Post by: MasterGouken on March 21, 2009, 06:30:00 PM
Mine will not be identical (it will only have 1 controller port on the front, i am using a v1.1 xbox, i will be using a proximity/reed switch for the power switch) and the dimensions will be slightly different as i had to guess most of it.
Done so far:
Cut base, top, side and back pieces of 3mm plexi to size:
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/measuringup.jpg)
made 2mm motherboard mounts:
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/2mmmotherboardmounts.jpg)
Fit the first iceberq (im waiting for the other to arrive) and fitted a second fan header:
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/fanheaderandiceberq4.jpg)
Made a wooden "mould" to bend the side piece of plexi around:
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/bendingmold.jpg)
Started working on the pico psu (PW200-M) and sickmods atx to xbox adaptor:
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/sickmodsatxtoxboxadaptor.jpg)
Made a HDD mount for a 250gb laptop hard drive (no pic)
I will be using this wifi bridge (the pcb inside is exactly the same as the one ghostavel used in his mini):
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/wifibridge.jpg)
And finally a test layout:
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/testlayout.jpg)
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/testlayout2.jpg)
Overall outer dimensions are slightly smaller than ghostavels:
Mine: 23.5cmx20.5cmx5cm
His: 24.5cmx21.5cmx5cm
Ive also made a custom bios with "xbmc" instead of "xbox" on the splashscreen and flashed it to the TSOP.
I'll update when ive got more done (i have to cut the vents on the side pieces by hand (all my cuts are by hand, no lasercutting here lol) so dont expect my progress to be rapid.
This post has been edited by MasterGouken: Mar 22 2009, 01:36 AM
Post by: olnoeve on March 21, 2009, 10:25:00 PM
I was actually just starting a mini inspired box, myself. Could you tell me how you cut the plexi? This is almost exactly what I was planning on doing, except I cut out the bottom of the xbox right along the edge of the logic board and psu (for the time being, since I'm a poor college student, I am gonna stick with the stock psu) and I was just going to make the top and sides out of plexi. Nice job on the cuts, they look nice and clean.
This post has been edited by olnoeve: Mar 22 2009, 05:27 AM
Post by: sumdude on March 22, 2009, 04:24:00 AM
This post has been edited by sumdude: Mar 22 2009, 11:25 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 22, 2009, 07:31:00 AM
QUOTE(olnoeve @ Mar 22 2009, 07:01 AM) 
Could you tell me how you cut the plexi?
I just measured and marked out with a steel ruler, then cut close to the line with a dremel and cut off disk. Lastly i sanded, then wet sanded until smooth. As long as your measurements are right and you take your time, it should come out ok.
@ sumdude:
It worked for ghostavel and he hasnt posted any heat issues but i will of course monitor the temps on completion. I will be cutting ventilation holes on the side pieces and on the back for the 40mm fan. There will also be vents on the top piece directly above the iceberq's. Hopefully that will be enough.
Post by: olnoeve on March 22, 2009, 08:51:00 AM
Thanks man, I'll give it a try
Post by: MasterGouken on March 22, 2009, 09:02:00 AM
QUOTE(olnoeve @ Mar 22 2009, 05:27 PM)
So no problems with the dremel on the plexi? I would think it would melt it, or since its going so fast it might crack it, thats why i didn't want to use it.
Thanks man, I'll give it a try
I made sure that i used it on a slow/medium speed and cut a small amount at a time to prevent the cut off disk from getting too hot and melting the plexi.
A word of caution, use eye protectors, those tiny bits of plexi that get thrown up really hurt when they get in your eye!
Post by: Galvatron898 on March 22, 2009, 11:39:00 PM
Looks great can't wait to see finished result!
Post by: MasterGouken on March 23, 2009, 06:23:00 AM
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/hddmount.jpg)
I know the edges need cleaning up and yes, its still within the height limitations. Im still waiting for the other iceberq 4 so i'll work on the power switch for now.
Post by: MasterGouken on March 24, 2009, 02:35:00 PM
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/iceberq4sfitted.jpg)
Post by: sumdude on March 25, 2009, 05:55:00 AM
QUOTE
It worked for ghostavel and he hasnt posted any heat issues but i will of course monitor the temps on completion. I will be cutting ventilation holes on the side pieces and on the back for the 40mm fan. There will also be vents on the top piece directly above the iceberq's. Hopefully that will be enough.
Alright, but I still worry about heating.. possible to get some low power peltier units or slim heatpipe system? Also thinking just for heck of it add the extra ram to it?go have a laptop fan/heatsink from a p3 laptop that could work for the cpu if you like. Same cpu that's in the xbox as well oddly enough.
Post by: ghostavel on March 25, 2009, 11:08:00 AM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Mar 22 2009, 03:07 PM)
I just measured and marked out with a steel ruler, then cut close to the line with a dremel and cut off disk. Lastly i sanded, then wet sanded until smooth. As long as your measurements are right and you take your time, it should come out ok.
@ sumdude:
It worked for ghostavel and he hasnt posted any heat issues but i will of course monitor the temps on completion. I will be cutting ventilation holes on the side pieces and on the back for the 40mm fan. There will also be vents on the top piece directly above the iceberq's. Hopefully that will be enough.
QUOTE(sumdude @ Mar 25 2009, 01:31 PM)
Alright, but I still worry about heating.. possible to get some low power peltier units or slim heatpipe system? Also thinking just for heck of it add the extra ram to it?go have a laptop fan/heatsink from a p3 laptop that could work for the cpu if you like. Same cpu that's in the xbox as well oddly enough.
nice job on the xbox,can't wait to see it .as for air flow i dont have problems but the holes directly on top of the fans helps alot and i mean alot.other than that very nice.
Post by: MasterGouken on March 25, 2009, 11:20:00 AM
QUOTE(sumdude @ Mar 25 2009, 02:31 PM)
Alright, but I still worry about heating.. possible to get some low power peltier units or slim heatpipe system? Also thinking just for heck of it add the extra ram to it?go have a laptop fan/heatsink from a p3 laptop that could work for the cpu if you like. Same cpu that's in the xbox as well oddly enough.
I'll look into laptop heatsinks/fans but i would need to find one that could use the existing mounting holes and still fit into the space i have available (which is very little).
For now i will go ahead as planned and if heat is an issue, i will address it.
Ive thought about a ram upgrade, anyone in the UK still do this? If so how much? It would be great as the Horizons skin i like to use really slows down the menu animation in xbmc.
On to what i've got done today. Ive put together the power led (im only using 1 blue/red 3mm led), the hdd activity led and the wifi activity led and i've configured the wifi adapter. I've also been considering how to cut the vents (sides, back and top) without it turning out like a kid has gone mad with a dremel.
I want it to be neat, either a grid of small squares or rectangles and im not sure i can afford laser cutting so thats not currently an option. Any ideas?
QUOTE(ghostavel @ Mar 25 2009, 07:44 PM)
nice job on the xbox,can't wait to see it .as for air flow i dont have problems but the holes directly on top of the fans helps alot and i mean alot.other than that very nice.
Thanks ghostavel, i appreciate you posting here, after all it must feel like im ripping off your idea. I honestly just love your mini and wanted to make one too. Thanks for affirming that you have no heat issues, thats a relief!
Just a quick question, how much roughly was it to get your plexi laser cut? If i can afford it, i will just get the vents done.
Post by: MasterGouken on March 26, 2009, 04:21:00 PM
Ive been working on the backplate:
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/backplate.jpg)
Here you can see the horizontal grooves on the inside of the backplate which the top and bottom panels will sit in (and will be epoxied, for extra strength):
(IMG:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/gouki360/IMG_0087.jpg)
I'm still trying to work out the best way to cut the vents which i have to do before heatbending the main front/side piece.
Post by: olnoeve on March 26, 2009, 04:33:00 PM
Looking good man, can't wait to see the finished piece
Post by: MasterGouken on March 26, 2009, 05:11:00 PM
QUOTE(olnoeve @ Mar 27 2009, 01:09 AM)
Are you going to have the top piece like slide in? I couldn't figure out how ghostavel got his flush. Did you use the dremel to get that router like groove??
