Ok so I've decided to make my first work log. This will be the most involved build I have ever done. I've been modding PCs for years now, but recently I've been taking it to the next level. It all started when I realized that a fully powered PC could be made on a mITX platform. Something you don't mind hauling to a LAN parties, doesn't take up a lot of space, make much noise, or weigh too much. Ever since I "discovered" them, the wheels in my head have been spinning, trying to come up with awesome portable Mod PCs.
Previous Mods (Click to show)
The Concept (Click to show)
This Mod PC will be called "ящик" (pronounced yashik) which is Russian for "box". The main concept is an 80s era Russian military device. It's an mITX build so it can be easily transported to LAN parties and other work related outings. I'm making it with a rugged, function-over-form mentality. I also want it to have a used and worn look.
Current state of the build:
Update Log:
First parts are in! Time to start preparing the case to be modded!
More parts in. A look at my previous mod project.
Fans, power button and audio jacks, oh my!
Is it just me, or does that grill look out of place?
A pile of components arrive! Also preliminary cuts are planned.
Top hole and keypad holes made. Parts arrive.
USB ports and nixie tube holes are cut! CPU and RAM arrive.
The first test fit.
CPU usage meter is a go!
Fingers maimed. CPU meter comes to life!
Nixie tube temperature sensor soldering fun!
Atari keycaps are awesome! Nixie Tubes fire up for the first time. Keypad wiring part 1.
Keypad part 2. Project box makes things tidy. PSU mod. First test of keypad and nixie tubes together.
Fingers healed. Russian Pilot Indicator lights. GTX 680 arrives. Wire sleeving part 1.
New PC for Mom. Wire sleeving part 2. Final cuts complete. Minor keypad cutting. Fit test.
Does anyone here speak Russian?
Final Russian Text Ready!
Bottoms OFF!
Engraving COMPLETE!
The Build is now Ready for Gaming!
90% Build Complete Pictures
Credits:
Bill Owen (MNPCTech) - He basically inspired everything I do with modding computers.
Blizlake - I could not have done this without him. Before I started this project I didn't know a word of Russian. Thanks to his help, I still don't.
Lenny (aai Trophies) - This guy is helping me do all the engraving work on the mod, even with a broken nose!
Thanks for looking!
Edited by Xevin - 8/12/12 at 11:55am
Previous Mods (Click to show)
Recently I moved to Dallas and I decided its about time I go QuakeCon! And to accompany me, I wanted to take a truly awesome and unique PC. I've been playing a TON of BFBC2 and more recently BF3, and I've really become taken with Russian military equipment. A lot of their stuff is so retro and high-tech at the same time. Sort of steampunk in a modern sense.
One thing in particular that has always fascinated me was "nixie tubes". This is a tech that predated LEDs by a few years and the USSR used them in a TON of military equipment.
I decided that I absolutely MUST include these some how.
So now I had the ideas of Russian, Military, Nixie tubes, and Retro. What could incorporate these things and house a micro PC also... Why a Black Box Recorder from a Russian MIG 21 of course! Unfortunately there aren't many of those floating around on ebay, (or any pictures of them even!) so I decided I would have to make something in that style. A little research later and I had an idea of what it would look like.
Small, boxy object with a series of mysterious buttons, switches and knobs with lots of Cyrillic text explaining everything! Awesome!
The Shopping Cart (Click to show)One thing in particular that has always fascinated me was "nixie tubes". This is a tech that predated LEDs by a few years and the USSR used them in a TON of military equipment.
I decided that I absolutely MUST include these some how.
So now I had the ideas of Russian, Military, Nixie tubes, and Retro. What could incorporate these things and house a micro PC also... Why a Black Box Recorder from a Russian MIG 21 of course! Unfortunately there aren't many of those floating around on ebay, (or any pictures of them even!) so I decided I would have to make something in that style. A little research later and I had an idea of what it would look like.
Small, boxy object with a series of mysterious buttons, switches and knobs with lots of Cyrillic text explaining everything! Awesome!
So first step. Case.
Lian Li Q-25 (dimensions: (W) 199mm x (H) 280mm x (D) 366mm)
Next step. Nixie tubes. But for what purpose? Temperature!
http://www.nixieclocks.de/english/033bd19ee509ddc32/index.html
With the actual tubes
http://www.tayloredge.com/storefront/NixieTubes/in12b/index.html
and sockets for easier mounting
http://www.allspectrum.com/store/in-12-nixie-tube-sockets-black-p-592.html
and fan control with nixie tubes!
http://www.xoxide.com/lamptron-fc10steampunk-fancontroller.html
(lets pretend it doesn't have a temp sensor.)
Now this being a Russian aircraft and Russians being sneaky folk, this PC-err! I mean black box needs some security features... Like a Keypad to enable booting!
http://www.amazon.com/Enforcer-Digital-Keypad-1-Relay-Output/dp/B001LFPB98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334637046&sr=8-1
And that key pad needs some mechanical feel to it. Like a Mechanical Numpad with Cherry MX blue switches!
http://www.ergogeek.com/ione-scorpius-22-cherry-mechanical-key-switch-usb-keypad.html
Bonus! I can also make that work as a real computer keypad using a toggle switch!
Also to control the fan controller and temp sensor I could use a rotary switch to enable "programming mode". So I need at least 12 keys with two functions each. So I need a 12PDT switch of some sort...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190609506287
Sweet! Its an actual Military rotary switch... lets not talk about it being US tech though... Maybe those sneaky Russians stole it or something... Either way it needs an olde tyme knob to go on it. A bakelite one should do nicely!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300643928939
Also I need some bayonet style USB jacks...
