Log Lamecube Mod

[yuusou]

I'd like to present to you my first PC build since my Pentium 4 and my first ever mod.

First of all, I'd like to introduce my sponsors:
Wife (TM) - Hasn't asked how much it cost (yet)

Empty Wallet (TM) - Wife (TM) hasn't remembered to check here

That's all for sponsors, now the hardware
ASRock Deskmini A300
Ryzen 2400G cooled by a Thermalright AXP-90R FULL and a Noctua NF-A9x14 HS-PWM chromax.black.swap
1x8GB Samsung SODIMM no clue which, honestly got the Deskmini second-hand.
Zotac 1650 Super twin fan except with a single Noctua NF-A12x15 FLX (if this doesn't work, I'll revert)
WD 500GB m.2 something or another

and the concept

I've stripped the inside of the Lamecube and Dremeled / melted the Lameboy Player

Test-fitted the GPU with a custom fan setup. It's hella toite. If the fan doesn't work, I can always revert

This may come as a surprise to you all, but my dremel skills aren't particularly good.
I've been busy at work cutting up the side of the gamecube player that gets into contact with the actual gamecube...

...and I've been extra busy cutting the bottom half of the actual gamecube, which is an absolute nightmare! Due to it's shape, the constant shaving bits off to make the GPU fit and then the m.2 => PCIe x16 riser, the bottom bit of the Gamecube snapped. Chances are, I'm going to have to get another Gamecube. My sponsors are very unhappy with this as I'm already over-budget (project cost price + time spent on project == amount over budget).

Either way, it's allowed me to get a glimpse of how the end project will come to be. Now I know that riser cable is a lil tight in there, I'm also going to have to get an L shapped riser with a shorter cable.

Sooooooo... if anyone has a Gamecube they'd like to off-load for cheaps, I'd gladly take it off your hands. I don't mind the colour, as I hope to eventually paint it.

 

[jmarin]

A thought: would it be better/would it fit to have the motherboard and GPU vertical instead of horizontal? Would think it would be better/easier for airflow with vents on the sides.

This looks like a fun project, but of course we all struggle making our respective sponsors happy ?

Also I hope it was a dead GC ?

 

[yuusou]

A thought: would it be better/would it fit to have the motherboard and GPU vertical instead of horizontal? Would think it would be better/easier for airflow with vents on the sides.

It doesn't fit unfortunately, but I plan on using speaker grill in the front and the back.

Also I hope it was a dead GC ?

Nope, couldn't find any, nor for the GameCube, nor the GameBoy player, and I'll probably need another GameCube.

 

[jmarin]

As an aside, if you have the pieces still, maybe getting what you need 3D printed instead of getting a whole other GameCube to possibly have the same thing happen again. Could model it with SketchUp and some calipers I bet

 

[jmarin]

There may be other models on thingiverse or the like but I did find this replica you could use the files from

Nintendo Gamecube replica by EldeTabernas

This is a Gamecube replica made measuring a real one and trying to be the most detailled posible. It's just a exercise that I made to train myself to get better modelling 3D real objets. I didn't print any and don't have any printer so if you try to print it make me know how it turned out! Any...

www.thingiverse.com

 

[yuusou]

I don't have much of an update for you guys, but some parts have arrived, so I thought I'd share

Now that doesn't look quite right, lets fix it

Much better! Lets see the result

As for power, still waiting on HDPlex DC-ATX 200W availability.

Noice.

 

[yuusou]

I decided to have a look-see as to how the IO shield would fit

Well now I can't just leave it at that, so I got to slicing up some more cube

Not too shabby. Unfortunately, I got rudely interrupted by the weather, and thus was unable to finish.

The CPU cooling lid doesn't open or close, but I hope I can get to that tomorrow, weather permitting.

 

[yuusou]

The weather cleared up this morning, so I was up nice and early inhaling burning plastic fumes.
Managed to fit the motherboard exactly how I wanted.

Ignore the "mounting mechanism."

I felt a true-to-form test fit was finally in order. Please note this is not the final riser cable and there's some shaving and trimming still left to do.

 

[robmara1]

love your passion, er,,, madness ?

 

[yuusou]

This is what'll make the Nintendo / GameCube purists realise how much they hate me.