Looking good man, can't wait to see the finished piece
The top piece will slide in as the side pieces also have the grooves on them. The back piece will be the part that goes on last and will hold the top and bottom pieces in place. I saw that ghostavel did something similar for the base piece on his mini.
To get those grooves on there was a little tricky. I had to clamp my dremel (with a 3mm grinding disk) to my workbench and using more clamps and wooden blocks as guides, i fed the plexi along the grinding disk.
If i'd had a proper router i would have probably made a neater job of it but it all fits so far
Post by: sumdude on March 26, 2009, 07:34:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 26, 2009, 08:55:00 PM
QUOTE(sumdude @ Mar 27 2009, 04:10 AM)
About the RAM. I've found notice with some graphics cards and some do use same ram. Then again i saw that an old ATI rage 3D IIC that had same pinout and same size as the xbox ram.. but the speed was slower.. the xbox i believe uses 200mhz while the card i found uses half, odd eh? but could probably could rip them out with a soldering torch out of a busted xbox. Oh and another idea of the project, maybe get one of those CF or SD card to IDE adapter for even more compact. put the movies somewhere else.. oooor if you're gonna use it for games as well then stay the course.
There's no problem aquiring the ram as i have a dead xbox motherboard here. The problem is my soldering/desoldering isnt up to that level yet. Im pretty sure i wouldnt be able to successfully install the ram without causing some damage to the motherboard, or at least bridging the legs. If theres anyone who installs extra ram here in the UK please pm me with details.
As for the CF/SD to IDE idea, i will have a few games on there (thats why there is one controller port, otherwise i would omit it for a cleaner look) and a few emulators too, so i dont think that would work. Thanks for the idea though.
Post by: sumdude on March 27, 2009, 09:41:00 AM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Mar 26 2009, 10:31 PM) 
There's no problem aquiring the ram as i have a dead xbox motherboard here. The problem is my soldering/desoldering isnt up to that level yet. Im pretty sure i wouldnt be able to successfully install the ram without causing some damage to the motherboard, or at least bridging the legs. If theres anyone who installs extra ram here in the UK please pm me with details.
As for the CF/SD to IDE idea, i will have a few games on there (thats why there is one controller port, otherwise i would omit it for a cleaner look) and a few emulators too, so i dont think that would work. Thanks for the idea though.
Hmm.. could just add a wireless built in if you're going for cleaner look. Maybe some usb ports hooked up to relays that way when you plug in something to the usb port it'll automatically switch to it. OH! Also seen some ide adapters for CF cards to add two cards to one ide.. kinda like raid. If you had that and two 32gig cards..
This post has been edited by sumdude: Mar 27 2009, 04:48 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 27, 2009, 10:46:00 AM
QUOTE(sumdude @ Mar 27 2009, 06:17 PM)
Hmm.. could just add a wireless built in if you're going for cleaner look. Maybe some usb ports hooked up to relays that way when you plug in something to the usb port it'll automatically switch to it. OH! Also seen some ide adapters for CF cards to add two cards to one ide.. kinda like raid. If you had that and two 32gig cards..
Well i am already adding internal wifi (with an internal ariel) and possibly 1 usb port at the rear. For now i'll stick to the laptop hdd as theres enough room for it anyway. Thanks though.
Post by: petemcfc on March 28, 2009, 05:23:00 AM
Im asking this as Im a mech fitter/fabricator.A method to obtain sharp bends would be:
Obtain a fluorescent light fitting to the width of your intended case,bosh the glass to reveal the filiment,that is now your heat source.
Clamp the light fitting to a work mate/bench and use a piece of steel to cover half of the fitting,looking from the top the steel and filiment should be in line,for a bigger radius move the steel to expose more filiment.
Warning this gets hot + live.
Do not scribe the material as it will split and do not allow the steel to warm up.
Have a practice with a few offcuts.
Post by: MasterGouken on March 28, 2009, 06:15:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 29, 2009, 07:16:00 AM
You can see the hdd activity led wires to the left (orange and white wires) and the power/eject led to the right (blue/green wires). Also that is the reed switch at the front (yellow wires).
This shows the laptop style AC adapter. Right, time to get the multimeter out...
Post by: MasterGouken on March 30, 2009, 10:31:00 AM
I'm getting there...slowly
Post by: MasterGouken on March 30, 2009, 10:58:00 AM
Back plate (still needs a fan grill cutting out):
Post by: Galvatron898 on March 30, 2009, 08:12:00 PM
THAT LOOKS BAD ASS!
Post by: sumdude on March 30, 2009, 09:40:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 31, 2009, 03:55:00 AM
QUOTE(sumdude @ Mar 31 2009, 05:16 AM)
Keep it up man, like how ya did the "window" but might wanna clean that wiring up just a tad though.
The wiring will be tidied up but not yet as im constantly taking it all apart whilst test fitting, measuring, cutting etc. The electrical tape is temporary, dont worry
.Also the "window" will be hidden by a 3mm thick plexi faceplate with a grill/vent cut into it right above the hole (there will be a face plate both sides). Im getting some clear plexi for the face plates as i have an idea to use the xbmc logo on each side (i'm not engraving it though...you'll see) as this xbox's primary purpose will be for movies/music.
Post by: MasterGouken on March 31, 2009, 10:15:00 AM
Controller port done (needs a bit of filler around it due to me drilling to quickly and a tiny piece of plexi chipping off):
This pic shows the led holes and the hole for the ir eye which i will be making a small circle of smoked plexi to cover:
Post by: munchou on March 31, 2009, 11:25:00 AM
I love what you're doing...
How did you make the angles of the box ? It's an already-made plexi ?
I can't imagine how cool will be the result, at least YOU are going to finish your project, not like many... Mmmm ? ^^
Post by: MasterGouken on March 31, 2009, 11:42:00 AM
QUOTE(munchou @ Mar 31 2009, 07:01 PM)
Hey,
I love what you're doing...
How did you make the angles of the box ? It's an already-made plexi ?
I can't imagine how cool will be the result, at least YOU are going to finish your project, not like many... Mmmm ? ^^
To make the angles i used a wooden mold and a paint stripping gun (heatgun) to warm and bend the plexiglass around the mold. Of course i will finish it, no point doing it otherwise, right?
Post by: Infamous Ob on March 31, 2009, 01:10:00 PM
I see it as artwork and not just a "Xbox Mini" project
that were all used to seeing. When you said that you
"used the heatbending method", that's when it OFFICIALlY
became art. Stuff like that makes me feel good to come back
on XS and see what the upcoming mod-generation is about.
From what I see, looks like I can honestly say, creativity is
the best part of modding, nothing else matters. It what you
can make out of something that's "the standard", and give it
life. Overall, it looks good man.
-Infamous Ob, XS Legend
This post has been edited by Infamous Ob: Mar 31 2009, 08:14 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 31, 2009, 12:47:00 PM
QUOTE(Infamous Ob @ Mar 31 2009, 08:10 PM)
This some high quality work right here, definately.
I see it as artwork and not just a "Xbox Mini" project
that were all used to seeing. When you said that you
"used the heatbending method", that's when it OFFICIALlY
became art. Stuff like that makes me feel good to come back
on XS and see what the upcoming mod-generation is about.
From what I see, looks like I can honestly say, creativity is
the best part of modding, nothing else matters. It what you
can make out of something that's "the standard", and give it
life. Overall, it looks good man.
-Infamous Ob, XS Legend
yeah this forum has slowed down alot these days, its a shame because the original xbox is so easily moddable and still has a lot of potential in it.
Thanks for the encouragement but you know im trying to replicate (to some degree) ghostavels work right? Its not exactly an original idea although most of the work done so far is based on my own guesses of how he did it. I only have the pictures he posted and the overall measurements to go on, but it is still an imitation of an original project , and no where as neat as his (as he had his panels laser cut and im cutting mine by hand).
Post by: asimmon6 on April 01, 2009, 05:46:00 AM
i was wondering, if i'm seeing it right, you removed the male psu connector off the pw-200m board and just connected the sickmods adapter to the pins with wire, right? that was what i was going to do to try and save room, but was wondering if you had any problems with it, or if there was anything i should know before i started it. and did you just desolder the leads to remove it?
