Priject:: n00b t00b (56K Beware!!)

[killahgrag]

Hey everyone! I''ve been reading these and many other forums for several months now and have finally decided to do some work on my own. I currently have all my hardware in a bland silver Chirftec Dragon with a big-ass window on the side. I decided that since I would not be able to get it all done in one night, and I want to continue to use the computer, I would go and buy a cheap case to pracctice on until I'm confident enough in my skills. So I went to Crap-USA and bought the cheapest case I would actually put something in and use. Here's what it looks like:

NIce box huh?
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_001.jpg

The new case, de-boxed. Oh yeah, and that's Hardee, my modding buddy.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_002.jpg

Nice big 120mm fan hole in the back. Mmmmm, airflow.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_003.jpg

Pretty plain... Itching for some Dremel work and paint.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_004.jpg

I was surprised to find that this case acually came with a filter for the 2 front 80mm fans. The whole case came apart pretty easily.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_005.jpg

The drive cages. There will be one less, eventually.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_006.jpg

Maybe put a rad up front here? I don't know if I'm gonna do watercooling yet.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_010.jpg

My wife calls this computer porn. You know... Naked cases and such. :rolleyes:
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_012.jpg

The top and right sides are connected to each other and riveted to the chassis. Dammit all. And I was just starting to like this case, too.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_014.jpg

If you look back a couple pics, you'll see the left door with the dark colored handle on it. That's getting a window in it, and where the handle is now will have a 120mm fan in it, because I hate the handle. This is the design I decided on, notice the hole, right where the handle would have been.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_015.jpg

Hah! Always the critic!
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_016.jpg

Uh-oh. This is the last bottle in the fridge. Looks like I need to make another trip to Crap-USA.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_017.jpg

My current case. The one I'm using to type this.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_018.jpg

Ready to cut! But that's gonna have to wait for the rain to quit. Ugh.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_019.jpg

The specs for this case (tenatively) will be the same as the computer I'm using now. I'm just gonna migrate to the newly modded case when I'm done with it.

ASUS A7N8x-Deluxe 2.0
AMD 2400+ XP
1 gig Kingston HyperX PC2700 RAM
MSI GeForce FX 5600 128MB
2x WD 80GB SE Hard Disks
Thermaltake Volcano 11 HSF
Antec TruePower 430W PSU
couple of 120mm case fans, maybe 3 with the addition of a blowhole.
some lights
some cables and cable management

I'm thinking of doing a nice mirror finish black for the new case, but something is telling me to do a FSU Seminoles case in garnet and gold. Maybe I'll save that one for the Chieftec case. I think I wanna get a nice black paint on this one with something inside to comtrast, but work well wit the black. I'm gonna make a trip to the auto store and find a color match for the chassis today, probably. Anyways, let me know what you think! And advice/suggestions/ideas will be wlecomed. BTW, this is my first EVER mod and I will prbably need some help along the way.

[Qtip42]

You've been reading this long and you still went to compusa for a case? BLASPHEMY! :D

[killahgrag]

Well, I was just kinda walking around the store for something to do, looking for some deals and I found this case on sale for like $30. I scanned the case pretty well, trying to find stuff wrong with it, and I think that, for the price, I couldn't have done much better online. My normal place to get computer stuff is NewEgg, but I didn't like any of their cheap cases. And like I said, it's just a practice piece. Just something to find my bearings on.

[killahgrag]

Well, here is my first cut on a computer case with a Dremel tool ever!
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_020.jpg

Still looks a bit rough, but I need to go to Home Depot and get a couple metal files to really clean it up well. The grinding stone just wasn't doing exactly what I wanted it to do.

[Morphes]

yeah you might wanna pick up a sanding bit (for your dremal) while ur getting those files, its a quicker solution

[killahgrag]

Well here's an update for you all. I decided that my side panel was going to have a 120mm fan in it and I decided to order a few things care of NewEgg. I got 2 Thermaltake 120mm fans and 2 Sunon 92mm fans and my Fan Controller (I'm not even going to ACT like I can make one of those on my own right now). This is the controller I bought.

