OVERVIEW
Small volume without treating the case as a plain box
This is a custom ITX PC case designed around two goals that are usually in tension: minimize volume while keeping a deliberate physical presence. The result is a compact sandwich-layout machine with a retro-futurist, instrument-panel character rather than a generic small-form-factor enclosure.
The CAD design is complete, and the primary internal structure and exterior shell have been built. The front-panel assembly remains unfinished; it will carry the display, warm lighting, potentiometers, and embedded monitoring interface.
DESIGN
Packaging, airflow, and visual language
The CAD is complete. The internal arrangement uses the available volume deliberately, while retaining support for a range of GPU and CPU-cooler sizes through multiple back-panel versions. That makes the enclosure adaptable without abandoning the compact core layout.
The angled panels give the exterior its character, but they are not merely cosmetic. Angled volume can be difficult to use efficiently, so those regions become intake and exhaust paths for fans, improving cooling performance instead of becoming dead space.
Open corner cuts and the corresponding shell features will be filled with frosted acrylic. Warm-white LED strips behind those panels will turn the openings into controlled light surfaces rather than exposed gaps. The front face is reserved for the external electronics: the display, LEDs, and potentiometers.
- Compact ITX sandwich layout using the available internal volume.
- Multiple rear-panel versions for different GPU and CPU-cooler envelopes.
- Angled regions used as intake and exhaust fan paths.
- Frosted acrylic corner inserts with warm-white backlighting.
- Front-panel volume reserved for display and physical controls.
MANUFACTURING
From fit-checking to a durable internal structure
Before committing to the final structure, I made several plain prototypes for fit checks and packaging experiments. Those iterations established the placement and clearances needed for the components before the more complete interior was built.
The current interior is a full ABS structure and has held up well through regular use and handling. The external shell has now also been manufactured, including the extended legs and other exterior features as part of the shell rather than as temporary add-ons.
FUTURE WORK
Front-panel electronics
The next stage is the front-panel assembly and its electronics. I am developing the LVGL interface and the associated display, warm-white LED lighting, and potentiometer controls. The front panel has been deliberately reserved for this system, so the electronics can become part of the case rather than an afterthought attached to it.