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The Decomatic Model 12b

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:12 pm
by slipperyskip
Here is my latest project. I call it the Decomatic. It has an interesting cooling system (I think) that readers of these forums might like to read about.

First...A glamour shot.

Image

Click http://slipperyskip.com//dmlarge/028.jpg for larger image

More to come.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:28 pm
by Kato
Beauty full, absolutely gorgeous, i love the Art Deco style. :shock:

Did you make it your self ?

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:32 pm
by slipperyskip
Image
Image

Here are a few shots of the bottom of the case. The larger vent is the exhaust and the smaller...intake. The diagonal divider seals the two vents from each other when sitting upright.

The surface of the desk becomes an integral part of the system by completing the external duct system.

Larger:
http://slipperyskip.com//dmlarge/024.jpg
http://slipperyskip.com//dmlarge/025.jpg

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:39 pm
by slipperyskip
Kato wrote:Beauty full, absolutely gorgeous, i love the Art Deco style. :shock:

Did you make it your self ?
Thank you. I've been known to build a thing or two. :wink:

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:50 pm
by xzorby
How did you manage to power all that with just 110W?!

The design is great, but how are the temperatures? What about performance?

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:56 pm
by slipperyskip
Here we go inside:

Image
Image

Larger:

http://slipperyskip.com//dmlarge/011.jpg
http://slipperyskip.com//dmlarge/012.jpg

The divider with the fan installed on it both divides and seals the case interior when the lid is installed.

The Sanyo Denki San Ace 80 fan pulls cool outside air up through the intake plenum and pushes hot air back down through the exhaust vent.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:21 pm
by mr. poopyhead
wow... that is absolutely stunning. i am truly speechless... took me five minutes to type this post and this is all i wrote, hahaha...

GREAT work.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:22 pm
by slipperyskip
xzorby wrote:How did you manage to power all that with just 110W?!
Easy. I used a Merom-core C2D and I ignore what all the "experts" will tell you about PSU requirements.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:36 pm
by slipperyskip
Here is a picture of the video card I'm using. It is a Gigabyte GV-NX76G256HI-RH. It is a fanless nVIDIA 7600GS 16x PCIe video card with HDMI and HDCP. This is a pre-production sample.


Image

Larger:
http://slipperyskip.com/dmlarge/017.jpg

Notice the cooling fins sticking out from the "back" of the card.

This next photo is my "bird's eye view" of the flow of cooling air.

Image

Larger:
http://slipperyskip.com/dmlarge/020.jpg

The air flows across the heatsink, jogs left after catching some of the Northbridge cooler and then catches most of the video card fins.

Holy crap, Batman!

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:44 pm
by derekva
That is an extremely nice case...

Any shots with the drives mounted? Also, what capture card are you using?

-Derek

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:10 pm
by jaganath
Another work of art from Slipperyskip, fabricator extraordinaire. :wink: In my perfect design the wood would have been stained a little darker, but then you lose the contrast with the 4 corner supports. The underside ducting arrangment is ingenious. What are the noise levels like?

This is such a difference from the case I have at the moment; it is an "ugly sister" compared to the Decomatic's "Cinderella". The Decomatic is a case you would want to show off, rather than the usual monstrosities which you have to hide away under desks and such.

Re: Holy crap, Batman!

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:12 pm
by slipperyskip
derekva wrote:That is an extremely nice case...

Any shots with the drives mounted? Also, what capture card are you using?

-Derek
Thanks! I'm using an AverMedia TV tuner card.

How's this?

Image

http://slipperyskip.com/dmlarge/022.jpg

If you like my work.......go here and vote for the Decomatic. Intel is giving away $100 every week to some lucky voter.

http://intelchallenge.com/

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:18 pm
by psiu
I have been spotting your handiwork for at least 3? 4? years over at mini-itx.com and saw some of the other designs at your website last time you posted something amazing here.

Vote is in for you, by the way :)

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:26 pm
by slipperyskip
jaganath wrote:Another work of art from Slipperyskip, fabricator extraordinaire. :wink: In my perfect design the wood would have been stained a little darker, but then you lose the contrast with the 4 corner supports. The underside ducting arrangment is ingenious. What are the noise levels like?
Thanks.

The wood is natural. I don't like to stain. That is raw white oak and red mahogany with a gloss lacquer finish.

