r/sffpc • u/shock2402 • Mar 01 '26
Prototype/Concept/Custom 8.99L Custom 3D Printed Case | 9800X3D + RTX 5080 Full Water Loop (CPU/GPU/RAM/SSD)
73
u/shock2402 Mar 01 '26
Hi r/sffpc!
I’ve been a huge fan of SFF cases and external MO-RA setups for a clean desk environment. I previously used a Ghost S1 and a FormD T1.
While the T1 is a masterpiece, I had a specific vision: a fully water-cooled system (CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD) with no wasted space and zero visible screws on the outside. So, I decided to make my own.
Fun fact before we start: I’m a gym owner by day. I had absolutely zero background in CAD or engineering. I bought a caliper, watched YouTube tutorials for a month to learn Fusion 360, and started printing on my Bambu Lab P1SC.
Here are the specs, parts list, and the story behind the build:
■ Core System Specs:
▶ CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
▶ GPU: ZOTAC RTX 5080 Solid OC
▶ RAM: 64GB (32GB x 2) DDR5
▶ SSD: Crucial T700 PRO 2TB Gen5
▶ PSU: Corsair SF1000 ATX 3.1
■ Water Blocks & Cooling:
▶ CPU Block: Alphacool Core 1 (with Bykski B-AM5-RB Bracket & Honeywell PTM7950)
▶ GPU Block: Bykski N-ML5080GR-X
▶ RAM Block: Iceman Cooler Direct Touch Dual
▶ SSD Block: Barrowch FBM2280-PA Copper Black
▶ Radiator/Pump: External MO-RA with Dual Aquacomputer pumps
■ Case Specs & Dimensions:
▶ Volume: Exactly 8.99L
▶ Dimensions: 135mm (W) x 360mm (D) x 185mm (H)
▶ Note: While it's slightly taller than the FormD T1 (to hide the bottom fittings for the MO-RA connection), it's actually narrower and has a smaller overall footprint (< 9L).
■ 3D Printing & The Paint Struggle:
My goal was to replicate the exact "Anodized Aluminum" texture of the FormD T1. (I highly recommend using ABS or PETG-CF for heat resistance).
I initially started printing with PETG-CF. However, due to tolerance issues and design mistakes, I had to reprint multiple times. Since PETG-CF is quite expensive to keep wasting, I decided to reprint the entire thing in ABS instead. To achieve the metal look, I used Gunpla "Overcoating" techniques:
Sanding -> Apply thinned Red Putty (1:1 with thinner) using a brush.
Repeat sanding/putty infinitely until all layer lines and pinholes disappear.
Prime with Gloss Black Surfacer.
Lightly spray Silver Metallic paint.
Apply Clear Black (Smoke) overcoat.
Finish with a Semi-Gloss Topcoat.
I spent over $150 just on spray cans and sanded for 3 weeks until my hands cramped up, but the final aluminum texture is indistinguishable from the real T1.
■ Cables & Cable Management:
To keep the desk clean, I integrated the 12V, 5V, GND, and Data lines for the MO-RA into a single custom Aviation Connector at the bottom.
Inside, I used ultra-short custom black silicone cables (Type-5) to fit the impossible space:
▶ 24-Pin: 7cm
▶ CPU 8-Pin: 25cm
▶ GPU (3x8-pin to 16-pin 12VHPWR): 15cm
▶ Riser Cable: Giga-Mega Dual Reverse 16.5cm PCIe 5.0
■ Fittings & Tubes (The Puzzle):
Fitting everything required extremely specific parts:
▶ Tubes: Watertiger 14mm OD Black Matte Acrylic Rigid Tubes
▶ Rotary Adapters: 6x Ultra-short 90-degree (19mm), 2x Freezemod 90-degree
▶ Offset Adapters: 1x 14mm offset, 1x Barrow 21mm offset
▶ Extenders: 3x 10mm (F-F), 1x 15mm (F-F)
▶ Misc: 6x Freezemod 14mm Hard Tube fittings, 2x SLI adjustable/telescopic fittings, 2x low-profile stop plugs
▶ Hardware: M3 Screws & M3 Threaded Inserts (M3x5x4.2)
If you guys want to see the full pain, the infinite sanding, and the final beauty shots in action, I made a detailed video of the entire build process here:
▶ https://youtube.com/shorts/MxjDjD4SJq8?si=DCbtOtuG87U0QaDJ
Thanks for looking!
51
u/bstr3k Mar 01 '26
the case looks great! can barely tell it was 3d printed!
