case-mods
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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.
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.
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.
DIY casemod features fins, automatically vents your rig
Truly epic casemods grace the humble pages of Engadget from time to time, but here's a spoonful of liquid awesome you might actually be able to try. Using an off-the-shelf fan controller, servo motor and Arduino board, plus some water-cut styrene parts he farmed out to an online shop, user SXRguyinMA outfitted his NZXT Tempest Evo case with a rad robotic cooling system. When the Arduino detects the temperature changing, it automatically actuates the servo to raise or lower the louvers accordingly, and the rig features a pair of supercapacitors that can store enough power to close the vents even if power is lost. There's also the all-important little red button to instantly make jaws drop. Video after the break, full worklog at our more coverage link.
Chinese Warcraft casemod is awesome
A few things about this Warcraft-flavored PC casemod, seen over on this Chinese website. First: it's awesome. Warcraft art is faithfully recreated, and as you can see, there's a nice Horde montage on one side, Alliance on the other, and the Dark Portal sitting right there in front. Second: it's probably pretty old -- most of that art is from the game's original release four years ago.So it's probably not exactly the latest and greatest in Warcraft PC designs (though it might be a little later than the ghost train pirate art). But still, it looks great. And I definitely wouldn't mind wandering around Azeroth on that rather than my current gigantic black tower of a PC.Update: Turns out the case is for sale. That is, if you want to spend $299 on a case.[via Technabob]%Gallery-69709%
One person will win this custom Bayonetta Xbox 360
What you're looking at is the prize one lucky individual will walk away with tomorrow at the Platinum Games meetup. If you didn't score a ticket to the Bayonetta-themed event, then it's possible you didn't read this post from earlier this month. We trust you, though. We're sure you totally read it. The Sega blog describes the custom Xbox 360 as "one of the hottest Xbox 360's I've ever seen. No kidding." Clearly, Sega has never seen this brilliant Sonic mod.
A match made in Hell: Xbox 360 Hellboy case mod
click to Right Hand of Doom-size Behold the Xbox 360 Hellboy case mod. It was made by one Frank Gonzales, the very same Frank Gonzales that created the Gears of War and creepy alligator mods we've featured here before. As much as we like Gears of War and creepy alligators, we're going to have to say that this one takes the cake. Check out more pics in the gallery below. Also, be sure to check out more of Frank's work -- including lots of artwork not related to case mods -- on his personal website (Warning: MySpace link).%Gallery-66116%
Why not: A Mac mini inside an Apple Disk ][ enclosure
During last night's talkcast, we debated the validity of the most recent Mac mini rumors. I was in the "No Way" camp. I'm sure there's a new mini in the works, but I don't think that's it. At least, the machine depicted in that video isn't what will be offered to customers. I mean ... five USB ports, Firewire 800, two display ports ... why stop there? Throw in SCSI! LocalTalk! Cans and string!Or better yet, cram the whole mini into an Apple Disk ][ enclosure. That's what one enterprising case hacker did, and the results are pretty sweet. This mini has been so carefully placed that even the optical drive lines up with the case's opening. The LED has even been rigged to glow when the Mac is running. We love it.[Via Engadget & Cult of Mac]
Hello Kitty Xbox 360 dazzles while you frag
You may remember deviantART member Ricepuppet from his days dressing up his Xbox 360 in Domo-kun stylings. He's back, combining our love for console paint jobs with all things Hello Kitty. No matching controller this time, but there's more than enough stars, shades of pink, and cuteness to make up for it. The Sanrio charmer isn't the only new mod he's got, we also spotted consoles adorned with Halo Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Chocobos (of Final Fantasy fame). Now how about we see some of that HK love plastered on a Rock Band drum set?Read - Hello Kitty modRead - Go Go Sonic modRead - Halo Wars modRead - Chocobo racing mod
Chiaroscuro case mod riffs on Beijing Olympics building
Arboreal case modder Nick "Greensabbath" Falzone's latest creation is an Ebony and Maple Frankenstein inspired by the Beijing Digital Building. Dubbed Chiaroscuro -- meaning a contrast between light and dark -- the tower sports an AMD Phenom X4 9350e quad core, 4GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 4850. Hit up the read link for a full breakdown of the creation, with pictures galore (not pictured: the requisite wooden mouse and keyboard). Your move, Suissa.
The BlackBoard Pro
Here's the situation. You're sitting with a friend when she gives you some great information that you want to write down. Or, you want to share something with her, but your Mac is not running, and it seems like a hassle to wait for it to boot just to complete that simple exchange. What's a nerd to do?How about cover the lid of your MacBook Pro with chalkboard paint? That's exactly what Russell Davies did, and the BlackBoard Pro was born. It's got a certain "Little House on the Prairie Schoolhouse" charm, and as Russell says, "...there's something very satisfying about crossing off a to do by licking your finger and smearing it out."Well done, Russell. We think.[Via Joshua Blakenship]
Super Mario Galaxy mod reaches for the stars [update 2]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/mods/Super_Mario_Galaxy_Wii_mod/'; Mamma mia, that's a nice mod. We'd expect no less from the ever-so-incredible Morpheon Mods crew, who've put together quite a nice collection of Wiis for us to gawk at. The Super Mario Galaxy theme of this particular mod, though, helps it rank as our favorite of the bunch.The LEDs are a nice touch, especially the ones in the back-lit marquee, and we approve of the various sounds they've rigged to the console. We also like the twinkling stars effect -- simply awesome. All in all, it's a stunning mod that can be yours if you have deep pockets, since it's up for auction on eBay. This is one auction that we won't mind seeing skyrocket, however, since a portion of the profits will be donated to Child's Play!%Gallery-20580%[Update: The eBay auction has been removed, for unknown reasons. If the item gets relisted, though, we'll be sure to update the post again with the new link!][Update 2: Yay! The auction was relisted and the eBay link above has been fixed. Or, you can just click here.]
