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Building a Case!
Well this is my first mod. What a way to do it building the whole case from scratch!!
First off im building a new computer and i was looking and looking for a case, and I just could not find one i really liked so why not build my own?
I started off with a some 3/4" angle alum and built the frame. It ended up being 18" high, 12inches wide, and 14" deep. After looking at it for a while i had another idea i was gonna add a seperate compartment to the bottom to house the PSU and HDD Cage and split those off from each other also. So the final height ended up being 24"
My idea by doing this it that the heat from each main componets wont be affeting my MOBO and CPU tmeps. So heres the frame.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010156.jpg
Then i moved on and started constructin a HDD cage. It only hold three but i prolly wont be using more than three hardrives anyways. But if i do i can always build another one.
It demesions ended up being 6" 1/4 deep, 4" 1/4 wide and 4" 1/2 high.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010153.jpg
Heres a picture of just the cage.^^^
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...P1010154-1.jpg
Another angle.^^^
So after all that I put an old mobo in and HDD cage, to figure out how im gonna lay every thing out.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010150.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010152.jpg
Thats about as far as i am now as far as construction the sides will be acrylic, possibly either tinted black execpt the side that you can see the mobo. I would just use alum. for the sides and one acrylic side for a window, but alum. sheets are farily expensive so acrylic will do.
Here are some more random shots.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010150.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010149.jpg
This side will be the front.^^^^
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010155.jpg
Backside.^^^^
Thats all i got for now, i need to cut the acrylic for the mobo side, so i can drill holes for the mobo mounts then go from there.
Ill try and update tomorrow. Thanks for looking.
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Looks awesome. Building cases from scratch, so that they are exactly how I want'em, is a also a passion of mine!
My drive cage is just one step ahead, bad in black!
navig
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Yeah that looks a lot better than mine ha. oh well im satisfied with it since it was my first one. It was a pain b.c you were constly having to measure and remeasure to make it square and line everything up.
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My friend, paint it black. Everything looks sexier in black! I used duplicolor high heat engine enamel + baked@200F for 30 min + lots of ventilation for the kitchen = instant hardened chip resistant black.
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Nice, I will like to see how this turns out. I love seeing what others build to house their systems, nice car too.
@Navig nice bench station too, I might have to make me one of those.
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some good ideas already, I wanna know as well how it comes out :D
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Fabulous work folks, keep it up, you are inspirations.
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nice :clap:
Where are the optical drives going or do you not know yet?
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Very nice- can't wait to see it finished! :woot:
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Update!!!
OK so its been a few days, but i had time to work on it tonight and got a little more done.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010215.jpg
I made the support bar for the optical drives.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010216.jpg
Then i made the optical drive cage. No holes have been drilled for the drives, yet.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010217.jpg
Another angle.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010225.jpg
I then mounted the cage to the main case using pop rivets( like everything else).
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010226.jpg
Drive sitting in the cage.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010227.jpg
Sky shot!!
I then proceded to make the top part for the compartment that will house the HDD's and PSU. Pictured below.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010220.jpg
Now i removed the support bars that i had mounted in the earlier pictures, b.c I thought of a better way. I plan on buying threaded rod, and it will take place of the alum. angle bar i had mounted in the earlier stages.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010235.jpg
Mocking everything up.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010234.jpg
Another shot.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010236.jpg
Last one.
Thats all I have for now guys ill try and update soon.
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Are you going to have any cross bracing at all? That looks like it's going to twist and flex a lot.
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no theres no need for it, its quite strong.
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How many feet of 3/4" angle is that?
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lol enough, ill have to get back to you on how much ive bought.
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Hehe reason I ask is I'm building a similar sized frame. Just wondering how many 8foot sections you had to buy.
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Where i bought the alum. from they only sold it in 3 foot sections. the dimensions are in my first post to give you a rough est. to begin with anyways.
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How did you line up the holes for the rivets?
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Held the bars in places and marked with a perment marker. Drilled one hole then marked through the hole with a perment marker on to the second piece.
then put a pop rivet in that hole and proceded to mark and drill the other hole the same way this was the most accurate way to drill the holes.
My whole main case ended up being 1/32 " outta square. So it was pretty acurate way of doing it.
