Discussions

[BigAl01]

I've had this 8-bottle Cuisinart wine fridge in my basement, close to my workbench, for about 5 years.  On 14 June 2024, I noticed that the display was out.  In fact I think the unit had failed.  Since our basement is cool enough for passive wine storage anyway, I really didn't need this wine fridge.  I really don't need another computer either, but why not mod this wine fridge into a computer?

So, there are some things to consider here and I've been discovering these things during my initial teardown.  I like the heavy front door, but this was a cooler - with lots of insulation and no ventilation holes.  It appears big enough to hold a motherboard, a PSU and a small video card (two fan), but I will need to first pull out all the insulation if I can.  I will need to do some cutting and some thinking about mounting the motherboard and supporting the video card.  

Initial teardown follows.  I've only put about 30 minutes into this so far.  I will do more today.  I could use suggestions as you see what I end up with in terms of a shell of a case.  

Here I have just unplugged the Cuisinart Wine Fridge from the power outlet and placed it on my workbench. Those LED mouse mats just arrived today from Newegg ($10 USD each).

Here is the interior. Eight bottle capacity.

A view of the rear as I start removing screws from the thermal-electric cooler assembly.

There is the power supply and a muffin fan that blows air across a heatsink. I wonder what device failed? It doesn't matter really.

[JohWill]

Wait is that your new case?  That would be cool have two bottles on the rack and cool your machine!  No way pull insulation?  If it still gets cool you’re golden.  Is that a refrigerant cooler / pump?  
if it don’t have a pump I still wouldn’t pull the insulation.  You just need to move air just like any case.  The insulation will not effect anything except sound.  It sure will be quiet.  lol 

[BigAl01]

I'm going to attempt to mod this wine fridge into a computer case.  There won't be room for any bottles in the fridge with computer components in there.  There might not even be enough room for a video card.  I will be continuing my teardown this afternoon.  This is a thermoelectric wine cooler.

Thermoelectric wine coolers use the Peltier effect to create a temperature difference between the inside of the cooler and the outside environment. The Peltier effect is a natural phenomenon that occurs when an electric current passes through two joined pieces of metal, causing one side to absorb heat while the other releases it. The cooler side is placed inside the cooler, while the warmer side is connected to metal fins that act as a heat sink to dissipate excess heat outside the appliance. A fan then circulates the cool air throughout the cooler for even distribution.

[JohWill]

That’s what I thought it was but I didn’t know for sure. Those peltier use tons of amps to cool anyway.  Have one for the back of my steam deck which is 2amps and the size of a quarter.   Just keep the door and glass.  It would Really be a kool build

[BigAl01]

I spent about two hours creating a mess around my workbench today.  My hands are tired of chiseling away at the insulation material as I try to dig out the central plastic core.  I will need all the room I can get inside this case for a motherboard and PSU - perhaps even a video card.  

I started with a long screw driver and a Dremel tool.  Soon I was just using the screw driver, and then an even longer one.  I wore a mask since stuff was in the air when I cut the foam using my Dremel tool.  That central tub is almost free but not quite.  This expanding foam insulation is a real pain to remove.  Once I have it cleaned out, I will basically be left with a shell of a case.  It will have the front door but an open back.  Then I can start thinking about what sort of system can be placed inside.  I'm thinking a micro-ATX motherboard, and maybe either an AM4 or an AM5 combo system.  

Removing the heavy glass front door.

I pulled the feet off the bottom. But the bottom panel is stuck to the foam insulation, so I must pry it away.

Ok, it's finally letting go of the bottom panel. What a pain.

Have Dremel tool, will mod....

Chipping away at the foam insulation. A big mess is coming my way.

Yes, it's like that Styrofoam insulation from shipping boxes, but much tougher. It has static electricity too!

I filled a trash can and I still don't have that plastic tub out of the interior of the wine fridge.

[BigAl01]

I spent another 3 hours today pulling out that insulation and plastic tub.  I finally had to break out the Dremel tool and cut the tub to get access to the foam insulation below it.  I decided to leave part of the plastic tub in the front area, as it helps to support the structure and gives a cleaner opening view.  I then cleaned up the big mess again (another trash can full of this insulation foam) and put the door, feet and back plate on to ensure it 's still stable enough for a computer case.  I believe it is, but I will have to fabricate all the support mountings for the motherboard and other components.  Airflow will be a major issue, so I will need to ventilate the inside, perhaps with a fan in the floor.  

