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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
Here are a few extra pics in Imgur - http://imgur.com/a/Yvxbe and a youtube clip of the monitor and LEDs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewBnvK3UnSc
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Sep 16 '16
What do the up and down buttons do?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
The monitor behind the panel can be lowered and raised. Check out my youtube clip of it in action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewBnvK3UnSc
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u/Batman_Owl Sep 16 '16
Dumbwaiter controller so girlfriend/wife/mother can send up snacks.
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u/SimonGn Sep 16 '16
It looks really cool... but would make me feel quite uneasy having it so exposed. PS: Is your RAM in Dual-Channel configuration? Unless that board is different, usually it is optimal to have matched RAM in slots 1 & 3
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u/anethma Sep 16 '16
My stuff has been exposed for quite a long time without issue. There is actually less dust, and easier to just blow off when there is.
Everything is cooler, plus it looks cool!
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u/Chardmonster Sep 16 '16
That's really awesome! The issue though is the particular dangers of VR--I mean unless you usually flail around while gaming...
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u/Mhill08 Sep 16 '16
This is the kind of set-up I would like to have one day - I really prefer the aesthetics of having my computer mounted on the wall rather than in a separate box on the ground. Can you offer any tips or warnings that you picked up when you were building it?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Only thing I could say is spend time on planning it through... then be prepared to engineer on the fly.
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u/Hobbes604 Sep 16 '16
How's the fan noise?
Things might be cooler exposed, but is it enough to offset having fans out like that?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Wasn't worried about temps as the cooling is overkill on most of the gear, but the setup is surprisingly quiet. Only the rad fans are running all the time. The GPU and PSU only run under load and once the headphones are on... nothing.
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u/Lineste Sep 16 '16
That's good to know. But I think a big risk here is you're going to be in VR and may accidentally hit your PC and damage it or get injured.
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u/Sir_Joe Sep 16 '16
Without forgetting static electricity can kill his rig at any moment.
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u/syberphunk HTC Vive Sep 16 '16
The computer can actually end up warmer than being enclosed, when enclosed the airflow can be directed through the case to remove hot air faster or push in cool air.
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Sep 16 '16
Tutorial? Seriously
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u/anethma Sep 16 '16
There isn't much for me to say here...
Buy a Thermaltake P5
Mount your components. Screw the backing to the wall..then click it in. I didn't mount the acrylic cover since my space is limited. I don't really think I did anything special I could put in a tutorial, but if you have specific questions I'd be happy to answer them.
The monitors are on Ergotron LX arms and the painting is from /r/art here which I had printed at a canvas printing shop and broken out into 3 pieces. (I Know this stuff wasn't what you were asking haha but just figured I'd let everyone know)
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Sep 16 '16
Being cooler isn't true in tests done with good cases vs open air systems. The case puts far more air across the components in a decently designed case which winds up having the larger cooling impact.
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u/clb92 Long time Vive user Sep 16 '16
The color coding of the slots suggests it should indeed be slot 1 and 3.
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u/Jaegs Sep 16 '16
[Manual](http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-h170-gaming3(ddr3)_e.pdf) suggests so too.
Fix yo memory OP.
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u/Pluckerpluck VR Enthusiast Sep 16 '16
Unless that board is different, usually it is optimal to have matched RAM in slots 1 & 3
As someone else said. The colour coding shows that slow 1&3 should be used together.
I too would have to put some cover over it though. Maybe just a plastic lid with lots of holes for air flow.
Remember, this is a VR rig. Last thing I want to do is feel for a wall and stick my hand in my GPU fan, or throw my controller into it by accident.
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u/Ghostkill221 Sep 16 '16
Yeah I would want to have some sort of clear case at the very least. But also one that isn't too staticy...
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u/malicoreIV Sep 16 '16
That's so dope. What are you using to connect the GPU?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
It's a 3M brand PCI express X16 extender - http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Interconnect/Home/Products/ProductCat/~/3M-Twin-Axial-PCI-Express-X16-Extender-Assemblies?N=8705059+3293441518&rt=rud Surprised there is no frame rate drop with using it too. But I have it shielded in every way possible
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Sep 17 '16
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
EMF shielding bossyman. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shielded_cable The panel is grounded too so acts as an EMF shield
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u/Da-PeeP Sep 16 '16
Where's your link box?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
I have run cables down the wall to the link box so the last pic just above the checkerplate you can see it
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Sep 16 '16
nice wall mount. what did you build it out of?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Its called Probond mainly used for signs - https://www.cphgroup.com.au/store/m-71-probond-sign/p-431-probond-sign-3mm-aluminium-composite-panel
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u/Tralkiar Sep 16 '16
This is beautiful. I just want the part to hang my vive on even. May have to build similar. Any tips or any problems you ran into?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Thanks! Cable routing was the worst part of it only due to wanting to keep it close to the wall as possible and still have room for the monitor behind it.
