Project: SpongeBob - The PC

[AMD Killa]

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo340/amd_killa/SpongeBob%20-%20The%20PC/Banner.png

OK, so maybe you are wondering why the hell I would attempt something like this. I was passing ideas around with my mum as to what we should do for my sister's birthday present. I was thinking about doing something with a spare tower I had had lying around for a few months, and I thought, how about doing a mod for her, as she always commandeers my PC for going online to play games (she's only 10). Obviously I have parental controls on her account, but I think an SLI rig is a bit over the top for internet browsing.

So we discussed what the mod should look like, and we decided upon my sister's favourite character, SpongeBob Squarepants. The tower was already the right shape, as it was a slimline Dell from years ago.

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo340/amd_killa/SpongeBob%20-%20The%20PC/Photo078.jpg

I took off the CPU cooler and replaced the thermal paste, as I bet that it had not been replaced since it was first put together. I don't have any pic's of this, but it's all standard stuff :D.

Dell used these stupid 'Quick Release Tooless Entry' things that screw onto the drives so they can be taken out and put back in quickly. Only problem was, that I lost one of them. So I couldent mount the harddrive properly. But the modder within me found a solution. There are two PCI slot bays that are sideways in the back of the case. Since there wont be any cards there (onboard sound, USB WIFI, onboard graphics), I thought I should use the space well. Using the traditional method of using bluetack to secure the harddrive in place, I was happy with my solution.
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo340/amd_killa/SpongeBob%20-%20The%20PC/Photo076.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo340/amd_killa/SpongeBob%20-%20The%20PC/Photo077.jpg

After I had finished the hardware side of things, I let my mum loose on it. We went to the fabric shop and bought some yellow fluffy fabric stuff, and some other pieces of felt. My mum spent most of the night sewing SpongeBob's face together, including the pipecleaners around the eyes. Me and my brother were left to glue the fabric onto the PC, which we did half of, when my brother decided he was going to bed :mad:. So I was left to finish the rest of the gluing and trimming myself.

Here are some pics.

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo340/amd_killa/SpongeBob%20-%20The%20PC/Photo081.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo340/amd_killa/SpongeBob%20-%20The%20PC/Photo082.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo340/amd_killa/SpongeBob%20-%20The%20PC/Photo083.jpg

The power button is situated at the front of the tower, and is marked by a red circle of felt I stuck on. I hope that the ventilation will be enough, as there wasnt any ventilation holes where we stuck the fabric anyway.

All I need to do now is install XP on it. I hope this damn thing works properly, as she is really hoping to have it useable by the end of today.

Well, tell me what you guys think. My mum is rather interested in what you guys will have to say about this, and she says she might take part in some of my next mods. I doubt I'll use fabric in my next mods anyway :D

[Zephik]

Thats ridiculous! lol But I strangely kind of like it?

Now all you need to do is incorporate Gary in their somehow. Maybe a Gary USB Hub/Speaker Combo? :p

[nevermind1534]

I have three computers identical to that. Nice work, I like it. You don't plan on setting a big CRT monitor on top of it, do you?

[AMD Killa]

No, as that would be a waste of the sewing and would ruin the nose. :D

I have a 12 inch CRT that she can use with it.

I need a USB hub on it before I can setup the WIFI for it, as I have a USB WIFI adapter, belkin crap. I guess I could do a gary USB hub :D. I already have some 2.1 speakers I was going to use, but I dont see how I could mod them to fit. I might just leave them stock. I do have some spare fabric, so I could always use that to cover the monitor and the speakers. Not sure about covering the keyboard with that fabric though, as it is very fluffy, and could easily clog up the keys.

[nevermind1534]

Not sure about covering the keyboard with that fabric though, as it is very fluffy, and could easily clog up the keys.

I'd imagine that it would get dirty pretty fast, too.

[AMD Killa]

Ahh, didn't really think about that :think:.

I will make sure she keeps food and drink away from it, but I am not sure how we would remove dirt and stains from it. Maybe vanish and vacumning.

[nevermind1534]

On a keyboard, it would hold all of the oils and everything else from the hands. No good way to clean that out that I know of.

[AMD Killa]

I guess acetone and q-tip's. Thats how I remove thermal paste :twisted:

[DonT-FeaR]

nice idea man,... ur sister will love you even more..

[mofo]

Turn the speakers into pineapples! or maybe those teekee heads like easter island! sounds fun.

[markkleb]

very nice idea. Im sure she will love it.
(and thats the most important thing)

[AMD Killa]

OK, I have found that there is no need for a USB hub, as the keyboard and mouse I have got for her has PS/2 connectors.

