Project N0NAME

[dgrmkrp]

hello... this is my first real mod... had tweeked before, learnt a lot about cooling and stuff...
read , read, read and read... did a lot of scenarios and tried to get aesthetics and "performance" in 3ds. now, i'm ready to do what i did on virtual paper. i have the raw materials: aluminum sheets, mesh, filters, electronic doodads, a bit of acrylic... and other things i have no use rught now for :) basicaly, i'll be posting pix tomorrow of what i have and what i've done.

today, i cut a few holes in the plastic front panel, did some sanding and exactoknife trimmimg... and did a first coat of red glossy paint. i have to wait for it to dry completely to sand it some more... and more coats to come.

i'll also work on the mesh model for the intake. also, i'll "virtually" work on the electronic part of my rig, so as not only fans(first idea), but lights (except the ccfl) draw power from one place... one nifty lil place if everything works out...

why am i doing this? (i know, nobody asks... but i have a voice...probablly my mom... that asks each an every time) because i wanna learn how to solder, cut metal and maybe work with car body filler, for a more serious mod... so, i need xp :D

hope somebody will be watchin me and tell me if i do something wrong... :)

[dgrmkrp]

...so, this is the pic gallery :)

before...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/02_02.jpg

actually, this is after i did some modding before i joined tbcs forums... i did a couple of cuts, holes in the plastic... fidgeted a lil with pots and resistors.. had just one custom made fan hole... and that was made with force, no cutting tools... further covered by a nice round mesh.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/01_01.jpg
But now, after i read a whole week and was astouned by the quality and creativity of the mods done here... well... i always had ideas, never had guts(enough guts, that is... :) )

sooo.... here is what i've done now...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/P09-01-05_16.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/75b7d5ea.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/86b884b5.jpg(the green shade is defenetly from the camera, lg 3g phone...the only cam i got.. around.. at all :( )

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/17015bb3.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ace6b291.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a9a1585a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e80e0f2c.jpg

oh..not to forget... some other thingies from the ol' days:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/P09-02-05_11.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c1566cc3.jpg
(painted with red paint, not with red tape...although i could say it looks like that... :)) )

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/8f64d52e.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/8718faf8.jpg

Now, for the modding i am doin'

these are some raw materials... plus the x-files heatsink which could cool a 2000W mosfet, maybe for PA amps.. ?!?!?.. i don know..i'd like to incorporate this in the mod, have no idea.. open to suggestions..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/0a94b5f9.jpg
the piece on the righ is already cut to fit my case and will be the base for the fan&light control panel.

i'm using the smaller mesh for the front intake and for the drive covers... the smallest one, donated by a pair of speakers, the model i've been using for a few months now, acts as a dust-bunny cacther... i like black, not dull gray... so i need bigger holes and an internal filter.. which i'll do too... i have some copper mesh, very very fine... no pics of it, as it looks like the thing you use on windows/doors to make mosquitos lifes miserable..oh yeah.. but this is made of copper (expensive!) and is finer. of course, all the things i have now are free, got by my dad.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/90922dd2.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/74f0ab09.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/03f58ad0.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/eda372ec.jpg

and now, the painting ritual...

oh, here i have some questions for more experienced painters... how crappy is this gonna be without primer? i'm now going on the 3rd coat to get a flatter shinier surface... i'm doing baby steps right now...

unfortunatelly, for me, i have only 1 red paint can left... so the only color of choice is... red
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/P09-01-05_15.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/bd0390ff.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ccd7cdc4.jpg

..and now, a test to see if things look better than white :) (i painted the buttons black..they were deep blue, but plastic deep blue..bleah.. black is so much better)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e9df22ab.jpg

i think it looks good, althoug the paint has a stranger color in this pics.. its absolutely red in real life, no pinks, no weird lighting.. i can almost see myself after the 2nd coat... pictured above... i'm waitin for the paint to get harder so to sand some things...

on another side, the window awaits! for now, i must draw somethin nice to be cut in the side panel, but also practical: more viewing/etching area, but scres must stil clamp into something :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/bf02cbeb.jpg

the inside area will, of course, be cut away... but i needed this paper model so i could transfer the shape of the cut on the metal panel, which i do use right now :) i'm thinking of doing the window in 3 layers: black lexan on the outside(must find some first...maybe then i'll scrape other ideas off my mod-list), the 3mm hand-etched acrylic with lots of holes (the only window i have) and a filter inside, covering the entire panel (for EMI shielding?!...neah, ligh effects :D ), maybe from copper wire mesh or from hex-mesh, painted black...

don't know yet...

[dgrmkrp]

weekend pause... but i did get a few things done.. mainly, i'm making progress with the design of the control panel (this is how i'll call it now... funny... i have a few ideas to trully make it a control panel.. hihi), the electrical part and the parts i'll be choosing. i'm still not sure wheter to use RCA or phone connectors... it's more about what i find in shops.. i want cromed ones, but if they are to expensive or...aren't... well, i'll make do without..

hmm... the duct for the V12 is going strong! i have a use for the aluminum sheets... plus, with a frosted plexi cover... cool... i hope...

and! if i have it, why not use it? i'm going for RAM heatspreders too. the thick aluminum will be perfect either for mirror polishing or cutting some fins in it... i can basically make a 1mm thick base and have 1.5 mm fins... not as big as i want 'em, but... if i buy more ram, they'll fit in the slots...

the red paint.... well, kinda went bad... i don't like it for two reasons: 1) it's red 2) it's too thick and the can is empty... but i got a bit of xpirience...1

still, i have a design pic for the circuitry.. this is beta1..think i'll call it longhor.. neah :))

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/622d346c.jpg

[Aero]

...looks...pink...nice job though I like to window to be. I have alway been a fan of "out of the usual" windows.

[dgrmkrp]

thanks aero... heck, about the red... i hate it. although, in real life it's red like a ferarri... i hate it... doesn't go that well with blue lights... and! i don't like red... maybe i'll keep for 2 or 3 days, but as soon as i get black paint! it's gonna be black and blue.

the window.. hmm... i used that full-size model to sketch the locations of the fan hole, lower vent and the access cut for the switches (which i should be able to push at all times. no lans here, so no pb with "intruders"). plus, i've got more room for flames and transparency...

and now, some pics... these are a cry for help. i'm not sure whether this is worthy of my aluminum piece... i like it, it's highly functional... but it needs something... i'm not sure what..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4e1840e3.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ce102731.jpg

[dgrmkrp]

...and this is the schematic for the new fan and light controller: :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/8f709004.jpg

[tudop]

It looks interesting, but your diagram is confusing me. maybe you shoud try using some CAD software or Corel Draw. To be clear the schematic must be drawn with straight lines and straight angles ... so we can folow the circuit :p

[dgrmkrp]

..i'm back.. i had a few problems with my rig, cause i broke the power button... but i didn't know that of course and i was this close to buy another psu... then i saw that the wire connecting to the button was terribly flexible..hmm.. pb solved.. still, while i was deprived of my pc, i made a new aluminum panel for replacing the old one. this is much better than cutting the old, cause as we all know, factory panels have weird guides on the bach whish shouldn't be cut. so, the new window/panel will be probably have some hinges, will be sturdier and will have another type of cut, but very similar to the later. and luck seems to have struck me. there is a car factory nearby using a plasma cutter... so... :D maybe, just maybe... i actually did give them the design this morning and hopefully, in a few days... for free... i'll have a new panel.

tudop, you're right. this is not very clear. i'll make a new drawing, using max, but beware(to myself).. it won't be less complicated. it requires multiple layers, so...

[dgrmkrp]

soo... new schematics, hope they are better.. for the sake of my time and your minds, leds are not included in the schm... basicly, they are wired in parallel with the final conector, with a resistor in series with them. leds only apply for fans... no need for leds to show led activity.. :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/900e4607.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5c11f44c.jpg

[dgrmkrp]

... got more aluminum sheets cut to size... i figured out that 2.5mm al is too thick for my case right now... and i have no tools powerfull enough to make the cutting "efortless"... too bad... it feels so nice, especially when polished with 600grit and water... so i got 1mm plates. i will replace the front 120mm mounting board i made from acrylic. it will hopefully prove to be better at fixing the fan, cause this is more elaborate. and i have a piece of al made just for the cpu duct. i have to wait until monday for some drilling machines and a table... heck i forgat how it's called.. :)) .. the thing you clamp stuff with.. :))

i also hope to have more time with the camera phone... cause i "finished" painting the front cover.. black and red... it has been wet-sanded to a flat red look... cause i paint really bad... or maybe the can is to blame! :))

oooh... question for those who use meshing.. how do you get large mesh screens to stay in place... without screws or similar? basically, mesh+plastic?

[dgrmkrp]

... i'm growing very impatient... so i'm gonna start doing the 120mm fan shroud/mount so that i'll have a "standard" module to install in any future case i may want..

also, i've "tested" the new aluminum sheet and found out it's cutable with a big pair of scisors.. so i experimented and made a small "skirt" to better aid air flow for an old speeze raptor cooler i had a long time ago. i'm kinda happy..like all people are when they don't f*** up sthg :D

[dgrmkrp]

... today i bought a heater core. it's big.. not your average single 120, yet not a double 120. i'm thinking of a shroud and two 120mm in push-pull, running silent but steady. also, i stripped an old atx case i had to get the back plate and the drive mounts out. i'll need those to make aluminum replacements... yes, that will be the second mod... after i finish with this case, i'll do a fully custom one. just waiting for tools... and ideas... and parts...

the heater core is 190x160x50mm, not counting the pipes and turns. it's a louvered-fin design, copper and brass... a bit heavy, 3 pounds+ ... cost me 3 bucks... :D it's dirty, it smells weird (noxious) and it's copperish in color... sooo... it needs refurbishing. but it works perfectly... next! need a pump.

[dgrmkrp]

...another text update... i hope i'll get a cam soon... i bought aluminum rivets for the duct. i made it from one piece of 1mm aluminum sheet, bended and cut in shape, but it needs extra strength... so, rivets! these babies cost me less than 35 cents from an auto shop and i got 40 of them... they are the kind you don't need a rivetgun to work with... that's good, 'cause i don't have one (yet)... darn, i hate not posting pics...

[dgrmkrp]

hello to all of you

i got a cam phone... bad quality, but it suits the job... don't need 5mp for progress pics, do i?!

aaaanyways... i moved in a dorm, i'm college material and every night is fun fun! ... i spent some time without my pc... cause basically i couldn't carry my pc, screen, pheripherals and amp and speakers... two whole weeks with a non-modded pc...

so, because some shipping was involved, a few plastic bits broke off from the amp... and the mouse got a make-over.. some nasty scratches... bleah.. so i redesigned it :)

here are some pics :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4f9b4e4e.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e9a3e1b5.jpg

(roght now i'm srinkin some coooold beer.. something i never did at home... 100 miles away :D )

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a50c450a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/da9de0aa.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/682d809f.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ac87d263.jpg

..some side effect really got my attention.. i was going for flames.. but silverish flames.. but i kinda scoured to much and got to the translucid plastic.. so my flames glow!!!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2d8345fa.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1895d184.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4c5a7156.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5d6950ad.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3f9c5c0e.jpg

..the mouse isn't cleaned with nail-polish remover yet.. cause it's home or a few hundred feet away.. and i'm lazy now :)

more to come soon... i have some cash and i'm thinking of upgrading :)

[dgrmkrp]

happy day :) got an upgrade... considering that now i'm a student on budget, i got a very very cheap one.. an epox EP-8RDA3I, nforce2 ultra 400... works really nice.. i'm looking for something to get me money for another stick of ram (aiming for the oh so common today gig of ram)... and thinking to buy another case.. for more tweaking.. with more potential! this case is already f**ked up..so... i'll update later :)

[dgrmkrp]

time for a massive update.. as u all know, it's winter here in the northern hemishpere... sooo, what crazy thoughts went to my head just an hour ago??? YES! Super cooling... wouldn't it mbe nice to have a below 30 degrees centigrade in a room with 26-28? well, i almost have.. i bought an aluminum flexible pipe, mounted it on the cooler and voila... almost done.. still have to drill a hole in the back for the duct and make a hole through my window..and maybe add a fan at the outside? don't know.. suggestions are welcomed :) pics coming in a few minutes :) super cooling rocks.. and it cost me 5 bucks!!! :D

[dgrmkrp]

And here are some pics.. as usual pls excuse the poor quality.. camera phone.. all i have.. so, on to the pics :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4b086948.jpg

burnt lil' mf*er... cooler just popped.. while i was putting more ram in :) i wont repeat that... soon..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9611f3d7.jpg

..this is the ol' mobo.. kt266.. now staying on top of my bed.. nailed to the wall..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5d7be776.jpg

this is how it use to look.. when it worked..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Picture31.jpg

..this is how it still looks.. outside...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7f79cb9d.jpg

..this is air cooling! extreme!.. but i'll go even more extreme...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/cac71602.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c33cc00a.jpg

..and of course.. the temperatures...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d182047e.jpg

..normal..right?.. still going down...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3a434eff.jpg

..going lower..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2d906680.jpg

... and this with a 10 feet long tube...

[dgrmkrp]

this is so cool... i mean the weather.. it's almost mid day.. and its below 0... unfortunatellly, if i do open the window now, my legs will start to freeze.. in the room i am in now there are about (under) 30 degrees... i'm still curious.. the cpu is an amd xp 1700+, but because of the nice board i have it's now a 1900+, without modyfing the FSB.. or the voltage.. just the multiplier.. and even without the cool air from the outside, the temp is now 40 degrees centigrade, at full ussage... about 17 lower then before the duct... of course, last night i reached a very nice temp of 24 ambient and 28 cpu...
if there are any hazards i am making myself vulnarable to, pls tell me.. i'd rather find out without paying... :)

[dgrmkrp]

... as bored as i am from not going to school (i slept late... way too late.. i love dorm rooms...), i took more screenshots.. it's pretty amazing what u can do with a piece of aluminum foil.. wow... this beats water cooling ('till i find that water condenses inside,of course.. i'm still waiting.. maybe it will just freeze.. :p)

..and now.. more pics..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b67cb946.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/fc250f05.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/98f33d57.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/bd376269.jpg

[FoRmEd]

Try giving it more power and should get a high over clock...

I have a AMD 64 3700+ San Diego...
Stock Speed: 2.2ghz
Stabile OC: 2.87ghz
Suicide OC: 2.91ghz

And that is on air...

When I plug my WC setup to it, I plan on hitting 3.0ghz and higher...

[dgrmkrp]

cool.. but unfortunatelly, if i modify the fsb.. up.. even with 10mhz, win xp crashes.. and my psu is taking its last breaths.. i think.. i really must get a new one and make a new circuit design for all the consumers i'm feeding now... i will try something really soon.. a big one.. the temps outside are going down, so maybe i'll reach 0 soon... that's like a phase cooling system... well, i'm not sure how high i can go without damage so i'm taking baby steps.. if anyone can tell me if there is sthg wrong, pls tell me :) really... tell me..

why does win crash?, for instance.. i can modify the agp/pci frequency, but cant modify the dividers for the memory, although i know it can be done on this board too...

[FoRmEd]

When Windows crashes, it means that you have an ubstable overclock...

From looking at your CPU Z screenies, it looks like all you need to do is
give it more power...

Meaning give it more Vcore in the Bios...

EDIT:

It looks like your +12v Rail can take it!

[Rankenphile]

How about this baby? It ought to give you all the power you'd EVER need.

1KW psu (http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=1495&redirect=yes)

[dgrmkrp]

nice psu.. and i thought the 850ssi was the best... still, bet its verrrrry expensive.. i am planning to buy a new psu, but this... maybe i could win one :) lol... 10ks formed, i'll try.. now i'm having pb with the hdd molex.. i think i need to change it.. but i have none left.. :) improvise i must! with oc, babysteps all the way.. i just don't want to change the bios settings when i blow it.. very lazy also i am :) but i may need it ...

[dgrmkrp]

ok...i did try a lil more clocking... i got this very stable right now :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c32d76ab.jpg

..but, and help is neede, if i bump the multiplier to 13... (vs 12,5x135), the fsb jumps to 100 and i get..well...math sucks... so, i'm gonna try in the morning.. to play with the jumpers on the board.. cause the bios says sthg and the bios says diferent.. :) good night people.. it's 1:35 here..at night.. so.. good night

[dgrmkrp]

i bought a small ram heatsink (2 actually)... they are made of aluminum and are very cheap. like a buck a piece.. the store from where i bought 'em ran out, but i'm waitin for some more cause i have some ideas.. need 2 more for my ram, 1 for the mosfets..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/25de9ac0.jpg

..i also bought a keyboard and i wanna mod it... pics later..

[wingman358]

It looks awfully messy in there, and is that ductape I see? =/ If you're going to be using tape, at least use electrical tape.

[dgrmkrp]

:) yes..it is duct tape.. it is electrical.. it is messy.. Sooooo, this is my project for now... i want to rewire all the fans and the controler... i still have no funds for this undertaking (i want to use something.. different :) ) and everything is messy becasue it is a work in progress ;)... it will be sorted :)

[dgrmkrp]

..regarding the wire management... i am a do it yourself guy..so.. i bought these :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/bb562462.jpg
100% copper in sillicone, for heavy duty speaker cabinets (25 ft)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/86ad48d1.jpg
...6 pieces of 3.5mm jacks..with some cool added sleeves :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c6e9dedc.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e54ba8b8.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/525fd1ab.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/422cb1c2.jpg

..i'm still planning everything... better not screw up anything, plus.. i use this pc for music.. more to come soon

[dgrmkrp]

btw, how can i start a new page for this thread, for the sake of loading times?

[dgrmkrp]

...i'm so bored i did some more shopping...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/71853164.jpg
..this is for the mobo psu connector and the p4 aux.. should hide em fairly well... 3 ft to be sure i can screw it up :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e44206b7.jpg

..and this is for the normal cables, which will bring power to the hdd, floppy and dvd.. 10ft should suffice.. :)

..i now need some heatshrink and a nice boring advanced maths course to get my mind going :)

[dgrmkrp]

well, another mod completed.. i have pics too... i replaced fan cables with the nice copperish clear speaker cable, soldered the 3,5 mm jacks, had no heatshrink unfortunatelly... ah, i learned how to solder :D and it feels do soo good.. if it weren't for my finger tips... which now have aquaired blisters :))

i also sleeved the psu with split wire loom, ditched the floopy connectors and the floppy itself.. deactivated everything 'old' on the mobo...

a hole was cut in the front by a friend during my electrical tinkering.. and now ... i have a 12cm aluminum fan blowing air inside...

i moved the harddrive cage up a notch and cut sone metal to allow more airflow...

aah...:( :( :( no pics cause i dropped my ******* hdd on the floor and now i have to buy another... it makes funny banging noises.. bet the read head is busted.. or missaligned.. if anyone knows a cheap way to get my data back, pls do tell.. but a DIY way would be perfect.. i have tons of pictures and souurce code i need back...

pics will come soon, i have cash and i will not stay too long without a hdd...

[OvRiDe]

aah...:( :( :( no pics cause i dropped my ******* hdd on the floor and now i have to buy another... it makes funny banging noises..

I remember when that was the recommended procedure for fixing Seagate drives. HAHAHA

[dgrmkrp]

i forgot..first i dropped it on my friend <heck>, then it hit the floor.. man, his back is still soar, but not as much as my wallet will be on monday :p

[dgrmkrp]

...today was monday..i bought a western digital 200 gig hdd, and it left me almost broke for the coming 3 weeks.. so, everything's peachy right now :) i'll post pics in a couple of minutes :)

[dgrmkrp]

time 4 the pics:
(still sorry for the crappy quality, but i'm on a budget..)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/78359860.jpg
this is my work area.. i live here.. everything was dismantled for the modding process..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b548f00c.jpg
this is the (old)hdd... fans showing

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e38f9eb3.jpg
this is the new nice chromy connection...and the speaker wire..clear sillicon..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a3220982.jpg
my soon-i-hope-to-replace 5200fx with my mods... and the new connection.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3c3d0e71.jpg
just a bunch of connectors, for 6 fans

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a3c672a6.jpg
my 6 channel fan controller, 1 switch and 1 3pin header for fun

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/cb2b885b.jpg
..this is the connector for the power input :) one molex 4 all...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f46852d0.jpg
this is the new fan intake.. 120mm :D vs the old 80mm

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4df609b7.jpg
and this is how it looks now (ignore the tape..it's not completed yet..painting still to come:) ) much more space for air to move...still going to stealth more things

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/12cdc515.jpg
the connectors..close-up :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a9c748a2.jpg
the front fan

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a31a4b03.jpg
the inner 120mm fan, hidden behind the bays...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/44b8ce7a.jpg
..the (new)cables after cutting them.. mmm.. looks like food

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9f5bfdfc.jpg
a nice overclock..not stable yet.. didn't increase the voltage.. i'll get to it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/8bb2dcce.jpg
..this is how it looks now(5min ago)..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/50cc3fd9.jpg
this is what annoys me.. couldn't find any heatshrink.. i used tape.. 4 box packaging.. will change it as soon as i find heatshrink(preferably white)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5d87086f.jpg
..today i bought this..it sucks, but i get very cheap.. i just need the plastic part :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/bb249b67.jpg
must fit that into this mess... the other one is not 4 my case...

more to come soon...

[Rankenphile]

So far so good. Keep it up.

And nice blanket. :p

[public_eyesore]

very nice cable management. Looking forward to what you cook up

[dgrmkrp]

ok..thank u rankenphile :).. i couldn't sleep last night.. why? because of the reason why my cpu went up to 63 degrees centigrade.. it hit me.. i couldn't sleep cause it was dang hot.. 32 degrees ambient.. my my.. that's hot.. need to redo the tube thingy, but in a more legant way.. this is only temporary.. seeing how i manage to cope with expenses this month, next year i could buy something that was more or less a dream till now.. a watercooling kit.. unfortunatelly, the only available one in my range of prices is the big water from Tt... if i do buy that one, i will defenetly add my own rad to the loop, change the hoses and the pump...eventually..till then, more tweaking.. less bucks spent.. now i got to go to college.. then i'll sleep some more.. bye

[dgrmkrp]

...no money, some left over tools... and matrerials..

