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Project: G5 Unlocked


nikkokick
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Nik, I am liking this mod more and more. :) IMO, when you're done you should post in MacMod of the Month. ;)

 

Thanks Pooky! Means even more when it's from a staff member too :) Hehe.

 

I may do that! The project is estimated to be finished in May.

I have a lot left to do but hopefully I'll be able to pull it off, I've got a lot of other school work so I'll have to finish them all! :)

 

I'm also waiting for another package from Djungelapa with pins for the 24pin and 8pin so I can shorten them, they're too long now :)

 

Thanks

Best Regards

Nikkokick

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  • 2 weeks later...

UPDATE 5/1 2012!

 

 

Here comes an update that has been a pain to do!. It has taken quite a long time and it has been a lot of trial and errors, so to speak, but eventually I finished it and was happy with the results! :)

 

Here you read about and see pictures of how I shortened and sleeved the 24pin and 8pin cables!

 

I begin with showing additional products I got for this update from Djungelapa. I got pins for cables and a crimp tool.

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What I started to do was to check how long the cables were and how long I wanted them. As we see in the pictures, they are relatively much longer than is really necessary, and since the cables will be stored inside the power supply so I would like them to be as short as possible.

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Then it was time to start cutting up the existing cable sleeving.

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Heheh I have a pet snake, that have shed his skin off ;)

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Here, I measure about how to shorten the cables.

What I did not think about with this was that where the 24pin connector is not a standard but it can sit either higher up or lower down on the motherboard, and since the motherboard that is mounted in the chassis is intended to only be tested with as I happened to measure after that. Luckily, after the initials of the cables so it worked even on my own motherboard, even though its 24pin connector is a bit further away. It gets a little tighter but it works.

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The next step is to just shorten the cables, but there is a full 24 pieces of wires into the connector so they can be easy to accidentally mix them together, and that's no fun when the power supply will then be used :)

 

So I started to write down what it looked like.

The figures indicate the number of cables that are combined to serve on that particular pin, and the color of the text shows what color the wires are.

eg so in the second box, so is there a blue cable, while in the final on the same line, it's 2x red wires that go together in a pin.

kontakt24pin.jpg

 

So to avoid mixing the cable sup I started to mark each cable! A little tape (although electrical tape when I could not find anything else) and a fine silver pen :)

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Then it was just to bring the tools to get the pins out of the connectors, and after all cables were out and a couple of sore fingers.

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Pulls up the scissors and cut where I put the highlight of the short cables will be (mark I made using a tape-bit).

I cut one cord at a time because I want to be on the safe side and not make any mistakes.

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When the cable is cut, we have to get the contents out of it and get rid of the casing itself, and it is done with this kind of tool. I have no idea what it's called, maybe a wire stripper?

At any rate, do you stop the cable into a hole that fits and pinch to it, then you and coaxes a bit and finally to release the cover but the content remains, parts for conducting current.

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Here we see how the cable looks like when it is stripped at the top, but we also need to have pins to attach the connector. So I take a pin that I had been provided with by Djungelapa.

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Insert the stripped cable into the pin and then insert it in the crimping tool (looks like a crococile who are hungry for meatballs)

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After placing the cable and plug correctly, press and the tool will push the pin so that it surrounds the tiny wires that cable is composed of, and finally we have a new cable with a new pin! (Note this was the first I had made it looks so ugly)

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Now do this on all the cables. It takes time!

Note that I put the cables back in the connector because I wanted to see that the length was OK before I started to sleeve it

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Here we see how it looks inside the chassis, looking good if I may say so myself!

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Now the sleeving! I do what I did in my last update where I had a little "guide" on how to. However, I skipped the heat shrink altogether! Thought it was better looking without and that Paracord has the ability to adhere without heat shrink tubing as it melts and hugs on the cable, a very big plus for it!

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All cables sleeved and like this was the result, looking good!

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Then it was time to do the same on the 8pin cable and it's the same thing again.

Here we have the little picture I made to keep track of leads, but so are all the yellow wires the same and all black alike, so making an error here isn't really possible :)

kontakt8pin.jpg

 

Here we see the cut 8pin cable. As we see it is a hefty piece that has been cut, leading to less wiring inside the power supply = more space and less heat and better looking.

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I do the same with 8pin as I did with 24pin cable, no funny business.

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The sleeving goes on as usual as well. However, there was something very annoying here! The cable would not go in if it had sleeve on it, probably because it gets a little thicker then. I kept this up for literally hours! It turned out that you had to be right on the nanometer thickness to enable it to run in, sometimes I had to take out a knife and scale by the precise non-existent piece of molten Paracord and then got the place. Troubled frustrating and strange! But eventually I got it.

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Here are the pieces that I had to do to 8pin cable just because they were too thick on one end. Were many of the experiments and frustration rose slightly sick a lot! These were the pieces that I later threw away.

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PSU with 24pin and 8pin cables, became good result I think!

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And this is how it teaches look when it is located inside the chassis.

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That's it for tonight folks! What do you think? :) I'm satisfied with the PSU-sleeving and it will look great later on with all components in place!

 

Also this week I will solve the rear I/O port. I have to decide if I want to keep it good looking (original but then lack a bunch of ports, only 2x USB etc.etc) or make a hole and have all the ports available (doesn't look as good but practically better!)

 

So expect an update this week again!

 

What do you think so far? ;)

 

Best Regards

/Nikkop

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My golly, this is awesome!!! Kudos to you! :thumbsup_anim:

 

Thanks a bunch! :)

 

can I see that womens face i was just wonder :wink2: :wallbash:

 

No you can't! :P She's all mine ;)

 

 

Also! Here I come with a new update!

Actually this was made last week but I've just been to a school trip to Berlin and I arrived home this morning.

However, enjoy the update!

 

 

Update 6/5 2012

 

Hey!

 

This update is about how I solved the problem with the I/O ports at the back!

I've seen a number of different solutions and many are good, but one must always compromise.

Either you get it totally original and unmodified, but then there's not many ports to be used (max 2USB, 2 audio outputs, etc.) or you can modify it, such as cutting holes, and in that way have many more contacts to choose from.

The whole thing is what to prioritize, functionality or appearance.

 

Although my goal for this case is to keep the clean and tidy I decided to go the other way when it came to I/O plate. I actually prioritated functionality and not appearance.

 

Here is a picture of how I/O looks original.

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I tried from the beginning to push the contacts I will be using to see if a modification was necessary.

So I started to push a 3.5mm jack for audio / microphone.

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But as we see here, it is not the correct length or in the right latitude.

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I thought I'd see if the ethernet-cable would fit or not. It showed that the cable/head was approx 1-2mm too wide.

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But so is the plastic "shield" on the I/O that can be removed. Removing this will yield a little more space to but the contacts through.

Remove the plastic and the cable will pass!

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Looked like this, not the most beautiful but it works! :)

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I found out that the ethernet works, however the audio connectors and the USB had no chance to fit, so I decided to mod the back :) I could have bought PCI plates with USB and Ethernet-port, however I didn't want to do that.

 

So I brought my beloved box to a woodworking where it would modified a little!

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This is my first marker I did. Note that I have chosen not to cut off the entire I/O panel, but only where the holes are. The entire hole will be as wide as the widest hole original (USB-hole). In this way I get to keep the icons and markings, which is neat, even if they did not correlate with the output connector that sits there.

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I wanted to get it completely straight before cutting so I sawed up a piece of wood that was as wide as the widest USB hole was from the chassis edge. If I recall it correctly it was about 36mm.

So I created a small piece of wood that reached at the widest aperture start. Now, I will definitely get straight lines that are as wide as the widest aperture.

Perfect, now we can mark!

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And this is what lines up with masking tape.

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Let's bring out the big guns!

I originally planned to use a dremel but the aluminum was 1 mm thick, which is quite thick. So it had to be another tool.

