Alright people to help I'm coming in to talk about mods for a case.

QUICK EDIT: If anyone knows where to get Aluminum case badges please say so. I found plenty of the 3d domes but there cheap and crappy (directron). Need the good stuff.

I'll be getting the Cooler Master ATC-111C-BXJ Tower someday this week and I want some ideas on mods. ALSO add the places where the components can be bought so I dont waste days looking.

Somethings Im considering for now (going to be on air cooling only for now) are:

LCD Tv (Pick a place it should be)
Blue Illuminated Bulgin Vandal Switchs (turn lights on and off)
Black Side Window
EL Glow Wire
etc

Anyways the point of this post is to hear ideas and make them come to life. Get some people on the forums talking and things I guess.

Remember one thing I need this case to present itself as a professional useage computer as well. Some things I see look like xmas trees and thats what Im looking to avoid.

The machine guts will consist of the following:
Intel P4 3.2C w/800FSB
2GB Corsair XMS 3500-DDR Cas-2
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256/meg (maybe hercules so suggest whats best)
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 platinum eX
Klipsch DD-5.1 Speakers
Logitech elite duo w/mx700
2x200GB Maxtor DiamondMax 9 SATA Raided drives (suggest better if you can BUT i need atleast 250GB of drive C space)
Pioneer A05 DVD-RW
Pioneer DVD-Rom 16x
Matrix Orbital Display (blue)
Enermax 550 watt blue casing power supply

ALSO recommend AIR COOLING SUPPLIES!!!!! Im not going to vapor yet with this machine yet. That will come at a later date when I can get the r404 coolent for my vapochills CPU, Motherboard, Video Card, Memory, Hard Drive, etc. Recommend it all. EVERYONE is welcome to post ideas

Want to make suggestions on the gear? NP but remember my orders for components are taking place on monday, tuesday, and wednesday (because ill get my case on tuesday and mod it up then order the parts that way im not going to be tempted by skipping the case modding).

One more thing! YES this machine will be here just bought a new G5 Powermac which I want to compare to the new pc Im going to build.

[Q00]

i think a nice paint job really does the trick.....maybe paint the internals or something along that lines....a good color coded system really works for me...

air cooling...i think the thermalright sinks just cant be beat.....u might wanna get the slk900u

Originally posted by ExoMac
Alright people to help I'm coming in to talk about mods for a case.

Hello.

I'll tell you my opinion, one thing at the time.

I'll be getting the Cooler Master ATC-111C-BXJ Tower someday this week and I want some ideas on mods. ALSO add the places where the components can be bought so I dont waste days looking.

Are you sure about the case? I'd recommend to change it if you want a good case and to mod it.

Somethings Im considering for now (going to be on air cooling only for now) are:

LCD Tv (Pick a place it should be)
Blue Illuminated Bulgin Vandal Switchs (turn lights on and off)
Black Side Window
EL Glow Wire
etc

Just take everything that has to do with lighting of 1 same color, else you'll make it a fairpark.

Anyways the point of this post is to hear ideas and make them come to life. Get some people on the forums talking and things I guess.

Remember one thing I need this case to present itself as a professional useage computer as well. Some things I see look like xmas trees and thats what Im looking to avoid.

I'd say that you can get a cold cathode, or glowwire and put it under the case, if that's glowwire all around the edges under it. It'll look like floating. I like that sometimes. Also, you could get stealth CD/DVD bays to hide them completely.

The machine guts will consist of the following:
Intel P4 3.2C w/800FSB
2GB Corsair XMS 3500-DDR Cas-2
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256/meg (maybe hercules so suggest whats best)
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 platinum eX
Klipsch DD-5.1 Speakers
Logitech elite duo w/mx700
2x200GB Maxtor DiamondMax 9 SATA Raided drives (suggest better if you can BUT i need atleast 250GB of drive C space)
Pioneer A05 DVD-RW
Pioneer DVD-Rom 16x
Matrix Orbital Display (blue)
Enermax 550 watt blue casing power supply

Since I know how crazy you are....

If you are going to vmod the motherboard to give 3v+ on the memory, get Geil Golden dragon, 1gb of it. It needs a lot of voltage, but with a lot of voltage it flies.

