39 replies to this topic

[Waco]

I'm surprised that cooler fits in the case - I had trouble finding a decent cooler for my HTPC and I pretty much ruled out all tower-type designs because of their height.

[Stonerboy779]

I'm surprised that cooler fits in the case - I had trouble finding a decent cooler for my HTPC and I pretty much ruled out all tower-type designs because of their height.

Well you yourself know it's on the larger size of HTPC cases and to be perfectly honest I am not entirely sure it will fit yet.

Although this site gives me much hope.
http://www.prisjakt.nu/produkt.php?g=63844

So if you are considering a cooler upgrade I do see the NH-U9B as a good option.

[Stonerboy779]

First Boot


Installing the power supply, turned out to be bit of an issue.


Had to completely remove then put back in the PSU power plug just so I could get it passes the case when it was reverse mounted.


Installed


Rear fans installed too, decided for now the side fan will stay out.


The motherboard....


....and the CPU that now make it 3 2nd gen intel CPUs in the house all from Costa Rica


A little comparison of the two heatsinks beside each other... no prizes for guessing which I like more.


It is in and it fits so very, very happy


This one is for you Waco


The RAM now to make it fit under the cooler.


As you can see the RAM fits and everything does turn on just a bit of a mess atm.


It is a massive mess of cables but it turned on with all bar two fans spinning. It seems two of the mobo fan headers don't want to play nice, I switched fans around and it is the headers but until i boot up properly with well a monitor attached I cannot determine what needs to be done to make them spin.

[neddamttocs]

Looks Good!

Can't wait to see it after you've had a chance to clean up the wires (if you are)

[Stonerboy779]

Looks Good!

Can't wait to see it after you've had a chance to clean up the wires (if you are)

Of course

I need to find some time to install windows now that I have the 120GB Patriot Pyro SE that will be for the OS and programs. Then I need to wait for HDD prices to come down to upgrade and secure all of my media storage.

I will post some more pics and progress once I pick up the second case (LC-13B) and the amps that I will be mounting inside of it. If all goes well and time permits I will get everything in that regard next weekend not this. As well as quite possibly $2000 RRP worth of speakers for only $1200 and $600 worth of wood to make the towers to house them. That is what I am not sure on because the way things are current'y I will have zero time to work on it.

[Stonerboy779]

Okay I have seriously neglected this and it has sat inside my a/v cab for ages now doing nothing hasn't even had an os installed or anything haha

When I get my SSD back from its RMA I will be installing the remaining stuff and selling this in a few months time once I am allowed to use the OCAU marketplace.
Due to my current circumstances I will not have any use for this whatsoever and holding onto it will be pointless which is a bit of a shame but ahh well shit happens.

[Stonerboy779]

So I kinda got this lovely technics stack for free yesterday and I have had a change of heart about this htpc build.

If you look closely you'll notice one of the reciever/amps is missing a few knobs. It was something I was modding well over a year ago but the pentium II system that I put in there gave up the ghost on the first power up.

I need to find where I stashed the knobs grrrrr

Ahhh but it is lovely to have a working technics amp and more importantly the rest of the matching stack to go with. The entire thing was given to me for free yesterday and I am over the moon

So now I plan on moving the htpc into the gutted technics reciever/amp (it died when my sister spilt a drink in it while it was running) Need to pick up a Silverstone 450watt small form factor PSU, a auzentech x-fi forte 7.1 soundcard and a vertex 4 120gb ssd later this week to finish the build.

I chucked some mobo standoffs into the case this morning.



And put the mobo in. Naturally I had to go back to the stock cooler as there was no hope of the noctura one fitting.



Hmm its going to be tight. Well good news is it all booted up the CPU, RAM and mobo all seem fine. However the never before used stock cooler has annoying faint click sooooo I will hack it apart and attach a noctura 80mm fan on top with some double sideds foam tape haha.

Will also have a 120mm noctura fan mounted apove the CPU that will pull air in from the vents on the top of the case and will blow it down onto the CPU and chipset. Will likely externally mount on 80mm fan to get air flowing on the other side of the case more.

Will mod the new PSU too and replace the stock fan with a noctura 80mm fan that will run always on and every fan will have a ulna adapter and run at a permanent 6v.

