# Project Log: Hybrid Twist



## magnethead

I have an old computer case, and if i wanted to absolutely waste money, would it be insane for me to hack the motherboard tray and PCI slots out of one of them (in one piece) and build a larger case around it that was 8 inches wide, 21 inches tall, and 24 inches deep? 

2 hard drive bays side by side which are covered by 1 of the 200 mm fans then ducted to a passive vent on the removable side panel, with wiring done through a hide-a-way wiring panel behind the motherboard tray. 

250mm intake fan on the side panel to cool the graphics cards, even in SLI or tri-SLI orientation. 

A 120mm exhaust fan in the traditional spot next to the I/O connections.

A 200mm exhaust fan on the top and rear of the case (similar to placement on A. 900)

120mm intake fan on front above HDD bays, below 5.25 drive bays for general intake

2 1394 6 pin
2 USB 2.0
front mic/headphone
power button
6 channel fan controller


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*










all 5.25 bays can be swapped, room for 3 CD/DVD drives plus the 5.25 I/O/power/controller row


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d

*Re: call me crazy?*

make the inside uv reactive?


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

ive thought about doing the exact same thing. it really is hard though. will you have someone else be doing the metal bending? 

to make the insides UV reactive, i have used http://www.xoxide.com/paint.html and it works very well. also sandpapers off, so you dont have to worry about mistakes.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



magnethead said:


> I have an old computer case, and if i wanted to absolutely waste money,


key sentence. I have an antec 900- no need for another custom case YET. But basically the design is mocking a 900 with bigger fans and more inside space..much more (and better wiring, like a few have used on the 900).

But we have a workshop here and a press if the ONLY thing we don't have. But i could cut and weld the base ATX chassis to put the PSU on bottom rather easily, use dzeus fasteners for the sides, and roll the edges of the sides fairly easy, with a static mount front (no removable bezel). Not sure how I'd combine the 250mm fan and the plexiglass and side panel unless i put the plexi physically over the sheet metal and do liek the 90 and go around 2/3 of the fan.


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

ah sweet. i was actually thinking about doing the same thing with parts of my old case


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



forcifer said:


> ah sweet. i was actually thinking about doing the same thing with parts of my old case


the fab part would be fairly easy- MAYBE 30 bucks in sheet metal and whatever 8 dzeus fasteners would cost. It's the fans at 20 bucks a pop that would be costly.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

I drew the lines out and completely gutted the case, just gotta start hacking it up with the die grinder. PRobably merge Forcifer's idea, use quarter inch plywood all around and make the doors on both sides slide out forward on rails to have inside access. Take the motherboard tray and set it out 1" from the vertical riser supports to snake the wiring through to the periphrials. Put sheet metal strips on either side of the 120 mm intake fan, one side will have the power button, power/HDD LED's, and audio lines, other will have the USB and 1394 I/O's, with a 5.25 fan controller at the bottom of the case.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Here's the updated CAD


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

and my fabtabulously great lighting for the images....



















basically, there'll be some 1-by running vertically in the case, which the tray will be attached to, then the motherboard will be attached to the tray using standard stand-offs. The door and plexy will be at least an inch away from the back of the motherboard to prevent static transfer. The areas within the lines and circles will be cut out so that those portions of the motherboard will be revealed through the plexi.


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## TheMatt

*Re: call me crazy?*

Add one of those PCI slot coolers and you will be all set. Make the 250mm side fan very low RPM since it doesn't need to move more than 50CFM to do a good job.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



TheMatt said:


> Add one of those PCI slot coolers and you will be all set. Make the 250mm side fan very low RPM since it doesn't need to move more than 50CFM to do a good job.


250 mm fan- performance PC blue

200 mm fans- big boy 200 antecs

120 mm fan (I already have 1 high-flow unit for exhaust side) (intake side side)- Antec Tri-cool blue


All 4 fans will be on a controller mounted in the green slot between the front fans. Also, the PCI slot mounts will be 1 piece with the MB tray.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

And so i recieved honorable mention on my website- 

http://www.magnethead794.com/custcomp.php


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## TheMatt

*Re: call me crazy?*

Also remember that the computer will have to be quite wide to accommodate the 200mm fans on the front and back.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



TheMatt said:


> Also remember that the computer will have to be quite wide to accommodate the 200mm fans on the front and back.


what's wider- 200 mm fans, or 2 hard drives SIDE BY SIDE horizontally?


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

2 x 21"x22" panels (sides) .25" ply
2 x 8"x21" (front/back) .25" ply
3 x 8"x22" (top and 2 layer bottom) .25" ply
4 x 8 ft 1-by, 5 x 6 ft 1-by, or 2 x 6ft 1"x4" (side guides)
250 mm fan 24.99
200 mm fans59.98
120 mm front fan14.99 (ebay?)

That's right at $100 in fans!

going to change the depth from 24 to 22 inches to save space but still have spare room inside the case.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

updated CAD (didnt realize 12" square was non-ATX pattern)


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

the feet will run widthwise across the case, with 1/4 inch of overhand on each side. then 1/4" guides will be mounted to the ends of the feet, the entire length of the case. These will hold the sides close to the main chassis and at the same height. Then the rear panel will extend the same amount past the bottom, so the sides will run straight into the rear panel. The top will probably end up similar to the bottom, and i'll just enclose the raised area similar to the top of the A. 900.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

As for the USB, 1394, and front panel audio- This (never mind the stupid interface system, at least i know the cables for the audio would reach, no telling on the I/O, and it would work for the tester board)

stick it vertically in 3.5" form to the left of the 120mm intake fan

And the fan controller (same as this computer)- this

It goes in the green 5.25 slot between fans. 

