Apple G5 modded with a twist

[toddfx]

A small update today.

Here is the G5 radiator which I will be utilizing. I unfortunately crushed some of the top (actually it's the bottom but I'll be using it inverted) while dismantling the original fixture. Apple used well over 50 screws to hold the rest of the CPU/cooling fixture together, but for some reason they GLUED the radiator to it's bracket. I was too hasty in trying to pry it off, so I was left with some crushed fins. I might try to repair it, I might not. Regardless, the top of the whole thing will get sanded down to remove all those markings and the remaining glue residue.

The beauty of using the G5 radiator is that the G5 fan shroud fits perfectly. The bracket here was not originally used exactly for the purpose of marrying the two like this, but it fortunately fits nearly perfectly.

Just a couple of screws and voila.

It also happens to have a bracket on the other side too which fits perfectly inside the shroud. Again, it was not originally intended to work this way but luck would have it that it will work for me here. I don't want to drill through it (to keep the clean look), so perhaps I can use some JB Weld to attach a mounting screw to the inside lip of the shroud.

Lines up pretty nicely, and the best part is that I'll still be able to use the old G5 aluminum hood.

I also got the new motherboard in the mail. I trimmed down my back-plate to fit MicroATX.

And the motherboard standoffs.

Here are a couple of shots of the new arrangement.

I'll be mounting a pump on the bottom of the case, but the mystery of where to put the reservoir remains. I don't think I have any space for a vertical resevoir, so I am looking for one that functions horizontally. Any suggestions?

EDIT: It is unfortunate to see that this motherboard is photographing as brown, just as I was worried about. The brown effect is minimized in person, but exaggerated in the photos. We'll just see how it goes as more components are added.

EDIT 02: The black RAM I ordered from Newegg arrived as green RAM! So I have submitted for an exchange order for properly black memory. In-case this falls through, does anybody know of any other verifiable black circuited memory?

 

[lillimon04]

Looks nice man. Great idea. I wish I could get to full G5s!

 

[toddfx]

forgive me if this was already stated but is this going to be a hackintosh project?

Negative. I'll be running either Windows or Linux. I only say Linux because I think it would be interesting to have that additional level of frankenstein

 

[mannyman]

That looks Spectacular.

 

[Deleted member 82943]

man this is shaping up nicely! can't wait for more updates. Also, being able to use the apple w/c is awesome!

 

[Thor]

in my experience, you want your res to be as high up on the loop as possible. so either right behind your vid card, or right behind your psu. seeing as how right behind the psu is where you optical is supposed to go, i would put it behind your vid card...

no doubt you will be using a copper block, how are you going to deal with the difference in metals?

 

[wwischerath]

There are several reservoirs that utilize 5.25 bays, so maybe one of those up top?

 

[toddfx]

in my experience, you want your res to be as high up on the loop as possible. so either right behind your vid card, or right behind your psu. seeing as how right behind the psu is where you optical is supposed to go, i would put it behind your vid card...

no doubt you will be using a copper block, how are you going to deal with the difference in metals?

Great, thanks for the reservoir tip! This is only my second water cooling build, and my first one was just an XSPC kit. So I am very much still a water cooling newbie when it comes to the finer details.

It does seem like behind the GFX card would be the most naturally fitting position. The only thing I worry about though is blocking airflow. I only intend to water cool the CPU (for budget reasons, unfortunately), so there will be an intake fan supplying air to the GFX card through that passage. Although a cylindrical reservoir might be aerodynamic enough to be ok in there, as long as the diameter isn't too large.

Another location that crossed my mind would be "hovering" out in space over the motherboard's PCI slots. I do still intend to mount two 92mm exhaust fans back there though, so you'd still get airflow interference.

There are several reservoirs that utilize 5.25 bays, so maybe one of those up top?

You've got me thinking about the optical drive space and some workarounds for that delima if I did choose to put the reservoir there. I'll need to study my case after work tonight.

 

[JMccovery]

Would a Mini ITX board be a better fit for the case, since it would make it easier for you to run that flexible PCI-E connector?

 

[toddfx]

I took a look at the case last night and was contemplating what could be done about the reservoir placement. I am intrigued by the thought of wwischerath's suggestion.

My first thought was: Use a slim optical drive and place it elsewhere to free up that upper compartment. How about mounting the slim optical drive in one of the extra PCI slots? I don't have measurements on hand, but from memory it seems like it would fit. Only con is that it is not exactly practical to have a DVD tray in the rear of the case. The un-conventional-ness of this idea does seem fitting to the spirit of this project, though.

