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PC Modding

Started by Joseph Carter9 · · 👁 104 views · 1.4K replies

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Participants Joseph Carter9Linda Davis2gentlelynx9hollowgull5John Palmer4Amy Brooks8Bryan Sanchez86neonhawk53Aaron Grant6Harold Perez31Douglas Cook9rowdytrucker27Brian Kim3Bryan Kern6Mark Gonzalez2placidcanyon2redmasonnortherncrane33quietcrane65Roger Miller8Benjamin Lee5Joshua Allen10Raymond Hernandez14Anthony Brown12 …
Raymond Hernandez14 Raymond Hernandez14 Active Member
108 messages
joined Mar 2007
#921 ·
Well, I suppose you don't really belong over at the PC Modding forums if all you care about is what's happening under the hood 😁 haha, just kidding—for me, both aesthetics and internals are equally vital!

Anyway, this case is waiting for a little custom bodywork in a few days. A buddy of mine specializes in that kind of thing, so I should be getting a pretty sweet deal on it, free of charge :rolf:
Rachel Fox4 Rachel Fox4 Member
12 messages
joined Apr 2009
#922 ·
Raymond Hernandez14 said:I decided to try some PC Modding on my case, so here is what I've come up with:

1.image
2.image

And what exactly did you change? 🙂
slyheron13 slyheron13 Member
40 messages
joined Jan 2008
#923 ·
Raymond Hernandez14 said:So I did a little update on my case, check it out:

1.image
2.image

How do you even call this a build? Cables are flying everywhere, the fan is sticking out of the case, the DVD drive is hanging out, and that neon light is practically blinding you while you're trying to use the computer!

What kind of "update" is this??
Rachel Fox4 Rachel Fox4 Member
12 messages
joined Apr 2009
#924 ·
slyheron13 said:How can you call that neat? You've got cables sticking out everywhere, a fan hanging out of the case, the DVD drive is protruding, and that neon glow is practically blinding you while you're trying to work at the computer!

Nothing is sticking out here.😉

The faceplate has been removed.☕

Edit: I just remembered that previously your tower was leaning against the power supply.
I see you have rotated the chassis and installed two fans.
It would actually be best if you placed one between the towers.
Anthony Myers5 Anthony Myers5 Newcomer
5 messages
joined Oct 2009
#925 ·
Could someone recommend a decent case from Ve-mil under $200 that actually looks good while maintaining solid airflow? I was leaning towards this one—what do you guys think?

http://www.ve-mil.com/description.aspx?product...&Code=7770019
Raymond Hernandez14 Raymond Hernandez14 Active Member
108 messages
joined Mar 2007
#926 ·
slyheron13 said:How can you possibly justify such a chaotic setup? It is nothing short of a disaster. You have cables snaking out in every direction like unmanaged wiring in an old basement, a cooling fan protruding awkwardly from the chassis, and even the optical drive sits half-exposed. To make matters worse, that neon lighting is practically blinding; it’s enough to give anyone a headache while they're trying to focus on their work at the desk.

What exactly did you do to the case?

Honestly, you should be grateful to even have access to something like this. It isn't some high-end studio setup; it’s just a standard smartphone camera, for heaven's sake—I don't have anything better to work with at the moment. The cables are more or less all hooked up properly, so there really is no reason for you to keep complaining unless you're simply looking for someone to blame.
Once I have completed further iterations of the body paint work, only then will the matter be truly settled.

Edward Peterson70 said:Nothing seems to be working quite right. 😉

The mask has been removed. ☕

Correction: I just recalled that you previously had the tower resting directly on top of the power supply.
I see you’ve flipped the orientation and installed two fans.
It would be far more prudent to maintain a gap of at least one unit between the towers.

To be perfectly honest, Edward Peterson70 isn't exactly a miracle worker here; the temperature difference when positioned between the towers is a mere 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius. While that might seem negligible, the current setup is perfectly adequate, especially since I have full control over the exhaust settings. Given that I’ve paired every single intake fan with a corresponding exhaust fan, this configuration serves both the CPU's needs and my own preferences quite effectively. 😁!

