[Project] Classic mac gameing box (in a xbox 360 case)

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2011, May 15 - 6:38pm

max1zzz

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[Project] Classic mac gameing box (in a xbox 360 case)

So yesterday by chance i found the logic board from my old iMac g3 is a perfect fit in my old xbox 360 case, so i thought what better to do than build a box to play classic mac games on my tv, currently i have mounted the logic board and the video connecter (the hole for the xbox's video connecter was made to fit DB-15 plugs), it will be running os 9.2.2 and 10.3.9 to play mac games,
pics will follow when i manage to find some batteries for my camera

see perfect fit

EDIT: hmm, img tag isn't working
EDIT 2: Fixed

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2011, May 15 - 7:31pm

Protocol 7

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Joined: 2010 Aug 7

Very interested to see this! Did you manage to get the DVD drive hooked up as well?

2011, May 15 - 7:50pm

(Reply to #2) #3

max1zzz

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don't think i will have room for a dvd drive, but that depends on exactly how big the dc-dc board to power it is (this), also looks like im gonna have to use a laptop hdd

2011, May 16 - 12:16pm

24bit

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Beautiful work!
I have a spare logicboard from a Bondie blue. That makes me think...
Would you mind keeping me informed how many bucks you spent?
A "things to buy" list would be nice too.

2011, May 16 - 3:18pm

max1zzz

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all i have spent (so far) is £30 for the dc-dc board, i am gonna use a old 120w laptop psu for the dc power source, if you didn't have that it would be another £30, oh and the imac cost me £25 about 2 years ago

2011, May 16 - 3:59pm

24bit

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That looks like a very reasonable price for a G3.
What kind of iMac did you purchase and how did you know the logic board was good?
Your topic might be very interesting for refurbishing iMacs, which would be lost otherwise.
A miditower case would be about EUR 40 including the power supply I think, but there would be the fan noises, of course.

2011, May 16 - 4:39pm

(Reply to #6) #7

max1zzz

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it is a Rev.C (so 333mhz), i knew the logicboard was good as the guy i brought it from had it powered up and let me play around with it before i brought it

2011, May 17 - 1:02am

themacmeister

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This is starting to have epicness! Do you think the original xbox box would be sufficient in size to do the same thing? The metal shielding is a pain tho...

Also, I threw away my G4 eMac with the blown PSU, along with my old stripped silver/clear XBOX, so I would need to start from scratch.

2012, December 12 - 9:00am

(Reply to #8) #9

themacmeister

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got two more black xbox's, so all good now

2011, May 17 - 5:15am

#10

gruz

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This is really awesome, can't wait to see how this turns out!

2011, May 17 - 7:00am

#11

max1zzz

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@themacmeister: yes the orig xbox is bigger than the 360, so it would be a perfect box for this sort of project

2011, May 17 - 1:55pm

#12

Temporary Joe

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Very cool idea. I think the power supply on my old iMac G3 is dying, and re-making it into a box would probably take up less room. Unfortunately, it won't quite do as well as a video game console due to weird resolutions unfit for a TV, plus the whole "keyboard and mouse" thing. Dreamcast had a keyboard and mouse, IIRC, though.

2011, May 17 - 3:38pm

#13

24bit

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What about a miditower box?
Nobody likes fans, not even me, but for the logic board it is simple: cool it, or kill it.
The Mac´s DB15 video output sure can be fixed to a DB9 bracket for 1024x768.
A 19 inch TFT would be fine for an old iMac.
A miditower would give plenty of room for a USB hub and two drives.
If you got Rev. A or B you might even connect SCSI devices with a host adapter from Formac.
If you are considering a new HDD or optical, do not wait too long, pATA devices are sold out already in some stores, just like the SCSI´s.
I am thinking of a miditower case, because my Bond blue gives me some very short outages with its CRT at times.

2011, May 17 - 3:41pm

(Reply to #12) #14

max1zzz

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a miditower box will be perfect if you just want to use it as a desktop, also gives you the advantage of being able to have up to 4 ide drives in the comp

2011, May 17 - 3:39pm

#15

max1zzz

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wow! the dc-dc board is tiny compared with the brick that will power it

2011, May 17 - 4:49pm

#16

24bit

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The iMac´s IDE controller could handle four devices from the beginning?
I did not know that.

2011, May 17 - 5:09pm

#17

max1zzz

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it has 2, cd and hdd (yes i have tested it and it works)

2011, May 17 - 6:18pm

#18

24bit

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Can you give me a pointer to an iMac in a tower case may be?
There was a site for that, but it seems to be down.

