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.

Little upgrade and dust clean up for MkIV

 So I finally ordered an adapter so I could plug in my PCIE USB 3.0 adapter.  While I was in there I decided it was time for some dust clean-up too.
 Here are the Before pictures of the various fans and vents.

 The PSU filter really did a good job.

 Here is the adapter cable.  I ran out of Molex connections when I installed my 6 channel fan controller and the PCIE USB 3.0 card was powered via Molex so it sat unused until now.

 The front intake filter also did an excellent job.

 Actual dust build up on the cooling tower was minimal.

 Here are the after pictures.  I just used a brush attachment on our regular vacuum and some q-tips to loosen the stuck on dust.

 Here you can kind of see the Molex adapter going into the PCIE USB 3.0 card.  Also notice the difference on the CPU cooling tower fan compared to the picture earlier of the same fan.

I am surprised the dust build up wasn't worse.  I only have two exhaust fans on the very top so I think the theory that positive case pressure keeps the dust build-up down is true.

Some maintenence on my Laptop

My wife's windows 8 Laptop kicked the bucket a while back (big surprise, right?!)  So she has been using my Toshiba that used to be her old laptop.  I have a post up on when I first got it and replaced the screen.  Yeah, that laptop.  I'm still trying to figure out windows 7 on it because it doesn't have the right drivers for most of the hardware.  Ubuntu works great, though.  Anyway, she's been using it a lot lately for her online classes and homework and stuff and I noticed it making a clicky noise the other day when I used it for a few minutes.  I began listening intently to find the noise's location.  Luckily the sound wasn't coming from the hard drive and I decided that it must be the fan going out.  I got a new fan on order.

 It's a sturdy little 'puter.

 First step is to wake the computer and shut it down.

 Take out the battery, hard drive, and RAM cover.

 Then take out all the screws to remove the keyboard.  And carefully pull out all the wires associated with removing it.

 Now it's all apart.

 Fan seems fine from here but it sure is dirty.

 Plenty of dust caked onto the heatsink too.

 Turns out the new fan I ordered was the wrong one.  Well crud.

 Close up of the caked on dust.

That's better!

After I got it back together the rattle was worse.  So I took it back apart and found a screw rattling around under the motherboard.  So I removed it and reassembled.  The rattle was gone!  Didn't need a new fan after all.  It just needed some cleaning!

The end.

Tools of the Frankenputer workshop.

I use a number of tools when I work on computers. Most of them are actually hand-me-downs from my dad that I use on any number of things.  But here you will find a collection of the tools I recommend getting your meat hooks on if you are going to work on computers.

*IMPORTANT NOTE*  Avoid magnetic tools for use on your PCs.  Magnetized things can do funky things to your hardware so avoid anything magnetic when working on computers.

  

 I got good set of standard screw-drivers.  These go a long way.  They are simple and do the job right.  These are an 8 piece set of Craftsman I bought on sale at a SEARS that was closing down.  Clear handles are Philips Head and the red handles are Flat Head.  I recommend using the largest screwdriver that fits the head.  This will minimize slipping and lessen damage to the screws and driver.  I use the Phillips on the far left more often than any of the others because most tower screws are a standard Phillips size.

The drivers in this picture are hand-me downs from my dad.  The left one is a 1/4" drive driver and the red is a ratcheting 3/8" drive driver.  In between are sets of Philips, Flat, Torx, and Hex head bits.  The good thing about these bits is the variety and replace-ability.  They're handy as a more compact and portable screw-driver set.

 

 Their adapters are removable as well and can be replaced when lost, damaged, or worn out.

Close ups of the drivers, the tips, and the adapters.

  

This is a mini set of flat-heads, Torx, Hex, and Philips.  The driver also has a ratcheting feature that comes in handy on those tighter screws.  I use this most when I'm working on laptops.  I scored this set at a NAPA auto-parts store.  Though similar kits can be found online easily.

 Here you can see the difference in size of the 1/4" drive and the mini drive set.

 A close up of all the little bits.

 I also use these socket head drivers for certain PC tower screws that have hex heads.  These are the easiest to use because they don't slip like a how Philips or Flat tend to.  They also hold the screws to them for those hard to reach spaces without being magnetic.  These are more hand-me-down tools.

 Close up of the socket heads.

 I also find myself using these tools every once in a while.   The snips on the left I actually found in a parking lot one day and they were rusted stiff.  Pliers, mini-needle-nose vice-grips, and some needle nose pliers.  The pliers are handy for those snap-on ends that some tower's face-plates use to attach to the front.

I soaked the snips in WD-40, scrubbed them with a steel wire brush, and soaked them again.  Eventually they broke loose, cleaned up and have been a fantastic pair of snips ever since!

 This one is a little unusual and I can't say I use them a lot but they sure come in handy when I do use them.  These are mechanic picks.  Usually used for pulling gaskets or o-rings, or whatever you might need them for.  I sometimes use them on my computers to align mounting holes, to push in or pull our wires, or snap down or disengage clasps like what you find on RAM slots.

A couple of tweezers are a good idea too, they are good for removing and installing jumpers if you need to change a setting on your motherboard without disassembling everything to get to them.  I also have used them to fish out dropped screws.

 I knife always comes in handy.  I keep the small duel-bladed on in the bay drive drawer and I use it often.  I use it to cut open packages of new hardware and to cut the tips off new thermal compound tubes if need be.

 A good flashlight is a must as well.  I have a Maglight XL-200 I use all the time and an old hand-me-down franken-Mini-Mag that has had an LED conversion done to it. 

  Sometimes the XL200 is too bright where the Mini-Mag isn't.

  So those are pretty much the tools of the trade for me.  If you have any other clever ideas let me know, I love buying new tools!