The area INSIDE the brown lines will be plexi. outside will be wood. Opposite side will just be a 15x15" square window.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

got the old case hacked apart, and cut the PSU plate out and cut the section out of the back panel to fit the fan in (ever so barely though!). Cost 15 dollars for the raw chassis parts and hardware. For those who might need to know, hard drive screws and such are #6-32 machine bolts.

The CD drives willr equire about half an inch of shims/spacers to get the drive faces to line up, as well as a re-drill of the mounting holes in the cage.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

so i've come to find out the big boy 200 is actually a circular fan with an oval housing- 8" by 9". So to make up for that and still stay within size limitations, i'm going to knock out a 5.25 drive bay and put the fan controller with the rest of the group, above the 120mm fan. I'll save an inch and a half doing that and use an extra inch in fan size- so i'll still come out ahead.


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## linderman

*Re: call me crazy?*

some great ideas here ! cant wait to see the final pics and temp reports ray:


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



linderman said:


> some great ideas here ! cant wait to see the final pics and temp reports ray:


Force said over on his build he's running 31C with a moderately warm room. Right now in my 900 i'm pulling 31 with about 71 degree room. 

I don't think i'm gonna put this system in the new case, i'm gonna make sure it doesnt short using a tester board, then i'll see bout putting something decent in.I might throw this system in it for like an hour or 2 just to see how much cooler it might run.













































Not bad for a jigsaw with a wood blade, eh? Couldn't find the die-grinder, it's in the shop somewhere with a metal blade in it but i dont know where..otherwise the cuts would be alot cleaner and it wouldnt have taken half an hour to make a couple of cuts.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

well its 20 degrees here in texas and i just got done cutting some of the parts.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

ok, so here's the report. Apparently space as reported in CAD doesn't always support the real thing. So i'm cutting it back to TWO 5.25 bays. Where does the fan contoller go then, you ask? Well, i'm going to move the 120mm intake fan off center a little to accomodate the 3.5" I/O plate, put the power switch opposite the 120 mm fan, and put the fan controller on the top (where the I/O's are on the 900).

I don;t know how well the lines can be seen, so i just shot away. The side panel slides are TIGHT- i'm gonna have to sand them down a good bit. 

outside front:








Left side:








outside back








Right side:








top exh fan cutout:








inside front 1:








inside front 2:


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

almost RTR with an hour left to work on it. Gonna go out to the shop now and knock out the holes for the rear fan, I/O plate, and PCI slots


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

nice  with PCI and IO, its much easier to just knock out blocks then to try to get every single little slot and have all of them line up perfectly. just a hint


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*


































It runs! ray:


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

looking good  that fan is awesome....link please?


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

the fans a logisys i got off ebay (thermalmaster was seller). Hole aint bad for being jigsawed, huh? Our biggest hole saw is a 3.5.

here we go-

http://search.ebay.com/uv-120mm_W0Q...saprcloZQQsassZthermalmasterQQssPageNameZWD8B


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## TheMatt

*Re: call me crazy?*

Very nice. Just one question - why all that cooling if you are only going to run a slot 1 Pentium II processor?


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



TheMatt said:


> Very nice. Just one question - why all that cooling if you are only going to run a slot 1 Pentium II processor?


that's just the starter system to make sure it works 

The system i have lined out for it actually exceeds this system on paper.....


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d

*Re: call me crazy?*

lol i have 5 fans on a 733 mhz sis cpu its runs at room temp lol


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

well all 4 slot 1 motherboard apparently dont feel like working (got 3 ram sticks, 2 processors, and 4 boards- you'da thunk of all those combinations somethign woulda worked) so we wont know how well it works till i get the fans in, which i first must purchase. 

Here's the system i intend on putting in it. Kinda staying cheap but functionall since it'll be an R&D/internet machine.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103732

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128052

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371003

http://crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=A86E3E47A5CA7304


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

just going to make sure that you know that the proc wont come with a hsf


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

AMD doesnt package theirs with HSF's like intel? That's lousy?


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

its because your buying OEM. if you buy retail, you will get hsf


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## TheMatt

*Re: call me crazy?*

Yeah, the OEMs come with no heatsink or warranty like the retail boxes do.

You should get a better PSU + motherboard combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130123
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371005
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127296


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



forcifer said:


> its because your buying OEM. if you buy retail, you will get hsf


oh ok. in that case i dont wanna spend more than i have to but oh well.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103774


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

change- 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16819103197 Single core 1.9 ($40)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128043 ($65)

tryin to save nickels and pennies...


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

so, to further save $$$, here's what i'm looking at- Take the $30 i saved from switching mobo's and CPU's, make the case bigger, and get 3 250mm armor fans for 20 bucks each as upposed to 2 200's for 30 each. Require me to remake nearly the whole case, but I could make do with it. Plus it would be 100% quiet less the 120mm rear fan (no 120mm front fan anymore), and even then, i could use a switch to control that fan as either on or off, and remove the need for a fan controller altogether (saving more money). 

Origional price list:

CPU: 48
MB: 85
PSU: 40
memory: 30
2 200's- 60
1 250- 25
1 120- 15
fan controller- 20

new price list: 
CPU- 40
mobo- 65
PSU- 20
memory- 30?
3 250s- 60

net savings- $108 give or take

not bad, eh?

Fans are ordered. Good thing i bought 8 foot of 1x3, i'll need all of it. The tray mounting system should stay intact, just everything around it will change up. The 3.5" audio/I/O front panel should be able to be set in horizontally now.