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Hey that's pretty good for a permanent marker. Thanks, I was planning on doing the same thing.. no center punch?
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i have one but didnt use it, couldnt find it at the time, alum. is pretty soft so its not hard to start the hole with a good drill bit.
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It would probably be a good investment to get a variety of clamps, both the larger ones that fit on a generic stick and the smaller ones. Some of those big heavy duty clips would be helpful as well. I am sure any good welding supply shop would have a great selection to choose from. Then you could just clamp and clip the parts together and drill all parts at one shot. Once you get one rivet done for each joint, you can adjust as necessary and then add the second (and thirds as needed) rivets to lock it in.
If there is any wiggle, even a very small cross-section piece will help immensely, remember, triangles are inherently stable. A bit of panel is also very effective if placed strategically. Even paper can be used if you are careful to avoid stress concentrations.
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Well im not really that worried about strength, it's already very strong and after I get done adding the acrylic pannels it will be even stronger.
And the only thing about the clamps is that the bar doesnt really have a convient place to put clamps as you drill the holes. The only way i found that i could use a clamp was if i clamped it to my workbench, but then i would drill holes in the bench. You can not hang it off the edge very much since its alum. it bends fairly easy even with a small amount of pressure while drilling. Just depends on what you have to clamp it to, i suppose.
Everyone has their own ways of doing things whatever works best for you.
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Angle aluminum is quite sturdy, because the angle prevents bending quite effectively. You can get stress at the joints, but bryants97240sx double rivets every joint.
Other useful tools: I splurged when building my cage and bought a center punch. Its actually spring-loaded so you can punch one-handed without a mallet. Its probably cheesy but it works great.
Right angling tools are crucial to make sure your joints are square.
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Also a file is handy to smooth out the edges that you cut, depending on what you use to cut the alum.I just used a dremel, it was fairly quick, it was better that trying to use a hacksaw or jigsaw.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryants97240sx
Also a file is handy to smooth out the edges that you cut, depending on what you use to cut the alum.I just used a dremel, it was fairly quick, it was better that trying to use a hacksaw or jigsaw.
Oh sheesh... you used a dremel?? What cutting wheel did you use? I found cutting angle with a dremel very tedious. Nowadays I clamp the angle down and use a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade.
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i just used the renforced disk it wasnt hard to cut at all....
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I'm with maveryk--I brace up the angle with some boards and jigsaw.
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like i said earlier what every works best for you, do it .
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Great man:clap: . I am going build a case too. So i can learn somethings form you.
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I'm thinking about building a cubic case too using angled aluminium. What do you think would be stronger? Riveted or welded angles? Welded would eliminate quite a few problems concerning the attachment of top/bottom and side panels.
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Welding will usually be stronger. However, its also pretty much permanent, you can't just undo a weld like you can take out a screw or rivet. There is also the issue of the welding itself, welding aluminum is very different than welding steel. Different equipment, different skills.
If you are not already competent at welding aluminum, I would suggest you go with rivets and/or screws.
In any case, we are discussing frames/boxes for computers, parts weighing at most maybe 20# total. Its not likely the finished structure is going to be subjected to high speeds, substantial accellerations or major impacts. Strength really isn't an issue. One 1/8" aluminum pop rivet is good for about 100# in shear and 150# in tension, so just one rivet will have enough strength to support 3 or 4 finished rigs.
In rotation, two rivets 1" apart would be good for about 8 ft-lbs of torque. That's not a lot, which is why bracing your frames is a good idea. A 12" x 12" rectangular frame with one rivet at each corner and one rivet on just one full diagonal brace would be good for 72# on one corner trying to deform the frame. Again, that's better than 2 to 3 times what the whole rig will weigh.
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imo welding wouldnt be worth it. Like stated by RAFH welding alum. requires a great amount of skill, also the strength of rivets are plenty strong enough to hold your case together and you moving it around. Especailly if your putting 2 rivets at each fasting point.
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Looks good so far, great going!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryants97240sx
imo welding wouldnt be worth it. Like stated by RAFH welding alum. requires a great amount of skill, also the strength of rivets are plenty strong enough to hold your case together and you moving it around. Especailly if your putting 2 rivets at each fasting point.
I agree, but if you have someone you know, with the skills, doing it for free, I'll take welding. It would save some time and some construction problems that could arise afterwards on the panels installation.