So, i'm remodelling my "face"...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3219b467.jpg
..i sanded almost all the red paint and got very rugged texture to put the bondo over.. i still have to sand some parts.. but i'm not sure.. it's very uniform and it looks bondo-able over.. i'm nt sure... if i mess it up, i'll redo it.. :)

now i'll wait a few hours (it looks hard, but i have to sleep, got calsses in the morning) and then sand and add another layer of material, till i get a smooth curve instead of the broken rectangle pattern i had before..

as seen in the picture, i'm losing the front leds and the restart button.. i dont use it much, so heck with it :) and i'm thinking of filling the floppy area.. plus, i'll add 2 bay covers to the contraption.. tomorrow(friday).. after i'm happy with some shapes..

[dgrmkrp]

...second layer of bondo..everything is going ok.. mixture is just right..takes a few hours to become plastic.. but! my head hurts like hell!!! those are very strong fumes.. basicly, that's the only thing that keeps me from finishing this :)) the smell! i think i'll go outside from now on, but it's frezing cold there... dillema..

[crazybillybob]

but! my head hurts like hell!!! those are very strong fumes..


DG,

You should never use bondo inside with out a Respirator, one of the reasons your head hurts is that the fumes are killing off brain cells :eek: ONLY use it out side in a well ventilated area, and leave it out side till it's dry (the bondo out gases the whole time it's curing!) Those fumes are very, very bad for you and if you have pets they can be fatal to them (your bigger it takes more fumes to make you sick, they're little can it doesn't take much to knock them off!!:( )

Be safe read and follow the labels on all the products you use when modding!!

Crazybillybob (I maybe crazy but I'm safe and crazy!!!:D )

[dgrmkrp]

10ks Crazybillybob..
i know i'm gonna sound like a junkey, but i kinda knew about the side effects (from the forums), but because the label doesn't say anything.. well.. at least i did let it cure outside :) and no animals were harmed :)
to be on the safe side, i will add the further layers in open space.. till then, i'll just glue some stuff.. that shouldn't knock me out (although there will be beer involved hihi)

[Xato]

lol, i can see the headlines now
"Man OD's on Bondo fumes, Modding takes another life!"

[dgrmkrp]

hello there dear modders and a happy new year to all of you :)

after the wonderful holidays, i got some money... and spent it :) here are some pics that say everything :)

something to silence the V12 beast... And my cpu heating..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/af396ebb.jpg

although the base sucks... i will polish it if it is necessary..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/667b5185.jpg

bought a new hi-flow fan... it's rated at 96cfm and is silent enough...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/08560fa2.jpg

..i did wonder if all the reviews were true. these tiny copper pipes.. amazing looking.. so fragile..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/393614ad.jpg

..i did have some thinking to do when i installed the beast..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/db5609b9.jpg

it was a very tight fit.. unfortunatelly, it would have so swell if the company who made this (no ads here) would have thought of universal-universal mounting.. i mean, i cant make a wind tunnel this way... the fins should be orientated in another way, right? :( still, it works..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/69b8f576.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5772dcd3.jpg

u can see that the cables aren't routed yet.. i'm too tired now and i have an exam in the morning.. but from the last picture you can see i had to bend the pipes to fit the psu in the box.. no harm done.. it is not that fragile as it looked..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/405c38d1.jpg

...this is with 20 degrees, but with 30, as is the room temp when the window is not opened, the temp goes to 44.. that is 20 degrees less... in the worst case.. the old v12 just couldnt cope with a 30 degree ambient(room temp, not case temp)... no problem, i'm happy...

on another note, i still havent finished the front face modd.. i do know that i made some more mods and rearrengements.. and the place where the v12 contoller was will be filled with a switch and 3 controlers for the case fans...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/72de4ef5.jpg

..a typical switch, very nice... i got this as a gift from a good friend (which i'd like to thank here too) and i will install it in the CCFL circuitry.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d25fe10c.jpg

this is not a new processor, it is just the old, running as stable as a 486 with no windows installed :p... i may take it higher.. but i don't want to break anything, right?

i think i'll save watercooling for later, maybe for a really custom case.. aluminum bought and cut.. DIY from the beginning to the end.. but this way, if a fan still blows, the heatsink will work.. no moving parts, bolted to the mobo.. no danger...

IMO, this cooler is really coooool :D

[dgrmkrp]

yey... i bought an audigy 7.1... nice.. the sound is so much better.. and it will be another nice thing to show through the window (when done). plus, my amp doesnt need to work that hard for higher output levels.. which means i can go really loud :) maybe the police will come again :)

4 facelift: i need some more bondo to get the job right and i can't seem to find the time between exams.. and the money ;).. spending so much on my rig has drained my funds.. good thing to have parents around...

[dgrmkrp]

the modding contest set by TGS inspired me to modd my keyboard.. i've done some research and found lots of light modds, so i did (start) one of my own. I have a spare CCFL, blue, which i can't seem to find a spot in my case for now... so, combined with a new keyboard i bought... i got a lil modding going on, with some problems... i'm downloading the pics from my phone and uploading them now.. so..

[dgrmkrp]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/21727a7c.jpg
The light
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e42909c8.jpg
The victim
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d68cb3d4.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/21e1ec85.jpg
On the operating table(bed)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4fd01d55.jpg
The Guts
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/582a1664.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c26e4067.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7df31184.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b57f2e90.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/96143b65.jpg
Lots of nice keys... and very shine plastic.. i'm thinking whether to **** it or not :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ad94274f.jpg
Test fit, after cutting a few pieces from inside the back part...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4477054c.jpg
If opened, why not change the leds too? I like blue:)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/58a64c15.jpghttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/655071c5.jpg
I made some holes in the back part,in the exterior and exterior part, kinda like a car radiator(?)... Just toyed with the idea... I do want to use some bondo on this kb and make it an alien or monster modd...

I'm not sure, but it seems like i need to "fill" some "grooves".. that is, i want a nice glow under the bk, and around it... plus, i would like to change the
appearence completely... i like meka more than xeno, but i'm not sure this time... i'll sleep on it.. just need good inspiration, and lots of it


BTW, i'm very short on money for a few days, so no progress on shaping the front of the case or the kb... but i do think i'll try similar techniques, just for them to "match" :)

[crenn]

From what I can tell from the pictures, It looks good. I'd try to get a friend with a good camera :D

[dgrmkrp]

..like most mods, it's not done yet.. i think i'll aim my global desgin to a model i've seen in several movies, like underworld or venom.. it's blue/black rotten mutated hard-grown skin :) .. if my tries work, i'll use it :).. then, hi-res pics :)

[dgrmkrp]

... i bought some black spray cans, and the protective masks ;), not to OD on spray hihi... i also downloaded lots of pics of dragons (yeah, dragons). I'll buy some bondo and try to make my front panel better :) all in a days work, tomorrow, instead of going to a very important exam :)

[dgrmkrp]

..today i bought more bondo, some primer(finally found some) and sandpaper. Still, i'm not sure what to do next. A, i did flunk that maths exam :)

[dgrmkrp]

:D..long time, but i have some kind of progrees done: i bought a dremel! i've started developing my skills by cutting stuff from around:) and i reallt like the engraving/etching potential the tool offers :) also, i bought a new mouse (x-710, cheaper than other of its kind, but i do give it an A+) and a lil' chipset fan. I plan on modding them together with some lighting and a smallish switch (which will replace a button i don't like on the side...)

[dgrmkrp]

I'm doing some stuff now and taking pics.. i have a free weekend and i hope i can dedicate it completelly to modding my case.. i did run into a bit of badluck.. one of my cathodes died.. in pieces.. i don know if anyone else experienced this, but the darn thing broke insinde of its protective tube... :? :mad:

i'm making 2 blowholes for 2x80mm led fans or AC3 fans (forced by the case and psu to go this way, although 1x92mm could have fitted as well), 1 120mm exhaust and a hole in the psu cover.. everything will be then brushed/sanded, primed and painted metal-black... i've done 1 hole in the top, cut the psu cover, started to prime it.. now i'm doin the 120mm exhaust...
see you all later :)

[dgrmkrp]

Well.. i love paint fumes.. after 3 coats of primer, i've laid 2 of black... :) my hands are dirty as hell, i'm a bit tired of the noise (dremeling and hammering) and i feel a rush of adrenalin knowing that if the administrator finds me, i might get expelled :lol:

...

Hooray! I have 2 functional 80mm holes and the Harddrive bays is painted. So is the PSU cover.. I wanna add some mesh next.. Pics will be posted as soon as i finish :) and i intend to post them from my working PC.

[dgrmkrp]

I'm restless.. while the paint dries (not on my hands)....I did assemble my pc on the window... And i am writing on it right now :)

Back to the mod: I bondoed another layer on the front and i'm waitin for it do harden as well :) I also painted black some grills i will be using and i need to buy 2 more 80mm grills and one 120 mm grill and fan :D things are shaping up pretty well.. and the fact that i'm almost alone in the room helps :)

I went to about 6 cutting discs today and i have to buy another tomorrow :)

I also started modding some pcs in the room, while the owners are away :D A nifty lil fan on a vdo card, a side panel window on another.. practice is nice.. Ah, and i'm modding a phone!!! Paint job style :)

Pics will be up in 15mins.. i have to install the phone software...

[dgrmkrp]

for some reason, i couldn't post till now.. hmm.. 15 minutes )

so, here are the pics, although i'm still workin and i'm waitin for some parts:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/cd3480bd.jpg
case open, stuff laid on the bed

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d6f2d49f.jpg
case empty, drawing cuts

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a629ec2e.jpg
old psu...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9486bf2a.jpg
this panel is black, but it is covered in dust

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1d4d6175.jpg
PSU opened...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/42470c2e.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1ed3426b.jpg
PSU cover cut..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/60bedb42.jpg
i also cut the small vents facing the inside of the case... ugly job.. better airflow, i hope..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/485e5230.jpg
i cut the fan grill from the psu.. sorry for jerky blurry picture..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4f117229.jpg
i love this ram-sinks

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a1692f0b.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ba4cffd9.jpg
first hole cut..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/54fe09cf.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/cb6cbbe4.jpg
back exhaust fan positioned for thinkin..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/72ecebfd.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c5672408.jpg
a small cut plus a bit of hammer action.. blurry again..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/75ef9eac.jpghttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7707aa26.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/38bf8d85.jpghttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/aac116a6.jpg
test fit of a small fan..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/efdd0350.jpg

[dgrmkrp]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4f9df44b.jpghttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/60e8b88d.jpg
psu cover primed, but not on the inside.. i'm making a few economies, i need to prime the entire case..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6962205e.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/dbd61c92.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/73c537aa.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/dc3beb3f.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4acdeb45.jpg
two holes cut and a test fit.. dual fans plus grill..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6170093d.jpg
blurry.. but there is another layer of bondo...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/54d45922.jpg
and bondo spells: breathing-mask helps me, but the room...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e1dfb9cc.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/519e2a26.jpg
psu and mesh painted black..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/39f27579.jpg
i was getting bored of the metallic noises so i decided to put the pc back:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5880172c.jpghttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e772a5a9.jpg
and here it is .. workin gud

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/947b39fd.jpg
a pick of painted grills..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9a878adf.jpg
but lots of nuts and bolts stayed on my bed.. no case, no bolts

more pics as the case develops.. :D

[wingman358]

Lookin' good so far!

[ColModish]

i noticed that your bed has pinky flowers heheheheheh.....just kidding
looking good so far :D

[DaveW]

Looks good, but i was looking at your electrical circuit-is it plugged into a Molex? If so i think you might have your electrical inputs mixed up. If you're using another power source, like from the Mobo, then it's allright, but the molex provides a 12v and a 5v and 2 ground, unless i'm mistaken. Which won't cause a lot of trouble, i don't think.

If i'm wrong, please correct me-cos i need to know!

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

oh.. i'm not sure at which pic you were looking at... but i do have a home-made molex which splits current to 6 fan channels.. it uses the +12 and -12... i'll use it only till i finish my controller.. :)
But i'm using this molex-splitter and everythings works fine.. no instabilities, i'm working 24/7 with an overclocked cpu.. all fans work.. i see no pb.. (still, i think i need to make something clear, mostly because some friends of mine don't know.. after reviewing a few psu schematics it dawned on me that it really doesn't matter that much if u plug 1 or 6 things in one molex (if u don't draw more than the supported power, that is), because inside most PSUs the 12v is paralleled - split to all molexes.. so if u just use a splitter and take care of the total draw, with the right wires going to the right wires , u may connect all devices in parallel.. works for older psus best, cause they use only one 12v rail. on atx2 the draw must be limited to the safe 15A... well, guess i'm just rambling :) )

i'm not sure if i've answered your question... did i?

and my bed does have flowers.. my mother gave me those sheets.. :| but they are not pink... they are orange with red...err.. and pink... well, i've never really noticed this before...

[dgrmkrp]

a bit more progress has been achieved..
i've built the exhaust part.. it needs a lil more shaping.. and i need more bondo :) unfortunatelly, it's a wonderful night outside and i think i have to go out :D "nature calls" :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5bf07bfb.jpg
exhaust hole cut, very baaaad

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/87c7d95c.jpg
but it does work well for a fan ouside the box..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c7f59d62.jpg
idea! build a small enlosure-like thingy for the fan... so that the destroyed metal can't be seen.. so i taped the fan..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/321a6b8a.jpg
(inside PC) i bondoed around and marked what area i must remove :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/45cf5e5d.jpg
(outside PC) bondoed around the fan and filled the nasty holes...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/32c0cd33.jpg
a bit rugged but there is room for improvement... i left it on purpose.. :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1846b2db.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ed97d222.jpg
the psu cover is almost done.. i have to wet sand it before a final black layer...

[dgrmkrp]

more work on the exhaust.. before i can primer the case, i have to make the plastic structure i made perfect(or at least better)...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5bff96d0.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/72aad1d6.jpg
the hole is round, but not circle-like, so some special attention is put here...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7e5ee84b.jpg
slowly i'm builind a round rim around the edge of the cut.. the cd makes it round :) and piece by piece, gram by gram .. the shape is shaping :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5f56d08c.jpg
this is a pic of my working pc :) lots of 10ks go to a friend with a camera (so good that you can see the dust on the HS :) :P )

[Aero]

lookin good. however I would recommend getting a beter respirator, and using bondo outside. Bondo not only smells, but can cause brain damage as well, best not to take any chances.

[dgrmkrp]

:) 10ks.. i know that.. and all i can do is open the door and windows.. Q: what kind of respirator should i get? (This one was very cheap and came by the dozen.. but i did notice some odour passing tru, although when i did take the mask of..maaan was there a cloud of fumes :D so it works well protecting my higher brain functions :) )

[dgrmkrp]

well... almost done with this stage of modding.. (my case will never be finished). I have more pics too, plus something "funny" relsted to painting...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d1732d82.jpg
started primering the case
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3bc34b7d.jpg
a layer after...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3bc34b7d.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/bc211d2e.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d39089bd.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c9df1221.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/47163b6a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/05a96f55.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/519f470e.jpg
..no comment, just 3 layers later :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f74afb01.jpg
..this is where i painted.. no more fumes :)

[dgrmkrp]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/bcdd243e.jpg
completed psu cover, just needed a coat of clear...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4f95d8cb.jpg
case after black painting... can died on me at 90% of the case done.. arrrg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3ac8a851.jpg
funny reflections anyway..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5a05fe28.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/615ac2a7.jpg
...i could call it done, but neah.. i'll buy more paint.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/90a6d592.jpg
case covered with clear... but wait, theres more!

[dgrmkrp]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/08b1fd75.jpg
wonderfull thing happened!!!
F*** sh**, the paint reacted with the clear coat.. and i bought all paints from the same manufacturer!!! AAAAA! still, the clear doesnt reactwith the primer and it looks so good on bare metal.. shiny!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f408af8e.jpg
test fit.. black grills and black paint :D

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/94a24810.jpg
...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/49675435.jpg
..i got a lil pissed...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e983e8da.jpg
u can see the psu getting closer...

[dgrmkrp]

... yess, i burnt it..i got a funny texture to it.. the paint would peel off in a new fashion, i never saw before.. and it was very flammable.. i set it on fire to "accelerate" the decaying process.. no problem: i'll sand and paint.. again :|

i forgot, i bought 2x80mm blue led fans, i'll buy 2 more cause they are pretty nice:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/81090bd1.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3a6adfa3.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4d870294.jpg
as can be seen, i did the "test drive" before painting...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2d1c6c36.jpg
i also made this dremel-attachement :D it makes a lot of wind... i used it to dry the case after degreasing :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e7a43130.jpg
but, i had to take this pic.. my finger hurts like hell and i had to play basketball today... and my first instinct was to find my phone and take this pic instead of getting a band-aid : ) )

pic is blurry, but considering the wound was made at near max speed, i got 2 cuts about half an inch long.. and i was dirty... now i'll have lil' pets growing in my finger :( aanyways, modding is a pleasurable activity :D

after classes today, i hope i'll finish the paint job of the case.. front panel has to wait.. i'm running out of money and i'll probably have to borrow some to get home :)

Question: I have an old agp mobo, no money to upgrade to an amd64 (which i prefer over the competition), so i was looking at different video cards.. i have a trusty but old fx5200/128b/128MB... and i'm looking either at a Asus 6600(agp, lower freq, no gt.. budget concious) or a Saphire(500/800ddr2 i think) or Daytona x1600pro(450core and 256MB DDR3@1000)... price is very important, but so is performance.. any suggestions?.. i have to buy a psu first (thermaltake it is, 420 - 470w range, depending on what i can find), so only in 2 months can i buy the video card... till then much can change.. but still i want some more info.. the agp x1000s dont have much info on the net.. no reviews or personal opinions.. help pls...

[wingman358]

Are you seriously applying ALL of the paint in one session? If you are, theres no doubt that your paint is going to "react". You need to let the paint sit for hours, DAYS even, in between each coat. The more time you give the paint, the better. For a good, thorough painting guide: http://www.mnpctech.com/case-mod-paint-computer-pc-case-mod-how-to.html

and marquee's paint guide: http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showpost.php?p=17109&postcount=24

[dgrmkrp]

oh no, it took 2 days to paint the case... and the psu was painted in 4 days... and i read the guide.. again.. and i bought duplicolor paint... everything went smooth, but the clear coat... :(

[wingman358]

Did you do the sanding correctly? I think the best advice anyone can give is to just be patient.

[dgrmkrp]

well.. now i've learned my lesson.. although sooo much time between coats is a bit annoying, considering that my pc does work.. i might just as well wait.. still,hy did the paint from dulpicolor react with the clear coat from duplicolor?! even after 2 days of drying... the psu got a face lift last night.. i dremeled a 120mm hole in the center.. and sanded it silverish.. i'll sand some more and then clear coat it :) there is nooo way i'll mess it up now :) i hope. And i will buy a new psu eventually(after a month or two), so i think i'll try a silver psu in a black case... i'm at a class right now and i don't want to get trown out .. so, cheers! :)

[onelegout]

It looks to me like you painted several thin layers of clearcoat and as clearcoat takes a long time to dry due to it being higher gloss and stickier than paint, the first layers hadn't had time to dry completely before the layers were put ontop of them. This caused the top layers to crack when the bottom layers dried and contracted. It's a pretty common problem. I dont expect it reacted with the paint though, although duplicolour is an aweful paint haha.
Peace
H

[dgrmkrp]

you are right! i did paint like normal paint.. thin layers, wait to dry completelly (so i'd like to think)... well, some say duplicolor is good... i don't know.. the paint was very nice, so was the primer... the clear did something simillar 2 what u said, but i'm positive of the ill-reaction because the paint peeled off completely where i put clear, and the primer stayed there.. it turned to a lizard skin.. 4 some momments, i even wantd to keep the weird texture and paint more clear to harden it.. but neah.. where the reaction did't take place, the black stayed steady and was hard to sand away... but next time, i'll wait more [much more] between clear layers.. again, 10ks.

[onelegout]

thats bizarre that the paint peeled! maybe though, this was also due to the paint contracting on top of it? Clear coat is always a little sketchy. Sometimes it turns white, sometimes it turns blue, sometimes it pools like oil on water! I stay away from the stuff myself, I ruined a lot of my stencil graff artwork by clearcoating it, so Im not realy a fan of it! :P

[dgrmkrp]

onelegout: guess i'll do too.. until i get more skilled.. and learn more about chemicals and paints.. someday i wanna buy an air-brush-thingy with the works and learn the art...

still! i will clear coat my psu, after completing the close-to-mirror/brushed finish..
i have some pics.. funny ones :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e9740793.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/06ebb075.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6a05b29a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e0cfbda9.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/757ecc36.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1012c7bd.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e920349d.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6764f991.jpg
..this is a friend, using my dremel.. to make nice things to wear with his keys :D one of the many uses of a cutting disc...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9d609aba.jpg
..and back to my psu.. as can be seen, i cut the 120mm hole, but i don't really intend putting a fan there.. maybe a grill.. mesh.. not important, cause it cant be seen..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/773330b2.jpg
after a 2 hour carefull sandind and wet-sanding with 160 grit sand-paper...

next, i plan to make a small cut (looking for weird shape) in the visible side and mount a window(cd case plastic probably), with some sort of design etched on it(looking 4 one too)... oh,and create a nice effect with the wire-brush attachement on the metal surfaces visible (on the outside, that is, cause i plan on selling this unit :) )..

[dgrmkrp]

well, i've got myself in a bit of a root.. don know when i'll do any more modding, cause i'm in danger of being expelled.. bye

[onelegout]

eek! whuddya do? was it drugs?
no?
liar.


The psu sounds like its going to be cool! I have never thought of using cd case plastic for a small window! :)

[public_eyesore]

well, i've got myself in a bit of a root.. don know when i'll do any more modding, cause i'm in danger of being expelled.. bye
we need details!!!

