Scratch Build – In Progress *** PHINIX NANO TOWER *** --- MOTY 2011 nomination !!!

Guys, hardware update today!

I went to post office and picked up two packages.
So guess what I have received?????

Bill from MNPCTECH sent me modding items, which will add special look to my Tower:

1) BILLET MACHINED ALUMINUM CASE FEET



2) Modder's round-hole mesh



3) Black anodised M4 Thread x 30mm Length (1-3/16") Stainless Socket Cap Screw Sets for rear radiator fans



4) Black anodised M4 Thread x 16mm Length (5/8") Stainless Socket Cap Screw Sets for fastening outside panels



5) Fan grommets




Bill, again - huuuuuuge thanks for your help !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Second package came from Joan from CRUCIAL !!!

When opened the envelope I saw these!



These memory sticks will be PERFECT for my Tower! Imagine when they gonna light up inside, giving nice shine on all internal parts with those leds!
These are DDR3 - my previous Tracers were DDR2, which had shorter rows of those leds. These new DDR3 have leds on whole length of the sticks!
Now I need to wait for mobo and will show you guys how those Tracers look like when I test hardware!

Again, huuuuge thanks come to Joan from CRUCIAL UK !!!!

 

Glad they arrived Ok, lookin forward to next update!

 

Yep they arrived ok, mesh was a bit bent, but I put in under heavy stuff and its fine. It is actually amazing how they survived that long trip and the box was pretty fine! I was worried that at the end it will be ruined, but all went well.

Those feet are soooo cool! In real they look even better than on photo Bill! They are so massive and stable - Tower will have really good base with those!
Bolts look really cool - I'm glad you sent me those anodised, it will add nice professional touch to the front panels!
I cannot wait to use them all Thanks again Bill!!!!

 

After few threading (tapping) attempts I decided to use something stronger - right angle (cross) dowels.



I couldn't easily tap those holes in aluminium rods, so I went to B&Q and bought these dowels.
They are perfect for this job - so strong, holding bottom panel firmly and securely.
I will also use them to mount top panel. I just love them! Truth is, it takes amount of time to install them - because they are 10mm thick and 12mm long (M6 holes), first I had to drill long hole in bottom of the rod for screw (6mm bit), then across that hole another one for dowel - there had to drill twice, once with small 6mm to make drilling with big drill a bit easier; then last drill with 10mm thick bit. Its easy to count - 4 rods, 2 holes each, 3 drills per side - gives 24 drills
Changing drill bits all the time, clamping rods... now I feel like putting my hands in pile of ice wouldn't be a bad idea...

After my previous build - the Cube - now I can say - aluminium is a PAIN!!!!

Photos tomorrow, I'm so tired my hands are full of pain after few hours of trying to tap those rods and then all the drilling...
However - weekends mission accomplished ! I'm looking on standing frame!!! You guys need to wait for photos til tomorrow

Let the Dremel be with you !!!

 

NEW UPDATE (30/11/09)

This time - real thing! I worked on main frame this weekend and today.
Having some problems with tapping those rods on Saturday, I decided to go with some more powerful stuff - those dowels I mentioned in previous post. It took a lot of drilling, with hand drill and drill press. Biggest drill I used, 10mm one, made a lot of noise!
My attic looks like it has aluminium carpet now Seriously! I have to hover before my wife's gonna see it...

Here are all the photos, please have in mind this is rough aluminium, still needs some sanding on edges and polishing. After all it will be powder coated so it will look like fabric made!

Just a quick show off - I bought some nice piece of equipment yesterday. Was going for 14.4V Bosch, but I found great deal on 18V Hammer Black&Decker




As mentioned in build description in first post, I'm going to use new Akasa Apache 120mm fan, which supposed to be the best with H50 cooler. So I bought it when found nice weekend deal and price went down from £15 to £9 last weekend













Looks ugly as hell! I believe the person who designed the colors for it will be working late this Christmas! Apart of that it isn't silent, like I read on some forums, but it is very very quiet. AND it blows... blows loads of air! When turned it on my face it felt like hair-dryer! I mean it! Pretty powerful stuff.

Now, lets get back to business, shall we?

Here it is: these are cut off corners on mobo tray. All filled as you can see, will need some sanding and polishing at the end..





Also drilled holes for mounting screws. It will be screwed to the rear rods with short M4 bolts.



Here's a quick shot of flattened rod:



Here is how I worked out mounting rear and top panels to rods. Cross dowels Ladies and Gentlemen.. Cross dowels...





So we have smaller, 6mm hole for screw at the bottom of the rod, second one is bigger 10mm hole for dowel. All lined up and drilled.. pretty cool, professional looking thingy, also VERY strong!



Here is bottom panel screwed with those dowels:



...aaaand all four rods, sticking out like a.... like sticking out rods.....



Then top panel, with cut off long rectangle for front mounting slim dvd. It will be done later, when the mobo will be mounted. Before that I cannot line up the drive-tray.



Top panel screwed to the rods. Some holes still need to be lined up a bit and their egdes a bit polishes. Some screws didnt get to the panel surface easily, some rough aluminium bits are still there...



Looks cool...



...AND the whole thing!!!







Now.. I used some duct tape to hold mobo-tray... forgive me that cheap move, but I haven't drill those screw holes in rods yet to mount that tray properly.. It will be done during the week...



You can see that small 3mm gap above mobo-tray - that is the place where middle panel will be pushed in...



Tower itself...





For size comparison - Akasa 120mm fan box sticked inside ...



...and on top...



...and 2L Coke bottle inside the Tower... I told you it will be water-cooled after all!




OK. So this is the big update from last weekend. I hope you liked it. See, even sun was out today!
Now I'm going to spend some time on polishing edges finishing holes and mounting mobo-tray. After that will mount middle panel with those right angle support alu shapes.

So...

STAY TUNED !!!!

 

Very nice work phinix!

 

Yay! Progress!

 

yay! an update! looking good

 

Photos!!!
Looking very nice, hope those nVidia Fermi cards will be available when you come to an end

 

Those dowels are so cool and exactly what I was looking for to help with a frame I will be constructing.

 

Thanks guys! Yep, dowels look really cool! It so strong that I could sit on it and it won't even shake

 

New Update !!!

OK. Time for small hardware update.

Small, because the item is very small, however it is the most important in the whole build!!!
Without this little thing Tower wouldn't be that small!
What is it then?

Well... I picked up a parcel tonight... Take a look what was inside



Merry Christmas for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



...now lets see what's in the box!





Isn't that beautiful?????!!!!











This PCIe will power some really heavy card





BIOS Led error indicator.. sweet



...and these 3 SATA will be working 24/7 for my SSD Raid



Again, I would like to thank two coolest people in DFI Marketing Department - Eric and Patricia -THANK YOU GUYS !!!

Lot of guys asked me where this mobo can be purchased - In UK you can buy it in SCAN.

 

Awesome! That board is seriously the wickedest thing I've seen in months

 

And now slap an i7 870 + ATi 5870 on it

 

Well, right now I'm getting GTX295 - I'm waiting to see what Nvidia will show us next year - I hope dual chip Fermi will be something I can stick in my NanoTower

 

hot! can you do a review

 

that little ITX power house made me squeal like a school girl with excitement! Thank you DFI for making the world a better place.

pffffffffft mATX so old school!

 

Well, I'm a waiting for few other parts now, so I won't be running this mobo til next week or so...
You may get reviews soon anyway.. it supposed to be out this week i think...

I know! That is why I love this mobo so much!!!
Even my wife is jealous !

 

want.

really intrested in this project. keep it up