ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC ~Recent update~

[lyberty5]

Finally got around to start working on my second project !
I have bought almost everything I need except plastic sheets and a wiikey fusion.. I don't know when I'll get around to buying those due to my small budget..

Anyways, on to the worklog :
This will be a portable, not an handheld device, I have li-pos I bought a while back from loctronics.

Progress so far :

I have wired my regulators after having a few problems with them :

for info I use a pth8t241 and not a ptr08100 for 1.9V. So I finally have a working source of 1.9, 3.3 and 5V.
Squeleton of the portable :

GC MoBo brought back from the dead from another project (saving monies !)

Cut : (almostWTF)

And still working !

That's all I have for today, I also cut the heatsink, However I have a problem, I lost part of my thermal paste that originaly was on the cube, however I do not have a viable solution to this problem other than buying an entire cube, which would suck, especially since I managed to save a mobo, and therefore not buy one...
Anybody has a more clever solution to offer ?

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more, especially casing !

 

[W00gala]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

I'm Excited!

 

[Ashen]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

looking good so far man, always nice when you can salvage old parts thought to be useless. Just go to a local computer shop and get a little thing of thermal paste for computer CPU's. Shouldn't be any more than a few dollars. The GC doesn't require anything fancy like arctic silver or anything, standart CPU paste/pads will do.

 

[lyberty5]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Yeah I thought of that but I though these had to be applied on very light coats, and there is a difference of hight between the GC chips.. Will it work even if I spread it thick to compensate the height differences?

 

[Ashen]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

I've never had any problems. The GC isn't as critical as a normal computer CPU is. I've actually run the GC without a heatsink for about an hour before with no ill effects other than it getting hot enough to cook an egg on, so its not recommended to try. Just put a thin coat of thermal paste on the RAM chips and a little bit thicker coat on the GPU/CPU. Just make sure the stuff you get is non conductive, in case it squishes over the sides of the CPU/GPU. Should be more than good enough.

 

[bud]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Just make sure the stuff you get is non conductive

Silicon thermal paste will be non conductive. You can still use silver thermal paste, but just be really careful with it.

 

[lyberty5]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Thanks guys, whatever I get my hands on, I think I'll tape around the chips to avoid shorts.. Just to be sure ^^

About my cube : big stepback, my shop vaccum burst in flames (litteraly, nothong serious though) so I don't know how I'm supposed to vac form now.. Guess I'll figure something out eventually .. Thanks again guys !

 

[MoRZiLLo]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Your first portable is AWESOME! Your second.....in the same way and maybe much better.

Good Luck!

 

[lyberty5]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Quick update :
Heatsink has been thouroughly cut and ready to house a fan, I even sanded and polished it to male it shiny and smooth, cause apparently it matters in heat transfering.. For me it was mostly so that nothing would get in the way of the fins of the fan.

Though, I think I haven't done this well, I may have cut too much.. I need you guys's advice here.

Anyways, pictured worklog FTW :

Here's just a mockup of my case on top of the mold of my old one, though I'll try and make it much slimmer (3ds stick and such)

Thanks for reading !

 

[ShockSlayer]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

WHY WOULD YOU CUT IT THAT WAY?!?

 

[public-pervert]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

The air needs to travel between the heatsink fins. The way you cutted it, the air will only travel between the fan...

 

[Ashen]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

It actually might still work ok if you remove the plastic walls from the sides of the fan. Prolly not ideal though. Especially since the fins are removed from above where the GPU sits, which gets the hottest. Still I'd give it a shot and see how it works.

 

[lyberty5]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

I'm shocked, I don't really see how that is different from what everyone does..
The fact that I removed the fins from the GPU was inevitable since the mobo has to be in landscape in the case, and that is the only place where the fan could blow directly out..
Does that mean I have to change everything?
I'll still try this, I've got to.. I'm open to suggestions though..

 

[lyberty5]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Quick up, cause this time I have something you might like and not critic (though till now it was all my fault), I hope.

Looks almost normal right?

Real thickness :

B is a bit too far down, t'was the first one I did.. plan on fixing it, but you get the idea

 

[lyberty5]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Alright, so a little casing update :

I got around my vaccum issue so, we have a shell :

FRONT :

& Back :

Then, superglue + epoxy + Bondo :

FRONT :

& Back (had to increase thickness there) :

And finally, I cut these, as vent holes, took more than an hour, but it was worth it, still have to poke it a little to get rid of imperfections, but you get the idea right ?

Close up : (so you can see imperfections)

I used my dremel, my scalpel, a nail file and patience, if anyone wonders

 

[superben51]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Very nice. Looking forward to the end result.

 

[MoRZiLLo]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Amazing!!! You have a very good skill in making cases.I'm surprised with this figure in the back.Really amazing!!!

 

[nuke]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Iam in awe.
How did you cut those vent holes?
EDIT: Nvrm

 

[FierceDeity]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

Looks super sexy man, great job. My only worry is that it looks like some of those pieces could break off, are they strong enough?

 

[lyberty5]

Re: ThildCube (ZE) lyb's second Portable GC

It's been a while since the last uptade, and they might slow down from now on since studies start again, but nvm, onto progress :


Shortening wires and planning etc :

Adding screw posts to make removing the mobo a bit easyier (if it has to happen)

Wired my wkf, on the first try, I'm pretty happy about that, since last time it took me about four tries scattered on about a month...
However, Weird ass wiikey problem : It works, but doesn't allow me to choose the game, it automatically starts with the firts on the list.. And one out of two times, the blue led stays on and there is a dd error.. Could it be because of :
-my unusually large (3x2x0.8 cm) SPDT switch
-my unusually long wire for pin 29 ?
Please help... Thanks

A bit more Casework : button holes, epoxy, sanding etc :

And first coat ! How do you like that color?

Just a thin coat to check for imperferctions (and there are a lot) and test the color...

Hope I'll post a few more updates soon, and that I'll find a solution to my Wiikey problem...