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## TheMatt

*Re: call me crazy?*



> PSU- $20




At the very least pick up an Antec Earthwatts 380W for $40 or $50.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



TheMatt said:


> At the very least pick up an Antec Earthwatts 380W for $40 or $50.


they're on sale with a $30 mail-in rebate till the 31st.


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## TheMatt

*Re: call me crazy?*

I would pick up one of those. It will be better than a cheap 400W or 450W power supply.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

well here's the update- my dads home sick so i cant work on it, the fans come tuesday, and i have a case redesign in mind- 

window screen over fans (stapled in)

2" wide fascia edges attached to side doors

vertically mounted PSU

pre-ran electrical routing channels (plexi covered of course every 4" to contain wires) to HDD & CD drive bays (molex/SATA) as well as motherboard (P4 & ATX)


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

so now the design is 3 5.25 bays, 2 external 3.5 bays, 10 hard drives, and the triple 250's with a 120 out back. Windows will be 12"x18" vertically, as each sheet is 18x24. OS will be dual boot Ubuntu and XP, all accessory (non-boot) drives will be FAT32. Will evetually have a pair of 320 GB drives on my 7006-2 RAID card for 640 GB. MB has 4 SATA ports, RAID will use 2 ports, so that's 6 Hard drives out of 10 slots. So room to grow without doubt.


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

sounds good and all...but...you need some pics. thats the best thing about work log  people get to see what you have been doing


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

once my dad' gets unsick and starts going to work again (medical industry...might be awhile),i'll have more pics.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

My dad has to be in KC monday so i'll get to work on it then, and he has to go to temple on wednesday so that'll be more time. Hopefully I'll get something done both nights and have some pics to post. Plus i'll know the coast will be clear for the fans to arrive. Front panel is going to be quite odd looking, 10.5" wide at the bottom for the fan, but quickly necking down to 8.5 inches (3/4 off each side) for side window clearencing. So the side panels will need to be 3/4 of an inch longer then the case for the correct front overhang.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Here's the latest rendering. Blue is what will be seen with the fascia..brown is the actual chassis shape. Large to accomodate the fan mounting holes, small to clear all the bolts for the side fan and plexi. Yes i'll be covering some of the front fan, but it shouldn't be enough surface area to matter too much.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Well, fans came in. I can see where TT made the CFM/pressure/RPM balance- Nearly no blade pitch, hardly any RPM, and only 60 CFM. But it's also on 15 decibels. I'd have rather got a 200 antec since i KNOW they push some air pressure, but i saved money instead. Airflow is airflow, and i can still feel it, just not like the 200's. Also got the panel's recut. Should be able to re-assemble the outer casing sometime soon.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

So, here's the developments:

back to the origional casing

all 3 250's wille xhaust out the side panel (scream at me for going abstandard, i dont care)

Front panel will have a door on it for HDD access...but you won't really be able to tell much

those 3 250's will be the ONLY major fans on the case. Will have between 2 and 4 silent 80mm fans on it for directional intake, beyond that, it's passive intake vents. (Yes i know 180 CFM is alot of intake. It's an entire case-full per second.)

The 5.25 bays (3 of them- CD, fan control, and USB/front panel) will all be mounted internally and accessed through sliding doors. 1 door will be 2 bays high and slide up, bottom will be 1 bay high and slide down.


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

TOOK YA LONG ENOUGH

haha glad to have you back. looking good from what i have seen


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

add a false top "hat" to the idea pot to help orient the intake for non-dust purposes.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

removable side panel:










Front panel on left, top panel on right:










slots will be cut out for air intake


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

looks good  get a proper name for this log though


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

The other 2 fans will likely intake from the mobo side panel to blow onto the hard drives. Other than that and more slots, it will be mostly plain, so i didn't take the time to draw it out. 

There will be a solid divider between the hard drives and actual system, notched to allow the big fans to clear. There will also be a half-duct droping from the top panel on the front side of the top fans to direct their draw down around the CPU and memory. Basically dividing the top panel in half length wise.

also, i can't edit posts past 30 minutes, so i can't rename the log :/.


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

ask a mod to  thats what i did.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Well, it's saturday. But between mowing, nationwide NASCAR, and the drag races tonight, no work will get done. Nor tomorrow. And I pulled a 4 day (usually only 2) work week so it hasn't been worked on in awhile. However, i've somewhat figured how i'll mount the CD drives.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

well, using what spare time I have, i'm working on the CD cage currently. Even though i'm using wood to build this thing, it feels like i'm being meticulate enough to be using an english wheel on a piece of sheet metal.

Also, how's "Hybrid Twist" Sound for a name?


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

So my dad's going to kansas till thursday- that gives me a good 10 hours of work time on this thing, hopefully i can get close to done. I've got half of the Cd cage done (gotta cut another mount bar, then screw both bars to the case floor), after that it's a matter of shaping the HDD cages out of a sheet metal/plywood composite and mounting that to the top.

Once the 2 cages are mounted, I can trace and cut out the openings for the doors, then bolt in the door guards, door spacers, and the actual doors.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Sorry for the multiple updates, but i'm doing what I can while I can.

Gonan pick up some 12" square sheetmetal tomorrow after school. That will be folded in half so I have two strips of 6"x12" metal, which I will drill holes in and customly fabricate into a hard drive cage for 6 hard drives. After that, I will use a bench vise to bend the top 1.5" of each side into an L, then mount the cage by sandwiching the metal between the top panel and a latch block.

Once both cages are mounted, I will trace out the doors and openings. 

CD door opening: 5.25" wide by 5.5 inches tall
CD door: 6 inch wide, 6" tall

I can't put the HDD cage as I wanted, the front doors won't clear eachother. Will take up more room, but I can deal with that. I'll just have to cut 3" off the existing side panel and cut a 7" wide piece for the removable panel when i make the new fully removable panel.

