**** PHINIX NANO TOWER **** Smallest and most powerful mITX rig !!!

[phinix_mike]

Amazing shot ! There are some awesome colors in that picture .

Gratz on the magazine article! Looking great!

Thanks guys!

[phinix_mike]

OK, I finally received the rest of the item from Tom.
All this stuff is so beautiful, but don't want to spoil you guys and show it all now:P
I was very busy working on panels this weekend and don't have much to show of finished parts, except of this USB socket. I bought this nice USB socket which will be plugged to the mobo front panel pins. This is actually "mount plate" for this socket. It looks like this...
















First thing after I received the package, I unpacked it all and took it to the bathroom to clean it up. I gently took off the protective film and washed every single piece, then dried it one bath's edge. Even with lights turned off, all acrylic pieces looked amazing... So here they are... I guess you may already know which part is for, especially from those sketchups I showed in the past. I'll leave you with those photos for now...
...Enjoy:thumb:

[Monkeyface]

Oh those looks fantastic, they are a really important piece of your project, and they came out great!

[aka_GK]

yummy honeycombs

[phinix_mike]

Oh those looks fantastic, they are a really important piece of your project, and they came out great!

Thank you!

yummy honeycombs

I hope people won't remember my Tower as a "bee house"

My wife keeps telling me that it looks like one

[phinix_mike]

Update time.

After few weeks it is time to show some good stuff I was pretty busy and couldn't find time to work on my Tower, but last few days were very productive, I could say

First, top piece of "power chamber" - Week ago I made this small change and used this new piece of acrylic that I showed you guys before. It looked nice after I mounted it.







However, I was thinking about it and realised that I may have problem with it, after I install quick-release connectors. I needed another change in plans - problem was, those quick-release connectors need a bit of force to be plugged in. I had a feeling that pump stand is not strong enough to keep the pressure on the top piece when plugging those connectors.
So, this weekend I had new idea how to solve this

I added second long piece of alu to hold top cover.



Then I realised that this nice yellow acrylic under the top cover will look nice only when removable piece from pump stand will be perfectly aligned. And that could be very hard every time I put rear main panel back with the pump stand into the Tower. It could be always uneven, looking odd. So decided that this thin long gap with yellow acrylic will be permanent.
I had to trim one piece of cover to make space for reservoir and third smaller cover that will be screwed to those two long aluminium supports. This third piece would be "mobile" and match the shape of the second "not moveable" piece.
Well.. see it yourself, cause its hard to explain

This is the final version of the pump stand with third smallest alu cover-piece...




I screwed it to those two long supports... using all my nuts:blush:
I need to buy some more...




Here is the whole thing - you can see three top cover pieces, two screwed together with middle acrylic piece, and third one, the one that comes with pump stand.




It looks pretty cool, now imagine it will all be painted black, so those edges will be less visible and all will look nice




I bought this nice anti-vibration foam and cut it to size for the pump.




Looks pretty cool...








Now, this gap here between two layers of top cover will disappear when I will add thin foam under the whole pump stand later, so don't worry about it




Look what a mess I made in my attic:jawdrop:




My new invention - I mounted vice on my drill press




What I also did this weekend is - I cut out hole for PSU and CPU cable in top power chamber panel and put some edge rubber cover, or whatever its called...






Other thing was to cut out some of the aluminium from top panel for power switch and USB socket. Old fashion drilling action






Final result - fits perfectly




I also made a nice support for leds under top panel - simple and functional.






I also have made a cover for hole in left panel of power chamber - this is where GPU power cables will come out and pump will have its outlet connected to radiator. It also covers cables to led switches in the rear panel.
This is a first stage of it, not finished yet, I'm only showing you the idea how it will be mounted...






I also bought a nice yellow temperature lcd monitor-display, will mount it next week...




Last thing - I drilled and installed cable holders - this is where GPU power cables will come out from the power chamber, so they must be held in place...






And for the end something nice to show - please have in mind this is only a mock-up
I just pushed those rings into this one support, it all looks wobbly and uneven, but.... I loved the look of it, so wanted to share











That is all. I hope you like this update and please stay tuned for next time!!!:rock:

[Creekin]

I hope people won't remember my Tower as a "bee house"

My wife keeps telling me that it looks like one

sorry, that comment just sealed it in my brain for eternity
that and the logo
also the macro shots dont help, i keep expecting to see a bee stick its head into frame

absolutely stunning work!
worth the wait for updates

[lowfat]

Hot damn this is starting to look snazzy.

