Got a New Case!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Thanks, NoN! I already have some rubber molding on order. Hopefully, it will arrive at my mail service tomorrow; I'll pick it up then or Tuesday, depending on when another order is due to arrive. As I mentioned in my last post, I cut the hole a bit too small and will have to make it bigger so I need to wait until the molding arrives to see how much I need to cut out. If I can find a longer cutting bit for my Dremel circle cutter (over half the time on the first hole was spent rechucking the bit because it was a bit too short for the collet to get a proper grip on it), I might be able to fasten a piece of wood under the hole, using the fan screw mounting holes and drill a pivot point for the circle cutter. Otherwise, it will take one or more cutoff wheels and a lot of nerve wracking time to manually cut the hole out.

 

[Britton30]

Jeannie one of Dremel's grinding wheel may work out since you have a small amount to take off. It's much faster and the don't fly apart like the cut-off wheels do. They can also make the edge quite smooth saving sanding or filing.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Jeannie one of Dremel's grinding wheel may work out since you have a small amount to take off. It's much faster and the don't fly apart like the cut-off wheels do. They can also make the edge quite smooth saving sanding or filing.

It all depends on how much I need to take off, which I won't know until I get the molding and see exactly how much I need to take off. If all I need is a gentle trim, the circle cutting jig will be easier and faster than having to lay out a circle and sneak up to it with the grinder. If I have to go all the way to the point where the raised lip starts, I might be better off using the wheel to remove most of it, then clean it up with the circle cutting jig.

I've been lucky; I haven't had a cutoff wheel fly apart on my yet. The trick on sheet metal is to take short shallow cuts, using a gentle feed, and gradually deepen them until the wheel just breaks through. That avoids binding which is what breaks wheels. The thing I don't like about cutting wheels anymore is it takes steady hands and a good grip. I can't maintain that grip for very long anymore because the arthritis in my hands and wrists flares up if I push them too hard for more than a short time.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Talking about Dremel tools, I spent much of today using mine and I'm paying for it now. My left hand and right foot are cramping. The hand is cramping from using it to guide the Dremel. I hold the body in my right hand and use the forefinger and thumb on my left hand (the thumb that is getting arthritis pretty bad, of course) on the nose to guide it. I have no clue why the right foot decided to start cramping other than I have had a lot of problems with leg cramps due to muscle damage from taking Zocor a few years ago. I have problems with low sodium levels which can cause muscle cramps so I drank a glass of salt water; that often helps.

I cut out the rear 120mm fan grill to make room for a 140mm fan. I didn't worry too much about making it pretty because it will be covered on the outside with an aluminum fan grill and on the inside with acoustic foam. I also wanted to leave as much metal as possible to avoid weakening the case too much. I also had to make a couple of dimples in the back of the aluminum fan grill to clear the heads of a couple of %$#@! rivets that were otherwise in the way. I still have to cut the center "bull's eye" from the grill since it won't keep my fingers out of the fan (and I bleed profusely) and would look dorky with a wire grill over it. I'll use the same wire grill over the rear fan as the ones that will go over the top fans. I did get one break; I had thought I was going to have to shave a bit from two of the sides of the aluminum fan grill but it fits perfectly. Thank you, God!

I finally figured out why Corsair put those holes there. The same case, without side panels, is also used with the 600T. The 600t has a different front panel that snaps on the front of the case but uses the same holes the 650D uses. The 600T also has a back panel that snaps on the back; that's what those extra holes on the back panel are for. The 600T also has a bottom panel that snaps onto the bottom of the case and has its own feet instead of separate feet like the 650D has. There is also an added top panel that apparently snaps into the tops of the front and back panels. Basically, the 600t is a plastic case wrapped around the metal case of the 650D.

