Antec 1200 Worklog

[man_bear_pig]

Just got the case yesterday, and put about eight hours in so far. Probably got at least 8 more till its done.

Out of the box and onto the table..

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/7586/1001031qd0.th.jpg (http://img61.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001031qd0.jpg)

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/7551/1001035zq5.th.jpg (http://img224.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001035zq5.jpg)

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/267/1001033rz6.th.jpg (http://img244.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001033rz6.jpg)

And now she is naked..

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/8822/1001039xq1.th.jpg (http://img296.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001039xq1.jpg)

Pile-o-parts
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/4295/1001041ah6.th.jpg (http://img213.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001041ah6.jpg)

I am chambering the power supply, and hdd's. Used AC Ryan 2mm aluminum panel.

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/9410/1001053ty6.th.jpg (http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001053ty6.jpg)

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/8799/1001057ig0.th.jpg (http://img507.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001057ig0.jpg)


Some chrome, and blue flake paint, and diamond plate....

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/8125/1001060yz7.th.jpg (http://img514.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001060yz7.jpg)

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8817/1001062dm2.th.jpg (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001062dm2.jpg)

And fitting it all back together..

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3582/1001064lg6.th.jpg (http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001064lg6.jpg)

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4717/1001065ss7.th.jpg (http://img296.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001065ss7.jpg)

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2299/1001066wh9.th.jpg (http://img142.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001066wh9.jpg)



Gonna be doing some flame work with the same blue and adding red over the black side panels. Waiting on the new power supply should be here next week, and will do a change over to uv blue.

All sleeving will be uv blue.

Lot of work ahead but I think progress thus far is really good.

Will be an Asus P5E, E8400, and GTX 260

[man_bear_pig]

Small update today..

Did a little wiring and some other stuff today. Got the chamber worked out, and all the metal fab is done and painted.

I used the rubberized stuff that you would undercoat a vehicle with to help with vibrations.

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5588/100b1100bf3.th.jpg (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=100b1100bf3.jpg)

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/2708/100b1090tx1.th.jpg (http://img367.imageshack.us/my.php?image=100b1090tx1.jpg)

Made this for supporting the top chamber panel. All will be riveted in.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/5698/100b1082ev7.th.jpg (http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=100b1082ev7.jpg)


Also coated the bottom

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/6214/1001069pn9.th.jpg (http://img244.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1001069pn9.jpg)

Thats enough for today.

[OCZ«]

That blue/aluminum combo looks great :up:

[weston]

That's a nice looking case. good luck with the sleeving. Have you done it before? It's a lot more work than it looks like!

[man_bear_pig]

That's a nice looking case. good luck with the sleeving. Have you done it before? It's a lot more work than it looks like!

The sleeving is the easy part, and I already have some of it done. Its the power supply connector change over that is a biotch, and I am dreading.

[aspire.comptech]

Do not like the front bay covers...

[man_bear_pig]

Yea I hate those drive bay covers as well. They are piss poor designed, and damn near impossible to get on and off with the bays in.

I scratched my new paint getting one in, and that was the deciding factor.

I am gonna scrap them and do a one piece hex modders mesh instead. It will look slick as well, and won't be a pain in the arse to take on and off.

[weston]

The sleeving is the easy part, and I already have some of it done. Its the power supply connector change over that is a biotch, and I am dreading.

If you are sleeving the PSU won't it be easy to change the connectors? just put the new ones on after you put on the sleeving. Or are you keeping the stock PSU sleeving?

[BNDMOD]

Suscribed....

[man_bear_pig]

If you are sleeving the PSU won't it be easy to change the connectors? just put the new ones on after you put on the sleeving. Or are you keeping the stock PSU sleeving?

No I was saying it is easier to sleeve that to change out the connectors. I have only done it once and it wasn't easy for me. I am gonna try not to cut..

Yea I am gonna change out anything that will be visible. PCIe, 24 pin, 12v. USB, heatsink fan cable & power switch, and the cold cathodes are already done.

Some updated pics of the wiring and the finished chamber.

http://img242.imagevenue.com/loc482/th_76874_100_1118_122_482lo.JPG (http://img242.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=76874_100_1118_122_482lo.JPG)

http://img209.imagevenue.com/loc482/th_76876_100_1125_122_482lo.JPG (http://img209.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=76876_100_1125_122_482lo.JPG)

[Kolapso]

Nice sleeving on the usb/firewire & led connectors, and a nice case overall. :up:

[man_bear_pig]

Ok so I am pretty much finished with everything except the bay replacement mesh. It will be here this week, everything else is assembled.

