Do-it-yourself horizontal PC case. System unit made of wood
Introduction
Modding (Englishmodding, comes from the word modify - modify, change) - introductioncreativechanges inhardwarecomputer.
At least that’s what Wikipedia thinks, but for those “avid” desktop computer users who have at least once tried to make changes to “their brainchild,” modding has become something much more than just “changing the appearance.” Actually, first you should try to find out the reasons why a modest user decides to make changes himself. In the archive of our website there are two extremely interesting articles: “Homemade cooling system for Radeon HD 4850” and “Modding the case to improve ventilation and reduce noise.” In both cases, the goal was the same: “to create efficient and quiet air cooling without significant investment,” and it is quite difficult to challenge it. After all, there are often cases today when users simply cannot choose a case that suits them, for example, since its filling is already in stock and has been in use for more than one month, but due to the insufficient (and often incorrect) ventilation system of the “old” case this filling heats up to extreme temperatures, and the standard cooling systems for the hottest elements (processor, video card) begin to work at full capacity. As a result, this leads to the fact that a seemingly far from cheap system unit turns into a real “vacuum cleaner” with the corresponding roar of turbines. Opening the side cover of the case, although it saves the contents from overheating, however, reduces the entire aesthetic appearance to “NO,” not to mention the fact that a working case in this form is a source of injury and increases the chances of losing expensive components due to careless movement or the pranks of a young child .
Buying a specialized case, for example, Packard Bell ipower GZ-FA1CA-ASS, can solve this problem, but it is not always possible to choose exactly what you want from what is offered in the store, and let’s be honest, specialized cases are far from cheap and often their cost exceeds the price processor or video card. Not everyone can afford such waste. It is thanks to the combination of the above factors that modding cases are born, which are simply a modification and/or modernization of existing cases with a designed ventilation system. In addition, in this case, the author of such a manufactory body can without hesitation give his brainchild a creative, in his opinion, appearance, which often amazes others with its individuality and originality. Vivid examples are the following creations, selected on the specialized Internet resource http://www.casemods.ru/:
The purpose of this article is to show, in the form of a chronological story of one case, that modding computer hardware is not something “abstruse”, accessible only to certified technical engineers, and to use examples to prove its promise, accessibility and, of course, simplicity. Readers will be able to find solutions to problems that have faced them in the past. Moreover, all changes presented will be accompanied by appropriate tests to assess changes in heating, performance and, indirectly, noise levels. If possible, the funds spent on modernization will be indicated and where the corresponding components can be purchased in different cities. Moreover, those who wish to take up the modding craft themselves will even be provided with drawings, on the basis of which, without much effort, it will be possible to design and create their own, exclusive, designed specifically for a specific computer configuration, a case with a set of necessary functions, or repeat what was proposed.
Background
The list of components that will take part in the presented mod project was not formed immediately, but evolutionarily over the course of four years. Initially (2004), the system unit had the following filling:
- Intel Pentium 4 540j processor;
- motherboard Intel D915PCY;
- ASUS EAX600XT video card;
- one DDR2 memory stick with a capacity of 1024 MB, operating at an effective clock frequency of 533 MHz.
However, then it was planned to buy not so much a desktop computer as a whole complex of consumer electronics based on a personal computer, so the system unit additionally included: CD-ROM Sony CDU5261; DVD-RW Sony D22A; FLOPPY Sony MPF920-Z/CU1; HDD Seagate ST3200822AS; TV-TUNER AverMedia 305; SOUND CARD Creative Audigy 2 ZS. The case itself was 3R System - Neon Light PRE. The monitor and speaker set were appropriate: LG 920P and Creative Inspire TD 7700.
After the purchase, the question was increasingly raised: “Was this multimedia complex worth the crazy expenses spent on its acquisition, maybe something was chosen incorrectly?” The performance of the video adapter was naturally not enough, since a professional-level monitor could operate at a resolution of 1600*1200 with a screen refresh rate of 85 Hz, and popular games at that time (for example, DOOM 3) made quite serious demands on the contents of the system unit (especially the video card) even by modern standards. The dream of “the very best” was melting before our eyes. Over time, I read a lot of reviews of computer components and, unfortunately, not very carefully. In 2007, an upgrade was made (replacing some components with more efficient ones).
