Titan ITX status. (placeholder)

[Lazzer408]

Come on, release yours already!!!

ps. I would be happy to buy a prototype

I can't help the delays. I just don't have the resources of a large company. These prototypes weren't cheap. You could get a fully loaded Civic for less.

The production model will be competitively priced. I did make a revision to one of the models that I think a lot of us can appreciate, ATX power. It's still smaller then a Tiki and has placement for four 80mm fans if you want them. It currently has 500w of continuous power with 36 to 44 amps of 12v power depending on which supply I go with. I'm having too many issues with SFX supplies being able to meet the power requirements of a GTX Titan and a OC'd 4770k. Titan's SFX model is 3.5" thick. All models are very "mod friendly".

 

[illli]

i'm curious how you managed to fit an atx psu into it. is it an off the shelf part?

 

[Lazzer408]

i'm curious how you managed to fit an atx psu into it. is it an off the shelf part?

Yes, the PSU housing itself is standard ATX but the cabling is modified to eliminate some of the bulk.

 

[illli]

but you were able to put in a standard sized psu without increasing the case size? i thought standard atx height was closer to 4 inches

 

[MightyMouth]

Have you got any time-frame at all?

 

[Lazzer408]

but you were able to put in a standard sized psu without increasing the case size? i thought standard atx height was closer to 4 inches

Sorry if there's confusion. The model we had been discussing in this thread uses a SFX (Micro ATX) PSU. Due to the inherent problems with SFX PSUs *reliably* powering a large graphic card (and the accompanying noise level) a revised second model was designed to accommodate an ATX supply. The ATX version is the first model that will go into production.

An ATX supply is 86mm which is about 3.4".

Have you got any time-frame at all?

Couple months hopefully. The US companies have great lead times (1-2 weeks) but some of the parts are coming from over seas. I should have the files ready for the laser by the end of next week. I'll then have to wait for everything to get here first for finishing (anodizing) so they're no issues with color matching separate batches.

 

[illli]

An ATX supply is 86mm which is about 3.4".

oh thats right. when i was thinking 4 inches i was using some numbers based on a design i was coming up with i remember thinking i'll just make it 4 inches in height, to give me more room/flexibility for fans and heatsinks etc.

 

[GeoffreyK]

Titan ITX production prototype soon. (You'll love what I've done with the place)

What is everyone's opinions (pros and cons) of the following chassis/systems.

x51 (Alienware)
Tiki (Falcon Northwest)
Revolt (iBuypower)
Bolt (Digital Storm)
Raven ITX (Silverstone)

x51: Boo plastic exterior and cheap rolled-steel chassis. Boo custom power supply, with large external brick. Pros... for everything in such close proximity, seems relatively well-ventilated, though I have to wonder where the GFX is supposed to be getting its fresh air, with the blower intake smushed up against a hard drive...
Tiki: I like almost everything about the Tiki, except its price (and the granite base is just silly; gotta justify that price somehow, I guess). I'm not the biggest fan of vertically oriented, slot-loading optical drives.
Revolt: Hideous, and cheaply made to boot. Unsure how I feel about the use of 1U PSUs (tiny fans aren't exactly known for their quiet operation). Also unsure as to how I feel about placing the hard drives opposite/above the CPU.
Bolt: Layout seems acceptable, and is certainly not as hideous as the Revolt, but it certainly looks cheap (all of the visible folds, and the awkward "base"). If a modder built it from scratch, I would be floored, but as a mass-produced case, I expect more polish. Same concern as to the 1U PSU as with the Revolt...
Raven: Have I mentioned that I don't like plastic? I'm not sure where other people are getting it when they say this looks big to them; given the component layout, seems similar in size to the Tiki and your Titan. Aside from the plastic surround, I generally like this case.

 

[Draekris]

Shiny!

I've been looking around for a case this size with this capability for a long time and upon finding this thread I made an account to tell you I'd happily put down $300 for this case (and psu). It looks fantastic and given the amount of time that's been spent on it I expect it'll perform wonderfully once it's finished. By the way I'm in Illinois and could pick one up if that becomes an option at some point. Keep up the hard work and persistence!

