[champdog]

I was just wondering why I don't hear about many people building their own cases. Money saved on a case is more money for another upgrade...

Is it too hard, or do many people make their own and I just haven't heard about it?

It seems like it could be a pretty good money saver.

And if you did make your own case, please post a pic of it.

[Default]

I think the main problem is that A) alot of people don't have the time to build thier own case B) buying a 20$ case and modding it into a 200$ case would be much easier and no real big hit to the precious bank account. Also cases are usualy a long term investment, so people tend to think of it like in terms of a monitor. Do it once and do it right.

[Ange]

Building your own case or modding one you like? Modding is what many ppl do. However building one from scratch, I mean a real CASE, not just a box with all the stuff tossed inside, is definitely more expensive than buying one. You get cases starting at 20$, very decent aluminum ones for $60+. Show me how you can built one from scratch for less.

A.

[palee72]

Not to mention it takes a lot of time, effort, and patience to build a case, along with $$$. till you take the time to; buy the aluminum/steel/plexi/(your material choice here), all the supplies to cut and assemble said material, hardware to mount devices, paint or some finishing product. You could have gone to your favorite web site/computer shop/computer show and purchase a case that is, more than likely, sturdier and more pleasing to the eye than what the average computer user/power user will make. Yes, you get to say, "look at what I did", but, wouldn't you rather spend the extra time and $$$ overclocking, benching, and fragging?

That's my take on it. I like to think that I'm pretty handy with tools and stuff, I just don't want to take the time to build my own case... Plus, then you have to build your own keyboard to match it. Oh, don't forget about the monitor case... Hmm...

[NewBldr]

I've been giving thought to building a case. Still a distance off, but if I do, I'm thinking of plexiglass -- the ultimate windowed case

[ToledoSteel]

Its really not worth it after you figure time and materials. Plus the fact that if your off just a hair while cutting a piece, it looks like crap. I was in the begining stages of building a case, but abandoned it after a week of schematics and preliminary buying of materials. It WILL end up costing more than a comparable case. It's all that stuff you forget about when dreaming up a design. The screws, paint, tools, saw blades, sand paper, drill bits, rivets, bolts, primer, more sand paper to fix your screwed up paint job, and extra 20 pieces of plexi to get that stupid cut right. You get the idea.

If you already have the tools and a workshop, give it a go. If not don't even start.

[UnWishedLegacy]

I'm planning on making an Aluminium case- to fit a mini-Itx system, slightly smaller than Flex ATX.
By my estimates, altogether it will cost me about £35- about the price of a plastic, bottom of the line, generic ATX case with a crap PSU and no features.

you want to know how to make a plexi case? Capt Slug made a nice little artical about making that exact same thing.
Here's the link.

Let us know how it works out- but it won't hurt to have a cheapo case on stand-by just incase you really bodge it.

[BabyEater]

If you want to build your own case and make it look very good you will need some good equipment, it would be alright for me as i work at metal fabrication but if you dont have the equipment to fold the metal etc. it wont look as good.

[ManOman]

I'm sure it would be a blast doing something like that, but man the money for the resources to do a job like that has got to be staggering.
The feeling you'd get when you were done would be pretty exhilerating though "YEA!! I built that!!

[Agent Z]

how do you mod a 20$ case .....I want a cool case like the Matrix one....