Scratch Build – In Progress *** PHINIX CHIMERA *** - 07/11/16- final photos - COMPLETED !!!

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Hello again and welcome to my new scratch build project log!

Yep! This is my new scratch build - I had this idea lurking around my head for a while and couldn't wait any longer to share with you guys!

This is a project introduction - first I will explain the whole idea and hardware I'm going to use in this project. First cut will take place on 13th March (my birthday).

..::: PHINIX CHIMERA :::.. ​

The idea is to create smallest PC possible, again!
As you previously saw, all my projects were small, Cube and Nano Tower had same idea - to keep everything small. This will be even smaller than my Nano Tower
Smallest ITX cases have always more than 10L.
I decided to squeeze everything in less than that! 18x18x30 gives us 9,7L !!! Sounds insane, but don't worry, I thought it through, this will work

This time only CPU will be water cooled using closed-loop cooler. This will let me keep the size down. Vertical position of the motherboard and graphics card was great idea in Nano Tower, that is why I decided to do it again. This way depth of the case is not dictated by length of the card. Case height will cover that.

Installing the card in separate chamber will keep the heat off the rest of the components.

The whole exterior will have a "dramatic" look Colors like a Chimera virus, exterior panels split like a chimera organism


Main ideas :

• Color scheme: black, acid green and yellow!
• Shape and size: tower case, internal dimensions 18x18x30cm !!!
• satin black powder coating for main case parts
• acid green + yellow acrylic elements and lighting
• watercooled CPU (AIO cooler)
• motherboard and graphics card installed vertically
• graphics card mounted on separate wall in its own chamber, connected with PCIe extension
• SFX PSU



Hardware :

• i5 4670K OCed
• itx Z97I GAMING ACK motherboard
• 8GB of RAM
• Palit GTX780 Super Jetstream graphics card
• SFX PSU
• 500GB M.2 SSD for the OS and games + 1TB 2.5'' HDD for storage)



I've started gathering all hardware and items. First cut as I mentioned will start on 13th of March - it's my birthday, when I have a day off, so will have time to make a proper start

I hope you guys will stay with me on this one too.



My PHINIX CHIMERA project is sponsored by:



PALIT Microsystems kindly supported me with their incredible GTX 780 Super Jetstream graphics card.




PARVUM Systems kindly sent me loads of their fantastic little mounting cubes and will also provide their CNC and laser cutting services.




MSI kindly supported me with their latest most powerful mITX motherboard Z97I GAMING ACK




Silverstone kindly supported me with: most powerful small form factor PSU - SX600-G , liquid CPU cooler Tundra TD03-E ,
set of short PSU cables PP05-E and two slim 120mm fans FN123 .

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Under 10 liter .... can't wait to see your idea for the internal layout of this one

 

Coolioolioolio sounds fun & awesome, congrats on the sponsor too.

 

Look forward to the update at the end of the month mate!

Love your projects, well thought and the finish is of a craftsman, looking forward to this.

 

Thanks - yep layout is funky this time, but very simple and good for cooling etc.
I have created sketchups for it, so will show them before actual start.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm so happy that Palit helped me out with this - it's one of the best cards you can get with high clocks on it. All reviews of that card showed incredible performance, so happy days

Cheers, you know me - end of the month, no problem

 

OK guys, it's time for first update!

I gathered some nice pile of aluminium bits
Can't believe but this is all basic pieces of the whole case!
Main rods, top, bottom and side panels. Bottom panel and two side ones are a bit bigger, not yet trimmed to the side.







Just to realise how small this case is going to be, I put my tv remote next to the front panel.




..and here is radiator from Aurora sitting on it!




...and my hand on the panel! How small is that!
...panel, not my hand




First rod received some good drill treatment. First mounting hole done, 7 to go




I'm going to use same mounting technique as in Nano Tower - small M5 90 degree screw inserts.

Tonight, when I come back from my birthday party, I will show you first sketchups of the Chimera! Specially internal layout of it!!!

So. till next time, stay tuned

 

Yes, you can build very tiny cases, if you get rid of all the unnecessary stuff

 

True that
I really don't like all those "overkill" builds - throwing tons of watercooling stuff, 4 graphics cards and all stuck in case like TJ07.. waste of time and money + crappy build, that's all I think about those...

 

I almost finished Aurora project, so it's time to go back to Chimera

Here is a sketchup showing placement of each element.




So from the right you can see graphic card situated vertically. Middle plate holds motherboard, below there is 120mm fan pushing air inside to the top. Then left side has cpu cooler's radiator mounted at the bottom and PSU on top. Next to PSU there will be a slim frame with 2 mounted drives, SSD and HDD.

Here's a shot from the left side...

 

Buy a cheap metal brake and you could make it smaller.

-But I guess you need to put wires somewhere.
Any room for RAM in there?

 

Phinx, USFF build / ITX / SFX it's all looking like another epic build - I'll fetch a chair...

