# My MB Quart PC



## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

Here is the CarPC I built for my truck: (Please excuse the crappy cell pics)



























































































Mal


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

More:





































Mal


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

Tested and test fitted:





































Mal


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## Neil_J (Mar 2, 2011)

Will you be upgrading to a solid-state drive, or keeping the mechanical one in there now? I had 3 or 4 drive crashes in the 6-month period I had my car pc, all caused by hitting bumps. At least yours is mounted vertically, which somewhat prolongs the inevitable.


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## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

Very creative. Excellent job!


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

Neil_J said:


> Will you be upgrading to a solid-state drive, or keeping the mechanical one in there now? I had 3 or 4 drive crashes in the 6-month period I had my car pc, all caused by hitting bumps. At least yours is mounted vertically, which somewhat prolongs the inevitable.


I have two drives horizontally stacked and mounted behind the MB. One is an 40GB SSD for the OS. The other is 720GB 2.5" HD for media.

Mal


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## zreon (Jul 29, 2011)

Very nice looking. I thought about doing something like that in my last build but I decided to cram it all behind my screen in the dash, so it was completely stealth. I had a 2.5"mechanical harddrive in my car for about 3 years before it finally started to give me issues. This time around I'll definitely use a SSD.


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

zreon said:


> Very nice looking. I thought about doing something like that in my last build but I decided to cram it all behind my screen in the dash, so it was completely stealth. I had a 2.5"mechanical harddrive in my car for about 3 years before it finally started to give me issues. This time around I'll definitely use a SSD.


Thanks. As a pc tech by trade I know these babies can generate some heat. Thats also why I used the MB Quart case; it had vents already cut in the top. Since I live in Vegas, I wanted to keep it where the a/c can hit it as much as possible. When I limo tint my windows i feel the black cases and low mounting position will help hide it from prying eyes. The low positition will also help w/ heat as cool air falls and warm air rises.

Post some pics of what you got. I would love to check it out.

Mal


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## zreon (Jul 29, 2011)

I don't have anything as of yet. I had a 8" touchscreen molded to the dash in my mx-3, but I sold that before I moved out here to vegas.

1995 Mazda MX-3 .... 8" Touchscreen in-dash

There are some very very early shots of it. I got rid of the amp and pc below the seat and upgraded to 2 eclipse amps mounted to the back of the seat and a pc behind the lcd.

I'm currently picking out the hardware I want for my new install. It will still be a 8-9" touchscreen. 7" and below is just too small for me. My mx-3 was black exterior and black interior in Florida, so I know about heating issues as well.


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## eviling (Apr 14, 2010)

very nice :O impressive workmanship.


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

eviling said:


> very nice :O impressive workmanship.


x2. :thumbsup: You did a great job on your first one. The second time around is always easier and better. 

This is my first one. I have been working on it for about a year. It would be fully installed if I had not broken my monitor. Hopefully I will get a new one by Christmas.

Mal


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## SonicBoomAudio (May 9, 2010)

Very nice setup


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## zreon (Jul 29, 2011)

Are you going to be fabricating it into your dash?


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

zreon said:


> Are you going to be fabricating it into your dash?


Yeah. That is how I broke the first one. I was mocking up how I was going to mount it after I had just finished the fabrication, when I dropped it. I used the broken one to finalize everything. So when I get my new one I just have to install it.




























Mal


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## MaxSustain (Jan 27, 2012)

I'm in process of building one for myself, so thanks for useful ideas!


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

MaxSustain said:


> I'm in process of building one for myself, so thanks for useful ideas!


Your welcome.

Some pointers:
1. I learned that Amplifier dimensions are measured on the outside. So when I picked this amp based on its 2.5" height, I was actually losing about .25-.5" of space inside the case.

2. Wiring can add up and eat up space real fast.

3. Finally, if you want to use add-on audio or video cards, choose a different method to house your motherboard.

Other than that given the opportunity, I'd do it all over again possibly in a Zapco case.

Mal


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## LGHT_ (Jan 12, 2011)

Nice setup, in the process of building a carputer myself. Your case looks almost identicle to some of the aftermarket fanless cases. Here is a link someone posted on how to prevent drive crashes from shocks in cars.

Hard Drive Silencing: Sandwiches & Suspensions | silentpcreview.com


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## slaney30 (Feb 28, 2012)

Have you tested this for any heat related issues? Im just curious because that small of an enclosure seems like you might get some heat issues.


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## 4ofakind (Jan 22, 2010)

slaney30 said:


> Have you tested this for any heat related issues? Im just curious because that small of an enclosure seems like you might get some heat issues.


No heat related issues at all. I'm using a low (65w) TDP CPU. And even after sitting all day in 100+ degree Vegas heat it boots right up and runs fine.

Mal


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