Been into the sff scene for 4 years now. The interest and innovation over the last year has been great. The sff/itx community is great and for the most part everyone is very friendly and helpful.
It seems like a product still in beta testing. They're putting a LOT of effort into it, which is incredibly refreshing to see, but they need to shore up the nuances if they're going to ask a premium price for this seemingly (almost) premium product. The GPU absolutely should have a support bracket (this is an absolute MUST IMO). The screws should all have matching or similar size but same type of screw heads. Thank you Jay for another great review as always!
About those things @12:24, they could have the inside part of the head be a square like some big screws have, where the head is completely round and has a square section before the thread starts (search "round head screw with square neck"). It would be more tooling but would be more secure. I agree with what you say @23:20. That looks better vertically but those feet do not seem they could resist someone bumping the desk. Apart from that and the GPU mount, the case looks great although I personally would like it better in a darker aluminum. Keep at it Thor, you are worthy of it :) And thank you Jay.
First impression as you unboxed it.. beautiful. Their packing presentation and product care seems immaculate! I'm not normally one for jumping immediately to grill designs but there's something about that..That old thought pops up in my head that such milling cries out for some shine through mood lighting, as if the case is trying to contain power. It's one of those qualities about milled metal design to my mind where, in the absence of tempered glass and a clear line of sight on components, you just enjoy the ability to bring a glow of life. Post review thoughts.. yep they thought about lighting too! Upright orientation is the natural choice but it's lovely that they give you the option to mount the feet wherever you wish.. Now, the price.. lol
We need more cases that can be put in the vertical orientation like that, I love that style with it having the small footprint on the desk, I'm running the Phanteks evolv shift air 2 for that reason. Oh and as a mechanical engineer I can say I highly doubt they milled that out of a solid block of aluminum, it could be formed, welded, and machined, though mostly likely it's cast into that tubular shape and then machined.
@@LukeTheJoker I'd think as a small boutique case manufacturer their volumes would be too low to make custom extrusions, though admittedly I've always been in the industry of designing large low volume industrial equipment, so I'm not certain where the production volumes need to be to make custom extrusions viable, it certainty would be the best method if their volumes are high enough.
I would be willing to bet that the shell is made on a tube laser. Very fast and very accurate, can cut all the air slots rapidly and does it out of a piece of tubing or extrusion. We run one at my work, very cool equipment. For those curious check out the Trumpf TruLaser Tube 7000 Fiber.
The flathead ones can stay flat, but would require square or hexagonal (a non round) shape that goes in and fits into the chassis part, between thread and the head to lock it in place while screwing screw into it. This way it won't turn, you just have to keep it pushed in. The head of it would look a bit like those of carriage bolts.
Hey Jay, machinist here. That shell (likely) isn't made out of a solid block. It's an extrusion. Clearly they expect to be selling a lot of these as custom extrusion dies are quite expensive.
Regarding the caps for the handle/feet holes, they could put the hex on the underside of the cap and have the bevel countersunk with a hex shape. That way as long as it's seated it will grip, but yes, definitely no slotted screws ANYWHERE in a computer chassis. That's asking for a screwdriver blade to go skating across PCB traces. Ask me how I know.
The amount of thought and care that went into every detail of this case is just mind boggling. It's a genuinely impressive little case. As for fitting monster GPUs the fact it even can is impressive, let alone the fact this looks like a WAY EASIER experience than I had literally stuffing my ROG Strix 4090 into my Fractal North. A couple little tweaks and this thing would be perfect.
Not sure if Jay would see this but PLEASE check to see how far out a Display Port and HDMI cable sticks when the case is vertical. I feel you would need to get yourself a right angle cable to accommodate that as it feels like the feet aren't tall enough. Most video cables have about 1-2" of hard plastic on the shell for the plug making it impossible to bend.
Hello there, I myself run my PC in the predecessor and I just wanted to share my thougths on the new one and enlighten interested People on the things Jay mentioned or missed. I noticed that the RGB Stripes / Godrays are still the same as in the smaler Mjolnir so that might explain the hex-screws Jay noticed when mounting them to the case. The things on the front panels that are mounted via magnets can be switched out for different designs / materials like wood-accents or so. The power supply mounts can also be inverted which was already included in the mjolnir but i think it works better in the mjolnir since it is a whole bracket not just 2 round metal pieces that turn when trying to screw/ unscrew them. The GPU-holding was better in the Mjolnir since it has a clamping mechanisem like the one Jay talked about but also not as flexible and didnt allow any card bigger than 2 slots (I myself run a Gigabyte Gaming OC 3060Ti). I am looking forward to your build and what kind of Power you can cram into this awesome looking smal case.
