Yeah, I'm a little crazy... A new breed of Sugo. (worklog started, pics updated 9/13, almost there!)

[craigbru]

Well, things are about to get interesting...

For while now, I've been trying to decide what my next mod will be.  I've been really anxious to start a new project, but the direction I was taking, was still undecided.  Until tonight, that is.  As the current owner of two P series Shuttles, I'd really like to purchase another Shuttle.  However, I feel that the current Shuttles are a little lacking in upgrade options.  I feel that even the new P2 released next month, may not have the expandability I'm looking for.  The most obvious solution, if I want to stay SFF, would be to get a micro-ATX case.  So, with that in mind, I purchased a Silvertone SG01 a short time ago.  A few of the benefits are obvious, but the biggest to me, is the fact that I can keep the case and still upgrade the hardware.  Now of course, I can't have just any old case, it's got to be modded!.  With the success of my first mod still fairly fresh, I've decided to up the ante in a very large way.

For the time being, I plan on using most of my existing hardware.  All parts currently in my SN26P, with the addition of an eVGA NF-44 motherboard and a Silverstone Strider ST75F power supply, will make this thing tick.  From that point on, things will get a little more involved.  Below are a few notable additions that will set this thing apart.  

* Custom aluminum faceplate
* Dual slot load DVD burners
* 7" Xenarc widescreen touch display
* 4 hard drives, 2 of which will be Raptors (Update: Due to space constraints, only 3 drives will fit)
* Custom fan speed controller
* Dual nVidia 8800 GTX's
* Last, but not least, this to cool the CPU.

Go ahead, tell me I'm crazy!  I've set myself a pretty lofty goal here, especially with the addition of the cooler, but isn't that the fun part?  While the interior of the case will require significant modification, the differences on the outside will appear to be mostly cosmetic.  I also realize that my CPU will be limiting my GPU's pretty severely for the moment, but since I run 3 monitors, it would be nice not to have to enable SLI to play a game with all the eye candy cranked up.

While this project is currently in the planning stages, I would anticipate the work starting sometime in early January.  Of course I will keep a worklog going, and update it frequently once I start.  Anyway, I'm always open to questions, comments, or criticism.

[Maturin]

Hmm.... so this cpu cooler fits in the place of a 120mm fan in a normal case? This will all be internal right? iinteresting...

So since you can upgrade mobo/cpu in the future, what are you currently looking forward to? Quad-Core?

Also, a link to your new touchscreen for us curious (read: lazy) people would be nice



Looking expensive, yet totally worth it

[craigbru]

Hmm.... so this cpu cooler fits in the place of a 120mm fan in a normal case? This will all be internal right? iinteresting...

So since you can upgrade mobo/cpu in the future, what are you currently looking forward to? Quad-Core?

Also, a link to your new touchscreen for us curious (read: lazy) people would be nice



Looking expensive, yet totally worth it

Yes, in a normal PC the cooler would fit where the 120mm fan is supposed to go.  Of course, the case is anything but normal, and the cooler is pretty massive.  Everything will fit inside the case.  If something doesn't fit, then I've done something wrong.  This mod is going to require that I start from a clean slate internally.

As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to quad core.  It's the next logical upgrade.  My hardware still has some pretty good life in it, so I don't think it will be until later next year before I look into a platform change.

The monitor I have is from here.

This may get a little expensive, but I'm hoping for a long life out of the hardware once I'm done.

[Ashtefere]

why dont you consider tilting your board like I did, having it longways then buying a 680i sli board?
You dont need to have the cables sticking out of the side, use gender changers, short cables, and a custom backplate like i did.
Im sure the sugo would have enough internal space along the bottom for a sidways full atx board?
I just put my second 7900gs and new waterblocks in last night, and it is all nice and snug. Degassing it whilst at work then I will take pics.
But yeah, once its all in there with the full atx board in a micro atx case... and you see it all working... you get all warm and fuzzy, and your face cracks into a manical grin, then there is the hysterical laughter, etc etc etc.
Anyways, I would like to see how this goes, although yeah, thos gtx's will be starving no matter what you put in. Why not GTS? Just as fast really.
-Ash

[craigbru]

I actually did consider that after a I saw your mod (which looks great, btw).  Although the board may technically fit, there are other logistical problems to overcome.  For starters, the case is a little less than 26cm in width.  A 8800 GTS alone measures in at around 24cm.  I'm not sure I'd have enough room to reroute the cables out the back of the case.  I'm also insistent that everything remain internal.  While I don't consider anything impossible, the sheer quantity of crap I'm going to shove in a small case will still be a challenge.  I've got the layout and measurements done, and everything should work well together.  One of the biggest challenges will be cooling, but I believe I've got a handle on that as well.