So that's five hours of work so far with this mod.  Any comments from my fellow modders?  @JohWill , @eebiii, @Wally_AMD 

It was getting harder to reach the insulation with my tools.

Ok, I'm starting to cut the plastic tub with my Dremel tool.

That's better; it still took some work to get the rest of the insulation out.

Looking good up front with the front of the plastic tub that I left in place.

Now to remove the Peltier cooler and PSU from the back plate.

Ok, fully assembled again. There is still more to clean up but for now this is a stopping point.

The rear plate fits well. It will need cutouts for the motherboard connections.

[JohWill]

Holy sheetz.  Have you tried acetone or iso-alcohol for the minor foam?  Thats tons of work and I’m sure it’s foam everywhere too!  Glass of wine nice touch. lol 

[BigAl01]

I remember cleaning speaker cones at JBL back in the late 1970's when I worked there for a few years.  I was in the QA department and I was filling in for one of the line workers.  They used acetone for that and it really had an odor.  I will stay away from acetone!

There is only minor cleanup needed now inside the case.  Now I need to figure out a way to support the motherboard.  I'm thinking about aluminum bars to make a mounting frame that stays inside the case as a press-fit.  I would mount the motherboard standoffs to the aluminum bars.  Maybe a few straps would hold the bars in place.  I want to avoid external holes in the side of the case.  Also, I might want to mount a 240mm AIO in the rear, along with putting a fan in the floor, near the front.  I think the PSU can go on the bottom too, in the rear.  So there will be lots of cutting involved.

[JohWill]

If you have an old case you can cut the L shape out of?  It would save you so much time. Then just rivet to the side.  Job done.

[BigAl01]

I did that once with my Purrfection build.  I don't have an existing case right now that I'm willing to cut up.

An old case frame was cut up and used to support the components inside Purrfection. It worked well.

[summermoon]

Amazing!

[BigAl01]

I've been thinking about the components that might fit inside this case.  I'm also thinking that I need to have many of them on hand before I start cutting things and bending metal.  So, I could use some help with deciding on these options:

(1)  Go with an AM4 build, using an X3D CPU like the 5800X3D and DDR4 RAM

(2)  Go with an AM5 build, using an X3D CPU like the 7800X3D and DDR5 RAM

(3)  Wait a few months for the next AM5 motherboards and CPUs (9000 series, perhaps an X3D CPU)

Other constraints I have will be to use a micro-ATX motherboard, a two-fan GPU (maybe the RX 7900 GRE from ASRock (Challenger) at $550 USD), a 1K Watt PSU (maybe the beQuiet! Straight Power 12 Platinum at $190 USD), a 240 mm AIO to cool the CPU, and at least one case fan to pull air in from the bottom.  I'm thinking about mounting the AIO radiator in the rear, but I will also consider the top.  If I use the metal bars to support the motherboard, then having the AIO in the rear is easier to deal with.  Mounting the AIO in the top would mean it needs to be placed between the metal bars - so it is possible.  

The most costly approach would be to wait for the new 9000 series of CPUs, and that would delay this build by a few months.  I could use an old micro-ATX motherboard as a template for building up the mounting support though.  I could get an AIO that's rated for both the AM4 and AM5 sockets and install that too.  I could get the PSU now also.  All the cutting could be completed without having the CPU, the RAM and the GPU on hand, as long as I allow for adjustment in the mounting so it can accommodate the GPU and it's DP cable.

What do you guys think?  Should I buy existing tech now or wait for the new stuff coming in the next few months while I get the PSU, the AIO and maybe the GPU soon so I can start the cutting and building process in the next few weeks?

[BigAl01]

I went with option 2, meaning an AM5 socket X3D 7000 series CPU.  Today (20 June 2024) I drove over to MicroCenter after checking prices on the parts I wanted and I picked up an AMD 7800X3D bundle, an ASRock RX7900 GRE two-fan video card, a 1200 Watt Gold beQuiet! PSU (price-matched to Newegg's price), and two M.2 drives, 1 TB for the OS and 2 TB for games (one price-matched to a $10 cheaper price on a sale that ended recently).  Using my MicroCenter card saved me an additional 5%, so this stuff cost me just under $1,500 USD.  I still need to figure out what two-fan or three-fan CPU cooler to get and then some case fans too.  I might have to mount that CPU cooler outside the case, meaning the back I suppose.  

