Installing consoles in PC Cases

[Alir]

I have had an interesting idea: to mod my Xbox 360 by replacing the xbox 360 case (or any console for that matter, but I have an xbox 360) with a PC case. My reason being the obvious. It makes it easier to dust the inside and the console is ridiculously more quiet.

 

Searching for this online shows that I'm not the first person with this idea (duh).

 

What do you people think though? Good idea or bad idea?

 

I remember reading many years ago that taking the console case off tears a kind of electric strip which bricks the console. Is this true? I tried confirming with a Microsoft employee and he confirmed this. Though I think he just didn't want me to do it as it's against their policy.

[C1intFunWood]

I've seen people that water cool their 360s (I know right? completely pointless) But that may be for only some models.

[Clear17Mud]

Well then I have bricked my 360 many times... If you do break a ribbon calbe...just by a new one or don't break them...

[zinton]

There are alot of mods online of people putting xboxs in other cases. As long as you have some micro electronics experience (e.g. soldering, working with multimeter, basic understanding of circuits). Then you should be fine. Just know it is a bit of a project to undertake and nothing will fit together perfectly and its %90 Jerry Rigging. I speak from some experience doing the opposite that you did, putting a gaming PC inside a Xbox360 case. 

[Slyhawk]

there was a guide on the forum where the person did a PC 360 ps3 and ps4 all in one but can find the thread.

[Alir]

Well then I have bricked my 360 many times... If you do break a ribbon calbe...just by a new one or don't break them...

 

lol I assumed that there was a microsoft-only way to open it without breaking such ribbon thing.

 

I mean that if this ribbon breaks, then the OS would immediately recognise and brick your machine.

 

So can I safely assume this isn't true? And would placing the xbox 360 components into a PC case be as simple as a standard PC build? Or would it require getting in deep with saws and drills?

[C1intFunWood]

lol I assumed that there was a microsoft-only way to open it without breaking such ribbon thing.

 

I mean that if this ribbon breaks, then the OS would immediately recognise and brick your machine.

 

So can I safely assume this isn't true? And would placing the xbox 360 components into a PC case be as simple as a standard PC build? Or would it require getting in deep with saws and drills?

Saws and Drills, there isn't mounting holes that match the proprietary board in the Xbox

[Alir]

There are alot of mods online of people putting xboxs in other cases. As long as you have some micro electronics experience (e.g. soldering, working with multimeter, basic understanding of circuits). Then you should be fine. Just know it is a bit of a project to undertake and nothing will fit together perfectly and its %90 Jerry Rigging. I speak from some experience doing the opposite that you did, putting a gaming PC inside a Xbox360 case. 

 

Why would you put a pc in an xbox 360 case? Was it just for fun/for the sake of it?

I mean the cooling is absolutely horrific. I'm not surprised consoles break so easily nowadays.

 

But yeah I have none of the above experience you mention in regards to electronics. I'm just a typical late teen who has built one PC and that's it.

[Alir]

Saws and Drills, there isn't mounting holes that match the proprietary board in the Xbox

 

Damn corporations making stuff harder for modders. grrr

[zinton]

Why would you put a pc in an xbox 360 case? Was it just for fun/for the sake of it?

I mean the cooling is absolutely horrific. I'm not surprised consoles break so easily nowadays.

 

But yeah I have none of the above experience you mention in regards to electronics. I'm just a typical late teen who has built one PC and that's it.

Yeah pretty much, gaming PC in an xbox, had an i3 and 750ti in it. Looked awesome (just a like normal xbox) but there was SOME KIND of issue with the graphics pcie extension ribbon kinda like the ones the Linus and luke have used in a couple of their funky builds. Although for some reason no matter what I couldn't get mine to stop crashing, so eventually I disassembled it and now it sits on top of a motherboard box serving as my desktop now. Rant over. 

But yeah you will no doubt have to solder at least the power button to the outside of the case and maybe do some witchcraft to get the dvd drive mounted elsewhere. Then there is the issue of custom mounting the board, and if its an original xbox360 then you'll have to solder some fan connections. 

[Clear17Mud]

lol I assumed that there was a microsoft-only way to open it without breaking such ribbon thing.

 

I mean that if this ribbon breaks, then the OS would immediately recognise and brick your machine.

 

So can I safely assume this isn't true? And would placing the xbox 360 components into a PC case be as simple as a standard PC build? Or would it require getting in deep with saws and drills?

There is no ribbon just a warebtee sticker... I had always heard that it would detector a screw was lose it would lock your. Console... Also not true.