Project: XeQtion - Votey's X-QPack Mod

[lozaning]

your photos arent as bad as you think...well at least compared to mine

 

[themark]

Yeah, quit moaning about the pictures. THEY'RE FINE!

Great mod, very innovative. I really want to see how you cram it all in.

 

[Votey]

Today, I cut the window to fit the smaller opening above the IO ports and PCI slots.

And I thought I would get a peek at what it looks like with that cute little face on.

I REALLY wanted to try putting all the hardware into it tonight, but my wife had to use the computer for some work stuff. Yes, we only have one computer.

I'm not really satisfied with how that custom "S-shaped" piece turned out. Maybe I'll redo it someday.
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[ColinR]

Maybe it's just because it's a different colour (or texture, and the camera makes it look a different colour). You could respray, but there's a chance that you'll have to respray the whole thing, because the whole of that side will look odd.

Or maybe it's because of the curved corners at the top, but right-angles at the sides. Not a lot can be done about that without redoing it. I'd spray it, and see if that helps enough (as that will require less hassle and downtime).

 

[brycejones]

Nice work. Your cuts all look pretty clean. I can't wait to see this one completed.

 

[1337m0dd3r]

This is looking great... keep it up.

 

[Votey]

Maybe it's just because it's a different colour (or texture, and the camera makes it look a different colour). You could respray, but there's a chance that you'll have to respray the whole thing, because the whole of that side will look odd.

Or maybe it's because of the curved corners at the top, but right-angles at the sides. Not a lot can be done about that without redoing it. I'd spray it, and see if that helps enough (as that will require less hassle and downtime).

Thanks for the input.

It's actually more because of the way it integrates with the rest of the outer shell. The windows have a sort of "bevel" around the edge that allows the visible part of the plexi to sit flush with the outside of the aluminum.

But when I cut the window in half, the "bevel" of course is not along the newly cut edge, so that custom piece, sitting on top of the plexi, is about 1 or 2 mm above the rest of the surface of the side.

I'll try spraying it before I move on to more... extreme measures I've considered. What kind of paint do you recommend? I see a lot of people using something called "vinyl dye" on here. Is that something to look into?

 

[Treyshadow]

Vinyl die may not work since it is on metal, but maybe.

Since there is already a coat of paint, rather than sanding it down and removing the orangepeel effect, try Plastikote paint.

Or take the case to your local body shop / Maaco paint shop and have it sprayed. Shouldn't be to pricey if you have them use a paint color they are already spraying that day.

 

[rogue_jedi]

so, if you short something putting it back together, we'll never know what happened? you'd better be careful...

hehe looks really nice.

 

[Votey]

so, if you short something putting it back together, we'll never know what happened? you'd better be careful...

hehe looks really nice.

That's really funny. Very clever.

And thanks.

 

[ColinR]

Thanks for the input.

...snip... "bevel" ...snip...

Ah. Looking very closely at the pic you can see this, but it wasn't immediately obvious. That is some fiiiine detail, man. Very nice. But I can see this being an issue. You could file it down by the thickness of the aluminium, but that's walking a very fine line between "looking great" and "scratching the visible part of the window". Just spray it and hope for the best.

Unless there's a more novel way of making plastic thinner without ruining the finish on part of a piece of plastic (I guess plastic is rolled to thickness when produced). Filing (to make thinner) then heating (to get the finish back even though it is hidden) maybe (perhaps protecting the visible part of the window from the heat with a sandwich of scrap aluminium).

 

[Votey]

I have considered filing down the edge of the window. I wouldn't care about the finish, because the filed down part would be hidden under metal. But, as you say, the risk of scratching the visible surface is high, and I have my doubts as to my ability to get those curves just right. I am such a damn perfectionist, I'm surprised I even started this project in the first place.

If I do ruin it in my relentless and senseless pursuit of perfection, I do still have the other half of that window. I could just start again. So there is a contingency plan with almost nothing to lose.

I could always just make a whole new window out of plexi I have lying around. Then there would be no "bevel" and everything would fit together perfectly. (Except then that window wouldn't match the other two windows. Damn you, OCD!)

Thanks for all your compliments and suggestions, fellas (and/or ladies)!