Out with the jigsaw tool and time to drive on!

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The hole is done! As we see, I kept all the icons, it's pretty neat I think.

However, the hole is quite rugged and it needs some work of course.

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So I got a couple of files! Aliminium filed away faster than I thought actually.

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For fun I did put a small piece of toilet paper in the chassis to see how much dust/splinters that came off, and there was a lot! What I got on the paper was only a fraction.

For your own good, do not breathe this! >:)

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I filed around 22:00 at night and my dear mother was finally tired of the noise that arise when one files aliminium. I was also anxious to wake sleeping neighbors when it literally sounded like some kind of monster who suffered. So it's not entirely clear and smooth, but it begins to take shape and you can definitely see the improvements.

 

Here we have the chassis and its I/O with the motherboard and a number of contacts inserted.

As we can see, all place without problems and even more ports can be used.

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A small comparisment picture of the I/O where one part is rought and the other one is filed.

As we see, they have the potential to become straight and beautiful!

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That was what I had to offer at this time!

This project needs to be finished within a week!!! So I have a very very very tight schedule and hopefully there will be a couple of updates coming up very soon! :)

 

Until next time,

Ciao!

/ Nikkop

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UPDATE 16/5 2012

 

Hi!

 

Here's a tiny update on how I solved a very big problem, but is very easy to solve

Indeed, it is plate where the original DVD-ROM drive is mounted and hard drive cage as well. This plate also serves as a locking mechanism for the side door.

 

If you have a mATX motherboard you won't have to do this mod because the motherboard is short enough. If you like myself (and most) has an ATX you'll have to perform this mod to be able to use the plate.

 

Here we have an ATX motherboard.

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And this is the plate I was talking about. We can see immediately that this plate is in the way of the motherboard, you can not have both of them at the same time.

Also notice the blue marking I did with a marker which marks where it will be cut.

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Once in the workshop I wiped away the blue marker and drew a new, finer line.

I have also chosen to make the hole as wide as the widest hole, best to get it nice and symmetrical.

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Clamping plate for it not to fly rounds when it's getting cut.

Piece of wood serves two functions:

Support for the clip and that it will be used as a wall pretending you from going out of track.

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And then we saw! :) As straight as possible, the piece of wood sure does help!

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That's it, finished. Was actually pleasantly surprised how good it was.

But how it looks like in the case is the question!

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In the case!

Must say I was pleased with the results. Such a small mod that enabled ATX motherboards to fit.

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Here we see how much actually "stands out".

The lowermost PCI / E ports are of course not usable, but it's quite given when the casehas only 4x slots :)

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That was what I had for this little while!

Tomorrow is a red day and the same week that the project will be finished, so it will come up a number of updates one after another. Tomorrow it will be at least one, maybe two, otherwise they fall in on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the project will be done! :)

 

Looking forward to it!

 

Best Regards

Nikkop

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Again, nice! :thumbsup_anim:

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

Here's an update for you! :)

 

 

I'm not usually a fan of Macs but I've always liked the design of the G5 case. Good job so far' date=' looks like you;ve managed to improve your sleeving skills vastly! I won't suggest you modify the back IO too much (Ruining the fan positions) but I would suggest you make a tiny IO shield for the hole you've made mostly cause it'd look awesome I think.[/quote']

 

Thanks a bunch :)

 

Oh no I won't touch the I/O anymore, I'm satisfied as it is. As you say I might make an shield some day, however that's not a priority now :)

 

 

Here comes an update tho!

 

UPDATAE 18/5 201

 

Hey hey, here comes a small update which I solved two things, I placed the HDD cage and modded the fan mounts in the rear of the chassis so you could get where ordinary fans were :) I also introduce and showcase the products that I have been provided with by Crucial.

 

Here we go!

 

Crucial_Logo.gif

 

Here is the SSD which will take place in the chassis.

It is a Crucial M4 128GB with the following specs:

 

  • Sustained Sequential Read: Up to 500 MB / s (SATA 6Gb / s)
  • Sustained Sequential Write: Up to 175 MB / s (SATA 6Gb / s)
  • 4KB Random Read: Up to 45.000 IOPS
  • 4KB Random Write: Up to 35.000 IOPS

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Package Contents, adapter so that SSDn can be used by USB, installation CD and manual. And of course the SSD!

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A very nice looking SSD if I do say so myself.

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Test and performance of this SSD will of course be done!

 

Here comes product number two that I was provided with by Crucial.

 

It's RAM named "Crucial Ballistix Elite".

Specifications below:

  • Module Size: 8GB Kit (4GBx2)
  • Package: Ballistix 240-pin DIMM
  • Feature: DDR3 PC3-12800
  • Specs: DDR3 PC3-12800 • 8-8-8-24 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1600 • 1.5V • 512Meg x 64 •
  • Thermal sensor allows real-time temperature monitoring
  • Custom Ballistix M.O.D. Utility - temperature monitoring and history

 

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This is how they look. I was very impressed over the look of these RAMs. Corsair Vengeance can roll over and give up to be honest honest.

These look much better in every way, even the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is black!

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Pictures of how they look with the computer, and their performance will be at a later date! :)

 

 

Here we go on with the modding!

 

Here is the hard drive cage that is sat on the plate I sawed the last update (which also acts as a lock for the side-door).

I thought it was nice sitting here.

53658172.jpg

 

However, it doesn't fit between these "hills" on the plate. If they would be a few millimeters wider between each other there wouldn't be a problem.

So I decided to fix this problem.

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Out with a dremel!

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Now I have as you see sanded away some so that the cage hopefully will fit.

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And here it is! Sits good! :)

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I also made sure to screw the cage plate so that it is secure, and it seems to do ;)

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When seated in the chassis. Discreet but functional, I like it!

And for you who are wondering, I am boycotting the optical drives, so I will not have a DVD drive :) I'm doing very well without one!

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Someone said hotswap? ;)

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When it was fixed so we head for the next thing, namely, how to get the 92mm fan from Fractal Design to fit in the back

PowerMac G5 has a kind of fan-mounting in the butt, but also to the fans' holes are running Apple own standard.

As you can see in the picture it does not fit the holes at all but must be modified.

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It was then to seek out a drill that was about the size of the fan hole on the fans, and I found indeed at the first attempt :)

I was just putting down the fan to the desired location and drill. Because of the drill length so you can drill through the hole to hit exactly the right where you want, without having to make any markings.

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So there, in place. Sleek and stylish, does not even look modified ! :)

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And this is how it looks when both are in place, inside and out.

Streamlined and functional, just as you want it :)

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I have done some stuff for today but I will wait to do it updaten until I have finished them all! ;)

 

Until then,

Take care and enjoy my updates!

 

/nikkop

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You can just replace the G5 fans that are in the plastic harness rather than cutting into the fan grill.

 

You just need to get the rubber connections out of the originals and into the fractal design fans.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi,

 

Here's an update.

 

Sorry for the long wait. I've had the update ready for a good while, but haven't had time to translate it. However, now school's over and I have had time to translate it. However, I'm leaving for Hong Kong this sunday so next update will be in a while :)

 

 

UPDATE 15/6 2012

 

Hello old men and ladies. Today I present my final two sponsors, namely,Antec and QuietPC!

antec_logo_300_15.jpg

 

 

A package has arrived! I wonder where it's from? ;) Jokes aide, not very hard to see!

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We pack up the goodies and look around on the package (I always do, always nice!)

