Planning matters... (replacing a SSD in a mini-ITX case) (Ulog #9)

in #opgaming6 years ago (edited)


Unsplash

Yesterday, I received my Crucial MX500 (1TB) SSD from Amazon. They were going pretty cheap, and as I'm self employed and the purchase is across the border, I don't have to pay the sales tax (VAT/BTW). So, that was a bit of a no-brainer as I wanted to expand the storage of my current main gaming computer.


I'm like a little kid when my electronic goodies arrive in the mail, I want to just drop everything and get to work on making it all happen! However, in this case, I had promised that my daughter could help me "fix" the computer, seeing as she had helped me put it together last year. So, unfortunately, I had to wait impatiently until school was finished...

My Gaming Rig

Normally, I build my computers in towers so there is plenty of space for working and expansion and for just sheer gaming power! Airflow and and a decent power supply and room to fit components are a must for any self-respecting gaming machine.

However, early last year, I ordered this tiny little mini-ITX case. For reference it is the size of an A4 ream of paper (similar thickness as well!)


With the release of the 1000 series of Nvidia cards last year, the dream of having a tiny yet incredibly powerful gaming computer in a crazy small chassis. Plus the machined aluminium of the case makes it just look so beautiful!

Just check the specs that I was able to cram into this little machine. There are crazy modders that were even able power and cram in a full GTX1080!

Specs

Intel Core i7-7700 (65w)
GeForce 1060 Mini 6GB
ASUS Z270i STRIX
G.Skill Trident Z RGB 16GB DDR4
Samsung 960 EVO M.2 512GB
Noctua NH l9i
HDPLEX 400w DC-DC PSU + DA330PM111

Anyway, I have been running this little beastie for over a year and half with no problems. However, the M.2 SSD stick (it is the size of a stick of bubblegum, mostly used in laptops) was starting to hit capacity as I had so many games downloaded from Steam.


So, in this particular computer case, there is (only just) room for 2 2.5 inch drives. In the picture above, you can see the bracket for the drives at the bottom (where the yellow cable is going down) right behind the GPU.


Perfect! I will just have to get it in there!

The planning fail

Normally, a job like this is a quick open and close affair in a decent sized case. But seeing as space is so fiddly in a tiny case, I gave myself an hour to get this done.

I was so obsessed with planning the cabling, which as you could see from the previous photos was a bit of a mess already, that I completely forgot that I needed a cable to power the SSD. Somehow, despite all our advances in electronics, we can't just power stuff with good intentions and hopes... Yet!


Well, these two plugs were the closest (and only ones) that were close enough to the SSD bracket for me to use. However, I couldn't find anywhere, either in my stash of cables or online from a trusted seller (I prefer to keep electrical fires away from the insides of my computers). It just isn't common to have a 6-pin (female) to a SATA power adaptor.

In addition, there was the issue that these plugs were split out from the GPU, which is the most power hungry part of the computer. Often not a great idea, as the GPU is not of a sharing sort of character!

So, in the meantime, my oldest daughter was sitting around getting bored whilst I stared at the open computer and rummaging around various boxes in the attic. In the end she wandered off, as I told her we just weren't going to do it that evening. I'm not sure who was more dissapointed....

My Heroes!


Unsplash

I've always had good support from Josh at Not For Concentrate. He is the guy that designed and finishes these cases, and when I first built the machine, I had tons of questions for how to get everything to fit! I had built heaps of big tower cases, but this fiddly tiny case had me running for help!

So, I fired off quick emails to Josh and also Larry (from HDPLEX, the manufacturer of the Power Supply) asking if they had idea for a potential solution.

Both started replying back in short order, within 10 minutes of the original email! I have to give it to these guys, they are really super!

Anyway, whilst I was browsing the HDPlex site, I found this schematic. Which I realised was the answer to my problem! This stupid 4-pin square, which is the shape of the ATX (motherboard) power, was actually a SATA power in disguise!


Read the manual, folks!


However, this brought me to my second problem, this was the sort of thing that needed a custom cable, as it was not a normal power solution. I rummaged around again, now that I knew that I was looking for something completely different!

... and came up empty.

I was just in the process of ordering a new connector from HDPlex, when BOOM!



It was literally sitting RIGHT IN FRONT of me the whole time, whilst I was building/emailing!


Unsplash

Anyway, it was too late in the night to do anything now... it would have to wait until the morning...

I'm a kid!

I woke up ready to get cracking on the job! But, alas, I'm an adult... and I had to do other stuff. However, after lunch, the little one was asleep and the older had decided to forsake me to go to yoga with her mum (TRAITOR!).

Fine, I'm going to quickly do this!


Getting the drive into the bracket was pretty easy (these tools from iFixit are a godsend!), when I remembered where I had hidden the mounting screws... However, the clearance is incredibly tight, but it is for everything in this machine!


Plugging stuff in was also a breeze, just trying to find the holes in the clutter was tricky! Heh, can you see where the hole is?


These days, making a computer is like playing with expensive LEGO. Nothing much can go wrong in the building phase of the work. The annoyances begin after the power goes on!


