eelhead's G5 Mod [REDUX] New pics and sorted first post

Edit: 15,Aug,2011
So I went through and put all case work and pics into first post
I also revamped the photos for some sort of build order. I even threw in some new pics to boot!!!!

I will be doing another one and trying for a HDD hot swap cage inside. We shale see, I have some other projects I need to finish up and get some more creative juices flowing.
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28,March,2011
Well I have been doing this slowly as money grants but I figure I would post my progress so far. I went the route of a G5 mod because for some reason I love this case, so simple yet elegant looking. I have always used an Apple product and the only Windows I have is a Toshiba Qosmio gaming laptop.

In this build I will be using
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R
Sony DVD
Thermaltake 850W Modular Active PFC Power Supply
I know it's over kill but I will be getting another GPU in the future lol and it was cheap!

the rest is still in my wish list and will get as needed. I only have the stuff above for fitting and making sure It's all good to go when I fire it up.



So here is the patient lol



2006 Power Mac G5 1.8Ghz Dual processors


The work station with the G5 gutted!!





So my original plan was to utilize as much as the case as possible I wanted to use the original G5 standoffs for my set up re-gluing with JB Weld.



I knew I had to cut out the rear G5 I/O as my X58A board will definitely not match up.



So here is the popping off the Logicboard standoffs.



I used an adjustable wrench for the nice smooth pull





I even pulled the little ones out as well!



All pulled out



SO I bought another HDD tray and will glue them together and place them in the front as shown.



Space of mobo I/O from G5



The cutting begins!!



Got to fit that behind the opening



OH SNAP!!! I broke it with the jigzaw vibration!





Ok so some JB Weld magic and my rusty automotive body shop skills and I fixed it lol



So mobo and CPU cooler and GPU



mmmmm Ice cold water and the monitor that I cannot wait to hook up!



OK so I am going to put a TACT switch in for my DVD player so I can open it while in bios or dos mode.





Here are the contact points where I will solder my wires to for the switch.



Of course the bread board and switch



View of the top self where the DVD player will sit.



Wire soldered and cover placed back on



Switch on bread board with wire soldered to that now



It works!



I glued board to top of the inside of the G5 just above the DVD player



Switch button nicely hidden so nobody can looky looky



SO I notched out the rear fan shroud so it can fit where the rear I/O audio block is on the mobo.



SO the opening is cut and I am really not caring for the look of it. Also ethernet plug catches the case and I am unable to trim it there because the rear fan shroud. If I trim more of the shroud it will be useless



So original G5 PSU, I am wanting to do a PSU mod so I can leave it on the bottom of the case. The way I have the mobo if I do a stock PSU it wont fit and I will have to move the mobo up but at this point I was using the stock PCI openings and had no room for movement as the GPU used 2 openings.







To use the original fans or not :/



G5 PSU case cleaned out and my new PSU to place in it. Thermaltake 850w Blackwidow modular unit.



See it just looks funny in there



PSU stock case removed and just trying to figure out how to set it up



mmmm modular lol





So like a jackass I forgot to get a pic of how I hooked it up to the G5 PSU case :/



I went with opening the top up and using the Thermaltake’s fan for super cooling action!! welll also that I stored all of the excess PSU wiring inside the G5 PSU case and was scared of poor airflow



Rear plug socket



Test fitting,



Yay its all together!



Some bench testing as the mobo was giving me start and stop issues







Well after getting the mobo back and getting a PCI USB card and my Airport card I ran out of room on the rear PCI openings. So the only thing I could do was go MOBO TRAY!!!!!!



BOOOM! Mountain Mods motherboard tray FTW! Should of did this from the get go!



Out side of back you can see the little hex bolts I used






See I have the mobo tray right tight against the side of the G5



From the inside you can see the nuts on the hex bolts, I also used little wasers I made from spare pieces of the case I cut out from the rear lol





Here is the front of the mobo case and the upper and lower sections. I used the Logic-board standoffs to adhere the mobo tray to the front of the inside of the G5.





