SGI 540 to PC Mod

[Airbozo]

I have decided to mod the sgi 540 case I rescued from the dumpster. I was tempted to just get it working, but since it runs a specific version of WIN NT and _nothing_ else (ok so text version of Linux no graphics...), I wanted to actually be able to use the system. Along with a proprietary motherboard, the memory is also sgi's brilliant idea. This mod will take some time because I am working on another mod (Bubble Gum Machine) which has priority and after getting the case to accept an atx mobo, I have to wait for better weather to actually paint the plastics (which will have some mods to it).

Forgive the pictures, they were taken with a 1.4mp sony mavica (floppy drive storage) and my cell phone camera seems better. They don't let me play with the real digital camera anymore since I break everyone I touch (except this mavica for some reason (not that I haven't tried). Let me know if you want any more detail on the old parts.

Here goes.
This is what I am starting with;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/80731234 (4).JPG

Back view;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/34201234 (2).JPG

Drive door closed;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/13871234 (6).JPG

...open;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/80901234 (7).JPG

Push this button;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/73091234 (8).JPG

...and the side comes off;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/1561234 (11).JPG

The rest of the plastics come off by sliding forward, and the back plastic comes off by squeezing 2 sets of clips and I am left with this chassis;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/51671234 (13).JPG

Better shot of the inside;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/29811234 (15).JPG

Nice info on the side door showing component location;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/21371234 (10).JPG

Stack of plastics;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/9315MVC-003F.JPG

Close up of the front door with the drive door mechanism. I see a chance for some motorization here;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/1532MVC-004F.JPG

Shot of the side door release mechanism;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/43631234 (14).JPG

Close shot of the power supply (non standard), drive bays, and the top section of the motherboard;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/47691234 (16).JPG

Middle section showing the cpu's and VR's (only 2 of 4 installed (aluminum heat sinks on right));
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/73091234 (17).JPG

Bottom section showing chassis separator (which I have to cut to fit in an atx mobo) and scsi drive bays;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/13121234 (18).JPG

Motherboard removed, still on mobo tray (which I will need to add standoffs to);
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/9856MVC-005F.JPG

Blurry shot with the mobo & tray removed (from the mobo side)(you can see Oscar in the back trying to help);
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/2647MVC-006F.JPG

Everything removed but the fans (which will be replaced) and the mobo tray back in (Oscar is still trying to help);
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/6211MVC-008F.JPG

Three drives removed. Bottom to top: CDROM, Zip drive, floppy. Notice the cool metal shields around the drives. This whole system is full of little metal bits to prevent interference;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/77641234.JPG

I am thinking I will be doing some serious water cooling since this case has _plenty_ of room. I will also be adding more drive bays and some other visuals.

All for now, I have to run to a Hockey game and will post more info and project direction later tonight.

[Airbozo]

PS I will fix the broken pics tonight too...

[slytherock]

Nice box, Too bad you cant make it work, I've read that this system can run:
WindowsNT4.0
Capable of running Linux, and Windows2000
But I'm not sure of my sources, have fun

[GT40_GearHead]

how are you doing on this thing

any news?

[Airbozo]

how are you doing on this thing

any news?

Lots of progress on this mod. I have the case cut to fit an ATX mobo, not going to cover the empty hole up until I figure out the future of this system which may include moving the power supply to the bottom, and the mobo up, along with some water cooling.

I gutted the power supply and installed a regular atx PS into the old PS case (pictures soon). All I have left to do on the power supply is solder the leads back on to the power jack and cover the old fan hole.

Got my sata drives installed in the lower bays. Had to find some right angle sata and power connectors to make it all fit. Too bad the sata cables are so long. I needed about 8" cables but have 12" and 22" cables (the only ones I could find with right angle connectors.

If i get a break today I will post some pics. They are on my phone so it just takes a little time...

I am going to finish this mod in stages and want to get to a power on point so I can sideline it (and use it) and get back to work on my Bubble Gum Machine Mod.

