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Techstation on the Cheap ;)


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I'm looking for a used but still serviceable Halliburton Zero case to build a portable work rig inside.

 

I've got a 17" LCD that doesn't use a power brick to save some space.

 

I've got some RAM and a few Processors to choose from so all I need is a mATX board with integrated video, a 2U HSF combination and a SFF power supply.

 

My maximum inside dimension is 16.25 inches since I have an IBM keyboard that I plan to use must be stored internally along with the mouse, data and power cables.

 

Something like this would be perfect...

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Halliburton-Zero-Refur...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I'm not trying to build a portable gaming rig or the worlds smallest computer in a case by any means. I simply want something that supports all the different hardware I run into in the field. IDE, SATA, PCI, PCIe, Floppy, USB, Firewire and a PS/2 mouse and keyboard.

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I'm looking for a used but still serviceable Halliburton Zero case to build a portable work rig inside.

 

I've got a 17" LCD that doesn't use a power brick to save some space.

 

I've got some RAM and a few Processors to choose from so all I need is a mATX board with integrated video, a 2U HSF combination and a SFF power supply.

 

My maximum inside dimension is 16.25 inches since I have an IBM keyboard that I plan to use must be stored internally along with the mouse, data and power cables.

 

Something like this would be perfect...

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Halliburton-Zero-Refur...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I'm not trying to build a portable gaming rig or the worlds smallest computer in a case by any means. I simply want something that supports all the different hardware I run into in the field. IDE, SATA, PCI, PCIe, Floppy, USB, Firewire and a PS/2 mouse and keyboard.

 

lol it's called "LAPTOP" and you should get one ;)

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lol it's called "LAPTOP" and you should get one ;)

 

Come on guys. Reading is fundamental but comprehension is critical! LOL

 

I clearly state that I need support for IDE, SATA, PCI, PCIe, Floppy, USB, Firewire and a PS/2 mouse and keyboard.

 

Show me a laptop that supports all those things and I'll buy it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Alrighty....

 

No picking on Ex today....;)

 

Well I decided to give this techstation a crack as I have been running rigs on my desk for far too long...

 

This 1st draft is a very rough draft in the fact I threw it together in as little as 2 hours with some stuff I had laying around left over from a job and a old P-II case...

 

I used sheet aluminum with 1/8 Luan laminated to it....left over from a factory I sheeted. I also used some 1"x1" aluminum angle corner I also used a removeable motherboard tray from an old case along with the drive cages.

 

I cut everything on a power miter saw in my garage and then drilled and riveted with riveting and washers

 

I took some rather large pictures and just posting the links...so click away and hopefully enjoy....:)

 

102_1146.JPG

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Keep in mind that I really over did it on size...as I made this 14"x16" and with plenty of room to add as I go.

 

I needed room to set up water cooling on this so I wasnt sure how much room but I made sure to have atleast 1/2 the bottom dedicated to the water cooling.

 

The board you see on the top is an old Socket A mATX board so it looks very small compared to the regular ATX I will have on there....

 

All I have left to do is mod the optical drive cage and mount it and the rails for the PSU and I will be mounting the hard drive cage under that via rails...

 

The optical drive cage is the old style quick swap kind and the HD cage is also removeable...so it ought to work out great....

 

I got enough to build a few more if I could find some more M/B trays...

 

EDIT

 

I have pretty much finished this all except adding the water cooling stuff. I have added the modded cages foe the PSU, HD and opticals....I have also mounted the Biostar TForce 550 board I used to test and run my 3G's ocdb entry with.

 

As you can see there is plenty of room next to the board for working on a heatsink, setting disk or tools....The more I use this the more I like it...the next one will be just like it....

 

pics....

 

 

 

enjoy...I know I do...;)

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This 1st draft is a very rough draft in the fact I threw it together in as little as 2 hours with some stuff I had laying around left over from a job and a old P-II case...

 

That's what this is all about. Make it from scratch with left-over parts to do exactly what you and only you need. Looks great. And as an added bonus, since yours is all metal it helps provide that extra ground like a real case does.

 

Don't forget to update us with some more pics when you get watercooling set up on there...

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good job dr! Looks good!

 

mines trashed for now... I broke the PCI card bracket, and I'm going to Basic Training in a week, so it's going to the scrap wood pile it came from ^^ maybe I'll make a better one when I get to my first duty assignment to keep one of my favorite threads alive :)

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Guest Modulok

I missed this thread before...here is my testbed...hope you guys like it. It works pretty well. right now it is testing my new asus p5kc motherboard with an intel e6600 and some ocz ddr2 ram.

 

319.jpeg320.jpeg321.jpeg

 

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I got most of my stuff for free and i could probably see if I could get more..? all of the stuff I have is available at local home depot stores in the metal aisles

 

 

I also like those bars....if I could have found those thats what i would have used...

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Guest Modulok

The metal bars are called "80-20"...all made from scrap at work (manufacturing company). The Hard Drive cages are the only thing that are ghetto...but they work.

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