Varroa
Well-known member
Well, I was going to build a HTPC in the bedroom and bought all the parts (including a Nmedia HTPC-1000B, [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]ASUS M3A78-EM AMD 780G, BE 2300 45 watt CPU, OCZ vertex 30GB, Blueray drive, 2 GB OCZ gold DDRII ram). I am using a OCZ vertex SSD because I am streaming all my content from my WHS so I didn't need much storage AND I am running Windows 7 currently.
When I got the case and measure it, it turns out it was about 4 inchs too deep to fit in the bedroom bookcase. So, I decided to try and reduce the depth of the case. This is my worklog:
The initial case measured 16 inches deep:
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I needed it to measure 12 inches deep. I moved the HDD rack to the 12 inch mark and it looks like everything would still fit.
Next, I proceeded to dismantile the case:
I removed the rivets using a hammer and chisel
These are the parts I will be using to build the new case (essentially the skeleton):
I noticed the some of the rivet holes perfectly lined up to make the case only 12 inches deep so I put it back together using rivets.
I ran into one problem (something that couldn't been seen during the dry run). The front panel header was hitting the fan cage. I cut the fan cage to make it all fit.
It's a tight fit on the ram but everything just clears the HDD bays.
Next, I need to make new sides. Off to Homedepot for some Poplar and MDF. All I had to do was cut the wood to match the skeleton and ta-da!
After realizing that I couldn't cut the holes for the fans, I proceeded to drill holes in the botton front of the base to allow air to enter. Then I finished the sides with a poly stain. The old case sides are behind the case so you can see the difference in depth.
When I put it all together I realized that the standard DVD drive I used for my dry run was shorter than the Blueray drive and there was JUST enough room to fit the power and a 90 degree sata cable. I actually had to open up the entire frame like a fan to get it all together but it fit.
This is actaully as far as I have gotten now. It is hooked up and running. The next step is to figure out a top panel. I may just cut the existing panel but I am scared to damage it. I also didn't take into account the extra length the HDMI and power cord would use to this is now residing downstairs in my home entertainment center. I am using a WD live TV in the bedroom now.
Ignore the ATI 3450 that is in the pictures. It produced too much heat so I removed it. I also added nicer slot covers to increase the air flow.
When I cut the top panel I will post more photos.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT]
When I got the case and measure it, it turns out it was about 4 inchs too deep to fit in the bedroom bookcase. So, I decided to try and reduce the depth of the case. This is my worklog:
The initial case measured 16 inches deep:
[/FONT]
I needed it to measure 12 inches deep. I moved the HDD rack to the 12 inch mark and it looks like everything would still fit.
Next, I proceeded to dismantile the case:
I removed the rivets using a hammer and chisel
These are the parts I will be using to build the new case (essentially the skeleton):
I noticed the some of the rivet holes perfectly lined up to make the case only 12 inches deep so I put it back together using rivets.
I ran into one problem (something that couldn't been seen during the dry run). The front panel header was hitting the fan cage. I cut the fan cage to make it all fit.
It's a tight fit on the ram but everything just clears the HDD bays.
Next, I need to make new sides. Off to Homedepot for some Poplar and MDF. All I had to do was cut the wood to match the skeleton and ta-da!
After realizing that I couldn't cut the holes for the fans, I proceeded to drill holes in the botton front of the base to allow air to enter. Then I finished the sides with a poly stain. The old case sides are behind the case so you can see the difference in depth.
When I put it all together I realized that the standard DVD drive I used for my dry run was shorter than the Blueray drive and there was JUST enough room to fit the power and a 90 degree sata cable. I actually had to open up the entire frame like a fan to get it all together but it fit.
This is actaully as far as I have gotten now. It is hooked up and running. The next step is to figure out a top panel. I may just cut the existing panel but I am scared to damage it. I also didn't take into account the extra length the HDMI and power cord would use to this is now residing downstairs in my home entertainment center. I am using a WD live TV in the bedroom now.
Ignore the ATI 3450 that is in the pictures. It produced too much heat so I removed it. I also added nicer slot covers to increase the air flow.
When I cut the top panel I will post more photos.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
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