Enclosure Logic Supply MC600 Questions/Advice

[Brand X]

Thank you for all this great info. I am also planning a build with the MC600. Been wondering about clearance for HDPLEX 160W PSU. The 24 pin socket on my planned motherboard will unfortunately place the HDPLEX PSU right in front of the case USB / power switch. Is there enough room?

 

[Runamok81]

Are you still using tinfoil tape with your new LiHeat riser cable?

No need for tinfoil tape. The LiHeat riser has sufficient EMI shielding. I DID - however - vinyl tape the riser to floor of the case. Served two purpose. One, to pin it down and two, to insulate the riser from solder points on the back of the GPU.

I have no idea how I'm going to power the computer. I'm assuming that an external brick will be necessary since I'm trying to power a GTX 1070, along with an i7-4790K. Is that red 4-pin rectangular port on the back where you plug your power connector, Runamok?

That's @jottwehh with the red four pin plug. Curious about that too. Is he running dual bricks?

My setup uses a single HDPlex 160W top-dead-center power both CPU/GPU.

The 160W 250W rating is deceiving. It can go to 350W no issues. 400W if kept cool. No issues powering i5 and 970. Without a doubt your choice of PSU will drive the design. Kmpkt's Orangulan brickless build could give you some inspiration. A brickless MC600 case would be huge!

I hear you about not having confidence of hand tools. I was in the same boat. Nothing will be perfect. You will have to bend, smoosh, snip, and fudge some things. We all do. Just take a deep breath and go for it. Omelette eggs.

Thank you for all this great info. I am also planning a build with the MC600. Been wondering about clearance for HDPLEX 160W PSU. The 24 pin socket on my planned motherboard will unfortunately place the HDPLEX PSU right in front of the case USB / power switch. Is there enough room?

I doubt it. In the orientation above the wires flow out from the HDPlex and towards the floor of the case. It's a HARD bend to fit that under 60mm. I don't see 60mm of space between the mobo edge and front panel.

 

[zovc]

Hmm... I wonder if there's a way to fit that HDPLEX in the MC600. It looks like it's a little too big, since I'm not using a low profile video card like Kmpkt is.

 

[Brand X]

Thanks Runamok81. In Jay's You Tube review he uses a PicoPSU-160-XT and it fits without a problem. But the PicoPSU-160-XT only has a 4 pin CPU plug. Jay appears to use a 4 to 8 pin adapter in his build. Do these 4 to 8 pin CPU power adapters cause any negative issues? This is going to be a low power i-3 or i-5 build (no discrete GPU). Or should I be searching for a motherboard with a 4 pin CPU socket?

 

[zovc]

I don't feel like I have the answer to your question, @Brand X, sorry. Hopefully someone else does.

So, I'm trying to figure out my power supply situation, too.

According to the Galax card, its power specifications are:

Power Specs:

• Maximum Graphics Card Power (W) 150W
• Minimum System Power Requirement (W) 500W
• Supplementary Power Connectors 1x8pin

In the information above that it says it pulls up to 225W, which I'm assuming includes the 75W a PCI-e card is normally allowed to pull from the motherboard. My CPU (i7-4790K, possibly migrating to an R7 1700 down the line if a spicy M-ITX motherboard comes out) has a TDP of 88W. I'm pretty confident a 300W HDPLEX could handle that as it's just barely above the proper 300W and people seem to trust it well above that. All that said, I don't mind taking these components and undervolting/underclocking them a little--I'm intentionally aiming for components that will destroy 1080p gaming in hopes of easily smashing 120 or even 144fps on Vsync. (Currently don't have a Gsync monitor.)

In @Tek Everything's review of the 300W HDPLEX (timestamp 1:47), he demonstrates its fitment in the MC600 and it looks like (in that position), it would take up room that I'm expecting my GPU to use. I have doubts the PSU could fit on either side of the case (where the perforations for 60mm fans are), so I'm considering affixing it to the top of the case. I think it's feasible with some cable-tie wire management wizardry and it seems like the place that would affect airflow the least.

