G4 Cube Enthusiast - GREAT forum, new project for ya!

[phildirado]

Hello Everyone!

Looking forward to working with some of you guys on a G4 project. I was in the process of moving and found my old Cube. Couldn't believe there was a modding forum, haha! Your advice and guidance will be really appreciated. I searched this forum up and down, have come across some great advice and saw some great craftsmanship!

So here goes...

Processor:
I already have an i5-4690K that I can use. It would be awesome if I can make it work with the G4. I understand HEAT is a concern but I am willing to eliminate things like the CD drive for extra room and will alter what I need to. I'm going to see what room I'm looking at with the OEM heat sink. Any rec's on slim heat sink would be appreciated.

Mobo:
To handle the i5 (DQ77KB won't handle), I am thinking of just going with the GA-Z97N-WiFi mobo. The only reason really being the 9 Series was recommended in the "Buyer's Guide" of this forum due to simple post-install, no DSDT pre-patch & native sleep/wake. Speaking of which, will the native sleep/wake help with the touch sensor? Also looking to dual-boot. Any issues I should be aware of with the 9 series? Any additional rec's on mobo's are greatly appreciated!

GPU:
This is where I need the most help...I want to have a dedicated GPU. I don't need anything crazy, but something more powerful than the onboard graphics. It doesn't seem there is much documented or attempts at this due to the space of the Cube, but I'm up for the challenge.

I noticed @albertodlh installed a 750Ti in his Cube, but he had a lower power consuming processor, the i5-4570S 65W, so that helped a lot with support and heat.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/powermac-...g4-cube-mod-i5-gtx-750ti-3tb-3-5-hd-cube.html

@sleppek built his Cube with an ATI 6670, but again used a lower power consuming processor, the i7-3770T 45W, which again helped with support and to avoid a lot of heat.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/powermac-g4-cube/96216-my-cube-2-1-core-i7-ati-6670-inside-cube-g4-case.html

Besides support & heat, size is obviously also a concern. I just wanted to see if anyone had any other experiences with dedicated GPUs in Cubes before I order something. What works, fits & doesn't need a lot of power.

Which leads me to the PSU...

PSU
This will depend on what GPU I order. I understand I may need something more powerful than the picoPSU-160-XT. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Fans
This will also depend on what GPU I order. Maybe something beefier for the intake and slim for the exhaust...

Cheers!

Phil

 

[neilhart]

Phil welcome to the forum. You are in the correct and best place.

I hope that you will document your G4 Cube project here. As you have pointed out many have taken on this challenge and attacked the various issues in many different ways.

And some modders state their goals up front and check them off as the project progresses. Others, myself included, play it a little closer to the vest and just document the project as it progresses.

Again welcome,
neil

 

[phildirado]

Thx for replying so quickly neil! I saw a lot of your comments during my research and appreciate the advice!

It looks like the GTX 750 Ti is the best route to go at this point due to the support, consumption and performance.

However, I noticed the EVGA GTX 970 is only rated at 145w, so I'm going to do a little more research and see what's out there for mini psu's. If I can find something to handle it, I think I may be able to sneak it in the Cube.

Any advice, opinions?

Thx!

Phil

 

[phildirado]

This may be something to consider...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/250W-DC-12V...-/311047973028?pt=PCA_UPS&hash=item486be768a4

 

[phildirado]

Boom.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300W-8V-28V...147?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item338d6e315b

http://www.goodluckbuy.com/ppj-12-5...ltage-converter-board-power-supply-board.html

 

[phildirado]

.

 

[kiwisincebirth]

Those psus look like the real deal, jus a word of caution though, size, not sure if you have modified a cube before, or you have one in front of you, but size of those psus look big, especially the larger wattage ones.

Fitting something this size could be the biggest challenge. also don't underestimate how much space those atx power cables take up.

Keep posting

 

[phildirado]

Thx kiwi! I looked in to the dimensions and it measures L160xW90xH20, so luckily its not as big as it may seem. I'm definitely going to go with 2.5" HD(s). I wish the mobo express slot would support msata. I'd really be in good shape then.

I saw your Cube Reinvented project which focused on cooling. I like your idea on preventing re-circulation.

Any advice on the CPU heatsink &/or fan for an i7-4770k. I think I'm going use this processor instead of the i5 I have. Less consumption (not much) and actually found a good deal.

 

[kiwisincebirth]

Thx kiwi! Any advice on the CPU heatsink &/or fan for an i7-4770k. I think I'm going use this processor instead of the i5 I have. Less consumption (not much) and actually found a good deal.

Have a read of this thread, should give you plenty to choose from. The main issue with heat-sink and fan is getting it to fit.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/hardware-parts/103860-low-profile-cpu-coolers.html

To answer another one of your questions the cube proximity switch is just acts as a switch, and has no bearing on sleep wake compatibility, which is simply a feature of the motherboard, BIOS, boot loader, and DSDT

Kiwi

 

[phildirado]

Wow thanks for that list man. I did measurements last night and there are few even low profile coolers that will fit with out flipping the case around and eliminating the optical drive. The only low profile cooler that would fit and handle OC was the Noctua NH-L9i. But there are a few on your list I haven't checked out.

My goal is to have a build with a unique cooling system that will allow me to overclock an i7, keeping the cube as original as possible. I have a few ideas now. Last night, the only low profile cooler that would fit and handle OC was the Noctua NH-L9i. On their site, it suggests not to use for overclocking, but I checked out some times that actually tested it with an i7 and it handled fine, even with the noise eliminator.