-Votey

 

[Soymilk]

is the piece of window that you cut out symmetrical?

this is an awesome mod btw, totally kickass cuz of the lack of enthusiast matx boards. the only quirk i'd have w/ it is that it might look strange after everything's put together and running cuz of all the output cables being on a side instead of the back. but then, it'd b unique, too. keep up the good work

 

[Votey]

is the piece of window that you cut out symmetrical?

this is an awesome mod btw, totally kickass cuz of the lack of enthusiast matx boards. the only quirk i'd have w/ it is that it might look strange after everything's put together and running cuz of all the output cables being on a side instead of the back. but then, it'd b unique, too. keep up the good work

Thanks.

The piece I cut out is not symmetrical. The window started out symmetrical, though. Here's a diagram of what I did:

The red lines are the axes of symmetry. The blue dotted line is the cut I made (approximately). I hope I was able to answer your question.


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[Soymilk]

ah, that makes sense.

im having conflicting hopes now: this is a cool mod, so i hope that a enthusiast board thats pretty much as good as a full atx board doesnt come out, cuz then ur mod is kinda pointless. well, u could make it into SLI but then i'd b too lazy to do a mod like this, so i want a good matx board to come out.

 

[Votey]

ah, that makes sense.

im having conflicting hopes now: this is a cool mod, so i hope that a enthusiast board thats pretty much as good as a full atx board doesnt come out, cuz then ur mod is kinda pointless. well, u could make it into SLI but then i'd b too lazy to do a mod like this, so i want a good matx board to come out.

I'm confident that it will be a long time before a mATX board comes out that is better than the DFI LanParty NF4 series.

And how many mods aren't "kinda pointless"?
The point is that it was fun to do, and I was the first one to do it.
(I think.)

 

[Votey]

Okay, another small piece of the puzzle...

Tonight I made the new back plate out of some plexi I had lying around the basement.

I'm really happy with how this part turned out. I do wish it could be more airtight. Maybe I'll get some black foam tape and try to seal it up, later.

It seems there's really nothing keeping me from putting the whole thing together, now.

 

[SodaCose]

do it!

 

[brycejones]

Nice work on that back plate.

 

[Soymilk]

if you dont want to get foam, just make a line going between the plexi and the metal stuff w/ a rubber band. well, multiple rubber bands stringed together. that'll give u an airtight fit if u do a good job with it; thats what they use for gatorade bottles and stuff. look under the cap; that blue circle that sticks out a bit is a rubber band. (underneath another layer of something, but a rubber band nonetheless)

 

[Votey]

IT'S ALIVE!!

It's only up for a minute to test some things. Sometime later I'll finish it properly, take some real photos and post a full guided tour.



Cable management in this thing is a real treat. I had to get... innovative. You'll see.

 

[brycejones]

Sweetness

 

[Soymilk]

god that is so hot. if only it took less effort to do o well... *hopes the tforce boards r uber oc'ers and DFI makes one etc etc*

 

[skudmunky]

nice, nice. more pics!

 

[Votey]

...if only it took less effort to do

Amen to that, brother. I got pretty frustrated toward the end, but it all came together.

More pics coming soon!

 

[Votey]

Here it is, done (more or less).

All comments relate to the picture(s) beneath them.

Cover off and back window removed.

...and the cover.

Here's one of the ways I tried to manage all the wiring in this case. I bent one of the aluminum drive bay "punch-outs" and put it back where it came from, making a nice little area for holding all the unused cables. You can see them through those two holes.

I secured it in place with another small piece of aluminum, bent into a sort of "C" shape. You can see it toward the back.

And you can see it in the center of this next picture, taken from another angle.

That "C" shaped piece is attached using the screw seen here in the mounting hole of the lower 5.25" drive bay. (Right above the Zalman CPU fan in this pic.) You can also see, reflected in the PSU, a hint of just how much wiring is jammed into this storage space.

Here's another place I stashed a lot of cable, behind the hard drive.

The IDE cables for the HDD and DVDRW are folded up and pressed against the bottom of the rail that runs underneath the HDD rack.

Some miscelaneous shots from various angles.

Eventually, I will find a suitable grill/mesh/whatever to cover this opening, but still allow plenty of air in. I've always been partial to "speaker grill stuff" (thin metal sheet, usually painted black, with a million tiny holes in it).

That reflective PSU just looks like a black hole in these pics.