I REALLY want to love this case but after being so burned by the quality of Mjolnir, I’m not sure I can. After two years of use, my Mjolnir side, top, and bottom panels have warped so badly the magnets no longer make contact leaving the case permanently open. The filter had also delaminated from the bottom panel within six months of use, and the front fan panel upgrade >never > worked
Really like this case! Some changes I would like to see : use torques head screws (less likely to strip, look good, easy to control), also, the cPs could just be triangular or square since they wemt through the effort of precessing everythjng else into the aluminum, the they wouldn't spin. the round feet are just a bad idea physics wise, and that gpu clamp isn't gonna work for somethings like a red devil. Always need to be able to mount a gpu with tabs at the dp port side (3 point minimum like Jay said) . Also wish that (generally) companies would take all the largest components for a form factor and then build the case to fit that. It always seems like this form factor is 3-4mm short of perfection. Just add the extra 4mm on each side, it's not gonna change the overall size by much but would be such a great improvement. The tube frame design is georgious though, I would almost rather run it open. If I bought this my desk wold Def be getting a hole in it to hide them cables in vertical orientation.
The problem is everything being aluminum means accidentally stripping the threads is a real concern. I'd prefer hex heads which can look fine and most people will have the right size. You'd be more likely to strip the threads before damaging the head of quality screws unless small head sizes are used, which might not be a bad idea. Torx effectively ensures the threads will strip before there's any indication and would only make sense for really small screws IMO.
All good points. I would love to set it up in a vertical orientation as well, but those rounded handle/leg things scare me. Tall, skinny, and heavy things with a narrow base are prone to falling. But maybe that is just me; I have a large dog and a small child at home. Regardless, I'd like to see something like ┴───┴ instead of ╰───╯ for the legs.
You bassically just repeated everything that Jay said.. like exactly... except for that idiotic part about a SMALL FORM FACTOR bespoke company complying with every size GPU and MOtherboard and what ever else.. they have cases like that.. They are called well every other case, unless you ment, oh they need too look at every graphics card and factor in so that it can fit all gpus.. fine what ever... then they have to factor in all small form factor oh wait!! thats it, thats the only thing you really have to wory about when building small form factor is is yoru most expensive component going to fit, because everything else you are buying to build a small from factor build... is just for that reason.. for it to be small.. and all companies have small form PSU's, small cpu coolers, mini-itx motherboards.. every company has that stuff its up to the builder of the computer to pick and choose and build the build they want, no the other way around.. if you want that buy a MAC because they are amazing at it.
My first diy build was a water cooled Lian Li aluminum machine 21 years ago and I have since had zero interest in sff builds. But every few years I see a case that makes me want to build a new machine and this is one of them. I am still a year from a new machine but I WILL have this case next year price be damned. I was blown away with how beautiful this case is, last time I felt this way was the pc-o11 and before that the first time I saw tempered glass on a case. I might even need to do a custom loop which I have sworn off, but man, with this you do it once and you do it right
Great energy Jay! This case looks awesome, handle/foot system aside. It's great to see a smaller company really hit it out of the park. That 3080 looked hilarious in that tiny little cage 😂
Gosh I wish all brands took this much care in packaging, let alone the manufacturing of the case itself. I have wanted the original thorzone for awhile but it's soo expensive.
That is one lovely case and the packing is top class like you said the bigger companies could take notes on how to pack their system cases love the work Jay and crew always great to catch 🤟👍
I like the thick external metal, but the inside looks like a tinker toy set. I will wait for Caselabs to come back to I can get a brother for my Mercury.
14:20 or the shoulder could be made into a square profile. I’m 90% positive that these little inserts are made on an auto feed mill center which should be capable of such a thing.
its over priced... case doesn't even stand up correctly, GPU doesn't even hold correctly, and I'm sure there are more issues. Plus you gotta pay for handles..
This reminds me a lot of the LOUQE Raw S1. That case has it's challenges on thermals, but the thing is rock solid once it's assembled. No issues with the GPU walking around like this case, and I think the end result in the vertical orientation is a lot cleaner, since the case itself hides the cables coming out of the bottom. I did a fairly hot build in mine (7700X and 7900XTX) and after some foam gasket mods to ensure cool air gets to the GPU and adding an exhaust fan at the top of the case with a 3d printed shroud, the entire thing runs amazingly well.
In the past, I have always hated the idea of an SFF, so many limitations and not a lot of high end component selection...but those limitations are being removed or reduced year over year. You can pack an insane amount of horsepower and cooling into an SFF these days, and I must say this thing looks GREAT aesthetically...that vertical mode is just wowsers. There have been a few SFF cases that caught my eye in the last 6 months....really thinking of giving SFF a try in 2024!
I think Thor Zone might want to reconsider the rounded shape of the “legs / handles”, it’s obvious when used as legs in portrait mode that they contribute to some instability, which (at my house, with rambunctious kids and pets) would contribute to the PC falling over.
23:50 The outer shell is probably extruded as a rectangular pipe. The holes and the space for the steel strips for the magnetic mounted dust filters are machined in after.
