CaseMod
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Mahogany art deco 'heater' houses Intel Ivy Bridge fanless home theater PC
If you have certain interior design tastes, some types of PC case mods may not quite suit your decor. That's where Jeffrey Stephenson comes in, this time with a fanless home theater PC featuring an art-deco style Mahogany shell that slides right over the aluminum chassis. Inside, there's an Intel Core i3-3225 processor running Windows 8 with 8GB RAM, an Intel Cherryville SSD, 150W Pico PSU and Silverstone HE02 passive heatsink. While able to handily perform most media chores (and generate a little heat!), it stays in keeping with his other tasteful, retro designs for those of you who eschew Thermaltake Level 10-type PC cases. Or, almost all of you, anyway.
Wind tunnel PC case pushes the air cooling envelope, does its thing for cancer research
Pushing air cooling to its limits might mean buying a bigger fan to the mortal PC builder, but for Mike at Total Geekdom, it meant constructing a wind tunnel case. Built from a box fan, medium-density fiberboard, lexan and aluminum, the tunnel increases airspeed by about 240 percent and cools its contents with a brisk 9 mph breeze. At full bore, however, the fan churns out air speeds between 26 and 30 mph inside the case's sweet spot. As for computer hardware, the rig packs an Ivy Bridge 3770K processor, a pair of Radeon 7970 (Sapphire Dual-X) GPUs, 8GB of RAM and a 40GB SSD. There's still room to overclock the beast, but it currently keeps its CPU humming at 4.5GHz with temperatures between 64 and 65 degrees Celsius, and can run its GPUs at 1225MHz with core temperatures at 46 and 56 degrees Celsius. So, what does one do with a wind tunnel-cooled PC? Why donate time and computing processes for cancer research through the World Community Grid project, of course. For photos, performance specs and a full break down of the construction process, hit the bordering source link.
Macintosh Portable case mod is bulky, fantastic
Itching to do something with that dead Macintosh Portable in your closet? Then maybe you will be inspired by this video of a mod, spotted by Engadget, that brings OS X to this late '80s machine. This DIY project is as great on the outside as it is on the inside. For starters, the casing of the Portable houses a Toshiba NB100 netbook running OS X. The original keyboard is painstakingly rewired using 300 individual soldering points that connect it to a USB controller pulled from a Dell. There's also an optical USB mouse that replaces the ball mouse. Though upgraded, the mouse still connects to the back of the computer using the original cable. A cordless drill battery provides power to the machine, which now has some modern features such as WiFi connectivity. It's an impressive reuse of a classic computer that the maker says is "a great café computer." You can check out the modded machine in the video below.
Self-declared hipster builds Macintosh Portable case mod, reckons it goes well with skinny jeans (video)
If size and weight aren't nearly as important as turning heads at your local coffee shop, then why bother with today's banal hardware if you've got a perfectly good Macintosh Portable lying around? One nostalgic modder with a disregard for luggability has updated Apple's very first laptop to run OS X, creating what he calls "a great café computer." Obviously, the software isn't all that's changed, as behind the white plastic hides the internals of a Toshiba NB100 netbook sacrificed for the project. The keyboard has been painstakingly rewired through a USB controller, and the ball mouse now houses an optical cousin which connects via the original cable. A cordless drill battery powers the thing, which has also been gifted with all the mod cons -- WiFi and USB connectivity -- to make it pretty usable. If you're interested in build pics, the tech-savvy hipster promises to post them soon at the source link below, and for a tour of the finished article, a video awaits you beyond the fold.
Atari 2600s get PC innards, 22,857 times more processing power
Atari games redesigned in HTML 5 may bring back a flood of nostalgia, but they leave out a key part of the gaming experience: the classic hardware. Hard Drives Northwest filled that void by gutting a limited number of authentic Atari 2600s and stuffing them with modern PC components. Packing a Core i7 3.4GHz processor, the retro console now boasts 22,857 times more processing power than it did in its heyday, according to Microsoft's calculations -- more than enough oomph to handle the recent remakes. Other internals include 8GB of RAM, a 120GB SSD and a Radeon HD 6570 graphics card with 1GB of video memory. With support for USB 3.0 and 2.0, eSATA, DisplayPort, DVI and HDMI, the system is well stocked on the connectivity front. Finally, the signature of Atari founder Nolan Bushnell acts as the cherry atop the faux wood grain-toting package. While the souped-up machines aren't up for sale, a pair of them are slated for a giveaway. Glamour shots and the full set of specs await you at the source.
NZXT hosts rave in your PC case, charges $33 for entry
You've got the music, the air conditioning, and the chemicals. All you need now is Hue -- an RGB case light controller from NZXT that fills up a spare drive bay with dials to set the color, brightness and pulsation of a bundled two-meter, 24-LED light strip. Fake some ID, hand over $33 and reach for the lasers.