Future plans involve drilling holes in this back window for the pop rivets, because right now the window sort of bends and bows around the rivet heads. This would allow the window to rest more flatly against the back of the case and help make the case more airtight. I'd also like to cut some intake holes in this window, with ducts directing the incoming air toward my RAM and the MB's voltage regulators and other board components. I would have to be careful to avoid sucking in air that just got expelled by the fans directly above this window. But these are things that can be done without taking any hardware out of the case, which is a big thumbs up for me.

Just in case I get called out for having an 80GB in my PC when the sig says 160GB... I'm just dreading all the work involved in swapping out the drives.

Put back together, hooked up, switched on, oh yes.

 

[inthewolfden]

Ya'll need ta reconize this foo gettin mad crazy.

English Translation: Everyone, take heed. This guy can cut stuff good.

Considering that this is his first real modding project, I am amazed at how well it went. When I first talked to him about doing this, I was a little sceptical that it would happen. Some of you have commented about this taking a long time to do, but I am on the opposite side of the spectrum. I figured it would take quite a more time than it did. I am impressed. I wish I still had my XQPack. I should get some props though, because I was the one who introduced Votey to the XQPack. Without me, his PC would still build inside the tank in his toilet - free water cooling...

Makes we want to grab something sharp and cut things...

 

[Soymilk]

votey, u know what u must do now.

...mail me that qpack.

actually, oc that sucker and post temps

 

[Votey]

Thanks, wolfie. Wolf Blitzer. Sniper Wolf. Beowolf. Wolford Brimley. ...and so forth.

Yes, the wolf is the friend I referred to in the original post in this thread.

I feel like I have to warn you all that the X-QPack is kind of a piece of crap as a case. The HDD LED does not work (check the SFF forum for others with this problem), the front audio ports don't work (at least with my MB), the front USB ports don't work (again, could be just my MB, but I doubt it).

I didn't bother plugging in the temp sensors.

If anyone shows me what I'm doing wrong, and these components actually do work as advertised, then I will post a retraction with lots of sad faces and stuff. 8^(

With that said, as the base for a mod, the X-QPack excels. It's the perfect size for almost any hardware, all aluminum construction makes perfect cuts SUPER easy, and it does look really cool.

One lesson I learned is to order the non-windowed version and make your own windows, this would have been so much easier.

Another lesson is that if you do have windows, check them all before cutting one of them, or else you could end up cutting a flawless window in half while keeping a scratched-in-shipment window for the other side of the case. Yes, I did this.

Anyway, I hope people enjoy looking at this project, and I hope to have the time and ambition to continue improving this mod until it's truly finished. (never)

oc that sucker and post temps

Good idea, I will do that as soon as I can, Soymilk.

 

[rogue_jedi]

same to you, pal!


which sony headphones are those? at first glance, they looked like my 280s, but they aren't... i think i've used some similar headphones.

 

[Votey]

I didn't even notice that!

I'll check on those headphones when I get home.

 

[Votey]

The headphones are MDR-V600. I've had them for years.

 

[brasherman]

Double thumbs up to a great first mod by a fellow michigander and a post from another kzoo [H] member.

Looks great, and I had a thought on your window bevels. When I do body work, a lot of the time you use pieces of the leftover panels to fill elsewhere if you need it (like mirror holes and such). What you may have been able to do was find someone to help you and cut the old lower portion in half vertically and keep the bevels. Does that make sense? You could always use the old lower part to remake the new lower part. But all in all a very nice job in the cuts and thought you put into this. One thing though: This is the reason I build a new machine and move my old stuff to the lady's machine. Then when mine's down, I am not getting yelled at!

 

[Votey]

Double thumbs up to a great first mod by a fellow michigander and a post from another kzoo [H] member.

Looks great, and I had a thought on your window bevels. When I do body work, a lot of the time you use pieces of the leftover panels to fill elsewhere if you need it (like mirror holes and such). What you may have been able to do was find someone to help you and cut the old lower portion in half vertically and keep the bevels. Does that make sense? You could always use the old lower part to remake the new lower part. But all in all a very nice job in the cuts and thought you put into this. One thing though: This is the reason I build a new machine and move my old stuff to the lady's machine. Then when mine's down, I am not getting yelled at!

Thanks for the compliments and advice, brasherman!

