u/Miniteshi

One of the biggest frustrations with this build was the 240mm hampering the airflow coming into the case due to such a dated design and limited intake abilities. Adding two 80mm fans as the intake ticked off that area.

Finally, solving this was such a huge win for me. Whilst I'm running a 5700x3D, I couldn't get away with just running the base AMD Stealth cooler so went for something with a more effective design whilst keeping it as low as possible without thermal throttling which I've achieved. The main reason was to reduce as much turbulence as possible for everything to exhaust out the right.

I've managed that, kept the temps down and it's running a lot quieter than before. Now that it's done, I'm hopefully going to be in a position that it doesn't need opening up for a long time.

So I was originally running a 240mm AIO but the one thing it struggled with was pulling in clean air from the base and through the radiator so overall, I was working on an ineffective cooled system.

I switched to a low profile to profile as much clearance for the exhausting air from the GPU to then exit out the right hand side. I could have gone taller but decided not to risk it or if I change my mind in going more compact in the future, that options covered.

The 2 80mm fans are pulling cold fresh air in really well so I'm happy with that. I'm happy with the switch and the extra space without being cramped. Maybe if I do have the patience, I'll tackle some more cable management but as a whole, it's awesome!

Some more fun and stupid tweaks to the simrig part of my build 😂

The PC isn't within reach so controlling the volume has been a bit of a task especially late at night, solved that.

The garage isn't the coolest of places so with the help of a PWM controller, I now have working vents on the dash.

Just for fun, I ran a 12v power supply to the hazard switch and then to the gauges/cluster.

Next is going to be a general tidy up and finalise the cable management and I'm done.

So the HTPC build is finally finished. Here's a better look at how it's integrated into my split personality build alongside some before photos.

It was tiring trying to use my system for productivity with a huge simrig in its place so it was only a matter of time before the inevitable was going to happen.

The productivity area just got a full cleanup and then given a 43" 4K panel which is great for day to day use.

The simrig now has it's own section running a multichannel audio setup alongside a 49" 4K panel. The rig is based on a Mazda NB MX-5 with functional air vents via a PWM controller and then the hazard switch rewired for the cluster illumination. Next will be coding the gauges to function. Running gear is a Moza R9 V2, CRP pedals and a KS Pro rim.

It's honestly been an exhausting 4/5 days but it's been worth it. There's still more tinkering to do but it's definitely more how I wanted my endgame setup.

So this has been an immense medley of ideas spanning DECADES. When HTPC cases like the Antec Fusion Veris were new, as a teen it was unaffordable and hard to get hold of so it was something that eluded me but being an adult and sheer luck, I found one. Then crazy ideal of shoe horning a modern day build inside was born.

Housing a 5700x3D, 32gb 3600mhz DDR4 RAM and hooked up to a Powercolor 9070XT, my rig just became a dream come true.

Next was the tiring idea of running one rig but giving it a dual personality so my aim was a workstation area and then a simrig. With some patience, hunting and DIY time, I managed to build a simrig setup running a Mazda NB MX-5 dash with working ventilation and illuminated gauges cluster. Paired with a full Moza setup and a BMW E91 seat, I am ready for long stints and forget about the outside world. Giving it a 49" 4K panel was the icing on the cake since I could not mount anything to the wall there (consumer units behind).

The workstation area was just kept super simple and clean running a 43" 4K panel and just a wide working area if I ever need it.

Finishing off with a 5.1 system, immersion is just exactly what I wanted.

We are due to renovate the entire garage so I can tweak this, cable management can also be refined but yeah, stoked is an understatement!

So I recently switched my build back into my HTPC and since everything would require redoing such as cables, we also were in the process of disposing of our TV bed which I decided to see if I could recycle since I have a junction box where I wanted my simrig.

3 days later, I have everything where I want it till we renovate properly and I can honestly say, I'm over the moon. I now have a separate area where I can be productive and another area where I can procrastinate as much as I want. The simrig got a 49" 4K panel and the workstation a 43" 4K panel I was going to dispose of since it's just a business signage display.

There's still work to do but it's little things like cable management.

Bit of a stupid challenge but it's made more sense to me than I expected.

Yeah, it's a lot packed in there but it's done. Managed to shove a 5700x3D, B550M Mortar board, 32gb 3600mhz, 240mm AIO and a 9070XT into this 20 year old Antec Fusion HTPC and I can officially call it a day. It doesn't need anything more, no more upgrades, no more "one last bit", it's done, dusted, finito, ended. IM DONE! It's paired off with a Yamaha multichannel amp. The only thing to do now is cable management for everything else that's required.

She is sexy though. I can't keep my eyes off it.

So I shelved this case for a desk/pc/case but everytime I looked at it sitting there gathering dust, enough was enough. This time, I spent a bit more time on cable management and threw in an optical drive I had in storage. It turned out a lot better than I thought.

