PC Modding

Joseph Carter9 · 2007-03-14T01:13:23+00:00

Hey, Look, I’ve always had a massive appreciation for a clean build—properly painted chassis, killer lighting, all that good stuff. I was thinking we should st…

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1041 · Mar 31, 2009

I’m thinking about setting this image up using only shades of blue

Or perhaps I'll just go with this one as a full-page background—given my last name is Wolf, it feels somewhat poetically appropriate, don't you think?

It is certainly going to be an uphill battle, much like trying to climb a steep hill in the Rockies, but I truly believe the end result will justify the sheer amount of effort involved. 😉

Karen Reed21 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Nov 2009

#1042 · Mar 31, 2009

You’ll be cursing every saint in the heavens by the time you finally finish crafting a template for that. 😁

Casey Gray3 Member

16 messages
joined Apr 2009

#1043 · Mar 31, 2009

@Anthony Scott93🙂 give me a break...😁
i think i did a pretty decent job cleaning mine up myself...😁😁
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=jza55g&s=5

Michael Smith19 Newcomer

5 messages
joined Apr 2009

#1044 · Mar 31, 2009

Casey Gray3 said:@strider🙂 man, have some decency😁
I fixed my setup up just fine myself😁😁
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=jza55g&s=5

So, what happened to your P5PL2?

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1045 · Apr 1, 2009

Anthony Scott93 said:You’ll be losing your mind trying to design a template for something like that 😁

I hear you, but when I commit to a project, I go all in—it's an all-or-nothing type of deal for me.
I’m planning to build just one single panel from scratch by shaping a fresh sheet of material. I’ll probably just mount three or four blue fans and some blue LEDs, and honestly, that’s the extent of it; once I have the hardware configuration sorted, I'm set.😁
And roughly $1667 ...👍

The case itself is going to cost me a pretty penny
Between the spray paint being about $17, the three fans costing around $100, and the sheer amount of stress involved... well, let's just say the mental toll is priceless.

slyheron13 Member

40 messages
joined Jan 2008

#1046 · Apr 1, 2009

Sean Clark2 said:Look, when I commit to a project, I go all in. It's all or nothing with me.
I'm just gonna build one single panel out of a new sheet I'll shape myself. I'll throw on 3 or 4 blue fans and some blue lights, and that’s basically it—once I figure out the config, I'm done.😁
And about $1667 ...👍

This case is gonna cost me a fortune.
The spray paint is easily around $17, three fans will run me about 100, and the sheer willpower? Priceless.

If you've got the drive, you'll definitely pull it off. Just listen to what Matesonic said: use a utility knife to cut it. Whatever you do, don't touch a hammer or tin snips.

Btw, does anyone know how to make PC Modding lights pulse to the beat of music? (Specifically, I just want them hitting on the bass). I saw on YouTube that it's possible, but I can't find any actual diagrams or guides.🤣 All I can find are VU-meter circuits, but I doubt the chips used in those are powerful enough to drive LED strips. I think there was a thread about this on this forum before, but I can't track it down.👍

Joseph Carter9 NewcomerOP

6 messages
joined Oct 2007

#1047 · Apr 1, 2009

slyheron13 said:If you actually have the willpower, you'll get it done. Like Matesonic told you, just use a utility knife to cut it—stay far away from hammers or tin snips.

By the way, does anyone know how to sync PC Modding lights to music? Specifically, I just want them to pulse to the bass. I’ve seen people doing it on YouTube, but I can't find any actual diagrams or schematics online.🤣 All I can find are VU-meter circuits, but I suspect the chips used in those are too weak to drive LED strips properly. I feel like there was a thread about this on this forum before, but I can't track it down.👍

A buddy of mine (the guy with the taller tower case) has a setup where he spent maybe ten bucks on a little module with a built-in mic. You just set it wherever you want, and the lights react to whatever sound is nearby...

slyheron13 Member

40 messages
joined Jan 2008

#1048 · Apr 2, 2009

Joseph Carter9 said:A buddy of mine (the guy with that tall PC modding setup) has one of those things built right into his case. It’s like a ten-dollar little mic module inside, so wherever you move it, the lights react accordingly...

Yeah, I saw what you wrote.

But would it be possible to trigger it through the PC's audio jack? That way you could actually control the lighting more precisely.

Joseph Carter9 NewcomerOP

6 messages
joined Oct 2007

#1049 · Apr 2, 2009

slyheron13 said:I saw what you wrote there.

Would it be possible to run this through the PC audio output? That way, the triggering would be more precise.

It's plenty precise enough 😉...
And honestly, I think it’s doable—just a little bit of cable splicing to merge that mic line with the speaker output...

Rachel Fox4 Member

12 messages
joined Apr 2009

#1050 · Apr 2, 2009

slyheron13 said:I noticed you posted about this.

Would it be feasible to trigger this via the PC audio output instead? That might allow for much more precise timing during activation.

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1051 · Apr 2, 2009

Well, I am officially kicking off this project! Just a quick heads-up though—I have decided to scrap the idea of shaping the side panels, haha...