Why the GTX's?  They're already dropping in price.  I saw some today at $537.  I'm hoping the price will drop even further in a month or so when I'm ready to purchase.  The GTS's are great performers, to be sure, but I already know those will fit in a Sugo.  The challenge is making a card that isn't supposed to fit, fit anyway.  Of course I'll be limiting the cards, but that won't be a long term situation.  For the moment, I'm looking for outstanding performance, with a little 'wow' factor thrown in.  Most people won't have that much hardware in a full size case, let alone a SFF.  That's the challenge.  That's what I love about modding.

[Ashtefere]

craig, you are a man after my own heart!
Yes, the challenge is what draws all of us. Walking into a lan meet with a lunchbox that can fold for the entire room is always great fun too.
I had a look at a sugo and the 8800gts at work, and it would fit sideways, but you would need to remove an entire side of the case for the dvi plugs and all that.
Good luck with the mod dude and I hope someone builds a decent c2d sli matx board in future!
-Ash

[craigbru]

Thanks Ash.
It's definitely the challenge that makes it exciting.  Anything worthwhile, takes some work.  I love those moments when nothing seems to be going as planned, then "Aha!", inspiration strikes.  That is one of the best feelings in the world.  Things become clear, and you know exactly how you want it to work.  The synergy between man and metal. Throw in a little electricity, and you've got a everything I'm looking for.

At the LAN I attended last month, I had more than a few compliments on my current machine.  I suppose it's the geek equivalent of a car show.  Anyway, the next local LAN is being held at the end of February, so I fully expect the Sugo to be completed by then.  Those boys ain't seen nothing yet!

[craigbru]

Here's a little teaser of the panel I'm working on.  The layout has been changing daily, and nothing is final, but it gives you an idea of the direction that I am heading.  The only thing I am unsure of at this point, is whether or not I like the design of the vents on either side of the screen.  You can see that I plan on modding a fan speed controller in to the vent on the right.

[Ashtefere]

Thats fsking sweet man. I myself am trying to find an aluminium fabricator in darwin (hahahahah) to do me up a nice aluminium faceplate for mine. After seeing your mod, my plastic front just seems... well... a shame.
Looking nice, I like the dual slimlines you got going up the top. The four buttons/leds down the bottom, what are they for?
I remember once when I built a htpc I got a really old usb keyboard with multimedia buttons, stripped away all the plastic and wired the button contacts to some front panel buttons. Worked sweet with winamp.
Maybe you should do something like that?
-Ash

[craigbru]

Have you checked out frontpanelexpress.com?  They did the work on my first Shuttle, and they will do the Sugo as well.  The software I used to design the panel is theirs.  You design it, send it, and a few weeks later it shows up on your doorstep.

The buttons down below, belong to the the LCD for changing settings and what not.  I like your USB keyboard idea.  In fact, I would use it, but I shouldn't need it.  It's a touchscreen, ya know.   :cheese:   All I gotta do is drag media player over, and maximize!

[Ashtefere]

hahah true that.
Seems the waterblock on my primary gfx is not on right
Gotta reseat it i think.
God damnit.
-Ash

[craigbru]

Well, I've been busy ordering parts to get this project moving forward.  I've got a trio of Sunon 60mm fans, various silicone fan mounts, and other assorted noise dampening hardware, on the way as of today. This afternoon I received my SilverStone PSU and fan speed controller.  This weekend I'll get the aluminum picked up, in addition to any screws and similar hardware I might need.  There are a few other things undecided at this point, but within a week, I should have everything finalized.  Tonight I'll start stripping the case and LCD so I can my get my faceplate design finished.  Stay tuned... pics to come.

[craigbru]

As promised, here are a few pictures of the project officially starting.  This is a much bigger project than my last mod, so I don't believe I'll make progress as quickly as before.  However, I'll do what I can to keep the log updated, and my work current.