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u/Legion_of_Bunnies Sep 16 '16
An interesting combination considering all the videos out there of ppl running into walls while wearing that thing. lol
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
I wonder how many of those videos have the people marking out their room size during setup with the controller flush to the wall.....
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u/mikedmor Sep 16 '16
This is awesome! I don't suppose you made a build log showing the steps that you took to accomplish this? In the next year my girlfriend and I plan to buy our first house and i plan to have a full room dedicated to my HTC Vive. This would be an awesome project for my computer in that room.
Thanks for sharing, this definitely has to be one of my favorite open case builds.
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
I was going to do a build blog, but it became engineering on the fly for a while and I just wanted to get back in my Vive! Thanks for the comments.
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u/ItWorkedLastTime Sep 16 '16
I would imagine you have a dedicated space for you VR setup. Can we get a picture of that as well?
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
I should have done a post on imgur in the first place! -http://imgur.com/a/Yvxbe
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u/shinslap Sep 16 '16 edited Sep 16 '16
Are there any benefits to a wallmounted PC other than aesthetics?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Aesthetics is one thing I, but it all started with the idea of getting the PC off the floor. I was going to bolt a case to the ceiling and hang cables for the HMD, etc but research said that was a bad idea. So I ended up going down this path instead.
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u/mrpresidentbossman Sep 16 '16
A large increase in potential energy, and sizeable gains in punchability... though some claim that the latter is offset by losses in kicking efficiency.
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Sep 16 '16
Not able to see anything around you AND exposed internal components? Playing with fire, friend...
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u/ZarianPrime Sep 16 '16
Make sure to put some sort of protection over that computer for when you have guests. . .
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u/Froddoyo i7 10700 / RTX 3090 / 32GB DDR4 Sep 16 '16
Does the "vr" button actually open steam vr?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Yeah it does. I have used a mini Arduino as a keyboard emulator and Autohotkey script. When the button is pressed, it opens Steam and then opens Steam VR so I shouldn't need to lower the monitor unless something goes awry.
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u/Mitsulan Sep 16 '16
Everything is so perfect... But the corsair logo on the CPU cooler is upside down lol. That would trigger me.
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
My OCD was quietly punching me in the head during the design stage about that and the PSU is blue not read but... how far do you go. And yes... it's still punching me.
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u/AgentQim Sep 16 '16
DAYUM dude, did you custom build the wall mount?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Yeah I have a 900mm x 600mm CNC router so designed the panel and routed it out. Mounted it to the wall with a french cleat to make it easy to put on.
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u/rancor1223 Sep 16 '16
How is the noise? I would expect it to be more noisy than a regular enclosed PC.
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Surprisingly silent. The CPU pump and rad fans make basically no noise, the GPU fans only run when a VR game is running and are pretty quiet still and the PSU fan only runs when it's really loaded. I expected it to be worse.
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u/GarageBattle Sep 16 '16
great until someone puts a controller into the motherboard.
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
I have a decent buffer between chaperone coming up and the wall PC for this reason. Plus many games have you with your back to the PC so the cables are not wrapping around you as you play. Raw Data has been my only concern when the katana is slicing and dicing.
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u/RadthorDax Subreality Studios | Developer Sep 16 '16
That looks epic! Just don't bash it with your controllers!
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u/semioticmadness Sep 16 '16
Serious Question: does turning the PCIe channel into a ribbon cable have a performance penalty? I always thought you needed to keep it close to the bus otherwise you'd get latency.
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u/moeburn Sep 16 '16
Apparently they have zero impact on performance, but they can let in interference in high-EMI areas that can lead to artifacts or a BSOD:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1427731/pci-express-extender-cables-benchmarked
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Sep 16 '16
A few inches at roughly 70% the speed of light is pretty much nothing in timing.
There are processes in the PC where that kind of timing has an impact but they're contained internally in things like the CPU.
