Overview / Usage

The inspiration for this build is manufacturing. The construction of Fab 42 and the recent announcement for entirely new manufacturing facility in Ohio have secured intel's position on the cutting edge of manufacturing. To celebrate this, the build features an intersection of industry and sustainability, and showcases a sample of the manufacturing capabilities available to me in the labs at Western Washington University. I'd like to show appreciation for the technical knowledge and tools which enable me to complete this build, so I've also prioritized school spirit.*

The use for this machine is best represented by the saying "Work hard, play hard". During work, the PC will serve an invaluable resource to run engineering software, including CATIA, RoboDK, Vericut, and the Autodesk suite of engineering software. As an aspiring engineer, the transitions to online school and work-from-home caused by COVID-19 have highlighted the need for a powerful PC at home. My current PC is equipped with a 2nd gen core i7, so the upgrade would be incredible. I'm an aspiring manufacturing engineer, and hope to implement automation and lean methodologies to improve the efficiency of and sustainability of modern manufacturing. This PC will be used in designing the production lines of tomorrow. Once the workday ends, the gaming starts. I expect to run a variety of titles, both old and new. I'm an avid Halo fan, and would especially love to experience Halo Infinite on the latest intel hardware and the RTX3070. Through the pandemic, gaming has become an essential activity for connection with friends. Unfortunately my current PC often causes me to frustration when attempting to do so.

The scope of this project is a modification of the Be Quiet! Silent Base 802. This build will feature custom fabricated exterior panels for the case. These will be manufactured utilizing laser cutting, CNC water-jetting, and 3D printing. The build will be completed within a $100 budget. In order to guarantee I can create the product I have envisioned. I've only selected fabrication techniques which I have previous experience with.

​

*Western Washington University is not sponsoring this build. WWU Branding will be included only as a personal choice and no services or resources are being sponsored by WWU. The resources used for this build will be independently provided by me. No WWU tools will be used beyond those that are available with regular tuition and lab fees.

Methodology / Approach

Concept

In planning this project I decided on the following goals, weighted from 1 to 5 (1 being least important and 5 being most important.):

• Completion (5) - My first priority is the completion of the build by the deadline. Because this project would be taken on in addition to my busy school and work life, I need my design to be realistically achievable within the given time frame.
• Performance (4) - It is vital that the customization in this build does not limit the performance of hardware.
• Aesthetics (3) - A custom build should look awesome! I want my build to showcase the hardware and adhere to the theme I decide on.
• Cost (3) - I'm operating on a limited budget, so any materials and processes used need to be cheap and readily available. I set a $100 maximum budget for this build.

The first major decision of this project was whether to attempt a fully custom case or modify the Be Quiet! case. While building a case from scratch would be a great achievement, I ultimately decided that a case-mod would be my ideal route. I've built a PC before, but have never built a case from scratch or modified a case. A case modification project will call on my skills as an maker and offer an exciting and approachable challenge. The Be Quiet! Silent Base 802 is one of, if not the best PC case on the market today. Its exceptional thermals, mechanical design, and build quality make it the perfect platform to support new intel 12th gen components. This aligns very well with my goal to maximize the performance of the PC. Starting with a tried-and-true case to build on is sure to save headaches and hiccups that could interfere with my ability to finish the build on time. In making this decision, I was inspired by the case-mod projects from the PC Mod Level-Up Challenge.

Scope

I plan to build the PC and manufacture modifications to the existing panels of the case. These include, but are not limited to the modifications shown in the included media. As listed below, I've calculated cost based on the modifications in the concept photos and currently have close to $30 of surplus budget. I plan to use this remaining resource to modify the opposite side panel of the PC. The modifications illustrated here will be prioritized, and additional modifications will be made as time allows. If all else is on track, my stretch goals are to motorize the gears so they rotate within the case and incorporate a custom carbon fiber layup utilizing vacuum assisted resin transfer molding.

Design

I'm a manufacturing engineering student and have been closely following intel due to their expansion of US manufacturing facilities. Manufacturing was an obvious choice of theme, and this design celebrates both intel and WWU. The aesthetic is industrial, featuring aluminum gears and a lean visual appeal. I've always enjoyed the appearance of wood on PC's and would love to feature local cedar in this build. It's intended to look at home on a modern organized desk, while offering a glimpse at the hardware contained within. In addition to the classic industrial theme presented by the side panel, this design recognizes the importance of sustainability. Lastly, it features school spirit to show appreciation for the resources available to me through my school as well as the knowledge I've gained as an engineering student.

I put particular thought into the front panel of the PC. As can be seen in the project media, this front panel is inspired by nature. Specifically, this design is meant to mimic the interior structure of a cholla cactus. A major component of manufacturing moving forward is sustainability. I was inspired by intel's commitment to the environment in Arizona. intel's investments in renewable energy, restoration projects, and efficient practices set the standard for future manufacturing. The incorporation of the cholla cactus is in recognition of the fragile desert ecosystem and a nod at intel's commitment to protecting it. In addition, the cholla cactus represents excellent engineering in nature. Having lived in Arizona, I've always been intrigued by this structure. Lightweight and strong, the organic structure is a perfect example of efficiency. The efficiency of this natural design mirrors the efficiency of intel's 12th gen Alder Lake CPU's.

