16 replies to this topic

[student_al]

Hey All,
    
    So of course - as soon as I decided that my computer was too noisy I   decided to look for new case/noise solutions for my OSX86 project! I   really liked the fractal designs model! - and someday I might get one of   those cases - only because they are the sleekest PC cases on the market   these days. - The only problem with them is they are manufactured with   fairly thin steel. (  So, I decided with the approach that many in the   OSX86 community have come up with - have an apple computer w/o the   apple TAX!
    
    So here is my mock-up design.
    
      G5_OSX86_Mod_Mock_Up_student_al.PNG   950.09K   285 downloads
    
    My g5 case(s) is/are in the mail !   And now I am just waiting for a couple new upgrades to my system -   namely the SSDs! I have been thinking about how I am going to build it   for a a couple of days, and now I am open to suggestions and revisions.
    
    
    Thoughts.... ?!??!

[zammykoo]

Is the PSU the blue box at the bottom? Looks like the PSU location the biggest decision maker for every G5 modder.

Good luck with the build!

[student_al]

Yes, the box at the bottom would be the PSU... I'm going to try to cover it with aluminum. I don't really want to destroy a good power supply by ripping it apart! Especially one that is designed to be silent.

The placement of PSU has been giving me fits though - it literally keeps me up at night. I really liked your sol'n to the problem, I'm not sure exactly how I am going to do it though. I will have two different cases, so maybe I will make the cases in different ways, and then go with the one that is right. I really was thinking of doing no cuts with one of the cases... which is why i fell in love with your rear back panel. I may also  try to hijack the apple PSU and retro fit it.


We'll see what happens. I need my case to arrive before I can make any real decisions. Either way, there is going to be no noise! and the wires are going to be neat or hidden!

[eelhead]

I didn't like the way the PSU sat at the bottom, it was a very tight fit with what I have. That's why I went with a PSU mod as well. Got the Thermaltake Black widow 850w silent fan and all and fit it into the original G5 PSU case. It really isnt that hard and I don't foresee any issues with the PSU. It's a matter of preference I suppose, I just figure that if I was going to mod a G5 I'd go all out.

[student_al]

Does anyone happen to know what the height is from the floor to the lip? I was thinking of breaking down the PSU, and I need to get some fan replacements. Perhaps someone knows of some good replacement fans that will fit nicely in the bottom?

Edit***


How much room is at the bottom of the g5 case? I think that I am going to rip apart my PSU, and give it a cover, like this build.

http://www.insanelym...p...st&p=146690

However, I am curious what you think the fan size is on those. How much clearance do I have? I was thinking it was probably a 50mm fan? Right?

[student_al]

More importantly, does anyone know of any good PSU that can be disassembled to lay flat?

[eelhead]

I did a thermaltake PSU into a G5 PSU case.
Link to my build in my sig.

[student_al]

OK, So my case and my motherboard tray  arrived today! Tomorrow the new SSD and the Seasonic X-Series PSU and a new video card will be here! Mine is so loud!!!! I will probably be buying a passive VGA heatsink as well. But here is what I am working with for now.

My current setup.
 IMG_7562.JPG   1.86MB   46 downloads

 IMG_7564.JPG   1.25MB   34 downloads

Now, my 'new' G5 case. I just don't know how to start ripping this out, without damaging anything... some advice would be appreciated!
 IMG_7568.JPG   1.63MB   60 downloads

What do I take out first? Where to begin?
 IMG_7565.JPG   1.87MB   57 downloads


So is there any good guide to taking out the components? Or, pointers that anyone has...
This setup has the most non-intuitive setup I've ever seen.... How do I remove that middle airduct plate - just above the processor?

-Well you get the picture; I'm kinda lost...

Thanks for any help and suggestions!

-al


**Edit**
OK - Finally making some headway on removing the parts. I think I understand how they put the mobo in... The G5 has at least 4 different types of attachments... ***There is nothing standard about a G5 - frustrating - but I like it...  Well - back to work

[ShiroiHusky]

The central plate above the CPU is connected to the motherboard itself, I think it also connects underneath. The entire thing had to come out in one when I took my case apart.

I'd start by taking out all the screws around the CPU heatsink, then that unit comes free.

Take out all add-in cards and memory, then focus on all the screws holding the metal plate down and the motherboard to the standoffs, and then all wires connecting these peices to the case (power, data cables, antenna cable, etc)

Motherboard should come free, allowing access to the wires underneath; you can take the standoffs out if you want, but leave them in if you intend to re-use them.

The top shelf is the most annoying as you have to take out the entire latch mecahnism (except the latch handle itself) in order to remove it. See page 4 or 5 of the stickied PC in a G5 thread in this forum for a guide on doing that.

[student_al]

Thanks! I have managed to get the motherboard out! The central plate gave me a lot of confusion! Thanks ShiroiHusky, I finally figured it out with the help of some liquid magic - mmm mmm beer!

Now, as I have been disassembling my case I have into another problem! I am trying to set up my two 60GB OCZ vertex 2 SSDs in RAID 0.  This has become more tricky than I began to imagine. I have succesfully set them up in an array, but I can't boot into them, unless there is another disk set as the primary drive in the boot setup.

