Project Leftovers: A Basic Mod With my Imperial ClearPC complete, I turned my attention to building a Linux server to serve as my PDC and file server for my home network. At first, I was just going to buy a cheap case and slap the components in it with no modding...but then I looked at the various kit I had leftover from my previous project and said "Why not?" The victim for this mod: the Ultra Wizard. Sure, it's a steel case, but it's a small ATX version. And for $40, it came with a PSU I could modify and not feel bad about if I messed it up. First, I dismantled the chassis, cut a hole for a 120mm intake fan (replacing the original 80mm hole), and painted the whole chassis gloss black. When I reassembled the chassis, I decided not to include the 3-1/2" internal drive mount...I wasn't going to use it (at least, not yet!) and it just cluttered up the case. While the paint was drying, I tinted the window with some of tinting I'd used on the Imperial ClearPC. I also replaced the (rather flashy) Ultra fan grill with a filter I'd purchased for the Imp, but decided not to use. I also swapped out the green and amber LEDs with blue and white LEDs I had lying around: I pulled out the aluminum 120mm fan I'd considered using on the Imp, gave the frame a few coats of gloss black paint, and mounted it on the outside of the chassis. There's plenty of room between the front bezel and the chassis, so this helped keep the interior of the case "clean". While I was at it, I mounted the CCFL inverter outside the chassis, too. Now to do something about that plain ol' PSU... SharkBait
Part 2: The PSU, Puttin' It All Together My original intent was to replace the factory fan with a quieter one and replace the entire PSU cover with "modder's mesh". I also wanted to remove some of the connectors I knew I wouldn't use to keep the amount of cable management I'd need to do to a minimum. When I plugged in the PSU to test it, I was happily surprised to barely hear the fan! Unfortunately, though, I didn't have enough mesh to totally replace the PSU cover. So, instead, I did this: And after a few coats of metallic blue paint (selected by my wife, no less!): Basic, but better than stock. The original cable bundles on the PSU each had 1 SATA connector followed by three molex plugs and a floppy drive connector. I reconfigured the bundles so that I had one for the drives I'd have (one SATA connector, one molex connector) and one for accessories (removing the SATA connector entirely). I also went ahead and sleeved the bundles: I routed the accessories cable behind the motherboard tray, and mounted the molexes using double-sided foam tape. This is where the intake fan and CCFL are connected. I also painted the CD drive to match the PSU. The drive bezel also got a few coats of gloss black paint, even though it'll hide behind a door most of the time. For the hard drive, I dusted off the mounts I'd originally purchased for the Imperial ClearPC. They're pretty industrial looking, and not "polished" enough for the look I wanted in the Imp. Here, though, they fit nicely: All that was left was to install the components and a single white CCFL: Again, a basic mod...but I'm very pleased with the results! SharkBait
Simple, clean, and effective. I think you did a beautiful job with this one! The whole case looks so much nicer now, and there's still a lot of room to work on it if you decide to. My only change would be maybe putting something behind the mobo (maybe a thin layer of sound insulation or something) so that the CCFL doesn't reflect off of it. Personally, I like subtle lighting, where you can't necessarily identify the source. The bright reflection off the back shows the cathode itself, which is not to my tastes. Overall, great job!
As he said with tinting foil. Which they use for car windows. These tinting foils are available at the local car accesory store.
Sharkbait, just thought you should know you inspired me to do a similar style of basic mod on the old case I had laying about. My project is temporarily delayed due to an acrylic accident, and I needed something to put my computer in, so I have started on a "cousin" if you will for project leftovers.
All, thanks for the feedback! Da Dego, I'll see what I can do to "diffuse" the white CCFL. Not sure I'm willing to spoil the gloss black finish in the case, but perhaps I can do something to reduce the glare. Glad you're doing your own "leftover" mod...with all of the high-speed mods bit-tech draws, it's nice to see some clean and simple ones. SharkBait
