Cube tribute: water-cooled 8-core Xeon in 185 mm cube case

[HyperNail]

Of course, G4 Cube case is very cute, but it is rather difficult to buy it now.
But we can get Mechanic Master MC18 case easy, which has almost the same size.

Originally it was designed to use mini-SFX power supply and short video card via flexible riser:

CPU cooler height is limited to 47 mm, so you can't close the case if cooler is bigger, and it will be a quest to find powerful and compact one:

Water-cooling can be solution, but top extender box for it is still not avaliable for order.

Xeon E E-2286M CPU from ShanDianXiaKeJi store:

It looks weird, but still can be installed in ordinary Socket 1151... of course, if motherboard can provide required power for 8-core CPU. Asus Z170I Pro Gaming with it's 10-phase VRM, for exemple - can.
CPU has custom frame which replaces stock socket locking mechanism on motherboard. All necessary(frame, screws and screwdrivers) is included in packet:

To start Xeon on non-C-series chipset based motherboard, you need BIOS modification. It includes Intel ME disabling and something else, but CPU seller ready to send you already flashed EEPROM chip or flash image file for your motherboard if you want to do it yourself.

Fun fact: this CPU has die a little shifted from socket center (1.5 mm N, 2 mm E), so cooling system pressure must be properly centered to it.

So, water loop. Cheap 120-mm AIO.

It has so rigid "flexible" tubes in stock, so CPU even don't starts.
So I got 6-mm silicone hose to replace it - 1 m was enough:

Pump unit mounting base drawing...

...and real part:

Complete pump holder parts set:

Assembled and installed:

Water loop heatsink mounting frame:

As heatsink needs 120-mm fan, so we don't neet SFX power supply now and can use just ATX.
Draw the future blowhole on it's case:

And cut it out:

Oh, some protrusions on top of PC case are interfering to insert power supply, so we'll cut some small windows for it too:

And some cutaways for flexible hoses:

USB 3.0 connectors on case front panel will require a window in power supply shell to fit too:

But power supply boart has a lot of components right here:

So we'll turn it 180 degrees:

After replacing stock PSU fan to 4-pin PWM one we can assemble power supply, connect it to motherboard and turn it on:

If everything works, we can transfer it to PC case:

Testing...

Complete build:

 

[craighazan]

Welcome to the cube club, I love it, the color is amazing!.

 

[Axelerator]

Very cool!
How does the CPU perform? Have you hackintoshed it?