Post by: MasterGouken on April 01, 2009, 06:16:00 AM
QUOTE(asimmon6 @ Apr 1 2009, 01:22 PM)
excellent job. looks great so far. i'm actually almost done with a similar "xbox mini" inspired box. i still have to finish the case and do the psu work. my biggest difference is that i've actually hardwired all the outputs so I won't need to use any MS pack. (right now i have composite, s-video, component, and both optical and coaxial digital audio jacks wired to the board and working)
i was wondering, if i'm seeing it right, you removed the male psu connector off the pw-200m board and just connected the sickmods adapter to the pins with wire, right? that was what i was going to do to try and save room, but was wondering if you had any problems with it, or if there was anything i should know before i started it. and did you just desolder the leads to remove it?
Yes i removed the atx connector from the pico psu to save space. It took a while to desolder the connections and i managed to ruin 1 psu by damaging a couple of the copper "o" rings on the pcb. My first attempt was with a 15 watt iron which obviously didnt get hot enough, so when i tried for the second time i used a 30 watt iron and it was much easier.
If you attempt this, use a desoldering pump first to get the majority of the solder off, then use desoldering braid/wick to get the rest and use flux around the points before desoldering, it helps.
Good luck with your "mini" project, i have a component cable for the xbox so i dont need to add the ports on the back as it uses the av port anyway. You should start a thread and post pics, i would be interested to follow your progress
Post by: Galvatron898 on April 03, 2009, 08:42:00 AM
Relica or not give yourself some credit that thing is sick! You are kicking ass!
Post by: MasterGouken on April 03, 2009, 10:28:00 AM
QUOTE(Galvatron898 @ Apr 3 2009, 04:18 PM)
Sup,
Relica or not give yourself some credit that thing is sick! You are kicking ass!
Thanks for the kind words.
Well yesterday i managed to drop the "u" shaped side piece (with the led holes and controller port in it) and break it so ive spent today remaking it
Its hard work trying to get it all to fit together neatly with the new piece but im working on it.Im also still trying to come up with a good way of cutting the air/fan vents...i may have to it with my dremel and a steady hand
Post by: asimmon6 on April 04, 2009, 08:00:00 AM
also, for your controller ports, did you just take the breakaway cable and splice it into the wires that connect to the board? i was trying to do that but couldn't get the controller to work. just wondering, i would rather have the two small holes for the controller ports, rather than a big rectangle
Post by: MasterGouken on April 04, 2009, 09:18:00 AM
QUOTE(asimmon6 @ Apr 4 2009, 03:36 PM)
yeah, know what you mean. was painting mine and something fell on it breaking the top piece and the front panel. i'll throw up some pics in a thread to show how mine is going, i'm not as good at making this stuff, so it probably won't look as good as yours.
also, for your controller ports, did you just take the breakaway cable and splice it into the wires that connect to the board? i was trying to do that but couldn't get the controller to work. just wondering, i would rather have the two small holes for the controller ports, rather than a big rectangle
Well i've remade the faceplate and cut the holes again for the controller port, ir eye and led's. Yes, i used the breakaway cable part for the port as it kept the size down. I got the idea from "guy inthe back"s wip where he did the same thing (look for his Decepti-slim thread). I was going to originally use usb ports but this looks so much better.
I used a small piece of 2mm plexi and a 3mm piece to make a support as shown here:
The glue is still drying, sorry it doesnt show it better. The side of the case is 3mm so that plus the support i glued on means the hole for the port to sit in is 8mm which fits perfectly flush with the front.
Yes i wired it directly to the motherboard plug and it works fine. Check you dont have any wires touching each other, that could be the problem.
On another note, i'm worried that just gluing this case together will mean that it wont be very strong so i've ordered some 10mm diameter acrylic rod from ebay that i'm going to use as supports.
There will be 2 at the front (using 2 existing motherboard screwholes and attaching to the case bottom) and 2 at the back (one next to the 40mm fan and one next to the dvd connector socket)
These will hold both top and bottom pieces of the case together providing more strength.
Now im off to solder on the wires for the lan activity led whilst that glue dries
Post by: MasterGouken on April 09, 2009, 01:21:00 PM
and a pic of them in place:
Post by: NiC_CC on April 09, 2009, 04:02:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on April 10, 2009, 06:43:00 AM
QUOTE(NiC_CC @ Apr 9 2009, 11:38 PM)
looking great so far! sorry about the faceplate... I know the feeling and it sucks!
Thanks NIC, yes it does suck when things set you back. Luckily i ordered enough plexiglass to make up to 4 face pieces
Right now im working on a bracket for the wifi adapter and the ir pcb.
Post by: rocky5 on April 10, 2009, 05:50:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on April 11, 2009, 10:29:00 AM
QUOTE(rocky5 @ Apr 11 2009, 01:26 AM)
That looks damn sexy how much would you charge to make one as that would look great in my living room.
Well considering the amount of cash ive spent already and the hours put into this xbox, i dont think you would be wanting to spend that much (you could probably get a ps3 for that kind of money).
Lets see, what have i spent so far...
£25 on a second hand xbox
£15 on plexiglass (at least)
£7 on acrylic rod
£33 on iceberq 4's
£39 on the pico psu
£30 on the AC DC adapter
£2 on led's
£50 on the laptop hdd
so thats £201 before i add in the other stuff i needed to do this xbox (workbench, wood for the mold, heatgun, etc) and it doesnt include parts i already had lying around (dvd dongle, 40mm fan, etc)
Also im in the UK, so shipping anywhere else would be an added expense...you may as well make one by yourself
Post by: Arttu on April 12, 2009, 03:31:00 AM
Keep up the good work.
Post by: MasterGouken on April 12, 2009, 09:32:00 AM
QUOTE(Arttu @ Apr 12 2009, 11:07 AM)
I must say, that's impressive. Only negative note is that it isn't your own design (with the time and thought you've probably put it it, you could have drawn your own design aswell) , but it doesn't really matter when it looks that good. The best wip I've seen here so far.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the kind words.
I know its not an original design although i am making some changes that will make it a little bit different than ghostavels. For example, i only have the 1 controller port compared to his 4, i have no usb ports (although i may add one if i find a need for it), im using a reed switch for the on/off button, the overall size is slightly smaller...etc.
Also i had only his pictures to work from when constructing the case. The way his fits together is different to how my case does.
Heres a quick size comparison pic next to a normal sized xbox:
Post by: event horizon on April 20, 2009, 11:41:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on April 22, 2009, 10:36:00 AM
QUOTE(event horizon @ Apr 21 2009, 05:33 AM)
Wow quite the difference compared to a retail case!
Yes it is quite a bit smaller. Im working on the vents for the sides and fans at the moment but its slow progress. I'll post pics when they're done
Post by: ndsbass on April 30, 2009, 01:20:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on May 03, 2009, 11:43:00 AM
QUOTE(ndsbass @ Apr 30 2009, 07:12 AM)
amazing looking case, keep up the good work!
Cheers mate!
I tried a method to make the fan grills/air vents but unfortunately it didnt work out. I bought some square tube "stripstyrene" pieces and glued them together horizontally to make a block, then i cut a slice (like a loaf of bread) to make a grid of plastic squares but it fell apart as i cut it. I think i'll have one more go at that with better glue/epoxy before deciding whether i should bite the bullet and pay for laser cutting.
The top panel alone will cost me £63 to get laser cut (due to the vents on top for the heatsinks) so i would rather not do this but, if i can find no other way to make the vents neatly, i will have to go that route. I'll be looking at roughly £150 for a complete laser cut case...ouch!
Can anyone help me out with putting my design into a 2d/3d cad drawing? I havent used autocad before so anyone proficient in it thats willing to help is most welcome. I will provide all measurements and can chat over msn, please pm if you can help. (also if anyone else wants to use the design after its put into cad drawings, i would like to give back to the scene by making it available to everyone).
