Hi All,
My first project build so I ask for your patience and understanding as I progress through this
This project started out of necessity, the way all the best projects do. Space is finite and I love to be efficient with it when possible.
My business deals with a fair amount of 3d rendering and animation so small, cool running render nodes are key to a smooth running project. We currently use the silverstone sugo sg05 . its a great case and works well for a cpu only render machine. we have from 6 to 10 of these in the office at any given time and when they are all going at full tilt they can kick out some heat and a fair bit of noise.
For years these have been good balance of power and size but it just wasn't enough for me. So the challenge I set myself was to try and make them smaller and more efficient.
I know some of you might be saying the best way to do this is to set up a blade server but they are expensive to setup and run. Plus in a small office environment they are noisy and can be unsightly.
So here is my solution that I hope will work. Enter stage the 3in1 Special.
This will be 3 thin itx computers in the same space I have one of my current Sugo05's. Made of Aluminium profiles and Perspex panels.
A hinged Perspex door to the front with 3 power switches and a 200mm fan will keep everything cool and give access to the 3 boards. Still debating if it should be clear Perspex or go for a solid colour.
Each motherboard tray will be attached to shelf runners so that the boards can be slid out for maintenance and cleaning.
Spacing's are crucial for this to work and even though clearance will be tight it should be adequate.
The base will have a aluminium plate but the top and side will be clear Perspex and the back will be completely open to allow the air from the fan to pass right through.
Parts List so far:
Mainboard: Asus H81T Motherboard (Intel H81, SO-DIMM DDR3, S-ATA 600, Mini ITX, HDMI, DVI-I, e-SATA, USB 3.0, Network iControl, Socket 1150) (works with an external brick or internal PSU, this is the only reason this build will work)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 1600 MT/s CL11 SODIMM 204 Pin 1.35V/1.5V
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790 (non K version) with stock cooler.
HDD: Crucial CT120M500SSD3 120GB M500 mSATA 6Gb/s
PSU: 150W Genuine Original ASUS 19V 7.9A AC adapter (external power brick)
The parts may change down the line, my first priority is to see if the case can be built to spec. When I've got that sorted I'll order the rest. This whole project I want to do on as tight a budget as possible but still with reasonable parts.
The aluminium profiles are on there way and hopefully will be easy to work with as I've never used them before. They seem to very robust and multi functional so fingers crossed.
That's it for now, I'll post next when I have the profiles and I can start to make some real progress.
My first project build so I ask for your patience and understanding as I progress through this
This project started out of necessity, the way all the best projects do. Space is finite and I love to be efficient with it when possible.
My business deals with a fair amount of 3d rendering and animation so small, cool running render nodes are key to a smooth running project. We currently use the silverstone sugo sg05 . its a great case and works well for a cpu only render machine. we have from 6 to 10 of these in the office at any given time and when they are all going at full tilt they can kick out some heat and a fair bit of noise.
For years these have been good balance of power and size but it just wasn't enough for me. So the challenge I set myself was to try and make them smaller and more efficient.
I know some of you might be saying the best way to do this is to set up a blade server but they are expensive to setup and run. Plus in a small office environment they are noisy and can be unsightly.
So here is my solution that I hope will work. Enter stage the 3in1 Special.
This will be 3 thin itx computers in the same space I have one of my current Sugo05's. Made of Aluminium profiles and Perspex panels.
A hinged Perspex door to the front with 3 power switches and a 200mm fan will keep everything cool and give access to the 3 boards. Still debating if it should be clear Perspex or go for a solid colour.
Each motherboard tray will be attached to shelf runners so that the boards can be slid out for maintenance and cleaning.
Spacing's are crucial for this to work and even though clearance will be tight it should be adequate.
The base will have a aluminium plate but the top and side will be clear Perspex and the back will be completely open to allow the air from the fan to pass right through.
Parts List so far:
Mainboard: Asus H81T Motherboard (Intel H81, SO-DIMM DDR3, S-ATA 600, Mini ITX, HDMI, DVI-I, e-SATA, USB 3.0, Network iControl, Socket 1150) (works with an external brick or internal PSU, this is the only reason this build will work)
Memory: Crucial 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR3 1600 MT/s CL11 SODIMM 204 Pin 1.35V/1.5V
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790 (non K version) with stock cooler.
HDD: Crucial CT120M500SSD3 120GB M500 mSATA 6Gb/s
PSU: 150W Genuine Original ASUS 19V 7.9A AC adapter (external power brick)
The parts may change down the line, my first priority is to see if the case can be built to spec. When I've got that sorted I'll order the rest. This whole project I want to do on as tight a budget as possible but still with reasonable parts.
The aluminium profiles are on there way and hopefully will be easy to work with as I've never used them before. They seem to very robust and multi functional so fingers crossed.
That's it for now, I'll post next when I have the profiles and I can start to make some real progress.
Last edited:
