DisPlay Case - Compact Display Stand with the Power to Play
I designed this concept PC case to display dynamic 3D models and figures using the motherboards RGB LED Connector
By combining a detailed physical model with the PC lighting effects, your PC becomes an art piece and your art piece becomes part of your game
It hosts a minimal desktop footprint (300mm x 300mm) while still utilizing a liquid cooling loop
While thinking about a diorama-centered PC case (a previous idea of mine, shown below) I realized the massive artistic potential of the RBG LED pins on the motherboard. Being able to route the LED strips to the outside of the case while still programing them with the PC means that any model that gets incorporated with the lighting becomes a part of the experience of using the PC.
I designed the case to take up a modest area, because it would always be on the table top, and formed a simple yet sleek exterior look that performs on its own but wouldn’t detract from any models being displayed on top. To compliment the lighting of the model a portion of the cooling loop runs along the outside of the case, along with backlighted power and reset buttons on the custom front IO panel. The indentation on the lid of the case allows the LED connector to slip through, and the cross pattern can be used to keep the displayed model from shifting. Wiring these components would require clever cable management to counteract the small form factor, but this complexity could be also be reduced at the expense of desk space by increasing the depth of the case.
With smart 3D modeling, models could be printed with specific translucent layers and 1-2 other colors by multiple runs of resin printing. Examples of possible models are:
Xenomorph
City of Rapture
Eye of Sauron
Gotham City
Lightcycle
Rainbow Road
All components are measured from off-the-shelf products, GPU is specified because it most impacts the case size
An early drawing of what would become the DisPlay case. Taking inspiration from optical tables I wanted to make a case with a Lego-like baseplate that you could build a diorama on. In the sketch shown, Each hardware component is suspended on a different level with metal rods, and electroluminescent wire runs alongside the cables and water loop to create a map of the system. The lights are color coded with each lines function; green is power, purple is data, blue is cooled water and red is hot water. The problem with this idea is that each hardware component is based on different proprietary PCB designs, meaning the mounting holes would not consistently line up with the baseplate as they are drawn above. The spirit of being able to make an art piece out of your PC continued into the DisPlay case, but I would like to create a universal baseplate that you can arrange infinite combinations of PC hardware on in the future.
This concept render shows a greyscale model with neon accents of the mysterious door seen in the opening to one of my favorite games, Hyper Light Drifter.