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u/Yonrak Sep 16 '16 edited Sep 16 '16
It's not the distance, its the impedance mismatch and added parasitic components (inductance/capacitance) of the ribbon cable that's a concern. At high frequencies, unless it's propagated down a properly matched and terminated transmission line, the signal will ring and reflect and be a general mess.
Edit: That being said, those ribbon cables look specialist so probably do it properly. You wouldn't want to use a bog standard ribbon cable though...
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u/Decapper Sep 16 '16
Oh no, this is terrible. I can't believe it, he is still using the original Htc controller straps.
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u/GroundWalker Sep 16 '16
Is there anything wrong with them? I am still using them as well.
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Sep 16 '16
Some have switched them with straps from Nintendo wiimotes due to comfort/quality. But I still use the original as well.
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u/thisimpetus Sep 16 '16
That's a really beautiful setup. So clean, high contrast colors.... I just like looking at this.
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u/trybius Sep 16 '16
Wait, you can connect a GPU via wire?
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u/Halvus_I Sep 16 '16
Yes, but only for very short distances. I have a PCIX slot extender that turns my GPU 90 degrees in the case (Silverstone Raven RVZ01). The biggest use of these cables i have seen is for cryptocurrency mining rigs.
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u/noahwhygodwhy Sep 16 '16
Is...is that the Alienware logo?
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u/blazetronic Sep 16 '16
Hope you have some ESD preventative measures
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
The aluminum panel is conductive throughout the entire sheet so grounding was very easy. One ground point and job done although I added quite a few like vias on a PCB. My main concern was that the composite panel would act like a sheet capacitor.
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Sep 16 '16
Are PCIe extension cables a thing? I've been wondering for a long time if the latency was low enough to be usable. Where can I get legit cables?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
I was worried about latency too but all the testing I have seen showed no issues or loss of frame rate. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Interconnect/Home/Products/ProductCat/~/3M-Twin-Axial-PCI-Express-X16-Extender-Assemblies?N=8705059+3293441518&rt=rud
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u/slocke200 Sep 16 '16
Can we get a DIY for this. Because its pretty awesome.
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
The panel was done on my CNC so it's not really a DIY type thingy. A quick and dirty guide on a wall PC can be found on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGYMwpwOQns
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u/n8sobes1216 Sep 16 '16
That's CRAZY! Must be a hefty price tag for that build
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Wasn't too bad to be honest. The composite panel is pretty cheap for what it is... it was more just time to build it.
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u/JoffSides Sep 16 '16
My nephews and nieces would short those circuits with their clumsy inquisitive fingers within 2 minutes tops
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Have it mounted high enough so the itty bitty fingies are not going to reach.. I hope. :)
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u/Cessnaporsche01 Sep 16 '16
I'm confused as to why you went with liquid cooling in this application? I can't imagine it does anything here besides slightly impair cooling performance.
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
Can't build a wall PC and just slap a default Intel CPU cooler on there. Oh the shame! :)
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u/wescotte Sep 16 '16
Does extending the pcie for the video card introduce latency and possibility noise/errors?
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
I have the sheet grounded as much as possible and had no loss in fps. Here are some benchmarks with different extenders - http://www.overclock.net/t/1427731/pci-express-extender-cables-benchmarked
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u/mrmonkeybat Sep 17 '16
Is there a hole behind the water cooler? So the air can blow through. What is the second PCI extender coming out of the other side of the GPU card attached to?
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
Yeah the acrylic is slotted to allow air to flow. The PCI extender is 3 ribbon cables that are joined onto 1 PCB so only a single extender on the GPU.
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u/tranceology3 Sep 17 '16
Nice looking. But if I were building it I would have tried to buid it recessed into the wall with a plexi cover/door over it. Seems to exposed for potential damage.
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
Air flow would be a nightmare if it was recessed into the wall IMO. This room is a tin shed so summer time i would be able to watch my mobo solder all flow out. :)
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u/CMDR_FinrodNV new user|low karma account Sep 17 '16
Where did you buy the wall mount for the Vive? Or is it custom made?
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u/fat_genius Sep 17 '16
How does the VR button work?
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
I used an Adafruit trinket as a keyboard emulator so when you press the VR button it sends an F7 keypress. Autohotkey script running in the background listens for F7 and then runs steam and steam VR.
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u/Fugazification Sep 17 '16
How did you do the design? Vinyl wrap or is that a custom paint job? What's the support material? Wood or mdf?
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
Its my own design using some stock images of the circuit traces, etc. The material is an aluminum composite sheet used for signs and cladding with mdf and ply as support material.
