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Example of simple and uncluttered cabling

Zap

Zap

Elite Member
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. This is a fully assembled and operational computer system. It is my "gaming rig" that I bring to LAN parties.

Picture from front angle

Picture from front angle with no side panel

Closeup of fan guard

Side view

Side view with no side panel

Closeup of matching red PCB motherboard, RAM and video

Closeup of HSF, rear fan, PSU fan showing close proximities

Parts list:
[*]Antec Super LAN Boy case, stock fans (front has blue LEDs)
[*]PDXLAN finger guard replacing "waffle" grill, IMO improving looks by 700%, no other mods
[*]Intel P4 2.53GHz Northwood, pulled from a Dell, overclocked to 3.33GHz
[*]Zalman CNPS-7000AlCu HSF, using included fanmate to make it quieter
[*]MSI PT880 Neo motherboard, VIA PT880 chipset
[*]MSI Geforce FX 5900XT video card
[*]Kingmax PC3200 2x512MB RAM
[*]Maxtor 250GB EIDE HDD
[*]Pioneer 16X DVDR (perhaps model DVR-107 or something)
[*]TTGI 350W PSU with 14cm fan, puts out a quiet 22A on +12v, stock blue LED fan
[*]lots of twist ties and cable ties
[*]a bit extra time

This post was inspired by the What the Deal really? thread.

I first obtained the CPU in December of 2003. Built a system around it early 2004 with a different case, PSU, RAM and smaller HDD. Put it in the Antec case with TTGI PSU sometime during Summer of 2004, along with the 250GB HDD somewhere along the way. RAM was a pair of Original Samsung PC2700, but got the Kingmax for $75 AR when prices bottomed earlier this year. Just a coincidence that the PCB of the motherboard, video card and RAM match, but it doesn't hurt. The two stock LED fans produce the sparse illumination - not too distracting in darkened LAN gaming rooms.

This computer has survived weekly sojourns to Thursday Night Gaming at the GURU. Monthly romps at local LAN events. One 2000+ mile road trip (round trip) from SoCal to Portland for PDXLAN. Recently, barely survived being shipped UPS Ground from SoCal to Wisconsin, where I now live.

Pictures were taken just this past hour or so (around 1am, 09/21/05). I'd say this system has withstood the test of time. Still clean looking. Very stable. Reasonably fast/playable in games. Dust bunnies need not apply since I keep it clean - a requirement with a side window.

Comments?
 
Very nice. Definitely on par with some of the best I've seen her. I would sleeve the CPU fan cable, and the video card power cable. But that's just me. Very nice.

EDIT: Mind if I add to my collection (in signature)?
Tas.
 
Originally posted by: tasburrfoot78362
Very nice. Definitely on par with some of the best I've seen her. I would sleeve the CPU fan cable, and the video card power cable. But that's just me. Very nice.

EDIT: Mind if I add to my collection (in signature)?
Click to expand...
I've thought about sleeving (have done quite a few in years past). Also considered building a false bottom using aluminum flashing to hide those USB/audio cables, and using aluminum flashing behind the drive bays to hide the cables that I hide back there, since you can see through the drive bays. I've done that in my Aspire "alien" case and it turned out well. Still, I'd rather spend more time using the system than fiddling with the system 😉 though since I moved I've only LAN gamed once. 🙁

Feel free to use the pics.

Originally posted by: RalfHutter
http://www.black-talon.org/pics/1/BQE_offside_01_800.jpg

http://www.black-talon.org/pics/1/BQE_side_02_800.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice. Regarding suspending the HDD, always wanted to do that but 1) couldn't make myself cut up expensive cases 2) is there a source for the hardware?
 
Awesome work guys, just 1 question, how did you do it? Is there a manual or tips someplace or is it just trial and error??
 
:thumbsup:

i just sleeved my Sonata II up, gotta get some pics. Its not a great job but its a lot better than before. The inside is comparable to that case.

Anyway, sweet job on your case!
 
Look at Dynamix`s Rigg.....he has more than one harddrive...more than one fan...etc...etc...etc...

Now thats impressive...also..
 
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Its easy to have an un cluttered rigg when you only have 1 hardrive and a video card and another card and 1-120 mm raer exhaust fan.....

Its much more dificult if you have 3 hard drives and a floppy drive as well as a zip drive along with your videocard...and say 6 other fans......
Click to expand...

Don't think I don't know... how about a build I did for a friend earlier this year...

SEVEN hard drives in a mATX case!!!

Good thing it didn't have a side window because there was absolutely no way to get stuff clean in there, especially because the case was so small. There was absolutely no place to hide cables.

some stats

inside view

front view

view of HDD screws from outside
 
BTW, the Super LAN Boy case (and similar ones with sideways HDD mounts) can hold a maximum number of hard drives with no extra cabling mess since the cabling comes from behind the drive bays.
 
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
http://www.black-talon.org/pics/1/BQE_offside_01_800.jpg

http://www.black-talon.org/pics/1/BQE_side_02_800.jpg


Nice but.....

Its easy to have an un cluttered rigg when you only have 1 hardrive and a video card and another card and 1-120 mm raer exhaust fan.....

Its much more dificult if you have 3 hard drives and a floppy drive as well as a zip drive along with your videocard...and say 6 other fans......

I`m just not impressed with that build!!

Even though it is clean!🙂
Click to expand...


http://www.bloodyfist.net/computer/slb/inside1.jpg
http://www.black-talon.org/pics/1/BQE_side_02_800.jpg

Not to be rude but if you pay attention to ZAP you will ALSO NOTICE that he has only one video card, one hd, one fan compare both pics
 
Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Its easy to have an un cluttered rigg when you only have 1 hardrive and a video card and another card and 1-120 mm raer exhaust fan.....