[dgrmkrp]

offtopic: well, danger is away.. there was a stupid incident with one of the universtie's servers.. blah.. they had a list of those who entered by devious means (admin hack) and stupidly i was on that list too.. dang, i heard there was a nice error message if u entered the right commands... then all hell got loose, they cut our internet connection, they threatened all of us with expulsion from the dorm.. all because some drunken loser deleted lots of stuff, another one uploaded crap on the server etc.. it all got cleared up when one of them admitted.. i did nothing, so nothing will happen.. :D

getting back to the topic.. i got dough now, i got some ideas... and i did etch a pretty good window for the psu.. i really like how the clear coat looks and it really makes the psu case shine.. i'll try some more designs before doing anything permanent... got some pics i'll post as soon as i'll download them..

[Rankenphile]

:eek: :eek: :eek:


:p

[dgrmkrp]

okay... back in the race :) i've bought another 512ddr400. now i have 1gig dual channel :D

[guitar.child]

you guys rock my socks

[dgrmkrp]

i'm back... went home for the holidays.. had some free time.. visited my dad's workplace and got some nice things done.. not final.. kinda beta version work, but still, i like fabricating and designing :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1bb5a979.jpg
the first part of a hdd rack.. fits in 3 bays and houses 4 hdds...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/8de61f51.jpg
part 2..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/13ed964e.jpg
test fit 1..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/dd863334.jpg
test fit 2..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ed3a40aa.jpg
and i hacked this lil piece of steel..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ee54c589.jpg
..marked the pieces to cut..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2ffb37b3.jpg
basicaly, i needed the psu mount and..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/56655f51.jpg
and this lil part..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c7388070.jpg
and this is a nice sample of aluminum(3mm thick) i wanna use for a custom case..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e0bf05a3.jpg
and this "small" machine is gonna make the fine cuts..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c2c93039.jpg
this is the airflow and structural schematic of what i was thinking.. it's an inverted mobo design.. with lots of 120mm fans :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c2ddbf9d.jpg
the front panel main piece..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7254aace.jpg
a piece to fit a 120 mm fan.. three of this are needed...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f97ea004.jpg
a nice utility panel.. if i ever make this, it's gonna look sick.. i think.. in a good way.. i'll make some renderings of this to study the effect i'm after..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9053d1df.jpg
a derived psu mount i hope i'll use for external insertion of the psu.. so it would be easier to swap units..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a1b81449.jpg
the back panel.. v1..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a08115a3.jpg
i'm not sure of this part.. this is probably the hardest things:) the gray thing is supposed to be a heatpipe.. does any one know from where i can buy some???

..have to go to school.. and pick up a new video board.. cheap thing.. i'll use for a few weeks.. then sell it and buy a better one.. that's the plan at least..

[dgrmkrp]

..got home.. did some testing.. i have mixed feelings.. i mean i knew what i was buying.. i had lil cash to spare this month and i did get a good board (i got 700 points in 3dmark05 with the 5200 and 2200 with this one: gecube 9550 gu2 with 256ddr2... looks good, but compared to what erformance horses i've seen around.. :( )
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9b241c0d.jpg
..nice cooler.. really quiet and keeps the board cool

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ab5a491b.jpg
..the markings say 9550 but windows sees it like a 9600xt.. ?!?!... what up with that?

Anybody knows the limit of this boards regarding oc? And what cooler (air,heatpipe, not water.. not worth it) should i buy?

[dgrmkrp]

..got bored today after school.. the weather was nice, wind was blowing.. so i bought a small heatsink.. very cheap.. the speeze memory radiator (as cheap as they come..) :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/cac7ec5b.jpg
..raw material 4 me..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/57fcfa12.jpg
..take dremel with a reinforced disc..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/19649e24.jpg
..cut some small bga sinks... these are temporary, for the backside of the video board's memory..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2290130b.jpg
..i have my doubts about the adhesive.. but for now it's ok..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/eb6e2489.jpg
..took the other piece and cut it lenghtwise..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4c446d45.jpg
..small groove taking shape.. aluminum is hard to cut..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/dfecde02.jpg
..half way thru..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/692d68c2.jpg
..and half cut :) 1 piece went on the voltage regulators, althoug they are not getting warm.. but i do have a 50% overclock and you never know..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2e29c5d6.jpg
..one piece is still laying on the table.. cant find anything to stick to.. at least now, casue i'm a bit sleepy.. i have an exam tomorrow.. again.. they just seem to come and come.. darn..

..good night..

[dgrmkrp]

well...this was A GOOD NIGHT... I GOT A PHONE NUMBER... OF A GIRL.. i'm so happy.. i'll probably delete this part of the post later.. right now i'm a bit wasted.. some updates... from stock 446/450 for the video card i got to a maximum of 486/688 very stable to 500/720 with rwre artifacts. again: this is a 9550 gu2... hope i'll buy a cooler to raise the freq, buy next month i'll probably spend about 100$ on raw speakers...

[dgrmkrp]

great day..not.. my dvdrw got busted (unknown cause), my vdo board makes funny things in 3d.. and i had to lose half a gig of ram to make my pc work.. stable.. dang..

[xmastree]

and i had to lose half a gig of ram to make my pc work.. stable.. dang..Strange thing about the RAM. My old PC had 512, I got a new one with 1G but it wasn't stable at all. I ran some memory test utils and they all failed the second stick. I swapped them over and it still failed on the second.
These were two identical sticks.
I then took the 512 from my previous PC and put it alongside one of these 512s. It works perfectly, as does the other 512 in the previous unit.

So, the two identical 512 sticks just didn't work well together... :?


well...this was A GOOD NIGHT... I GOT A PHONE NUMBER... OF A GIRL.. i'm so happy.. i'll probably delete this part of the post later.. right now i'm a bit wasted..Better preserve it for posterity then... :p

Did you call her yet?

[dgrmkrp]

i did solve the ram problem.. i had to remove the HS from one ram mudule and plug it in another slot.. it just wouldnt run stable in dual channel.. no surprise becasue one mudule is cl2.5 and the other cl3.. BUT! they did run as stable as hell 'till now.. and the error is always generated by a "video device driver".. that may be true.. BUT! i tested my other board.. no error.. my newer board on antoher pc.. no error... what the? then it must from my current configuration as a whole...? heck with it.. got no money left, several exams aproaching.. one tomorrow.. i'll just leave things as they are..

oh, the dvd burner appears dead :( why??? that's gonna set me back next month.. i had plans dam it.. i wanted to buy 4 ten inch speakers (raw drivers) and make me a new set of biamped towers.. this lil skill of mine will probably "sponsor" some future mods that go beyond buying crappy 75$ video boards or noname ram... for an overclocked K7..

:(( if anybody knows how i can fix/ troubleshoot a "dead" dvd.. pls help.. i can just say it draws current, the eject button works.. i hear no noise when i insert a cd (most of the time, that is.. it did spin the discs a few times, but erratically.. i can see no rule to it's behaviour).. the led doesnt blink while accesing the disc and now windows or the bios cant see the unit when installed.. no shock occurred to it.. mystery..

and about the last part, xmastree: i'm not sure when to call.. i think there is a rule to how much i have to wait.. not sure.. :) ;) but i am a bit troubled by 2 examinations coming this week.. both are programming related, but i do get butterflies if i think of the implications.. booze helps with forgetting them ;) i will call her though :D

[dgrmkrp]

well.. it seem smy psu is dying.. can't wait for next month.. i've set my eyes on an antec smart 2.0 500w psu.. simple, plain, enough volts for me.. and on the cheap side.. anybody can throw an opinion on this.. i'm still searching.. but this psu is well in my budget :)

i'm bored copying exercises for my physic lab, so i'm doing some maual work: sanding the bondo smooth.. on my long forgotten front panel.. pics will come soon.. cause i love pics :)

[dgrmkrp]

i had a nice quiet weekend.. exams start in a fortnight.. well, i've done some sketches and measures.. mostly by eye.. did this things fast.. and made a scene in 3dsmax.. no time to render it, just made some shots of the viewport.. this is how i would like my project to look (for now, still evolving..):

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/67e6975e.jpg
..things have been placed.. all are a tight fit.. almost all...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ba3573ee.jpg
...i'm thinking 2 120mm fans for intake, 4 80mm with blue leds as outs in the video zone...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/25175d17.jpg
...2 more 80 mm fans as blowholes.. already done..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7d2c6dce.jpg
..a heat-pipe cooler for the GPU.. thinking vm-101 as i can't find some heatpipes to buy.. it's cheap.. so i might mod it one day.. also, i might redo the panel (seen some welding involved in a popular mod these days..) and cut some nice designs in the side-"outake"..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/45976944.jpg
..i'm thinking that the performance of this small HS will be improved if i get lots of air travelling tru ;)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/95bfcebb.jpg
..browsing tru the worklogs... well, i got inspired.. Defyant is such a great craftsman, i thought of giving the blowholes a try (you're my mentor :) rock on!).. if i can do them.. bought some pipe already, but i'm waiting and analyzing.. don't have the guts 2 do it fast though...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1f6cc943.jpg
..all this bondo made the panel very heavy.. so some holes are due..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3f5e54b3.jpg
..i'm thinking of doing some burried knobs as a fan controller.. faceplate will evolve.. it's nice to do this before i screw anything up :)

.. problems: dvd writer doesn't fit in the sketches.. weird.. in real life, it does.. with slack.. well, probably the late hour of the night affects me.. can't seem to find a nice idea for a H plate to mount the sonic tower so that the flow is from front2back, not bottom2top.. (this one easy.. just need some time to brew..)

got classes in the morning, so.. bye

[MDCS]

It looks like you either put in too much harder, or waited too long in a few spots on the bondo. I did the same thing a couple of times. :) Once you sand it down, it shouldn't be to heavy. You lost me on the bottom hole though :) It looks too big for the fan? All in all, nice design, and I like the simple lines.
Can't wait to see what you do with the GPU. Cool ....

[dgrmkrp]

10ks MDCS... i'm trying to keep it as simple and elegant as possible.. don't know how it will turn though. I'm very new at working with plastics on this level..

Both holes are identical. 110mm big, just enough for the blades to show.. when you say the bottm one, u mean the front bottom one? cause thats 120mm fan capable.. and i used it.. if you are saying something that derives from the real pic.. it's true.. the tube for the 120 fan will be smaller in width than the hole, but i'll fill the gaps.. did i get it right?

any help is good.. your case's blow hole is inspiring.. any hints are welcome :)

yesterday i marked the bottom circle, and am considering how to cut it.. this is more complex than the uper part, as the buttons of the case were once there.. nu "biggi'.. i'll just sand them smooth.. also, i'm thinking how to make the hdd cage cooler, because the foldable tabs of the economic-compromise-case i own today are in the way, weakening the structure of the assembly and maybe inducing vibrations.. big no-no... well..today, now, i just finished my english homework.. nice.. going to sleep.. i think.. or maybe back to 3dsmax? hmm.. bye

[dgrmkrp]

i've ordered an antec slk3000b today.. hopes it arrives soon.. i've been looking for a bigger case for a while to house my system (seeing that i can't go home with what i have now :P 'cause my parents would kill me) until i get tools to fab the aluminum panels..
anyways, i think i'll keep my case ideas for a new system (hope i'll make some bucks this summer.. i already earned a few, but those went into another project.. pc-related only cause of the sound card :D.. a big bad speaker.. pics only on request, cause this is a pc-forum).
Project n0name still holds.. i have no theme, just an urge to experiment :) so as soon as i get the new case i'll cut it :D

[Maz]

look over here
heat pipe maker online... (http://www.pscmf.com/heatpipes.htm)

[dgrmkrp]

Maz, 100x thanks dude.. you are a life saver.. the link is wayyyy too cool... now i have to find out if they can send some stuff to an amateur modder like me :) and all the way round the world :)

[dgrmkrp]

well.. waiting gaem is on.. the case has not arrived.. next week they tell me.. in the mean time.. price went up a few bucks, enough to annoy me.. hmm.. suspicious.. why would they tell me "why yes, we got it right here, but it's in another shop.. tomorrow morning we'll surelly have it right here" and then they ell me "something must have gotten wrong.. we ordered it.. it's just not anywhere.. come back next week".. this is why i hate economics and like machines..

i think i'm gonna buy a dvdrw sooner.. actually in the morning.. i'm eyeing either the pioneer dvr-111d or the asus DRW-1608P2SB... but i have the 1608p right next to me.. broken.. without any reason :? so should i go with the pioneer? too small of a price difference to mater.. just a vote in favour of either one.. so pls help..

[dgrmkrp]

hi all... i now have an asus drw-1608P3S :) antec case still not here... :( ah, flunked another exam.. maths again.. but it's not over yet.. i have an examination later today on the written paper i produced earlier.. yey.. :| well, i see an opurtunity here: to pressure the guys from the store, who were supposed to get my case last week :P

[dgrmkrp]

excellent.. i just got a ticket for disturbing the quiet.. worth a lot here.. a bit more than 100$... great.. that's gonna set me back..
but in the morning i'm picking up the case.. i hope...
EDIT:

I'm bored, so i started up 3ds and a had a go at the antec dimensions..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7836004e.jpg

i'm thinking of redirecting the airflow, and isolating the separate zones of my pc: psu, cpu, and vdo+hdd+mobo... i've got just one theoretical problem till now and that's a big one.. i need a special pot, but a triple variation.. i can find stereo ones, mono ones.. but not triples... dang.. i'm trying to use one control knob for several purposes... and do a more linear control of the fan speed... gonna be tricy.. i'm using Orcad to simulate circuits.. really nice, tells me exactly what resistors i need and of what power.. to be on the safe side.. plus currents, voltages.. nice tool to simulate a PSU also :)

well, more in the morning..

[savincent]

I love the idea for the cpu cooling. As for disturbing the peace, LMAO. Happened to me once, but that was with a little (oxygen + 42oz QT cup + flame) experiment of mine. :P

[dgrmkrp]

Still bored... so i made a quick rendering of the cpu ducts... just a quick one.. cause i'm sleepy now.. so, good night :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4122e602.jpg

[dgrmkrp]

Yupeee... got the case.. installed everything.. nice.. except for one thing.. temps.. they kinda went up :( but i'm not running both 120mm fans, so i guess it's understandable.. now i get 44 degrees for cpu, 32 system and 31 hdd.. room temperature is colse to 30 too.. but i'll see if this is trully the cause..

Now, time for pics.. oh, i noticed that there aren't many reviews of the Antec SLK-3000B around, so.. i'll give this a shot :)

no pic for the box it came in, cause it's plain corrugated brown thich.. well, u know.. nothing special..

Here is what u find inside.. antec 3 year warranty, a mechanical drawing, one case wrapped in plastic and with 2 styrofoam pieces holding it.. paint finish of the case was unharmed after a 3 day ride, so this packaging is effcient.

Next, some things that are worth a pic:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f2e8b9de.jpg
loooots of screws, i counted and there are a few more than a full install requires.. especially the huge headed screws are in a large amount.. they are used to install hard drives, and you can install 5-7 of these, if u don't use a floppy.. (i don't) or some other devices that need lots of space behind the front panel's 3,5" openings..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/516e0a46.jpg
..these are some replacements if u do rip the metal behind the 5,25" openings and for some reason u want them back.. hmm... i see no use for these, but maybe someone can think of one..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/65ca0541.jpg
the front.. i think it's nice... not perfect for my needs, but nice.. i have a really noisy front fan and the openings work on silencing it a bit.. and there is good airflow too.. i can feel it

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/720d124f.jpg
front door opened... i don't like this much, as the door is sturdier than other ones i've seen, but i really don't want to break it.. so i'm thinking of doing something to it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/fb154fae.jpg
side panel is very nice.. the hole are good for a normal system, but don't suite me that well.. the cpu duct hole i mean.. but for normal heatsinks(non-tower) or a bit more airflow when watercooling, they are nice.. the vdo/pci holes are working fine too, even though my plan rgarding them is far from being completed..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a187b5bd.jpg
i love the latcehs.. they have such a nice feel.. and the door is pseudo-hinged.. nice.. there could even be a way to make it a more permanent hinge.. all in all, i like these the most.. just personal, i guess..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c3e5cfb4.jpg
a big plus is for the rear-fan (antec tri-cool, max 77cfm specified).. very quiet compared to my other fans.. even on high.. on low, can't even hear it from 30cm.. also, the back panel is made in auch a way that watercooling is very possible.. lots of space in this case..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/36330c7b.jpg
the grills are pretty good too.. not like wire-grills, but close.. i can't phisically sense any air being reflected.. as it happened with the older case, before cutting began..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2629a234.jpg
in the front there is another spot for a 120mm fan, but this one is with a plasticbracket.. so if u want to install something else, be creative first and have a dremel.. as i can see, only 25mm thick fans can be installed.. also, the fan does provdide decent cooling to the hdd..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/70952f94.jpg
speaking of which.. this is the removable hard drive cage.. 1 latch, 1 thumb-screw.. and rubber grommets.. that work! using antec's big-headed screws ant the grommets does make for less vibration.. nice..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/52e5c403.jpg
what me (and my room mates) like is the floppy-cage.. it has a very nice latch-mechanism, that works flawlessly.. and a nice feel when put in position.. i had a bit of trouble putting the hdd cage back in, but playing with this one was a .. snap!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/95c3d1aa.jpg
u can see the spring mechanism used.. ingenoius and quite robust..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f53781c5.jpg
hdd cage removed.. 5 disks can go here, but cooling will be sacrificed.. i say 3 hdds max 4 good temps...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d4e6cbb8.jpg
the thing for the 120mm fan in the front.. it's easy to install a fan here, but i am afraid this could brake... plus, and it might be just me, but a fan put here is noisier than a fan in another place.. maybe the plastic transfers and amplifies vibrations...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/80039ea6.jpg
front nudity ;) pretty well thought out, but what i don't like is the non-centered 120 fan.. this will prove more difficult to mod..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7e512c5e.jpg
these things will be ripped out in a few secs.. they allow airflow, but c'mon..o, i must mention that the case is not sharp at all.. very carefully made..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/01b7f234.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e6df3486.jpg
front and rear grills... both could end up cut away for more flow, but i don't know...

[dgrmkrp]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3041c883.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f3d18f6f.jpg
front ports.. just 2x usb here.. BUT what i like.. there are 3 leds for hdd activity.. i don't have a mobo with 3 headers, but i could use them for lan and/or dvd-rw activity...

as a side note, there were some problems with the usb ports.. older versions of this case and others had usb1.1 ports only.. that didn't work at all.. they have some small chip here and a capacitor.. i don't know why they use these... i have usb ports that are simply a bunch of wires and the metal end.. and they work.. well, mine work fine and at usb2.0 speed...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/556308d4.jpg
lots of wires, long enough for a stealthy install... too bad they are not sleeved.. i'll have to do that later.. nice though that there is a zip mount that keeps them running in an orderly fashion..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/61aa4bc9.jpg
the back i/o plate comes mounted with 2 screws.. unfortunatelly, my mobo has a different layout, so the i/o panel went back in the huge box the case came in..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/42ee0fb6.jpg
case front stripped of the metal surplus...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f96064e0.jpg
this is the cpu duct, if u need cool air for the cpu..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/0f608314.jpg
the duct, all shrivelled..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2253a8cd.jpg
..it's nice, but lacks the option of positioning it in the XY axis on the panel.. it's stcuk with 4 screws ant that's it.. if the cpu is positioned in a more exotic place than this duct allows, then u can't use it at max efficiency..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5663c917.jpg
i like the badge too... no other comment..

Preping for install...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e47ff365.jpg
i/o cover removed..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/faebb9b8.jpg
space for my mobo..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e742cd5d.jpg
pack of screws.. plus a zip tie..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/07abc88c.jpg
like i said, lots of them.. more than i need..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f20d60c8.jpg
..me mounting the hard drive..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/80912e15.jpg
optical drives use these rails.. u install them with the latch in the front of the drive.. they are quite good, but u still need a screwdriver for putting them on.. after that, u get a nice click :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/cb4f3201.jpg
dvd mounted.. (oh, this is the new one with the old ones face ;) )

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6e0a899d.jpg
system installed, take 1..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6b8e0e7f.jpg
lots of room to work in...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/7aac80ef.jpg
not everything was mounted, and for a reason.. seems i forgot to check if the psu can go in tru the space above the mobo... dang, so i had to take off everything(temporarily.. i dind't undo the connections, just had a friend lift the mobo a lil').. and i inserted the psu tru the front 5,25 openings..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/129d7089.jpg
system fully installed... CCFL added too.. his twin is dead in the closet :( ac ryan makes nice tubes, but without a titanium shell.. :(

[dgrmkrp]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/8dcb711a.jpg
shot of front.. i still don't like the uncentered fan.. but they made things this way.. there is a lot of room behind the hdds..say for a pump..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e1315362.jpg
system back in it's place.. near the window.. running :) niiiice

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e8573f7f.jpg
leds work from the first try :p

So, except for the slightly higher temps.. which are coming down as sun goes down, i like the case.. much more roomy than the cheap noname..

Next to buy is an antec Smartpower 500... and maybe mod the front :) just an ideea... not sure yet.. it's such a nice case.. the mod must be nicer.. and keep the overall sleek look..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/49f5e68c.jpg????

[dgrmkrp]

more pics... i made some with the lights on :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a668e732.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/440440dc.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1bbe8664.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3a042e06.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4942e505.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b0fc836d.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f8a1cdce.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/39868904.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/24e64fa1.jpg

i'm happy... i think i'm gonna go study a lil...

[dgrmkrp]

hi, back again... time for a small update:

i bought an ati silencer, no2. installed it :) realllly quiet :) the old one has been taken apart to study it and take some measurements...

my phone utility died... it refuses to respond... maybe it doesn't like windows media center... therefore, pics are stuck in phone...

also, i cleaned up a pc last night: cable management lite, cleaned heatsink, removed cvasi-toast video board, mounted 2x120mm fans.. got it from 73 degrees centigrade idle to 49, with that darn stock intel HSF.. could have done more, but not in the aloted time... i got some stuff for that:

2x 120mm wire-grills
1x PFC coil assembly.. or 48v transformer?!
1x riva tnt2 m64 w/32MB sdr.... any idea what to do with them???


nice things, right? :p

[The boy 4rm oz]

Great work.

