Cygnus X1 PC casemod mixes otherworldly design, old world charm
By Donald Melanson 
posted December 15th 2009 12:36PM
posted December 15th 2009 12:36PM
We've seen plenty of PC casemods that look more like a traditional piece of furniture than a computer case, and plenty that take a decidedly more modern approach, but we haven't seen many that combine the two as effectively as this so-called Cygnus X1 built by Attila Lukacs. As you may notice, the top of the case bears a striking resemblance to some of Alienware's latest rigs, but it seems that might not be the source of Atilla's inspiration, as he actually started building the case way back in 2008. Of course, the real eye-catcher is that beautiful, hand carved wood casing (made West Australian Jarrah), which actually swings open on both sides -- no small feat when each panel weighs about ten pounds. Eager to see more? Then hit up the link below for a thorough account of the complete build process.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Certainly looks great, but will it blend?
"So what about the walls wood paneling will never go out of style..."
-70's Real Estate Agent
Wow......He made the entire thing from scratch, right down to the hinges and trays. Too bad it came out looking like an air purifier.
@Bkm72
indeed. i'm impressed by the craftsmanship, but not really into the finished product.
the front in particular just isnt attractive.
I love how this looks, it definitely would look awesome in my living room. I wonder what he put in this specs wise though. Regardless, still an excellent mod that obviously took a lot of hard work and effort to make. I look forward to see more from this mod-dude. =)
How very art deco, it wouldn't look out of place in Rick Blaine's office...or Manny Calavera's...
@martynmcfarquhar
Manny C. for the win. +1, my friend, +1
@glennS
Grim Fandango is still one of, if not the, best game I've ever played hands-down.
this is the direction ive felt cases should go to for years. cases that dont look like traditional cases, instead like something that actually looks like a nice accent in a room.
a little more costly to produce, but if your going to be sitting next to it for several years i think it would be well worth it.
im so sick of the alianware/Gateway FX/Dell XPS (the older one) type cases. give me something more natural, and far less "in your face"
@SmilinGoat
that is why you case mod your pc case. Go to overclock.net and see the many possibilities 1 case can have. Personally, I like the unfinished nake version of this (without the wood panels). Kinda reminds me of this http://www.million-dollar-pc.com/systems-2009/special/lessdegrees/pius-edelweiss.htm
Pretty freaking sweet looking.
Love it.
Nice, not sure about the front panel with the ports though (you can see them at the builder's site). It sort of breaks the design...
Incredible amount of work he put in this. And the wooden sides are awesome.
Rush references FTW.
@cdheer
+1 and not that Limbaugh guy...
@cdheer
spinning, whirling
still descending
like a spiral sea
unending!
what's up with naming your product after a black hole anyway? Doesn't sound like a good idea.
@cdheer Ya beat me to it! Awesomeness!
To totally retro it, the cables should be fiber covered, and the keyboard an old selectric typewriter. Very MP Brazil-ish
i dig it.
I really like it. Has a nice art deco look to it with a a slight modern flair. I wish I had the know-how and tools to pull something like that off. My goal is to build an HTPC into an art deco antique radio. The trouble is finding one in decent condition that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
RetroCygnus! Transform!
WOW! Sick!
Many of the best looking mods are made by people with tons of money and equipment, so it would be unfair to judge them on the same plane as people with a more realistic income and resources.
Still rather nice though how the wood came out.
That looks fantastic. An incredible amount of work went into this case and I love the elegant styling (rather than the usual "look-at-me" stuff).
I followed this project on their forums for a while. I don't have the motivation to make custom cases like that, but it's interesting to see how those guys put things together from scratch. Nice outcome!
gadgets+wood=more beautiful gadgets
Amazing job especially coming from an individual, possibly with lots of money & time to invest into this project (meant to be a compliment)!
However I am not too fond of the front design... to me it looks somewhat incomplete. If I were to design this, I would run the front "blinds" design all the way to the bottom to hide the buttons/IO part and possibly place the on/off switch someplace else. Even then, this design would be a bit of a hassle IMO 'cause lifting the front door every time you need to plug in a USB drive/CD/headphones will get old real soon.
Other thing I was thinking... for such an impressive piece of work and so much time/money invested, how come there are no media-card reader and dual disc drives? But that's just me and maybe I am being too demanding... lol
Regardless, A+ for craftsmanship/effort and A+ for overall design. Love that warm wood!!
That is freaking gorgeous.
"thorgough"?
Very very nice. Best wood/mix case I've ever seen.
Bit slow Engadget...
Original log book here;
http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=714677
This is one of the most amazing cases I've ever seen.
Look through the log and you will not be disappointed, this beautiful artwork looked cool before it even had an outer shell.
The most important aspect I read is the creator of this fantastic wonder had no freaking clue how he wanted the final product to look, kind of like the close encounters of the third kind over a much longer process. I don't know which to worship in admiration: the case, or the man.
The metal work on this is just sick.