I flipped the top 200 as it just makes more sense to me for the air flow to be in one direction. The front 120s pull in, the back and the top out.

This isn't the quietest case I have ever owned but the air flow is amazing. The chamber worked out great as well, and the hdds and psu stay really cool down there.

I will take some ambient readings soon and post them. I also have to replace the zig fan, it was doa, but the e 8400 is idle @ 29 degrees, and 48 on load with just the case fans running. Currently stock clocks.


Also considering cutting the panel so the pcie cables can go through it straight down.


For the pics.. Iwill try to get some better ones in the dark.



http://img202.imagevenue.com/loc456/th_90659_100_1149_122_456lo.JPG (http://img202.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=90659_100_1149_122_456lo.JPG)

http://img221.imagevenue.com/loc495/th_90661_100_1153_122_495lo.JPG (http://img221.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=90661_100_1153_122_495lo.JPG)

http://img176.imagevenue.com/loc180/th_90662_100_1127_122_180lo.JPG (http://img176.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=90662_100_1127_122_180lo.JPG)

http://img12.imagevenue.com/loc695/th_90663_100_1133_122_695lo.JPG (http://img12.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=90663_100_1133_122_695lo.JPG)

http://img176.imagevenue.com/loc542/th_90669_100_1134_122_542lo.JPG (http://img176.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=90669_100_1134_122_542lo.JPG)

[jason str]

Looks good though some of the pics are kinda fuzzy.

What do you think of the dust filters and how are they to clean ?

[man_bear_pig]

Yea I know some of the pics are bad, have a really cheap camera. I will try to get some better ones when I finish the bay cover, and get it in some good light.

As for the filters, you have to unscrew the cages and slide them forward to be able to remove them. :down:

Also they are rendered pretty useless because the top 200mm fan doesn't have one, and is intake from the factory. I could imagine how long it would take to be full of dust if I hadn't flipped it.

[Janno]

Also they are rendered pretty useless because the top 200mm fan doesn't have one, and is intake from the factory. I could imagine how long it would take to be full of dust if I hadn't flipped it.that can't be right...
antec top fans are always exhaust

they were probably partying in the factory and got yours wrong

[jason str]

I myself have the Antec 900 and yes the top fan is an exhaust.

The 1200 model i find interesting but seems like a pain to clean the filters but probably does not need to be cleaned very often at least.

Still worth a look though for my next case purchase.

[man_bear_pig]

So I finished the bay cover replacement, and I really like how it turned out. Just have to fab up something to cover the gap up top between the last fan and the optical drive.



http://img17.imagevenue.com/loc1156/th_24756_100_1183_122_1156lo.JPG (http://img17.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=24756_100_1183_122_1156lo.JPG)

http://img166.imagevenue.com/loc893/th_24765_100_1184c_122_893lo.JPG (http://img166.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=24765_100_1184c_122_893lo.JPG)

http://img131.imagevenue.com/loc898/th_24772_100_1168c_122_898lo.JPG (http://img131.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=24772_100_1168c_122_898lo.JPG)

http://img157.imagevenue.com/loc1114/th_25012_100_1169_122_1114lo.JPG (http://img157.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=25012_100_1169_122_1114lo.JPG)

http://img218.imagevenue.com/loc421/th_25024_100_1166c_122_421lo.JPG (http://img218.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=25024_100_1166c_122_421lo.JPG)

[Janno]

may i say that the gapless front looks friggin schweet! :up:

[bharsell]

may i say that the gapless front looks friggin schweet! :up:


Agreed, looks good.

[man_bear_pig]

Thanks guys. This was my first mod, and I had fun and really learned a lot. I love working with the modders mesh, and could see me doing lots more with it in the future. I really wanna build one from scratch. We will see when business slows down. I will be sure to post my adventures.

[MadHacker]

that does look sweet.
that modders mesh sure adds a nice touch.

[HuffPCair]

Love the front. Color is nice, Im not a fan, but you did an excellent job on that. I want to do that front panel on my 900 bad now. LOL

[chrome-187]

wow...really good job on the case =)