Qmicra v2 Preview!!!

[pcdlab]

Update: Qv2 Ver. E can be found here...

http://www.pcdesignlab.com/smf/index.php?topic=356.0

INTRODUCTION

First off, I’d like to thank everyone for their patience as we work towards launching the new case model! I’d also like to thank all of our customers and supporters as the new case couldn’t have happened without you! We’re only a few weeks away from having the new case ready to demo and the patent docs have been submitted so here’s the first look at Qmicra II!

CAD IMAGES

Below are some screen shots of the actual AutoCAD design model that's in the process of being built. Please don't hot link these images!


















DESIGN NOTES

Improvements Based On Your Feedback:

Your feedback is extremely important and below are the results from your input.

-Many favored rigidity over vibration dampening for the HDD brackets. So the saddle bracket assembly was split into two separate left and right brackets and they’ll be fabricated from a thicker aluminum. The cage will also have more material thickness along with two additional mounting points to enhance strength and rigidity.

-Many commented on the lack of front case I/O. The primary function of the third bay is for installing any number of multi-function panels that make case I/O redundant. My design style also leans towards a clean aesthetic. But you have spoken and a USB port was added for your convenience.

-Many didn’t care for the reset button and considered it obsolete anyway so it was removed. The extra space was used to change the lower 3-1/2” bay into a more versatile 5-1/4” bay.

-Our customers and reviewers confirmed that the 4x80mm front to back airflow configuration worked as claimed. Despite this, many still requested a 120mm fan. But I didn’t add just one… I found a way to fit three!!! (See below!)

New Features:

Below are most of the major improvements. There are also several smaller changes as I scrutinized every nut and bolt in the new design.

-This is the first and only commercially produced SFF case with an integrated H2O cooling solution! It has internal mounts for a 2x120mm radiator, pump and clearance for every CPU/GPU water-block that I could find. The radiator was also positioned high enough to allow room for the latest RAM heat spreaders. *Special thanks to Danger Den for supplying the H2O parts and tech info!*

-The case will also fit the new monster Zalman CNPS9700 heatsink/fan! (H2O cooling is not a requirement with this case!) In short, there’s room for air coolers that SFF enthusiasts could only dream of using and you can even utilize the radiator bracket to side mount 120mm fans in addition to the rear one to achieve unprecedented airflow and cooling!

-The front intakes were opened up and a side vent was added to support the massive amount of air that can pass through this case. Perforated sheets were added and their hole pattern was carefully selected to provide the best combination of airflow, filtering and sound dampening possible. It gives the case a very aggressive and modern aesthetic as well!

-The handles were redesigned to give the case a more mainstream “box” look. They‘re still recognizable as a unique Qmicra feature and function in the same manner by providing cross support while giving you something to grab onto when you move your system around. They’re also attached to the cover so there are fewer parts to remove when disassembling the case.

-The case was lengthened slightly to allow room for longer ATX power supplies. There is now 14-3/8” to mount a PSU, CD/DVD drive and their cabling end to end. This will give you several more products to choose from such as the newer fanless and 650W+ power supplies!

-The holes in the bottom of the cover for the feet were made into slots. So now you only have to turn each foot a few times to remove the cover as opposed to having to completely removing them as in the past. Leaving the feet attached also provides some room for your fingers to grab the cover from the bottom when removing or replacing it. The feet will also be thicker to increase vibration dampening and to allow a little more air under the case.

-The switch to a powder coated finish from an anodized one is now permanent. Powder coating can take much more of a beating and it eliminates the need for several finishing operations that made the case very complicated to produce.

-The rear fan grill was integrated into the case. It’s a very easy mod if you wish to cut it out and use your own.

-The stainless steel bezel will be electro-polished to give it a mirror like finish. *Bling*

Considerations:

Qmicra II has several improvements so there are new things to consider when planning a system.

-In regard to the hard drives, they’re still mounted to the front cage sides and have been raised to clear longer cards in the outer slots. The intakes were also raised to allow fresh air to flow directly across them. You can still mount four internally (two on each side) when air cooling but the radiator will occupy the space for the right side pair when H2O cooling. Mounting 120mm fans to the radiator bracket in an air cooled configuration may also occupy the space of one or both of the right side hard drives. So in a worst case scenario, you’d be limited to two hard drives. But this is the maximum for the other SFF cases and hard drive capacities are so large now that you’ll probably consider this to be a non-issue. However, the capability is still there for those who really do need a couple Terabytes of space.

-The lowest 5-1/4” bay will technically fit a full length CD/DVD drive but your choice of CPU air cooler or graphics card water-block may limit the available space to a bay device about half that length. But like I said before, that bay is really intended for multi-function I/O panels anyway so you shouldn’t have any issues fitting them.

-In extreme cases, such as H2O cooling and using a 7.04” CD/DVD drive along with a 7” PSU, you might have to use a smaller screw head to attach the radiator bracket to the right side of the cage rail so it doesn’t get in the way. Since the pump is also mounted to this area under the cage, slots were created in line with the normal mounting points to offer a zip-tie solution if you really try to pack things in there. The pump can also be mounted to the base in front of the motherboard if desired.

Outside of that, everything that makes the case great was kept. High quality materials and finishes are still used, it’s still precision laser cut, all the components are still removable and tool-free, the quick release card bracket and cable port are still there and just like before… it’ll fit 8800GTX graphics cards without having to make modifications. So thanks again for your patience and support. I look forward to hearing what you think!

[zulfy26]

Sign me up!

[TheBlueChanell]

Nice Work.

-The case was lengthened slightly to allow room for longer ATX power supplies. There is now 14-3/8” to mount a PSU, CD/DVD drive and their cabling end to end. This will give you several more products to choose from such as the newer fanless and 650W+ power supplies!

$20 that you just added that after I pm'd you lol. Looks great, I may have to invest somehow. At this rate, I'm gonna be spending all my money on cases.

[pcdlab]

Nice Work.

-The case was lengthened slightly to allow room for longer ATX power supplies. There is now 14-3/8” to mount a PSU, CD/DVD drive and their cabling end to end. This will give you several more products to choose from such as the newer fanless and 650W+ power supplies!

$20 that you just added that after I pm'd you lol. Looks great, I may have to invest somehow. At this rate, I'm gonna be spending all my money on cases.

I actually decided to do that a few months ago when someone asked if a certain fanless PSU would fit in the case. You can PayPal me the 20 bucks.

[Skott]

Looks sweet! I knew you were going to have to go to 120mm fans. They're just too good to not have in a case these days despite what people think about bigger fans. I just wish i had waited a little longer before buying so I could get a newer case.  Whats the estimated arrival date for this new baby?

[pcdlab]

Thanks Skott. Once room was made for the radiator, there was room for the rear 120mm fan so there you go. I was happy to do it as many SFF users tend to prefer them.

In regard to a time line, the demo model will be finished in a couple of weeks and we'll update the site and start procuring OEM and distributer orders from there. So thanks for everyone's patience while we do our thing.

[EuroNerd]

Now that looks great Dave.

Congratz on a fine design.

[Dgephri]

mmmm, new case.

(warms up the dremel)

[amanhismusic]

Just sign up today, to see when your case was gonna be back in stock. Now, I see you are coming out with a new case, I feel like I just stepped in dodo. I had changed my mind on a PSU, because of length, now I won't have to. I am building 2 systems, one for me and one for my partner. The bundles arrive on Monday. I was looking forward to the first case, but would have been pissed. You know, we all like the latest stuff, so now I am looking forward to this case. Looks great, so keep us abreast of all the good news. Will I be able to purchase from this site, and what is the estimated price?

[pcdlab]

Hey Aman...

Thanks for stopping by and dropping us some nice comments about the case. As you probably saw, demand shot up and we sold every case we had before we could get the new one out. So we're doing everything we can to get it out ASAP. It'll be another 2-3 weeks before the demo is built and we start taking OEM and distributor orders from there. We'll obviously let people know where to buy them and we'll probably build some extras to sell on our website as well.

Price will totally depend on the quantities ordered. First off, it's important to mention that they're fabricated part by part in the USA using precision equipment and high quality materials and finishes. (They're not cheaply mass produced in Asia.) But the more we build per run, the cheaper they are per case. So the best thing that people can do is to write places like NewEgg and Tiger Direct demanding that they offer our case. This would then generate interest from their distributors who have the resources to order it in quantities that would make the price more competitive with the other cases. Otherwise, the price will be comparable to the last case if we front our own runs.

So thanks again for everyone's patience and support as we do our thing.

[zulfy26]

Dave--

I'm looking to get this case to use in my dorm room, and I'm concerned about it being stolen, as it is very small.  Is there any way a clip for a security cable could be fabricated in?  Or a loop to attach a cable to?

Thanks,

zulfy

[pcdlab]

Well... I was looking for ways to make it easy to get inside the case when I designed it... not keep people out. I can think of lots of ways to secure it with a cable. You could probably run a laptop security cable thru one of the upper back screw holes to tie up the cover and base. You could also drill some holes in the back or bottom where they wouldn't be noticeable. But the challenge is preventing people from getting inside the case to take your hardware and ruin the case in the process.

[amanhismusic]

OK, I have just sent them emails requesting this case, so I've done my part. To be honest, I spend enough money with both of them, so really don't care about their bottom line, at the moment. I do understand where you are coming from. I am a little under the gun, so don't mind paying. I have 2 of everything, and don't want to go past the 30 day return, on most of it.

[pcdlab]

Well I'll put you down for two cases then!

Thanks for writing those online retailers by the way! If anyone else would like to help, here's the link to NewEgg's feedback form...

http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/FeedBack/ShallWeCarry.asp

I was unbelievably psyched when I saw that our case made it into Microsoft's Gaming for Windows magazine this month. (They called it "sexy-as-hell"! ) But the ultimate would be to see it on NewEgg!

[Tuba]

I just e-mailed Newegg. The link they sent me to recommend a new product is:
http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/FeedBack/ShallWeCarry.asp

I wander if they can set up a Pre-Order?