[BigAl01]

Last night I was thinking about this build before finally falling asleep.  I decided that cooling was going to be an issue, and that solid glass front door needed some modding to remove the glass, thus allowing airflow into the case with the door closed.  Getting the ends pulled off the door wasn't too difficult, but the double-paned glass was glued to the side pieces.  I was getting real close to taking it outside and hitting the glass with a hammer, but instead I took my time and by leaning on the side piece while pushing on the glass (turning it over several times) I was able to free one side panel.  I repeated the process for the other side.  After a bit of cleanup of the glue residue, I reassembled the front door and Now I'm trying to decide what's next.

I could mount 2 or 3 140mm fans in the door opening, but their wires would be a small problem when I open the door.  I guess enough slack in the cables would work here.  Otherwise, I could insert some type of screen material to keep the bugs and carpet fibers out.  What do you guys think?

Pulling up the rubber door seal strip.

Removing the bottom of the door assembly.

Now the top of the door assembly is off, leaving the two sides still glued to the double-paned glass.

Ok, one side is finally off. That hammer won't be necessary.

Both sides are off, the glass is not needed and I can reassemble the front door frame.

Back together again. Trying out one of my 140mm fan mounts intended for 5.25 bay device slots.

[BigAl01]

I spent 4.5 hours today cleaning up the interior of the case a bit and then bending aluminum bars to form the support structure for the motherboard assembly. I also ordered the last parts (a CPU cooler, namely an All-in-One (AIO) liquid cooler, 3 case fans for the front and a 34" gaming monitor tonight and those should arrive by the end of next week.

I needed to drill and tap holes for the motherboard standoffs that would mount the motherboard to the aluminum bars. My tap and die set came from my father. These tools are probably from the 1950's and 1960's.

Cleaning up the bottom of the wine cooler.

Now the top section has been scraped free of debris.

Starting to bend aluminum bars. I helps to have a big vice in your workbench.

Test fitting the bars as I bend them.

Two bars that look pretty close to each other.

Testing fitting some components.

Making sure the bars are at 90 degree angles.

Cutting off the excess 2 inches.

Drilling and tapping the motherboard standoff mounts.

Ok, the motherboard is supported at five points.

Test fitting the motherboard assembly inside the wine cooler.

Perhaps I should install the M.2 drives now.

[BigAl01]

I've done a bit more modding and I received a few more parts - three fans for the front door, three 120mm bay device fan mounts that happen to work out well in my application, a CPU cooler All-in-One that I will hang below the two aluminum bars, and a new 34" gaming monitor.

This afternoon I did some cutting of one of the 120mm bay devices so the three of them would be a snug fit in the front door.  I also mounted the three 120mm fans in these mounts.  I then assembled the new monitor that arrived today and hooked it up to one of my older computers (Ryzen-Sun) to make sure it worked.  The box was a bit banged up thanks to UPS - and I had bought this from Amazon!  But it works fine so that's a worry off my mind.  The next modding step is to mount that AIO to the metal bars.  Marking the holes accurately is the tough part, but I will use a drop of paint I think on the ends of the screws (or screw posts) and then suspend it in position to mark the spots that I will then need to drill.  It's never easy to get these things spot-on.

New fans that closely match the ones in the AIO.

Three 120mm bay device fan mounts.

Another angle showing how they would fit into older cases with the 5.25 inch open bays.

New AIO CPU cooler. Two fan setup due to space limitations.

My new 34" 160Hz monitor arrived from UPS.

Assembling the new monitor on it's shipping box.

Trying out the new monitor with an older computer to ensure it works properly.

Time to make these adapters fit.

I need to cut about 1/4" off top and bottom.

Have Dremel tool, will mod.

Size difference after cutting.

Ok, they now fit in the front door opening.

Fans mounted and I still need to think about a fan guard of some sort.

Opening the door to show that I have some wires to connect when everything is built.

