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Prototype 📅 25/06/2026 🕒 11:02

Orrery PC — A Build That Orbits Like a Planetarium

Inspired by antique astronomical clocks: fans, drives and the cooling block orbit the CPU sun on mechanical tracks.

Idea
Developing
Prototype
Testing
Project

1 Problem

Most cases are static boxes. Mechanical motion beyond fans is nearly absent in modding, even though moving parts are the strongest visual magnet.

2 Idea

Build the rig as an orrery — a mechanical solar-system model: the CPU is the central sun, with component planets on brass arms rotating slowly via stepper motors.

3 Solution

A multi-tier circular frame, large bearings, power and PCIe routed through a slip-ring for infinite rotation; the CPU cooler stays fixed at the centre while the GPU and drives orbit. Rotation speed mapped to system load.

4 Feasibility

A slip-ring for high-speed PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 is a serious signal-integrity challenge; dynamic balancing and noise need work. But a low-RPM prototype has already proven the mechanical concept.

5 Current status

Prototype Stage: Prototype
Prototype: the lower rotating tier and power slip-ring run reliably; now integrating the GPU onto an orbiting arm.

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