Old case revival

[Alice in game]

Backstory

About 14 years ago, I bought my first computer from a friend that was building a new computer for himself. Two years later, it badly broke and the power supply, mother board or cpu and graphic card died. The Ram was still good, but it was DDR 1 ans new board where DDR 2, so I also had to change it. The only parts I had left were an ugly white case, an HDD and a CD burner. As I had to get a new power supply, I ended up getting a PSU/Case combo, that was something like 30$ more than a PSU alone. So along with the required parts, and a second HDD, I got a nice Raidmax Scorpio 868 Blue case. In the year after, I changed the CD burner for a DVD burner.
About seven years ago, I wanted to upgrade a bit as my Windows XP system was getting slow after some updates. The parts I got then is was I still use today, motherboard, i7 processor, 6Gb of DDR 3, graphic card, power supply (as the old one was not compatible), a SATA DVD burner (damn that IDE one costed like 200$ back then) and a new HDD to replace my first 30Gb one.
Since then, I changed the two 80mm fan that was in the case when I got it and added high capacity HDD (and removed an old one that died).
On the outside, I got a soud system years ago, I flat screen, a random keyboard to replace my 14 years old white Mitsui one that I got with my first computer, and a soon dead Microsoft mice that I have to change.

 

Build goal

As I always did, I want to keep as much parts as possible and I also want to make sure that the new parts I get will be usable with the components of my next build. Right now, my goal is to upgrade the cooling and the apsect of the case, but in the long term, core will most likely be upgraded.
I use my computer daily use, as a mediaserver for Kodi when I watch movies and for casual gaming (like minecraft and old games).

 

Parts

All new parts will be added here.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Other: RAIDMAX SCORPIO 868 BLUE ATX W/SIDE WINDOW

Motherboard: Asus P6T ATX LGA1366 Motherboard 

CPU: Intel Core i7-920 2.66Ghz Quad-Core Processor 

Memory: Corsair XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory 

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1GB Video Card 

Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 250GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (OS drive)

Storage: Western Digital Green 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 

Optical Drive: Pioneer DVR-218LBK DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) 

Monitor: LG Flatron W2553VQV 
Keyboard: Dell y-u0003-del5
Mouse: Microsoft Comfort Mouse 3000
Speakers: Altec Lansing 5100

 

CPU Cooler: Scythe SCKC-3000 97.2 CFM CPU Cooler
Case Fan: Scythe GlideStream 120 mm PWM Fan (SY1225HB12M-P) x2

Case Fan: Scythe Kama PWM Fan 9 cm (DFS922512M-PWM)

Cable: OWLTECH OWL-CBPU053 4 way PWM splitter

 

Update log

• Cooling upgrade

 

Future Update

• New front pannel
  • Start disucssing the design here
• New Bluray, front usb and audio jack
• Case painting
  • Going for a black and red theme
• Change side pannel window
  • Yes, there is a hole in it righ now
• New Mouse/Keyboard
• SSD or M.2 boot drive
• Full modular PSU
  • With custom cables

 

Parts needed

• 5x vented PCI slots
• 92mm metal fan grill
• HDD cage with tray for 5 HDD
• 2x 120mm fan filter

Conclusion

This is an ongoing project, I will post updates of what I did. I am really open to suggestions, but if you are suggesting parts, please keep in mind my goal and use and please tell what would be the benefit for me to do these uprades.

[Alice in game]

Cooling upgrade 

Introduction

After my Windows 10 upgrade, I was no longer able to install the Asus software that was controlling my fan and it was getting a bit noisy witht that stock cooler. So I wanted to make it more quiet, so the obvious choice was to get new fan.

First I looked at new cases and ended up realising that all the new case are way bigger than my actual one, and that almost none could fit 5 HDD as mine can. So I decided to look carefully at my case, take mesurement, check parts, then I decided on a couple of changes that I will have to do to the case to finish the build. On the long term, there is other things that I would like to change, but I do not want to trow away a properly working part just for fun, I need to have a reason to change it.
The first goal is to improve the cooling, so the chalenge was to figure out how to improve the airflow and to fit a modern cooler in such a small case. I decided to remove the 80mm side intake fan, replace the 80mm exhaust back pannel fan by a 92mm one and add two 120mm fan in front. Of course, that's harder to do than to say. The back hole and mounting points are for a smaller fan, so I have to enlage the hole in the back, there is now a hole in my side pannel, so I will have to replace the acrylic window in the side pannel. And the most chalenging, remove two 5.25" bay, make place for the two fan (the case have holes for two 80mm fan in front of the HDD, no place for a single 120mm), and finally, custom cut an acrylic panel to create a new custom front panel.