 

Specifications Kühler H2o 920

 

Features:

  • CPU Socket Compatibility:
    Intel LGA 775/1155/1156/1366, AMD AM2 / AM3 / AM2 + / AM3 +
  • Included Software Provides essential tools to control and monitor the Kuhler H ₂ O 920
  • Non-corrugated easy-bend tubes for maximum flexibility in radiator positioning
  • Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) radiator fans generation rate the quietest high-performance cooling
  • Customizable RGB LED creates brilliant illumination
  • Cooling Liquid - Safe, Environmentally-friendly, anti-corrosive
  • Fan Speed: 700 - 2400 RPM (PWM controlled)
  • Tubing Length: 13.0 "/ 330 mm
  • Radiator Dimensions:
    - 5.6 "(H) x 4.7" (W) x 1.9 "(D) /
    - 151 mm (H) x 120mm (W) x 49mm (D)
  • Fan Dimensions: 4.7 "x 1.0" / 120 mm x 25 mm
  • Air Flow: 110.0 CFM
  • Noise Level: 27.4 dBA
  • Cold Plate + Pump Height: 1.1 "/ 29 mm
  • Net weight: 1.6 lbs / 0.7 kg
  • AQ3 - Antec Quality 3 year limited warranty on parts and labor

 

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Unboxing time! Always fun and exciting :) Almost all of the pleasure of getting a package is to get out there and opening it, the content is just a bonus! ;)

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The contents. CPU cooler, fans, brackets and manuals and accompanying CD for the included software.

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The fans, 2x 120mm

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CPU Block & Pump, LED, so you can choose the color of the logo within the software.

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Radiator and hoses.

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That's what I had from Antec, and now the products of QuietPC to get down the volume on the system and other small things!

 

Even soft packages can be fun! ;)

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Here we have soundproofing mat!

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Silicone Rings which is set between different things, such as fan screws or hard drive screws to reduce vibration and sound! :)

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Silicone frames for 92mm fans, to reduce vibration and noise.

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1-4 PWM Fan Splitter. Sounds to me to have 4 pc fans on a fan site.

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A small neat label to paste, may be well down the silence part also hoped! ;)

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Now that I have presented stuff, it's time to use them! :)

 

 

Here are silencing carpet, as we see, it is large enough to cover the entire inside.

37366251.jpg

 

But why should I cover behind the motherboard for instance? Will only create unnecessary heat and reduce chance of wiring, so I will not do. Instead, we pull the scissors, pencil and ruler to cut the bits you need! :)

We also see that I made the little cabling for SATA power supply that will fit behind the motherboard.

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I chose to cover part of the chassis bottom of the motherboard will not lie against. The reason was primarily that it would be looking a lot nicer, but as well as to absorb sound and vibration for stuff that is nearby.

I will also put soundproofing mat on the part of the side door that will stay up.

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Here are silicone rings. Words, it uses 2x rings per screw holes. It is sold in 8pack, i.e. enough to secure a fan or a hard disk.

Here we see the installation instructions.

ap-1003w-c-installation-diagram.gif

 

The ring is mounted on a screw.

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Here is the picture of where it should be installed. "Metal bit" is "frame" and therefore is the one call on one side of the piece and the second ring on the other side.

As we then look at the picture, he is the one calling the hood from the "chassis", and the second bit of "chassis" and screw head.

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It was then that the demonstration of silicone rings, but since I also got Silicone frames for 92mm fans think I used them instead.

So here we see the silicone frame placed where the fan to be installed.

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It came with screws and silicone rings to these frameworks.

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Assembled for you! The screws are a little bigger than the previous but still fits snugly against the rear of the chassis so it does not matter at all.

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You see how the silicone frame looks like and how it fits.

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As I have mounted the most on the inside of the chassis. As these steps are easy and nothing special, I have not documented it, it meant screwing the motherboard and some of that stuff.

Note that this is not a definitive assembly! Some stuff is not where they should and all the cables are not installed or installed properly. This is temporary to get some idea of ​​what the final would be and I'll post new pictures then when all is done as it should

 

Here we see the fans in the rear that is 2x Silent Series 92mm from Fractal Design.

Although the power supply (Newton R 2 1000w 80 +) is from Fractal Design, the picture is only visible cables. These cables are of course however in a Paracord-sleeve that I was provided with by Djungelapa!

27263306.jpg

 

Here is also the cables to the graphics card, even those sleevade with Paracord-sleeve from Djungelapa.

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SSD Crucial M4 128GB

Thought it was a neat way to highlight the SSD, it is visible and it looks great, I personally think :)

39249990.jpg

 

Kühler H2o 920

Puts it in front when it was good and steady there, and it will then get cold air, which favors the CPU temperature.

The fan is upside down I know,it was a quick picture and I forgot to change the direction of the fan when I turned the radiator

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Here we see the CPU block from the cooler where the logo can light up in any color.

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And here we have a full view of the inside of the chassis!

That said, not entirely clear (some cables should be routed and installed correctly, etc.

But definitely an idea of ​​how it looks and it looks very good I think!

All colors are matched and there is a harmony in the chassis! ;)

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That said, at a later time so we put up more pictures and other good-things.

 

Namely, testing and execution of the Crucial Ballistix Elite Crucial M4 128GB and Kühler H2o 920

 

The reason why I can not do this just yet is because my motherboard decided to give up and leave me in the **** :) But when it's fixed (if I get new or buy new one) so the results are obviously up . Having said that, the project is not finished yet, but some remains!

The actual modding back of the chassis is done! :)

 

So that was what I had to offer tonight!

 

More to come when I get the computer to work again, so to speak!

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  • 1 month later...

I like the way you worked on the psu. Unfortunally i can't find the latest pictures where you use the new fans .

The last one i see is the test of the osu outside yhe case.

 

Please help

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

So now I'm finally on the right tracks again!

I've been without a motherboard for months but now I've completed my rig and can continue this project and end it!

 

My last motherboard decided to die while I had a lot of study to do before graduation. After graduation I went to Hong Kong for two weeks, where I enjoyed the Chinese technology! (And other things too, of course).

After HongKong I continued my half-time job I've had since April, while I was looking at a new apartment to move up and start studying at the university in a town far away from where I lived. I moved to a city named "Trollhättan", which stands for "Troll Cap". Very strange name indeed.

 

Of course school started really hard and it is difficult to find free time now that you are studying full time at the university and just recently began to live with your partner :) But I try as best as I can to get some free time!

 

Anyway, I sent my motherboard on the warranty issue and would get one back, instead I could put money in between and get a more expensive motherboard.

Thank you Inet so much letting me do that.

Anyway, sent my Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 and chose an Asus Maximus V GENE Z77. As you can imagine, so this also meant that I switched from AMD to Intel.

 

Why? I loved my AMD more than anything else (excluding non-technical stuff, heh), but I wanted to change to m-ATX (something they are short on at AMD) at the same time I felt I wanted to dump my video card and run GPU loose! (running the Intel HD 4000). I'm not an AMD nor Intel fanboy, so the change wasn't hard.

 

Enough about me and my little time I have been away from this project! :) Let's get down to business.

So I thought I would update my dear project which is near its end! :)

 

dustinhomeblueblackwww1.jpg

 

Would like to introduce and thank Dustin and their customer ombudsman who has just become my partners.

They provide me with an Intel i7 3770K which I shall use for this project and it is something I thank them very much for!

Dustin have been phenomenal and the support and contacts in general, I can only give top ratings!

Dustin has proven to be fast in terms of business and even their customer service over the phone was very helpful.

Dustin is a sweden-based re-seller of electronics, still I want to include them on the international forums to show my appreciation.

This is my personal experience and not something I invented so I thank Dustin enormously and is happy to have another partner.

 

 

So I thought we start gently with some pictures! Other than that the chassis is basically finished, what remains is the assembly, installation of OS / Theme and testing of the products I have been provided with.

 

Let's go!

 

Here's a package I've been looking forward to!

19613052.jpg

 

Let's explore what is found inside.

60415272.jpg

53110424.jpg

 

And here we see the stately Intel Core i7 3770k from Dustin!

The delivery went very quickly, had it the next day.

Dustin - Simply Faster

39143136.jpg

 

Inside the package contains the standard processor and its matching processor fan. (And paper and sticker).

