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Pyramid PC Will Make Stargate Fans Drool

by - source: Tom's Hardware US

This built-from-scratch PC resembles the Pyramid starship in Stargate.

Bit-Tech has an interesting read on how sci-fi fan Henk Hamers built a custom PC based on the Stargate Pyramid. The box isn't just triangular in shape-- it's a highly detailed replica of the space-traveling vessel, decked out with exterior lights, various panels mounted on the ships "hull," and a 5-inch display (yanked from a PSOne) seated behind a moving panel.

"I eventually decided to make a media PC based on a sci-fi theme that could stand in the living room. As my wife is particularly anti-PC with regards to the hordes of cables they usually bring, it had to be something that wouldn't look like a PC. With a Sci-Fi theme in mind, I hoped this wouldn't be too difficult. I finally came up with the idea of a pyramid like those in the movie Stargate."

The article goes into detail on how he crammed the hardware within the triangular chassis. Using a base of 35-cm x 35-cm, he used a COMMELL LV-677 (LGA775 mini-ITX) motherboard, an Intel Dual core T7200 CPU, and Nvidia's GeForce 9400 GT graphics card. For hard drive space, he threw in a 2.5-inch 160 GB HDD. Since there are no external controls, he designed the rig to be accessed by remote.

The initial design wasn't successful. Although there were ventilation holes in the bottom and lower sides, Hamers said that the system overheated and crashed due to a lack of proper ventilation. Hamers resolved the issue by adding additional fans that would blow the hot air out through the bottom of they pyramid. The 5-inch display screen also relays information from the motherboard, displaying CPU activity, temperatures, and more.

Go check out the Stargate awesomeness by heading here.

Stargate Pyramid PC

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Mousemonkey 02/26/2010 6:54 PM
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-20+

Is the mouse shaped like a Death Glider?

kyeana 02/26/2010 7:12 PM
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preeeety!

spoofedpacket 02/26/2010 7:12 PM
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I'm sure his wife is even more thrilled about Ha'tak vessel on the desktop than a small PC with a couple of cables sticking out.

deadlockedworld 02/26/2010 7:16 PM
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spoofedpacket :
I'm sure his wife is even more thrilled about Ha'tak vessel on the desktop than a small PC with a couple of cables sticking out.


LOL my thoughts exactly. Shes OK with a gold spaceship instead?!!

nforce4max 02/26/2010 7:20 PM
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Sure any Mason or Illuminist wouldn't mind having this just for kicks or to display.

davendork 02/26/2010 7:21 PM
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-15+

This is so awesome, I officially stopped feeling like a geek after seeing this. I don't know who I am anymore...

festerovic 02/26/2010 7:23 PM
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Is there a MacGyver mouse pad?

ravewulf 02/26/2010 7:30 PM
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*drools* The only thing that could be better would be a puddle jumper or some sort of console from Atlantis. Action wise I liked SG-1 a bit better, but visually Atlantis and the Ancient tech there is a cooler looking

sliem 02/26/2010 7:38 PM
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-3+

Camera job makes me dizzy.

warezme 02/26/2010 7:48 PM
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Ok, I was ready to dis it since I am an old SG-1 fan, but then I saw it.
Very cool.

zak_mckraken 02/26/2010 8:04 PM
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Quote :Hamers resolved the issue by adding additional fans that would blow the hot air out through the bottom of they pyramid.

I'm not an engineer, but it seems to me he would have got better result with adding a single fan at the op of the pyramid. Hot hair goes up, not down, and the pyramid shape will concentrate the heat at the top spot. Adding small holes in the tiles design would have preserved the look.

Pretty nice work anyway. Wish I had such manual skills.

gsacks 02/26/2010 8:05 PM
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Wow. There is always someone out there to let me know that I'm really not that far over on the geeky scale. Nice work though.

dman3k 02/26/2010 8:11 PM
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-8+

"The initial design wasn't successful."

I guess this whole pyramid power thing is rubbish.

bcube 02/26/2010 8:12 PM
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shiny

hotsacoman 02/26/2010 8:16 PM
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jabliese 02/26/2010 9:52 PM
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Anonymous 02/26/2010 11:01 PM
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jabliese :
why does hot air rise? As air warms, it expands. Expanding air will not want to naturally flow to the top of the pyramid, an ever narrowing space. Which is probably why the original ventilation holes were not enough. So, instead of fighting nature, blow it out the bottom.

ROTFLMMFAO :D
That's the Best explanation of Politics 101 I've ever heard!

Either that, or why we Fart so friggin much!

kingnoobe 02/26/2010 11:06 PM
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-1+

I must admit I love it. Heh and would even buy the outer part. I could do the frame up, but theres no way I could get it to look as nice as he did.

Shadow703793 02/26/2010 11:29 PM
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Saw this a few days ago. At any rate there are a LOT of good mods over at bit tech. For example the last year Mod of the Year nominations:
http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/20 [...] ear-2009/1

Shadow703793 02/26/2010 11:31 PM
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zak_mckraken :
I'm not an engineer, but it seems to me he would have got better result with adding a single fan at the op of the pyramid. Hot hair goes up, not down, and the pyramid shape will concentrate the heat at the top spot. Adding small holes in the tiles design would have preserved the look.Pretty nice work anyway. Wish I had such manual skills.


Given enough flow and pressure, you can move air any way you like, including hot air with out much of a performance hit (ie. .2C variance or so).

Nizodizo 02/26/2010 11:32 PM
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Making a stupid looking thing out a PC?
Bravo sir, Bravo!!!

godnodog 02/27/2010 12:04 PM
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You wanna know what would made me drool?
The return of SG1 and Atlantis franchise

ravewulf 02/27/2010 3:07 AM
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godnodog :
You wanna know what would made me drool?The return of SG1 and Atlantis franchise


Ah, yes. The good ol' days. Stupid Sci Fi* for canceling them.


*(I absolutely refuse to use the new spelling of Sci Fi that they use now)

babybeluga 02/27/2010 6:15 AM
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Where is the gaould inside?!?

(please don't nerd rage me for not looking up how to spell that. I haven't watched Stargate in 5 years)

MrHectorEric 02/27/2010 10:02 AM
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Water cooling would have worked well for an enclosure like that. My wife doesn't like the look of my PC with it's large steel case and 3 large monitors; however, I'm pretty sure she'd be even less thrilled with a Goa'uld Ha'tak. Bravo to that guy for making it work and being able to keep it.

Anonymous 02/27/2010 12:44 PM
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cue "Thus spoke zarathustra"

buwish 02/27/2010 2:24 PM
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It is different to say the least. Least someone out there is innovating.

brendano257 02/28/2010 11:57 PM
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Don't buy it, its a pyramid scheme!

/sarcasm

Well done, looks nice although I probably wouldn't want one myself.

BartG 03/01/2010 12:56 PM
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hordes of cables...? basic cable management solves that, 1 pyramid that golden wont stand out in your living room at all...

2 points for creativeness though

zak_mckraken 03/01/2010 3:38 PM
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Shadow703793 :
Given enough flow and pressure, you can move air any way you like, including hot air with out much of a performance hit (ie. .2C variance or so).


While that's true, I assume the goal here is to have adequate cooling while reducing the noise to a minimum. That's why a suggest using natural physics andd a single fan. Then again, since large 120mm fans are much more quieter than 40-60mm ones, maybe it would be better to have heat pipes going to the bottom of the pyramid with a 120mm fan there. Less noise, equal cooling, no visible holes, and it gives you the impression that the pyramid could hover! ;)

HavoCnMe 03/01/2010 8:11 PM
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This reminds me more of 5th Element...JMO


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