Project: Nightmare Jr. (A PC-343 build)

[Angry_Steel]

Well I figured it was time to start my new build. It is always a complicated thing with me as I hate most pre-fabbed cases, and I dislike the rest. Before I started building my current case a few years back, I had looked at both Mt Mods, and the PC343, but neither of them impressed me much so I built my own. Now Im moving to the Canary Islands soon, and I cant see moving 200lbs of computer case with me, so Im building his little brother.

Meet Nightmare Jr. Ive already started changing things on this case and fiddling around looking for ways to make it fit my line of thinking, and the first thing I had to get rid of was the cheapo office wheels. So here is what I replaced them with:

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N2.jpg

And yes, there is method to my madness, and as I update this you will understand too.

[sssf]

the start looks fine, but what are the legs doing there?

[MrToad]

the start looks fine, but what are the legs doing there?

Well, an educated guess would be that he wants to put something underneath.

Rads? A shoebox? A hamster wheel? Only time will tell

[Jedda]

Bose speakers?:rofl:

[sssf]

or to save his PC from fluddings

[SiGfever]

Well, an educated guess would be that he wants to put something underneath.

Rads? A shoebox? A hamster wheel? Only time will tell

:ROTF: :rofl: :ROTF: :rofl:

[Patriote]

Phase Unit maybe ? :p:

[Angry_Steel]

After looking around inside this thing, I noticed 2 things. There is lots of vertical space in here but not a lot of floor space after you put in the power supply. So I figured hell, why not mount the power supply outside and route the wires through the floor. That would give more interior space and also allow me to put in a better filter system than the one they came up with which isn't worth a wooden nickel.

Here is what I came up with and am still in the process of finishing. The whole thing will be riveted to the bottom of the case in the center back.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N3.jpg

On the bottom you can see where I butchered a fan module for the PC343 and modified it to fit in as my power supply filter, now just a quick reach under the case and Ill be able to clean it out.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N4.jpg

And a view from the front, you can see I made the frame out of 3/4" square aluminum. The outside is PVC board and attached with 3mm hex screws.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N5.jpg

[Duh]

dont figure out the final config but looks promising :toast:
joder q te esta quedando bueno!

[GrimReaperGuy]

That is one sexy PSU. :clap:

[Angry_Steel]

Alright... I finished up the power supply box and got it mounted on the case. Here are some pictures with it installed.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/n6.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N7.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N8.jpg

Next, I am going to check cable lengths to see how and where I am going to put the entrance hole for the cables, after that I start to soundproof.

[Patriote]

Looks good! Can we get a shot of the case's front ?

[mummyz]

nice...

[Angry_Steel]

Yea Ill be doing more work tomorrow so Ill take some more pics.

[AliG]

wow, you guys here seriously are extreme, I've seen plenty of modded cases and I'm in the process of building a phase myself, but I would never undertake building a case. Kudos to you!

[Senater_Cache]

you live in paradise my man. Is that the atlantic or the mediterrenian?

[MrToad]

you live in paradise my man. Is that the atlantic or the mediterrenian?

Mediterranean... Torremolinos is like a British colony in the south of Spain, taken by numbers rather than force ^^

[elk]

Nice project, one has the impression that the case will start to run :eleph:




http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/n6.jpg

[Angry_Steel]

Its in the Mediterranean east of Gibraltar. Yea its pretty nice, but it gets nice and toasty. Im moving to the Canary Islands here in maybe October or November and its a little cooler there. No stranger to heat, I lived in both New Orleans and Arizona but I had an AC'ed house to walk into there, here it gets downright brutal.

[Movieman]

Its in the Mediterranean east of Gibraltar. Yea its pretty nice, but it gets nice and toasty. Im moving to the Canary Islands here in maybe October or November and its a little cooler there. No stranger to heat, I lived in both New Orleans and Arizona but I had an AC'ed house to walk into there, here it gets downright brutal.

Love the build so far.
No A/C there? (cringes at the thought)

[MrToad]

Its in the Mediterranean east of Gibraltar. Yea its pretty nice, but it gets nice and toasty. Im moving to the Canary Islands here in maybe October or November and its a little cooler there. No stranger to heat, I lived in both New Orleans and Arizona but I had an AC'ed house to walk into there, here it gets downright brutal.

I went to Torremolinos one summer. We had some dreadful winds blowing from the south-east (allegedly blowing from the Sahara according to the locals) paired with scorching merciless sun. I just wanted to die.

