Overview / Usage

Being that we knew this PC would be for HisWattson prior to the initial design, it allowed us a chance to create something unique or "loud" enough to be at HisWattson's level. We had been sitting on this chassis design idea for a bit, and so moving forward on it for this event was definitely the right call. The full 316 stainless steel chassis features a prominent hourglass profile along it's length, providing the perfect name for this build - Project Hourglass.

This was a really fun design to push out and we're glad it was pulled off well. We've been building and watercooling PCs at LiquidHaus for almost multiple decades at this point, and we've discovered over time that using a test bench platform of some sort is by far the wisest decision when you're putting a lot of time in working with PCs. Extrapolate that idea with the newer trends we're seeing in the PC industry today, and you can certainly do a lot with a test bench platform. Our goal was to create something amazing looking, all the while incorporating that same ideology.

This all carries over to the best realization when building on this chassis - this isn't a traditional case. There are no walls or limitations to the creativity. It's our favorite part about this; an open air chassis is free reign for whatever it is that you want to achieve with a PC.

We were very fortunate to get multiple brands to sponsor different aspects of this build, which allowed us the creative control to make sure certain components worked the way we wanted them to.

Methodology / Approach

In this day and age, it's much easier to get something custom fabricated than it used to be. I used to modify cases by using a blow torch and some channel locks or a vice grip to bend metal the way I wanted it. Nowadays, we've got all sorts of modeling and design software, not to mention all of the many companies or individuals around the world that are eager to fabricate your ideas. We work with a close friend who is an engineer, whom we give our drawn up designs to, and he puts them into 3D form. We take those files to various manufacturers around the country and they produce the chassis.

Obviously, it is a goal someday to be able to produce these in-house (or should we say in-haus?) but that is something we are working on and hoping to achieve! We started with our first product - the EXT - with a very similar approach. After how successful that has been, it only makes sense to push forward and see where it takes us.

One of the best aspects about a functional design first and foremost is the ability to utilize it in multiple ways. The photos you see here are all done with the chassis sitting upright, it's not even in it's test bench form like we've been talking about this whole time! And that's one of the best parts about this sort of stuff, it can all still be subjective! It was a fun discussion with everyone on which configuration was favored more.

The same was said for the accent light tube run. The light tube arcing over the entire chassis was something we had wanted to implement for some time, but never found the right opportunity to do so. With how well it worked here, we're unsure if we could pull it off the same way again!

Technologies Used

MSI provided their Z790 Edge motherboard and RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio, PNY provided an insane 14TB of NVMe storage, and G.Skill provided 64gb of their Trident Z5 DDR5. Cables are a fully custom configured CableMod set, with EKWB providing all of the necessary watercooling components. Noiseblocker sent their trademark eLoop fans - which we favor for high performing low RPM fans, while also utilizing some MDPC-X sleeving on the soft tubing runs.

Other links

• G.Skill
• MDPC-X
• LiquidHaus
• MSI
• EKWB
• Noiseblocker
• CableMod
• PNY XLR8