[dgrmkrp]

so... i got the phone utility working.. misteriously... so i got the pics out of the phone :))

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9913b874.jpg
ati silencer no2.. came in nice shiny package..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3b932000.jpg
..back of package.. :) man, i love getting these shniny packages open...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c0eee799.jpg
..(blurry) sticker.. don't like these... they are best suited on my phone's battery ;)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2590a84d.jpg
...dindn't need the instructions.. basically, the thing has to be "uninstalled" when you get it out of the package, so you have an idea how to mount it on the video board.. if u do it right, that is..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/54bb6e5d.jpg
..this is also useful, as seeing you need some holes for the exhaust..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5e94b041.jpg
i hate this piece... so unaesthetic.. unfortunatelly, it is (still) needed as a back plate for the mounting mechanism..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/419c2171.jpg
the cooler out of the box, shoing itself in its full-copper-base form..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/79a2a2e5.jpg
..nice fins..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/856e4166.jpg
..nice fan.. veeeeerrrrryyy silent... not only compared to the rest of my fans..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/52203995.jpg
..nice sticker.. i hate it though.. i think i'll loose it and etch the clear case..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/229a0619.jpg
the fin array is very nicely bonded to the base and it looks very clean... no bends (i remember when i got my copper volcano 12 and took it apart.. some fins on the sides were bent.. :( )

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6943cf68.jpg
..good thing they use thermal tape.. bad it isn't full-copper with some thermal compound...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/df8ed4d7.jpg
..old card..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ef5346c0.jpg
"old" gpu..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/32ee7dea.jpg
"new" (cleaned) gpu..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/74b5b426.jpg
..it says swiss design, but it's made in china..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d21efbe7.jpg
..new card :D with added silence...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5da75d39.jpg
card is quite thick now.. hmm... and longish.. 2xhmm

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/94975e0e.jpg
ugly.. will adress it later... i'm going home in 2 or 3 days, so no time now.. tools all packed...

[dgrmkrp]

...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5382866f.jpg
..another shot :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9b619da7.jpg
..test fit..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/293a9adb.jpg
board installed.. now the prevoius "hmmm" was upgraded to "damn".. because of the ugly back piece, there isn't that much room for the cpu fan.. and i had to move the hard drive lower in the case.. because of the added lenght..

well... these are some pics.. i put these up not as a how-to-change-your-video-board-cooler but more as a before series of photos ;)

also, i took the old cooler apart and "max"-ed it :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/be9db3f7.jpg
i hope one day i will get to do this.. my problem is that i can't mill copper with my dremel :)) and i can't find 20mm thick acrylic...

(oh, this is no standalone piece, as i hope that if i can make one, i will make some more.. like this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/77735f3d.jpg
..it's a jet impingement block with a labirint... looks good on paper.. hope pic doesn't reveal to much 8)

..and this is what i think will be better than anything else out there.. as far as watercooling solo can go:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/75e8d4d7.jpg
a 30mm heatpipe with a fin-labirint surrounding it.. low flow and fast heat transfer.. i hope.. not seen this done before..

unfortunatelly, the heatpipe company Maz suggested previously did not respond :(..
)

[Rankenphile]

holy crap, nice render!

[dgrmkrp]

holy crap, nice render!

:redface: :redface: :redface: :redface:

thanks.. but these are just 1 or 2 hour renderings.. i can even read the boards, listen to music, read about volt mods, watch a movie and do another max scene :) ;)

[DaveW]

Those are nice. 3DS MAX is...well, i couldn't get my head around it. Nice work.

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

:redface: 10ks.. 3ds isn't that hard... you just need some practice, tutorials and then lots of thinking and more practice.. it's not that hard to do pc-related stuf.. once you learn how to work with splines, extrusions, editable meshes and materials :) basically, you do it as it would be done in real life...

oh, if i'm not asking too much, seeing that i got your attention:rolleyes: , could you please comment on the designs.. are they any good? cause my theory is nothing without practice :(

[TroutRoG]

How about this baby? It ought to give you all the power you'd EVER need.

1KW psu (http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=1495&redirect=yes)

66Amps on the 12v rail? That's a monster. Bet it'd handle TECs with ease.

[DaveW]

Your designs are incredible, although in the first render, you have copper slats at the in and out. If you slightly angled these, then you'd probably get much better heat dissipation. But being honest...your work is beautiful. I REALLY wish you could make those parts. Do you do this professionally? Because those are better than most renders i've seen, and the quality of your designs is nothing short of brilliant.

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

10ks again DaveW.. well, not professionally.. but considering i'm flunking exams because i study every thing i can get my hands on (virtually or not) and try to redo it and improve on it.. it's more of an obsession.. unfortunatelly, there aren't any universities here which would allow me to learn or have fun while doing my research.. so... life's hard.. i wish i was working, not just thinking.. tough luck i guess.. most people (who can pay me) here haven't heard of 3ds, they are looking for corel this and that, flash.. no CAD :(

a real rendering would take from 10 hours to a few days.. considering multiple lights and several passes with multisampling on the materials.. and for one picture only :) this of course with my current rig.. with an amd fx / extreme edition one i could probably make the times easily 5 times shorter.. but it would be more than 5x more expensive ;)

back on topic: what do you mean angled? like skew them towards the inside, or make 'em less "linear"? ...to avoid laminary flow and get more turbulence? like you said, these are just some "sketches", and i can change anything :)

ex: this pic took 17 minutes to render..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/08d51525.jpg

..other side took 3 hours :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ef286386.jpg
this block is lighter than the first (less acrylic), and has 2 lights affecting its colour :)

[DaveW]

to avoid laminary flow and get more turbulence?

That's exactly what i was thinking. Christ, those are impressive, i tell you.

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

well.. i have to say goodbye to all of you.. for a few days :( i'm moving back home and i'm not sure when i'll be back online.. a week at max, i hope.. i can't stay too long without the web, so hope everythings goes as fast as possible :)
already sent my rig home, so this post is from a collegue.. bye everyone..

[dgrmkrp]

I'm back... took a month for the cable guys to finally install my new connection :) happened just a few minutes ago :) after they left, guess what page i connected to? :D

I've done mostly thinking, seeing i was away from my pc for a few weeks.. but i think i got a theme and some modding ideas for my rig.. i've been home for just one day now and bills are pileing.. so i hope i get some money to make some of my ideas real :)

i've got some arrends to run, but i'll be back :)

[MitaPi]

A few minutes after they left!? lol wow.. that deserves an award of loyal dedication or something! lol sadly I would be like... I.. need... myspace.com... I know I know.. thats horrible! But I think this site is slowing replacing myspace for me! Anywho, glad to see that you are back!

[dgrmkrp]

thanks...

after 2 days of working on some PCs (assembly and install), i got home and was thinking of starting modding again... i have an easy mod coming.. it involves paint and plastics.. so i'm testing chemical reactions :) dont' wanna ruin anything (like with the nice black finish on the psu:( )

[Maz]

im sorry the heatpipe company didnt respond. corel pisses me off. i know autocad like the back of my eyelid and nobody is really looking for it if you dont have a degree. i guess i will ave to continue with my obcession and design another car top down. or maybe another case.

[xpc]

hmm nice work and idea! :D
but one thing reminds me. "Lots of fan, lots of wires" :(
why dont you spend some money to buy a digicam?

looking forward on your project bro. :) good luck!

[Maz]

i have to say great renders... im such a newb to 3ds max i dont even know how to rotate the veiw! that is mighty troublesome.

[dgrmkrp]

10ks guys :) your support is really appreciated :)

maz, you're absolutelly right.. it's really hard if you don't have a degree.. i'm working on that, but unfortunatelly, there is no way i can get one in CAD :(, any CAD.. :( no such thing at my university.. so all i have to say for anyone in this predicament is keep on doing it.. for yourslef :) oh, i'm a noob at autocad, but it seems i have to learn it... in order to manage a small cluster of pcs running autocad and max at a local factory.. don't have the time and i feel like 2D is sooo not 3D :rolleyes:

about the pipes.. it's a shame.. i told them i'm interested in buying.. i don't need free samples.. i would even have ordered a lot of them.. but that's that. i'll skip custom made heatpipe air coolers and go back to my waterblocks :) they are not cheap to make (local CNC place charges about 15 euros/hour, including machine programming and everything, except materials.. depending on the complexity of a block, i may end up spending 10x the money i would pay for a commercial block plus shipping :( will have to solve this to go the my-water-way), but i think they would be worth it :)

xpc, i basically know what your saying and it pisses me off too.. so i'll buy a camera when i can afford it :)
and the wires, when i get all things almost done, will get a nice surgery :) i'm working my schematics, but i'm still not 100% ready to show them.. i clearly don't need 3 wires per fan.. i'll probably end up using just one rpm signal (for the cpu header on the mobo) and 4 identical fans running on 2 wires only (+/-), with a special circuitry to allow some predetermined degree of control on specific fans.. this is probably the most complicated part of my circuitry, as i want a simple control-mechanism but some special features. as for other parts of the pc, they will revolve around a compartment-based cooling scheme, with similarly controlled fans. i plan on using as many 120mm fans as possible, all commonly connected and controlled, so as to achieve near-silent operation or a nice lil' storm :D

i have some pics of what i've thougth of, but the dang pc wont connect to the phone :( man, i wish i had a nice camera now... my experiments with painting have payed of, i think.. i repainted the red mouse with flames... now it's a tad deffierent :) and i wanna change some stuff inside it too :) that's all the modding i'll be doing, because i have to learn..bleah.. linear algebra.. for starters.. and 3 more "chapters" too... 3x bleah.. i hate it 'cause it's not helping me do real stuff (yet)..

[xpc]

good to hear that.. i will wait on your next update. :)
as of now im still in the process of planning on my casing for my 2nd rig. :)
also i dont have a cam too.. lol.. we have the same problem bro. :D
maybe next month...:D

[dgrmkrp]

well... this is what happens when i get bored.. i look around, try to find something small and not used and "practice" on it :) so this time, i'm learning on a mouse :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3400b6f8.jpg
this is after a first coat of clear

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e31bd830.jpg
i was amazed how reflective the mouse turned.. i'm wearing a white shirt and i can see myself :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/df2b2f8e.jpg
i wanted to see if/how blue matches with the flames :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/8aa406db.jpg
not the best pic, but i think it shows how nice the clear coat is

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/840b9aaa.jpg
after a few more wetsandings and more coats..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/10e53589.jpg
my phone's camera acts weirdly in this high light conditions :(

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/59e2e9ec.jpg
these are donors.. i wanted to see what i could use in a mouse..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ba298625.jpg
couldn't use anything.. except the salvaged LEDs.. and i was a tad tired with the plain red of this pic..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/77c711e1.jpg
i then looked at the bottom part of the mouse and wandered what i could do to it.. but without permanent damage..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9a8d788c.jpg
so i made a cover for the inside :) first version..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e7d0cd0a.jpg
second version..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b95da3f3.jpg
revision.. more detail needed..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3a4ea3ab.jpg
i don't like white.. black it is.. a nice marker should help..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b7bdc4a1.jpg
..too slow.. so i took a brush and some die, poured some on the model and spread it :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9c596bc4.jpg
..time for changing colours.. ancient soldering "gun" comes out (my soldering iron died 2 months ago.. so i have to use this.. thing)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/38cf7446.jpg
but it works :) i used the usb's +5V and gnd for.. well, 5V. the blue led is rated at 4,5V/20mA so i took the chance and tested the LED.. it works well and no funny smells ;)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3b742ad8.jpg
then i changed the optical sensor's LED too.. this is like gambling.. i read around and some optical engines don't work after the change :( but this one does. like many mouses, the engine turns the LED down when not used, so i was afraid that maybe the voltage was too low for it to light at all.. but no issue..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b3142b6e.jpg
.. i then soldered the second blue-led (this is the 5V one, that works all the time at full power)

[dgrmkrp]

(continued)

after connecting all the connections :), it was time to put the mouse back together:)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e3794a8c.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6a7fb789.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c40b2323.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2ef10b88.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/68ccaae8.jpg

well... what did i learn? clear is nice when no ill-reactions occur. you can turn a cheap piece of paper into something nice with some die and a steady hand. and blue leds are nice... a! and, like bondo, soldering too much makes you feel nice inside ;)

[xpc]

niceeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

[dgrmkrp]

mice modding got be fired up.. i can't stop :) so i'm doing it to my main mouse too... but this time.... no led change.. just some graphics.. i'm mostly done with it by now.. hope it will turn nice..

[dgrmkrp]

1.) ..it did.. have lots of pics too... but they are stuck! ~!@^@ %$ $#|& ! my phone likes them too much i guess.. i'll edit this post after/if i can trick it letting them go..

2.) ok, got them.. man i'm happy :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/029ade9d.jpg
mouse taken apart

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/28c4c064.jpg
started wet sanding..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/aafd7326.jpg
..took more than an hour..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/4f12e789.jpg
..but when done.. it was black :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/9439b538.jpg
..i was thinking how to fill the black.. and wrote some runes.. with black too..something about courage and stuff.. this is a gaming mouse ;)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/afef4646.jpg
..more runes

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/7c423cd3.jpg
..and more..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/266f1867.jpg
..not much to be seen without light..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/4ae6171f.jpg
..but with light..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/51c750d9.jpg
..with a coat of clear. first one.. this happened about..oh.. a week ago :)

ok, what's nicer is to come.. at first, this is all i wanted to do to the defence-less mouse.. but after i got some cash... <evil look> muhahhaaa :)
..to continue.. gtg drknng :D

[dgrmkrp]

mouse mod continued..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/46e068fd.jpg
mouse innerds dismantled further.. plsu i bought some blue leds..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/d2003d2d.jpg
these were 5 in the start.. here you can see just 4 :) guess where one went..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/9d606441.jpg
it replaced this red one :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/89e86cdd.jpg
mouse board ready for surgery

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/41bc2274.jpg
my tools..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/f4889107.jpg
and the replacement led soldered.. i really need to be more carefull when removing the originals, 'cause i keep breaking the traces and have to make 'em back..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/f73de2ae.jpg
blue led works... yey!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/03824633.jpg
but! as i was afraid.. i lost the ability to track over black surfaces.. great, now i won't use my mat anymore... :( still, no speed was lost on textured surfaces.. blue is just like red :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/1f7879bd.jpg
next comes this... u know what this is:)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/69a39cca.jpg
tada.. 40mm fan :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6ea67db7.jpg
not the right size tho.. so dremel comes out and...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/537b8318.jpg
oops :D this will surelly fit in the mouse :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/e8ed9edd.jpg
..after some cuts... i cut slowly, piece by piece... but in the end.. i cut everything out :))

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/39cba294.jpg
fan test fitted...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/fcf551d1.jpg
and again.. the bigger picture.. mouse "more" assembled..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/28b397be.jpg
glueing the fan was tricky.. superglue wouldn't stick at all on these plastics... so i used paper on each side of the bond.. after making the layers like these.. the fan was stuck! in a good way

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/5c6f5559.jpg
..now i had some trouble inspiring me.. so i played around with the mouse wheel.. and came up with this..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/4f7e1a36.jpg
..painted the fan white and cleared it :) it won't really be seen, but the blue light inside and the white of the fan.. if i were inside the mouse, i would like this better ;)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/01735e32.jpg
i superglued the wires so as not to accidentally bump in the blades..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/af4c1b81.jpg
fan running.. i tested the fan after each step.. 'cause it's beeter to know in time if you mess it up... than to find out in the end and go bananas...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/3042a0d3.jpg
i marked the area that would be used as the exhaust..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6acd1c31.jpg
and roughly cut it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/d598a307.jpg
same with the intake..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/d2f0345c.jpg
then i soldered a switch to turn the fan off.. when not needed or when pc is off.. the usb's 5V works even after u shut down the pc, so a switch is a must :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/d60a7eb4.jpg
then i soldered the two halfs of the mouse.. you can see some red and black wires in the upper part and some green and white in the lower.. i super-glued almost all the loose wires, except for the soldered parts.. so i can open up the mouse if needed :)

{image limit...}

[dgrmkrp]

..continued

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6266c671.jpg
glueing the wires was tricky.. the green and white were soldered on the bottom and went around the edge to the top.. so i used 2 screw drivers to clap everything for a while.. fingers and super-glue=baaad

ok... well.. after everything was in place came the tedious task of fitting the things together... i don't like this mouse for that part.. it was cramped enough at first.. as i did after buying the mouse, i tucked the main wire under the board, in the left side... and put a piece of folded paper under the right-mouse-button to even the board and make clicking easier :)

it took me an hour or so to put things back.. and after all was said....err... done:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/8383bb32.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/371f08b3.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/86760841.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6a174584.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/8f2bc767.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/e9c40fd2.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/e07d271a.jpg
and my two mice side by side:)

[Rankenphile]

very nice, thanks for sharing the process with so much detail.

[dgrmkrp]

no, thank u Rankenphile 4 reading :)

well, as i stroll to the intricate world of linear algebra (as an appetizer for next month).. i reallllllllllllllllly got board.. so i looked tru my stuff and founs some mod-worthy stuff: the old HSF of my current vidcard.. (for my records, i wanna change it and am now looking at buying either a x1800gto from HIS or a x850 pro or similar.. problem is i need a new rig for the x1800.. or a new psu for the x850.. they have similar price and performance and will probably take 2 months to get the cash for either.. what do you people think?)

long time ago, i painted the fan white: coat of white + coat of clear.. again, the stupid clear had some weird effects on the paint: it "melt" it in some places, showing the bare plastic.. but in an artistic way.. so i kept it this way :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/2b8e8640.jpg
..fan with weird dis-whitening.. fan spinning up.. 5V mod..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/df5ba462.jpg
old HS.. no fan :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/284710f0.jpg
..not very efficient in my opinion, but it did the job "quietly".. so to say..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/ba573a87.jpg
this is what i'll be playing with.. i was flirting with the idea for about a month or so, but for something else.. so the practice is good..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/b8f26b52.jpg
silly sticker removed and casing washed.. took forever.. darn glue..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/cccd045a.jpg
see this mess? well, here are the 8+3 bolts i need to assembly the HSF..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/51efbdb2.jpg
a few minutes later..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/5b6c98c3.jpg
after that, no more mess.. bolts are put in a drawer, waiting for their moment

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d5342106.jpg
(put mod aside and did more maths.. or did i?)..i like flames.. so why not make black flames on a white background:) i used a cd-marker and draw some.. then some clear to protect them.. then white.. then clear :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d7f14237.jpg
the result :) ok, my bad.. a white photo with a white plastic thingy..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/b575ae94.jpg
..there.. almost done..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/82482768.jpg
more flames :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/5837da5f.jpg
assembled and working at 5v :)

there.. another thing that won't be accepted in case my video board gets burnt (if they find out about the bios settings) and i have to replace it :)

[monoflap]

Hey I noticed you use 3ds max. I really want to do that kind of stuff be the free version gmax sucks and I can't render my scenes! I was wondering what version you used.(the 3,400 dollars is a little out of my reach for number 8 :p )

[dgrmkrp]

..."number 8" :) i got it from my university (with some other soft/CADs too.. they all amount to.. a nice car), i'm a student.. i can use it, but not commercially :) it's just for learning ;).. and it's not my license. but if i had 3.5k$ (err...) i would gladly pay it. basicly, i used 3dsmax 3 tru 8,m not counting some patches.. they are all nice, and the differences can be overcome with imagination (and possibly free plug-ins).

i've also tried blender (hard to adjust for me) and maya (free learning edition-- says so on all renderings :() and google's sketchup (easy to work with, i admit.. but again, a tad different than what i was used to), but i'll stick to max.. until i'll be faced with buying it and if i wont be able to do so.. than i'll probably go back to blender...

[xpc]

nice mice! that's good for the sweet palm hand. hehe. and also its have a wide body kit. very nice work man!

[dgrmkrp]

finished my math work for today... soo.. after finishing this (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3778) i (re)installed orcad after a long break from it and, considering i bought some stereo-pots today.. i designed this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/a43b8c65.jpg
the idea is to have 2 dials(..pots) for 2 zones of the system: the planned cpu duct and the system/vdo area. by turning a pot, i get control over several fans.. nothing new.. but i also wanna change their working condition:on/off too :) and in a small place :) and add an inverter and another 2 switcehs and a mono-pot.. more to come.. i go eat now8)

edit: back i am.. this is how the circuit module looks when the switch is open:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/b47ca08c.jpg
all fans were tested and they work at 5V(usb) with ease :) but to be safe, i think ~6V will be enough.

edit2: played with 3dsmax, 'cause the wiring diagram can't help if u can't picture it :).. this is a quick render.. like a 1sec render :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/2227e3ef.jpg

[dgrmkrp]

morning everybody.. late last night i got some stuff done in max.. almost like building the real thing, i "did" the soldering and tweaking (quick <min renders):

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/8f4b806e.jpg
side view..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/1be55483.jpg
top view.. very clean on this side.. looks like the components are not really connected :D
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/98f4e42d.jpg
and the bottom view... i wonder if i can do this on a PWB or i should etch the circuit on a copper/resin board >> PCB :?
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/1831d5a6.jpg
changed some values :) all i need now is one darn resistor.. and another for the ccfl module.. can't find them here.. if i were back at university, i could go to a shop there.. but so.. this will have to wait..

using CADs is a very valuable asset. as you can see, all the fans will drain about 13 watts from the psu, i can print the circuit's traces and etch it, i can tell which type of resistors i should use and can tell if this will work and how well.. eg: at max power drain, 6,4 watss will be generated as heat output by the big resistor only.. if i would use tiny, 0.25W ones, i would get another flamed unit.. just like the v4 controller.. wont happen again.. if the CAD says 1.5-2W, i'm going with 5W :D

gottogo..

