Mods for Antec DF-85

[Josh]

Hello as the title states i would like to mod my Antec DF-85 as i am unhappy with it at the moment. A few obstacles i face is cost, i am not rich so the cheaper the better although i will be getting paid however i would rather spend this on components then a new case etc. Also experience, or lack there of. I have built the PC so i am not useless and am sure i would be capable with some tools or even power tools if required. Basically i am asking if anyone out there has any experience modding this case or a similar case and any simple tips/tricks to make my case stand out.

P.S. I like my red and black color scheme which is pretty much the only reason i grabbed this case on sale.

P.P.S. I live in New Zealand so some materials/equipment may not be readily available here and i have already noticed PC components are certainly not as cheap as in the states or Europe

 

[tinytomlogan]

Might want to start with posting some pictures of your rig andtell us what tools youve got tbh.

Need to at least give us some help.

 

[AgentHydra]

What exactly do you not like about it?

I would probably get rid of that cluttered window and replace with one clean piece, but if you don't already have a rotary tool that could be cost prohibitive.

Otherwise a full cable management job is always a good idea, throw in some Bitfenix red monosleeved extensions if you can find them. Personally I would put some better looking red LED fans like CM Sickleflows. See if you can find some red anodized 6/32" thumbscrews and use them for the PSU, PCI slot covers, etc. Or just paint the PCI slot covers red.

 

[Josh]

Well i have all general tools and can probabily invest in tools as they would be an investment as i feel as this is what i want to do as a hobby, mod pc cases. As for my case there is a photo of it on my profile, it is just s stock antec df-85 and i have a black and red them. As for what i dont like about it, well it seems kind of cheap and tacky and i would not recomend to anyone else. I just want to make it more individual and stand out. AgentHydra i like the idea of finding some better fans as these ones are meh. What do you mean as psu/pci covers? thanks for the replys

 

[AgentHydra]

Well i have all general tools and can probabily invest in tools as they would be an investment as i feel as this is what i want to do as a hobby, mod pc cases. As for my case there is a photo of it on my profile, it is just s stock antec df-85 and i have a black and red them. As for what i dont like about it, well it seems kind of cheap and tacky and i would not recomend to anyone else. I just want to make it more individual and stand out. AgentHydra i like the idea of finding some better fans as these ones are meh. What do you mean as psu/pci covers? thanks for the replys

Well I hate to say this but modding probably won't make it any less cheap or tacky feeling. Sounds like you want a new case. Something like a HAF 912 would be great, lots more modding potential but a very solid case out of the box and fairly inexpensive as well. In fact you could probably get a HAF 912 for not much more than the cost of replacing the fans in the DF-85. If you want a good case that you can get in to modding with a 912 would be a better option IMO.

PCI slot cover. You can paint them to add contrast inside your case.

 

[Josh]

OK i like the idea with the PCI covers that will be an excellent cheap modification that will add some colour. I do not however wish to purchase a new case and therefore have taken some pictures of my specific "bug bears" with the case.


1: At the top of this picture there are supposed to be 3 of the flaps but one broke in transport and it has never looked right to me. I am unsure what to do and taking them all of looks weird because the pole they attach to is still running down the side.


2: This was more a thought than something wrong with the case. Could i make a shroud or some sort of modification to house this lower part of the pc as i hate seeing all the bad cable managment coming out of the psu. If so any tips on how to do it?


3: This empty space just annoys me and im not sure what to do with it. i am looking into getting the cooler master v6 gt cpu heatsink as it will go with my theme however there will still be all that empty space at the top which i can see from my seat at my desk and it just seems like wasted space. Maybe make a shroud up here too?


4: fourth and finally this space. the empty space next to the window, i am unsure what to do with this. paint a symbol? paint the whole side panel? how would i go about doing either of these and which would look best. I would proabily feel safer using some sort of stencil as it will be my first time painting a computer case however i am unsure of a good symbol or decal to go on the side.

Oh yeah anyone got any cool red/black pc names? i have only had this pc built for a short time and havent thought of a cool name yet.

Thanks Josh
Edit: think i fixed it? images working???

 

[tinytomlogan]

image links were broken so I have removed.

Please edit the above post with working images.

 

[Josh]

image links were broken so I have removed.

Please edit the above post with working images.

thanks man edited and fixed silly me copied wrong links :L

 

[tinytomlogan]

NP dude thank you

 

[jamesriley94]

Maybe remove the bar on the window panel, and just make it one big window.

