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Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
Project Zero-Point  Reply with quote  

Well, I originally wanted to call it Project Space Heater or Project Hot Box but I think that Zero-Point sounds more awesome.

Anyways, this is parts from Project Subtlety mixed with some GTX 480 SLI and a different motherboard. Different motherboard so that it could fit into my lovely new Lan-Gear Da Box 100 Blackheart mATX case.

Specs:
Asus Rampage II Gene - New!
Intel Core i7 920 C0 - Old chip that has done 4.4ghz rock solid!
3x2gb Corsair Dominator DDR3 1600mhz - Old!
(2) Gigabyte GTX 480 SLI - New! Very Happy
300gb VelociRaptor 'OS' Drive - Old!
1tb WD Black 'Stuff' Drive - Old!
Lan-Gear Da Box 100 Blackheart case - New!
CoolerMaster UCP Ultimate 1100w - Old crappy psu with six 12v rails at a total of 128 amps elchgrin


This case is pretty much the pinnacle of Micro ATX design for those that want to pack serious power with a small-ish footprint. I was nearly set on a Lian Li v351 which had a much less appealing layout when I saw this on HardForum. Placing the power supply at the front of the case makes a drastic difference in the amount of airflow and power you can fit in a case this size.




There's a problem though, the case is just wide enough to fix the mATX spec which means that the excellent repositioning of the PSU leaves very little room between it and a long video card in the first PCI-E x16 slot. Combine that with a PSU that is longer than standard ATX size and you have a problem.







My plan to overcome this is to flip the power supply and actually cut the casing of the power supply back to allow the GTX 480 to fit comfortably. In addition removing all the extra leads that are unnecessary in a conceivable mATX build.




I'll be allowing for two 8-pin, two 6-pin, three SATA, one Molex, one EPS 12v 4+4-pin and the 24-pin ATX connector. We have literally cut off about half of this power supply! It's lost some serious weight!






This will gain more than that though as we'll be able to route everything but the 8-pin and 6-pin through the side of the PSU to greatly reduce the need to route the wiring. Of course we'll also be trimming the wires since they are currently at least twice as long as they need to be. This should also allow for enough room for an 80mm fan to take over cooling duties.




After all of that is done, it will likely be the majority of the modding done to this case as I would like it to be fairly easy to work on and upgrade in the future. There will likely be a software-controlled fan controller like I made for Cobalt but it will be a smaller, simpler version.
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Post Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:06 am  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
VinceVaughn
Cougar Hawk


Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Posts: 630
Location: OKC
 Reply with quote  

LoL....I like how you are just hacking up an 1100 watt PSU..... Rolling Eyes

I can already tell...Its gonna be sexy when done.... Very Happy
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Corsair H115i AiO 280mm Water Cooler
EVGA GTX 1080 TI

Post Sat Apr 10, 2010 4:17 am  View user's profile Send private message
BladeRunner
n00b


Joined: 28 Mar 2010
Posts: 56
Location: Norman
 Reply with quote  

Wow serious modding required! haha. I'm actually going with a very similar setup for my brand new PC, almost identical except I'm going with a smaller/cooler Asus 5850 (and an unneeded 750w). I'm analyzing the details on the V351 vs the V352, hoping the 352 comes out soon as that's the one I like better. I briefly looked at this case but decided I'd stick with lian li since I've always wanted to have one of their cases.

Nice build! Can't wait to see it in action Smile

Post Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:04 am  View user's profile Send private message
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

VinceVaughn wrote: LoL....I like how you are just hacking up an 1100 watt PSU..... Rolling Eyes


Heh, it wasn't a decision I came to lightly. I basically decided that this power supply is sticking with this case forever. 1100w and 128 amps means that this little case should be fairly futureproof for.... forever!

Haven't decided on colors for the sleeving yet, I have white/grand bleu/black from MDPC-X still that I can use and I have no idea what lighting, if any, will be on the case so if you have some ideas speak up!
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Post Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:43 pm  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

I modded my room today... I can now see the floor.
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Failure is just success rounded down.

Post Sun Apr 11, 2010 5:09 pm  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

Got alot done tonight. Not as much as I wanted to, but enough that I know where to go next.

Cut on the PSU, first taking a chunk off of the "front"


Going to JB Weld or Epoxy the piece I cut off back onto the PSU here so I can make use of the screw holes and factory bend.


Beginning cuts on the PSU cover to match it up with the cut on the PSU itself.




Power supply back in it's shell, testing the fit and trim of my cuts.


I'm getting alot better with the Dremel. Free-handed an almost perfectly straight line exactly the right height!


Cover back on, seeing how much more I need to take off.



Didn't take any pics of the final cuts but you can imagine what they would look like if I just matched them up with the PSU Cool Going to need to cannibalize a dead ATX PSU to get the metal to cover what I cut and hopefully get that welded onto the PSU cover.
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Failure is just success rounded down.

Post Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:19 am  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

OMG OMG OMG! THEY'RE HERE!


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Failure is just success rounded down.


Last edited by Nikola on Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

Post Tue Apr 13, 2010 6:26 pm  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
VinceVaughn
Cougar Hawk


Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Posts: 630
Location: OKC
 Reply with quote  

OMG OMG OMG! THEY'RE HERE!


you sir, suck.....I just keep dreaming for the day when I check and see the "in stock" button......Rolling Eyes
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Core I7 4790K @ 4.7 Ghz
Corsair H115i AiO 280mm Water Cooler
EVGA GTX 1080 TI

Post Wed Apr 14, 2010 12:58 am  View user's profile Send private message
BladeRunner
n00b


Joined: 28 Mar 2010
Posts: 56
Location: Norman
 Reply with quote  

very nice! grats!

