Serra
09-16-2005, 08:58 PM
Like the title of the thread implies, I need a new case. I've pretty much run my old original Aspire X-Dreamer to death and beyond in the last while and I'll be moving out of a nice cool basement into a 2nd or 3rd storey apartment in a few months (when I'm married -- can't wait!). Anyway, I pretty much want to go full bore with this project and don't mind spending some $ to do it. I'm not willing to just throw money away for nothing, but I've been saving up for some time now. While I'm sure this kind of thread has been posted before, I have a few benefits that not many of them had... like a friend who does water and plasma steel cutting, another friend who's a master machinist, and a third friend who is willing to nab me some aero-grade advanced steels for the chassis (if for nothing other than being able to say that I have them).
As far as my requirements go:
- Size: Not really an issue. I'd like it to be large enough that I could do some hi quality water cooling in the future (we'll see what ambient summer temps are), and definitely large enough to support some very good heat pipe stuff.
- Weight: Don't care, don't LAN party. No 200lb monsters though.
- Currently, it will only be used for a P4 system (well overclocked, but still, just P4...) but I would like some expandibility into the future.
- It can't be a mini fridge. While I kind of like the idea of modding a mini fridge (and have a spare working one), if I'm going that far I'm going to go a LOT farther and I just don't want to right now.
- Sound: Nothing too loud. Some sound related consideration would be helpful.
- Unfortunately I have an OCZ Modstream PS... not my first choice in PS's, but you have to work with what you have. Just to help anyone suggesting designs, it should be noted that these have fans on the bottom.. they don't take air straight through.
If you happen to know of any amazing pre-made cases, that works. Suggestions on pre-made cases that can be made awesome with only a little work are also invitied, but I'm willing to do it from scratch. I want a neat case and have cheap/free access to the tools I might need to make one. I might even be getting some free sheets of aerospace grade aluminum for it from another friend, if that's at all a good idea. A neat feature at least. I'd also like to get some decently generous window size, but I have a few plans for that... I really just need some blueprints and/or ideas for blueprints for a case that will have extremely good cooling abilities.
All comments welcome. I'll go over them and hope to have a CG image of a prototype up by early to mid October. Completion date is slated for early December, but we'll see about that.
As far as my requirements go:
- Size: Not really an issue. I'd like it to be large enough that I could do some hi quality water cooling in the future (we'll see what ambient summer temps are), and definitely large enough to support some very good heat pipe stuff.
- Weight: Don't care, don't LAN party. No 200lb monsters though.
- Currently, it will only be used for a P4 system (well overclocked, but still, just P4...) but I would like some expandibility into the future.
- It can't be a mini fridge. While I kind of like the idea of modding a mini fridge (and have a spare working one), if I'm going that far I'm going to go a LOT farther and I just don't want to right now.
- Sound: Nothing too loud. Some sound related consideration would be helpful.
- Unfortunately I have an OCZ Modstream PS... not my first choice in PS's, but you have to work with what you have. Just to help anyone suggesting designs, it should be noted that these have fans on the bottom.. they don't take air straight through.
If you happen to know of any amazing pre-made cases, that works. Suggestions on pre-made cases that can be made awesome with only a little work are also invitied, but I'm willing to do it from scratch. I want a neat case and have cheap/free access to the tools I might need to make one. I might even be getting some free sheets of aerospace grade aluminum for it from another friend, if that's at all a good idea. A neat feature at least. I'd also like to get some decently generous window size, but I have a few plans for that... I really just need some blueprints and/or ideas for blueprints for a case that will have extremely good cooling abilities.
All comments welcome. I'll go over them and hope to have a CG image of a prototype up by early to mid October. Completion date is slated for early December, but we'll see about that.