Merlin SM5 Owner's Manual And Accessory Manual

Brand: Merlin

Model: SM5

Category: Computer cases

Type: Owner's Manual And Accessory Manual

This manual is also suitable for

SM8
ST10

The Merlin Owner’s Manual and Accessory Guide

Draft Copy: 9-18-12

Welcome to CaseLabs

We have been building enclosures for electronic, military, medical, and industrial

applications since 1971.

When we needed to build a new workstation for engineering design and image

rendering, finding an appropriate case proved to be the most challenging part of the

project. They were either too limited to meet our changing needs or required way too

much time and effort to set up.

In late 2010, we looked at what was available in the enthusiast case market and felt

we could offer something that was significantly more flexible. Our goal was to design a

case that was extremely modular and would allow a user to easily tailor the case to their

exact needs without the need for difficult and time consuming modifications. The

overwhelming majority of cases on the market impose strict design constraints; the

choices for mounting hardware and cooling systems are very limited.

We wanted a design where we, as users, were in control, where we could make the

design decisions, but we also didn’t want to spend hours or days modifying an “open

box”, fabricating brackets, drilling holes, only to find out that we would need to change

the layout again later. It needed to be easy to work on, where we could get in and out

without any fuss. How many cases have you seen where the doors and covers are laying

off to the side because they’re too much of a hassle to keep taking off and on?

We needed something that we could put together quickly and modify quickly when

our needs changed, using standard components that we didn’t have to design and

fabricate. Although we certainly had the resources to do that, it just didn’t make sense

from a time and cost perspective. There had to be a better way…

... and the M8 and CaseLabs were born.

Table of Contents

Merlin Case Models

SM5

SM8

ST10

A Modular Design

The Quick Release Exterior

Dual PSU bays

A Removable Motherboard Tray and Tech Station

The Flex-Bay System

The Accessory mounting System

Bottom Accessory mounts

Reversible Chassis

Modular Radiator Mounting (Including Pedestal)

Mod Friendly Chassis

Standard accessories

Available upgrades

Miscellaneous parts

Chassis reconfiguration

Doors

Top Covers

Switch Options

Optional Cover plates

Caring for your case

Customer Support and Return Policy

Merlin Cases Models

SM5

SM8

Size: 22.44"H x 11.18"W x 22.38"D (570mm x

284mm x 568mm)

Form Factor: mATX, ATX to 12.38" x 10.75" (315mm

x 273mm)

Expansion Slots: 8

Flex-Bays (5.25" bays): 11

Native Drive Support (without using 5.25" bays): [14

using Optional MAC-102 HDD Cages]

 2 HDD (3.50")

 2 SSD (2.50")

Maximum Radiator: 120.4 (480)/140.3 (420)

Radiator Clearance (Top/Bottom): 114mm

Cable Management Clearance: 1.5" (38mm)

Cooling Tower Clearance: 180mm

PSU Mounts: 2

Weight: 20.5 lbs. (9.3kg)

ST10

A Modular Design

We have always strived to offer the most modular, flexible and high quality PC cases available period.

When it comes the Merlin line, no other case can come close to the amount of attention to detail and design

quality this line offers. Part of what makes our cases so unique is how user friendly they are. There are many

systems and features that allow this to be possible, they are:

 The Quick Release Exterior

 Dual PSU bays

 A Removable Motherboard Tray and Tech Station

 The Flex-Bay System

 The Accessory mounting System

 Bottom Accessory mounts

 Reversible Chassis

 Modular Radiator Mounting

 Mod Friendly Chassis

Quick Release Exterior

The Quick Release Exterior allows for fast and easy access to the inside of your system. The exterior is

composed of two hinged doors, a front cover and a top cover. These exterior covers and doors are held in place

by metal spring clips in each corner.

 To remove the top and front covers gently lift up on each corner and remove. NOTE: do not pry off

covers from one side, as this will shorten the life of the spring clips.

 To remove the doors, open them and lift straight up

Dual PSU bays

At the rear of the case there are two PSU bays, one on the top and one on the bottom. A PSU support

mount comes with the case in one bay and a blank cover for the other bay.

Removable MB tray and Tech Station

The Removable Motherboard Tray allows for complete assembly of the motherboard, CPUs, GPUs,

water blocks, and air coolers to be assembled outside of the case.

The Motherboard Tray slides straight out of the rear of the case. It is held in place by aluminum/nylon

guide rails and four self-retaining thumbscrews.

To use the Tech Station feature, replace the 4 countersink screws with the included rubber feet on each

corner of the backside of the motherboard tray.

The Flex-Bay System

Almost every case on the market today has a fixed structure at the front of the case - maybe four or five

5.25" bays on top, a 3.5" bay below that and HDD cages below that. What if that layout doesn't work for you?

What the Flex-Bay System allows you to do is create your own personal layout for the front of the case.

The Flex-Bay area is located in the front of the case, and consists of a series of 5.25’’ bays that is not only

limited to 5.25’’ devices. When all the covers are removed a single large open space is visible allowing the

following Items to be mounted anywhere up or down the Flex-Bay:

 Optical drives

 Fan controllers

 120mm Fans

 Bay reservoirs

 3.5’’ bay devices

 Radiators

 Bay reservoir/pump

combos

 HDDs and SSDs

These are the available mounts that are used to install all of the above items in the Flex-Bay.