Flip the fans to the other side of the AIO so they are in Pull configuration. That way the recessed area on the other side of the AIO is available for space requirements of the board and cables. This will make it easier for the riser to be installed on the GPU while the GPU is positioned in the central position vs the outer. Central being where you had it when you realized the AIO would have issues then moved the GPU outward
Allen screws for the caps / handles, but if they flattened the sides of the caps / handles threaded insert and then the hole they slipped into was slotted to match it would act as a locking mechanism to where it wouldn't spin.
Its a great case, I think we also can make a custom water cooling sistem with that. The sobrid style its just great for some proffessional environment.
4:32 Phil, I don’t know they manufactured the case, but being in the CNC machining industry my guess is that it’s extruded and they cut the slots and anything on the inside. That would be much more economical than matching a giant billet just to turn 90% of it into chips. Getting an end mill that long would be stupid, even if you’re attacking it from both sides.
I don't think they would machine the case from a solid block. You don't want to throw away 98% of your material by machining, unless it is really really necessary... It looks like an aluminum extrusion that was machined on all four sides and some surfaces inside. Still, looks like a lot of thought and engineering went into it, would definitely build a PC if I had the components available...
If they wanted to keep the clean look they could also key the insert part of the caps at 14:22 (e.g make them square) that way they wouldn't spin in the holes.
Never thought of small form factors, but that case might. That is cool and unique, I feel they should have one type of head on all the screws, hex or Philips (IMO). Trying to see if the wood face has the power button on it. Need a better job so I can justify getting that case honestly. I look forward to the build video.
If you're looking at SFF, mind taking a look at SFFTime's P-ATX and N-ATX cases? Those both support full blooded ATX mobos, so it would be interesting how it would see how well they would work for workstations where you could use the extra RAM/NVMe slots for what they're worth.
The cap issue could be solved by milling a flat side profile on the inside of the hole, and giving the body of the cap the same profile (the cross section of the cap would look like the letter C).This way when the cap is inside the hole it won't be able to spin. I know it's pretty hard to mill a hole in this shape, but I've seen it being used.
From the “stills”, the rubber feet on the bars applied, seem to move around a lot too. If it was a LAN machine, they look like they’d eventually rub and break off. Cheap replacements may need to be sold too.
13:00 to make it look clean and keep the rounded look design, the hex head could sit just just behind the circle. Yeah, it would have to stick out slightly more, but if the sleek round look is important, that would work fine :)
Love it, my 3080 would fit no problem. Regarding the blanking plate /screw issue, if they had even just put 2 slots as a key it would have stayed in place.
For the handle and flat bolts they could have broached an 0 shaped hole and milled flats on the bolt and handle locator stubs with a chamfer on the stubs and holes for ease of correct installation, maybe with fillets where the stub meets the main body of the parts to match the chamfered hole for added fancy, there you go Thor Zone, a bit of free R&D for you to stop the issue. Edit, they're already making elongated holes for the beams, why didn't anyone think to do the same for the handle/bolt hole and mill the sides flat on on the locator stub? and before anyone says "because cost" it's worth doing to stop returns and replacements
How about 280mm and 140mm Radiator + CPU Waterblock and GPU Waterblock? There must be enough space and cooling capacity for it. Imagine matt silver tubing, white light from inside... It would be a thing of beauty.
Case has promise, but like Jay said, a thin tall case with all the weight at the top will be nice and easy to tip over. Can you possibly insert the frame "upside down"? That would possible result in the power supply being lower and lowering the center of gravity increasing stability in the vertical position.
So that particular case would be 364 Euro, 29 Euros for handles, 29 Euros for Lightrays, the Asetek AIO is 109 Euro, making it 531 Euros (or $582.00 USD). i think it's an amazing sff case, but I don't personally think I would ever spend that much money on that particular case. I'd just build something beautiful out of hardwoods in the shop and invest the money I saved on upgrades for the pc. =)
On the handle/cap screw, maybe a flat edge on the chassis and thread end of the cap could work. Keeps the outside aesthetic and gives somewhere for resistance if it crossthreads or something.
So there are ways to keep the clean look for those inserts other than adding a Phillips or hex to it. If you add a flat side or even two flat sides to the inner portion of the insert with the pass through hole for the insert with the appropriate keyed hole for the insert to keep it from turning.
This case is a dream come true. The fact that it can take the absolutely largest possible GPU's, and then water cooling for the CPU, and that it can be oriented virtually any way you want, it's one of the most versatile SFF cases to exist. Possibly the most versatile of any PC case. I'm buying one, but I don't know when I will build in it, just because I also happen to really like my NR200P. Also those handles don't really inspire confidence if I'm trying to carry the whole thing. What to do.....
I would say that most likely it's an extruded tube which is then milled for the air slots. It wouldn't make any sense at all for that to be fully milled from one block.
Instead of putting a hex head, or Allen, key on that machined “nut“ what about having the “nut“ with a squared off piece underneath the machine head (like a carriage bolt) and the same squared off opening in the case?… Then you only need the screwdriver on the one side… you wouldn’t need to do that to the feet because they already don’t spin like you said.
I would like to see the feet be flat as well as having 90 degree off shoots on the feet to provide stability for vertical orientation. The last thing you want to have that case do is to take a header off a desk or table.
That case will probably be my next build. A a single 280mm rad is more than enough to handle most hardware for what I do. They probably extrude or cast the shell then mill all the holes.
Whenever I go somewhere for more than 4-5 days, I bring my heavy ass tower around with me, and I've been thinking that (as I'm on a very tight budget) if I can slowly afford to move my storage from old HDDs/SSDs to M.2s, maybe I'll move to a SFF build...I may have to look at Thor Zone for a dream case to save up for, these cases and even just the packaging are beautiful!
When a box is hard to get out of the outer box like that, take the knife and make a small slit into the tape on the OTHER SIDE. Its stuck in there with suction, so the small slit will help you get it out! Source: opened thousands of boxes at jobs
Still think you shoud get a few radiators and some copper tubing... build the frame of the case out of the copper tubing and connect the radiators to the unit also through the copper tubing.
I love ITX and I haven't done a ITX build in over 8 years, I slammed that buy button as hard and fast as I could after your review. Plus they are a smaller company so that's a W.
This is great! But the skin tones appear altered from the source. Is that a limitation of the software, or something that could be adjusted in future passes/projects? Thanks for posting this
This type of case is really for enthusiasts type of consumer. You need quite a bit of knowledge and finance (if some parts doesn't fit and you need to buy the ones that can) and even then you need to painstakingly adjust everything to conform to your build in mind. Cool stuff regardless.
I thought of an Idea to get the top fan to fit on the power switch panel you could try getting some longer screws and a couple washers to give you a couple more mms of space cant wait to see a build in this case.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
It makes me think of the wall panels inside the Death Star.
I was thinking the same thing!
Exactly!
You're not wrong. Just made it even cooler to me. lol
Can't unsee that now.
That's no case...
That might be extruded rather than milling out the interior. Same way you get pipes or box tubing.
Or casted. But still needs a lot of milling for all that airflow.
My thoughts exactly. Ive never seen a milling spindle that can go that deep without severe shuttering.
There is no chance the outer piece is machined from a solid block, it is either an extrusion or a casting.
Definitely extruded. It's not even expensive to tool up for, although probably not so cheap with that cross-section.
Guessing holes are water jet cut. Case could be an extrusion but - if it was me - folded aluminium sheet followed up by a laser weld along the join.
Been into the sff scene for 4 years now. The interest and innovation over the last year has been great. The sff/itx community is great and for the most part everyone is very friendly and helpful.
It seems like a product still in beta testing. They're putting a LOT of effort into it, which is incredibly refreshing to see, but they need to shore up the nuances if they're going to ask a premium price for this seemingly (almost) premium product. The GPU absolutely should have a support bracket (this is an absolute MUST IMO). The screws should all have matching or similar size but same type of screw heads. Thank you Jay for another great review as always!
This is by far one of the best small form factor cases I have seen. Like I normally don't like them and I LOVE this
+1
500+ euro nice.....I'm still probs going to get one.
@@TheCuttz1984 400, i think, but yeah
Still bringing content 👏Wishing you the best Jay🙏. This case oozes class.
Love Thor Zone and the Mjolnir was a dream case for me. This one ups the ante even more. Thanks for the cool content, Jay and team!
Really appreciate it, hope your MJOLNIR still brings you lots of joy 💪
About those things @12:24, they could have the inside part of the head be a square like some big screws have, where the head is completely round and has a square section before the thread starts (search "round head screw with square neck"). It would be more tooling but would be more secure.
I agree with what you say @23:20. That looks better vertically but those feet do not seem they could resist someone bumping the desk.
Apart from that and the GPU mount, the case looks great although I personally would like it better in a darker aluminum.
Keep at it Thor, you are worthy of it :)
And thank you Jay.
This looks SIC! I can't wait to see a full build. Oh, and YES the packaging is on another level.
this look like my cheese grater
First impression as you unboxed it.. beautiful. Their packing presentation and product care seems immaculate! I'm not normally one for jumping immediately to grill designs but there's something about that..That old thought pops up in my head that such milling cries out for some shine through mood lighting, as if the case is trying to contain power. It's one of those qualities about milled metal design to my mind where, in the absence of tempered glass and a clear line of sight on components, you just enjoy the ability to bring a glow of life.
Post review thoughts.. yep they thought about lighting too! Upright orientation is the natural choice but it's lovely that they give you the option to mount the feet wherever you wish.. Now, the price.. lol
We need more cases that can be put in the vertical orientation like that, I love that style with it having the small footprint on the desk, I'm running the Phanteks evolv shift air 2 for that reason.
Oh and as a mechanical engineer I can say I highly doubt they milled that out of a solid block of aluminum, it could be formed, welded, and machined, though mostly likely it's cast into that tubular shape and then machined.
Most likely cold-drawn aluminium as a rectangular tube - I've used that size (approx) for roof joists in glass structures.
There's literally a lot of SFF cases you can put in a vertical orientation like that.
That outer case is extruded alumimum.
@@LukeTheJoker I'd think as a small boutique case manufacturer their volumes would be too low to make custom extrusions, though admittedly I've always been in the industry of designing large low volume industrial equipment, so I'm not certain where the production volumes need to be to make custom extrusions viable, it certainty would be the best method if their volumes are high enough.
@@sandrahiltz I believe that is a standard size extrusion, but the perforations and relief cuts are added after cutting from stock.
I would be willing to bet that the shell is made on a tube laser. Very fast and very accurate, can cut all the air slots rapidly and does it out of a piece of tubing or extrusion. We run one at my work, very cool equipment. For those curious check out the Trumpf TruLaser Tube 7000 Fiber.
The case is most likely a single piece extruded tube and then the venting is machined. I work with similar products (but smaller)
yeah I thought the same but then wouldn't be casting sth like that be much easier and potentially cheaper?
Agree, must be an extrusion. Certainly bigger than most though and sure to cost way more than just the usual panels bend to shape.
probably extruded 20 foot long and then cut up.
I'm betting $40 a foot prior to vent machining. Average cost for big extruded.@@bzdtemp
"There is a great disturbance in the Force," Palpatine tells Darth Vader. This is the Computer 🖥️. That runs the whole Empire of STAR WARS.
We need more SFF! I would love to see the whole build. Big fan of SFF!
The flathead ones can stay flat, but would require square or hexagonal (a non round) shape that goes in and fits into the chassis part, between thread and the head to lock it in place while screwing screw into it. This way it won't turn, you just have to keep it pushed in. The head of it would look a bit like those of carriage bolts.
Hey Jay, machinist here. That shell (likely) isn't made out of a solid block. It's an extrusion. Clearly they expect to be selling a lot of these as custom extrusion dies are quite expensive.
It could even be a 'standard' rectangular extrusion (off the shelf size). Tolerances might be an issue tho, wear of the die effects the thickness.
Regarding the caps for the handle/feet holes, they could put the hex on the underside of the cap and have the bevel countersunk with a hex shape. That way as long as it's seated it will grip, but yes, definitely no slotted screws ANYWHERE in a computer chassis. That's asking for a screwdriver blade to go skating across PCB traces. Ask me how I know.
The amount of thought and care that went into every detail of this case is just mind boggling. It's a genuinely impressive little case. As for fitting monster GPUs the fact it even can is impressive, let alone the fact this looks like a WAY EASIER experience than I had literally stuffing my ROG Strix 4090 into my Fractal North. A couple little tweaks and this thing would be perfect.
It should be, this case is $400 if not more.
Not sure if Jay would see this but PLEASE check to see how far out a Display Port and HDMI cable sticks when the case is vertical. I feel you would need to get yourself a right angle cable to accommodate that as it feels like the feet aren't tall enough. Most video cables have about 1-2" of hard plastic on the shell for the plug making it impossible to bend.
I like larger cases but I can appreciate the looks of this. Its a functional showpiece. 👍🏻
Hello there,
I myself run my PC in the predecessor and I just wanted to share my thougths on the new one and enlighten interested People on the things Jay mentioned or missed.
I noticed that the RGB Stripes / Godrays are still the same as in the smaler Mjolnir so that might explain the hex-screws Jay noticed when mounting them to the case.
The things on the front panels that are mounted via magnets can be switched out for different designs / materials like wood-accents or so.
The power supply mounts can also be inverted which was already included in the mjolnir but i think it works better in the mjolnir since it is a whole bracket not just 2 round metal pieces that turn when trying to screw/ unscrew them.
The GPU-holding was better in the Mjolnir since it has a clamping mechanisem like the one Jay talked about but also not as flexible and didnt allow any card bigger than 2 slots (I myself run a Gigabyte Gaming OC 3060Ti).
I am looking forward to your build and what kind of Power you can cram into this awesome looking smal case.
I got the apple design but it also reminds me of the galactic empire wall panels
I REALLY want to love this case but after being so burned by the quality of Mjolnir, I’m not sure I can. After two years of use, my Mjolnir side, top, and bottom panels have warped so badly the magnets no longer make contact leaving the case permanently open.
The filter had also delaminated from the bottom panel within six months of use, and the front fan panel upgrade >never > worked
Really like this case! Some changes I would like to see : use torques head screws (less likely to strip, look good, easy to control), also, the cPs could just be triangular or square since they wemt through the effort of precessing everythjng else into the aluminum, the they wouldn't spin. the round feet are just a bad idea physics wise, and that gpu clamp isn't gonna work for somethings like a red devil. Always need to be able to mount a gpu with tabs at the dp port side (3 point minimum like Jay said) . Also wish that (generally) companies would take all the largest components for a form factor and then build the case to fit that. It always seems like this form factor is 3-4mm short of perfection. Just add the extra 4mm on each side, it's not gonna change the overall size by much but would be such a great improvement. The tube frame design is georgious though, I would almost rather run it open. If I bought this my desk wold Def be getting a hole in it to hide them cables in vertical orientation.