Also, can we have a picture of the full side of the case, side panel off? Easier to gve ideas if we can see the full picture.

Tbh though, I'd start by sorting your cabling out, getting rid of the stock cooler and just generally making it look neat.

 

[Spiderz]

You mention the pole running down the side where the bay covers are; why not remove the extra 2 and trim the pole down so that is level with the top of the 120mm fans? Would clean up the front a bit I'd have thought.

Disconnect all the cabling and redoing it to make it tidy could help the looks more than modding a whole lot, same with the dust filters. Hiding everything you don't need or want on show would be a good place to start.
As a further mod, like jamesriley84 above me says, make a new side window without the mounts on it.

 

[SEBAR]

Modding is not somthing you can do cheap. You will have to spend a lot of time and money to get the job done. There are only a few things that you can do with little money. Even just repainting the case can get expensive. This case has so much potential, it is a great case for modding and has a ton of room inside if you want to water cool the system. I would start with a large side panel window. Use your imagination and see what you can come up with. That front panel is begging to be modded.

 

[Hooded]

That case looks large enough to do pretty much what ever in.

But as already stated.
First, clean up your cabling.
Second, definately redo side window.
Third, would need to do something with front bezel. Personally I like them plain so I'd scrap that one and redsign a new one from scratch.

 

[Josh]

Also, can we have a picture of the full side of the case, side panel off? Easier to gve ideas if we can see the full picture.

here are some pics of the inside without side panel and just the side panel. Yes i know im due for a dust clean and spruce up.

Inside of case

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Side window


I think i will take everyones advice and clean out my cable managment next time i clean my pc (next shutdown). I like the idea of getting rid of the bar in the side window however i was thinking i could get a tinted window? anyone have any experiance with tinted windows and what colours look the best? Still unsure about the front so more ideas are welcome.

Thank you guys so much this is my first forum experience and you have all been so helpful and kind to a dumby like me

Thanks again Josh

 

[dugdiamond]

those cables need sorting out mate - they look awful, and let the beauty of the rig down badly.

 

[jamesriley94]

Yeah, put a few hours aside first to sort out every cable.

Even down to the fans at the top, spin them round (not so they're sucking in) but so all the cables com out of the same corner. Then bunch them together so it comes down in one line, rather than the hundreds of different ones like you have now.

Mod idea - maybe cut some more holes for cabling?

Pull all the PSU cables tight through the cable management hole at the bottom, so everything is hidden behind the motherboard tray.

Definitely get a new cooler - maybe even an H100 or something so it can cover things at the top?

Maybe think about getting a new case though? Antec is only a stones throw away from Thermaltacky.

Also, try and route all the front IO and usb connectors down the back of the motherboard tray so you can't see any wires from them at all.

 

[Deejeta]

Cant really make pig sh*t into strawberry jam.
Buy a new case. Not worth your time and money modding these. - Tools, parts etc. Plus always a chance something will go wrong and you'll be left with a broken case. Sell it and buy something else like a Bitfenix Shinobi (cheaper than the mod process and light years ahead of a DF85)

There are some half decent pc outlets in NZ
http://www.ascent.co.nz/category.aspx?majorcatID=9
and PB Tech.

Your fan filters on the front are full of dust btw and bird's nest cabling is a no no in any build.

 

[| raVen |]

Yeahhhhhhhhhh those cables deffffffoooooo neeed some fixing!
Sorry mate no offense, but that just look terrible...
Instead of modding just get some case with better cable management, I personally don't like antec cases, and this case that you are using doesn't make your life with cables much easier, but that is just my opinion.

 

[Josh]

That better for all you haters? Haha just kidding, from spending the time to improve the cable management i realised how bad it was to begin with. I must have rushed it in my joy of having my components arrive about a year ago. On another note i want to turn the top optical drive bays into a backlit image of bad-assery then have a longer image of bad-assery down the side panel. just not sure what image to use? and yes i am planing a new cpu cooler as my next upgrade apart from the mods

 

[jamesriley94]

Looks a lot better - but the anti-static cable attached to the case needs to burn. For one, I've never shorted out a component or anything from static, and two, connect your PSU to the mains, flick the switch off and it's all earthed anyway.

Do you really need an optical drive?

It does look a lot better though, well done!