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Well, yeah, and if I had a buddy that had a foundry I'd get my case cast out of solid titanium. But for cost issues, I'll stick with rivets or screws. I like not having to cut things apart if I change my mind, which occurs often.
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That makes me want to go to the hardware store and build one right now!
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New goodies
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Update!
Had time tonight to cut some acrylic and mount the wheels.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010031.jpg
Side shot. Need to fix the bow in the acrylic ill get to it later.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010030.jpg
Front
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010032.jpg
Floor of the HDD and psu compartment.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010033.jpg
Floor
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010035.jpg
Front
I've got to get some more acrylic, but ive got to order it b.c I've found this http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...oducts_id=3617 .
Im gonna get black and blue and do two sides black and two sides blue should look good. THANKS FOR LOOKING, and give me yall opinions.
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Looking good Bryant. An upgrade on those castors would be nice though. :rolleyes: You can buy simple dual-wheel arrangements with the same mounting plate that look much smarter and more worthy of the cargo they support.
Don't misunderstand me though, I realise the castors you've installed are likely rated for higher loads and durability, but hey, it's not like you're going to be rolling this thing around the workshop floor all day, right?
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Yeah i know about the wheels,not the most eye appealing thing, im probably gonna just paint the gold part black. Its just at the hardware store these were cheaper :)
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Totally understand mate, go with what you got/can get, fix later ;). Whether you paint them black or not though, they're still going to look industrial.
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True, might let teh acrylic over hang so you cant see them, but so it will still will roll, ill decide later though.
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looks nice. Is it just me or are more and more people building their own cases?
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OK maybe these pictures will give people a better idea of what its gonna look like. Im by no means perfect and this is my first mod, so if theres some mistakes oh well.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010077.jpg
^^^This will be the front and will be black acrylic.^^^
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010076.jpg
^^^This will be the "window" side and it will be Uv blue acrylic.^^^
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010075.jpg
^^^This is the back side and it will be black. Also the side that the mobo will mount on will be UV Blue acrylic also.
Now as far as the top goes i will be surrounding it in acrylic wether i will follow the pattern of blue/black like the mobo housing i havent decided yet. I will prolly put one or 2 120mm fan blowing across the hdd.
My cd-rom and whatever 5.25 devices are now in the top to give me more room for GPU's in the main part.
If yall have any more questions I will gladly answer them.
More pictures.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010074.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010073.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010072.jpg
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Got my uv Acrylic in today!!!!!!
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Looks absolutely awesome!
navig
ps. All it needs are some silhouettes of dancing girls and then it'll remind of that time....that's another story.
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I got the mobo mounted and the front and back black acrylic on the top.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010082.jpg
^^^ Window shot^^^
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010083.jpg
^^^ Another window shot^^^
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010084.jpg
^^^Front shot^^^
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010085.jpg
^^^ I had a little incident while drilling the holes for the mobo. I was drillin and the freaking acrylic CRACKED. I was furious but i had to find a way to fix it without having to order a new sheet(there bnot exactly cheap 15 dollars a sheet), so i made a patch pannel. I know it looks craptastic, but I will sand it and paint it black to make it look better. I may just break down and replace that side with a piece of metal, but i really dont want to. I will see how it looks after i paint it black.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010086.jpg
^^^Back shot^^^
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That's a shame about the acrylic panel. Since I do a fair bit of plastic work, I broke down and invested in some plastic drill bits, haven't cracked acrylic (even <1/8in) since.
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Damn shame about the cracks. I know how disheartening it is when something like that happens. Good to see you pursevered regardless.
I bought a unibit recently which drills through acrylic beautifully. 4mm-12mm in 1mm increments. I highly recommend one of these for all your sheet drilling (steel, aluminium and plastic).
So as not to mess with ya' thread, I posted two example pics here: http://xtremesystems.org/forums/show...3&postcount=28.
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Welllllll i think it turned out ok after some paint. Doesnt look as good before the crack but better than being able to see the crack and hot glue.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010089.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010088.jpg
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Getting close.