[dgrmkrp]

hello everybody.. did some CAD work and some more soldering/unsoldering (just learning this..).. basically, right now i'm trying to make what i can right now..and at home. so i'm looking around the web for some AgNO3.. maybe your wondering why.. i have a nice idea.. it involves silver nitrate, some silver spoon or fork and some volts :) and a new mounting mechanism for my sonic tower..

i had some issues clearance-wise with the pipes and their base.. i was even about to cancel the clip and may even do so.. i'm considering the typhoon heatsink-mod modded clip :) if this fails..

for all those that might have a socket A rig (still) and might have a sonic tower (slim chances, but the world is big), u know that the holes around the socket make mounting the sink one way only.. so a new clip is needed to make the sink face the right way.. not neccessary for newer sockets, with a square pattern for the holes..

here are some pics:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a735b6cb.jpg
the side view.. i lowered the tabs with holes so they would not "touch" the heatpipes.. i mean coexist in the same volume of space, of course :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/df0249e7.jpg
the new clip needs to go around the coolers base... hope the new shape won't weaken the clip's tight grip.. i'm thinking of ridging this in the middle to make it stronger..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a7d67a52.jpg
this is how it should look.. crude, but hopefully efficient..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/23ad9ef6.jpg
ok.. the weird color is from the silver i would like to place on the cooler :) "would" is the keyword here.. still, u can see how i tried to go around everything..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e5515037.jpg
..hopefully, after electro silverplating..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/40f69ead.jpg
after "placing" the virtual fans on a virtual sink and covering them with an acrylic cover.. i don't want it to be "passive" with the air in the pc, just the air i drive through :)

so.. please help out a bit.. and stop me if u see something wrong! :)
edit: yey! got some AgNO3. when i have it at hand, i'll make some photos..of the jar.. siilver nitrate is photo sensitive (nice pun, but it actually reacts with light.. it's used in the photographic industry, analog side... don't want that).. now i need to find some % and V :) more maths, physics and chemistry to study...

[dgrmkrp]

..so i've taken the risc of making a new clip.. it will unfortunatelly fit just my special situation and it still needs some cutting..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/d4606c3f.jpg
here, with my old mobo, the clip strays into the caps.. not good.. but ok as i'm not using this..

after running a sim in 3ds it appears my clip will violate the northbridge's intimate space ;) so a bit of dremel work there..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/c493a838.jpg

but till that time comes, i need a clip to play with..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/d45539dd.jpg
paper model.. with some reinforced paper action :) i had to do this becasue the clip is not planar, but 3d.. in real life too

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/c088f9bf.jpg
(stupid) marks.. a bit bigger than the finished product..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/60177510.jpg
i used some metal scisors.. with the nice effect above..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/222c3533.jpg
more modern art.. needs some sorting out..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/7ca09c94.jpg
..my wavey clip..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/bed611ea.jpg
after some bending with some plyers.. my hand is still sore..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/5a71b2d3.jpg
closer to a planar shape.. my hands are killing me.. i will use a hammer from now on.. and this $hi7 is so sharp.. i kinda cutt myself.. no pics of that, too small a cut for this forums:)..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/ff2b263b.jpg
almost done piece.. needs some more shaping, filing.. not now..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/silver_tower/54ffe982.jpg
this is what awaits the clip in tomorrow installment of my mod world :)
(sorry for the blurry pics.. i don't get it: what the hell is wrong with my phone.. i want a camera :( next next buy: camera)

[xpc]

nice playing with 3dsmax! I hope I learn that too. :D

your project was really hot! :)

[dgrmkrp]

..darn.. my thingy for using cutting discs on the dremel broke.. i bought a new cutting disc, made by bosch for cutting steel and the darn screw in the middle of the axle just broke and sent the disc flying... can't find it.. the problem: the screw broke inside the shaft.. so now i need a new axle-thingy.. :(
great.. @#$%%^@#$

[dgrmkrp]

hi everybody.. short update:
modified a screw to fit in the dremel.. and used a cutting disc to do some work.. i think i've hit a golden vein here! this cutting disc is excellent! just try this yourself: buy a stainless-steel cutting disc (loks the same as normal ones, but it's made for cutting stainless-steel) for an angle grinder (think that's how it's called.. we call 'em "flex") and make smaller cutting disc using a pair of scissors and some coins as templates.. then make a hole with a sharp thing as close as possible to the middle of the cut cirle and use the dremel at lowest speed to sand the cutting disc to a perfect circle: this is important because it gets to excentric and might brake when on high rev.. this is a cheap way of making cutting disc, but this time i was in luck.. i cut 2 120mm metal grills off my case and that think didn't shrink at all! this is a huge improvement over other disc i used.. basicly, it cuts right thru and doesn't show it at all :) i'm happy :)

i got some AgNO3 from a pharmacy and now i only need some HNO3 :) yey.. which is not commercially available anywhere.. buu... got to pull some strings :) if anyone is interested in the process of electroplating something (trade secrets..), just ask.. if not, i'm not gonna fill this thread with chemestry and physics :)

also, the stupid firefox bookmark losing stuff happened to me right now... curses!

[GT40_GearHead]

what did you use for the clip

[dgrmkrp]

the clip is made of aluminum for toying with the shape.. it's 1mm thick :), but by no means would i trust it to hold the sonic tower:(.. for now at least.. with the new cutting discs, i just have to find some nice steel plate and cut it :) and shape it with my hammers :D
here are some pics.. just for laughs :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/3769ed45.jpg
the liltle guy was bended a bit when i mounted the screws.. could do this only with the mobo reversed, because it doesnt fit the other way :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/733674c2.jpg
it's a bit wavy to give it some strenght.. not really needed.. but it does re-size the whole thing :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/99728164.jpg
..oh, this is pretty strong actually.. i can lift the entire board and the thing doesn't budge or mis-shapes..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/c3bafd1e.jpg
..like i said, i cut some holes.. now my fans can breathe @100% efficiency :) which is needed, since they are running @5V only :) shhhh... quiet :)

edit: i forgot.. i bought some masking tape and a sanding block today.. i'm gonna do some cutting of the front part, lower part.. i dismantled it some time ago and now i have: the door - gonna make a mesh insert with mesh and bondo; the lower part - gonna make some holes in the side, put some mesh and again bondo-smooth it. so, i need to buy bondo and paint :) also, just my day.. i wanted to buy a jigsaw and a soldering gun.. no luck.. "we're sorry, this product is currently unavailable".. bleah

[dgrmkrp]

dammm.. i found several ways of silverplating.. 1 is achievable, but it is the most school-experiment-ish of them.. so i need 10parts AgNO3, 1 part HNO3 and water.. plus 6V and about 80Amps.. this is the problem.. 6x80=480W!!! too much.. 2nd method involves some chemicals i never heard off.. and the third is a bit do-able..

Try to find good plating shop-most of silver plating solutions are cyanide based.If you want you can use do it yourself cyanide free solutions.
Ferrocyanide based plating solution:
40 gm silver chloride
200 gm potassium ferrocyanide
20 gm potassium carbonate
1 lit water,stainless steel anodes
Dissove ferrocyanide in boiling water,add carbonate and then add chloride(fresh,you can make it by mixing AgNO3 solution with kitchen salt solution),boil 30-180 minutes,then filter it when cold,then you may use it!
Never try to mix it with strong acids!
Phosphate based solution:
25 gm silver nitrate(or better pyrophosphate)
100 gm potassium pyrophosphate
25 gm ammonium carbonate
1 lit water
Stainless steel anodes
Aluminium must be zincated!Hope it helps and good luck!

problem with last 2 methods.. now i have to zincate aluminum..
another problem with last method is i can't find soo much chemicals (for free or not) and what the hell is potassium pyrophosphate? (i googled it.. googled everything.. found explanations)...darn it.. i'm puzzled.. still, i wanna do this :)

[chedabob]

to get a lot of amps, put a bunch of car batteries in series. you can weld metal with 3 of them.

[dgrmkrp]

10ks chedabob.. usefull to know :) i like welding..
but i was warned not tu use car batteries for this, as they are 24V.. and i need 6V(max12V.. i'm thinking psu :) ).. a power down transformer is out of the question(DC) and no way am i using resistors(i'll cause a fire!)..
so if am gonna do this, i either need the additives or i will wait longer(80 times longer..) with the simplest way, as the current intensity(A) only influences the speed of the reactions.. faster is bad, but i see no con if i go slower.. except t----i----m------e :) and that zinc thing is still bugging me..

edit: dang, i wanted to write that i've masked the front, lower piece, for cutting and drew where i need to cut.. i think i can improve the airflow in that part by cutting a bigger hole "down-under" and some holes in the sides.. calculated the surfaces and i should get a 120mm fan's surface, disregarding the fact that the intakes will be in 3D space, not directly infront of the fan... well.. i'll post pics in the morning..

[chedabob]

car batteries are 12v (well they are over here).

if you need six, just get like a 6v lamp or something, use some of the volts up (something tells me thats not right).

or grab a bunch of leds and make a led cannon :P

[dgrmkrp]

f you need six, just get like a 6v lamp or something, use some of the volts up (something tells me thats not right).
yep, not right.. the problem i have when requring so strict numbers is.. the strict numbers! basicly, i need a "generator" that can output 6V and keep the intensity at 80A.. now, if u look at anything out there u can find "x V", but there isn't anything that can vary intensity.. except in a laboratory or.. an electroplating shop :) and basicly 80 A is a huge amount of current.. think overclocked cpu @1.something V.. or all the apliances in a large building @110/220V.. this power will melt wires..

or grab a bunch of leds and make a led cannon :P
j/k? >> :) what should i do with it? ..hmm.. maybe if would connect a led at 5v/80A (vs 20mA) it would turn cannon-bumm on me :)

[dgrmkrp]

well.. did some more research, some hands on work.. will continue tomorrow.. some pics:
marked the cuts for the front plastic piece:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/f3ac000e.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/4de0ed7a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/46c1048e.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6b216009.jpg

redid the clip..from mild steel.. consumed a disc in the process:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/e0353028.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/b5bcf33b.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/e13f082f.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/99c96914.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/f7e38197.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/80b60b98.jpg

i used this jerry-rigged head for cutting:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/0eb557f2.jpg
(looks ugly, complex to assemble, but has much more strength when cutting)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/611c4258.jpg
..unfortunatelly, this steel was too soft.. i don't know.. guess it wasn't steel as i thought.. it was easier to bend than the aluminum.. both are 1 mm thick...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/0100ac33.jpg
but this gave me an idea.. nope, i don't wanna use the three prongs to fix the sonic tower.. but i like the black/white contrast :)

..So i started to cut the dang thing from 2.5 mm thick aluminum.. it's taking hellish long but the disc is not wearing as much.. this aluminum is still bendable.. if i can't do the clip with this.. i'll go to 3.5 mm hard aluminum.. heavier and trickier to cut..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/63f6aeec.jpg

..looking nice and i like how it's shaping :) i'm doing it a bit oversized.. but i hope this will be the final :) fingers crossed..

[dgrmkrp]

aaarg, i just wrote a post and my pc crashed... dam' winamp.. when it reaches a certain song, it crashes and takes my pc with it... so, i'll do a summary of what i wrote earlier..

back to modding.. the silvering process is on hold: no money, the clip is cut, but still too flimsy: i'll do a 4th version, but can't find 2mm steel around..

the front panel has been cut, holes are nice.. camera can't photo the shades of black, so no pic.. the front door has been masked and awaits for cutting and some grill material.. then bondo and paint :) long time......

because i have some (=lots of) scrap aluminum sheet, i took a learning brake from boring algebra (i have an exam tomorrow... bleah :-( ) and did this:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/1e7ecfab.jpg
2 pieces of 1.75mm aluminum (needed the precise size this time for CAD work)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/90255197.jpg
large piece vs antec side panel.. lots of stuff to work my brain on.. i'll use the smaller piece for now..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6065e9e0.jpg
what to do with this? any suggestions? as they will multiply in number
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/f6a1ab93.jpg
marked the fan/holes/bends..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/9f2d7769.jpg
bigger picture.. i mean from farther away.. the piece is loooong, but this is quite high quality aluminum..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/814cf2af.jpg
cut away the excess to allow better management of the big piece..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/a9451064.jpg
pieces cut, awaiting bending and further cutting..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/4350138b.jpg
my bending rig.. wheni don't have my 180+ pound friend to act as a vice, i have to use my foot.. remarkably, i got like 89 degrees.. close to square :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/bac2383d.jpg
bending done.. for this part.. 2 more to go..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/d7af58d5.jpg
small piece which will fix the hdds bent and tested.. perfect fit..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/8d0b4f4b.jpg
second piece done too..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/d894f49f.jpg
testing..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/5b909b73.jpg
2 scrap hdds in for testing and thinkering porpuses..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6a67b968.jpg
from another angle.. hmm.. i think it would be better with holes on the side..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/6d1d52d8.jpg
fan inside for fitting.. it fits =)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/08977248.jpg
dont know if i'll use this fan or another model.. i like blue leds a lot.. but i'll have to mod a fan to look good as there are some very expensive 120mm led fans here.. and just them.. no choice
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/434afbc0.jpg
i am now sure it needs more holes! it loks like a small... kitchen thing.. what do you people think? leave it white or strip it and make it silver? or paint it black?
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/1b96767c.jpg
this definetly wont do.. one large hole coming up..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/d1ad1336.jpg
this is how i made bending easier.. cut a very shallow groove with dremel and used that for bending.. if it werent the cuts, i would say this is cardboard.. but it's not, it's aluminum.. yum yum.. i just love this material.. so easy to shape.. i'm definately gonna do a case now :D
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/ad6c67ab.jpg
call me crazy but i attempted to cut the hole with this here.. almost worked, but i should have made sure it's bigger than the metal thickness.. it wasn't.. so i ended up with..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/8fb4e2a7.jpg
no problem though.. i made another blade.. but i'll probably use that on saturday morning only.. i'll be gone tomorrow all day long and i have to respect my neighbours.. i fear that loud music at day time ~ learning time and high pitched squeels after 4 pm ~ modding time, will make them angry ;)
see yous later..

[Kaej]

Thats a pretty sweet thang you got going on there. I tried to make my own HDD bay with an integrated 72mm fan but it turned out to be way to much trouble for me (no patience). And FYI, if you're gonna get something silver plated then i seriously reccomend getting it done by a pro. I based my A-Level chemistry investigation on electroplating and all i got was a whole lotta mess and pain trying to get Silver to plate out of AgNO3, so i'd get it done professionally.

[dgrmkrp]

thnx..
the drive bay is in it's 5th incarnation by now.. this is my 2nd attempt at actually building one.. i wanted as few pieces as possible.. but rivetting is also a solution.. you're right, it takes patience.. i can't picture myself drilling and smoothing n holes for the hdds :) but it will be worht it, as preparation for something bigger ;)

4 the silverplating: i was thinking of going pro.. that's what gave me the idea in the 1st place.. i saw a commercial loong time ago (easter holiday, i think).. it stuck with me.. at first, i was pndering a "silver" silencer.. with a silver painted case.. then it hit me.. i have a friend that is rally good with chemistry and her mom works at a lab.. so i asked her and she told me stuff.. wow.. i'm studying physics and electricity at university (electronic engeneering) and what she told me wasn't feasable fo me.. pros can do it, but they would still charge me lots.. so i pondered the DIY way.. maybe i'm wrong ;)

but hey.. if you know stuff about electroplating... :D help?
is there a way of doing this "acceptably"? i could get chemicals, pure silver and pure stainless steel.. and consume a bit too :) but i can't go the hi-wattage electroplating way.. time is not an issue :) the final product counts :)

eidt: after 5 hours of cramming $#|& in my head.. ok, usefull.. stuff.. for my next exam.. i unwinded by cutting the fan hole in the hdd cage.. and manually drilling the 4 holes for the fan :) also, i needed a fan to see if it all fits and i got the one "mounted" on my sonic tower.. so an experiment rose:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/5f51b901.jpg
temps go nicelly down :) when i fit it back.. so i have 2x120mm fans for intake@5V, 1x120mm exhaust set to low and one 120mm@5V sat between the towers of the sonic tower.. less noise :) i'm happy :) why? for the first time in a long time, my +12V is happier:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/c7a17e1e.jpg
this voltages and temps are sooo nice.. vs my old ones.. so, as an advice for those who have crappy no-name atx psus.. load the 5v more and unload the 12V ;) :)

[dgrmkrp]

i'm leaving for a few days and i'll be back on sunday hopefully :) have 3 exams to take care of.. wish me luck :) when i'm back, i'll go in overdrive.. at least with testing :)

[dgrmkrp]

people, i'm back and i'm gonna start thinking/working again..

i'm free now! i spent a week learning and taking exams.. interesting enough, i got 3 out of 4 and i got a perfect A at one :D it's funny, 'cause it makes me think how come i failed my exam the first time.. how can i put this.. i jumped from 40% (fail) to 100% (perfection) in 1 day and one night of doing weird maths :)

didn't have time for anything else... or did i? i have some new ideas and i bought some nice 120mm fans.. it has been a tradition for me to buy modding materials each time i failed an exam ;) so i did it again :) i've found red sleeving.. didn't buy it cause it doesn't fit.. with this mod here that is ;).. some nice zalman and thermalright heatsinks (u may find it funny, but i'm happy to see quality products dripping slowly in this part of the world, as i always reccomend them and people find it weird that they can't find that stuff without a huge delay and an online order..) and some video boards.. also, i've studied some AC silencers and found a disturbing thing.. i can modd an Ati5 (or any other for that matter) sink to work on my board and maybe keep it cooler.. but it would need a voltmod too, soo... i'm lazy..
well.. seeing as i'm back after a while without internet or pcs, i'm gonna browse to see what's new around :)
cheers!

[dgrmkrp]

hello everybody.. here are some more nifty experiments..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/686ec30f.jpg
take one mouse piece..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/686ec30f-1.jpg
.. and some black leather..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/0a6039e2.jpg
..basic shape after cutting with very sharp scissors.. tried with one pair and failed.. the leather is 2+mm thick...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/8b5145ab.jpg
..glued with care.. still, not perfect.. !: when using leather and glue, be very careful not to stain it! chemicals can burn the leather.. i used this to my advantage, but it could ruin a nice thing..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/8b5145ab-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/8b5145ab-2.jpg
..cut with scissors and exacto-knife..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/8b5145ab-3.jpg
mainly done..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/67ba752c.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/67ba752c-1.jpg
..test fit

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/67ba752c-2.jpg
when working with leather.. a really messy work area resulted :rolleyes:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/67ba752c-3.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/eb057937.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/eb057937-1.jpg
..some flames "burnt" into the leather.. superglue has this bad effect.. but it can be usefull for adding texture and shapes to the plain black leather..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/eb057937-2.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd9aa1ea.jpg
some holes for the fan to breathe out.. i think that these 3 holes are better than the previous ones..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd9aa1ea-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd9aa1ea-2.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd9aa1ea-3.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd9aa1ea-4.jpg
..this weird texture reminds of the alien mouse mod.. this is a.. alien leather mouse? :p

[dgrmkrp]

in the end, i got this:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/e84f6a54-1.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/e84f6a54.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/8387b2cd.jpg

i just learned how to modd leather.. yey!

so i got some ideas...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/e84f6a54-3.jpg
i'm wondering.. do i really need a glossy paint job? wouldn't this be more.. unique :D of course, i would need lots of leather.. more expensive than paint cans.. but hey?! what do you people think? :)

[DaveW]

I think that looks damn nice man! Good job!

-Dave

[Cevinzol]

Bah you beat me to it. I have a piece of leather with a gator hide pattern on it I was going to make it into a keyboard mod. but my shop is a mess.

Congratz on the mouse.

Leather is nice stuff to work with.
Upholstry and garment type leather is usually chrome tanned so they have a great finishe but don't stretch/mold very far.
If you want to have some real fun try wet molding vegetable tanned leather. you can carve, stamp and paint/stain it.

Super glue is hard to work with because it sets fast and its not flexable. You might want to try a contact type cement. You can get a little tube of barge cement for $3-4.

[Acey]

Man if you add some hair to the mouse.. it is a mouse! hahaha good job, love the leather mouse

[dgrmkrp]

10ks guys. i didn't have contact cement right now. just 3 small super glue tubes. i like super glue because it turns into a plsticly hard substance.. i can sand it and build upon it.. stil, i' keeping it in thin layers.. i used it becuae it's clear and i needed something to harden the edges of the leather.. i hardened them, sanded.. even filed with a nail file ;) and repeated until i had rounded edges..
the feel is great.. after one day of using the mouse.. it's like my tactile sensors never get bored! a leahter mouse is so much nicer than a plastic-with-leather-pattern one :)

LOL about the vegetable tanned leather.. i never heard of this before :) and the hairy mouse.. i'll remmeber this.. maybe a hairy monster pc with fluffy screen ;) A hairy mod! =))

[sabonis]

Hi dgrmkr , i have wrote you a private message about that things you posted on the page 12 . Please answer quickly :D . salut

[dgrmkrp]

why don't we, in our great boredom, take somthing i can replace.. like my silencer..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/7377c3cc.jpg
and take it apart, just for fun?
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/bd5d6f30.jpg
hmm.. maybe study it?
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/bd5d6f30-1.jpg
this is what cools my gpu? well, i knew that.. but i'm gonna think on how to make this better.. if possible.. it's good that i kept the stock cooler.. but it sure is ten fold louder :(
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/bd5d6f30-2.jpg
loooong ago, this started to annoy me.. i lost this.. gonna replace it with something more.. different >: )
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/bd5d6f30-3.jpg
and this is the beast that moves air so silently.. i must respect the guys who made it! i salute you!

and on a different level.. a friend gave e a nice idea.. gonna destroy something and maybe use what i take out :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/bd5d6f30-4.jpg
can anybody say inkjet printer?
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/cdf01e40.jpg
this works.. i tested it after taking everything apart.. goes both ways too :) i think this could work as a nice door motor? or something.. it needs some gears to reduce its speed, but i may use this for something :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/cdf01e40-1.jpg
uuu... coils.. just what i need .. and lots of fun nice looking electronics that don't work together anymore..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/cdf01e40-2.jpg
..this has no use.. at least, can't think of any..that reminds me: my mom got a nice idea after she saw the empty.. printer.. shell. she asked if a pc could be put in there :) nice idea :D not for me.. but maybe one day... i'll make something of it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/cdf01e40-3.jpg
this is my favourite! a 30VDC power suply.. it can pump out 15W :) with a nice voltage divider.. i could get this puppy to run..oooh... 2x~12V + 1x~6V.. and use a few fans in the process.. maybe i can adapt this to my wind-tunnels and cool the cpu 24/7 :) without drawing power from the psu.. sure, a relay or some transistors would be useful to turn it off..

but that's still far :) first, i need to find some steel and make a sturdy clip for the sonic tower...

