[MOD] BleedingEdge Work In Progress

[Tos]

Hey pals !

I've got a nice case a few weeks ago, and started modding it to fit my current comp :

P4 2.8 + ABIT IC7
Radeon 9800 Pro
2 * 160 GB Maxtor SATA hds ( soon to be bought )
Antec TruePower 550W ( good old one, but works great and whisper class noise )
+ couple of 5.25 drives and crap


so here's the beast !!

http://img54.exs.cx/img54/3856/DellPE23003-4.jpg

http://img54.exs.cx/img54/8793/DellPE2300back.jpg

http://img67.exs.cx/img67/9246/Dell-PE-2300-bare-front.jpg

http://img67.exs.cx/img67/8853/Dell-PE-2300-bare-side.jpg

It's a Dell Poweredge 2300 case, used to house a dual PII 400 setup, SCSI all around the place, but I got the case empty, and since I like the looks & it's big enough to fit all my hardware and watercooling components, I decided to give it a nice overhaul.

First is making it ATX compatible ... Dell thought it would be a great idea to fuck things up and design a backwards mobo, so I kinda had to cut a new back plate out of aluminum pannels I had for years.

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/9305/Dell-PE-2300-back-replaceme.jpg

http://img31.exs.cx/img31/5146/Dell-PE-2300-bare-side-back.jpg

there's the replacement pannel next to the former one. I'll finish that back plate when I get the removable tray I ordered from mountainmods (http://www.mountainmods.com) - I'm lazy, but building removable trays is a pain in the ass ... especially for PCI slot openings.

neway, next will be some modding to fit all the watercooling rig inside ( dual 2*120mm Blacklords, Aquatube ( shown on pics ), waterblocks for CPU, vid card & northbridge, dual CSP-750 pumps from C-Systems I should receive in a week or so.

Finally, I'll do a complete custom automotive paintjob with high resolution onclear vinyls ( inserting vinyls inbetween clear coatings ) kinda like those displayed on : www.tekido.com

This said, I'll looking forward to your (positive?) comments :D

[Tos]

here's more : that is a rough sketch for one of the vinyls I'll apply

http://img34.exs.cx/img34/5679/BleedingEdge-project-1.jpg

[FLECOM]

the mobo in the 2300 was actually WTX, the 2300 case is really nice, heavy as a mofo but very well built... nows a good time to make a kick ass scsi setup if you get the backplane and trays ;)

also as a note, be careful when your removing the front face thing, its really easy to snap those little plastic thingies at the bottom

[Tos]

I'm not 100% sure it's standard WTX, as the motherboard placement is "mirrored"

look at that pic:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/case/z_supermicro_SC850.JPG

when looking at the front, the MB is on the right side ... in my case, the MB is on the left ... totally mirrored crap..
I think I kept the backplanes for component scavenging, but those are UltraWide compliant stuff, max throughput = 40 mbytes ... not worth keeping - plus I lost faith in SCSI 5 years ago, the performance boost is not worth extra $$ for the use I have of my computer :)

thx for the info, but actually, the frontface is already slightly damaged, next to the top right clip ( you can see the damage on the 1st pic ) and on the lower left plastic attachement.

I'll repair those with special fiberglass resin ( stuff I usually fix car bumpers with ) then bondo it up before primer/paint it :)

[mashie]

I'm not 100% sure it's standard WTX, as the motherboard placement is "mirrored"
Dude, you got a BTX :D

If it was a WTX the PCI slots had been at the top.

[Tos]

Dude, you got a BTX :D

If it was a WTX the PCI slots had been at the top.

Yeah, right ... BTX ... in 1998-99 ...

neway, I kinda plan to use the old mountings with some modifications, so it will kinda be "BTXish" :D

[mashie]

Yeah, right ... BTX ... in 1998-99 ...

neway, I kinda plan to use the old mountings with some modifications, so it will kinda be "BTXish" :D
The BTX comment was a joke btw, hence the :D

Dell love(d) to use proprietary stuff, including that motherboard in your case. Since BTX won't be here anytime soon I would convert your case to ATX or WTX, just get hold of a removable mobo tray and you are almost done.

Good luck.

[Tos]

I said BTXish .. meaning I'll just stick an ATX removable tray upside down, instead of the current mobo tray :p

[jinxnate]

is that sketch from FLCL? :rolleyes:

[Tos]

is that sketch from FLCL? :rolleyes:

exactly ! :)

To be precise, it's from episode 04, 18:38 :D

I'm somewhat heavily addicted to FLCL, and this case reflects my addiction ( vinyls are from " Groundwork of FLCL " artbook, which will be cleaned/colored afterwards, and will have a special custom paint ( kinda like the fog scene in episode 6 when they're all on the Medical Mecanica plant )

[Tos]

little update :

I'll prolly hijack one of my father's friend's paint cabin to do my custom paint ( automotive, full cabin )

I'm going to paint the case with a yellow base, then "enlighten' some spots to make it look like this ( without the characters ;) )

http://img74.exs.cx/img74/5969/snapshot20040829161611.jpg

for the left side, with a dark blue on top, and right side will look like this :

http://img74.exs.cx/img74/3357/snapshot20040829160916.jpg

with a small change on the katakanas :D ( this one says "FuRiKiRi", and I want it to say " FuRiKuRi " )

that, or make a yellow/cream paint + chamelon effect clear, and apply black & white vinyls

edit : got my ATX aluminium mobo tray yesterday, from mountainmods.com ... can't wait to install the sucker :D

[CrimandEvil]

Cool dude, FLCL is one of my favs and the Poweredge case is one of the coolest. Doing some anime inspired mods myself. :D

Can't wait to see more of this.

