YES! Another G5 mod - w/ minimal outside changes IN PROGRESS

[TimyD]

I know, I know... most of you will tell me its easier and/or better to just get a Mountain Mods or LanLi motherboard tray. But that isnt what I want. This is like that 72 Ford Torino that has rusted out side panels and cheap rims.. but under the hood, its a smoker... Its a sleeper. I'd like to also keep the original PSU.. but w/o a v/ohm meter, that may not be possible. Below are my first pictures taken. Cell phone camera - sorry.

This isn't my first mod... just my first G5 mod. Previously modded a PM6100/66 to run a G3 NuBus card w/ A/V Card (customized the pizza-box to vent the hot G3 and A/V combo and dressed it up with a see-thru HDD and some lights). I also modded an old IBM PC XT/286 to run an AMD Athlon64. I'm not afraid to cut, grind, bend, break, and occasional let the smoke out of a few chips if need be. I bought 2 G5s, and am running 10.5.8 on one right now. My monitor is the Sony PlayStation 3D Display.

I welcome any advice anyone has... but please stay away from trying to convince me of the merits of a motherboard tray - just not gonna happen. Thanks y'all!

 

[powerpcg5]

Awesome, I'm also doing a mod without using any mobo tray, or even cutting the outside. -- too much work me thinks. I have a post here somewhere.

What are you going to do with the guts of that fully working G5? i.e. the cpu, water cooling, etc.

 

[eelhead]

Re: YES! Another G5 mod... with minimal outside changes

We are not here to try to convince people to change the way they mod a case, my first G5 set up was tray free. I only went with a tray later on because I needed PCI slots.

With that said, good luck with your mod, we all look forward for the outcome and end product.

As for the use of the original PSU, due to different power requirements of an ATX board (especially a new one) you most likely will not be able to swap out the ends to your using. There was chatter on this here a while ago and over at aquamac as well. Remember the newer boards and CPUs use a different power management the old CPUs and main-boards, even more so a logic-board.

 

[TimyD]

Awesome, I'm also doing a mod without using any mobo tray, or even cutting the outside. -- too much work me thinks. I have a post here somewhere.

What are you going to do with the guts of that fully working G5? i.e. the cpu, water cooling, etc.

Thanks for the kudos - I have a Dremel and ain't afraid to use it, but I want to cut a little as possible to maintain the look all around. In Regards to the parts... not sure yet... as I said, I bought 2 complete systems (including an unused 23" CinemaDisplay that looks so pretty, but no HDMI so...), and it'd be nice to have spare parts... but that also takes up space in my super tiny apartment... so... I dont know yet... I'll keep ya posted.

...As for the use of the original PSU, due to different power requirements of an ATX board (especially a new one) you most likely will not be able to swap out the ends to your using. There was chatter on this here a while ago and over at aquamac as well. Remember the newer boards and CPUs use a different power management the old CPUs and main-boards, even more so a logic-board.

I was afraid of that... the price I pay for going latest and greatest stuff. I've read lots of posts about cramming your ATX PSU into the G5 PSU case, so I'll most likely do that. Such a shame considering the build quality of the G5 PSU... its like a tank!

 

[eelhead]

It is a tank but you can slap an ATX PSU into it with out ever cutting anything and adding newer 40mm fans and all. Just be careful about clearance and all that but its not so bad.

 

[TimyD]

It is a tank but you can slap an ATX PSU into it with out ever cutting anything and adding newer 40mm fans and all. Just be careful about clearance and all that but its not so bad.

Didn't even think about using replacement fans in the original location/config for the PSU - all the mods I've see thus far use a big 120mm fan over the top of it, intruding into the MB compartment. Good idea... thank you!

 

[eelhead]

Your welcome, yeah I did the big fan over mine but I had a modular PSU and needed the board above as well but the next one will be fully enclosed like the original and I already have the set of 40mm fans for it.

 

[TimyD]

Your welcome, yeah I did the big fan over mine but I had a modular PSU and needed the board above as well but the next one will be fully enclosed like the original and I already have the set of 40mm fans for it.

Clicked on your mod... remembered seeing the big clunky fan on top. I like your original mod, w/o the tray, you just cut similar to what I want to do. I also see that you left the Bluetooth and airport antenna ports on, assuming because that is where the I/O for the motherboard landed... Good to know, I figured it'd be on the left side. I am getting the parts in the mail this week, so that is why I haven't cut yet... measure twice, cut once and all that. I ordered a cheep case w/ PSU so I can get it up and running, then take my time to get it into the G5 case.

 

[TimyD]

Remembered why I hate UPS... awful service. Anyways... my parts came in, sans HDD which should be in Friday. Now all I need is my Dremel...

 

[TimyD]

So... two issues that I see right now.

#1. The Pioneer DVD drive is PATA, and my MB has no PATA headers. I know I can find adapters from 2-20 bucks online - anybody have suggestions as to which ones or if they have installed one and had success or failure. Brain fart on my part not checking the MB for a PATA header.

#2. I dont have a PCIe card - none - to test fit for locating my motherboard. Anybody know if OfficeDepot. OfficeMax or Walmart are generous on their return policy? I wanna go buy a card, test fit, then return it. The only card I have available to me is an M-Audio PCI card, and I'll have to use an adapter for that too (ugh... adapters!). Unfortunately M-Audio doesn't make PCIe cards or I'd consider upgrading. The audio card is now $100 but when I bought it, it was $250 - on sale.

So there are my dilemmas at the moment. Both of them will hold me up on progress until I can get them resolved. Looking forward to some suggestions!