34646440.jpg

 

Front and back of the processor - Looking good!

54245158.jpg

 

Because it is Dustin that provides me with this processor and not Intel itself, I will not put too much focus on the product itself, but instead I thank them for their awesome support, web-store and great prices!

 

As I said before I got me a new motherboard. It became an Asus Maximus GENE V Z77.

I'm not a big fan of "ROG theme" as I prefer colors other than red, but apart from that it seems to be a very nice and competent motherboard!

75957164.jpg

75957164.jpg

 

 

So I wanted to show something that I did not show with my previous motherboard, and that is how to mount the Antec Kühler H20 920th

While it comes with an instruction booklet, it's always easier to understand when there are real pictures taken where they're demonstrated :)

34477165.jpg

 

These pictures will show you how to assemble for an Intel system. To install on an AMD system, the differences themselves is the "bracket" around the CPU and the one to sit in the back of the motherboard is different, but the basic principle is the same:.

 

Here we have the assembly for which the CPU block will sit clamped and the bit that should sit in the back of the motherboard.

Insert the blue plastic bits (green for AMD) so the "catch" pointing inwards.

Insert the "nuts" in the right hole for the socket you use (it is marked with numbers).

 

As you can see now I have assembled these nuts, and they seem to sit askew.

This is how it should look on a 1155 system, so do not worry about it! :)

PS! Do not forget the double-sided tape to sit there.

15613366.jpg

 

The processor that I have been provided with by Dustin mounted!

76714623u.jpg

 

When you put it onto the back of the motherboard, you take the round circle with the blue plastic pieces and insert the screws in the plastic pieces.

Seen it down over motherboard socket so that the screws poking through the hole where the nuts are.

PS! In this picture I have the CPU plastic-protection left where the CPU should sit, you should of course do this after the CPU is in place! :)

40778919.jpg

 

Now you take a suited screwdriver and screws in these screws. You should not tighten them down all the way down, but just a little bit so they are in place.

PS! CPU cooler (Antec Kühler H2o 920) has preapplied thermal paste, but because I prefer to frame my own so I have removed it and then apply my own. You do what you want!

47315128.jpg

 

Now we need to get the block in place. Since that "bracket" is not completely screwed down you are able to put the block in.

Once you have done that, you should make sure that "bracket" is above the block's edges, then you should turn the block so that it attaches itself (much easier to understand when you see it in front of you.) Turn the block until you can see it will be able to catch with the bracket.

Once that is done then you screw in the screws so that they are good and hard!

51032493.jpg

 

Here we can see now how it looks when the motherboard is in place.

Since I originally had an ATX (now m-ATX) then the chassis designed for an ATX.

However, this is no problem because an m-ATX fits just as well. The only difference is there is one more distance to use.

I have also traded GPU (GTX 460) for a XBOX, so I'm on the integrated HD4000 in the processor.

Must say I am very impressed by its capabilities! Played Team Fortress 2 and Dota2 without any problems, floating on without any FPS dips on 1680*1050.

 

The motherboard in the chassis

27052963.jpg

 

Here we see the cooler as I just installed!

73901723.jpg

 

Here we see the products that I have been provided with the Crucial and which I will review in the next update when I try the products! :)

Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz

Crucial M4 128GB

78851653.jpg

Finally for this update, I will show how I use a 1-to-4 Splitter for fans ! This I have been provided with by QuietPC! :)

As you can see, it has 4pcs places for fans, 1 molex for power and a plug for connection to the motherboard.

55261601.jpg

 

Connect all fans to the splitter and then you suddenly more opportunities to get a better air flow in the chassis and a cooler computer! :)

73095767.jpg

 

 

That's what I had for now. A small "come back" for me.

What remains now is to make the benchmarks and reviews on the products I've been provided with and install "Ubuntu" and the theme "Macbuntu".

Of course, to fix the inside of the computer so it looks great too!

 

So it's not that much left on this project, but I have a new one in mind and that will begin when this is finished! ;) Hope you are interested for what it is, because I think it might be a little "revolutionary", if you are allowed to express it that way ;)

 

Thanks hello and have a nice day!

Next update will coming soon.

 

Best Regards

Nikkop

 

I like the way you worked on the psu. Unfortunally i can't find the latest pictures where you use the new fans .

The last one i see is the test of the osu outside yhe case.

 

Please help

 

Hello and thanks.

Sorry for the long wait, but I don't understand your question.

I have 2 fans outside of the case for the moment, I can also put another 2 fans inside the case in the other end of the case, however that takes some fan-modification (it won't fit on the height otherwise).

 

Love this project! Been using it as inspiration for my build. Love the use of the paracord for sleeving instead of the plastic sleeving everyone else uses. I'll post up a link to my build once i get more pictures and such!

 

Thanks!

Yeah I love the feeling of paracord, feels so smooth compared to the plastic ones.

Just post your link! Curious :D

 

Looking good Nik - Any updates?

 

I'm about to start my second G5 - it's amazing how many times I had to change my strategy in designing everything.

 

Just made an update in the post before this reply, check it out!

Im soon done with the project, just some tiny stuff left.

Hows it going with yours? :) Please link it to me.

 

Take care all!

/Nikko

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update: 29/10

 

Benchmark and Test of Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz CL8

 

Hello there!

Here I am with a small update with tests and benchmarks done on products that I received from my partners.

Crucial_Logo.gif

Crucial

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz CL8

ballistix.jpg

 

I figured I would start by testing the Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz RAM.

 

 

 

These RAM modules are the nicest I've seen, hands down. Black PCB with black, tall and good-looking heatsinks they make into something unique that no other manufacturer offers. They fit extremely well to a motherboard with black design or black parts. The RAM has black PCB (printed circuit board = board) which actually does a lot on the looks as the PCB on other RAM modules often is green, which doesn't look as good. If you choose to water cool your RAM modules, black PCB is a big plus.

 

17655610.jpg

 

Info:

  • Module Size: 8GB Kit (4GBx2)
  • Package: Ballistix 240-pin DIMMs
  • Feature: DDR3 PC3-12800
  • Specs: DDR3 PC3-12800 • 8-8-8-24 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1600 • 1.5V • 512Meg x 64 •
  • Thermal Sensor Allows real-time temperature monitoring
  • Custom Ballistix M.O.D. Utility - temperature monitor and history

The free ware application HWMonitor reads and displays temperature values ​​for these RAM thanks to the built-in built in temperature sensors in the Crucial Ballistix Elite. I stress-tested using Prime95 on Blend (Lots of RAM tested) and got the following results.

ramtemps.jpg

It turns out that the temperatures maintains the same value, probably because the RAM is rarely warm/changing temperature. However, it is a nice feature for us who love to keep track and fiddle with our systems and this is a plus! :)

 

I took tested and RAM memories performance using two programs, AIDA64 and MaxxMEM2.

Results are following:

 

AIDA64

aida641600mhz.jpg

 

The test shows us that the Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz CL8 results in my test in AIDA64 are:

  • Read: 18,472 MB/s
  • Write: 19,439 MB/s
  • Copy: 21,368 MB/s
  • Latency: 42.4 ns

MaxxMem2

maxxmem21600mhz.jpg

 

The test shows us that the Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz CL8 results in my test in MaxxMEM2 are:

  • Copy: 22,063 MB/s
  • Read: 20,145 MB/s
  • Write: 19,028 MB/s
  • Latency: 56.2 ns

As we see the different programs gives us different results. This is something you should always predict as various benchmark program tests in different ways.

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz is running at the baseclock of 1600MHz (note that in some/many motherboards you must set the 1600MHz yourself as 1333MHz is a standard, often on Intel).

 

But the question is, how much impact on the results does a higher clock do?

I test by changing from 1600Mhz to 1866Mhz in the BIOS, without touching any other RAM settings such as volts or timings. This is very easily done and can be done by anyone knowing how to enter BIOS.

An increase from 1600Mhz to 1866Mhz is an increase of 16.6% in the frequency.

Will the results increase?

 

Let's see!

 

AIDA 64

aida641800mhz.jpg

 

The test shows us that the Crucial Ballistix Elite CL8 at 1866Mhz (1600MHz stock) results in my test in AIDA64 are:

  • Read: 20,458 MB/s
  • Write: 20,005 MB/s
  • Copy: 22,791 MB/s
  • Latency: 38 ns

The difference in percentage between 1600MHz and 1866Mhz in AIDA64:

  • Read: ~ +11%
  • Write: ~ +3%
  • Copy: ~ +7%
  • Latency: ~ 11%

The results show us that by raising the clock will raise the performance in AIDA64, everything between 3-11% [/ B] in this case. For some, this small difference mean something, for others not. We see the big difference in read and decrease in latency (which is good).

 

How do the results change in MaxxMEM2?

 

MaxxMem2

maxxmem21800mhz.jpg

 

The test shows us that the Crucial Ballistix Elite CL8 1866Mhz (1600MHz stock) results in my test in MaxxMEM2 are:

  • Copy: 23,263 MB/s
  • Read: 22,261 MB/s
  • Write: 19,495 MB/s
  • Latency: 50.7 ns

 

The difference in percentage between 1600MHz and 1866Mhz in MaxxMEM2:

  • Copy: ~ +5.5%
  • Read: ~ +10.5%
  • Write: ~ +2.5%
  • Latency: ~ 11%

 

The results show us that by raising the clock will raise the performance in MaxxMEM2 , everything between 2.5% -11% in this case. For some, this small difference mean something, for others not. We see the big difference in read and decrease in latency (which is good).

Test programs increase the clock speed of the RAM one (1600Mhz to 1866Mhz) gets the same results, an increase up to 11% [/ B].

The increase from the baseclock was just over 16%, and the results are increased by up to 11% in these tests. Overclocking the RAM modules increases performance of the RAM. No question about it.

______________________________________________________________________

 

My review for the Crucial Ballistix Elite 1600MHz CL8:

Positive:

  • Appearance - Black PCB, Black sleek, tall and stately heatsinks. Have not personally seen any prettier RAM.
  • The low timings - CL8 is low (default seem to be at CL9 and up).
  • Built-in temperature sensors - Good and useful for us who love to keep tabs on our hardware.
  • Stable - Not had any problems with them, ever (have used them for half a year).
  • Low price - 660kr (cheapest on-hunting) for the 16GB (4x4GB).
  • Affordable!

 

Negative:

  • Ballistix logo is only on one side of the RAM module. Some motherboards have the RAM slots so that this log that case pointing outwards from the motherboard and therefore not visible logo in a chassis. However, this is dependent on the motherboard. (On the Intel logo pointing "outwards" and AMD "inwards".

Results :

 

I give Crucial Ballistix 1600MHz CL8 5/5 cookies .

 

They are stable, fast, looks good and are cheap (check your local dealer, but in Sweden they are cheap). Additional functions such as temperature sensors increases the feeling of the quality and the RAM modules feels solid and sturdy. Being able to improve performance by changing one little thing in the BIOS is good for beginners, but for us with a little bit more experienced, there is sure a lot more juice to get out of these RAMs. (by increasing the clock, changing timings and voltage). The Ballistix logo that is only on one side of the RAM is not a deal-breaker, and it's not something you think about. Some might even think it's prettier without the logo? However, not anything that bothers me.

________________________________________________________________________

 

Next test and review of a product is the Crucial M4 128GB and it will come in any day!

Keep yourself updated! :)

 

Best Regards

Nikko

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  • 4 weeks later...

UPDATE 27/11

Benchmark/Review of Crucial M4 128GB

 

Hi there!

Here I am with an update with tests and benchmarks. Product presented by:

Crucial_Logo.gif

Crucial

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Crucial M4 128GB

57784696.jpg

 

 

I will in this update do a review of Crucial M4 128GB and show results on the tests I've done.

 

This SSD has been talked about when it came out and for a while after when it was released. This SSD was one of the more stable SSD's (SandForce was very buggy before) and was cheaper than the Intel equivalent (which cost much more but similar in stability). It is based on the award-winning predecessor, the Crucial c300 which in turn was very good. Therefore, the Crucial M4 is a perfect choice for those looking for a quick and stable SSD.

 

Crucial M4 comes in a rather handsome and nice packaging. I have been provided the "Data Transfer Kit" edition, a package that contains a number of other stuff to help transfer data from an existing hard drive to the new SSD.

50610948.jpg

 

What distinguishes this package from a standard "SSD Package" is the accessories that will help you transfer your existing data.

The package contains:

  • SSD Crucial M4 128GB
  • USB to SATA cable (connected between SSD and existing computer's USB port)
  • Drivers for data transmission
  • Instruction manuals and other papers.

29743001.jpg

 

The dimensions and details of the Crucial M4 128GB:

  • Form Factor: 2.5 "
  • Memory Components: MLC
  • SATA III
  • Width: 69.85mm
  • Depth: 100.5mm
  • Height: 9.5mm
  • Weight: 75g
  • Life-time: 1,200,000 hours - For those who are concerned, this is 50,000 days, ie 136 years. A life longer than a human

Features :

  • Integrated 8-channel chip controls
  • Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART)
  • RAID support
  • Average Latency <0.1 ms
  • Reliability: Built-in EDC / ECC

34907332.jpg

 

Read & Write speeds Crucial M4 128GB:

  • Sustained Sequential Read: Up to 500 MB / s (SATA 6Gb / s)
  • Sustained Sequential Write: Up to 175 MB / s (SATA 6Gb / s)
  • 4KB Random Read: Up to 45.000 IOPS
  • 4KB Random Write: Up to 35.000 IOPS

Crucial M4 128GB, according to technical specifications, manage a "sequential read" up to 500 MB / s and a "sequential write" up to 175 MB / s

Simply put, this SSD read data (such as the use of programs and files) for up to 500 MB / s and write data (eg install) for up to 175 MB / s

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

To make sure that the SSD performs as it should according to information on paper I will test it with three different programs that will test the SSD's read and write speeds.

 

Programs I will use for benchmarking:

  • ATTO Disk Benchmark
  • AS SSD Benchmark
  • Crystal Disk Mark

There programs will measure and tests in different ways. The program that you "should" use to get the right results is ATTO. Seems like this is the application that the manufacturers use when they are to specify their SSD's read/write speed. The programs use different measurement techniques and tests, and therefore the results can vary depending on the program. They can also be measured in various ways (compression vs. Uncompressed data).

_______________________________________________________________________

 

We start by measuring the Crucial M4 128GB speeds using ATTO.

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark:

17420781.jpg

Here are the results and we see that the program tests the reads/writes speed anything from 0.5 KB to 8192 KB (8 MB). The reason that the rate gradually goes up and gets higher is because the 0.5 KB is such a small file that the SSD can not come up to speed before the file is fully transferred / written / read.

This can be compared with a metaphor:

For example, if we measure a Ferrari's top speed. We want to know what the car's top speed is but the distance is only 10 meters. Because the distance is so short (0.5 KB) we can not see the car's (SSD) speed before the test is over. We need a longer distance (larger file transfer / read / write) to see a top result.

 

We therefore continue to check the results and see that it starts to balance out at 128 KB with reading speed while the write speed has been the same ever since 16 KB.

 

Results :

If we check the actual speed of the axis of the graph we see that the maximum speed I achieved with this test are:

  • Read: Ca 525 mb / s
  • Write: 200 mb / s

That said, we see that the Crucial M4 128GB keep speeds, and even gives us a higher rate than the specified on paper (they promise a max-speed of 500 mb / s and 175 Mb / s). We like that!

