Help on a new case

[Baraspitfire]

Hi all, I'm new to case modding and this is still in the design stage, but I would like to know is it viable to have a perforated metal mesh for the metal on the case itself, my thoughts were that it will look cool with light shining from behind it, and would also provide good airflow, i would also like to know which is more efficient and clean, Positive or negative airflow, because using the mesh as vents ought to be efficent, right?

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q64/Baraspitfire/Case.jpg
the front panel with the black is to be on hinges with my drives etc behind it, would people recomend LED or CCFL for lighting the X in the middle?

Anyway, thanks for the help.

[mDust]

As long as you build a sturdy frame for the mesh, there's no reason it can't be done. Positive airflow is cleaner due to the excess air escaping the nooks and crannies keeping the debris from being pulled in. Don't fool yourself into thinking this case will stay clean though!;) Depending on the % open space in the mesh and your hardware, you may only need intake fans. You'll need to force cool air over the hardware anyway, and the hot air will just vent by itself.
As for the X, is it a cutout or plexi or what? I would say LEDs only because, from what I'm imagining, it might be difficult to fit CCFLs in there.

[Baraspitfire]

As long as you build a sturdy frame for the mesh
I was thinking of either buying a frame from an old PC, or just buying a mobo tray and building around that. (ie. new support frame and everything, but i think the modding idea would be easier than from scratch)
The mesh would be a steel or aluminium sheet with perforations, like this http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q64/Baraspitfire/1184454728.png

Depending on the % open space in the mesh and your hardware, you may only need intake fans.
Im looking to make it as open as possible to make sure that it has good airflow and room for upgrades aswell


As for the X, is it a cutout or plexi or what? I would say LEDs only because, from what I'm imagining, it might be difficult to fit CCFLs in there.
The X will be one whole sheet of metal, with an X shape punched out in the middle, like the perforations on the sides/top.with the CCFL matter, if the CCFL model im using in sketchup is accurate, it should fit, but how many would I need?
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q64/Baraspitfire/Danscasefrontpanel.jpg
Im thinking of maybe scrapping the front panel and putting in some fan controllers and stuff though.

[mDust]

Hey, I didn't look who I was replying to when I made my post earlier, and didn't make the connection that it was you when I replied to you in my thread...I welcomed you to TBCS there...lol. Anyway...:whistler:

if the CCFL model im using in sketchup is accurate, it should fit, but how many would I need?It should be pretty accurate, and I would imagine you'd only need 1, 2 at most, since they're pretty bright. You might be able to fit 4 tiny CCFLs, 1 on each side for a nice even glow, but that might be too bright.

[Baraspitfire]

Is there anyway to get a frame with all the bays etc. without any form of casing on teh outside? and about how much would it cost do you think?

[x88x]

Besides getting custom order from the manufacturer (which would probably cost more than buying the whole case), I don't think there's any way to get just the frame, without the body panels. Sometimes you can go the other way, but I've never seen naked frames for sale.

For sourcing the mesh, check out the suppliers listing in the wiki; there's even a whole section for metal/mesh (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/modwiki/index.php/List_Of_Suppliers#Metal.2FMesh).

For airflow, actually the best method is to have neutral airflow, where the amount of air being pulled into the case is exactly equal to the amount of air being pushed out. However, if that's not possible, with a large mesh area, I would also recommend negative pressure.

For the lighting, personally I would go with LEDs, but it really depends what effect you're going for. Do you want the whole panel to glow red, or do you want just the X to glow? If you want just the X, then I would say go with LEDs or try and find 4 small CCFLs, like mDust recommended. CCFLs will also produce a different..idk, feel? IMO, the light from an LED feels cleaner and more controlled, but the light from a CCFL feels warmer and more encompassing. If you go with LEDs, one thing that'd be cool is if you put a sheet of plexi behind the X, and positioned the LEDs so that the X had a diffuse glow coming off the edges :D