A few days ago while practising Tai-chi and honing my miming skills* I espied a set of el-cheapo speakers by the roadside.
Strangely attracted, I picked one up to study and something clicked....I wasn't sure what, but I was compelled to rescue them.
They joined the rest of my study objects- things I gaze upon and dream up uses for, until today, when a combination of factors came together and they went from junk speakers to potential Sprocket parts.
My temporary fling with watercooling was about to come to an end ( for a variety of reasons not germaine to this topic) and Sprock was going to be breathing pure air again.
This time round I wanted to explore a slightly different airflow config and my eye happened upon the speakers and viola! it all came together.
But, would it work?
Here is the speaker in question....
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/mini-donor.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
And here it is with the front bezel removed...
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/mini-donorbezel.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
Can you see what caught my attention yet?
Flipping the bezel over, I tried the proof of concept...
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/mini-aha.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
Man, don't you just love when a plan comes together?
A PERFECT fit for a 92mm fan.
Now, if I could manage to remove it, I would have a beautiful turbine intake-look bezel/duct for my fans....
Out comes the Dremel (one of the few times ever) and in a matter of minutes....
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/mini-dremeled.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
You gotta love working with plastic.
Well, most of the time anyway.
This next step was nerve-wracking....it's hard to securely chuck up a part like this cause it flexes.
Disaster waiting to happen...
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/mini-chuckedup.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
It took a while, but I was finally able to true the edge and flatten the back of the rim.
Scary, but successful.
Now, a bit of nibbling on the sidepanel, some GOOP adhesive, a pair of trimmed down 120mm fingerguards and two 92mm fans later, we have this...
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/mini-installed.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
Sprocket's new side intakes/ducts.
The lower of the two bathes the video card and southbridge, the upper washes over the northbridge and the Zalman 7000 HS.
Initially I plan on trying her out with ONLY these two fans...no other intakes or exhausts.
We'll see how that goes and add as necessary.
The front of the case is already setup for a 120mm intake and the rear for twin 92mm exhausts so I have expandability well in hand, but the plan is to see just how minimum a setup I can get away with.
I'm figuring that with the current hot temps (no AC on though) that my room ambient is about 25c or so.
If I could get an idle temp of 40c, that would be pretty good assuming the noise level is as low as I expect.
I have to let the adhesive setup for a while longer, then we'll see.
*OK, I lied...I was taking out the trash and one of my neighbors was tossing these out.
I might TRY tai-chi someday though.
Oh hell, who am I kidding?
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