Note that I am running the latest firmware (010G)

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

The results were shown to be surprisingly good with ATTO's test, so now it's time for the next named AS SSD.

 

AS SSD Benchmark

 

94224364.jpg

 

As we see, this test looks a little different compared to ATTO.

We test with AS SSD's tool and look at the first line where the figures are the results for "Seq", ie "Sequential Read & Write" that was promised up to 500 MB / s and 175 Mb / s

 

Results:

We get a result of:

  • Read: 489 mb / s
  • Write: 167 mb / s

Slightly lower results than the promised max-sped and slightly lower than the results with ATTO. However, the manufacturers always specify "up to XXX MB / s" and not "Guaranteed XXX MB / s." In this case we have anyway a very good result. We have been up in max, and even past the maximum speed with ATTO and almost there with AS SSD's benchmark. Very good results!

 

Here we can see the access time of the SSD, ie the time it takes for the SSD to locate where the data is.

The access time is usually the "wow feeling" when buying an SSD if you're used to have a mechanical hard disk.

An access time of Read: 0136 ms (milliseconds) is extremely fast as compared to a mechanical hard drive 7200 RPM where access time is usually around 4.16 ms.

This means that a solid state generally has a latency that is over 30 times as fast of a mechanical drive.

 

IOPS

 

Read / Write is usually the most common measuring of the SSD's, but there is also something called IOPS. IOPS stands for "Input / Output Operations Per Second" ie how many instructions that are made per second. The higher the faster and that we can measure this in AS SSD Benchmark.

 

Crucial M4 128GB promise "4KB Random Read: Up to 45.000 IOPS" and "4KB Random Write: Up to 35.000 IOPS".

 

AS SSD gives us the ability to measure IOPS, so let's do it!

 

20174460.jpg

 

Since Crucial specifies that the Crucial M4 128GB max IOPS is at "4KB Random Read and Write" we look at those results.

 

Results:

  • 4K 64Thrd Read: 55,295 IOPS
  • 4K 64Thrd write: 38,952 IOPS

Crucial promised up to 45.000 Read and I got over 55,000. This is a result of over 20% higher than SPECIFIED. Is it the latest firmwares that have increased this or? Anyway, the result is good! (If I've done this correct).

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

Crystal Disk Mark

 

Now we will try the SSD's performance in the last, but not least, Crystal Disk Mark.

 

22591984.jpg

 

Crystal Disk Mark is a benchmark / test program that looks small, compact and easy. As we see, the results are very easy to read and and the test is very easy to start.

Here we see everything from the "Sequential", 512k, 4k and 4kQD32. One can also, as in the other programs select other settings.

 

We get the following results:

  • Seq Read: 494 mb / s
  • Seq Write: 197 mb / s

As we can figure out ourselves this is a very good result as it is in compliance with what Crucial specifies (Read: 500 MB / s, Write: 200 MB / s) and is only a few digits from the "maximum value".

Accurate results and no problems or errors at all!

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Data Transfer Kit

 

This SSD package contains something called "Data Transfer Kit", a couple of extra stuff to transfer data. This is very convenient and easy and something you can get great benefit from the purchase of an SSD.

 

The included stuff is a USB-SATA cable and drivers.

img6209c.jpg

 

So how do we get it to work? We can start by inserting the supplied CD or download the program called "EZ GIG IV".

After that we will connect the SATA connector to the SSD and then put the other end into any USB port on your computer (to the computer from you would like to take data.)

img6211db.jpg

 

Once this is done, it will pop up a box saying that a new device has been found. In my case, this unit (the SSD) is my primary hard drive in my desktop computer and therefore there are a number of files/folders on it right now.

97388087.jpg

 

Let's say that the SSD has never been used, then it will be empty.

Let's imagine that I have a desktop computer and I bought a Crucial m4 128GB with Data Transfer Kit. I want to get over all the data from my current hard drive to my new SSD, this is entirely possible, and it is included in this package!

 

We start up the program EZ GIG IV and met this welcome screen.

Here we can choose if we want to start the program or write down the program on a portable medium. (such as a DVD)

75546239.jpg

 

The program is very simple to use and it is obvious how to get on. The creators of the program have a full guide on how you use the program completely, so therefore, I find it quite unnecessary to display the exact same thing. Instead, I will link to their official guide and show you a few pictures of what it looked like to me.

Here you will find their guide if it interests you:

EZ GIG GUIDE IV

 

Below are a few pictures from when I tested the program.

 

First screen

51018415.jpg

 

Selecting the disk to copy from

38592666.jpg

 

Selection of disk to write to

52479760.jpg

 

After the selections, we will be able to select "Advanced Options" and "Data Select".

50944918.jpg

 

Advanced Options

67188094.jpg

 

Data Select - Here we can exclude files that we do not want to transfer

25092026.jpg

 

Data transfer/copy started (picture taken from EZ GIG GUIDE IV)

40879904.jpg

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Other usage:

In addition to transferring the operating system/primary disk data to your new SSD I came up with a very good thing. One can use the SSD as a portable medium. Using the supplied SATA-USB cord can bring their primary disk and transfer files "on the fly". This can be extremely useful as it can quickly connect/disconnect from a computer. Though of course there are USB flash drives that can transfer files between your computer, but this way you eliminate one "stop" in the procedur, let me demostrate.

 

When transferring via USB you have to go the following way:

Computer - USB - Computer

So, first you insert the USB into a computer, transfer the file to the USB and then remove the USB.

Then you plug the USB into another computer and then transfer the file.

 

With a USB-SATA cable and a portable SSD you can reduce the steps, then you'll need only two steps.

Computer - Computer

 

Because the file is on one computer, you can directly transfer it to the SSD via the cable. Then you only need to plug in the SSD in your computer and the file is on your computer. This eliminates one step.

I thought this was very good and I find it very useful, eg When I want to transfer a file from my laptop to my desktop, but it takes too much time over the network or USB. Then this SATA USB technology is very useful to me! :) (I just tried it and it was less of a pain. The only negative thing is that the main computer has to be shut off because the SSD has been removed, but with a SSD like this the computer will boot/turn on in no time again!)

So you can use the included "Data Transfer Kit" and transfer existing data / OS to your new SSD, or use your SSD as a portable medium. (No software is required for transfer).

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Finally

 

We have now, with three different benchmark / testing program found and seen that the Crucial m4 128GB is performing as it should. (and in some cases even better)

It keeps promised speeds and sometimes even more than what is promised. It is also one of the more stable SSD's which is something to value! Even though it has been around for a while, it is still an option among all SSD's available :)

As many people will notice when they compare SSD's that they want to buy, it is that the Crucial M4 has a write speed of 175mb / s, which is a bit lower than other competitors. Personally it is not something I usually think about when choosing a SSD or prioritize for that sake. The reason is that you do a lot more reading from an SSD than you write to it. Writing will occur for instance during installations and transfering of data. Reading on the other hand will occur when you are using programs, start up games and anything else that needs to be "read in". I personally prioritize stability before speed aswell :)

The "Data Transfer Kit" is very good and can fill different purposes. For me this little can be effectively used and therefore I take it in mind when choosing a SSD.

 

My review for the Crucial m4 128GB :

 

Positive :

  • Stable
  • Good speed regardless of the data type.
  • New firmware improves performance
  • Good price
  • Software and cable (USB-SATA) to transfer data from existing disk / computer (this version of the Crucial m4).

Negative :

  • No software for the entertainment and information of the SSD, such as Intel Toolbox for Intel SSD's.

Compared with mechanical harddrive :

  • Very fast
  • Silent
  • Uses less power
  • No heat
  • Longer life span
  • Much more durable because of no moving parts such as the disks in a mechanical hard drive.

The only "negative" with SSD's compared to mechanical hard drives is the price for each gigabyte.