 

[Draekris]

Thoughts on those other small gaming pcs (focusing on external appearance):
x51: Good performance and ventilation (according to friends). I've never liked Alienware's gaudy plastic exteriors and lighting, and the power supply is less than ideal. Overall the system does not justify the price.
Tiki: Excellent aesthetic and performance, until I get to the granite base. It just doesn't make sense. The price is quite high.
Revolt: The design is pretty bad, I think it's worse than the alienware, especially the triangles on the front. I like the USB 3 on the front but other than that this has nothing going for it. Simple, clean design is a much less embarrassing thing to have on one's desk.
Bolt: Much better looking but impractical. The placement of the ports on the side is inconvenient if I have the case wedged somewhere and between that and the angled design there's really only one way to put the machine. The specs are good and the price is reasonable but the port design could be a problem in everyday use.
Raven ITX: Again, the ports on the side are inconvenient, especially since I would be using the USB 3 for external drives and that would stick out uncomfortably. The design is okay but I'm not a fan of the window and any plastic parts should be plain and clean. The front of this system looks a bit messy.

By the way it seems standard backpacks fit about 13"x13"x4" in a single pocket, which might be nice (if one doesn't mind a monitor under their arm ).

 

[Gurudaz]

Thoughts on those other small gaming pcs (focusing on external appearance):
x51: Good performance and ventilation (according to friends). I've never liked Alienware's gaudy plastic exteriors and lighting, and the power supply is less than ideal. Overall the system does not justify the price.
Tiki: Excellent aesthetic and performance, until I get to the granite base. It just doesn't make sense. The price is quite high.
Revolt: The design is pretty bad, I think it's worse than the alienware, especially the triangles on the front. I like the USB 3 on the front but other than that this has nothing going for it. Simple, clean design is a much less embarrassing thing to have on one's desk.
Bolt: Much better looking but impractical. The placement of the ports on the side is inconvenient if I have the case wedged somewhere and between that and the angled design there's really only one way to put the machine. The specs are good and the price is reasonable but the port design could be a problem in everyday use.
Raven ITX: Again, the ports on the side are inconvenient, especially since I would be using the USB 3 for external drives and that would stick out uncomfortably. The design is okay but I'm not a fan of the window and any plastic parts should be plain and clean. The front of this system looks a bit messy.

By the way it seems standard backpacks fit about 13"x13"x4" in a single pocket, which might be nice (if one doesn't mind a monitor under their arm ).

Just thought Id see whats the update on this project, it seems that there are people that have an itch (like me) to make a tiny hi-power gaming pc, there was someone online who was in the process of making a production one but soon ran into cnc machine problems (it broke down) so this thread seems like someone is trying to make somthing of a production type model.

Tiki s chasiss is by far the slimest most powerfull gaming pc out there IMO, with a solid chassis and easily upgradable and somewhat managable. The only issue is that I would like it to have a front panel power button and DVD slot instead of at the top, basically I would love to have a gaming pc installed in my Home Theatre Rack etc.

* A note on PSU cables, I ordered a PSU directly from cooler master a few years ago, they actually allow you to customize your cables if you prefer, basically, they send you an pdf with the PSU cables and you tell them which ones you want( example X1 motherboard X2 8pin, X2 Sata etc) then you tell them the length of each cbale you require, they then send you the exact length cables you need, they shortened my MOBO cable @ 7 inches length etc.


Just thought I would provide some info if your going with a ATX PSU' you can customize cable lengths and types.

 

[Lazzer408]

* A note on PSU cables, I ordered a PSU directly from cooler master a few years ago, they actually allow you to customize your cables if you prefer, basically, they send you an pdf with the PSU cables and you tell them which ones you want( example X1 motherboard X2 8pin, X2 Sata etc) then you tell them the length of each cbale you require, they then send you the exact length cables you need, they shortened my MOBO cable @ 7 inches length etc.

Just thought I would provide some info if your going with a ATX PSU' you can customize cable lengths and types.

It doesn't look like Cooler Master currently has any supplies with 80mm fans. An ATX PSU must use 80mm fans in order to allow the chassis to lay horizontal without needing 1" feet. Axial fans choke from turbulence when the inlet side is too close to another surface. That's why the non-reference GPU coolers run hot/noisy when used in SLI/CF with another card next to it. It's also why XBOX slim runs hotter then it should. Flip the fan over. It'll run cooler.

You can still use an ATX PSU with a 120mm fan in my chassis but it requires the chassis to sit vertically or use some larger feet.

