dreamcast
games
Mini-ITX Dreamcast
This is a little project I started around Thanksgiving 2002 just because I needed a low-powered server that I can log into from home and work on. So I started looking around online at various projects that were based on the VIA Mini-ITX platform. After looking through some popular projects on Mini-ITX.com, I decided that I'd use the Sega Dreamcast as my case. So I went and got a broken Dreamcast on eBay. Then I got the following parts.
- VIA EPIA 800
- IBM 2.5" 20GB Hard Drive
- Generic 300W Power Supply
- Crucial 512MB PC133 SDRAM
- 2.5" Hard Drive Converter
- A power switch and a LED
After I got all the necessary parts. It was time to start cutting up the Dreamcast to fit the motherboard inside. After quite a bit of a transformation, I got everything up and running as you see in the picture on the right. Currently, it's running Gentoo Linux. (I had to temporarily hook up a CD-ROM in order to install it.) One interesting fact was that I initially tried to use a 90W power supply. I thought that would be enough, but for some stupid reason, it couldn't even bootup the computer. (Although looking back on it, my guess is that the PSU I had was defective. 90 watts should have been plenty of power.)
Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures I took during the process. Enjoy. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at xli10@uiuc.edu.
- The bottom of the case (notice the 2 velcro strips to hold the hard drive)
- Size comparison with a TI-89
- Bottom of case with hard drive attached
- Side view of bottom with hard drive
- Motherboard inside the case (it's a perfect fit)
- Front view of motherboard inside the case
- Side view of the motherboard's connectors
- With the DC cover on
- Side view with the cover on
- Back view with the cover on
- Opening the DC lid (that's my hand!)
- The tool and leftover scraps
- Final view
- SuSE boot screen (with temporary CD-ROM, keyboard, mouse, monitor attached)
- Setting it up
- Setting it up 2 (just another view)
- Final view on the floor
- Final view from the side
- Final view showing the external power supply and cables
- Closeup of the cut that allows the power cables to fit
- Final view from the back
- Final bird's eye view (you can barely see it, but the LED is actually on. Also that green-white cord on the right has the power switch at the end.)