[dgrmkrp]

hello everybody,
i'm back for a few minutes.. using a friends pc.. i bought a PSU today, in line with my no-name project.. i used to wish for an antec smartpower, but that's gonna go in another project.. for now, i've financially settled for a 33$ PSU, made by a weird chinese manufacturer ho doesn't seem to reply to mails.. the PSU is rated at...uuu... 600W.. of course, i don't believe that.. no1: it says 450W on the box it came in, it says 600W on the sticker and if i calculate the voltages x amps i get 620+... and after further browsing, i got numbers like 520W or even 350W.. anyways, i will not tell you more now, as i'm gonna test it in this PC i'm typing on ;) see u after the edit :)

[dgrmkrp]

...back from the dreaded school.. yes, it's 9 pm.. dang it, this year is so much more demanding.. can't miss as much as last year and it's taking sooo much time to do anything.. well, i tested my newish psu and it works smooth and quiet.. not a power pc cooling unit, but.. it works with 2 pcs, although it has that buggin-me wire.. one pc even works faster, as it's psu has a fried atx connector :dead: (btw, nice new smileys.. i love them:up:)

http://www.beareyes.com.cn/2/lib/200507/14/232/DSCN0012.jpg
this is it..

aaaanyways, i'm going back home in the weekend, because the folks that are responsible for my existence don't seem it fit for me to have a pc :( j/k, but i am going back to speed up the process.. hopefully, i will also find a cash source as i seem to have strechted my budget over the limits with the psu.. not because it's price, but the bastards that run the university charged me (errm, us) with enough cash to buy a dang power pc cooling PSU! :mad:

well, ... till then...
PS: :bunny: i have to use this lil fellow =))

[dgrmkrp]

hello all, like i said, i've returned to my home for a day or so.. and was faced with the prospect of cleaning up my room and paking some bags.. didn't really feel like it, so i modded some stuff, reinstalled windows.. the usual..

seeing that i take small pics with my phone, i decided to get a bit more concentrated worklog.. so, if possible, i'll merge 4 pics into one.. of course, for more details, i'll try and either buy a better phone/stand-alone camera or borrow something.. till then, image clustering!

now, i always wonder what would make my modding exercises unique.. because if i can't advance cooling.. aesthetics are next :) sooo, what's the most :alien: thing u could do? ok.. had to use the alien head... hmm.. how does a leather silencer sound?! it doesnt.. hihi

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c750ef14.jpg
typical workflow.. trusty scissors and chalk.. plus cyano-acrylate..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c750ef14-1.jpg

and finally, after half an hour or so.. :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/aec36d7f.jpg
tada.. dead silent.. yess.. it may be subjective, but this is genuine leather.. so it's dead silent.. hihi.. sorry for the cow..


On another plane.. i downloaded some pics from my phone.. with the psu.. stock for now, still thinking what to do with it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/aec36d7f-1.jpg
pictures of package and the dreaded sticker.. over-watt claims bugg me..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/aec36d7f-2.jpg
..still, nice looking.. maybe more leather??

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9fe90043.jpg
..satisfactory wire diversity.. i don't have a pci-x board yet.. but it's nice to know i have a psu ready for it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9fe90043-1.jpg
..jerks could have sleeved all the cables.. now i'll have to do it myself.. i gotta start from somewhere, don't i? i'm a bit afraid about the wires, but the trickiest has been done already.. now, if i could find some black sleeving.. hmm...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/095e7395.jpg
..test drive..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/095e7395-1.jpg
..voltages are much more..errr... well, the 12v is a whooping half a volt bigger than with my running psu, but the 3.3v is still to low.. hopefully, this is a mobo mis-report..

uuuuu...uu... i almost forgot.. i have a Q for some of you guys.. could get censored.. but this is something for history's sake, i had nothing to do with it.. just a lite birthday celebration with a few friends..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/601b2b36.jpg
what effect do you think this has on a working PC?;) 'cause after this evaporated, funny stains were in the PC's case and it worked.. not :dead:
of course, it did get fixed.. in a way..

till monday afternoon, cheers and happy modding..

[nzcubey]

hey not to sound critical or anything, but wont that leather heat it up? or just make it slightly warmer?
its a cool idea tho! i wanna do that to my mouse!

[dgrmkrp]

@nzcubey: criticism is good. and it's nice you noticed the small issue.. but! i'm a cooling freak :) i won't make things worse... so, no, it doesn't actually contribute to the cooling or heating of things.. it's just leather on a plastic shell.. the shell has a sole purpose of guiding the air.. :) of course, if i do observe instability or heat build-up... bye bye leather jacket, hello new silencer(even bigger this time).. although, i think it's safe.. so, safe, that if anyone wanna try this.. go ahead! it's fun to wrap and glue the leather and the finished product looks sooo.... leathery! oh, of course, leather is not meant to be used on aluminum, copper or chips ;) (although it would look sick.. in a hellraiser-cenobite kind of way.. it would probably heat things up this way..)

i'm going to start redecorating my environment.. i brought a 1/4cubic meter of modding materials and tools and will be probably buying more.. also, i moved all my speakers (raw drivers) here too, as i'm planning to do some other kind of big boxes too.. aaaanyway, i'm sleepy as i've travelled all night, so, seee you in a couple of hours :) i'm out:dead:

[dgrmkrp]

night everyone,
more experiments have begun.. there is a big lan up ahead in my area and i was thinking to enter.. just for curiosity's sake.. i don't have many mods done for now.. but i did buy yesterday a new soldering gun, some chrome paint, some carpenters glue... err.. not related :rolleyes:

system-wise, once again, i am using only 512 megs of my noname ram.. i can't get a stable system with 2 sticks.. i just hate it..

i've done some masking, painting and thinking.. i'm gonna do some cutting in the morning(maybe.. i have classes from 8am, that's 5 hours from now.. i think i'll pass...), and then the first part of my project will be completed.. hopefully, this week end i'll do some "good looking" mods, no hardcore stuff.. just trying to sprucen up things.. chrome flames, chrome accents.. some pin stripping.. aaah, the usual.. but i'm doing it freehand, no models.. so, i have some pics and stuff...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/c7dd9acb.jpg
i masked the panel with tape and drew some lines to prohibit me from cutting there, then i drew the flames in those areas, following a 45 degree slope, upwards, where possible..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/2b0ef1e3.jpg
..some more detailed flames..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/2b0ef1e3-1.jpg
..one tiny sig..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/2b0ef1e3-2.jpg
..the panel, marked for cutting and painting..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d1964cf4.jpg
..some of the masking removed..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d1964cf4-1.jpg
..layer one..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d1964cf4-2.jpg
..layer two..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/9d2647c2.jpg
..don't like this thing, but it won't be visible.. i'll cover it with the latch, painted to match the silver :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/9d2647c2-1.jpg
..tape removed, but not completely.. yes, i will cut, then!!! bang my head on hard objects if i scar the paint job..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/a0660264.jpg
..the sig.. this tells me i need to buy a sharpie/ quality cd marker and pin stripe everything.. more contrast :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/a0660264-1.jpg
..still, i like the end result.. it's not mirror-like, because i kept the black matte finish.. it has lumps from the start, so no orange peel ;), and after it cures i'll coat it glossy... don't know yet.. i'll wait a week or two...

[GT40_GearHead]

bloody hell

it looks very nice

must take e few more pics of it, try outside in sunlight, so we can see it in all its glory

[dgrmkrp]

:) 10ks :) i'll try with a friends cam.. 5mp :) gonna resize of course, but first! pin stripping!! gonna edit later.. oh, as i spent some time analyzing magnetic and electric fields today, i had some wacky ideas.. i think i'm gonna do more accents on the case.. in other places too.. edit coming..
edit1: i bought a nice and pricey sharpie with a very fine tip, to do some contours.. as i expected, it shows.. the flames are way more clean now.. i had some slip ups in the masking tapes.. well within tolerance's range, but i wanted it closer to perfection.. also, i started cutting the window.. did about 40%, but i had some unfinished business to attend to.. so i left my stuff as it was... Oh, not to forget, i had a level-up in soldering skills, after i found out my altec headset's in-line volume controller ...not inline... so i had to desolder the remaining 2 connections (out of 6 needed ones..) and redo them all.. took about an hour as i had to improvise a soldering station..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/1dd8d8d4.jpg
added some details too.. black on silver flames...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d537dc4d.jpg
i hate my phone camera more and more.. the "finish" is not even close to a mirror shine, but in real life, it still "does" some reflections.. not with the cam i'm using, oh no...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d537dc4d-1.jpg
i'm not sure.. i don't really like the idea of signing stuff.. but this makes the pc more personal..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d537dc4d-2.jpg
a wider shot.. you can barely see the cut in the upper part.. i will probably get some time to cut the rest today.. after my room mates go to school (i'm free :) ).. so i'll try and stick to my flames as much as possible..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d537dc4d-3.jpg
this is my new "soldering gun"... ok, it's big and not very precise, but that means only one thing: +skill and craftsmanship :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d537dc4d-4.jpg
and my soldering station... hmm... i have a lamp.. but it's not mine.. maybe next month.. i'll get something..
till next edit.. good night :)

[dgrmkrp]

hello all, i have some activity to report.. mostly for my memory, which is now flooded with countless electonics stuff..

been working on a project for a friend.. his nick name is "hamster", so we're making a box to fit a.. hamster...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/005fce47.jpg
a nice model designed in photoshop...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/005fce47-2.jpg
more work done...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/de6ec510.jpg
more work.. almost done... well.. done, but just one side.. case coming up..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/005fce47-1.jpg
..owner..


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/de6ec510-1.jpg
speaking.. of sound... a while back... hmm.. i have to share this too..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/de6ec510-2.jpg
..nice?
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/de6ec510-3.jpg
heavy...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/bba88675.jpg
really heavy.. 600W of 20-80Hz :D

[GT40_GearHead]

sweet sub

you could put some phonaabsorbant foam in it

[dgrmkrp]

true... will do that.. need more cash tho.. you know ;)... the foam, with or without the nice lil pyramids... it's a bit expensive here ;).. and i aint got no cash now.. also, we have now more than ..err.. less than 3kW :)

[dgrmkrp]

i'm once again happy.. i got a nice and nifty 6800gs to replace my 9550... i think this is an upgrade.. from 450mhz/4pipelines to 450mhz/12pipelines, from 540mhz ddr2 to 1000mhz ddr3 :D
on another plane of thought, i did some research and i'm doing some controllers, PWM style, which i'm gonna post eventually.. after all testing is done.. :) i love what i learn at university :)
gonna have some pics and exps in the morning... till then.. bye :)

[dgrmkrp]

as promised, i have pics of some of the stuff i've been doing.. 1 bad news, 4 me that is, my keyboard died and i gotta buy a new one :(

i've been working on a water-cooling idea, studying some .pdfs from arctic cooling, learning more about programming 4 the web.. and learning how to type with the on-screen keyboard.. till monday.. :|

b4 the kb died, i was working on my mouse:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d387b1fc.jpg
darn blue led wonttrack as good as the original red one.. so.. color change time :).. red and blue all the way...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d387b1fc-1.jpg
cut the old led..in w/t the new..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d387b1fc-2.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6fdbedf4.jpg
my workshop.. the lack of a kb made it this big ;)

some shots of the re-assembled mouse:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6fdbedf4-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/af94c0ec.jpg
added a blue ultra-bright led to counter the red light showing from the sensor.. a,my phone sucks..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/af94c0ec-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/af94c0ec-2.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5e207aa8.jpg
dark shots:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5e207aa8-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/5e207aa8-2.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1c2c8978-1.jpg
..replaced the bi-colored led with 2 separate leds.. also, they are not as bright or colorful (=annoying). the effect:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1d007f3b.jpg
red.. 600dpi
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1d007f3b-1.jpg
purple.. 800dpi

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1d007f3b-2.jpg
blue.. 1000dpi

more to come soon..

[dgrmkrp]

...some shots of my new video board, which satisfies 3 of my needs: gaing, modeling and a cooling challenge. performance-wise, this board is at least 4 times better than the previous.. but noisier.. unmodded..

so.. the box..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/924ed47b.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/924ed47b-1.jpg

plain and not very informative.. frequencies or nifty numbers are missing..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/eca772b2.jpg
THE box which contains the card.. sturdy packaging..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/924ed47b-2.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/159033c8.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/159033c8-1.jpg
typical set of accessories: dvi2vga, pci power express connector (yes! this card is agp but has a peg power connector! weird.. but useful..)

time for the card:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/865a334a.jpg
it'sbigger than i expected.. no problem tho :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/865a334a-1.jpg
power stage.. peg connector.. 3 or 4 phase voltage.. nice..
this needs cooling :D

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/865a334a-2.jpg
stock cooler.. thermally controled, but still whiny.. a bit lite when compared to the 6800 ultra. will change it :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/865a334a-3.jpg
i'm planning on using all the outputs in the near future.. so yay! for 3.. nothing new tho, as i actually wated 2 dvi ports.. i read lots of (partial and unrewarding) reviews and i've seen a model with 2..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/eca772b2-2.jpg
with the current setup, the back of the card almost hits the fan.. less than an inch clearance there.. and the latches of the dimm's could scratch off a few resistors if not carefully installing it.. getting crowded..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/fc6f715b.jpg
i had some problems powering up after installing.. i had to 'persuade' my mobo to start.. had to boot several times with no video adapter.. only then did it post.. i haven't routed the cables for final placement, 'cause i'm waiting for a sleeving kit, uv lights and some fans to arrive..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/eca772b2-1.jpg
end of "hard" part

on the software side.. using riva tuner and lots of read material, i studied the possibilities of my new acquisition. so, time for some info for those wanting to buy an 6800gs, agp8x, 128b video adapter:
the model i bought has an nv42 gpu, clocked at 450mhz, with 3 quads and 5 vp.. also, on the crippled 128b bus are 4 modules of gdd3 ram or 256mb of 1000mhz sweet memory.. i like this round number :) if it would have been an nv40, i might have able to unlock some gpu parts.. 1 quad and 1vp.. no luck here..

temperature wise, the core idles at 25~30 degrees and goes 60ish~70 after 6 hours of maxed out details in nfs carbon:)

noise wise, fan is loud at boot (over my 3x120mm 5v fans..) then quiets down, ten revs up when i start a 3d application.. i would change the cooler with a silencer, and will do it too, but there is a slight issue: 4 ram modules, parallel with the gpu, instead of the 8 modules, surrounding the gpu in a 6800/7800 fashion.. some modding may be required..

running 3dmark 2006, i got 2500+ marks at defaults.. i believe my cpu and memory may limit the performance.. will see in the future :)..

as i am low on cash now (card cost ~150$ with vat), a nv5 silencer mod will have to wait.. but i need a keyboard, as my skill with the mouse/on-screen keyboard is increasing at a scary level ;).. i've looked around for something to suit my needs.. and didn't have much luck.. so i ended up with searching the models in stock..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/KB-0512.jpg
i kinda like this.. if it can have lights built in to it.. oh, i can't find a good keyboard with leds and multimedia keys and not in a mini format.. argh.. there are some aspects i dislike and some i love in the above model.. if i buy it, i'll explain :)

[dgrmkrp]

hello everybody... i didn't buy the keyboard i posted yesterday... i instead shopped for a nice quiet and easy to type board... not very moddable, as it's a slim.. here it is:
http://www.a4tech.us/images/products/Accessary/kls-7mu-1b.gif
..hmm... i will do naughty stuff to it.. and it has a nice software.. headphone and mic.. usb port :)

on another note (man is this nice to type...), i bought some stuff today.. ICs and stuff.. and lost it.. man i suck... well, i need more parts :(

[NocturnaL]

Its lookn great so far. I wish you had a better camera so i could get the full awesomeness of this mod lol. Other then that its great i like what you did with the mouse

[dgrmkrp]

1st, thanks nocturnal :) (still, i don't have cash to buy a camera yet and i don't think i'll get one for x-mas.. i try my best with the phone cam.. :( )
2nd.. worklog time.. i have lots of things done.. will post only some, as i'm still experimenting with something..

i wanted to do something nice with my 6800.. and i had some bucks to spare too.. so i read reviews and reviews and... i bought "meself" a nice cooler:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/e210f1a6-1.jpg
..an accelero x1 :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/e210f1a6.jpg
..with 3 heatpipes, big aluminum fins.. i almost fell in love.. it doesn't have DHES... but...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/e1834398.jpg
it came with lots of stuff.. thermal tape, screws.. lots of them...

but it didn't fit my board.. one end was hitting the dvi connector, the other was "touching" the power components.. and the holes didn't line up! :( i thought about modding it.. but i found 2 downsides: 1. can't cut the heatpipes and redrill holes... 2. not clear plastic.. just black and shiny.. that is not to my liking, because i had something in mind :D

so i returned it, got my money back.. and bought my second option:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/ee0a34ee-1.jpg
hooray! an AC nv5 silencer.. only slightly worse than the x1 in reviews, with a clear shroud, direct heat exhaust and no heatpipes to hinder my modding process... the thing is that the heatsink must fit in such a way that it covers the HSI chip as well, as i still use a socket A with AGP.. :( i looked at the vf-900 and vf-700, some passive products from Tt and Zalman.. but they can't work properly..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/ee0a34ee.jpg
i got the usual in the package.. instructions.. won't need them.. heatsink for ram on the backside.. won't need that.. brackets for outputs.. don't need that either.. and the sticker :D i'll use that...

ah, before i proceed with the actual modding, i played a lil with the components i had laying around (i ran my pc with an g4mx400 in the process, so i could enjoy some nice long mixes..). it struck me that the stock heatsink wasn't that bad actually, from a design and structure point of view.. of course, the fan was the problem, 'cause it was loud in 3d mode..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/01a8edfd.jpg
stock heatsink: notice the high fin density... and the look of it.. i have to use it for something else.. i really like it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/01a8edfd-1.jpg
silencer heatsink.. less fins, further apart.. but taller and longer.. also, they kinda strike me as equally heavy.. so, more copper in the nv5, more aluminum in the stock..!? ok.. i would really like to see a silencer with this fin density, even if it wasn't that silent :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/01a8edfd-2.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/01a8edfd-3.jpg
side by side, you can see some wierd stuff.. my opinion of course.. size and shape differ.. after testing the installed cooler, i hear nothing, so the guys from AC rock (silently).

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/90a9f723.jpg
my fans compared... stock is small and whiny, altough it does move some air.. i'm thinking of reassembling and using it at 25~50% power and maybe mount the thing on my north bridge.. or sound blaster? :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/90a9f723-1.jpg
oooh, i had to see this.. it fits in a weird way and i bet i could make a "silencer" type thingy with some acrylic.. i may try it.. for something else of course.. maybe for a low power cpu?

..next post, nv5 mod :D

[dgrmkrp]

to the actual work now...
first, we take the bare card:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/7cfc0832.jpg
..which doesn't actually have the usual 6800 layout.. annoying thing.. the ram modules are placed non-standard, some holes are way-off.. or originally placed..(!?)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/90e61973.jpg
then i lose the sticker.. as it is in my way.. and stick it on some other transparent surface :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/90e61973-1.jpg
i marked the areas which conflicted with the components on the pcb..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/90e61973-2.jpg
started cutting.. man, copper is really hard to cut.. i used 2 and a half big discs for this.. and i mean big.. as big as the motor's hub in a fan (that's what i used to mark my discs when they were still apart of the grinder disc i use.. hihi).. still, i felt like it was going thru butter... copper butter :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/90e61973-3.jpg
first cut..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd7578c5.jpg
a notch here...


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd7578c5-1.jpg
i also cut away from the copper, which wasn't making contact with the memory at all in the top, so as to fit back a stock heatsink...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/dd7578c5-2.jpg
also, i have some plans for the motor.. as we all now, black fans and LEDs have rarelly been seen around.. so..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d54059e2.jpg
..silver blades :) nice and shiny.. i don't have the LEDs yet, as I'm pondering whether SMD or regular LEDs would be best...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d54059e2-1.jpg
masked the shroud for painting and added a lil' flame.. i was thinking what to add more.. and...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/d54059e2-3.jpg
here came this.. unoriginal tho.. i don't like it, but i have more plans for the shroud later on..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/91f521ee.jpg
prepped for silver coat..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/91f521ee-1.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/91f521ee-2.jpg
..silver coat on.. on the inside.. :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/91f521ee-3.jpg
test fit before final assembly (the inner/lower shroud is not installed yet)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/quick%20mods/91f521ee-4.jpg
final pic.. till now :)
one thing i have to note: the shroud isn't chromy in any way.. just a metallic gray.. the inside is super shiny tho.. :think: very annoying for me this is .. well, doesn't really matter, asi painted the inside silver for future lighting..
till next time, happy modding :)

[dgrmkrp]

Hi everybody,
i'm thinking of buying some stuff.. but i'm unsure, as i'm low on cash, yet i feel the urge to do something.. and as i can't find a big piece of mesh/plexi to use for my case's window... :(
So,
http://www.acryan.com/img/products_images/ACR-FK3831_250.jpg
red sleeving? this is the only one i can get.. at all.. (i'm limited to buying from one place, so i must choose carefully..)
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/pics/products/84_big.jpg
one of these as a top exhaust maybe?
http://www.acryan.com/img/products_images/ACR-CC5675_250.jpg
definitely some uv lights are needed to make the sleeving glow, right? i'm thinking of a nice palce to hide this.. also, my previous inverters went out with a "smoke", so i have 2 spare blue CCFLs.. hmm...