 Flex-Bay 5.25 Device Mount – Standard (MAC-125)

General purpose mounting bracket for 5.25 devices (Four sets included with all cases)

 Flex-Bay 5.25 Device Mount – Short (MAC-158)

Shortened general purpose mounting bracket for 5.25 devices. Good for shorter devices like fan

controllers, and provides a clean professional look.

 Flex-bay 5.25 Device Mount - Standard Adjustable (MAC-212)

General purpose adjustable mounting bracket for 5.25 devices. Used for devices that doesn’t

meet the standard 5.25" bay spec, and don't sit flush with the front of the case.

 Flex-bay 5.25 Device Mount - Short Adjustable (MAC-213)

Shortened general purpose adjustable mounting bracket for 5.25 devices. Used for devices that

doesn’t meet the standard 5.25" bay spec, and don't sit flush with the front of the case.

 Flex-Bay 5.25 Device Mount - Standard Anti-Vibration (MAC-126)

Anti-vibration version of the standard mount for 5.25 devices. These are ideal for optical drives.

 Flex-Bay 5.25 Device Mount - Short HD Anti-Vibration (MAC-204)

Anti-vibration HD (Heavy duty) mounts that are ideal for bay dual bay reservoir/pump combos.

Uses 2 bays.

 Flex-Bay 5.25 Device Mount - Short HD (MAC-159)

Shortened HD (Heavy Duty) mounts for dual bay 5.25 devices. Uses two bays.

 Flex-Bay 5.25 Device Mount - HD (MAC-127)

HD (Heavy Duty) 5.25 device mounts ideal for large bay reservoirs. Uses two bays.

 Flex-Bay 3.5'' Device Adapter (MAC-151)

Allows for a 3.5’’ device to be mounted in the Flex-Bays

 Fan Mount (120mm) - Flex-Bay (MAC-113)

Mounts a 120mm fan in the Flex-Bays. Rubber bushings help isolate vibration to the chassis.

Uses 3 bays.

 120.x and 140.x Flex-Bay Radiator Mounts

120.2 Flex-Bay mount shown

Allows for 120.X and 140.x radiators to be mounted in the Flex-Bays. Rubber bushings help to isolate

vibration to the chassis. For further description please see Modular Radiator Mounting on page …

 HDD cage assembly- Flex-Bay (MAC-102) and SSD mount (MAC-124)

Provision for 120mm fan, and fits up to 4 HDDs and up to 8 SSDs with optional SSD kits (not

included). Drives are double isolated to minimize vibration. Shock mount screws (set of 16) and

thumb screws are included. Uses 3 bays

Once the front cover all the Flex-Bay covers are removed a large open space is visible. Along the

inside of the Flex-Bay you will notice a series of guide pins that are used as reference points for each

individual bay. The Flex-Bay mounts have guide pin holes that are used to locate each device mount in

the bay, and it is secured with thumbscrews from the front.

These devices can all be mounted anywhere up or down the Flex-Bay within minutes. Here are

just a few examples of different configurations that be done (using a CaseLabs SM8)

The Accessory Mounting System

When putting your system together have you ever wished that you could put a fan in a

particular spot or had an empty surface you could mount something to? If so, then The Accessory

Mounting System will make your life so much easier. This system consists of; mounting holes along the

door perimeters, Accessory Mounts, Plate Attachments, a 120.1 radiator mount and multiple Fan

Mounts. Almost any physical space inside the case can be used for mounting an item with this system.

In the pictures below notice all of the small holes around the door perimeter:

Each hole is a mounting point for anyone of the following items:

Accessory Mount (MAC-293)

Fan Mount (120mm) -Standard (MAC-114)

Fan Mount (120mm) - .75" Offset (MAC-115)

Fan Mount (120mm) - 90 degree (MAC-157)

Fan Mount (120mm) - Quad (MAC-178)

Attachment Plate - Small (MAC-116

Attachment Plate - Small .75" Offset (MAC-117)

Attachment Plate - Large (MAC-118)

Attachment Plate - Large .75" Offset (MAC-119)

120.1 Radiator Mount (MAC-149)

Using these specialized mounts you can configure them in almost endless combinations.

Bottom Accessory Mounts

The bottom accessory mounts are available in single, double, triple or quad sizes (referring to either the 120mm or

140mm holes at the bottom of the case). They provide a more solid surface for mounting pumps, and can be very useful

for compression fittings when using a pedestal. They are made from thick aluminum, and are recessed to clear screws.