In the current situation the price is so low that there is no reason not to buy an SSD, it's probably one of the best upgrades you can do to your computer.

Once you get a SSD you never go back!

The amazing speed will be enjoyed. It's not only when you boot your computer as some might think. It's everything basically.

________________________________________________________________________

 

This was my little update on Crucial M4 128GB. Next update will be about the product I have been provided with from Antec and it will be one of the final updates in this project before it is completely finished! After the next review / benchmark, only the final assembly of all components is left and then the project is finished.

 

Then I will start a new project that is waiting eagerly! ;)

Will be posted here on this forum as well.

 

Have a nice day and thank you for reading

 

Best Regards

Nikko

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  • 2 weeks later...

UPDATE 10/12

Test / Benchmark of Antec Kühler H₂O 920

Hey!

 

Here comes an update, which also is the second last of this project, with testing and benchmarks of a product from my partner:

 

anteclogothumbbw2.gif

Antec

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Antec Kühler H ₂ O 920

32293816.jpg

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

 

This update will focus on Antec Kühler H₂O 920. I will show pictures, test it and show off features and such stuff that this cooler brings in it’s package.

A while ago Antec jumped on the wagon with a compact water cooling system with the Kühler series (at time of writing there are Antec Kühler 620 and 920).

The CPU cooling solution is made by Asetek (a major manufacturer that manufactures compact water cooling system to many companies like Antec, Corsair, etc.).

Antec Kühler 920 in this case is a compact water cooling system with a radiator of 120mm with 2 supplied fans 120mm each.

Let's test it!

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

 

The package for this product looks like. ( To see more pictures of the package and unboxings look at my previous update "UPDATE 15/6 2012 ").

38414549.jpg

Technical Specifications:

  • LGA 775/1155/1156/1366, AMD AM2 / AM3 / AM2 + / AM3 +
  • Included software to control the fans and some settings.
  • 2x 120mm PWM -controlled fans.
  • Custom LED lamp on the block. (Can be set to any color)
  • Net weight : 0.7 kg
  • AQ3 - "Antec Quality 3 year limited warranty on parts and labor"

31080678.jpg

 

What contained in the package and information:

  • Compact water cooling system.
  • Radiator - 151 mm (H) x 120 mm (W) x 49mm (D)
  • Fans - Airflow: 110.0 CFM
  • Sound : 27.4 dBA
  • Block + Pump height : 29 mm

 

Antec Kühler H ₂ O 920 is a CPU cooler with water to cool the processors very efficiently. Water has a better ability to absorb heat than air is which in turn says that water will give better results than air cooling. We see this even if we look at the real water cooling, but which is more expensive.

A compact water cooling system is maybe the best of two worlds. You get water cooling which is theoretically better (depends on models compared) than air (theoretically, there are air coolers that are damn good) while you avoid all the work behind a real water cooling setup (as many different components to be picked up, entertainment of the system, replacement of fluids mm) and the cost.

 

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Before I begin testing the CPU cooler and its capabilities, I want to go through the features included in the software named "Chill Control V".

Chill Control V is a software developed by Asetek where you get opportunities to set very useful settings on your Antec Kühler.

Lets go through the application step by step!

 

This is how Chill Control V looks when you open it. It is a program with a very simple graphical interface and very easy to navigate in and change things.

Here at the " dashboard " tab of the program, we can see very interesting and useful values ​​(minumum and maximum) such as:

  • Water temperature
  • Noise level
  • Fan speed
  • Pump speed
  • We can also see the "profile" we have set - More on that later.

antec1.jpg

 

The next tab is " graphs " and here we can see how the water temperature and the fan speed has changed over time.

We see that in this particular case, the water temperature had a constant value of 30c while the fans have gone from about 750 RPM - 1000 RPM.

Very good feature if you want to keep track of the water temperature and fan speed while doing different things.

Note: The water temperature is not the CPU/Core temperature. The water temperature is the temperature which the water inside the compact water cooling system has.

 

antec2.jpg

 

The third tab is named " Fan Control " and here we have the opportunity to change some things.

The first title is called " Liquid Temperature Fan Control " and using the values ​​here, we can regulate how fast we want the fans to spin at a certain temperature.

In this picture you can see " Fan Ramp Start temp " on 25c and " Fan Ramp Speed ​​Temp " on 40c.

This means that when the water is 25c the fans will start to increase in speed, and when the water temperature reaches 40c, the fans spin at maximum speed.

Very good feature when you can find himself a very good "sweet spot", ie values ​​that have a very good balance between noise and cooling ability.

 

We also have a box with the title " Notifications ."

Here we can set to include the program to warn us / notify when a certain value is reached.

 

antec3.jpg

 

Something that appears at the top right corner of the application is the three different profiles you can have for this cooler.

These are termed " Extreme ", " Silent " and " Custom ."

 

  • Extreme : Maximum fan speed for maximum cooling. Noise level is extremely high.
  • Silent : Low fan speed for maximum silence. Temperature high.
  • Custom : Custom selected settings to find a good balance between noise and cooling ability.

During last but certainly not least the tab named " Settings " we find some fun things.

Here, we first choose if we want to display temperature in Celsius © or Fahrenheit (American system).

We can then choose whether we want the program to start in the background and at startup. We can if we want, let the program write a log every X seconds and statistics of X minutes.

At the bottom of the page we can select the color of the LED on the cooler block. This was a feature that I thought was lovely which you can match with your computer's colors.

The colors are added using the RGB color scale . RGB consists of 3pcs main colors - Red, Green, Blue, and the values ​​range from 0-255.

If you want a completely red color so it should stand as on my picture, 255 in Red and 0 on the rest. If you want a different color, such as Yellow, it is 255 for Red, 255 for Green and 0 on the Blue.

To find the RGB values ​​for your desired color look up your desired color, then find the RGB values.

 

Photos of how colors look on the CPU cooler is shown below.

antec4b.jpg

 

Last but not least, we can change "Skin" on the program, and you can choose between " Night " and " Ocean ."

Ocean gives a blue color theme.

antec5.jpg

 

Here we have an image of what the program looks like when it runs in the background and when you have it in a tab.

The program can be set as a icon in the side at the bottom right, which I think is useful, while it shows the current water temperature in the cooling system.

antec6.jpg

 

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LED on the CPU Block

 

I showed you a moment ago that you could, using the supplied software, choose any color LED on the CPU block to have.

I thought I could show you a number of colors I tried to show you how it might look.

 

Here we have a red color that is attractive to all motherboard / graphics card with red accents.

21877442.jpg

 

Here is a picture with a couple of other colors I've tried. Being able to choose exactly what color you want is a big plus, and could probably be hugely valued by some people. (note however that the light does not get the same kind of "spread"/glow around them in reality, this is made by the camera).

97471133.jpg

 

As I said I controlled colors using the RGB color space, so just experimenting with colors and / or enter the RGB values ​​for that color you want! Very neat to have the right color to match your PC build.

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Benchmarks

 

Obviously it will be benchmarks of the CPU cooler. No cooler's worth watching if you do not mention how it performs, and relate to other coolers.

Since this is my only cooler apart from the one you get with an Intel processor, so I will compare Antec Kühler H₂O 920 with Intel's stock cooler.

 

I will use Intel Burn Test to stress the CPU as much as possible. Intel Burn Test get your CPU much hotter than Prime95 capable of, which is good for testing and to check on the temperatures under extreme load.

 

To measure the temperatures I use both Real Temp and Open Hardware Monitor .

Real Temp can read the processor speed and load while the Open Hardware Monitor can read voltages and other relevant values.

 

The benchmarks will be done on a system with Intel Core i7 3770k on an open test bench where there are no other fans. The processor runs at stock settings, which means a turbo of 3.9Ghz

 

Here's how it looks before the test. ( Yes, the hard drive is located on top of candles, works great! ;)

51417194.jpg

61629985.jpg

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We start by running a round IBT (Intel Burn Test) with the profile " Silent " to see what we get for results.