2011, May 17 - 9:08pm

#19

max1zzz

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http://members.fortunecity.com/tinux1/sites/imac-atx.html is a good site for the wiring side of things (note it says to connect the green wire from the atx psu to the green one on the imac, don't it's not a good idea) but how you build it is really up to you

2011, May 19 - 3:38pm

#20

max1zzz

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I am very nearly done with this, only need to mount the hdd and im done

2011, May 19 - 9:37pm

#21

max1zzz

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It's pretty much done just needs to have the case put on it

2011, May 23 - 8:03pm

#22

Temporary Joe

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Nice. Looks a little stretched, though.

2011, May 23 - 8:56pm

#23

24bit

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Well done! Good to see the little fan you put in and you even could use a 3,5 inch HDD.
What kind of display are you using?

2011, May 23 - 9:44pm

(Reply to #22) #24

max1zzz

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im using my 32" tv at it's native res in osx, will proabley be 1024x786 in os 9 (as some games will not like the high res)

2011, May 24 - 11:43pm

#25

themacmeister

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1024x768 (not 786) -- otherwise it WILL be stretched

2011, June 3 - 8:47pm

#26

max1zzz

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this is nearly done found im missing the eject button but that's no biggie, just need glue the front of the cd tray onto the case and install os9, pics of the finished thing will follow

2011, June 5 - 4:08pm

#27

max1zzz

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dupe post - please ignore

2011, June 5 - 4:07pm

#28

max1zzz

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I have now finished this and it is working perfectly
Front:

back:

Av port (had to cut a little out in the end):

Power usb & audio:

it works :

2011, June 5 - 4:45pm

#29

24bit

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Congratulations to the splendid work!

2011, June 16 - 7:20pm

#30

epicMac

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Could you make a guide on this procedure for the rest of us? I have a couple of iMac G3s with dying monitors (also a faulty power board in one of them) that I've wanted to repurpose somehow. I was thinking of replacing the monitors with new LCD displays, but this is also a fantastic option.

Did you outright replace the power board in that G3? If so, that would be a great solution for my old spotty (or Dalmatian as my Mom puts it) G3 with the bad power board. I certainly don't want to throw that old boy out. Used it for many long years, would love to see it given new life in a new box.

2011, June 16 - 8:59pm

#31

max1zzz

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I will do at some point, ill see if i can find the time at the weekend, and yes i did replace the power board, only problem is that i didn't wire it for soft power on

2011, June 16 - 11:16pm

#32

MCP

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applefritter.com would be a good home for that.

2011, July 17 - 12:22am

#33

max1zzz

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are people still interested in me makeing a guide on how to do this? if so i will strip it down to make a proper guide at some point in the upcoming summer holidays

2011, July 17 - 5:16pm

#34

24bit

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I am definetly interested in such guide, one can always learn.
Actually I do not have such an X-Box, so it would be only couriousness from my side.
Of course I still have the spare logic board from my Bondi blue iMac...

2011, July 17 - 4:48pm

#35

Temporary Joe

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Yes, I have an interest in making one. My 11-year-old iMac seems to be dying: the monitor used to sometimes shut off, the fan (I think) made this "whuff-whuff-whuff" sound as it was dying, and the power light would start to flicker as the fan died down. But with this, I don't know if its the power supply, or what.

Also, I don't have a suitable case for the iMac (like an old Xbox). Right now it sits dormant under my light switch.

2011, July 17 - 8:34pm

#36

max1zzz

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okii, will do in the next few weeks then

@Temporary Joe that "whuff-whuff-whuff" is the psu overpowering (i think) and continuously resetting in a attempt to recover, also you could just pull the logicboard tray out and leave it in that, mine was like that for 6 months before i did something more constructive with it

2011, August 2 - 2:18pm

#37

Temporary Joe

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OK, if the power supply is normally used for the monitor and the computer itself, how do I know that when I transfer the "guts" into a new case, it won't overload the circuit and fry the entire thing?