Second thought: Ditch optical all-together. I don't know about you guys, but I use my optical drive maybe once a month, plus I own an external USB optical drive for general use. If it isn't being used as a home media PC then why even have an internal optical? Is it really worth the massive amount of space that a optical drive takes up in this case when it could be utilized for more important things? Imagine the reservoir up top in place of the optical drive, with the drive bay cover removed to act as a window open to the liquid.

There are plenty of half length 5.25'' bay reservoirs , so there would also be room for a pump. Cutting passages for tube routing is the only part that scares me though. Cutting those panels has already been the most difficult part of this mod. Plus it would add a lot of exra length to the tubing which might not really be necessary.

Lastly, I got to thinking more about how I could mount a reservoir near the GFX card. Both the GFX card and the prospective fan actually sit fairly deep. There is a 8 cm deep by 13 cm wide by 7 cm tall space to the left of the GFX card that wold not block much airflow. It could take some tricky shopping to find a reservoir that would fit and also have proper barb placement, but I think it's possible.

Anyway, just wanted to share my thought process. Sorry for the amount of writing and lack of photos here! I'll upload some diagrams if my rambling is not making sense.

 

[toddfx]

Would a Mini ITX board be a better fit for the case, since it would make it easier for you to run that flexible PCI-E connector?

I just downsized to a MicroATX, which seems to work pretty well. I tested the PCIe Extender and it reaches with some slack to spare. I'll post pictures soon.

 

[wwischerath]

You could put that reservoir on the same shelf as the GPU. Turn it so it faces out and you can fill it with the side panel taken off. Check it during case cleaning. Still could put in the ODD, if you like. Basically agreeing with the idea of near the GPU. Seems like the best space for it.

BTW, you got me intrigued with doing an Apple case as well. Either a G4 or a G4 Cube. I am fascinated with making small ,but powerful, computer.

 

[colinstu]

WOW!

Just stumbled across this worklog and fuck... You are doing an AWESOME job.

Soo much better then the people that just cut off the whole back and throw in a motherboard tray.

You're keeping it true, I love it! Props man, can't wait to see more.

 

[Deleted member 82943]

You could put that reservoir on the same shelf as the GPU. Turn it so it faces out and you can fill it with the side panel taken off. Check it during case cleaning. Still could put in the ODD, if you like. Basically agreeing with the idea of near the GPU. Seems like the best space for it.

BTW, you got me intrigued with doing an Apple case as well. Either a G4 or a G4 Cube. I am fascinated with making small ,but powerful, computer.

the cube would be an interesting mod project

 

[toddfx]

Right about now is when I start kicking myself for deciding to do liquid cooling haha. Even with lower end items, I easily break the $200 barrier. Oh well...it's only money, right?

Here are the components I'm currently considering.

And here is a mock-up of how the water cooling could work if it were located near the GFX card. The parts are roughly to scale. Notice how much airflow clearance there is beneath the WC parts, which is great news.

 

[baldrik]

Is that radiator aluminum? And your block is copper?

 

[toddfx]

Is that radiator aluminum? And your block is copper?

I did not realize the harm that comes with that. I suppose I will reconsider, unless there is some work-around I should be aware of.

Also, realized the pump I previously chose will not work with my 3/8'' ID tube rating (set by the G5 radiator).

 

[baldrik]

You can get a top to that pump that will allow you to use different size fittings. There are also reserviors that can mount to that pump that will also allow the use of different fittings. IIRC, sidewinder takes original tops to the D5 pumps and threads them as well to allow the use of fittings.

As far as the aluminum radiator...I don't know what to tell you. Aluminum with copper is a big no-no though as the metals are different enough that one will act as an anode and the other as cathode.

 

[Deleted member 82943]

does that mean a risk of electrocution?

 

[wwischerath]

any dissimilar metals used with an electrolyte (the coolant) will cause galvanic action. Simple solution is to use a sacrificial material. Just for the record, your car has been doing the same thing for years. Brass radiators, aluminum heater cores, iron blocks, and antifreeze. This is why regular service is important. And unless I am mistaken, current water cooling stuff is aluminum radiator and copper clock. Just keep it maintained and you should be fine.

As for electrocution, well, while there is voltage present, you would need a meter to see how much.

 

[toddfx]

You can get a top to that pump that will allow you to use different size fittings. There are also reserviors that can mount to that pump that will also allow the use of different fittings. IIRC, sidewinder takes original tops to the D5 pumps and threads them as well to allow the use of fittings.

Awesome, I found the adapter for the pump. Thanks for the heads up on that! The configuration of that pump is perfect for my setup, and no other pumps suit my fancy for the price, so I was bummed when I realized I couldn't use it.