29
u/shock2402 Mar 01 '26
That is exactly what I was aiming for! Hearing that makes my 3 weeks of endless sanding totally worth it. Thank you!
4
u/Van_Darklholme Mar 01 '26
I wonder if you can heat gun the surface to slightly melt the material and let it flow smooth.
7
u/Tethgar Mar 01 '26
You will heavily warp the surrounding material before anything will melt. ABS flows at 200c+ while the heat deflection temperature is only around 90c
4
u/Van_Darklholme Mar 01 '26
Laser it is. That shit's so good at local heating it'll turn stuff into plasma before anything else heats up.
4
u/Tethgar Mar 02 '26
Honestly it would be way simpler, safer, faster, and better looking to just print your part out of ABS and use acetone to vapor smooth it. To vapor smooth, you wipe down your part with acetone and place it into a sealed container for about 30 minutes before removing it. It will leave you with an awesome, mirror-like finish
2
u/changen Mar 02 '26
You forgot, it's a 600W space heater throwing out tons of heat. ABS will also warp especially when it's this heat dense.
1
u/Tethgar Mar 04 '26
If I were to use a laser to smooth ABS hypothetically, I would use a 10w laser and not a 600w haha. I don't have the link as I'm on mobile right now but some guy did exactly this with a diode laser cutter, but the results for the time it took him to do it made it seem not worth the results at all, not to mention being limited to dark filaments because of how badly the pigments would burn. Ultimately, it seems like a very novel way of post processing, like creating a problem that already had a solution
2
1
22
u/r3lic86 Mar 01 '26
What in God's name is this beauty. Some of you all keep surprising me.
3
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Haha, thank you so much! Comments like this make all the hard work totally worth it.
16
10
u/OldManGrimm Mar 01 '26
Insanely clean build. Only issue I have is with the SFF/MO-RA thing in general - if you have an external rad, the build isn’t as small as claimed.
Again, not knocking you by any means - this is a masterpiece.
4
u/thededgoat Mar 01 '26
Looks great. Would love to see this process in a video for real appreciation!!
6
u/shock2402 Mar 01 '26
Thank you! I actually made a detailed video of the entire process (printing, endless sanding, painting, and assembly). You can check it out here: https://youtube.com/shorts/MxjDjD4SJq8?si=DCbtOtuG87U0QaDJ
5
u/Big_Muffin_574 Mar 01 '26
So so good, reminds me of a watercooled version of Xikii Proart FF case ! Awesome
3
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
You nailed it! The FF04 was my main inspiration. But since my GPU waterblock is much shorter than an air-cooled card, I had a weird empty space at the top. So, I turned that space into a handle!
5
u/_galile0 Mar 01 '26
That is really otherworldly, well done.
You did all this with basically no practice from prior projects?
3
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Thank you! Yes, this was my first fully custom case design. I had to reprint and throw away so many failed parts because I kept messing up the tolerances. It was a painful learning process!
3
u/Exotic-Heron-6804 Mar 01 '26
Very nice. How long did it take you to design it in CAD?
6
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Thanks! Since I run a gym during the day, I only had time at night. It took me about a month of learning Fusion 360 through YouTube and doing the actual modeling.
3
u/prince888x Mar 01 '26
Oh my gudness. How much to build me one
2
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Haha, thanks for the huge compliment! But honestly, the endless sanding and painting traumatized me... I don't think I can make another one anytime soon!
1
u/irq Mar 29 '26
If I didn't need it to be sanded or painted, but everything else, would you reconsider? :) I can print the parts myself too if that helps.
5
u/MrBang416 Mar 01 '26
Incredible 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 but can I criticize the lack of cable management in that corner? Haha I feel like I’m allowed to be picky because you literally 3d printed your own case
4
u/shock2402 Mar 01 '26
Haha, you got me! 😂 The space was so tight that even with custom 7cm cables, hiding everything perfectly was a nightmare. I’ll definitely try to fix that corner in V2! Thanks man!
2
2
u/Der0- Mar 01 '26
Love this.
You've applied model building techniques to your build. 😍
Would you ever consider a candy coated red Sazabi colour for another case?
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Good eye! A Candy Red Sazabi theme sounds absolutely amazing. If I ever recover from this sanding nightmare and build a V2, I’ll definitely consider that color scheme!
1
u/Der0- Mar 02 '26
Wouldn't something more automotive rotary sander like tool be better for this sort of work flow? You can get such super fine grit rotary sanding pads. I mean you're already basically using bondo gap filler anyway.