Here's that OC/temp stuff I promised:

 

[rogue_jedi]

The headphones are MDR-V600. I've had them for years.

ah, that's why they look familiar. i was using the mdr-v900s for awhile. sennheiser 280s pwn them the 900s are very similar (looking) to those, just silver.

very nice OC btw.

 

[rainman]

Votey,

You inspired me. I've been looking for a nice small case for my new computer (which until now was sitting on the DFI box running in the open). So I got an X-QPack silver with no window. I have now stuffed my computer in and just need to make that dreaded cut in the case lid.

How did you make such a nice cut?

 

[PC-HAngover]

I feel like I have to warn you all that the X-QPack is kind of a piece of crap as a case. The HDD LED does not work (check the SFF forum for others with this problem), the front audio ports don't work (at least with my MB), the front USB ports don't work (again, could be just my MB, but I doubt it).

Well, my front USB ports work just fine, as well as my HDD light. However, my power on light does not work, because the connector is a 3 prong, and my P.O.S. ECS RS480-M is designed for a 2 pin, argh.

BTW. Awesome mod! I was thinking of doing something similar because I can't stand the shitty ECS RS480-M any longer. But then I realized that the new T-Force mobos are coming out soon, so I will stick to mATX, for now.

 

[Votey]

Votey,

You inspired me. I've been looking for a nice small case for my new computer (which until now was sitting on the DFI box running in the open). So I got an X-QPack silver with no window. I have now stuffed my computer in and just need to make that dreaded cut in the case lid.

How did you make such a nice cut?

Thanks rainman. Good luck on your mod! Give us a worklog, we love pics!

The cut in the side of the case was made with some combination of a Dremel with cutting wheel, a jigsaw with a fine-metals blade, this set of files, and luck. Oops, I forgot sandpaper! I also used 200 or 300 grit sandpaper.

Well, my front USB ports work just fine, as well as my HDD light. However, my power on light does not work, because the connector is a 3 prong, and my P.O.S. ECS RS480-M is designed for a 2 pin, argh.

BTW. Awesome mod! I was thinking of doing something similar because I can't stand the shitty ECS RS480-M any longer. But then I realized that the new T-Force mobos are coming out soon, so I will stick to mATX, for now.

Thanks!

The USB ports on my Antec case worked just fine with this same MB, so I know the problem is with the QPack. I'm thinking of swapping them out, and putting the Antec's ports into the Aspire. As for the front audio, I don't know what's going on. My front audio pins on my MB had two jumpers on them, which I had to remove to plug in the cable, of course. But when I did, the L/R front channels in my 5.1 setup went dead, and the front headphone jack was also silent. I tried NVSwap, but that was no help. Only when I removed the cable and plugged the jumpers back in did the sound come back.

I just had a thought: As I said, I didn't bother plugging in the front temp display thing. Maybe if you don't plug in the temperature display's power connector, the front ports don't work...?

 

[PC-HAngover]

Thanks!

The USB ports on my Antec case worked just fine with this same MB, so I know the problem is with the QPack. I'm thinking of swapping them out, and putting the Antec's ports into the Aspire. As for the front audio, I don't know what's going on. My front audio pins on my MB had two jumpers on them, which I had to remove to plug in the cable, of course. But when I did, the L/R front channels in my 5.1 setup went dead, and the front headphone jack was also silent. I tried NVSwap, but that was no help. Only when I removed the cable and plugged the jumpers back in did the sound come back.

I just had a thought: As I said, I didn't bother plugging in the front temp display thing. Maybe if you don't plug in the temperature display's power connector, the front ports don't work...?

Hmm you might be on to something. I say give it a shot and let us know. I have mine plugged in, but I don't use the temp monitor, so they are just wrapped up and stuck up front. I never even tried using my front audio ports, because I use the Creative 7.1 speaker system, I just plug my headphones into my control pod.

Let us know how it works, doubtful that it will, but hey, anything is possible!

 

[Votey]

Well, PC-HAngover, I didn't try that idea out, but you're right, it's highly unlikely.

I did redo some wiring that was bothering me. The fan's power wires were ugly, so I hid them. And I cut off the HDD's IDE cable at the slave connector, pulled off the slave connector, and replaced it with the master connector.

Put it all back together and, to my astonishment, it worked perfectly.

Now I'm toying with the idea of replacing some or all of the blue LEDs in that rear fan with UV ones, to really make that Ultra-D show its stuff.