Nano Cube

Regack

Trash Compacter
Original poster
Sep 11, 2015
53
29
I finally have some potato pics of my original Microbox-o-fun which I have just updated with an R9 Nano. Apple for scale, I used the last banana in a smoothie. For now I have 4 pictures in the album.





When I originally started this project, I wanted a perfect cube, so I started with the smallest dimensions in which I could reasonably fit a mini-itx motherboard along with space for a single-slot PCI card. Factoring in some clearances, this left me with 185mm per side, internal dimensions. Adding in 5mm per side for acrylic, and the offset of the aluminum extrusion, I have a 200mm cube. This gives 6.3l internal or 8l total volume.

Unfortunately, GPUs these days are all dual PCI, so the GPU is mounted to the back of the case above and inside it's normal position. Originally I had an 80mm fan on the top of the case, but I realized I could have actually squeezed in a 92mm fan. With the R9 Nano being even smaller than the R9 270x ITX, I actually fit a Prolimatech Ultra Sleek Vortex 120mm fan up there. Little rubber feet keep the cube lifted off of the desk surface about 8mm so the 140mm cutout on the bottom can intake air.

I've heard a lot of dire reports about the coil whine in the Nano, and I'm happy to say that my Sapphire Nano has little to none. I can hear it just a bit if I turn the case so that the opening for the GPU is facing me and I'm 0.5m away. As the opening is on the side, once the case is rotated back to normal and when I retreat back to the couch 2m away, I can't hear anything.

It feels as if they made the Nano just for me :D.

Fire Strike went from 5689 on the R9 270x to 11711 with the R9 Nano. Now all I need to do is swap that old 120GB SSD for a newer 512GB one.

For reference, the original cube writeup is on pcpartpicker and there's a small imgur album of more potatoshots as well.
 
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Phuncz

Lord of the Boards
SFFn Staff
May 9, 2015
5,827
4,902
I like the case but the cables inside could use some tender, love and care.
The lights could also benefit from strategically hiding them out of sight (in the corners).

It seems to be a mighty, powerful cube !
 

Regack

Trash Compacter
Original poster
Sep 11, 2015
53
29
I like the case but the cables inside could use some tender, love and care.
The lights could also benefit from strategically hiding them out of sight (in the corners).

It seems to be a mighty, powerful cube !

I sort of tried, originally I made a short sleeved power cable for the R9 270x, but I needed a longer one for the Nano. Eventually I reached the 'good enough for me' point and decided the cables could just be kind of wild. The led fairy lights I then let be similarly wild as if they're floating around in the cube. I'll admit that impatience got the best of me and I just wanted it working. Can I buy some custom-length sleeved cables somewhere, because that's probably the only way this is going to get fixed ... unless I just switch to opaque acrylic then nobody would ever know :D.
 

Phuncz

Lord of the Boards
SFFn Staff
May 9, 2015
5,827
4,902
I know how sleeving SFF can be quite the challenge, I've also called it quits after doing the SATA power cable. But I've gotten enough gear to make it work, the only thing I'm missing is the connectors though. I feel my 'second wind' coming towards me !

I saw this one linked on [H] forum: http://www.icemodz.eu/
 

Regack

Trash Compacter
Original poster
Sep 11, 2015
53
29
I know how sleeving SFF can be quite the challenge, I've also called it quits after doing the SATA power cable. But I've gotten enough gear to make it work, the only thing I'm missing is the connectors though. I feel my 'second wind' coming towards me !

I saw this one linked on [H] forum: http://www.icemodz.eu/

Those look pretty nice, prices aren't through the roof either. I'll have to keep looking through, since I need something closer to 18cm for the 24-pin, and they only offer 30cm as the shortest :eek:. I'll keep looking, or maybe I'll become inspired like you. If I start working on a cable now, maybe I can finish before I open it up again to replace the SSD.
 

Phuncz

Lord of the Boards
SFFn Staff
May 9, 2015
5,827
4,902
The 24-pin is a chore, especially with Silverstone's strange pin-outs at both ends (one row is equal, other row is flipped).
I ordered connectors at Icemodz yesterday, no turning back now ! :D
 

esplin2966

Cable-Tie Ninja
Mar 2, 2015
169
113
I love this! I've been pondering how best to do a small transparent build, and you pretty much nailed it!
 

iFreilicht

FlexATX Authority
Feb 28, 2015
3,243
2,361
freilite.com
Good update to the older build, that benchmark score nearly doubled!
I also like that you're able to precisely cut a vent over the Nanos fan, that should really help its cooling performance.