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slaveofconvention
07-14-2009, 04:23 PM
Nothing special, but I figured what the hell, share it anyway....

So I was given a PC by a customer who didn't know if it worked, what it was etc etc but it was sitting gathering dust and generally getting in the way - enter the Advent 2500

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/1.jpg

Turns out it's an Athlon XP 3000+, 512MB DDR400, 80GB, DVD/CDRW, Geforce 5200, 56k kinda SFF thing. Not bad for the price I paid :p

Turned it on and everything seemed fine - started to install windows. After I'd just completed the install and was about to start on updates, I leaned around the back, resting my hand on the top of the case and almost burned my hand on the metal as well as feeling my eye's dry out in a heartbeat at the furnace pouring out of the PSU - I'm thinking the PC was put to one side because it probably used to shut down from overheating - the temps were way higher than anything I've experienced in 15 years in the game.

Decided to add a fan - ever tried putting an extra fan in a case this small? lol

Opened 'er up and....

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/2.jpg

Every inch of space is used - except one, there's JUST enough space under the HD cage for an 80mm fan - a 92 would physically fit, but I wouldn't be able to get the front panel connectors back in so 80 it is...

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/3.jpg

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/4.jpg

Going to have to cut a hole and cover it with a grille - so got out the box of grilles

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/5.jpg

Chose one and after making some pilot holes from the inside to make sure they'd be in the right place, used the fan grille to mark out my circles - the skull grille I've decided on has quite a wide outer rim so the cut will be easy, as long as I stay between the two circles, it'll look flawless.

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/6.jpg

slaveofconvention
07-14-2009, 04:30 PM
Start with the now obligatory gratuitous photo of the 4-legged Moddin assistants....

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/7.jpg

Who sat around wondering why I was making so much noise and not much else....

Half a dozen or so cutting disks later....

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/9.jpg

We have a hole...

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/10.jpg

Cleaned it up with some sanding barrels attached to the dremel clone and screwed the Fan and Grille into place....

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/11.jpg

A quick rebuild later we have a complete PC...

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/12.jpg

Gratuitous "glow in the dark" version...

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/13.jpg

And a final closeup...

http://www.slaveofconvention.com/imagestore/Moddin/Advent2500/14.jpg

It's set up as an intake - bottom front of the case is not the best place for an exhaust so hopefully it'll help with the temps - my only other option is a PCI based exhaust blower which I THINK I could shoehorn in above the I/O panel but they're notoriously noisy and generally crap so....

TA-DAAA :banana:

Edit: PC has been on now for about 20 mins and while the top of the case is warm, it's no-where near what it was before so mission accomplished I think :up:

Bdonedge
07-15-2009, 04:05 PM
Nice little effect there, I'm assuming you own your own shop? That's quite a large thing of grilles!
That happened to work out, I like the effect. Very cool

slaveofconvention
07-15-2009, 04:55 PM
No, I just tend to buy stuff in bulk when I see a good deal - I seem to remember one of my suppliers put them on end-of-range sale for about 60p each (less than $1 US) so I bought a few dozen various ones in various sizes - not like they were going to go out of date, right? heh

Some pics of my workspace in another post on here - Project: K-9-PC (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showpost.php?p=249181&postcount=9)