phinix nanoTower - Smallest and most powerful mITX rig !

[Jesse B]

I bet he'll do another small form factor after this Not sure he can get one smaller though

The picoTower

 

[Avalanche]

My pants got tighter all during the time it took me to read this thread. Absolutely breathtaking work!

I will be watching this for final updates!

 

[phinix]

Hi guys!

Haha It is always a pleasure to read all your comments
Thank you all for your kind words!

Just wanted to answer your questions:

Is this a one of a kind or will there be more?

You bet there will be!
Right now I want to finish NanoTower, but as I said at the end of Phinix Cube project - who starts modding, will never stop!

I bet he'll do another small form factor after this Not sure he can get one smaller though

Checkout his last build, Phinix Cube.

Hi Rossi! Yeah, I will sertenly try to make it small!
I prefer SFF than regular huge ATX boxes so it will be 100% small form factor, I can asure you

late to the game here, and have just been browsing through the photos....
did you have to tap the holes for all those button head screws?

when you make one for me, i'd prefer the rivets for decorative pieces like that...
it'll save you some tapping

I tapped some of the holes - those main holes in panels ( I think there were 6 per panel).

No problem, if you order one, I will use rivets

I'd totally buy that cube.

Its hott with two t's.

Thanks Actually Cube was for sale last year, than in April I was invited to Campus Party Madrid and I took it with me so had to take if off from Sale section.

The picoTower

Yep, if I was going for anything smaller I would have to go for pico mobos
However for 90% I can tell that next project will stay in mITX size factor.

 

[Rossi~]

Hey dude. How's it going now? Update this weekend?

 

[phinix]

Hey dude. How's it going now? Update this weekend?

I hope!

I finished PSU mod, I got all cables I needed yesterday.
Tomorrow I have to palce all cables in power cahmber before I install PSU. Cables will go around PSU on all walls. Practicaly when PSU is installed there is no access to those cables so I need to palce them first.
I have installed mobo on its tray, just need to fit it in the Tower.
I bought Dead Space 2 game and want to play it this weekend - that means I need to put all hardware together

 

[phinix]

UPDATE TIME !!!

Yes, I know.. it's about time!
I was busy (well, busy killing myself by going on a diet) so spent only little time on my Tower. However, I did a pretty big progress. How big? Let's say I can play Dead Space 2 on my NanoTower
Yep, hardware is installed and going strong! Today I went through hell cause had to attach all cables in power chamber and install PSU. Guys, I'll be honest with you - power chamber is so small and tight that I couldn't add now even a single wire Of course that was the whole idea - minimalism in every inch
I'm glad all fit in nicely, no issues.

So here it is, 47 photos, summary of last few weeks work.

Here's a Tower waiting for cables...

Two weeks ago I started to cut up my beautiful PSU. I'm not gonna lie to you guys, that was heart breaking job
I started from labelling 24pin cable.

What I wanted to do was to "sleeve" those wires, but not with sleeve, I wanted them to look as thin as possible, so used yellow 2.4mm heatshrink, 8cm length for each wire, just for pieces that will come out from power chamber.

I really like the result... very nice

I also had to "amputate" most of the pre-soldered cables, like SATA line, 4pin CPU power, floppy bit. Then had to secure those wires...

Next was soldering 24 pin cable.. Jeez, it was taking ages! I was doing 8 wires per night

I used Mark's method - taping wires first, then soldering

Next I had to attach all cables firmly to PSU.

Also prepared slim SATA cable for DVD drive.

...and started to attach SATA cables inside power chamber.

Prepared power cables for drives...

... in the meantime, look what I got! My missus bought me a present on my Name's Day

Hmmm.. I don't really know what I'm doing wrong but my soldering iron is going down pretty quickly.. this iron end is ruined after few hours of work

PSU in the Tower...

That was just a try-out Then I had to attach SATA and power cables before screw PSU into the power chamber.

...and PSU installed and covered:rock::blush:

DVD installed...

That 24pin cable looks pretty....:thumb:

All done...

...but does it play Crysis???





Hell yeah !!!! :rock:

I started it without graphic card first, in case some soldering went wrong and PSU was going pufffff..... All went ok, it worked fine, so added GPU.

