Description

This build was put together to test a custom case I have made. The LZ7 is a sub 7 litre case with excellent thermal performance for its size.

The focus of this build was firstly to be as small as possible, and secondly was to be quiet whilst gaming. Usually these 2 things don't mix well and you have to compromise somewhere. So I decided to design my own case that that didn't have to compromise on size or thermal performance.

The Gigabyte GTX 1070 is the most powerful ITX card currently available, making it the best choice to test out the case design. An Intel i5-6500 was selected for plenty of gaming performance at a low TDP. The 140mm Prolimatech Vortex intake fan supplies the Noctua NH-L9i with plenty of cool air resulting in a low temperatures and low fan rpm's.

The GPU side of the ase is designed with 360 GPU exhaust ventilation, this in combination with the positive pressure of the case fan means all the warm GPU air is exhausted directly out the case preventing re circulation and heat build up. Initial testing has shown the Gigabyte GTX 1070 exceeds its full boost (1800+ Mhz) during heavy gaming for sustained periods of time. This boost speed was maintained with the GPU fan profile set to silent, this resulted in a fan speed of around 1550rpm and a GPU temp of around 80C. At this fan speed the Gigabyte card is very quiet, it can be heard as a faint hum across my living room.

An issue encountered with this build was that the Gigabyte card is slightly too tall for the case by a couple of mm. The next prototype will be slightly taller to comfortably fit this card.

Overall I am very pleased with the performance I am getting from this build, it runs very quiet whilst gaming without any throttling. The GTX 1070 is an amazing card, the Witcher 3 runs buttery smooth and the graphics look incredible.

Comments

  • 40 months ago
  • 8 points

Any chance of selling these cases? I would be a buyer! Amazing work! +1

  • 40 months ago
  • 6 points

Thank you very much! I am hoping to get a batch made in a couple of months time, stay tuned!

  • 39 months ago
  • 2 points

I'm interested as well, let me know too!

  • 38 months ago
  • 3 points

Preorders are now available on the Lazer3D website!

  • 38 months ago
  • 1 point

Awesome!

  • 31 months ago
  • 2 points

waiting intensfies

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

Message me when you do!

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

I would pay a decent amount for this case so please let me know as well good sir!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Amazing craftsmanship on the case! I am also interested if you would consider selling these.

Is the GPU space specifically designed for the Gigabyte 1070 ITX, or are there other ITX cards that would also work?

Also, have you considered testing with other CPU's? Say a 6700 for instance?

EDIT: Also meant to ask - what are the chances you could cram an SSD in there?

  • 40 months ago
  • 3 points

My Zotac Mini 1060 would love to fit in this case!!!

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Thanks allot! The Gigabyte GTX 1070 ITX is the tallest ITX card released yet (I think), so in theory the case should fit any ITX length card that isn't taller than the new Gigabyte ones. I have also tested it with the EVGA ITX GTX 900 series cards, so it should work fine with their new GTX 1060 ITX cards. The Zotac ITX should also fit ok. EDIT: In the picture with the front of the case removed you can see a bracket panel that fits in the front of the case, you can mount 2x 2.5" drives onto this panel.

  • 39 months ago
  • 2 points

Very cool custom case build and great choice of components. I have just ordered a 1070 ITX as well, hoping it fits into my new case without any issues.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

This is incredible. Anymore pics of the inside? How did you create this? 3D Print? Resin casting by hand? I think I am going to have a Corona at lunch now.

  • 40 months ago
  • 5 points

Its a combination of 3D printing and laser cut acrylic sheets. Using these methods means that a range of colour combinations and surface finishes are possible.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Thanks everyone! Yeah I'm hoping to sell them, just working on prototype v0.2 at the moment. I'll try and get some more pics added of the interior

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Do it!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Awesome! Let us know when you can start cranking out theses cases.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

We really need to see more pictures of the inside and to know how that case was made. Beautyful.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Some people have asked for more internal pics, I've added some more photos of what I've got to hand for now. The pictures are with a different GPU as I only recently acquired the GTX 1070. Its also been tested with a GTX 960 so I'll add that as well. As you can see the internal space is quite tight, but the 140mm fan takes care nicely of the thermals.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Well, when you do get to the point of selling these hit me up!

