violineb
07-25-04, 11:37 PM
Well I figured it’s about time to make a thread about my latest rig which is also my first real modding project. It’s a very, very long story of how I decided to build it but I figure it might be entertaining for you to hear it. I may skip a few steps because I don’t remember everything I did.
It all starting last year after IMIC ’03 (International Music Institute at Coolfont-check www.Coolfont.com) One of my friends brought his PS2 along and needless to say we had a lot of fun with it. But I was quite annoyed at the 5 inch or so screen and many other aspects. In other words, I can provide a better distraction.
My first idea was an arcade cabinet. Yes….an arcade cabinet. I was actually quite serious and convinced that I could build and bring an arcade cabinet to camp. Eventually I got the dimensions of a Tekken 2 machine and first started out by building the control panel. That’s as far as I got. :-( Shortly after I finished I lost the measurements and I was left with just my finished control panel, which works perfectly by the way. (maybe I’ll post some pics)
After that I was pretty much enlightened and figured out there’d be no way anyway to take an arcade cab. Then I decided to bring my gaming rig (big aluminum Chieftec case, BTW whatever happened to Chieftec?) Eventually I sort of got the idea that that wouldn’t work to well either, so I figured out I’d have to make it smaller still. I didn’t want to get a laptop because I can’t build one of those. So the next option was to make something as small as a laptop, if that’s at all possible. So the work began (maybe in April or so) , a little late but I still had time until July.
I collected many, many parts and went by the saying “I don’t buy when I need, I buy when it’s cheap.” Thus I ended up with 6 lappy drives, 5 sticks of BH5, and many other "useless" things.
After much revising of the parts I decided on these parts>
Mobo: Biostar M7NCG 400 w/ NF2 IGP (it works just fine)
CPU: 1700+ DUT3C (only $40)
HSF: Thermaltake Volcano 10+ (nothing else would fit and give the same performance other than perhaps a sawed off SLK something)
HDD: 40GB lappy drive (out of 6 choices 3x 10, 20, 30, and 40)
RAM: Just took 2 of the "useless" 5 sticks of BH5
CD drives: First I had a lappy CD-RW/DVD-Rom, and then it didn’t want to read my DVD+Rs so I got a DVD-Rom drive and somehow I managed to fit both in.
PSU: 200 watt Shuttle XPC
PSX port
Fellowes Stowaway keyboard
Monitor: Samsung 710T (a little bit overkill I know)
And a heck of a lot of accessories
If I missed anything let me know.
I started out by making use of one of the countless boxes lying around which things were shipped in.
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/01.jpg
(compare size to bottle ;))
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/02.jpg
For the most part I think I could fit everything……or not
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/03.jpg
I worked everything around like a puzzle and figured I’d need to do a lot of mods. One of the first things to go was the passive northbridge sink. Not only was it too tall but it wasn’t going to adequately cool the chip. Especially with that stuff that it was stuck on with. I wish I had a picture of it, the resemblance between it and bubble gum was uncanny. The two choices for replacements were either a Vantec copper chipset cooler, or something a little more heavy duty. A Vantec Iceberq4. I thought that the Iceberq4 wouldn’t fit because of some pins sticking out, namely the TV out. But in fact it didn’t fit because the push-pins didn’t line up. So I whipped out the drill and measured twice, and drilled once, twice, trice…….eh about 4 or 5 holes. Woops, but it fits.
A few weeks pass……..
“Oh crap, I still don’t have any case other than a cardboard box. That just won’t cut it.”
So I had to think of something fast. First I decided on a material, plastic of some sort. So I called up a plastic shop and had made The Box. And so here’s a picture>
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/04.jpg
IT FITS IT FITS!!!!!!
“Now to get all the holes marked for cutting.”
I eventually also needed a power button (well maybe not) I looked high and low for a nice metal one but couldn’t find one anywhere. Of course I finally came here and asked and within a few minutes someone pointed me over to www.mountainmods.com and I got the nice metal one from there
After all the cuts were done (which took a long time because the idiot plastic shop guy had to go on vacation and leave me wondering if I’d really get it done on time) I was time to test if everything worked still (I tested it first in the cardboard box) Surprisingly everything worked, but the BH5 was to good for the PC and it kept resetting. So I swapped it for my PC2700 KHX BH5 and it worked fine. The next mods were cutting the PSU cables to length and sleeving them. I did a terrible job as I of course never did it before, but my soldering skills were good enough when I needed them and the replacement molex crimp pins helped as well (would’ve worked even better if I had bought the right ones I think) Also I went ahead and made the front USB ports wiring shorter and sleeved that as well. Yet another pain in the neck, soldering and sleeving and burning my fingers etc. But finally it was done. I worked the whole night before the first day of IMIC and ended up going to bed at 6am. I had a concert that same day, and because I slept the whole day and during the 3 hour drive, I played close to perfect
Now I know you’re all curious to see the pictures so let them speak for themselves.
I’d appreciate all questions and comments, just don’t steal my ideas or I’ll hunt you down. j/k
Ah and lastly my Thank you list, all the people I can’t thank enough for contributing to my project.
Xaotic: For selling me 3 hard drives, and the first CD drive, also gave me the second when the 1st didn’t work fully. Can’t thank him enough.
Capt. Slug: For all his suggestions he gave and info.
thecondor: For sending for free an I/O shield; the back wouldn’t be cut anywhere near as accurate without it.
