Honestly sometimes I overthink mechanical considerations, but especially so on long term PC builds, like 5 year to 10 year class builds.
I just want to explore what can be possible to reduce PCB flex in transport. Ideally non-destructively.
same
1 Like
A lot of OEM cases (in my experience) are made of thicker steel. Server cases tend to be ridiculously thick. I think Case Labs stuff was somewhere in between those 2. Thicker tray, less flex.
Seen those on the corner of MATX boards.
1 Like
Good point, but the variety of cases and if you use one not intended for the form factor, that’s where things start falling apart for OEM installed motherboard mechanical support (unless it’s someone crazy like System76 or Puget Systems)
Lots of HP/Compaq OEM boards have these.
Well, if you come around on drilling new holes, I did it by mounting the board with what worked, marking where new ones needed to go with a mechanical pencil (not much long and narrow enough to do that), keep it perpendicular and trace the circle, then drilling those holes ever so slightly over-sized. The new standoff got loosely installed in the board, then the board installed, then tighten screws in new standoffs, then nuts on back of new standoffs.
That’s exactly what I did for this system.
Yeah that’s a good point. Didn’t think about the cutout in the custom PC case.
That’s when all you can really do (beyond tedious, additive fabrication) is use those stick-on pads around those cutouts.
Fast and long lasting is what I wanted to aim for, in case there needed to be multiples produced.
Drilling is okay when time is not an issue, but for a quick solution, I asked if anyone had something like this so the case needed no modification.
AKA I’m thinking like an SI like System76 or Puget Systems.
I know OEM tends to half-ass some things more than they should.
…for time. Which they don’t have. Nor sometimes do people have the training to do it carefully.
Custom order panels with different branding (Puget does it), custom form factor boards (the big brands do it), I’m sure I could sit back and think of more.
To get more to the point of your question. Try to avoid doing it near points that would get pushed or pulled on, like near PCIe slots.
Yeah, the mechanical considerations are all I’m thinking about when designing stuff like this. I want as little flex, but as little tension from the bumper too.
What about buying teflon standoffs and chopping off the screw part at the bottom to make them just rest on the case to support the motherboard?
It’s sharp edges where it goes to the case, that might scratch it. That’s why it needs to be a rubber bumper where it contacts the case.
This topic was automatically closed 273 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.