Here is my current inventory:

Name: THERMALTAKE Thunderblade A1908 Case Cooler, 80mm, 21 dB, Red$20 X2 for the front and back

SHARKON CS fan grill$12

As for the red spray paint, I honestly can't remember the exact brand, but don't you worry—I am not cutting any corners here. I’ll be dropping at least $50$33 plus another $50$33 on white paint just to make sure the final photo looks professional.

Now, my next challenge is hunting down a specific button, something similar to this:http://www.duettomotors.com/miata/im...tartbutton.jpg
If you know what I mean...😉

Once that is settled, I plan to add some rubber feet to the bottom base.

I am also seriously considering adding a handle to the top to make it easier to carry around, though finding one that actually looks good might prove to be quite a tall order.

Rachel Fox4 Member

12 messages
joined Apr 2009

#1052 · Apr 3, 2009

Sean Clark2 said:So, I'm finally kicking off this project! Just a heads-up though—I've decided to skip the whole page-shaping part, haha...

Here is my current inventory:

Name: THERMALTAK Thunderblade A1908 Case Cooler, 80 mm, 21 dB, red $20 X2 for the front and rear

SHARKON fangrill, CS $12

Red spray paint—honestly, I can't remember the brand—but don't worry, I won't be cutting corners. I'll spend about $50$33 on red and maybe another $50$33 on white just to get the photo looking right.

Now, I really need to track down a button similar to this: http://www.duettomotors.com/miata/im...tartbutton.jpg
If you know what I mean.😉

I am also planning to add some feet to the bottom section.

I'm also considering adding a handle at the top for easier carrying, though finding one that actually looks good might be a challenge.

😁😁

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1053 · Apr 3, 2009

I just don't have the cash to drop right now, though I might be able to scrounge up some spare parts from an old car sitting in the garage or something similar

Thanks for the help regardless! I actually picked up some paint today, so now I just need to swing by the store for some new coolers before I can finally tackle this workload

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1054 · Apr 4, 2009

To be perfectly honest, since this is my very first time tackling a build like this, I find myself in a bit of a state of uncertainty regarding exactly what components are essential and which might be superfluous.

Here is the link to the specifications for the motherboard I intend to use as a temporary solution until I can invest in a newer model.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.as...=K8Upgrade-NF3

My primary question is this: will I be able to successfully connect two of these specific coolers directly to the board, or am I going to require some sort of extension or splitter to make it work?

Samsung 980 Pro Case Fan, 80 mm, 21 dB, red

Samsung 980 Pro Case Fan, 80 mm, 21 dB, red 2000 rpm / 10% 4-pin power connector Samsung 980 Pro Case Fan, 80 mm, 21 dB, red 2000 rpm / 10% 4-pin power connector

?
Thank you all in advance for your assistance.

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1055 · Apr 4, 2009

Alright, I’ve finally finalized my entire shopping list:

http://www.bestbuy.com/product...products_id/798 I'm having a bit of a moment of doubt here—is it really worth dropping this much cash on a single component?
http://www.bestbuy.com/product...products_id/898 I'll be grabbing two of these.
http://www.bestbuy.com/product...products_id/65 Two units of this one, too.

That covers the essentials. I've already picked up the supplies:
dual-tone color scheme
-plastic primer
-platinum red
-Aerosol art white

I'm still hunting for the right power button, though.

Now, all that's left is to head down to Best Buy and actually get to work...

I'll be sure to post some photos once the project is complete!

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1056 · Apr 5, 2009

What are your thoughts on this setup?

I’ve really made a mess of things with these spray cans lately. Honestly, I am officially done with spray paint; I don't think I'll ever touch it again. It’s incredibly frustrating when the nozzle just misfires and blasts a massive, ugly blotch right where you didn't want it. It’s like trying to paint with a fire hose instead of a brush.

Brenda Sanders56 Active Member

130 messages
joined Aug 2012

#1057 · Apr 5, 2009

Alright, so I finally picked up a CM HAF (after passing on that black 😍 case), but before I start moving my components over, I really want to spray the interior matte black. I’m a little nervous about messing things up, though—should I just go with a standard hardware store spray paint for metal, or is there something better I should be using?

Casey Gray3 Member

16 messages
joined Apr 2009

#1058 · Apr 7, 2009

way to go, Sean Clark2!!!!

Sean Clark2 Member

18 messages
joined Aug 2010

#1059 · Apr 7, 2009

Thanks, I finally got the keyboard sorted today. On Thursday, I’m heading out to pick up two more coolers. I plan on painting the front fascia, setting up the feet, and then that should be the whole kit and caboodle. I’m aiming to have everything wrapped up by Saturday, though I can't say for certain—I'm currently out in the yard working on the garden fencing, so I'm essentially juggling two major projects at once 😉

I intend to mount one of the coolers right on the front panel where there's space (as you can see in the photo), except I'll drill it through so it's visible from the front view

Rachel Fox4 Member

12 messages
joined Apr 2009

#1060 · Apr 7, 2009

Kevin Nelson said:So, I picked up a CM HAF (instead of the Heben case 😍), but I want to spray the interior black before I move my components over. I'm a little nervous about messing things up—should I just use a standard spray paint for metal, or is there something else I should be using?

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

PC Modding

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