The cabling is pretty horrific, it screams "Don't look at me, I'm hideous!"... but when you cram the case back on, it looks okay... I hope the airflow is decent though...


I really need to give it a little clean, I think it needs a touch of mineral oil... but I'd better check the manual!


Woohoo!!!!



It is such a relief when everything just works the first time! No fiddling with BIOS or wrestling with drivers!

Now, to get to filling up the drives with games! Any recommendations?




The classical music community at #classical-music and Discord. Follow our community accounts @classical-music and @classical-radio. Community Logo by ivan.atman


Steemit Bloggers
Join us @steemitbloggers
Animation By @zord189

Upgoats by ryivhnn
Account banner by jimramones

LEAVE THIS PART AS IS
 

Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://www.gamerjokerbreadder.com/2018/07/07/planning-matters-replacing-a-ssd-in-a-mini-itx-case-ulog-9/

Sort:  

I am so glad I'm not the only one that goes thru that when I work on my system. Usually I'm sitting on the missing piece. LOL

Hopefully nothing important like the CPU or gpu!

Great work to get it working, eventually.
Sometimes we just have to rethink our logic, put aside what we think we know and read the manual lol.
I have been there. And I am very glad to meet someone who also compares a the inside of a computer with LEGO, building blocks. Hate it when people start talking about it like there is some magic about it only insiders can grasp.

I am not suggesting everyone should start opening up their computercases and start playing with the parts. But if you want to replace a piece, unplug, look at how it is when you start, take notes, and don't use too much force. It should work out fine.

In a 'Take a closer look at the inside of your computer'-class I had a student put a screwdriver in a running system. Not a good idea.

Seeing the system boot afterwards, wow that is the eureka moment.

Not sure about games, but you should be fine with a system like that.
Happy gaming!

I remember a time of non standardised connectors that it was a bit more arcane and a pain in the arse. But that was last century! Now, the most difficult part is making sure the motherboard supports whatever you want to throw into it. And choosing a good power supply..

This little beast has been chewing up games at max settings for a year and half now without breaking a sweat! As long as I stick to 1080p and not 4k. It is surprisingly powerful for a small rig, and the airflow is really good even with my hack of a cabling management...

Congrats on the fit, Finally. Maybe we can play pubg sometime soon.

Thanks! PUBG... I'm not sure with kids I have uninterrupted playing time! I think I'm going to start an Ironman XCOM2 with Long War mod!

IT may have taken longer than planned but glad to read it was a suiccess in the end :)

Not sure if that was an intended pun!

Yes, I'm happy I found part in the end... I'm not very handy with a crimper and soldering iron... at least not in a way where I would trust my handiwork being inside an expensive machine!

@bengy I used to be quite handy with a soldering iron back in my tech days not sure how I would do with it now

These are all hi-tech stuff to me.
But I can relate to the excitement of "having a new toy and can't wait to play with it" thingy!! Hahaha

Oh Yes, the unwrapping or delivery of new toy shiny is the best feeling! Whatever it may be!

I'm really glad that was your trial and not mine! I just get my friend and convince him he needs a tuneup on his motorcycle and he does my computer work. Leaves both of us happy.

I'm glad you found your complement! I would balk at the thought of taking a motorcycle apart! At least when a computer fails, I'm not going to be eating gravel from 100kph!

You got voted by @votefun thanks to Bengy (also musicapoetica). We are still in early alpha, users can use us to get free upvotes. This is mainly directed towards users of the @cryptowithincin bot. We are in a few discord servers. To get full benefits, you have to be subscribed to @cryptowithincin. To support us, you can delegate to @votefun or just give this comment a upvote.

TIER UPVOTES ARE IN EFFECT!!!
NEW TIER UPVOTES user guide



Current price is 0.12 or 0.121 SBD for 200%, 250%, or 300% upvote based on tier level.

200% ($0.24) - Bronze Level - No requirements
250% ($0.30) - Silver Level - SteemAuto Upvote of 100% or $0.02 (whichever is possible)
300% ($0.36) - Gold Level - SteemAuto Upvote of 100% or $0.02 AND 50SP delegation

All delegators make a "striking" return on your investment!
50 SP --- 100 SP --- 200 SP --- 500 SP --- 1000 SP

That being said...

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The ground shakes as incredible power lights the sky. The thunder tests the quality of your post and deems it worthy, rewarding it with an upvote and comment from @thundercurator.

Increase your chances of a 100% upvote and support the project by:

Investors who delegate SP to @thundercurator are entitled to 75% of @thundercurator income after curation. Get on-board early and grow with us!

This post has received a 4.71 % upvote from @boomerang.

Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!

You can see your post's place along the track here: The Daily Whistle Stops, Issue 190 (7/09/18)

The STEEM Engine is an initiative dedicated to promoting meaningful engagement across Steemit. Find out more about us and join us today.

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.35
TRX 0.12
JST 0.040
BTC 70733.96
ETH 3563.16
USDT 1.00
SBD 4.76