I am attaching an image here to illustrate the temperature readings recorded above.
slyheron13 slyheron13 Member
40 messages
joined Jan 2008
#927 ·
Anthony Myers5 said:Can someone recommend a decent case? $200 Ve-mil says this looks great and cools well, but I don't know about that. What do you guys think?

Check out this link for the specs on that unit: http://www.ve-mil.com/product-details.aspx?id=7770019

Just pick whatever case you want since you clearly have your own taste! Honestly, it doesn't matter—all of them have enough airflow to keep things cool.
Rachel Fox4 Rachel Fox4 Member
12 messages
joined Apr 2009
#928 ·
I was brainstorming ways to improve my mouse glide while I wait for my PTFE tape to arrive.
Since I'm using a hard plastic mousepad, there wasn't much risk in experimenting a bit.
My first attempt involved using a plastic cleaner spray, something similar to this.
Unfortunately, that just degreased the surface and actually made the glide worse 😢
.After that, I tried using some wood polish and stumbled upon a winning combination.
I applied a light coating to the pad

and then buffed it out with a soft cloth.
THE MOUSE IS FLYING!!! 😁

The surface is incredibly slick, yet it doesn't feel greasy at all.
To my surprise, my hands don't even smell like polish afterward 😍
.In my opinion, this is a much cheaper and more effective solution than using RAPTOR GLIDE sprays designed to enhance mouse glide.
It is definitely worth a try if you have the supplies on hand.
slyheron13 slyheron13 Member
40 messages
joined Jan 2008
#929 ·
Edward Peterson70 said:I was trying to figure out how to improve my mouse glide while I wait for some PTFE tape to arrive.
Since I'm using a hard plastic pad, there wasn't much risk in experimenting.
First, I tried using a plastic cleaner spray, something similar to this.
That spray just degreased the surface and actually made the glide worse.😢
Then I tried using some wood polish and stumbled onto a winning combo.
I sprayed the pad

and buffed it out with a soft cloth.
THE MOUSE IS FLYING!!! 😁

The pad is slick but doesn't feel greasy.
To my surprise, my hands don't even smell like polish afterward.😍
It's a cheaper and, in my opinion, better solution than RAPTOR GLIDE spray meant to boost mouse glide on pads.
Definitely give it a shot if you can.

Smart move!👍👍🙏🙏
Rachel Fox4 Rachel Fox4 Member
12 messages
joined Apr 2009
#930 ·
Exactly what I'm saying. It feels like such a waste to throw money away when you can get the exact same thing for a much better price. Honestly, I didn't even need to buy one because I already have 😁
at home.
Joseph Carter9 Joseph Carter9 NewcomerOP
6 messages
joined Oct 2007
#931 ·
Anthony Myers5 said:Can someone recommend a decent Ve-mil case under $200 that actually looks good and has solid cooling performance? I need something...

Just grab something basic for $66, then spend those extra $134 on high-quality components to build something truly custom. For $134, you could pick up three 12cm fans, some neon lighting, a potentiometer (nothing too pricey, obviously), and some plexiglass... suddenly, you've got a one-of-a-kind rig.
To me, it feels like a complete waste of $200 to pay for a pre-built setup that anyone else can just go out and buy themselves.
placidcanyon2 placidcanyon2 Member
11 messages
joined Mar 2010
#932 ·
Joseph Carter9 said:Just grab some basic stuff for $66, maybe spend a few $134 bucks properly to build something custom. For $134, you could just pick up three 12cm fans, some neon strips, a potentiometer (nothing too pricey, obviously), some plexiglass... boom, you've got a one-of-a-kind rig.
To me, it feels pretty pointless to drop $200 on something pre-made that anyone can just go out and buy.

True, but if you start with some cheap junk case that rattles the second a disc gets within a yard of it—and basically buckles if you even look at it wrong because the metal is only 0.5mm thick—you aren't starting with a good foundation for any kind of PC Modding. For like 300-$117, you can already find a solid base to work with (like a Cooler Master tank or something similar) and still have plenty of cash left over for the actual mods.