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

This build. Is sexual on so many levels

  • 40 months ago
  • 3 points

Should I be concerned by this?

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

nope ..I damn near lost my load when I saw it! It's EXACTLY what I'm looking for.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

I subscribed to your webpage for updates

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Figured it wouldn't be long before some company came up with a creative, functional, case of this size. Didn't figure it to be a do it yourself dude. Outside the Box dude......kudos.....and youre going to make a killing on these.

  • 37 months ago
  • 2 points

Looks great, not enough pictures though ! :) I'm guessing the light underneath is from the mother board ? Would love to have a blue glow underneath. I might consider this case for my sister's build.

  • 37 months ago
  • 1 point

Thanks! Yeah the red glow is from the Gigabyte Pheonix Motherboard, its a great all round board with loads of features for the price compared to the H170's and Z170 ITX boards. The LEDs can be disabled in the BIOS. There are some more pictures of v0.2 on my other build here: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/b/JmyfrH

  • 37 months ago
  • 2 points

Awesome case. Are you planning to design/build a SFF case for Micro ATX? There aren't many SFF Micro ATX options out there. I have been waiting for over a year for case of my liking...

  • 37 months ago
  • 1 point

Thanks allot! Once I've got this case onto the market I want to look at doing a slightly larger case, so potentially micro-ATX yes, what is your reason for preferring micro-ATX, extra expansion slots? You can see some of the concepts here: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/lzx-case-series-alternative-designs.766/

  • 37 months ago
  • 1 point

The main reason I built my PC was for gaming. I wanted my build to be future proof but also as compact as possible. I was planning to go 2-way SLI in the future. This was my first build in 15+ years so I was not aware of the SLI limitations, otherwise I should have gone Mini ITX from the beginning. I have been looking for a Mini ITX Z97 MoBo, but I guess I'm too late, since these are no longer in production and are either too expensive or faulty (got an open box).

Also I hate the fact that most Micro ATX cases are just ATX cases. All cool cases are Mini ITX. I think there is a market for Micro ATX that is not yet really explored. I had a Sugo 10 but returned due to faulty front panel (unlucky me). Haven't found anything to my liking since then.

I would like Proposal #2 to become real. Love the idea of an Horizontal MoBo. :)

  • 36 months ago
  • 2 points

That's a great looking case!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Wow! Just Wow! Beautiful and freaking tiny!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

that is NICE! i need more pictures of this thing!!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

I will post a build update once I've got the case revision in my hands!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

this so awesome, we need picks of the inside!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

It looks amazing! How would you do with dust?

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Would have to slap one of these on there:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4RE4MX8161

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Sounds nice!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Thank you! Dust should be OK as you can fit a 140mm dust filter onto the outside of the case where the fan is. This fan is recommended to run as an intake for overall system temps, but the other advantage is that the case also runs under positive pressure which helps to keep the dust out.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Thanks! I am also a little worried about the intake fan on the GPU. Will there be a metal version of this case?

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

This prototype version unfortunately can't fit a dust filter on the GPU side panel, but it is something I could try and build into the next revision. At the moment there is no plan to make a metal version as the costs are so much higher for small production runs. One of the advantages for using Acrylic is the GPU side panel can be transparent to show off your shiny new Graphics Card in all its glory.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Yes, the design is great. I kind of like the style of the Parvum case. Will keep an eye on this product!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Nice work! What resin are you using for the 3D printed material ?

Would you feel comfortable with an even hotter GPU (> 80c temps) with the acrylic panels?

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

The 3D printed parts are made from a strong and durable SLS process, its printed using a Polyamide (Nylon), it basically acts just like a normal injection moulded plastic. The Panels are made from 5mm Acrylic, heat wise I have not seen any decrease in strength of the panels during heavy testing. Even though the GPU is running at 80C it will not be exhausting heat at 80C, probably more in the region of 50 - 60C.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Love it. Thanks. Based on your part list, are you thinking about 150GBP / 200 USD for a case like this?

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

The target price is currently £120, I'm doing all I can to try and stick to that price. Not sure how that would translate into US cost with taxes and what not

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Thanks! Can't wait to see the next rev.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Awesome work! Can you tell us what are the dimensions of the case?

  • 40 months ago
  • 3 points

The next revision will measure 226mm x 196mm x 158mm (7.0L)

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Amazing! Taking Custom to the extreme, and doing it very well. Builds like these make me want to go m-itx. Best of luck on your next prototype!

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Thanks! I'll post another build log once it's built up

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Ok so where do I place my case order? I'm so serious.... $65 US? Also any possibility of making it to fit a 1080?

Seriously this is an amazing build. I love custom builds and this right hur is making me have to seriously up my game.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

I think it will cost a bit more than $65 US! The target selling price is currently around £120, so perhaps around £150 US, when its ready I'm hoping to make them available HERE.

At the moment there aren't any ITX sized 1080 cards, but if any do come up I will do my best to accommodate them!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Will you provide them in other colors? My future build will be black / yellow focused.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Yes I plan to make the first run in matte black. For the corner pieces you can choose from a few different colours of which yellow is one!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Hmmm .... ok Just for clarity will this case be able to hold an rx 480 card? or will it be exclusive to"ITX" gpu's? If so you are limiting your potential client market to those exclusively looking for true "MINI ITX" builds. Also if that's the case you might consider lowering the price to something around the £88.71 or $100 US. Many will see the case as being over priced with your current pricing structure since it will have those limitations.

  • 40 months ago
  • 3 points

Thank you for your comments, all very good points. I'll try and answer a few of them: Yes this case is limited to ITX cards which does indeed limit the potential market, however expanding the case to fit full length cards would also increase its size to around 11 litres which is edging into SG13 territory, the main point of this case is that it is only 7 litres in size, to achieve this you have to accept some limitations. I have put together some alternative designs in this Design Ideas Thread, if the LZ7 is succesfull then I would like to expand the range with a larger case based around one of those layouts. In terms of AMD ITX cards, there is the R9 Nano which runs at around GTX 980 performance, the RX 480 has an ITX sized PCB, but card manufacturers are choosing to make them huge, fingers crossed they will release an ITX sized card. There is also the RX470 and 460 which again have short PCB's, just waiting on ITX announcements from manufacturers. Vega is said to use HBM 2 memory and many people are saying that this will result in very small and efficient cards, so there is a high likelihood that some kind of ITX Vega card will be released. In terms of price, unfortunately it is driven by the cost of manufacture, even at £120 it only just about covers the component costs, to bring this price down i would need up front demand in the region of 100+ customers. The problem is that this is just a 1 man project and I can't afford to take the risk of manufacturing 100's or 1000's of cases to bring the price down for them not to sell. I know the price is higher than what a large case manufacturer would sell at, but in terms of indie niche cases £120 is actually quite a low price! I hope that helps to answer most of your questions!

Continue this thread
  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

I really really .... I mean REALLY like this case however I would need the case to be able to house a normal sized GPU so I have upgrade options later down the line. the GPU limitations restrict buyers to buying primarily Nvidia ITX GPU's. Which isn't bad but has the possibility to scare off some potential customers. I personally am in the market for a Freesync 34" monitor and I'm looking to purchase the New AMD Vega GPU when it's released later this year.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Very nice custom case! +1

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Thank you!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Great job, I assume you are planning on an intake grill/mesh for the 200mm fan? Ofcourse factor in 3.5 and 2.5 drive attachment on the side panel (I see you are showing one 3.5 but obviously room for more).