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=17-200611virtualkey63110000virtualkey706-17-200611
and some toggle switches... can never have too many switches it seems...
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=108-1MS1T2B3M2QE-EVXvirtualkey12040000virtualkey108-1MS1T2B3M2QE-EVX
Things are really starting to shape up. And add up. I haven't even bought any REAL PC parts yet! Well this needs to be a fairly awesome PC and awesome PCs need recent hardware. So I need an Intel Z77 chipset Mobo with a Ivy Bridge 3770K, but wait, those arn't out yet... welp, I can wait exactly 4 months (till QuakeCon). Also need an nVidia GTX 680, but those are hard to find at the moment. In the mean time...
PSU: SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold
HFS: Corsair H60
HDD: Crucial M4 SSD 64GB (all I need hehehe)
Fan1: Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentPro PK-3 140mm (front)
Fan2: Scythe Kaze-Jyuni Slim Slip Stream 120mm (Top/HFS)
Lian Li Q-25 (dimensions: (W) 199mm x (H) 280mm x (D) 366mm)
Next step. Nixie tubes. But for what purpose? Temperature!
http://www.nixieclocks.de/english/033bd19ee509ddc32/index.html
With the actual tubes
http://www.tayloredge.com/storefront/NixieTubes/in12b/index.html
and sockets for easier mounting
http://www.allspectrum.com/store/in-12-nixie-tube-sockets-black-p-592.html
and fan control with nixie tubes!
http://www.xoxide.com/lamptron-fc10steampunk-fancontroller.html
(lets pretend it doesn't have a temp sensor.)
Now this being a Russian aircraft and Russians being sneaky folk, this PC-err! I mean black box needs some security features... Like a Keypad to enable booting!
http://www.amazon.com/Enforcer-Digital-Keypad-1-Relay-Output/dp/B001LFPB98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334637046&sr=8-1
And that key pad needs some mechanical feel to it. Like a Mechanical Numpad with Cherry MX blue switches!
http://www.ergogeek.com/ione-scorpius-22-cherry-mechanical-key-switch-usb-keypad.html
Bonus! I can also make that work as a real computer keypad using a toggle switch!
Also to control the fan controller and temp sensor I could use a rotary switch to enable "programming mode". So I need at least 12 keys with two functions each. So I need a 12PDT switch of some sort...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190609506287
Sweet! Its an actual Military rotary switch... lets not talk about it being US tech though... Maybe those sneaky Russians stole it or something... Either way it needs an olde tyme knob to go on it. A bakelite one should do nicely!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300643928939
Also I need some bayonet style USB jacks...
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=17-200611virtualkey63110000virtualkey706-17-200611
and some toggle switches... can never have too many switches it seems...
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=108-1MS1T2B3M2QE-EVXvirtualkey12040000virtualkey108-1MS1T2B3M2QE-EVX
Things are really starting to shape up. And add up. I haven't even bought any REAL PC parts yet! Well this needs to be a fairly awesome PC and awesome PCs need recent hardware. So I need an Intel Z77 chipset Mobo with a Ivy Bridge 3770K, but wait, those arn't out yet... welp, I can wait exactly 4 months (till QuakeCon). Also need an nVidia GTX 680, but those are hard to find at the moment. In the mean time...
PSU: SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold
HFS: Corsair H60
HDD: Crucial M4 SSD 64GB (all I need hehehe)
Fan1: Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentPro PK-3 140mm (front)
Fan2: Scythe Kaze-Jyuni Slim Slip Stream 120mm (Top/HFS)
This Mod PC will be called "ящик" (pronounced yashik) which is Russian for "box". The main concept is an 80s era Russian military device. It's an mITX build so it can be easily transported to LAN parties and other work related outings. I'm making it with a rugged, function-over-form mentality. I also want it to have a used and worn look.
Current state of the build:
Update Log:
First parts are in! Time to start preparing the case to be modded!
More parts in. A look at my previous mod project.
Fans, power button and audio jacks, oh my!
Is it just me, or does that grill look out of place?
A pile of components arrive! Also preliminary cuts are planned.
Top hole and keypad holes made. Parts arrive.
USB ports and nixie tube holes are cut! CPU and RAM arrive.
The first test fit.
CPU usage meter is a go!
Fingers maimed. CPU meter comes to life!
Nixie tube temperature sensor soldering fun!
Atari keycaps are awesome! Nixie Tubes fire up for the first time. Keypad wiring part 1.
Keypad part 2. Project box makes things tidy. PSU mod. First test of keypad and nixie tubes together.
Fingers healed. Russian Pilot Indicator lights. GTX 680 arrives. Wire sleeving part 1.
New PC for Mom. Wire sleeving part 2. Final cuts complete. Minor keypad cutting. Fit test.
Does anyone here speak Russian?
Final Russian Text Ready!
Bottoms OFF!
Engraving COMPLETE!
The Build is now Ready for Gaming!
90% Build Complete Pictures
Credits:
Bill Owen (MNPCTech) - He basically inspired everything I do with modding computers.
Blizlake - I could not have done this without him. Before I started this project I didn't know a word of Russian. Thanks to his help, I still don't.
Lenny (aai Trophies) - This guy is helping me do all the engraving work on the mod, even with a broken nose!
Thanks for looking!
Edited by Xevin - 8/12/12 at 11:55am
