HEADS UP: Mac/PC One Box Project.

Fushyuguru · Oct 3, 2003

A buddy of mine, who has way too much money to blow, has been throwing around the idea of having me build him a computer. His dilema is he uses a Mac as well as PC's. So he expressed his want for a G5 Mac and a High End PC all in the same computer case with everything integrated to one monitor keyboard ect (idealy a KVM switch).

This kid likes style just as much as I do, so generally the get a huge old ugly server case and shoehorn the junk in isnt going to work. Just not trendy enough. So Ive been brainstorming for case ideas, starting off with store boughts like:

This one, and this one.

I could always build a completely custome case, but i would like to make it easier on me since I will just be handing it over once the project is done (if it gets started).

If anybody has some neat theme ideas or ideas to make this project stand out a bit more than a standard shoehorning, please post them. I would like to have a plan of attack once he give me the go ahead to spend his thousands of dollars.

NcBaller1985 · Oct 3, 2003

What is the guy you are modding this case for into....that will help decide a theme.

Fushyuguru · Oct 3, 2003

Hes leaving it up to me. He works every waking moment and makes alot of $$. Sorry to be so vauge, but thats what hes into. He just wants a toy that he can use for business at home.

pummer · Oct 3, 2003

so is he giving you the g5 case when this is done?

If ghettoness isn't an issue, I'd take a normal pc case and a g5 case and fuse them together somehow with casters on the bottom for easy movement.

JerkasaurusRex · Oct 3, 2003

pummer said:
so is he giving you the g5 case when this is done?

If ghettoness isn't an issue, I'd take a normal pc case and a g5 case and fuse them together somehow with casters on the bottom for easy movement.

I was thinking of something along the lines of that but mine is a bit diffrent. I think u get 2 identical full tower cases. Put them sie by side. Cut of left sidepanel of 1 and right sidepanel of other. You than can fuse them into a supercase. Each mobo has its own side on eac case. So they are on opposite sides facing each other. You could make front a window or something. I hope you understand what i am saying.

Captain Slug · Oct 3, 2003

That would end up being one incredibly massive machine.

Fushyuguru · Oct 3, 2003

Yeah, I pitched the two case fusing idea to him a while back, he liked the big cube cases from xoxide though. Hes a big fan of my server cube too. So I think hes set on that idea. I would basiclly be cramming two whole computers, two psu's and a KVM switch into a cube server case. Then there would be seperate power/reset switches, one for the G5 one for the PC. What might be cool is to somehow distinguish the two sides so you know which is the PC which is the Mac. Then when one or the other is on, the case changes a different color. Maybe, if I set it up so both are on at the same time, then the two colors can alternate or pulse. I could also incorperate a gateway router and some other junk in there for giggles.

Fushyuguru · Oct 3, 2003

Also, I just thought, having two comps running at once would be pretty warm... So cooling... thats another issue. Hes not a fan of jet engine vacuum computers.

Cyrix_2k · Oct 3, 2003

Fushyuguru said:
What might be cool is to somehow distinguish the two sides so you know which is the PC which is the Mac. Then when one or the other is on, the case changes a different color. Maybe, if I set it up so both are on at the same time, then the two colors can alternate or pulse. I could also incorperate a gateway router and some other junk in there for giggles.

That would be cool.

For the coooling, maybe you could water cool it. I would run two loops with two pumps but have them pour into the same resivoir. You might even be able to share a radiator. Or is he not a fan of water-cooling?

Fushyuguru · Oct 4, 2003

I was thinking aout almost the same setup you described. I just have to confer with him on wether he wants to deal with a water setup or not.

Über~PhLuBB · Oct 4, 2003

I was saving this idea to shock and amaze everyone with my inginuity, but I lack the desire to go ahead with the project, so I'll pass the idea to you.

Instead of using one giant case, what you should do is put them both in a normal case. It might take a full tower to fit two PSU's, but the basic idea is to flip one of the computers over, so the PCI slots of one are over the CPU of the other. It limits airflow, and you won't be able to use many cards (you'll also need alot of airflow to keep both cool in such close quarters), but the idea would be better server putting a PC and Mac together, rather than my original idea of just putting two PC's in one case.

You can integrate a KVM into the case somewhere too. Break out the jigsaw and metal file, it'll take alot of work. You could speed things up by using a standalone motherboard tray from another case for the second, inverted computer. And forget about a window.