Now I need to sit down and reorganise the entire garage to redo the layout alongside pair it up with an amp.

During the days of HTPC systems, I knew of them but was a teen and wouldn't have been able to afford the price tag for some of these that were available. As an adult, having money/relics being cheaper, it was time to fulfill another bucket list item.

I've previously had a build in this so it's already been gutted to accommodate modern day hardware proportions especially the GPU.

I tried glass style cases and personally, it just didn't really wow me. They looked ok but nothing that made me think to look twice I guess. Plus having a 5.1 amplifier, it will compliment my amp a lot better and tie in nicely.

I've got a rough idea on getting it prepped, just don't have the luxury of a back panel to hide any cables so it has to be surgically done or just never open the case and pretend it's managed well.

Next up is shifting the entire thing so I can get a display closer and at the correct level but means gutting 50% of the garage AND migrating this build to a more compact case. I want to pursue this project but my god it's going to be a MASSIVE uphill climb.

Someone needs to tell me it's worth it.

It's all still work in progress so it's still looking a little rough around the edges but I'm getting there. I really wanted to ensure the instrument cluster was illuminated but since I don't have the harness, that's something for another day. I've been working on tapping onto the actual board to get 12v power running correctly and today I can tick that off.

My main objective was to have remote operation of the lights themselves rather than unplugging a 12v supply every time which isn't exactly easy so the hazard light button became the target. After figuring out the pinout, I managed to loop the circuit through the button so now I have full control of the lighting.

I do have the dimmer still but I don't think I'm going to utilise it. Since the fans/vents are functional too, all I need to do is retrim the display surround, hunt down a instrument cluster cover and tidy up the wiring.

It's a really fun project before I can work on monitors and bring the rest together.

So I've been slowly building a simracing rig and last night was the first fire up of the air con system. I initially started off with a 200mm fan but it was too large and couldn't build enough pressure due to space limitations so I switched to a 120mm which allowed me to fit it in place and seal it in.

Eventually I'll get it connected up to in game behaviour so it reacts based on speed. Since I'm using the original cooling tubes and housing, I could prob accommodate two fans with a bit of work but it's another reason why I should invest in a 3D printer!

Talk about a morning wake up call. I've just dropped the missus off to work so I've nipped into Lidl with my son since he loves the morning routine of picking a pastry as a treat.

Driving back through Newport Pagnel, all of a sudden, chaos right in front of me. I still haven't been able to process the sheer carnage of watching a car lose control THAT hard, smashing through a wall and bouncing back.

Services were on the scene pretty quick but just makes me think, if I ignored the 20mph signs and went slightly faster or didn't give way to a car earlier, I would have prob absorbed virtually all of that carnage.

EDIT thanks to a Redditor: This is what happened, the drivers car had just been clipped by a hearse and driver was shaken, went to maneuver and hit the wrong pedal. Driver was OK. Nobody else involved.

So. I've had a major gaping hole in the dash and today after clearing some junk, I found some left over materials and only basic tools lol.

Had a little idea of using my son's unwanted tablet and thinking it would be more used by myself so here we are. I will be replacing the duct tape wrap with a carbon fibre version alongside tidying up the edges. It's definitely been a fun challenge but it's another reason why I NEED a 3D printer.

Lovely pickup from FB Marketplace for £20 and some test fits. Now to sort out fans/ducts and a centre console display. This is gonna be a fun few days!

A few miles and for the whopping cost of £20, I finally have a dash that I can fit and enjoy from the comfort of my own garage. Haven't decided if I will code up the dials or use the housing and run a digital display instead.

Now the hard work begins!

So I've finally tallied it all up just now, all parts marked with a * are brand now. Everything else is second hand via Facebook Marketplace.

MSI B550M - £60

Ryzen 5700x3D - £210

32gb Patriot Viper 3600mhz - £70

*9070XT - £620

*240mm AIO - £40

RM750x - £50

*Fans - £30

*Cables and misc - £30

43" main display - £60

5" mini display - £30

4" CRT - Free

24" display - Free

*Govee TV backlight kit - £40

3m main desk - Free

Vector PC/Desk - Free

Moza R9 V2 - £130

Moza SRP Pedals - £60

*Moza KS Pro - £320

BMW E91 car seat - £20

So I'm all in at £1,450 which I reckon is not half bad at all.

Bedford... Yeah it's gotten toasty here. Kiddo finished school early so decided to make a dash to Lidl as soon as he got in. Even with a fabric spec interior, it wasn't exactly comfortable even with the air con preset prior.

Bedford here. Just got to the car since the kiddo finished school early. Thankfully I set the Aircon before he got back so we can nip out to the shops. Its brutal out there!

I don't always public charge but due to the UK heatwaves, the AC was on full on a long distance so needed a top up but this comment kind of makes the pain of public charging even worse.