Post by: MasterGouken on May 04, 2009, 01:50:00 PM
I have them rar'ed up if anyone wants them, please PM me and i will send them (illustrator format). Any questions regarding the files, please also PM me. Also if there is anyone capable of creating a CAD version of this design, please PM me and i will get back to you.
Post by: MasterGouken on May 12, 2009, 03:14:00 PM
Post by: Timmeh2k7 on May 12, 2009, 03:26:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on May 12, 2009, 05:09:00 PM
QUOTE(Timmeh2k7 @ May 12 2009, 09:18 PM)
I can not wait to see this WIP finished, looking forwards to the final pics!
Thanks, looking forward to finally finishing it
Post by: andyburlow on June 02, 2009, 02:39:00 AM
Depending on what the material price comes out at you may want to consider getting a few made up as it easy to cut multiple pieces of the same design so should not increase the cost too much.
Maybe get a quote for 1 off, 2 off, 5 off and ask on here if anyone wants a bare case?
We all know how many sales enquiries Ghostavel got for his original design...
Just a thought, but if you are anything like me - money is tight and just getting one project complete is hard enough!
Keep up the good work.
Post by: MasterGouken on June 02, 2009, 03:22:00 AM
QUOTE(andyburlow @ Jun 2 2009, 09:39 AM)
Well done on the work so far and for taking the plunge taking your project to the next level by getting the laser cutting done.
Depending on what the material price comes out at you may want to consider getting a few made up as it easy to cut multiple pieces of the same design so should not increase the cost too much.
Maybe get a quote for 1 off, 2 off, 5 off and ask on here if anyone wants a bare case?
We all know how many sales enquiries Ghostavel got for his original design...
Just a thought, but if you are anything like me - money is tight and just getting one project complete is hard enough!
Keep up the good work.
The lasercutting quote i have is £50 (including the material and an etched xbmc logo) plus shipping and vat. Unfortunately the laser cutting company are really taking their time getting this done for me. I've emailed them again today asking for an eta so hopefully it will prompt them to get on with it.
When it arrives i'll post pics and the illustrator drawings (also a link to the company i am using to get it cut) so that anyone can have one made for the same price i am paying (probably around £80 all in). Im not looking to profit from this.
A small update to the project, im using an even smaller psu (to save even more space):
Its a PicoPSU 60 WI (http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-60-WI?sc=8&category=13). Im having some problems getting it to work though.
When i first turn it on, it works ok, all led's on the atx to xbox convertor come on but the 2.5" hdd doesnt seem to spin up. If i turn it off then try to power it up again it turns on and off very quickly.
I have posted my problem on sickmods forums and Pablot said i could connect a 5v line to the PS_OK signal on the atx side of the convertor, bypassing that check, but that could cause the psu harm. I also read a post on here stating:
"The Xbox motherboard has a lot of capacitors on it to keep the 5V supply clean and smooth so the chips will work correctly. However, when the motherboard first starts up, all the capacitors are discharged, so the PSU must supply enough current at startup to both run the motherboard AND charge the capacitors (the inrush current can be over double the normal operating current). So, with the amount of capacitance on the motherboard, the Picopsu can't handle it and will not power up, that is why some capacitors need to be removed."
Either method could cause damage to the xbox and psu.
I am not sure which method would be best, nor do i know which of the caps, or how many i should remove (if i chose that method). Can anyone point them out on the pic i posted above? I dont want to remove the wrong ones or too many of them.
Post by: alpha_prime on June 02, 2009, 11:17:00 AM
you need to remove 3 caps. However, when I did that mod i removed all those caps and installed a few big new capacitors. I used one 3300 µF and 3 3300 µF caps, all 16V. Everything worked fine
good luck with the 60w picopsu!
EDIT: changed your picture
http://forums.bit-tech.net/picture.php?albumid=320&pictureid=3005
Post by: MasterGouken on June 02, 2009, 12:26:00 PM
QUOTE(alpha_prime @ Jun 2 2009, 06:17 PM)
hey man, check this out: http://forums.xbox-s...howtopic=536915
you need to remove 3 caps. However, when I did that mod i removed all those caps and installed a few big new capacitors. I used one 3300 µF and 3 3300 µF caps, all 16V. Everything worked fine
good luck with the 60w picopsu!
EDIT: changed your picture
http://forums.bit-te...;pictureid=3005
Thanks for the info, much appreciated!
When you remove capacitors, do you just bridge the 2 points where the caps legs were soldered to with wire? Does it matter how thick/thin the wire is?
Post by: alpha_prime on June 02, 2009, 03:20:00 PM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Jun 2 2009, 08:26 PM) 
Thanks for the info, much appreciated!
When you remove capacitors, do you just bridge the 2 points where the caps legs were soldered to with wire? Does it matter how thick/thin the wire is?
whatever you do, DON'T bridge those spots. A capacitor doesn't conduct energy, it stores it, there's no connection between both points. Just leave them.
Post by: MasterGouken on June 02, 2009, 04:08:00 PM
Post by: lloydmedley on June 03, 2009, 05:39:00 PM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Apr 12 2009, 04:32 PM)
Thanks for the kind words.
I know its not an original design although i am making some changes that will make it a little bit different than ghostavels. For example, i only have the 1 controller port compared to his 4, i have no usb ports (although i may add one if i find a need for it), im using a reed switch for the on/off button, the overall size is slightly smaller...etc.
Also i had only his pictures to work from when constructing the case. The way his fits together is different to how my case does.
Heres a quick size comparison pic next to a normal sized xbox:
Looks lush mate.. well done. So does the original case in white mind!
Post by: andyburlow on June 04, 2009, 01:19:00 PM
They will no doubt be using your job as a 'filler', getting more expensive jobs out the way first.
Good work also on making your plans 'open' to the community - nice move.
Post by: MasterGouken on June 05, 2009, 12:10:00 PM
Post by: lloydmedley on June 05, 2009, 06:29:00 PM
Or a price for the job
Post by: MasterGouken on June 05, 2009, 07:17:00 PM
QUOTE(lloydmedley @ Jun 6 2009, 01:29 AM)
Sweet news.. then I just want some INSTRUCTIONS!
Or a price for the job LOL well I have asked him to give me a quote for a few extra pieces. I'll see how things go with mine first
Post by: AiMsHiT on June 12, 2009, 10:01:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on June 26, 2009, 04:29:00 PM
Also i've pestered the laser cutting company again (they're really taking their time!) and apparently they'll try and get the case cut tomorrow. We'll see!
Post by: MasterGouken on July 03, 2009, 09:17:00 AM
The cost of making 2 of all parts of the case was £78, any further orders are £19.50 plus VAT and shipping (very reasonable!) so if i screw up these 2, i can order more.
Stay tuned..
Post by: MasterGouken on July 05, 2009, 04:48:00 AM
Post by: asimmon6 on July 05, 2009, 08:39:00 AM
update on mine. sickmods finally made some more atx converters so should be able to finish mine this week. i'll post some more pics later this week, won't look as slick as your though.
Post by: MasterGouken on July 05, 2009, 08:48:00 AM
QUOTE(asimmon6 @ Jul 5 2009, 03:39 PM)
looks pretty sweet. how long is it going to take to put together?
update on mine. sickmods finally made some more atx converters so should be able to finish mine this week. i'll post some more pics later this week, won't look as slick as your though.
Its going to take a while to put together as i have to route the edges and heat bend the side pieces, then glue in the motherboard mounts etc...lots to do. Im also waiting for my upgraded 1ghz, 128mb motherboard (should be here by thurs/fri hopefully). Luckily i have a couple of days off work so i can get a start on it all.
Yes i saw that sickmods had some more atx convertors in stock and bought one (just in case i need it lol). Good luck with your mini, looking forward to the pics
Post by: MasterGouken on July 07, 2009, 05:43:00 AM
Luckily its a v1.0 so i dont have to change the psu convertor connector but now theres a controller port daughterboard to allow room for.
Its a shame its raining here today, or i would be heat bending the case (cant really do it indoors).
Post by: MasterGouken on July 07, 2009, 12:22:00 PM
Next: soldering the lan activity led to the underside of the motherboard.
