Description

BUILD DATE:

  • September 2018

DESCRIPTION:

  • Ghost S1 inspired hand built Walnut Case in an ITX form factor.

  • After holding onto my old 2010 PC for 8 years, I was pining away for a new ITX PC build but I did not want just any ITX case. I wanted one I made for myself. I started by modeling the enclosure in a 3D modeling software and prepared drafted plans for each of the pieces and ordering the materials for the build up.

DIMENSIONS:

  • 7" wide x 10" tall x 14" long.

CONCEPT:

  • Cooling: two 120mm pull air from the bottom and push the air up through the gap at the top of the case- think chimney effect. The temperatures are not great but are manageable. There just needs be more space between the GPU and the glass side panel.

  • Useability: When you undo the 2 thumb screws on the back panel, the center wood panel slides out and the user has full access to the internals. (see one of the last pictures where the PC is removed from its shell)

MY COST:

  • $210 on the 2 glass panels alone because of the tempering process, chamfers, the tint, and drilling of 8 holes.
  • $75 on the Walnut material.
  • $50 on the riser cable.
  • $50 on the 10 Satin Nickle thumb screws/standoffs.
  • $25 on the power switch.
  • $15 on the PSU extension cable.
  • Other costs included tools, mobo standoffs, rubber feet, stains, sandpaper, wooden pegs, screws

MY USE:

  • Gaming @ 4k with highest possible settings.
  • Photo/Video Editing.

PHOTOS:

  • For comparisons, I photographed the case next to a PS4 controller for scale and its predecessor- my Phanteks Evolv Tempered glass edition in silver. The Phanteks Evolv houses my old 2010 PC build.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

  • Im thinking of building a version 2. To better hide the cables and allow for better cooling- which unfortunately will make the case bigger. Overall I’m really happy that I made my own case but there are a few imperfections that I want to improve on, for example the back panel.

I hope you like Walnut Wall-E.

Thank you for looking, upvoting, and commenting!!

Comments

  • 8 months ago
  • 13 points

This is seriously a work off art. I could see this as a proof of concept for an actual marketed product. Well done +1

  • 8 months ago
  • 10 points

Thanks, part of me does want to find a way to bring the cost down and mass produce these. Im considering making a version 2 and I will see how I feel about it afterwards. I've always wanted to make my own products... maybe one day.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

InWin has played around with wooden pieces on cases before. These are always low production volume items at an extreme cost.

I don't know why they have such trouble producing something like this in volume, but it has often been said that it will "never" happen.

Hey, if you are the guy that figures it out, could be a gold mine!

Beautiful case and build BTW. You might consider keeping the same case, and using some sort of stand-off to get the window away from the GPU. Make it look like it is on purpose like several Thermaltake cases with similar gaps.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Interesting thoughts gogo89. I did love that InWin plywood+glass case from computer 2017. that curved plywood was just soo sexy. :D

After working with wood for this case, I can kind of see why it doesn't happen. there's a lot of labor in cutting, staining and sanding/finishing the wood... and not to mention the bending that InWin showed off... theres just a lot of handwork involved.

I imagine with the steel panels, you can just run them through the CNC machines that they use for all of their cases.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Laser cutter strong enough for wooden sheeting would be my suggestion for version 2.0. Or maybe some custom wood burning work?

  • 7 months ago
  • 3 points

No way with that thickness hardwood, could engrave but cutting that thickness with a laser would cost hundreds of thousands, CNC router would be more suitable

(sorry if unwanted, Design student on holiday needing to get his fix :P )

  • 7 months ago
  • 3 points

I've seen plenty of laser cut wood panels....but yeah CNC milling would work if you wanted to keep the panels at that thicknesses. For mass production though you'd want to minimize materials used, so a thinner laser cut panel with the ability to stack to reinforce areas under stress and the ability to apply any veneer your customer wants seems logical to me.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

It's kinda like having the choice between the cheap but still sexy Ikea limmon tabletop or having a heavy, solid, but expensive walnut top.

Continue this thread
  • 8 months ago
  • 5 points

Holy crap, this us awesome! Do a Kickstarter and put this beauty into production, man!

  • 8 months ago
  • 4 points

Wow this is beautiful. Love the pictures next to the Enthoo Evolv

  • 7 months ago
  • 3 points

Great custom chassis. You should consider selling them. +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

I've love to, buut I dont know how many people would actually buy them... but posting it on here and reading the comments is definitely giving me some encouragement about selling them.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I'd be wary of that. Considering how much you spent on materials alone, i dont think many people would be willing to spend $400+ on a itx case, at least I dont think it would be in your best interest financially haha.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Here in Australia it'll cost me $400-$500 to buy a Ghost S1 regardless. If this is anything similar, or even slightly more expensive (think $600 maybe?) it'll be incredibly worth it. This case is way more aesthetically pleasing than the Ghost.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Do a small batch or make to order : ) or even a kickstarter. I. Planning the same with my wood desk PC design.

