Contribute
Register

Cube project (WIP)

Status
Not open for further replies.
I didn't buy it with the intention of OS X and I really don't have expectations for 802.11ac to work but if it does it's a bonus! :D
 
Duncanroller, your goals are certainly ambitious. Having built 3 Cubes (two i3's and one i7), I will say that you are in for a considerable challenge. Good luck with your project as you begin...


Cheers!

Ersterhernd
 
As well as the dimensions you really need to think hard about orientation of the components and how you will deal with the system taking air in and pushing it out.

The Cube can turn into a real hot box as the usual inlet for air is the bottom (generally a difficult route in) and then out of the top.
you not only have to fit components that match this configuration - unless you are cutting the case at the back - but make sure you leave clear space for that air to follow the chosen path.

if you choose that PSU where will you put it, how will it get the air it needs and where will it throw the heat back out. Also of course as well as expelling air the case will radiate heat so how are you going to stop that from pushing up the temperatures of everything else in the case?

That cooling system you linked looks to be discontinued. Plus, if you are going for a closed loop system bear in mind you will need to cut it as the pipes will be far too long. Cutting it means you then need to drain it, re-fill it and bleed it....and closed loop radiators never seem to have any convenient mechanism to allow you to bleed them. I would seriously recommend the radiator I am using as it copes really well with the heat from my 3770K - even over clocked and without a reservoir.
 
E,

I have a knack for going all in on things, hopefully I'm not in over my head!

I found a machining company in town that may be able to do some laser cutting for me. I was curious how minihack got his work done, also what material and thickness. What kind of tools do you guys have on hand and how much custom work do you have done for you? Neilhart seems to have a garage or three dedicated to case mods! ;)

minihack,

I see what you're saying and I probably am underestimating. I'm trying to find a long and narrow radiator to go side by side with the PSU. I did realize that the CM Aquagate Viva is discontinued but there is one available on eBay atm. I'm going to continue reading, researching, and measuring over the weekend.

Thanks to all for the comments, I'm really enjoying the planning!
 
I was curious how minihack got his work done, also what material and thickness.

Well, the answer to that one is I run my own laser cutting business now working in acrylics mainly but I also have a friend/colleague who I send my CAD files to to get Aluminium cutting and folding done.

As for thicknesses for most decorative/not load bearing stuff I will normally go for 3mm acrylic, for more structural stuff that normally is supported on the main axis (e.g. mobo trays that sit on a flat surface) I'll go 5mm acrylic. For show stuff where there is plenty of room maybe 10mm. I can go thicker if need be, but stuff over 10mm needs to be thought about a lot before cutting.

Aluminium is my metal favourite 1.5mm often for backplates, 1mm steel for cheaper cuts.

As there is not a lot of room in the Cube I'm going mainly 3mm acrylic and in some places aluminium/steel.


[*And please don't post anything on here or PM me asking for cuts etc. as the rules of this forum don't allow any customer to customer transactions]
 
Just saw this cube-esque case on Tom's. Thought I'd share w/ y'all.

Cubitek Mini Center mini-ITX


Also, I've been looking at some alternative boards. Gigabyte and Newegg were showing off the GA-H77TN and pointed out the 2-pin 19v and 12-pin 12v sockets for connecting to an alternative power source @ 2:15 in the video (i.e. digital signage). I'm trying to learn more about these connectors and if it would be possible for me to utilize them with an internal power supply solution.

For the meantime I think I've decided to put the ASRock board in my CoolerMaster case and see what kind of hurdles I have getting Mavericks going on it. lol
 
Can't say I like it.

It encourages a powerful dual slot graphics card and a full size ATX and then it seems to have no adequate way for getting rid of heat. And the styling is about as "safe" as it is possible to get.

Just my opinion of course.....
 
Yea, looking deeper into the features of that cubitek case I was also disappointed.
 
Just saw this cube-esque case on Tom's. Thought I'd share w/ y'all.

Cubitek Mini Center mini-ITX


Also, I've been looking at some alternative boards. Gigabyte and Newegg were showing off the GA-H77TN and pointed out the 2-pin 19v and 12-pin 12v sockets for connecting to an alternative power source @ 2:15 in the video (i.e. digital signage). I'm trying to learn more about these connectors and if it would be possible for me to utilize them with an internal power supply solution.

For the meantime I think I've decided to put the ASRock board in my CoolerMaster case and see what kind of hurdles I have getting Mavericks going on it. lol

In that you have looked at "thin MBs", you should consider the Intel DQ77KB for your build. Using this MB frees up much space that would be required for a PSU. And if you went with something like a i7-3770t at 45Ws your task of cooling the CPU is greatly reduced. What you don't get with this type of solution is slot for a GPU card. Anyway it is a matter of trade offs. Having built several real hot (hard to cool) cubes in the past I am for selecting subsystems with small power requirements.


OBW that Haswell version ASRock mini-itx motherboard is a real leader in features today and I hope that it is OS X friendly as I plan to use it in a future project.

Good modding,
neil
 
I looked for that board and CPU when I started a Cube build and the availability was constrained. I understand the DQ77KB is EOL and the CPU was an OEM version not in the normal retail channels. Great choices but those that remain command a premium and depending on where you live you may not be able to get them shipped.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top