Making a custom case for an eGPU and mini pc together
Recently I paired a Gigabyte Brix Pro mini pc and a GTX 1060 over a mini pci express connection through an EXP GDC adapter. It performed exceptionally well. You can see the video of the set-up, game testing and benchmarking here: • External GPU - GTX 1060 on Gigabyte Brix N...
I decided the existing enclosure needed some improvement and with a computer this small I figured I could put the whole lot in a case together.
It is now finished (just about) and looking really great. The case is built from a cheap $8 perspex case which was changed around a fair amount and spray painted.
The video card mounts out of the side of this case and fits nicely. Unfortunately the power cable for the video card still goes in vertically which is not ideal but could be fixed by using a riser cable to mount the egpu adapter facing out the rear.
The motherboard, msata ssd, and other components from the brix pro are really quite compact. Especially as this has a quad core i5 desktop cpu.
Two hinges were designed and 3D printed to make the components easily accessible. These work well and can hold the lid upright if working on the inside components.
The power button was a real victory of lazy design. I didn’t feel like wiring a new switch so instead printed this button. It neatly fits around the heat sink and sits perfectly in the hexagonal holes. Works great.
No issues with port access at the back and I reused the metal back plate from inside the original case.
I figure this is about one of the best size to power ratios you can currently build yourself outside of buying expensive pre-built mini gaming machines like the zotac magnus series.