The problem is everything being aluminum means accidentally stripping the threads is a real concern. I'd prefer hex heads which can look fine and most people will have the right size. You'd be more likely to strip the threads before damaging the head of quality screws unless small head sizes are used, which might not be a bad idea. Torx effectively ensures the threads will strip before there's any indication and would only make sense for really small screws IMO.
All good points. I would love to set it up in a vertical orientation as well, but those rounded handle/leg things scare me. Tall, skinny, and heavy things with a narrow base are prone to falling. But maybe that is just me; I have a large dog and a small child at home. Regardless, I'd like to see something like ┴───┴ instead of ╰───╯ for the legs.
You bassically just repeated everything that Jay said.. like exactly... except for that idiotic part about a SMALL FORM FACTOR bespoke company complying with every size GPU and MOtherboard and what ever else.. they have cases like that.. They are called well every other case, unless you ment, oh they need too look at every graphics card and factor in so that it can fit all gpus.. fine what ever... then they have to factor in all small form factor oh wait!! thats it, thats the only thing you really have to wory about when building small form factor is is yoru most expensive component going to fit, because everything else you are buying to build a small from factor build... is just for that reason.. for it to be small.. and all companies have small form PSU's, small cpu coolers, mini-itx motherboards.. every company has that stuff its up to the builder of the computer to pick and choose and build the build they want, no the other way around.. if you want that buy a MAC because they are amazing at it.
My first diy build was a water cooled Lian Li aluminum machine 21 years ago and I have since had zero interest in sff builds. But every few years I see a case that makes me want to build a new machine and this is one of them. I am still a year from a new machine but I WILL have this case next year price be damned. I was blown away with how beautiful this case is, last time I felt this way was the pc-o11 and before that the first time I saw tempered glass on a case. I might even need to do a custom loop which I have sworn off, but man, with this you do it once and you do it right
Great energy Jay! This case looks awesome, handle/foot system aside. It's great to see a smaller company really hit it out of the park. That 3080 looked hilarious in that tiny little cage 😂
Gosh I wish all brands took this much care in packaging, let alone the manufacturing of the case itself. I have wanted the original thorzone for awhile but it's soo expensive.
That is one lovely case and the packing is top class like you said the bigger companies could take notes on how to pack their system cases love the work Jay and crew always great to catch 🤟👍
Take note that for this packaging you pay a premium the other case they make cost 466$
Good quality come at a price
I like the thick external metal, but the inside looks like a tinker toy set. I will wait for Caselabs to come back to I can get a brother for my Mercury.
This is a solid implementation. Reminds me a bit of the Xita X-Proto, very interesting SFF build
I have the ATX case of that brand for about a year now. Could not be happier. it's an ATX case but its only 17Liters which is great
@@emiel255 Xtia or Thorzone ?
@@GW3N_yt the Xtia Xproto ATX case
14:20 or the shoulder could be made into a square profile. I’m 90% positive that these little inserts are made on an auto feed mill center which should be capable of such a thing.
I thought the price would be crazy high. But its actually decently priced
400 us dollars for a case, no accessories, if you look the handles arent included or anything. just he standard case, the rest is add ons
Uh, its pretty pricey......and you gotta wait over 4 months to get it.
its over priced... case doesn't even stand up correctly, GPU doesn't even hold correctly, and I'm sure there are more issues. Plus you gotta pay for handles..
This reminds me a lot of the LOUQE Raw S1. That case has it's challenges on thermals, but the thing is rock solid once it's assembled. No issues with the GPU walking around like this case, and I think the end result in the vertical orientation is a lot cleaner, since the case itself hides the cables coming out of the bottom. I did a fairly hot build in mine (7700X and 7900XTX) and after some foam gasket mods to ensure cool air gets to the GPU and adding an exhaust fan at the top of the case with a 3d printed shroud, the entire thing runs amazingly well.
First one
Thanks!
In the past, I have always hated the idea of an SFF, so many limitations and not a lot of high end component selection...but those limitations are being removed or reduced year over year. You can pack an insane amount of horsepower and cooling into an SFF these days, and I must say this thing looks GREAT aesthetically...that vertical mode is just wowsers. There have been a few SFF cases that caught my eye in the last 6 months....really thinking of giving SFF a try in 2024!
I think Thor Zone might want to reconsider the rounded shape of the “legs / handles”, it’s obvious when used as legs in portrait mode that they contribute to some instability, which (at my house, with rambunctious kids and pets) would contribute to the PC falling over.
This is what happens when you let your concept designer run wild, but didn't find a mechanical engineer to fact-check the design.
