Case modding 101, Lets get Larry running KOOL!

[Felix The Assassin]

@Larry, and others that may have an interest.

This is 'My Case' that has recently been retired. Most customs have been tested through many user groups, and most have been proven effective. Some are of my own creation, and only proven by myself. Take what you want from these ideas, and use them with great success.
This case started as a typical PC Show $29.99 special. Name? With PSU! First thing, ditch the cheap PSU and get a real good one. One that will last the duration of the amount of money you would spend buying 3-5 cheap ones. Take your oldest M/B with CPU attached, and use this and the cheap PSU for a powered bench test platform. This is good for testing fans, and other powered accessories. All of these fans are Enermax, dual voltage, and speed adjustable units. Most rail/frame cross support and support beams have had the pop rivets drilled out, and replaced with sheet metal screws. If doing this, the case must be balanced, and true, and all sections should be leveled and squared prior to final tightening. After all destruction customizing was complete, the case was cleaned, sanded, and painted with "Rust-Oleum Hammer Tone Silver". All wiring has been loomed into "Wal-Mart" automotive section wire looming. Other wiring has been routed along rails, or other wires to streamline the airflow. E-IDE cables are from PC Toys.




Side panel removed, overview of system.



Front face, 92mm filtered intake. Custom cut with hole saw, metal frame cut with hand nibbler, all edges filed and painted flat black. Collar is a Dollar Store funnel, measured and cut from the inside, mounted with epoxy, and one allen-head screw for "show".



Behind front intake fan. Custom HDD rack. Home Depot 3" angle brackets, self tapping screws securing them through bottom floor plate. Inside of bracket has drilled through "3M rubber bumpons". Facing side has one bracket, M/B side has two. (Recommend reversing this to have two on facing side, one on M/B side}.



Side filtered intake. Wire bracket for "show" helps distract from filter. Cut with hole saw, drilled, sanded, custom mounting screws with rubber grommets between fan and case.



Top unfiltered exhaust. Shroud for "show". Centered in the top by width, placed just behind optical drive in depth, closer to optical drive than the PSU. Cut with hole saw, drilled, sanded, custom mounting screws with rubber grommets between fan and case.



Mounted PSU from the inside. Fan replaced, reversed, and unguarded, draws hot air from the CPU heat-sink and pushes it into PSU. Rear PSU fan replaced and unguarded as well, pulls hot air through the PSU, and draws fresh air into PSU from the side venting and the side panel case fan. It then works as an exhaust, blowing out the rear. Both fans have been recessed and rubber grommets or gel pads placed between the fan and metal. PSU internal edges have been taped over with heavy duty rubber (not vinyl) electrical tape. (no metal to metal contact). All PSU mounting surfaces are lined with either gel, or felt. Rubber grommets at the mounting screws.

This is by all means not all inclusive, but did get me a 4th place loser, AKA honorable mention a couple years ago in a practical application case-modding contest (received a "newegg" $50 certificate). There are no lights, windows, bells, whistles (except fans on high) or anything else that IS NOT functional on this case. A smoke spray test from the front blows out more from the top and less from the rear PSU. A smoke test from the side blows more out the rear PSU, and less out the top. Canned smoke used to be available at an electrical store, or serious PC/Hobby store.


We will get you running Kool Larry. One way or another!

Peace
Felix!

Next? New case.

[Callum]

Well at the moment I'm just using a Lian Li V1000+ case without any modding. A filtered front intake fan that only blows on the hard drives, and then out the bottom of the case. The PSU fan sucks air from the bottom of the case (it's mounted on the bottom) and blows it out the back. It picks up a lot of dust that way [img]tongue.gif[/img]

There is a rear intake with a duct so all the incoming cool air is blown directly onto the processors fan, and then an outtake fan on the side above the graphics card.

Just waiting on a couple of items and then it'll be watercooled.

[Larry_OHF]

(edited three times to self-censor explicitives...)

That is pretty impressive work, I'll admit. I have nothing like that and am embarrassed to even post pics now of what I actually do have. It's not pretty like yours fer shur.

I see a lot that I can do with mine by seeing what you've done. Thanks for the tips. I'll get to work on it as soon as I start bringing in paychecks again, but after the student loans are paid off...eew...

[ 12-17-2006, 12:45 AM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Timber Loftis]

Here's my recently-built system.



And here's a blurry picture without flash -- you can see my leet $9 blue lighting system.

[Bozos of Bones]

What is that big metal thingy? A CPU Fan's turbine? Doesn't seem to be ... well connected [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Felix The Assassin]

@Larry. How goes your battle? Have not seen any more test results, or temp posts?
Update New Case added.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811147032
Here is my new case, prepped, and ready for operation. This is a Rosewill R5601-SL, heavy .08mm rolled steel, black case, silver front.

My plan for this case includes:
Silent Scythe S-flex 120mm fan upgrades.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835185004

Future plans:
If I can maintain my current load, I will finish this degree program Spring 08, and that is when I plan to revert back to winders, and build an Intel gaming rig. For that, One of these might be on tap.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835127026

Other than that, I'm pretty darn pleased with this outfit.




Front. Operational 'manual' shutters.



Pull off false cover, reveals hidden filter.



Back. Thou I don't care for rear case fans, this one is designed to use it, and the top is too thick for me to cut/mod an exhaust.




Inside, assembled, and ready for action.



Side filtered and tubed CPU inlet.



Side panel on, latched closed.

I've stepped down this 'ol Sempron to an even 1.980 Mhz (1.688), locked the FSB at 400, voltage to auto, and stepped up the memory by reducing the LAT and CAS to minimal. Which is not really stressing anything except the memory.
With just what you see, (you can't see the Vid -card fan disconnect, and passive). She's holding at *34C doing mudane tasks, rises to *42C under operational load, and climbs onto *53C when placed under extreme 3d testing.

The 92mm PSU fan is set on step 1 , and the 80mm is set on step 2, while the CPU fan is also set on step 2. This provides very low noise, except the hum form the included case 120mm fans. I plan to address those next pay day with the Scythes linked above.

Peace
Felix