The video adapter was replaced by the extremely promising (just launched on sale) ASUS EN8800GTS/HTDP/512M, which was nothing more than a “reference” PNY GeForce 8800 GTS 512, only with ASUS stickers. Due to increased requirements for system power consumption, the 300-watt Dinamic ATX 1.3 power supply supplied with the case was replaced with PowerLux PL-550PFC-DF . Alas, 2007 marked a massive transition from single-core to dual-core processors. Naturally, most games were originally developed for dual-core processors, and the Intel Pentium 4 540j used in the system was simply not capable of providing the required level of performance. Even adding RAM to 3 GB with another stick with a capacity of 1024 MB and two 512 MB did not help. The situation looked exactly like this: “the money was spent extremely illiterately.” Since the spring of 2008, probably more out of necessity than “optional,” we have been extremely meticulously re-reading all the articles and reviews on the relevant sites. It was at that time that I first got to know the website www.EasyCOM.com.ua, which amazed me with its scale and number of reviews. Each motherboard, video card, processor and other components that were on sale were described in detail, as if it were an exclusive and unique “new product”. Comparative dynamic testing of processors and video cards with similar models, regardless of class, generation or price range, was especially useful. By the summer of 2008, a decision was made, without haste, to systematically create an extremely non-standard system that would not cost a lot of money, assuming the use of the maximum number of currently available components, but would have such computing power that would meet modern requirements and have “reserve for the future” . The orientation of such a system was purely for games, watching video content and listening to audio. The only rational solution to this problem was to create an SLI system based on a specialized motherboard and a quad-core processor. That is, in order to increase the computing power of the video system, it was decided not to change the video card, but to supplement the computer with another one of the same type (based on the principle of organizing SLI systems). Since at that time there was no need to have special funds, and the time of popularity of the GeForce 8800GTS 512 was coming to an end, and there was no point in waiting, since within six months the ASUS EN8800GTS/HTDP/512M could not be found on sale, it was decided First of all, buy a second video card without having the appropriate motherboard. By the beginning of 2009, an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 processor and two OCZ Titanium OCZ2T800IO1G RAM sticks had already been purchased; all that remained was to choose the motherboard. As it turned out, at that time the raging financial crisis had completely swept away all new products from store shelves, and choosing an SLI-compatible motherboard (which were already a rarity) became an extremely difficult task. By and large, the choice was only between ASUS P5N-T Deluxe and ASUS P5N-D. Naturally, ASUS P5N-T Deluxe had much better capabilities than the second option. Take, for example, the processor power system, because it will be the quad-core Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, famous for its high power consumption and heating, that will be used. However, the case decided itself. While the decision was being made, the ASUS P5N-T Deluxe motherboard simply disappeared from stores. There is only one variant left, ASUS P5N-D.
Because the motherboard ASUS P5N-D was produced by the manufacturer in rather limited quantities, it was not tested in a timely manner, so I would like to tell you about it in a few words now. It is based on a combination of system logic NVIDIA nForce 750i SPP + NVIDIA nForce 750i MCP + NVIDIA nForce 200. The board is compatible with all processors for Socket LGA 775, including quad-core models on the Yorkfield core, made according to 45 nm technical standards. The motherboard has two PCI-E x16 v2.0 slots, which are capable of working simultaneously in full x16 + x16 mode. The latter, in fact, is the “highlight” of this board, since the NVIDIA nForce 750i SPP north bridge has only 16 PCIe lanes, and to support full-speed two PCI-E x16 v2.0 ports, 32 are needed. So, an additional NVIDIA nForce 200 chip is capable of expanding the number of PCIe lanes and speeding up the transfer of information between video cards, without transmitting it through the chipset and processor, but directly directing it to its destination. More detailed information about the NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI system logic set can be found by looking at the following diagram:
The board also has two PCI v2.2 slots, one PCI-E x1, four DIMM slots supporting DDR2 memory with frequencies of 800/677/533 MHz. The set of ports on the board for peripheral I/O devices includes one IDE for two devices, one Floppy connector, four SATA ports, two USB headers for four ports, one IEEE 1394a port, and an S/PDIF output connector. The board has a 24-pin power connector and a four-pin ATX12V connector for additional processor power. In the corner there are pads for connecting the front panel, headphones, and microphone. The interface panel displays four USB ports, one IEEE 1394a, six audio codec inputs/outputs, one optical audio output, one coaxial audio output, network LAN (RJ45), two PS/2 for connecting a mouse and keyboard, as well as one serial and parallel port. The number of connected fans to the motherboard is limited to four, including a four-pin processor fan.