Removable side panels will slide down into the slots on bottom, then latch at the top by 2 screws (later to be changed to a keyed lock maybe?). This should still allow the big fans to clear. Once I get measurements made, i'll trace out the holes and mounts for the 2 80mm fans that will blow down onto the motherboard and use a hole saw to cut holes in the mobo tray for cooling and cabling, as well as cut the excess tray off that is not needed for ATX installations (everything to the right of the 10 inch mark).

Will have pics hopefully tomorrow afternoon.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

So i got called into work today and wont be able to get supplies ect. I'm hoping to have at least an hour of work time tonight but that's likely wishful thinking.

I'm undecided if i'll use this same main side panel or if i'll make a new one that's all one piece. It would help and look better if it was one piece but im not sure how much i have left in back.

The rear panel needs to have the holes opened up a little more but other than that it's pretty close. I'm not sure if i'll use a jog saw or metal shears to cut the excess mobo tray off.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Well, CD cage mounted, wiring mockly laid out, and CD door traced. Now to plot out the two forced induction points.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



The top two fans will blow down onto the CPU and memory, while the front two, in combination with their forced induction, are drawn into the drafting flow across the hard drives and out the top right side fan.

All the circles with exes will be cut out using a 2" hole saw. You'll see what they're for later. Needless to say this power supply aint near powerful enough nor long enough leads, but the picture should be coming together for what's going on. The CD door will go right up to the bottom HDD fan, so i've used up pretty much every lick of space in the case. 

If you're wondering why the fans are offset rather than centered, it's so that when the forced induction air meets the passively intakes draw, it will get drafted across whatever components are between the fixed wall and the service panel. OF course, in addition, the big fans will draw the heat directly off of the three most heat producing components- CPU, northbridge, and GPU, with a directly horizontal vacuum draft flow...from where?

Behind all those holes, the fixed panel will have passive vents. So the air will be vacuumed through those ventes, through the mobo tray, against the back side of the mobo (cooling the components from that side, see SATA controller, south bridge, CPU, memory), then down and around the mobo, then up and along the GPU before exiting. As well, it will go over the top, then down along the CPU and mix with the forced air before coming out the top left fan.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Well, got bored right before bed, so threw my tester system in it. 

All I wanted was to make sure nothing shorted and all the fans for power.

If I cut power to the top fans and top front fan, it's D E A D silent. Which is what the fan controller is for. And that's considering that the fans and pulling acuum air, since none of the holes are cut yet. So they may quieten down once there's less resistance.


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## Acuta73

*Re: call me crazy?*

Should be decently quiet. That plywood should absorb sound nicely. My only concern is that wood is also a good insulator? Trapped heat = not good. The airflow looks like it will make things better, though. Like the idea of the passive vents behind the Mobo. All that wood won't distribute heat like metal will.

Looks good, though. Have fun!

Eric

PS. You're another one I need to teach to resize pics! :grin::wave:

800x600ish usually works niceley.


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## forcifer

*Re: call me crazy?*

wood still works. i have a pic of 19C with proc in Fired PC (the project thread is called firey PC i think) ill see if i can find you a link. it was meh first true project


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*



Ssrogg said:


> Should be decently quiet. That plywood should absorb sound nicely. My only concern is that wood is also a good insulator? Trapped heat = not good. The airflow looks like it will make things better, though. Like the idea of the passive vents behind the Mobo. All that wood won't distribute heat like metal will.
> 
> Looks good, though. Have fun!
> 
> Eric
> 
> PS. You're another one I need to teach to resize pics! :grin::wave:
> 
> 800x600ish usually works niceley.


oh i can resize em, i have fireworks and paint shop pro, i'm just too lazy to remmeber to change the camera back to 640 mode. And i copied the full size links not thumbs off PB.

Heat won't be an issue. That's why i'm going abstract with an entire side panel of exhaust.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

I got the divider and top vent panel cut. Gotta trim them up tonight then i can mount them. Hopefully tonight i'll also get the static panel cut down by 3" to fit the removable service door and get the mobo tray cut down.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*





Video (810 KB)


All that's left is to cut the backside service panel, the main door, and the hard drive cage. Once that's all done, I can start cutting holes for vents, fans, and CD door.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Here's what it should look like done..or at least close anyways. The false top, side fans/door, and front door are all that will be different. And that temporary side service panel of course.

The new panel should seal off the gaps where the current moves outward. Plus it'll be screwed in at the top left and right corners.

I'm gonna have to work on the expansion slot panel a litte. It and the mobo tray aren't wanting to stay interlocking like they're supposed to. But i figured out a fix, i just have to see how I want to implement it. If I back the entire tray along the back edge with a 1.5" wide strip of half inch ply that runs the height of the mobo tray, it'll support it enough that they will stay interlocked when adding/removing cards.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Well i unexpectingly discovered this morning that the CD cage is just a hair too close toe the side panel for the bottom fan to clear. Also, i notched the divider in the wrong place, so that's gone to the wayside (no real purpose anyways). Still undecided if i'll use the current 3 piece side door or a 1 piece- depends how easy the drives will scoot over a quarter inch.

edit- ok, got drives moved over. now for the trip to town.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

Well, i'll let the pics do the talking. 

All that's left is the screens, false top, hard drive cage, and paint.



And a really hot system to put in it.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

The ultimate test:



It WILL be a linux machine though. As soon as i get everything set up hardware wise. I'll get it running on 2K, then switch it over to ubuntu so that i know everything aready works when i make the swap.


