[Build Log] G4^3 - Apple G4 Cube HTPC

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

INTRO

Hey all, I'm new here and wanted to share what I have on this G4 cube mod I worked on in Summer of 2014. Still in progress and 90% done but here are the steps I took for those out there needing more inspiration for a G4 Cube mod. (not that you'd need any more

)

This is my second case mod. My first being G4z the PowerMac tower next to the cube. I'm still working on that here and there (have been since 2012

)

I've been seeing quite a few Cube mods around and finally took the plunge myself after getting one for <100$ on eBay which took some hunting.

I was captivated and inspired by thegyufi's G4 cube mod. I tackled my cube looking to make a clone/replica but with a personal spin and adapted to hardware I chose. I speak a good amount of French so following his log was fun and informational.

Got the Cube delivered and it's in great condition! Stock 450mhz model. Non-working.

G4^3 by JRDN

PARTS

Hackintosh compatible components:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97N-WIFI
CPU: Intel Core i5 4690S 3.2ghz
Cooler: Prolimatech Samuel 17
Fan: Silverstone FW121 PWM
RAM: 8gb Crucial Ballistix Sport
HDD/SSD: 850 EVO 128GB & 500GB HGST 7200rpm
Wifi/BT: Apple Broadcom BCM94360CD AC/BT4.0 with mini PCIe adapter
Optical drive: Panasonic UJ167 Bluray drive
PSU: PicoPSU 160XT w/ 192w adapter
PCIe card: Syba Firewire 400/800

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Pre-paint Final Shots

Here it is as of today minus the final paint coat I'm planning for the outer polycarbonate shell:

And a little nod to the original stock cube

This label peeled off and the plastic separated from the adhesive portion leaving a very thin clear plastic. Hung onto it and it was incorporated into the final build using parts cement

Benchmarks:

Temps using MX-4 thermal paste:

Idle temps: 29-32C
Load temps: 71-76C. Prime95 SmallFFT. More stress on the system than I'll ever put on it but I was curious where temps would end up with a 15mm thick fan and so-so airflow.

It's winter now and I'll have to wait til Summer 2016 to give this the final pearl white finish.

Preview of planned outcome:

Here's Duratrax Pearl White sprayed on a spare chunk of polycarbonate from the case

Planning something like my iPhone case. White in appearance but subtly a gold shimmer

I have several cans of Duratrax white and Duratrax pearl white at the ready. Formulated for RC cars and polycarbonate

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Gutted and heatsink cut

Got the case all gutted and with all the cube mods I've seen the internal heatsink needs to be cut off from the opening mechanism

I used a basic scroll saw and some blades meant for wood to cut it off. Cut through aluminum pretty nicely

Took the sides to a belt sander to get a nice even brushed look. Clear coated with clear spray to prevent oxidation.

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

mITX Mobo Tray

Working on the mITX tray to mount to the opening mechanism

This was made using a very dense stainless steel plate I picked up for free. Used a jigsaw and thick metal blade to cut it out. Ran it on a belt sander to smooth and round out edges.

Took some slow turns to tap the holes for the standoffs. Really thick stuff. Used some lubricant to prevent breaking the tap.

I couldn't find a printable itx hole layout anywhere. So, I used the motherboard.

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

PicoPSU support

Didn't take pics of the dremel process cutting the bottom I/O and the top. But it went something like this

Motherboard is mounted to the mitx plate and then to the core assembly.

Had to come up with a way to mount the PicoPSU to the motherboard. This was my test with some paperboard

Used an aluminum clipboard for my template and cut it out with a scroll saw and bent it accordingly

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

CPU fan intake

There's absolutely no breathing room for the cpu fan. It's flush with the inner core. To fix this, I cut a hole for the fan

I used a 4-1/2" hole saw (114mm) for the cutout

Should breathe easy now!

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Dual 2.5" drive mount

I created a hard drive mount to house dual 2.5" drives. This is mounted where the original heatsink core is, opposite the motherboard.

Sneak peak at painted parts

The aluminum rails are adhered to the plate with epoxy after scoring the surface

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Test fitting all cut components and assembly

Testing components

Custom 24pin extension from ensourced. The color combo is featured on the front page, had to have it

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Cutting Outer Polycarbonate Shell

These cubes developed stress cracks over time. I was worried about them so I tried a WeldOn solvent welding method to strengthen them.

Filled in pretty nicely

Early stress testing revealed that even with the core cut to expose the CPU fan, it would still get pretty toasty. So, I decided to cut a hole in the acrylic side as well with the hole saw from before

Moving onto the top I used the same design from thegyufi. Was too good to change

Removed the Apple logo with some good 'ol isopropyl alcohol

New cut opening, still needs more filing and sanding

The entire outer case now has a frosted glass effect in prep for final painting

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Painting

Self etching primer went on smooth as butter

Before/After

Used Duplicolor High Performance Wheel Coating in silver

Got rid of that nasty doesnt-fit-with-my-color-scheme blue. Now it's really SilverStone

Sure is sparkly in the sun!