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Thank you! Yes I am hoping to offer a version with a grill for the side 140mm fan bay.

The storage drive you can see is a 2.5" drive, the mounting panel can fit 2 of them. Unfortunately there isn't enough space to fit a 3.5" drive, they are too thick to fit between the front panel and motherboard

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Lol it so small its hard to wrap my brain arround I just assumed it was a 200mm in the front, so tiny. Yep a two SSD mountings there would be plenty for a small build like this.

Just add in as much cable management points as you can think of as that is really important in a build of this size.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

I will do my best! When you say cable management points, do you mean slots for zip ties?

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

To hop in this conversation, I can say that zip tie slots would certainly not hurt at all.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

I will see what I can do, it's a difficult one though as any slots would add holes to the outer shell! I could try and add a couple to the inside of the corner pieces, although it would increase the cost of the 3D printing.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Yep, cable management is crucial in a tiny case like this. Small slots for zipties around the perimeter of the case would be ideal.

Good luck I hope it does well.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

What a beaut! I'd love to purchase one of those! Aside from that, I'm starting to lean to the m-itx builds, they seen just so much fun to build.

  • 40 months ago
  • 4 points

M-ITX is the way forward, come to the light side!

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Yeah I'm downsizing from my mATX build to an mITX myself but I'm vain I want 1440P from 1 card ... lol

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

I would most definitely buy a case like this. This is amazing! This is no half a@$ job done with some particle board and nails! I will keeping an eye out for any of these cases if you do decide to sell them. The best part in my opinion is how clean it is on the inside. Most tiny cases dont really allow for much cable management at all let alone good air flow.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Yeah there is space in front of the PSU to bundle up any excess cables, leaving a nice airflow path above the motherboard. Using a modular power supply also helps.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Also being that the PSU's for this case typically will be sfx and fully modular people have the option to buy really short custom sleeved cables for even more clearance, air flow and less clutter.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

I want that case so bad but my r9 nano would probably melt it :)

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

What temp does your R9 Nano run at? The R9 Nano is rated at 175W, I've tested the GTX 1070 (150W) inside the case without any issues, I think the Nano would be fine also.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Stock profile at 73-75. With a cranked curve to 100% while running NMS it sits 72-80. And mine draws ~235w with the power limit +50

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Yeah you may be pushing the limits of this case with that kind of power draw. If I could get my hands on a Nano I'd be interested to see how it ran. Is the card quite loud running at 100% fan?

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Like a racoon being thrown into a jet engine. Headphones block that out. It has piercing coil whine in some games that is difficult to drown out.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

How much money do you want to manufacture and sell me a case.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

The target price is currently £120

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Awesome little build!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Hi. First of all, beautiful build, I'm looking forward to see your next case, have you thought to make a slim mini-itx case like the Silverstone RVZ01 or the Fractal Design Node 202? Btw I would like to know where you purchased the switches, usb ports, etc. for your custom build.

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Thank you. I may look into doing a low profile version yes, it depends on how successful this case is. There are actually quite a few people developing that type of case over at SFF Forum, one guy has just had his first 20 cases made.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

This is awesome. Laser cut parts, or the best 3d printer ever. This looks so nice and small. I hope this gets featured.

You are going to sell a ton of these cases. Congratulations in advance.

Thumbs up.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Thank you very much!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

+1

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

thumbsup just for building your own case, cheers, cool project indeed, how long it took the whole process, design, case build and assembly of parts ??? Had to looks all pics twice, this is awesome, I love these mini styles, I guess you'll planning a mesh filter for the main big front fan ..?

  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

I've been developing it for nearly a year in my spare time, it's been a long old process! Yes that's right you can fit a dust filter if you want or it may be supplied with the case, have still got to figure that type of stuff out. You can see the 120mm and 140mm mounting holes on the side panel for fitting different combinations of components.