23:50 The outer shell is probably extruded as a rectangular pipe. The holes and the space for the steel strips for the magnetic mounted dust filters are machined in after.
Flip the fans to the other side of the AIO so they are in Pull configuration. That way the recessed area on the other side of the AIO is available for space requirements of the board and cables. This will make it easier for the riser to be installed on the GPU while the GPU is positioned in the central position vs the outer. Central being where you had it when you realized the AIO would have issues then moved the GPU outward
Allen screws for the caps / handles, but if they flattened the sides of the caps / handles threaded insert and then the hole they slipped into was slotted to match it would act as a locking mechanism to where it wouldn't spin.
No allen head on those. Just key them so when in place they cannot spin when placed in the slot correctly.
12:52 you could square the bottom of the screw in order to keep the head flush
Its a great case, I think we also can make a custom water cooling sistem with that. The sobrid style its just great for some proffessional environment.
4:32 Phil, I don’t know they manufactured the case, but being in the CNC machining industry my guess is that it’s extruded and they cut the slots and anything on the inside. That would be much more economical than matching a giant billet just to turn 90% of it into chips. Getting an end mill that long would be stupid, even if you’re attacking it from both sides.
Outer aluminum shell is extruded, slots are machined afterwards.
A simple locking/covering plate on the exposed GPU tabs would do the trick.
That beautiful one-piece, outer shell is very likely extruded in a solid-walled tube and the machined through the walls to create the holes.
I don't think they would machine the case from a solid block. You don't want to throw away 98% of your material by machining, unless it is really really necessary... It looks like an aluminum extrusion that was machined on all four sides and some surfaces inside.
Still, looks like a lot of thought and engineering went into it, would definitely build a PC if I had the components available...
What a tactical case, so many m-lok attachment points. Clearly they want you to put a bi-pod on this case to deal with the stability problem.
That's actually quite decent idea :D Would definitely buy case with proper rails, since I have tons of accessories already :D
If they wanted to keep the clean look they could also key the insert part of the caps at 14:22 (e.g make them square) that way they wouldn't spin in the holes.
Never thought of small form factors, but that case might. That is cool and unique, I feel they should have one type of head on all the screws, hex or Philips (IMO). Trying to see if the wood face has the power button on it. Need a better job so I can justify getting that case honestly. I look forward to the build video.
If you're looking at SFF, mind taking a look at SFFTime's P-ATX and N-ATX cases? Those both support full blooded ATX mobos, so it would be interesting how it would see how well they would work for workstations where you could use the extra RAM/NVMe slots for what they're worth.
The cap issue could be solved by milling a flat side profile on the inside of the hole, and giving the body of the cap the same profile (the cross section of the cap would look like the letter C).This way when the cap is inside the hole it won't be able to spin. I know it's pretty hard to mill a hole in this shape, but I've seen it being used.
From the “stills”, the rubber feet on the bars applied, seem to move around a lot too. If it was a LAN machine, they look like they’d eventually rub and break off. Cheap replacements may need to be sold too.
13:00 to make it look clean and keep the rounded look design, the hex head could sit just just behind the circle. Yeah, it would have to stick out slightly more, but if the sleek round look is important, that would work fine :)
it's probably extruded aluminum if I had to guess.
Love it, my 3080 would fit no problem. Regarding the blanking plate /screw issue, if they had even just put 2 slots as a key it would have stayed in place.
I believe the outer shell is extruded aluminum and not milled from a single (thicc) bar. Much cheaper and easier to manufacture
For the handle and flat bolts they could have broached an 0 shaped hole and milled flats on the bolt and handle locator stubs with a chamfer on the stubs and holes for ease of correct installation, maybe with fillets where the stub meets the main body of the parts to match the chamfered hole for added fancy, there you go Thor Zone, a bit of free R&D for you to stop the issue.
Edit, they're already making elongated holes for the beams, why didn't anyone think to do the same for the handle/bolt hole and mill the sides flat on on the locator stub? and before anyone says "because cost" it's worth doing to stop returns and replacements
How about 280mm and 140mm Radiator + CPU Waterblock and GPU Waterblock? There must be enough space and cooling capacity for it. Imagine matt silver tubing, white light from inside... It would be a thing of beauty.
These smaller companies seem to be a bit more down to earth and don't always jump on the seizure inducing fishtank trend
Case has promise, but like Jay said, a thin tall case with all the weight at the top will be nice and easy to tip over. Can you possibly insert the frame "upside down"? That would possible result in the power supply being lower and lowering the center of gravity increasing stability in the vertical position.
the outer shell is an extruded profile, the slots are all either machined (expensive as heck) or laser/waterjet cut (much cheaper)
So that particular case would be 364 Euro, 29 Euros for handles, 29 Euros for Lightrays, the Asetek AIO is 109 Euro, making it 531 Euros (or $582.00 USD). i think it's an amazing sff case, but I don't personally think I would ever spend that much money on that particular case. I'd just build something beautiful out of hardwoods in the shop and invest the money I saved on upgrades for the pc. =)
Please do a build in this! I really want to see if the AIO fits with the 3090+, and what will the temps be??