Android PC gets wrapped in maple, hits that premium sweet spot
If you feel that a typical barebones Android PC really won't do alongside your chaise longue and stack of hardback first editions, you may be interested in Jeffrey Stephenson's latest case mod. Underneath the birds eye maple, acrylic panelling and mesh, the Acero houses VIA's humble $49 Neo-ITX-based system card, running an iteration of Android 2.3 ready for mouse and keyboard add-ons. Up to 720p graphics is possible, which can be output through its VGA or HDMI ports and although that 800MHz processor may not be up to delivering the greatest gaming thrills, we've already got our joystick picked out.
Custom PC desk / case combo ditches glass, metal for wood
Desk case PC mods have lit up our radar before, but a modder by the name of Pirate -- who's no stranger to us -- has dropped the typical glass and metal enclosure for medium-density fiberboard. Though the material choice was an effort to avoid buying a new desk, it created a need for a robust cooling system. Five fans (three exhaust, two intake), a radiator and a liquid-cooling system keep the rig at roughly 88 F (31 C) with ambient temperatures hovering around 79 F (26 C). As for horsepower, the workstation features a Core-i5-2500k processor and a Radeon HD 7950 graphics card sporting a water cooling block on an Asus Gene IV microATX motherboard. Visuals are piped to three displays in an Eyefinity configuration that are held by a modded ergonomic stand. Pictures of the build process in excruciating detail await you at the source. Update: Ben Willock commented to let us know that it's sporting a Core-i5-2500k processor, not a Core-i5-2000k. We've updated the post.
iPhone case mod features aluminum back, vintage logo
If you enjoy case mods, then you should check out this latest offering from the K.O. gadget store. The custom backing lets you replace your glass back panel with an aluminum one inspired by the concept designs of the iPhone 5. Though the idea of an aluminum back is fetching, the highlight of this case mod is the vintage Apple logo that graces the back. There's even an add-on light that'll make the multi-color logo glow when you are using your phone. The case mod is on sale for a limited time only -- long enough for the company to sell a bunch of units before Apple cracks down on them, hypothesizes M.I.C. Gadget. It's available for US$23.90 plus shipping from the K.O. Store. [Via M.I.C. Gadget and Gigazine]
EVGA's GeForce GTX 680 Classified tempts overclockers with watery siren call
Judging by a sneak Computex preview, EVGA's intentions for the upcoming GTX 680 Classified graphics card are not a thorny mystery. With an optional water-cooling block and voltage control inputs, there's plenty here to seduce the hardcore modder. The company isn't talking numbers just yet, but if terms like "14-phase power design" whet your appetite, then you're in luck. In any case, like its other Classified mates, it's apt to be the company's top GeForce GTX 680 performer. So, if you're plugging in the pumps and hoses for that next mod, you might want to leave a slot -- or four -- open for this one.
AT-AT PC Case Mod: and you thought it was just geeky on the outside
This isn't the first Star Wars-themed peripheral we've featured. Not by a long shot. Not even today. It's not even the first AT-AT case mod we've had, but we can safely say it poses the most danger to the alliance. With a mini-ITX mainboard, Intel Core i7-2600K CPU and 8GB of RAM, this walker might actually have enough brains to avoid a harpoon and tow cable, and with elaborate watercooling the Hasbro plastic shouldn't get scorched either. The icing on the imperial cake is weapons and interior that light up with the touch of a remote. Want to see how modder Asphiax made it happen? Then pewpew the source link.
AzTtec PC case mod takes the Thermaltake Level 10 GT back in time
The Thermaltake Level 10 GT PC case is quite a sight on its own, but it's also proven to be popular among case modders, who have taken things to some considerable extremes in the past year. One of the most impressive to date is this so-called AzTtec mod by bit-tech.net member dmcgrath, who's ditched the usual LEDs and gaming inspirations in favor of something that makes even steampunk look thoroughly modem by comparison. To do that, he carved the enclosure you see above by hand out of a material called Balsa Foam, and then proceeded to painstakingly paint it and adorn it foliage and other tiny details. Hit the source link below to examine it up close.[Thanks, Antony]
Call of Duty case mod has spinning gatling gun, energy drink fridge (hands-on)
We've had our fill of Ultrabooks and tablets at CeBIT, so now it's finally time to move on to the crazy stuff. This over-the-top case mod was awaiting unsuspecting attendees at the far back end of the China pavilion, of all places, and only caught our eye (or ear, rather) thanks to its squeaky gatling gun. It seems that this case first made an appearance at the Taipei Game Show last month, and has now landed on German shores, making a miraculous pass through EU customs to settle here, hidden amongst a hodgepodge of accessories on the outskirts of Hannover. This Thermaltake Level 10 GT chassis was modded by Brian Carter, and is highlighted by a six-barrel rotating gatling gun. There's a bazooka up top where the handle would be, a .50 caliber cartridge on the side and a combination energy drink / hand sanitizer compartment just below. Yes, hand sanitizer. The rotating (and rather noisy) gatling gun makes our hands-on video a must-watch if you're looking to get the full mod experience, so jump past the break and check it out.
