i like is the Lian Li V350B (the cube) but it's too small and cramped. The X500F looks fantastic where it not for that bloody front bezel. I don't want a removable front bezel.. so i guess i *have* to build my own.
Before this, i have considered acrylic cases, test racks, glass tables, the pyramid case, idk what else.
Another idea is to have the PC on two levels - the mobo + fans on top, and everything else on the bottom. 5 sides of alluminium + 1 mesh, cuboid.
Sort of what a test rack does, but enclosed. Tall feet, slightly larger than a rack. The bonus is automatic cable management.
There are a few "square" PC cases out there *not* by mountainmods, but they are all butt-ugly, enormous, and too many holes.
Note that i have no problem looking at the IO port. the way i see it, that's the "front" of the PC, not the mobo-header extensions ports.
If you look at THIS:
you'll see that it's already got stuff that's redundant; the two fans behind the GPU just create turbolence, hardly helping - they would if this was a positive-pressure case, but it's obviuosly not. also the DVD drive isn't needed or at least, not that big. it could be hid almost anywhere. Add four walls and a roof to that and you'v got a decent case, if it's made of a nice looking material. The exaust side could be totally drill-meshed and the intake side (also meshed) would host 4 fans and a total dust filter.
Roof and one side would be one unibody, with the last side extending and maybe having an attached handle (yes i know, but i like handles. though i am ready to do without one)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
If we consider once more that Zalman case, i would say that first, the idea is good but the location of the internals is bad. The DVD could be just below the mobo (facing backwards), along with the HDs (wanting 2 HDs and 1 SSD); the PSU could be at the bottom corner opposite the mobo, with the top right (what is the front) being either empty, used for WC, a fan array, or for something not yet thought of;
It is totally ok for the PSU's power switch to be located in a hard-to reach position, even inside the case. I never use it anyway.
The unibody sheet with the metal truss rod is a great idea for looks and functionality (more looks).
The mesh could be replaced with a "glass" door and the "front" dedicated to dust filtering.
As you have probably figured out by now i want the "front" and back of a PC to be both on the same side. right now my PC's got his butt facing me. i never even see the front.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right, this is one monster post.
If anyone has thoughts to share, i'd like to hear them.
:biggrin:
i'v just discovered Zalman's CeBit 2011 prototype case and i wanted to get some opinions about it, about my case-related ideas, and tips on custom-building cases.
Here is a couple pictures of this case which i find magnificent:
ok maybe magnificent is too much. it looks good.
the video (skip to 3:12 to see the case)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOXfgedJ3as&feature=fvwrel
FYI this case is NOT on their website and probably will never be in production.
What i am looking for is ideas to do a scratch-build using alluminium/steel sheets and customizing parts.
the idea is to have a build as minimal as possible, favouring looks over extreme performance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, this case has some things i really like, and would like to replicate :
1) it has a full-metal front faceplate.
i positively hate plastic faceplates. i hate *all* plastic but faceplates more than anything else. also love that "unibody" that has the side and bottom being one sheet of metal.
2) it also has three 5 1/4 and imho that's already two too many; however it doesn't have a fixed cage and that makes it better.
specifically, i'm thinking the slotted DVD readers like this: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=271&area=usa
Silverstone slim-line slot DVD rewriter
they way i see it, this doesn't even need to be installed in the faceplate. it could be installed top-fed. or even at the bottom! (who uses it anyway)
3) i love the HD retention system. since they are individual i assume it's possible to mount only two. does anyone know what brand they are and again, for the top cage?
4) the whole "mesh grill" thingie is aesthetically pleasing but not a necessity and will probably be different; one possibility is a fourth metal sheet (what would be the window-side panel) coming to the height of the PSU, making the bottom more solid structurally, and having hinges for a similar "swing to open" solution.
i understand this doesn't allow for side fans and also, i'm aware of how little cooling this case has but hopefully the new design will beat all that.
