Ammo Can PC update

Well, I got a PSU that I think is going to work.  It's some sort of replacement/upgrade unit for an off-the-shelf mini tower.  It is rated at 435W and will supply plenty of power for this build.  The only trouble is that the CPU cooler is too tall for where I've decided is the only place the PSU can mount.  I now need to find a decent Low-Profile CPU cooler.  Once I have that I will be able to get proper dimensions and I can get started.  I have some sheet metal and a few lengths of 1/2" wide flat bar just waiting to be built into a chassis.  I need to have enough space for storing a mini keyboard, mouse, power cord, video cable, and WiFi antenna: hence the need for a low-profile CPU cooler.  Otherwise it would defeat the purpose of the build's portability.

Sneak Peak and quik tech

 

     I have started a new PC project!  This one is more of a proof of concept than a serious build. So far I have only used stuff I have already.  The "Fat Fifty" ammo can, an MSI Mobo with an LGA 775 socket, the 2.33 Core2Quad CPU, Those RAM sticks in the photos got swapped for some 2gb sticks, a Galaxy GeForce 630, I have a thin 5.25" HDD I found for it with 250GBs, and I ditched the wireless card because it was a 54Mps speed.  All I need to get now is a PSU, some sheet metal and some flat bar.  

     My goal for this build is for it to play the 2011 release of Skyrim on High or Ultra settings.  I would love to eventually do this kind of build with a nice MiniITX form factor MOBO and have it be an all inclusive package:  pop the lid, pull out the screen, keyboard, and mouse, then plug in your cables; that will require a lot more funding than I can provide at this time. 

     I popped all of this hardware into my tester case and tested software on it with excellent results:

     I know the Win7 experience index isn't ideal for a tell-all on system potential but I'll take a 7.1 across the board with the exception of the HDD as a good sign. An SSD would be a sweet upgrade, but I would get one of those in my wife's PC before I put one in here.  Her PC's boot and load times are painfully slow.  Or maybe I'm used to my machine's speed with it's SSD...

     Speaking of my wife's PC... It's stock Intel CPU cooler bit the dust a while back.  I didn't really bother with it because this was pre Goldeneye Source and she prefers the convenience of her laptop.  Once Goldeneye Source released I had to have another machine running it.  This cooler is the "Deep Cool" brand that I highly recommend.  I've used them in most of my builds because they are high performance and don't break the bank.  I think I paid 15-25 bucks for this one on ebay.  I had to disassemble the PC and remove the MOBO to swap the coolers but it was worth. 

     I've favored the air-flow with the position of the cooler and fans.  But you can mount it in either direction then face the fans whatever way you want.

     I've introduced my wife to Goldeneye Source and she has fallen in love with it.  We battle against each other for hours on end.  This system is slow to load into the levels but other than that it doesn't skip a beat. 

The end.