Another contrast with primer vs paint

Wow glossy

Didn't paint the handle, didn't want it scratching or causing problems as it moves in and out.
Instead, I did a brushed effect and clear coated it

Glued the original pads back on the lower frame after painting

Plasti dip'd small screws and fasteners

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Metal work

Bottom I/O
Paper template to Mnpctech honeycomb mesh. Rounded out with a paint can and trimmed to fit!

And paint!

And Epoxy!

And Test!

Vandal switch mount:

FEAR. · Nov 30, 2015

Wow! Excellent work gone into this. Subbed

JRDN · Nov 30, 2015

Here it is as of today minus the final paint coat I'm planning for the outer polycarbonate shell:

Here it is next to a functional G4 Cube

Pardon the mess

And a little nod to the original stock cube

This label peeled off and the plastic separated from the adhesive portion leaving a very thin clear plastic. Hung onto it and it was incorporated into the final build using parts cement

Geekbench:

ccRicers · Nov 30, 2015

Nice build so far. You don't see too many G4 cube mods these days.

marquee · Dec 1, 2015

Nice work. The G4 Cube is by far the hardest of the Mac mods. Well done

JRDN · Dec 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccRicers

Nice build so far. You don't see too many G4 cube mods these days.

Thanks! It's getting more difficult to find these for a reasonable price and even after that it's pretty involved fitting in modern hardware.
Quote:

Originally Posted by marquee

Nice work. The G4 Cube is by far the hardest of the Mac mods. Well done

Thanks! Definitely one of the more difficult Macs I've modded. Lots of cutting and space is tight!

catbuster · Dec 3, 2015

Amazing work

Cakewalk_S · Dec 3, 2015

Now fit a GTX980ti in that and you're golden!

Eggcellent work!

JRDN · Dec 5, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cakewalk_S

Now fit a GTX980ti in that and you're golden!

Eggcellent work!

Thanks!
Quote:

Originally Posted by catbuster

Amazing work

Ha, well a graphics card was briefly considered. Still waiting for a single slot GPU with HDMI 2.0 to come out. I was able to squeeze in a 750 dual slot but it gave me headaches with OSX.

Did consider a Nano too... but no HDMI 2.0 or HBM support in OSX

ccRicers · Dec 5, 2015

No HBM support in OS X? Does that mean the card will not work at all, or that memory bandwidth is severely crippled?

JRDN · Dec 5, 2015

Just getting the card recognized in OSX to begin with. From what I've turned up there isn't Fiji support built into the OS.
Quote:

Device ID is already in one of the kexts (AMD9000Controller), but since X4000 doesn't know a "Fiji"-Device yet there's little hope it would work.
Good sign for the future though that the device id is already mentioned.

It looks like there's preliminary hints at future support
Quote:

we don't know if OSX is going to support HBM cards Edit: probably future FirePros used in a future MacPro will have HBM,

Quote:

No mac ships with a Fiji chip, however this doesn't seem to be a problem for pretty much all other AMD cards

The Mac Pro hasn't been updated since its debut in 2013. Perhaps in a refresh we'll see Fiji and HBM support

ccRicers · Dec 5, 2015

I guess that's to be expected with this operating system for early adopters of new GPUs. OS X also didn't support NVidia Maxwell architecture for about a year, when NVidia didn't yet have beta drivers that allowed users of older Mac systems to upgrade their GPU.

JRDN · Dec 6, 2015

Yeah, takes a bit for driver support from AMD/Nvidia and for Apple to integrate base support/recognition for a GPU into the OS.

The hackintosh world is pretty much a year behind big hardware releases. This time next year we might have solid Skylake support and it'll be a recommended configuration.

Photograph · Dec 12, 2015

Nice work, not many cubes left to mod these days

I was envious of G4 cubes back in the day, all I could afford back then was a beige G3.

JRDN · Dec 16, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photograph

Nice work, not many cubes left to mod these days

I was envious of G4 cubes back in the day, all I could afford back then was a beige G3.

Thanks Photograph, I'm honored. Your Macbane mod is what got me started modding Macs. The G4 tower in the first post is a near replica of yours inside. Hope to share that one sometime

thegyufi · Dec 17, 2015

Hi JRDN, do you know my name ?

I just create an account to let you know that it's the biggest honor that I could expect !! Thanks I really appreciate, and I must admit that your work on this cube seem really good.

I have already shared your project on my french thread to let people see your work too

Cheers !

[Build Log] G4^3 - Apple G4 Cube HTPC

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities