Project monster computer

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

So I'm sure the title says it all... I got ahold of an old Abit server tower for like 15 bucks on c-list. Supports 6 hard drives and 5 5.25" drives. It's big old and scary looking, but there's something I dont like about it... It's just, too plain.

Here's what I like about it:
-it's big (dwarfs my G5 Powermac)
-lot of room to work with
-lots of drive space
-front vents
-slide out motherboard tray

Now the dont like...
-it's tall but kind of thin.
-old looking. Too cold.
-only built for one like 2" fan in the back.
-the inside isn't really great for airflow, maybe TOO BIG.

I'm basically at the moment gathering ideas for it. Here's what I currently have.
-painting the front black and putting green led or neon whatever inside, so the front has a fading green light. Supposed to look menacing.
-putting 2 studio rack fans on the top of the case.
-2 200mm fans in the side of case
-grinding case to bare metal then repainting.

Beyond that I'm stunk. I'll post pics when I can. (as I am on an iPhone.)

[Aldersan]

Lol, stunk, that's a new word

Anyways, for ideas, there's a lot you could possibly do with a large case, requiring various degrees of modding.

You could, for example:
Put several complete computer systems in it, and figuring out how to switch between the two easily.
Water-cool one higher-end system, and mod a portion of the case for great airflow and put all the radiators down/up there (e.g. a separate compartment for the bottom third of the case, with fans at front and back of case, blowing air through the rads or something like that)
Or you could always just stick with a normal pc build, and mod it only a little (or a lot) for looks and airflow :)

I love big cases, they give you so much opportunity to do whatever you want!

[Neodymium]

You said it yourself "monster computer", so go ahead and make it a monster :D you can still stick with the ideas Aldersan gave above, especially the multiple systems in it and still be able to do a monster theme.

[msmrx57]

You could put your computer and game system(s) in it. As far as air flow you can always add holes and ducts and fans and make the air go where you want/need it to.

[AmEv]

Sheesh! a 360/PS3/Wii/PC combo unit.....

[Omega]

top end i7, a couple GTX 590s, as much RAM as you can shove in there, pack the HD bays with 1TB drives and top it all off with watercooling ;)

At least that's what I thought when you said "monster".

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Great ideas... Currently until I get time to mod it, it's got a p4 with an asus p4p800 mobo as a mockup so I can see where everything fits and how it lines up.

I like the monster theme... Care to expand more on that idea?

[Neodymium]

Great ideas... Currently until I get time to mod it, it's got a p4 with an asus p4p800 mobo as a mockup so I can see where everything fits and how it lines up.

I like the monster theme... Care to expand more on that idea?

Check out some of the previously completed mods and also spend some time in the idea zone...

Maybe some of those monsters on Google images can inspire you :P

http://www.google.ca/search?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1024&bih=648&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=fantasy+monster+art+panel&oq=fantasy+monster+art+panel&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=137578l141083l0l141293l15l15l2l7l7l0l228l68 5l4.1.1l6l0#um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=fantasy+monsters+art&pbx=1&oq=fantasy+monsters+art&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=10346l14690l0l17118l9l9l0l0l0l4l189l1306l1. 8l9l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=4f36f8848dfe956d&biw=1024&bih=648

EDIT: Post some pics of the case ;)

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/062dd561.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/27e275ed.jpghttp://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/ff05888f.jpghttp://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/9333affb.jpg

Best ones I have so far. Will take more once I get home.
I will say I'm a hackintosher, and love the look of the g5. What do ya guys think of incorporating the monster hackintosh... Incorporating both into the case mod.. Only thing I can think of is cutting the front off replacing with mesh and having an apple logo on both sides, but the apple being eaten by something... By what though, I don't know.. (brainstorming here)

[AmEv]

I'd say swap out the floppy for a fan controller/card reader.

PS: The PowerMac G3 has the potential to hold 6 internal HDDs.

[Neodymium]

but the apple being eaten by something... By what though, I don't know.. (brainstorming here)
LOL...what do you think? Monster, Oz, Monster :D

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

I'd say swap out the floppy for a fan controller/card reader.

PS: The PowerMac G3 has the potential to hold 6 internal HDDs.

You read my mind... A reader will be going in there.
And the g3 can hold 6 drives? Wow... Wasn't expecting that! Buddy gave me that thing, eventually I'll prob put an atx case in there with some led's under the apple, and sell it.

