Computer Case Modding/Building?

[LaughingCheese]

Anyone ever done a case mod/build?


I have an idea for a scratch built case, star trek based of course.


I think the best material for strength/durability would be aluminum, but then I have no metal working skills, and I'm not sure it'd be worth the time invested for a one off project.

[IanKennedy]

I've not done it from scratch but the things you need to think about are precise locating and cooling. You need your motherboard to be firmly connected to the case and for the card slots to be at 90 degrees to the board, this needs to be fairly accurate otherwise you will put stress in the board. The second thing as I say is cooling. You have to make sure that there is good air flow over the whole of the inside, you don't want to create hot spots. Graphics cards and CPUs do not take kindly to being cooked.

[LaughingCheese]

I've not done it from scratch but the things you need to think about are precise locating and cooling. You need your motherboard to be firmly connected to the case and for the card slots to be at 90 degrees to the board, this needs to be fairly accurate otherwise you will put stress in the board. The second thing as I say is cooling. You have to make sure that there is good air flow over the whole of the inside, you don't want to create hot spots. Graphics cards and CPUs do not take kindly to being cooked.

Interesting, thanks. I have thought of cooling; just not sure if the shape I want to use would be good for cooling though, or if I can modify the shape to make it better for cooling.


I'm tempted to start a discussion about my idea for a scratch built, but I'm not sure if I want to give anything away before I have something to show.

Although I'm saving up for a laptop right now, which, when I get it, will probably be my last computer for a long while.

Which means that it'll probably a very long time before I get to this idea, if ever...

[IanKennedy]

To get air flow you need vents at the front and back of the case (or at least on the left and right of the case. You also need one or more fans to make the air move the smaller they are the faster they have to go, or the more of them you need to get the desired cooling effect. The faster the fan spins the noisier the machine is.

Edit: you can also have the vents on the top and bottom and have the air flow upwards, this is a particularly good design as hot air is more buoyant and thus raises by it's self. Because of this trying to make the air flow down is a very bad idea

[LaughingCheese]

To get air flow you need vents at the front and back of the case (or at least on the left and right of the case. You also need one or more fans to make the air move the smaller they are the faster they have to go, or the more of them you need to get the desired cooling effect. The faster the fan spins the noisier the machine is.

Edit: you can also have the vents on the top and bottom and have the air flow upwards, this is a particularly good design as hot air is more buoyant and thus raises by it's self. Because of this trying to make the air flow down is a very bad idea

What if the shape is long and thin?

I guess it depends on what sort of scaling factor I use...

[IanKennedy]

You need the space to fit the components inside. The motherboard is very thin but the heat sink on a PC is usually pretty vast, plus the PCI type cards. They pretty much set your height limit. Unless you get hold of one of those right angle converters that DELL use to make there low profile cases. Basically, they lie the PCI cards down parallel to the motherboard.

Just think about the air flow over the components, what's going to make it move they way you want it. If you have a closed off corner what if anything is going to get the air to enter and leave that corner.