DuneCase – Getting around the Box
In this day and age people are crowd funding everything they can think of. Sometimes these items are a must (Crowd fund Supertroopers 2 FTW) other times they are a joke like the OUYA but what is most amazing is some of the great items can get next to no funding where complete garbage will get massive funding. The DuneCase is a great looking concept with a lot of style borrowed from Apple. The DuneCase is not overly original as there are other cylinder cases out there but the internal design and passion that went into this concept is a must see.
A very simple style but sexy design, even a novice can build a great rig out of the DuneCase. The spacing will fit almost anything in the ITX market you can buy today.
A big hit comes with the GPU size as you will not be jamming a 980 ti in but on the other hand there are now full itx GTX 970’s and Fury’s so if you want to fit a power house rig into the DuneCase you will be able to but you will have to pick and choose the ITX versions of these GPU’s to fit it without modding.
There is a few items that just by looking at the case may off put some but on the other hand attract others. Even in our own review team some say its a trash can where others find this case to look great no matter where you put it even on a TV stand as your media center case.
Before I go any further if you want to help fund this project click the image above. We also want to state we will not be going into a review of this item as we refuse to review something we do not have in our hands.
Though in my personal opinion I love the look of this case but then again I also love the thought of using a Ammo Crate or Nuke casing to make a custom computer as the box can be boring. The DuneCase looks like a lot of fun to build with and would be a great way to intro someone into gaming and building with a system they can be proud of is impressive.
DuneCase – The Story Behind the Case
Alexander Gomez: My Story
About a year ago, I took a bunch of standard PC components, and built a cylindrical case around it. I considered where to put the MOBO/GPU/CPU and cables; I thought about thermals and ease of accessibility. I even went so far as to have my friend CAD design a prototype, mill the aluminium, and build a case. Only, it didn’t meet my one directive – a case that was more appliance than cable monster.
Stage 1: Prototype 1 (Standard PC Parts) – January 2015
Parts:
- Silverstone 450W SFX PSU Gold
- MSI 780 GTX Gaming
- MSI ITX motherboard
- 16 GB Ram
- 500 GB 2.5 inch Segate HDD
- intel i7 4770k CPU
We measured each part, loaded them into CAD and milled the aluminium. The process took a long time. Biggest challenge was to remove visible lines from the top of the case; which we overcame using a combination of methods. We then installed the parts in the case and stress tested it using Prime95. The result: we needed a fan to aid airflow; we needed a better way to manage cables.
Stage 2: Prototype 2 (Fine Tune) – April 2015
Parts: Same as Prototype 1 plus a new 140mm Thermalright fan
I took the outer case we built and redesigned the inside. I used a 3D printer to do the front panel, and painted it gold. I then installed a 140mm fan on top of the case and noticed an immediate improvement in internal temps. Hot air naturally rises; a fan at the top pulling it upward accelerated the natural process – hot air was coming out quicker.
But, I still wasn’t happy. The case was too tall and didn’t look right. While it was nice to have a full size GPU, more powerful mini-ITX cards (like the 970 GTX) were coming out and it was time to integrate them into my thinking.
Stage 3: Prototype 3 (Making it shorter) – June 2015
Parts: Same as Prototype 2 but removed 780 GTX and replaced it with mini ITX 970 GTX
I reached back out to my CAD buddy and asked him to recalculate every part. While he was doing that, I had an idea for managing the cables. What if we mounted the GPU on to a door, so when you open the door you have access to everything else – HDD, cables for power and SATA?
It changed everything. The inside of the case became so much more appealing! As far as I know, no other case has this feature.
We had another go at the design and once we finished another prototype, I was finally satisfied.
Stage 4: Final Version – September 2015
Parts: Same as Prototype 3
We did a quick 3D print of most of the parts and CNC’d a new case and bottom. I asked my buddy to make the door’s contour match the round top. We sanded down all the parts and put it all together.
The result was amazing. We continued to tweak the internal design – creating a special container for the power supply which helps direct the air from the bottom, leaving no place for hot spots.
Next step – create a polished version that we would paint, assemble and test.
Stage 5: Final Version Part 2 – October 2015
Now that we had a working version we all liked, we needed to recreate it with precision. After a year of design, redesign, testing, tweaking, and modifying, Dune Case is here. I love the design and that I can customize it how I want with mini-ITX components. It’s upgradeable, and the premium quality materials we used (high-grade aluminum, electronic paint finish) give it the look I set out for – an aesthetically pleasing computer case that’s as comfortable in a living room as a gaming system or in an office as a workstation.
This project has been a labor of love, and I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve received throughout the process. For a look at how it all turned out, please visit my Kickstarter http://kck.st/20G8cr2 or www.dunecase.com.
DuneCase – Closer look and specs expanded
Completed DuneCase before getting its final shine done
Top of the DuneCase gives a great pill look with a nice mesh finish and very clean side ports
Dual 2.5″ HDD hidden between the GPU and Mobo like a storage sandwich 
A tight GPU fit but most ITX GPU’s will have no issues fitting in, the riser cable makes it so the Motherboard and GPU can run parallel
Nothing much larger than a stock CPU cooler will fit due to the placing of the external ports. Internal cable system makes for a clean look as well as the Motherboard and GPU plug directly into the side ports making it so you have access to everything you need in one place.
Another shot of how the HDD’s hide behind a well placed swinging door that the GPU bolts to.
Gold and Black options leave most people who love the Cylinder style case very happy.
Though the DuneCase may not be for everyone it does show a lot of charm and style. The DuneCase group who is building this case under the guidance of Alex have done something great, in most cases we barely get beyond the thought of building a custom case. Alex and his team did a great job at making a case that any high end manufacturer would be proud of. We hope Alex is able to get his funding with the DuneCase so we can see what other ideas he may have.
Good luck DuneCase Team from all of us at RHR.