I finally go round to cutting a hole for the GPU /bottom fan.
Mix chinesium and desires further ahead than tools and talent and the hole ended up being a bit larger than it should.

I've been using the files I got to smooth out some edges and surfaces, and to trim down any corners that needed a bit more convincing.
With this, the GPU now sits as low as it can: atop the fan shroud.

I really need to figure out a final mounting system to hold everything in place. Maybe try move the motherboard up a little further.

 

[yuusou]

It's not very noticeable, but I spent the day with the dremel and files trying to move the motherboard up in the chassis all the while retaining the spring mechanism that opens the lid and the handle.

End result is I managed to move it up by 5 to 10mm.

I'm not sure whether to keep going with this mod or not.
I'm under no illusion that it's turning out crap.
I don't have the space (my workbench is literally the arm rest of a garden chair), the tools (a borrowed dremel and a cheap set of files is all I've got), nor the skills and talent (I mean, look at it).

I don't know how I'm going to keep everything in place.
I don't know how I'm going to power it nor where I'm going to put the power solution.
I don't even know what I'm going to do with it.

 

[Arboreal]

Don't lose faith... Modding's tough if you're breaking new ground.

How many other Mini STX mods are out there? Can't be many.

 

[jmarin]

Believe me when I say, that it is tough when the end result does not look like or as good as the picture in your head. The key is to keep making adjustments and trying new things. It would take a professional to do what you are doing and make it look like a stock gamecube, so don't be discouraged.

 

[yuusou]

Not really a mod update as I'm not in the mood for it right now. Thank you all for the encouragement however.

I've finally gotten round to actually testing the hardware and making sure it all works. Good news.

I ran a Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark at 1080p highest preset. The results weren't great but bare in mind the CPU is a 2400G and this was running on Ubuntu using Proton.

I'll run the benchmark on my laptop (i7 4930MX ; 32GB 4x8GB Kingston HyperX Impact 1600MHz ; Nvidia GTX 780M 4GB) to see how this compares.

 

[yuusou]

I've been waiting for this for a while, @REVOCCASES GxR-DIY...

...and it's finally arrived, and works brilliantly, with the relay trigger hooked up to the second fan's 12V.

The power brick is silent... until the fan comes on. Then it's loud as.

Currently the only thing keeping this together is gravity...

 

[REVOCCASES]

I've been waiting for this for a while, @REVOCCASES GxR-DIY...

...and it's finally arrived, and works brilliantly, with the relay trigger hooked up to the second fan's 12V.

The power brick is silent... until the fan comes on. Then it's loud as.

Currently the only thing keeping this together is gravity...

Great to see GxR-DIY in action in your build, that's really cool!

One note: the back of your GPU might get pretty hot and it looks GxR-DIY is just laying there? If you have any space left somewhere I recommend to put it somewhere else.

PS: do you think I should offer the BRICKMOD with a Noctua fan? The fan I am using now is the best compromise between cost and noise I found. Certainly not as noisy as most FLEX PSUs but not as silent as a Noctua.

 

[yuusou]

One note: the back of your GPU might get pretty hot and it looks GxR-DIY is just laying there? If you have any space left somewhere I recommend to put it somewhere else.

Yup it was just laying there this time round as I needed something to prop up the motherboard ?
It fits snuggly between the gpu IO shield and the PCI-e x16 board, but then the signal wire comes out the case.

PS: do you think I should offer the BRICKMOD with a Noctua fan? The fan I am using now is the best compromise between cost and noise I found. Certainly not as noisy as most FLEX PSUs but not as silent as a Noctua.

100% for the Noctua, I don't think anyone purchasing such a custom solution would mind paying a little more for it. Also some way to ramp up the fan based on temperature instead of nothing nothing nothing full beans?

 

[REVOCCASES]

100% for the Noctua, I don't think anyone purchasing such a custom solution would mind paying a little more for it. Also some way to ramp up the fan based on temperature instead of nothing nothing nothing full beans?

Good point. Adding a Noctua plus better fan controller would increase the price by EUR 20,- but on the other hand the Noctua is silent enough that the current fan controller would also be OK. Maybe you can swap the fan for a Noctua first and see if that works for you. If it's still too loud, I can send you another fan controller.