Before we could create the final computer, we had to build a prototype. The prototype is to scale with the final result. The way that we did this was we found the measurements of all of the components and with them we made cardboard replicas. The measurements are as follows.
- Motherboard Assembly: 17.7cm x 17.7cm x 3.7cm (With CPU cooler and Fan)
- Graphics Card: 17cm x 12.19cm x 4.07cm
- PCI Riser (tiny hard cable thing connecting (1) and (2)
- Power supply: 12.5cm x 10.5cm x 6.35cm
Once we made all of cardboard cubes that represented the parts, before we put them in place we made a frame to put them in. This frame represents the bottom half of the briefcase and will contain all of the parts. While we don’t know what size briefcase we will order, from this test we will need to buy one that is at least 18in in length
Here is a picture of the frame:
The first thing that we placed into the box was the mother board. It is the largest and most important in the computer, everything else connects to it. Things such as the CPU and RAM will plug into it.
Here is a picture of the case once the mother board has been placed:
After we had added the mother board the next two things that we added were the graphics card and the PCI riser. In most computers the graphics card connects to the motherboard however, in ours that would be to high, so we used a PCI riser which is a type of cable. Using the riser which is the little piece of cardboard connecting the graphics card and the motherboard, we were able to place it along side the board, which will save lots of space.
Here is an image of the computer with the riser, graphics card and motherboard:
After adding all of these parts the final thing that we needed was a power supply, which is seen to the left of the graphics card. After placing it in the case we used green cables to connect it to the graphics card and motherboard, so that it could supply power to them.
In the image below, you can see the power supply and a cable coming out of it, this cable is what will plug into the wall to supply power to the computer.
The final thing that we did to the prototype was adding the monitor. The monitor itself is held in the upper part of the briefcase, so it will also function as a cover to the computer. As seen in the image below there are cables coming from the Mother Board going into the monitor. This is so the image can be displayed on the monitor. However it should be known, that the monitor itself will be a lot thicker so the proportions of the monitor and upper of the case a totally off.
The image below shows the completed prototype:
While not everything is correct in the prototype, we believe that it will be of great help when we finally get to build the computer itself.