If you are going to vmod the Vcard, get the Hercules, it has a little better capacitors and will handle more.

For HDD, get the Seagate SATA drives, the Maxtor RMA rate of these is stellar.

For a DVD-R, get the Plextor, I just find it better.

For a PSU, get a PcPowerAndCooling since you are so crazy, or an Antec Truecontrol. Not that the Enermax is bad at all.

ALSO recommend AIR COOLING SUPPLIES!!!!! Im not going to vapor yet with this machine yet. That will come at a later date when I can get the r404 coolent for my vapochills CPU, Motherboard, Video Card, Memory, Hard Drive, etc. Recommend it all. EVERYONE is welcome to post ideas

Air cooling for you? Crazy.

Anyway..I'll try.

CPU : SLK-900 with a 92mm Tornado fan, or a 70mm TMD fan if you don't want noise.

Motherboard : A Tt tiger does the job, a small heatsink on the SB, small heatsink on the frequency control chip and some little heatsinks all over the mosfets.

Memory : They have heatspreaders you know, Geil memory doesn't need cooling.

Hard Drive : Uh, just get those in front of the intake fans, they can't get overclocked!

Originally posted by Q00
i think a nice paint job really does the trick.....maybe paint the internals or something along that lines....a good color coded system really works for me...

air cooling...i think the thermalright sinks just cant be beat.....u might wanna get the slk900u

can't do paint work on an aluminum case very easily -- it has a tendency to come off very easily (chip, peal and crack) unless you use some hella nasty industrial primer.

your other options with aluminum are anodizing or powder coating and one new one --
new option: case wrap - a vinyl wrap to change the look of the case -
review here:
http://www.overclockercafe.com/Revie...isc/Case_Wrap/
I have seen some of the case wraps that look better than airbrush jobs that cost 10x as much - check this months Maximum PC - one of the winners of the patriotic case mod contest is the d00d that started Case Wrap...his case looks very very good.
http://www.casewraps.com/
^has a pic of the PC that was the winner -- US Flag case
check out the optical illusion effect over the window - the flag pattern is printed on a mesh material for the window so you can still see inside the case but the pattern continues over the window -- sw33t
case cooler carries some of them:
http://www.casecooler.com/caartcawr.html
review of special ops case wrap here:
http://www.technoyard.com/hardware/m...ap/page_1.html

as far as the side windows go, you can get just about any color or thickness that you want from US Plastics and cut your own.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/cat...+Shapes&Page=1

US Plastics has just about anything plastic or acrylic, etc.

If you want one that you don't have to cut yourself, that will end up black, you can buy any of the standard windows and then pick up the window tint at AutoZone and add the tint. No AutoZone? check the yellow pages for window tinting - a pro shop would probably do one side window for very little $$. Most pro shops can do mirror tint, black tint, etc.

check the following for window kits (wide range of options here):
http://www.zxmods.com/cgi-bin/cp-app...ref=WindowKits

http://www.pcmods.com/details.asp?ProdID=464
if you use the clear molding, you can insert EL Wire in the back of it and get a glowing frame for your window.
full pcmods window kit selection here:
http://www.pcmods.com/list.asp?CtgID=92

blue illuminated switches:
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/ele-70.html

lighting options:
cathode fans:
http://www.pcmods.com/list.asp?DepID=6&CtgID=116
EL Tape:
http://www.pcmods.com/list.asp?DepID=6&CtgID=93

more in a bit -- gotta run to the hardware store before they close.

Crazy? Naw

Just want ideas. I also hate almost every computer case on the market excluding Aseteks, andONE coolermaster case. Other then that I think they all suck.I like the blue lighting straight out on a baclk computer case. I dont mind adding things but the case wraps would take the professional away. The people that I do work for like seeing my plain black. Put a applique on and guess what? Basically said they didnt want to work for someone that put stickers on see through windows lol. Dont ask.

what about a carbon fiber look?
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/skn-04.html

back to lighting -
cathodes - sunbeam cathodes are nice:
http://www.casecooler.com/sun12blucolc.html

you can use blue lazer LEDs to highlight certain parts of the case:
http://www.crazypc.com/Merchant2/mer...ct_Code=PC8460

wire sleeving is always a good addition:
http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/fro...nu_search.html

I'm only mention it because the Coolermaster cases have 2 large drawbacks. First, they are quite thin. Not much room for good airflow. The Lian-Li are 3-4cm wider. Also the aluminum they use is extremely good and light, however VERY soft and very prone to damage. It's no good for modding, not at all!

lian li cases also have a profound depth advantage -- at least the 70 series cases do.

you could always go with the Hummer H2 of aluminum cases -
http://mountainmods.com/cgi-bin/display.pl

2.0 aluminum throughout....now that is heavy duty.

