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Machupo
Gravity Tester
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2004
- Messages
- 5,756
Version 4
Project Goals:
So, it's been less than a year since I completed the last version of Neutronium, but I've decided that there's more deadspace to be squeezed out of this design. At the bottom line, this project is all about putting the most "oomph" into the smallest container (à la Neutron Degenerate Matter). Secondary goals were to allow me to game at 2560x1600 with a system that would be TSA approved for carry-on travel (so both size requirements and no-liquid requirements).
The goal for this iteration of Neutronium is a Sub 3 Liter system.
Design:
I am deviating from the previous form factor of an upright-motherboard construction. This has been heavily swayed by the absolutely stunning S3-Mini made by NFC. I'm going to try going a little bit smaller (minor tweaks), with a little less complexity (standard riser in lieu of an inversion cable for now), and pack in a bit more power intensive hardware, but the bulk of credit goes to NFC for pushing me in this direction.
Initial attempts at modifying a case to meet the precise requirements for this version were not fruitful (a moment of silence for the Apex MD-100, please
), so this will be a scratch build out of 3003 Aluminum As a reference, I will point out the IDC definitions (see 1.1) of the various SFF categories.
Components:
Case: From-Scratch (16 gauge 3003 Aluminum stock). Initial design is 11.75" by 7.25" by 2" (so 299mm x 185mm x 51mm) for a total volume of 2.82L.
PSU: You can read the entire Alienware X51 PSU debacle for amusement, but it's finally working and wired up correctly. Along with the Dell 330w brick, this thing can easily supply the power I need (and allow for a bit of overclocking).
Motherboard: ASRock Z77E-ITX. Unchanged from the previous version. I have replaced the SSD RAID 0 with an mSATA SSD (namely, a 256GB Plextor M5M) due to space constraints.
Processor: Intel i7-3770k Ivy Bridge processor. No change from previous version.
RAM: 2x Samsung 4GB DDR3-1600 30nm ultra-low-profile RAM. No change, but I'm thinking about slapping in 2x8GB of the VLP Crucial for S&G.
Processor Cooling: So the AXP-100 was too tall for this build. I needed something a little shorter that would give me better (lower temps / quieter) cooling than the stock solution. Enter the Noctua NH-L9i. 37mm tall (including the 14mm fan), required a little ghetto-modding (dremel) to fit on the Z77e-itx due to the one poorly placed cap north of the PCIe slot.
Video Card: EVGA GTX670 Superclocked+ 4GB with a transplanted Zotac Twincooler. Again, I'm looking for the highest performing parts in the smallest case: naturally, the short PCB GTX 670 is the go-to part. Since I game at 2560x1600 on my 305t+, I was leaning towards a card with 4GB of VRAM. Unfortunately, the only coolers I had seen that might fit the bill were either using water cooling (TSA no-no) or only released in the Asian Market. So, I used Tenso, a Japanese product forwarding service, to buy a Zotac Twincooler from Amazon.jp. No change from previous build.
Other bits:
1U PCIe 16x Riser
Low Profile PCIe power plugs from x51 system
Still deciding on case feet, paint scheme, fan mod on the twincooler (to quiet it down a bit). Tons of power connector modifications and custom wires to make.
Current status (as of 20JAN 2014):
Engineering / wiring finished... now on to sanding, finishing, prep, and paint!
Last edited:
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