SR-2 owners....need case ideas/thoughts/options.

zero2dash

zero2dash

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I'm dying to pull the trigger on an SR-2, but the lack of cases is keeping me from hitting the Buy button. I know the supported list (PC-P80, MM tray/cases, DD case). 700D mod is another possibility. I could always do like musky, buy some wood and make my own tray.

Here's my concern.......kids + cats. :eek: My daughter, I could always put it up higher, out of reach...but cats, well cat owners know cats. They like to get into anything, no matter how high up it is.

I'd rather stay in a case but it doesn't seem like there's much available. The SR-2 cases coming out are ridiculously pricey (surely to gouge the high priced board owners). I've heard $500 for the CM and $600 for the EVGA case.

I was hoping based off the 700D that a mod for the cheaper/air cooled 600T would be possible but a PM from Redbeard made that thought doubtful.

I have a desk, but I don't have racks or shelves. Just wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts on where to go from here, or ideas. The cheaper the better. Again I really want to buy, but $229+ for a case (700D being the cheapest available), it's almost making me consider keeping my x58 boards and just do a cpu only swap. :confused:
 
I'd buy the bare tray from Mountain Mods and then build some type of wooden box/shield to set over the top of it to protect it from cat hair, paws, and kids. Leave the back open and add proper fans and you should be good. Just make a simple frame with 1x2's and then cover it with thin luan.

If I wasn't building an SR-2 myself, I'd sell you my Mountain Mods case for cheap as it's just sitting empty right now.
 
Run is naked with a ghetto shield for as long as you need to prioritize the cash for a nice chassis. I just setup two naked systems here and will be running them that way until my SR-2 build is done. Once I am done with spending that directly benefits points, I'll buy chassis. Cases are always last on my priority list. :D
 
I'd say use the tray but build a like a lexan or acrylic box over it.

Still would give you the caseless look.
 
SR-2's run just fine on the boxes the come in. I bolted mine down to a piece of plywood just for some sanity. I understand if that isn't an option, but unfortunately, the case situation is dire right now for these things.
 
Little bit of Tina would do good

and I love "ghetto shield" lol
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I'll try to make it over to Home Depot this weekend. There has to be something out there that would make a good make-shift case. I was originally thinking sheet metal, but I don't have any way to work with it. Plastic actually sounds like a winner to me.
 
^^^ I'm going to stop at Lowes on the way home (they're closer than HD to me). You ain't kidding there though...there has got to be something we can use that is cheap (compared to the alternatives).
I was thinking of doing a makeshift tray with a decent piece of wood and some dowels or something for a back support...kind of try to make my own bench. Kinda limited on tools though at the house....jigsaw, dremel and drill, that's about it. ;)

I like the idea of using acrylic to make up a box to put on top (obviously after cutting out some fan mounts or exhaust holes of some sort).

[just ordered SR-2 @ NewEgg] :D
 
zero2dash said:
^^^ I'm going to stop at Lowes on the way home (they're closer than HD to me). You ain't kidding there though...there has got to be something we can use that is cheap (compared to the alternatives).
I was thinking of doing a makeshift tray with a decent piece of wood and some dowels or something for a back support...kind of try to make my own bench. Kinda limited on tools though at the house....jigsaw, dremel and drill, that's about it. ;)

I like the idea of using acrylic to make up a box to put on top (obviously after cutting out some fan mounts or exhaust holes of some sort).

[just ordered SR-2 @ NewEgg] :D
Click to expand...

Take a look at my picsin post #10:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1538045

This MB standoff system was pretty simple, and only needed a drill if you get you plywood cut at the plywood store. The hardware came from a smaller hardware store like True Value, where that have a killer selection of the plastic stand-offs. All if the mounting brackets were from the window repair section in the smaller hardware store.
 
Thanks musky! :)
Lots of good pointers, I'm going to see what I can come up with and will update later tonight (I plan on buying everything I need while I'm there so I can work on it over the weekend....my cpus should be here Monday and I'm estimating the board will come Tuesday). I'm hoping to build a 2 platform "building" similar to the HSPC Large Tech Station which I think will be pretty easy. I figure 2 pieces of cheap wood, 4 dowels for the corner posts, 1 square dowel (if they have such a thing and I think they do) for the PCIe card support beam. Maybe a few more square dowels for other stuff.