On a side note, if you set it up just right, you can put the AGP cards back to back (with a little room for air to cool the RAM on the back, if there is any) so that the GPU HSF of the inverted computer points up, the other down.

sautegod · Oct 4, 2003

I like the idea of building a costume case with a great project like this I think it needs a something better then just a plain case.
It has to be unique.
the idea with the lights sounds awsome to me, mabye green for the mac and red for the pc and then he'd be set for christmas, he wouldn't need a tree.

i'ts going to be cool no matter what you do! make sure you post some pic's when it's done

sandman001 · Oct 4, 2003

Über~PhLuBB said:
I was saving this idea to shock and amaze everyone with my inginuity, but I lack the desire to go ahead with the project, so I'll pass the idea to you.

Instead of using one giant case, what you should do is put them both in a normal case. It might take a full tower to fit two PSU's, but the basic idea is to flip one of the computers over, so the PCI slots of one are over the CPU of the other. It limits airflow, and you won't be able to use many cards (you'll also need alot of airflow to keep both cool in such close quarters), but the idea would be better server putting a PC and Mac together, rather than my original idea of just putting two PC's in one case.

You can integrate a KVM into the case somewhere too. Break out the jigsaw and metal file, it'll take alot of work. You could speed things up by using a standalone motherboard tray from another case for the second, inverted computer. And forget about a window.

On a side note, if you set it up just right, you can put the AGP cards back to back (with a little room for air to cool the RAM on the back, if there is any) so that the GPU HSF of the inverted computer points up, the other down.

I really like this idea, but it would almost have to sound like a jet engine. I mean yo would need some serious airflow between those two.

I'm all for going with the aluminum cube from xoxide. Then just hook up some 4" ccfl and spread them around the case, with two different colors each hooked up to one of the seperate power supplies.

dowmace · Oct 4, 2003

I think the best case would be the aluminum cube from xoxide. I have one it's a monster to move but It's got more than enough room for 2 rigs in there. It's got room for 120's too so it wouln't be too loud as long as you didn't use the howling sunon's or anything like that. just my .02

Fushyuguru · Oct 4, 2003

Thanks for all the suggestions... I really hope my buddy goes through with it. I gotta keep bugging him. What do you think about Blu for the PC and Red for the Mac? I like the pulser idea, so I would have to set up the lighting indipendently from both PSU's, but using relays as selectors for the lighting effects.

I really would love to do a custom case for thsi job, but I doont think I would have the time here at school to design and build another for him. So far the best bet looks like the aluminum cube from Xoxide.

Cooling wise, I may have to push a WC'ing setup for this job. It ups the complexity, though if you think about it, its just like WC'ing a Dualie setup, and that case is massive! Though there would prob need to be some fab for WB mounting on the Mac side of things.

fmah · Oct 4, 2003

There are some really cool plans for custom cases that a guy in Europe has on his website. I wish I could find it now. He has the plans and you just have a metal shop make the parts. Not sure if you could fit 2 computers in it, but these are really amazing designs. Hopefully I can find it.

OK: here it is, the Cbox homepage, these rock!

http://www.the-cbox.com

Fushyuguru · Oct 4, 2003

fmah said:
There are some really cool plans for custom cases that a guy in Europe has on his website. I wish I could find it now. He has the plans and you just have a metal shop make the parts. Not sure if you could fit 2 computers in it, but these are really amazing designs. Hopefully I can find it.

Sounds promising... Im sure I could modify the designs to accomidate 2 comps.

Mico · Oct 4, 2003

Fushyguru, I know I haven't spoken much(trying to conserve space on the Fush Zero thread

), but all of your projects are amazing, and have inspired me to build my own case, which, if completed, should look really nice. If you do this, which I hope you do, you can certainly add another set of a pictures to the "Awsome Mods" Photo Gallery =)

Fushyuguru · Oct 4, 2003

Mico said:
Fushyguru, I know I haven't spoken much(trying to conserve space on the Fush Zero thread ), but all of your projects are amazing, and have inspired me to build my own case, which, if completed, should look really nice. If you do this, which I hope you do, you can certainly add another set of a pictures to the "Awsome Mods" Photo Gallery =)

Thanks alot.

I try.

Im just glad you guys like the stuff I do.

NcBaller1985 · Oct 4, 2003

If you threw some kind of window on it....you could also have blue and red cold cathodes on the corresponding side (PC & Mac). That way the colors would sort of blend into the middle just like the paint job would. But then again if you over-did the red/blue, it might look like a cops computer...lol

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