Post Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:12 am  View user's profile Send private message
Petch
n00b


Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 57
 Reply with quote  

Very nice, indeed. Cant wait to see what you get out of them..

Post Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:52 am  View user's profile Send private message
Shinare
SEXNOCULAR


Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 13332
Location: Up your butt with a coconut!!
 Reply with quote  

Fold on those suckers!
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Post Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:16 pm  View user's profile Send private message ICQ Number
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

Took the PSU cover to a welder close to me and he got it done today. Not the prettiest but it's exactly what I asked for and if I get an itch to paint it later on this summer I can.










Hopefully I'll get the case and parts together and start assembly tonight so that when the PSU is done I can plug it in and be done with it.
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Failure is just success rounded down.

Post Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:44 pm  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

Well it's 5:37am, I am not done but I am getting closer. My fingers have been stabbed, burned, poked and cut and I still have to finish the 24-pin sleeving Sad

After that, I mark up some holes to drill and JB Weld the last piece onto the PSU and button it up and call it ugly!
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Failure is just success rounded down.

Post Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:38 am  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
blu
Step on my cubes.


Joined: 19 Mar 2003
Posts: 4638
 Reply with quote  

It shocks and amazes me that you young whippersnappers still have time to do this stuff. I don't think I'm jealous, just confused at how different my time gets organized now then back in the day.

Post Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:36 am  View user's profile Send private message
LightningCrash
Smile like Bob, order your free LC today


Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 5020
 Reply with quote  

blu's life is measured in "minutes between metamucil."

for instance, right now it's about a quarter 'til metamucil.

Post Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:43 am  View user's profile Send private message
Petch
n00b


Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 57
 Reply with quote  

LightningCrash wrote: blu's life is measured in "minutes between metamucil."

for instance, right now it's about a quarter 'til metamucil.


hahahahahah

Post Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:01 am  View user's profile Send private message
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

Well last night I got alot done, not the least of which was pushing my guitar-playing callouses far past their limit. Unfortunately it seems that I have about the only HUGE air cooler that will stop me from using my Corsair Dominator RAM modules while they are stock. Luckily though the tops of the RAM are removable and they now fit fine, I would have not been happy having to dremel through my TRUE.


Here you can see the board with my TRUE 120 Black and neutered Corsair RAM Sad


Tight clearances for stuff this big in a case this small, but it works just like it's supposed to.


Here you can see the fruits of my labor on the power supply. The GTX 275 pictured is exactly as long as the GTX 480 according to Nvidia's site, 267mm, and it now has plenty of room where before it had no chance of fitting.




Last but not least, the power supply with every remaining wire shortened to fit the case and beginning to be sleeved. I decided on black/white just to keep things simple. I really love the white, but when I do a serious sleeving job with it I will definitely need to cover the wire underneath it with white vinyl tape.

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Failure is just success rounded down.

Post Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:01 pm  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
Petch
n00b


Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 57
 Reply with quote  

Thats good work man. Its a tight fit, but it looks like everything is working out for you.

Post Fri Apr 16, 2010 9:49 am  View user's profile Send private message
Shinare
SEXNOCULAR


Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Posts: 13332
Location: Up your butt with a coconut!!
 Reply with quote  

Lookin shweet!
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Post Fri Apr 16, 2010 12:45 pm  View user's profile Send private message ICQ Number
Nikola
Hung Like a Flea


Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 790
Location: Edmond, OK
 Reply with quote  

Well, yesterday was a success..... sort of. As you all saw I had to run the box without the cover on or it would crash to blue screen in about 10 minutes of being idle. The GTX 480s are on a completely different heat output level than anything I have dealt with before. I didn't think they would be so different from the 5970s but I was clearly wrong.

Anyways, here's some pics of how I put the thing together, trying to rush as fast as I could to just have it up and working for the LAN.


Here you can see the power supply temporarily held together using zip ties Very Happy


Didn't have time to cut the correct fan grill to size and mount it so I just screwed in a single 80mm fan to cool the PSU and let the wiring run free.


Close up shot of the multiple zip tie action necessary to keep the best contained.


GTX 480s installed and everything plugged in, mostly. I DO NOT recommend single-sleeving wires in a build this small. It is awful and I want to shoot myself for doing it.


Top view. This doesn't really convey how truly cramped it is in this case.



This case has a marvelous layout that should have been cake to deal with, but then I went and did dumb things like putting an EATX power supply in it and RAM that was too tall and a gigantic ass cooler and oversized video cards. All of this together leads to PROBLEMS!

Anyhow, it's going to take some fiddling and coercing to get all of this to run inside the case with the cover on so expect the wiring to be re-sleeved into bundles, the fan position and direction to be modified and a new NB cooler at a minimum. I also need to get my hands on a 60mm fan that is somewhat slim if anyone has one.


EDIT: I forgot to mention how sick the power is inside this little box. I think the dual 5970s have it beat on raw power but I have NEVER seen a setup play this smoothly before. The reviews claim that GTX 480 SLI is the best-scaling dual card setup ever seen so far and I believe them. All stock Zero-Point put up 30k in 3DMark Vantage and it was smooth as butter the whole way through.
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Failure is just success rounded down.

Post Sun Apr 18, 2010 4:40 pm  View user's profile Send private message AIM Address ICQ Number
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