Silent is as I said the profile for optimal silence and does not take very much into account to get good temperatures, but for optimal silence it’s great.

 

We can use the screen shot to see that the maximum temperature on the processor has been 77c .

We also see that the temperature of the water is 40c . Something that is important to consider in this case is that the test is performed on an Intel Ivy Bridge processor, and these processors have problems transferring the heat from the cores to the surface of the CPU casing, which can cause high temperatures and / or that the cooler is not able to get all the heat (because of the processor, not the cooler).

We also see that the fan speed is very low 600-700 RPM , which is very quiet and therefore the profile is named "Silent".

silentw.jpg

 

Results "Silent":

  • Good sound, fans barely heard.
  • On the verge of the high temperatures, possible to run like this but I wouldn’t.

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We drive another round of IBT but this time with the profile " Extreme ."

Extreme is the default profile that does not take into account the noise level but cools extremely .

 

We take a look at the screenshot and see major differences from the profile "Silent".

The processor highest temperature is 63c , which is 14c cooler than the profile "Silent".

Note again that there had been another processor where the heat transfer is optimal differences had probably been different.

 

We see fairly big differences in the other values ​​as well. The water temperature is down to 29c ,compared to 11c lower than before. However, the noise and the fan speed increased enormously - Entire 2200-2300 RPM - Over three times as fast as the profile "Silent".

extremep.jpg

 

Results "Extreme":

  • Best cooling capacity for this cooler. Temperatures are kept down.
  • Unsustainable loud noise. Can be solved with the help of other better fans.

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Last but not least we go with another round IBT with the profile " Custom ."

As I mentioned earlier, it allows the "Custom" profile us adjust how and when we want the fans to start spinning, which can lead us to find a good balance between noise and cooling performance. As we looked at a picture before my settings were "Fan Ramp Start temp ' at 25c and ' Full Speed ​​Fan Temp" at 40c.

This gave me a good Balance between noise and performance. What values ​​that suit you is different and may depend on several factors, such as tolerance to sound, how good cooling you want, how cold your room is / computer chassis etc.

 

We read of the values ​​at the screenshot below and see that the maximum temperature had been achieved during the test is 67c . This is only 4c hotter than the "Extreme" profile. The water is also at 32c , only 3c warmer than last.

We can also see that the fans have gone in 1300-1500 RPM , which is a full 800 rpm lower than in the "Extreme"!

Noise difference between 1500 RPM and 2300 RPM is huge! Sure, the 1500 RPM is not as silent as the profile "Silent", but much quieter than the Extreme.

I thought this was a good balance because it became only 4c hotter than the Extreme, but without the extremely high noise. With this custom profile, I can actually sit at the computer at full load without irritating me at the noise level.

Nice!

customuc.jpg

 

Results "Custom":

  • Good cooling capacity, temperatures are kept down. - Depending on your setup
  • Tolerant sound. Im not being disturb by the fan speed. - Depending on your setup
  • Very nice to set values ​​for when the fans should be increased / decreased.

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Performance against Intel bundled/stock cooler

 

Now, we have tested the Antec Kühler 920's three different profiles due to software Chill Control V

We have received the results of the temperatures during tough load, but how do we know if these temperatures are good?

I take and run the same test but with Intel's stock cooler supplied instead.

It's a small cooler with a small fan.

 

76913176.jpg

 

The stock cooler is the cooler that comes with most CPUs in the purchase. These coolers are no performance monster, but they usually manage to cool the processors reasonably good, often at the cost of noise. Should I overclock or want a quiet system, an aftermarket cooler is almost a must ( Antec Kühler 920 is an is an aftermarket cooler ).

 

We run the same test again, but now the difference is that we replaced the Antec Kühler H₂O 920 with Intel's own included stock fan.

 

The processor comes up in scary high temperatures and I turn off the test before it is finished running. Temperatures are almost harmful and nothing I would expose my computer to. We see that the processor reaches a temperature 92c and had probably gone higher if I let the CPU load even more. The fan is running at 2100 RPM (something that seems to be the maximum value of this cooler?) However, the cooler is pretty quiet for being a stock cooler, but what does it do when the temperatures are soaring? The fan is self-directed and therefore I can not affect it without third party software.

intelstock.jpg

 

Results Intel "stock cooler":

  • Very limited and poor cooling ability. Temperatures are alarming and may damage the processor.
  • Does not sound very much, however. My past experience is that the stock coolers tend to sound like airplanes, but this does not, it's actually pretty quiet. (Do I have a defective fan? BIOS is default and cooler running at 100%, or maybe it's like the new fans?)

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Difference between profiles and cooler

 

To compile the results between Antec Kühler 920's of different profiles and Intel bundled CPU cooler I have made a small bar graph.

 

We see in the graph which profile / coolers that run and what the temperature has been under heavy load of the processor using Intel Burn Test (the program can be used on AMD computers, do not let the name fool you).

tabellj.jpg

 

We see that the difference between Intel's bundled cooler and Antec Kühler 920 on "Extreme" is 30c. This is a huge difference. The difference between the stock cooler and the profile "Custom" is 26c, a very big difference there as the "Custom" profile has a very tolerant noise level.

"Silent" profile is both quieter and performs better than the Intel stock cooler. It is 16c cooler while it is quieter at the same time!

Here we can easily see how much difference there can be in the supplied cooler and if you buy another one, especially if it is a good model, like the Antec Kühler H₂O 920.

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Final Score

 

We have now tested Antec Kühler H₂O 920 and all its functions. Everything from different profiles to control how the fans behave, to features such as changing the color of the LED lamp, graphs of water temperature, etc.

I am very pleased with the cooler and its features. It was easy to install and get running and never had any problems with it (the software is stable, never crashed). And that is whips stock cooler is not something I'm surprised, but it's always nice and fun to confirm that it can be so huge differences in temperatures depending on the cooler you have :)

Thanks to an aftermarket cooler I can maintain temperatures at comfortable levels and the noise level as well. It also allows some overclocking because of the improved cooling ability compared with the supplied stock cooler for the processor.

 

My Ratings:

 

Positive

  • Very good cooling capability
  • Stylish and sleek
  • Ok fans - Interchangeable if you’d like-
  • LED light with selectable color.
  • Very good bundled software (with good features) - Chill Control V

Negative

  • Slightly high price - compared to "little brother" Antec Kühler 620

For those who are looking for overclocking, a quieter system or a colder system / processor then the Antec Kühler H₂O 920is an excellent choice. That it is a compact water cooling system makes it even more interesting, especially if you are interested in water cooling. Being able to change the color to any such on the block of the cooler is something I think a lot of great value when you can match it to the color theme of the computer. I myself thought at first that it would not be very useful, but once I tried it was actually a very nice feature.

The cooler can be installed without problems as an exhaust in the back of the chassis or the intake, try what works best. Can also be placed on the top if you have air vents there.

 

I think the cooler is very nice to have and it has to do with both how it performs and the included software is actually really good.

I believe that Antec Kühler H₂O 920 is a very good and competent cooler that probably suit most people's needs.

Are you looking for water cooling at a price that does not cost a fortune (real water is much more expensive), it's definitely an option to have the binoculars when looking for coolers.

 

I give Antec Kühler H₂O 920 4.5 / 5 cakes .

The only minus is that the price can be fairly juicy. The CPU block also has a small buzzing sound, but this is the pump working and unable to depart. There is only if you have your ear close to the CPU block and can not be heard when the computer is in the chassis.

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This test and little review of Antec Kühler H₂O 920was the second last update of this project before I'm completely done!

Next update will involve installation of "MacBuntu" and photographs of the chassis with its contents.

 

I thank you for reading and if you have any question, point of view or comment, feel free to write!

 

Best regards,

Nikkop

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