Mod or the Computer

[Scotty]

Wow Spawn, super-uber-necro-postage or what!

[.Maleficus.]

Wow Spawn, super-uber-necro-postage or what!

Is that what we're calling it for 2-year old threads now?

[Luke122]

HAHAHAHA... I didnt even notice the thread age!

THat would explain all the usernames I dont recognize!

[Quakken]

Even at 2 years old, when everything else is obsolete, this question remains completely valid.

I'm repping the OP. It seems so... strange to do so to someone who will probably never see it, but that's what service is supposed to be like, isn't it?

[TraitorJackKnives]

I think the mod is great and all but if you don't have good parts you can't use it for anything.

[NightrainSrt4]

Ya, old thread hehe.

But I think it really comes down to the person. Modding is an art form. To say that if it doesn't have a nice computer in it or it takes away from the mod is pretty...idk, just doesn't feel right to say, just feels like modding blasphemy. To me, yes nice hardware is a plus, but a great mod stands on its own.

To those that say modding is way cheaper than upgrading hardware haven't taken the time to build a really top notch mod, or at least talk to some of the heroes who have. Yes, mods can be built with whatever you have around, but not all people have those things just lying around. Tools for one are a huge expense, even just basic tools. Just the plexiglass for my mod comes to the price of a nice Raptor hdd. When you add up all the little things for a mod it really adds up. $2 here, $3.50 there really adds up over the time of the mods progression. And mods that are thrown together with whatever, if you tried to price out the stuff you used that you just had around so someone could do something similar, you would be surprised what it adds up to. People don't mod because its cheap, in fact many of the people I have talked to that have done basic mods have spent the kind of money that could have bought an amazing retail case.

And what happens when you mod one real nice mod with great hardware. For many modders it isn't about just making one case. Modding is like a fever, it starts off with that little burning sensation and soon blasts its way through your body until it consumes you. What happens once you've done a mod with great hardware? Are you supposed to feel obligated to get amazing hardware for your second or third or fourth etc. ? That is usually when many modders move on to the crappier hardware, or go the other way. Do a mod on a crappier computer to gain confidence for a big one.


Either way, to me, its all for the love of the mod.

[twhited]

I agree, the age of this thread is unimportant, it is a timeless debate.

My first mod was a "proof-of-concept" before I started digging into a case a buddy bought for his daughter. I eventually tossed it, but I learned from it.

The next case became a Christmas present. For a couple of old guys who had never done this, it came out pretty cool and the kid LOVED it. (It certainly isn't worth posting on this prestigious site.)

My second (official) effort went to a 4 year old for a birthday present. IT professionals where I work were awed bye it. (Again, much to rookie to post here.)

Those were crappy machines with cases that WAY outclassed the hardware. I did it for the love of modding.

I also happen to love building PC's from scratch, and I hope my new machine will see the inside of my latest concept, but I cannot guarantee it.

[Durrthock]

Has no one noticed it says im-porn-tant in the poll? This is like from the month I joined lol.

[halcyonforever]

Currently it is all about the Mod. I have 2 gaming rigs (gotta have one for the wife) and I don't feel like modding on my game rig directly. My plan is for the mod to be completely independant of the hardware so I am building it with spares. (also because the concept has a pretty strong chance of toasting some hardware on failure) But to be honest it really is a mix of both. When I get this done and it is working at spec, I will move the expensive hardware into the system with ease. I really think this is a valid question but I think the answer is both, as many have pointed out. The mod is nothing without guts, and a fast computer that you want to hide behind a file cabinet is not desireable.

I think there are definately different levels to each, you can have a Mod that serves to highlight specific gear, or a mod that exists to hide the gear in an un-obtrusive way. My mod for example is a proof of concept on cooling, so I could put an electric heater in there to prove my point and it would still work, but it will ultimately get better gear treatment once I know it works and isn't going to burn down several hundred dollars worth of hardware.

[Crazy Buddhist]

I don't ever game however I always keep a reasonably quick machine on the go. My own mods are to make computers less ugly and fit in with the feel of the room they are gong in. Deskpooter for example? It's a mod, but it doesn't look much like a computer any more. It's quite fast, though if I had £500 to spend on parts right now for her she would have a new absolutely top end Mobo, CPU, Ram and SATA HDD installed by this evening.

Interesting poll but the question you are asking is very subtle in some ways. Perhaps because it's not all about gaming - and I think putting one against the other hides a lot of the subtlety.

In short, everything in life is a compromise, except death - no room for negotiation there.

CrazyB