Note: I completed this project over the summer, and never got around to posting about it; of course, I lost all my progress images, so all I have is completed pics. Moderators, I hope I posted this in the right forum!
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As with many Mac users, as much as we hate to admit it, there is a need for Windoze in our computing lives, whether it be for school, business, games. I needed a decent PC to run Solidworks and Alias, but I simply could not bring myself to becoming a "dude getting a Dell." Before my mac conversion several years ago, I always built my own PCs; so with a little bit of internet research, I concluded I would also put a PC in a mac case, so at least I didnt have to look at a windows machine in my apartment.
The hardware I chose, based on $ and requirements:
AMD 64 3200+ (running 3%OC at 2.06ghz)
ASUS A8V-E DELUXE
ATI FireGL V500
2gb Crucial ram
Pioneer DVDR
Maxtor 160Gb SATA
The G5 case, is beautiful, well crafted, and made exclusively for a Mac motherboard. There were several persons who did this in a variety of ways; including the infamous one:
http://www.overclockers.com/tips1133/index02.asp
I wanted to keep it as "Mac" as possible inside, and create a relatively sturdy machine.
Ill highlight some of the steps I took.
Here is the whole machine. I purchased the G5 case off ebay (a stout $180; make sure it comes with a powerbutton and drive door!) and gutted out the standard mac wiring and bits I knew were not going to be useful. If you really want to see the genius of Apples industrial design; disassemble a G5. Every piece of hardware is well thought out, never off-the-shelf-pc, and perfectly executed...
Anyway, once it was gutted, I removed the standoffs that hold on the mb. They do not line up with anything ATX. I then ordered the specific screws from mcmaster-carr that worked with the standoffs, and screwed them onto the bottom of the PC motherboard. Using zap-a-gap CA glue, and my video card as a reference, I glued the motherboard into the G5 case via the standoffs (and it is actually a very good bond)
However, one area interfered, and required machining on a Bridgeport:
Usually, that piece of aluminum would not clear the motherboard, so I removed it and made an opening. I wanted to retain that piece overall so I could mount the DVDR to it.
Here is the harddrive bay reloated; I was able to reuse the black SATA G5 cables here.
A huge thermaltake heatsink with fans remounted in the original locations emulates standard G5 cooling to a degree. (Case stays very cool) The new powersupply is mounted to the bottom of the case, and I made a duct out of lucite (sprayed gray) to direct the powersupply exhaust out the back of the G5.
The powerbutton and light work as in a regular PC; it took some time with a multimeter and some careful soldering to work with the mac switch.
The back of the machine. I used the USB/Firewire extenders that came with the motherboard. Obviously, the standard ATX stuff does not line up at all with the Apple ports, but I dont have any need for them anway in this kind of setup.
I extended the powersupply power input and used some long screws to attach it. The powercord off my G5 actually fits perfectly in here, but I retained the standard black cord rather than make another financial donation to Mr. Jobs.
Just some final images. With the 2 apple ACD 20" displays, and the 2 "G5s" it definitely gives the work area a feel of understated computing power, without looking like LAN-party. When I do use the PC, I use a USB keyboard and mouse off the back of the ACD USB. When the PC isnt being used, a Griffin KVM allows apple dual-display bliss.
Thanks for reading!
****
As with many Mac users, as much as we hate to admit it, there is a need for Windoze in our computing lives, whether it be for school, business, games. I needed a decent PC to run Solidworks and Alias, but I simply could not bring myself to becoming a "dude getting a Dell." Before my mac conversion several years ago, I always built my own PCs; so with a little bit of internet research, I concluded I would also put a PC in a mac case, so at least I didnt have to look at a windows machine in my apartment.
The hardware I chose, based on $ and requirements:
AMD 64 3200+ (running 3%OC at 2.06ghz)
ASUS A8V-E DELUXE
ATI FireGL V500
2gb Crucial ram
Pioneer DVDR
Maxtor 160Gb SATA
The G5 case, is beautiful, well crafted, and made exclusively for a Mac motherboard. There were several persons who did this in a variety of ways; including the infamous one:
http://www.overclockers.com/tips1133/index02.asp
I wanted to keep it as "Mac" as possible inside, and create a relatively sturdy machine.
Ill highlight some of the steps I took.
Here is the whole machine. I purchased the G5 case off ebay (a stout $180; make sure it comes with a powerbutton and drive door!) and gutted out the standard mac wiring and bits I knew were not going to be useful. If you really want to see the genius of Apples industrial design; disassemble a G5. Every piece of hardware is well thought out, never off-the-shelf-pc, and perfectly executed...
Anyway, once it was gutted, I removed the standoffs that hold on the mb. They do not line up with anything ATX. I then ordered the specific screws from mcmaster-carr that worked with the standoffs, and screwed them onto the bottom of the PC motherboard. Using zap-a-gap CA glue, and my video card as a reference, I glued the motherboard into the G5 case via the standoffs (and it is actually a very good bond)
However, one area interfered, and required machining on a Bridgeport:
Usually, that piece of aluminum would not clear the motherboard, so I removed it and made an opening. I wanted to retain that piece overall so I could mount the DVDR to it.
Here is the harddrive bay reloated; I was able to reuse the black SATA G5 cables here.
A huge thermaltake heatsink with fans remounted in the original locations emulates standard G5 cooling to a degree. (Case stays very cool) The new powersupply is mounted to the bottom of the case, and I made a duct out of lucite (sprayed gray) to direct the powersupply exhaust out the back of the G5.
The powerbutton and light work as in a regular PC; it took some time with a multimeter and some careful soldering to work with the mac switch.
The back of the machine. I used the USB/Firewire extenders that came with the motherboard. Obviously, the standard ATX stuff does not line up at all with the Apple ports, but I dont have any need for them anway in this kind of setup.
I extended the powersupply power input and used some long screws to attach it. The powercord off my G5 actually fits perfectly in here, but I retained the standard black cord rather than make another financial donation to Mr. Jobs.
Just some final images. With the 2 apple ACD 20" displays, and the 2 "G5s" it definitely gives the work area a feel of understated computing power, without looking like LAN-party. When I do use the PC, I use a USB keyboard and mouse off the back of the ACD USB. When the PC isnt being used, a Griffin KVM allows apple dual-display bliss.
Thanks for reading!
