Sister's $29 CompUSA case

W

waltherone

Gawd
Joined
Aug 12, 2003
Messages
589
This was my first case mod other than cutting a few fan holes in side panels before.

I didn't really keep good track to make a worklog, but you all know how it's done anyway. Cut the window, repainted it because I left tons of scuffs all over the side panel during window cutting... then just did some wire wrapping. There ended up being a lot more yellow than I planned/really wanted, but it's her computer, and she insists on having certain things (floppy drive, and it's accompanying ugly ass cabling. Would be much cleaner with that floppy removed :p) Also she said the old version was way too loud (4 80mm fans and a 92mm HSF) so went for more of the silent mode with two yate loons and an antec tricool (on medium). Anywho, on to the pics :)

Case started out as this THIS

And now it's this(dunno why the picture makes it look all orange-peely. It's not like that at all in person, very smooth black semigloss finish):
case9.JPG

case10.JPG
 
Shots of the front bezel, or the "front" of the inside, where the cd drives and crap are?

The front isn't changed really from what you see on the compusa website, just a cd rom and cdrw drive and that dreaded floppy drive :)

I'm kinda disappointed in one aspect, when I decided to do it, I did it in part because I don't like how all of the premade windowed boxes have the window large enough to see all the hard drive racks and crap. That is the ugliest part of the inside of a case IMO, and I intended to cut it just large enough to make the board visible, and hide most of those cables on the right. But I guess when the dremel was in my hand I did it a bit different :p

I'm trying to convince her to ditch the floppy (and get rid of that sickly yellow DFI floppy cable, as well as the power cable for the floppy, which is on the same line as two more molexes and one other floppy plug, waste of space...)

I'll stop in tomorrow after work and snap some pictures of the front of it I suppose.
 
i just happened across this one. it is a nice look. i've got a server in a $5 first saturday special case that i have been trying to come up with something to do. i bet black light and uv cables would not be over bright in the server rack. might give me something to do...

good work waltherone.

what motherboard is that with the yellow uv connectors on it?
 
[wizard] said:
i just happened across this one. it is a nice look. i've got a server in a $5 first saturday special case that i have been trying to come up with something to do. i bet black light and uv cables would not be over bright in the server rack. might give me something to do...

good work waltherone.

what motherboard is that with the yellow uv connectors on it?
Click to expand...

That is a DFI. Possibly the DFI Expert. But I am not sure though.
 
I'm thinking the 754 nf3 board or nf2. Socket 939 have 4 dimms. It is also agp so not nf4.

Edit:
I'm 99% sure it's a DFI LanParty UT NF3 250GB 754 board.
 
Where did you get that window trim from? I am looking for somthing super thin and clean for my HTPC mod I am working on. I dont like the big bulky trim that is nomaly used for case windows.

Also is the window glued in?

Thanks
 
Looks like a clean mod. Congrats, personally I hate case windows, but at least you showed some skill putting one in, can't deny that. Good work.
 
Been a little absent lately, thanks for the kind words guys :)

Phire1 got hit it on the head, it's a DFI LanParty UT NF3 250GB 754 board.

That rubber window molding is a wonderful invention, was doing some searching for something because I absolutely could not get a finish on the cut edge that I was happy with, and found exactly what I needed HERE
They give size dimensions on there so you can get an idea of how small the trim is, and you can follow the link at the top backwards, they've got larger moldings for if you were trimming something thick like a P180 or something, and clear moldings and the like, lots of neat cleanup stuff. The molding isn't even held on with anything, just slips on fairly tight, and the window pressed up against the back of it holds it tight. The window is just glued in with liquid nails, it was probably the most halfassed part of the project that I did. It's pretty ugly on the other side of that side panel, but you guys don't need to see that part ;)

EDIT: I'm gonna take a couple more pics tomorrow, the XP-120 is replaced with a Scythe Mine that looks pretty sweet in there, and I cleaned out those runaway UV hairs that you can see just under the board in the second pic, and wiped the dust off the damn glass finally :p

Again though, thanks for the kind words guys, was my first case mod other than adding a fan here and there, and since it was a cheap case, I did everything as cheaply as I possibly could :D
 
New pics with the Scythe Mine (which incidentally is a really really nice cooler :D) and the x800xl.

Lights on with flash making my paint still look ugly:
case2.JPG

Lights off!
case4.JPG

What it looks like for the most part in person with the lights on and machine running.
case6.JPG


Still trying to get her to get rid of that ugly pale floppy cable :D
 
Find some yellow UV paint/dye and try it on the fan or the HS itself, it will totally kick ass in the dark.

Also, did your sister really need an X800XL?
 
Haha, I just got an email from Monarch advertising their clearance video card blowout, and saw an X850XT PE in it refurbished for 140 dollars, and was very tempted :p
But to answer your question, do any of us REALLY need any of the stuff in our machines? :p

Hehe I have no intention of upgrading my machine until the DX10 cards are out probably. Hers on the other hand, I CONSTANTLY tinker with. I'd probably be more likely to water cool HER machine for my first WC project than my own even... hers has the bling factor, mine's messy but strong :D

But for what it's worth, she used to just play Sims 2 on it, now she played quake 4 for a little bit, didn't like it, and is now playing oblivion. So it does see some GPU stress pretty often.
 
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