(Project)PC into a PS3 case mod Possible?

[Naf456]

hello there. Nathan here.
my ps3 has finally kicked it's bucket a week ago. i've got a new slim version now, it's amazing. but now i've took the componets from my old original ps3 and tried to reflow the MOBO again, but still no luck. and being the nature of my personality i love the ps3 case so much, and i love building stuff(and soldering) can i fit a pc MOBO inside a ps3 case (with a PSU aswell).

i won't need a graphics card if it would be built on the mobo, so that would quickly solve the graphics card problem.
i would also need to fit a Hard drive, but the 60GB laptop harddrive will do. and i need a DVD drive. i was hoping to use the blue ray drive, as it is custom built to the design of the case, in the beggining. my only problem is that, the blue ray drive uses compacted Power and data ribbon connectors. i'm hoping there is a connect that will convert a ribbon cable to a pata or sata cable for the mobo.

also another problem would be heating. if this would be possible i would only be installing a 2.0GHz Singal core celeron(or amd processor of simalar scale). i thing itt would be alright, and there would be anough room for a small heatsink. i need to know an ULTRA cool processor. i though of a ATOM but it's a laptop processor.

these are my first problems if i was going to do this. is it possible, and on a small budget. (i'm 15 what do you expect)

 

[canadian69]

I've heard of the reverse, but heat displacement would be problematic in your custom scenario. Probably not worth the cost/time/effort.

 

[Pyroflea]

Atoms are not necessarily laptop CPUs. You can get dual-core models which have a bit more power than their single-core counterparts. Just find a low-power CPU, and figure out a cooler that will fit. There are low-profile CPU heatsinks that may fit.

You can get laptop hard drives with capacities of much higher than 60gb.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136387
250GB for $40.

All this is possible in theory, but it will require some deliberate planning, and quite a bit of work I'd assume. As for the small budget, that may or may not be doable. It all depends on what you want to achieve with this.

Just curious, what will be the main purpose of this computer?

 

[4745454b]

One of the dual core atoms is probably your best bet. Should have everything you'd need on it. It wont' be a gaming machine, HTPC at best.

 

[Naf456]

Hello again.
i've solved most of my problems, by installing a ITX motherboard, it is REALLY small cheap, and fast. i can buy one with a socket 775 or one with an intergrated atom Singal Core 1.66GHz. thinking the later for now (alot cheaper)
and if it all goes well, i will upgrade to the socket 775 and get a core 2. what is also good about this motherboard is that they don't have a full sized ATX psu, they use a psu like a laptop charger, this means, all i'm gonna have is wireing inside and a box outside, which i'm happy with.

here's the board:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/191129

it has everything on it, graphics card, sound card, ethanet. (maybe the next board i will buy will have wifi?) all at the price of pretty much a computer game. i still need to modify the inside of my ps3 case to fix it. i guess i will have to wait and save.

P.S my reason to install a PC into a PS3 is that it will be unique. one bloke has actually done this with a mini ATX board, and solderd the psu to a 24 pin connection, hopefully mine will be alot easier. what i didn't like about his though is that he custom painted the case. i want mine to look like a ps3, so people will be tricked!

P.S 2 Great now i need to figure my on and off switch and small things like LEDS

 

[Motopsychojdn]

Kudos for your Modding spirit man Its not so much about making the best pc, its about making the pc YOU want Keep it up mate
Moto

 

[shovenose]

cool
i am thinking of sticking a pc in a tivo box

 

[LePhuronn]

You can get H55 ITX boards now - drop a bottom-end i3 in there with the onboard graphics and you'd have a pretty slick system in the PS3 case.

Not sure how you'd approach the CPU cooler though, although you may have enough space to fit in a Scythe BIG Shuriken and sort out the airflow.

Nice job.

 

[4745454b]

If you under volt and have good air flow you might be able to get away with no fan on just a regular heatsink. Might have to play around a bit first to find out what works, and that will sap the budget.

 

[Naf456]

i need to figure out how to connect a DVD/Optical drive to it.i can't use one on the ps3, it has different connection and i red that it would be encryted, so that windows won't beable to pick it up if i did find a way how to connect it.

this other bloke who did build pc(like i said before) used a slot laptop drive, which i guess is from a MacBook. i don't know any other laptop that uses a slot disk drive. take a look at the pics:

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=653371&st=0&p=4513955&#entry4513955

it's at the bottom on the thread. this is around what i'm looking at. i don't know how he attached the Disk drive to the PSU. i'd imagine he had a convertor, which converts the compact 4 pin power connector to a Molex connector? i duno.

 

[Shadow703793]

You could do some thing like this: http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/case-mod/2010/01/18/silent-fibreglass-by-kier-graham/1

 

[Naf456]

i've found out out that i can install a dell optical drive from there external slim slot drive and connect it to the motherboard using a special connector, which you use for a itx MOBO. i've ordered a PICO PSU and powerpack along with the MOBO (intel d510mo).

I'm really excited about this board. i want to see if the Passive cooler can hold it's cool inside a ps3. i've looked at some itx cases, and there small, and i mean REALLY small. i Haven't ordered the dell optical drive yet. i hope to connect my optical drive from my pc to the motherboard to install windows temporarily. i don't really need an optical drive. i only have one on my pc, to first install windows and install games.

 

[canadian69]

If you want to provide some airflow in the unit you could always ask your local tech shop if they have some old Pentium / Pentium 2 heatsink fans laying around. They would need some cleaning and a little creative electrical but would probably be small enough to fit and blow air over the passive heatsink.

 

[Shadow703793]

Btw, as for the DVD RW, did you think about a USB DVD RW? You should be able to some how mod one in....

 

[wolfram23]

Very interesting! I'd like to see some pics

I can't really provide much help... but as to cooling you may consider using a small centrifugal fan (sucks air in the middle) and having it all covered with a channel to one of the side air ports on the PS3's case, ideally over the passive heat sinks. It would then suck from inside the case and blow it out to help keep things cool, and yeah if it goes over the heat sink even better. Old gpus like an 8600gt have perfect little fans for this application.