Double mount Single mount

 Bottom Accessory Mount 120mm Quad (MAC-209)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 120mm Triple (MAC-130)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 120mm Double (MAC-129)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 120mm Single (MAC-128)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 120mm Tubing Management (single) (MAC-214)

 Bottom Accessory Mount 140mm Quad (MAC-)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 140mm Triple (MAC-)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 140mm Double (MAC-)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 140mm Single (MAC-)

 Bottom Accessory Mount – 140mm Tubing Management (single) (MAC-)

Reversible Chassis

The Merlin chassis has been designed completely symmetrical so it can be reversed without the need

of any replacement parts. Along with being able to reverse the ATX format, the doors can also be swap from

left to right simply by swapping door hinges between the two doors

Modular Radiator Mounting

The Merlin line has an extensive number of radiator fitment options, and mounting locations to allow for

ultimate flexibility. 120.1-120.4 and 140.1-140.3 radiators can all be mounted internally without any modification. The

top and bottom chassis sections can also be ordered independently to accommodate changes in build design.

There are several options for the top and bottom chassis sections that allow for different radiator fitments.

The top chassis section can be ordered in one of three options:

 120.1-120.4 top chassis section

 140.1-140.3 top chassis section

 Drop-in style top chassis section

The Drop-in style feature allows for 120.x and 140.x radiators to be assembled, with fans, outside of the case

then drop-in to the top chassis section with ease. This feature is also for changing from 120.x radiators to 140.x without

the complete disassembly of the frame. PLEASE NOTE: Drop-in mounts are not included with the Drop-in style option.

 120.4 Drop-in mount (MAC-288)

 140.3 Drop-in mount (MAC-289)

The bottom chassis section can be order in one of two options:

 120.1-120.4 bottom chassis section

 140.1-140.3 bottom chassis section

The Flex-bay also has the availability for mounting 120.1-120.4 and 140.1-140.3 radiators with the optional Flex-

Bay radiator mounts:

 120.2 Flex-Bay radiator mount

 120.3 Flex-Bay radiator mount

 120.4 Flex-Bay radiator mount

 140.2 Flex-Bay radiator mount

 140.3 Flex-Bay radiator mount

The Merlin Pedestal

As a true testament to extensibility, we have design the ultimate water-cooling accessory… the Pedestal.

The CaseLabs Pedestal is an enclosure that mounts under any Merlin case, and is capable of a multitude of

configurations. Where the Pedestal truly shines is in housing multiple radiators in an area that is thermally

isolated from the main enclosure.

Pedestals come standard with three Flex-Bays in the front, ventilated side covers and the rear is outfitted

with a Hex-mesh 140mm fan-hole. This Pedestal can accommodate 120.1-120.4 radiators, and 140.1-140.3

radiators with the available side mounts:

 120.4 Radiator Side Mount (MAC-291)

 140.3 Radiator Side Mount (MAC-292)

Mod Friendly Chassis

Anyone who has ever made modifications to their case knows how much of a headache it can be if a cut

was made in the wrong spot, drilled a hole only to find out it’s too big, or the custom paint job didn’t turn out the

way you expected. The Merlin cases are entirely screwed together which makes modifying your case easier than

ever. If you ruin any part of the case you are able to replace just that single part as opposed to scrapping your

case or having to see at your mistake every time you look at your case.

Standard accessories

Each assembled Merlin case comes with a standard accessory kit that includes the following:

 4 Sets of standard Flex-Bay device mounts

(MAC-125)

 4 Rubber case feet

 HDD/SSD hardware mounting kit

 Spare Parts kit

 Cable ties

 Tech Station feet

 Cable management hole plugs

 Motherboard stand-off kit

Flat-Packed cases will include all of the above plus:

 ¼’’ countersink screws

 Metal spring clip kit

 Door hinges

Available upgrades

Feel free to upgrade your case anytime you like. Because of how modular this case truly is,

redesigning your system is incredibly easy. Swap from a standard window door to a XL window door,

add a USB I/O in the switch plate, or even swap out sections of the chassis for different radiator

mounting options. Miscellaneous parts can also be ordered such as; PSU support mounts, caster kits and

fan filters. This is also great for people who intend to modify their chassis. If a mistake has been made

you only need to buy the part you modified, and not the whole case.

Miscellaneous parts

 Silverstone PSU Spacer

This is a spacer to correct a design problem with Silverstone 1500W PSU's. Because they use a

nonstandard AC connecter, they cannot be mounted in cases with universal PSU mounts (able to

rotate The PSU 180 degrees).

 Caster Kits

Standard casters kits rated at 75 lbs. each with wheel locks. HD casters are rated at 100 lbs.

each.

 Additional PSU Support Mount – Merlin (one ships with the case)

 Fan filters

120mm and 140mm Silverstone fan filters

Chassis reconfiguration

 120.4 top chassis

 140.3 top chassis

 Drop-in top chassis

 120.4 bottom chassis

 140.3 bottom chassis

Doors

 St. Window

 XL Window

 Cable mgt. vent door

 Solid door

 MB vent door

Top Covers

 Standard Solid top

 Standard Ventilated top

 120mm Ventilated Top

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Merlin SM5 Owner's Manual And Accessory Manual

Brand: Merlin

Model: SM5

Category: Computer cases

Type: Owner's Manual And Accessory Manual

This manual is also suitable for

SM8
ST10

Download PDF

report

Merlin SM5 Owner's Manual And Accessory Manual

This manual is also suitable for

Merlin SM5 Owner's Manual And Accessory Manual

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