The other option is to either outright ditch or just migrate the front USB ports and power switch... which is technically feasible since I'm going to be making my own front panel. Then, I could likely mount the HDPLEX to the front panel without any serious interference with the motherboard. There is a fairly cheap set of low profile (DDR3) RAM that's compatible with my motherboard. @Smallform Gaming used the set I'm referring to in order to put a larger fan on top of their NH-L9i cooler.

So... would the 300W HDPLEX be all that I need inside the case? Or is there another component I need? (Like those 24-pin tiny PSU's, like a PicoPSU.)

This is already a super tight fit, so I have my doubts, but I'm still dreaming: what do I need besides the brickless kit that @Kmpkt used in their build that @Runamok81 mentioned? It looks like it needs to be paired with a board similar to the HDPLEX 300W, but in some pictures I see it paired with smaller boards. Will any of those smaller devices work with my CPU + GPU combo?

 

[Runamok81]

Orangulan's build is using an HDPlex AC-DC internal brick PLUS a DC-ATX breakout board. Two internal pieces. The HDPlex 300W is a DC-ATX board. So you'll only need one piece internal and a laptop power brick external to power everything. As far as power draw, the HDPlex 300W has more than enough juice for your CPU and GPU combo. The max power draw rating on you Galax card is 150W ... total. No need to include the 75W from PCIe slot. That's factored into 150W figure. You won't need to undervolt. You'll have overclocking headroom!

Thanks for posting that @Tek Everything video. Really like his SFF coverage. He's always got such informative reviews. Looking at some screen caps from that video... I agree... It's close ....

It DOES look like the black/yellow DC power cable is occluding the area reserved for the Galax GPU. From what I see you would probably have to ditch the front fascia USB card and slide the HDPlex further left and get those cables to center. But hey... maybe the black and yellows will bend nice? Or maybe custom cabling to the rescue? Or who knows, it might just fit!

 

[zovc]

Looking at how long those wires are, definitely custom cabling would be in order. I'm certain I would take pride in doing it myself, but I'm kind of dreading the tools and time investment and trial-and-error that might come along with it... I may end up just using some string to measure stuff and ordering cables.

I think a relocation of the power switch and USB headers would allow me to keep them, they're far from "square" with the left side going with the perspective of the picture you posted. I think if I took them out, pushed the HDPLEX over pretty much flush with the corner of the case, I could put the board with the switch/USB headers towards the center of the case. I might just be being optimistic here, though.

Regarding the card's power draw, the site itself actually says 225W, for whatever reason the "specifications" section only says 150W, but further up in the 'marketing' info on the card is where it lists 225W.


Anyways, I'm still scratching my head and hoping there's a way to fit both a 300W HDPLEX and the AC-DC brick in there... I won't hold my breath, though.

 

[Tek Everything]

Thank you for all this great info. I am also planning a build with the MC600. Been wondering about clearance for HDPLEX 160W PSU. The 24 pin socket on my planned motherboard will unfortunately place the HDPLEX PSU right in front of the case USB / power switch. Is there enough room?

The HDPlex 160w sits at roughly 59mm high when installed in a motherboard, and measured from the bottom of the case. So it should fit.

You could potentially put a thermal pad between the 160 and the top panel. That may help with heat dissipation while gaming.

 

[Kmpkt]

The Dynamo will only be 26mm tall and 138mm long and will use a Pico unit for the 24 pin. While I'm sure you're not keen on waiting I'm hoping to have it out by June.

 

[zovc]

I'll admit I'm not keen on waiting. Is the Dynamo able to directly plug into a wall outlet, or does it need an external (AC-DC?) brick?

 

[jottwehh]

So many questions, so much information, such a intersting thread
Well then I will try my best to answer a few of them...

@jottwehh Teach us!

Thank you for your kind words

I just cut off these little "holder" things i marked above. Maybe make it a little bit bigger to fit in the I/O easily.
2nd step I just added a little screw to hold the I/O in play. After that my GPU wasnt moving any more.
3. step i used 2 of these mother board distance screws to connect the GPU PCB with the SSD/HDD mounting plate.
So SSD/HDD, Riser, GPU is just a single unit i can take out ... hard to discribe and impossible to make i photo while build in... maybe I will add it later... Just make sure the GPU cant lose in height on the other side.

