Modding G4 Case

Not too long ago I gutted an old Mac G4 so I could put PC hardware into it, and then re-mac'd it (see more details on how this works here). I know that this has been done before, which was great for me, because I was able to use other people's guides to help on what I was working on (here, here, and here).

Anyways, I found a good solution to a common problem lots of people were having. Now, I do admit that the laptop drive in the third guide was a pretty smart solution, but I was able to find a solution using the standard sata DVD drive I used.



First off, I took out the bay that comes in the G4 for the DVD drive. Then, I basically decided to mount the DVD drive to the far end of the case, but that would not allow the drive to line up with the opening for it on the front bezel. So, what I did what find a piece of plastic, which is the green thing in the picture below, and I bolted it to the G4 case (which is nice, because the outer shell of the case hides those bolts). Then I screwed the drive into the plastic mount I put in and we were in business.



Now the full size drive is in place, it doesn't hit the RAM modules, or the CPU, and it pops out of the place it is supposed to, only at an angle.



I actually like how it comes out. It makes the drive a bit more interesting and easier to drop a disk into from where I sit. And it certainly is a better solution than cutting a huge hole in the back of my case and having to pull my computer out every time I want to swap a DVD.

Another quick note: When adding a generic CD/DVD drive to your modded mac cases, remove the little bezel on the front of them. Usually it is pretty easy and straight-forward.



Happy modding, and leave a comment if you would like more details.