Then I'll check the specialty "drawers" in hardware for standoffs and other stuff like that. I've used those L joints before for making arcade joysticks, so I definitely have some experience there. Going to try to stay on the cheap! Hopefully make out some sort of blueprint for anyone else to use as well. :)

A few helpful links from google I've found so far:
Basic DIY blueprint/article - http://ouroborus.org/cyots/
I like how this guy used a long aluminum L joint for the PCIe card support, I may have to steal that idea :) - http://www.overclockerstech.com/navigs-very-low-cost-tech-station/
 
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Just got back from Lowes....cliff notes for now -
I spent $65 but I also bought nicer wood, particle board was dirt cheap...by 1/2 ($6+change for 2'x4'x5/8" piece) what I paid for my plywood ($13+change for 2'x4'x5/8" piece), I also bought a nice Dewalt drill bit set for $15 because the Black&Decker set I have is garbage. So for quick estimate's sake, figure anyone not needing the bits would spend $50, if they went with particle board they'd spend around $45. If they only did 1 plank instead of 2 like the tech station, drop another $4 so $41. Depending on how fancy you get you could even drop another $10 or so probably.

I got wood, screws, plastic nuts for spacers between the wood + board. Brackets to mount multiple HDs plus a burner plus my psu. (musky only had 1 HD mounted, no optical) Again you'd spend less if you didn't need it. I got an L aluminum brace piece for the PCIe support. Square dowels for the posts. Had Lowes people cut everything. I got the wood for the board cut to 15 1/2" x 17 to give about 2" of overage total.

I will get some more definitive stuff in a bit later, right now I'm starving and tired from pacing around Lowes for almost 2 hours. :D

More to come...
 
oo, never let lowes or HD cut anything, I made that mistake once, now my cornhole boards are 1" more narrow than the reg calls for. They couldnt cut a straight line on a measurement to save their lives

Also, dont forget to register your SR2 ASAP, life warranty is at stake
 
The guy that cut the plywood for the board and bottom did perfect; the second guy that cut the dowels did a fairly good job, a few are shorter than the others but I'm going to cut them shorter anyway (because the whole thing is taller than I thought it would be).

Ok guys - some pics and info/my list (I will give package or item # where possible):
  • 2 pieces 3/4" thick x 15 1/2" x 17" Lauan Plywood (bought in a 3/4"x2'x4' piece and cut to size) - $13.57
  • 2 1" x 3' Poplar square dowels - 2.74 ea., 5.48 total and cut to size - 4pcs @ 11", 2pcs @ 14" (this will be refined, they ended up too long)
  • 13373 - 1 corner aluminum angle L brace for PCIe support, 1/16" thick x 1/2" panel x 3/4" panel - 3' long - 3.97
  • S838-961 Stanley corner braces (for optical, could be used for a single HD), 4 pack, 1" x 1/2" - 1.97
  • S839-043 Stanley corner braces (for psu), 4 pack, 1 1/2" x 3/8" - 1.96
  • N220-152 Stanley corner braces (for 3 HD, 3 screw holes), x 2 qty. - 2.98 ea., 5.96 total
  • 0054075 3/4" Felt pads to cover bottom screws - 2.99
  • 35219 - 25 pack 1/4" - 20 x 2" round machine screws with nuts - 5.97
  • 881552 - 1/4" - 20 Nylon hex nuts, .56c each, 2.24 total
  • 490015 - 8 pack 8 x 1 1/2" Flat phillips zinc wood screws - 1.18 ea., 2.36 total (buy 2 packs)

I get $46.47 total.

IMG_0711_1.jpg

IMG_0712_1.jpg

IMG_0713_1.jpg


It is here I realize the bottom dowels are too long. ;) (I knew the top ones would be already, I just put them up as a general idea of where I'm going with this project.) I will use the jigsaw to cut them down and post the final length on those sometime tomorrow when I start assembly. I will also start somewhat of a mod thread once this is done with a lot more pics and some step by step stuff so anyone can build the same thing (or get a general idea, if they decide to do it differently).

Again, it's up to you what type of wood you want to get. I wanted to get thick wood for the board and bottom psu/HD/optical area, 1/2" or thicker was my aim. I got plywood because it was nice, smooth wood with a good look; you could go cheaper and use particle board/MDF if you wanted to. You could also go thinner if you wanted to, although in that case you'd have to make adjustments on your screws. (I do not plan on gluing this, BTW...this is a screws-only assembly.)

I plan on building this during this coming weekend, and I will finish sometime probably Monday once the SR-2 arrives and I can do fitment and drilling for the SR-2 supports where the holes are. At that time I will post those dimensions as well.

In a nutshell guys - I'm not a carpenter, I'd never pretend to be....so prepare for lots of layman's terms and easy stuff here. Again, I don't have a table saw, band saw, etc., I have a $30 jigsaw I bought when I modded a Lian Li PC-A05 a long time ago. ;) I have no access to a tool shop or tons of tools, so if you're an average guy like me with a limited amount of tools, this guide of sorts should still be something even you can do. :)

In the end it will be similar to Navig's, but more basic. No usb ports or anything like that.
 
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So does the board mount on the bottom or top shelf? I have never used a test bench.
 
