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  "description": "Can a circuit board make coding feel real? The Micro:bit takes code off the screen and into students’ hands, turning logic into motion, light, and sound at low cost.",
  "path": "/when-3d-printed-plastic-becomes-a-pc-case/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-12-02T14:00:05.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.technodabbler.com",
  "tags": [
    "just about anything",
    "toys from our youth",
    "MODCASE EVOLUTION - 3D Printed PC CASEMODCASE EVOLUTION (EVO) is the state-of-the-art 3D Printed PC case that showcases simplicity, versatility and performance. Designed for mainstream printers, print yours today with limitless color choices and endless customizations!MODCASEMODCASE",
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  "textContent": "3D printing makes it possible to create just about anything, from small tools to toys from our youth. But once you start printing functional parts, new challenges appear. Heat, strength, and precision become real constraints, especially when electronics are involved.\n\nThat curiosity led to a simple question: can you print a working computer case? The idea seemed straightforward — use the hardware already on hand, print the enclosure, and assemble it like any other build. In practice, it quickly turned into one of the most demanding 3D printing projects attempted in the workshop.\n\nThe Modcase Evolution allows for various hardware configuration, including support for fans or a radiator.\n\nThis article explores the project from start to finish: how the design and materials were chosen, the printing process refined through trial and error, and the assembly challenges that tested every part of the build.\n\n## Design Choices\n\nThis project marked a series of firsts: first time buying a 3d model, first time printing in a material other than PTEG and first thing that require a number of electronic components. The goal was simple in concept but ambitious in practice: build a functional computer case leveraging computer components already available in the workshop. Reusing a MicroATX motherboard and a spare ATX power supply defined both the form factor and the design challenge. Most printable PC cases online cater to ITX boards, which are easier to house in smaller volumes. The plan was to go one size larger without compromising airflow or aesthetics. After researching several models, the ModCase EVO from ModCase Australia was selected. Its modular design allows different hardware layouts and panel combinations, making it ideal for adapting to non-standard builds.\n\nMODCASE EVOLUTION - 3D Printed PC CASEMODCASE EVOLUTION (EVO) is the state-of-the-art 3D Printed PC case that showcases simplicity, versatility and performance. Designed for mainstream printers, print yours today with limitless color choices and endless customizations!MODCASEMODCASE\n\nPLA, the most common filament in 3D printing, was immediately ruled out for this project. While it is easy to print and provides excellent surface detail, PLA softens at around 60 °C, a temperature easily reached inside a running computer case. Even modest systems can see CPU temperatures near 80 °C, with GPU exhaust often exceeding 70 °C. Under these conditions, a PLA case would quickly deform, especially around mounting points or near heat-generating components. PETG, by contrast, offers a much higher glass transition temperature, typically around 85 °C to 90 °C. It's increased tolerance of heat and low printing toxicity made it a natural choice for our PC enclosure. The trade-off is difficulty printing: PETG requires precise drying, controlled cooling, and fine tuning to achieve reliable results.\n\nOur materials, including PETG filament, the power button, the usb cables, the power cable and a bunch of M3 screws.\n\nFilament was ordered directly from Bambu Lab, chosen for its consistent print quality and color options. The build used black PETG HF for the structural parts and colored PETG HF for accents. However, this project would require more than filament. Smaller hardware items, were ordered through AliExpress, where inexpensive options are readily available for DIY projects.\n\n**Item** |  **Specification** |  **Cost (CAD)**\n---|---|---\nPETG HF (Black 33102) |  3 kg refill spool |  $50.97\nPETG Translucent (Orange 33300) |  1 kg refill spool |  $16.99\nRGEEK Dual USB 3.0 Front-Panel Ports |  0.5 m cable |  $8.79\nCarbon-Steel M3 Screws |  20 mm, 50 pcs per pack |  $4.13\nLED Ring Power Switch |  16 mm illuminated switch |  $7.20\nIEC320 C14-to-C13 Extension Cables |  T7 model |  $5.45\n**Total** |\n|  **$93.53**\n\nAt this point, material costs already exceeded that of a simple commercial case, without factoring in the tools and time required to complete the build. It was clear from the outset that this would be a project undertaken for the experience, not for savings.\n\nThe Polymaker PolyDryer drying a spool of black PETG.\n\nBefore starting to print, PETG needed to be properly dried. Unlike PLA, PETG is highly hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air. Even a small amount of humidity trapped in the filament can cause bubbling, stringing, or poor layer adhesion. The solution was to use a Polymaker PolyDryer, a modular drying system that can operate as both an active dryer and temporary filament storage. Each spool was dried for 12 hours at medium heat before use, ensuring consistent extrusion.