And everyone else that I forgot if anyone (I’m quite sure I did)
It all starting last year after IMIC ’03 (International Music Institute at Coolfont-check www.Coolfont.com) One of my friends brought his PS2 along and needless to say we had a lot of fun with it. But I was quite annoyed at the 5 inch or so screen and many other aspects. In other words, I can provide a better distraction.
My first idea was an arcade cabinet. Yes….an arcade cabinet. I was actually quite serious and convinced that I could build and bring an arcade cabinet to camp. Eventually I got the dimensions of a Tekken 2 machine and first started out by building the control panel. That’s as far as I got. :-( Shortly after I finished I lost the measurements and I was left with just my finished control panel, which works perfectly by the way. (maybe I’ll post some pics)
After that I was pretty much enlightened and figured out there’d be no way anyway to take an arcade cab. Then I decided to bring my gaming rig (big aluminum Chieftec case, BTW whatever happened to Chieftec?) Eventually I sort of got the idea that that wouldn’t work to well either, so I figured out I’d have to make it smaller still. I didn’t want to get a laptop because I can’t build one of those. So the next option was to make something as small as a laptop, if that’s at all possible. So the work began (maybe in April or so) , a little late but I still had time until July.
I collected many, many parts and went by the saying “I don’t buy when I need, I buy when it’s cheap.” Thus I ended up with 6 lappy drives, 5 sticks of BH5, and many other "useless" things.
After much revising of the parts I decided on these parts>
Mobo: Biostar M7NCG 400 w/ NF2 IGP (it works just fine)
CPU: 1700+ DUT3C (only $40)
HSF: Thermaltake Volcano 10+ (nothing else would fit and give the same performance other than perhaps a sawed off SLK something)
HDD: 40GB lappy drive (out of 6 choices 3x 10, 20, 30, and 40)
RAM: Just took 2 of the "useless" 5 sticks of BH5
CD drives: First I had a lappy CD-RW/DVD-Rom, and then it didn’t want to read my DVD+Rs so I got a DVD-Rom drive and somehow I managed to fit both in.
PSU: 200 watt Shuttle XPC
PSX port
Fellowes Stowaway keyboard
Monitor: Samsung 710T (a little bit overkill I know)
And a heck of a lot of accessories
If I missed anything let me know.
I started out by making use of one of the countless boxes lying around which things were shipped in.
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/01.jpg
(compare size to bottle ;))
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/02.jpg
For the most part I think I could fit everything……or not
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/03.jpg
I worked everything around like a puzzle and figured I’d need to do a lot of mods. One of the first things to go was the passive northbridge sink. Not only was it too tall but it wasn’t going to adequately cool the chip. Especially with that stuff that it was stuck on with. I wish I had a picture of it, the resemblance between it and bubble gum was uncanny. The two choices for replacements were either a Vantec copper chipset cooler, or something a little more heavy duty. A Vantec Iceberq4. I thought that the Iceberq4 wouldn’t fit because of some pins sticking out, namely the TV out. But in fact it didn’t fit because the push-pins didn’t line up. So I whipped out the drill and measured twice, and drilled once, twice, trice…….eh about 4 or 5 holes. Woops, but it fits.
A few weeks pass……..
“Oh crap, I still don’t have any case other than a cardboard box. That just won’t cut it.”
So I had to think of something fast. First I decided on a material, plastic of some sort. So I called up a plastic shop and had made The Box. And so here’s a picture>
http://www.intermusearts.org/images/minipc/04.jpg
IT FITS IT FITS!!!!!!
“Now to get all the holes marked for cutting.”
I eventually also needed a power button (well maybe not) I looked high and low for a nice metal one but couldn’t find one anywhere. Of course I finally came here and asked and within a few minutes someone pointed me over to www.mountainmods.com and I got the nice metal one from there
After all the cuts were done (which took a long time because the idiot plastic shop guy had to go on vacation and leave me wondering if I’d really get it done on time) I was time to test if everything worked still (I tested it first in the cardboard box) Surprisingly everything worked, but the BH5 was to good for the PC and it kept resetting. So I swapped it for my PC2700 KHX BH5 and it worked fine. The next mods were cutting the PSU cables to length and sleeving them. I did a terrible job as I of course never did it before, but my soldering skills were good enough when I needed them and the replacement molex crimp pins helped as well (would’ve worked even better if I had bought the right ones I think) Also I went ahead and made the front USB ports wiring shorter and sleeved that as well. Yet another pain in the neck, soldering and sleeving and burning my fingers etc. But finally it was done. I worked the whole night before the first day of IMIC and ended up going to bed at 6am. I had a concert that same day, and because I slept the whole day and during the 3 hour drive, I played close to perfect
Now I know you’re all curious to see the pictures so let them speak for themselves.
I’d appreciate all questions and comments, just don’t steal my ideas or I’ll hunt you down. j/k
Ah and lastly my Thank you list, all the people I can’t thank enough for contributing to my project.
Xaotic: For selling me 3 hard drives, and the first CD drive, also gave me the second when the 1st didn’t work fully. Can’t thank him enough.
Capt. Slug: For all his suggestions he gave and info.
thecondor: For sending for free an I/O shield; the back wouldn’t be cut anywhere near as accurate without it.
And everyone else that I forgot if anyone (I’m quite sure I did)