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## magnethead

*Re: call me crazy?*

So all I need to do now, is cut the passive intake slots, finish swiss-cheesing the mobo tray, put the false top on it (or at least something to deflect falling objects/dust off the top fans), cut the rest of the CD door hole and put the door on it, make a place for the power switch, and paint it.

I'm thinking a black body, paint all internal metal silver, inside plywood in royal (or dark) blue


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## Acuta73

I was teasing about the pics! = )

By the looks of the fanwork, I think you could have made it from 4" insulating foam and still kept everything cool.

Very cool, good job!

Eric


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## forcifer

you need to overclock...


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## magnethead

forcifer said:


> you need to overclock...


overclock a 400 mhz slot 2...suuuuure. 

When i get the AMD in there..well dur.


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## magnethead

next update should be wednesday.


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## magnethead

Had a brief work window today, got the Hard drive cage lined out. 

Some of the holes don't line up (5 to be exact..out of 24. not bad for an eyeballment), so i'll just slot those out and should be good to mount.


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## magnethead

Well, put the MX4000 gfx card in it and got the 2000 drivers working. Also found my ubuntu disk, so i'm that much closer to linuxing it. Just gotta get the door cut. But network and internet are all working.


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## magnethead

well, i was hoping to go linux anyways...

apparently linux, servering, GUI, and network aren't in the same dictionary. LAMP only runs on ubuntu server, which doesnt have a user GUI (normal user account), and doesn't have access to windows shared files. 

So, in other words, i'm going to have to stick to windows 2000 and just run apache and all off of that. Which really isn't too bad...2000 is a decently good OS for what it is. Considering i'll be using Hybrid for triple duty- file server, web server, and daily desktop.


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## magnethead

well, Dee You Enn Dun!

How's it look?


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## magnethead

Well, the only real flaw, is that the door doesn't slide up all the way. It opens to 2.5 of the bays, the top half of the top bay stays covered.

But, i can put the fan controller on that spot. It doesn't exactly require visibility to turn fans on and off.

I still have to cut the passive ports and finish the mobo tray. But aside from that, it's done.

I have all 6 hard drives in the cage right now. No vibes 

Also found my Win 2K CD. Now i'm just short an ubuntu disk and an XP disk.


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## magnethead

well, mobo went out on me. Started pixelating while booting and then it all went black. got it to recover twice by BIOS reset, now i'm pretty sure it's dead. Like all 4 other mobo's i have laying around.


I'm bout ready to get a cheapo system just to put in it.


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## Acuta73

She's looking pretty dang good! Just needs some finish work to make her look purdy! And a system that works in it, too. lol


Eric


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## magnethead

yea, i gotta do the slots ect and straighten out the top cut on the front door. 

I looked on newegg, here's what I came up with. I can just use a 20 to 24 pin convertor since the PSU i'm using is over 500 watts.

http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=10187327

MSI K9VGM-V AM2 VIA K8M890 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail 

AMD Sempron LE-1150 Sparta 2.0GHz Socket AM2 45W Single-Core Processor Model SDH1150DEBOX - Retail 

$78 for a basic system.


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## magnethead

also, 1 GB of ram from crucial is only 24 dollars. So $120 max after shipping and taxes..not bad at all.


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## magnethead

well, hybrid's back up. No clue what the video issues are, but i've made some changes (different stand-offs, different PCI devices in different slots, few other things), and it's running stable for now. Got the MX4000 128MB dual head graphics card, Sound Blaster live 5.1 surround sound card, and a basic NIC in the back of it, got a momentary switch and soldered me up a mountable on/off switch for the computer, now just gotta clean my room up. I'm using a fanmate on the rear 120mm fan until i an find another rheobus like I have in my antec- i like it.


This thing is getting closer and closer to usability. Not bad for being just a big CAD drawing a few months ago. Not to mention the 3 250mm fans were the biggest expendature, i had everything else but some hardware and the plywood.

I'll add- when i turn it on after a hard shut down (hold switch, pull cord, cut PSU supply), it'll come on without video, run for 30ish seconds, reset itself, then boot with proper video. 

stumped = me.


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## magnethead

well, whatever the issue is, must be power related.

but it made through the night with all the updates, so i guess it's basically done with all the hardware.


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## magnethead

well, it's been running stable. Got apache2.2 and PHP5 installed on it, mysql won't go for some reason. Also got VNC installed for remote control. Just gotta do the already mentioned things. Also thinking about putting a couple blue LED's in each side fan for kicks and giggles.

May also take some of the panels to the bench grinder's wire wheel to see if I can glaze the wood before paint and round/smooth some of the edges.

6 white LEDS, RS # 276-017
6 blue LEDs, RS # 276-311

top of top fans will be blue, with white in the middle layer, and blue on the bottom layer.

Each fan has 6 ports. I will use 4 of them. 

On the top fans, the ports at 10 and 2 o'clock will be blue. the ports at 4 and 7 o'clock will be white. 

On the bottom fan, the ports at 10 and 2 will be white, and the ones at 4 and 7 will be blue.


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## Acuta73

I gotta ask....how loud is that thing? 3 250mm fans can't exactly be quiet........

Once again I have to say, you've done an awesome job. Can't wait to see it painted. You have a router? Routering those edges would make for a nice effect, I'd think.


Eric


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## magnethead

Ssrogg said:


> I gotta ask....how loud is that thing? 3 250mm fans can't exactly be quiet........
> 
> Once again I have to say, you've done an awesome job. Can't wait to see it painted. You have a router? Routering those edges would make for a nice effect, I'd think.
> 
> 
> Eric


they're the ones off the thermaltake armor side panel. 

The hard drives, 120mm, and 80mm fans are louder than the side fans. I got a speed controller on the 120 and 80 fans though, so only the hard drives are loud. 