I've just started to strip the case of all the pieces I don't need.  There will be very little left by the time I'm done.  Even the drive bays will have to go.  I was hoping to get it removed, but for some reason my drill bits are missing.  Not good... lol.


My bits may be gone, but my screwdrivers aren't.  The Xenarc LCD will soon be only a shell of it's former self.  Literally.


The casing has been removed from the rear.


Have you ever wondered what the resistive panel on a touchscreen LCD looks like?  This is pretty much it.  It's a transparent sheet about 1mm thick or so.  When separated from the LCD you can see that it isn't completely clear.  The touchscreen doesn't come without a cost, as the display shows an ever-so-slight lack of definition because of it.


Here I'm just starting to cut out the template for the front panel.  This is a crucial part of the process.  The tolerances are so tight, that I've got to make sure everything aligns perfectly.  While the Sugo may be larger than my Shuttle, the amount of room for error is much less.  The LCD takes up almost every bit of available space on the panel.  It may not appear so from the front, but it's certainly evident from the rear.  I've only got about 1 mm to spare between the DVD drive and the top of the LCD.

[synexpl0it]

Whoooo!!! Pictures. Looking forward to seeing the process and results.

[craigbru]

Alright, I've been busy with other obligations, but I've got a few updates for ya.

Well, I never did find my missing drill bits, but I think these new ones will do nicely.


Here it the Sugo case completely stripped, and ready for some aluminum work.


I've started to make the brackets for the hard drives.  


You can see how the hard drives will fit on to the brackets.  The drives themselves will be mounted via vibration dampening screws and rubber washers.


In this last pic, you can get an idea of where the hard drives will be located.  My goal is to have two racks located in a stacked position on the left side of the case.  At this point, I've got to finalize the layout of my front panel and get it ordered.  Until it arrives, I won't know for sure the placement of the optical drives.  I may be limited to only 3 drives if I can't make enough room for the optical drives to mount.  I'm also going to be limited by the placement of the graphics cards.  I won't be able to get the height of the racks in the case, until I do a test fit with the motherboard and video cards in place.

[synexpl0it]

Looking good. I like the ideas. Really clean lines too!

[misfitmatt]

look amazing so far! can't wait to see what how it goes!

[yuri]

mATX.... LCD.... Sugo...
I'll give you a 5-star already.
Show me the beauty

[netfire]

Looking good. I want to see more pics.  ;-P

[craigbru]

Thanks for the compliments guys!  I'll see what I have time to get done tonight, and post a few more pics.  I've really got to get my panel done, or it's going to hold up the entire project until it arrives.  Hopefully this weekend...

On the more trivial side of things, I've been trying to think of a name for this project.  Which reminds me, why does every project need a freaking name?  Lol, just the same, I think I may have come up with one.  At the very least, I'll use it until I come up with something better.  The inspiration came from a friend who recently told me that I was putting a "lot of sh*t in a Sugo"  Well, for some reason, an acronym popped in to my head.  So, I think I'm going to call it LOSIAS (lo-sye-us).  I don't know, it's got a certain ring to it...

[InnocentCriminal]

Excellent!

A new mod to keep me entertain and inspired good work Craig! I'll give you a pint!

[craigbru]

Woohoo!  Panel has been ordered!  I should have it in about 2 weeks or so.  Until then, I've got some minor things to do.  However, most of the work will have to wait until the panel arrives.  I can't start cutting in to the case until I know the panels' exact placement.  I should be able to get my drive cages mounted, and a support for the PSU made though.  With any luck I can get that completed this weekend.  

Here's the panel as I ordered it.  For any of you looking closely, you may see 4 small gray circles that look out of place compared to the rest of the panel.  Those happen to be blind holes on the reverse side of the panel for mounting the LCD.

[misfitmatt]

so wat are you goin to do with the SN26P?

[craigbru]

I'm going to sell it as a barebones, hopefully with the LCD.  If no one wants the LCD, I'll swap the front panel back to the original, and put the LCD on my SN25P.  Frankly, it won't be of much use there, as it's just a dedicated folder.

[synexpl0it]

Nice work. I was wondering how the LCD was going to be attached; looks like you found a great idea. I can't take this suspense, lol.