[GT40_GearHead]

i just did a litle experiment, i'll post the pics tomorow

the idea is that you can make you'r own sata cables, cut the suckers :D, tomorw i'll make a tut on how to

[Airbozo]

i just did a litle experiment, i'll post the pics tomorow

the idea is that you can make you'r own sata cables, cut the suckers :D, tomorw i'll make a tut on how to

I have the cable press, I just need the ends to make my own. I used to make my own custom ide, scsi and floppy cables when I needed them.

Do post the tutorial, I would be interested before I close this thing up and rack it...

[GT40_GearHead]

i dont hava a cable press, but i found out today, that the connector of a sata cable has a very smart construction

you prob know this better than me, but it has the connector itself and a cover, its this cove that it is great, you can just pop it open, cut the whires and solder them in the new lengh


PS: could post a pic of this press

[Airbozo]

GT40; Similar to this model, but a 3M brand.

http://www.panavise.com/nf/presses/press_506.html

Has an automatic cable cutter, or you can disable the cutter for multi-connector cables. It also has changeable dies for different connectors. Got it from a company I worked at many years ago when they stopped making cables. I also have a hand press for mainly ide cables. No cutter though, and cutting ribbon cables can be a biatch! It's not cutting the cable that presents the problem, rather making sure no wires short together. That is why a sharp knife is a must.

[armadilloben]

hey bozo could you give me some backround info on this machine i dont get to see many old pcs and i love to look at old expansion slots and stuff like that because im the baby in the forum lol

ps also did they like cut the memory and the dimm slots in half or sumtin thats kinda wierd

[Airbozo]

hey bozo could you give me some backround info on this machine i dont get to see many old pcs and i love to look at old expansion slots and stuff like that because im the baby in the forum lol

ps also did they like cut the memory and the dimm slots in half or sumtin thats kinda wierd

Sgi used proprietary memory dimms on this baby. That is part of the reason they did not take off so well in the workstation market. It was invented to fit a niche in the windows CAD market for video professionals. The video/graphics/memory subsystem is tied together on the motherboard for maximum performance. You could allocate memory on the fly to the graphics card or video subsystem without having to reboot. Part of the issue with these systems was the fact that if you wanted to upgrade from 2 to 4 processors, you had to buy all new processors and voltage regulators because the system was so touchy that if the processors were not of the same date code and manufacturing run, the performance would drop and the system would be incredibly unstable. Tons of these systems were sold mainly due to contractual reasons and the fact that even though they were late to market and underpowered, the video/graphics subsystem rocked! Unfortunately, less than a week after these systems (320 and 540) were released to manufacturing, 95% of the department responsible for these systems was laid off and the product was end of lifed. They still get some $$ on ebay and through used dealers. We were not moving them so we got rid of all ours too. I wish I would have had a chance to send some out for free, but the warehouse moved too fast for me.

[GT40_GearHead]

and almost forgot!
what wtih the orange paint :| ?

[armadilloben]

and almost forgot!
what wtih the orange paint :| ?

i dont think its paint gearhead i think its the little aiming light on the camera

[Airbozo]

It is paint. The warehouse thinks that by painting things, dumpster divers will not be able to resell them if they get nicked from the recycle bin. What they forget (I say forget because they use it every day...) is that goof off will clean off the paint with little problems. Unless of course you are trying to clean components...

Gonna try and post pics tonight when I get home...

[Airbozo]

Yes, it's been a while. I have actually completed the first stage of this project and am just now getting to posting the pictures.

My plan is to make this chassis usable so I can get on with my Bubble Gum Machine mod.
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5220

In order to make a normal ATX mother board fit into this chassis, I have to modify the internal separator panel. In this picture you can see where the mother board fits in relation to this panel. You can also see the position of the fan for the cooling of the lower compartment.;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/9822sgi540toPC022.JPG

I need to remove the fan so the saw will fit in there. The fan is held in with these cool little clips;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/4724sgi540toPC029.JPG

Just slip something under the lip, and this will pull out;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/4752sgi540toPC030.JPG

With the fan out, I marked the line of the panel that needed to be removed;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/9512sgi540toPC031.JPG

...and made the cut;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/7313sgi540toPC032.JPG

