Modding Scratchbuilt PC Part 1 - Cooling, Design and Hardware

Ever wanted to build your own PC case? Well we're taking our first steps too.

http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/guides/2012/04/04/scratchbuilt-pc-part-1-design-and-hardwar/1

 

Wayhay! First!

I love the examples for this category. Really keen to see how the content comes together. Weijy's build is just epic though... gonna have a go myself when I can afford a new 2 cpu PC...

 

THIS is Bit - Tech! Honestly, I absolutely LOVE articles like this! Thanks Antony, more please more!

 

If this is part "noobs guide" could you include the exact measurement between the backplate mount and motherboard standoffs ? I've done two scratch builds now and always get caught out by this, especially when I don't have a spare motherboard to test fit with.

 

Excellent article! I'm sure this type of info will encourage a few to join the scratch-build community and give us some fresh eye candy with their inspirational designs! Would have been a handy article to start me off with back in the day. Good work Bit-tech!

It would be good to also provide some links to the modding forum in particular to the tools threads and any decent machining/bending/fixing techniques threads crucial in fabrication of cases. In fact, I would suggest this article series should be a permanent link on the front page with the title “Scratch-builds for beginners”, easy, visible access for new comers without it getting lost in the history of articles/threads and requiring a search to find it! Same can be said for a case mods article series.

 

On the point of using your main PC components in your scratch build, how does this stand up with the Windows licensing minefield?

Does Windows treat the swapping out of main components (such as motherboard/processor) as a "new" PC and require re-authenticating or a new Windows license? In which case new hardware for the scratch build would seem more prudent...

 

Excellent article that should be helpful to people fancying a go at scratch builds. rep

I remember very well looking at scratch builds when I was thinking about making 1 not knowing how on earth you do stuff like that but now a few years later fabrication makes perfect sense to me, it is important to know what you can & can't do though with the tools or methods you have or could have but sometimes you can see limits that aren't there & things are actually very doable, often takes someone to show it is doable though before people see it themselves, a lot of it is improvisation also using random things you can find anywhere.

Cardboard mock ups are excellent to do for finding out what layout you want to do but never done them myself, not yet anyway.

I would recomend to anyone on there first go with no previous experience in making things to get some practice in on cheap off cut scraps for developing the techniques of the basics like drilling, cutting, bending, fixing things together because if you do that & get good at basics before actually starting a project you will have a much smoother run if you sensibly design your project, but learning as you go works also & is less boring, takes longer & more tricky but that can gain a high drive to totally out do their previous effort & you learn things you never figured you would on how to improve many small details.

It's definitely a more fun learning process knowing you came from knowing nothing to gaining a lot & feeling confident about making whatever you want to, it's an awesome challenge & really satisfying, first steps can be difficult & frustrating though it really can, some really underestimate the challenge even of a seemingly simple cube case but it's learning & getting past stuff like that which helps you level up & fabrication is 1 of many aspects to try & master.

Woo hooo picture of stealthlow as the some modders make it look easy bit. I'm very honoured to see a picture of my last project in the intro of this awesome series article, cheers Antony, I'll be tuned in for this helpful series for people keen on the idea of making a scratch build & like the look of your first scratch.

Link to the log links to the article though unless it's been fixed already while typing this.

 

you guys got in my head on this one. We are looking to buy a new home, and one of the things i am trying to get is a big garage for starting projects like this as well as building custom furniture for the home.

 

Excellent use for Sketchup! I have a dream that one day all main stream manufacturers will create all their products in Sketchup and put them in the 3D warehouse so people can download them and actually build a virtual computer in Sketchup.

For a typical build this would be useful, but building your own case I can see it being incredibly useful. I can't wait for the manufacturers to catch on. But in the meantime, we'll have to depend on other modders to draw their computer parts and upload them to the warehouse. You just have to trust that the dimensions are accurate.

 

Finally! Bit Tech geting back to it's roots. Hope to see more of this sort of article.

 

Really happy to see this feature in bit-tech, its exactly what I signed up for in the first place. More of this content would be mucho welcome.

Also great to see some of my Interior Des(k)ign photos being used for the planning part! A welcome surprise and a honor again.

Thanks guys!

 

Love your articles Antony!
Can't we get an article a day?

 

Looking good Anthony!
May I suggest styrofoam is also good for mockups!

 

This is a great article by Anthony. good inspiration for new ppl like me. and a heads up. Thanks Anthony. My project log is there in forum if anyone wanna look up as well

Yep Asphiax, I've been using styrofoam for my scratch build, so far not much problems, but only ? is fiber glassing styrofoam. it might be lil bit problem. I'll let u know once done. and I think it depend on the build, fo more curvy builds styrofoam is good, but more edgy cases other materials considering all the pain you have to go through sanding styrofoam to get the perfect curves and shapes on both sides