Project: Passion

[Datech]

Ok, I just joined the boards a few days ago and I've already been inspired to start my own case mod. The name of the project is Passion, and I plan to have it done no later than March of 09. This will be an easy mod compared to what I've seen already, but I'm not sure what kind of time and resources I will have between now and then.

Background:
I've been into BYOPC for the past few years, and so far I've based my parts on the performance/cost/coolness ratio, heh. I've wanted to get into more serious modding for a while now, and then I found TBCS and was hooked and almost immediately inspired. I currently go to the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), in Atlanta, GA, so as you can see I'm somewhat of a geek by nature to begin with.

My girlfriend (hereto referred to as Girlfriend) is the owner of an aging Toshiba laptop that simply isn't meeting her needs anymore. Like anyone, she likes a fast internet, fast load times for programs, and the occasional spiffy game every now and then. As the months go by on her laptop she is becoming more and more frustrated with what is now definitely considered a POS. She doesn't have the money to get one while she is in college, and her father isn't in a position to get her one either.

Project:
Well I'm seeing a need, so I guess its time to fill it... And from the smoke and flames of college relationships, spare computer parts, and late night take out arises Passion. Ok, maybe its not that cool, but it's my first mod and it beats the hell out of buying her a Christmas present she'll never use again.

My plan for this is a simple, single side panel mod with enough LED's to make the thing glow red. In my mind, the word Passion stems thoughts of red, hearts, and most importantly love. On the flip side, it also stems thoughts of regret, blood, and hate, cause as soon as I shed blood on this hateful machine I'll regret building the dang thing... However, with Girlfriend really being a girl, I'm sure we'll both appreciate the time, effort, and hopefully craftsmanship.

Components:
Spare tower ATX case with a sleek handle on top and curving faceplate.
ASUS P5N-SLI mobo
Intel Core 2 Duo 6300 @ 1.83 GHz CPU with stock HSU
A-Data 2x 1GB DDR2-663
XFX nVidia 7300 GS
150GB WD HDD
20x DVD-R/CD-RW
430W Antec PSU
Niko 1920 19" widescreen monitor
Red LED case fans

All of these parts are basically my last computer. A few of them are still in my current computer and will be replaced by Christmas with the following:

Christmas Wish List:
ASUS P5Q Intel P45
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz
Artic Cooler Freezer 7 Pro HSU
Patriot Viper 2x 1GB DDR2-1200
500GB WD HDD

Status:
I don't have my digital camera yet, so i can't give you an idea of the case I'm modding, or what my system currently looks like. However, I did play around with SketchUp enough to make a decent mockup of my side panel design.

My first task will be to get a Dremel drill and a piece of metal for the new side plate, as the current side plate has a glass pattern in it. Once I get that it will simply be an exercise in not screwing up the pattern or the component wiring.

I would love any suggestions on this. I'm usually pretty good at turning someone's random comment about, "Wouldn't it be cool if..." into something that actually goes into my design and build process for projects. As you can tell the side panel design is similar to nVidia's logo, and sort of resembles Roxy/Quicksilver as well. Girlfriend loves the beach, so I figured the subtle reference to waves won't hurt either. Just remember: extrapolate off of 'Passion' as I want this to be about pure emotion bundled into a computer.

Can't wait to hear the responses and get working!

[The boy 4rm oz]

A nice simple concept. I like the idea, should look very good once finished.

[SXRguyinMA]

like the idea +rep

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Should be nice and clean. I like it. +sub

[Xcartguy]

Aww that pretty cool. Would be cool to have red lights fade in and out like a heart beating or something, but not sure if that would cause distraction or not. Can't wait to see the end result.

[blueonblack]

Welcome to TBCS! I like the design you've got for the side panel, looks to be a challenging cutout. The only suggestion I can come up with thus far is perhaps to us CCFL tubes instead of LED's for your red glow. They come prewired, they're available in several sizes, they're cheap, and they spread a lot more light around.

Carry on, I'll be watching this one.

+rep for the idea
________
Honda Zb50

[KiLLERMAN21]

Nice idea, loves always a good theme for things gonna be watching this one. +rep

[Datech]

Aww that pretty cool. Would be cool to have red lights fade in and out like a heart beating or something, but not sure if that would cause distraction or not. Can't wait to see the end result.

That's a great idea Xcartguy. I have a Blue LED fan that does that, and maybe I can work that in to the CCFL idea blueonblack was talking about once I do a little more research on it.

The next thing I want a little opinion on is what fills the cutout spaces. Should I leave it open for ventilation, should I cover it with clear plexiglass, frosted plexiglass so is glows more, or should I incorporate some other idea like a grille that goes with the theme?

[The boy 4rm oz]

How about you cover the center "heart" piece with the plexi but use silver mesh on the rest?

[jdbnsn]

do you want that heart shape in your cutout design incorporated into your header?