The Original Twist PC in a desk
PC components are so gorgeous you just have to put them in a glass box, so here is a layout for a DIY glass topped PC. What if a glass desk was used as the top of the PC? Even better; either way here is a computer and desk idea for your viewing pleasure.
The MDF case is a perfect fit for the Corsair H100i cooler which fixes the width. The power supply fixes the height . The sketch here show how it goes together. A false floor hides most of the wires. The motherboard is raised slightly to give better airflow around it and the M.2 memory on the underside. The two fans on the cooler draw air across the box with the smaller inlet giving a fast airflow across the motherboard and the HDD.
The finished case will be bolted up under the desk using threaded pucks glued to the glass.
To flesh it out more we’ll go through the components that would make a great PC (July 2018) and then we’ll add up the prices using the uk.pcpartpicker.com web site. N.B. A gamer’s version will need a graphics card mounted externally – another box then and more bling.
Corsair H100i V.2 CPU cooler.
The whole design rests on this pre-assembled water cooler which will cool the CPU while its fans draw air across all the other components. It comprises of a pump block on the main processor chip with a pair of pipes connecting a large radiator with 2 fans on it. The air flow is choked across the narrowed section of the case containing the motherboard and the hard disk drive. The fans, controlled on the Corsair Link, will run almost silently unless heavy CPU loads are imposed when the full 77cfm flow will come into force. Dimensions 276x125x30
Gigabyte – Z370N WIFI Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard 170x 170
Intel – Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor
Without going into mega expensive chips this is great value for money. The H100i is well up to cooling this latest generation Intel CPU even when overclocked and the cooling limits are actually related to heat flow across the chip rather than the water cooler itself.
G.Skill – Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
8Gb should be enough for most users.
Samsung – 970 Evo 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
This 250Gb solid state memory will ensure super fast boot up times and application loading. M.2 is neat too.
Western Digital – Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5″ 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
This component looks great with passive coolers and sound damping rubber suspension. A couple of Akasa aluminium finned side mounts will look and perform well without significantly impeding airflow.
Corsair – 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply – RMi 650i
650 Watts is greatly in excess of requirements but the bonus is that on light loads the inbuilt fan won’t even run at all. Like the H100i cooler the parameters can be viewed and controlled by Corsair Link on the PC. Quality is matched by the 7 year guarantee. The unit is modular so only the cables needed are used and being black and flat they will fit under the false floor and pretty much disappear in the case.
Note that the PSU is mounted on its side outside the case in a corner cut out; an arrangement that isolates the cooling from anything else going on in the case. The 150mm side of the unit determines the height of the PC case. Dimensions 150x86x160
How much?
The PC parts, Office, Windows 10, and monitor come to almost exactly £1,000 which is remarkably reasonable for such a high specification.
Before you start – how about perspex for the sides? All those lovely bits would float in full view while you sit at your desk.
Please note: The cooling of components may be very much on the excessive side but even so this is all untried and should be treated as a suggestion and starting point for someone who is computer savvy.
Check out the silent PC in LIST OF POSTS
Original Twist 