\n\n## The Printing Marathon\n\nPrinting the ModCase EVO was a long and often unforgiving process. Each of the four major panels required 12 to 16 hours of continuous printing, pushing both the printer and operator to their limits. The first round used Bambu Lab’s “strength” profile, prioritizing rigidity over aesthetics. The parts fit well mechanically, but the surface finish was inconsistent, with small ridges and visible layer lines. An attempt to improve appearance with spray paint only made matters worse. Despite applying thin coats, the paint ran and pooled, creating drips and cracks that ruined the panels. Sanding introduced more imperfections, forcing a complete reprint of every major piece.\n\nAfter a couple of coats of spray paints, the surface started crackling.\n\nThe second print run focusing on surface quality and precision rather than raw strength. Adhesion was the first obstacle. Large PETG parts are prone to corner lifting and warping, so the build plate temperature was increased to improve first-layer bonding. Once that was resolved, a new issue appeared: faint ripples along the side walls. After some investigation, the cause turned out to be airflow from a nearby air purifier, which was moving too much air around the printer and cooling the filament unevenly. Turning off the purifier during long prints immediately solved the problem.\n\nAir circulation from the air purifier was drying the PETG too fast, scuffing the surface.\n\nOur final fine-tuning related to print speed. Slowing down the outer perimeter speed improved layer consistency and surface finish, though it extended print times to between 14 and 19 hours per piece. The results were worth it. The panels printed cleanly, with sharp edges and a uniform texture. The accent pieces were printed in translucent PETG, chosen for its clean finish and subtle glow. With all panels complete and ready for assembly, the next challenge was transforming printed plastic into a functioning computer.\n\n## Assembly Headaches\n\nThe ModCase EVO mATX frame is built from four large printed sections: the front and rear panels, each divided into upper and lower halves. Assembly follows the official ModCase instructions, which detail how the pieces interlock and are fastened with M3 screws inserted from the inside to create a single rigid frame. Standard #6-32 screws secure the motherboard, power supply, and storage devices to their printed mounts.\n\nEvery pieces ready for assembly.\n\nIn practice, the process was challenging. Although the case supports both MicroATX motherboards and ATX power supplying, the instructions fails to properly explain that both can't easily coexist. Thus, a SFX power supply was purchase and fitted in with just enough clearance to fit the MicroATX motherboard and dual drive cages. That said, fitting order was critical, as installing the PSU too early blocked motherboard access, while the SSDs had to slide into place before connecting front-panel wiring.\n\nThe cabling for the NAS drives was particularly difficult.\n\nThe build also included two 3.5-inch NAS hard drives, a tight configuration at the top of a compact printed chassis. The clearance between the two drives was minimal and required several partial disassemblies before cables fit as intended.\n\nCabling around the power supply is pretty tight.\n\nCable management proved equally complex. Between the power supply, storage, fans, and front-panel connections, the interior quickly became congested.\n\nAll pieces assembled and wired in.\n\nOnce everything was in place, the frame held together securely, transforming a loose collection of printed panels into a compact, fully functional system enclosure.\n\n## The Printing Experience\n\nFrom the start, this was never a cost-saving project. Between the filament, hardware, and tools, the total cost easily exceeded that of an inexpensive commercial case. Add to that the hundreds of hours spent printing, reprinting, drying, and assembling, and it becomes clear that building a 3D-printed computer is far from efficient. But efficiency was never the goal.\n\nThe final product is pretty slick and functional.\n\nThis project was about understanding what is possible when combining digital design with functional hardware. It tested how well PETG could handle real heat, how print tolerances behave at larger scales, and how a design intended for one configuration can evolve through iteration. Each failure, from paint mishaps to power supply incompatibilities, revealed something about the limits of both the material and the maker.\n\nIn the end, the result was more than a working computer. It was a personal proof of concept: that a desktop PC can live inside something designed, printed, and assembled entirely at home. The process was slow, expensive, and occasionally frustrating, but deeply satisfying. For anyone who enjoys learning through making, few projects illustrate the intersection of creativity and engineering better than printing a computer case.\n\nWould you ever try printing your own computer case, or does the idea seem more effort than reward? If you enjoyed this exploration, you might also like our deep dive into 3D printing vintage toys.\n\n\n                            Learn more\n                        ",
  "title": "When 3D Printed Plastic Becomes a PC Case - The Modcase Evolution",
  "updatedAt": "2025-12-29T01:55:32.697Z"
}