What a beautiful case. Kinda wish there was a micro-atx version.
4:58 loving Jay's attempt at a micolash cosplay
The "sleeve" has to be extruded or casted aluminum. Agree about the legs. Accidents are prone to happen in an upright position like that.
On the handle/cap screw, maybe a flat edge on the chassis and thread end of the cap could work. Keeps the outside aesthetic and gives somewhere for resistance if it crossthreads or something.
So there are ways to keep the clean look for those inserts other than adding a Phillips or hex to it. If you add a flat side or even two flat sides to the inner portion of the insert with the pass through hole for the insert with the appropriate keyed hole for the insert to keep it from turning.
the thumbnail makes it look like an old school server rack tower
This case is a dream come true. The fact that it can take the absolutely largest possible GPU's, and then water cooling for the CPU, and that it can be oriented virtually any way you want, it's one of the most versatile SFF cases to exist. Possibly the most versatile of any PC case. I'm buying one, but I don't know when I will build in it, just because I also happen to really like my NR200P. Also those handles don't really inspire confidence if I'm trying to carry the whole thing. What to do.....
I would say that most likely it's an extruded tube which is then milled for the air slots. It wouldn't make any sense at all for that to be fully milled from one block.
@JayzTwoCents, Could be an Aluminum extrusion possibly to keep costs down, and loads less wasteage
Maybe an extra 12mm in each outside dimension would really help with the cooling solution inside, and it wouldn't make it that much larger overall.
Vertical / upright is how I'd mount it as well. Basically make a chimney out of it for the heat.
Instead of putting a hex head, or Allen, key on that machined “nut“ what about having the “nut“ with a squared off piece underneath the machine head (like a carriage bolt) and the same squared off opening in the case?… Then you only need the screwdriver on the one side… you wouldn’t need to do that to the feet because they already don’t spin like you said.
I would like to see the feet be flat as well as having 90 degree off shoots on the feet to provide stability for vertical orientation. The last thing you want to have that case do is to take a header off a desk or table.
That case will probably be my next build. A a single 280mm rad is more than enough to handle most hardware for what I do. They probably extrude or cast the shell then mill all the holes.
@Jayztwocents the shell is extruded aluminum, its not made from built aluminum block.
Whenever I go somewhere for more than 4-5 days, I bring my heavy ass tower around with me, and I've been thinking that (as I'm on a very tight budget) if I can slowly afford to move my storage from old HDDs/SSDs to M.2s, maybe I'll move to a SFF build...I may have to look at Thor Zone for a dream case to save up for, these cases and even just the packaging are beautiful!
When a box is hard to get out of the outer box like that, take the knife and make a small slit into the tape on the OTHER SIDE. Its stuck in there with suction, so the small slit will help you get it out!
Source: opened thousands of boxes at jobs
As you say.. watching these small guys products way more interesting than most of the bigger manufacturers keep this type of content up.
Jay, you keep orienting the 'switch' on top.. but that covers the electrical plug. The incoming cord isn't going to let you orient 'switch on top'
They can make those machined caps oblong so they won’t spin in the hole. Also the handle feet could be oblong.
The outer case is most likely made from extruded aluminum rectangle tube with the venting and other features machined after that.
8:40 you will not be disappointed
Still think you shoud get a few radiators and some copper tubing... build the frame of the case out of the copper tubing and connect the radiators to the unit also through the copper tubing.
Can'lt wait for the build video! I'd probably mount vertically too. Wish the feet were a little more stable!
Kudos to the little guys, showing the big corporations how to do things! Thanks Jay and team!
Dope.
Mount the cover to the wall with lag bolts, slide the system in.
I love ITX and I haven't done a ITX build in over 8 years, I slammed that buy button as hard and fast as I could after your review. Plus they are a smaller company so that's a W.
This is great! But the skin tones appear altered from the source. Is that a limitation of the software, or something that could be adjusted in future passes/projects? Thanks for posting this
As someone who wants to do a smaller build, I saw this video and instantly fell in love with this case.
$450
It looks like the handles can fir on the outside aluminum case actually? It would give you plenty of airflow as feet instead of the rubber.
That case screams for 420 (280+140) rad full custom watercooled build. Or even more if you are able to fit additional rad on GPU side
This type of case is really for enthusiasts type of consumer. You need quite a bit of knowledge and finance (if some parts doesn't fit and you need to buy the ones that can) and even then you need to painstakingly adjust everything to conform to your build in mind. Cool stuff regardless.
I thought of an Idea to get the top fan to fit on the power switch panel you could try getting some longer screws and a couple washers to give you a couple more mms of space cant wait to see a build in this case.
I absolutely hate the noise when the outer cover scratched against the metal of the frame