Project C.M.O.S. (Cooler Master Optimized System)

Welcome to my first project log.

This project will be based around a Cooler Master ATC-210B AX1 Aluminum Case. I know some of you guys will probably want to shoot me for buying a pre-modded case but when I read some reviews on this one I just had to have it.

Check out the pictures below to see what I am starting with. When I took these pictures I had already binned the black case fans in favour of some Cooler Master blue illuminated clear ones. I've also chucked in a CoolDrive3 to see how it would look.

Here's a view of the rear end:



This is how the front looks with the door open . . .



. . . and with the door closed:



Close-up shot of how the CoolDrive3 looks:



Right, so that's my starting point for this project, where do I go from this? Here's some ideas I have already:

The priority for me is that this machine must be as quiet as I can make it. Due to this, I am considering going down the water cooling route but haven't decided for sure yet. Need to do a bit more research on that.

If I decide to go for traditional air cooling, I would like to cut a large fan into the side window to feed cool air to the cpu cooler. This would have to be a nice quiet fan, with controllable speed.

I will be fitting two handles to the top of the case and possibly a matching one on the front door too. I also intend to have a custom-made, laser-cut, frosted applique on the inside of that front door. Something subtle. I have friends at a vinyl graphics company where I used to work so that should be easy enough to sort out.

I don't intend having a floppy drive in this machine so both of the 3 1/2 inch bays will be vacant. I would like to drill the bezels for ventilation and add a source of illumination behind them. Two rows of holes on each bezel with blue light eminating from within. Should look good behind that door.

That's the only solid ideas I have at the moment but I'm sure more will come as time passes, particularly if I decide to go with water cooling.

More pictures and details very soon ;o)

 

I've got the motherboard for this project so here's a quick update - not very exciting but it'll give me something to do while I'm waiting for payday to come around so I can get stuck into some modding.

Woo Yay! Slide out mobo trays rule!



Here's the mobo attached to the tray - Asus P4G8X Granite Bay:



I decided I needed to do something while waiting for funds so thought it would be fun to remove the chipset heatsink and get it lapped and polished - then replace using some good thermal grease. (sorry for the lack of proper mods so far - they will come I promise.)



I used some fine wet'n'dry paper, sprayed with WD40 and placed on a nice flat surface to lap the heatsink. Finshed it off with Autosol metal polish.

 

Very nice case as it is right now mate....really looking forward to seeing how things progress...GL and happy modding


Edit: speak to a mod nicely and they may consider a name change for ya

 

Thanks m8 - get paid again soon so I'll be able to get cracking

 

I think he maybe meant the project name, doh!

And yeh that is one nice case as it is, I'd be scared to go near it with a dremil.

 

Yeah I guess he meant project name

And I'm not sure I'll be dremelling too much either! It is a bit of a scary thought

 

Looks like a nice project. Yeah, I have a CM too, and it took a while to build the will to whip out the dremel on it

 

Oppps...sorry dude



walks away whistleing

 

no worries, I knew what you meant

 

I like the blue tint in the window. Thats sweet.

 

Small update:

Right, here's a little update for todays work. Not a major mod but I'm happy with the results - let me know what you think.

Ok, being as this machine will have no floppy drive I decided I would like to drill the 3 1/2 inch blanking plates to make them look a bit more interesting.

Here they are before I attacked them:



Taped up with masking tape and some rough indication of where the hole centres are:



After this, I trotted off to my mates workshop. He has a tower drill thingy with precise positioning gizmos; just what I need for this. Here's a couple of shots of the blanking plates after drilling:





This is what they look like back in the case - pretty nifty I reckon.





I'm gonna try and get some blue illumination behind those holes at some point. That's it for now . . . more soon hopefully

P.S. Credit to my mate Dibs for providing his drilling skills

 

Spankingly Delicious!

Mate,

I must say they look pretty spankingly awesome!!

Especially those precision drilled 'oles. (Cough-cough!!)

No seri-arsely, the case looks damn funky

Dib.

 

Cheers mate - and thanks again for your hole-making services

 

No problem... Drilling, milling services available on request!

 

Small update:

Just a quicky while I'm not busy. Got a couple of things delivered today:

My Antec PSU and some handles I'm gonna bolt onto the top of the case.



I'm on nightshift at the moment, should be a proper update sometime over the weekend with any luck

 

Case handles:

Bit late getting this done as I had an unexpectedly busy weekend

Pretty straightforward stuff really. Mask up the top of the case a bit and drill some holes:



Here you can see the big washers I've used to make sure these handles don't pull the bolts through the top of the case if I use them:



Some pictures of the the handles bolted on and ready to go:

 

Test fitting PSU:

Ok, had to get the stanley knife and sandpaper out here. The back plate from the Cooler Master that screws onto the back side of the PSU was fouling the main power socket. I just unscrewed it from the back of the PSU and cut/sanded it down to create the required clearance. Now it just fits as you can see in the pic below:



Not sure what to do about the fan guards here, do I change the gold ones on the PSU to chrome to match the case fans? Or, do I go the other way and get some gold ones for the case fans?



Suggestions welcome

 

The handles are nice, they match well and actually add somthing to the case. One suggestion that I would make is to turn the window around like Macroman did on his 101. I makes the case not look so premodded.
Some suggestions (you asked for em ) that I would make...
Look into if you can find some blue acrylic to match the stuff on the window and the front. I think using some to make a top window would give it some personality.
The case isn't the best for watercooling (but you did mention that I think) so I would definately not work your way into a corner so that a rad wont fit anywhere because there a windows cut everywhere. Keep that in mind if you cut a top window.
Uh lets see... definately get gold for the others, that looks cool.
Perhaps add 2 fans to the back of the mobo tray
Oh yeah, how well does that drive cooler work with a door over it? Does it?

 

Thanks for all the ideas Flashpanhunter - I 'm glad you said get some more gold fan grills, my mind was already headed that way.

I take your point about a door being over the hard-drive cooler - gonna have to suck it and see with that when the time comes - there is a fair gap between the front of the case and the door, the air might just stay warm though. Investigation required.

I thought about turning the window round, and agree with what you are saying. Have to mull over that one again, kinda like it the way it is . . . I do need to put more moddage into this thing though.

Cheer again for the ideas

 

really nice job on the handles .