Project hack-it-up

[Dihi Doctor]

Intro

Well, it looks like I’m not going to make the mod competition anyway (working and getting ready to go on holiday). Thought I’d do a project log anyway, as this is my first major project, but please try and hold back with mocking my meagre case-modding skills.

This is a project I’ve been meaning to do for ages and have had most of the pieces since Christmas, yet a busy year at uni and getting engaged ( ) have held things up.

Specs

• Starting case: Coolermaster Cavalier 3 (silver). I like the front of this, but the rest is v. average.
• CPU: 3.2GHz P4 Northwood (can’t remember the stepping off the top of my head, but it’s a good-un!)
• Mobo: Abit IC-7 Max3 c/w noisy northbridge fan
• Memory: 1Gb Corsair XMS4000
• Hard Disk: 200Gb Seagate Barracuda (SATA), 120Gb IBM Deskstar (IDE)
• Sound: SBAudigy 2 OEM
• Graphics: Connect 3D Radeon 9800 Pro 128Mb

None of this is new for the project – it has been running for 6 months or so in my rig at university. This project is really about changing the case .

Cooling

I used to have some basic water-cooling in my old case, but got fed-up as it wasn’t good temperatures. This was not surprising due to the way it had been bodged into my old Thermaltake Xaser 3 with no modding. For the past few months the system has been running stock cooling (whine!).

I am going to install the following kit in the new rig, all of which I have acquired over the past 7 months, but not had time to setup.

• Dangerden RBX cpu block
• Dangerden maze 4 gpu block
• D4 pump
• Black ice pro 2 radiator
• Silver fillport
• Dangerden clear res (not sure if I will actually use this)
• Loads of Tygon, fans, fittings and mundane stuff.

I intend to cut up the distinctly average cavalier chassis (with my new toy - jigsaw )to fit all this in nicely, I will give more details soon and get some pics up so you can see where I'm going with this.

At the moment, my case is in pieces (having been de-riveted), with bits all over my desk, but it looks like it will have to stay that way until after my holiday.

Pics to follow, when I find the driver for my digicam to upload the pics to my other PC (oops : ).

[Dihi Doctor]

Well, I'm off on holiday tomorrow, but thought I'd upload a few pics of what I've done so far and to prove I haven't forgotten about this log! I intend to do more when I'm back from holiday.

So far, I have removed the rivets from the top of my case in order to remove the top. I have also cut the whole for the radiator in the top with my new toy (jigsaw).

Taken the nice brushed aluminum front off to protect it from my case mashing activities...but then I took the front off anyway:

Coolermaster obviously love their rivets:

This bar across the drive cage reinforces it, but will need to got to fit the rad in:

Finished removing evil rivets top panel (in my mum's messy garage ):

Cut a hole for the radiator in the top panel - rest of panel is still masked-off to prevent scratching:

TBC.. (with better pics, next time)
<EDIT>Made this look a bit neater.</EDIT>

[Gordy]

Good luck with the project