Classic LC (Build Log)

I've had a couple of these old Macintosh LC's stuffed away in a closet for some time now and I've decided to have a go at my first case mod. I've had a few different plans for them in the past but now I think I'll actually put something into place.

The goal was to hopefully have the exterior aesthetics of the case to remain the same or as close as possible. One of the biggest challenges working with this case was the internal height. The other dimensions proved more than adequate for what I had in mind. From the preliminary measurements I thought the cooling, and more specifically the CPU cooler would be the biggest challenge, but with the right cooler, there was no problem.

I was open to community suggestions and input along the way, which was especially helpful from the more veteran modders. You can look through the thread to see how things moved along.

(Current) Specs:
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-H87TN
CPU: Intel i5-4670s
GPU: Nvidia 750ti low profile (if fit)
RAM: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3L
Boot Drive: 240GB Mushkin Chronos SSD
Storage: 750GB 7200RPM 2.5in. Seagate HDD
PSU: FSP Group 19v 180W DC Adapter
WiFi Card: AR5BHB92
Bluetooth: IOGEAR Bluetooth 4.0 USB Micro Adapter

brrine said:

I've had a couple of these old Macintosh LC's stuffed away in my closet for some time now and I've decided to have a go at my first case mod. I've had a few different plans for them in the past but now I think I'll actually put something into place.

The goal, (hopefully), is the have the exterior aesthetics of the case to remain the same or as close as possible. One of the biggest challenges to work with is the internal height. The other dimensions are more than adequate for what I have in mind. Overall from some preliminary measurements it comes down to the cooling, and more specifically, the cooling of the CPU.

Right now I'm open to any ideas that you guys might bring. I'll attach belong my current layout for the case, (to size even!). It allows for a mini-ITX form factor board, 2.5in. storage, and a possible internal GPU. The current plan for the PSU is to be external, possibly using a picoPSU and/or Dell 220W external power supply that outputs at 12V.

Tentative Specs:
GIGABYTE GA-Z97N
Intel i5-4670K (to underclock for heat)
Nvidia 760M
8-16GB non heatsink (or low profile) RAM

Click to expand...

This is a nice project. You should look at "thin" mini-ITX motherboards such as the GA-H87TN and a low power CPU such as the i7-4770T (45w). This would mean that you would run with the on-board Intel graphics.

If you are interested in seeing what I have done, check out the LOL project; http://www.tonymacx86.com/others/130664-neilharts-lol-mini-g5-pm-no-just-fun.html

Good modding,
neil

brrine said:

Tentative Specs:
GIGABYTE GA-Z97N
Intel i5-4670K (to underclock for heat)
Nvidia 760M
8-16GB non heatsink (or low profile) RAM

Click to expand...

I'm not sure how you plan on using a mobile GPU. You might be able to use a PCI riser or ribbon with GTX 750 or a GTX 750 Ti because they don't require supplemental power and only draw 55-60W max. Watch out for non reference and OC editions of the GTX 750 and 750 Ti's though because some of them require 6 pin power.

neilhart said:

This is a nice project. You should look at "thin" mini-ITX motherboards such as the GA-H87TN and a low power CPU such as the i7-4770T (45w). This would mean that you would run with the on-board Intel graphics.

If you are interested in seeing what I have done, check out the LOL project; http://www.tonymacx86.com/others/130664-neilharts-lol-mini-g5-pm-no-just-fun.html

Good modding,
neil

Click to expand...

Thank you for your input, neil. I've followed through a few of your builds in that past and love them. And you also have a good idea there as well. I'm not exactly trying to pack as much power into this little thing as it fits. I might also look into the 4770R SKU processor. I know it uses Iris graphics instead of Intel HD, but whether its working with Hackintosh I need to research.

Have you looked into this ?

It seems ideal for your case, since it accepts MxM cards, suitable for you "M" graphics of choice.

Only problem is that it seems like an OEM product and can't be found anywhere in retail. Also, I've e-mailed them in the past regarding MxM compatibility, but never got a response...

First I'd like to apologize for this project dying out, it wasn't my intention but things happen and I didn't have the time or money to continue the project. However it isn't completely dead and there are still plans for this project. I might not be able to fully start the project quite yet but I wanted to update this and talk about my new ideas and design for it.

So the LC Case is actually a tough nut to crack when it comes to modding it. There's a reason they were called 'pizza box' Macs. The interior of the case is quite large by length and width, considering things. But its interior height is pretty low.

I don't believe the interior height will allow for any standard motherboard to fit without, (likely), destroying the structural integrity of the case. The only boards that would fit would be thin-mini ITX boards because the I/O isn't tall enough to be in the way of the top and bottom closing.

However one of the problems with thin-mini ITX boards is in the actual heatsink/CPU cooler. The total inside height while the case is closed is roughly 60mm, give or take thinning out the plastic structure of the case.

So with all of this in mind it comes down to the question of size to power of the project. I personally feel that the case is a little too large to rely on integrated graphics, but I know that it is likely not possible to do a discrete graphics system inside.

Another thing to consider is whether the power supply will be internal or external.



Anyways, enough of the rambling, here's my thoughts on what I should build inside and I'd love for some feedback on this.

I'm thinking that its probably in best interest to build a NUC system within, however I do come to some problems with that, I'd like to use a slimline DVD drive within but if I do that it will take up the SATA port of the NUC, and I will have to use the mSATA for storage, but I still have some more research to do on that.

Again, anyways, let me know what you think.

brrine I would like to see your project progress.

There is the Intel Thermal Solution HTS1155LP that might be used which is very low profile and designed for the thin mini ITX form factor.

Low power CPUs are rather hard to acquire and usually are marked up because of the low demand. However in a project such as this, the lower the CPU power the more likely the success.

IMHO the thin mini-ITX form factor is the way to go and today I would still recommend the Haswell Gigabyte GA-H87TN as having the most desirable feature set (mSATA and 4 SATA III ports).

I have too many computers as it is but just thinking about this project makes me want to do one too.

Good modding,
neil

neilhart,

Thank you for your added support of the project, your response has helped me decide to actually purchase some of the components for the build. After some consideration I went with your suggested motherboard and CPU Cooler with a i5-4690s as the processor, this should be more than enough punch for this size of build.

For now I'll go with 2x4GB RAM for the build as I have it on hand already, though I may at some point go for a 2x8GB with the extra cost.

I'll likely see about adding in a nice slimline optical drive in as well with a bit of modding to the front of the case in place of the original 1.44 floppy drive as I don't quite think having the floppy drive in would be exactly relevant in today's age.

Stay tuned for some actual work soon!

Cheers

Sounds like you are making progress, another approach to cooling is a side mounted fan. It worked very well in my build. Check out this post, and on the next page as well.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/others/90651-g4-cube-inspired-self-build.html#post558238

Motherboard and CPU cooler came in today, however the CPU has yet to ship out yet.

And also thank you kiwisincebirth for the suggestion, I did however go with the Intel cooler that neilhart previously shared.

In the pursuit of testing I may drop a 4770k into the board and see how it works, I'm actually curious to see how well this cooler works on a CPU that is 84w instead of 65w. I briefly looked online to see if someone else had done that and I haven't found anyone besides a product review of someone using a 95w i5-2500 and complaining about its loudness. Doh.

Anyways, off to some testing and maybe an OS installation!

Cheers.