Project: Rogue (NZXT SFF)

[dystopic]

btw how's the MSI mobo working out for you? i've got my eye on one myself.

 

[craigbru]

btw how's the MSI mobo working out for you? i've got my eye on one myself.

When I had it running on my counter... it was flawless. The most stable motherboard and install I've ever had. Although, I've not fired it up while peltier cooled yet, it is supposed to be a pretty decent overclocker.

 

[itsukisama]

lol u remind me of me when i was a kid. i got half my toys disassembled when i was a kid lol.. lil kid + screwdriver = alot of parts lol

 

[MrPatate]

3 days without any updates! Come on, you've got viewers to satisfy!

 

[craigbru]

Sorry for the lack of updates guys! I've been pretty busy lately...

I've been getting ready to put this pile of 2x4's...

In to this basement...

I've only got around 3 weeks before my fiance and her son move in. I've got two bedrooms, and a family room to finish down there! Obviously this has taken away from my computer modding time a little. I guess I've been house modding too!

As far as the Rogue goes, work is still continuing, albeit a little slower than before.

So, how about a little front door work? Here, I've just finished drilling the hole for the Griffin Powermate.

All cleaned up.

Now for the knob. As luck would have it, part of the original Powermate's internals, happen to be perfect for the job. I just had to fill the pocket with a little JB Weld, and sand it down.

A fresh coat of the black metallic, and it's ready to go.

Now, I've got to switch directions momentarily. In order for me to finish wiring, I need to finish my new I/O panel. It consists of 3 switches for lighting, and I need to add a pair of USB ports for the Via system, and a cat5 port. I've got it all marked out.

Now cut.

Just like I wanted...

At this point, I could have been finished, but then I thought of something. How many times have you fumbled around behind your computer attempting to plug something in to a darkened crevice? I've done it plenty of times, and decided to remedy that little issue with the help of a few LED's...

Okay, now what? it's a lot of small details and wiring. I need to get all of that done so I can drop hardware in the case. Although things are very tight, most of the wiring should be hidden, and placed out of sight. I want a very clean interior. What little wiring is visible, will be sleeved, and tucked away nicely. So, lets start getting some of that out of the way.

The home for the Meanwell PSU relay...

A CCFL inverter tucked nicely away...

Some sleeved switch wiring...

Um, more wiring... Trust me, this will be clean by the time I'm done with it!

And the work continues!

 

[mrweasel]

YEAH! House mods...DO WANT PICS!

 

[Sheldog23]

Very nice. Love the LED's on the back panel. I'm interested to see how you clean up all those wires. Keep up the good work!

 

[craigbru]

Thanks guys. I'll post pics of the house work in progress too.

 

[Net-Packet]

I wish there were basements in FL

 

[craigbru]

Yeah, basements are nice. In fact, here's something I just thought of... I can finish my whole basement, and almost double my living area, for less than what this project has cost me.

 

[lord_farfig]

Yeah, basements are nice. In fact, here's something I just thought of... I can finish my whole basement, and almost double my living area, for less than what this project has cost me.

WW

 

[itsukisama]

lol that is the cleanest basement i ever seen lol..
can we throw a lan party there? =P

 

[Aku12]

looking amazing,

can i ask a favor? do you have any close up shots of how well that brushed aluminum looks after a 90 degree bend? Most of the ones that you get a clear shot of had been sanded (i hope).

also was that 2mm or 1mm thick stuff?

thanks

 

[craigbru]

lol that is the cleanest basement i ever seen lol..
can we throw a lan party there? =P

Thanks, I have a habit of keeping things clean. (Except for my current work area )

LAN party? Sure! Who wants to come to northeast Nebraska?

looking amazing,

can i ask a favor? do you have any close up shots of how well that brushed aluminum looks after a 90 degree bend? Most of the ones that you get a clear shot of had been sanded (i hope).

also was that 2mm or 1mm thick stuff?

thanks

The photos you saw, were not sanded. That's simply the aluminum stretching the anodizing because of the bends. It's not so bad on 1mm stuff, but it's very noticeable on the 2mm. Generally speaking, anything more than around 30 degrees, will show signs of stress.

 

[craigbru]

I think I toasted one of my San Ace's tonight... I went to plug it it to test it, and heard a loud pop and saw a little puff of smoke. Attempts to get it running, weren't successful. That's enough to make a grown man cry. Those things are almost impossible to find anywhere. In fact, I searched for an hour before I came across one... at a Canadian company I'd never heard of. Shipping is costing me as much as the fan, but I have no choice. A tank of gas, or a fan... Egads!

Well, fan issues aside, I've got a micro-update to post here. I've been working on wiring up the fans. Here you can see me soldering the fan wires to the contacts.

After the wires were soldered, the contact assembly just fit inside the wire channel. A few bolts were put in place, and she's good to go!

With any luck, tomorrow I'll get the contact strip done inside the case. Stay tuned!