[BigAl01]

Today I managed to mount the AIO radiator and then construct a support bracket to secure the video card.  It's now ready to mount to the base of the wine cooler.  Once I get the PSU also mounted, then I will install the CPU, RAM and connect things up.  I will need to ventilate the top for the radiator, and it won't be in the center of the case (closer to the door hinge side) due to clearances I wanted to maintain between the radiator and the motherboard.

Making a guide for when I hold the radiator up to the brackets and mark the drill holes.

I'm using paint on the end of the screw posts to mark the contact points.

Here you see the paint on the screw posts.

Holes drilled and counter-sunk, so that the short screws would reach the radiator tabs.

Ok, the radiator is mounted.

Checking the clearances of things.

Again checking to ensure everything still fits inside the wine cooler case.

Making a support bar for the video card.

Support bar installed. For one of my early computers (Printer to Computer in 2005 - featured as Rig of the Month in Maximum PC), I used a hacksaw blade!

Mounting the assembly to the base. Here I realized that I blocked the feet holes at the rear with my bar, so I will need to drill four new holes and move the assembly towards the front a few inches.

[eebiii]

Looking great! @BigAl01 

[BigAl01]

Thank you @eebiii ; I'm getting close to the end here.

[BigAl01]

I took care of the frame mounting to the base where I had blocked the case feet.  I hammered down the water drain hole and moved the frame over about 1.5 inches.  That was enough to clear the case feet mounts.  Then I made two brackets out of aluminum bar to mount the PSU - using my same method of marking the drill holes with paint applied to the tip of the screw posts.  

With that done, it was time to address the top opening that was needed for the radiator exhaust.  With the cover on, I marked the outside dimensions of the radiator and then I drew lines within that rough mark so it would look straight from outside the case.  Using my handy aircraft shears, I cut out the opening and then fabricated a dust guard by cutting down one of the magnetic fan guards I had bought on Amazon last year (three of them for around $10 USD was a great deal).  The last cutting needed was the back plate, which already had a small hole in the middle for the previous Peltier cooler.  I wanted much more airflow (with three intake fans up front), so I gave it about 1.5 inches all away around, but keeping the Cuisinart label on the back.

Now I need a few days to rest my right hand from all the cutting and drilling.  I'm close to being ready for final assembly of the CPU, RAM and of course finding ways to hide the PSU cables.

Hammering down the drain hole in the base.

Now I have the frame assembly mounted where it clears the case feet.

Cutting one of the PSU mounts.

Using screw posts with paint on the ends to mark the drill holes to the brackets I just made.

Ok, the PSU is mounted to the base.

Measuring the cut lines for the top radiator vent.

Cutting out the top radiator vent with my aircraft shears.

Ok, looks pretty good. Need to file down the rough edges though.

Sizing up a radiator dust guard.

A few cuts and the dust guard fits well.

Time to address the back cover.

Cutting out the back cover with aircraft shears. I need this cover for strength of the case.

Ok, cutting is done.

Test fitting the modded rear cover. I think I have enough access for cables that will plug into the motherboard.

[rtbh99]

this is making me wish i had a workshop of my own

[BigAl01]

It's impinging on the area where I use TOTB-2 though.  I had to move the keyboard and mouse out of the way as I cut and grind stuff.  I should finish up this build next week I recon.  

[BigAl01]

Well, 'Wine-Cool' became operational yesterday afternoon (30 June 2024) and it booted right up (after I turned on the PSU switch) with my first test.  I had the outer case off so I could see if there were any issues, like wires hitting fan blades, etc.  No issues.  I got right into the BIOS and set the DDR5 frequency to 6000 MHz and adjusted the time.  With that done, I brought it back to my work bench and assembled the outer shell, installed the front door and it's 3-fan array, and finally I used door-edge plastic to protect the rear of the case from cutting me or the cables I needed to plug into the motherboard.  I brought it back to my computer station and installed Windows 11 (using a key I bought for $30), followed by several Windows updates and most importantly - Steam.  Before bed I played World of Tanks - Blitz for a few rounds and everything runs smoothly.  I really like the airflow from those three front door fans.  Everything appears to be running nice and cool.

Total cost was $2,234.26 USD.  That included the gaming monitor and Klipsch Pro-Media 2.1 speakers.  

Two pieces of wood and an LED mouse-mat make a good base.

My favorite computer speakers. I own eleven sets now.

