sntxOct 12

I noticed that I only posted about a few "Small Form Factor PCs" (sffpc) mods I did, but never showed the full build.

So here it is!

I's from Dec 2022 and matches or closely outperforms the framework desktop.
Though a lot of tuning went into it, to make it work [inaudibly at idle|at 23.9dB(A) under sustained load].

(I'll add a small rant about the state of sffpc, followed by a rant about the framework desktop, followed by my part-list in the replies)

#sffpc #setup #pcmod #framework #desktop

Kai EvansJan 20, 2023

Well, we have successfully passed the initial boot this morning, yay! it's ready to be filled up with the real stuff, and so here is the question to the audience. It's going to be an opaque coolant, and so what colour should I die it to?

1. purple
2. red
3. blue
4. yellow
other?

#pc #pcbuild #pcmod #pcmods #help

Kai EvansJan 19, 2023

One done, two to go. They make it look easy on YouTube. The next time I'm printing jigs. Or I'll just print the tubes themselves

#pcbuild #pcmod

Wombat Apr 12, 2020

Well the covid thing is slowing down the whole world which means I've got lots of time to work on The Cube. And so, another...

​​ NeXT Cube Update!


The rear panel fan arrived, and it fits in there with not even a millimeter to spare. And so I started working on the rear panel design. After drafting it all up in Inkscape, I cut the pieces out of cardstock and aligned them to the case. Except for a small error on the placement of the ATX I/O panel, everything fit. I'm still waiting for some additional USB connectors, and I'm not 100% sure where the power button's going to go, but once those problems are solved I'll be ordering a rear panel.

Someone asked about the cooling potential of the single 140mm fan, but I ran a lengthy photo rendering test and the temps peaked at acceptable limits.

And I'm convinced I can add 1 or 2 more HDDs in there but I'm still headbashing the frame into shape. And I'm sort of toying with the idea of redoing the whole assembly. It's not like I lack the spare time. =)

Nearly done, so much to do. =)

#NeXTCube #PCmod #retrocomputing

Wombat Mar 28, 2020

It's time for...

​​ NeXT Cube Update!


When the CPU arrived I started assembling things in earnest. And it mostly worked out perfectly, which was a giant thrill (and a relief). The CPU cooler left more room than I thought, and I think I will tip the PSU over into a horizontal position to make the wiring easier.

Since I don't have the back panel finished yet, I installed a small bracket similar to the video card support to hold the PSU in place. It works really well.

Wiring is a massive problem. The ATX cable included with the Silverstone device is very short. The SATA cables are basically everywhere, and routing them cleanly is a challenge.

The biggest surprise was that the video card power cables interfere with the top center HDD, so that's gotta be scrapped. I've left an SSD just hanging in there for now, but no 3.5" drive can occupy that space as designed. I may redesign the drive tower, we'll see. For now, it works as well as I need it to.

In better news, everything seems solid and functional. No loose or wobbly bits and I think the airflow is going to work as planned. We'll see when the rear panel is created. =)

#NeXTCube #PCmod #retrocomputing

Wombat Mar 26, 2020

It's time for...

​​ NeXT Cube Update!


I wanted to be ready when the CPU arrives, so today I spent the whole day (in isolation of course!) cutting up aluminum bits. I made a frame for the PSU (so it stays in one place while I work on the rest of the machine) and a support column for the video card, so it stays where it should while the rear panel is off.

The NeXT chassis had two screws and guide bumps for the original PSU, and I re-used those for these two bits. They're tucked inside a bit, so the rear panel will cover them up.

And then I ran all the wires to see how it fit. Bluntly, it fucking sucks. Since the CPU is at the entrance, all the cables are between the user and the drives, the motherboard, the video card. It's a crazy tight fit, made worse by the Silverstone PSU's very short ATX power cable.

But it all fits!! I'm super, super excited.

Well, except for the Corsair RGB strips. they're all, at 30cm, too long for the poor cube, so I have to get some shorter ones. =/

when the CPU arrives I can start using the machine. And from there I can work on the extra USB ports, and on the rear panel, power buttons, etc.

#NeXTCube #retrocomputing #pcmod

Wombat Mar 25, 2020
​​ NeXT Cube Update!

Everything but the CPU has arrived, and I pulled it all out of the boxes to see if it would actually fit as I hoped.

There's no space at all between the fan and PSU, but they slide together easily so this is good.

The video card is much taller than I expected, but to my delight the fan and card mesh together with ~1cm to spare.

Tomorrow I'll try to finish the drive rack assembly, and then I'll start creating some cardstock panels to replicate the back panel dimensions and see if I can go ahead and order a laser-cut panel.

I'm also thinking to add a bracket to hold the power supply in place, and probably another one to hold the video card up when the rear panel is removed.

Then the LED strips, the front USB panels... But that's an ongoing process. Once the drive assembly arrives I can start using the machine as it is.

I'm excited. =)

#NeXTCube #retrocomputing #PCmod
Wombat Mar 24, 2020
Progress on the NeXT Cube has resumed now that parts have started arriving. So far only the PSU and mainboard are here, but that's most of the rear panel gear. The only thing left is the fan, and I'll probably add some extra ports for extra USB etc.

The 650W SFX CPU from Silverstone is incredibly small, I am amazed. It's one thing to know its dimensions and do the 3D tetris, but it's something else to hold it in your hand. Wow, tiny!

Now the the mainboard is here I can finally start measuring up the ATX IO panel. I did all the measuring: PSU, video card and IO panel, and I've drawn it all up to scale with Inkscape.

When the fan gets here I'll know for sure if it'll all fit. That 140mm fan, which I figure is going to keep pulling the necessary air through the box, leaves one single millimetre against the CPU.

Anyway, this is all starting to look like it'll fit. Here's the work in progress.

#NeXTCube #retrocomputing #PCmod
Wombat Mar 12, 2020
The drive sled is a dozen or so rivets from being complete. I'm having some second thoughts about slamming five heavy HDDs onto those plastic rails inside the Cube, but... I really don't want to have to run all external drives. Having my world in a single box is very appealing.

Also, during the creation of the sled I expanded its dimensions a little bit to allow for cable routing around the perimeter of the Cube (for better visuals and airflow) and the sled is now really close to the SFX power supply, to the point where I suspect it'll impact the cables as they exit the PSU.

The planned 140mm extraction fan gives me literally zero space between it and PSU and I'm not super confident I can fit them, so the PSU might have to rotate and that might impact future CPU coolers... A problem for future me, I guess. I could run 120mm, but no! I am stubborn.

One RGB fan behind the box and 3 strips below, and one last strip illuminating the empty CD ROM slot should really make this project look the business. =)

#NeXTCube #pcmod #doomed #retrocomputing
Wombat Mar 5, 2020
Progress on the NeXT Cube project came to a shambling halt a couple of days ago, as I struggled to find a way to assemble the drive cage. I knew where the drives needed to go but could not figure out a way to mount them securely.

I went through a hundred mental mockups and started assembling one or two of them only to find I'd overlooked one detail or another, often for the second or eighth time.

For a while I was trying to create a frame to attach the drives to, and that was so much work with so many pieces I started disassembling old computer cases for HDD cages, but using those would destroy the airflow, and HDDs make a lot of heat.

And then it struck me. After what was most of a week of struggling with it, the solution:

Two sleds, one on top, one on the bottom, connected by two pillars that would maintain the vertical spacing and allow me to mount the top row of drives.

I started working on it this afternoon. Sleds are done, one pillar is attached, and the two bottom drive slots are almost complete.

#NeXTCube #pcmod #doomed #retrocomputing