Mac Pro 1.1 Hot Rod ITX RX580 8GB build log

[maartez]

Hi all,
because life on El Capitan is baron i considered buying an 5,1. Their performance and build quality is impressive but i don't want to invest in 10 year old technology.

I have seen a lot of great ATX mods but the one that sparked my brain the most was Neilharts' epic shortstack G5. It is exciting to see how the project unfolds, resulting in a modern machine that looks new and shows some love for a device that i used for 13 years to create art music and a lot of websites on. There appears some unused space, and unable to just toss my trusty machine in the trash i wanted to give my best shot and build a mini itx version.

The machine will have the following hardware:
Asrock H370M-ITX/ac
i3-9100F
RX 580 8GB 'DOOKU' OEM
8GB RAM from Corsair?
1TB 3.5" [hopefully in original tray ))))) ]
2 x 256GB 2.5" [raid]
Silverstone ST45SF 450W psu
Noctua Redux nf-s12b 120mm [front only]

Dimensions approximately
Outer:
230mm x 220mm x 205mm

Inner:
230 x 190mm x 205mm

After a lot of thinking and measuring and prototyping with cardboard parts i took a plunge and attacked my donor Mac Pro case with a router, as i don't have a table saw...

[Mini, Neilharts', original]

Because i dont have a table saw, the most accurate way to cut it was with a router. It went through like butter. Also lots of glitter.

Quickly taped it together to enjoy the view

 

[maartez]

I then had to figure out a lot of exact measurements based on assumptions so i used Blender to make a quick sketch:

Open side, back

Closed side, front.

I wanted to keep the closing mechanism as well as one 3.5" HD. It became clear that there was not much space for a large fan so i settled on 120mm.

There should be a good 15mm clearance between the motherboard, gpu and psu.

Seeing this progress in front of me made assured i would at least end up with a nice box and possibly a unique piece of upgradable hardware.

I ordered the parts and continued to work on the chassis with the basic tools i have.

Getting this far means that i owe this forum a special THANK YOU, especially Neilhart. I am enjoying this project a lot and i too have to tell myself that it is okay to be slow. Progress will come naturally.

Will update this post soon.

Take care!

 

[Gigamaxx]

I then had to figure out a lot of exact measurements based on assumptions so i used Blender to make a quick sketch:
View attachment 437474
Open side, back

View attachment 437475
Closed side, front.

I wanted to keep the closing mechanism as well as one 3.5" HD. It became clear that there was not much space for a large fan so i settled on 120mm.

There should be a good 15mm clearance between the motherboard, gpu and psu.

Seeing this progress in front of me made assured i would at least end up with a nice box and possibly a unique piece of upgradable hardware.

I ordered the parts and continued to work on the chassis with the basic tools i have.

View attachment 437477

Getting this far means that i owe this forum a special THANK YOU, especially Neilhart. I am enjoying this project a lot and i too have to tell myself that it is okay to be slow. Progress will come naturally.

Will update this post soon.

Take care!

Love it, very nice.

 

[maartez]

Cheers Gigamaxx

There is more progress i want to share.

JB Weld is not for sale in the Netherlands. I received it last week and was finally able to marry the chassis parts.

The result has to be sanded but before i get into the detailing phase i want to have the rough metal work done.

More rough work. The holes are making it much easier to customise the panels because the can be cut with a small plier so no powertools are necessary for these delicate area's. Also provide exact measurements as you can just count them... The aluminum is very soft and bends easily. Bending it back to a straight surface however is nearly impossible.

There is a challenge in making the locking mechanism fit.

The chop shop at full speed. Everything seems to fit very nice. There are a lot of crimes to be hidden later on.

Looking forward to cutting and fitting the side panel. At approximately 230mm x 190mm It will be TOO CUTE.

 

[maartez]

After a week of sawing and filing finally some progress. Already love this little guy!
Quickly taped the rough parts together for an impression of where this is going.

The back is a patchwork of sections. I tell myself that it looks great after some sanding, filling, priming and painting.

The latch has been reduced to nearly half its size.

The inner frame needs trimming and a bit of support material.

Say hi to your little brother

 

[macs_forever]

That's pretty funky! I hope you don't regret relocating the PCIe slots so close to the motherboard. I guess it won't be an issue if you use an AIO water cooler. Pity you can't weld it. You'll have to use bondo and paint anyway. Good Luck! Can't wait to see the finished case.

 

[Heyselcuk]

like it, good job

 

[maartez]

Thank you! I will keep posting progress. Promised my girl that the project will be done before christmas
Clearance between mobo and gpu should be at least 15mm, same for gpu to psu. Far from ideal but ive seen worse (ncase, modern itx cases).
Do you see trouble with using just air cooling? Wont be overclocking or anything crazy.
Thanks for all the great information around here!

 

[macs_forever]

I suggest an SFX power supply like the Corsair SF600. Great little unit and it will open up a lot of room.

 

[maartez]

I suggest an SFX power supply like the Corsair SF600. Great little unit and it will open up a lot of room.

That was my primary choice but i got a great deal on a used modular Silverstone 450 sfx.


Before fine tuning and epoxying everything together i did some sanity checks and discovered that there are some adjustments to be made near the fan and hdd. The gpu heatsink cover blocks a part of the locking mechanism.

Everything fits extremely tight and airflow might become a problem.

A lot of detailing to be done but doesn't look impossible to finish. Getting more and more excited ))))))

Last piece of hardware to be cut into shape are two panels in the back: one for reinforcement of the outer shell and the second to tuck cables behind.

The rest of the parts will be 3D printed i guess.

Cheers!