That's @jottwehh with the red four pin plug. Curious about that too. Is he running dual bricks?

I hear you about not having confidence of hand tools. I was in the same boat. Nothing will be perfect. You will have to bend, smoosh, snip, and fudge some things. We all do. Just take a deep breath and go for it. Omelette eggs.

I doubt it. In the orientation above the wires flow out from the HDPlex and towards the floor of the case. It's a HARD bend to fit that under 60mm. I don't see 60mm of space between the mobo edge and front panel.

And as you said "Nothing will be perfect."

The red plug is actually a 6 pin plug . As I started my build I was able to grap a 330W Dell brick on ebay for only a few $. The problem was, the DC connector was missing. And If you've got the same, you know the cabel is quite thick...
I was searching for the right connector for the HD Plex, but wasnt sure about the size and simply couldn't imagine how this little pin could be used for 300W and more... even today i think it ridiculous to go from 2x2 thick wires to that pin, back to 2x2 thick wires.... So i was thinking I will take a more safe connection and used a high current plug for model RC cars. Its build for 35A continuous current and 60A peak and it was much easier to solder.

So thats why I'm having this red plug and to be honest... now I kind of like it... its unique and (never thought about that before) maybe I can power my PC with a battery...

hahah. okay back to topic.

Hey I just realized you and I are practically using the same motherboard, @Runamok81! I have the Z97E-ITX/ac, it was one of the only ITX Z97 boards I could get my hands on and so far it seems pretty nice.

I think you are getting the builds mixed up. but whatever I've made something for you:

maybe this will help you a little bit.
Do not take the measurements too seriously. its just for orientations. maybe you could put the new 300W HD-Plex, where the usb ports are now and add the Power buttom next to the GPU. Im not sure about the position of the 24 pin atx cable... maybe it wont fit? maybe with custom cabels? But if it fits I will just be awesome! you would safe so much space this way!
I wouldnt recommend trying to fit the HD-Plex on one of the sides... it could fit on the GPU side, but you will lose the venting holes and thats not good at all....

dont be affraid adding these 140mm holes. its loud as f..... but really easy.

but i would wait until you've managed to fit in all components, cause there isnt much space left and even cables could be a problem. also check out the height of your RAM.

maybe i've got you wrong, but my impression is, that you are not sure about how the powering works....
its like there are 2 units:
1 unit will convert 230V (EU) down to 19V (or 12; 19,5 whatever). most famous I think are Dell 330W and HP voodoo 330w
( http://www.ersatz-laptop-akkus.com/images/Dell-19.5V-16.9A-4-7.4-5.0mm.jpg )
( http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JTcAAOSwm8VUxbgO/s-l300.jpg )

they are quite big and even the internal one from HDplex wont fit in your MC600 while using a "normal" GPU.

( http://www.hd-plex.com/HDPLEX-Internal-160W-AC-DC-Adapter-with-Active-PFC-and-19VDC-Output.html )

So If you want to use the MC600 without a low profile GPU you will have to use a "brick" like I've posted above.

Tth 2nd will convert the 19V to 12V/5V/... so your Mainboard/Gpu can used it. there are some like the Pico style, like the HD-Plex or even other ones...
since you dont have enough space to fit in a SFX/ATX PSU (which contains both units) you have to use a brick AND a "board" ...
Hope I explained it right....

So as I said before.... Have fun

 

[Runamok81]

Thank you @jottwehh! Post above is amazing. Answers all our questions with clear and concise explanations and visual instructions. It inspires confidence.
I can see myself making the "jottwehh mod" to my MC600 in the future.

 

[zovc]

@jottwehh! You're a huge help!

I have been mixing people's builds up, and I'm sorry about that. So many people have been chiming in and referencing each other's builds and it's awesome and helpful and a lot to digest!

For the record, I'm like 90% sure you can power your computer with a battery, though I'm not sure Windows would recognize you're on a battery like it tends to do with laptops. Also, with our 'desktop' grade components our power draw is probably much higher than your typical laptop so I wouldn't expect much battery life!

