eelmod: G4 Cube w/ Videos worklog

[nikstar]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

Also keep on mind that there is THIS solution.
And with an external power supply like THIS it gives you the freedom to choose the mobo you want and room inside your case.

 

[dddirtman]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

wow nice power solution......but is it enough if u use a video card as well?

 

[eelhead]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

OK so here is a temp parts list:

GA-H67N-USB3-B3

i3-2130 i3-2125

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB)

Thermaltake Slim X3 CLP0534 80mm CPU Cooler

Ok So possible PSU set up is still being debated with Beelzebozo and myself

PICOPSU-160-XT
It states 160 watt / 200 watt peak and the Cubes PSU brick is 205w. Will fire insume and we all die or will mini-box.com make something higher ???

Also looked at stuffing this in there as well
250W Mini ITX Power Supply


Extras for this and that,
SILVERSTONE SDP08 3.5 to 2 X 2.5-Inch Bay Converter

CD/DVD set up
Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner

And some building materials
ABS Sheet

Will work on the touch sensor as well with this
http://web.me.com/professionalpatents/M ... witch.html

 

[minihack]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

Personally I'd probably go the picopsu route, because it gives you the most room in the case - and you probably will want to save as much space as you can. You can always re-locate it somewhere if you need to using one of those short 24-pin extenders to allow you to tuck it somewhere out of the way.

Do take note of the voltage rail ratings for the PicoPSUs though:

Specifications, picoPSU-160-XT, 160Watts DC-DC ATX Power Supply
Power Ratings
Volts (V) Max Load (A) Peak Load (A) Regulation %
5V 8A* 10A +/- 1.5%
5VSB 1.5A 2A +/- 1.5%
3.3V 8A* 10A +/- 1.5%
-12V 0.05A 0.1A +/- 5%
12V 8A 15A Switched input
*At max load, forced air ventilation is required. For fanless or improper ventilation operation derate the output of the 3.3 and 5V rails until PSU temperature falls below 65C. Peak load should
not exceed 60 seconds.

The 12v ratings are easy enough (as the 12v comes from the power brick - so essentially the picopsu doesn't really have to do anything). For the 5v and 3.3v it has to actually work harder.

I would definitely not advise getting a high powered CPU for this type of kit, but an i3 of the type in your wish list seems a good way to go.

Might not be a bad idea to do a power audit on all the components before you buy them: i.e, check the spec.s and note down all the likely 5v,3.3v and 12v power draws then you know what to expect and if the supply will be meaty enough.

I think the key to success is less is more. Keep power draw low, keep component count down and you will have a quiet and cool build. Fill the space up or buy things you don't really need and the space fills up + you draw more power and everything gets very hot.

Good luck!

 

[slowjin]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

Definitely a nice looking mod!

Make sure you get core i3 2105 or 2125, but not 2130... 2130 comes with HD2000 unless you are planning on a dedicated GPU (but I don't see it listed).

I am waiting for the Intel DH61AG board from UPS soon, and have my fingers crossed that it will load OS X with little issues.

 

[eelhead]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

Personally I'd probably go the picopsu route, because it gives you the most room in the case - and you probably will want to save as much space as you can. You can always re-locate it somewhere if you need to using one of those short 24-pin extenders to allow you to tuck it somewhere out of the way.

Do take note of the voltage rail ratings for the PicoPSUs though:

Specifications, picoPSU-160-XT, 160Watts DC-DC ATX Power Supply
Power Ratings
Volts (V) Max Load (A) Peak Load (A) Regulation %
5V 8A* 10A +/- 1.5%
5VSB 1.5A 2A +/- 1.5%
3.3V 8A* 10A +/- 1.5%
-12V 0.05A 0.1A +/- 5%
12V 8A 15A Switched input
*At max load, forced air ventilation is required. For fanless or improper ventilation operation derate the output of the 3.3 and 5V rails until PSU temperature falls below 65C. Peak load should
not exceed 60 seconds.

The 12v ratings are easy enough (as the 12v comes from the power brick - so essentially the picopsu doesn't really have to do anything). For the 5v and 3.3v it has to actually work harder.

I would definitely not advise getting a high powered CPU for this type of kit, but an i3 of the type in your wish list seems a good way to go.

Might not be a bad idea to do a power audit on all the components before you buy them: i.e, check the spec.s and note down all the likely 5v,3.3v and 12v power draws then you know what to expect and if the supply will be meaty enough.

I think the key to success is less is more. Keep power draw low, keep component count down and you will have a quiet and cool build. Fill the space up or buy things you don't really need and the space fills up + you draw more power and everything gets very hot.

Good luck!

Thanks for the info!!
Yeah I was more then likely going to run with the picopsu
I saw Neil had one set up in his Cube with a separate GPU as well. So I will definitely measure up all the wattage being used by everything.

Definitely a nice looking mod!

Make sure you get core i3 2105 or 2125, but not 2130... 2130 comes with HD2000 unless you are planning on a dedicated GPU (but I don't see it listed).

I am waiting for the Intel DH61AG board from UPS soon, and have my fingers crossed that it will load OS X with little issues.

Guess it's the 2125 lol I didn't even see that, Thanks Slowjin!!

Been running my 1366 that I still need to freshen up my 1155 knowledge lol

 

[neilhart]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

eelhead if you go with the 160w Pico PSU be very concerned with the components on the device contacting the can of the cube and or interfering with the DIMMs.

In my early trial fits on the G4 Cube hack, I damaged to the PSU board and dislodged the two large caps. These are surface mount caps with little on no support. So after I repaired the solder and tested the PSU for proper function; I used epoxy to flood the component side of the assembly and mechanically stabilize the caps. Not fancy but functional.

This interference drove me to re-locate the Pico PSU out on a cable.

See the photo where the components are hitting the DIMMs and the cable protrude too far outward.

neil

 

[eelhead]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

Good to know neilhart, thanks again.

I am thinking of making a mobo tray set up and figuring out the center Aluminum CPU cooler, I'd like to keep with the handle mechanism. I'll figure something out.

Does your 160w PSU set hold well with all the hardware?

 

[minihack]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

About the location of the pico psu you could maybe use an extender to put it in the gap between the handles (ignore my little PCB thing here, you could just have it on a 24 pin extender):

during build up.jpg

In this shot you can see the large heatsink has been sawn off to leave the space between useable, and to keep the function of the handles.

 

[eelhead]

Re: My Next eel Customod !

Not a bad idea there with the extender,

I to was thinking of removing the center of the heat sink and figuring out a better frame to support handle use.