I could turn the speakers into pineapples i guess, or maybe a patrick mouse!

[DonT-FeaR]

gary mouse. and a patrik and squidward speakers..

[XcOM]

i have one of them PC's, im going to use it for VXR, not alot of room to play with is there!

Im still trying to figure where im going to put stuff.

and that looks cool man, not my cup of tea, but as long as your sister likes it, and im sure she will, you and your mum did a great job with that mate.

[AMD Killa]

I know that theres hardly any room to play with!

This sort of thing isnt exactly my style of modding, but I have been promising a customised PC for my sister for a while.

At first I was worried about the temperatures inside the tower, but as far as I can tell, they are all ok. The only temp reading I can get is the harddrive, which is at 33 degrees c. Not bad considering it has no active cooling and has a case wrapped in thick fluffy material.

[nevermind1534]

P3s can run on passive cooling. I had one computer with a P3 800MHZ with just a small heatsink, no fan. It did get somewhat hot, however. You would not want to run a Tualatin 1.3GHz or 1.4GHZ without a fan, though. It would, most likely, crash after a few hours.

[AMD Killa]

Um, as far as I know, this is a P4 @1.7GHz :dead:

There is enough space for airflow with the current cooler, however, there is no real hop of getting a half decent aftermarket one in there.

Interestingly, the CPU cooler on this Dell sucks air through the heatsink and then blows it out the fan. Similar to the fans found on HD 4780 X2's, but suck air instead of blow :think:

[nevermind1534]

The P4 will downclock itself if it starts to get too hot, so it should be ok. An Athlon xp, on the other hand, will begin to melt the socket.

[AMD Killa]

Well I ran CPU-Z when I thought it was getting hot to check that it was a Willamette, which it is. No reduction in clock speed according to CPU-Z.

So that means that it is staying cool, which is always good!

EDIT: I have reason to believe it is a 1.8GHz CPU. I'm not sure, as I was given it, and never really took notice. I'll check next time I boot it up.

[XcOM]

Mine is a P4 2.66, it does support upto a 3.06 with a bus of 533MHz, the fan the use is standard accross the board and designed to handle the 3.06P4 so you should be ok.

On a side note there are some after market ones that would fit, its just getting on to fit in that bracket that they use to hold it on.

[AMD Killa]

I dont think i will need an aftermarket one, by the looks of things, it should be fine by itself. I did replace the thermal paste that dell put on it with some more modern stuff, I guess that helps a lot.

Update: We just got some sort of computer desk for this thing to sit on. Will upload some pics later. I have my new power supply coming tomorrow, as my last one bugged out on me. The fan stopped spinning. I'm glad I noticed it before it was too late. Looks like 6 case fans is enough to passively cool a PSU too. But I'm not taking any chances.

[nevermind1534]

The power supplies in those GX150s were sh*t. I pulled my three out of the trash, and they all had dead power supplies in them, or they died, and were pulled out.

[AMD Killa]

The power supplies in those GX150s were sh*t. I pulled my three out of the trash, and they all had dead power supplies in them, or they died, and were pulled out.

Good job that I have the GX240 then, or do they use the same power supply?

[nevermind1534]

Good job that I have the GX240 then, or do they use the same power supply?

IDK. I can get you a pic of the one in mine if you want. I have the slimline ones.

[AMD Killa]

I think mine might be the slimline version too. It takes up most of the length of the case and has a fan at the front, which is supposed to draw air from around the harddrive.

[nevermind1534]

Your case sure looks like a slimline.

[AMD Killa]

Yea it is the slimline one. If it was the standard sized one, I would have done a lot more than glue some fabric on it, as I would have had way more room to play with, not to mention a half decent graphics card in it.

Unless someone knows where I can find a half height AGP 8x (i think, maybe 4x) in the UK, I will have to stick with a 16MB ATI Rage card from many years ago. Well, it was only designed for XP when it was launched.

[nevermind1534]

I might have a card that I can ship to you, but I think most, if not all of my low profile AGP cards are ATI Rages.

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

i got a old 9250 low profile card... but its a lil messed up.. heatsink and what not dont sit properly...

[AMD Killa]

I was thinking of buying a new one, so I can have a warranty. I know that at least half of the mods on TBCS have voided warranties :D, but I think I will keep this one ;).

I'll pop into Maplin's one day next week to see if they have any, or if they can order one in. I know Maplin's isnt the cheapest option for anything, but I normally find things I cant find elsewhere in there, so I'm hopefull to say the least.

Should have another update for this project soon, I just have to decide if there is any more to do to it.

[nevermind1534]

I don't think a video card warranty is worth much, unless it is something that is extremely expensive, or comes DOA.