A Super Fanless Chassis from TureMetal: For DIY & 0 db Workstations
by Anton Shilov on June 20, 2019 11:00 AM ESTHigh-performance and DIY desktop computers use either sophisticated air or liquid cooling systems. While there are passively cooled PCs, they typically are either proprietary or work with a limited set of components. Mical Wong, an enthusiast from Shanghai, decided to change that and founded TureMetal Fanless Design Studio, which builds cases for fanless DIY desktops. TureMetal was at Computex this year to show off its latest designs.
TureMetal currently offers five fanless PC cases: the DP2, UP7, UP3, UP5, and UP10, all aimed at different kinds of systems. Three of them are designed for smaller desktops that do not need a lot of compute horsepower, but two of them can be used to build high-performance gaming or workstation PCs with discrete graphics, plenty of storage space and so on.
All the enclosures use the same cooling principle: transfer heat from the key components to large radiators located on the sides of the chassis using heat pipes, almost in effect using the whole chassis as a heatsink. The main advantage – and the main selling point of all cases from TureMetal – is that they are adjustable, with movable vapor chambers to allow the cooling system to match the layout of the installed motherboard.
We are going to start from TureMetal’s cases for lower-power systems. The smallest DP2 chassis only supports Mini-ITX motherboards, can cool down a 50 ~ 70W CPU with integrated graphics, and uses a proprietary PSU. The larger UP3 case is compatible with Mini-ITX platforms carrying a CPU with up to 85 W TDP, but also does not support a standalone video card. The UP7 enclosure looks like a typical Mini-ITX system, can work with appropriate motherboards and can house a discrete graphics card (yet, the unit does not support passive cooling of a GPU natively). It is noteworthy that all of their cases can work with a variety of Mini-ITX motherboards, thanks in big part to its adjustable CPU vapor chambers.
TureMetal’s UP5 and UP10 chassis are considerably larger yet considerably more sophisticated than the other boxes. Both can cool down higher-end CPUs and GPUs and house multiple storage devices. The UP5 can accommodate a Mini-ITX or Micro-ATX motherboard and cool down a performance-mainstream CPU and GPU.
By contrast, the UP10 can house an ATX mainboard. Furthermore, the UP10 can remove 120 ~ 180 W of heat from a CPU as well as 170 ~ 250 W of heat from a GPU, enough for HEDT processors and top-of-the-range graphics cards.
The UP5 and UP10 chassis from TureMetal are naturally the most versatile cases from the company yet as they can accommodate a variety of components and enable a great variety of PCs: from utterly quiet HTPCs to advanced 0 dB fanless workstations.
In addition to its desktop form-factor cases, TureMetal is also developing a tower case that will be rated for an even higher TDP and thus enable even faster PCs. The case is due sometime in 2020, but the company isn't disclosing any firm launch dates.
Right now, TureMetal’s cases can only be bought directly from the company or from Taobao. The manufacturer hopes that as it gets better known, it will gain retail partners in Asia, Europe, and the US, so its cases will be more widely available.
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51 Comments
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peevee - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
I wanted to say that UP5 is my next case, but then I saw that it is horizontal...GreenReaper - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
Balance it on its edge? Or buy a $999 stand for it? It's solid metal, after all...RollingCamel - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
I'm searching for a system with M12 POE ports and a decent GPGPU for automotive purposes.This one is closest to the requirements.
https://www.mpl.ch/getpdf-login.php?docID=603
Alien959 - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
Definitly the case have been inspired by the looks of some high end audio amps. Those can dissapate 500 watts in heat so it is intresting idea for high end oc cases.Threska - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
Actually the r/homelab sub-forum at Reddit could benefit because while most have towering racks, they also have the noise that goes with it. The opposite of what one wants in a living space.wr3zzz - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
I love passive cooling but nearly $800 for the UP10 is just not going to sell. Also according to the company's own specs the UP10 is only capable of GPU TDP no higher than 120W, or max at GTX1660Ti, which is hardly top of the range.I think Zotac had a nearly identical design years ago. That case too was also very expensive and not able to handle the high end GPU. It did not catch on.
wr3zzz - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
The article made a mistake. The heat ceiling of UP10 is 250W "combined" for both GPU/CPU. The power ceilings cited in the article is misleading as the other part of the GPU/CPU combo needs to be at the low end of its heat envelop when the other component is at its high end, according to the company's online store.ajp_anton - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
So it's completely fanless... what exactly is making 0dB of noise? That Toshiba drive looks like an SSD, so no HDD either.mode_13h - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
From http://turemetal.com/about_en.html"replace it with a new one if need fix"
"Is the product broken? Just replace it with a new one. No need to fix it."
I know disposable tech products has become the norm. But, in DIY PCs, I think it's sort of assumed that there's at least some theoretical degree of repairability. I guess I wonder why this design principle was seen as worth highlighting. Just how common is it that their products break and need to be replaced with a new one?
mode_13h - Thursday, June 20, 2019 - link
BTW, that page also claims the company is just one guy:"Turmetal found by Chinese Overclocking Player & Professional hardware Reporter & Player Huang Chunhui (Mical.Wong) in Shanghai. And did everything you can imagine by oneself. ..."