Post by: attackofzach7 on July 07, 2009, 02:49:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 08, 2009, 12:12:00 PM
QUOTE(attackofzach7 @ Jul 7 2009, 09:49 PM)
WOW. it has really been awhile since i have been on this site, modding just keeps stepping its game up. Great work. seriously. i wanna see the finished piece.
Thanks,
i want to see it complete too but stuff keeps getting in the way (work/weather/life in general) lol.
I have some time off work coming up in a few days though so i'll try to get this xbox mini done.
Post by: MasterGouken on July 09, 2009, 11:07:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 10, 2009, 09:10:00 AM
Now im working on the wifi adapter mount.
Post by: Bandit5317 on July 10, 2009, 11:30:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 11, 2009, 08:19:00 AM
QUOTE(Bandit5317 @ Jul 11 2009, 06:30 AM)
Looking good. Can't wait to see how this one comes out.
Hows this?:
Post by: Bandit5317 on July 11, 2009, 01:04:00 PM
. It looks 100 percent manufactured and professional.
Post by: sprocketme2 on July 12, 2009, 08:47:00 PM
looks pro! Only thing i'm wondering: Why did you cut grooves for the baseplate? You could have put it flush with the bottom of the sides then glued it to the edges inside, since you wont need to remove the bottom for any reason.
Post by: MasterGouken on July 13, 2009, 04:15:00 AM
QUOTE(sprocketme2 @ Jul 13 2009, 03:47 AM)
sick! absolutely sick!
looks pro! Only thing i'm wondering: Why did you cut grooves for the baseplate? You could have put it flush with the bottom of the sides then glued it to the edges inside, since you wont need to remove the bottom for any reason.The grooves are for extra strength. The base plate sits 3mm higher than the sides as a 3mm faceplate will be going over the top of it which will cover any screw holes (same for the top piece, i have a faceplate for that too). Therefore the faceplate will be flush with the edges.
The bottom piece will also be epoxied in place though the top wont as i will need access to the internals.
Glad you like it so far
Post by: petemcfc on July 13, 2009, 02:43:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 13, 2009, 03:02:00 PM
QUOTE(petemcfc @ Jul 13 2009, 09:43 PM)
A1 and a few extra gold stars for your planning and attention to detail,great idea for the location slots but if you epoxy them thats it,why not just silicon it in place,Im sure in time you might want to have another tinker with it.
Im only epoxying the long front/side piece to the baseplate, the rest will be held in place by screws. The back piece will clip on (internally) so its easy to remove and shows no external screw heads. I will be putting 4 inner supports that will be screwed into the baseplate and inner top plate either side of the air vents effectively sandwiching the two together (if that makes any sense
).
Post by: Heet on July 14, 2009, 04:17:00 AM
Incredible.
Post by: MasterGouken on July 14, 2009, 11:58:00 AM
QUOTE(Heet @ Jul 14 2009, 11:17 AM)
I cant believe how much that looks like his.
Incredible.
I got it as close as i could without having any schematics to work from, only the pictures ghostavel posted. A lot of the design was guess work and lots of measuring, making mock ups, remeasuring and adjusting the design etc.
I will be working on it again from the 20th as i have a week off work then. I aim to have it completed by the end of this month, if all goes to plan
Post by: Stubbfan on July 15, 2009, 12:45:00 PM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Jul 14 2009, 07:58 PM)
I got it as close as i could without having any schematics to work from, only the pictures ghostavel posted. A lot of the design was guess work and lots of measuring, making mock ups, remeasuring and adjusting the design etc.
I will be working on it again from the 20th as i have a week off work then. I aim to have it completed by the end of this month, if all goes to plan
Really impressive work. Got me into taring my xbox 1 apart to do one myself. Any chance you could post some drawings? Of course i could just measure everything myself but if you could it would help alot!
Post by: MasterGouken on July 15, 2009, 02:00:00 PM
Post by: willie19a on July 16, 2009, 03:52:00 AM
edit: never mind i noticed it is a usb one, i take it you just wired it direct to one to the controller ports, either 3 or 4? lol no wait it has rj45 on it too, damn, will a usb one work or does it have to have the rj45 (i already know what the answer is but hey ive got to hope lol )
Post by: MasterGouken on July 16, 2009, 04:30:00 AM
QUOTE(willie19a @ Jul 16 2009, 10:52 AM)
lol this put my slightly obesse mini to shame lol, well looks like mines is out the window, although, my budget for this project is at a staggering.........0 lol. i dont like spending money , im a little bit stingy but would love to make a mini like yours. keep up the good work and looking forward to the .dwgs, im a CAD operator so i constantly look at drawings, be nice to look at one i am actually interested in lol. Any way, your wifi thingy majigar, is it connected to the xbox via usb or rj45 cos i have a usb one sitting here doing nothing, and would like to adapt it to use on my xbox.
edit: never mind i noticed it is a usb one, i take it you just wired it direct to one to the controller ports, either 3 or 4? lol no wait it has rj45 on it too, damn, will a usb one work or does it have to have the rj45 (i already know what the answer is but hey ive got to hope lol )
The wifi bridge is connected via ethernet cable (the usb lead that came with it is only for power). I will have a short length of cat5 looping from it to the xbox's ethernet port (i could have soldered in directly to the xbox's ethernet pins but i wanted to keep the port in case i need to reconfigure the wireless bridge's IP settings in the future. A usb one wont work as the xbox doesnt have the drivers to use it.
The case design isnt anything fancy, i've never used illustrator before which meant a lot of trial and error at getting it all together lol. Luckily the laser cutting company i used only needed 2d "cutout" plans which made it simpler for me.
As for money, well ive gone a bit crazy on this project lol. Ive spent enough on this to buy another ps3!
Post by: willie19a on July 17, 2009, 05:20:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 20, 2009, 07:37:00 AM
Here you can see where i've had to cut out a piece of the inner top panel to allow for the 40mm fan (it also helps hold it in place:
Test fitting the back plate (needed to make sure all the cut outs on the back lined up correctly with the motherboard placement):
I've also remade the inner support posts from 10mm square acrylic rod (all 38mm high) which will help hold everything together.
Im still aiming to have this done by the end of the month
Post by: willie19a on July 23, 2009, 09:12:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 23, 2009, 09:24:00 AM
QUOTE(willie19a @ Jul 23 2009, 04:12 PM)
very nice work m8, do you have dwg files which you could post to me? slight thing that does concern me is the temperature of the cpu/gpu, i dont imagine i could use my normal cpu/gpu heatsinks on there might be a little too confined for that. How are you going to mount up your dvd drive, do you have any ideas for an ecternal hard drive?
I can send you the .dwg's in a rar if you pm me an email address to send them to. They still need some tweaking though, oh and i've allowed a bit extra on each end of the sides and back pieces so that i can overlap them (not done that yet either).
As for the temps, ghostavel has already said that he doesnt have temperature issues and his set up is the same (iceberq 4's on CPU and GPU).
Im not including a dvd drive in this mini as i can ftp anything i want over to it (using the internal wifi bridge) and i have a 250gb laptop hdd in there (yes there's space)
So far today i've been sanding and rebending the sides/back to get it just right...shame the weather isnt cooperating (keeps raining on and off
)
Post by: MasterGouken on July 23, 2009, 04:24:00 PM
The heat bending setup (i had to make some adjustments):
Post by: MasterGouken on July 25, 2009, 09:01:00 AM
Support posts are in. The top and bottom panels have been drilled through and will be secured to the posts with small laptop screws (as they have flat heads):
Ive chamfered the side piece and back piece edges (where they meet) to make a smooth join. Dont worry, its not all fixed together yet hence the gaps:
And as it all stands now:
Post by: sprocketme2 on July 25, 2009, 12:15:00 PM
Cant wait to try it myself Again very nice work, keep it up.
Post by: GoTeamScotch on July 25, 2009, 10:07:00 PM
But why is there an opening where the top of the fan rests?
Post by: MasterGouken on July 26, 2009, 05:38:00 AM
QUOTE(GoTeamScotch @ Jul 26 2009, 05:07 AM)
Looking really good. I like the high gloss finish. Looks very slick
But why is there an opening where the top of the fan rests?
