My First Mod!!! Woot!

[Vexxx_2007]

I'm excited to say this is my first PC mod on this site and i'm reeeeally excited to get posting about it.

It used to be a stock barebones emachines w3052 pile of junk...
... but after a few years and a few dollars it is slowly turning into a nice gamer pc :) it can't play some of the slightly newer, cooler games yet (BioShock, Crysis, etc.) but i don't have the cash (and almost not the interest) for a rig like that yet.

i'm still content with stuff like Half Life 2, Doom 3, TF2, etc. they're still great :D

so here begins the fun stuff haha :)...



What is it???
slightly low-cost gaming rig
huge eye-catching glowy thingy :)
envy of all my friends (they all have oldddd slow pcs haha)

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8720/mypczo8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Beautiful isn't it? And yes, that's the PSU sitting right next to it. I recently blew my 480W Demon Powmax psu when i was relocating one of those blue CCFL tubes. there was an 80mm fan hole exposed and i touched the tube light to one of the metal thingys (i think it's a 12v rail? not sure) and it went BOOM!! huge blue flash and computer turned off...

needless to say, i was kinda pissed. but oh well, right? Gotta keep working, and right now i'm using my ghetto 350w psu that i made myself in my tech class in 8th grade. Laaaaame...

earlier today i sent in an order (with my mom's credit card hehehe she'll be pissed) to the AMAZING Xoxide.com for a new PSU, some more lights and a few more fans to make this thing awesome. i spent the extra few bucks for 3-day shipping (hooray for UPS..)

[Vexxx_2007]

What all have i done to it so far?

My sexy little HDD with a Thermaltake Cyclo blue led cooler thing... from my favorite Xoxide.com (http://www.xoxide.com) :)
http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/9492/harddrivewootmj4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

120mm Blue led fan that i salvaged from my old PSU that i blew up :) i mounted it to the inside of my case where there were bunches of holes drilled for apparently no reason, so i got creative...
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8108/120mmfanwootge5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

One of my dual CCFL lights that i hid behind the cover of my front door to add some light to the front :) not many people notice it, but i'm proud of all the dremel work i did to make it fit :D
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6233/hiddenlightwoothk0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


That blue led exhaust fan also wasn't there til i got crafty, along with that fan grill... i bought the fan from, you know it, Xoxide.com... the fan grill was from the old 480W psu... till it died and i salvaged it :) guess where i bought the PSU from? (if i haven't said already...)
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3851/exhaustfanwootzt5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Crazy Buddhist]

Welcome to the forums.. Your link to imageshack doesn't work so can't see the big piccies.

CrazyB

[Vexxx_2007]

Some things i don't like about this thing...


The CPU cooler uses a FREAKING 70MM FAN!! i've seen absolutely no replacement led 70mm fans like ANYWHERE on the internet.. a 70mm to 80mm fan adapter would be awesome but i don't know where to come across one...
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7915/lamecoolingfannotwoottn3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


My boring side panel!! as you can see there are 2 little vents, but no window!! shameful isn't it? i usually don't have the panel on anyway but that's a bad, and probably dangerous idea for my computer... grrrr....
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3945/lamesidepanelnotwootmv4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


This cheap, ghetto multi function panel! it's got one USB port, standard camera card ports, and a microdrive port, and the outside is as wide as a 5.25" bay, but inside the door takes up a 3.5" bay... i ask you, wtf?
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/473/dullmultifunctionpanelnom3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Vexxx_2007]

Welcome to the forums.. Your link to imageshack doesn't work so can't see the big piccies.

CrazyB

Ughhh the pics aren't showing up??? :(:(:( that's badd... it's showing up for me...

[Vexxx_2007]

Well aside from technical difficulties getting these pics up according to my first poster, i'm enjoying myself modding and getting up on this site!! Yaaayyyy :)

Sorry that the pics are small and slightly blurry, i'm using my cell phone camera and image shack to resize them to 640 x 480... i think i should go bigger though cause this kinda sucks.. but oh well for now i guess...

Right now i'm waiting on my things that i ordered from Xoxide to get here...

Those improvements are...

1x 500W Apevia super UV reactive PSU
2x dual 4" UV CCFLs (total of 4 lights)
1x green UV 80mm fan
1x blue UV 80mm fan
1x UV blue wire sleeving kit (would've bought green but the PSU has green sleeving already woot)
2ft. UV blue wire
2ft. UV green wire
3x 80mm Blade fan grills

the grand total of all this was about $110.00 when you total in the shipping, all of which i didn't have to pay :) hehe my mommy's gonna be THRILLED about that one.... Ohh well she probably doesn't even pay the credit card bill, she's got a rich new husband hahaha :D

[Vexxx_2007]

What I plan to do...

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7687/lightspot1pl4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/9696/lightspot2yv5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2846/lightspot3uw2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


That's 3 decent spots, but i have four tubes that i can use... any suggestions? i'm totally open to any ideas... i'm thinking above the 80mm exhaust fan to light up the psu a bit better.. also, if you think these spots aren't the greatest, pleeease let me know, i want this to be the best it can be!!

i'm getting all giddy and excited just thinking about how awesome this is gonna be :D:D:D I can't wait for all my tihngs to come in!!! and it's only 3 days of a wait...

god it's depressing looking at this cpu fan.. it's the only thing in my pc that doesn't have something lit-up or pretty about it... grr...