Changed back plate first to single slot one. Looks ugly but will be sweet after I install water block. This is GTX285 version, so no hdmi hole.

Here is the latest state of Nano Tower:

Sorry for those fingerprints and dust - I didn't clean it after installation. Glamour shots will be at the end of the project!

Now, there is still a lot of work ahead of me, so please keep an eye on this log, soon will be adding new update!

STAY TUNED FOLKS !!!

 

[Elledan]

It's hard to believe you built this whole case from scratch. It's like a work of art Great job!

 

[snefan]

amazing!

 

[Rossi~]

Awesome update dude Looking very good, actually coming together now, not far to go now!

Hope the diet is going well, i'm on one too! /

 

[Jesse B]

You're getting damn near to the finish line now! It's looking great, keep up the good work.

I know what you mean about them diets too

 

[p3sty]

You gotta clean that tip man. while you are using it. Well this proves your are human after all. awesome job I definatly don t have the patience to that.

 

[Driving Vertigo]

I really like your project. I've wanted to see a well done mod that features hexagonal patterns for a long time. But I noticed on one of your panels (top one?) uses standard round mesh. You should switch to hexagon mesh. It will have less restriction of airflow and it would fit your overall theme better. MNPCtech offers some.

http://www.mnpctech.com/moddersmesh.html

 

[phinix]

Thanks guys!

I will clean that tip!

About hex mesh - I actually wanted to use smaller, cause it looks so nice and clean on Lian Li cases.

 

[phinix]

Weekend update!

That was a soldering weekend!
I decided that to solder all those SMD led strips I need to do it very precisely, so I took a small trip to Maplins and bought this:

Those are VERY handy helping hands
So I cut up those strips to 3 led bits and started to solder them together so they create 3x6 pattern that will go under side "acrylic combs".

Look how nice and small these solders look. I love it

Slowly.. one after another...

First set done...

They had to be arranged to this...

As you can see, I had to cut small wire pieces for those small loops.

After few hours, I had all 4 done

I had to cover-push those sets to the panels from behind...:worried:... I mean.. from the rear... I mean...
Anyway.... I made rectangles from 0.5mm thick aluminium sheet, rounded corers and covered them with semi-clear "frost" film I got from Mark. This was necessary to make sure those leds won't conduct electricity to the panels.

I soldered long wires for later mount, glued those leds to the rectangles and attached them to the panel.
After half an hour, I had one panel done - two sets ready to go!

Now, next thing I did was to finish reset switch.
So I used old reset micro-switch, M3 dome nut and small piece of acrylic. I painted black that nut and piece of acrylic. Reset goes right above fan controller. Acrylic piece pushes reset switch and reset switch pushes this nut to the hole in the rear panel. So all nicely look like this
Of course I will add double sided tape between switch and acrylic piece that is why now it looks a bit.. wobbly...

Of course those screws will be cut to size

Here is how it looks from behind

OK! That is it for now! I hope you like it!

 

[Elledan]

Very purrrty

 

[KaizerDan]

Wow, not sure how you thought all of that out in advance AND made it work together without hacking up the case as you go. How you fastened that switch on there with the nut spacers is pretty creative. Props to you good sir. Cant wait to see more!

P.S. This is making me feel really inadequate about my SG07 its just a lazy mans version of your case... Must resist.... urge to mod, RISING!

 

[FrEaKy]

/me falls over in wonderment

 

[Outamyhead]

Wow, last time I looked at this I saw the honeycomb plastic, it's come a long way since then, nice work on the case, I wish I was brave enough to chop up the PSU, and sleeve it all up.

You could always dremel out the backplate so the HDMI will fit?

 

[lianregnif]

It's been two weeks. Any updates?!

 

[Sinister_kid]

Subbed... this is awesome.

 

[phinix]

Cheers guys!

I was busy doing other things lately, that is why there was no update.
I did few small things like I cut out and attached tinted windows to the side panels.

Here is a photo of left panel attached to Tower. Soon will add new update...

 

[FrEaKy]

looks soooooo schmexy!

 

[Rossi~]

Freakin' sweeeeet. Keep going dude, final stretch.

 

[CMadki4]

This is an impressive build! Well done!

