Laser Hive Mac Pro Full ATX conversion

[MiniHack]

This case conversion has a few different things in it.

 

It has a full ATX format and a full ATX power supply integrated into the backplate.

 

 

The front IO is replaced with a new IO kit based on a Lian Li front panel kit and has USB3, eSATA, headphones and mic.

 

 

 

It has an all in one cooling solution with 280mm radiator mounted behind the front mesh.

 

 

 

Concealed wiring and pipework.

 

 

Hotswap disk stand.

 

 

Video of the finished case mod:

 

 

I'm gathering up the "in progress" pictures and am writing extra posts to this thread to show how all the bits and pieces went together. Of course, all these bits are now available from the laser hive either individually or as packages, just message me here or drop me an email to info@thelaserhive.com. And by the way, the backplate also fits the G5 as does the front panel change.

 

Hope you like the mod.

[MiniHack]

Backplate and motherboard tray - 

 

The flat part of the Mac Pro and the G5 is JUST long enough to be able to fit full ATX IO and a ATX power supply mounted to the back. To make it all fit in the motherboard had to be moved absolutely as far down as it was possible to get it.

 

Here is the backplate on its own:

 

 

As you can see, the IO shield cut out is quite close at the top to the PSU cut-out and very close to the bottom of the plate. The strength of the finished construction is based on the fact that the plate and PSU sandwich the material of the original backplate between them and, of course the same holds true for the shield portion - the ATX shield and the backplate sandwich parts of the original case between them.

When doing a trial prior to cutting the backplate is laid against the back of the Pro:

 

 

 

 

I inked in the areas to be cut. Basically cuts need to be made so that all the red areas are removed - trimmed back so they cannot be seen. The plate fits neatly (as all the other Laser Hive G5 and Pro kits) so that as many of the holes as practical in the new backplate line up to mesh holes on the Pro.

 

 

The tray is arranged to fit to the shelf screws of the Pro.

 

 

Here is a pic of the case stripped, but with PSU trial fitted to the backplate and the tray now in place:

 

 

and of a Full ATX board fitted into place:

 

 

 

[Baudouin]

Great job, as usual. Congratz.

[MiniHack]

Great job, as usual. Congratz.

Thanks Baudouin! It is all a very tight fit - but actually, there is just the right amount of room for the wiring etc.

 

I'll post about the water cooler some other time in detail, but there was one thing I was surprised about - in a bad way. The backplate for the Kraken is REALLY fiddly to fit under the motherboard and in reality is not quite the right shape for socket 1150/1155 so the the plastic of it tends to need to be flexed/distorted to get the threaded inserts to line up. I was so surprised by this fact that I double checked all of the hole markings to make sure I was using the correct piece!

 

That, and the fact that I was running the pipework under the acrylic piece I had made to provide a finishing plate/hard drive holder/bottom shelf and that the pipes were only JUST long enough to reach the CPU socket area all meant fitting the CPU block/pump was a real PITA. Luckily when I finally did get everything aligned and tightened up it did all work as I was praying i would not have to disassemble anything.

 

Once fitted, the Kraken is a good cooler and I can run the whole machine really cool and quiet with an over clock. Having said that, it must be said that I swapped out the fans for the radiator to use Noise Blocker 140 fans instead of the NZXT ones provided. I did that simply because I knew that the software for the cooler is Windows only so I wanted a solution that would work with "Any O S" (as they say…).

[Baudouin]

No pain , no glory nor success. Yes, indeed, a universal solution for "any OS", Marve..lous.