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/13-999-504-01.JPG

And here is the rest of my new junk.
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_024.jpg

120mm Fans
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_026.jpg

92mm Fans
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_025.jpg

Fan Controller (sorry for the blurry pic)
http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_027.jpg

Also, after I recieved the fans yesterday afternoon I made sure that the design I originally has was going to work with the 120mm fan. My goal was so that none of the plastic around the fan was going to be visible from the outside. Well, with the 1st design, that was not goig to work. So I started brainstorming about a re-design of the cuts for the side panel. I was coming up with a blank. So my wife and I went out and ate some yummy mexican food. When we got back, I was still coming up blank on a new design. My wife asked if she could try something, so, being at an artistic loss, I said sure. She came up with this:

http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_021.jpg

Basically, if you look at it, she took one of the fans and drew out a design based on the blades of the fan, as it the 120mm fan in the panel was the center of the design. I decided to cut the "blades" out of the deisgn with the Dremel so that you would be able to see the guts well. I cut them this morning and deburred them a little until the skies opened up and proceeded to drench the area. I was not able to straighten out the cuts or file the curves much, but I can work on that some more later. I'm happy with what has come out of it so far. Take a look.

http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_023.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_022.jpg

Also, I test fitted the 120mm fan on the back panel where I cut the hole out and found out something rather annoying. The holes that the manufacturer drilled do not even closely line up with the fan. I don't know what size fan they would line up with, but it's not 120mm. Everything that came with the case said that the back panel accepted a 120mm fan. Well, I guess they have true idiots designing these things. Oh well. I can fix that later as well.

That's about all the news I have for now! Enjoy!!

Greg

[siege]

Looks like a decent start. at first I was worried about that handle seeing as how on my case and others', the hole for the handle goes into the frame of the case.

I like the first design a little more, but props to the wife for takin care of business on the new design. Consider yourself lucky, my girlfriend would basically just saw "So why are you going to cut holes in your case? what's the point?"

keep up the good work

p.s. for $30 that's really not a bad case...lots of potential

[Atragon]

That actually looks somewhat like the Antec case I'm working my magic on in fact...

On my antec case, there's a plastic caddie that holds the fan, and that then secures to the case. Worst case, you've got the dremel out...use it to drill holes for the fan.

[TheMostWantedPolishTwin]

Well, I was just kinda walking around the store for something to do, looking for some deals and I found this case on sale for like $30. I scanned the case pretty well, trying to find stuff wrong with it, and I think that, for the price, I couldn't have done much better online. My normal place to get computer stuff is NewEgg, but I didn't like any of their cheap cases. And like I said, it's just a practice piece. Just something to find my bearings on.

not bad case at all! I wish I could find a case for this cheap that could accomodate a 120 mm fan...

[killahgrag]

Well, this is a modding forum... You can put a 120mm fan in any case you want to!! This one started out with 2 80mm fans in the front and 1 120mm fan in the rear. It will end up with 1 120mm in the rear, 1 120mm in the side panel, one 92mm in the front, and 1 92mm in the top. You can do whatever you want to any case you want. There's no case that a little dremelling won't fix!

[killahgrag]

Well, I finally got around to taking some pictures of the meager amount of work I've done on this thing so far. I haven't done much since the last update, but that's covered in a completely different thread (Read all about it here (http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=73570)). Anyways, on with the pics as of right now (Friday 4:20pm (hehe) EST).

http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_028.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_029.jpg

As I mentioned in the other thread, I painted the chassis a FOrd Wedgewood Blue. It's slightly metallic, but it can be hard to pick up, even in person. I like it a lot and I'm glad I chose this color. I need to do a slight bit of smoothing sanding with some 600-800grit sandpaper to take off some overspray that got on it and do some touch up painting. Other than that all the interior painting is done. Well, except for after I cut the new hole for a 92mm Sunon fan that will go in the front of the chassis. I'm gonna be as careful as I can when I :dremel: cuz I'm really not gonna look to make that area painted perfectly as it will be covered up by some plastic pieces and such. You also will notice a small kitty in the first pic. That's Emmy, and she's likes to be in the middle of all my pictures now.

http://home.comcast.net/~gschmid/computer_mods/computer_mod_031.jpg

I also cut a blowhole for another 92mm Sunon fan. It's not a perfect cut, but that will be remedied soon enough. I'm not even sure if that will stay a round hold yet. I may just go for the gusto and put a window on top with the blowhole in it. Haven't decided yet.

I plan on doing the outside in black (I want to try to get a mirror finish, but as you can see in the picture way up on top the fanbus I have is a matte black finish and I don't want them to clash), but I'm not firm on the color choice yet. I am open to suggestions on another color, or anything else you might want to see me do, within reason of course. Don't forget that the name of this thing is the n00b t00b for a reason. Most of this is all kinds of new to me.

Anyways, I plan on working on it some this weekend since the weather will be nice for once. I hope to have more pics up as soon as I can get my butt moving on this project.

[penguin]

If you can afford it, you might want to look into getting some holesaws for cutting the fan holes. I think you can probably get a 3" for about $20, which *should* work on a 80mm fan.