Context:

System76 wanted to introduce a new product offering into the Thelio Desktop computer line and saw a market segment that they had not fully met with their current products. The Thelio Mega was introduced to allow for higher processing capabilities and more room for multiple GPU’s. To meet the hardware demand, special attention had to be given to improving the airflow and heat transfer for both the CPU’s heat exchanger and the GPU’s airflow inlet and outlet.

Brief:

Design in air circulation vents into the removable outer case of the Thelio Mega Case. Incorporate rockets and a nod to the mathematical concept of the “Three-Body Problem” into the design of the case.

Challenges:

• Balancing the design concepts aesthetics with the design for manufacturing on a CNC plasma-punch machine.

Results:

Below is an example of the early concepts of the Thelio Mega vents. The major of the rest of case structure was designed by John Grano, the Lead Engineer at System 76. Both this version and aspects of the current production version of the air-inlet vents are designs I worked on. The design shows the thematic and aesthetic elements that were required.