The fan is 40mm x 40mm and the internal height is 38mm hence the cut out. Dont worry, once the faceplate is on you wont see that:
Post by: asimmon6 on July 28, 2009, 07:23:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 29, 2009, 05:05:00 AM
QUOTE(asimmon6 @ Jul 29 2009, 02:23 AM)
looks great. one quick question, which ac-dc power adapter are you using for the psu. Have heard that some people have to get a 9A one to get it to work right. We have pretty much an identical setup, so whatever you use I should be able to use also.
Im using an EDAC adapter:
model: EA11203A
AC INPUT: 100-240v~2.5A
50-60hz
DC OUTPUT: 12-17v 8.5A
I am having some problems getting it to work though. Im not sure if this is down to the ac-dc adapter (this one is 8.5a whereas sicknasty used a 5a adapter and reported it working ok. It also could be my soldering to the sickmods atx 2 xbox adapter or the psu itself (which i doubt).
On first power up the sickmods adapter lights up all 3 leds, the psu led comes on and the xbox starts booting but the bios screen stutters and freezes (sound stutters too). If i try powering off then on again the sickmods adapter flashes the ps-on led once then it goes off and the fans pulse once (acting as if theres a short somewhere).
Im going to try using 2 zener diodes, a 4.7k resistor and a npn transistor as in this tut:
http://forums.xbox-s...howtopic=536915
He used the same xbox version, he removed the same capacitors as i have and he used the exact same psu so im hopeful that it will fix the problem. If you get yours working correctly, let me know.
Post by: MasterGouken on July 29, 2009, 09:16:00 AM
I have however primered the sides and back with plastikote plastic primer. it goes on clear but gives a matt finish that will help the paint adhere, its going to be painted i satin silver and the faceplates will stay gloss black. I've epoxied the base to the side piece too, now its hopefully strong enough.
I also sanded the edge of the faceplate that didnt quite fit, now its perfect!
Back to work tonight so progress will slow down again
Im waiting for some zener diodes that i ordered off of ebay, then i can try again to get this pico psu working right.
Post by: willie19a on July 30, 2009, 02:55:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 30, 2009, 05:08:00 AM
i could install some internal air filters behind the vents if i could find something suitable though...
Post by: MasterGouken on August 06, 2009, 08:21:00 AM
Pics up shortly of the full case assembled
And here we go...
Yes i know there is a bit of filing to be done for it all to fit together neatly, i'll do this tomorrow.
Anyone spot that the xbmc logo needs rotating 45 degrees? lol, i'll contact the laser cutting company again to sort it out.
Hope you like it
Post by: Nextelhalo on August 06, 2009, 11:02:00 AM
Post by: Nextelhalo on August 06, 2009, 11:23:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on August 06, 2009, 12:19:00 PM
QUOTE(Nextelhalo @ Aug 6 2009, 06:23 PM)
Any lighting effects? Maybe some vent lighting?
Well the iceberq's on the cpu and gpu shine blue through the vents on the faceplate. This will be sitting on my tv stand so i dont want it looking like a christmas tree lol, subtle will work best.
The LAN, HDD activity and power led's are all blue too.
Post by: Nextelhalo on August 06, 2009, 06:40:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on August 07, 2009, 09:53:00 AM
I'll work on the psu and wifi bridge tomorrow.
Post by: GoTeamScotch on August 08, 2009, 01:39:00 AM
If microsoft made a new slim line of Xboxes like this they would be making BANK. Sony reinvented the PS2 and it still has games on the shelves. You beat M$ to it and I doubt they could have done any better. Seriously amazing work there.
Post by: MasterGouken on August 09, 2009, 08:36:00 AM
QUOTE(GoTeamScotch @ Aug 8 2009, 08:39 AM)
BEST XBOX MODIFICATION. Period.
If microsoft made a new slim line of Xboxes like this they would be making BANK. Sony reinvented the PS2 and it still has games on the shelves. You beat M$ to it and I doubt they could have done any better. Seriously amazing work there.
Thanks, glad you like it. Yes microsoft should have made a mini xbox, i would have bought one lol.
Not had time to get any more done yet due to work but as soon as i get a couple of days off i'll get the psu wiring done and install the wifi bridge and ir dongle.
I also have to work out the best way to attach the back piece to the rest of the case.
Post by: MasterGouken on August 13, 2009, 07:47:00 AM
Post by: mredude on February 02, 2020, 05:19:00 PM
go figurethats an awesome mod case m8 i gota see a pic with it lit up and playin, its sweet
Post by: MasterGouken on August 21, 2009, 07:29:00 AM
Well im still trying to find a new home so havent got any updates on this xbox yet but i'll try and get the psu finished in the next week, thats the main part im having problems with. Then its just the back plate and wifi bridge mounts to get done.
Glad you like it so far
Post by: ghostavel on August 21, 2009, 06:58:00 PM
sorry for the other news.
Post by: MasterGouken on August 23, 2009, 02:02:00 PM
QUOTE(ghostavel @ Aug 22 2009, 01:58 AM)
hey nice work on the mini ....came out amazing.havent been here in a while.
sorry for the other news.
Thanks ghostavel, its coming together slowly. Waiting on some heatshrink tubing to finish the psu connections and figuring out a way to attach the back piece.
Dont worry about me, i'll be fine
Post by: ashfungo on August 23, 2009, 04:22:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on August 24, 2009, 07:22:00 AM
QUOTE(ashfungo @ Aug 23 2009, 11:22 PM)
not to sound dumb ( never owned a original xbox) wheres the dvd drive? or all the games saved on the hard drive?
All games, emulators, music and movies are on the 250gb laptop hard drive. If i want to put more games on there i rip them using another xbox, then do an xbox to xbox transfer using avalaunch (as an app, i am using xbmc as dash on this xbox mini). Or i could just open it up and connect a dvd drive temporarily to rip the game to the hdd.
Post by: phenoptix on October 04, 2009, 04:10:00 PM
Post by: _GhOsT_ on October 04, 2009, 10:02:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on October 07, 2009, 05:51:00 PM
QUOTE(phenoptix @ Oct 4 2009, 11:10 PM)
any update? looks fantastic
Sorry no update yet, ive recently moved home so im just settling in now.
Ive just got to have another go at the psu as i had a few problems using a sickmods adapter, then work out the best way to attach the rear piece to the rest of the case so that it can be removed (as i may need to work on it again in the future).
Also all this with the 360 jtag hack has kind of distracted me lol, my xenon is in pieces and im working on that too.
I'll finish this mini soon though, i dont like things being left incomplete
@_GhOsT_ good luck, if you have any questions just ask.
Post by: GoTeamScotch on October 30, 2009, 02:02:00 PM
When dragon tending, things can get ugly if she bears her mighty fangs.
lol
Anyways still loving the custom case. This is gonna go down in Xbox modding history as one of the most bad-ass pieces ever made. Upgrading the cpu and ram was a step above and beyond. I'm hoping to have trusty upgrade a board for me and my upcoming case swap project. I'm putting a v1.4 into a dish dvr case.
Post by: MasterGouken on November 03, 2009, 11:58:00 AM
QUOTE(GoTeamScotch @ Oct 30 2009, 10:02 PM)
This is such an incredible piece of work. Sorry to hear about your news tho.
When dragon tending, things can get ugly if she bears her mighty fangs.
lol
Anyways still loving the custom case. This is gonna go down in Xbox modding history as one of the most bad-ass pieces ever made. Upgrading the cpu and ram was a step above and beyond. I'm hoping to have trusty upgrade a board for me and my upcoming case swap project. I'm putting a v1.4 into a dish dvr case.
Thanks for the kind words and good luck with your xbox project too! I read that trusty has successfully upgraded an xbox with a P3 1.4ghz processor now...im very tempted lol.
