im all new and ready to be taught

[noopypoop]

ok heres the deal. im only 12 years old. you may be asking, what is a 12 year old doin on a pc case modding forum. well, for m 13th birthday i am going to build my first ever gaming computer.i alredy have my list of parts. my only problem is i am very picky with style. at first i was gunna get the mge viper 2 case, but even with its greeat looks(and car theme) other then that in al the reviews i have read they said :

1:piece of crap plastic exterior that was extremely flimsy

2 front usb ports inside a closing door, so you cant close the door when a usb is in use

3. bad air circlation, fans



so i decided, looks arent everything and moved on. next i looked at the nzxt lexa blackline. this case i like very much, for it had pre cut holes on the back with rubber stoppers for water cooling(the stoppers were so the pipes wont cut)
also i like the lcd temperature readout, but the style wasnt really whay i like, pluss it is a finger print magnet. so i decided that, since this is my first build, and i need the experiance anyway, why not customize my own case? this way i could have the stylistics of the viper 2, but the quality of the lexa black line. what i am asking is if you guys could give me a simple link to an ALL IN ONE guide on how to mod a casse. plz dont say aeros guide because it is broken into many different guides. it is ok if the guide a book in a book store, im fine with that cuz im currently reading pc building for dummies. thank you and if i ever do build a case i will try to show the progress and i will DEFINETELY show the final results at the end. also, how much does building a custom case usually cost? cuz i dont wana buy a high end case and accidenally screw it up=p

[calumc]

1st off welcome to the forums!
If you want to get into case modding just find the cheapest case you can, that way you cant mess up much! even try and get an old one for free.
If you want a book to read have a look at this book written by Paul Capello (the owner of this site) otherwise just look around other peoples worklogs for ideas and if you have any questions just ask!

[elbarto241]

Welcome to TBCS noopy. let me awnser one of your questions...

Modifying a case can cost a little as a $5 to $500. It all depends your source of materials, access to tools, and skill. Let me explain...
The average mod around here is a window, paint[can or power-coat], lights[LEDs or CCFL], and a improvement to airflow [either a blowhole or induction hole]. Depending on your resources you might have to buy the materials and tools to make all this happen. If your lucky you have a relative or friend that is kind enough to lend you their tools or you could always buy your own. I choose the second option and decided to save up money for tools. So far Ive bought a dremel, jigsaw, files big and small, tap and die set; all around they cost me about $110-130 bucks. luckily my dad already had some tools that i needed: angle grinder, hacksaw, drill, other stuff that comes in handy, and a nice garage to work in.
Second, materials: You could always order them from a supplier on line or you can choose one of the cheaper option. You can go to your local scrap yard and try to buy some cheap sheets of metal they have laying around. You can also try your local CNC shop and ask them if they have any left-over pieces from their customer's parts. Sometimes the materials you need are right in front of you, look through old boxes in your garage or closet to see what you can use; the best mods come from crap thats molding over in your closet. Dont hesitate to walk down the $1 isle in walmart from materials. Their little pencil and envelope holders make a nice sheet of 4"x4" mesh for a buck, cant beat that.
If you've had previous experience on working with metal/wood, painting, autobody work, or anything that falls in between that will definetly help you here. Having experience most of the times means less mistakes therefore less wasted materials, which will make your project cheaper. If your new to any of this, then plan your mods well and use the ancient rule "measure twice, cut once". yes i know its a cliché but its a damn good one .
any way ill stop trying in hopes that any of that information was helpful, good luck and remember we like pictures around here

[D1337]

Im not going to go into specifics but... (mostly safety, but yeah READ IT)

If your having your parents pay for the stuff, make sure you tell them EXACTLY what your doing. Step by step.

They may not want you to mod a case, let alone handle toxic materials (bondo,some glues etc), Electrical components (that need to be wired), Painting or very fast and dangerous tools like dremels, saws, grinders etc.

Last thing we need is for you to come back and not be able to ask for help because your missing all your fingers or your entire hand.

TAKE IT SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW and practice. The first time you use a dremel theres a good chance youll either have it kick off the metal towards you or skim to a part of the case you dont want to be touched.

Use safety glasses, a mask, and earplugs. The first time i did it i didnt use earplugs, nor a mask, and let me say it was LOUD. Second time i had everything but a mask, Apparently when you inhale metal+cutting wheel dust youll sneeze out black for a day or two, and be short of breathe. Trust me i wear a mask from that day on.