Some of the holes in the case are roughly 5/16" guide holes for plastic dowels on the panels to help keep the panels properly aligned. I decided to use the same kind of plug I got to fill the two grommet holes on the back of the case to fill the smaller holes on the back and bottom of the case. Since those holes have a deep flange on them and the smallest plugs I could get are 3/8", I drilled out the holes to 3/8", taking the flange out with them (I finally got to play with my new right angle drill!). I remembered a trick my Daddy taught me (he was a machinist) to keep large drill bits from snagging when breaking through. He taught me to put a piece of paper towel folded into several layers between the bit and the metal. Works like a charm. I wish Daddy was still around to help me with this project. He would have had a ball.

No pictures today since there is nothing spectacular about a bunch of holes. I still have that front fan hole to redo (I'm not looking forward to that), the fan grill center that has to be removed (I'm not looking forward to that either), and the center tab on the left bottom side of the case that helps to align the left side panel but gets in the way of removing the bottom HDD tray from the third HDD cage (whoever designed that should be horsewhipped; fortunately, the side panel will still be aligned by the remaining two tabs). I also need to cut some tabs off the third HDD cage, cut the top off the extra HDD cage I got just for the piece I will be cutting off, shorten and slightly relocate the base for the two front HDD cages, and cut out the grill for the PSU air supply. The job I'm really dreading is fabricating a top plate to replace the mesh that is there now

 

[Britton30]

For the cramps, which I have too at times, drink plenty of water, muscles get dehydrated which makes them cramp. Calcium helps too, I take it daily. Women need it more than men and it helps with oxygen absorption in the blood.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Thanks for the tips. I drink like a fish (keep in mind fish don't swim in alcohol ) and my blood calcium levels have always checked out OK (I get tested twice yearly). However, I take a prescription diuretic that excretes sodium as well as water but spares potassium (another element that can cause muscle cramps when deficient). Since I don't like salty food, I have to really watch my sodium intake to make sure I'm getting enough. Every once in a while, despite having "normally" high potassium levels, my potassium levels will slip and salt alone won't help me any. On those occasions, I resort to chugging a bottle of PowerAde Zero (the only sports drink I've found that doesn't have sugar—I'm on a low sugar diet) with some salt added. Eating a banana would also help raise my potassium levels but I can't stand them; the smell alone makes me want to hurl!

I'm not going to get much done today. The cramps are gone and I was able to get a decent night's sleep but it's windy outside and my allergies are already driving me 'round the bend (no short trip cracks please) so I'll probably just chill today.

 

[Britton30]

Stepping back for some meditation is always a good idea. Crap, once I had a dream about how to fix a problem I was having and it worked.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I have to take frequent breaks when I'm working on a project like this since mental stress can manifest physically in addition to being physically handicapped already. It took me all day to do a project that should have taken only three hours 10-15 years ago.

I keep a note pad and a pen on the night stand by my bed because I occasionally get ideas during the night. Meditation doesn't work for me because my mind wanders too much and I distract easily (ADHD). However, switching to a different, less stressful activity, such as watching a pleasant TV show (rare anymore) or movie, reading, or listening to relaxing music helps considerably. I usually read for a while before going to sleep at night because it helps to pull my mind from the day's activities.

 

[Britton30]

I used mediation as a misnomer. What I meant was just doing something else for awhile, something I have a hard time doing, I gotta get this done! mentality. I have too much attention.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I know that "gotta get 'er done RIGHT NOW!" feeling. Retirement has gone a long way toward reducing that emotion.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Well, I did get some work done today. I decided to just relocate the stock feet instead of replacing with the rubber feet I had planned on using since one of the rubber feet wouldn't fit (the PSU filter slide rail was in the way) and because they were shorter than I would have liked with a bottom filter. There is one foot at the front and another one at the back and each foot goes from one side of the case to the other. The feet are held in with a plastic dowel on each side of the foot that keys into a locating hole and is secured with a single 6-32 screw into a tapped hole in the case on each side of the case. I needed to relocate the feet because they were too far apart to fit on the nightstand my present computer sets on. I had to lay out new holes, then drill and deburr them. I'll have to get some slightly longer screws and some 6-32 nuts to secure the feet to the case. Again, no pictures because there is nothing exciting about a bunch of holes. I still need to drill out the old dowel holes so I can put in the 3/8" hole plugs I ordered. At least I'm not cramping tonight.