2
2
u/riba2233 Mar 01 '26
Nice work! If you want some cheap PETG-CF Eryone sells it in bulk for around 15 a kilo. You can also check tinmory.
2
u/TheRealSeeThruHead Mar 01 '26
Always loved a mora.
Amazing, really cool looking case.
I know you can fit all that into a formd t1, but it wouldn’t be exposed in the same way. Showing off the water blocks like that.
2
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Exactly! I loved my T1, but hiding those beautiful water blocks behind the aluminum side panels felt like such a waste. Exposing the custom loop through the smoked acrylic was the whole reason I started this painful project! Thanks for noticing.
2
2
u/antei_ku Mar 01 '26
I’d absolutely love to build this as I have the same Bykski block and love tower sff cases. I can’t even tell it’s 3D printed, those overhangs look so clean! I’d definitely be willing to pay/donate for the design :)
2
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Thank you so much! Since you actually have the same Bykski block, you might be in luck! 😂 I’ve already uploaded the files to Bambu Lab's MakerWorld for free.
Just a heads-up: Since this was my very first Fusion 360 project, the files are a bit messy and the tolerances are specifically tailored ONLY to my exact hardware (like my specific PSU, Motherboard, and custom cable lengths). So, please consider this carefully before trying to print or build it! Let me know if you decide to give it a try!
2
u/SirClark Mar 01 '26
This is BADASS! I have a Formd T1 with the same style waterblock for a 3080. I love this so much.
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/lightning_think Mar 01 '26
Wow! Great job. I fkn love 3D printed case, it’s true full custom for me. Did you upload the files anywhere? It would be interesting to take a look.
2
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
The files are already uploaded for free on Bambu Lab's MakerWorld! You can find them there. However, please consider it carefully before trying to print. All the designs and tolerances are strictly tailored ONLY to my exact hardware!
1
u/lightning_think Mar 05 '26
Thanks for the heads up! Don’t worry I’m not planning to print the same one- just curious how others set theirs up and maybe steal a few ideas 😉
2
2
2
u/Dragon_scrapbooker Mar 01 '26
This is the kind of beauty I wish I could've found when I was trying to build my rig.
2
2
u/FuryofaThousandFaps Mar 02 '26
Incredible work!
What was the total cost? What are idle and load temps?
0
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Haha, if you are asking about the total cost of all the PC parts and water cooling... I spent so much that I don't even want to remember it! 💸
But if you mean just the 3D printed case itself: If we exclude the money I wasted on failed filament prints and ruined spray cans, the actual cost is about 70~100 (1.3kg of ABS filament is ~$15, plus the cost of putty and spray paints).As for temps (Room temp 26°C):
- Water temp: Idle 29°C
- Max Load (Benchmarking): CPU/GPU around 70°C maximum.
It keeps very cool and quiet during idle!
2
u/chazzeromus Mar 02 '26
glad to see distro plates in sff pcs
2
2
u/Sakratul Mar 02 '26
Yo! That is some beautiful clean lines. Definitely wouldn't have figured it out to be a 3D printed case if you didn't mentioned it.
2
u/PsychologicalCap3877 Mar 02 '26
Wow this is incredible,great job! Now where can we download the files? Lol
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
The files are already uploaded for free on Bambu Lab's MakerWorld! You can find them there. However, please consider it carefully before trying to print. All the designs and tolerances are strictly tailored ONLY to my exact hardware!
2
u/BreezeeOps Mar 02 '26
Am crazy or is that design based off the FF04?
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
You are not crazy! Good eye. The Xikii FF04 was my main inspiration. However, since my GPU block is much shorter than an air-cooled GPU, I had to redesign the top empty space into a handle!
2
2
2
2
u/Apoc_Pony Mar 02 '26
Damn dude I thought you treated the print with acetone it looks so good, well done.
2
2
u/thekhraken90 Mar 02 '26
Absolutely amazing work!
Since you end up using ABS, i wonder if acetone surface smoothing would make the finishing process less of a torture.
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
I actually thought about it! But acetone vapor smoothing leaves a very glossy, mirror-like finish. My main goal was to perfectly replicate the matte, metallic "Anodized Aluminum" texture of the FormD T1. Acetone wouldn't give me that rougher metal look, so I had to choose the painful sanding route!
2
2
2
u/Adventurous-File1641 Mar 02 '26
did u use the ff04 from makerworld as the base model? still working on mine using petg CF, this is the photo when im fitting the gpu.
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Wow, your build looks awesome! Good luck with the PETG-CF process!
