My Computer Mods
Why build? For the simple aspect that store-bought systems are put together by someone else! But also, just for the fun of it. When you buy a system, each component installed is for a reason to benefit the company in some way. Either a partnership or a price break on bulk but in any case (no pun intended) I personally prefer to review and install each component myself to serve the needs best for me. In the case (no pun again) below, this rig was built for video editing.
This mod is a system I built around a Core2 Duo cpu, a RAID0 SATA harddrive setup, and an SLI video setup. The purpose was to go all "dual" with this and the results were amazing. These rigs are great for video editing.
In addition to a dual core cpu, dual harddrives striped, and dual video cards for SLI, I also rigged the motherboard with a huge Zalman heatsink. This enabled me to overclock the 2.4ghz dual core cpu to 3.6ghz and keep the internal temperature to around 34 c. It's a beautiful thing.
There is no set rule about the type of computer case the components should be installed into. I chose colored acrylic for the "cool" factor.
The DesignerPC A Working name
The DesignerPC (2003) is a computer mod that had I built back then with the idea
that a PC case can be visually pleasing, small, innovative, and actually useful.
No longer does the case have to hide under your desk. This was my first concept
of a case made of colored acrylic in a cube form! There is no set rule about the
type of computer case the components should be installed into. I chose colored acrylic
for the "cool" factor. It's 9 times harder than glass, but still very fragile. You
can't drop 'em.
Prototype of my cube designs
The dimensions are only 10 inches x 10 inches! Big enough to fit an ATX mobo, DVD,
hard drive, power supply, a case fan, with room for expansion cards as well.
The internal lighting is an added feature. It has great Illumination in a dark room.
There are four fans total, the CPU fan/heatsink, The two fans in the PSU and the case
fan on top. Surprisingly, noise is not bad at all.
The back flips out. I mounted the PSU on the back, so it is out of the way when you need to get inside.
The case does not get that hot at all, the CPU temp hangs around 102 degrees and the mobo at 87.
The space between the hinges and back provides plenty of ventilation. I installed the stock heatsink and fan that came with the CPU, nothing fancy there.
Overall, it was a fun project at the time. People didn't know what to make of them. Nowadays you can get colored acrylic PC cases in all kinds of sizes.