The HTPC Project

[Ic3d]

I've got this drive laying around.

I think once it could be painted it be much more friendly "to the eye" than a regular tray loading dvd-rom. I wondering if its possible to take the innerworkings of my dvd rom and put them into this ? anyone know... I'll ask.

 

[Ic3d]

Anyway I picked up some black paint today & one of the empty floppy drive bay fillers "didnt have one, but stopped by a computer store and they gave me one for free".

They still havent dropped off my tools.....yet...

Also at that same computer store he had an old sony laptop screen, was probably 9-11", it had the connectors in great shape, I didnt ask how much he wanted for it, but I assume it still works, is there any chance of me getting this thing to work easily if I were to pick it up ? or would I need some LCD controller and all that stuff ?

 

[Ic3d]

haha, i was just talking about not having my tools, then 2mins later they got dropped off, though i cant start the modding yet, gotta wait for the g/f to wake up so she can watch the baby

 

[Ic3d]

Ok awhile ago I got the holes drilled and things put in so I could screw in the mobo to hold it in place "yay a good pic haha..."

I'll haveto cut the I/O stuff after, not sure when, but when I get sometime, hopefully today.


-Ic3d

 

[Ic3d]

I think I may have a problem "of course..." the heatpipe that wrapps around maybe just a coupple mm to high we'll find out tomorrow.

 

[Ic3d]

YES! the cover fits on perfect, though the system dosent want to boot for some reason so I am RMAing the mobo since everything else works :/

 

[Ic3d]

got this is the email today...

Dear Valued Customer:

**** PLEASE READ ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THIS EMAIL BEFORE SHIPPING YOUR
PRODUCT BACK TO ASUS****

Your RMA# is XXXXXXXX. Please keep your RMA# on hand, as you must provide
it to the Customer Service Rep for any status checks at (510) 739-3777
Ext. 5105. The RMA process run approximately 10 BUSINESS DAYS (excludes
ALL holidays, weekends, and transit time back to you from the date your
product is RECEIVED AT OUR FACILITY. Customer's are responsible for 1 way
freight to ASUS. Our standard shipping is FedEx Ground. Once your product
has been shipped out, you will receive an email notification providing you
with the tracking #.

****Please note if your product is one of the following, please return
your product with the following accessory:
P5 series Motherboards - Please make sure to put the CPU Cap back on the
motherboard to prevent pins from bending. If it is returned without the
CPU Cap the product may incur a fee to have the product repaired or
rejected back to you.
A8N SLI Deluxe - If you use only 1 video card with this product, please
return the EZ Selector Card so that it may be properly tested as well.****

You must write your RMA# on the outside of the package. (If you do not
write the RMA# on the outside of your package your product will be
rejected at the time of delivery).

Attention your package to the RMA department. Do not attention your
package to an RMA Representative, unless instructed otherwise.

Do NOT include any accessories such as manuals, software, CPU, memory,
retention mechanisms or clips, cables, or your original box. If you send
any of the above mentioned items they WILL NOT be returned or replaced.

Also to insure proper troubleshooting / testing, please include a brief
description of the problem you are experiencing with your ASUS product,
any troubleshooting steps you may have tried, AND your CASE# from our
technical support team if given one.

Please be sure to package return product very carefully to prevent damage
during transit. ASUS is NOT responsible for losses or damages incurred due
to shipping / improper packaging. We recommend two inches of padding all
the way around your product itself. You MUST package your product in a
box.

Physical damage is NOT covered under your ASUS warranty under NO
circumstances and automatically VOIDS your warranty on your product. This
damage can include any shape or form of corner / edge damage, broken
traces, broken CPU socket, and / or burns. If you do send a product in
that is physical damage, you will be notified and the product will be
either repaired / replaced for a fee or rejected.

ASUS WILL REJECT ANY PRODUCTS PACKAGED IN AN ENVELOPE!

** ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (USA) is a warranty repair service center.
Please contact your place of purchase for credit, refund, upgrade. ASUS
does not provide these services under any circumstances.

SHIP TO ADDRESS:

ASUS Technology Service
Attn: RMA Dept, RMA# ________________
7100 Intermodal Drive, Ste. # A
Louisville, KY 40258



Best Regards,

ASUS CSR Department

So guess what I'll be doing today.

 

[Ic3d]

I had no cash in the budget for shipping "as little as it is/was" to ASUS, so I sold my old athlon xp 1800+ for $40 so it was to late by the time i got the cash to ship it, so its going to have to wait till monday now.

 

[Ic3d]

Ok, I might stealth the drive, or just buy a slot loading dvd-rom/r/rw/+/- haha drive, but either way I'll be re-routing the eject/load button

 

[Ic3d]

So I have an old piece of metal "used for fixing holes in exhaust in cars, its seems to be just big enoguh for me to use as a Piece for I/O

the sheet

where its going to go...

just above the highest cut there should be just enough room for an 80mm fan, and i'll only be going as wide as the audio ports.

 

[DaedalusXero]

Yea, I was about to cry when I saw what you had the all the cuttign going on. But the salvaged I/O assy looks pretty good. As far as the CPU Id get a sidways facing heatsink. Have it blow the heat from the CPU directly out of the case through that area above the I/O plate.

Looks good. But be carefull shooting to high on that touch screen LCD on the front. I've built systems with mini LCD's but not touch screen ones. In fact I can even give you a link to a mini LCD that fits in 2 5.25" bays and plugs into a standard video hookup. Just have to get a GPU that has that plug (cheap, easy to find)

Keep up the good stuff.

 

[Ic3d]

not updates lately due to lots of hours at work, but ive been thinking about it, and i dont like the size 'height', seems to high to me, so im sure you guys who are int ocards know of the term "chop", that is what i'll be doing to the case

I cant do it right now, havent got the right tool "need a jig-saw", so maybe next weekend or the one after, but i ahve some pics and post them in a bit with my ideas on them "case height after chop should be about the same height as an ATX PSU.

 

[Ic3d]

red=approx cut area, all around case.

 

[Ic3d]

Also will make a complete custom rear plat with sheet metal

 

[Ic3d]

I was think about some problems that I may have, and i cant really think of any other than one, where to put the hdd(s). under the dvd-rom of course, there is JUST enough room to stack 2 hdds, then the dvd-rom and still make the height 3.3/4", mobo and psu fir perfectly, and so does the 80mm intake fan so i guess this is it for now untill net week end my time is up, tomorrow its backto work "yay....".

 

[Ic3d]

SINCE the new plans have been made I will be getting a usb tv tuner, losing the agp videocard, and will be going with everything onboard.

i'll be selling the video card, and saving the money to put towards a new system .

either that or get a smaller psu that is atleast 300watts "must be half the size of the psu i have atm", get an agp riseer card as well so it will still fit.

if i were to go thjat way i would move the smaller psu over to the left, as well as the mobo and then the gfx card would fitperfectly

 

[dreammmatt]

I appreciate you posting a plethora of pictures because I am building a HTPC / Storage Server of a similar design. Mine is all plexiglass and uses steel from Home Depot for a frame. I'm having trouble desigining the back I/O + Expansion Slot area, and I got an idea from your pics, so thanx! lol

 

[Ic3d]

glad to hear i could help