Scratch Build – In Progress ****** PHINIX CUBE ******* - the one and only:)

Yeah I quite like the idea of using bungiee rope as the hard drive mount, but I was more thinking about how you are mounting the optical drive you are mounting to the top of the case. Currently the DVD drive is the noisest thing in my case, so I have sarted thinking of ways to quiet it down.

I would also consider placing a 120mm fan in front of those hard drives (if one will fit after cabling) as with the pump, rad, psu and two hard drives in that small chamber things are going to heat up. Hot hard drives are the easiest way to instability and short life span.

 

Well.. now when you asking.. You see, I have an idea for next couple of months - when new 9800GTX will come out, I'm going to watercool it (if I'll find some money on the street), so I'm gonna add one more radiator to the loop - one 120mm rad with fan will go on right side next to the drive cage, so it will pull more air through the cage from both sides - OR - I will put this rad on upper level right panel and then I will put one 120mm fan on the lower level in front of that cage (right panel to blow on those hdds - so this one would blow and one of fans on 2x120 rad will pull.. this should cool down both hdds nicely!).
AS the dvd - I dont know that but as far as I read about it - they dont have any holes to mount - is that right? never used slim in ATX case, so dont know that...
I will make 4 acrylic U shape "hangers" and screw it to the top panel. Dvd will be sticked to the rubber gromets on each corner - gonna use some kind of double side sticky tape OR - what I already have for my previous drive cage - black velcro tape.

 

So after hunting for slim slot-in dvd, I found a few, but they all cost over £40 (including postage):

1) http://www.specialtech.co.uk/spshop/customer/product.php?productid=4060&cat=777&page=1
2) http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(17440)NEC-Optiarc-AD7630A-Slimline-DVD-RRW-RAM.aspx

Considering that now I'm broke, spent whole savings on my project I need to think over how and what I'm gonna use... I hope I get back to you guys next week with nice mounted motherboard and PSU in that cube
STAY TUNED !!!

 

I recently got myself a slim slot-in DVD burner for 50 euros excluding shipping. I got it off Ebay
Keep in mind that these notebook drives don't have a regular IDE connector, you will need something like this as well (I found out after I got my slim drive).

 

I know. Here one I want costs over L40 plus that converter onther 9... 50 for just an idea to mount in in upper level

 

24/02 - new update - mobo tray almost finished...

Today I made a huge step forward - made a motherboard tray

To prepare the mobo tray for cube I had to measure holes for mobo, so I took my Sugo apart to get the mobo first...




Here is motherboard on a tray - uncut, just a square of red acrylic 290x290x3...

(that big toe on the picture is on purpose - for my forum friend who always stick his toe on his pictures )




Here's the cube waiting for its guts




Tray inside the cube...




...and a little spoiler - mobo on tray inside the cube




Here's the latest idea for PSU position in lower level.. just trying it to see how it will fit..



This is Enermax Liberty 500W - it is smaller than other PSUs - it has 140x150x86, when others has 150x150x86 - that means when I will want to change it for Corsair 620W I will need to remember that Drive cage must be ready for loosing 1cm...




Following my last layout of the mobo tray...




I cut all 4 sides of it - left and right will be used to route cables and water-tubing. Front cut only for a look, rear one - needs a little space for endings of the metal back-plates of cards.. you know what I'm talking about - don't know how you call it in English .. the back plates with output ports...




Here you can see holes for mobo stand-offs and nicely cut squares inside the tray.. it is filed but not polished.. all edges are uneven, so I need to work on them little bit more later on this week...
Ooow - don't worry if you think that holes for mobo are in wrongly placed - I just realised that I took a picture from the bottom side, so this is back of the tray






These are the stand-offs I'm going to use for mobo...




Here's one stand-off inside his hole




...and small nut keeping it tight on bottom side - I was too lazy to tap the holes for standoffs... nuts are easy to use, I like it this way...




Here's the view through the acrylic...




That's all for now...

 

Good Thing you used a nut.
Tapping it could've ended in breakage.


Edit: I just realized what I said.
I'm not changing my post.

 

OK, I received Noctua fans today, mounted them on radiator and.. it is still HOT.
Funny thing is the buttom of the pump - the plate which will touch the CPU is cold. Only top of the pump is hot...

