project file server

shadowlord

2[H]4U
Joined
Jan 6, 2005
Messages
3,108
Hello all!

i try to make the long story short.
since it's very anoying to backup essential data (i use a external usb hdd now) i came up with the idea of a file server in the cellar. i haven't modded something for about 5 month so i thought that the fileserver will get a nice home :D
a major goal is to keep the cost low so a lot of old hardware will be used.

this old case will be used, the only downside is that one sidepanel is missing.

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bought some cheap parts at a local electronics store
the promise fastrack controller is a gift from a friend (thanks markus !)

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old intel mobo with a celeron 400 and a huge copper heatsink

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this was the old heatsink btw

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80gb of storage goodnes.

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i started with the front intake

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i plan on replacing the missing side panel with a plexi plate,
i decided that i wouldn't need the part of the top panel where the old sidepanel was mounted.
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than i needed a way to mount a 80mm fan on the 60mm heatsink
so i came up with this duct:
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found an easy way to line up the holes for the top blowhole mod:
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some filing action
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finished blowhole:
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favorite modding drink:
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:D

It's still a long way to go

-) i plan on replacing the faceplate with some plexi as well.
-) i hope the celeron will provide enough power for this project.
-) since speed is not necessary the hdds will be set up in a software raid 1 (winxp prof.)

never did a raid setup before so any suggestions are welcome.

cu with the next update.
 
ok. here we go with todays update:

the blowhole looks nice with some grill installed

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bought some spray paint

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panels ready for sanding with my trusty orbital sander ( my not so trusty delta sander died while repairing some rust on my car :( )
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shiny:
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couldn't resist a first test fit:
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unfortunately the protective film came of the plex panels during storage
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to protect the plex while working i came up with this solution
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cutout
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due to the fact that i used the wrong blade for the jig saw the panel looked like crap.
a visit at home depot should take care of this problem.

but last but not least i found a nice design for the etch i want to place on the plexi panel.

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cu
 
Looks good so far! :)

I especially like your method for adapting the 80mm fan onto the 60mm heatsink! Nothing like a little ingenuity and simplicity, eh? :D

You may want to look into some 5.25" to 3.5" drive adaptor rails, for future use, so you can drop some hard drives into the optical drive areas. When I built my "terabyte tower" file server, I used an old cd tower, and mounted 7 drives that way. It made for plenty of air space around the drives, and cooling was simple with a couple 120mm fans in front of the drives, and behind the pierced aluminum sheet I used for the case front. :cool:
 
shadowlord said:
Hello all!

It's still a long way to go

-) i plan on replacing the faceplate with some plexi as well.
-) i hope the celeron will provide enough power for this project.
-) since speed is not necessary the hdds will be set up in a software raid 1 (winxp prof.)

never did a raid setup before so any suggestions are welcome.

cu with the next update.

Celly 400should be plenty for most home uses
But..
Due to the older CPU you may see if you can land a copy of Windows 2000 Pro or Server.
Whats cool about a software RAID Mirror is you can setup a mirror partition across drives with different sizes.
I Had a 30 GB Mirror going using a 30GB and a 40GB but sadly the 30 died and before I got it back from warrenty the 40 died (both Maxtors) :( :mad:

I'm using a Dual PII 266, 278 MB RAM (two 128s and a 16), Maxtor ATA 100 Card,3 gig, 4 gig and a 40gig (From the 30gig that died's warrenty), 2k Server.

It's plenty for my server needs
 
Thats the thing about maxtors. They love to die. I'm still waiting for my 250GB too.
 
Or Fujitsu if you're going to use SCSI. By the way, I'm going to love that etch. And I say leave it that aluminum look, screw paint, that looks awesome as hell.
 
ok first of all, thanks for the kind comments.

the hdds for this project are samsung, samsung hdds have never let me down.
for the os i will utilize a seagate 20gb. ( 2 seagates died on me already :( )

ok now todays update ( only a smal one)

still needed a few things

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then i tidied up the fan duct / daptor thingie

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in fact i use zip ties for all my work/modding ;)

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the new blade for the jig saw did the trick, i've got clear cuts. sadly i forgot to take a picture, here the panel is already protected again.

