Props to the OP and all for the inspiration to attempt this build. I had so much fun with it every time I finished.. I tore it apart again (4 times!) for more tweaks. I left my camera on the tripod and snapped away during the builds. It takes awhile to crop my messy ofc out of the pics and upload, so here is build #1:

This was a great excuse to get some new tools!



Harbor Freight has cheap tools. I wouldn't recommend these for a professional, but they work fine for the hobbyist. Picked up a knockout punch set $15, air nibbler $15, die grinder $5 etc. on sale. The rotary tool had no torque, so I used the accessories with my Dremel.


Strip down case. Paint HDD cages (primer then flat black looks the best):




Access holes:



HDD Cage, Rear Fan, Side wiring:




Making Cables, Side, Interior views:




Abit IN9 32X-MAX, Q6600, Asus Silent Knight II, 4G Corsair XMS2:




Asus 20X SATA DVDRW, 2X 320G RAID 0:




Drawer, Lit Interior (money shot!), Bios views:




I was all finished and noticed a PS screw a little c0cked. The Vantec Stealth has an aluminum housing and two of the steel screw inserts were loose.. one fell inside when I was taking it apart. Time to go get a modular PS for a cleaner look and what the hell.. another 500G HDD for backups. I'll post build #2 as soon as I get time:




-Sailrabbit