In my case it will mount on the top. I might make ways to attach fans for airflow like the top HSPC bench has. The aluminum bar is for the lip of PCIe cards to rest against so they don't wobble. (I'm going to see if I can get away with not screwing them in, I think that is definitely possible.) The bottom tray will be a place for psu and drives.

Kinda going for a mixture of ideas (including something similar to how you have your screws coming upwards and your board is secured with nuts). :)
Will also probably drill out a few gaps for cable wiring with the small hole saw I have and then work a jigsaw in there to extend it longways.
 
It looks great btw. You know what would work is some wire mesh or something like window screen to cover the open areas to keep kids and pets out.
 
I plan on building the same HSPC, but big enough to hold the SR-2 perfectly.
I plan on using a think plexiglass.
Board on the bottom. Drives on top with port holes with fans blowing down on the board.
I need to buy a SR-2, I just need to pull he triger.
 
gwarren007 said:
Couldn't you mod a Rocketfish case?
Click to expand...
A lot of nice cases both old and new could be modded to accommodate this board. The biggest concern would be clearance under the motherboard due to its height. If your case or one that is desired has the necessary clearance then the biggest hurdle has been cleared. The problem remains of making an opening if possible for the last PCI-E slot but that's only needed if you really want to use the last slot. I have several server cases that I can use without modding (no need to use all slots) but can't afford the build..
 
APOLLO said:
There's a detailed pic of it here: http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u90693/CaseCorsair700dGut_full.jpg

Looks like it could fit.
Click to expand...

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1531124

It does fit if you flip the bottom peice, I was just curious about the MM tray part. Apparently someone swapped the tray in so he'd have the right amount of card slots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-iJHGZC3ZI


edit: and you can buy it.. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=29084
 
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Rocketfish should have enough internal room but not enough PCIe slots. 700d mod is an idea but I would rather not spend $220 on a case that won't work out of the box. MM tray in 700d, I'd rather spend the same $ and get the PC-P80.

Again, the point of this is to have a working solution that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Like Tobit said, I'd rather put less money towards a case and instead buy more D. :D
 
zero2dash said:
Again, the point of this is to have a working solution that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Like Tobit said, I'd rather put less money towards a case and instead buy more D. :D
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Understood. I seem to be the one most suited for this motherboard with a lot of 'old iron' chssis that could easily hold the SR-2 were it in my budget...
 
Wasn't there a rumour that the SR-2 Case from EVGA was just a modded CM ATCS 830 case?

Not sure about that one. The 700D mod looks great.

I'm sticking mine in my Lian Li PC-P80 and the Magny-Cours duallie is going into an ATCS 840 that I'm gonna pick up.
 
10e said:
Wasn't there a rumour that the SR-2 Case from EVGA was just a modded CM ATCS 830 case?
Click to expand...

$599 retail is the rumored MSRP...and yes, it's just a modified ATCS 840.
The CM branded HPTX case has a $499 rumored MSRP.
The Lian Li HPTX case coming out I'm sure will be that much if not higher (being that it's a LL).

I say - $45 bucks of wood and screws and these companies can stick it. :D

I hate to play conspiracy theorist but these guys clearly made their own platform so they could bleed people who decided to buy a case for it instead of modding or hacking something else up. :rolleyes:
 
Just build a folding room with a solid wood door and 5/8" OSB walls covered in 1/2 drywall :)

secure, safe, doubles as a walk in gun closet, and no cat is going to kick in that door
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zero2dash said:
$599 retail is the rumored MSRP...and yes, it's just a modified ATCS 840.
The CM branded HPTX case has a $499 rumored MSRP.
The Lian Li HPTX case coming out I'm sure will be that much if not higher (being that it's a LL).

I say - $45 bucks of wood and screws and these companies can stick it. :D

I hate to play conspiracy theorist but these guys clearly made their own platform so they could bleed people who decided to buy a case for it instead of modding or hacking something else up. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I would wholeheartedly have to agree with this. So very few cases that came out prior to this board were equipped to handle it, and now it's pillage the masses.

I also think some reliability issues have happened in transit for such a big "floppy" motherboard. So much PCB, so little give.

Had I not had the PC-P80 I'd be looking for case ideas at the closest HomeDepot or Lowes.
 
10e said:
I also think some reliability issues have happened in transit for such a big "floppy" motherboard. So much PCB, so little give.
Click to expand...

Actually, the packaging on the SR-2 is incredible. I don't think that the issues we have seen are due to damage during shipping.
 
musky said:
Actually, the packaging on the SR-2 is incredible. I don't think that the issues we have seen are due to damage during shipping.
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Actually, I'm surprised more issues didn't surface. For a motherboard so complex, so feature-rich from a company that doesn't have the experience behind it in manufacturing such products like Intel, Supermicro, Tyan, Asus, etc., it's a small miracle it has proven as good as it is in its first revision. I am duly impressed by that fact almost as much as the performance levels.
 
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