 IMG_7588.JPG   693.79K   36 downloads

It would be awesome of find a solution that would show my RAID 0 as a single disk either the Chimera or Chameleon bootloaders... and can boot up all by itself. I don't think this is possible though. - Any bright ideas?

Edit*** I can boot into them now! Yay!

[student_al]

OK, So, I have finally figured out some random problems with my RAID array. It boots now! By itself! The only problem now is that the boot loader isn't working properly. I am using Chimera - because it easily supports my 6870 card. For some reason it is like the boot loader - which I believe to be Chimera - is not able to grab the graphical theme in the extra folder. So my boot loader screen now looks like this…

 IMG_7584.JPG   656.4K   26 downloads

- What do I do with that? How do I fix it?



So, I have gotten everything out of the main part of the G5 case, I just have to work out how to do the top section. I need to remove the DVD Rom drive, and pull out the plastic piece that keeps the door in place. Well - as usual - any bright advice?

 IMG_7574.JPG   1.51MB   52 downloads

I opened up the original PSU - it looks like I will be able to fit my Seasonic X-Series in there pretty well. I just hope that by switching fans from the original to the new smaller fans works ok. I hope that the Seasonic board has a standard molex connector. - Are most other PSU fans connected by molex (3 prong)?

 IMG_7571.JPG   1.28MB   29 downloads


It looks like the fans are 60mm for the PSU. I am torn on ordering 50mm or 60mm sizes. I I want there to be enough space for the fans in the bottom of the case. I will probably order 2 Fractal designs 60mm fans. It is a pity that Noctua doesn't make fans below 80mm.

 IMG_7570.JPG   1.81MB   21 downloads

Well, any advice on the boot loader would be uber nice. I am using Chimera. I don't know why it doesn't have graphical support. - hmmm.... mysterious.

Well y'all - Keep on hackin'

student_al

[apple apple]

I'm sorry I know this doesn't answer any of your previous questions, but I seem to remember that some ocz drives didn't support trim when in raid. May be something to look in to.

[eelhead]

Your pic links aren't showing. EDIT: They are now.

I am using iBoot with Multibeast and Chimera, my 6870 is working great now. Before I had to manully put in all the info using Andy's and Notshy's methods. If you are using Chimera did you also use Mutibeast and check off the box for the ATI 1.6.34.13 graphics? I think they go hand in hand.

The DVD drive slides right out very easily. You'll see the two tabs you have to open and then just slid the unit out. Best way to remove the front and that little cage is to have to shelf out of the way. It is just snapped in by little matal tabs. You can see the lower ones easy enough, the best way to remove though is to pull the top out first. It hits the side cross bar if you try to remove it any other way.

The PSU fans should be three pin ones. All three of the PSU I took apart had three pin connectors.
I went all out and opened the top of the modded PSU cast and reused the but Thermaltake fan that came with it. It's quiet and I know it's doing its job

EDIT: And now that I can see the pics, yes you can put the non Apple PSU into the G5 PSU. Check out my build that's exactly what I did but I then went and put the fan at the top.

[ShiroiHusky]

@apple apple: no SSDs support raid and trim together, it's one or the other.

[student_al]

I seem to have the Trim Support added with the TRIM Support Enabler program by grohs.org. And I setup my RAID with the apple disk utility - in striped mode, with 128kb blocks. I'm not sure if this is doing what it is supposed to, but my system profiler does indicate that TRIM Support is enabled.

[ShiroiHusky]

Odd, by nature the mechanism that TRIM relies on is cancelled out by the nature of RAID as far as I can tell. I know there's not been any breakthrough on the Windows side of things, even on a hardware level. And most products are designed around that market as It's the largest :s

[nandor690]

student_al, on May 14 2011, 04:09 PM, said:

Hey All,
    
    So of course - as soon as I decided that my computer was too noisy I   decided to look for new case/noise solutions for my OSX86 project! I   really liked the fractal designs model! - and someday I might get one of   those cases - only because they are the sleekest PC cases on the market   these days. - The only problem with them is they are manufactured with   fairly thin steel. (  So, I decided with the approach that many in the   OSX86 community have come up with - have an apple computer w/o the   apple TAX!
    
    So here is my mock-up design.
    
     G5_OSX86...udent_al.PNG
    
    My g5 case(s) is/are in the mail !   And now I am just waiting for a couple new upgrades to my system -   namely the SSDs! I have been thinking about how I am going to build it   for a a couple of days, and now I am open to suggestions and revisions.
    
    
    Thoughts.... ?!??!

Here is my G5 mod so far. I still am doing wire management on it. But pretty much got everything in place.


 Screen_Shot_2011_06_09_at_7.50.03_PM.png   1.06MB   79 downloads

 Screen_Shot_2011_06_09_at_7.50.19_PM.png   1.03MB   72 downloads

 Screen_Shot_2011_06_09_at_7.50.34_PM.png   1.15MB   52 downloads