I'm debating on if I want to cut out the grill under the PSU or not.

 

[ZaLiTH]

Hehe... It sounds almost like you're remaking the entire case here Jeannie.

Early on in this thread you mentioned wanting to remove the bottom drive cage spacer and add a third cage, but I didn't see much more after that. Are you still planning to do that or did I miss something somewhere..?

Owning a 600T myself, it's really interesting reading about all the similarities between this and the 650D... My first thought looking at the 650's interior was "hmmm... that looks virtually identical to mine".

 

[Layback Bear]

From post # 51

I'm debating on if I want to cut out the grill under the PSU or not.

Normally a power supply fan doesn't run fast or often enough to worry about the grill. If it was my case I would leave it alone.
Taking strength out of the bottom of the case where all the weight is might not be helpful. It might allow the bottom of the case to get a twist and the side panels wouldn't fit properly.
Of course I don't have the case in front of me so these are just my thoughts.

 

[ZaLiTH]

Some PSU fans don't even run until the temp gets higher.. Seasonic Platinums, for example, only turn on the fan at 25 degrees Celsius.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hehe... It sounds almost like you're remaking the entire case here Jeannie. ...

Yup, I'm pretty much remaking the entire case; it just won't look much different. The main changes are to seal up the multitude of air dust leaks without looking too rinkydink.

...Early on in this thread you mentioned wanting to remove the bottom drive cage spacer and add a third cage, but I didn't see much more after that. Are you still planning to do that or did I miss something somewhere..?...

I am (kinda sorta) and you didn't; I just haven't gotten that far yet. I'm going to shorten (not remove) the bottom HDD cage base roughly 1/4" so the level of the bottom two HDD trays will match the level of the top two HDD trays in the third cage to make it easier for air from the front fan to get to the top two HDDs in the third cage (the SSD will be in the bottom tray and won't need as much air). I'm also going to move the front two HDD cages forward a bit so they line up with the third cage (why on Earth couldn't Corsair have done any of this in the designing stage?).

...Owning a 600T myself, it's really interesting reading about all the similarities between this and the 650D... My first thought looking at the 650's interior was "hmmm... that looks virtually identical to mine".

It's pretty much identical. The front, bottom, and back metal panels are identical. The top metal panel is different. The 650D also has a different plastic panel on the front (although the front air filter is the same, same as the bottom PSU filter) and no added bottom, back or top plastic panels. Since the bottom plastic panel of the 600T served as the feet, the 650D has different feet added. The difference in the metal top panel is the 650D's is deeper, has a built-in fan grill, and has a built-in hot swap bay, one of the major things that attracted me to this case; some others include the ability to have space for 9 HDDs, easy to clean filters, and the ability to get a solid left side panel (the left and right side panels are interchangeable so I bought a second right side panel to replace the left side one).

A lot of the parts I've ordered for this case aren't listed under the 650D at Corsair's or at Performance PC's website; I had to order the equivalent 600T parts.

I did do a bit of work on the case yesterday; I removed the top hot swap bay and sealed up some leaks on it (the thing was a sieve). Here are some before shots:

This is one of the two tabs that have to be bent up to remove the bay.



A couple more before shots:





I had originally planned on sealing the leaks with pieces of thin black plastic glued onto the sides but I was afraid I would get glue into the little tracks so I used some aluminum tape I had knocking about instead. It's crude but it did the job and won't show unless one works hard to find it.







I have a paint pen on the way that should do wonders to kill all that shine. There is still going to be a bit of a gap on the sides when I eventually put the bay back in but the acoustic foam I'm going to add will seal that up nicely.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

From post # 51

I'm debating on if I want to cut out the grill under the PSU or not.

