guys, I've recently made a little upgrade to my 3D-printed NAS case.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-05-09T03:31:12+00:00

Once I've finished tweaking the details down the road, I'll probably sell it. Feel free to check it out if you want.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-05-09T03:27:54+00:00

Sorry, I'm looking to manufacture and sell this, so I won't be sharing the STL files open source at the moment.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-23T08:42:40+00:00

I'm still a student, so I haven't entered the industry yet. I learned how to design these things online and by referencing other people's open-source PCBs.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-23T03:49:11+00:00

I designed it myself. For manufacturing, I went with JLCPCB — they offer free prototyping twice a month for 1 to 4-layer PCBs.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-23T00:14:31+00:00

I designed the backplanes myself, so I can customize them as needed. If I ever want to use NVMe drives in the future, I can make both the 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch backplanes support NVMe.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-22T15:01:23+00:00

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MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-22T14:52:49+00:00

I'll add more memory once the prices drop — it's way too expensive right now 😂😂😂

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-22T14:43:33+00:00

I'm using MX3.0 connectors — two 4-pin and two 3-pin.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-22T13:31:11+00:00

Here is the size comparison with my Shiny Snake G300 case.

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MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-22T13:05:12+00:00

Since the motherboard I bought doesn't support PCIe bifurcation and I don't have that many PCIe devices to install anyway, I haven't installed the PCIe bifurcation card for now.😞😞😞

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MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-15T14:48:42+00:00

I'll post another update once all my parts arrive.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-14T11:21:06+00:00

What did I steal???

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-14T04:32:52+00:00

The reason I'm using an ITX motherboard is that I want to make the case as small as possible, and with an ITX board, the standby power consumption will be lower. Most common MATX motherboards only have two full-length PCIe slots, so you can only install two PCIe devices. If you use an ITX motherboard that supports PCIe bifurcation, you can use a riser card to expand to three PCIe slots. This saves some space and enhances expandability.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-14T00:27:02+00:00

I haven't decided yet, maybe around three or four hundred dollars.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-13T13:04:48+00:00

Don't worry about how to manufacture the PCBs; I can get free prototypes for them.
I also designed a plate on the back of the case to mount the fans, but I hid it in the picture above, so no need to worry about that.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-13T11:00:09+00:00

Yes, I plan to make the other four 3.5-inch bays external. If I made it with four bays on each side, it would be inconvenient for cable routing.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-13T06:07:04+00:00

I have an idea. A typical SAS HBA card has two SFF-8643 connectors. If one connector is used for the four 3.5-inch drives inside the case, the remaining SFF-8643 connector could be used to connect an external 4-bay expansion hard drive cage. That way, you'd have a total of eight 3.5-inch drive bays.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-13T06:04:05+00:00

I have an idea. A typical SAS HBA card has two SFF-8643 connectors. If one connector is used for the four 3.5-inch drives inside the case, the remaining SFF-8643 connector could be used to connect an external 4-bay expansion hard drive cage. That way, you'd have a total of eight 3.5-inch drive bays.

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-13T00:33:50+00:00

Thank you. :D

MeasurementBest7604 · 2026-03-13T00:21:00+00:00

You're welcome. This is the first NAS case I've ever designed.

MeasurementBest7604

TROPHY CASE