Custom modification of a MSI Aegis X3

Chukhan

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Feb 14, 2020
10
1
Hey guys,

I would like to introduce you to my current project I am working on.

I bought a prebuild MSI Aegis X3 vr7rd a few month Ago. I liked the Design of the PC except for the foot it was standing on. So i decided to modify it now.


The biggest problem now is that the foot contains the PSU of the PC. Inside the Tower i found enough space at the spot were the 2 x 3,5" HDD Bays where sitting. I removed the Bays and am planning to position the Power supply inside there.


Now i wonder if someone has an Idea for an 600WPSU that is small enough to fit in that space. I got 20cm x 11 cm x10 cm empty space in there. Ideally it should be something modular maybe with the option to place the switch and dc Input at the back of the chassis via an extension or something.


The next point is, that the PSU will be sitting in the front compartment of the PC so i will get problems with the Power switch and Powercable. Alternatively i was thinking of putting the old PSU inside. It wasnt fitting as it is too long. So i poened up the chassis of it and was thinking to cut the switch out, place it a the back of the chassis and connect it with a cable extension back to the power supply. But if i open up the Power supply as seen on the Images i would have to remove the both coolers of the PSU, which would obviously cause thermal issues.


What do you guys think, should i keep on working on this or do you think it's going to be a waste of time?

Smoldering, cutting or drilling wouldn't be a problem for me. Also it isn't important where the screwholes etc. Of the PSU are, as i would have to redrill hole in the chassis anyway. Only the size Matters for me.

I really love the Design right now. So any suggestions that would help me with this would be great.

English isn't my mother tongue. Hope you can still understand what im trying to do here.
 
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Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
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Any SFX PSU should fit in a 20*10*11cm space with room to spare. You would have to make a 90° mounting bracket for it though, as the mounting screws, ventilation, PSU power plug (if it has one) and power socket would otherwise need to have cutouts made in the side panel or floor of the case - which definitely wouldn't look good or be even remotely practical. Then just run a PSU extension cord like the one for the Ncase M1 to the back of your case. Don't bother moving the PSU power switch unless you for some reason use it frequently - otherwise popping off the side panel to switch off the PSU should be easy enough.

Btw your image host is rather terrible on mobile, all I get to see is a postage stamp-sized picture.

Removing the fans from the stock PSU sounds like a very bad idea unless you have a plan to replace them. Running a PSU designed to be closed off as an open frame unit inside the case can also potentially cause EMI issues, though that's not likely to be a huge problem. Obviously it's also a major safety hazard.
 

Chukhan

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Feb 14, 2020
10
1
Thank you for your answer.

SFX PSUs, ofcourse. Didn't think of that. Gonna look for one.

Im gonna keep a mounting bracket in mind, order a PSU und see if it is really necessary.
 

Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
Thank you for your answer.

SFX PSUs, ofcourse. Didn't think of that. Gonna look for one.

Im gonna keep a mounting bracket in mind, order a PSU und see if it is really necessary.
I mean, you could probably stick it to the side panel with ... double sided tape? Or something like that (as long as it won't come loose as the PSU heats up), but a mounting bracket would be a lot better if it can be done.

Here's a link to the Ncase site with the PSU extension cord btw. They also have a PSU mounting bracket (currently sold out though) which might actually fit your needs as long as you're able to make some mounting holes in the motherboard backplate/case side panel.

It's also worth noting that I have no idea what airflow is like in that case, so make sure you take that into consideration with regards to where you mount the PSU and how - does the fan have access to cool air or not, and does the PSU exhaust have a reasonable path to leave the case or will it just heat up the case interior? Should nonetheless be doable :)
 

Chukhan

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Feb 14, 2020
10
1
Hey, yeah it will have a possibility for the exhaust to leave the Chassis.

Now my next problem is, that the motherboard only has 1x 8pin and 1x 10 pin power supply connecrors.

Anybody an idea how to connect an 24 pin atx cable to the 10 pin slot?
 

Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
Hey, yeah it will have a possibility for the exhaust to leave the Chassis.

Now my next problem is, that the motherboard only has 1x 8pin and 1x 10 pin power supply connecrors.

Anybody an idea how to connect an 24 pin atx cable to the 10 pin slot?
If it's a proprietary solution you'll need to figure out the pinout for the PSU and make a custom adapter cable (or have one made), though if you're lucky they're using something from the server/OEM PC world in which case there are adapters available (like this : ).