(also: instructions would be very great)

2011, August 2 - 5:27pm

#38

max1zzz

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as long as you can supply at least 60w of power to it you will be fine, as that's what the hole unit uses, i used a 100w board as it was the best priced one i could find, if you have space just use a atx psu then you know you have enough power

2011, August 10 - 3:27pm

#39

Temporary Joe

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I'm finally doing it! I hate to hijack the thread, but I managed to get a start by starting to disassemble the iMac. What to do next?

http://carbonizer.blogspot.com/2011/08/imac-disassembly-part-one.html

2011, August 11 - 7:20am

#40

max1zzz

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hmm... thats a difficult part, you need to tip the imac onto it's top and there try to lift the case off, it's difficult, but you will get there in the end.

unfortunately im not going to be able to help you for a week, as i am going on holiday today (also means the pics in this thread aren't gonna work as i have turned the server off)

2011, August 14 - 9:57pm

#41

Temporary Joe

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Well, the project was suspended for reasons beyond my control, but it's good, because I'm having doubts anyway: first off, I have a hard disk full of games I want to keep, and I don't want to buy another hard disk to store them all. Secondly, the speakers are pretty decent, if I convert it into a console, I want to salvage them.

2011, August 18 - 1:39pm

#42

Temporary Joe

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Hey, Max1zzz is back! Do you have any more tips on my not-yet-really-started project? Thanks!

2011, August 18 - 1:56pm

#43

max1zzz

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well... im sorta back, still in kos, Greece until 8:15 pm gmt +3 then a 4 hour flight + all the passport control crap.

but anyways, there is no reason to wipe the hdd, I didn't, and you can keep the speakers, you would just need to figure out the relevant wireing, oh and because you have a newer slot loading model you will need a different pinout for the power connecter, but I'll find that for you when I'm back in England

2011, August 18 - 2:30pm

#44

Temporary Joe

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Hmm, you live in England you say? That will mean the power in/out will be different regardless of model. The internal DVD is dead, however: I've been using a FireWire CD burner (no DVD) since then....

Also, I'm still looking for a case. An Xbox 360 might be a bit too small, maybe a low-profile computer (along the lines of an LC, maybe an old PC case), but I have access to neither.

2011, August 19 - 11:48pm

#45

max1zzz

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What i meant is that the internal power connecter, it varies between models, you should look into mini-itx pc cases, they should be big enough (but check first, im not 100% sure) and meany come with small psu's i would like to see it in a LC case, that would be cool

2011, August 20 - 12:10am

#46

max1zzz

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the service Manual my assist you in the take apart, it can be got here http://www.macmanuals.co.uk/

2012, May 14 - 3:42pm

#47

Temporary Joe

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Right, since I'm out of school, I can focus on this again. I also was reminded about the bad power supply. I think I can disassemble it, but I don't have an Xbox 360 case, and frankly, cutting the ports in the back is kind of janky anyway.

I'm temporarily using SheepShaver, which looks great but has occasional sound pops, it can't use QuickTime correctly (still no replies on the topic), Yoot Tower is still not working (did anyone figure that one out?), and it uses the processor power 100% even when it's not full screen. I hate that, but perhaps it must (either way, SC2K in SheepShaver is 1000 times more satisfying than SC2K in Boxer: the DOS version of SC2K is mucho sucky, even with MT-32 emulation, which makes the music less abhorrent).

I also have a disassembled Performa 550 which has been in storage for several years. It's missing the power supply entirely. Since it runs Mac OS 7, can it run anything that can't be run properly in SheepShaver OR mini vMac PPC OR the iMac?

Edit: Replaced 'xxx 7' with 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User

2012, May 14 - 4:58pm

#48

SwedeBear

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If you run SS on a Intel Mac you can get rid of the pops if restarting your Mac on one core only. There´s some utilities out there to set it. Regarding QT: have a go at 2.5 which is what you get when installing 7.6

2012, May 14 - 8:44pm

#49

Temporary Joe

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The sound popping is very minor but still noticeable. For the purposes I'm running QT for, don't know if 2.5 would work (it might, but IIRC it may require higher...I'll see what I can do)

2012, May 14 - 9:38pm

#50

max1zzz

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i would just use something that supports booting classic, the iMac of perf should do just fine (not sure on the specs of the 550). Can't really help with emulation, i have little experience with it, but i will try to help you with anything on the hardware front.

2012, May 14 - 10:06pm

#51

Temporary Joe

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Yeah, I really do want to revive the iMac instead of using SheepShaver. Either the emulation is just not there yet, or my computer's to weak to truly match speeds (maybe both). I'll try to do something this summer. My three main goals for the iMac:

1. Reduce the footprint and dispose of the aging CRT
2. Replace the power supply which appears to be going bad
3. Replace the DVD drive which is malfunctioning, which is the third on the list of priorities