Here is mobo tray and HDD caddies



HDD caddies set in place with more Logic-board standoffs





It fits and looks nice



Well I got tired of the way the GPU case looked like poop so I redid a new one!



Now you can see the PSU wiring I did.



Cleaned up the top and made a smaller hole for fan and modular plug





Fits like a glove!!



So here is the front I/O set up





Nice easy 18 pin set up



I cut the main cable in half and attempted to solder some wire for the first time lol



My ends, dont mind the tape it was my numbering system lol



Do not pay attention to the 20 typo!!!!! there are only 18 pins! I was half asleep lol.





So while I was in the middle of making mine I was offered a chance to test one for Gus on here. He started to sell them for a stint but has stopped I do believe. Which sucks because the cable is awesome quality!! I can’t speak highly enough for Gus’ workmanship and if he starts selling them again and I hear I will let everybody know!!







You can see GUs’ cable all about the top of the mobo lol



And there it is all put together!



YOu can see the Firewire was hooked up to my iMac and I was doing a data user info transfer with Migration Assistant!



So here id the rear and you can see why I needed more then 4 PCI opening lol



Airport mod!!!



Held down with a twisty tie lmao!





Airport card installed



and PCI USB card with Rockfish BT dongle



All running







And here it is in it’s glory lol



So there it all is. Thread post redone and I hope I don’t break any links to other places lol

Well that’s all it in a nut shell
Hope you all enjoyed the redux of my thread and pics with a few new added ones to boot.
Thanks for checking it out.

Re: eelhead's G5 mod

Judah said:

Looking good dude! Only thing is that all of your images are broken and have to be visited manually...or maybe that's just for me???

Click to expand...

Thanks!
I fixed it

I have this posted on my home town forum for giggles and I copyed and pasted and didn't see the size markers in the BBC and it messed them up. I just removed them and all is working now.

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

Thanks!
lol a race!!
If money wasn't my pacing point I would of had this done a month ago
As soon as I get my new cutting shaft replaces I will get the back done, I hope tonight but I have so much other stuff at home to do lol. It will be awesome when our cases are done and MadAudiscientist gets his site up and going to check out other works as well.

Oh and I am loving your wrapped wire look your going for! I might have to give that a try as well.

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

I will go with full working stock, I have the wiring diagrams all printed out so I figure I would give it a try. I was also chating with Gus in the other thread about needing testers for a project he was doing with making those cables. I figure that if I can get that PSU into where I want it I will wire up the from IO

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

The fan openings are 90mm and the fan case is just about 105mm

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

Im not too sure yet lol I am doing the same exact thing.
I also have to do a little repair job lol I will post a pic in a sec

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

Well my first boo boo
Note to anybody trying to keep as little cut out, start with perforated side to cut first then to solid side by case edge. I did case edge first with both ends done then shot to fan side and the vibration broke the piece off.


The piece.


I think I can fix it back up, I am using the rear fan support and with that and my body work skills I should be able to make it look purty again lol

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

I first started out with a dremal and broke the cutting wheel shaft. I went and returned it and they had no more of them lol. I went to WallyWorld and saw a nice jigsaw and with a nice small metal blade that son of a gun cut through the case like butter! I would of been there still with the cutting wheel.

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

I enjoy watching your progress. Thank you for sharing your builds. Have you seen this thread for an option to the back panel? I realize you're trying to keep it as orignal as possible but this might be a solution, especially since part of the back broke.

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=10591

Re: eelhead's G5 mod a work in progress

The Fighting Saint said:

I enjoy watching your progress. Thank you for sharing your builds. Have you seen this thread for an option to the back panel? I realize you're trying to keep it as orignal as possible but this might be a solution, especially since part of the back broke.

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=10591

Click to expand...

Your welcome, I really enjoy posting the work I've done so far. It's cool to see all these other people modding as well and helps give me other ideas on what to do.
Yeah I wanted to try and see if I could keep it stock as much as possible but I have another G5 and if I make another Hackintosh I am going the motherboard tray lmao.
Who knows I might still go that route with this one lol