Making a custom PC enclosure with Protocase

[unsmart]

I think if this review was done on a engineering or integrators site you wouldn't get the negative post. As a industrial enclosure/embedded pc case there prices and product are fine but this is a PC enthusiast site.
With a price like that we expect a certain level of features that are a given on any higher end case without asking for them. I don't think they should have wired it but filling in the seems on the front is just standard practice even in industrial enclosure. If they would have went the extra steps to make this a PC case and not a PC enclosure I could find the price more justified.
I like your design an think they did a good job of sticking to it. It also seems very sturdy and the paint looks good to. Just Think if you took it to a lan party though, no one would think you had it made by pros. Sure everyone would be impressed but they would all ask how you built it.
Hopefully someone at Protocase will read this tread and start offering some PC enthusiast touches to there cases. The review is featured on there site so the costume PC market is something they want to get it to I guess.
I don't blame you for giving a good review. You got to see your idea made real and be part of the whole process. For us reading about it we can only judge by the out come and for a bunch of guys who get hard seeing modded cases it looks a bit plain and unfinished.

 

[buckiller]

I think if this review was done on a engineering or integrators site you wouldn't get the negative post. As a industrial enclosure/embedded pc case there prices and product are fine but this is a PC enthusiast site.
With a price like that we expect a certain level of features that are a given on any higher end case without asking for them. I don't think they should have wired it but filling in the seems on the front is just standard practice even in industrial enclosure. If they would have went the extra steps to make this a PC case and not a PC enclosure I could find the price more justified.
I like your design an think they did a good job of sticking to it. It also seems very sturdy and the paint looks good to. Just Think if you took it to a lan party though, no one would think you had it made by pros. Sure everyone would be impressed but they would all ask how you built it.
Hopefully someone at Protocase will read this tread and start offering some PC enthusiast touches to there cases. The review is featured on there site so the costume PC market is something they want to get it to I guess.
I don't blame you for giving a good review. You got to see your idea made real and be part of the whole process. For us reading about it we can only judge by the out come and for a bunch of guys who get hard seeing modded cases it looks a bit plain and unfinished.

Certainly this venue isn't the best place for this article, but there ARE some people on here that would be interested in something like this. Unfortunately, in the article the author designed a pretty simple ATX case, thus not showing the audience what Protocase is capable of. Protocase's website doesn't help its rep in the PC enclosure side of things either.

If you spend a flat rate of $1500 for Protocase to take your ideas and manifest them, generally the audience would like to see an idea that is worth $1500 to manifest. That is relevant.

As far as the power button goes... I dont think Protocase is to blame, since they specialize in custom fabrication of enclosures, they get designs all the time that don't necessarily want to have a standard feature included. The author should have specified to Protocase that he needed a certain number of buttons or whatever.

 

[cleeve]

The author should have specified to Protocase that he needed a certain number of buttons or whatever.

I did. They told me they don't do buttons.

It's not for lack of asking, they simply don't do it.

As far as the case design, I'll take some slack for that. Sure, it could have been more unique/better/cooler. But I was trying to find a middle ground between our readers and the service, you know? So I went ATX.

Still, I think Unsmart's comments are insiteful and right on the money.

 

[r0x0r]

I did. They told me they don't do buttons.

It's not for lack of asking, they simply don't do it.

So let me get this straight; Protocase will make any kind of case for you (within reason), yet they can't drill 2 holes to feed through some power and reset switch cables?

I know the case cost US$1,500 and it is a one of a kind. I can also appreciate that some people aren't confident enough to go and build their own case and would rather leave it to professionals. However, there's no point making a one of a kind case if it is unusable!

Function over form, people!

 

[cleeve]

Nonono, let me clarify: they drilled the HOLES for the buttons, but they don't have the BUTTONS.

They just don't supply any electrical equipment like switches, buttons, etc.

 

[unsmart]

Where is the case?
Can I have it?
I hope it's being used as a server or workstation. It would look cool as hell with hot swap HD's in the front bays, just sitting in the corner of an office. Theres a lot of cool gaming rigs but who has a custom server case? What it lacks for a desktop[ front ports, reset switch, tons of fans and side window] makes it a good server/workstation.
I would like to see some pics of it with everything hooked up like the optic drives,fans with grill covers, switch and maybe a fan controller, and in the dark so we can see the fans glow.
Also you could use a 2 way momentary switch like the ones on some diesel equipment where one way is reset and the other start.