I wanted to ask you guys if red looks good? i mean, i want a black painted case (inside and out), with some lite silver/blue accents.. that means, i will install some leds to make silver fans led fans :) i'm wondering if red sleeving will look nice or not.. :think: the fan and the CCFL are on their way... to the shop.. i just have to decide on the sleeving... by, oh, today :)

[MDCS]

You've done a really good job on the leather. Nice trim too. And nice even cuts.

[dgrmkrp]

10ks MDCS :)
it won't be the last experiment.. leather is sooo nice to work with and is really good for adding 3d details.. as soon as i get my hands on a big leather piece of the stuff i used on the mouse and the ati2 silencer.. i'm gonna dress the nv5 too.. and maybe more stuff... i'm thinking keyboard.. and maybe front of case.. but i wanna do some structural work there before :)

back to my weird ideas.. i was thinking of adding something to the ideas section, but... hmm... if the silver sonic tower is too expensive/dificult to build... maybe something else... like an... "AQUA" tower... therefore, i would like to offer the ones who read this the mental challange to find problems this design i worked on has:

pics:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/gfx/2aedc2e7.jpg
basic housing, made from plexi..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/gfx/b9b8c964.jpg
the cooler itself...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/gfx/b9b8c964-1.jpg
any way of connecting the hoses is nice :) i would really like a program to simulate water and thermal flow..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/gfx/c9101bcd.jpg
i pondered on the proportions of the back side :) a lot..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/gfx/7f48b0a2.jpg
hihi, wouldn't it be funny to see logos on fins inside a waterblock ;)

Some explanations: i'm thinking (heated) acrylic (2mm), not too thick, transparent, glued with special glues and sealed with silicone? And a steady and patient assembling of the acrylic pieces.. they have to go round the tower, so.. care and attention would be important ;) The waterflow would be like in a double-pass radiator.. the water is forced in half the space, then it passes thru a back chamber and goes to the other half, then exits.. the middle separator (not shown, as i'm not sure yet) would be made of some filler/adhesive sandwiched/injected between the middle fins, so as not to allow water flowing thru. the barbs are just for show, as i may end up using anything handy, from 3/8 to 3/4" size.. plastic or metal..

why would i consider this at all u ask? well, first, i don't have the money to buy a nice waterblock, no machine to build one of my other designs(which involves milling thick copper...) and lots of spare "CPU" time :P

this is like a version 1... well, after lots of tweaks and area/sections maths and boring stuff.. plus, it has to look good... and even though the sonic tower isn't the most efficient heatsink, it's performance with 2 12cm fans is wowish.. and noisy, so i thought that maybe immersing it in flowing water would do miracles :D (maybe not as good as a jet impingement block, but hey, no mill..)

one issue i can point out myself is weight.. i think a thru mobo and case mounting
would be best.. and maybe even a small piece to connect the cooler to the strengthening bar of the case... i don't know..well.. this is just another experiment.. i just want some opinions :)

[dgrmkrp]

yeeey!!! got my ordered stuff... and tried some of the sleeving :) it's cool... and pink/orange :) and the ac12 fan is really silent... aah, the uv ccfls are quite cool too.. almost unseen.. and yet, the effect is nice.. have to sleeve my psu, but that has to wait as i have to build a secons sli/amd rig for a friend :)loong day awaiting :)

edit:
got some pics of the stuff i did :)
some sidetracking:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/015023dc-3.jpg
simple case, because this PC mustn't look like a gaming machine :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/870420ce.jpg
insides: asus m2n4-sli board, am2 3000+/stock cooling, 512ddr800, 160gig hdd, x800gto and a light-scribe dvd-rw :) nifty and useful.. this is a simpler version of the pc i worked on yesterday.. got no pics of that.. same mother board, but 1 gig of ram, 600 gigs of hdd space, and a 3500+... only one video board for now.. but i have plans ;)

my pc:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/0467ee6e-1.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/0467ee6e.jpg
before installing some of the new stuff...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/015023dc.jpg
behind the white curtains :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/015023dc-1.jpg
uv :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/project%20noname/015023dc-2.jpg
...uv :D
this was my first attempt at sleeving :) i managed to go with the wrapping over the connector without ripping it apart :) but soon, i'll try my luck with the psu...

[NocturnaL]

Yeah , i hear you with the whole camera issue. But this mod is looking very nicely so far. I like the watercooling idea you have going. Did you make those designs?

[dgrmkrp]

10ks... i try to experiment a lot :) and maybe one day i'm gonna build my dream machine :) but we all gotta learn some way, right?

about the designs, let's jsut say i don't sleep good at night.. and just 3 things pop into my mind and help me sleep.. :) one is keeping things cool :D and i wanna share some thoughts with people interested :) 3dsmax helps more than paint ;) also, i try to put some thoughts behind my designs.. who knows, maybe someone will build this.. if not me :)

[dgrmkrp]

hi everybody :)
i'm happy right now.. i've been fiddling for about..oh.. 6 hours... why u ask? well, at first, while trying to sleeve my psu and after i managed to sleeve some cables without removing the end-caps.. i had to remove the 4 pin molex connectors.. and surprise, no tool.. so i wondered what items around me could substitute.. ??

i tried paper clips.. guess i'm not that good with them.. tried a ball-pen and took that apart.. i heard that u could use those.. i couldn't.. i knew how a pin remover looks, so i tried to fashion one from a piece of metal.. to be more precise, the metal protection off of a floppy disk.. it worked for about 4 or 5 pins.. but i cut my fingers open in several places.. nasty.. so, what else could i use? well, after further studying the anatomy of the connector "wings", i tried with a screw driver.. a small one, used for those small screws we have in watches and stuff :) took me a pin to adjust but then they all popped right out

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/be58f51b.jpg
me and my work bench (bed) :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/be58f51b-1.jpg
pins removed :) the begging

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/be58f51b-2.jpg
heating things up with.. {pause...}

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/96b9d258.jpg
...a hair drier! courtesy of a friend :)


i skipped a few stages cause i was to into the sleeving thing :) and after all that cutting, heating and waiting.. some crappy pics with my phone :( ;)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a711c513.jpg
a uv test before putting my stuff in

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/08256ece-2.jpg
the inverter and my first try at sleeving.. small cables, no need to remove the connectors.. first try with heatshrink too.. i used an open flame for these.. but i kinda burnt.. myself :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/12d05d75.jpg
tangle of wires that can reside at the top of the case.. for now..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/08256ece.jpg
wires coming down like a orange fiery snake :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/12d05d75-1.jpg
..power goes to the hdd drive and video card..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/08256ece-1.jpg
..future wise, i kinda played with some zip-ties.. there will be a fan at the top eventually...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/96b9d258-2.jpg
pic of case... i really need a new camera.. :( maybe i will gather the nerve and ask my folks.. i wanna save some bucks for more modding stuff... :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/96b9d258-1.jpg
a bit more light from my screen.. and u can almost make outthe traits of my case..

well.. i think i'm going to do one more thing tonite :) either paint something or read some stuff...

[DaveW]

This is a great mod, but i hope someone gets you a good Camera this Christmas. ;)

Was wondering what you'd been upto, as i hadn't heard from you in a while! Anyway, progress is progress, keep it up! :)

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

well, dave... i had to spend some money to pay a fine.. darn government and darn police.. it would have the difference to make my card a 6800gs with 256b bus and 512MB ddr :( and school is taking a lot of time this year.. and i have some voluntary work stuff too.. hmm.. :( i'm too busy. can't wait to get home.. and do some modding/relaxing/eating :D i'm very sorry i didn't have much time to do/learn more programming stuff (for the other project i've been working on).. even CAD work is getting ever so rare.. in exchange, i know how LCDs/RAM/flash/transistors work.. "intimately".. ;) and lots of other stuff that one day may end up in a nice build.. a really nice one.. i'm studying SMDs (hobby) and digital/discrete circuitry (university) at the moment and find these subjects quite compelling :D ..unfortunately, i chose to work on a newspaper once a week (it's fun, but for free) and have to earn some cash to buy stuff.. that is not on my parents shopping list ;) i don't get it why they don't understand my need for water cooling ;) and a new mobo/cpu etc..

update: i've been painting a fan for a while (the AC 12)... it looks nice, but the paint doesn't stick too good on aluminum.. hmm... i like silver/chrome.. also, i gotta buy like 2 dozens blue leds when i get home and think of a nice usage.. i did actually, but i want dimmer leds, not the super brite ones..

i'm looking at a good hdd cooler too, with heatpipes, although i'm not sure i'll buy one.. and a nice north bridge cooler.. i want as many heatpipes as possible :) found some, but they aren't the best..

waiting for paint to dry.. will go to sleep and see what results are..

[NocturnaL]

Very cool my friend, im about to buy you a camera so i can get the full effect from this mod lol. Keep up the good work

[DaveW]

i don't get it why they don't understand my need for water cooling and a new mobo/cpu etc..

Yeah, what's with that, eh? Can't they see how important it is? ;)

Anyway, sounds to me like you got a firm grip on Student life-don't worry about coding for now, things have taken a subtly different direction recently.

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

thanks guys :) i appreciate the support :) and thanks for the camera :) i have lots of plans in mind and lots of stuff i wanna do.. but it's like, in 20 mins i have to go to school.. then stay there 6 hours.. come back, pack my stuff.. sleep.. go back to school tomorrow till in the evening and then go home.. busy busy.. and i wanna do so much stuff :( well.. got to go :(

[dgrmkrp]

hi everybody and merry Christmas to you all!
i'm home and all my stuff is working again (had some troubles with windows.. darn thing, it's like it knows when my pc is moved.. creepy)
i won't be doing any modding (or so i think) 'cause i've had to leave my tools back, but i wanted to post a pic of my pc before "shipping" it home..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/pc_december_2006.jpg
..i'm planning on cutting the flames, sanding them smooth (not sharp.. an idea that passed my mind, tried it, and cut my foot in the process.. :)), removing the existing paint (all of them), repainting the panel piano black and adding flames.. then finishing it with several clear layers, to get the piano look :) or maybe something else? i have several nights to think this thru :)

till then, i'm gonna spend some time with my folks and maybe do some 3D work.. cause i feel like it... :)

oh, if these are my last words this year.. then.. Have a good time with your families! :)

[dgrmkrp]

...after a long time at home.. with nothing to set me back (school hours, long night drinking sessions or such ;)), i've been doing 2 things mainly:
a nice new fan controller... which works in a very efficient way, i might add.. pic time:

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1756/pwmv04lq6.jpg
..this is the 4th topology i tried.. this is getting very close to what i can do right now.. schematic is from wikipedia, indirect link, but i tweaked some values and changed a part here and there.. this is a 'pulse generator' :D

i control the circuit from one knob.. the ! and by varying this resistance (can tweak it to be a linear control or even a logarithmic control :D by adding some stuff), i vary the noise/speed/cfm of my fans :) and not just one! this baby should control up to a few dozens of watts (the v3 could keep even 120W under control, but i sacrificed some control), not just 10,15 or 20 watts..

this is how it works, for those that wanna know but don't feel like reading thru hours of materials all over the net and in.. the books.. scary place..

while normal fan controllers vary the amplitude of the voltage, giving the poor fan less than 12V.. this type of control gives the fan pulses, 12V in size, but varying in duration.. so, the fan receives it's nominal voltage needs, but is allowed to take a break too :) PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) in principle, can be used as a fan controller, a strobe light driver, an ignition coil driver or even an audio amp...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/331dde0f.jpg
..this is the controller set on low.. this means the pot's resistance is close to zero, and the other components in the circuit determine the minimum duration of the pulse.. i don't wanna have a total off position because i plan on using some other options to tweak fan speed..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/a809f880.jpg
..turning the knob on the higher side of the resistance side ;).. we get a longer work time and a smaller (it can never be zero, but it gets really close) pause.. this means the fan will work a lot more and move more air.. generate more noise:(

i know i've taken extreme shots.. so. i also have a nice video of the circuit's response.. i turn the speed down in this video.. hope the effect is seeable :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/th_pwm_v04.jpg (http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/?action=view&current=pwm_v04.flv)

what i have to mention is that, as you can easily spot in the pics, the max voltage isn't 12V, but 11+.. this is because the components eat some voltage too.. that's why, if this thing passes the prototype stage, i'm gonna have a nice rotary switch to allow my fans running in off/5V/PWM/12V mode.. i still have some doubts regarding the functioning of this contraption, as fans have a variable resistance while working.. i know it's high, but not how high :) oh, another shortcoming (at leat in the fan drive theory) is the pulse frequency.. i tried building a fully customizable pulse generator.. frequency and duration.. and kinda failed.. or at least, i didn't get the response i wanted.. it did lower the apparent voltage to 6V.. but that wasn't my goal... i wanted 3% to 97% of 11V.. and failed on th elower end.

why would i want to control the frequency of pulses? because you can hear it indirectly.. the pulses translate into switching noises from the fans ICs, which are there even if u use DC, without PWM.. the problem could get more serious, and i've seen it with the other design(v3), which i built and tested.. by varying frequency, noise is also controlled.. if i where to use a frequency higher than what we could hear, i would have problems only with animal rights activist :) but could sleep at night ;) my best design yet achieved only a frequency of 2KHz (need more than ten times this value to be in the safe zone.. >20KHz).. after i build this puppy (next week i think, when i get back together with my tools :D and have a nice long time to spare)..
oh, basically, i wanna get my fans really slow when needed and do that by reinventing the wheal to fit a larger one :D (mobos have some kind of PWM, think asus Q-fan or the newish board sporting 4-pin CPU coolers)

..the other thing i did during late nights was.. (warning, should be in the crazy idea thread, but i couldn't find one :D) this.. heat-pipe extreme...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/0612d288.jpg
..start of the idea.. an all fanless design.. but with the ability to turn the things cooler.. the other side is a huge piece of aluminum with fins.. design not final..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/44411a96.jpg
..more heat pipes..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/44411a96-1.jpg
..err m.. looked at the specs of the oo so quiet ac3 fans and surprise.. the new ac12L are even more quiet.. so i used 2 of those.. and maybe added something to the video side of the story.. still working on this.. it looks good and it should do wonders (8mm heat pipes used all over, except on the ram).. but i'm thinking is this do-able? my work-flow in max is by nature mimicking the natural way.. but.. need some critique :) if anybody likes this, i can do blow-ups.. maybe someone with the money backing would try this :) i sure would like it, but no heat pipe maker close by (i'm gonna try and mail the company mentioned looong time ago.. again)

[Mitternacht]

But, is the motherboard gonna boot up if it doesn't sense a CPU fan? My computer won't even attempt to boot windows if there's no CPU fan detected.

[dgrmkrp]

depends on the mobo.. and there is a setting in the BIOS to allow for this (cpu fan alarm or something).. i actually did run almost fanless.. i had only the exhaust working on low.. and no other fan was running/connected.. and the case fan has no yellow wire.. so all i got was a red warning near the cpu fan rpm at POST time :) depends on the mobo, but if u think how many fanless heatsinks are out there.. and that there are water-coolers that also sport no fans at all... newer mobos should allow running nothing at all...

[Mitternacht]

depends on the mobo.. and there is a setting in the BIOS to allow for this (cpu fan alarm or something).. i actually did run almost fanless.. i had only the exhaust working on low.. and no other fan was running/connected.. and the case fan has no yellow wire.. so all i got was a red warning near the cpu fan rpm at POST time :) depends on the mobo, but if u think how many fanless heatsinks are out there.. and that there are water-coolers that also sport no fans at all... newer mobos should allow running nothing at all...

Only for the innovators. :D

[dgrmkrp]

=)) kinda came out funny =))
almost reminds me of a 486 board i had looong long time ago.. it had everything on-board.. and no fans at all.. even the ram was partly integrated :) i think intel and amd are going back to that design (integrate everything in the northbridge/cpu).. except with fans :)

[sirkillalot617]

hey did you draw those heatpipes if so waht did u draw them in

[dgrmkrp]

draw? :) if it were that simple.. i use 3d studio max... and the bends should be do-able in real life.. most of them.. the heat pipes are shapes, with an 8mm thickness, at first, tracing the 'path' of the heat pipe going thru the blocks and making contact with the radiator.. of course, to make it look like a heat pipe, i used a controlled reflective orange(copperish) color with a slight bump map :) that's how i drew them :)

[sirkillalot617]

ahh i get it now i think iv got that program somewere on my pc

[GT40_GearHead]

one problem.....

for a heatpipe to work the hot end has to under the level of the cold end, so the GPU cooler would not work, and the rest of the sistem for that matter, because you are looping the pipes downwoard
think about it, the way heatpipes work is this vapors rise from the bottom to the top were they condense and due to the cold walls, and fall back down in the hot bottom end

but i must say you did a great jog drawing them

[DaveW]

for a heatpipe to work the hot end has to under the level of the cold end, so the GPU cooler would not work, and the rest of the sistem for that matter, because you are looping the pipes downwoard
think about it, the way heatpipes work is this vapors rise from the bottom to the top were they condense and due to the cold walls, and fall back down in the hot bottom end

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the design of them means that hot vapor is forced through to the other end, so it doesn't matter which way up it is.

+Rep for another magnificent update.

-Dave

[GT40_GearHead]

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the design of them means that hot vapor is forced through to the other end, so it doesn't matter which way up it is.
-Dave

you have a point there and i dont know that much about the subject to say if you are right or wrong
the best argument i can come up right now is this: bit-tech had a pcu heatsink test some time ago, and they made a note regarding some coolers, something like "only three pipes out of six will work, because only three of them are going up"



of to find some proper info....

[dgrmkrp]

:) well... gt40, you would be right.. and are in 80% of cases.. a poorly designed heat-pipe relies on gravitational force.. but, then.. it's not actually a heatpipe.. it would be more like the tube that the waterchill use.. that kind of pipe needs some form of direction, but a nice heat pipe is made of small cavities that promote capillary action >> fluid (one that wets the tube) goes up against gravity if the tube is small enough that the curvature the fluid forms is so tight, that it makes it 'crawl' on the tube's walls (the force pushing would be 'heat')... and, after reading a bit, i found out that 'they' even make 'em with ridges of some sort in some heat pipes interior walls and also add a wick! and an evolutionary development are sintered powder pipes (i don' know the exact mechanics inside of these..).. i asked and it seems they are some sort of spongey metal.. and i do know that a normal pipe has low pressure fluid inside, something water or alcohol based, but i have no idea what kind/type of coolant the sintered powder ones use..

aanyway, good (expensive?) heat pipes should work irrespective of orientation, but maximum efficiency in case of normal pipes is achieved when used in a heat-goes-up configuration.. oh, i forgot to say that this 'system' had originally a desktop layout, with the video array at the bottom, sucking air thru (somehow.. not quite decided..), and the big aluminum radiator on top.. so the mobo would be 'hanged'.. also, in this way, in case i had to manufacture my own pipes (buy copper plumbing pipes, like the ones used in interior heating), of low quality and questionable functionality (cut them, curve them, fill them with 'something' and then seal them), i would take advantage of the hot and cold orientation.. of course, with a nice commercial sintered powder pipe (i've been sending some more mails, hopefully i can get a few).. the system could be mounted in any way :)

[dgrmkrp]

oh, dang, i forgot about something... should have posted this earlier

1st, thanks to both of you for reading :)

2nd, i finally got some money and wanted to buy a pump.. for one of my hidden and deepest fantasies: water cooling :twisted:

so, several months ago i found a nice 1200L/h pump, AC powered, similar to eheim's products, but from a lower brand, at a local fish-stuff store. being the only model not submersible, it was perfect :p of course, faith has a funny way of dealing with this situations.. and today.. not only did the shop didn't have it in stock, but none of the guys who worked there half a year ago are there anymore.. i spent half an hour trying to tell them what i was looking for (the first guy got in one sentence), with no success :( well, i'm gonna try again when i go to school.. maybe i'll find a bigger fish-shop.. :bunny: 'till next time..

[NocturnaL]

Wow those models look amazing man...what program do you use?

[dgrmkrp]

3d studio max, v8 sp3... there is v9 available also.. but it's pricey, 3k$+.. some kind of university program is best if u want a non-demo version.. for free.. ask someone if they can give u a copy.. here, you have to ask the right person and be a student and be able to prove that :)

[sirkillalot617]

hey just noticed this was ur mod likin it loads

Nocturnal iv pm u about that program

[dgrmkrp]

10ks

to the mod!:
last night, between 3 and 4 am, while trying to get asleep, i had a couple of 'visions' :D so, now i need the folowing:

#2 square meters of black leather or similar, artificial stuff (do-able..)
#0.25 sq. m of plexi (can do)
and..
#some copper (!?)
#drill with table (the article i read about making water blocks totally shattered my insecurities) and clamps (!?)
#a donor water cooling kit >> 120mm rad (keep other parts until i get more money)
#lots of solder (check)
#open-flame device thingy (do-able)
#time.. gonna need a month plus, till exams pass.. and i pass them too

so, a question... i can get the 3D galaxy and Tt big water (the kit with single and dual rads).. budget-wise and shipping-wise.. which one should i go for??

[sirkillalot617]

copper eh!! your not doin what i think you r :) also makin my own watercooling kit aswell

[dgrmkrp]

:D weeeellll, my heart won't let me destroy the current config i have.. i absolutely love the sonic tower! but if i can design something to get the temps lower (i have 36 degrees now.. no noise unless i turn every other thing in the house off..).. 10 degrees lower in same conditions :D.. also, i'm gonna go full out then and use a peltier.. if i can find one.. i'm googling some specs now on and see if i can design my own power supply for it :) anyways, i like my pc a lot.. gotta convince my parents to give a couple of buck.. ok, a bucket! to buy some new stuff, materials and components.. i think this will happen in the summer.. but before.. i can still play around with my own bucks :)

[sirkillalot617]

lol just get whatever money u can i say stuff like u still need to give me back that tenner which shes already givin me about 2 times already

[NocturnaL]

Thanks sirkilla, appreciate it...and great work dgrmkrp looking forward to seeing more

[dgrmkrp]

Hi everybody :)
Got my hands on a 5MP camera for a few minutes.. and it's cable :D
Got this out:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/946cb151.jpg
case.. with markings..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1d3eb601.jpg
my sleeving and cabling..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/1d3eb601-1.jpg
another shot..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ed400437.jpg
night shot... hmm... not much..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ed400437-1.jpg
my night light, under the desk.. yep, it's a light from an LCD :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/659b565f.jpg
..the inverter

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/659b565f-1.jpg
..old psu, amplifier and it's cooling 'solution'

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c241745f.jpg
..front end..