I dispise the Lian-Li cases. I think there to plain and ugly. No originality just a case. Nothing to make it stand out.

Going for a professional look period, but have the case all tricked out. Also have it stuck with gear thats somewhat rare for most.

if you are set on the coolermaster, they make some very nice gear to go with their cases -

their aluminum keyboard is pimp.
http://www.coolermasterusa.com/Product.aspx?ID=44
video review:
http://www.3dgameman.com/vr/coolerma...eo_review.html

so are some of their newly released 5 1/4 devices -
check here:
http://www.systemcooling.com/modules...rticle&sid=842
they have those in black aluminum as well.
http://www.coolermaster.com/ad/musketeer.html

the aerogate II is interesting:
http://www.coolermaster.com/ad/aerogate.html

as is the cooldrive 3 and 4:
http://www.coolermasterusa.com/Product.aspx?ID=46
^that pic does not do the cooldrive 3 justice - it looks a lot better with the blue LEDs lit up...

http://www.coolermaster.com/ad/cooldrive4.html

other interesting ways to fill up bays:
digital doc 5 revison -- now has blue LED lighting and port access up front:
http://www.cooltechnica.com/Merchant...tegory_Code=TM

enermax 3.5 bay filler:
http://www.cooltechnica.com/Merchant...tegory_Code=TM
also with blue lighting

5.25 version of the enermax:
http://www.cooltechnica.com/Merchant...tegory_Code=TM

vantec easy swap HDD rack:
http://www.case-mod.com/store/produc...roducts_id=531

pc geiger -- I have considered one of these on more than one occasion:
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2...egory_Code=LCD
^gives you remote CMOS reset switch, monitors bus frequency, Port 80H, BIOS self-diagnostic information, etc.

nice ram cooling:
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2...tegory_Code=OC
^not much of a market for those now since almost any of the OC memory already comes wrapped in heatspreaders.

an LCD added in the right spot is always a good mod:
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2...egory_Code=LCD

bios savior - never hurts to have backup:
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2...gory_Code=Bios

since you said you were going with aircooling:
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2...tegory_Code=OC

the glowing keyboard option:
http://www.plycon.com/kybd/eluminxblk.htm

some thick video card cooling?
http://www.plycon.com/chipset/tt_giant2.htm
http://www.ocsystem.com/ocati90vidca.html

kicked up north bridge cooling:
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/minochcokit.html

just the chipsinks:
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/michcokit.html

round cable options:
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/rounatcab.html
http://www.pcmods.com/list.asp?CtgID=122

good to have before modding or a game of CS:
http://www.pcmods.com/details.asp?ProdID=801

Originally posted by ExoMac
I dispise the Lian-Li cases. I think there to plain and ugly. No originality just a case. Nothing to make it stand out.

Going for a professional look period, but have the case all tricked out. Also have it stuck with gear thats somewhat rare for most.

Well, I find them elegant and serious, that appeals to us ladies.:p

You could check on Casetek or Chieftek Aluminum cases, Enermax cases as well. If you insist on the ATC case, your choise, however I do insist that it won't serve you well.

I see

Considering I could get the case redone in thicker metal at anytime I please. Liams are to plain. They look like old server cases. At work we had a customer claim they were the best so the company boight 6 and ran them over with a nice BIG truck >=D we took a big loss but we loved the feeling.

I would go without the glow wire, I've heard it can lose its glowiness quite fast...

I've said this before, but I really like a combination i saw of a top window and a blowhole with a transparent fan and fan grill, it really looked stunning. I've been trying to find the pic but I can't.