New set-top case concepts (warning lots of pics)

So currently my HTPC lives inside an old subwoofer (as featured in the hidden HTPC contest http://xbmc.org/natethomas/2011/11/26/fe...den-htpcs/ ) I have since completely rearranged my setup,, I've hidden the real sub, and the HTPC box sticks out like a sore thumb and takes up a lot of room. Also, it is fairly difficult to work with, and the construction quality is not very good (I made it freshman year using a drill press, jigsaw, and sharpie). I now have access to several CNC routers (and the knowlegde of how to use them) in the college machine shop. I have made a few models in solidworks of potential new case designs, and I would like to float them by you guys to get some input.

My goal is to make a case that can fit upto 4 3.5" hdds and a mini-itx mobo. I will be using a dc-dc picopsu for the power supply with an external power brick for the ac-dc conversion (this kit most likely http://www.logicsupply.com/products/picopsu_150 ). I have included a size comparison in the pictures. I have two concepts so far, and I will add ventilation slots (they should be able to run fanless), and properly positioned mounting holes once I pick a design. The final case will likely be made from 1/8" or 1/4" plexiglass (navy blue or transparent black if possible).

Also, I will be making all the specs, models, and g-code open source once I finish this so that others can make/modify this if they want.

Concept 1




Concept 2




Any and all feed back is welcome. Thanks

After buying my Synology NAS I would not go back to having hard disks in my TV room.

On the other hand if someone wants an all in one solution they look pretty good.

I like the concept, the only suggestions I would make are adding a location for an extra 2.5" drive so you can use an SSD as a boot drive and also maybe a spot for a slim/slot loading bluray drive. I know most mITX boards dont have 6 sata ports but some out there should. Anyways this would make for a very nice, compact build. I would love to have something like this as well.

I could actually raise the motherboard and mount it on top of a slot load disc drive (I'm focusing most of my energy on the second concept because I like having it only 2.5" tall). Expanding it to 6 hdds presents a challenge for the second design because the top two hdds are actually mounted upside down to the top of the case, so stacking two more would require making internal supports, but I can make a design that would fit the extra drives.
For the 2.5" drive, It could be mounted below the mini-ITX board just like the optical drive, or if there is no optical drive it could be mounted vertically in between the mobo and the hdds. I've never used an SSD before, how much heat does a normal SSD generate?

They produce almost no Heat. They consume very little amounts of energy and have no moving parts. They do not require any extra cooling.

ok, thats what I figured, in that case, i can just extend either the side or make it deeper so that an SSD could be fitted in standing on its side without making the case much taller.

I am looking at your project you state that this will be a netop.....


Designing many Pcs and Servers what you are building sir will be loud

I don't think you have been around 6 drives making noise or even when the system fan speeds up due to heat those constant turning drives will produce, SSD's are great but you wont be using 6 of them no way worth it.

Your Biggest flaw in my eyes it going to be noise and heat there's nothing worse than fan speed noise in a quiet part of a movie scene totally kills the mood.

Coming from a cnc industrial background I worked on milltronics 4 axis Mills there are so many other materials available to use other than acrylic that will stay together and can be cnc'd...

And finally not to take you away from cnc fun you can totally make this with a brake and some light sheet of steel or copper.
If you use copper you can solder together the case and if you use steel you can certainly weld it with a tig or mig arc maybe to hot....maybe use the cnc to route out fan,slots,power buttons etc...

MY two Cents

Thanks for the input.
I do have an idea of about how loud a setup like this can be, but my current case is chipboard so I guess that mutes most of the drive noise. I chose plastic/acrylic because I like the look and feel, I want to keep the weight of the case down, and its not too expensive or difficult to assemble. Also I was hoping to put some usb controllable LEDs inside the case to provide some neat accent lighting.

As far as the fan is concerned, I plan on designing the ventilation for my system (1 core Atom, and 3 hdds) to run fanless so the only noise is from the drives. I am still debating if I should expand it to 6 drives or not because I really like the current dimensions, and also because if an optical drive, and an SSD are added along with 4 hdds that would fill 6 SATA ports.

I will probably end up using rubber washers on the HDD mountingsto reduce some noise, and find some sound absorbing material to coat the inside. Here is an updated model with the SSD and the optical drive added. Its not 3.25" tall vs 2.75" previously, but if I only use a slimline optical drive I could bring it back to 2.75" tall.

You know you could build two cases, a netop, and a server case....This way you could run a superslim netop design and you could control height, I would suggest to even boot it off usb so its diskless.

The server could sit in a closet somewhere in the house where noise wont matter. Just a thought. You gave me an idea for my next build thank you.

That is a really good idea. And it looks like i may have already done that lol. the first case concept would make a great compact server cause it can fit 5 or 6 hdds, and then I could shrink down the second case to run a small mobo front end.

( I will probably keep my current setup in a single box for cost purposes, but I will enjoy the challenge of designing some more varied cases)