Scratch Build Mini-PC - Finished (New account and a new mod)

[Sissilisko]

Okay, im making a really "****ing" tiny pc for my mom for christmast present.. idea is not to make any "Super" computer with crossfire's or sli's, just a regular computer with amd's apu technology.

so im super poor but i got this chance to make this and im gona use it, i dont have almost any tools at my own house but im in this "workshop" what city keeps up for jobless and stuff so we get something to do and we learn stuff... and im jobless so im in there and this is my possibility.

BUT WITH WHAT MONEY! - worry not, i have made thread of my htpc mod that didnt finished cause i got broke down.. well im using the apu 6 from there and sell some of the stuff to do this cause i really want my mom to have new computer.

---SPECIFICS---

Hardware:
- ASROCK FM1 A75M-ITX M-ITX
- AMD APU A6 X4 3670
- Scythe Big Shuriken 2 rev.B (probably)
- Ituner PicoPSU 150W (probably)
- 1x Scythe Kaze Jyu Slim 1000 (it's 100mm fan)

and the case is made from "MDF" what is some kind of glued wood, i know what it is but my English isnt good enough to explain it to you guys

the work start's on the next post.

PS: could someone please tell me how to ask sponsors? i am really broke and i could use a "free" motherboard, itx boards aint that cheap even thou they are small....

[Sissilisko]

so HERE WE GO!
idea is to make as small and quiet pc as possible for my mom to Christmas present : )

sorry i had "plans" what i modified on paper and theee paper is gone so it's just to wait and see what is coming : P

and sorry for no taking more pictures, im terrible with cameras and im always keep forgetting to take pictures

so i got my material and cutted some of the pieces off



time to glue the pieces together,





while the sides is gluing there is time to make a ventilation hole on the bottom part
i forgot (once again) to take pictures of the drilling but here is pictures of cutting session




oh and i made a smiley face : P



then time to take the most left overs away with a bigger toys..


and then just regular sanding



my lunch at the work shop... nomnom.



The glue has finally dry and it's looking good, looking better after sanding thou


test fitting with the bottom piece

the markings was made for scythe slip stream fan but i changed my mind.


i forgot to make the side ventilation holes before hand so i managed to find a way to make them afterwards, not the best way cause the circular saw isn't the best as you can see from the first cut.



but they arent that bad... and i tried to fix them a bit with a file but it wasn't good (the file i mean)


but but, time to glue bot to the sides...



and this is it for this time.

[Sissilisko]

Technically the first post is supposed to contain actual work. Also, search for the guide to sponsorship and start there. There is definitely some good information around bit-tech that is already freely available and worth the read.

Good luck with this mate, most of us can definitely relate to your pain of having "limited funds and ideas measured in tons" mentality

Hope it works out for you, and when all else fails just get creative with recycling existing materials! There are some really amazing project logs on this site from people who use 100% or nearly 100% recycle.

sorry it was coming soon but you guys were just incredible fast or i was so slow xD
i once saw it but it's so long and sometimes just so hard to understand : P ( im from Finland and not best at english but got to check it out again.
oh and about the recycle would work on some parts like i use my old prosessor and stuff but even on the case there aint much wood : D and some parts are just extremely rare in Finland to find used... but thanks for advise : )

Moro.

I could send you some stuff from my earlier mITX-projects. I've got a 450W SFX-PSU from a Silverstone Sugo 05 and a Prolimatech Samuel 17 lying around, if you're interested. Ontop I offer you some two very silent 120mm Scythe S-Flex 800RPM for cooling the whole thing.
All stuff in very good condition ofc and barely used.

For the motherboard... I've got a perfectly working Gigabyte H55N-USB3 with an i5-760 aswell, but you'd need a small GPU, as the i5-760 doesn't sport integrated graphics. Some 2 or 4GB RAM I should find aswell.


OH... and it's the wrong forum

EDIT: What the heck... I'd even throw you a perfectly fine and allmost unused LianLi Q08-B case with all the above, so you'd basically only need a small GPU and a HDD.