Which bring up an interesting point. The Tiki uses a slim 120mm fan on the radiator. The fan blows the heat inward onto the motherboard pulling through the radiator. On the plus side, it's pulling in ambient air. On the minus side, it's CFM suffers due to turbulence. They should try placing the fan against the side cover with the radiator on top of it for a push-through configuration. It could be that it was a clearance issue for the hoses.

Here's the news... I forgot the USB 3.0/audio header! I have sourced the 3.0 headers (with nice chrome metal audio jacks) and have samples in hand. It's been modeled and being placed in the assembly. Also, the Antec-supplied Delta PSU I wanted is being discontinued. I'll use the BP500U for now but it wasn't the model I wanted. It passed the load test but the fan profile isn't the greatest.

 

[illli]

high power had some new sfx power supplies on display at computex this year http://www.expreview.com/26086.html
actually they are a tiny bit larger than spec, but at least they come with a 120mm fan

 

[Lazzer408]

high power had some new sfx power supplies on display at computex this year http://www.expreview.com/26086.html
actually they are a tiny bit larger than spec, but at least they come with a 120mm fan

Lets max out a system. Say a large GPU is crunching 200w worth of folding plus a 125w overclocked CPU. Add in a few fans, drives, and USB devices (charging a cell and burning a CD for example) for another 75w to make it an even 400w. Your pulling 500w from the wall with an 80% efficient PSU. 500*.8=400. 500-400=100. That's 100w worth of heat to get rid of.

To get rid of that heat you need surface area and airflow. Surface area is limited in a SFX/TFX/uATX/1U/TedDanson power supply so that little 40 or 60mm fan has to get spinning to create enough CFM over the small heatsinks. Having a 120mm fan in a uATX PSU (something I strongly suggested to FSP/SPI over two years ago) will help but I'd have to put a vent in the bottom of the chassis which sits very close to the table surface.

The chassis has to be just a little bit larger to accommodate the ATX supply but with this you also get the space for 80mm case fans if needed. The system will be cooler, quieter, have more performance headroom, and more reliability. It's still smaller then a Tiki.

I will be producing the smaller (original) version but the ATX version will hit the streets first.

Does it look like THIS? That one has been around for years now.

 

[illli]

its actually a tiny bit larger since its modular. the info card looks to say 125mm (w) x 130mm (d) x 64mm (h) i don't much much else about it, theres no model number (that i can make out)... it might be a few months before it sees the light of day.

 

[Lazzer408]

Same size as the KDM supplies I was blowing up testing.

 

[Lazzer408]

Anyone have some good fan suggestions? I have tried Delta, Gelid, and Silverstone. All failed the noise test. What's the noise test? If I can hear it across the room it fails.

The Delta (DF1208BM-3) was claimed to be a ball-bearing design but after opening it was clearly a sleeve bearing. FAIL

The Gelid Silent 8 (FN-SX08-16) has a hydro dynamic bearing but has blade hum. FAIL

The Silverstone Silentmatic (SFA8025MS-12N) had very little, if any, blade hum but they have noisy bearings. FAIL

I ordered multiple samples of each brand and all samples suffered the issues above.

I guess I'll just have to start randomly ordering fans and testing them one by one. The manufactures specifications are NEVER accurate. Not only on fans, but also power supplies. It's UNREAL how full of $hit they are. No wonder nothing lasts.

Worst case scenario, I'll ship them fan-less and you guys can figure it out.

 

[Draekris]

Nooo! I'd end up not putting a fan in and frying my parts. Anyways I'd rather have blade noise than loud bearings, because then at least nothing's actively falling apart. Also the random question thinks Apple "makes" the iPhone, which they don't really, and I wasn't sure what to answer

 

[stupido]

Yesss...

Fans according to me, should be a thing of personal preference; no need to add extra cost; as a matter of compromise, you could offer fans as add-on during purchase...

but I strongly believe that most enthusiasts will opt for a fan-less case (unless they like the ones you offer as add-on)

 

[Vario]

Anyone have some good fan suggestions? I have tried Delta, Gelid, and Silverstone. All failed the noise test. What's the noise test? If I can hear it across the room it fails.

The Delta (DF1208BM-3) was claimed to be a ball-bearing design but after opening it was clearly a sleeve bearing. FAIL

The Gelid Silent 8 (FN-SX08-16) has a hydro dynamic bearing but has blade hum. FAIL

The Silverstone Silentmatic (SFA8025MS-12N) had very little, if any, blade hum but they have noisy bearings. FAIL

I ordered multiple samples of each brand and all samples suffered the issues above.