I plan on painting the face black.. Don't care for the front much ( except the vents) and I would customize it, but I haven't the slightest clue how to alter plastic, let alone keeping it neat.

And monster, oz, monster? You mean like having a cartoon evil Ozzy eating the apple? Haha. I'm wondering about ways to edit the apple... If I even decide to go that route.

[Locum51]

That middle floor begs to have an awesome watercooling floor installed!! :D

[AmEv]

It's not recommended or official, but it is possible.

Example eBay auction for pic (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Mac-G3-G4-Dual-Two-Hard-Drive-Mount-Caddy-Tray-805-2322-/380369417453?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA% 252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D380339 102714%26ps%3D54)

[Neodymium]

Take a look at these for inspiration:

http://inspirationfeed.com/inspiration/design-elements/50-creative-macbook-pro-decals-from-etsy/
http://www.applesticker.com/media/03/a20791c133513b08d29d71_m.JPG
http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--90000--65538_product_483136678_thumb_large.jpg

Talk to TLHarrell about etching/engraving if you want to take that route...

PS: I like the Ozzy eating the apple idea :D

[AmEv]

Why not:
http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Portal-iPad-decal.jpg

:D

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Those are dope!!!

[Aldersan]

Hah, those portal ones are hilarious, good find AmEv!

[TheGreatSatan]

That needs a lot of paint!

[Aldersan]

Also, if you were still interested in doing the 2 pc in one thing, I (with the help of Will o course! :D) figured out an easy way to switch between the two pc's :D

[AmEv]

Also, if you were still interested in doing the 2 pc in one thing, I (with the help of Will o course! :D) figured out an easy way to switch between the two pc's :D

KVM:P

[Aldersan]

lol, that works for peripherals, but we figured out how to easily switch between powering the two motherboards with a switch and the power button :D

[AmEv]

The green wire, right?

[Aldersan]

What Will suggested was wiring 2 positive leads from the button, one for each motherboard, then the negative lead to the middle prong of the switch, then one negative from one side prong to a motherboard, then the other side to the other motherboard

[AmEv]

Oh, THAT way.


Clever!

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Na, the 2 pc thing I'm not too interested in... Lol.

So some progress... Have my motherboard and power supply fit into the case... Finishing tonight. Need to cut a hole in the 5.25 bay so I can run the cables down the middle, running them on the sides, the case won't close.

I painted the top sides and front black, they are outside defuming, they still reek of rust oleum.

Here's what I got so far.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/c79fcc99.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/79715e80.jpg

[Aldersan]

Looking pretty sweet! Have you thought about liquid cooling? There looks to be room on the top section for a 240-ish rad on the top and a 120-140ish rad on the back above the psu..could be sweet! Would look something like in my case, except it wouldn't be right over your motherboard lol

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

I'm planning on water cooling eventually.... For now though it's going to be air. I dot want to go cheap on water cooling, cuz I plan on building an i7 rig and OC'ing it.

[Aldersan]

Another thing I had suggested to Omega, I dunno how much room you have behind your motherboard tray, but you could cut some hole's in the tray along the edge of the motherboard and route your cables immediately behind it, helps hide cables excellently :D But again, it depends on having a lot of space behind the tray.

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Let's just say my atx power cable cant fit between the frame of the case and the side panel. :(

[Aldersan]

Hmm, then another option a lot of people do is make alu/plexi panels, to cover their wiring and other stuff. Of course, this is all assuming you want to hide your cables lol

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

It's got metal side panels. Only thing you'll see INSIDE the computer is the neon glow from the neon lights behind the front grills. I'm just worried about airflow.

[Aldersan]

Ahh, then you got nothing to worry about! Tape them cables down to the tray and call it good ! :P Otherwise, looking good, I love big cases!

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Lol that was what I'm planning on doing tonight just so I can have a computer again, and clear space out of the room. Neatness comes later.

[Wordbiker]

Let's just say my atx power cable cant fit between the frame of the case and the side panel. :(

What if you unsleeved it to separate the strands? Sleeving is cool, but tucked away cabling is even cooler. Heck, if you're OCD you can sleeve the individual wires and get the best of both approaches.

EDIT: Ah, I see it isn't sleeved. Man, that must be really tight back there.

