Indeed, this is a nice, compact design with good airflow. The vented siding is also ideal for allowing the GPU to take fresh air from outside, which is the best possible configuration.
Their suggested 1x CPU AIO watercooler layout is less impressive however. The CPU heatsink area should offer enough space to build some kind of mediocre custom loop. From there, I would use quick change connectors to extend the loop through an external radiator and boost pump, bolted on the side when possible. That will become a necessity with next generation hardware like the i9-10900K .
This is a kickstarter I wish had found as like the design overall. Could use some modding for some things. Custom loop i imagine rear with added threads to side panel to screw into.
Looks pretty neat, i was on a bit of SFF case bend for a while during the Pentium 4 and AMD XP era with three different Shuttle XPCs and since then i still always look with longing eyes at compact cases.
They dont make a lot of sense for me now since im not regularly going to LAN parties anymore and the ability to fit quieter (without costing a lot) cooling solutions has become more of a priority.
Back in the day id always bring two SFF computers to LANs so id have one for filesharing or running dedicated servers and another to game on.
Still have one of the SFF comps stashed away with a working windows xp installation on it for when i need to use some older software and it has come in handy a couple of times.
It seems rather clear the case was optimized for physical strength without any of the bulk that would be created by hardware like aluminum extrusions. If it was indeed machined out of a single piece of extruded aluminum, that may have been a very expensive choice.
Neither am I. There is plenty of space under my desk, so I have a full-size tower. Even so, Iβve had to remove 1 (of 3) drive cages to make room for high-end video cards. My MSI 3-fan ocβed 2080 has 3 fans and a support bracket, which takes up a total of 4 slots. I could never be satisfied with the limitations inherent in a mini case.
ITX builds are more about power in a small form factor. The Dan A4 and this case tbh are very nicely designed for being able to work with.
Silverstone Raven Rz01 is a nice case but is a challenge to build in or swap components.
Server type cases are awesome for stationary PCs with expandability and extreme cooling in mind. Amd Threadrippers for example requires a good large case and we will never likely see builds in smaller form factors than an ATX/E-ATX cases.
I used to be disinclined towards smaller cases myself. Limited room for upgrades/expansion I thought.
Then I found out how much better top-end hardware resells on eBay, and a string of failures using lesser hardware for VR left me no choice.
With the entire machine becoming a one-off, there is no reason not to pack it into the smallest possible case. Less hassle to resell, less hassle to carry to a garage or barn for large roomscale stuff. Might as well.
I never game anywhere but my home office, so I have no need of a second gaming PC. I do have a company-provided laptop, but it doesnβt look like Iβll be traveling anytime soon.