[Maximus_OC]

Ok this might not be the most extreme project, but I hope to end up with a unique and clean looking case. I built a computer for a friend this past summer and he gave me his old case. Actually I have the mobo, cpu, vid card, etc as well, but I am not going to use them for this project. The case is a Gateway Performance 1400 desktop. If you forget what these looked like here is a pic.



I know it is ugly. Thats pretty much my drive for doing this project. I want to take an ugly oem case and make something cool out of it. I haven't decide what mobo, cpu, etc I am going to put into it. It will be an intel socket 478, because thats what my waterblock mounts to. I also got motivated to do this project after reading the latest Maximum PC the one with the how to on painting. I am going to use this project to practice painting.

List of Mods that I Plan to Do: (so far)
-Two tone paint job (nothing extreme, i am going for a clean look)
-Side window (design undecided, but something simple and clean)
-Permanently mount Radiator and Pump (paint radiator and shroud to match case)
-Cut hole in front panel to get better airflow to the radiator (cover hole with mesh screen to filter dust)
-2 120mm case fans (1 pulling air through the radiator in front and one exhaust in the rear) no other fans except for on PSU)
-Mount 2 rocker switches to the case (location undecided) to control the fans; The switch will allow me to select if I want 5 volts or 12 going to the fans
-1 rocker switch to control lighting (i will have some lighting in the case nothing extreme)
-I want the computer to be able to run almost silent and with no lighting if need be
-power button will be replaced by a key switch; something small and painted to match the case (for the heck of it)
-all plastic pieces will be painted to match the rest of the case
-power cables will be routed behind mobo tray; any wires that must be exposed will be covered
-Danger Den Fillport (to clean up the tubing setup even more)

-- I will be adding to this list as I start work on the project and think of new ideas. Let me know what you guys think, and what you think I should do to the case. Remember I am going for something not to extreme, and as clean as I can make it--

[BTTB]

Good luck!

[Sentential]

Oh man thats gonna be really tough... good luck!

[BTTB]

If I was you, I'd cut that ugly black mesh out and replace it with better mesh (or a grill topper *haha*).

[Maximus_OC]

you mean that front plastic peice? There are actually no holes in it. Its just a removable plastic piece hat has little divits in it. It is very ugly. However I have to keep it, because whats underneath it is worse. What I plan to do though. Is to paint it of course, but thats where the new hole and new mesh will go. The radiator will go right behind that panel inside in the case. The grill topper is what I plan to use, and it will be painted as well.


this is really crappy, but I am going to cut a whole in the piece something like this. I will have to use some molding around the cut, and then put the mesh behind the hole. its about the best way I can come up with to mod that piece some and also get more airflow to the radiator.

[BTTB]

Yeah, I can tell this is gonna be an interesting/awesome mod.

[Maximus_OC]

thanks! hopefully I can get to work on it soon. I still need some ideas on the two tone paint colors. I want something that isn't to flashy. I was thinking like a gloss black on about 3/4's of the case. Then like around the bottom 1/4 have a gloss silver. Something like the paint scheme from the car on gone in 60 seconds. Not sure why I am thinking this, but it seems like it would be a clean quality look. But I am open to suggestions.



In this little pic you can barely see that on top is another plastic piece like on the front only smaller. It also has the gateway logo on it. I need a suggestion on what I should do to get rid of it. It is raised on the plastic so it would be hard to sand it off.



This is a pic of what my water setup looked like in my old rig. Messy and unorganized. In the new rig its going to be organized and permanent.



This is a pic of the key switch and the rocker switches I am going to use. These are from Jameco.com.

[Celeron_Phreak]

If you're using that key switch to power your computer on, you have to turn it to the second position, and then right back to the begining position. If not, the computer will feel it like it would someone holding down the power button. I was dissapointed with this when I used the same switch for my old home built clear case.

[Caeberos]

if you haven't ordered the switches yet you can try to find a momentary switch, like they sell for car ignitions. But the ones for cars are ALOT bigger and harder to hide someplace, but they sell them at autozone for around $8

[Maximus_OC]

ah yea you guys are right i just realized that. I would rather stick with the smaller switch. i may or may not use the key switch then. I don't want something that is too cumbersome to turn off and on.

[Susquehannock]

Sounds like a lot of work. Those older cases can be really sturdy.
Look forward to seeing how the project progresses.
Good luck.

[Maximus_OC]

yes thats one thing I noticed about this case. it is very sturdy. And I was surpised how much room there was for the water cooling setup. I removed the lower drive cage for the hard drives, and now there is a ton of room for the radiator and fan. And there was a mount for a 120mm fan on the backside of the case which i thought was rare for an older oem case. I am going to order in the electronics etc and should start cutting on the case next weekend. I always seem to rush when I start projects, I am going to go slow on this one and hopefully the final product will be much nicer.

[Susquehannock]

Yeah, those old server cases make great modding projects. A budd of mine did
an old AT server case a couple years back and it turned out awesome, though very heavy.
Probably because it had complete set of shielding plates on the inside.
Glad they don't see that as essential for home systems anymore.

[Maximus_OC]

i can never decide if I like the light weight of aluminum cases better or the durabilty of the steel cases better. When I had my antec case loaded with all my drives and my water cooling setup it weighed like 60 lbs. Probably not that much, but it was a bear to move. I thought about putting casters on it. i think I am going to like cutting and painting on the steel better than aluminum. The aluminum will bend and bow when you are cutting on it.

[BTTB]

Truthfully, a little extra weight is better than less stability. I love my steel case, I'm gonna stick with steel cases.

[FLESHnBLOOD]

I have a steel case also and damn it is heavy. It's under my desk and with the stableisers out it is unmoveable. If you accidently kick it in bare feet.

[Maximus_OC]

I had a little bit of time to work on the project this weekend. Basically I just got the front cut out and also the side panel cut out.

I meaured out all the components (PSU, drive cage, rad, pump etc) and then made a design on the side panel as big as I could, but also so not to show any of the components.



I am not sure exactly the design I was going for. Since it is going to be a water cooled rig I kind of had the idea of a splash of water. I am not very artistic though. If I end up not liking it I can still straighten out the curves and make it simplier. This is what it ended up looking like. What do you guys think? I am of course going to cover the rough cuts with molding. I will be putting the screen mesh in the front hole and plexi glass on the side.







This is what the front looks like behind the plastic piece. This is with the radiator sitting in the hole I cut out. This setup should give plenty of air flow.

[Fathead]

Nice job there max

[dracos]

so are you putting a fan in the hole or what is going there??

Maybe I missed it if you said it...

[Maximus_OC]

The radiator is right behind that opening. It will have a shroud and 120mm fan pulling air through that opening.
here is a pic of a quick mock up i did. I don't have all of the components yet, so its not going to look exactly like this, but you get the idea.