View of the cut;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/2625sgi540toPC017.JPG

This piece was in the way, so I had to remove it. I wanted to keep the bracket around the old I/O panel, so I just drilled out the rivets;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/5205sgi540toPC033.JPG

I salvaged these pieces because they are two of the back panel mounting points;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/3512sgi540toPC019.JPG

I lined up where the motherboard needed to be on the back panel by using an old non functional mobo and filling the pci slots mounted to the case, then marked the holes and some outline marks in pencil;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/8900sgi540toPC024.JPG

lots of room!;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/88sgi540toPC025.JPG

I had to remove some of the old stand offs;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/7979sgi540toPC026.JPG

The plastic ones I carefully removed and stashed in the secret box, the metal ones met the dremel...;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/2859sgi540toPC027.JPG



Next, Modding the power supply to fit in the sgi power supply case...

[Airbozo]

On to the power supply.

I wanted to retain the outside look of the system (for now), so I decided to void the warranty and exchange components.

ATX power supply;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/4158sgi540toPC002.JPG

Meet your new home;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/6000sgi540toPC003.JPG

This is what came out of the case;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/237sgi540toPC004.JPG

Lets get to it then. I had to start by removing the top and bottom panels;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/1791sgi540toPC001.JPG

Along the way, I found out I had to remove these;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/7019sgi540toPC008.JPG

...to get these apart;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/1530sgi540toPC006.JPG

OK, I promise not to remove it...;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/7367sgi540toPC009.JPG

The rest of the pieces;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/202sgi540toPC007.JPG

When I was removing the fan from the case, I found the secret pill. The fan cable was epoxied to the connector, busting the trace from underneath the circuit board. I do have the skills to fix this minor annoyance though;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/5719sgi540toPC010.JPG

Hehe if they only knew...;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/507sgi540toPC011.JPG

Cut a hole and mounted the fan;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/9982sgi540toPC016.JPG

Installed mounting pegs;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/4668sgi540toPC020.JPG

...and stashed the voltage selector;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/5111sgi540toPC021.JPG

Then I put every thing back togethet and tested my work. Nothing. No click, no false start, just dead. Oh well. Live and learn. It was relatively cheap so I sucked it up and went and got another one.

Took it back to work and put it on the tester. Nothing. Dead. I suspect it was nothing I did at all, rather a bunk psu. I took this one back and got my money back. I decided that since each power supply has its own slightly different mounting method, I would use the common one.

I took the old psu case apart and kept just the piece that slid into the mount and the back piece that holds the power cord jack. I cut the back plate to fit the mounting plate and then cut out part of the mounting plate itself to hold the psu. Unfortunately the two pictures of the work did not come out.

I soldered up a short pigtail and mounted it in the backplate. Here is a shot in which you can see some of where I cut the bracket and the pigtail I made;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/4511DSCF0097.JPG

I mounted everything up, the psu;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/417DSCF0078.JPG

...the motherboard;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/6922DSCF0087.JPG

...and the hard drives (in the lower right, the good shot did not come out well. I didn't even check... You can also see in this shot how close the video card is the the panel I had to cut;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/8441DSCF0085.JPG

Cleaned things up a bit...;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/8682DSCF0091.JPG
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/3626DSCF0092.JPG

After putting all the skins back on I saw that I had a bigger issue with the I/O panel clearance;
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/1598DSCF0125.JPG
http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/7980DSCF0124.JPG

...but at this point it really does not matter since I have a Soundblaster Audigy 2 installed.


I will post some more photos later of the how the HD's mount, it is not a real good option right now because I will have to remove the back panel to change drives...

I will be returning to this mod after I finish the Bubble Gum Machine mod. I wanted to get this mod complete, so I could get it off my office floor and actually use the system. I will also post some specs on the mobo, proc and gpu, as well as some OC'ing stuff once I get some more fans installed.

[chaksq]

Hey I like this. Interesting case.

[thedude]

so, I am totally resurrecting this thread from the dead, and only joined this forum for it, but is there any chance I could see these pics? I just picked up one of these cases, and want to do the exact same thing you just did.