Well i got some more done tonight getting close to being done.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010097.jpg
^^^I cut the hole for the cdrom drive, not the prettiest in the world but thats what edge molding is for,right? haha
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010098.jpg
^^^Another shot of the front.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010099.jpg
^^^Rear I/O panel cut out.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010100.jpg
^^^I mounted the bar for the pci-e cards.
Thats about it for now. I need to get some more paint for the lexan to paint it black. Ill update then thanks for looking!
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i got my 4 1/2" hole saw today, 54 bucks ouch,HD gift cards FTW lol. You can never have enough tools anyways. I should have updates on monday hopefully.
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Well im getting close to being finished, i still need some minor things to finish up. This is just the panels sitting on there not fastend down.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010143.jpg
^^Front shot has 2 120mm holes for fans, still waiting on getting those then i can drill the mounting holes for them.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010144.jpg
^^Side shot with Uv light on, note thats not the mobo im using.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010146.jpg
^^Side shot without uv.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010147.jpg
^^Side shot with flash, note the cd-rom is just slid in there it wont be crooked like that when its mounted.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010148.jpg
^^Backshot one 120mm fan hole.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...P1010151-1.jpg
Top two 120mm fan holes one under the hdd, the top will be getting one more fan hole for the PSU. Still waiting on psu so i can cut the hole, then paint it.
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Christmas came early!!!!
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Well back to the case. Ive got the fans,grills, mb, video card mounted. Still gotta mount the psu, and paint a few things.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/p1010186.jpg
^^Front
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010205.jpg
^^ Just chillin
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010207.jpg^^
Upright.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010213.jpg
^^Uv pannel on, kinda
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...x/P1010219.jpg
Running off the hiper, paper clips are awsome.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...P1010220-1.jpg
^^From the top.
Im still waiting on my ram should be here tomorrow. Paint a few things and i should be finished tomorrow.
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Whoops, Bryants97240sx, I should have noticed it sooner. Most of Abit's motherboards don't work so well upside down. The heatpipes don't function properly. I know this has been confirmed for the older AMD AN8 series, but not for the AW9D max. Should be fine at stock speeds, but if you consider overclocking (and why should you not with an e6600!), make a mental note.
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I do plan on over clocking :). Im commited at this point though with the way the motherboard is mounted.I plan on replacing the nb heat sink with a diffrent one, when i water cool so im not to worried about it. The case should have sufficent cooling for now.
Thanks for the heads up.
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I like it! Makes me want to have a go at a case from scratch:D
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Looking good Bryant! I'm very inspired... ;)
(Love the new screen. I just ordered a Dell 24" yesterday for my birthday/Xmas care of my darling wife :D, can't wait to take delivery :slobber: )
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this is an incredible project, wish i had that much patience. keep it up!
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I wish I had the skill to build a case.
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Very nice result, what are the inside temps of your casing?
Because im thinking about building a case about the same size!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phelan1777
I wish I had the skill to build a case.
QFT
i want to create a case using the same tools used by the thread owner, but i will mount the mobo on the top horizontally ( to be able to use wahtever heatsink i want ) and the rest of the items below it
hope i will start working on it in the next few weeks
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Thx man your build inspired me to build my own cube , one compartment for thee hardware other part for the watercooling, been working on it for 3 weeks now ( few hours a day) hope my watercooling stuff arrives soon to get going again. Meanwhile some piccies :
http://users.pandora.be/OAP/Hardware...cube%20001.jpg
http://users.pandora.be/OAP/Hardware...cube%20003.jpg
http://users.pandora.be/OAP/Hardware...cube%20005.jpg
will keep you guys posted on any progress !!
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Wow guys, I am truly impressed by the cases you guys have built/are building, they look great! Very impressed with the work done by both of you, if anyone has messed around with this stuff you know it's alot of work and alot of time invested! Keep it up and please continue to post screenshots if you both would!
By the way Bryan it looks like you had one heck of Christmas, lucky bugger!
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Love that case mate.... Would look amazing at a LAN tournie...
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@ Leeghoofd
Please resize the photos and please be sure to post the progress of ur case
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Resised piccies, hopefully my rad will arive on monday or so I can make the mounts for that. Rest of the watercooling will be here by the end of the week. Just the EK waterblock for the 8800 will be late estimated beginning of february ...
Objective is to get a nice black finish like the thread starter , so the alu has to be painted 2.
Keep you guys posted..