Post by: lloydmedley on November 30, 2009, 07:58:00 PM
and I never until just now realised that this 'plexiglass' stuff is just Perspex.. I have acces to loads ofthat stuff!! (help out my mates dad from time to time signwriting so often lay signs up for people on it, there's always off cuts around the unit). And there's loads of other useful materials there.. So I'm going to take up a new project after skiing in December and try and make a new case to go in the new lounge when we move house in January! I'll stick a bigger HD in it too
Your work is very inspirational! Really excited, I'll never be able to make anythig as good as that though
Post by: MasterGouken on December 01, 2009, 08:58:00 AM
QUOTE(lloydmedley @ Dec 1 2009, 04:58 AM)
just rediscovered this thread. Damn it's looking good! Good luck finishing it
and I never until just now realised that this 'plexiglass' stuff is just Perspex.. I have acces to loads ofthat stuff!! (help out my mates dad from time to time signwriting so often lay signs up for people on it, there's always off cuts around the unit). And there's loads of other useful materials there.. So I'm going to take up a new project after skiing in December and try and make a new case to go in the new lounge when we move house in January! I'll stick a bigger HD in it too
Your work is very inspirational! Really excited, I'll never be able to make anythig as good as that though
Yes its just plexi/perspex/sheet acrylic. Its quite easy to work with once you get the hang of heat bending it. I'm hoping to have it finished soon but with all these 360 jtag developments i'm finding myself getting distracted lol.
Good luck with your new project, be sure to make a wip thread
QUOTE
How did you make it do that? im softmodded, would I be able to do that? And wow, im speechless. Your mini is absolutely outstanding. You have a lot of talent. I wish I had the time, patients and skill to do such an amazing project. Good job
You can't do it with a softmod. You need a modchip or need to flash the tsop with a hacked bios. Read the xbox bios section of the forums for more info.
Glad you like it...one day i will finish it lol
Post by: DavGerm4 on December 09, 2009, 07:08:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on December 10, 2009, 09:27:00 AM
QUOTE(aziz3786 @ Dec 6 2009, 03:48 AM)
Looks amazing! Im very surprised its made in the UK, we dont get much access to specialist electrical projects unless shipped from the East or USA!
Be funny to have "Made in UK" badge at the back!
Im surprised mod companies like Xetcuter not making these moulds for other users, probably they all see the original Xbox scene dead now that the 360 is here forgetting we all love XBMC...
You mentioned you got your laser cutting done with a company in London, any chance we can get your template files for UK Xbox Mini admirers? Loving the etched XBMC logo!!
Thanks aziz3786, glad you like it. PM me an email address and i'll send the designs to you (they're .dwg files btw)
If Xecuter made kits they would be very expensive. They woud have to come with all the extras such as pico psu ready to plug in with a sickmods style adapter, a power brick, iceberq 4 fans, wifi bridge, etc...
You can imagine the price would be extortionate lol, more than its worth for an older console.
@DaveGerm4
Thanks, one day (when i have time) i will get it done. Unfortunately i work long nights so its difficult. Hopefully i'll take some time off early next year so that i can complete this project
Post by: keebord on February 24, 2010, 06:44:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on February 25, 2010, 06:00:00 AM
QUOTE(keebord @ Feb 25 2010, 03:44 AM)
oh no! don't let this project go dead! this is so incredible.
Its not dead...just on hold. I will finish it once i have the time
Post by: SNAAAKE on March 03, 2010, 09:17:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 05, 2010, 09:52:00 PM
Post by: GoTeamScotch on March 06, 2010, 01:24:00 AM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Mar 5 2010, 08:52 PM)
I may have some spare time shortly to finally try to finish this project (i hate leaving things half way done) but first im fixing my car as its MOT is due next month. As soon as i can i will get the psu working, mount the wifi pcb and ir pcb and get this xbox up and running...sorry its taking so long, theres so many things going on in my life right now, its crazy...
No need for apologies mate. We know life has it troubles. Xbox modding being a hobby (passion), sometimes its appropriate to set it on the backburner for a while.
That being said, this is still and always will be one of the best Xbox mods ever done. I know I'm not alone in highly anticipating its completion.
fuuuuuuuuuuuck this thing is so sick
Post by: mwaterbu on March 10, 2010, 12:43:00 AM
just a couple questions about the ICEBERQ's for anyone who may know. i was looking into putting a couple into my xbox to cool things down a bit as lately my xbox has been heating up more than it should. is there a substantial cooling advantage to these over the normal heatsinks that come stock in the xbox (it seems like the answer should definitely be yes, but just checking)? if so, what kind of temps do you (anyone who has these) have after playing games for an hour or so?
also, i was wondering how easy they are to install, and how to power them. should i use the 3-4 pin connector that comes in the box to plug in to the power source that goes from the psu to the hdd to get 12V?
last question, how loud are these heatsinks? are they noticeably louder than a stock case fan? its always nice to have a quiet xbox, but keeping it cool is more important to me.
Post by: mwaterbu on March 11, 2010, 01:26:00 AM
thanks!
edit: this power supply seems to be very similar to the first one i posted. the only differences seem like the shape and size (it is also much cheaper).
http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/it.A/id.301/.f
This post has been edited by mwaterbu: Mar 11 2010, 09:33 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on March 11, 2010, 08:04:00 AM
@mwaterbu:
The iceberq's dont really offer much more cooling that the standard heatsinks and fans but do reduce the height of the xbox by approx. 1 inch which is needed for a mini such as mine.
I would recommend changing your fan to a high cfm 80mm if you're keeping your xbox in the stock case and change the thermal paste on the cpu/gpu to arctic silver 5. If you're going for a mini use iceberq 4 pro's and AS5 thermal paste. (my mini also fas a small 40mm fan at the back to aid in the removal of hot air).
Regarding the mini psu, the PW200-M is a good choice as it has been used with success before. I am currently trying to get a Pico psu 60-WI to work.
http://www.mini-box....34Pa38Ta38Sbhn0
I had to remove 3 caps on the xbox board first (see my thread for more info)
The PW200-V can also be used, someone used one successfully in an xbox to micro pc case on these forums.
You will also need a power brick with sufficient amperage/wattage.
Post by: mwaterbu on March 11, 2010, 10:53:00 PM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Mar 11 2010, 10:04 AM)
Glad you guys like it so far (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
@mwaterbu:
The iceberq's dont really offer much more cooling that the standard heatsinks and fans but do reduce the height of the xbox by approx. 1 inch which is needed for a mini such as mine.
I would recommend changing your fan to a high cfm 80mm if you're keeping your xbox in the stock case and change the thermal paste on the cpu/gpu to arctic silver 5. If you're going for a mini use iceberq 4 pro's and AS5 thermal paste. (my mini also fas a small 40mm fan at the back to aid in the removal of hot air).
Regarding the mini psu, the PW200-M is a good choice as it has been used with success before. I am currently trying to get a Pico psu 60-WI to work.
http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-60-WI;jses...34Pa38Ta38Sbhn0
I had to remove 3 caps on the xbox board first (see my thread for more info)
The PW200-V can also be used, someone used one successfully in an xbox to micro pc case on these forums.
You will also need a power brick with sufficient amperage/wattage.
thanks for the response. still wondering though, how loud are the iceberq's? are they noticeable above the stock fan?
also, i want to get an upgraded motherboard from trusty, which i believe you mentioned that you did as well? do the iceberq's work with that? is it enough cooling for the additional heat put out by the 1.4ghz processor? because he mentioned something about a new heatsink being required which was larger, and that may not work with a smaller case...i may just do the slimbox mod, in which case that shouldnt be a problem because i should have plenty of room heightwise right? would still like to give the iceberq's a try if they work though.
btw thanks for the thermal paste tip. if i dont end up getting the new mb, i will try it out.
Post by: MasterGouken on March 12, 2010, 05:39:00 AM
QUOTE(mwaterbu @ Mar 12 2010, 07:53 AM)
thanks for the response. still wondering though, how loud are the iceberq's? are they noticeable above the stock fan?
also, i want to get an upgraded motherboard from trusty, which i believe you mentioned that you did as well? do the iceberq's work with that? is it enough cooling for the additional heat put out by the 1.4ghz processor? because he mentioned something about a new heatsink being required which was larger, and that may not work with a smaller case...i may just do the slimbox mod, in which case that shouldnt be a problem because i should have plenty of room heightwise right? would still like to give the iceberq's a try if they work though.
btw thanks for the thermal paste tip. if i dont end up getting the new mb, i will try it out.