  • 7 months ago
  • 3 points

If this case doesn't have a Indiegogo campaign i will flip tables ┻━┻︵ (°□°)/ ︵ ┻━┻

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

does it get hot under load or no?

  • 8 months ago
  • 3 points

It gets pretty toasty. I updated the post to show the GPU/CPU temps i get under load.

OVERWATCH @ 4K/EPIC Settings: GPU gets to about 85 degrees. CPU gets to about 62 degrees.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

have you tried increasing the gap at the bottom of the case for better intake? it looks pretty thin to me... maybe you should try putting bigger feet? really nice case though!

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

I agree. Right now there is 7.5mm (0.3") high rubber feet and yes, it is rather thin. On the next revision, I would consider getting closer to half an inch of clearance at the bottom. thank you for noticing.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Wow, gorgeous pictures and great work on the case.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Wow! Very nice result, great work

as for temp-not-so-good that you mentioned: I think your psu exhaust is fighting off with the case fan intake at the bottom, am I wrong? The air is not flowing, so take that into consideration on your next version.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

You're right. The exhaust side of the PSU does face downwards towards my two 120mm fans. I was more concerned about which way the cables were coming out of the PSU. I will consider rotating the PSU exhaust up and out on the next one, thank you.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

If this isn't deserving of a feature I don't know what is. This is amazing my guy; the craftsmanship and looks are mmm so good.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Cute build. Thumbs up from me.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Nice build. The case looks amazing. Are your temps high on both CPU and GPU ? You could consider a delid on your 8700K. The delidding process on a 8700K/8600K is quite simple. I recently did it on my 8600K and i dropped 15C in idle temps. How much clearence are there between the GPU and the glass panel ? High GPU temps can be caused by restricted airflow to the GPU fans.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Ceraphim, there is 1/2 inch between the glass and the GPU.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

As a Ryzen nerd, I forgot that delidding was a thing. If OP isn't worried about the (rather low) failure rates, OP should definitely consider.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Handsome!

  • 8 months ago
  • 3 points

you have 55 builds, lol

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Ha, yeah, I basically use PC Part Picker as my online backup storage for all my build albums :D

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

:)

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

nice build, have you try invert mode, turn the fan into exhaust.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Beautiful build. I love the quality and great attention to details. I have been playing around with ideas like this myself but have been doing it all by hand measurements. Can I ask what 3D modeling software you used and would you recommend it to someone who is looking to do something similar? +1 Great build.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

I used Revit by Autodesk. Its more for architectural modeling but I'm comfortable with that program soo I did it there. Even though I did draft up the drawings for this build, most of this was hand measuring and figuring it out standing next to the saw. hahaa, Ideally I would find access to a laser cutter and just print my measurements from my model.

what sort of things have you been making or thinking about making?

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

How do I respond without coming across like a shill? I try hard to not shamelessly plug my business but have to mention it to answer this question. I love building PC's and have been doing so for about 15-20 years for myself and others. I started my own business in 2016 to offer custom built PC's but quickly ran out of funding since it was all on my own. The website is outdated as I still have Skylake and Haswell-E/Broadwell-E builds listed and haven't had time to add any Ryzen builds yet due to funding and time constraints. I plan on focusing my attention to updating the website this year and hopefully more over the next few months. One of the things I wanted to offer from the start but haven't had the time or resources for yet is custom PC cases. I have worked with some nicer hardwood plywood's for the exterior since they are strong and have a nice finish once stained. Most were in the mITX format as I was trying to build things a little bigger than consoles that would fit into a home theater system without looking like a normal PC. I have done some modding of old stereo speakers where I gut the speaker and I build the PC inside the speaker shell so the PC looks like a regular shelf speaker from the front and sides. I haven't perfected anything enough to list them on the site yet but would love to get that updated at some point this year also. I love the speaker idea but for that to be produced in quantity, I would have to build them from scratch as I wouldn't buy new speakers to gut and build into a PC case. This is where the 3D modeling software would be helpful so I could work on some concepts and then have a template to build them all to the same specs. I try not to mention my business often since the site is so far outdated and also I try not to come across like I am only commenting on builds to advertise as I love this community and want to support everyone out there trying to build their own PC's. I will have to look into Autodesk and see if that is something that would work for my application. Thanks for the info and again, great build!

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

I googled your username and found your business, interesting. Youve been doing it since 2016, how is your business doing? are you doing it full time or is this a side hustle for you?