Hi.
Thanks for the offer but most of those isnt what i need but i really could use the Prolimatech Samuel 17 and the ram if you could find them and i could even pay something of them. basically i don't need GPU cause of the amd apu's, they already have gpu and im using apu 6.

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Angel OD

Looking good!
But you should consider resizing your pics... Took my phone forever to load!

Thank you : ) and it might be a quite a lot of work to start resizing all the pictures cause i dont a specific program or good program for that..
and you could consider on using computer for bit-tech cause what iv seen and probably you also have seen that so many do doesn't resize the pictures and it would be a hella lot of hassle for everybody to resize all them pictures just for few who uses phone?
but still it's just my opinion.

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Aterius Gmork

Wow, what a rude reply.

Even when using a desktop screen the pictures don't fit properly as they are too big. Also they are not sharp and take forever to load. Each of your pictures is between 1.5 and 2.5 mb, so I probably have to download 50mb of data just to load this page.

Just batch resize your pictures to something like 800x600. Try Irfanview, it can resize all your pictures at one and it is free.

http://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/zanswers/1028/

well i am sorry if my reply was i bit rude, and i think i really start to use some program to resize the pictures if even computer users have problems with them...

and oh the irony, my all pictures has been taken via phone : D

well got to give a try for that program u are telling about.
and still, sorry for the rudeness, had a bad day and i am a finn, we speak pretty much out loud ( the holy reason for all the many bar and hotdog stand fights :'D )

[Sissilisko]

okay okay, im change the resolution.. and besides i have 40/10 Mbit internet connection..
it will take some time that i change the pictures i allready have in smaller resolution.

[Sissilisko]

CONTINUUM!! HUSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

so i sanded all the corners from the main box and test fitted the top piece and it was too big D:



sooo i had to go back to stationary belt sander



Now when the top fits perfectly it's time to make markings for ventilation so i get to drilling.



but but there is no platform for the drill so i had to make one... aaand there it is.




drilling going on..




and then time to use some sanding paper and file




and it's looking really good.. at least i think it looks good







I made also little feet for the pc what im gluing on, there will be also soft pads under the feet




also at the same moment i am using putty to fill some holes i made for screw's but they almost broke the whole thing apart... crack's.. dem crack's. and there also the wood glue i'm using



aaaand that was for today.. i will see what i get done tomorrow.

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Aterius Gmork

Thanks a lot! Much easier now to see what's going on.

Really looking good. I bet you mom is going to love this!

no problem, i didn't make it in 800x600 as somebody's told me to cuz i want people to have the option to take a better look in even a bit bigger picture.

aaand i'm hoping the same thing my self, my mom is really good at crafting wood so there will be some "you could have done this like that" stuff but i think she will appreciate it anyways cause she loves when people give her something unique and self made more then anything expensive... she doesn't care money as long she doesn't have problems with money : )

sowwy for the long text... i'm drunk... FRIDAY BITCHES! sorry for the bitches, i'm sober..

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Meelobee

You could make small thumbnails that link to the bigger pictures when you click on them. It's a bit more work, but makes for a good log

well it would but i don't have a slightest idea how to do it

[Sissilisko]

Hello again, this is a small post because there will be a lot of waiting and i'm waiting some part's already

there should be coming some Phobya motherboard installation screws, Ituner PICOPSU 160W (only the inside part, i will get the transducer later.. and Lamptron Vandal power button..
oh yeah and waiting the motherboard from other place.

but here's some pictures

I got the feet glued up and sanded so the case wont "waggle" around



oh and had an accident with the 2.5" mount while i tried to make it smaller and it aint so pretty anymore :'D but it will work and nobody sees it : )



oh and i started painting it, the surface aint best cause the paint doesn't like paint and there wasn't any primer for the paint... : / but a little sanding and some more paint should do it.

i will first paint it fully white and the i reconsider using other colors as well in base BUT there will be some nice paintings with acrylic paint by my sister who is really good at painting.




oh yeah and the holes are dick to paint : D took me an hour to paint all the holes....

