PDA

View Full Version : Dell Dimension to Half Life Case Mod [Pics]

voodoomelon
12-27-04, 09:02 PM
I got an old Dell Dimension 4500 case and motherboard for free, so as you do, you mod it. :thup:

Here's the case before I touched it:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0200.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0203.jpg

And the CPU duct:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0205.jpg

So, i got the jigsaw and spray paint out (painting isn't entirely finished) and this is what i did:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0207.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0208.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0209.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0210.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0212.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0216.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0217.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0218.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0220.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0221.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0223.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0224.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0225.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0227.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0228.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0232.jpg


UPDATES:

I have since installed a full size ATX motherboard into the case, which involved cutting the rear to accomodate the back plate. I also had to cut away half of the power supplies casing to allow the motherbaord to fit. The top of the case also now sports the Lambda symbol, along with the characteristically rough and delapidated surface. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1815.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1816.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1818.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1820.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1821.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1824.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1825.jpg

Cathodes installed:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1826.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1827.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1828.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1829.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1830.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1831.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1832.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/IMAG1833.jpg


Neons etc, have gone in as you can see , I went for green for that toxic look.
The specs are as follows:

Pentium 4 @ 2.4Ghz
256mb PC2700 DDR (for now)
Gigabyte 8INXP 533mhz, RAID, AGP x8
On board 6-channel sound
Radeon 9200 Pro 128mb (for now)
Q-tec 350w PS



Hope you like it.

;)
KoolDrew
12-27-04, 09:14 PM
That looks very nice. Good job. I was thinking about modding an old Dell case I ahve but never really got around to doing it.
musawi
12-27-04, 09:46 PM
That is really nice. Looks good. Well done!
TheFrag
12-27-04, 11:26 PM
Hey, does that mobo have onboard video? Just curious, as I am gettign a dimension soon, and I am trying ot figure out if it will have an AGP slot...
SniperXX
12-28-04, 02:04 AM
@TheFrag - My dads demesion has no agp, just onboard vid.

@voodoomelon- That opening on the duct, did you put some clear plexi or something in the hole you cut? Or is it just open? Case looks nice!
TheFrag
12-28-04, 03:21 AM
@TheFrag - My dads demesion has no agp, just onboard vid.

@voodoomelon- That opening on the duct, did you put some clear plexi or something in the hole you cut? Or is it just open? Case looks nice!

Do you have the model of the Dimension? Or at least what CPU it has?

It actually does appear as if his does have onboard video, judging from the backshot, and I can see the AGP port.


Thanks
wizard james
12-28-04, 03:48 AM
god..i almost need a dell pro sign .. lol

first off the above dell does not have onboard sound OR video ..theres some with onboard both or one of the other.

but usely they come with a really crapy video card unless you pay 90 dollers more for them to toss one it.

i almost puked when i saw "half life" in the title name ..i just played 19 hours of hl2 .. had to stop casuse the videocard was overheatin because i dont got ramsinks on the one side lol ..

Looks VERY good for a dell case tho.. maybe dell odda hire you for there designs lol
TheFrag
12-28-04, 03:54 AM
god..i almost need a dell pro sign .. lol

first off the above dell does not have onboard sound OR video ..theres some with onboard both or one of the other.

but usely they come with a really crapy video card unless you pay 90 dollers more for them to toss one it.

i almost puked when i saw "half life" in the title name ..i just played 19 hours of hl2 .. had to stop casuse the videocard was overheatin because i dont got ramsinks on the one side lol ..

Looks VERY good for a dell case tho.. maybe dell odda hire you for there designs lol

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0224.jpg
I am pretty damn sure that the blue port is onboard video, not serial (like I originally thought), but I could be wrong.

Anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread anymore. Nice case. Feel free to answer my questions via PM if you have time.

Thanks :)
wizard james
12-28-04, 03:59 AM
nope.. i got that on my dell too.. dont really know what it is ..but its got pins ..

video cards u put the pins into the card .

and again ..looks good
TheFrag
12-28-04, 04:15 AM
nope.. i got that on my dell too.. dont really know what it is ..but its got pins ..

video cards u put the pins into the card .

and again ..looks good

I see... actually, I don't, lol. I can't see that that has pins, but I will take your word for it, for you have it and I do not. I tmust be a serial port then.

Wierd.
voodoomelon
12-28-04, 09:52 AM
Hi guys.
I find it a bit weird that no-one on an overclocking forum can identify the 9-pin connector on the back, lol. It is of course a serial port, the Dell has no onboard video, just an AGP x4 slot.