@Anthony Myers5/">@@Anthony Myers5: I'm with you on that suggestion, just go ahead and buy 🙂
Terry Wilson3 Terry Wilson3 Member
42 messages
joined Jun 2009
#933 ·
I used a grinder to trim down some 2mm sheet metal—it turned out pretty decent! Though, I have to admit, you definitely need to follow up with a hand file afterward if you want everything to look polished and smooth
placidcanyon2 placidcanyon2 Member
11 messages
joined Mar 2010
#934 ·
Terry Wilson3 said:I used a grinder on some 2mm sheet metal and it turned out alright, though you definitely gotta hit it with a file afterward to get that shine.

Yeah, that's actual decent metal to work with... unlike that 0.5mm paper-thin stuff they sell everywhere now.
redmason redmason Newcomer
9 messages
joined Apr 2007
#935 ·
Raymond Hernandez14 said:So, I went ahead and did some minor updates to my case, check it out:

1.image
2.image

Looks very nice 👍 ...here are some shots of mine... nothing crazy in terms of PC Modding, but still...:
image image image image image image image
Joseph Carter9 Joseph Carter9 NewcomerOP
6 messages
joined Oct 2007
#936 ·
redmason said:really nice 👍 ...here are some shots of mine ...not much PC Modding going on, but still..

It looks great from the outside, especially that "grab and go" handle 👍. The case itself is solid enough, but...
The interior isn't anything to write home about—mostly just stock components and way too much cable clutter...

Still, there's potential here.. 😛
slyheron13 slyheron13 Member
40 messages
joined Jan 2008
#937 ·
redmason said:super nice 👍 ...here are some pics of mine... nothing crazy in terms of PC Modding, but there you go..:

ungsa hit the nail on the head! those neon lights look great, and the case is solid! if you actually want this to look good, put in some damn effort and fix those cables! hide some behind the motherboard tray and tuck the extras under the side panel! also, you really ought to slap another fan in the back. I see you have the mounting spot for it, but it’s just sitting there empty!
redmason redmason Newcomer
9 messages
joined Apr 2007
#938 ·
Joseph Carter9 said:It looks great from the outside, especially that "grab and go" tray 👍. A case is a case, and this one is fine, but...
The interior isn't anything special either—mostly just standard stock parts, way too many messy cables...

But looking ahead, it has potential.. 😛

😍😉 thanks 😍 ...I installed the tray yesterday ...really handy little thing for cable management... picked it up via Best Buy for $10, but since my power supply isn't modular, I've got nowhere to hide the excess cabling... I'm totally stuck on what else to add inside, hit me with some suggestions. I was thinking about something like this... or maybe I should just blow all my cash on the Willis Tower, which would actually be a lot more useful (hey marcel, show us your Blue Eyes White Dragon and let us know what you think... I really dig how the temperature displays on it)
slyheron13 slyheron13 Member
40 messages
joined Jan 2008
#939 ·
redmason said:😍😉 thanks 😍 ...I installed my rack yesterday ...it's a pretty slick setup for cable management... bought it via the link for $10, but since the PSU isn't modular, I've got nowhere to hide the extra cables... I'm totally out of ideas for what else to throw in there, give me some suggestions, I was thinking about something like this... http://www.amazon.com/description/item/014360

I've got a non-modular PSU too, so I just dealt with it! It could have looked better, but hey, it is what it is!

As for that potentiometer, you don't actually need it. From what I can see, you only have two fans (not counting the PSU fan), which shouldn't be making much noise anyway (definitely staying under 30 to 35 dB). Honestly, it feels like you just want those potentiometers because they look cool in the case, not because you're worried about the noise!
😁

Here are my photos 🤣🤣:
image image image image

Basically, both me and redmason want you to tell us what else we should upgrade or fix on our cases!

PS: redmason, why don't you just grab an LCD instead of using a CRT? If I'm seeing that correctly, you're still rocking a CRT!
slyheron13 slyheron13 Member
40 messages
joined Jan 2008
#940 ·
Here's another one since the site wouldn't let me add it to my original post:
image🤣🤣

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