ASUS engineers approached the arrangement of elements of the P5N-D motherboard quite boldly. Despite the fact that the ATX standard requires up to seven expansion slots on the motherboard, in the case of the ASUS P5N-D only six were implemented, thereby increasing the distance from the processor socket to the first expansion slot by 22 mm. This was quite enough for the placement of the NVIDIA nForce 750i SPP north bridge chips and the so-called NVIDIA nForce 200 “east bridge”. Given their heat dissipation, they were covered with a massive heatsink.
For more efficient heat removal, a fan was supplied with the motherboard.
The dimensions of this “dwarf” are 70x70x10 mm. (D.Sh.V.), and the rotation speed of the impeller when powered by 12 V is 3800 rpm. In practice this is a rather noisy "creation", however the BOIS options allow the latter to be used in three modes that correspond to the 3800; 3000; 2600 rpm
More detailed information about the configuration and characteristics can be gleaned from the corresponding table, or from the official website:
ASUS P5N-D motherboard specification:
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Manufacturer |
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NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI |
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CPU socket |
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Supported processors |
Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Extreme / Core 2 Duo / Pentium Extreme / Pentium D / Pentium 4 |
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System bus, MHz |
1333 /1066 / 800 / 667 MHz |
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Memory used |
DDR2 800/667/533 MHz |
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Memory support |
4 x 240-pin DIMMs, dual-channel architecture up to 8 GB |
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Expansion slots |
2 x PCI-E x16 with NVIDIA SLI support |
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Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) |
Supports two identical NVIDIA SLI-Ready video cards in x16 mode |
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Disk subsystem |
The nForce 550 SLI Southbridge supports: |
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VIA VT6038P controller |
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Marvell 88E1116 Gigabit LAN Network Controller with AI NET 2 Support |
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24-pin ATX power connector |
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Cooling |
A massive radiator for cooling the NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI north bridge and the NVIDIA nForce 200 PCI-E expansion chip with a complete fan, as well as a proprietary radiator for cooling the NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI south bridge |
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Fan connectors |
1 x CPU |
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External I/O ports |
2 x PS/2 port for connecting keyboard and mouse |
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Internal I/O ports |
4 x USB |
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8 Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, Multi-language BIOS |
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Overclocking capabilities |
Frequency change: FSB, PCI-Express, memory. |
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Proprietary technologies |
ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit) |
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Equipment |
Instructions and user guide |
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Form factor Dimensions, mm |
ATX 12"x 9.6" |
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Manufacturer's website |
It’s worth spending a few words on the processor power system. It is made according to a four-phase scheme, but it should be understood that “the phases are different.” Here, for example, is what similar power systems look like:
The photo on the left shows the ASUS P5Q SE motherboard, which also has a four-phase power system, but it should be noted that the number of power transistors in the arm of one phase is two. The GIGABYTE GA-EP41-UD3L motherboard (in the middle of the photo) again has a four-phase power system, but the number of power transistors on the shoulder is no longer two, but three. Well, the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3 motherboard located in the photo on the right has a six-phase power system, but, as in the previous case, the number of power transistors on the shoulder is three. The fact is that the number of power transistors in one “phase” and the total number of phases in the processor power system is directly proportional to the maximum power that this power system can “produce.” And if the consumer (processor) consumes such power that borders on the maximum possible that the processor power system is able to provide, then the latter will, at best, become very hot, which will undoubtedly affect the service life of both the motherboard and the processor . ASUS engineers did something more cunning. Although the number of phases was limited to four, each arm was equipped with four power transistors, which indicates a predisposition to heavy loads. It is extremely difficult to more accurately evaluate the power supply system of the ASUS P5N-D motherboard, but it is assumed that it is designed for powerful quad-core processors with some reserve, and in fact, this reserve can, in theory, be implemented to ensure the increased power consumption of an overclocked quad-core processor. Practice will show how much overclocked it is.