Oh, and yes the duct has a sheet of clear plexi-glass in it, it would kind of defeat the purpose of it if it didn't wouldn't it? :p

Thanks folks.
;)

Oh, and i just noticed a post there, the Dell does have onboard sound. Which is good, saves me having to get a sound card. :D (despite it's crapness).
subtotal
12-28-04, 01:04 PM
originally was that fan thats ducted to the heatsink blowing in or out, i'm just curious because my mom has a dell na d when i happed to look inside to check something inside i found bothe the cpu fan and the psu fan were blowing out... can you say dust-trap?
voodoomelon
12-28-04, 02:12 PM
The fan is a 92mm and is setup to suck air out of the case, hence is an exhaust fan.
The case has no airflow design at all, there are no case fans inside it, and the power supply (which is gone), which had only one fan, was setup as an exhaust also.

So there was no air coming into the case what-so ever.

And i'm guessing the reason Dell have the CPU duct setup as an exhaust and not as an intake is because there would be no way of extracting the hot air that would be circulated around the case as a result.

Interesting design, seeing as Dells of that era don't seem to run hot...

;)
subtotal
12-28-04, 03:28 PM
yeah my moms computer is the same. i reveresed the 92mm fan to stop dust buildup...
Avatar28
12-28-04, 04:56 PM
Since I work for Dell, I could definitevely say that system doesn't have onboard video and that it's a serial port. But voodoomelon beat me too it. :-(
speed bump
12-28-04, 06:49 PM
Those first pictures where a little weird to look at becuase that paint sceme remined me of those old HP machines.
voodoomelon
01-14-05, 11:28 AM
Hey folks :)

Some BRAND NEW pics at the top, I have the cathodes installed and it looks mean!
The case has since been varnished and has a full size ATX motherboard installed.
Also, a new Lambda symbol has been added to the top.

:thup: ;)

Voodoomelon
facialicious
01-14-05, 12:04 PM
looks nice. did you get rid of the cpu duct? now you need to tackle the front panel. i can still tell that its a dell. :P
prankstar008
01-14-05, 12:07 PM
Wow thats a shiny window (hahah)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/voodoomelon/DSCF0223.jpg
anyways i like how the whole case turned out. TO get that scretched up look on the lambda did u just drag that behing ur car or what?
Celeron_Phreak
01-14-05, 12:20 PM
Love the theme going on. I tend to lean more towards this color scheme rather than the orange that I see on other HL2 mods. They seem to use to much, but this looks great! I wanna see it with a matching monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers now. :) Throw in a nice wallpaper a bonus ;)

As for that blue port on the back......On the stock Dell motherboard, it must be video cause the universal color for the monitor port is blue. It'd be seria if it has nine visible pins. Usually people use it to manage a switch or router :)
Roofles
01-14-05, 12:24 PM
Nice job man, looks slick.

How did you do the effect on the lambda?

And its a male serial port. Video monitors have the opposite type of connector.
voodoomelon
01-14-05, 12:29 PM
Yeah, I got rid of the duct because it wouldn't fit with the new ATX motherboard. I stuck an 80mm fan on top of the CPU heatsink after spraying it silver. And aye, the fron panel needs a bit of attention all right....

To get the whole rusted, scratched and dirty look, I scrapped lumps out of the silver paint with a screwdriver and sprayed blotches of silver paint on the black and streaked it with paper. Looks pretty cool.

As for this infamous port on the back of the old Dell motherboard, it is a serial port and not onboard video.

;)
J☼E
01-14-05, 09:06 PM
lol thats cool, at the first few pics of it looked like crap, but then it got good ;)
roxihost
01-17-05, 08:46 AM
Have you experienced any more noice since you modded the case ?.
voodoomelon
01-17-05, 12:24 PM
To tell you the truth, I have no idea what it sounded like before I modded it, seeing as it wasn't my case. I got it for free, cos I modded my friends family PC. I took their old Dell case. :thup:

I took the 92mm fan that was in the duct, and screwed it to the rear as an exhaust.
I then got an 80mm and screwed that to the CPU heatsink.

Then there is one more 80mm in the front (which there never was before) 3.5" bay as an intake fan.

The case now has perfect air pressure, the 92mm is well balanced with the 80mm intake, as it spins slower.

As regards noise, it's very quiet. No rattles or vibrations and the fan noise is nice and low, < 30db i'd say.

Love that green, I've had a few offers already... :D

;)
jcw122
01-17-05, 12:40 PM
wow thats one SWEET mod job dude! i like it ALOT!
voodoomelon
01-17-05, 05:32 PM
Thanks a lot!
I like it too.

I think it's the most drastic mod to a case i've made yet, It looks completely different, except for the front of course, lol.

;)