Xbox 360 mod project log

engstrom0304 · 23 Dec 2010 at 15:20

PROBLEM NUMBER 2 !! :O

Ok.. so turns out the new fillport (that does fit in the hole) and in fact porbably the old fillport does not have enough clearance between the panel and the dvd drive...

So i have found a new location for the fillport (at the top)... will explain later..

I need something to fill up the hole i have though in the window... that is 1" / 2.54cm thick

Any ideas?? Some kind of switch for the lights? Which one?

engstrom0304 · 23 Dec 2010 at 15:46

PROBLEM NUMBER 2 !! :O

Ok.. so turns out the new fillport (that does fit in the hole) and in fact porbably the old fillport does not have enough clearance between the panel and the dvd drive...

So i have found a new location for the fillport... will explain later..

I need something to fill up the hole i have though... that is 1" / 2.54cm thick

Any ideas?? Some kind of switch? Which one?

EDIT:

Here is the problem then.. I only have about 2cm clearance between side and dvd drive...So i need a way of filling that hole...
Help me!!!

HELP HELP HELP !!!!

engstrom0304 · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:16

Is there any switch I could add for the lights that would fit?

engstrom0304 · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:50

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18220872

Diggsy said:
Try to get your hands on an OEM Xbox power button? Assuming its the same/similar size and use it to switch lights on/off.

I do have a spare xbox 360 power button but i wouldnt know where to start.. I mean it is just a piece of plastic that hits a button on a circuit board!!

Edit:

The button fits perfectly in the hole...

ok, the xbox 360 button looks like this...

So... I would need help with the following...

how would i make this actaully work?? I need a simple button that this hits which can be placed on the dvd drive...

I will also need help with the light that shines through the button...

Hmm part of me thinks this button could need a whole new thread..

See here for the thread on the button... would really appreciate some help guys!!!

engstrom0304 · 23 Dec 2010 at 20:53

Update

Ok... so current plan is to put an xbox 360 power button in the hole in my acrylic to control lights.. Luckily the plastic rod (as you can see below) on the xbox power button is beyond the end of the dvd drive so i can use a latching push button that the xbox 360 button will hit...

Also, quick peek at the front panel with dvd drive fitted.

engstrom0304 · 24 Dec 2010 at 16:38

Ok so all the panels are complete now! Ready for the water to go in shortly...

The hard drive has had another coat am waiting for that to dry as I type!

engstrom0304 · 25 Dec 2010 at 21:42

Update

Ok. So here is putting the xspc top on the pump...

With 2 5mm uv leds installed....

Lovely xspc block.

Thermal compound on...

Block installed..

Here is where i will be installing the fillport.... drilling out the holes will be my plan!!

EDIT:
Problem!! The xspc top is too fat to fit in my pump space... will be swapping that for another!!

engstrom0304 · 26 Dec 2010 at 16:58

Update

Ok... so I have swapped my xspc top with a much thinner pyobya top with shinester184... special thanks to him for that!!

Here it is in place!!

Here is the flushed radiator with one fan on... Checked the fan noise... and it was increadibly quiet... although 2800rpm... I fear this may be too slow as I saw another kit designed for the xbox 360 that had 4000rpm 40mm fans...

I assembled the case provisionally and had a play with lighting!!! Using a spare, broken motherboard...
The red looks much deeper in real life especially at the xbox 360 light control button..

I have made some big decisions!!

Firstly... I realised the liquid did not really react to the uv lighting, also the tubing doesnt really react much especially when there are bright red lights in the case, and the inverter is too big and can get too hot... So i have decided not to use uv lighting...

Secondly... I have decided not to use red EC6 liquid as, as i said before, it doesnt react much to uv light. Dyes can be annoying as well so Dionised water + PT Nuke is my decision...

engstrom0304 · 26 Dec 2010 at 19:08

Update time again!!

Ok so I have installed the fillport.... cut the hole with a metal drill bit, drilling through each hole that already existed... The fillport literally screws in!! so smoothly!! I wouldnt even need to use the nut on the other side (but i will anyway

)

Remember!! This is not visible it is covered by the hard drive!!

engstrom0304 · 26 Dec 2010 at 23:49

mrteabag said:
Looks awesome
Pity you can't get rid of those capacitor things in the xbox.

That's one of the reasons why i went for tinted acrylic... it means that anything ugly looks nice

engstrom0304 · 31 Dec 2010 at 01:54

Mightycamels said:
Hey, just wondering what make is your radiator? and was it easy to source it in this country at all? My brother has a spare 360 which sounds like a train and overheats all the time. Might give it a go sometime

The make is magicool... cant tell you where i got it from though on here as it is a competitor and ill get permabanned

engstrom0304 · 1 Jan 2011 at 17:46

Major Update!

wercooling is in and now I just need to cut another window (i scraped the other one)

Took ages trying to find a path that would allow the radiator to fit!!

Here is how the T-Line comes off...

Filling and bleeding took hours and hours as the pump was moving the water too quickly to be caught by the T-Line!!

Sneak peak of it on... Better pictures will follow when the project is complete...

Hard drive leds (sorry for the dust will remove later

BUT THERE IS MORE

Completion likely to be on about the 12th - 15th EDIT: Now looking to finish by the 8th

EDIT: Also, I am changing the fans for some fractal design faster rpm ones as it gets too hot as is!!

engstrom0304 · 3 Jan 2011 at 21:20

wakayoda said:
please could you post the parts that you used to make this ! Good mod !

OK....

So....

Xspc xbox 360 waterblock
Laing DDC pump (9v would be best if you were to do it otherwise the pressure is too high for the bubbles to escape out of the T-line)
Magicool 2x40mm radiator
Fractal Design 4000rpm 40mm fans (still quiet i hope and people say - still to come... the 2800rpm fans were not enough)
danger den red fillport
Standard G1/4" T connectors
4 10/8 90 degree compressions (one of which was a smaller slimmer one that has another G1/4 thread on the other end)
4 10/8 standard compressions (including the one used in the 90 degree fitting)
metal anti kink coils x2 (very important!!)
10/8 tubing
Good old deionised water

Think thats everything?

engstrom0304 · 4 Jan 2011 at 02:23

TheCenturion said:
Gonna put a kill coil/pt nuke in there?

I put a drop of pt nuke in there... actaully it may have been a generous drop which for only half a litre is possibly a bit worrying! :O

Should I worry?

engstrom0304 · 7 Jan 2011 at 18:34

Update!!

Ok. So have recut the window... which now has 2 extractor fan holes ... and also has the xbox 360 words etched (with the official typeface) onto the acrylic.

Update... (maybe the last) later this weekend.

engstrom0304 · 9 Jan 2011 at 00:08

Ok... HELP!

So... I have finished... And it is very very good looking

Will post pictures tomorrow...

slight problem though which you guys may be able to help with...

After about 30 minutes I get 2 red rings (heat related issue)

The xbox does get ******* hot!! And the Fillport is too hot to touch almost!! :O

Now... The T-line is still randomly trapping bubbles every now and again that i never thought existed!
So one possibility is that there are bubbles in the rad... Although by doing the acrobatics i can't get any more out of the radiator... wierd then how it is still trapping bubbles in the T.

Secondly... The pump has a slightly uneven/constant noise and pulsates a little... is that bad?? Also at one point the tubing kinks a tiny bit but not restricting flow that much and its a small loop as it is so the resistance in the loop can't be too much?!? if anything its the contrary.

Thing is... I have heard this is a common radiator for the xbox 360 so why am i getting these heat issues??
I have got the old xbox with 90nm not 65nm chips but it cant make that much difference!? So that is why i am not going to accept yet that the radiator is just too small!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

engstrom0304 · 9 Jan 2011 at 00:19

TheCenturion said:
how fast are the fans running on the rad?

There are 4 4000rpm fractal design fans on the rad in push pull... they move 3.8cfm of air... which isnt bad for a 40mm fan.

engstrom0304 · 9 Jan 2011 at 23:07

Diggsy said:
How hot does the rad itself feel?

Might just be a better option to whack another rad in there, assuming you can squeeze one in of course.

Hi,
The rad feels hot yes... very hot.. I don't really want to spend any more money and anyway there isnt any more room... the only way i could have a larger rad is to get one mounted on the outside...

I have ordered 2 9500rpm 40x40x28mm fans that are at ~ 40db and move 15cfm which is a lot for a 40mm fan... It seems that a quiet and cool xbox plan has failed...

Also it is worth mentioning that this is the older xbox which has the 90nm chips not 45nm as the latest has... which doesnt help...

Seems that it gets far too hot though ... i mean i have a 2x40mm radiator with push pull fans on?!? And it gets 2 red rings after 30 minutes on the dashboard?!?! Something must be wrong??

A well known watercooling shop sell a kit with this radiator and only 2 of the fans that i have with it rather than 4 which i am using at the moment!?!

What's more likely? That they are wrong or my system isnt working properly?

engstrom0304 · 10 Jan 2011 at 17:29

Orcvader said:
I'm assuming the fans are pulling in cool air from the outside? Might help but perhaps stick some small heatsinks on the waterblock?

Other then that, only other suggestion I can think of is a bigger radiator

What kind of heatsinks? You mean ramsinks??

EniGmA1981 said:
Could you make 60mm fans fit with adapters? would give you the option of greater airflow through the rad wouldn't it - just not sure if there'd be enough room in there

I think that you may have the answer there... They would go on the outside... However, I couldnt just wack on 2 adapters as they would hit each other... it would have to be a 2x40mm to 2x60mm adapter which i would have to make myself :O I dont think i would be able to do that!
Any ideas?

Diggsy said:
Looking quickly around the web it would seem that most people using that rad are using very high speed fans. Go to YouTube and search xboxexpert and you will see what I mean.

Well I have ordered 2 9500rpm 15cfm fans now but 40db is a lot! :O
I would be easiest just putting a bigger rad in there but I can't keep using the college's laser cutter to recut panels for different grills... Its going to get embaressing!!

engstrom0304 · 10 Jan 2011 at 18:18

Ok... So I am considering buying a 50mm thick 80mm radiator that is mounted on the outside of the acrylic with holes cut to allow the ports in... The fan would be on the inside...

I would get another panel laser cut...

Good idea??