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i purchased some L shaped aluminum profiles. i will try to make a nice frame for the new sidepanel. you can even see on the picture that i already attached the sketch for the etch. after drilling the mounting holes and beveling the upper edge i will start with engraving.
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here i already cut out the front piece of plexi
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i'm not that shure anymore if i want a plexi front, i think a sheet of metal would look better.

cu
 
ok time for another update,
i was realy lazy the last few days, so not much progress.

the front plate will be replaced with a sheet of metal now:

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here you could get an idea how the frame will look

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since it would be a bad idea to tap a thread into the thin side material of the case, i had to come up with something thicker. I cut 5mm thick stripes of plexi.

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here i lined up everthing to drill pilot holes

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drilling

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then i glued the plexi stripes into place

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taped M4 threads

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drilling holes where the screws should go through the plexi side panel.
it's an easy job with the 2mm pilot holes already there ;)

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the idea with the pilot hole was great, everything fits well.
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here you can see one of the plexi stripes in place.
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take care
Chris
 
Looks cool! The plexi looks like it's inside the lip of the case, is that the case? If so, how does it come in and out, through the top?

 
hope you refine that drawing before you start etching. no offence but the pic you show is a bit sketchy. cool otherwise. Too bad the mod is so far kinda simple looking. when i saw the name of the thread i invisioned someone dragging out an old filing cabinate and putting a computer inside. that would be something i'd like to see. maybe another day, another mod :p
 
hi all!

@ unhappy mage: inside the lip are only plexi stripes which are glued in place, these hold the threads for the screws. the plexi plate is on the outside, hold in place with the alu frame.

@ everfalling: uhm sorry but whats a filing cabinate ??

ok on to the update:

an unplaned visit at the hardware store ( i needed light bulbs) left me with a second powertoy eh.. tool ;) a black & decker for 25 euros. woot

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for the new frontplate i used the same method for meassuring the fan holes as for the top.
plus you can see the aluminium frame in place already.
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then i cut out the fan hole
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i wanted a hole in the motherboard tray for easy cable routing.
took out the hole saw, drilled.........woot what an bad smell.
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killed the saw tooth :(
this is a pic how they should look like
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time for the trusty power tool ;)
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i know, i know looks crappy, but it will be hidden by the hhd tray i want to build.
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i cut out a piece of alu to cover up the holes in the back, this should keep the evil dust-bunnies out.

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tale care
Chris
 
shadowlord: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=filing cabinet&sa=N&tab=wi

i invisioned one of those cut down to maybe only one or two drawrs where you'de put the cumputer in. i would think the top drawr could be used for the main computer, while you could install a raid setup in the bottom drawr or something. maybe even a spot for water cooling. it was just something that flew into my head when i saw the thread title.
 
thanks for the clarification...
indeed one these would be a cool custom case :cool: maybe for a future project.
 
hey, i had the plexi side panel with an etch idea first! and you can't have it!


but seriously, you seem to be doing a better job of it than i did... my mounting method is nowhere near as cool/sturdy/etc. as yours is.

only 80gb of storage in a fileserver? what kinda sicko are you? i fully intend to break the terabyte mark when my funding allows... gonna be 400gb once i get the 3rd disk tho.

looks nice thus far. good luck with the rest of it!

the black knight always triumphs!
 
hi all!

jedi, your etch looks way cooler than mine!!
btw80gb will be fine for my needs. about 5gb of digital pictures, ~ 100 word and excel documents and lots of guitar pro files.

and..........., i did the etch today. ;)

all prepared:
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etching tools
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after i finished with the outlines, i removed the template and replaced it with a blank black sheet of paper. then i did all the detail work

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it looks a bit different than on the template, the eyes where now looking in the other direction, woot, i don't know how this happened.
anyway this is my first etch with a person in it, and i' m realy satisfied with the result. until now i've only etched logos and other easy images.

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take care
Chris
 
etch looks great. the end of the gun looks a bit uneven, but awesome all around.

the black knight always triumphs!
 
wohooo, update time again!

i made some gadget to bevel a edge from the plexi side panel which will blend better with the rest of the case.
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not to shabby, atleast not to shabby for the ghetto way doing it.
i then flame polished this edge, but take no pics of it.
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in an earlier post i talked about a self made hhd rack, by selfmade i meant to mod an existing rack :D

this is a optical drive bay i removed from an old at case. the holes a far of to mount a hdd.
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i marked positions for new holes and drilled them.
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for an easy mounting i wanted long-holes so some filing was needed.
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test fit.
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some more filing
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this will hold all 3 drives. it will be located behind the front 120mm intake fan on the bottom.
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tomorrow i will leave for the stream of passion gig in germany ( 650km in one direction) so no more modding will happen during this weekend.

