1) stock CPU cooler is too tall. i originally used a socket 775 board with the stock cooler to do all my measurements, and the height i cut the rack into was a perfect fit. however, i didn't realize that a stock s1366 cooler was considerably taller. The pci-e extension cables didn't have enough clearance because the cooler blocks it.
2) the bar that holds up the rear end of the GPUs were about 6 millimeters short because the little PCB "hook" towards the end of the pci-e pins of the video card, got in the way of this bar.
here you can see how the video card's pci-e pins are very close to the cooler, and this is not enough room to plug in the extension cables. these cables take up a few centimeters of space below the video card's pins.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg828.imageshack.us%2Fimg828%2F7890%2Fdscn7356u.jpg&t=663&c=hUm-GJAUM3xYvQ)
solution: i bought a 1U low profile s1366 cooler. it just came in, here's what it looks like installed on the motherboard.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg820.imageshack.us%2Fimg820%2F350%2Fdscn7369.jpg&t=663&c=u1UYGTlKELM0RQ)
ahh, perfect...
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg24.imageshack.us%2Fimg24%2F4784%2Fdscn7366q.jpg&t=663&c=cDg1qdjJSw6YlQ)
now the second problem, the bar holding the video card is too close, so the video doesn't have enough clearance to be mounted properly. solution: i drilled out rivets on both sides, made 2 new holes to move two bars back about 6mm, which is just enough clearance.
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg232.imageshack.us%2Fimg232%2F4273%2Fdscn7370v.jpg&t=663&c=LJFS_9UkDpVlTw)
that PCB "hook" now has enough clearance
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg717.imageshack.us%2Fimg717%2F2809%2Fdscn7371z.jpg&t=663&c=g0Cd7bsSKaWBtg)
a few more mods to come before it's finished