Well the iceberqs do add a bit more noise to the xbox as now there's 3 fans instead of one but its acceptable and not too loud. I bought a 1ghz 128mb upgraded board from trusty and thats fine with these iceberqs. I dont know how a 1.4ghz cpu would react with an iceberq on it, i doubt it would be sufficient.
Post by: mwaterbu on March 12, 2010, 10:31:00 PM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Mar 12 2010, 07:39 AM)
Well the iceberqs do add a bit more noise to the xbox as now there's 3 fans instead of one but its acceptable and not too loud. I bought a 1ghz 128mb upgraded board from trusty and thats fine with these iceberqs. I dont know how a 1.4ghz cpu would react with an iceberq on it, i doubt it would be sufficient.
Oh, I didn't know that he did 1ghz, just thought it was 1.4. Well that's ok i guess. If things aren't cool enough in my smaller case, I could always squeeze another fan in somewhere...thanks for the help!
Post by: mwaterbu on April 21, 2010, 11:29:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on April 22, 2010, 04:41:00 AM
QUOTE(mwaterbu @ Apr 21 2010, 06:29 PM)
hey MasterGouken, any more progress yet? just wondered if you have had any free time to get this done? such an awesome project!
Unfortunately not, i've just got a new car and have been tinkering with that in my free time. Theres always something distracting me but i will finish it (i hate having a half complete project sat there looking at me lol).
Post by: _C4_ on May 23, 2010, 12:25:00 PM
Just pmed you about the plexi files you had.
Post by: GoTeamScotch on May 23, 2010, 10:55:00 PM
QUOTE(mwaterbu @ Mar 12 2010, 10:31 PM)
Oh, I didn't know that he did 1ghz, just thought it was 1.4. Well that's ok i guess. If things aren't cool enough in my smaller case, I could always squeeze another fan in somewhere...thanks for the help!
I was actually curious about this myself. Hope to someday order a 1ghz board from trusty when i get excess play cash. I heard he had to fabricate a custom heatsink for the 1.4 ghz boards...but then again iceberqs with arctic silver work pretty damn well at keeping the chips cool enough. Me think they would suffice to keep it under cooking temperature, but I can only speculate.
Post by: Marcheslav on July 08, 2011, 05:05:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on July 11, 2011, 03:41:00 PM
QUOTE(Marcheslav @ Jul 9 2011, 12:05 AM)
I was wondering if i could get those files as well I'm starting a fabrication class in the fall and i will have access to laser milling equipment to build something like this.
pm me youre email address and i'll send them to you
Post by: MasterGouken on August 13, 2011, 11:20:00 PM
QUOTE(KuKrApOk @ Aug 9 2011, 03:03 PM)
Hi !
Nice work done here
I already have a PicoPSU 120W I used some times ago in another project.
I'll try to use it into
I saw on this picture
That you use an adapter between the PicoPSU and the Xbox motherboard.
I search it @shop.sickmods.net and there is no more available.
Do you know where I can find one elsewhere ?
Sorry for my rusty english
Hi KuKrApOk,
theres a thread here where you can make your own:
http://forums.xbox-s...howtopic=536915
Back on the subject of this xbox mini, its right in front of me now...time to get back to work on it i think
Or you can go onto sickmods forums and request one, maybe they will fabricate more if there is enough demand.
Post by: KuKrApOk on October 28, 2011, 05:29:00 AM
I'll try to get some news from sickmods, but I don't get any hope.
Forums looks really dead.
I don't find any other website which provides some equivalent for the atx to xbox converter
I'll try to reproduce the tut you linked to me :
http://forums.xbox-s...howtopic=536915
But, I promise, I'll try to get a cleaner Job
I WON'T solder directly into the PicoPSU, I don't think it is a good idea
Mine is a 120W, I hope it will have no effects on this mod
I'll take some pictures to contribute on the topic
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ Aug 14 2011, 07:20 AM)
Back on the subject of this xbox mini, its right in front of me now...time to get back to work on it i think
I hope you can posts some new pictures about it !
Post by: MasterGouken on November 13, 2011, 01:23:00 AM
QUOTE(jaroc @ Nov 12 2011, 07:35 PM)
What program did you use to change the letters on the splash screen, XBtool seems to only be able to change the colours.
KernelBasher
Post by: Ghost12109 on December 30, 2011, 11:49:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on December 31, 2011, 12:51:00 AM
I'm glad to inspire anyone to create one of these mini xbox's, if you have any questions please ask and i will endeavour to assist you. Ghostavel should be your first port of call though as he did this first.
One day this mini will be finished, although that may be a while yet
Post by: MasterGouken on May 06, 2012, 10:38:00 AM
It would come with the following (if anyone is interested):
(v1 i think) trusty modded 1ghz 128mb motherboard tsop'd
almost completed custom acrylic laser cut case
complete spare set of laser cut plastic to make another case (still has protective film on it)
PICO psu
laptop style mains adapter (uk plug)
laptop harddrive
a sickmods atx to xbox adapter (unsure of working condition though)
the 3 capacitors i removed from the motherboard (in case you just want the motherboard back working in a standard xbox case
The aeropad mini wifi pcb
an xbox to component adapter
some acrylic rod to make internal support posts from
could even throw in an xbox eeprom reader/writer
If anyones interested PM me. I'd rather it go to someone who wants to get it working, preferably in the UK as shipping would cost a lot
Post by: GoTeamScotch on May 22, 2012, 10:22:00 PM
QUOTE(MasterGouken @ May 6 2012, 09:38 AM)
Sadly i am considering putting this up for sale. I just don't have the time or space to continue working on it.
It would come with the following (if anyone is interested):
(v1 i think) trusty modded 1ghz 128mb motherboard tsop'd
almost completed custom acrylic laser cut case
complete spare set of laser cut plastic to make another case (still has protective film on it)
PICO psu
laptop style mains adapter (uk plug)
laptop harddrive
a sickmods atx to xbox adapter (unsure of working condition though)
the 3 capacitors i removed from the motherboard (in case you just want the motherboard back working in a standard xbox case
The aeropad mini wifi pcb
an xbox to component adapter
some acrylic rod to make internal support posts from
could even throw in an xbox eeprom reader/writer
If anyones interested PM me. I'd rather it go to someone who wants to get it working, preferably in the UK as shipping would cost a lot
I don't think I'm alone in saying this:
If I only had the money, I'd buy it in an instant! This is one of the coolest projects I've ever seen on X-S. There's been crazy arcade cabinet boxes, car-installs, custom cases of all shapes and colors, but yours and ghostavel's are seriously two of my favorites. I'm a softy for mods that look like they could have come out of a factory. Ones that have a sense of style and form-factor.
I myself have an old case swap project that needs still countless hours of TLC, right now in need of a re-do of a 128mb upgrade, that I would love to get finished but working a 40 hr work week plus school doesn't allow much time for non-essentials.
If you do end up selling it, I hope it goes to a good owner and they post updates on its progress
Post by: MasterGouken on May 24, 2012, 11:28:00 AM
Post by: MasterGouken on June 26, 2021, 01:10:26 AM
I have recently started this project again from scratch. I've used 3d modelling software to make the case design and 3d printed it, the plan is to cnc the case from aluminium and the 3d printed one is to check fitment of all parts.
The psu is an Inter-tech mini itx psu (200w) and I'm using an atx to xbox adapter recreated by N64 Freak. No capacitors should need to be removed.
It uses a sata 2.5" hdd with star tech ide to sata adapter. There will be internal rgb leds too.
The heatsinks are similar to iceberq 4 pro's, they mount the same way.
I've made the faceplate from laser cut 3mm smoked perspex and installed an openxenium fusion modchip which allows 2 oled displays:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGyIECgM9yU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGyIECgM9yU)
Here's a short video on how it looks:
https://youtu.be/o_ozrk3fKOs (https://youtu.be/o_ozrk3fKOs)
More details soon