WARNING ⚠ ⚠ You HAVE TO determine the correct pinout before trying any adapter, as using the wrong one WILL FRY YOUR MOTHERBOARD AND/OR PSU. Yes, that deserves all caps. You have been warned. This is in no way optional.

I also saw that I derped and forgot to embed the link to the Ncase site in my last post; here it is.
 
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Chukhan

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Feb 14, 2020
10
1
If it's a proprietary solution you'll need to figure out the pinout for the PSU and make a custom adapter cable (or have one made), though if you're lucky they're using something from the server/OEM PC world in which case there are adapters available (like this : ).

WARNING ⚠ ⚠ You HAVE TO determine the correct pinout before trying any adapter, as using the wrong one WILL FRY YOUR MOTHERBOARD AND/OR PSU. Yes, that deserves all caps. You have been warned. This is in no way optional.

I also saw that I derped and forgot to embed the link to the Ncase site in my last post; here it is.

Haha no worries, i'll still try it with that Adapter and see if it works. If my MB starts burning, well then it's time for a new one. ?‍♂️ Drillholes of ITX standard boards are fitting perfectly. Tried already...
 

Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
Haha no worries, i'll still try it with that Adapter and see if it works. If my MB starts burning, well then it's time for a new one. ?‍♂️ Drillholes of ITX standard boards are fitting perfectly. Tried already...
... that's a rather silly attitude. A multimeter is literally cheaper than that adapter cable, and testing voltages to determine if the pinout matches really isn't hard. Set the multimeter to 20VDC with the leads connected to the relevant terminals, draw up a pinout map of the relevant connectors, turn on the PC, touch one lead to a known ground point (PSU case works well), and make a note of any pin with a voltage. Next, with the system powered off test for continuity on any pins without a voltage to identify ground pins. Lastly, try shorting any remaining pins to ground when the PSU is disconnected from the motherboard to identify PS_ON. At that point you should have a complete pinout for your motherboard's connector, which you could even use to de-pin and re-pin an off-the-shelf adapter if it doesn't match your plug. Taking that kind of risk when it can easily be avoided is just silly. If this adapter feeds 12V into the motherboard's 5V or 3.3V rail, for example, the motherboard might not be the only thing that dies. GPU, storage devices, etc. might all die. Also, killing a brand-new PSU by being careless is rather silly, no? Why create unnecessary e-waste and force an unnecessary upgrade instead of doing things properly?
 

Chukhan

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Feb 14, 2020
10
1
... that's a rather silly attitude. A multimeter is literally cheaper than that adapter cable, and testing voltages to determine if the pinout matches really isn't hard. Set the multimeter to 20VDC with the leads connected to the relevant terminals, draw up a pinout map of the relevant connectors, turn on the PC, touch one lead to a known ground point (PSU case works well), and make a note of any pin with a voltage. Next, with the system powered off test for continuity on any pins without a voltage to identify ground pins. Lastly, try shorting any remaining pins to ground when the PSU is disconnected from the motherboard to identify PS_ON. At that point you should have a complete pinout for your motherboard's connector, which you could even use to de-pin and re-pin an off-the-shelf adapter if it doesn't match your plug. Taking that kind of risk when it can easily be avoided is just silly. If this adapter feeds 12V into the motherboard's 5V or 3.3V rail, for example, the motherboard might not be the only thing that dies. GPU, storage devices, etc. might all die. Also, killing a brand-new PSU by being careless is rather silly, no? Why create unnecessary e-waste and force an unnecessary upgrade instead of doing things properly?

You are absolutely right. I honestly don't know why i was ready to take such arisk, when it can be avoided that easily. Learning to use a Multimeter was essential while i studied. ? Gonna try it that way. Thank you.
 

Chukhan

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Feb 14, 2020
10
1
I got a proper PinOut of the 10Pin connector on the Mainboard. Compared the Old PSU and its pin connections.

1 PG 2 GND
3 12V 4 GND
5 12V 6 GND
7 12V 8 GND
9 +5VSB 10 PS-ON

That should be the Pinout of the Original PSU. Gonna try to repin my own ATX cable with that Pinout tomorrow.

The other 8 Pin seems to be a usual EPS-12V connector, while the last 2 Pins on the bottom seem to be dead.

Posting progress tomorrow.
 

Chukhan

Cable Smoosher
Original poster
Feb 14, 2020
10
1
The new PSU has arrived. I mounted it inside the Chassis. Stands out on the left side for like 2 mm. But still enough for the Sidepanel do be closed properly.