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Using a Mac Pro Tower for a custom computer build

G

Greenhoe

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 17, 2008
199
0
I'm looking to build a custom PC computer and I really can't find a case that I like, but love my Mac Pro case. I was wondering if anyone has seen or has pictures of a Mac Pro Case being used as a normal PC case as I'm not sure if it would be a good idea since it's not designed to be a normal PC case.

Thanks
 
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1552968

This guy did it, not for the faint of heart. The Mac Pro case isn't standard ATX so things won't "bolt up" like you'd expect.

There are some look-alikes, so check eBay. You might find some chinese knockoffs that look like it.

What about cases like the Lian Li? It's a sleek aluminum case. Or you could just do a mini/microATX build and stick it, case and all, INSIDE a gutted Mac Pro :D

Edit: It also looks like he's using the Scythe Mugen 2 for his heatsink, looks like it fits nicely. If you decide to do this, the Mugen 2 comes highly recommended by me, keeps my 4GHz Quad-Core overclock under 45C even during stress testing, with a dual fan setup. Also silent thanks to the big fans.

Either way, don't forget to take lots of pics and keep us updated!

-John
 
It's also worth mentioning that the guy who did the mod lost a fair deal of the case's original functionality in the process. He had to cut out three of the four hard drive shelves and rip out the SATA backplane just to get an ATX motherboard to fit.

In the end, it seems like more of a "yeah, it's possible" type of thing rather than something truly worth doing. To me, being limited to one hard drive bay and two ODD bays defeats the purpose of a tower.
 
CaptainChunk said:
It's also worth mentioning that the guy who did the mod lost a fair deal of the case's original functionality in the process. He had to cut out three of the four hard drive shelves and rip out the SATA backplane just to get an ATX motherboard to fit.
Click to expand...

Just go for micro ATX then? You can get mATX boards that even support SLi/Crossfire these days.
 
I have a Define R3 (white in my case) and it's great for the price, but not perfect by any means.

a) HDD fixings are locked, so you can't remove any bays to improve airflow
b) The rubber grommets round the motherboard holes look nice, but don't stay put and make installation a pain
c) The front intake doors are a bit wobbly and not too solid, certainly not at the quality I was expecting
d) Motherboard tray is fixed, so can't be removed
 
I know the Mac Pro case is nice and all, but when you use it for a PC you lose it's internal simplicity and you are heavily restricting yourself in functionality.

With companies like Lian-Li and Sivlerstone making excellent high-end cases I think it is worth looking beyond the limitation of Apple's design. It's (once) unique look aside it is actually a pretty crappy design these days for a workstation and it has a hand in some of the lose in features the Mac pros have compared to other workstations.
 
flatfoot said:
+1

Here's another thread where some people got their ATX boards into G5 cases without making the rear look ugly. There are also schematics to get front audio, USB etc working.
http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=1849
Click to expand...

yes, here are the connections for the front input on the G5
G5frontpinout.jpg
 
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