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Thanks for checking it out. It's slow. Since I funded everything myself I was limited on funding. I was able to get the business and site up and running but then ran out of funding so that is why the site is outdated and missing some key things like Ryzen/Threadripper builds and the Intel builds are still Skylake and X99. I have been doing this on the side so my full time job can support the business until it takes off, hopefully sooner than later, but put about 40-60 hours a week into it. I have been getting steady business but not enough to quit the other job yet. :( My goal is to get the site updated to the newest Intel platform, add Ryzen and Threadripper builds and update some other things over the next few months. While the site is outdated I am doing builds with the current gen components since my goal was to do completely custom PC's where you can choose everything that goes into it unlike most PC builders. I know a lot of the other boutique builders offer the same but outside of boutique builders you cannot get that level of customization. I also don't use any parts that I wouldn't use in my own systems so no generic PSU's that could die and kill other parts with it. I also had some build videos on YouTube but when I deleted my Gmail account for the business email to go back to my web host, they deleted my YouTube channel also. That sucked as I had quite a few videos and a lot of views and likes that I cannot get back even when I eventually repost the videos. If you have any suggestions please feel free to shoot me an email. I love all feedback.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Can you make me one of those cases? Look so cool :)

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

I can....... but it won't be cheap. hahaa.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

How much?

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

The build, where Noctua makes sense. Absolutely gorgeous. Amazing job!

  • 8 months ago
  • 1 point

LOLOL yaa the color scheme would have worked out great for this build. I did buy a Noctua L12S but i was having some issue mounting it because of the RAM? I forget why exactly but i couldn't mount it.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Holy crap! You're right...I didn't even think about it till you said it...lol.

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

Love the build. Cleanest it’s build I’ve seen.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Beautiful design - truly outstanding work. Have you considered the option of using a tempered-glass panel from another case and designing around that? It seems that the dimensions (and the shape) of your build are fairly standard (as in: not hexagonal or so), and using an existing panel would drastically lower your cost.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Hi Walibo1, I have not considered that idea... But people are telling me I should have considered that since my tempered glass was soo expensive. It is a good idea and the outcome would have been totally different. Maybe I need to source glass panels from somewhere cheaper too. thank you for your suggestion.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Amazing build! What I like about it is its minimalist aesthetic. It can be oriented horizontally or vertically. Looks like it goes well with any furniture :)

Very clever on how you placed the start button at the rear panel so it's out of sight, +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Thanks Fyremoon 65, I actually never thought too much about the case being placed horizontally except for taking these photos. I did feel like a piece of furniture when I was making it. With my table, I feel like it may actually look like it goes "too well" with my furniture. haha.

I didnt want to ruin the clean walnut box look from the front.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Awesome. Definitely one of the better wooden cases I've seen.

The only thing I believe needs to be considered is some type of active exhaust. Even a single 120mm x 15mm fan up top would make a world of difference for your load temps. If there isn't enough clearance for air to flow out, perhaps route a minimalist pattern on the top panel to help the air flow.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

This is hands down the best build I have ever seen on this site. +1.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Amazing! This is a work of art!

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

How did you fasten everything together? I'm looking to make a similar mini setup for entertainment purposes.

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

the interior wood pieces (motherboard tray, fan bracket, and PSU hangers) are screwed together and function as one piece in my mind. One of the last pictures shows this center spine separate from the exterior shell.

the exterior wood panels are all wooden pegs and holes (none of them are glued, soo I can disassemble the exterior if I want to).

Then there's there thumb screws and their mounts embedded into the wood for the glass.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Great work on this build. I now see from the 3D mock-up the dowels. Where did you source your wood?

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

The wood was sourced from a local hardwood store.

I went here: House of Hardwood in Santa Monica https://www.houseofhardwood.com/

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

MAN, THAT is NICE!

Elegant, yet very modest at the same time. Something that is not easy to pull off........especially in custom PC builds.

+1 Vote: Confirmed.

+10 Vote: Sadly, I cannot do more than 1, +1!

:)

  • 7 months ago
  • 3 points

Thanks, thats what I was going after.

... and you still owe me 9 more upvotes, just an FYI. :D

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

You took the step and did it and it looks really nice and I'll bet you are very proud of it. Thank you for sharing your labor of love!

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

LOVE

  • 8 months ago
  • 1 point

what fans are those?

  • 8 months ago
  • 2 points

the 120mm fans are from my old DEEPCOOL captain 240EX White AIO that leaked.

  • 8 months ago
  • 1 point

Looks great! Good job! How are the thermals?

  • 8 months ago
  • 1 point

This is actually one of the best builds I've seen. The tempered glass on the top is what makes it so nice.

How much did it cost to make it all?

(edit: nevermind, i read desc.)

  • 8 months ago
  • 1 point

holyyy SHOOES!!! OMG this is dope! amazing

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.