The front panel will be supported by 3D printed mounting hardware. Due to the print envelope size limitation of the machines available to me, this will be done in sections and assembled with adhesive. The mounting frame I designed is intended to be compatible with a mesh filter or the original steel mesh from the front panel of the Silent Base 802. I'm a cat owner, so I want to ensure that I can properly filter pet hair and dust from the air to protect the components in the PC.

For materials, I plan to use aluminum, red cedar boards, and acrylic. Aluminum compliments the industrial atheistic of the build. Because my need will be small, I'm hoping to source this aluminum from my school's metal recycling. Acrylic will be used for its transparency and availability. I choose red cedar boards for their sustainability over other woods used in laser cutting. Cedar is abundant here in Bellingham, and modern logging practices make it an incredibly renewable resource while minimizing the impact of logging on the local watershed.

Here are the materials I'm providing:

• 0.118" (3.0mm) x 12" x 12" Extruded Acrylic Sheet - $4.38
• 1/8" x 8" x 24" Red Cedar Board - $11.00 (X2)
• 0.063" x 12" × 24" Aluminum sheet - $32.66
• 8oz Interior wood stain - $4.87
• 1.75mm PLA Filament - $10 (approx)
• WS2812B LED strip - Have on hand.
• Adhesive - Have on hand.
• Total: $73.91

In addition to the materials listed, connector(s) will be created for the LED lighting using my personal soldering equipment and wire. Cost is predicted to be less than $10 for electronics mods. Custom LED's will be wired directly to the 5V addressable RGB headers on the motherboard, so additional controllers will not be needed.

Timeline

If I am selected as a finalist my build timeline is as follows (assuming 1 week for components to ship):

• 2/4 - 2/6: Design review and creation of parameterized CAD resources.
• 2/6 - 2/11: Material acquisition and scheduling of machine time at WWU labs.
• 2/11: Stock build of PC to verify functionality of components.
• 2/12: Case tear-down and collection of exact measurements.
• 2/13: Update CAD models based on case measurements.
• 2/14 : AM: Start front panel 3D prints. Afternoon: Laser cutting in WWU makerspace.
• 2/15 - 2/16: Solder LED connectors, stain cedar panels, assembly of currently finished components, troubleshooting and work on stretch goals as needed.
• 2/17: Water jet and polish aluminum components, additional 3D printing as needed.
• 2/18: Assembly of build.
• 2/19-2/22: Free for additional modifications and troubleshooting as needed.
• 2/22-2/24 - Finalize video editing and journal work for submission.

The above dates serve as deadlines for the listed descriptions. The timeline may shift based on when components arrive.

Technologies Used

The cornerstone of this build is the intel Core i9-12900K. With the release of the 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processor lineup, intel has set a new bar for both performance and efficiency. Intel's revolutionary approach to the x86 architecture maximizes the experience for the most demanding of PC users. The i9-12900K is the best of the best. Boasting 16 cores and a max turbo frequency of 5.20GHz , it's prepared to take on any task.

As an engineer and gamer, I demand a lot from my PC. Because of this, I'm incredibly excited by the features of the 12th Gen Core processors. The most exciting feature to me is the performance hybrid architecture. By combining both power and efficiency cores, intel has created the perfect solution for delivering performance to the processes that require it while efficiently managing others. With this technology in my PC, my multitasking will be taken to the next level. While working on projects, I can expect to simultaneously run 3+ resource-intensive engineering programs. These programs compete for resources and slow down my productivity. With the hybrid architecture and intel thread-director, my productivity will be fully unlocked. The 12th Gen Core processors bring with them a huge leap in desktop technology. PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory are cutting edge in PC hardware, and the Z690 platform is sure to be future proof for years to come. When it's time to game, the insane single threaded performance of the i9-12900K will provide an unhindered experience, maximizing the performance of every modern title. In addition, the RTX3070 will offer incredible graphics performance. I'm a competitive player, so every advantage counts. With this hardware, I feel I will leapfrog the competition.

Component list:

• Power supply: Seasonic FOCUS GX-850 - $168.99
• SSD: (1 TB) WD_BLACK SN850 - $164.99
• GPU: MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3070 - $1,351.30
• Case: Be Quiet! Silent Base 802 White - $199.80
• Heatsink: MSI MEG CORELIQUID S360 - $279.99
• Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI - $379.99
• Memory: 2 x 16 GB - $309.99
• CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K - $599.99
• Keyboard: CORSAIR K68 RGB Gaming Keyboard - $119.99
• Logitech G305 Gaming Mouse - $47.99

PC build software and tools list:

• Adobe Photoshop - concept image
• Adobe Illustrator - Vector files for laser cutting and vinyl cutting.
• Adobe Premiere - video editing
• Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5 - CAD rendered components of concept image, modeling, drawings.
• Cura, Lolzbot TAZ and Ultimaker - 3D printing
• Epilog 80W - Laser cutting
• USCutter MH 34" - Vinyl Cutting
• CNC Water-Jet - Side panel and aluminum parts
• Arduino IDE - Gear controller software

Thank you for this opportunity!

Other links

• Video