Honestly what we have here is three sheets of powdered alluminium bolted together and a metal rod, but it lacks the horrid, cheap look of the cages that make up the base of every other PC case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flipping the mobo - raven style - so that the IO ports are on top is definitely a possibility;
This case has no cable management which means buying/building a removable
motherboard tray, integrating the C.M. in the side panel - possibly having a screw-on panel. i'm thinking a large cut in what now is the side panel, rubber washers, and a second offset side panel with large standoffs and four thumbscrews, the cables being held in place by either clips or cable ties. it would be somwhat see-thru if you will but i think that adds to the charm (exp. if i sleeve them all).
Also moving the PSU to the right-hand side (behind what would be the front faceplate) is an idea; the HDs could then go below the mobo, and a 140mm fan could be installed inside blowing air on them. with the mesh screen making the side practically open, it would draw air from the surroundings and not strictly from outside.
as of now i'm not thinking WC as i'd like this thing to cost less than a cruise missile, getting the sheets cut, machined and powdered from a local shop. i can already see the "bend" costing more but i like it a lot, it does away with a lot of the boxiness of typical PC cases.
With the IO shield facing upwards, the grill would have to latch next to it and would have to be cut to fit around it, but this is going to be a single build, not a one-size-fits-all. Budget for the case, HD cages, DVD cages, etc.. is around £500. Total budget is £2k unless i get a raise but let's not count on that just yet.
This will be a IB build; the only thing carrying over would be a hard disk, so there won't be a lot of money to do this.
I'v been lurking the cases ' n ' cooling section for almost two years but i'v yet to find a case i really like; The TJ series is possibly the nicest but they aren't just expensive, they got stuff about them i positively hate; for example:
rivets - rivets are horrible
the DVD cage - and specifically the cuts in it. looks cheap.
the raised edges on the metal unibody and those horrid cuts in them.
call me a maniac, obsessive compulsive, anal retentive, i just love a plain slab of metal with nothing on it. the purity of it.
One case that i like is the Lian Li V350B (the cube) but it's too small and cramped. The X500F looks fantastic where it not for that bloody front bezel. I don't want a removable front bezel.. so i guess i *have* to build my own.
Before this, i have considered acrylic cases, test racks, glass tables, the pyramid case, idk what else.
Another idea is to have the PC on two levels - the mobo + fans on top, and everything else on the bottom. 5 sides of alluminium + 1 mesh, cuboid.
Sort of what a test rack does, but enclosed. Tall feet, slightly larger than a rack. The bonus is automatic cable management.
There are a few "square" PC cases out there *not* by mountainmods, but they are all butt-ugly, enormous, and too many holes.
Note that i have no problem looking at the IO port. the way i see it, that's the "front" of the PC, not the mobo-header extensions ports.
If you look at THIS:
you'll see that it's already got stuff that's redundant; the two fans behind the GPU just create turbolence, hardly helping - they would if this was a positive-pressure case, but it's obviuosly not. also the DVD drive isn't needed or at least, not that big. it could be hid almost anywhere. Add four walls and a roof to that and you'v got a decent case, if it's made of a nice looking material. The exaust side could be totally drill-meshed and the intake side (also meshed) would host 4 fans and a total dust filter.
Roof and one side would be one unibody, with the last side extending and maybe having an attached handle (yes i know, but i like handles. though i am ready to do without one)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
If we consider once more that Zalman case, i would say that first, the idea is good but the location of the internals is bad. The DVD could be just below the mobo (facing backwards), along with the HDs (wanting 2 HDs and 1 SSD); the PSU could be at the bottom corner opposite the mobo, with the top right (what is the front) being either empty, used for WC, a fan array, or for something not yet thought of;
It is totally ok for the PSU's power switch to be located in a hard-to reach position, even inside the case. I never use it anyway.
The unibody sheet with the metal truss rod is a great idea for looks and functionality (more looks).
The mesh could be replaced with a "glass" door and the "front" dedicated to dust filtering.
As you have probably figured out by now i want the "front" and back of a PC to be both on the same side. right now my PC's got his butt facing me. i never even see the front.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right, this is one monster post.
If anyone has thoughts to share, i'd like to hear them.
:biggrin:
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