Project: Black Side of the Modding

[metallo97]

Hi all, i'm posting this modding, it's the first i made so it wouldn't be so nice and please sorry for the language, i'm italian and i'm studing english at school.
So, i'm here with an ambitious project, mod an OEM case to make it cool and fresh.
I'm calling it the "Black Side of the Modding" because it will be completely black, interior and exterior, and more because i really like Pink Floyd, as you will see on the render down below.
So let's start with the project photos.

Project: Black Side of the Modding​

Here there are all the components:
CPU:Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
CPU Cooler:Schythe Katana 4
MoBo: Biostar TPower I45
RAM:Corsair Dominator DDR2 2x1GB
VGA:Sapphire 5850 1GB
HDD:2x Western Digital's SATA HDD
PSU:LC-Power 6650GP3 V2.3

Here are the first photos:

This is the front, it looks terrible for me! I have some ideas, firstly i thought to fiberglass all the front and then cut it to make space for a 120mm fan. Then i realised that it would have been to time consuming and for a beginner it won't became a good job. So i left with this idea. Then i thinked more and i have made a render on Google's SketchUp and here it is:

I like very much this idea. Then some my friends told me that i could have reversed the I/O panel, making it a reversed ATX. So they lend me a render and here is it:

In the future i may be going with watercooling but firstly im going with air, so i need to make a good airflow because the 5850 Sapphire blows all the air in the case. So in the front i will make holes for 2 120mm fan and another two on the top.

I'm also going to make a window on the panel, i want it big an clear, but i prefer it smoked, like the front one which is going to cover the fan controller i will made and the fans which will be behind.

This is actually the internal...

I have taken off the 3.5" bays and the hard drive will be on the 5.25" bays so i will have more space for cable management and air flow.

There are some photos of the naked case:

(The measure system is metric, so in the front i have to cut one of the 5.25" bays to make space for the other 120mm fan...)

And these are the photos with the reversed atx layout:

Any thoughts?

 

[Feronix]

If it's actually going to end up anything like these renders it should be a good build log! I'm interested...

 

[metallo97]

Yup, for the exterior i'm going to follow the first one, for the interior i'm following the mashup. That's because when i design something then that it will be

 

[Feronix]

Yup, for the exterior i'm going to follow the first one, for the interior i'm following the mashup. That's because when i design something then that it will be

The case seems a tad smaller on the inside than on your sketches though. I'm assuming you measured everything and got the proportions right?

Should be good! I'll be following this.

 

[metallo97]

More or less because SketchUp has a 0.5cm error so it couldn't be so perfect. I'm planning to build it on AutoCAD so maybe i'll just draw the front part as perfect as i could and then lend the file to a CNC printer to make perfect holes on the front

 

[SeekaX]

that will be one heck of a project mate, those are some terrible conditions you picked. it will pretty much be a new case. i am curious to see how you will make the PSU in the top look good. i'd probably end the window just on top of the mainboard.

 

[Feronix]

that will be one heck of a project mate, those are some terrible conditions you picked. it will pretty much be a new case. i am curious to see how you will make the PSU in the top look good. i'd probably end the window just on top of the mainboard.

I liked the reverse-ATX idea. Will need to get some case-feet though, as otherwise the PSU will starve if you mount it fan-down.

 

[metallo97]

I know it will be tought! That's how i roll!
I only have to buy a dremel and then i start cutting something...

 

[alpenwasser]

Now this looks like there will be some proper modding, I'm down with that.

 

[SeekaX]

I liked the reverse-ATX idea. Will need to get some case-feet though, as otherwise the PSU will starve if you mount it fan-down.

well it's not really reverse-atx, it's just moved down. reverse-atx would be what alpenwasser is doing, just with the difference that the SR2 is an HPTX board
but i do agree, it's nice to see something else but the old ATX stuff, some rotation or moving is refreshing.

 

[Conchubair]

Looks like a sweet plan. Ill stick around no problem.

One question though. This sketchup thing, is the mobo a standard shape or did you draw it up yourself?

 

[metallo97]

No no, it will be reversed ATX in fact, if you see, the mobo tray it's reversed...

Looks like a sweet plan. Ill stick around no problem.

One question though. This sketchup thing, is the mobo a standard shape or did you draw it up yourself?

Simply downloaded a model from a sketchup website http://scc.jezmckean.com/

 

[Conchubair]

simply downloaded a model from a sketchup website http://scc.jezmckean.com/

ohh, thats cool. i need to have a play with this stuff sometime

 

[metallo97]

Guys, i thought that it would have been difficult to made an entire new front by hand, so i drew my idea into AutoCAD and then i'm going to take to a CNC cutter and cut it from sheet alluminium.

 

[Feronix]

Looks good! Make it brushed alu please!

 

[metallo97]

I'll see what the shop has!

 

[metallo97]

Uuupppp

Finally i bought the "dremel" and started cutting some of the panel. Used 3 discs for nearly 20cm... Crappy ones, i might have to buy some genuine Dremel's discs...

 

[metallo97]

Little update

Riveted the case the right way, now the mod is starting to look good

 

[Dedwoods42]

Those renders... In the words on Mr. Takei, OH MY!
Big Pink Floyd fan, really looking forward to this coming together.

 

[Wraith]

Looking good fella. I must say though while dremels are great for tiding up and trimming stuff, jigsaws are my preferred weapon of choice for large panel cutting.

Sub'd to see how you do with this.