Let me give you the situation first. A friend of mine was asked to build a desk for some local exec. He built a desk and made it so the desk could be smooth and uncluttered. The flat panel monitor comes up from the desk when you touch a button, similar to the way a cd tray comes out. The keyboard and mouse is on a retractable tray. The cd drive and floppy drive are built vertically into the desktop, so you hit the eject button and the tray comes out of the top of the desk. It's really a cool setup.

He asked me to design the case, I know he is going to need goo airflow as the case is bult into the desk in a confined space. I was looking to mount an intake at the bottom and an exhaust at the top (both the PSU and a small fan under the PSU on the back). The intake is posing a problem. All the fans have to be on the back of the case, the top, front and sides are against parts of the desk. I was going to use one of those slot exhaust things and switch the fan to blow in, it did a horrible job and really didn't blow enough air in.

I was wanting to have air coming in blow directly on the video card, but as I type this I really don't think that's necissary even if it will be used for gaming. So I am thinking a fan blowing into the case from a few un-bracketed slots would be fine (the open spaces from the slots blocked off). I think that's what I'll probobly do, what do you think?

that could work...
but you dont want to mod the case?
you could easily duct that...or cut out the back panel...
the computer itself is going to be vertical right? like the front panel will become the top panel once it is in the desk?


-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

No, the case will be normal, closed in on 5 of the 6 sides. The cdrom and floppy will be ouside the case, albeit close. I don't mind doing case mods, just no a whole lot of case to modify.

ok, so the front panel will be exposed?
or the back...
going by what you said, i would think the back, but that wouldnt make sense, unless you moved the power button.
but whatever...
if the front is showing...then cut a hole in the bottom front...and use a duct to take it from the front panel to the fan inside...just to make it look nicer...
if the back is showing, then i would say take out the slot cross beams..the spaces inbetween the slots, just enough so that the fan can be at the bottom of the case, and then make a duct so that the air is going to the front of the case...then have that fan under the psu blowing out.
and the one on the bottom blowing in...
that will give the proper circulation.
just emulate the design spec from amd using a duct.
oh yeah, when you get this thing done, and the case installed and the monitor...take some pictures man...this sounds sweet..
i really like the hidden monitor and the hidden drives and stuff...hehe
very sweet..
your friend must be some wood worker!


-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

Most of the desk will be stainless steel, the top is mahogany with some exotic wood inlays. He's actually a welder, who does some woodworking on the side.

well hot damn...how much does he charge for a desk?
and does this desk look professional? like the metal is nice? and the welds clean?
like it looks like something that would be sold in a store?
but custom made?

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

It looks awesome. He won't tell me how much the guy is paying him, but it is enough so he forfeited his vacation time to do it. I was wrong, it's not mahogany it's Eucalyptus. He got a huge slab of it so the top was one whole piece. That slab of wood alone cost over $500 easy, probobly over $700. He won't tell me what he is being paid for the desk, that means it's a lot.

geeze...
i bet that thing is gonna ROCK!

so did you decide how you are going to lay out the case?
btw..are you getting paid to mod this case for this guy?!?!

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

Theres a guy on hardwarecentral who made a wooden case and its on his site - its awesome, I cant get to hwc to find the site, but I'll look later, unless you go to www.hardwarecentral.com go to the discussion forum and search by name for duckman, in his sig theres a link to his site


Next time you wave - use all your fingers