Project Ghetto

[Drew]

:EDIT: PROJECT ABORTED, PICS WILL BE REMOVED SHORTLY TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW ONES.


Before we start, I'd like to mention that although I have named this project Ghetto, it's a reference that it's gonna be done on a real budget. LIKE COSTING NUFFIN. I have no real set theme or final aim. Well, apart from a cool case I can call unique. So if you'se have got any ideas that might work, say so.

The only things that I have in mind are the colour scheme - Purple and Yella on the outside (used to watch the Minnesota Vikings when I was in the States) and a super duper metal flake Black on the inside. Oh, and a window of some sort. I really, really should have a proper theme....


On with the show.

I aquired this little iCute case and fell in love with it. I love these little cases, and I have another one very similar (with a plain front) that's sittin unused (painted red in the background).

I like this one better, 'cos of the purple bit on the front.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0875.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0878.jpg

Yeah, I know, AT form factor.....but it only took 5 mins with the Dremel on the power switch and a change of I/O panel (I think that's what it's called) and it was a proper ATX case.

Since I'm using cheap cheap components, I plan to overclock. This means air flow is gonna be a priority. Water cooling is out purely on cost.

Problem is, it's a small case, so no room in the back for an extractor fan. So it's gotta go in the top. Part one of the plan.

Before the air can get out, it's gotta get in. That means a fan in the front. handily, I found this tucked away inside during the strip down...

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0879.jpg

I've seen these before, but didn't know what it was (n00b). I do now....for the uninitiated, it's an 80mm fan holder.

Check that it is what I think it is with an old UV fan....

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0881.jpg

I didn't like the bars. So I hacked 'em out, as is only proper.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0886.jpg

30 seconds with my side cutters and 2 mins with the dremel and it's much, much betterer.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0887.jpg

Cant see this front panel doin' much for airflow. Break out the side cutters and Dremel again.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0889.jpg

Better for the airflow, but I'm gonna have to do something about that hole. I was gonna leave it like that (wont hurt if it's covered up) but I know it's there.

Converting the power switch to ATX was as simple as Dremelling down the knob that sticks out on the back of the switch to the same level as the red one here (from the other case). I would have used the red switch and saved some work but I'm toying with the idea of lighting the switch, and the red just wouldn't have carried the light.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0892.jpg

Thats where we are at the moment. Not far I know, and this is likely to be a slow build (dosh problems - ain't got none...), but hey, whats the rush, right?

Ideas?

[xmastree]

Converting the power switch to ATX was as simple as Dremelling down the knob that sticks out on the back of the switch to the same level as the red one herePossibly too late now, but there is an easier way to convert an AT power switch to ATX functionality.
The AT switch is a push on - push off switch. If you watch it in action as you operate it, you'll see a small wire loop moving, under the return spring. This is what latches it on. Rip out this wire and you have a momentary action switch, which can be connected to the motherboard, just as a regular switch would be.

[Drew]

Oh.

Don't I feel foolish.

We live and we learn....

[armadilloben]

you know drew i dont think you have enough porn lol:D

[Drew]

Not porn

Glamour.

I am not a pervert.

I appreciate the female form

There's a difference.

*cough*

[Ichbin]

Are you still looking for design ideas for this case?

[Drew]

Oh yus.

All creativity addressed to Drew, c/o this thread, TBCS.

Many thanks.

You really are quite helpful, Mr Ichbin.

[xmastree]

Purple and yellow you say? That lower piece on the front. Is it translucent purple enough? You could put something behind it, like EL wire, in a wiggly pattern. Or some LEDs fitted to the panel behind it. RED ones might look more purple behind that, you could take it to the store and try the EL wire to see the effect before buying it.

[Drew]

I was toying with lighting the translucent panel.. but not with EL wire.

But if I used it, I could have it any shape I wanted....

[Drew]

Itty bitty little update:

After choosing the processor cooler I want for this case....

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/009583.gif

I figure that I should check for room...good job I did.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0899.jpg

There doesn't look like theres gonna be anywhere near enough room between the processor and the PSU (it might fit, but the airflows gonna be poo). ****.

Never mind, that's what it's all about, 'aint it?

So I thought 'If it wont fit, move summat.' The PSU came off worse, and now I want to have it external. Back to this in a minute.

I was going to put an 80mm exhaust fan in the roof, but when I removed the PSU, there was a nice gap for a fan.

Soooo I hacked up a piece of acrylic that came out of an old case, and knocked up an adaptor plate, and now I have a fan blowing in, and a fan blowing out.

Here's what I managed...

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0902.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0904.jpg

The plate will be painted eventually (when I paint the rest), I'll chop off the nuts and bolts (or use nice ones) and the fans will be replaced with purple LED ones I found on eBay.

Now I got a new problem... how and where to mount the PSU? I'm using a standard ATX PSU and am about to go worklog trawling for some inspiration...