I have only one issue with my technics stack and that is one fried resistor grrr. It blackened casing is making it difficult to make out the bands. So when I have time i will need to fully dissemble the cd player and desolder the resitor and give it a look at under a magnifying glass. However since I got it for free and had been looking for one for the longest time I cannot really complain.

[Stonerboy779]

Well I cut the stock heatsync up haha

So I was left with this







Not too much clearence haha a bit more than you see in this pic though because the case isn't sitting as high as it should in the photo.

Also afer looking around at displays I have decided I will get something very much like this made.



I will put a lot more effort and detail into the proper one and will need to talk with TLHarrell over on TBCS about what he can do as it will probably need to be a etching in a coated piece of plexi. Hopefully he will be able to do it because this would make the sweetest power on light for the stealth htpc.

I am already going to use the stock power button to turn the htpc on and off. Will need to mod it to make it momentary though.

[Stonerboy779]

The plexi lightbox and LCD replacement sign for a power on light will be a go go.
the CD light will become hdd activity.

And the whole thing is now alive

Pics to come later and hopefully I will have the rear panel cut too.

[Stonerboy779]

So I was able to get some parts today and may I say it has made me very happy haha

I picked up a Silverstone 450watt SFX PSU, an Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1 soundcard and a Vertex 4 SSD which means the final specs of my HTPC are as follows.


CPU - Intel Core i3 2100
Mobo - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
CPU Cooler - Modified stock Intel Cooler with a Noctura 80mm fan
PSU - Silverstone ST45SF 450W SFX PSU
RAM - G.Skill F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ (2x2GB) DDR3
TV Tuner - Hauppauge HVR2200 MCE PCIe Dual Hybrid and Hauppauge Media Center Remote
Soundcard - Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1
SSD - OCZ Vertex 4 128GB SSD

Case - Stealth modded Technics SU-X301 reciever/amp

The case is entirely guttered, still need to mod the power switch to turn the HTPC on, mod the light for the CD to become the HDD activity light, at a later point the headphone jack will again become a headphone jack for the X-Fi Forte front panel headphone output. The LCD that is gone will be replaced with a shallow plexiglass lightbox with a vinyl sticker on the front of it designed in a style to match the old LCD and the LCDs of the other gear in the Technics stack. Besides having STONERBOY779 in segmented digit style other smaller details of words like HTPC will be incorporated. This static mock LCD will become the power on light in effect.

At a later point also I may look into audio control with the existing knob and naturally some different pot of sorts behind. Final mod to the case will be where the missing surround button is, it will be filled in by a small iece of IR plexi and behind it the additional IR receiver for the Hauppauge Remote will be mounted.

Tomorrow I make the final cuts on the rear panel for the IO ports, TV tuner and soundcard as well as holes for air flow and the PSU. Then the case will be sealed for a while.

Tomorrow I also plan to pull apart all my gear, my turntable, CD player, tuner, reciever/amp, casset deck and dual zone amp/tuner. To get a full parts list for a complete recap of my Technics gear as well as a clean and some possible OP amp upgrades.

Some more shitty phone pics and tomorrow once I have the rear cut I promise I will get the camera out and take a bunch of decent pics.



Beside my rather small antec 600watt PSU the Silverstone SFX unit looks tiny. But still packs 450watt of 80+ bronze goodness.



Booting up no issues to install windows on the SSD.



It had been running a few hours install, updates, new programs etc and I decided hmm it's getting a bit toasty so just dumped some noctura goodness on top
Looking at this pic now I think i can get a really good 80mm side intake on the case and will definately be considering it after I see just how muc space I have up front after the PSU is all installed properly.



Pretty tight in there PSU is just sitting there to show the space, when installed it will be about 10mm off the PCI slots and 10mm clear of the soundcard components.



Should keep the CPU well cooled as well as the VRMs and RAM too.

[Andrewr05]

I read the title and could not for the life of me understand why you were going to gut such an expensive HTPC case to stick into the receiver housing.

Then I realized that that is unrelated to this build now.

[Stonerboy779]

I read the title and could not for the life of me understand why you were going to gut such an expensive HTPC case to stick into the receiver housing.

Then I realized that that is unrelated to this build now.

A lot of things have changed since February

You know the funny thing is if the receiver was in the same condition as the new one I just got it would net the same price on ebay as the Silverstone case. Pity that it doesn't like getting water inside it.