Wooden Aerodyne PC makes you want to live in Rapture
If we were blessed with a fortune, a mansion and a butler, the first thing we'd do is contact Jeffrey Stephenson -- maker of truly beautiful art-deco wooden case mods. He's produced another stunner with the Aerodyne: a fanless mahogany case with Rocketeer-style accents and a radio grille (picture after the break) we'd expect to hear Andrew Ryan barking out of. Unlike his other mods, the amazing Mr Stephenson is planning a small run of these cases for people to buy, so the only thing left to ask is -- can anyone lend us a tenner?
Bit-tech's Mod of the Year contest underway: finally, something you're comfortable voting on
Like ponies to little girls, we always have a soft spot for mods here at Engadget. Who could forget Angel OD's liquid-cooled Wii, for example? Or Peter Brands' Frankendesk of a PC, the L3p D3sk? Well, it seems like we're not the only ones whose fancies got tickled by these things, as both made the list of nominees for bit-tech's Mod of the Year 2011 competition. The contest is serving up its biggest field to date with 25 projects. Entries include a PC that doubles as a mini Warhammer Dreadnought and another computer encased in a Star Trek Intrepid Mark II Class starship replica. If your tastes lean more toward the older than old school kind, Jeffrey Stephenson's got one of his wooden mods included in the bunch, as well. Naturally, you can check out the rest of the entries (and cast your votes) at the source below. [Thanks, Antony]
DarwinMachine Type 339 is an anti-boxism statement, and also a PC
Architect and racecar designer Matthew Kim gets much respect for his messed-up PC builds and now he's had a go at the 9-inch-cubed small form factor. The DarwinMachine Type 339 is perhaps less wacky than the Hammerhead, but its chassis exploits the same premium combo of semi-translucent eco-resin and CNC aircraft aluminum and comes with Kim's usual life-time warranty. The internals are decent enough for home theatre or a spot of gaming: a Core i5-2400S alongside a Radeon HD 6570, 4GB, 40GB SSD and 1TB HDD, but ultimately that $1999.00 price tag is all about the (hopefully dimmable) aesthetics. %Gallery-140363%
Colorware spills its inks on your iPhone 4S, charges dearly for it
You didn't think the latest iPhone would be saved from Colorware's paint-dipped hands, did you? Lo and behold, the company's swatches are currently ready for application on the 4S. Similar to its iPhone 4 treatments, you'll be able to spice up your device -- and its earbuds -- with a mixture of glossy, metallic and soft-touch coatings (excluding mainly the front face, which remains stock black or white). Colorware'll gladly sell you a fresh 16 or 64GB model for a whopping $1,500 or $1,700, respectively, or you can mail yours in to get a Benetton-esque makeover for just $250.
Dutchman integrates a 4.5GHz water-cooled rig into his d3sk
Cooler Master's 2011 Case Mod Competition looks to be the gift that keeps on giving. After serving up a Tron lightcycle and an architectural marvel, it's now playing host to a mod that redefines the idea of an all-in-one PC. Peter from the Netherlands has managed to fit a pretty bombastic set of components -- 4.5GHz Core i7-980X, two ASUS GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards in SLI, over 12TB of storage with an SSD boot disk, and two PSUs providing 1,500W of power in total -- together with a water-cooling setup and the inevitable glowing lights inside one enclosure, which just so happens to also serve as his desk. The three-piece monitor setup is also a custom arrangement, with a 27-inch U2711 IPS panel being flanked by two 17-inchers. Admittedly, this isn't the first water-cooled and over-powered desk we've laid eyes on, but that shouldn't prevent you from giving the links below a bash and checking out the amazingly neat design of Peter's l3p d3sk.
Tron lightcycle case mod is totally awesome, 100 percent 3D
So, we already have a street-legal Tron lightcycle, but why stop there? After weeks of work, Bods Mods just completed its 40-inch long lightcycle PC, complete with ATX motherboard, liquid cooling, and plenty of blue light strips. The designer started the from-scratch custom build in SketchUp, Google's 3D modeling app, followed by loads of foam shaping and Dremel work. Judging by the dozens (if not hundreds) of images posted to the Cooler Master forum, this is one of the most complex case mods we've seen, with incredible details down to the translucent Crucial and SSD logos painted on the lightcycle engine. Bods Mods entered its lightcycle case in Cooler Master's 2011 Case Mod Competition, though the entries themselves are far more exciting than the first place prize: a boring, non-modified case full of components.
PC modding takes an architectural twist with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Usonian
We admit, we're pretty jaded when it comes to PC casemods, having seen everything from the inscrutable Edelweiss to Russian Ark of the Covenant-like monstrosities. Jeffrey Stephenson, though, charmed us with his wood-carved Level Eleven case, and now he's back with Usonian, inspired by the work of famed Fallingwater architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Split-level cantilevered roofs made of teak, mahogany highlights, all that Cherokee Red and Covered Wagon coloring – it's enough to make an architecture nerd swoon. Beneath all that fine styling it sports an Intel Core i7-875K on a Gigabyte Mini-ITX motherboard, with 8GB system memory. There's a 256GB SSD along with a 2TB hard drive, so it's not just built for looks; Wright, after all, emphasized utility over pointless fashion. Still, it's very pretty to look at. More pics in the source link and after the break.