[Aldersan]

Lol, if he cant even see the cables, theres no point trying to sleeve them :P

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Ya... Very tight. I'm thinking I may just hold off until I get my settlement from work (class action money) and buy a power supply with the longest wires I can find. Lol

[Aldersan]

or you could pick up sleeved extentions in the colors you like :)

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Cut a hole. It's ugly, but it also will start raining again any minute. Will work. Will post up pic

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/2f72161d.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/19e9e2f5.jpg

[Aldersan]

hmm..black is nice, but it needs more fancy-fying :D

[Stonerboy779]

Sexy in black but you need to spray the interior too imo.

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Spray the interior? You mean the other side of the Panels? Ya I know... I was in a hurry.
And I respect your opinion, I'd like to eventually paint the interior, but won't be for awhile, since I'd need to go a few days without a computer. ( painted the front, let it sit outside all day and night) and my room STILL smells like a rattle can. The side panels baked in the sun for 2 days so they don't smell. Oh well... Time to burn candles.

And I'm not done modding it, this is just the beginning. Going with a monster hackintosh theme. (as it dwarfs a Powermac G5 AND a Mac Pro, and out performs a G5, and will hold its own against an early Mac Pro... Until I build my i7).

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Finished it... For now. Here's some pr0n :-)

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/af358602.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/5d541103.jpg

And here's an image of what I would love to paint on the side... Apple Powermac / Mac Pro style. any of you guys have experience putting images from google onto the side of a case?

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/764f40be.jpg

[Fuganater]

Ya man this thing is screaming to be WC'd. You can make a wicked window to show off a tube res beside the mobo.

[jdbnsn]

any of you guys have experience putting images from google onto the side of a case?

Great picture! Depends on how you want to have it placed in the computer. Etching is an option, takes skill or money. Airbrushing is an option, same problems though you could probably do ok (assuming you are not already an airbrush guru) by printing it out in the size you want on card stock or vinyl sheet and very carefully cutting out the black areas to make a stencil. Another option is to just have it printed on clear vinyl transparency. I have done this with other projects but your problems will likely be size and resolution. Office max and places like that can do it cheaply but are limited to 8*11" sheets of transparency. Another problem will likely be resolution. Few images online are high res enough to enlarge and not suffer nasty pixelation. I always use at least 300DPI (photoshop defaults new files to 72 so you need to increase it) but Office Max can print up to 600DPI. I would blow the image up to the size I wanted and make a new layer, then use the original as a template and trace a new copy which would eliminate the pixelation (or use vector drawing if you know how). It will be time consuming for sure, but that is how I would do it.

You might be able to find someone to do it for you, I would but not for free. How big were you thinking of making it?

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

The size of the apple logo on g5's and Mac pros. Not the entire panel, maybe 4"x4" Or 3" x 3". I don't have my exact measurements yet...
I was thinking of sanding the panel down, repainting it like a dark silver or grey, using that pic as maybe a template, finding someone to freehand it onto the panel, then carefully cover it, then repaint the panel gloss black, leaving the skull the dark grey/silver.
Thoughts?

And I know... I plan on water cooling. Once I build my i7 rig, gonna water cool it and redesign the thermal zones.., as it currently has one: air sucked through the 80mm fan on the back, and the 120mm fan on the roof of the lower compartment, then pushed out by the 120mm fan I stole out of a g3 desktop ( along with the bracket) and re-wired for faster rpm's. Wen I get home I'll sketch out the current airflow pattern and post it up for review.

[slaveofconvention]

I would seriously consider getting that picture laser etched into a piece of plexi, then cutting a window in the side of the case to the exact shape of the outline - mount the skull in the new hole and point a couple of red leds at it to make the etching really glow - you'd still be able to see into the case but that would look (IMO) absolutely epic....

I have a few cases this size (or bigger) and love 'em - I have a full tower old-school chieftec dragon...

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/images/SkuImages/gallery/large/dragon_serv-aBlack.jpg

as well as a Thermaltake Mozart TX...

http://images.highspeedbackbone.net/skuimages/large/T925-2241-main.jpg

and finally, my pride and joy (well as far as computer cases go) my server which lives in one of these....

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/1001.jpg

A lian li 343b cube case - this thing has 18 (yup, eighteen) 5.25" bays!!!!