Here's a pic of the case with the size of PSU I'm using (not the actual one...) for a scale reference.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0906.jpg

Any ideas folks?

[xmastree]

Do you really need that fan there? From the looks of that cpu cooler, with some ducting I reckon it could be arranged to draw fresh air right in.

<sharp intake of breath>That's a small case</siob> Would it fit in the bottom? If there are no other cards in there apart from the video then you might get away with it.

[Ichbin]

Make this computer into a lamp. People need lamps. Soooo....lamp it up!

lol jkjk.

Man, your in a tight spot though....literally! could you possibly cut the case and make it wider? Or something of that sort? It'd give that extra room ya need.

[Drew]

Do you really need that fan there? From the looks of that cpu cooler, with some ducting I reckon it could be arranged to draw fresh air right in.

Didn't think of that... but it might if I can find some purple or yellow ducting...



<sharp intake of breath>That's a small case</siob>

That it is. It's why I like it. Why make my first one an easy one?


Would it fit in the bottom? If there are no other cards in there apart from the video then you might get away with it.

Now that is an idea. I'll offer it up tomorrow.


Make this computer into a lamp. People need lamps. Soooo....lamp it up!

Don't get it. :(


Man, your in a tight spot though....literally! could you possibly cut the case and make it wider? Or something of that sort? It'd give that extra room ya need.

Possibly a bit major for this one, but if I cant come up with anything else that's workable....

[Maz]

with that cpu cooler, couldn't you cut a hole in the case and have it partially outside too?
personally i think it would look like a shaker intake for a muscle car, and that means sweet.

[Drew]

Erm... I dont think it's that big.....

but yeah, a shaker hood on a PC would be cool....

[Drew]

Right...

I offered up the standard ATX PSU at the bottom, and this is what it looked like...

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0908.jpg

Now, I 'aint Einstein, but that don't look too good (it wouldn't go upright, 'cos it obscured the AGP slot).

So I had a squiz around my modding hovel, and found one that came from an old Micro ATX case I 'acquired'.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0911.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0912.jpg

Now that looks do-able. I'd have to cut a hole out of the side of the case for it to fit properly, but with a purple LED fan in there, it's no hardship.

Looks to fit spot-on - but it's only 150W. Ya reckon it'll be man enough?

[Bucko]

I'm not sure 150W would be enough.
However, I think the bigger supply would look cool on the top of the case with a cover for it made up.

[Drew]

I've just had a google on 'psu calculator' and according to the ones I tried I need a minimum of about 230W. ****e.

Back to the drawing board....

And I'm gonna see if the guts from a biggun will fit in a little 'un... don't hold out much hope though.



***Bad idea alert*** Hows 'bout an uncovered PSU? Scary, but strangely compelling... It'd be smaller....

[Drew]

Was toying with the idea of having a completely open PSU in the base of my case, much like this....

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0913.jpg

Then decided that I didn't actually want to die.

Soooo...

I made up a mock-up cover for the PSU (which kinda works for me 'cos I was going to have a false floor for cable management anyway) to see if it was do-able and slid it in.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0915.jpg

I liked the look, but didn't like the fins sticking out much, so I threw together a cover type thing for it, which I like much better and also lets some heat escape.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0916.jpg

It just happened to be at the right height to split the airflow so some went over the PSU - result!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/drew555/DSCF0917.jpg

Please ignore the 'super-ghettotastic' mock-up, it was just to see if it would work... the finished bit will be proper plastic.

All the plastic bits I make will end up painted the same colour as the rest of the guts of the case - black metalflake.. mmmm... shiny bits....

Still need a theme.. or ideas for the purple/yella outsides...

[Ichbin]

That hot glue all over the place in the last picture? lol.

I think this mod should be called Maguyvers Mod instead, lol.

[Drew]

Yup, thass hot glue.

Used it to hold 2 bits of plastic stuff together.

Don't worry, it's just a template for the proper stuff.

And Maguyvers mod?

'Aint that him off the Simpsons?

[Ichbin]

The simpsons! pffffttt for shame!!! Every modder should know who maguyver is.

Hes the guy that can fix anything with a pen, paperclip, and chewing gum.

[Drew]

lol, that'll be me then....

But I tend to use gaffer tape, cable ties and hot glue....

[Drew]

***PROJECT ABORTED***

Just recieved the processor cooler...

Holy ****e that's big.

It's big enough to cool a V8, let alone a Celeron. And it came with 2 different fan controllers, one for the floppy drive slot (with a nice big ali knob) and one for a rear mounted slot. Oh, and it can be controlled thermally too.... oh, and it lights up blue....

All a good job, 'cos it sounds like a day out at Heathrow at full chat.

I was short on space before, but with this it's just not gonna happen.

Gonna keep the Mobo, Celeron and Cooler from this project ('cos I've fallen in love with the mahooooooosive cooler) and use it on the new project (in a bigger case).

Thanks for your input guys...