take care
 
hi all!

is't been a while since my last post. first i returned from the show safely ;) hell of a rock concert :cool:
the cold winter this year and a lot of work at work kept me from moding.
during this update less period a lot of litte things are done for the project.
so i think i start with an overwiev what happend till today.

due to the cold winter i decided not to paint in the garage as usual, instead i painted in the cellar. althought i needed a lot more cover for the paint dust.
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here are the panels during the priming phase
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cleaning of the case itself
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i also primed the aluminium profiles for the frame
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modders mess ;)
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that all happend since my last post !!!
 
and today i got a lot more done ;)

this time i didn't lean the parts i want to paint against somethin'
i hang them up...but first i needed something to hang up in the garage
(yes, the winter is over now, so most of the "dirty" work will happen in the garage again.)

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the flat white side panels hang up for drying:
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case itself
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the frame pieces
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first parts installed
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my new set of pliers, compared to my old ones
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i had to solder longer leads for the hdds power cables (pos 15euros power supply)
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i drilled some holes in a pack plate piece for power and hhd leds aswell as for the power switch.
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front fan installed
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than i lay the network cable to the place where the server will be
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OK thats it for today!



I hope some of you could help me out with a question


i intend using 3 hdds in this project
1 for the os (20g)
and two in software raid, mirrored (80g)

should i use this pci -- ide card, or run all 3 disk from the onbord ide controler ??
`´`´`´`´`´`´`´`´``´```´´``````
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hope someone could help me out

take care
Chris
 
While I do know nothing about your question I do know that youhave done a great job thus far. Keep it up. :D
 
Using the PCI card is slightly more optimal over using 3 disks on 2 ide controllers. The best way to go would be put a single drive on each IDE channel.

XP doesn't do software raid mirroring unless you hack it; do you have another plan?

Also, you might want to look into a better power supply - check out the PSU forum. 15 euros doesn't sound good - what brand is it? Does it have a UL listing?

 
That network cable isn't running right next to a power line is it? If so you might end up with a crappy connection due to interference.
 
the mod is really nice, though i had hoped you would have picked a better drawn anime girl to perminently etch onto your window (i mean, any decent pic pulled from the internet would have done really well). oh well, nice work besides.
 
thanks all for the nice replys !!

unhappy mage: i googled around and found a lot guides how to set up a software raid1 with xp pro.
but you have confirmed my doubts about the psu, it should be a linkworld lpk9 420w model http://www.linkworld.com.tw/, but who knows.:rolleyes: sadly the fsp psu's are no longer aviable at my local store, maybe i use a old enermax 350w model which i modded with a 120mm fan.


xipher: there is already a network cable running near the power line, but the connection is fine. im typing this lines via it.


everfalling: i wanted the etch to be simple since till now iv'e only etched basic patterns and lines. maybe i choose something more detailed for my next try
 
ok folks maybe i tell you some to do's

1. get a better psu, but maintain the low cost factor
2. the top panel paint job is wrecked, i may re-sand it, due to the low cost factor it will stay bare metall with a clear coat then.
3. add the lighning, i have 4 red and 4 white leds left from previous mods (remember the low cost thing ;)
4. set up the raid
5. turn some case feet
6.assemble the beast
7. lot of the small things left ;)

take care
Chris
 
shadowlord said:
everfalling: i wanted the etch to be simple since till now iv'e only etched basic patterns and lines. maybe i choose something more detailed for my next try

try chemical extching next time. with that you can get really detailed, cause all you're doing is cutting out a sheet with an exacto knife and sticking it on the glass to etch. i know a lot of ppl who are just beginners come out with some really detailed stuff using that method.
 
ok iv'e got a few things done since my last post today

here's a pic of the painted grill from the intake filter, btw it was black before.
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bunch of leds
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heres the back piece in which i drilled the holes for the leds and the power switch.
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with the leds
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to attach the switch i had to mod a old switch hold thingie
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looks a bit ghetto but it was for free, maybe i find a way to cover this up.
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here is a teaser of the painted hdd tray
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good night
 
shadowlord said:
xipher: there is already a network cable running near the power line, but the connection is fine. im typing this lines via it.

