Mini PC Box v4

Buy me a coffee https://paypal.me/StanislavTimofeev )

This is a very compact computer case that I made for my NAS on SSD 2.5 drives with a RAID controller. The model was created for laser cutting from sheet material (I used acrylic of different colors, white 9016, black RAL 9005 and ultramarine RAL 5002). The model was created in Fusion 360.

3D model Fusion 360

part1 part2 part3

** Laser cutting files **

The folder contains two Corel Draw files and each part separately in dxf format. For laser cutting I used 5mm and 3mm acrylic. You can use any solid sheet plastic in these sizes. You can order laser cutting according to these drawings in your city from any company that provides these services. It is not expensive )

Computer hardware and case parts

1. Any mini-ITX motherboard will do. Check the height of the cooling system. And at least one PCI-Express x16 for the RAID controller. I used the board ASRock J4005B-ITX
2. RAID controller, I used LSI MegaRAID 9260-8i + LSI bbu08, this is a good and inexpensive controller
3. Expansion card for 16 drives (HBA Cards), Which will allow you to connect 20 disks to RAID.
4. Cables for connecting drives to the RAID controller (Mini SAS 4i SFF8087 36P To 4 SATA) 25cm or 0.5m, 5 items
5. Connection cable MegaRAID 9260-8 in HBA Cards (Mini Sas Sff 8087) 0.3m, 1 items
6. 16x Extender Riser Adapter Card for powering HBA Cards
7. TFX power supply 250-300 watts or more, depends on your motherboard, if it is powerful and you plan to load this computer, then calculate the power of the power supply based on this. I disassembled my power supply and got rid of the metal casing
8. Two good 120mm fans
9. Two buttons with 12mm indication for turning on and restarting the PC. The first button is connected to the power indication, the second to the HDD operation indication on the motherboard
10. Anti Vibration Silicone Screws PC Fan, for attaching fans to the front cover
11. Magnets for attaching the top cover. For this purpose, special holes are provided in the connectors (see 3d model). Need magnets, width 4mm, length 3mm, 8 pieces
12. M2 bolts for fastening the front cover (M2, 10mm, 10 pieces), color metal or black
13. Hot Melt Thread Knurled (M2, OD 3,2mm, 10 pieces. And M3, OD 5mm, 10 pieces.) They are fused into the plastic to secure the bolts.
14. Hex Standoff for Motherboard Board. For attaching the motherboard to the bottom of the case. (M3, Dimensions may vary depending on your motherboard, usually 6mm, 10 pieces
15. Decorative mesh for the front and back of the case. And you may also need dust protection.
16. In order not to clog the case space with a bunch of wires, it is better to make a power cable for SATA drives yourself. It's easy to do, all you need are wires 18AWG (yellow, black 2x, red, I had 10 meters to spare) and connectors (With 180 Cap).
17. You will also need glue for the plastic from which you will make the body. Choose special, good glue.