[Sissilisko]

AND WE HAVE MOTHERBOARD

so i received the asrock A75M-itx mother board






quite nice motherboard.
now we got to test if it works but before i have to disassemble the old HTPC that i own for the cpu and the cooler, i tried to do it without landing anything anywhere cause i dont have the box for the cpu : D and i didn't replace the thermal paste cause the cooler will not be the final cooler.


So, here's the old system and i will take the cooler off..





the cooler has been removed and cpu changed to the asrock motherboard




then we remove the original amd cpu cooler stand offs for the bigger cooler (i don't have stock cooler anymore) and then we remove the old Asus motherboard from the case.



and there's my bunny also :3


now to connect these two with each others.



and now when iv have installed ram and power supply on it it's time to test it out..

aaand of course the HDMI just wont work without operating system..



so off to my girlfriends computer because i use DVI and i dont have adapter, and the motherboard takes only HDMI and VGA.
And Voila! it works,



and then a test fitting to the case : D and damnn it's a close call, i have the red antistatic plastic under the motherboard..



it's really nice to make small computers, so here's a size comparison to my hand and my antec 380W power supply, and it aint much bigger then my SilverStone Strider Gold Rvolution 1200W
power supply.




and now after these photos we can focus to the feet cause there aint much anything else to do while waiting the motherboard stand-offs, power button, 100mm fan and the power.

so i have this "stuff" i really don't know what this is but there is glue surface and soft surface on another, and made for this kind of use..



so first we draw and cut one piece off.
i juse one of the pads to measure the next three ones.




then remove the "protector" from the bottom and glue em up!


and we got a little more of spacing between the case and "floor" witch is good thing cause there will be the fan on the bottom of the case



and this is it for the next time when the package from jimm's arrives. i hope it's soon, it's been over 2 weeks now O.o but they are waiting the fan from the importer so cant blame jimm's for it.

PS: i got a job!! so i there will not be pictures of workshop, they will be at my home and my sister's place cause she and her boyfriend will help a bit.

see ya soon! i hope.

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by kinghong1970

nice progress...

and good to see another festool addict...

Looking good so far, looking forward to seeing the finished computer.

That's looking great! Can't wait to see more!

thank you guys very much and there will be more : D

[Sissilisko]

I have the HDD! i bought it from a guy who didn't needed it and sold it cheap :P
it's a Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500,

link to a review
http://www.storagereview.com/hitachi...ts545050a7e380




i had so luck with this one :P if it works... but if it is broken, i have the guys number. >: D

but tomorrow will be more about the hard-drive like testing it if it works, test fitting and pictures and stuff, let's see what i get in mind to try out

OH and im in a trouble on if i should put a win 7 or ubuntu, cause 7 aint cheap, but i don't know if my mom ever learns to use ubuntu even if it is kinda pretty simple...
so tell me please if there is like "win 7 styled" ubuntu out there that works almost like win 7?

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Mechh69

WOW that was an extremely generous offer I'm not sure why you didn't take his offer He basically offered you a complete system for probably little or nothing, I would have graciously accepted it and thanked him for helping a poor fellow out! +1 rep to jrs77

well i would have but i wanted to use my old A6 prosessor because i dont need it, and like i said there i coulda taken the cooler but he hasn't responsed... :/ but now when i am a working man (got a job about a week ago) and gotten my self some extra money it hasn't bring me that much of money problems anyway : ) and yes he is very generous of a man to offer that much

Now on to the new stuff. If she is used to windows I would put W7 on it. If you know someone who is a student you can get a discount on it from MS. I have ubantu on a computer at home and still have issues with it when trying to do certain things most people that are not computer geeks will run in to problems with Linux vs W7.

well i was wondering if i could get it working properly, cause my mom doesn't use it like in serious working, but the worst fear is the problem with java what i had in my htpc...

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Burnout21

Personally Ubuntu with the Unity desktop is fine for someone new to ubuntu, but if your worried (which you shouldn't be) you could give Kubuntu a go which uses the KDE environment which looks enough like windows. (makes me sick)

Ubuntu cheesecake!

Thanks for the advise, ill check it out.