.. i'll hopefuly get more pics when i do more stuff :)

[DaveW]

Glad to see you got a new camera, but you need to pull back a bit from stuff you're snappin! Can't tell what some of your stuff is! :)

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

@DaveW: sorry, the camera acts a bit different than my phone :rolleyes: but i'm getting the hang of it.. never used it before and.. it's not that complicated, but i have no control over zoom and i'm actually taking the photos from 30cm.. cause if not, i would have been forced to reposition the stuff... well, next time i get my pc open, i'll shoot more stuff, and be more careful:D

the unrelated stuff is under the table i keep my keyboard and screen on.. there is a 12" woofer there, not used, that acts as a support for my pioneer amp :) the cooling i rigged there consists of 2 8cm /5V led fans connected to the (hot-wired) psu i used in my computer a long time ago.. also, for convenience and 'eccentricity', a CCFL tube is taped under the table.. i can put my keyboard on my knees and type at night.. if needed.. or study :)

more pics.. i've been toying with the macro feature, but now i see the importance of a tripod.. or a rock steady hand :)

mouse pics this time:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9bb8b20e.jpg
..the flash makes everything shinier and i can't see any flakes with my naked eye.. !?.. well, i have to learn how to shoot these scenes.. it's kinda harder in real life.. than in 3D :|

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3ec3722e.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3ec3722e-1.jpg
..'day' shots

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/3ec3722e-2.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2fb099ee-1.jpg
..night shots

.. the first pics show that a steady shot is impossible right now :) i'm sleepy and can't focus myself.. and the flash is over-powered.. :)

..till next time, happy modding

[DaveW]

You need to extend the exposure time and get a tripod. I actually wrote a photography tutorial, but i need to find it...

...ach, it's in a folder with the million other things i've written and not posted. Just too damn busy these days.

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

i thought of that.. but all i can find in the menu is is the iso setting.. and an EV setting.. hmm... i should toy with them.. i know a bigger iso is for darker shots.. i read some articles on tomshardware, but i guess i just didn't need that info.. till now :) well, more exposure and a tripod.. hmm.. no tripod.. will improvise :) still, i have to hand write 150 exercises and half a note book of courses.. damn time... i wish i could overclock myself..

[dgrmkrp]

Well, like i promised, i fu..dged another exam.. grrreat... so, i bought myself a new mouse :) i had an a4tech x-710 and now i have a x-750 (laser, 2500dpi :D)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/33b9b09f-2.jpg
..mouse in the .. nope, box and mouse out of it :) notice the nice under-belly..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/322c92a2-1.jpg
..i gave my other mouse to a room mate and i got his in return, to mod :) this is the stock version..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/322c92a2-2.jpg
..mouse disassembled

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/81b244d3.jpg
..starting to glue leather..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/81b244d3-1.jpg
..trimmed version..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/33b9b09f.jpg
..after some fine cutting and gluing and cutting..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/33b9b09f-1.jpg
.. here's some potential.. i have a thing in mind :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/322c92a2.jpg
..how it looks now, after i ran out of glue.. hmm... till tomorrow..

[sirkillalot617]

nice mouse you got there

[GT40_GearHead]

that is theexact mouse i have, main is red

a4tech thing, right?

[dgrmkrp]

10ks.. yes, it's an a4tech.. which one do you mean? the blue one? or the black one ;) :)

back to my crazy mice mods..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4af36ed3.jpg
the victim.. the "gold-plated" connector.. comparison with normal usb plug.. nice surface and logo - will soon be gone..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4af36ed3-1.jpg
..triple fire button (3x click).. side buttons and side grip.. i will try and keep the side grip as it's nice and rubbery and does its job nicely..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4af36ed3-2.jpg
..mugshots of the victim..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/67e70d2a.jpg
..the laser sensor and the stuff on the belly..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/67e70d2a-1.jpg
..front to back and a nice foot pic.. this model uses black feet, as opposed to the white ones used in other siblings..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/67e70d2a-2.jpg
..dismantling and checking cut-ability and mounting system..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d802d3fb.jpg
..frame and weight.. same model as in my other mouse (x-710), with the same x-708 (ancestor) marking.. 18 grams..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d802d3fb-1.jpg
..guts 1.. laser diode and it's small circuit.. roomy design.. just some caps in my way, but doable.. again, lots of room with nice and neat organisation and button placement..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/d802d3fb-2.jpg
..guts 2.. the bi-color diode (will be replaced with 2.. red ones.. maybe), more markings and birth date.. laser from side... small height, perfect for what's next..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c768de75.jpg
..top part and ... lower top part..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c768de75-1.jpg
..mask/markings for cuts.. ignore the 'dots', i have..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/c768de75-2.jpg
..ta da.... . ..ta.... da... ta da..ta da..tada... (jaws theme).. stuff i was planning on using with the dremel on the poor defenseless mouse..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/78378b0b.jpg
..usual leahter works.. this time, i'm thinking on something more refined.. so, lots of glue and sanding will go to waste to achieve a plastic integration.. with the palstic... errm... hopefully, you'll see what i mean..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/78378b0b-1.jpg
another was sleeping..cutting work.. i used the soldering gun to melt thru the plastic and then a sharp cutter to sculpt it to the desired form.. coouldn't use the drill cause it broke - a room mate stepped on it.. he was ok.. (for a while at least..) and another was (is) asleep, so, no noise..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/78378b0b-2.jpg
..this leather, although from the same patch, is different than the other one i used.. so the model is different.. the pics show how rough the cuts are.. need a lot of glue and sanding to make the 'grills' look good..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/63aa5761.jpg
..i've taken out lots of material inside to make room for the fan.. haven't got it, but it should arrive on order.. a 30x30 or 35x35 or 40x40mm fan, native on 5V.. from sunon hopefully.. 5 of each for nice experiments.. and for other mice too...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/63aa5761-1.jpg
comparison with old mouse.. younger brother... older build.. hmm.. weird.. the x-750 is slightly bigger, which i don't get.. as there is room inside, the circuitry wouldn't require a bigger housing and the added cost of another set of molds.. aaa... never mind :)

that's it for now, i'm gooing to sleep.. i'm gonna need some cash to buy like 35 grams of super-glue and some leds.. will check my stash.. i'm planning on making 'side skirts' of leather too.. and lacquer the remaining plastic piano style.. and make an inside cover for the electronics .. and add some filters in intake side.. a chromed wire mesh will do this trick.. the theme is black and red.. the output is over cut and needs some reshaping.. also, 2 more slits have to be cut on the last layer, thru the leather, cutter has died.. mm.. snapped :|

till now i've spent more than 12 hours on this.. but it was worth it.. i think i'm not even half way though.. so, yesss, i have hidden plans..

oh, because the mouse has no native lighting, i guess i could make it any color i want.. if you think blue is better.. post :)

[dgrmkrp]

..continued.. after another day of work i have kinda finished the external body work.. now i have a real wide-body kit.. not only was the mouse bigger than my last, now it's 2~3mm bigger in all dimensions.. i lost some blood and my head hurts (hunger or rum may have something to do with this..), but i am a tad happy and maybe even proud of myself.. pics:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v60.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v61.jpg
stuff ready for further mayhem.. that's my phone.. k300i... it can do nice shots with proper light.. or maybe not..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v62.jpg
work bench..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v611.jpg
side shot.. the side intakes are being sculpted by adding a layer of super glue to toughen the leather and then sanding.. repeat until i get a rounded, cvasi-organic form, not to symmetric, not to weird.. something a bio-mecha mouse would 'grow' to adapt..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v612.jpg
..closer shot.. still can't focus right.. i need the flash, but it's not available in the macro mode.. so my handshake blurs everything..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/01.jpg
shots of the wire-mesh installed from the inside structure.. i used the soldering gun to heat the mesh in some points and pressed it against the mouse.. it liquefied and bonded..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/02.jpg
more shots.. the intakes have chrome mesh and the exhaust has copper mesh.. looks nice.. and with some lighting.. <??>

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/03.jpg
..blood shot.. i heal to fast.. i'm wolverine's cousin... :D but i shed some blood.. you can see how blood trickled to the back side, flooding my nail..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v614.jpg
..top side.. under construction still..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v615.jpg
..compared to the first version..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v618.jpg
..another shot...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v619.jpg
..more.. more side intakes, on both sides hopefully will assure more airflow..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v622.jpg
..more.. i have to do something with that weird thing i bet you can see near the 3xfire button.. i had to do it like that because the top-most layer wouldn't fit.. not even the stock did that well.. they chose a very weird mounting mechanism..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v623.jpg
..more.. hopefully the new 'design' of the vents will make it stronger.. i didn't wanna make them wide and with small struts.. looks interesting.. don't like it 100% tho.. have to experiment more..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v625.jpg
..more.. you can see the only stock remaining part, although it has been sanded to remove the markings for the speed changer.. the middle section will be kept like that, cause it works best IMO..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v627.jpg
..more.. see? it's not just the perspective.. the new model is bigger..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v628.jpg
..more.. weird... the older is blacker.. hmm.. need black die paint and can't find it..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/mouse_mod_v629.jpg
..more.. by extending the leather area i hid the side buttons and will hid further mods better.. this is like a tank.. no more sports car.. i have a NOS escalante :D

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/IMG_1847.jpg
..assembled and buttons tweaked to .. work.. when building something up, like thicknesses, it's nice to check and tweak.. i don't want a leather piece of furniture.. i want a functional mouse..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/IMG_1848.jpg
maybe is should paint everything black? some acrylic and die paint? hmm.. still possible..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/IMG_1849.jpg
..slit made for the switch that will control the fan.. man, i have so many ideas to go with the roomy inside: resistors, fan, fan control?

..because i'm dead tired and hungry.. and my head is killing me.. i'm gonna end this with a cheap, fast .gif of the before and after kind :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/evol_step_01.gif

hmm.. on second thought.. i still have to sand some more, to get the lines close as possible to perfection.. night..

[armadilloben]

what program are you using to make the .gifs i love something like that

[dgrmkrp]

errmmm.... the frames where made by varying the opacity in 2 layers in photoshop, then i saved each frame and made an animation using a free downloaded gif thingy>> barbarosa or something.....

[dgrmkrp]

hmm.. i am just starting to delve in the wonderful world of electrotechnics... yey! for an exam.. buu... before, that, i forgot to post a ghetto style mod.. well, not a mod.. but ask yourself.. if u have cd cases, duct tape, carpenter's glue and lots of ..errmm.. pinkish paper.. what can u do with them? oh, and i forgot, thanks to a friend, i have a hole in the window too... so? i had an idea..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ghetto_mod1.jpg
hole in the window prepped..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ghetto_mod2.jpg
case prepped..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/ghetto_mod.jpg
forming the duct...

after drying, i now have big temps in my room (>30 degrees centigrade) and ~25 degrees for my cpu.. this with 5v >> just some cool air entering... in silence.. and with improper positioning of the heatsink's fins.. (i'm studying to change that..)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard01.jpg
:D

edit1:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard01-1.jpg
..can't go lower.. dammit.. will have to take voltages lower... i have all fans running on max now... hmm... the fin alignment would take temps much much lower... #@$%@.. i wanna go sub zero... :(..ok, rant over.. i'll quit experimenting for tonight, as i don't like noise.. uu, i just hit 18 :)

edit2:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard01-2.jpg
:D :D ..lower...

[GT40_GearHead]

man you are going to suck bird in triugh that thing lol

great idea, but won't it cool the room too?

how much did you pay for the x-750... ou, and i have the blue one

[dgrmkrp]

ROFL.. that's what my room mates said.. "you're gonna get feather inside your case man! don't do it"... but if u look closely, there is a copper mesh installed.. i have nothing with lil birds that might get caught.. they never bothered me so i will try not to distress them either :) (but in the summer, during summer exams, there are some type of owls that can't quit singing at night.. no comment.. woooot... woooot... )

well... considering i'm really in need of cooling too :D another +... this guys are crazy! they are pumping heat thru the heating system to drive us out, i think =)) so, we usually have to open the windows, cool down, close them.. repeat :) i just turned the fans down and stopped one.. now i have 32 degrees... and silence.. :) i love silence..

[GT40_GearHead]

ahaaa now i see it, tha damn thing was so fine i thought its cardboard or something

[dgrmkrp]

ok, for this installment, i shall continue to mod my mouse.. oh, my nice old crt tube passed away so i have to switch between computers and sometimes use the adjacent screen and plug it in my pc.. :(

on to the pics:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/2724d3a9.jpg
the window side of the room, with visible computers and displays.. i would say this is a nice example of space management... looks a bit different now..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/de5b2034.jpg
..dead screen... or a new kind of kit bashing project :P

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6208e802.jpg
friends pc.. covered with white/transparent plastic panels and with 4 ccfls...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/554891b2.jpg
..his mouse, in building stages.. silver after 2 coats and sands.. black is cleared with about 5 coats now, still not happy tho..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/cf657fa4.jpg
..leds i was playing with.. i have about a dozen.. red, green, yellow.. from keyboards and cigarette lighters.. and some laser diodes we are playing with.. i wanna try and do the predator gun :D

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/feb76a18.jpg
..some stuff i got out of the dead screen.. lots of resistors, some caps, some transistors.. most i can use, some have been charred or the legs have been cut too short.. by me..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/9d2a6363.jpg
..old pic of body work i did to the mouse.. gonna have a new session of sanding soon.. still, i'm taking a break right now from learning.. so not that soon..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/54f9b01f.jpg
..close-up of the mesh i used inside.. this is from long ago, just testing it.. although it's final now, i refined the slits more.. and will repeat until i'm satisfied..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/6b11a441.jpg
electronic work and analyzing my possibilities...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e56f2a57.jpg
some pics of the leds.. i'm going all blue with this one.. the top 2 leds are connected to the color changing mechanism that informs me of the mouse's sensitivity (different intensity leds are used so i can tell a lil how much speed i have.. and at which step i am).. bottom leds are connected at different points in a diode series circuit, so that i dropped the voltage without using resistors.. this i did before i had lots of spare resistors from my now dead screen..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/f13a2a26.jpg
dark shots..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/e25b7c40.jpg
.. i painted the insides of the mouse white after covering and insulating all wires.. i left the wires that will lead to the fan longer.. the paint diffuses the light a bit and gives me a base to work with further.. i wanna paint it with some blacks and grays.. or not.. i don't know et..

on another plane, it seems another pack of ordered stuff is gonna arrive soon:

http://www.scythe.co.jp/cooler/images/hr-05-400.jpg
..for the chipset.. more modding involved as i don't know how to integrate this in my airflow schematic.. for best performance and stability.. but i have some ideas..

http://www.akasa.co.uk/images/product_photos/control_panels/water_mark_ak_fc_06bk_2.jpg
a nice fan control.. not needed right now, but why not? :)
i wanna build my own, but this is gonna offer me a hint on what they use (commercially) so maybe i can build some similar stuff, with better components >: )

http://www.akasa.co.uk/images/product_photos/accessories/water_mark_ak_171.jpg
for the ram: copper headt-spreaders :D.. errm.. hopefully for some new ram:

http://www.corsairmemory.com/corsair/images/T2desktop_r2_c2_r1_c2.gif
corsair ram :) 2x 512MB ddr 400, cl2.5 :) good enough and better than what i have now :)

okay.. enough.. ishould log off now (literally, i'm very sleepy..). bye

[dgrmkrp]

how much did you pay for the x-750... ou, and i have the blue one

hmm... because i use the pc mostly at night when others are sleeping, i seem to have missed this.. sorry.. i payed about 25$,but i found it at 23 too, but was out of stock.. up to now i spent about 5$ on super glue =)) and the leds were free..

[dgrmkrp]

well, i'm back... exams finish the day after tomorrow.. too much too learn.. need a break :D

pic time :
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/02_ram.jpg
got my ram heat spreaders

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/03_ram.jpg
and installed them..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/04_fan_ctrl.jpg
got two silent fans to replace 2 of my own.. they are recom 120mm, yellow uv blades, 1700rpm@19db.. so they say, of course.. they are quite silent (not like ac12), but move a lot of air :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/05_fan.jpg
go this fan too.. enermax with variable rotation :) gave it away as a gift :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/06_pass.jpg
..with this lil mod: a gf5200 with a zalman north bridge heat sink :)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/07_hs.jpg
also, we washed out heat sinks :) funny =)) lots of dust there, too much!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/08.jpg
fan controller installed and working nicely..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Pic51.jpg
..some uv action :D

oh, i removed everything cause i put zalman paste all over my chips :)
till next time..

[dgrmkrp]

Hi all.. long time, no see :(
I worked on my mouse and will show pics later.. also, i have a nice idea..
But wait, it's :D time! I got a new samsung 19" lcd to play with and this gives me some room to play more, read more, learn more and modd more! :)

Also, lots of stuff should be coming real soon to aid in my modding venture.

Ooooh, got to go sleep, as i have labs in... 4 hours =))

[intergalacticman]

still, i have a design pic for the circuitry.. this is beta1..think i'll call it longhor.. neah :))



hahahaha M$ allusion

[dgrmkrp]

I'm back.. and not in business for a few weeks more..

i did do some stuff in this long pause.. and am studying to make some nice circuits.. and got my painting skills improved..

i put some money aside and will get some from my dad and I'll build something nice... won't reveal much, but let me just give you a preview of what i ordered: 1 katana cu and 1 infinity cpu cooler, 2 gigs ddr800 ram, 2 hard drives, 1 x2 3600+ i plan to overclock as high as possible and one kick ass.... err, not really, more a budget... board from gigabyte, with integrated graphics (big blow...).. a nice psu and some coolers.. some electronics.. i have a few hundred leds put aside by now :D.. black, silver and clear spray cans.. markers (black and silver).. a smaller dremel-clone for precise etching.. and about 2 square meters of clear plexi :D that's enough.. all I'll say more is this is costing me an arm and a leg and a half..

[dgrmkrp]

hello everybody,
i had a nice time with a couple of exams and i am getting really close to doing a big project.. till then, some pics of recent progress:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard01-4.jpg
bought a heat gun, a small angle grinder, a set of clamps and am looking around for some wood..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard02-1.jpg
tried to heat bend some plastic.. worked.. with varying degrees of success.. tried cutting it with several things, bent it without the clamps.. did just some experiments..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard03-1.jpg
checked my stash and found some nifty displays.. lcds and led-segments.. nice..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard04.jpg
here are some ICs that will surelly find themselves in my circuits: some clock generators..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard05.jpg
leds and some test switches: momentary and with locking..

and this is what took really no time to do.. and was tons of fun..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard06.jpg
ripped my video card apart.. took the cooler and covered the sensitive sides :)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard07.jpg
prepped for painting by cleaning the plastic and scrubbing it with 800 grit sand paper..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard08.jpg
painted with one coat..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard09.jpg
2 coats..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Clipboard10.jpg
some silver lining..
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Pic40.jpg
silver and black.. i like this theme.. experimenting is good..

final shots:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Pic41.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/Pic42.jpg

oh.. i did some stupid **** today.. deleted all my max scenes.. by mistake.. after 3 days of partying.. a proverbial d'oh is in order.. so now i'm trying to undelete them.. 3 hours remaining.. :(

bye

[Eclecticos]

Loooks Fannntastic. Can't wait to see more.
I espically like that mobo concept. :up::up:

[dgrmkrp]

10ks Eclecticos, i'll be posting some more soon..

I've completed my upgrade.. now i have an x2 running at 2.5 ghz (stable and cool) from a 2ghz stock.. i have a Katana 2 heat sink for now, but I'm waiting for an infinity to arrive.. also, i have a nice 2x1024gb ddr800 g.skill kit, 450GB of storage, 2GB of flash, one sata dvd-wr... and waiting for a north bridge cooler.. hr-05-sli to be more precise.. had some issues with network and sound for the past 2 weeks, but after reinstalling window (I'm 64 bit now), all is ok..

i have a blow hole now too.. and some more stuff to put in.. pics coming soon, after I install the software support..

also, a new project is soon to come... it will be a theme mod, after the bleach anime.. :) bye bye tillnext update..

[The boy 4rm oz]

Bleach ey? I'm a big fan, got every episode hehe. Can't wate to see how that pans out. Should be good, keep up the good work.

[dgrmkrp]

i'm a big fan too and just can't wait for the next episode.. i got lots of ideas from the recent action and i wanna see more :D
..well, i kinda have all parts, materials, tools, some ideas.. but i had a small system crash and lost my detailed schematics.. and i ordered a katana cu and received a katana2 (which i'm using ;) cause me and my roomates designed and built a fastening system that works a+ with socket A).. i'll give you an idea of what i anted, but i have to redesign:
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4332/v0202sz9.th.jpg (http://img19.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v0202sz9.jpg)
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/2747/v0204fv5.th.jpg (http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v0204fv5.jpg)
these are just rough sketches.. i'll start a new thread as soon as i'm sure this is all do-able :)

[.Maleficus.]

3DSM? Awesome...

Did you take a class or something, or online tuts? If they were tuts, I'd love to see them. Design looks awesome.

[dgrmkrp]

3DSM? Awesome...

Did you take a class or something, or online tuts? If they were tuts, I'd love to see them. Design looks awesome.

neee, i just use 3dsm a lot... i did the tutorials from max 3(when that was the latest version) and from that moment one i am constantly learning.. i'm more of a push-to-see-what-it-does person.. i should do some tutorials in order to learn how to do humans and organic shapes.. i did try to do a snail.. and got some funny results.. but that's as far as i go..

oh, damn phone is not 64bit compatible... the drivers won't install.. so, i still need a win xp 32b.. every other application is running just fine.. guess i need a new phone/camera ;)