[noopypoop]

thank u all for all ure help. and yea im payin for all this-_-. so saws= no problem, chemicals may be a problem

[NightrainSrt4]

I definitely have to agree and reiterate the mask and eye protection.

The last thing you need is a piece of a dremel disk come flying at you at high speeds and smack you in the eye. And Ive learned the aluminum/cutting wheel dust thing myself as well. It sucks blowing your nose only to see black. All that goes into your lungs as well, and some even gets sucked up into your bloodstream (especially if it gets into your nose, all those little capillaries up there really can take in things fast).

One thing I will recommend, which I learned from art, but sometimes it isn't easy.

You don't have to be perfect. Don't start over just because of one mistake. Work around it. Make it work for you. If you want perfection, go and get a CAD program, make the case and throw it into a mill and have a robot assemble it. If you want personality, let your mistakes flow and turn them into something you can love in time. I am learning that in the modding aspect.

Along with health, that one thing right there kept me from building my case for 3 months. I thought I had to be perfect. Take a look at my worklog, no where near perfect. Actually far from it. But I love that it has my personality in it. Some times its frustrating but you just have to work around it. Or you will never make any progress.

Hope those things help, and welcome to The Best Case Scenario! Have a look around, make some friends, see some great mods, and meet some great artists!

[.Maleficus.]

The #1 rule for modding is...

PLAN! PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN PLAN!!! You need to have a solid idea of what you're doing before you start. If you don't, you will have one hell of a time working on it.

Get a cheap case from an old computer that isn't in use and practice on that. Paint some of it, cut something out of it, sand and file the edges... You need to get a feel for it before you go crazy on a $150 case.

Wear protection! I don't know how many times I've got aluminum dust in my eyes, inhaled VERY toxic fumes, and cut every part of my body modding. If a Dremel disk breaks, it'll fly everywhere. I've gotten hit in the face tons of times, and a few times almost got my eyes. I've burnt myself on hot metal, and almost cut my hand with a Dremel. BE CAREFUL.

While there is no "guide to modding", there are a few great resources (Paul's book is the first to come to mind) that will give you a start. Modding is all about creativity. Get some good ideas, run them by us here in the "Idea Zone", and we'll all gladly help/critique/praise them. First though, you need the right tools. A few that I use most: Dremel, jigsaw, files, sandpaper, rubbing compound, and screwdrivers. Look into those. Read Paul's book. Get some ideas. When you've done all that, and with a little practice, you'll be more than ready to start. Oh, and also, make a worklog .

Welcome to TBCS man. Modding is all about fun and creativity, so let the artistic juices flow.


And do you have the part list handy? It'd be cool to know what this gaming computer will be.

[noopypoop]

ok heres the list of my hard ware(some may change depending on what comes out in the next few months


bfgtech 8800 gtx 768 mb(i may change that to an ultra)


dangerden 4101 h20 cpu cooling kit

evga 650i ultra l775 atx mobo

intel core 2 duo e6850 2.4ghz(im gunna overclock it with the water cooling kit)

atechflash 11 card reader

dvd drive


500gb hard drive(i might add a raptor in there for speed)


acztwch ddr2 vista 1x2 gb

ocztech 750w quad axt




so thats basically it. im basing the keyboard/ mouse on what my case looks like

[Spawn-Inc]

i would swap out the 650i board for a EVGA 680i board unless your really set on the 650i. it will make your firsting gaming rig last a while longer. outside of that it looks like a nice setup and good luck with it. i too am bulding my first gaming rig, specs below, but money is low so right now i'm buying a cheap video card, ram, and proc.

Have
Enermax Uber Chakra
Logitech G15
Logitech MX Revolution
LG H26N SATA DVD Burner
EVGA-NF68-A1 680i
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250gb
Enermax 850watt DXX

Don't have yet
Core 2 Quad Q6600
EVGA 8800Ultra
Samsung 226BW
mushkin 2GB PC2 8500

[Dilphat]

Welcome to TBCS noopy.

also don't forget to paint in a ventilated place. or work in a ventilated place. if your gonna be working with wires and connecting led's and such, this would be good for you to use your mask or some ventilation. solder fumes aren't good. if you come across any problems with anything on your pc. just come by TBCS and drop a question in the forums and we'll be here to help you out. any case can look good. It just takes time, planning, a break every once in a while, and proper safety.