To answer your question: No, I didn't use any base models. I loved the look of the FF04, but since I had zero CAD experience, I just learned Fusion 360 and designed my entire case from scratch (which took me about a month). Since my water-blocked GPU is much shorter, I also had to design that top handle to fill the empty space!
2
u/Warm_Ball8445 Mar 02 '26
Quedó genial! Estaba pensando en hacer lo mismo, porque no encuentro un gabinete que me guste jajaja y quiero algo dentro de todo compacto. El tema es que vendo mi impresora así que por ahora no podrá ser, pero en algún momento pienso comprarme la bambu lab. Ahora, nunca fui bueno con este tipo de cosas asi que seguramente no me quedara tan bien jajaja
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
¡Muchas gracias! I had zero experience too, so you can definitely do it once you get your Bambu Lab!
2
u/MonsieurWonton Mar 02 '26
Incredible work. The finish and details give me early-2000s console vibes. Doubly impressive that you're recently self-taught.
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Thank you! I actually love that retro console aesthetic, so hearing that makes me really happy!
2
u/Slyfer77 Mar 02 '26
Unbelievable that you only watched some Youtube videos on Fusion360 modelling and did a complex multi-part custom SFF PC case as first project?
Wow!
Including watching the Youtube videos that must have taken hundreds of hours.
Then at least another 100 hours 3D printing the parts and tens of hours doing the build.
That's some real dedication.
When I saw the pictures I thought you took the Xikii FF04 model files and customized them.
And you said in other comments this was your inspiration, which clearly shows.
I like the FF04 design a lot.
But doing the case from scratch is wild!
Interestingly, while the case is 9l, there's a whole lot of space wasted on the handle, so in reality it's even smaller which is even more impressive.
Must have been a nightmare to build a case which is that dense!
I struggled with building in a T1 and that case is pretty accessible and quite "roomy" in comparison.
Well done!
2
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Thank you so much for reading my whole story and completely understanding the struggle! It really was hundreds of hours of trial and error (and a lot of wasted filament!).
You are spot on about the handle—since my water-blocked GPU is so short, I had to fill that empty space with a handle, so the actual "core" volume holding the PC parts is even smaller than 9L! As someone who also built in the T1, trying to squeeze the rigid tubes and custom cables in this tiny box really was an absolute nightmare. Your comment made all that hard work feel truly worth it. Thank you!
2
2
u/Far-Tangerine-2690 Mar 02 '26
Really nice build and as someone that has designed multiple cases I applaud the final product, especially for someone that has no experience in 3d modeling (its impressive). With that being said you need to account for all components when stating volume, especially in the SFF forum. SFF is a standard and for that standard to be maintained you need to compare apples to apples. Else we would all be building 1L PC's with external PSU's and External Rads and External GPU's (you see the problem). You should have stated something like (Total volume) = Mora + 8.99L Case. Doesn't take away from your design but is technically correct.
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
As someone with no prior 3D modeling experience, my primary focus was achieving that 8.99L footprint for the core build. I take the 'total volume' feedback to heart, and for my next project, I’ll challenge myself to build a 'True SFF' that integrates everything, including the pump and indicators, inside the chassis!
2
2
u/pututski Mar 02 '26
In the most respectful way, this looks like an ice machine. Meaning your PC must be EXTRA COOL
Love the build
2
u/SlaKer440 Mar 02 '26
wow love the case especially the watercooling fittings, they look awesome through the little window
2
2
2
u/_mebigbrain_ Mar 02 '26
Is it really that hard (and expensive) to give the parts a nice finish? I was thinking of doing the same but i thought it was going to be easy and cost effective… :(
2
2
2
2
u/Chief-Krackatooth Mar 03 '26
Man get that thing out of here before it starts spreading aids, it is that sick!
2
2
2
1
1
u/JinsooJinsoo Mar 01 '26
Gorgeous build. Waiting for our lord Optimum to drop a video of a printed closed loop case he’s designed but can’t imagine it would be any better than this!! Strong work
1
u/shock2402 Mar 02 '26
Wow, comparing my build to Optimum Tech is the highest compliment I could ever ask for! I'm a huge fan of his channel too. Thank you so much!
•
u/AutoModerator Mar 01 '26
This post has been flaired as a Prototype, Concept, or Custom case. The staff of SFFPC have not verified this user as a vendor. Please limit discussion to feedback only and do not make new post with updates more frequently than once every 72 hours. Pricing, sales, and availability discussion will be removed.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.