ghetto case?

[netsider]

Is there anything feasible and easy that a case can be made from? me and my friend were thinking wood... but the labor and cost of the wood would be about the same as buying a retail chassis. Has anybody explored cheap and easy case alternatives at all? For example.. a milk crate? I really cant think of much but was hoping some of you guys might have some idea for making a really quick and easy "ghetto case"... so to speak. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[AliceCooper]

A cardboard box eventhough cardboard kind of insulates. If you have legos you could do that as well.

 

[JohnHenrySolo]

Motherboard box makes a great case, once cut properly...google a how to!

 

[wolfofone]

I remember one of the MaximumPC guys made a cardboard PC case in a office buildoff

 

[netsider]

yea i was thinking cardboard but i was hoping someone could think of something a little more durable. im thinking just a flat piece of plywood and screw each component right onto it flat. nothing to hold the cards in that way though....

 

[coconutboy]

There have been loads of great cases made from ridiculous cheap materials including cardboard, inexpensive plastic containers, shoeboxes, toolboxes... heck, you name it. Do a search here at the [H] or go check out the bit-tech forums. Do keep in mind however that if your case isn't made of metal, you'll have to deal with EMI which may or may not matter to you.

If you're just looking for a decent combo of cheap, quick and durable, buy something made of plastic from your local Target/99 cent store/etc.

 

[munkle]

Honestly nothing is going to be as cheap and easy as the $20 free shipping cases that newegg sometimes has if you want something better than cardboard. You can get cheaper but labor in making it is usually easier to just buy a cheap crappy case.

 

[limitedaccess]

The main cost in cases isn't really the material but the construction and transport. I remember some company actually selling a cardboard case, and it was actually more expensive then the cheapo steel ones.

 

[netsider]

yea... you cant really beat neweggs 20 dollar cases with free shipping but i kinda wanted to design the cheapest computer possible... mainly by using used parts. Just kind of a "I want to do it just to do it" sort of thing. I like my plywood idea... by just screwing all of the components like the motherboard and power supply and drives onto a flat piece of plywood and having the top open... but then theres still the issue of not having any expansion cards being held in place.. they would just be sticking up out of the slots.. thats my main problem.

 

[innermoon]

A cardboard box eventhough cardboard kind of insulates. If you have legos you could do that as well.

I really love to see someone use cardboard to make a base, but I think legos is better since you can put different models on it LOL

 

[bluejrag0n38]

Honestly nothing is going to be as cheap and easy as the $20 free shipping cases that newegg sometimes has if you want something better than cardboard. You can get cheaper but labor in making it is usually easier to just buy a cheap crappy case.

Or buy a used case nice stuff pops up every once and a while on cl, someone on my local cl posted a lian li v1000 + some antec case for only $25 bucks. Sadly, someone got to it before me.

 

[coconutboy]

but then theres still the issue of not having any expansion cards being held in place.. they would just be sticking up out of the slots.. thats my main problem.

In the spirit of trying to do things cheap, just hit up places like a car audio shop, metalworker, or even hardware store looking for something to fit your needs. Depending on where you live, you can probably score some free scrap metal. Or else use something like a car stereo backstrap. Depending on the gauge of metal and where you buy, they're cheap, relatively strong and yet flexible. Something like this oughta work. Should be easy to find one locally for under $3 for an 18" strap.

 

[munkle]

yea... you cant really beat neweggs 20 dollar cases with free shipping but i kinda wanted to design the cheapest computer possible... mainly by using used parts. Just kind of a "I want to do it just to do it" sort of thing. I like my plywood idea... by just screwing all of the components like the motherboard and power supply and drives onto a flat piece of plywood and having the top open... but then theres still the issue of not having any expansion cards being held in place.. they would just be sticking up out of the slots.. thats my main problem.

Well in that case I got a gateway p4 out of the trash for free that is currently my router. Go dumpster diving I'm sure you'll find something great.

 

[Disturbed_One]

I remember one of the MaximumPC guys made a cardboard PC case in a office buildoff

Lol I remember that. Case didn't fit into his budget...cardboard did

 

[CaptNumbNutz]

yea i was thinking cardboard but i was hoping someone could think of something a little more durable. im thinking just a flat piece of plywood and screw each component right onto it flat. nothing to hold the cards in that way though....

Why don't you just take the motherboard tray out of an old case (cut it out if you had to) then bolt that tray to a piece of plywood?

 

[Nickbaldwin86]

just mount it to your wall

 

[netsider]

LOL @ mount if to my wall... and the lego idea (even though I think that'd be cool). idk.. neweggs deals on cases just cant be beat I guess.. but I hear they're kinda crappy... like stories of people getting cut by them, etc.

 

[Nickbaldwin86]

I mounted one to a wall, well it was the upright on my desk butalmost the same thing
Wish I had pictures of mine

http://www.google.com/images?q=comp...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=961

 

[silent-circuit]

LOL @ mount if to my wall... and the lego idea (even though I think that'd be cool). idk.. neweggs deals on cases just cant be beat I guess.. but I hear they're kinda crappy... like stories of people getting cut by them, etc.

Yes, they're terrible. It's $20 shipped, and the shipping probably cost them half that, even with their crazy cheap bulk rates. What are you complaining about / expecting? Just be careful and don't slice yourself open, you'll be fine.

 

[Nickbaldwin86]

wear gloves

 

[Lpb45]

how about a board game box? they are kinda sturdy and can be opened

 

[silent-circuit]

Probably too shallow.

 

[Nivram]

You might also stop by your local PC repair shop. Talk to them, and find out if they have any old dead systems, that you could get the case from. Lots of shops will hold onto those systems for a month or so, in hopes they can salvage some parts from them, for new jobs coming in.

A couple years ago, there was an army sgt on Anandtech, that was stationed in Afghanistan, and was asking for old computer parts to put together some cheap systems for the guys at the various posts around the country, so they could get online and check e-mail, etc.

I had some old parts lying around, but no cases (like most people), and he had the same problem, once people started sending him their old parts. So I went down to my local computer repair places, and asked (can't hurt, right?). First place was a no-go (he'd thrown out a bunch just the week before), but the 2nd place said okay. They pulled the cpu's out of 3 of the dead systems, and handed me the rest. I packed them up with a ton of parts that I had, and shipped them off to the sgt, via the post office.

Nothing's better than free.

 

[netsider]

Yes, they're terrible. It's $20 shipped, and the shipping probably cost them half that, even with their crazy cheap bulk rates. What are you complaining about / expecting? Just be careful and don't slice yourself open, you'll be fine.

I'm not really complaining... just wondering if its possible to construct a worthwhile case using normal or household items that would be cheaper than a retail case... thats all.