Installing the mounting posts for the water block.

Finally, it's time to take this bad boy out of the box.

Lots of pins in the AM5 socket. It's hard to see them too.

The CPU is in the socket.

Mounting the RAM in the appropriate slots.

Connecting the PSU cables.

First boot! Outside the case initially in case there were any issues. There were none.

Another look. My power switch is laying on the LED mouse-mat.

Back to the work bench to install the case cover.

Wiring up the fans with the door on.

Time to address the sharp edges of the rear cover.

Cutting the door edge guard strips to fit the outline of the rear cover.

Back to the computer station, booting up again with the complete case.

That looks very nice. Lots of air moving through this case.

Time to install Windows 11 home edition.

Gaming already? You bet!

[eebiii]

Turned out nice. How are temps? Did you have to cut and additional ventilation holes?

I'm headed to Maui on Friday for my anniversary. I am getting into build mode again so going to try and come up with some ideas, (like yours, thinking outside the box. We'll see. A couple of drinks sitting on the beach, I can come up with good ideas. lol

[BigAl01]

I haven't paid attention to the temperatures of the CPU or GPU while gaming yet, but at idle they are just fine.  Those three fans blow a good amount of air through the case, across the video card, and out the back.  The two radiator fans pull air from within the case and push it out the top.  I believe I have sufficient cooling for this gaming machine.  My start / reset switch assembly isn't sticking to the inside panel very well, probably due to the material still left from the insulation.  That's a small issue to deal with though.

I'll look at the temps next time I'm gaming.

[BigAl01]

I reviewed the temperatures of the GPU and CPU while at idle and after I had been gaming for a while (playing World of Tanks - Blitz).  The temperatures are fine and didn't change as much as I would have expected.

Idle temperatures:  GPU = 44 C, CPU = 39 C

gaming temperatures:  GPU = 48 C, CPU = 43 C

That's only a 4 C increase for both components.  I was using Adrenalin 24.6.1 to monitor the temperatures.  I also disabled the integrated graphics in the BIOS so I wouldn't be wasting that power.  I will only use the video card for graphics with this machine.

 I also moved the power switch assembly to the top-rear of the case, where it would stick to the case and not fall off.  This way I can see the power light and the storage drive light that indicates activity.

You might see the power switch on top now.

[BigAl01]

Well then, Happy Anniversary!  Hawaii is always a good time.  I once worked a whole month on Oahu in 2002.  It was nice to walk along the beach as the sun was going down in the evening.  I can't be out in the sun too much due to skin cancer issues.

[BigAl01]

I decided that the case was small enough that it needed to be elevated.  I searched our house and found an unused end table, so that became useful to raise the stakes, as it were.  What do you think of the elevated position?

Have end tables become out of style? They do serve as a good solid base for computers.....

Now Wine-Cool is up a bit higher.

Still games in an excellent way.

[BigAl01]

I've updated my web site to include all the pictures from the Wine-Cool build.  Check it out here.

I guess this is my signature look - a glass of wine next to my computer build.

[JohWill]

So different. Still love it.  I know that foam was a workout!!  Lol

[BigAl01]

Yesterday (25 July 2024) I decided to fabricate a fan grill for the set of three fans that are installed in the door of the Cuisinart Wine Fridge.  Normally, I would use something like 'Modders Mesh' from MnPCTech.com, but the larger size I needed would have been expensive to obtain.  So I went to Home Depot and got a roll of 'Hardware Mesh (1/4 inch)' and made my own fan grill.  I used some of the wire that held the mesh in the rolled configuration to attach my custom fan grill to the fan frames.  It worked out pretty well and only took about an hour of my precious time (yes, I am retired).  What do you think?

This roll of Hardware Cloth cost me about $15 USD.Pulled the restraining wire off so the roll could be unrolled....This stuff is hard to flatten out. Here I am marking my cut marks with a permanent marker and a measuring tape.Starting to cut with my Aircraft shears. Don't leave home without them.Ok, the custom fan grill is cut out and mostly flattened. I also bent the edges using my bench vice.Starting the install process. I used the wrapping wire to attach the custom fan grill to the fan frames.Looking pretty good from the front.You can see how I attached the custom fan grill to the fan frames here with wire.All done. I changed the color scheme of the fans to orange to see if I liked it. I do.