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

I would definitely be interested in purchasing this case sometime in the future. Would you be willing to sell the STL (or whatever it is in) file so we could print/build it? Reason I ask is because I know somebody who has a 3D printer that prints carbon fiber reinforced nylon and would love to see parts (corner frame members) of this with that material.

A couple things I would critique/add: - Like others have said, dust filters (don't even need to include them, just factor in space so we can install them) - Flipping the PSU so it pulls hot air from inside the case and then out the back (PSUs can take the extra heat and this would lower the case's inside air temp) - In light of the second point switch the top slats to the front part of the case.

Overall, I absolutely love the aesthetic. IMO this deserves to be featured!

  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

That printing method sounds very interesting, could you send me more info on that? When you say filters, what type are you talking about? You can screw a filter onto the outside of the case through the fan mounting holes, is that what you mean?

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

Can you turn off the orange LEDs of the B150N board?

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

Yes there is an option in the BIOS

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

That's great. Thanks.

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

I. LOVE. THAT. CASE. +1

...Are they going to be available in the USA?

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

Yeah I think so, but you will likely have to pay a bit extra with import taxes

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

Sweet! xD

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

were you able to overclock the gpu

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

I've not tried overclocking the GPU because I prioritise quietness over raw performance, but by default it overclocks itself up to around 1830Mhz automatically. At full load with default settings and fan profile set to silent the card stabalises with a fan speed of around 1550rpm which is very quiet, it's max fan rpm is near 3000rpm, so there is plenty of cooling headroom left to push the card further if you don't mind higher fan speeds.

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

i was wondering because it has a small power supply but thx +1

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

SFX power supplies have come a long way in the last few years, Corsair have recently released a 450W and 600W model

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

This is a very well-built prototype case.. + 3.14159265358979323846264.... Anyway, thermals look to be pretty good. How's the Gigabyte motherboard holding out?

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

It's your lucky day, I've just this second posted a follow build to this case with the second prototype! Using the same Gigabyte board no less!

  • 39 months ago
  • 1 point

Nice!

  • 38 months ago
  • 1 point

Do you think the 450w psu is safe for this build?

  • 38 months ago
  • 1 point

Yeah there is plenty of headroom left with these components, you could probably safely go up to a GTX 1080 and i7-6700k with a mild overclock.

  • 37 months ago
  • 1 point

This eill build up static very quickly due to its non conductive nature

  • 37 months ago
  • 1 point

I've been running multiple systems inside a few of these cases for a few months now and there hasnt been any static build up issues.

  • 37 months ago
  • 1 point

Just a thought but it would be worth the cost to install atleadt a metal base as some of the more recent gpus have a hogh static build up

  • 33 months ago
  • 1 point

When is the next bach of cases going to be ready? I would be a definite buyer! I love the different options for colors and feet! I would definitely buy this case! FOR SURE!!!

  • 33 months ago
  • 1 point

Hi There, sorry for the late reply! I am hoping for the next batch to be ready in April time. Best Regards, Kevin

  • 33 months ago
  • 1 point

Wheres the motherboard

  • 23 months ago
  • 1 point

What kind of case feet are you using ?

  • 17 months ago
  • 1 point

Video review of this case: https://youtu.be/zLD_-POVYG0

  • 14 months ago
  • 1 point

I'm going for it with this case!!!!!!!

  • 14 months ago
  • 1 point

Awesome BTW

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  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Thank you. There is no plan at the moment to make a metal version, the cost would be too high to manufacture in small volume

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  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Will do, no problem. I will be ordering v0.2 soon and will definitely post a new build once I've got that up and running

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  • 40 months ago
  • 1 point

Not sure yet, it depends on whether this case is a success, ideally I want to offer a range of cases, but that's long term!

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  • 40 months ago
  • 2 points

Ha ha, will do my best! I'l try and add some mounting points on the GPU side for those who are concerned.