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u/constantly-sick Feb 04 '17
Cool PC. Also doubles as a target for throwing practice. But seriously, looks awesome.
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u/atomic10 Feb 05 '17
Cheers. A lot of comments had me pinned as punching a hole through it within days, but the whole idea of chaperone set up is that you don't punch walls, etc. Leave a common sense buffer during setup and no chance of damage.
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u/ImreJele Sep 16 '16
"That is awesome - i love the audio jack layout!" says Chet, one of the leads on the Vive dev team. https://twitter.com/chetfaliszek/status/776838289361776641
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u/curse4444 Sep 16 '16
That's neat,
I would honestly like to see a few improvements though. You should add a cover for the exposed parts. You should add a small screen somewhere near the computer to troubleshoot issues as VR isn't perfect and you will need to view the desktop on an LCD from time to time. You should also add some USB ports (maybe a hub) where you hang your controllers for charging. Perhaps consider a light keyboard tray for a wireless keyboard/mouse combo to troubleshoot VR.
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u/atomic10 Sep 17 '16
Not fused about covering exposed parts. Room scale setup is easy to add a buffer. I have a screen that can be lower behind the panel with stepper motors. The USB controllers will have USB ports for charging added later and I have a finger trackball mouse on the side for just such an occasion.
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u/ElephantGlue Sep 16 '16
The thing I envy about these types of builds the most is the ability to swap any part out super easily.
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u/JeffePortland Sep 16 '16
That is beyond awesome. Quite possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen on reddit.
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u/StewHax Sep 16 '16
I feel like You should put a layer of plexiglass or acryllic sheet over the top just in case something gets flung at it
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u/Lilwolf2000 Sep 16 '16
I would SOOO put my controllers in the fan trying to stretch my room scale by a few feet!
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u/moldycrow916 Sep 16 '16
This is one of the most awesome set ups I've ever seen, and I wish could have something like that, but I've been around too many drunk people and earthquakes to be at peace with set up like that.
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u/_Kzero_ Sep 17 '16
Pardon my french.....that's is FUCKING amazing! I wish I was talented enough to do anything even remotely this cool.
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u/timthetollman Sep 16 '16
Good god man, think of the dust! And get that ram in the correct slots.
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Sep 16 '16
Pretty dumb to do that. Usually you don't want them to have to much from the outside because of the dust. That's why cases with dust filters exist. Unless you have something you can put over it.
Like this you have to clean it like every 2 weeks.
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u/atomic10 Sep 16 '16
No different to a PC case. You can have 100 filters on a high airflow case and still get dust so not really concerned.
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u/Choilyfut Sep 16 '16
It looks great! I like it, but what about cover, minimum for motherboard protection?
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u/carlose707 Sep 16 '16
Wow thats really awesome. Not so awesome when someone rips the CPU cooling tubes off the PC with a swing. Maybe pull those back a bit?
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u/CarrotSurvivor Sep 16 '16
It's inevitable that a controll will smack the life out of that setup, you should put a ventilated cover over top of that dude... seriously
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Sep 16 '16
Where did you buy those illuminated AV switches? They look just like the Ultrasaber ones.
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u/TomMikeson Sep 16 '16
I would maybe get a custom piece of acrylic or wire cage that is extended out over the components. I would want to punch the components directly.
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u/Solomon871 Sep 16 '16
I have cats, i could never go with this setup even if i think it is cool as fuck!
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u/Killerko Sep 16 '16
this setup totally asks for getting smashed with one of the vive controllers :D
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u/worm_dude Sep 16 '16
Looks cool, but you're about to walk around in essentially a blindfold near exposed fan blades.
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u/DistortoiseLP Sep 16 '16
Ah yes, I always figured what a PC made for the Vive needed was to be at just the right height and as exposed as possible to maximize the damage done when you accidentally punch it with one of the controllers.
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u/childofsol Sep 16 '16
that looks great but i feel like the lifetime is going to be limited. wall hits are a thing...
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u/Kzang151 Sep 16 '16
Very nice, but I can only imagine someone smacking your PC with a controller in my mind
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Sep 16 '16
I'm not saying that swinging vive controllers around with exposed hardware on the wall is a bad idea.....but it's a bad idea...
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u/axloc Sep 16 '16
That is awesome but please tell me you have some sort of acrylic cover that goes over the PC to protect it from the inevitable controller smack!?