[Tos]

\o/ ( wheee smiley )

At last, someone with taste !!

I'm even more eager to resume the mod :) ( too bad I have exams in a week :( )

[STRESSTEST]

FLCL is the shit. I'll be watching this thread

[Tos]

ASU ( Another Small Update ) =

I've contacted my paint supplier, it would cost me less if I went for the sand "mother-of-pearl" paint ( not to mention it's a pain in the ass to perform a dithered paint with my tools - I don't have airbrushes, only spray guns ) ... So I guess I'll go for a "mother-of-pearl" sand type of paint and black & white vinyls ( I also prefer cleaner looks, and the original paint seemed more and more ... heavyloaded :) )

Also, I've spent a few hours tweaking and adjusting the mobo tray & PSU so they would fit decently - the tray is 2 cms too high to fit perfectly, so I'll have to cut a wee so I can fit the PSU ... )

[Tos]

Updating the Worklog : the case is almost through stage 1 ( ATX the sucker! )

I only need to fix the Mobo tray rails and it's ready for stage 2 : Watercool it!

Pics will come soon :)

[CrimandEvil]

So.... how about an update? ;)

[Tos]

Aye Aye ! I'll work on the case tomorrow, and get some cutting done on panels.

Already have a bevelled mesh set up for the font ( where there used to be a hotplug HD rack )
I'll electro-solder it and paint the chassis black ( thermo-resistant paint, used on exhaust collectors :) )

I found a few buckets of paints, I think I'll go for Yellow+mother-of-pearl tint + slightly cyan candy clear coat

I have the designs for the side pannels set, I just need to work them up for high res :D
( I'll keep the Mabase city pic for the right side pannel, but I've just remembered I have a jewel hidden in the Artbook, I'll let you hang in the cold for a few more days until I have the photoshop work done :D )

neway, more pics of the current state tomorrow or sunday, 10-12 AM GMT :D

[ProphetSix]

I can't believe no one has said it yet......

"DUDE! You're modding a DELL!!!!!" :D

I can't wait to see it either. I wanna see just how much stuff you CAN cram in that case. (Dual rads?? Sweet!) And I wanna see the graphics when you're done.

[Tos]

HELL YEAH !! I'm modding a DELL ... but it's not any DELL !! it's a Poweredge !! :D

[Tos]

Update on pics shortly, when I'm done resizing & uploading pics to imageshack.us ;)

[CrimandEvil]

Some have had trouble with Imageshack, if they don't work you might want to try this one: http://upload.krazywulph.net/index.php

[Tos]

http://img100.exs.cx/img100/8796/IMG_0374.jpg

http://img100.exs.cx/img100/3982/IMG_0375.jpg

http://img100.exs.cx/img100/832/IMG_0376.jpg

http://img100.exs.cx/img100/6198/IMG_0379.jpg

http://img100.exs.cx/img100/6981/IMG_0380.jpg

Pretty self explanatory pics, but if you insist, I'll give some pointers to sight impaired ppl :)

Also, I must say that electro-solder works great for mesh to sheet soldering :)

I'll make a "tools of the trade" post when I'm done :D

[theshadow27]

did you spot weld the mesh?? what is that??

[Tos]

you can call that a ' spot-weld '

the only other electro-soldering methods I know are TIG and MIG.

[Tos]

Update on progress :

I've completed the frame modding, including soldering ( blowtorch ). Requires some lapping & bondoing in the back to be perfect, then I'll paint the frame black.

I'll post more pics tomorrow :D

[gigglebyte]

looking good there...as for the mesh you can use JB weld..I did that on mine and nothing short of an Act of God will remove it :eek:

[Tos]

Yet another small update :

I've just finished painting the frame, black. Looks real nice :D

pics will be posted tomorrow ( paint stained hands & digicam don't get well together )

[Tos]

Some pics of the finished chassis ;)

http://img38.exs.cx/img38/1066/IMG_0389.jpg

http://img38.exs.cx/img38/3419/IMG_0390.jpg

http://img38.exs.cx/img38/649/IMG_0391.jpg

the best part is left to do : the real paint job :D

edit : fixed missing links - I'm such an airhead ^_^;

[OptPrime]

last two posts dont have working pix... just fyi... i want to see it.

[Ozone77]

Hmm.. How about blowing air from the inside of your case, through the heat exchanger and out of the case?

I realize that you would be using "somewhat-warm" air from the inside of your case but consider it. This way the hotter air would be blown out of your case, not into it. Although the real reason for me would be not to fill your case with dust and dirt by having a bunch of fans blowing air into the case.