There is also not much to talk about the functionality of the BIOS. Overclocking capabilities (which are mostly interesting) are limited to changing the frequency of the FSB reference bus from 133 to 750 MHz (although this parameter is presented not by the usual FSB, but by QDR, that is, FSB x 4), PCI-E bus from 100 MHz to 131 MHz, frequencies memory operation from 400 MHz to 2600 MHz, changing the HT bus multiplier connecting the north bridge and the south bridge, from x1 to x8, as well as changing the RAM timings, both main and additional. You can change the supply voltage on the following elements: processor from 0.83125 V to 1.6 V; RAM from 1.85 V to 3.11 V; Northbridge NVIDIA nForce 750i SPP from 1.2 V to 1.76 V; south bridge NVIDIA nForce 750i MCP from 1.5 V to 1.86 V; HT bus from 1.2 V to 1.96 V.
Summing up a quick review of the ASUS P5N-D motherboard, we can draw a brief but clear conclusion. This motherboard has everything you need to build a high-performance SLI system with a full connection of two video adapters using the x16 + x16 scheme and using the most powerful processors of the Intel Core 2 Quad family. However, despite almost flagship functions, ASUS P5N-D has “nothing extra”, that is, the number of additional expansion controllers is minimal, advanced ASUS technologies are not fully used, and the number of additional radiators is kept to a minimum. All this, naturally, affected the final cost of the product. The motherboard was purchased in February 2009 at a price of 1200 UAH, which, in comparison with the price of ASUS P5N-T Deluxe, which was estimated at 1800 UAH, looked extremely promising. As for the overclocking potential, there was no reliable information on the Internet at the time of purchase; one could only hope for “maybe.”
In principle, the system was already assembled, with the exception of the processor cooler. The situation with applicants for this “position” turned out to be more deplorable than with motherboards. And the budget allocated for updating the computer has simply dried up. The following solution was purchased.
Unlike Thermaltake Cyclo 12cm Red Pattern, this model does not show various animated emblems, but “writes” the Thermaltake logo, shows the approximate temperature of the air passing through the fan (there is a built-in temperature sensor), as well as the relative noise level created by the fan. In practice it looks like this:
It would be difficult to resist the temptation to see this “miracle” on the front panel of a home-made case. Despite the somewhat expensive purchase, we purchased three Thermaltake Cyclo 12cm Logo Fan Pattern fans and one Thermaltake Cyclo 12cm Red Pattern for variety. As you can guess, three of them will pump air into the upper part of the case, where the motherboard and video cards are located, as well as the processor cooler, and one into the lower part of the case, where there is only one element that needs airflow - the power supply.
The Thermaltake fans mounted on the front panel using wood screws looked like this:
When marking out the shelf for the motherboard under the mounting posts, I remembered a rather “acute” problem that many people have. This refers to the bending of the motherboard PCB due to the rigid fastening of the cooler without a pressure plate on the back side of the processor socket. The solution looked like a homemade analogue of a pressure plate. Having selected felt of the required thickness (about 7-8 mm), a square was cut out with dimensions slightly larger than the cooler mounting holes for the Socket LGA 775 processor socket.
Considering the height of the motherboard mounting stand was 6 mm, the felt was 1-2 mm higher, and it was this difference that provided the necessary rigidity when the motherboard PCB was deformed. You can buy felt either in specialized construction stores or “from hand” in spontaneous markets. The price of such a piece can be from 5 to 30 UAH.
The last stage of rough processing of the future case was the organization of the necessary holes in the motherboard shelf for mounting power cables, hard drive cables, a floppy drive, etc.
Having temporarily screwed the motherboard into place, the location and type of connectors were simply labeled with a marker. Then, with the help of an electric drill and a file, these technological holes appeared. Their dimensions were so small that the corresponding plugs could only fit into them. Conventionally, the upper and lower parts of the case should be separated from each other almost hermetically to achieve more efficient air flow in the upper part of the case, where the hottest elements are located.
Having come close to giving the body an aesthetic appearance, the question became: “How, exactly?” After much thought and comparison of the amount of capital investment, the following two materials were considered the most profitable.
