Case Mod - In Progress BITZA

I thought about buying a cheap one, but wasn't convinced by the reviews, but yeah they definitely make the job much easier.

 

UPDATE 4/4/14

I've been working out some issues with the design, and I've replaced the rad. This one is nice and square, has standard fittings and is much easier to work with. I've gone down to a 240mm rad to make room for the PSU, no matter which way orientated, the PSU would interfere with a 360.

Corsair have been very cool and sent through some fans and another item (which I'll share later) this was for the article in Custom PC (Mini Moto Mayhem)

I have removed the two flange fittings as I found a better use for them on something else ... but here's the rad and fans ...



The power supply is also from Corsair ... again from a magazine article (Custom PC) It all seems to be turning into a bit of a Corsair fest (not a bad thing)
The PSU is fitted in it's standard position, so no mods needed there and I can make use of the air filter fitted under the case. The GPU is fitted and I have a PCIE riser ready to connect it up to the Mobo.



I have also fitted an old CPU water block and had a quick play with some tubing and fittings that I had left over from the last build. (The look fits in with the minimalist feel to the build).



I ordered up one of those new compression reservoirs from PrimoChill, I chose this one because after rotating one of the ends 90 degrees, the inlet/outlet ports can be routed through the mid-plate and I can hide the fittings out of sight. Here it is ..



I drilled through a few holes in the mid-plate, to match up with res ...



and using the flanges that were originally fitted to the rad, fixed them onto the midplate, clamping the res in place ... nice simple solution. The SSD is placed there temporarily with blue tak but gives me an idea of the how it will look.



And a final "where it's at pic" I still need to do a few more panels, and I have been over ridden by my step son on the paint scheme ... so that's still up in the air ... ohh well

 

Awesome job! Congrats!

 

Nice Andy, will be watching!

 

Getting better by the day

Ed. Can't you make that plate thing that the res sits on out of clear so you can see the GPU and stuff underneath it?

Kinda like a ghost frame... I think that would look tons better. Ed 2. Or cut a window in it?

 

Cheers Douglas

Thanks James, will update in the next few days

I thought that Idea over, (great suggestion btw) I'm very tempted, but I'm sticking with the original idea, although I do need to re-do the plate/shroud... I still might do it in acylic just to see how it looks Thanks Andy

 

UPDATE 18/04/14

I ordered up a grill form E22, nipper chose it as it's a nice design and will fit in with the build really well, I was pretty impressed with the material used and it has a nice solid feel to it. Cheers Nate



So i marked off the screw holes and where I wanted to cut, I drilled out the holes before cutting (makes it much easier to drill)



Used the Dremel to cut out the shape, and filled off the jagged edges.



I salvaged some of the pop fasteners from the Thermaltake case windows, I like these as they're easy to use and have a nice clean look to them when fitted.



Here's the grill fitted.



.... and a closer look at those fasteners, I prefer the look of these as opposed to looking at crew heads.



Here's a photo of me pretending to drill through the top of the case, this is for a fill port. A nice simple job.



and finally the fill port fitted ... like I said simple job



Next on the list is to fit the Rad in place and fit the front window which will be salvaged from the Thermal take case, it's a nice moulded one and will fit better than slapping a bit of acrylic behind a square hole.

 

UPDATE 22/04/14

I'm going to use one of the windows from the old Thermaltake case, I separated the acrylic window from the side panel (saving the fasteners) The widow sections are moulded and will sit flush with the new panel.



I cut out the bit I wanted with a dremel and sanded the edges.



I used the old panel as a template for the shape and used the end of a needle file to score onto the new panel.



That was also cut out with a dremel, the edges are sanded and the holes drilled.



The old fasteners were re-used and the new window ties in with the grill that was fitted earlier

 

The fan grill and window look really good together.
This is one lucky wipersnaper.

 

Cheers man, Yeah he is

 

UPDATE 01/05/14

I ran into a bit of a problem, the connectors on the graphics card were facing into the Rad, leaving me no room to plug in the power supply. The solution ? ... make the connector blocks face a different direction.

I chopped through the pins that secure the blocks to the graphics card, I then slid off the blocks.



I then bent the wires straight with a pair of long nose pliers, you'll notice that I have snipped the longer connection so that they're all the same length.



With all the wires straight, trimmed to length and a lead filed on the ends, The blocks then slide back on (read tapped on with a hammer )



Final pic of the card with the blocks facing the way I want them to, problem solved

 

missed the start of this some how. like the way you have covered up everything, make the mobo look tiny. I was going to suggest planting the GPU on the sloping bit then as I read further along I saw you have plonked a res on there. I love a good old bitza, when I done my sons one it came in at £132, cant argue with that. Top modding yet again . I shall be watching closly. i like the way this is shaping up.

 

Love the sidepanel, the grill and window work very nice together.

 

Cheers Jeff, I'm slightly over the £132 mark but not by much. It's quite refreshing to revamp old stuff and spend out a fortune on new hardware.

Thanks Crappy,
I had a good look at those wires when I done the bike, it's surprising how robust they are, mind you doing it on a three year old graphics card makes being brave a lil easier

Thanks man, I like how the window and grill work together

 

UPDATE 15/05/14

I spent a lil while looking at the case, and thought it'd be a good idea to remove the logo from the front of the case a bit.



That left it slightly wobbly so I purchased some aluminium edging from the local builders merchant (the kind used for plastering) cost just over £7 for 2 meters. This was used to build up the edges and make it all a bit more ridged.



It means the side panel that I'd just done is U/S now but hey ho. I've added a small monitor to the front as it fits pretty well and saves me having to make a panel to shutter of the gap.



The res has been fitted, and the fan grill needs to be secured (blu-tac gets a bit melty in the sun)



The gap at the top will be filled with some nice smoked acrylic that I have and will be hinged so that it opens up at the front (I'll have to figure out some kinda latch)



I'm really liking the aluminium edging and will probably stay with that look, the angled panel has a nice copper effect and that will stay, so that just leaves the bits of the case that's left. That'll be painted a burnt yellow or whatever Halfords have in stock.

I have the back edging to finish and knock up some side panels and then it's ready to break down and paint ... so should be done pretty soon, I don't have much time left to finish as it's nipper's birthday in a few weeks.

 

Yeah I bet you do, you dirty cow

Cheers Crappy, I like how it's progressing

 

Liked the idea of removing the video card connectors.
congratulations.