I really do hate opening a computer and having to vacuum it because the dust bunnies have clogged all the heat sinks and all the fans look grey rather than black/blue/WhateverColorItWasWhenYouInstalledIt. In short, use some kind of filters for your fans blowing into the case.

Oh yeah, I forgot: Sweet case! Mod on.

[Tos]

you're not seeing the big picture ...

there will be openings on both sides of the case, it's not shown on the pics, that's all :)

filters are also included in the project, so don't worry, I have everything well planned ;)

[emorphien]

What will the final WCing setup look like?

I love these types of mods, faster to do, more functional and just in the end results in a slick but not over-the-top case.

[Tos]

The watercooling setup is composed as follows :

Blacklord 240 * 2

CSP750 mk1.5 * 2

Aquatube mk1 - modded with 3/8 outlet on the bottom

Nexxos SP P4 s478 waterblock - might be modded to HP design if I feel like it :)

GPU wb : innovacool GPU block v1

NB wb : Zern GRAKAWAK

wc diagram :

Aquatube -> CSP750 #1 -> Blacklord 240 -> Blacklord 240 -> CSP750 -> Nexxos SP -> GRAKAWAK -> Innovacool -> Aquatube

tubing is a mix between legris semi rigid 8/10 ( ID/OD ) and soft 8/10 tubing, soft on blacklords, CSP750s & Aquatube, semi rigid on waterblocks

the blacklords will be cooled by 8 * 120mm Papst 4412 FG/2L, 55CFM-26dB fans, in a push-pull setup.

there will be an additionnal fan on the mobo tray, 120mm NMB, 35 dB, 75CFM.

all fans will be controled by a revoltec 3 1/2 rheobus.

[Tos]

I love these types of mods, faster to do, more functional and just in the end results in a slick but not over-the-top case.

As I might have forgotten to mention, I'm a die hard fan of server cases, and this particular one looked like a great basis for my "too many times delayed" project to merge my watercooling external setup inside my computer's case :)

[rogue_jedi]

looks like fun. poweredges are cool. you going to put scsi in it?
http://www.mentallyretired.com/h/index.cfm/u_rogue_jedi (http://www.hardfolding.com)

[Tos]

What for ? SCSI's pretty much dead nowadays, for the average consumer I mean ...

I'm not planning to run a server here, mostly a gaming rig ... I'm gonna stick a Raptor 74 GB + Maxtor 160GB.

[Magui]

That is looking nice there. That looks exactly like the poweredge I have chilling in my living room. I might have to do something with that later on. :D

[x1600c]

In some of the earlier pics I noticed an anomaly in the motherboard connectors... there were two ethernet connectors.. or something that looked like an RJ45 connector... why? what mb was in there before you started modding it?

[ProphetSix]

It used to be a Dell PowerEdge Server (2100 series I think). Aside from hte Dual NIC, it also had onboard video. Standard Server setup. Lot of DIY motherboards have Dual Ethernet now, let alone OEM server boards. What's so odd?

[Tos]

It used to be a Poweredge 2300 actually, with some proprietary ethernet connectors

Dual Ethernet, onboard ATI Rage, SCSI all the way, etc ...

[Tos]

Pannels are getting prepped for paint, will post pics soon ( debumping + sanding + primer stages now, currently waiting for the paint :D )

[Tos]

Painting is put on hold till weather improves ( crappy rain + frequent near 0°C temps make it a bad time to do some serious painting ... not to mention 70% min humidity )

meanwhile, I think I'll get working on my Tachikoma mod, and maybe see if my Alphaserver 4100 works or not, in which case I'll prolly think about making a Colossus mod - maybe inspired after "2001 : A space Odissey"'s HAL ... time to scavenge lenticular car beams :D

[1337m0dd3r]

here's more : that is a rough sketch for one of the vinyls I'll apply

http://img34.exs.cx/img34/5679/BleedingEdge-project-1.jpg
looks like someone from flcl

[redhalo]

looks like someone from flclpsssst...read back a couple of pages.:D

[altec]

here's more : that is a rough sketch for one of the vinyls I'll apply

http://img34.exs.cx/img34/5679/BleedingEdge-project-1.jpg

I know that show it was on A.S. never got into it.

[redhalo]

I know that show it was on A.S. never got into it.It's hard to, one of those things you have to watch several times. Seems silly at first, but it's actually quite a deep show.

[Xeruan]

flcl?.. i thought it was Julia from Tribes: Vengeance when a band took the main characters and made a music video with the T:V characters playing the instruments

[FLECOM]

It used to be a Poweredge 2300 actually, with some proprietary ethernet connectors

Dual Ethernet, onboard ATI Rage, SCSI all the way, etc ...

no those were not ethernet they were for clustering

[redhalo]

flcl?.. i thought it was Julia from Tribes: Vengeance when a band took the main characters and made a music video with the T:V characters playing the instrumentsSorry, but nope.

[Tos]

summer ( exams too ) is back, and I haven't finished the damn case :D

I guess I'll have time after my finals which are in 2-3 weeks

till then ;)