Astral RTX5090 ITX Case Direct Mount Vertical Vent

Boost Me

This is a direct-mount, air-cooled tower ITX case designed specifically for the ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090. It uses a 3D printed vertical airflow structure and supports ITX motherboards, SFX / SFX-L power supplies, large dual-tower CPU air coolers up to 172 mm tall, and 120 mm fans up to 30 mm thick. The reference build uses an ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090, ASUS ROG STRIX X870-I GAMING WIFI, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, DeepCool ASSASSIN IV VC VISION, ASUS ROG Loki 1200W SFX-L, G.Skill 96 GB DDR5-6000 memory, Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB SSD, and Phanteks T30 fans.

The case is designed around the ROG Astral RTX 5090, with a reference GPU size of 357.6 x 149.3 x 76 mm. CPU cooler clearance is 172 mm. The motherboard must be ITX, 170 x 170 mm. The PSU can be SFX or SFX-L. Fan support is limited to 120 mm fans up to 30 mm thick. Of the three 120 x 30 mm fans, two are mounted at the top as exhaust fans, while the third is installed at the bottom position to replace the original rear 120 mm reverse-blade fan on the ASSASSIN cooler. In this design, the rear 120 mm CPU cooler fan, the center 140 mm fan between the towers, and the GPU fans all intake air into the case, while the two top fans exhaust heat from the CPU, GPU, and PSU area.

The main body is recommended to be printed in PETG-CF, while the transparent front panel can be printed in clear PETG. Prepare 2 spools of material. Use a clean PEI plate and remove grease, dust, and glue residue before printing to reduce warping on large parts. PETG-CF should be dried before printing. Required hardware includes 58 M3 x 6 round head screws, 11 M3 x 10 round head screws, 6 M3 x 12 round head screws, 16 M3 x 14 round head screws, and 78 M3 knurled heat-set inserts with a 4 mm outer diameter and 3 mm height. An ultra-slim 19 mm power button is optional.

For assembly, start with the main frame and rear panel. The knurled inserts can be pulled into their slots by reversing a screw through the part; stop once the insert is flush with the panel and do not crush the printed material. Install the CPU cooler, all motherboard components, and motherboard cables before mounting the motherboard to the frame, then secure it with 14 mm screws. Install the GPU next. Three 10 mm screws pass through the panel at the GPU tail to secure the card, and a printed bracket at the GPU slot side provides additional support. Route the cables before fastening the PSU screws. Stock-length PSU cables can be used, and extra cable length can be stored behind the PSU, but avoid folding cables too tightly. Install the side panels only after all hardware is in place. Because different print orientations can cause different shrinkage directions, panel edges may not align perfectly at first. Do not fully tighten all screws immediately; adjust the tolerances by hand first, then tighten gradually. Do not over-torque screws, as excessive force may push the inserts into the printed panels and damage the material.