That said, the case is under a massive vacuum right now, the 80's can't keep up with the 200 and something CFM i'm flowing through the 120 and 250's, even with most of the PCI slots and the CD door open. That's why getting the case slotted is such a big prriotity- the PSU has absolutely NO air moving through it, even with both pusher and puller fans.


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## magnethead

Just got done painting it- black outside, gold inside, silver accents.


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## magnethead

I think it actually looks pretty cool painted. So much so, i'm gonna get some silver model paint, and do the rest of the fan cutouts and the front edges in silver. Yet I still haven't made much headway earoly yet- in a time crunth working around my dad's schedule.


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## magnethead

ok, found a small hobby bottle of silver in my closet. So I just have to paint the trim and that's it. 

I'm going to see if I can pick up the LED's sometime. They should look pretty sharp..I hope anyways.


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## magnethead

the LED's are 3.3 typical volts each. I'm using 12 LED's. I'd like to do 3 groups of 4 LED's in series, and have the 3 groups in parrallel. I already have a power connector off an old fan to plug into the PSU. Thankfully, blue and white LED's are typically similar in voltage values (the RS website doesnt say the white voltage, blue is 3.3), so parralleling won't be a problem. If the white are a little dimmer, that's fine too.


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## Acuta73

Use that LED calculator I posted for the resistor value. Blue is usually higher voltage, from what I've read, so assume [email protected] per. Parallel has the advantage of only using one resistor, but gotta watch your voltage. Series needs one per, but like the ones I bought, can run 3-16v with no issues. I kinda wonder if it would be possible to put LEDs in parallel on a rheostat? Would require a pretty finely graduated rheostat, methinks. Would be nice to dim em, though, if wanted.

I'd honestly just run the whole mess in series. Would mean more wiring, but far more room for error.

That thing looks pretty dang cool, by the way. Looking forward to the finished project!

Eric


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## magnethead

Ssrogg said:


> Use that LED calculator I posted for the resistor value. Blue is usually higher voltage, from what I've read, so assume [email protected] per. Parallel has the advantage of only using one resistor, but gotta watch your voltage. Series needs one per, but like the ones I bought, can run 3-16v with no issues. I kinda wonder if it would be possible to put LEDs in parallel on a rheostat? Would require a pretty finely graduated rheostat, methinks. Would be nice to dim em, though, if wanted.
> 
> I'd honestly just run the whole mess in series. Would mean more wiring, but far more room for error.
> 
> That thing looks pretty dang cool, by the way. Looking forward to the finished project!
> 
> Eric


oh, don't worry. I almost have a loose idea how to wire it, i did reference what you posted though to figure it out. 4 LED's in serfies off 12 volts makes 3 volts per LED, and parrallel 3 groups of 4 makes 3 volts per LED on about 60ma draw or so. 

We'll have to see.


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## magnethead

Well, I couldn't afford all 12 LEDs. 

But i'm making it work with 3 blue and 3 white. I need to get a 220 ohm resistor though (5 pack- 99 cents). So far, got 3 wired up.

Each LED will get 4 volts before resisted, so something like 3.8 or 3.7 volts resisted..which is pretty close to typical voltage (each is rated 4V max, 3.7 typ).


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## magnethead

ok, got all 6 wired now. Not the prettiest of wiring jobs (or soldering for that matter), but it will work.

How it'll actually look is questionable, but it's better than the plainness.

meanwhile, i'm sweating as this heat chamber (my room) is currently 82 degrees @ 75% humidity.


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## magnethead

Gonna pick up a 5 pack of 220 ohm resistors today and get a couple of them wired in. Soemtime later tonight I should have a picture of the finished panel.


.....220 ohm resistor - LED - LED - LED
.../.................................................\
../...................................................\
+ (positive lead)............(negative lead) -
..\.................................................../
...\................................................./
.....220 ohm resistor - LED - LED - LED

there's a rough n tumble wiring diagram for you.


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## magnethead

Yes, I can already hear ya'll screaming at me for not using heatshrink. 

For now (now being who knows how long), i'm going to wrap a short piece of electrical tape over each individual connection hot-dog style to isolate each connection.

Meanwhile, the case is still sitting gutted behind the storage ins in the closet, waiting for my dad's next trip so I can get the holes drilled in the mobo tray. Everything else is finished except for that and the case grilles (which I should probably work on drawing out).


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## magnethead




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## magnethead

So, I got the front trim painted (not the best, but it works unless you want to be picky), painted the fan grille rims (silver on top, gold on front), and painted the top fans so they wouldn't be boring gray- front gold, back silver.


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## magnethead

Well, I got the template for the panel slots made. Wishing we had a router or something of the sort to make some decent straight lines with quickly (upposed to drilling 2 3/8" holes per cut and jigsawing between the holes and hoping for a straight cut).

The part around the HDD's (which theorietically should look something half close to darth vador's mask, for a visual idea) will have 12 vertical slots while the area behind the mobo tray will have all 20 horizontal slots of the template cut out.

each slot is 3/8" of an inch wide and 3 inches long.

no telling when the cuts will get made. It'll probably take 2 to 3 hours to get them cut out by jigsaw. Add 30 minutes to do the 6 holes in the mobo tray. I'm hoping to get this done by the end of the school year. All I need is for my dad to have another overnight trip somewhere.

Once the slots are cut, I'll mask over the holes on the ouside and spray more gold from the inside, so the slot edges will be gold. Then put the case back together, and do a final coat of black from the outside to get all the seams ect. Last thing will be to staple all the window screen in half-taunt to keep the computer guts in and other junk out of the case. I'll get the grill guards for the 80's and 120....sometime (painted gold). Still unsure how i'll do the 250's, probably more window screen pulled tight against the frames.