 

[MrPatate]

I think I toasted one of my San Ace's tonight... I went to plug it it to test it, and heard a loud pop and saw a little puff of smoke. Attempts to get it running, weren't successful. That's enough to make a grown man cry. Those things are almost impossible to find anywhere. In fact, I searched for an hour before I came across one... at a Canadian company I'd never heard of. Shipping is costing me as much as the fan, but I have no choice. A tank of gas, or a fan... Egads!

Aren't does fan AC (the only ones I can find are...)?
You want them specifically because they are quiet or push a lot of air? I don't know about this manufacturer, but I'm currently building an entertainment center that's gonna need some cooling... so if they are a good I might buy them also..

 

[craigbru]

Aren't does fan AC (the only ones I can find are...)?
You want them specifically because they are quiet or push a lot of air? I don't know about this manufacturer, but I'm currently building an entertainment center that's gonna need some cooling... so if they are a good I might buy them also..

They are DC, although I've seen AC versions as well. Not only are these fans very quiet at any voltage, they move massive amounts of air without noise. Other than the availability and price, I don't believe there is a better fan out there. That makes them perfect for this case. I need to move massive amounts of air, to compensate for not having fans directly against the radiators.

 

[amoeba1126]

Hey craig you should try the 120x25mm PAPST fans. I honestly believe they are better than the Sans Ace

 

[MrPatate]

They are DC, although I've seen AC versions as well. Not only are these fans very quiet at any voltage, they move massive amounts of air without noise. Other than the availability and price, I don't believe there is a better fan out there. That makes them perfect for this case. I need to move massive amounts of air, to compensate for not having fans directly against the radiators.

Good to know! You said you only found one retailer, could you save me the time and PM me the link please

Hey craig you should try the 120x25mm PAPST fans. I honestly believe they are better than the Sans Ace

What model? They have three 119mmx25mm:
4412 F/2GLL-515
4412 F/2M-504
4412 F/2GL-489
(and if you have a link for a review or retailer it would be greatly appreciated).

 

[amoeba1126]

Papst 4412FGL
http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/437085-fan-tubeaxial-119x25mm-12vdc-4412fgl.html

 

[amoeba1126]

I have 8 of these total and all of them undervolt beyond 5v

 

[4DoorGTZ]

Since your P7Ndiamond is 11.96'x9.61" (according to the MSI website) do you figure a 12"x10.5" mobo would fit physicaly inside with some back panel modding and relocating of other innards?

 

[craigbru]

Hey craig you should try the 120x25mm PAPST fans. I honestly believe they are better than the Sans Ace

Although I haven't had any personal experience with Papst fans, I do know they are generally well reviewed. My decision to get the San Ace fans, was based in part to an overwhelmingly positive review at XS.

Sanyo Denki Makes Some Really Nice Stuff

I'll spoil one result for all of you upfront: the Sanyo Denki San Ace 1011 is king of the hill. And by hill I mean universe. It's really, really good. In addition to its insane empirical results (see below), it makes NO extraneous noises and undervolts like a champ. I have five and they all perform like this and they all start at 4V or lower. They could kick Chuck Norris's ass....silently.

They're ball bearings as well, so you don't have to worry about the sleeve bearing inconvenience. They also perform past their listed specs--something that's exceedingly rare in these SilenX days. Good luck finding any though...and when you do, they're $25 a pop.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=170224

Good to know! You said you only found one retailer, could you save me the time and PM me the link please

I'll PM a link shortly. They haven't shipped yet, so I have no idea how reliable they are...

Edit: I just went back to their site, and it's no longer listed... I may have got the last one. Hopefully they don't backorder it on me or something.

Since your P7Ndiamond is 11.96'x9.61" (according to the MSI website) do you figure a 12"x10.5" mobo would fit physicaly inside with some back panel modding and relocating of other innards?

Shouldn't be a problem with back panel modding. Width is more of a concern than depth, and you're not going to find an ATX motherboard wider than 12" anyway.

 

[craigbru]

No computer modding done today, but we did get a little work done in the basement.

The work continues!

 

[stuntingalone]

Ah... fond memories of finishing our basement lol both are looking good!

 

[Trageta]

Yo Craig, I know this may seem like an irrelevant question but how old are you man?

 

[craigbru]

No problem man, I'm 34.

 

[NukeULater]

Thats to bad about the Sanyo Denki fan. I've been trying to find a supplier for those blasted things. I ended up buying panaflos.

Anyway, great work I cant wait to see the case finished.

 

[Trageta]

Jeesh. I see my dad and his friends attempting to do things like this but they always seem "busy" and say they probably won't hit up on projects like these until they're retired haha. I don't know how that's possible... when I'm living in my own house I'm coming home from work and hitting up on projects right away ;/

 

[craigbru]

Thats to bad about the Sanyo Denki fan. I've been trying to find a supplier for those blasted things. I ended up buying panaflos.

Anyway, great work I cant wait to see the case finished.

