PVC vs. Acrylic vs. Polycarbonate

[Xtrykr]

Hi guys, I need to know, would PVC work? I'm looking at getting some 1/2" thick PVC sheets to form the core structure of a case from scratch. Is this stuff rigid enough to stand vertically to have computer components mounted on to it?

I'm tempted to go with PVC because its much cheaper and I will be painting over it, so I don't really care much for the scratch resistance or transparency. Thanks!

[msmrx57]

At 1/2" thick it should be strong enough. It can be painted. It also glues well with pvc cement found in the plumbing dept. But it is also going to be the softest of the three. Where as acrylic and polycarbonate can be drilled and tapped, pvc won't hold threads very well. Hope this helps you.

[Xtrykr]

Say I want to build something like this with 3/8" - 0.5" sheets, I plan on having one side house the triple radiator and the motherboard and components, and the other side to have the PSU and hard drives. So I'm thinking about 10-15 lbs max on each side of the panel. Do you think this design will support that? If so, would PVC be sufficient (say I use bolts as opposed to screws). Thanks!

[msmrx57]

It should be just fine. Not sure on prices but it used to be cheap enough to get some and test with.