 

Parts

The fist challenge was to select the parts. As the case is 200mm large, It can fit 160mm tall cooler max. I looked at many coolers and I ended up choosing the Scythe Kama Cross 3. Why ? Because it's 147mm high, can fit on my curent cpu and also on most recent ones, good ram clearance, Japanese company, and they also make good fan (It only matter as I like to have many things from the same brand). Also because it's cool. I chose all PWM fan that are hooked to the CPU fan connector of the motherboard using a 4 way splitter.

 

CPU Cooler: Scythe SCKC-3000 97.2 CFM CPU Cooler
Case Fan: Scythe GlideStream 120 mm PWM Fan (SY1225HB12M-P) x2

Case Fan: Scythe Kama PWM Fan 9 cm (DFS922512M-PWM)

Cable: OWLTECH OWL-CBPU053 4 way PWM splitter

 

Required step

• Cut a hole and drill mounting for the back 92mm fan
• Remove the front decorative pannel
• Cut the front metal plate to fit the 120mm fan
• Remove the 5.25" bay tray
• Cut the floppy disk/hdd cage to fit the fan
• Cut a custom plexy for temporary front pannel and install new power/reset switch
• Install the fan and cooler

 

Pictures

With side Panel on, I have to change the acrylic pannel and you can noticed that I cutted the S shaped part fron the original case. The strap is an accessory that I got with my IKEA desk, it's used to strap the computer on the desk leg (so even if my case feet are broken, I do not neet it as the computer do not touch the floor).

Yes, the front pannel is not that great now, I will make a new one. But you can see that I hat to cut the slot for the bottom fan and enlage the hole for the top one as the floppy bay was goint about 1 inch higher. 

Side view with the side pannel off. The cable management is not bad considering the case is not designed to have a great cable management. I want to sleeve the front pannel cables and maybe move the sata cable and the power button led power cable to the front of the case. It might require some improvised cable management solution.
You can see that the hard drive case was cutted. Now its pretty unstable when there is no disk in.

I never had a cpu cooler that big befre. I like it. However, I would like to have a full modular psu to make custom lenght cable to improve the cable management and get rid of that nest of wire.

The Sata cables are hiding behind the HDD. I would like to get a new HDD case to load them with connection on the back. It would make installation easier as they are easily bumping to the mobo if I install one, and it would also hide the cables even more behind the cage. I also have a great idea to hide all the front pannel cables.
 

Conclusion

When I booted, the fan where running at 100% and it was loud. After some research, I found out that I could enable auto fan speed control on the Bios and now it's pretty quiet. Maybe only doing it in the first place would have solved my noise issue... but now I have a nice project to complete.
Of course, I still have to make a decent looking front pannel as the one I have right now is badly cutted. I just asked for an estimate on a lazer cutter piece. In general I am happy with this first, but not last step into my old case revival.

[Vercii]

Ahhh the 920...loved that CPU. Very high overclocks. Good times. 

[Alice in game]

1 hour ago, Vercii said:

Ahhh the 920...loved that CPU. Very high overclocks. Good times. 

Just updated the the cooling upgrade post with pictures.
 

the 920 it most likely not the best choice for someone who does not overclock (like me), but that build is still working extremely well for me, so I do not regret.

[Alice in game]

Just got a quote for the lazer cut of my front panel, 50$ including the translucent plexy, or 60$ with a translucent red one. Not sure yet, here are some option I am considering.

1. Any color of plexy, paint it with black car paint.
2. Red plexy, front covered in carbon fiber wrap. The edges would be red and if I use led inside the case, it can come out from the border of the panel.
3. Translucent plexy, same as previous, require red led for effect.
4. Any plexy, paint the side and cover front with carbon fiber, or just whole carbon fiber.

As I am not sure about ever installing LED, the extra 10$ for option 2 seems useless, so I will most likely get the translucent and prepare it and think about the final look I want.

 

I also had an idea to hide my front pannel cables. I took 10 wires from salcages case led and switch, Basically I will have a bunch of wire with one one side a 10x2 pin female connector for the mobo and a 5x2 male connector on the other side. So I will only have one big wire goint to the board, and the switch and everything will be connected to the new male connectors that will be mounted in a hidden box.