Project: Black Side of the Modding

[metallo97]

Hi all, i'm posting this modding, it's the first i made so it wouldn't be so nice and please sorry for the language, i'm italian and i'm studing english at school.
So, i'm here with an ambitious project, mod an OEM case to make it cool and fresh.
I'm calling it the "Black Side of the Modding" because it will be completely black, interior and exterior, and more because i really like Pink Floyd, as you will see on the render down below. 
So let's start with the project photos.
 
 

Project: Black Side of the Modding

 

 
Here there are all the components:
CPU:Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
CPU Cooler:Schythe Katana 4
MoBo: Biostar TPower I45
RAM:Corsair Dominator DDR2 2x1GB
VGA:Sapphire 5850 1GB
HDD:2x Western Digital's SATA HDD
PSU:LC-Power 6650GP3 V2.3
 
Here are the first photos:
 

 
This is the front, it looks terrible for me! I have some ideas, firstly i thought to fiberglass all the front and then cut it to make space for a 120mm fan. Then i realised that it would have been to time consuming and for a beginner it won't became a good job. So i left with this idea. Then i thinked more and i have made a render on Google's SketchUp and here it is:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I like very much this idea. Then some my friends told me that i could have reversed the I/O panel, making it a reversed ATX. So they lend me a render and here is it:
 

 
In the future i may be going with watercooling but firstly im going with air, so i need to make a good airflow because the 5850 Sapphire blows all the air in the case. So in the front i will make holes for 2 120mm fan and another two on the top.
 
I'm also going to make a window on the panel, i want it big an clear, but i prefer it smoked, like the front one which is going to cover the fan controller i will made and the fans which will be behind.
 
This is actually the internal...

 
I have taken off the 3.5" bays and the hard drive will be on the 5.25" bays so i will have more space for cable management and air flow.
 
There are some photos of the naked case:





 
(The measure system is metric, so in the front i have to cut one of the 5.25" bays to make space for the other 120mm fan...)
 
And these are the photos with the reversed atx layout:
 

 

 

 

 
Then i cut the side panel(needs to be filed) :
 


And i riveted the parts, and it's starting to look good!





Now i need to wait for some parts to came from a friend ho makes laser cuts...

How does it looks to you?

[Faroeseviking]

looks good

[metallo97]

Little Up

Updated the PC: took a lucky Q6600 instead of the Q8200 and swapped the mobo from an ugly red MSI to a shining black Biostar TPower I45, one of the best mobo for overclocking.

Also in this week i will have a huge update...

Stay tuned!!

[metallo97]

Here it is the huuuuuuge update

 

 

Laser cutted some parts, need to do some modification, i misdesigned the mobo tray, the little piece need to be folded on the other side :\

[Almercenary]

looking good

[Karumu]

you should put those pictures in a spoiler as they're quite big, if not add a picture warning

[metallo97]

Ok mate, next photo i post I will resize them

[rambi36]

AWESOME!

[metallo97]

Some tease...

 

[metallo97]

Proceeding with all the work! Posting some photos, nearly finished, i need to do a second coating, some more holes and then i must say it's finished! Today had arrived my new SSD a Crucial M500 128GB and a 1.5TB WD Green HD.

 

Here are the photos:

 

 

 

 

[metallo97]

Tomorrow morning i will do the last coat to the various pieces of the case and then there are some minor things to do but the mod it's close to completion!

[metallo97]

UPDATE BSOTM

 

Some photos after the second coat:

 

 

 

 

Taking apart the benchtable...

 

Going to the new case!

 

 

Going to mount the plexy panel and some cable managing inside...

 

 

What do you think?

 

[Father Fuzzy]

great transformation from the original case

Nice work!

[metallo97]

Here's the update!

 

So, i think it's almost complete, i'm waiting for some fans and some accessories and i must do a general cable management

 

Attached the plexy to the right door and over the top. I had to do some changes to the original mod, on the front i would have had a door but after some thinking, that wasn't going to work so i cut the piece and this piece will go on the front as i will show in the next update.

 

Here's some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ShadowCaptain]

is it possible to flip your PSU upside down? it looks like it might interfere with CPU cooling

[metallo97]

Nope, it's not possible because there aren't the holes to tap the screw in... But I don't think it's interfering, the cpu it's cool and even the PSU doesn't throw out hot air...

[metallo97]

Sponsor time!

Got some fittings from Monsoon. 

Obviously they are all black!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So obviously i'm going to mount a watercooling loop

[metallo97]

Update:

BitFenix sent me some fans and alchemy cables to go along with the build, here are the photos! 















Keep in mind that i need to do a cable management, maybe i'll do it next week!

[Karumu]

oh wow gratz on getting sponsored!

[LukaP]

nice mod similar to something i have in mind for my brother soon and congrats on sponsorship. subbed

[metallo97]

Moar update

 

Near completion i think, needs a little touch in the front but i think i'm there!

 

 

 

 

[SageC]

I really love how  you've improved this case from the ground up.

[metallo97]

So this wouldn't be the last update of this mod, but i think it's time to show it completed. Unfortunately i didn't managed to get the wc system running due to several problems to the radiator. For now i will leave it on air, maybe in the future i'm going to do an external water station.

 

So let me introduce you to Project: Black Side of the Modding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[metallo97]

A couple of before/after:

 

 

[LukaP]

oh wow good job