The noise is mostly from the Samsung Spinpoint. The fanless video card can get very hot with the extemely slow fan speeds I'm using. It accidently saw 115 degrees C during testing but didn't seem to care. I even overclocked it and played Doom 3. 3DMark05 scores in the 3500 range. Not too bad for an HTPC.

The two silent PC principles I used in this design are 1) Use a single fan and 2) Don't mount the fan to the skin of the case.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:15 pm
by McBanjo
How have I missed you? Really nice work
I'll walk the dog then brows your site :wink:

No 2.5" drive?

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:18 pm
by derekva
Seems like you could eke a bit more in the reduced power / reduced thermal load department by moving to a 2.5" SATA drive.

So, are you gonna sell a kit? :D

-Derek

p.s. Vote +1

Actually...

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:30 pm
by derekva
Is the chassis based on a Silverstone LC2? There seems to be more than a passing similarity...

-Derek

Re: No 2.5" drive?

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:36 pm
by slipperyskip
derekva wrote:Seems like you could eke a bit more in the reduced power / reduced thermal load department by moving to a 2.5" SATA drive.
Yes but that would be solving a problem I don't have. The power supply works great and the system runs cool and quiet.

I tried to break it by overclocking the video card and turning the fan speed down to "barely moving" but it just kept on chugging along.

Re: Actually...

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:39 pm
by slipperyskip
derekva wrote:Is the chassis based on a Silverstone LC2? There seems to be more than a passing similarity...

-Derek
Yes, it is the same chassis as a SilverStone LC02. SilverStone makes quite a few cases for other companies in addition to their own line.

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:41 am
by Mr. B
Amazong work, the case looks fantastic.

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:29 am
by slipperyskip
Thanks for the comments guys. I appreciate the votes!

I did my research on quiet hard drives using this site.

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:25 pm
by Cerberus
That is gorgeous.

Heading off to vote now. I wish I had a streamline moderne PC case now...

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:33 pm
by oldabelincoln
WOW!!!

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:47 am
by slipperyskip
Thanks again for the comments and votes.

It looks like Intel is posting the vote count. Kinda cheesy if you ask me.

You guys don't really want Acer to win do you?

http://www.intelchallenge.com

Acer has 5,700 employees who will be getting a memo with their next paycheck. To be honest...it's what I'd do. :)

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:07 pm
by spookmineer
+2

It really stands out from the rest of them. The control is very nice, much better then all the lights on the other submissions.

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:45 am
by slipperyskip
spookmineer wrote:+2

It really stands out from the rest of them. The control is very nice, much better then all the lights on the other submissions.
Thanks!

I don't really understand the concept of fancy buttons and flashy lights on a home theater PC. It's all about the remote control isn't it?

Fact is, the only button to get any constant use is the DVD eject button. Am I wrong?

Excellent design and execution

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 3:54 pm
by chinna_n
Slipperyskip,

I really likes the design and workmanship! Ofcourse I already voted on intelchallenge.

Was wondering if you are planning to sell this as a kit.?

May be just remove SilverStone LC02 create your own customized metal case??

Chinna

Re: Excellent design and execution

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 4:19 pm
by slipperyskip
chinna_n wrote:May be just remove SilverStone LC02 create your own customized metal case??

Chinna
Thanks for that. Building my own chassis would cause the costs to go through the roof. There is nothing wrong with using a fine company like SilverStone to produce the chassis. They do it for many other companies.

In fact....just between you and me....the mCubed HFX case is actually made by SilverStone. Shhhh.

We'll see what the future holds for the Decomatic after the contest ends.

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 1:21 pm
by ronrem
Very Very sweet,I'd sketched up a similar layout desktop,even with the intake-exhaust chambers on each end-but never thought of that clever diagonal divider to make the floor vents work. I had to look at the pics a few times to figure the Vid card and DVD mounts.....looks workable.

The visual charm is excellent. I've built speakers,built an oak computer/av unit that is 7' tall,holds computer,2 mon,printer,scanner,Stereo Amp,Cassette deck,VHS deck and monitor speakers. All the wood was scavanged from construction + demolition jobs I worked on. Since s,while it was all Oak,some was new stuff,some older and previously finished,I went with a Red Oak stain and good old Man O War spar gloss.

Eventually,will have a Semi-Wood (tower) case to match....have room for a rather oversize unit-or 2 seperate stacked units. Seeing this is a real inspiration

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:53 pm
by McBanjo
Did you create the buttons on the front?