Your love of large cases is not going to make people here look at you funny - most of us love em :D

[AmEv]

Large "cases" :whistler:

[slaveofconvention]

lol - those are my largeST cases - I have about 40 in total and most of them are more moderately sized :P

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

I would seriously consider getting that picture laser etched into a piece of plexi, then cutting a window in the side of the case to the exact shape of the outline - mount the skull in the new hole and point a couple of red leds at it to make the etching really glow - you'd still be able to see into the case but that would look (IMO) absolutely epic....

I have a few cases this size (or bigger) and love 'em - I have a full tower old-school chieftec dragon...

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/images/SkuImages/gallery/large/dragon_serv-aBlack.jpg

as well as a Thermaltake Mozart TX...

http://images.highspeedbackbone.net/skuimages/large/T925-2241-main.jpg

and finally, my pride and joy (well as far as computer cases go) my server which lives in one of these....

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/1001.jpg

A lian li 343b cube case - this thing has 18 (yup, eighteen) 5.25" bays!!!!

Your love of large cases is not going to make people here look at you funny - most of us love em :D

I'm down for that... Around how much would you say that would run me?

And I love your cases!

[jdbnsn]

oh 4*4 isn't so bad at all. I was thinking like 12*12 or something large in that range. In that case I doubt you will need to do much to touch the image up. Laser etching is certainly an option but there is a lot of soft detail there that I think will be lost and it is more expensive. You should try this just for kicks, make two transparencies, one with the heavy details and the other with the shading. Then mount them on opposing sides of a Plexiglas sheet to see if the separation gives the image more depth.

[Aldersan]

Also, if you're really interested in laser engraving, give TLHarrel a pm, he does a great job and very affordable, especially for 4x4"

[jdbnsn]

It scales up pretty nicely actually, here it is a 4 inches square (roughly).


http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/skull/full.jpg


Here is what you could do to separate the depth...



http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/skull/heavy.jpg

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/skull/detail.jpg]

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Those look great...

And when I get some money I'll send him a PM. Good lookin out!

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Ok here's a pic of the airflow setup.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/newmonsterairflow.png

I know it doesn't make much sense, but it seems to be cooling VERY efficiently. My Athlon 64 x2 4800+ 2.5ghz is overclocked to 2.7ghz (not much, I know, but I don't want to go far due to crap power supply) idles at 26-29C, and under load (iTunes and modern warfare 3) goes up to 36-39C. So not bad temps at all, I think . What say yalls

[Fuganater]

Looks fine. Thats a normal setup. Front in, back out and top out.

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Sweet, thanks. Any possible improvements?

[jdbnsn]

Improvements?

[Fuganater]

Sweet, thanks. Any possible improvements?

Water. or less crazy fans.

[Stonerboy779]

front and top 240 push/pull rads and a d5 pump

[Twigsoffury]

front and top 240 push/pull rads and a d5 pump

you might think this is cool


http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23058


=p

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

That's way cool... But little too hardcore with the lighting for my tastes... It's awesome don't get me wrong, huge props to the creator, but not quite my style.

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Here's my new system... About to transplant into the monster. Bye bye AMD... And good riddance. Was so slow.. How they beat out G5's I don't know.
For 120 I couldn't pass up a COMPLETE intel q6600 system with asus pq5 deluxe motherboard, 9800 gtx video card, and 2 250GB video cards! Here's a before transplant pic:
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/27452fcd.jpg
Aww how cute. See the size of that cooler?! Wow!

[Aldersan]

and 2 250GB video cards


I think you meant hard drives :D

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Ya hard drives ooops

[AmEv]

250GB RAM cards would be nice!

[Ozziesironmanoffroad]

Checking in again. I've been a bit busy... Got a day off and I'm about to make some brackets for the power supply.

Let me get everyone's opinions... Should I keep the hard drives in the 5 1/2 bays, or should I put the 7 or 9 drive capacity hard drive cage back in the bottom half next to the motherboard?

And yes I plan on watercooling, as I have figured out the art of overclocking. Currently have it running at 3.4GHz stable. When I'm ready to watercool I'll post up a thread...

But in the meantime, here are a couple pics of the bare chassis. (oh and help me with the airflow? I'm thinking the 80mm in back turn to an intake and the 120mm on the heatsink use as exhaust and the 120mm on the roof of the lower compartment blow down, then get sucked up by the front fans and exhausted out the front. Any thoughts?

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/4028d36a.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/ozziesironman/326ae561.jpg