Mini Itx in Ammo Can

burttburtt

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Mar 18, 2016
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I'm going to put a Mini Itx build inside of a metal ammo can. I've picked up what I need to get started. My first step is going to make a cut for the U/I on one of the ends. I intend to mount the motherboard onto a piece of plexiglass and attach it to the inside of the can. What are some options I should consider for attaching it to the can?
 
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if it was me, i would probably put a custom water loop in it. i checked the dimensions of a similar box and looks like there is just enough room to put a 240mm x 120mm radiator in the bottom (leaves just under 3 inches for the motherboard and its mount). have the fans blowing out of the bottom and attach some feet to the bottom, just enough to let the air escape. i think watercooling is a good option for small builds, as long as they can support it. it would greatly reduce the amount of air flow required since all of the heat exchange, as far as cooling, is occurring in one place - at the radiator.

as long as you're not tossing it in your trunk and driving through the woods, i dont see it being an issue as far as springing leaks from...
first, i just wanna say thats an awesome idea and i want to see pictures!!

if i understand correctly, its a box that would only fit the motherboard if it was laying on its side. why not just attach some rubber spacers to act as feet and just have it sit there. unless you plan to move it around alot, in which case keep the same 'rubber spacer' idea and just drill through the bottom and put a long enough bolt to secure with a nut on the outside. you could even go a step further and put rubber spacers on the outside to act as feet for the entire case...
 


There might be confusion. Or I did not read your post correctly. Here are some pictures of the ammo can I got. http://imgur.com/a/DWzla When looking at the ammo can open, the motherboard is going on the right side wall. Everything is going inside this thing. CPU, CPU cooler, motherboard, ram, SSD, GPU and PSU. And operating in an upright position.

 
sorry, my bad i misunderstood. i was automatically assuming that the motherboard would be face up, like a 'test bench'. same concept, just you dont want to lay the can on its side.

how exactly are you mounting the motherboard to the plexiglass? i would assume you are drilling the standoffs right into the plexiglass and just mounting it as usual.

same idea tho. just drill some larger holes at all four corners of the plexiglass (more holes in the middle wouldnt hurt either) then drill holes into the can, grab some spacers (doesnt have to be rubber but would probably be just a tad quieter) and use a bolt and nut to connect them. that way the plexiglass is secured, but not touching the can. you could just skip the spacers, but i think there would be alot of vibration (which would make noise).
 


Yes I'm going to be drilling the standoffs right into the plexiglass and just mounting it as usual. If I'm reading you correctly the nuts and bolts would be protruding from the can. That is an option I have considered, with some beautification so it doesn't look "cheap" with bolts protruding. Other than the holes I intend to make I wanted to make as little changes to the exterior as possible. What about this scenario? Apply some super strong and thick adhesive on the plexiglass and apply it to the can?

 
i, personally, wouldnt trust an adhesive. especially when bonding two different types of material. i'm sure it would be very strong and probably last a very long time, but eventually it will wear out. it could take years, even decades before that happens, but its still a concern in my eyes.

do you have access to a welder? that would be permanent... you could weld a bracket on the right side to bolt the plexiglass and not see it from the outside. another alternative: build a bracket the fits the inside of the can perfectly, pushing against the sides to counterbalance the weight of the motherboard. sort of like a box inside a box...
 


No I don't have access to a welder. I like your box inside a box idea, will probably need to get some thicker plexiglass for that. I'll look into it. I did get 2 cans. So some trial and error will be fine. I'll see what I can do with the first can with drilling through the side.

 
what about airflow in this build? are you just going to leave the top open? even then, i would expect things to run very hot.

alot depends on the components being used, unless you are going with super efficient, low wattage components.
 
I am putting a low-profile air cooler on the CPU. There will be some sort of opening for the fan of the PSU. I'll determine whether where and how many air holes or vents to make later. Have to wait and see what it ends up looking like inside there. I'll be putting in a mini sized 4gb GPU, so I think there will be space to add another fan. But yes i will make sure there is adequate ventilation, especially since I want this thing to operate with the lid closed. Being such a small unit, it will be an Intel 6700 rather than the 6700k. Shouldn't be overclocking it even if it was in a PS4/Xbox sized case. The focus is portability, and the simple badassness that it's inside of an ammo can.
 
if it was me, i would probably put a custom water loop in it. i checked the dimensions of a similar box and looks like there is just enough room to put a 240mm x 120mm radiator in the bottom (leaves just under 3 inches for the motherboard and its mount). have the fans blowing out of the bottom and attach some feet to the bottom, just enough to let the air escape. i think watercooling is a good option for small builds, as long as they can support it. it would greatly reduce the amount of air flow required since all of the heat exchange, as far as cooling, is occurring in one place - at the radiator.

as long as you're not tossing it in your trunk and driving through the woods, i dont see it being an issue as far as springing leaks from moving it around alot. you can get good fittings that screw in pretty tight, keeping the tubes from moving. another alternative with a watercooling setup would be to hook up a quick fill and drain port so you can empty it before traveling and refill, but that would be tedious if you do it every day...
 
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