Your post was really insightful and your GPU mod (and cutting fan holes) definitely looks like something I'm capable of. The one thing that confuses me about your diagram (the one where you tried to mark out 'zones' for components) is near the GPU. There's the box that says "Up to 195mm." What's that about? Is that your measurement of the largest video card that would fit at all? Or is that the longest video card that you could fit that would allow you to route your cables?

What a cool power adapter mod!

You're right, I am a bit confused about power supplies/bricks. I understand that you need either one unit that does everything (like in a desktop), or you need to make sure you have one unit that turns wall power (AC) into power components can use (DC) and then something to distribute that DC power to your parts.

The HDPLEX 160W AC-DC w/PFC (nanoATX Series) you linked to is what I was thinking of, I don't see how I could fit it (and a powerful enough DC-DC board) in a MC600, but I'd be really excited if I could find a way.

 

[breakfast]

So much reading.. love it.

To confirm something being discussed - you can move the front panel board to the other side of the case, there are two holes in the bottom of the case to mount it there the same way it's mounted by default. If you're going the custom front plate route, this should work just fine. It's a feature that's in there for customer/custom versions of the case.

 

[zovc]

To confirm something being discussed - you can move the front panel board to the other side of the case, there are two holes in the bottom of the case to mount it there the same way it's mounted by default.

That's really cool that you guys put that little bit of foresight/thought into your product--a lot of manufactures wouldn't have!

I've been thinking about it and I might end up going a bit more custom, it would be convenient to use the stock board (or the USB 3.0 one), but if I'm making a custom front panel and I'm hurting for space, it might make sense to 'hand pick' the smallest ports/switches/accessories that fit my layout as best as possible. I was already thinking about whether or not you guys' cable lengths would suit my layout (a good length/long enough/no clutter), and whether or not I'd need to trim/splice them... Having cut a few USB cables before, I'm really not a fan of fighting with all the shielding and everything else.

 

[stevey500]

I can't help but to wonder if disassembling a power supply like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Short-1U-Fl...671406?hash=item1a25a441ae:g:uOwAAOSw-zxWnW3z and fitting it into the case somehow, could lead to another compact and high wattage brickless power supply solution for builds like this. Would be great if Logic Supply had a model that did support internal 1u server power supplies or SFX like the DAN and Sentry case.

 

[zovc]

That's an interesting suggestion, but it might be a bit above my pay grade. I don't know much about safely handling the insides of a power supply and looking at its dimensions, it's pretty big. Once I actually have my hands on the case I'll revisit the idea to try guessing at if its components might fit in there or not. ~$100 is a little more than I'd like to gamble with, but if it worked it would totally be worth it.

 

[stevey500]

That's an interesting suggestion, but it might be a bit above my pay grade. I don't know much about safely handling the insides of a power supply and looking at its dimensions, it's pretty big. Once I actually have my hands on the case I'll revisit the idea to try guessing at if its components might fit in there or not. ~$100 is a little more than I'd like to gamble with, but if it worked it would totally be worth it.

I agree, normally ac/dc power supplies are housed inside their own enclosure even when inside of an enclosure, but some electronics have those types of PSU's enclosed; not entirely sure of what calls for that. And agreed, there are far cheaper 1u and flex ATX power supplies out there, I just linked that one for example with some quick googling. When are you expecting to receive your mc600? I'm hoping I can get a gtx 1080 mini to fit in there; from the dimensions on logic supply's website, it looks like the case is just a few mm too short.

 

[zovc]

The MC600 came in today! I also have my Galax 1070 on order (I was charged but haven't received any shipping confirmation or tracking info...) and I just ordered the 160W AC-DC HDPLEX (and a 160W DC-ATX power supply for another build) tonight.

I'm super stoked for this and my S4 Mini, and possibly my NAS depending on how my budget looks, but I'm putting those things on hold until I tidy my office up and get better set up to take pretty pictures of everything! (I like this $25 thrift store desk, but it isn't very easy on the eyes.)

 

[ExtremelyLoudNinja]

I'm interested in starting a project with a mc600 as i've just recently got a gigabyte 1070 itx. Will I have issues with putting it in due to its height (131mm)?

Also after reading the thread - novice question but will a HD plex 250 fit? Is a 200W external brick enough?