 

[cleeve]

The case is at the THG office in California... I assume it'll be a givaway in a a contest or something, unless they have a reason to keep it around.

 

[r0x0r]

Nonono, let me clarify: they drilled the HOLES for the buttons, but they don't have the BUTTONS.

They just don't supply any electrical equipment like switches, buttons, etc.

Ah ha! Now I understand; Protocase is a clan of dwarven steelsmiths, who forged your case with the finest mythril mined from deep beneath the mountains. They are not a race that is knowledged in the ways of the arcane magic that is electricity.

.
.
.

In reality though, the Protocase workshop is actually full of CAD-CAM gear and not mythril mines. Correct, no?

 

[kornyman]

I can understand both sides of the argument here, but I think in the end this is a pretty sweet thing.

First of all, the price isn't that bad imo. Yes, in this particular case the design wasn't overly complicated or extremely well though out, but that wasn't Protocase's fault. Like the author said, he wanted to illustrate their ability to transform a simple sketch into a reality. I would imagine that someone who is willing to put the time and effort into building their dream case would also plan on the small things, like where to put the external USB/Audio/Firewire connections and then have Protocase cut those holes. And, by the sounds of it, Protocase would have been willing to go over modifcations and design changes before the actual manufacture of the case. If it were me, I would have looked at that prototype drawing and said wait, I need more than one HD mount, and they can't be directly behind the fans or else it will kill my airflow. Then I could figure out what I wanted to do differently or ask the Protocase people what they would recommend. THAT is what you are paying for. So many vendors today get by selling their products cheap by outsourcing tech support and customer service to overseas locations or by streamlining and making support calls take less time, but at the same time provide sub par service. To be a single customer purchasing a single case and actually work directly with the design people and manufactures is worth a lot of money. Sure the mats only cost them a few hundred bucks, but as someone pointed out earlier you figure in the cost of labor, insurance, maintenance on machines, and all of that other fun stuff your looking at a much higher manufacturing cost than if you just consider materials alone.

That being said, I don't like the case and would have gone with something different. Off the top of my head I can't think of anything, but once I did get an idea I would probably spend over a month perfecting it. Again though, the author was writing an article, not trying to build a case that he would love and cherish for the rest of his life, just something to write about. Also, I do agree that Protocase could do more in terms of electronics. If not install them for you, at least provide links to vendors who sell those types of items so its easier to find dimensions for design and whatnot.

All things considered, if I'm building the computer of my dreams and the price tag isn't an issue, I would definitely go with this place. I'm one of those people who don't know how to bend sheet metal or do crazy mods to my case. I know enough about them though to come up with something that would be truly unique and satisfy my tastes and needs in a case. It's just like any enthusiast PC item. The more powerful and high end it is, the bigger the price tag. And with the potential to create anything you want in a case, I would say this is high end.


Edited for coherency. Hey what can I said, it made sense when I first typed it.

 

[cleeve]

If not install them for you, at least provide links to vendors who sell those types of items so its easier to find dimensions for design and whatnot.

This is exactly what they did, for the record.

They sent me a link to a manufacturer's site which showed the part they recommended. When I gave the OK they drilled the hole for it.

 

[pous]

Round case seemed interesting, but for the cost it was not good. For that money they should have quality fans in place and power button etc. Also some type of multi-hard drive mount should be available in that case for the money. I understand if YOU wanted plain white... but there should be a paint option included in the price, any color or simple design should be available. I think I wouldn't go with this company to build me a case... too many things are lacking.

For $1500 I could build two NICE PC's and be very very happy with them. Even if I had the money to blow on a case... I still wouldn't spend more than 2 or 300 (CM Stacker) and even that isn't necessary. Thermaltake Armor if you need tons of space or Antec 900 for normal use... both well under $200 and 1/8 or less the cost of that beast.

This article was frustrating to read or think about someone paying so much for a case.

Edit:
After thinking about it a little... I can understand the idea behind "your dream becoming reality in a case" or whatever... but I still don't think it's worth $1500 to me personally. I can see if someone was hung up on aesthetics and wanted a case to look a certain way... whatever. It's just not for me.

And in regard to a post above from cleeve:

... Is your time worth nothing? Would you sit around, spend hours with a client just turning an idea into a viable CAD file, and then manufacture it, powder coat it and charge them - what - a couple hundred bucks? If you are, come work for me, because I'd love to take advantage of your work ethic...

For a job building and testing PC's you can take advantage of my work ethic if you'd like.