Elementary “self-adhesive”. An analogue of what is used to cover the walls of apartments during renovation, that is, wallpaper that has an adhesive substance applied on one side. This type of material is made from thick paper or a kind of rubberized oilcloth. The color scheme is limited purely by human imagination or the availability of assortment in the store: from pure white to photo wallpaper. This “happiness” is sold in rolls per linear meter. There are two types of rolls in width: 450 mm and 550 mm. The price varies depending on the complexity of the design and the width of the roll, ranging from 11 UAH to 22 UAH per linear meter. In our case, we chose a black “self-adhesive” with a shiny varnish effect. Moreover, it had a base with an extruded wood structure. Having carried out a simple calculation, it turned out that five meters of “self-adhesive” are needed to paste the entire future body.
The second material is called double-sided foam tape.
The purpose of its application was to use a seal at the points of contact of vibrating computer components (drives, hard drives) with the walls of the case, as well as between the walls of the case. The photo above shows that it was used to seal the “windows” of the front panel into which the drives will be installed. In terms of its consistency, foam rubber, from which strips 12-18 mm wide and 2 mm thick are made, is very soft and can be compressed up to 0.5 mm, while also springing. It was simply not possible to find a more suitable seal. The presence of an adhesive and viscous substance on both sides made it possible to firmly secure this seal, and in some cases even use it to secure computer components.
As a result, the disassembled appearance of the Birdhouse 001 case was as follows:
Compared to the original type of chipboard, this interpretation still looked much better. Black varnished wood mixed with chrome grill grilles and acrylic (transparent) fan covers looked solid. It was then that another “brilliant” element of the body was born, the lining on the ends of the side walls:
In fact, this is a “U” shaped profile for finishing the end edges of chipboard, which is quite widely used in the manufacture of furniture and can be made of plastic or aluminum. In our case, we used plastic, the color “chrome mirror”. Sold in slats 2.5 m long, at a price of 22-25 UAH per piece. Two such strips are enough to finish both side walls of the case.
So, there is only one step left before assembly begins - a “basket” for attaching hard drives, drives, a floppy drive and a card reader. The use of a standard “basket”, which is used in serial cases, is impossible due to the non-standard arrangement of the above devices. The solution turned out to be as simple as it was non-standard:
By pure chance, a modest piece of plexiglass 4 mm thick and measuring about a meter by meter turned out to be available. The appearance of this piece did not allow it to be used “in plain sight”, however, for the original material of the “basket” there is simply no better option.
The cutting of this material was carried out using a manual angle grinder or a grinder. This procedure did not cause any particular difficulties and can be done by anyone with sufficient patience and caution. All that remained was to drill the necessary holes and that was it.
Although plexiglass has some elasticity, it simply crumbles if handled carelessly. In order to drill a hole in it with a diameter of 3.5 mm, it is necessary to do this in three or four passes, starting with a drill with a diameter of 1 mm and ending with 3.6 mm. Since I will use 3 x 8 mm bolts with a countersunk head to fasten the “basket” elements, it is necessary to create a kind of “socket” for the bolt head after drilling the hole. This is done with a drill of the same diameter as the cap. In our case 6 mm. As a result, the parts ready for assembly looked like this:
Since the case is planned to be as quiet as possible, the same sealant made of double-sided tape on a foam rubber base was used to secure the drives, disk drive and card reader.
Since the drives, disk drive and card reader are a structural part of the “basket”, their fastening must be rigid and durable.
As many have guessed, hard drives will generally have to be mounted in a 5.25" bay (for drives), and the hard drives themselves are 3.5" in size. A way out of this situation was found not only in terms of structural joining, but also in terms of sound insulation. Hard drives that are “tightly” screwed to the “basket” will transfer their vibration to the latter, and this is an extra source of noise. To eliminate it, a simple and at the same time cunning method is proposed, for which you will need four erasers, which everyone at school or universities used to erase pencil graphite from a piece of paper.
The latter are sold in stationery stores in different shapes, colors and even scents at prices ranging from 50 kopecks to 4 UAH per piece. All that remains is to choose the right size and perform the following operations:
Cut into pieces of the required size, drill a hole lengthwise and screw in a 3 x 8 mm pin halfway on one side. The latter is obtained from the bolt that fastened the drives; you just need to bite off the head with pliers. When mounted with a hard drive it looks like this:
Then everything is simple, installing the upgraded hard drive in the 5.25" bay, it is bolted down, just like the drive. The uniqueness of noise insulation is that there is no rigid fastening, and all vibrations will be absorbed by the same erasers.