[Vexxx_2007]

Another thing i should've ordered is a round IDE cable... it's annoying looking at those huge ribbons running through my pc... I hate that.. grrrr....
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/7263/badideribbonsnotwootcz6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Another thing i thought would be cool is a fan on the bottom of the case that draws in air to my graphic card... that'd be sweet, but i don't wanna bring it up 35-50 mm just for that... any ideas would be really appreciated :)
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7717/fanareaforunderneaththewz4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Vexxx_2007]

I think i'm gonna call it a day pretty soon... i've got lots of ideas and lots of work to do before this thing is close to finished but sleep is kinda important too... hit me back with some ideas everyone!! Thanks a bunch and good night :)

[Crazy Buddhist]

Sleep well. Your pictures are all linked to imageshack homepage and not to the images themselves. You need to make sure the link is to the image.

Cheers

CrazyB

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Losing a Powmax PSU isn't a big deal anyway - lucky for you you killed it, rather than it killing itself and your whole system.

No, I'm not joking (http://jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=71).

Something like this (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2567) would do well as far as your CPU fan goes, and if you don't want to do that, there's always simply replacing the fan grille (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=112&products_id=3504).

EDIT: That LED fan grille would look pretty damn good off of this fan (http://www.xoxide.com/evercool-70mm-al-fan.html).

[Spawn-Inc]

Some things i don't like about this thing...


The CPU cooler uses a FREAKING 70MM FAN!! i've seen absolutely no replacement led 70mm fans like ANYWHERE on the internet.. a 70mm to 80mm fan adapter would be awesome but i don't know where to come across one...
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7915/lamecoolingfannotwoottn3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


you can always make one, or just buy the one FuzzyPlushroom came across.


here is one i made for my cooler. it goes from 92mm to 120mm
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6191/img0256bn2.jpg

[Vexxx_2007]

Losing a Powmax PSU isn't a big deal anyway - lucky for you you killed it, rather than it killing itself and your whole system.

No, I'm not joking (http://jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=71).

Something like this (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2567) would do well as far as your CPU fan goes, and if you don't want to do that, there's always simply replacing the fan grille (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=112&products_id=3504).

EDIT: That LED fan grille would look pretty damn good off of this fan (http://www.xoxide.com/evercool-70mm-al-fan.html).

yeah, it's not like that PSU was a huge budget breaker either.. like $20ish? yeah i can scrounge that up if i look around in my room for long enough.... i've got cash laying around my room EVERYWHERE and my brother always offers to clean my room for free... as long as he gets to keep what he finds... too bad for him though :)

both of those ideas are awesomeeee as HELL for ideas for a cooler, i love them both!! i saw that aluminum fan at Xoxide before but i got sad since there were no LEDs... but that grill looked really cool and would be perfect in this case... :) thanks a bunch!!

[Vexxx_2007]

but making one sounds fun too... it'd be a fun challenge but i don't know exactly how ro where to start... hmm.. i'll start checking out my 70mm and 80mm fans and maybe i'll spark an idea... :)

[Spawn-Inc]

well its not really that hard at all to make one, here is the basic idea behind it.

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/4937/taperzi8.jpg

you could make it from paper first to get the idea, then to card board or construction paper then to metal if so inclined.

also might want to save some money for that new psu you got as it will no doubt die in the next year or 2. really shouldn't skimp on the power supply, can mess your computer up, then again thats always a good reason for a new one :)

[Vexxx_2007]

Hello again to this post!

Gosh it's been a while since i've been able to work on this but it makes me happy that i've gotten some stuff done. I've also gotten a new cell phone recently, cause my old one got broke in a tragic, tear-jerking, heart-breaking incident. My drunk step dad broke it in half. pretty stupid, eh?

anyway, i'm finally able to get some pics of the work i did

Hooray!!!

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4373/insidemycasexe8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

What do you think? it looks pretty clean and tidy in there FINALLY. the UV lights look nice on the UV sleeving and the PSU looks really pretty cause of all the reactive parts. but there's something that still makes me sad, and slightly insane

Do you see that? It's terrible!! :(
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9653/ideribbon1se6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Horrible!! A sickening Ribbon-style IDE cable... it haunts my dreams from time to time. We all get that feeling right?
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/3624/ideribbon2ke7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

This probably sounds mooch-ey, but does anyone happen to have a rounded IDE cable anywhere? I'll pay them like $10 for it plus the shipping. I know it's cheaper at an online store, but my access to buying online is extremely limited. :(

Also, check this out.
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/3972/missingfanwl8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

See that? I jumped the gun big time and didn't order enough freaking fans for my side panel. It looks half pretty right now. I have a 3rd fan grill, but no fan. :( Again with the mooch-ey-ness, but can someone hook me up? I'll gladly pay whatever you want plus the shipping. but like before, it's way hard for me to buy online... :(:(:(

Well what do y'all think so far? I'm still trying to muster up enough courage to cut a hole for a window in this bad boy. I think it'd look great with a window :) But then again, wouldn't anything look good with one? I tihnk so.

[Vexxx_2007]

Also, one more quick thing. Sorry about the bad and blurry pictures. the camera on this phone is just as bad as the old one. :( one of these days i'll be getting a digital camera just for this stuff. :)

[sirkillalot617]

A simple way to improve that ribbon cable is to take it out and fold it so its corrigated (you know like you make a fan using paper) then use some cable ties or something to keep it bunched together.

[Vexxx_2007]

Hey that's smart!!! I gotta try that... I won't damage it will i?
But hey even if i do it's just an excuse to buy a rounded one anyway :)

[sirkillalot617]

Nah shouldnt damage it at all.