Project: A.I. 2 *New pics April 10th - Focus on external PSU*

Hi guys,

finished this case for last year's DCMM (German Case Mod Championship) in August, didn't do much since then.
Now the next DCMM is ahead (5th April), time to fire up the Dremel and upgrade!

First some pics "as is":


To-Do list:
- new Mainboard & Radeon (both black)
- 2 HDs replaced with single one (need room)
- NIC and Soundcard will go, new MB has sound & lan onboard
- complete supersweet water cooling setup
- PSU goes in external case to make room for radiator
- PSU cooling with single 120mm Fan (quiet!)
- new internal wireing (?)
- internal cold cathode replaced with LEDs
- Slot-in DVD goes out or gets new front *depending on time*
- replace Floppy with multicard-reader + Firewire (with matching alu front, of course) *depending on time*
- matching alu stand for LCD *also depending on time*
- 1 or 2 surprises

I gotta start with the PSU, I guess.
I'm still not sure wether to just wrap the wires from the PSU or to solder new directly to the PSU board.

Any input would be greatly appreciated (sp?).
Any ideas or guides for external PSUs?

Thanks & cheers,
Mac

 

Sell it and start with a new case! More fun

 

I know
Time is the problem.
Until this weekend, I thought I had 6 month to get ready instead of 2.
Since my job's quite tight at the moment, I won't have too much time.

 

Hi again,

as you may have noticed, I decided not to continue this log before.
This was for two reasons:
- lack of time
- too risky: the case was made for a competition, and everyone knows how well-known and beloved bit-tech.net is, even in Germany.

However, the case was finished in time and won.
So, here are at least some pictures, more too follow if you like.
Enjoy and please forgive me for not logging properly.


Cheers,
Mac

 

Looks nice, any specific reason you converted it to WTX?

 

Thanks!
And sorry, me not native english speaker.
What does "WTX" mean, please?

 

Beautiful case!



DDK

 

WTX is a standard like ATX, the difference is that the motherboard is mounted upside down like yours.

 

Ah, we live and learn, don't we?
The WTX was one of those late-night ideas (alcohol involved), that you just have to do, just because you have to try it.
The final reason was that I went to the DCMM with DawN, my "brother" , who has a similar PC-60 and placed second by just .7%!
It cost me 1 1/2 day (that was missing later on with the electronics), but I figured it'd be a nice symetry of our babys posing together..

They seem to like each other, don't they.
Cheers,
Mac

 

Strange comment maybe, but I really like that external PSU

Got a site or guide anywhere?

Also, did you convert to WTX just so people at first glance would see the window on the right side panel and ask if you were crazy enough to mod the mobo itself (remembers fake mobo reversal photos about a year ago )

edit: Never realised I typed that slowly nice pic btw

 

Very cool case. Looks great hanging out with it's friend.

I like the adorable little badge on the external psu (if that's what it is) and LCD mount.

 

wow, very nice cases

i take it u have access to cnc equipment?

 

God knows why, your case has so much more work put in. WTX and External PSU for a start.

 

Thanks!
No CNC access, we had the air-slots for the PSU- and Fancovers cut with waterjet by someone else, as well as some carvings on DawN's case, albeit according to specs we did with CAD and CorelDraw. We notified the jury of this, off course. The rest was done by ourselves.

It was well deserved, as he (DawN) put more stress on the electronics (e.g. nice pulsing plexi carved logos - gotta see those! ) and cleaning up the cables "behind the scenes" (up to the last fan-cable, believe me), he also had an external Hdd with a case similar to my PSU.
So you see that he didn't waste his time while I was busy with the WTX and the PSU.
All in all, the rating could just as well have been the other way round, and I wouldn't have minded, too.

Cheers,
Mac

 

WOW!!!

O.K. How should i put this... Let's start by this is one of the most interesting innovative Lian-Li case mods I'v seen ever! Well since "Biohazard case" anyway. I am especially interested in the external PSU mod. Would be really nice if u could extend your project log with info on how you did it. and some more close up pics Would also be nice to know how you did the "stealthed" floppy & power/reset mod. In short I would be nice with more pics and text.

And again really beautiful cases!!!

 

^^^^
Thanks again.

Yes, some how-to's will apear depending on my spare-time.

I already did something on the stealth floppy some time ago.
The front USB-port is detailed here, only I polished it to total lucidity in the meantime and replaced the steel screws with plexi ones.

More to follow..

Cheers,
Mac

 

That is one of the cleanest mods I've seen for some time!

 

great mod!!

can i ask what is the little circular thing on the front of your case?

 

Thanks!

The round thingy in the front is a horizontally mounted Reservoir.
Closeup:

Bassically it's an "Aqua Tube" from www.Aqua-computer.de, but I replaced the normal screws with flush ones and it's mounted from behind the face-plate instead of being screwed to it.

Cheers,
Mac

 

Wow very nice. I love the attention to detail you and your brother have put into them.