I think you'll find the Canary Islands much more pleasant indeed. I lived in Tenerife for the best part of three years. The only thing I never got used to is the tendency of the locals to do everything in slow motion. I never stopped feeling out of sync.

By the way, nice idea with the case. I've got one sitting in the loft waiting for funds ^^. I might plagiarize you, who knows :D

[Angry_Steel]

I started/finished the entrance hole for the Power Supply wires and trimmed it out, along with a couple of other edges. I wanted to keep it behind the drive cage to keep the wire bundle mostly out of sight.
After that I started to apply the acoustic sheets. Im not sure how much it will help but it will help some. Over the acoustic sheets will go PVC sheets, the same that was used in the PS construction, that will hide the ugly acoustic gunk and give another layer of soundproofing.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N9.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N10.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N11.jpg

[Jedda]

Really like what you've done. It's overcome one aspect of the case's layout I haven't liked much. The tendency for the mobo to get buried.
You'll have a lot more choice of component placement.

[Angry_Steel]

Thanks for all the positive comments.

Still working on the acoustic layer, but I decided to get the PVC sheet cut for the Mobo side floor. Here are some pics with it fit in over the acoustic layer.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N12.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N13.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N14.jpg

[pranko1]

This looks very promising, nice job man:woot:

[sick_g4m3r]

this is amazing!

[Solarfall]

hey this is one cool looking project you have going on here.. keep up the good work mate :up:

[Angry_Steel]

Well I got a fair amount done today, here are some new pictures.

The acoustic layer on the front so the front cover can still fit over it. Also notice I covered up the USB/Audio front panel hole. I wont be using it, I hate exposed ports on cases, they are just dust suckers.
http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N15.jpg

Here you can see the other floor that I finished up today. Sort of a pita getting it to fit snug in one piece, lots of twisting, bending, cussing and elbow grease.
http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N16.jpg

Another View.
http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N17.jpg

And a view with the front cover on.
http://premium1.uploadit.org/AngrySteel/Nightmare/N18.jpg

[Patriote]

Looks good! :up: Keep up the good work!

[psyconut713]

Nice job man, keep up the good work and craftsmanship

[virtualrain]

Is it just me, or is anyone else eagerly awaiting more pictures hoping for a better pic of the view off the patio?! :D

Back on topic... is that acoustic material on the floor of the case as well?

I've noticed at least a couple of people with 343's using acoustic material... is the difference in noise going to be noticable? (I realize this is more of a rhetorical question at this point.) I'm starting to feel inadequate for not including acoustic matting in my new build! :(

[Angry_Steel]

Ill take some pics of the view in the next couple of days. The view is getting more and more ruined by the construction boom that has been ongoing, its too bad actually but that usually how it goes when people end up wanting to live in a tourist area.

There is 2 layers on the floor. The first layer is the acoustic material, and the second is a layer of 1/8" thick PVC paneling. I put that in there to cover up the ugly acoustic stuff.

As far as whether or not it will actually do anything, yea it probably will, but Im using it more as a dampener for vibration than anything. Its a home type acoustic material, to go behind the walls and is really dense and heavy.
With the front as open as it is for the fans, any noise will come out anyway, but hopefully it will be directional so unless your directly in front of the case it should be fairly quiet. It wont be as quiet as my current case but I never really thought it would be.

[ColonelCain]

Well, I know how AZ is. But you never truly understand how hot it is untill you play football in 115 degree weather.

Anyhow, lookin good angry. The idea of using PVC to cover the acoustic material was really good. I can't wait to see more!

[Anemone]

I did mock up sound testing in mine (filled fan locations with various fans powered up to test sound) and didn't mind not using foam. However, folks have a wide variation in how much sound they expect out of their PC and I'm tolerant of more noise than the average I'm guessing.

But no, not all 343's are using foam liners. Honestly you could strip down the build and test foam in it if you wanted to after the fact really. Unless you know ahead of time that you are really wanting it super, super quiet.

[Yakyb]

i love this case (even if it is a little bland from the front)
im also very intrigued as to what your going to put in there that makes you feel as tho you need the extra space by removing the PSU.

[egraphix]

what make radiator is that? its not a thermochill 120.3 is it?

[Jedda]

Honestly you could strip down the build and test foam in it if you wanted to after the fact really. Unless you know ahead of time that you are really wanting it super, super quiet.

Yeah, Even with the best of planning there's going to be things you'll discover you want to change or improve on. Seems to take me a second or even third assembly to get all the little sound, wire management and airflow details right.

[trouble2000]

Excellent Work! More pictures plz :up: