Project Kilrathi

Well here goes nothing. I have been building my own computers for about 10 years. In fact I have probably built like 10 computers (a computer a year, man the wife gets mad at me). However I have never tried to mod a box.

Enter the Rogue from NZXT. small but not too much so, with good air flow.

Goal: build an air cooled HTPC with good gaming capabilites that will serve as a good back up computer for when I take my main computer down to mod it. Also must be light enough to move ( "light" I realize its not going to be laptop light but lighter and easier than my Lian Li V2000)

Blu-ray/HD a must. 7" lcd touch screen, just something to mess with more than anything.
Full size ATX board a must. I don't want on board graphic card plus I want to be able to add several pci cards if I want.

Enter the test subject


Meet the organ donors



Just the side off of this one I replace the solid aluminum side with a window side. Glad I'm such a pack rat

The Challenge getting this m/b to fit


Got the bright Idea to use the Plasma cutter at work to cut out a m/b remind me next time just to use a jigsaw.

Oh man, it goes without saying that I'll be keeping an eye on this one! I'm especially interested in how you pull off the mb tray...

Subscribed

with new project go new tools except die grinder (air operated) had that one for awhile.


After spending some time with a file to smooth out the plasma cuts and deciding that it was taking too long. I put a sanding pad on the die grinder and fired up the air compressor. Taking a m/b tray from one of the donors I drilled out the holes for the standoffs


using my new tap and die set tapped out the holes for the m/b standoffs M3 x .5


Drilled holes for expansion cards. This was a pain slots too small for dremel so I drilled 1/8" holes and filed the rest out, probably should have purchased another dremel accessory. Oh well.


Now just to figure out where to cut everything out without cutting through the tack welds which hold the case together.


Donor back plate left me with a hole exposed so I had to use a piece of side panel off of one of the donor pc ( it was nice and thin aluminum) to cover the gap. You will notice that originally I tried to follow the contour of the rear fan. But that wasn't going to work because then the m/b tray would have to be backed out if I wanted to get to the screws that hold that fan. so I had to notch it out so that the screws would be exposed.


annoys me that I still have a gap showing on the bottom side of the m/b tray so again the donor pc came in handy one of the side pieces is curved which just happens to work



I still wanted to maintain the slide out m/b tray. Lian Li used "C" channels to brace the the side panels on the V-2000 (my lucky day) so I cut them to size and installed on the bottom of the m/b tray


What do you think should I paint the underside of the M/B tray? my paint job is getting a ton of junk from the air maybe I should power coat it. No better not the wife will kill me

Now the question is will the CPU cooler clear? I was going to use the Thermalright Ultra 120 or the 90 both are out of stock. So I have a Scythe SCNJ-CU1000 120mm Ninja Copper coming. We will have to see.

Looking good man! I admire you for taking a chance on a removable motherboard tray. I had initially planned one, then realized I couldn't integrate one as cleanly as I wanted.

looking good.
Best of luck

Wow, its looking good. Ive been looking into doing something like this too. Maybe you will inspire me!

Looks nice so far. How'd the expansion-card slots work out?

thank you all for your kind words.

unhappy_mage
Looks nice so far. How'd the expansion-card slots work out?

Click to expand...

took forever to get the slots big enough. Took me like an hour with a file, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the slots are big enough.

Finally got the m/b fitted to the tray and got it inserted into the case. Just waiting on some parts to come in sometime next week



Notice the problem with the fan on the left side and the heat sink looks like it touchs. I put a feeler gauge to it. WOW close


What do you think too close? will thermal expansion cause them to touch? I don't want the heat sink to come unseated

Next problem with the side installed I tried to slide out m/b tray but it kept hitting something took me a moment to figure it out.


Maybe just remove the screw. I could just leave it and just remove the sides when it come time to work on the system but knowing me I'll forget and get impatient and tug when I shouldn't. LOL you have no idea how many times I have done that

I wouldn't worry about that fan at all, to be honest, the thermal pad under those mosfet sinks is so thick, it would take a lot of force to dislodge it

you could also grab 1 of those new thin slim yate-loons from jab-tech

Wow, nice work dude! I shall definitely be keeping an eye on this.

God awful time drilling a hole 1 7/64" tried to use this didn't work very well

I know it says 1 1/8" but it didn't work anyway lol

Can anyone guess what this is going to do?

Nice project!
Do you know what touch screen you'll use already?

Vorg, have you sourced a touchscreen yet?

Nice, i was just reading review about this case @ techpowerup. It is kinda of expensive $150.

My touchscreen is a Thermaltake 7"
Is this good or bad?

I think the Thermaltake screens are fine. If you wanted to try something different, I have the 7" Xenarc screen from Losias that I'm looking to sell soon...

Vorg said:

My touchscreen is a Thermaltake 7"

Click to expand...

Do you mean this one http://thermaltakeusa.com/product/Accessory/DriveBay/a2413-01/a2413-01.asp ?

If so, will you do a 7'' drive bay or the case already have one(never seen a 7'' drive bay I am a bit surprised)?

The Thermaltake Mozart cases have a special bay at the top.

At 1st I was going to mod this case to fit the Thermaltake since it has loads of room.

But I got to thinking I really don't want the entire case on top of a desk or drawers just to see the monitor. Nor do I want to bend down to see it.

So thats is why I'm going to make a seperate housing so that the monitor can be set independent from the pc case. Thus my last pic is showing the connector that I'm using to get 12v.

Sorry for not posting for a while time was being spent with another hobby.


Back to the subject
installed the P/S

Little did I know that I would be removing this P/S several times, Guess I should have known.

You know I was sure I had cut too much, Wrong again.


So after spending some time with a file I finally got it to slide in. Then guess what Nobody told me that an 8800GTS would be too long. I need another 1" for the M/B tray to slide all the way in.





One way to solve the problem. The cut isn't straight but at least you can't see it once the sides are on.



Now just to figure where oh where to put all these wires


Forget the stupid wires lets see if it boots up.



Yes with all the handling of this M/B I was concerned that metal shavings or something would get stuck someplace where I couldn't blow it out good or that I just might have done something bad too it. But seeing it post to the Bios screen I can breath again and I also know that the 7" screen works. I really dislike having something sitting around and not knowing if it works or not and I have had this 7" LCD for about 2 months 1st chance I have had to test it.

Don't think I will need to mount a CPU Fan. I changed the intake to be on this side of the case.


Something else I'm working on is making the speaker stands. Wish I could say I thought of this design but I didn't. They don't look too bad for being wood and plastic PVC. The wife let me put them in the living room.

From the title I thought you were doing a mod based on the Kilrathi from Wing Commander?

I wish I was that creative. But my gamers tag is based on that game so I thought I would just name the project after that game also. Plus it just shows how far back we go, lol.

That's a beautiful horse (of course)!

It's nice to see your work continuing. So, what's next?

Nice project!

Couldn't you test the screen on you current computer?

P.S. we have the same speakers!

Wow this is looking good. We got two people on the forums modding the rogue. Maybe case manufactures will get an idea to do something like this? Great work.

Whats next? make a case for the LCD screen probably out of oak with an aluminum front piece.

Yes you are correct MrPatate I could have tested it on my current system. I was too lazy to take off my side panel to search for a power connector, I try to hide them and tie them out of the way. I figured if I just got off my hind end I could probably get this project done since it no where near as complex as craigbru's.

My main goals are almost done it works I just not sure if running two NVidia cards are worth it. Unless I use a software program I can't seem to get two different desk tops showing. Which if I had used an ATI cards that can be accomplished. Maybe someone can help me here.

very cool

Have you stop working on your project? Canceled or postponed ?