Project: custom integrated system/desk build

[Prostheta]

Hi everyone - this is my first post here so I'll try not to barge in like a complete goon. I'm a guitar builder and wood artisan by trade, however I am familiar with computers on what I would call a "pro-thusiast" level. I'm also a bit of a maker with Aspergers so fun things tend to happen when I get focused on something. Good times.

This thread will document the planning and build process of a work desk into which I will integrate a complete new build system. The spec of the computer itself will be fairly basic as the needs are purely for my work however there are upgrade paths I am taking into consideration so as not to allow the design to "lock myself in". Since they will both be integrated there is plenty of opportunity for adding cool stuff into this project

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Current spec is relatively middle-of-the-road. The system will be based around an LGA1150 board such as the Mini-ITX Asus H87I PLUS, an i5-4570 or i5-4570S, 2x4Gb DDR3 sticks, a 120Gb 840 EVO SSD with a 2Gb physical drive for data. A slim optical drive and card reader round this out to make a simple but usable system.

The project lifetime is about six months so spec might well change based on prevailing prices and availability. Can't see motherboard or other component's form factors radically altering in that time so I guess the component specifics are somewhat academic ;-)

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The desk itself is a derivation of classic Greene & Greene's styles and motifs, so is primarily wood. The current basic design as it stands:

Stylistically, this is how the finish product will look:

The large green things represent my studio monitor speakers. I've also placed my 22" LED monitor in position so I can get a better "human scale" of the project. Below the desk surface I intend to fit a shallow storage drawer with potential for compartments left and right. The computer itself will fit into an area approximately 400mm x 445mm x 100mm (WxLxD) although there is 130mm available further towards the right-hand side.

 

[Prostheta]

The system itself will be completely new apart from the 2,5Tb physical drive and Antec Kühler 620 from the box I am currently typing on. I believe that the cooler will fit LGA1150 anyway.

The limited building depth may be an issue for adding a PCIE card so the mobo will occupy a position to the centre-rear of the building space. This also allows me to align the backplane with the rear of the desk. Currently I am planning 2,5"/3,5" caddies for the front of the space however I am leaning towards fitting them along the left-hand side in the 100mm depth section along with the power supply in the rear.

There's a question here!
The CPU cooler has one heatsink which is currently fitted with 2x 140mm fans in a push-pull configuration. In the interests of silence I perceive two options. One would be to ditch the default air rattlers with a pair of Noctua NF-F12s or similar. The other option would be to fabricate an air expansion chamber from 140mm square through to a larger one - such as a 230mm fan - depending on the space I can eak out.

The question is - which would provide the best cooling and air throughput in terms of noise? [strike]From what I can make out, larger fans in the order of 200-230mm don't seem to be angled towards noise efficiency in the same way the more compact fans are. That said, a larger fan running at lower RPM can shift more air than the pair of 140mm fans running on the sink at the moment. Whilst specs on paper (CFPM, dB, etc.) are one thing, has anybody got experience in focusing a larger fan's airflow through expansion (well, compression?) chambers to increase flow?[/strike]

Scratch that. A 230mm fan would require too much finagling, placing the inlet to the outlet at angles to each other. Not as efficient as a straight-through expansion chamber. Simplify.

Would two 140mm fans placed side-by-side as a 280mm x 140mm exhaust provide better cooling of a sink?

 

[Tenvis]

Your choice of words are hurting my brain sir, My nose is bleeding. Anyways, What is it that you want to ask?

 

[Prostheta]

The objective of the thread was to document this project from conception through to the finish, but involving the Tom's Hardware community in various design aspects, etc. Is this the correct forum for it?

That wan't the question though. haha

 

[Prostheta]

One of the "hidden extras" I have on the cards is to incorporate an array of LEDs into one of the breadboard splines. The "breadboards" are the caps at either end of the desk surface, with the splines being the small black strips on the front edge.

From a woodworking perspective, these splines are both decorative and also hide one of the constructional aspects of breadboarded ends. I won't go into massive detail here since this is probably not the forum for it! I will of course show this better when the design is committed and the build is on the move.

Usually these splines are made from Ebony; an extremely hard wood which polishes up to a high shine. To make an LED array, the spline will be drilled from the rear with LEDs fitted and encased in epoxy tinted with a little black dye. Applying a light coat across the entire spline should disguise the presence of the LEDs when not in use.

Funny as it sounds, I want this desk to be a "sleeper". Thing is, it's pretty obvious that there is a computer in there because of the speakers and the monitor. I however considered making a riser for the monitor with a counterweighted mechanism to drop it below the desk surface... ;-)

 

[Tenvis]

The objective of the thread was to document this project from conception through to the finish, but involving the Tom's Hardware community in various design aspects, etc. Is this the correct forum for it?

That wan't the question though. haha

You , sir, pick the most exquisite words for your sentences. It makes my nose bleed, somehow. Anyways, I really don't get the idea. You are PC Modding right?

 

[Nefos]

I think I get you, and previous days i had the same idea, but for metal/glass table
basically what I wanted is separating the table into 2 boxes= 1 with motherboard and other components, the other one is purely for water radiators, so it can be fitted, viewed and looked as well

When I am off to work, ill read your thread more carefully and I try to make some drawings as well to help you

 

[Prostheta]

Thanks Nefos. I pretty much have the design down really. The important parts are just mounting components logically and maintaining good airflow given that the area is both enclosed and insulated. The cooler is an all-in-one type so I am restricted with how far I can dump the radiator from the mobo. I might be able to separate the radiator and direct air in from a cooler area via some kind of duct. I'm currently debating in my head whether I should incorporate any more of my 19" rack gear into this desk. Things like my 1U 120W amp for the monitor speakers, 1U power conditioner, etc.

From my measurements, I should have sufficient space in the left-hand compartment for this 2U of gear. It does require narrowing the central drawer slightly. The vision I have in my head is that the front face of the desk be clean and free of dials, lights, spinning whizzing stuff and buttons.

On that basis I may actually divide it up into three included the full-width lower arch. The central part would still be quite happy as a pull-out sliding drawer however the left and right panels can be hinged to drop down, revealing my 2U of toys on the left plus the computer stuff on the right. Additionally, I may add a small riser for the monitor with an adjustable VESA mount. I could probably drop my Line6 POD X3 Pro in there, angled downwards.

As you can tell, the design is still quite fluid at this stage. I really should spend some time with Sketchup to do more visualising! Externally I would prefer to maintain a clean unadorned appearance in line with the Greene & Greene design influence. To all intents and purposes, a simple desk.