Component Installation
The Luxor Pyramid chassis starts off with an easy-to-use manual and a bunch of fine threaded hardware, including ten motherboard standoffs and more thumbscrews than most builders are likely to need.
Mounting the drives and power supply was a trouble-free affair, but the OCZ GameXStream 700W power supply only fit in at a slight angle. This was due to its underside 120 mm intake fan grille protruding approximately 1/16 inch into the mounting basket’s ventilated underside. This did not appear to be a problem at first...
Inserting the motherboard tray revealed a conflict with the angled power supply, but a bit of wedging allowed the test platform to be inserted until the Foxconn 8800GTX graphics card collided with the frame. The first compromise was to use a shorter card, hopefully nothing too weak...
Note that the CPU cooler is also too tall : this was left in place while various other cards were test-fit, as the substitute Zalman CNPS8000 would have required motherboard removal for support plate installation.
The Asus EAX1950PRO represents a significant step down from the planned "high-end" configuration. Unfortunately it too was too long, and its heatpipe also got in the way.
Moving all the way down to a Foxconn 7900GS may have turned this "high end" system into nothing more than a pretender, but it should have at least fit. Unfortunately, two cable clips got in the way.
Low profile cards would have sucked the life completely out of gaming performance, and none of the dozens of full-sized cards tested would clear the cable clips, so it was time to drill out the rivets holding these clips in place. I certainly hope the case provider doesn’t ask for a return !
Pulling the motherboard tray back out to replace the CPU cooler and remove the case’s offending cable clips provided the perfect opportunity to replace the power supply with one that fit better. The downgrade from a 8800GTX to 7900GS brought with it a huge decrease in power consumption, making Antec’s efficient EarthWatts 500W unit more than sufficient - and it fit perfectly.
With the internal components in place it was time to connect remaining cables, including ATX power and case front panel connector leads.
Power and peripheral cables routed easily under the rear panel.
The completed system looked stunning and was completely functional.
