First G5 Mod - Where to attach HDDs?

[AudioGuy-87]

Hi!

So I bought a G5 case

It's an already modified case. The guy I bought it from installed a full ATX conversion kit with PSU mount from the Lazer Hive. As he already did most of the hard work, I'm only wondering where I should fix HDDs and SSDs inside of the case, and how. I want to install two SSD and two HDDs that I already own and use as external drives. I also want to keep the original optical drive (not shown in the picture).
So I suppose it can fit two SSD somehow, between the optical drive and the PSU, but what about HDDs? Where would the best place be to attach them, and how should that be done? I mean are there HDD bays available to purchase that can be easily adapted to a G5 case, or should I take the DIY road, and cobble together some kind of HDD fastening?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Supernauty]

Hey, your pictures havent worked so im not sure how much space you have to work with , you could mount a drive bay under the optical drive shelf

 

[AudioGuy-87]

Hey, your pictures havent worked so im not sure how much space you have to work with , you could mount a drive bay under the optical drive shelf

Thank you for your answer

It's strange, here's a link to the picture : http://www.casimages.com/i/18012806413283696.jpg.html

I've got plenty of space, but since I plan to install two fans at the front of the case, I'm not sure where would be the best play to put a drive bay. Speaking of which, is this thing a drive bay, right? : https://www.newegg.com/global/fr/Pr...ve_bay_accessories-_-9SIA24G28M7386-_-Product

 

[Supernauty]

Yeah thats an ssd bay, Another idea if you really wanted to be creative you could fabricate a tray using the housing from the original psu from the case, you could then use the existing holes in the bottom of the case to attach it

 

[AudioGuy-87]

Yeah thats an ssd bay, Another idea if you really wanted to be creative you could fabricate a tray using the housing from the original psu from the case, you could then use the existing holes in the bottom of the case to attach it

I love this idea! Thank you, I would never have thought of this.

 

[neilhart]

Another thing to consider is using 2.5" SSDs and HDDs with a mobile rack such as https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00475DQ6Y/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

I have stopped buying 3.5" hard drives and only use 2.5" drives in all of my projects. I have found a version of this small rack at my local Central Computer store.

I make up my own mounting brackets but these are designed to have the same foot print as a 3.5" HDD so mounting is never much of a problem.

Here is an example of one of my projects:

And I do use M.2 drives for my system disks in most new projects.

Good modding
neil

 

[AudioGuy-87]

Thanks Neil! After a few tryouts, it appeared to me that the old G5 PSU case might be a little bit too big to be repurposed as a HDD bay because of the way the Lazer Hive mod moves the motherboard towards the bottom of the case, in order to gain enough space for the PSU at the top (although it could work for a more seasoned modder than me...). That's exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for. So I think I'll get something like this if I can't recycle the old PSU.

 

[PeterFalth]

Thanks Neil! After a few tryouts, it appeared to me that the old G5 PSU case might be a little bit too big to be repurposed as a HDD bay because of the way the Lazer Hive mod moves the motherboard towards the bottom of the case, in order to gain enough space for the PSU at the top (although it could work for a more seasoned modder than me...). That's exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for. So I think I'll get something like this if I can't recycle the old PSU.

I have had the same problems with my recent G5 mod. I have an extra large MB 13x12 inch. It makes the G% case look very small! In the end I decided to skip the optical drive and instead put a Icy Dock flexidock 2.5 hdd bay there. rotated 90 degrees. It fits 4 2.5 inch drives (ssd or hdd). It is just 14 cm deep so no problem with space. I made a bracket to fit the existing optical drive mounting system. If I need an optical drive I will use an external attached to usb3.

I have also 2 3.5 inch Hdds in the case. They were more difficult to place and I had to try several alternatives. They are placed it the bottom, where the G5 powersupply used to be. I made a bracket to keep them lengthwise and used velcro to fix them. There were absolutely no way to use screws to fix them as the space is restricted.

The bracket is fixed using 2 of the holes that was used for the powersupply. I put a small bolt there. When the MB is in place there is just space to connect the cables to the hdds and then fix them in place with the velcro. maybe not the most beautiful installation but I can remove them without removing the MB first.

I attach some files to show how it looks

Regards
Peter

 

[AudioGuy-87]

Wow Peter, it sure looks beautiful to me! Makes me wonder if I really should keep the old superdrive too... So the 3'5 hdd are piled on top of each other, right?

 

[PeterFalth]

Wow Peter, it sure looks beautiful to me! Makes me wonder if I really should keep the old superdrive too... So the 3'5 hdd are piled on top of each other, right?

Yes they are piled on each other. on the top I put 4 screws on the bottom to get some distance between them.

Forn me it was no problem to discard the optical drive. I almost never use it. As I have a long PSU 18 cm and it is sittin some cm inside the case there was almost no space between the optical drive and the PSU for cabling. I have an idea to use an old mac mini as optical drive and have that on my desk.

Peter