All that's left to buy (in order of importance):

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91_110&products_id=738 120 fan grill 1.99
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91_110&products_id=742 120 fan grill x 4 1.29 (5.16)
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=137&products_id=363 fan/LED controller 16.95
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813130542 motherboard 48.99
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103196 processor 36.00
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=137&products_id=23524 front panel media unit 29.95

Only $139.04. That's almost halfway cheap, for a computer!


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## Acuta73

Is looking much better. Nice job on the LEDs. A bit of paint goes a long way to making it look good.

Not exactly going to be a "hot" machine, but will get the job done. 

Eric


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## magnethead

Ssrogg said:


> Is looking much better. Nice job on the LEDs. A bit of paint goes a long way to making it look good.
> 
> Not exactly going to be a "hot" machine, but will get the job done.
> 
> Eric


well, the goal is to have a 100% quiet computer, that runs as cool if not cooler than any aftermarket case, and still has a high multitasking ability.

It'd be nice if I could do the edges around the fans and the front fascia alot better, as the manual brush did next to nothing. But it's hard to mask around such a small round object without wasting tons of tape (though it may be the only option). I may redo the fascia edges in black when i do the second main coat, just because i'm not so sure about how the silver came out.


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## magnethead

Well, i've just about burned up the hole saw as much as you can. I've actually burned some of the gold paint off the mobo tray from getting it too warm. I thought we had metal cutting lube somewhere but i cant find any. Still have 4 more holes to cut from the tray.


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## Acuta73

If you have no cutting fluid, use some WD-40 or a bit of motor oil.

Eric


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## magnethead

Ssrogg said:


> If you have no cutting fluid, use some WD-40 or a bit of motor oil.
> 
> Eric


I tried PB blaster (we use that over WD40), and all I got was a bunch of smoke. Although I didn't think about motor oil....


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## magnethead

Well, i'm gonna see if I can out-stay my parents and go work in the shop for half an hour before going to bed. At least try to get (some of) the passive cooling intakes cut out. Gotta drill a 3/8" hole at each end of each slot (there's about 40 slots, do the math) then jig saw my way though each slot. Granted the shop is 50 foot from the house, and the workshop is in it's own room inside the shop, i'm still not sure what I can do without being exactly loud.


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## Acuta73

Better yet, and I didn't think of it. Hydraulic fluid or ATF. Pretty much IS cutting fluid (just don't breathe the smoke, please. lol)

Eric


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## magnethead

I'm still fighting for a window of opportunity to get all this done. 

I'm gonna add a few extra passive slots in and around the PSU, so it has a slightly better chance of some airflow.

What will help finish it all off, is some half inch cable loom. Tidy everything up quick.

Based soley on surface area: 

exhaust:

3 x 50 sq in + 1 x 16 sq in = 166 sq in

Intake:

4 x 7 sq in = 25 sq in


Quite the descrepancy in fan suface area, eh?

Passive intake:

42 x (.375 * 3) + 1 x (.375*2) = 48 sq in of surface area. 

I'm still at 166 out vs 73 intake.

However, SA isn't everything. I only have 200 CFM of exhaust, and about 100 CFM in intake. So now, with all the slots, there should be ample avaliable intake, even if I shut the intake fans all the way off via controller.


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## magnethead

well, got everything cut out. Mobo tray became a task (I burned up the hole saw...I tried to use some HD-30 oil for lube and bout had a fire) so i finally took the jigsaw to it.

I just gota take pics and button it all back up now.


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## magnethead

yay, it's running. Course, not till i assembled it did i realize that the passive vents GREATLY decreased the number of places there are to hide the wiring. Again, hoping zip ties and some loom will help that issue out. The main issue is the wiring harness for the 4 80mm fans. Once I get a fan controller, that issue should be gone (the fanmates are half the problem). The main problem, is that one fan goes straight to the motherboard and the other 3 are molex, which is adapted over to a 3 pin, to a fan mate, back to a molex. So once I get a fan controller, I can just use a 3 pin Y cable and a single 3 pin to molex adapter, all loomed. The 120 fan will need a 3 pin extension, but it will plug straight into the controller. the other 2 fan channels i'll leave open for later use. The harness for the exhaust fans and LED's will get loomed and that should straighten those out, and all that will be left will the PSU wires, which the fan controller and front panel unit will solve that issue for the bottom string and the top string will get zip tied out of the way. 

Now it's just a matter of buying some guts.


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## pharoah

well i see there has been some new case builds in my absence.looking good keep up the good work.:grin:


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## magnethead

Just an update.

Hybrid is still running strong on Windows 2000. I'm going to try to put Windows XP and ubuntu linux on it, for alternative computing. Not 100% sure how i'll handle the bootloaders yet. To make all 3 5.25" bays fully usable, I took the bottom HDD fan, completely removed the bottom 2 bolts, then put 1cm spacers between the front panel and fan on the 2 remaining top bolts, and double nutted it all. No vibes, all 3 bays are usale, and the door covering half of the fan isn't an issue- it'll be closed most of the time anyways.


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## magnethead

updated gallery

http://magnethead794.com/custcomp/index2.php


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## magnethead

so basically, all thats left is to draw and cut out the mounting plate for the system power switch and mount the fanmates somewhere and figue their wiring mess out.


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## magnethead

ok, got the fanmates done. Just gotta get some double sided tape from the shop in the morn. Gonna attach em to the half-duct on the 2 top fans. So i no longer need any fan controllers. That freed up a 5.25" bay.