 

I know, I thought about getting it even smaller, but the thing is I want to keep items in reasonable positions and spaces. Plus I want to use some lighting in it too, so need some space for wires etc.
Bottom fan will be blowing cool air from under the case up to the top, which needs some space too. Also, I have some thoughts on doing double build - versatile enough to swap few panels and make it fully watercooled, but that is just an idea/surprise for future

RAM - yes of course... low profile ones There will be around 4-5cm for RAM height so it's cool.

Thanks man, I hope it will be as fun as Nano Tower was to build

 

I knew it! I knew it! Never open a thread started by Sir Phinix! .... subbed

 

Well, that was a quite a long break from this project - I had to finish Phinix Aurora first before coming back to this one. Now, when Aurora is done, I can start working on Chimera again.
Today I did a lot of drilling, here are the results. Sorry for phone photos, but these are "action" photos from the shed

All 4 rods had to be drilled on their ends and on their sides for pushing in those threaded inserts.
First I made a wee point in the measured center of the rod and then drilled it with 5mm bit.






That was 8 holes in total, both ends on each rod.




Then I drilled another 8 5mm holes on their sides, to make drilling with 10mm bit easier.
First 5mm then 10mm...






This was pretty long process but done all of them!




Next was a bottom panel, simple 4 holes for screws...




..and this is not even a half of those aluminum debris...




At the end a wee mockup - all rods with top and bottom panels. You can see 30cm ruler standing next to it.
This photo takes me back.. to 2009 when I started Nano Tower project and put those rods same way



So, till the next update - this time a lot sooner

 

Wee break anyone?

Winter is slowly going away, so modding season is coming back in Glasgow!

It's till very cold, but sun (in scottish-english it means rain) is showing up more often now. In last couple of months I've been busy doing a lot of "grinding" in Elite Dangerous, playing with my sweet little Oculus + X52 PRO combo. So I'm sure everyone understand why I was away!
OK ok.. no excuses now I was simply recovering from "modding burn-out time"
I was going through my ideas and plans for Chimera and finally decided on few things I couldn't "see" in this project before. Spent some time in Sketchup designing those bits and final versions came up in last few weeks, which I'm fairly happy with. Those bits I'm talking about are case feet and side panels designs. But that's for another update...

I knew I will be using mITX mobo in this project, but didn't know which one would look best in this smallest, most powerful rig. Then in December I've read somewhere that MSI is about to release the latest version of their gaming series mitx motherboard - Z97I GAMING ACK.

So I asked our MSI UK representative if they could kindly support my project with this brand new mobo and...



... Christmas time all over again!!!

I think this is first time I have in my hand a top spec motherboard like this. It has so many upgrades compared to regular itx motherboards, that it really deserves to be part of MSI's Gaming Series hardware.

Please take a look at this little monster!
























..and with that cool sticker




This mobo has everything that gamer could wish for. I'm so glad that MSI decided to pimp up their AC version to this.
It has the Killer series WIFI, Killer LAN, USB audio power for external DACs, Sound Blaster Cinema 2 with audio boost 2, headphones amp, dedicated gaming device port, OC Genie 4 and M.2 SSD socket!
Even the box itself shouts quality - it has "engraved" design, a very nice touch.
Our Antony already had this baby in his hands and published a great review of this mobo, you can read it all here.

Fantastic piece of hardware, can't wait when I finally mount it in Chimera and play some serious games - my aim is.. Witcher 3!

 

Mike, good to see you back.
THAT BOARD. IMHO makes the Asus Impacts look a bit lacklustre.
Still don't care for the red dragon shield, but looks better than the Z87 version.
I'll pull up the chair again .

BTW, looking forward to hearing how you get on shoehorning a graphics card into the Q07

 

That is one sexy little board!

 

Ooft, that was a long break...
Unfortunately I couldn't get back earlier on this one. Had some ongoing health issues I had to start treating, so was absorbed in all sorts of things, no time for modding
Things started looking better now, also weather in Scotland got better lately, so I happily opened my modding shed and dusted my tools

When I couldn't do anything physically, I spent some time on designing.
I already showed how internal hardware will be positioned, but here's a bit better view of this.



My next design were the feet of the case. I wanted to make something very simple but different to regular case feet.
So design was simple






Went through different shapes, but this one looked the best.



20mm thick aluminium block went under the CNC and feet were shaped very quickly.
Of course I don't have CNC, this was made by one of our fellow members, which I'm very grateful for helping out






..and here is under main frame.
You can see here top and bottom panels are cut out now.










I put some panels to see how the whole shape will look like.








Hopefully this weekend I will make internal walls - one for graphics card, second for motherboard.
GPU wall will be cut out of aluminium, mobo will be mounted on two L shaped rods to maximise air flow. I will be using Parvum little cubes to of those to main frame.

Stay tuned

 

Really nice use of space on this with a tiny foot print, makes me want to go back to ITX.

 

Awesome, glad to see an update on this one! Nice work! How heavy will this thing be?