NEW - 2U case for full gaming computer in a 10 inch rack

[Mathys-Rituper]

Hi,

I would like to share one of my latest projects : I fit a full (cloud) gaming PC in 2U worth of height space in my 10 inch rack. I achieved this by desinging and 3D printing a case that would fit everything.

As far as I know, this is the only public occurence of a full gaming PC (including PSU) fitting in a 2U enclosure.

Please check my blog article for photos, 3D files, and full build log & parts list !

https://git.acabobgrenouille.fr/homelab.acabobgrenouille.fr/honey-i-shrank-the-computer/wiki/English-version

[geerlingguy]

@Mathys-Rituper - Do you have a photo of the final build? And if you mount it up in a mini rack, maybe we can turn this into a build showcase? It looks very interesting. I wonder if a normal Flex ATX PSU would also fit in that slot?

[Mathys-Rituper]

Hi @geerlingguy,

I have added pictures in the blog article. Both final build and in-rack, apologies in advance for poor photography skills.

Regarding fitting a flex-ATX PSU : unless you own a large-sized 3D printer, you would not be able to lay the PSU flat, as this would require extending the case PSU plate to the back, which would go over the print size limit for a 256256256mm 3D printing volume.

However it would fit on its side, as long as the PSU casing has the necessary mounting holes. But I am very concerned about the weight : a 500W Flex-ATX PSU, like this silverstone (https://www.silverstonetek.com/fr/product/info/power-supplies/FX500/), is 50% heavier than the HDPlex variant. And since it is mounted at the back of the case therefore far away from the mounting points, it is at high risk to cause sagging / damage the plastic case due to pulling force. You may be able to make it work by printing the case with an even stronger filament than PETG, but I am unable to verify it right now as I could only print PETG at my local fablab.

In a nutshell, nothing explicitly prevents anyone from trying to go the Flex-ATX route, but there are concerns about build volume and case structural integrity. A larger printer or stronger printing material may allow to overcome these concerns, though I am unable to verify.

Please lmk if you need any more clarifications !

[lwilletts]

Looks fantastic! I am considering a similar build but you have beaten me to it! How thick is the base and what infill pattern did you use that as that is the main thing that will give PSU more support at the rear in this design. I will certainly give this a go when I get a mini-rack!

EDIT:

I think there is some definite room for improvement with this design examining the HDPLEX 500w I have in front of me. Firstly, it may be possible to mount the PSU above the RAM, using a separate print bracket mount with 2x shallow depth m4 inserts (approx 5mm depth). I measure that there is 16mm spare internal room allowing for the length of the PSU, allowing 8mm either side for the inserts to fit. The PSU will then mount upside down into this separate bracket using the provided mounting screws from HDPLEX. Even if there is not enough height, the PSU measures 40mm in height so could possibly side mount it instead. All of this is to hopefully reduce the overall length of main print down to 200mm.

Secondly, I think the fascia could easily be separated from the main body and inserts used instead to mount the tray. This will reduce the issues faced when printing on a 256mmX256mm space as you could orientate it diagonally.

Finally, with some tiny dim changes, I think there could be enough room to mount 3x 40mm fans on fascia panel where the vents are, helping to improve CPU cooling. Honestly this will really depend on the mini ITX board used.

@Mathys-Rituper Would you be willing to share your original CAD file and not just the .stl, so I can test these ideas without remodelling the thing from scratch?

[Mathys-Rituper]

Hi @lwilletts ! Thank you for your interest in this project.

First, about your questions on the print profile. The base plate is 2.75mm thick. With the print profile I used, infill is not used in the base plate, it is only printed using perimeter walls. But since the part is printed face down, the print lines are in the least optimal direction when regarding load from the parts being transferred to the base plate. Ideally the print lines should be lengthwise to provide better resistance to cross-loading, but as you rightly identified, this would not work in a 256^3mm printer, so some design changes or larger printer would be needed. The only parts where infill was used in my slicing AFAIK is in the raised sections for the motherboard mounting points. In my print profile, I used 15% gyroid infill.

For the second part of your message :

About the alternative mounting options for the PSU : you may very well be right about it being possible to fit the PSU somewhere else, I just wish to share my rationale for this : I thought this placement was the best option to leave enough space for air to hot air roam around and also create a small cable routing channel between the PSU and MB for convenience in cable management. Since this PSU is GaN, it runs kind of hotter than usual, so I wanted to avoid risks of having too much heat stuck in a tiny space. And with the HDPlex PSU, structural integrity of this configuration is decent imo. The discussion with @geerlingguy about a possible PSU relocation were in the case where somebody would want to use a bigger or heavier Flex ATX PSU. If you only use the HDPlex PSU, in my opinion this PSU placement is good enough. Yet I understand why you want to reduce the size of the part for more convenient printing or further tweaks, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll come up with !

For the other changes you suggested, I am not experienced enough in 3D design and 3D printing to be able to share my take on these, but I'm very curious about the outcome :)

The .STEP file is available on Makerworld, does this suit your needs ? Otherwise I can share the freecad file, but it's become kind of laggy af since I suspect I haven't followed all best practises, especially because I reused some other parts from another design as a base for this project.

Regards

Mathys

[lwilletts]

Hello again,

Thank you for the rationale on the above print settings. I agree with nearly all of it. With another look I think it will be difficult to relocate PSU but not impossible. The main reason for the relocation is to reduce the overall length of the print to fit into a standard 200mm rack without the overhang.

I also wouldn't worry about the power supply getting too warm at all, GaN is far more efficient and will run hot as standard, the critical thing will that heat is being pulled or pushed somehow and that is the idea of mine to add in the 40mm fans to aid this.

If you could share the original freecad file that would be ideal, as that will allow conversion to other CAD programs without having to create meshes using a stl or step file.

[Mathys-Rituper]

Hi @lwilletts !
Sorry for the delayed answer, I've been working on other projects.
Please find the link to the project here : https://bitwarden.acabobgrenouille.fr/#/send/qmwzZWcNTWeZmBxZrtrrQA/FGjJGsCydgo9iChmGC8Gow
Please note it is valid for 7 days only.
Best regards
Mathys