[Sissilisko]

Well then, first of all, ill prepare motherboard for the coming cooler that should be here soon...

so i will just take out the cooler and wipe out all the thermal paste with a (many) pieces of paper.





looking nice and clean, and i attached the back plate to the cooler so it doesn't wander away by it self in this chaotic mess in the house that i have

next to attach the HDD that i bought, just to be sure that it works.
don't mind about my computer



yes my ssd's are putted with a little ghetto style in and the new hard-drive is behind the ssd's

just for fun a another picture of my computer, it's kinda nasty



it's going trough a transform, when i have a tax repay (of the money that i have paid more then enough of my paycheck's) what is soon :P (it's many times said to be a government's Christmas present ) it will have water cooling and i have to cut it up so ill get 360 rad on top and 120rad on bot.... yes, 120 rad between the power supply and front 200mm rad. but enough of this.

so i couldn't find the hdd from the bios, not before i went to boot options.. gosh.. there's windows inside... got to clean the stuff up.

well computer finds it up, now the cleaning duty ( re format )





Well now there's all good in the hood...

Now to the promised test fitting!!

awwww..... oh god it's so small and cute i love small computers


i modded a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter so i can mount the hard-drive inside the case more easily..



yup, should get the job done, im just wondering if i should drill holes trough and put screw's or to just screw it from the inside, the screw's has a bad habit to break or not to stay in mdf because it's just so damn soft....

but to the last pictures, fitting the hdd with the motherboard




and looking good, well still have to make the hole for io-shield.. but i don't have the damn motherboard stand-off's yet...

but for the next time... what will be the new cooler.

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Mechh69

Good to hear that you got a job congratz! Just out of curiosity why don't you use Velcro or double sided sticky tape to mount the HDD? A suggestion for you sata cable, if you have a dell optiplex or other dell SFF computer around they make a sata cable that is only about 4-5 inches that would work perfectly for you.

Thank you! and i never think of that :P but because it wont be staying at my place and there is no window so you never know when it looses up and drops : D so i want it to be as so much maintenance free, so no risk's

but thanks for asking :P and i don't have, i could try to look out for small sata cable, but i was thinking of using couple of cable tie.

but thanks for the ideas! they will be handy in future because this will not be the last small pc i will mod :P

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Pfaffen

Just an idea, after you drill the holes for mounting brackets, you can fill the hole with superglue. It will harden and support the sides of the hole for the screws and make it much stronger.

sounds like a great idea :P or i can fill the hole with motherboard stand off and with superglue and there is no way it will loosen up! : D that would be nice, and then screw another stand off on top of it :P

[Sissilisko]

THE PACKAGE IS HERE!!

let's unbox this baby :P




truly truly professional unboxer



for my bad luck there wasn't what i ordered first... like mb stand offs...
but now i have the cooler :P at least



it's nice and small :P but while looking closer i notice something....





The damn fan blows down! O.o i don't want it like that and it doesn't even work on my mod like that at all!! mrr... well time to flip it around...
like normally in scythe coolers the fan is really easy to take off and replace or something...





now it's right sided... or how do ya say it... well anyways, time to install it, and for amd this is seriously so easy that even my grandma could do it so i will put only pictures there



and i just noticed that i ALL READY FORGET to take pictures of it and that was the only one xD, well let's jump to the next chapter....




yes yes, was boring update but i promised to do this and there is no point to even try the cooler out cause there aint nothing whit what to load it up... and i don't have win yet.. sooooo there is absolutely nothing to do! AGAIN! just because they take forever to give me my parts... well the 100x100 scythe fan is kinda rare in here i e-mailed them again, we shall see.... sooon... if not other way, i will not order that set, make a new order without the cooler and get the cooler from somewhere else.... but it's pre paid so it will be pain in the butt...

[Sissilisko]

Originally Posted by Mechh69

Nice looking cooler and really low profile. Looking back through the log I like how you made the vents, it is simple and looks good. Sorry to hear about not getting your parts I hope they get them there soon!

Thanks! i would have done the side vents more easily but i forgot and i hope too.