I guess I'll just have to start randomly ordering fans and testing them one by one. The manufactures specifications are NEVER accurate. Not only on fans, but also power supplies. It's UNREAL how full of $hit they are. No wonder nothing lasts.

Worst case scenario, I'll ship them fan-less and you guys can figure it out.

Try the cougar silent COUGAR CF-V12HPB Vortex Hydro-Dynamic-Bearing (Flu...

 

[Sean.Crees]

Best quiet 120mm fans are the Scythe Gentle Typhoon series. I'd say try the AP-13, and AP-12.


Check out www.silentpcreview.com for recommendations on quiet fans. They focus primarily on fan noise.

 

[Lazzer408]

The larger chassis will hold four 80mm fans, two on each side. It will ship with two. You can place them both on the right (CPU) side, or both on the left (GPU/HDD) side, or one on each side. Add two more fans later if you need them.

This way you'll have fans to get started but still have a little flexibility. That's something you typically don't have in an ITX chassis.

Don't forget I left a nice little spot in the chassis for a Zalman Fanmate style controller.

 

[Lazzer408]

Teaser pic!

Cad model of the chassis. This is the larger version supporting the ATX power supply. It's 15"(w) x 13.5"(d) x 4"(h). An HD7970 will fit in it. o.0

The top and side panels were done in carbon fiber and everything else is anodized aluminum. At the rear you can see the two of the four 80mm fans. The other two 80s are in the same location on the other side. USB 3.0 and audio jacks are flush-mounted. The power and eject buttons are not in place and pardon my hella-vents.

There were a few errors here and there and it was getting hard to explain changes to the guy who was drawing it. So, I taught myself CAD (in two days) and this was the result of a few days drawing. Things are MUCH easier now that I can do it. Some of the modifications I've done lately are size reduction, weight savings, wire management, ease of assembly, mod-ability, safety (sharp corners etc.), and cost savings.

To anyone interested... As nice as some grabcad.com parts look, they are NOT drawn correctly. I grabbed 10 different video cards off that site to verify fitment and they were all wrong. Some too big, some too small. It wasn't an importing or scale problem. Good thing I caught it before I was sitting on 500 junk chassis. The grabcad motherboards were also wrong. The photo-realistic drawings are very nice looking but not suitable for engineering use. I had to draw everything from scratch.

I spent a lot of time through email and on the phone with Zippy (power supplies) and we couldn't come to an agreement on pricing. The cost would be ~$50 higher then a similarly spec'd FSP/Sparkle or even a Delta unit. Considering the small volume, Zippy's cable modification price was fair. Then it dawned on me... The chassis is much larger (in every direction) to accommodate the ATX supply and wiring modification is likely not even needed.

Bottom line? Price? Somewhere around $299.99 with a pair of silent fans and a good power supply. I think I was over-reacting about the noise levels of some of these fans because the more fans I test the more I realize how much quieter the Silentmatic is. A pair of them move a fairly significant amount of air and are pretty quiet doing it. Regardless, you can replace them with any 80x25mm fans and fit a Fanmate in the chassis.

 

[Gurudaz]

* Where is a website we can order the chassis from?

Will it fit a full size GTX TITAN card?

I sure hope so, then I will go ahead and start my gaming build ASAP!!

Do you have an actual production model? If so can you post pics?

How long until the production model is available to buy?

 

[Lazzer408]

The GTX Titan is only 10.5" long, Chassis supports 12" cards. You have room to spare.

I'm hustling to get production moving. I had to revise a bracket I didn't like. The bottom edge of the bracket posed a risk to the backside of the GPU. I redesigned the whole bracket and now all the drives mount as a single removable assembly. This made it easier to remove the GPU with less risk to the card. It also eliminated a thumbscrew.

I also revised the power supply bracket and made it removable so the power supply can be flipped over. It probably wasn't nessessary but the cost was the same either way so I did it. Someone, somewhere will want to flip it over for some reason.

Speaking of power supplies. They showed up yesterday. I'm pretty impressed how cool and quiet they are. I tested them on a trusty old 4870x2. Why such an old car? Because it's a watt-sucking vampire drawing 370w.