Gonna mount the power switch below the 5.25" bays using an existing face panel mount to hold the bracket. Just gotta make an L bracket to hold it, shaped half inch wide and 2 inch long, and half inch leg half inch long. Then trim the extra.


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## magnethead

Mounted fanmates. Now just gotta cut the power switch bracket. Although i'm stll trying to find any better places to put it behind the sliding door. My other option is to tie it into the 5.25 bays (very creatively) so it's off to the left side, next to the 3rd bay.

top fanmate is for the green/blue fan, bottom for the 80's.

http://magnethead794.com/custcomp/media/07-30-08.jpg


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## MyKobalt

I've been wanting to make my own case like you for a long time now. I think seeing this might motivate to do so. I'm a big fan of HUGE cases just because they are easier to work in, more organized and better airflow. I want a monster case!


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## magnethead

I've got the template done for the switch mounts, just gotta cut it out, flatten it (from cutting), bend it on the bench vise, and drill it out with a 1/4" bit.

I'll save the template to make a 2 or 3 switch mount based on the right side incase i add things that need switches.


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## magnethead

MyKobalt said:


> I've been wanting to make my own case like you for a long time now. I think seeing this might motivate to do so. I'm a big fan of HUGE cases just because they are easier to work in, more organized and better airflow. I want a monster case!


Forcifer and I are good at these custom cases. 

If you want a TRULY large case, I'd say look at the antec 1200, and see what you can morph out of it. I bet a skilled person could build a wooden 1200 similar to hybrid for much cheaper than 200 bucks. 3 front 120mm fans intake, 2 rear 120's exhaust, 2 side 120's (or 4/6?) intake (with 2 lined up directly side by side over the gfx), and maybe 2 top 120's exhaust? As was with hybrid, the fans are always more expensive than the constructed unit itself.


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## MyKobalt

magnethead said:


> Forcifer and I are good at these custom cases.
> 
> If you want a TRULY large case, I'd say look at the antec 1200, and see what you can morph out of it. I bet a skilled person could build a wooden 1200 similar to hybrid for much cheaper than 200 bucks. 3 front 120mm fans intake, 2 rear 120's exhaust, 2 side 120's (or 4/6?) intake (with 2 lined up directly side by side over the gfx), and maybe 2 top 120's exhaust? As was with hybrid, the fans are always more expensive than the constructed unit itself.


You read my mind :grin:


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## magnethead

Here's the mounting brackets for switches. Going to be mounted above the 5.25" drives, room for 4 on/off/momentary/whatever switches. Not sure if i'll hit them with gold or silver paint....


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## magnethead

well, got the power switch mounted. looks decently good, the average joe sure wouldn't know where to turn it on at. Then again, with the door down, the avg joe wouldn't know where to put the Cd's in at, either.


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## magnethead

ok, got the power switch and LED/fan control switch installed.

As pictured, the LED/fan switch only does the side panel LED's. Here in a bit, I'll also connect it to the 2 front fans and the rear 120. So it can run without any of the LED's on, but still have the top fans and side fans going.


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## magnethead

and for those whjo want to whine on the scotch tape- yes those connections will be soldered once i'm out of testing mode.


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## magnethead

The more I try to do this, the more I convince myself i just need a dang real fan controller. Would tidy things up a little too. But with neither parent having a job, getting mail to my room is like getting it in china- 30 questions later, i might get to have the package. And getting mail to a dorm is just as hard. But for a hair over 20 bucks shipped, a rheobus would sure help out the wiring mess, among other things.

rheobus http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=137&products_id=363
30cm 3 pin extension (x2) http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=942

both front fans on channel 1- use 3 pin to molex adapter, then piggyback molex to 3 pin adapter (to tricool) and uncontrolled fan.

both top fans to channel 2- use a 3 pin to molex adapter, into a molex extension, into the 2 fans daisychained

rear fan to channel 3- use 2 30cm extenders to feed the rear fan

side fan to channel 4- use a 3 pin to molex adapter into the side fans

LED's to solid state switch- to turn side LED's on and off independant of other LED's/fans


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## Unospazmatic

Oh my, you must be a DIY god 



Btw, that case looks oh so sexy for being made of wood.


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## magnethead

Unospazmatic said:


> Oh my, you must be a DIY god
> 
> 
> 
> Btw, that case looks oh so sexy for being made of wood.


lol thanks. 

I gotta bring it to work for seperate troubleshooting reasons- but i was telling my coworkers "It's made of wood, but you can't tell from a distance" lol. Which is halfway true..the black and gold went on pretty well. The silver left some to be desired.


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## StevieO

ahh custom building at its best,


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## -d-

Damn I just read through the log..
Really well planned, and it's looking great so far! I love the blue and white lighting you have; it's very refreshing compared to the usual neon green/blue we're all used to seeing. Keep up the great work!


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## magnethead

-d- said:


> Damn I just read through the log..
> Really well planned, and it's looking great so far! I love the blue and white lighting you have; it's very refreshing compared to the usual neon green/blue we're all used to seeing. Keep up the great work!


Thanks!


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## magnethead

yes, I know this is an age-old thread. 

Update: 

It now has an APPLEBRED AMD Duron processor (133 bus @ 1600 MHz, soo to be bumped to 166 @ 2 GHz), PC Chips M848LU motherboard, 2x512 sticks of PC2700 RAM, and runs as an always-on apache web server in my bedroom. One of the solder joints on an LED came loose when we moved (it rode in the trailer, not the cab), so 3 of them aren't working. Hopefully if/when I have time, I'll get some switches and get it wired up like I wanted it to be origionally (so I can turn off the LED lamps) and half-neatly.

Images taken by LG Vu Camera PHone:


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