Normally a power supply fan doesn't run fast or often enough to worry about the grill. If it was my case I would leave it alone.
Taking strength out of the bottom of the case where all the weight is might not be helpful. It might allow the bottom of the case to get a twist and the side panels wouldn't fit properly.
Of course I don't have the case in front of me so these are just my thoughts.

Some PSU fans don't even run until the temp gets higher.. Seasonic Platinums, for example, only turn on the fan at 25 degrees Celsius.

Thanks for the thoughts, guys! I'm leaning the same way myself. Because of the filter and the rails it rides in, the hole would be small enough to not be likely to weaken the case any but why take chances if it isn't really necessary. Besides, there just isn't any way to keep a hole like that from looking all raggitty.

From what I've read, the Seasonics actually determine when to turn on the fan by the amount of load (70%) on them. In my house, 25°C would have them running constantly much of the year; it's 27°C where I and the computer are in my house right now.

I'll be glad when all the pollen and dust stirring wind we have been having goes away. My allergies and sinuses are driving me nutz! It's supposed to let up by tomorrow so, hopefully, I'll be able to run a few errands, including picking up a bunch of the stuff I ordered.

I've decided to just cut away the mesh on the top of the case and cover the hole with a Koolance radiator shroud. This is an example of how it would look:



Besides simplifying things dramatically, it will give me a bit more room between the top of my CPU cooler and the top fans (it was going to be a bit snug up there otherwise).

 

[ZaLiTH]

I am (kinda sorta) and you didn't; I just haven't gotten that far yet.

Awesome, I'm definitely keeping an eye out for that.. Very interested to see how it turns out.

From what I've read, the Seasonics actually determine when to turn on the fan by the amount of load (70%) on them.

Hmmm... I'm off to do some more research then. It does make more sense to base it on the unit load though, it's quite possible that I misunderstood that feature.

 

[Layback Bear]

What power supply are you going to be using?
If you have posted that information I can't find it.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I haven't decided yet. I have a semi-modular spare early Corsair HX750w (the one that was made by Seasonic) knocking about but the CPU power and 24pin cables are not modular. I would want to shorten the 24 pin cable and lengthen the CPU power cable and sleeve them both (the stock sleeves are a transparent joke) but that would void the warranty (it still has at least five years on it). A warranty replacement wouldn't be the original Seasonic, either (the reason I bought the spare since I otherwise would have had to remake my cables if the other HX750w that is in my present rig should go belly up).

I am leaning strongly towards the fully modular Corsair AX760, also made by Seasonic. That one has a hybrid mode that can be switched out if desired. Hybrid mode is the one that keeps the PSU fan turned off until a certain load level is reached. Being fully modular, it would be easy to slip it out of the case and slip in a replacement without having to redo any of my cabling. While, technically (per Corsair), using non-Corsair cables voids the warranty (according to federal law, it doesn't unless it actually is the cause of failure), all one has to send in is the PSU itself for warranty repair/replacement. It's also 3/4" shorter than the HX750w which would give me a welcome extra 3/4" between the PSU and the third HDD cage.

A similar PSU, the Corsair AX760i, is made by another manufacturer who is supposed to also be good but costs more and has extra bells and whistles that require a separate module (which is included) and a USB 2.0 header connection, all of which I don't see as really needed for me and don't want to have to mess with. It also runs the fan full blast for around 10 seconds then reducing the speed when booting up. I've seen complaints equating the full speed fan noise to that of a hair dryer. While I only reboot only once a week, I still would find that annoying.

 

[Layback Bear]

I use a AX860i but I don't think I would buy another (i) unless it was required for the system.
I got the (i) version to use the Corsair Link which is a ball of wax.
Remove it and no problems without it.

The (i) and non (i) use different parts and methods to get the same job done. What I have found that when tested the results are so close that their really enough difference to mount to anything.
Using your system it would be very hard to get to a 75% load on either the AX750 or AX860. I have to use test programs to get a load that high.
Under normal use the fan doesn't even come on. The power supply is 4C above ambient temp. So I really don't believe you will have a temp problem or noise fan/air flow problem.