Thunderbird MK2

Timmymeuk · 20 Sep 2013 at 19:46

I dont know if anyone remembers me making a computer case in the shape of Thunderbird 2, I got a bit into the project and had to stop because it wasnt working quite right. The size of the thing was immense.

Since then the selling of itx mobos has opened my mind to making it smaller but the only thing is I havent got a motherboard in my hands to check if things would work.

I have started modelling the body of the Thunderbird to scale and put the "blocks" of hardware in but its the positioning of the graphics card that im unsure of and also if it would stick over the side of what I have made to the motherboard dimensions. The graphics card size that is in the photo is a low profile to give you some sense of size.

The case itself wont be hollow but will be made out of wood after ive carved the hell out of it!

Timmymeuk · 11 Oct 2013 at 14:20

Just wondering if I had a fan on the underside of the mobo would It just be for show or would it actually benefit at all the cooling?

Will be starting this soon

oceaness · 12 Oct 2013 at 08:11

Could you possibly tuck the SSD down one side of the PSU and the hard disk down the other?

Fan on the underside probably wouldn't do a huge amount, but it'll definitely need something as at the moment there's no airflow through.

I assume the PSU is intaking through the bottom but where is it exhausting, into the nose? Is there going to be a vent in the bottom of the nose?

What graphics card are you thinking of using, as if you're keeping it low profile and shorter than an ITX board, I wonder whether it'll be worth it over on board graphics?

You'd probably be better off getting a PCIe ribbon and installing a full size GPU horizontally over the top of everything?

How would this work layout wise?
No need for PCIe ribbon.
Cooler is a Noctua NHL12 at 93mm tall.
You could move the HDD and SSD into the nose.
(All dimensions are approx)

Timmymeuk · 13 Oct 2013 at 23:01

The SSDS are actually on the side of the of the psu. On the right hand side the cables come out and where you see the whole in the nose is where the other vent for the psu is.

Im sure the graphics card ive used for dimensions was a low profile I think.

how much space does that Noctua NHL12 take up then?

I hope this new picture will make it bit clearer.

oceaness · 14 Oct 2013 at 08:48

Ah, I see, you've got the PSU sideways.

I was thinking you could have it front to back and put a 120 mm exhaust vent on the under side of the nose, seeing as it is raised anyway, that way it wouldn't have the big hole spoiling the side?

Also you've got both your SSD and HDD at 2.5", are you planning to use a laptop hard drive, as I think you should have room for a standard 3.5" drive.

The graphics card I modelled mine on was an MSI HD 7950, a full size GPU, I'm pretty sure there should be room.

The Noctua will basically cover most of the motherboard and is 93 mm tall, this is a pic of it on an ITX board, underneath an SFX PSU.

What do you think of something like this:

Drives in the nose, and you should be able to get pretty good airflow from the back to the front, with a exhaust shroud on the GPU if you use a blower style one. You'd need to vent it off to the side slightly, compared to the diagram, so the intake fan wouldn't suck the hot air back in.