 

[snefan]

nice! but please clean that poor cpu cooler :O

 

[CrowJA]

Looks wild!

 

[Blahman]

Just read the whole thread in constant amazement and anticipation of the final product only to find... the end? No more pretty pictures?! NOOOOO!! Now I have to watch yet another build log! Though this is by far the best I've seen yet

 

[phinix]

Thank you guys for your comments - I'm really glad you like my build!

 

[phinix]

UPDATE TIME !!!

OK! So, after all those whining about, I had to re-assemble the Tower to fix a bit those wires

I have cut and painted those two small bits to hold a PCI-E cables cover.

..and this is how it is going to be mounted, using velcro pads (it has to be removable).

I have also attached watercooling to CPU...

For some reason this back-plate is always on its side...heh...:eyebrow:

There! Better? :worried:

I like how those hoses are so soft and easy to move around...

Watercooling mounted... CHECK!

DVD mounted...CHECK!

Top fan mounting.. CHECK!

You can see here how little space is left for graphic card... 3.5cm

Nano Tower resting... chilling...

I still need to do some drilling in the bottom acrylic panel, measured it all up and ready to drill...

I fit in right side panel, it was pretty dark inside, so had to use lamp for this one.

Right side panel fits in... CHECK!

Now.. today I won't be working a lot on Tower... it is time to have some cake

So, enjoy these photos and see you soon!

 

[Elledan]

Yup, definitely a work of art

Cake, as in birthday cake?

 

[Rossi~]

Very nice progress getting there, step after step

Good job mate

 

[KaizerDan]

NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!!

Lol, awesome stuff man! really is the ultimate ITX build!

 

[Blahman]

So cool. When's it hitting mass production?

 

[FrEaKy]

very nice work bro, MOAR!

 

[Pkirk618]

one of the best mods I've ever seen.

You have a skill.....sell it to me

 

[CMadki4]

Continues to be a very nice build. I'm getting ready to do a very similar 24pin ATX power cable mod; shortening the cable length for a small case. Any suggestions or advice??

 

[phinix]

Thank you guys!

yes, it was my birthday cake I'm old now...

Continues to be a very nice build. I'm getting ready to do a very similar 24pin ATX power cable mod; shortening the cable length for a small case. Any suggestions or advice??

Suggestions.. hmm.... do it slowly, one wire after another. make sure they all cut to exact same length. Oh, sth that I alwyas keep forgeting when soldering and sleeving wires - make sure you put heatshrink for both ends on sleeve before you close the loop, by pushing cable back in the plug

 

[phinix]

Small update today - just wanted to show you how this ring cover look like.

Before that just one more photo of that really nice fan I love the color of it.

Now, I showed these before, these are small comb pieces that will hold all rings.
I glued them together with third one, straight rectangle with holes for leds.

Then I added top and bottom small rectangles.

I pushed in those rings to see how it is goign to look like - please have in mind they are only pushed here, that is why they are uneven...

I like how they glow in my hand

Then I took them out and glued them in, all straight You may notice it is missing one ring on top - I need to get one more.

After that I spent some time on soldering 10 leds, then pushed them in those holes. They come in easily but firmly, so I dont need to use glue or anything. Perfect fit.
Then I couldn't stop myself from trying them out.
So here are photos of this ring cover, lit up like christmas tree

..b&w anyone?

I played a bit with my camera and tried to get a bit darker ones - I like how you can see every edge of each piece of acrylic, like a skeleton rentgen photos

I spent a lot of time on painting stuff. I painted all aluminum hex shapes for front panel. First 3 layers of black matte paint, then clear laquer, 2-3 layers. All look beautiful.
I also designed and cut out temperature lcd holder, which will be attached to this ring cover and stick out on the right side of it. I still need to file the edges and polish it, then paint it black. This will all happen this weekend, so please stay tuned! :thumb:

 

[xjmtx]

for some reason, I thought that the ring holder was on size par with say a 24pin atx plug, and was like, okay meh...it's small, but whatevs...then BAM! that shit is huge! beautiful, just beautiful.

 

[turbogeek]

i love this build so much i cant wait to see it done! you better have an extensive photoshoot of the finished product!