Well, AC power gives off some nasty RF interference. If its running parrallel, it can seriously effect performance. If your not having much issue though, then no big deal. Just remeber that in case you find transfers lagging a bit more then expected.
 
here we go again !!

here is the finshed back plate thingie with the power & hdd leds and the power switch.
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i assembled my hdd tray, 20g seagate, 2x 80g samsung sp
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i switched the el cheapo psu with the 350w enermax from my testing rig (nr3 in sig)
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hdd tray installed, i still need some rubber washers or similar to protect the bottom paint.
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i re sanded the panels since the paint job looked bad
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[H] sanding leads to......
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for the finer grits i used the vacuuming function of the sander, which i think leads me to better results since the sanding dust is vacuumed away from the panel.
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the finest grit i used was 400 i hoped that this would keep a somewhat brushed look.
didn't come out to bad............
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after a few coats clear paint, i couldn't resist installing the top panel to see how it looks
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now i have 3 flat ata cables in front of me, waiting to be rounded ;)

when i'm able to buy some heatshrink tomorrow i will solder the case lightning togehter.

take care
Chris
 
hi all

today i started the system for the first time
sadly something with the fastrack card is wrong
instandly after post the fastrack bios loads and this is what i get
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this is the bios setting, i even tried setting the irq for pci slot no.3 manual but that was a no go aswell :rolleyes:
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sadly i wasn't able to find any info about this board on the asus website
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maybe someone could help me out with some information.

take care
Chris
 
Looks to me like a IRQ conflict with the other pci card. Have you tried removing the other pci card ? ( I had the same problems with my hauppauge tv card conflicting with my soundblaster pci128 card ;) )
 
never use the PCI slot right under the agp... its a shared hardware address. Im surprised you got video

same goes for the IRQ to the ISA slot. but usually that causes less issues - try moving it up to the empty slot and see what happens
 
Nice build. If I were in your shoes, I'd buy a $15 case somewhere for my file server in the cellar and use this case as one of my main ones-good work!

It's almost a shame to think that this rig is going to be left where it's not seen that much. (Is that still your plan?)
 
hi, thanks for the suggestions

i tried different pci slots, diff. bios settings.....nothing
switched out the mobo to a newer one...still a no go, seems the card is dead :(
then i directly connected the hdds to the onboard controller to find out that the old board doesn't support 80g hhds.
i'm a little bit averse to use the old mobo maybe i use a msi mobo with a amd 1200xp.

today i promised a colleague at work to somewhat silence his jet engine (aka pc) a bit.
so no modding on the server today, but maybe i post images of the colleagues rig.

@ superkdogg: i will see the rig everytime i walk in the celar, which is quite often btw.
 
here i go again ;)


wow i just noticed that a month passed since my last post.
well things have changed a bit.
a lot of things keept me busy and i never get around the OS problems setting up a software raid 0.
when my router died i found something in the store i visited for buying a new one.

a nas device, raid0 out of the box :cool: , installed it where the server would have been.

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in my last post i promised pictures of the box i did for a colleague
i switched out all fan's for sleeve bearing ones @ 7V and cleaned the cable rat's nest.
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back on topic
that said i'm here with a 3/4 finished case.
i think about useing it as a sound source for my workshop audio system, playing internet radio and music over the home network, aswel as being a emergency system at lan partys. pretty much all components from rig no3 in my sig will be used. since it's new home won't be as easy accesable than the old one i will build a new testing rig later from spare parts.

ok now on to the funny part:

now i need to fit a cd drive in there. i liked the clean look of the front plate and didn't want to ruin it with a visible cd drive.
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first i marked the position of the drive on the backside of the faceplate then used the drive bezel to mark the position of the tray itself.
the i cut out enough space to allow the tray passing the faceplate.
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next step was to rewire the eject button
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works:
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i even made a short movie
http://members.kabsi.at/e4011a00/fs/fs.AVI

since the new faceplate sits flush with the case the mounting holes of the cd drive didn't fit anymore with the ones in the drive cage. so i had to come up with my own solution
first i removed the "drive holding thingies"
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now i was able to fit L-shaped aluminum profiles.
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the L-profiles were drilled and tapped to fit the drive cage mounting holes and then glued to the top of the drive itself

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if anyone is interested here is a pic of my modded enermax psu.
i removed the 92mm bottom and 80mm rear fans and replaced them with a single 120mm one. works like a charm. nearly silent.
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hopefully i will not need 1 month till the next update

take care
chris
 
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