Its much more dificult if you have 3 hard drives and a floppy drive as well as a zip drive along with your videocard...and say 6 other fans......
Click to expand...

Don't think I don't know... how about a build I did for a friend earlier this year...

SEVEN hard drives in a mATX case!!!

Good thing it didn't have a side window because there was absolutely no way to get stuff clean in there, especially because the case was so small. There was absolutely no place to hide cables.

some stats

inside view

front view

view of HDD screws from outside
Click to expand...

Wow Zap. That's impressive. I've got seven hd's in my machine, but I could probably also put 7 of your machines in my case. hehehee. That's beautiful modding...
Tas.
 
Originally posted by: chrisrod01
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Its easy to have an un cluttered rigg when you only have 1 hardrive and a video card and another card and 1-120 mm raer exhaust fan.....

Its much more dificult if you have 3 hard drives and a floppy drive as well as a zip drive along with your videocard...and say 6 other fans......
Click to expand...
Not to be rude but if you pay attention to ZAP you will ALSO NOTICE that he has only one video card, one hd, one fan compare both pics
Click to expand...

Heh, good point.

Just from looking, there is a floppy drive in the BQE, plus the larger CPU fan covers up the 12v ATX cable and the fan power cable. Mine, the fan power cable runs to behind the drive bays because I have a Zalman Fanmate secured back there.

Few more thoughts on the BQE... is that an Intel branded motherboard using the 875P chipset? I see no sound card, whether PCI or integrated. What video card? Doesn't look like it needs external power. How well does the "suck" fan work on the XP-120 versus a "blow" configuration?
 
Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Its easy to have an un cluttered rigg when you only have 1 hardrive and a video card and another card and 1-120 mm raer exhaust fan.....

Its much more dificult if you have 3 hard drives and a floppy drive as well as a zip drive along with your videocard...and say 6 other fans......
Click to expand...

Don't think I don't know... how about a build I did for a friend earlier this year...

SEVEN hard drives in a mATX case!!!

Good thing it didn't have a side window because there was absolutely no way to get stuff clean in there, especially because the case was so small. There was absolutely no place to hide cables.

some stats

inside view

front view

view of HDD screws from outside
Click to expand...


That looks very good. 🙂 At least the drives are SATA, and it has nice looking wires. Doesn't really look all that cluttered.
 
I never said they weren`t nice cases!!

But my point still stands....show me a clean build with 2 or 3 hardrives...a floppy and a zip as well as a vid card and a sound card and more than just a reart exhaust and a front intake fan....

See my point??
 
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
I never said they weren`t nice cases!!

But my point still stands...show me a clean build with 2 or 3 hardrives...a floppy and a zip as well as a vid card and a sound card and more than just a reart exhaust and a front intake fan....

See my point??
Click to expand...

Why cram a bunch of extra stuff into a case if you don't need it?

My systems are constructed to meet my computing needs/style. I don't build them so I can make them look nice inside, I build them so they do what I need them to do. For me that means:

1) One internal HDD of 120-250GB. More storage space is provided by several large external Firewire drives, and a 500GB NAS.

2) Zip drive? Ha! That's soo 1990's. Think USB thumb drive for that sort of application.

3) Floppy? It's in there.

4) Sound card? Don't use one. Audio is provided by an external USB DAC connected to my home stereo.

5) Why add more fans if you don't need them. That's a P4 3.0C system and is cooled extremely well by those two fans running at 5V. Actually, the front fan is superfluous for case cooling. It's only there to cool the HDD a bit.

For me, "simple is better". There's less to go wrong, less clutter, systems are easier to build and less expensive as well. I'm too old and broken down to make things more complicated for myself.

 
I haven't spent any time tricking out my system(s) until I threw in a string of LED lights on my server rebuild. The case for the server was thoughtfully modded so that it will later become a candidate for building my AMD system next summer. I have some neato pictures of the "glow-in-da-dark," but haven't uploaded yet from the camera.

For the rest of it, I was so obsessed with performance that I haven't bother much to try and route the wires and hide them. But after the server rebuild, here are my observations:

The server is an old P-3 ATX mobo. The system has a front-panel (Sunbeam) controller and single optical drive. There is a RAID5 array of three drives, and a RAID0 array of two drives. The RAID5 controller has four LED wires -- one for each IDE port. So right away, not only did I have three shielded flat cables coming off the controller to the drives -- rounded cables are to bulky at the plugs and won't fit in the box with the PCI slots filled to the last one -- I've got these LED wires. Then there are two rounded cables running from the RAID0 controller to the corresponding drives.

Now -- true -- with SATA you can hide those cables. But in my high-performance rig, the stiff DDR-Booster cable to a DIMM slot is difficult to make invisible; the thermal sensor wires to the front-panel controller numerous.

The perfomance rig is scheduled for a rebuild, in which I will try and obscure some of the cabling. Maybe I'll post a snap when I'm finished, because I should be replacing foam-board ducting with Lexan and sticking a few blue-LEDs in there.
 
unless you have a side window going all out to make the insides clean like that is a waste of time IMHO. As long as the cables don't restrict airflow and I can access all my parts I don't really care.
 
Originally posted by: NiKeFiDO
:thumbsup:

i just sleeved my Sonata II up, gotta get some pics. Its not a great job but its a lot better than before. The inside is comparable to that case.

Anyway, sweet job on your case!
Click to expand...


OMG :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

The link in your sig almost made me crap my pants, did you do all that stuff , it's fcking awesome :beer:
 
Originally posted by: The Linuxator
OMG :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

The link in your sig almost made me crap my pants, did you do all that stuff , it's fcking awesome :beer:
Click to expand...
:laugh:
 
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