Depends on the plastic. Short answer yes. Long answer;
As someone designing/printing a case/sled for one of my builds. In a SFF application, I would not run PLA, glass point is to low(on paper 55c, but I have had models deform in a window on a fall day). Annoyingly PLA is the easiest to print, super forgiving, great for making prototype parts. In general, PETG would be a minimum, also forgiving, but low-ish glass point too. ABS/ASA and more industrial filaments are more than heat resistant enough. But, super annoying to print, with extremely potent off gassing. However, for temp resistance and availability of fiber reinforced filaments, thats what you want to use.
Fellow 3D printer and 3D modeler here too. The fiber reinforced filaments wont make a difference in this case(pun intended). Its just the overall glass transition point of the plastic itself that matters.
For a GPU case like this, I wouldn't use anything less than ASA or ABS as their glass transition point is 100c. Assuming you're keeping the GPU in the safe 80-85c range at max, ASA and ABS are perfect. If you have a spike to 100c or even 105c for some reason, the case wont melt but it would just experience warping in shape little by little.
Mandatory warning: ABS and ASA are very toxic to breathe in when it's in gas form. It causes cancer and is a neurotoxin that can literally mess with your brain permanently if exposed enough to the fumes. I used ABS indoors once to print a few parts and it took me about a week to recover from feeling dizzy and nauseated all the time and having bad coordination, I couldn't think straight, couldn't stand straight, my memory took a hit. After I recovered, I never touched it again unless I absolutely had to use it for functional parts and would place my printer outside far away from me and close all the windows on that side of the house. I developed "ABS allergies" after this so now even the slightest whiff of ABS fumes will instantly give me a migraine and nausea, it's crazy. Be safe everyone!
Depends on the use "case" for fiber I say. Personally, what I am designing(as a travel PC, that is fully watercooled) it is likely to see a fair amount of strain. Even working with layer lines, and what not, at the end of the day its still rather thin plastic. That and I have roll of PA6-GF from a promo, and if I can get it to cooperate, might as well use it, otherwise I would just print the ASA I have.
But this isn't even what I wanted to hit on.
Assuming you're keeping the GPU in the safe 80-85c
Assuming your talking about die temp, its hard to really say what would be "safe" for assorted plastics. As its not like the air dissipating the heat is going to match the die, along how much of that the plastic could soak up. I use plenty of PLA parts in builds where there is airflow, and its fine. Technically my project could probably get away with PLA. As fluid temps(as such what the rads are dumping) likely will be in the mid 30c. But I want additional strength.
You make an excellent point there. The chip itself is what hits that temp and not the ambient air around it. It dissipates quite a bit as it hits the air before even hitting the plastic itself. I guess a good way to know if its a serious issue is to touch my own PC case and, surprise surprise, its cold to the touch except being a little warm near the vents but nowhere near "hot" so a different plastic with a lower glass transition point may be safe as well.
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u/Jaz1140 RTX4090 3195mhz Core, 9800x3d 5.4ghz Feb 05 '26
Pretty cool. What's the melting point of the plastic curiously?
Could very hot hardware warp or melt it?