Blake's Project: The Way a Cooler Master Cavalier 3 Should Be!

[gvblake22]

ok, HUGE update for ya this time!!!
First up is one of a few accessories I decided to add (gotta love ebay):

 

[gvblake22]

Next I added an on/off switch to two empty, rewired 120mm blue LED fan frames and put them to good use as spacers for a duct past the PSU on the top 120mm intake fan. And a huge thanks to JudgeDredd for making this duct and lighting possible!!!!!!!:


It was a close fit with the PSU but made for a good place to hide wires:


I then decided to add this switch to the front panel area along with a dedicated processor fan speed controller and digital temperature display all in a custom multifunction front panel display in an empty 5.25" drive bay cover:

 

[gvblake22]

Then I had to mod my new heatsink fan a little bit:


Then it was on to that ever-annoying dual 40mm fan bracket:

 

[gvblake22]

Now on to installing the rest of the cooling and components:




The wiring took WAAAYYY longer than I thougt (about 3 hours!):

 

[gvblake22]

And now for the glory shots!
Sorry for the blurry night pic, I was pretty tired and didn't feel like taking the time to make it good. Plus one of the wires on one of the fan frames with the blue LED's fell off so I had to kindof tape it back on and it didn't want to work right after that so this is with only one frame of LED's (3 total).

 

[Dukeman]

Wow! Great mod. So what are the temps like?

 

[gvblake22]

Temps are actually about 3-5 degrees C lower than in my old case. BIOS shows mid 20's but my temp probe shows high 20's to 30 with my 3200 Venice at 2.4Ghz on 1.5v. But I was lazy and I didn't feel like pulling the heatsink to position the temp probe correctly so it is just barely touching the edge of the processor IHS "area" at the bottom of the socket (under the heatpipes) so the readings from that probe are more like the hottest case/system temp rather than the actual processor temp, but it's still close.

 

[Flip-Mode]

Very good work, inspiring.

 

[gvblake22]

Ok, well, I decided to put my HUGE piece of black foam core board to good use :


I just did a little measuring and cut out three separate little rectangles and placed them inside the case around the motherboard to cover up most of the ugly gray interior and also spruced up the wire management a little bit while I was at it:



I think I like it. Next stop is a window on the other side panel!

 

[RedDragonXXX]

Very good job, looks awsome

 

[CCUABIDExORxDIE]

DAMN! very nice job blake. thats a super clean looking setup.

 

[flamerail]

Looks great!! Nice job!

 

[SatanSkin]

Bad *** looking! Great job!

 

[Seven]

Wow...makes my Cav 3 look like ***.

Very very nice job.

7

 

[chr0nicles]

AWSOME MOD MAN... i wish i can cut like that

 

[Son1990]

Is this project done with?

 

[gvblake22]

Is this project done with?

Nope, NEVER!!!!!!

I have some sleaving and UV CCFL's in the mail right now and I'm still designing a window for the other side panel. The updates will be much slower now with school starting, but will still trickle in so I'll update as needed

 

[Son1990]

Yay....that makes me happy

 

[Zulu-1]

wow... that was a really really nice mod... very professional.... i should do that to my dragon..

 

[HousERaT]

man that is a really nice touch you put on that case...... If I didn't have so many computers I'd do another one..... I really miss case modding..... excellent job bro

BTW are you just going for a practical case or do you plan to make it all pretty and stuff?