[Johnny87au]

about time u've posted a update, moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[voigts]

Your build is very creative and well done. The details and design are really outstanding.

[aka_GK]

wow, such a snug fits here and there! keep that baby up

[phinix_mike]

sorry, that comment just sealed it in my brain for eternity
that and the logo
also the macro shots dont help, i keep expecting to see a bee stick its head into frame

absolutely stunning work!
worth the wait for updates

HAHA I know, it all look like it
Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

Hot damn this is starting to look snazzy.

Cheers!

about time u've posted a update, moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Thanks.. and yes, there will be more soon!

Your build is very creative and well done. The details and design are really outstanding.

Thank you very much! I;m glad you like it. I'm not particulary strong in design, but I really like this one too. It's not huge in all decorations and stuff, but I liek the way it all look together, I wanted to look stealth and clean. I hope that is how it will look at the end

wow, such a snug fits here and there! keep that baby up

Thanks my friend! Sometimes I wish I had more space in it! But it all fits in perfectly, so I hope there won't be any problems when I will put it all together

[phinix_mike]

OK guys, small update here - I made last small tweaks to my Tower aluminium parts, cleaned them up and flat packed it. Yep, it is THAT moment of the project where all pieces go to powder coat place. Courier will pick up the 5kg package full of aluminium today and will take it to Tom in ChilledPC, who will take this to powdercoating place. It should be with me in a week.
All I can do now is sit down, wait... and pray that when I get it all back and put together all the stuff will fit in!
If I find some time tonight, I will put on photos of last work I did and the whole Nano Tower flat packed

[phinix_mike]

As I promised, here are few photos, some of my favourites from last work. I'm a bit tired and don't have access to my pc, so they don't have watermark yet. Will fix it later.

First, my favourite - acrylic combs in a nice pose




...and in the darkness...




Here is the Nano Tower during "the glueing procedure"




Two done, two to go... mounting ready combs on the Tower...
Looking pretty in that light...




And here is almost all aluminium pieces, Nano Tower in parts, flat packing time









Last photo for today - GUESS! What part of Nano Tower that is?!

[ScottALot]

This reminds me of the Gigabyte P67UD7

[hillywav]

This reminds me of the Gigabyte P67UD7
http://www.crosat.us/wp-content/uplo...D7-480x367.jpg

that Mb would be perferct for this case

[Church]

hillywav: not exactly mITX sized board.

[Creekin]

nothing a dremel couldn't fix churchy!

or just reuse those sinks, nice pic scottalot

[aka_GK]

Last photo for today - GUESS! What part of Nano Tower that is?!

cable management plate?
glad you case will finally be painted! hopefully paint layer won't be too thick and case will come up together easily

[phinix_mike]

cable management plate?
glad you case will finally be painted! hopefully paint layer won't be too thick and case will come up together easily

Thanks mate! Yeah, I hope so too. I never had my cases powder coated, so don't know how much margin I should have left but I guess it should be ok.

And - nope that is nto a cable management plate

[hillywav]

hillywav: not exactly mITX sized board.

gigabyte probably release mitx version for sandy anyway

[miahallen]

gigabyte probably release mitx version for sandy anyway

Yes, but word on the street so far is that it'll be their standard blue color scheme

[hillywav]

Yes, but word on the street so far is that it'll be their standard blue color scheme

based on this preview
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=263543

the gold parts in the heatsink can be removed so, i kinda expect to be doable to "paint" the gold/blue parts in the futher variation

but hey, my bad when i forgot the case for mITX

[Waterlogged]

Last photo for today - GUESS! What part of Nano Tower that is?!

That looks like it might be the base part of the side panel behind the MoBo.

Case looks awesome phinix!

[phinix_mike]

That looks like it might be the base part of the side panel behind the MoBo.

Case looks awesome phinix!

Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

Well, looks pretty tricky this one.
Here is the answer: front panel!
Main front panel that will be covered with acrylic and aluminium cover pieces.
This is how it looks.