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Mac Pro 2008 Clean MATX 240mm Liquid

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Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 11, 2018
Messages
15
Motherboard
MSI Z370M GAMING PRO AC
CPU
8700K
Graphics
VEGA 64
Mac
  1. MacBook Pro
  2. Mac Pro
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS
Hi! just joined the forum as a way of paying back all the incredible and thoughtful advice provided by the community towards this project. Cannot thank you lot enough! I have decided to create a build log on the forum to continue the wonderful trend of mac pro conversions, Hope you guys like what I have been working on. The build is going to be for my dad, a long time mac lover who recently switched to hackintoshes after his old mac pro started to show its age. IMG_4411.jpg

To begin with, i purchased a full working mac pro 3,1 after gutting it, i decided to retain the logic board and frame it as another side gift for him. I sheared more than a few screws in the process but I am pretty sure I did learn my lesson.

after gutting it, i set to work on the power supply, I decided to retain the original power supply frame. looking back, it likely cost me far more pain making it work that it was worth, but the results do speak for themselves. To anyone looking to do something similar, i strongly recommend looking at an SFX/SFX-L PSU instead of a full ATX as i found I had to move the power plug up on both the PSU and f. While it looks fine, the cable does not sit snug or securely. this was however the cleanest an inexperienced student could do with a metal workshop and an angle grinder. The result was nonetheless impressive, a full modular 850W psu in the original frame!
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In regard to the IO panel and back plate, I would like to thank David Chugg of the Laser Hive (recommended to me by the forum) for providing a beautiful looking rear plate, the fan mesh doesn't sit quite right and i now need to cut back the rear fan guard to still fit it but nonetheless it looks great and will ultimately culminate in what i hope to be a fantastic looking build! his front IO panel has also beaten my expectations, it looks great and even comes with USB-C and HDMI on the front! Fitting it was reasonably clear, only requiring some simple cutting and filing. I do intend to re use the PCIE lane marker and will include pictures of it later on in the build. IMG_4529.jpgIMG_4532.jpgIMG_4531.jpgthumbnail_IMG_4614.jpg

The SATA hotswap plugs were removed and replaced with some lovely connectors originally designed for the corsair 540. Once again i have to thank the tonymacx86 forum for providing the info on their existence, saved me a lot of trouble! i didn't use the original screws however as i found the black insert made it difficult to angle properly. A couple of M3 10mm screws did the job very nicely. and a couple of test fits and tidying have hidden the connectors away and keep it looking very clean with much of the cables hidden away in the drive bay.
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despite the tidy power cables, I will need extensions for the 24pin and CPU, i ended up getting a whole set which should, like most of the other parts, arrive this week.
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Stay tuned for more and thanks again!


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UPDATE - More parts arrived today, test fit the motherboard with the original gpu that came in the mac. got the connectors sorted and trimmed down the original shrouds so they still fit. IMG_4648.jpgIMG_4666.jpg

Going to cut the front shroud in order to fit a 240mm radiator to the front which is something i haven't seen on any builds yet, while i am aware it would be cleaner to do something on the back, a 120mm is just not going to cut it on this project. I plan to remedy the height issue my keeping the speaker unit out of the case and replacing the front drive with a lower profile SSD, thus allowing me to keep it looking clean.

check this page tomorrow for my work on the WiFi card!

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While the WiFi card did not in fact arrive today due to shipping issues. i made some serious progress on the radiator. using a Dremel and grinder, i cut out a slot in the front of it to mount the radiator inside, low and behold it is a success, it look flush with the shroud and allows me to use the front drive bay with an SSD.

more updates hopefully tomorrow.
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Further progress,
The broadcom wifi card arrived, hopefully means i will not need to have to add a wifi card when this machine is ready to be hackintoshed.
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The Vega 64 Limited Edition looks stunning in this build, almost looks like it was made for it!
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Installed 90% of the parts are in and I have performed a test run. Started up without issues. Hopefully will finish up with the ssds, engraving and cleaning up of the build. Wiring is mostly complete though i fear I will need to add an extra sata power to the supply.
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Any feedback is greatly appreciated,

Thank you.
 
Hey NuclearLemons ! Nice job with the case, you've done well by keeping it as stock as possible. Can you explain a bit more how you manage to get that 240mm rad in the front ? It's a thing I want to do with my case but I don't really know how to do it because of the bottom that slide in to secure the piece in place.
 
@NuclearLemons How did you modify the PSU fan grill to allow the ATX cables to get through?
 
Hey NuclearLemons ! Nice job with the case, you've done well by keeping it as stock as possible. Can you explain a bit more how you manage to get that 240mm rad in the front? It's a thing I want to do with my case but I don't really know how to do it because of the bottom that slides in to secure the piece in place.
hi, thanks for the kind words.
From my measurements, it became clear that in order to fit a radiator and maintain drive caddy #1 (2.5" only though thickness wasn't an issue), I would need the shortest possible 240mm radiator. this limited my options sadly but the deep cool works more than well enough.

I cut out enough of the original fan shroud top to allow me to slide the radiator in place using the original fan mounting points. It's tough plastic and has remained more than stable in the Mod. In regards to your question, the black speaker housing on the bottom of the case did provide a hazard. Since I'm not apt enough in the world of modding. I simply removed the speaker before covering the weaker fabric left behind in tape to reduce the chance of accidentally putting a hole in the bottom!
The X shaped metal plate I have covering the back of the radiator mount isn't important. I simply put in on for the off chance I might attach an SSD to the cover. hope this helps!
 
@NuclearLemons How did you modify the PSU fan grill to allow the ATX cables to get through?

believe it or not, I did nothing to the fan grill. my solution was admittedly rushed, I hadn't obtained a dremel at the time as the student shop I was working in had theirs stolen. thus I had a go with an angle grinder to have the modular power supply cutout taped inside facing the back wall. I then led the power cables back past the fan via the front cage and then hooked them into the PSU. it was a tight squeeze but I have been able to screw the PSU back into place. in doing so. the original cable cover in the back of the cage can be reused.

the PSU fan was replaced with a Noctua industrial 120mm which was subsequently taped firmly into place. the rear grill was cut to allow the atx power cable to be connected. a housing was made with a small piece of metal which was bolted to the back grill.


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Hey NuclearLemons ! Nice job with the case, you've done well by keeping it as stock as possible. Can you explain a bit more how you manage to get that 240mm rad in the front? It's a thing I want to do with my case but I don't really know how to do it because of the bottom that slides in to secure the piece in place.
if you are uncomfortable with removing the speaker unit, you could instead use a 120mm aio in the top fan slot or Dremel out the fan mount to allow you to slide the radiator from the side instead of the top like I have.
 
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