Hello! Showing Off a Modern Build in an Older Case

HQi88 · March 27, 2021

I've been mostly lurking around on this forum but I thought I'd say hello and show my current. Its been through quite a few changes since then to get to where it is now. Sorry in advance about the cat hair, I have two cats !

Exterior View and Case

Spoiler

Originally I bought a Cougar MX330 but after browsing Kijiji I found this beauty instead, a Lancool PC-K65 from 2012. Better yet it allowed me to fit a larger air cooler too! Unfortunately, the front USBs were not working (located under the flap at the top of the case) so I had to install a drive bay USB expansion thingy.

Interior and not great cable management

Spoiler

Current specs:

CPU: Ryzen 5 3600X
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S
GPU: Asus R7 260X OC
RAM: 32GB TeamGroup DDR4 3200MHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 UD
Storage: 1TB M.2 NVME
PSU: ToughPower 750W Gold
Fans: 2x 140mm intake + 120mm exhaust (stock fans that came with the case)

Not the best cable management, but it will do for now I guess. That vertical metal channel is really helpful!

I had bought 5700XT when I first built it but then college homework hit and I couldn't really play games anymore. So I grabbed my current GPU off Kijiji for $30 and sold the 5700XT for $700. Hopefully the GPU shortage ends when I graduate next year and I can upgrade.

Motherboard only has 3 fan headers, 1 for CPU, 1 for exhaust, 1 for front intake. Hence the LCD fan controller. Hopefully it looks nice.

Case Modification Plans:
- Got a pair of ML140s but as the fan controller is a 3pin, the ML140s wont spin slower than 1000rpm which makes an annoying whoosh sound. Have to buy a PWM Y-splitter and plug that into the PWM fan headers on the mobo
- Replace the CD drive and fan controller with a 5 inch AIDA64 that fits in the two 5.25 in bays
- Repaint insides of case a darker shade of grey and repaint outside of case with new layer of black paint
- Shave down the 5.25 bay's length and remove HDD cages
- Build a PSU shroud and add a vertical panel where the HDD cages used to be to help cover up the cable channel and the mess of cables there. Probably use a darker wood for that
- Find replacement top IO if possible

I will probably try to get all that done in the summer, might post an update by the end of August or something.

Sorry for long post