As far as the aluminum radiator...I don't know what to tell you. Aluminum with copper is a big no-no though as the metals are different enough that one will act as an anode and the other as cathode.

Is this true even if you are using non-conductive fluid with an anti-corrosive additive?

 

[wwischerath]

Is this true even if you are using non-conductive fluid with an anti-corrosive additive that is specifically geared for preventing galvanic corrosion?

If the fluid is truly non conductive, then it is not an electrolyte. I am going to resist getting really chemical here. The coolant manufacturer knows about the different metals being used and thats why they use the additives. The additives reduce its ability to be conductive. Thats why companies like Corsair and Antec warrant their stuff for 5 years. Without any maintenance they should last at least that long.

 

[baldrik]

Is this true even if you are using non-conductive fluid with an anti-corrosive additive?

I actually don't know. Someone more informed than I will have to answer that.

 

[swatbat]

Interesting. Looking good so far.

 

[jackofalltrades]

A small update today.

Here is the G5 radiator which I will be utilizing. I unfortunately crushed some of the top (actually it's the bottom but I'll be using it inverted) while dismantling the original fixture. Apple used well over 50 screws to hold the rest of the CPU/cooling fixture together, but for some reason they GLUED the radiator to it's bracket. I was too hasty in trying to pry it off, so I was left with some crushed fins. I might try to repair it, I might not. Regardless, the top of the whole thing will get sanded down to remove all those markings and the remaining glue residue.

The beauty of using the G5 radiator is that the G5 fan shroud fits perfectly. The bracket here was not originally used exactly for the purpose of marrying the two like this, but it fortunately fits nearly perfectly.

Just a couple of screws and voila.

It also happens to have a bracket on the other side too which fits perfectly inside the shroud. Again, it was not originally intended to work this way but luck would have it that it will work for me here. I don't want to drill through it (to keep the clean look), so perhaps I can use some JB Weld to attach a mounting screw to the inside lip of the shroud.

Lines up pretty nicely, and the best part is that I'll still be able to use the old G5 aluminum hood.

I also got the new motherboard in the mail. I trimmed down my back-plate to fit MicroATX.

And the motherboard standoffs.

Here are a couple of shots of the new arrangement.

I'll be mounting a pump on the bottom of the case, but the mystery of where to put the reservoir remains. I don't think I have any space for a vertical resevoir, so I am looking for one that functions horizontally. Any suggestions?

EDIT: It is unfortunate to see that this motherboard is photographing as brown, just as I was worried about. The brown effect is minimized in person, but exaggerated in the photos. We'll just see how it goes as more components are added.

EDIT 02: The black RAM I ordered from Newegg arrived as green RAM! So I have submitted for an exchange order for properly black memory. In-case this falls through, does anybody know of any other verifiable black circuited memory?

Is it just me or is the radiator not parallel to the components? Not fault finding and I truly love the case mod, just saying it doesn't look straight to me.

 

[toddfx]

Is it just me or is the radiator not parallel to the components? Not fault finding and I truly love the case mod, just saying it doesn't look straight to me.

Probably isn't in that photo. It's just set in there right now I haven't created mounting points to get it attached directly to the case yet. I'll do my best to square it all up once I get it in there for real.

Good eye though.

 

[snefan]

interesting! /sub'd

 

[toddfx]

Welp, finally got the water cooling gear in the mail. I killed so much time this week researching, planning, sketching, double-checking, and considering alternatives for each of the WC parts. I finally settled on most of the same stuff that I had listed in my previous post. Only exception is that I ended up going with this Koolance reservoir nozzle base instead of the Bitspower one, as this one offers more flexibility for nozzle placement.

I've also been talking more with a local company about doing the anodizing. I'm going to try to get it done next week, if all goes according to plan. Getting the case anodized is the next major hurdle, so once I get that finished, I can finally make some true progress on getting this thing assembled for final. The anodize will be a hardcoat which naturally produces a dark gun-metal grey color.

They don't sell spray paint within Chicago city limits, so this weekend I am going to drive out of town to buy some matte black and some red for some of the internal accents. I also need to experiential with sanding/brushing some of the aluminum accents as well.

 

[Deleted member 82943]

your attention to detail is superb, cant wait to see what is done

 

[fventura03]

wow this is amazing!

 

[toddfx]

Ok WOW guys sorry for the lack of updates here. Life really caught up with me this month. I don't remember the last time I left work before sunset!

But not to fear, the mod is not dead! In fact I have some excellent news:

-No photos yet but the motherboard tray is now totally FINISHED and MOUNTED to the chassis. You can see photos of the tray and 2'' stand-offs earlier in the thread. I'll post more photos of that once I get to mounting my new radiator, which leads me to:

-Water cooling parts have arrived! AND a new radiator!

CPU seated:

And CPU block installed:

And a closeup of some beautiful black RAM...

In other news, I ordered some matte black and matte red spray paint as well as some primer. Fan shrouds will be black while fan blades will be red. Other components (PSU case) will be matte black as well.

And the final piece of good news: I have the whole week off of work next week. I'll be out of town for the first half, but I have five free days at home before I return to work! I've made it my goal to get this thing 95% finished.

The BIGGEST hurdle is still getting it anodized. I am going to contact the company again this week and pull the trigger on scheduling a time to take it in next week.

Anyway, just wanted to let everybody know this project is very much still ALIVE and if all goes according to plan, on course to being relatively complete sooner than later!

 

[colinstu]

Black PCB is so hot looking

 

[mannyman]

Very nice! Cant wait for completion!

 

[toddfx]

So yeah case is back from the anodizer!

The shade of grey is PERFECT and exactly what I expected. It looks much more smooth and durable than a paint job would of. I'm very glad I went with the hardcoat anodize, and for $125 it isn't bad.

Only problem is obvious: it still has the Apple logo on it...

I was told before being anodized that it would go through an etching process which would remove a layer of material from the case, including any existing anodize The guy told me that glue residue and anything on the surface would get removed, so I guess I figured that a light coating of paint would as well. Wrong! Oh well.

Here it is next to my other stock G5, for color comparison.

I mean it certainly looks cool, but Having the apple logo is not exactly what I had in mind. Oh well, I am not worrying about it right now. I am going to move forward with putting it together, and will brainstorm solutions to this issue later on. Perhaps it is just a matter of putting some decorative piece on the side. I don't want to cut it, and I'd rather not paint it.

I dunno, i'll do some brainstorming. Any ideas?

More pics of the anodize and case to come tonight or this weekend!

 

[colinstu]

Looks AWESOME!

Does the logo really bother you that much? Painting, cutting, or covering it up would ruin the case IMO.

I'd say to just leave it alone. Unless you can talk to those anodizer guys and ask if they can etch it more

 

[fluke420]

Yummy, Daisy Cutter.

 

[toddfx]

Here are some more shots of the andoized case. I know my lighting and camera (iPhone) sucks, but hopefully you get the picture...

I guess truthfully the Apple logo doesn't bother me so much.

I'm glad all the labels on the rear panel remained intact. I also like the contrast of the steel nuts & raw aluminium of the inner bezel against the gun metal grey case. I know it is hard to tell in these photos, I will try to get some better lighting once things start to become assembled.

Here is a diagram of my current loop plan:

Kind of wondering if I should get a larger radiator now?

Yummy, Daisy Cutter.

Oh yes my favorite!

 

[colinstu]

Looks fuckin boss!

Can't wait to see it come along.

 

[Motzinator]

Kind of wondering if I should get a larger radiator now?

Its only cooling the cpu, so that size will be ok

 

[toddfx]

Finally made some solid progress this weekend...

I started by taking all the fans apart and spray painting them.

I'll admit I am not the best painter and should of first tested my skills on something else. My first attempt really botched the rear exhaust fan mount, but luckily I had backups. I started shredding the second G5 for parts, which was not my initial plan but there isn't much else to do with it anyway.

This is my second attempt:

I also took the PSU apart and painted the case & fan. Actually I combined two fans here because I wanted to keep the black shroud of the stock PSU fan, but liked the shape of the blades of this other clear fan. I love how universal this stuff is.

Unfortunately I am a little lacking on process photos this time around, but here is the completed assembly:

I also created a bracket for the radiator by recycling 4 old PCI slot covers. These will be mounted to an additional U-shaped bracket which will attach it to the case. I've already completed that, but do not have any other pictures at the moment:

Now that the fans are complete, I can finally mount the whole exhaust assembly and call the rear I/O panel COMPLETED!

Wow it feels good to actually have something crossed off my list.

The green clips in the above photo are holding on a plate while JB Weld sets. During the anodize process, the threaded holes where PCI cards get attached got damaged (disintegrated in fact). So I fabricated a new plate (using another spare PCI slot cover!), tapped some holes, and JB Weld'd it on there.

Also, I bought a cheap red graphics card: MSI GeForce 8400. Certainly not a powerhouse but for the purpose of this build it is suitable.

If I manage to make it home from work before sunset, I'll take some brighter more clear photos of this stuff. iPhone + 2 light bulbs = barf.