Motorized Madness is, in fact, just that
You know, we're normally not very into the whole case mod scene, but every once in a while some whack job with way too much free time and talen comes along and completely blows our minds. In this case it's rendermandan's Motorized Madness, a vaguely steampunk reinterpretation of the PC replete with the usual complement of colored lamps and fans, as well as a full outfit of unnecessary rotating, extending, and moving external displays, switches, and toggles. Oh, and that thing up top is a turbine water cooler. Videos after the break -- you won't be disappointed.
The Daily Grind: These are a few of my favorite things
You can tell you're in the den of a gamer when you walk into the computer room/area and the glow from all the extras blinds you. With all the great toys out now for computers, who can resist making their rig even more powerful than before? From the basic extras like headsets for Ventrilo/TeamSpeak, to fancy keyboards/keysets, all the way up to overclocking your entire system, case-modding, or tossing in a water-cooling rig, computers are win for customizable high-powered gaming fun. Since this is the season for giving and receiving goodies, this morning we thought we'd ask what some of your favorite gaming peripherals are. Personally, my old keyboard is getting toasty, so while I know I'm not getting one under the tree this morning (whenever folks wake up) I plan to pick up a Logitech G15 for my system. How about you? Are there any peripherals out there that you've come to rely on for your gaming experience? Are there any toys on the horizon that you're hoping landed under your tree, or that you're earmarking some of those gift cards for? (And we'd add if you're interested in scoring some free gaming equipment, be sure to check out our Holiday Postcard Contest!)
MacMod '07 has begun
Each August, we anticipate the start of the MacMod Challenge, a time for case modders to compete for bragging rights and glory (among other prizes). Last year's entries included the iMac mini LCD and the Tonka iMac. In fact, did the 2005 challenge produce the first iMac with "Intel inside?"The list of prizes and judges for 2007 are yet to be announced , but a glance at the information page reveals a new category: "iPhone mod."Thanks, Timmy!
ThermalTake's gawdy iFlash+ PC fan reviewed
So we recently threw together a little rig of our own, and though we made sure to toss in at least four fans for keeping everything nice and cool, we has no idea that for a lot more money we could get ones that pull double duty as obnoxious billboards for flashing the internal temperature. So would we have done things differently had we known about ThermalTake's iFlash+ 120mm model with built-in POV (persistence of vision) display? Of course not, don't be silly. But for those of you who take pride in shlocking up your case mods as much as possible, Dark Vision Hardware reports that the iFlash+ does indeed live up to the hype, basically giving you the performance of ThermalTake's TT-1225A coupled with a bright, readable, and mostly pointless bit of ambient information. Reviewer Thomas gives the lively air mover a nine out of ten rating, harshing on it only for its curious but rather minor omission of a Fahrenheit mode (i.e. all temps are shown in Celsius). Still, you're not spending triple the price of a regular fan because of your need for real-time, completely accurate data anyway, so it's probably best to say that this product will be most pleasing to anyone who would actually consider buying it. If that's you, make sure to check out the vid after the break...
Superbowl XLI Colts 360 Case Mod on Ebay
Americans love their Football, and the annual Super Bowl that comes with it. But the question is, do they love it enough to buy Super Bowl XLI case mod off eBay? Seller stevenkeno29 seems to think so, as he has an auction (with an astounding 0 bids) up for a Blue Indianapolis Colts themed Xbox 360 and controller, complete with Super Bowl XLI logos and images on the other side. The auction closes on Valentine's Day, so if this interests you, then you may as well step on it and get bidding. More images after the break.
Bloody well done 360 Case Mod
Fanboy David Hinkle sent us a link to a very well put together case mod. It's so well put together, in fact, that we'll ignore what kind of "fanboy" he is. Midianad.com has made a Blood Splattered Case mod, complete with obligatory hand print on the left side/bottom, and views of the console's innards on the right side/top. It looks very sharp would do any Dead Rising or Gears of War enthusiast proud, and definitely beats out the Diamond case reported earlier. What's most disturbing is that it almost does too good of a job looking like blood, and makes us wonder where, or from whom, did he get the material to do so. Anyway, major props are in order for either making such a convincing case mod, or blatantly flaunting the evidence without getting caught. Side view and picture of the case mod installed after the break.
Halo 3 case mod is ... erm ... backwards
The above picture is reason enough to leave case modding to the professionals. Klyde over at xbox-scene's forums proudly posted his first 360 case mod and was looking for a little feedback. The cutout of the Halo 3 logo was done quite well, craftsmanship is on par, but there is one tiny problem. The logo was cut out backwards, making this mod look ... craptacular. Oh well Klyde, this was your first case mod so we know your future mods can only get better (as we're looking forward to them). [Via Digg]
Chinese DS Lite mods
Color us impressed. Most of the mods we see and show you come from the US and consist of some pretty wacky stuff. Now, it is time for something completely different. The very talented moders over at YYJoy have been showing off their unique designs in an array of colors and prints. These mods can cater to any gamers taste. Even those who find themselves Mac lovers. See the pictures after the break! [Via 4cr]