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blackacidevil
05-10-2006, 10:30 PM
don't know what to say to start off this project of mine. Those of you who have seen my other case project, the H.A.B.T.T., on other forums might remember me. Those of you that haven't, Google is a wonderful thing.

I learned a LOT of valuable things about case-modding from various forums. I learned a lot about case-modding just by trial-and-error. And man, I made quite a few errors.

The H.A.B.T.T. was a good idea. Just not practical. And come to think of it, too damn big. 132 pounds of computer is just a wee bit on the ridiculous side. And it's a real pain in the arse to rotate when I need access to the back panel. So the H.A.B.T.T. will find it's way to the landfill when this case is completed. I just dont have the space, or the cash, to make it what I dreamed it had the potential to be.

So here it goes. I don't have a name for it. I wanted to make this case a tribute to RTCW, but the wifey doesn't want a Wolf case. We'll see what happens. This PC will become "hers" when I build my gaming rig, to start in late summer or early fall. A worklog will accompany that project as well.

The case:

Standard ATX mid-tower. It was my mother's computer. Purchased brand new from a now-defunct Canadian PC company. IPC Computers. She paid over $2000 for this system (it came with a 17" monitor, speakers, printer, and software) and it was a step below top-of-the-line IPC had offered at the time. Pentium II- 350Mhz. 6 gig hard drive. Integrated graphics, although later on my brother bought an ATI Rage Fury Maxx 64MB card so he could play Half-Life. 128megs of PC-100 RAM. PC-Chips mainboard. (VERY cheap. Crap.)


Starting the strippage:

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2442/ipc010fz.png

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/4463/ipc029cz.png

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9849/ipc033qh.png

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9483/ipc042im.png

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5396/ipc052nl.png

Notice the dust pattern on the roof of the case? Yeah, that's right. The idiots who assembled this case installed the power-supply UPSIDE-DOWN!

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/7828/ipc067gd.png

Internal frame that held 80mm intake fan and filter needs to go. Drilled the rivets out.

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6046/ipc070dw.png

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6476/ipc081ng.png


Front panel:

A hair-cutting shop closed down in a local plaza, and the unit was stripped of everything. These chrome "tunnels" were embedded in a hairstylist's station to hold glass containers to store their scissors.I managed to snag 2 of them from the dumpster. I knew they could be used in a case, just at the time I had no immediate need for them but thought to grab them anyways.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4558/ipc093jo.png

Measured, traced, hole-sawwed, and inserted. Snug fit.

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9097/ipc0100xv.png

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/8296/ipc0117vm.png

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/3903/ipc0124qp.png

I have to Bondo the lower section of the panel to level it off. The design has it sloping inward to the centre vertical axis. Kinda retarded if you ask me. Why couldn't they just make it flat, and simple?

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/6339/ipc0137lg.png

That will come this weekend, along with another update. And I promise I won't take 18 months to complete this like my H.A.B.T.T.

xmastree
05-10-2006, 11:01 PM
Looking good so far.

Why couldn't they just make it flat, and simple?Same reason you're modding it. They wanted it look good.

That power supply... Looking at the back panel, they would have to drill it to fit it any other way. :?
Bizarre...

blackacidevil
05-10-2006, 11:27 PM
I guess it was a design flaw in the either the case, or the PSU. It wouldn't fit the right way, but they still went ahead and installed it the wrong way.

xmastree
05-11-2006, 12:46 AM
I suspect that PSU was originally intended for a different case.
Interestingly, I just had a look at some old (and newer) cases I have here.

And some PSUs.

The AT cases have the PSUs mounted with the shorter distanced screws at the bottom, like yours does. The newer ATX ones have them at the top.

However, none of the PSUs I have here have vents on the top or bottom, which ever way up they're mounted.

It seems that PSU was made only to fit the newer cases.

Anyway, I'm derailing your worklog here... sorry.

If you're planning to use that PSU, I would suggest make a vent in the top to line up with the fan.

Rankenphile
05-11-2006, 12:47 AM
Interesting. I saw your H.A.B.T.T. mod over on ModdersHQ - neat work, but you're right - not exactly practical. Looking forward to seeing what you have planned for this project. Good luck, and have fun!

Nagoshi
05-11-2006, 06:52 AM
Your PSU was installed the good way (you can see by the label containing the infos about the power, its always visible), as xmastree said it would not have fitted the other way.

Depending on how strong your computer will be (are you keeping the crappy P3 350 in it?) you could change it.. or make a blowhole on top of it :)

Nice blowholes :) Im curious of the final look of the case.. lets go!

Shikimaru
05-11-2006, 10:22 AM
nice, i am liking this muchly

That could look nice with some silver Aero cool fans :)

blackacidevil
05-11-2006, 05:32 PM
No, the old components were trashed. I'll be dismantling the HABTT and putting the PC in that into this case.