Tell me about. I did get shipping notification on the one I ordered. Assuming it arrives as it's supposed to, I may have gotten the last 1011 in North America...

Jeesh. I see my dad and his friends attempting to do things like this but they always seem "busy" and say they probably won't hit up on projects like these until they're retired haha. I don't know how that's possible... when I'm living in my own house I'm coming home from work and hitting up on projects right away ;/

Busy? Hell, I'm always busy. It's about priorities though. If there's something to be done, then do it. I've got the same philosophy as you. As soon as I get home, I'm working. The fun can come later... and if you get your ass working, the fun can even come sooner.

 

[HaxEJxuK]

LOFL. Not only we get to see great PC work here, we learn thing or two about life too.

Tell me about. I did get shipping notification on the one I ordered. Assuming it arrives as it's supposed to, I may have gotten the last 1011 in North America...



Busy? Hell, I'm always busy. It's about priorities though. If there's something to be done, then do it. I've got the same philosophy as you. As soon as I get home, I'm working. The fun can come later... and if you get your ass working, the fun can even come sooner.

 

[HaxEJxuK]

Where..........is........the.........update..................I...............can't.................survive..............without...................more..............update.................please.............................save.......................me....................with................your...............great.........up..da....te.....

 

[Wahoomcdaniel]

Craigbru - We know you are busy, but as you already stated ... everyone is busy.
I'm busy reading and waiting, so give us some news, please.

 

[craigbru]

Thanks to everyone who as been patiently waiting for an update...

Well, despite the lack of updates to the log, work has been continuing on both the basement, and the Rogue. Ironically, I am working on wiring both... Unfortunately, it's not all that picture worthy. However, I do have a few that I'll try to get up as soon as I can.

Regarding the Rogue, the wiring of it seems to be taking forever. Almost every wire and cable in the case will be routed under the motherboard tray. This will make for a very clean case, but it also means that I've got a ton of stuff that I'm currently cutting, splicing, and extending. For example, all the USB cables for the Via, and the Rogue itself, all switch and lighting wiring, cat5 for the Via, gauge wiring and temp senders, TEC wiring, and etc... Also under the tray, are two wireless adapters for the Via and Rogue, and a 4 port USB hub. The USB hub will handle the connections for one of the wireless adapters, the Matrix orbital display, a bluetooth module, and a flash drive for ReadyBoost. Power connections for the TEC relay, fan controller, gauges, LCD screen, DVD drives, and lighting, also find a home under the tray... Egads, I must be crazy!

 

[itsukisama]

take your time craig you did a sick job on the case with ur attention to detail. just take ur time. There's no point in doing all that clean work and do a messy job on wiring. Yeah too bad u don't live in oklahoma i would go lets do a lan party lol..

 

[mcfreeze]

awesome work craigbru

i should have mine on monday and will hope to do just the simple ATX Mod
but i must say that yours is a true work of art

 

[lame]

Do you have an egress window in that basement? Safety first...

 

[craigbru]

take your time craig you did a sick job on the case with ur attention to detail. just take ur time. There's no point in doing all that clean work and do a messy job on wiring. Yeah too bad u don't live in oklahoma i would go lets do a lan party lol..

Thanks man. With any luck, I can finish the wiring by tomorrow. I'd be up for gaming, to bad we've got Kansas between us...

awesome work craigbru

i should have mine on monday and will hope to do just the simple ATX Mod
but i must say that yours is a true work of art

Thanks! Are you going to post a log?

Do you have an egress window in that basement? Safety first...

There will be one shortly. If you'll notice in the pics, the far basement wall isn't framed. We had to get a window ordered, but it's now arrived. So, we'll have to do a little digging on the outside, and then cut some block to get it in place. Exciting, huh? I'm kicking myself for not putting one in when I built the house...

 

[craigbru]

Finally, an update! Thanks for being so patient guys! Things have been crazy around here lately, but progress was made all the way around. So, let's get on with it!

First up, I'll show you all a few pics of the basement progress.

Here, all the electrical work has been done.

Drywall started! Most of the ceiling has been done in this shot. We should get the wall insulated, and some rock on the walls starting tomorrow.

Well, let's move on to the Rogue.

I mentioned all the goodies that will find their way under the motherboard tray. Of all those things, one of them is a 4 port USB hub.

There are also a pair of USB wireless adapters. One for the Rogue, and one for the Via.

One of the additional features I'm adding to this case, is integrated bluetooth.

I've had to modify and sleeve a USB cable.

Here I've stripped the cover off the bluetooth adapter.

Finally, the adapter sitting in place on the front of the case.

This may look a little messy, but I had to test all my modified cables before I went any further. Once the motherboard is in place, things are going to be a little difficult to troubleshoot.

All seems to work fine. I've got video, and all USB connections work as they should.

With everything else take care of, I dropped the motherboard tray in place.

Next up, I'll get the front of the case in place and start some assembly. Woohoo!

 

[colinstu]

I can't wait to see how this looks like when it is done!