Some more tubing...



Pump cable converter




more cable sleeve




...and fans...



look how big it is in the cube...

 

Looking good phinix! That MB tray is going to look great when you have filed the edges straight!! 8D¨ Scratch builds are so cool, and this is no exception. It's been very interesting reading through your log seeing the build evolve, and how you solve problems!
Cool, I didn't know Noctua had made a high-impedance model as well. =)

Keep it up!

 

They are fairly new......came out about ~3 months ago........
I found this Review after hearing about them........
I may be getting these for my radiator...............



Alan

 

Aah, I see... *reading test* wow, these fans are really good! 8D¨ Thanx for the test link Alan! *hug*
Mmm-hmm, I'm thinking the same for my planned build. ^_^

 

How did you manage to photograph the red plexi?????? All my efforts are either really dark or PINK
Oh, and congrats on the MOTM nomination
John

 

Thanks! I know - those edges look funny now, but wait till you see them finished! I'm working on the rear panel now - cutting PSU hole and making space for I/O panel of motherboard - it will be cut to shape but also covered by some kind of red acrylic backplate - sth like I made for radiator.
Noctua fans are INCREDIBLE!!! I had Akasa amber and AcoustiFan DustProof 120mm fan before - but these are really silent !!! I plugged it to my controller and they are great even on full speed. The funny thing is how they push air - WHen installed them on my radiator I felt the same push through it as they were aside - I hope you know what I mean - it felt like they push the same amount of air through the radiator and without it. I read somwhere that someone could hear the difference between mounted and unmounted fan - but I tested it and there is no difference! You can't hear anything when fan is running stand-alone or on radiator. THEY ARE PERFECT !!! I spent about 20 minutes just looking at them, how they are built, everything is so clean and the finish is amaizing. Maybe someone would not like their colors but for me they look cool. Enough of that black plastic everywhere!

 

OW MY GOD !!!!! I HAVE BEEN NOMINATED !!!!! WOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is amazing! I didn't know that my cube is so cool! I mean.. it is for me, but looks like a lot of people like to watch my work. Everytime when someone writes sth nice about my work, the feeling inside when reading it is great I wish I could show you all more pictures to share with you guys all the moments of building this cube, cause every minute spending on this work is worth millions for me. I'm going through some rugh times in my life now and this project is like an escape from reality for me... I can forget about all problems when seating on floor and keep some piece of acrylic in my hands...

Anyway.. Thank you all for great comments, you guys "pushed" me to that nomination ! Also thank you for all the votes you gave me and all the votes you will give
My wife gave a vote on that project as well, which is odd cause she doesn't like me spending hours on it and making all that mess with my tools around the house

 

About the plexi - it is the most difficult thing to photograph I've ever seen! Those pics I made are not even giving its real color! I've learnt to do it by using the ambient light, never flash, and working with exp time. they always make up "blured" but that is the best I can get. This one is actually dark red, so easier to photograph, but previous one at the beginning of my project always made up pink.. owful....

 

Congrats on the MOTM nomination! Good luck!

 

You got my vote, this is becoming a really nice case

 

Thanks, YOU TOO !!! Good luck !!!

 

Thank you !
Well, hopefully next week I will be able to show some more work done, I really would liek to move my stuff from Sugo case to this cube....

 

04 March 2008 UPDATE

UPDATE TIME !!!!


Today is beautiful weather - well, an hour ago world looked like this, when was looking through the window...



Now, after couple of hours later it is shiny bright day, so had to make some pictures to show you all the steps I made in last few days...

So from the curvy edges of my mobo tray it has transformed to nice, straight, smooth and polished tray...
See yourself!






I was sanding it for about 3 hours... last part was to use water for final look...






Look how beautiful it looks - edge of one of those rectangles inside....







Now I can announce that the mobo tray is FINISHED !!!


What else I did were two radiator feet... still need to be water-sanded and polished...



I used iron to bend these acrylic pieces...

[IMG]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p256/phinix666/PHINIX%20CUBE/100_6107.jpg

It went well.. I think... for a first time bending with iron they look ok I would say


P.S. dates on photos are wrong.. don't worry about them