+1. Very cool!

Thank you for turning me onto the Ghost S1. I have fallen in love with these minimal cases, and since I am planning a new ITX build I may end up going with one of these cases. Definitely leaning for the Ghost now over the Ncase. Originally planned for a Fractal Define Nano S because I have an ATX Define S and love it, but these cases are so simple, how can you not love them?

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

My dad likes wood cases, I'll show him this. +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I hope you like Walnut Wall-E

YEESSSS we do.... Well deserved feature! Congrats! +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 2 points

Ohh thanks, I did not realize i got featured until you said it and realized that I received a lot more traffic today. haha.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

:)

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I don't have the time, handiness, or money to pull something like this off.

nice job bro

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Well deserved feature

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Love the custom woodwork and the overall design. +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

The look with the GPU like that. It's beautiful.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I love this. Excellent job on everything. I think it's time I start learning 3D modeling..

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

i want it

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

An absolutely amazing idea. Congratulations on the feature!!

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

"What do you mean this is not a coffee table?"

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

LOL well it is a coffee lake build and part table... haha

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Gorgeous art man! Congrats on feature! +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Love your build and username +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Just beautiful. This is art.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Nice!

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

This is awesome! I'm very impressed. To me you have managed to blend high-tech with stylish decor. Well done!

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Looks really good! My only nitpick is that the bottom cutouts for the fans look too big. Should have gone with a hole saw thats the right diameter for the fans so it would look sleeker.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

LOL I have those same feelings too about the bottom cutouts being over-sized but I could not find the correct diameter hole drill kit for it haha. I guess I should have under-sized if anything... those bottom cutouts, being soo big, were extremely difficult to drill!!

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Considering how much wood costs these days you can call it 2.5k pc. :D Jk, but nicely done. It's quite a pleasant and unique pc to see.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

what cable did you use to extend the PSU to the back?

  • 7 months ago
  • 3 points

I bought a power extension cable from the NCASE M1 from SFFlab.com. I guess that case routes the PSU to the back also.

I think this was the last part I needed when I built my case and was waiting on it for 1 week, haha.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Found it! Thanks so much

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Looks like the size of an EGPU enclosure

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Intel, Nvidia, PlayStation... You're lucky that this this build looks absolutely amazing. Great work! +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Idk what to say except I would buy one

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Beautiful! Amazing job! :)

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I could give zero F**K's about the build, your username is worth a feature alone. My only negative point about the build is the absolute lack of dust filtration.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Very nice work, great build.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

This is so epic! The fact that wood isn't a great insulator probably attributes to the warmer temperatures :(

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Do you take offers to commission one of these?

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I'm open to it. I have a friend who is interested in commissioning one and that will be my version 2 build.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I would love to buy this case also see if we can get a custom water cooled in one

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

beautiful craftsmanship UwU

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Looks great, but you need to sharpen your table saw blade.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Ughh, this is gorgeous. One day I'll build one like this. What a beauty!

+1 absolutely!

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Case dimensions?

  • 7 months ago
  • 3 points

ooo i should add that to the description. But it's 7" wide, 10" tall, and 14" long.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

This is great. I've seen a lot of wood DIY cases and this is probably one of the cleanest with actually good craftsmanship and finish. And you've got some great photos as well. Well done.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Absolutly remarkable! I actually hope you can maintain the size some how. I can't wait to see v2.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

FIrst thought - Oh thats creative and pretty.

Thought after seeing a 1080 ti in it - ME WANT

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

I really like the aesthetics of the case. You should submit this idea to IKEA or start and IKEA modular case design haha.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Dude! You missed a perfect opportunity to use some Noctua fans lol. Nonetheless, the build looks spectacular. Amazing work!

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

now that is a hell of a custom build, congrats man great build. but just what are the temps on the 8700k!!! with that cryorig cooler?

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Stunning design. Seriously inspired work. Well done.

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Best Build I've seen on this site... Great job +1

  • 7 months ago
  • 1 point

Well done looks great ..people obviously like the zen aesthetic..

  • 6 months ago
  • 1 point

I think you just inspired to build my own itx case! I like the DAN A4 and the ghost but I want a little more cooling capabilities and doing something similar might be the best option!

  • 6 months ago
  • 1 point

This is something I want because it seems super portable! Great work, love the custom case and glass side windows!

  • 2 months ago
  • 1 point

This is AMAZING! Think you will ever release detailed build instructions? My father-in-law (a wood worker) and I have been talking about building a wood case for years but have never settled on anything but this is so good. Really looking forward to your version 2. PS, walnut is my favorite wood.

  • 21 days ago
  • 1 point

very nice. +1

[comment deleted]
[comment deleted by staff]
[comment deleted by staff]