Well, now everything is ready, it’s time to assemble the body. The installation of the lower part of the case, where the “basket” with drives, hard drives, floppy drive, card reader and power supply is located, looked like this:
As planned, the power supply was disassembled and switched to conditionally passive cooling mode. Although in fact it is cooled by a Thermaltake Cyclo 12cm Red Pattern fan, which pumps air into the entire lower compartment of the Birdhouse 001 case. There is simply nothing more to say about the lower part of the case; at this stage it is “tightly” closed and the work is transferred to the upper part of the case, where the motherboard is located.
Examining this photo carefully, experienced overclockers would probably object to the use of the Thermaltake Ruby Orb cooler, but as was written at the beginning of the article, the choice on store shelves was extremely limited, as was the budget allocated for this computer. But these are not all the reasons why the decision was made, nevertheless, to use Thermaltake Ruby Orb. The massive heatsink on the motherboard hid two “hot” elements: the NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI north bridge and the NVIDIA nForce 200 expansion controller. In any case, this heatsink requires forced airflow, which the Thermaltake Ruby Orb processor cooler can handle perfectly. Well, the last thing that many may have already guessed is the dimensions. The height of the upper compartment of the case is equal to the height of the fans that will pump cool air, that is, 120 mm. A high-performance heatpipe cooler that would be lower than ~105 mm simply did not exist at the time the case was assembled, although a couple of months later Scythe Shuriken and Scythe Big Shuriken appeared on sale:
These coolers would likely be more efficient than the Thermaltake Ruby Orb solid aluminum heatsink.
Having installed all the components (two ASUS EN8800GTS/HTDP/512M video cards and a Creative Audigy 2 ZS sound card) that were supposed to be used, the situation was quite interesting:
There was simply no vertical free space in the upper part of the Birdhouse 001 building. All components literally rested their heads on the ceiling. However, there was even a free area in the horizontal plane. This is exactly how it was intended. According to the author, such “crowding” will force the air pumped by three Thermaltake Cyclo 12cm Red Pattern fans to pass only through the cooler radiators, thereby ensuring maximum cooling efficiency. A similar technology is being used in powerful video adapters that require serious cooling.
To estimate the dimensions, the following photographs are attached, since the dimensions 290x400x400 mm (W.D.H.) cannot convey them clearly. For comparison, “boxed” versions of the licensed game S.T.A.L.K.E.R., which a good half of gamers will have, were attached to the case:
Compared to most serial Middle Tower cases with dimensions on average of 450 x 250 x 450 (WHD), this case can even be perceived as a “thick” Desktop, especially in comparison with Full standard cases popular among overclockers and lovers of silence Tower, with an average size of 250 x 550 x 520 (W.D.H.).
Well, as they say, the final touch! Disproportionately large side walls, which also double as legs.
Well, actually, here it is – “Birdhouse 001”. Perhaps, for many, this form of the system unit will seem strange, but this is exactly how its author saw a quiet and productive, creative and stylish case. However, everyone has their own opinion - constructive criticism is welcome on the forum of our site.
Testing
Of course, you won’t be satisfied with just your appearance. The case should not only be pleasing to the eye, but also effectively cool the contents. Just to evaluate the effectiveness of the transition from the upgraded 3R System - Neon Light PRE case to the modding homemade “Birdhouse 001”, the test results, which were carried out in two modes, are attached. The first one was conditionally “without acceleration”. All frequencies and voltages were set to AUTO mode, with the exception of the processor supply voltage, which is set to 1.25 V by default on the ASUS P5N-D motherboard for some unknown reason.
In practice, it was found that the processor remains completely stable when a supply voltage of 1.075 V is applied, which naturally affects its heating.
To force maximum heating of the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 processor, the LinX stress test program was used, and FurMark, which was similar in purpose, was used to heat video adapters. Also, as a control measurement of temperatures, the Futuremark 3DMark "06 test was performed, where in theory the motherboard chipset should have warmed up more. It should also be noted that for maximum adequacy of the results, a household air conditioner was used. The purpose of its use is banally simple: for a while testing to maintain the air temperature in the room at 24 ° C. Thermaltake Cyclo 12cm Red Pattern fans located on the front panel of the “Skvorechnik 001” case were used as additional sensors. However, they have a price that is twice as high as similar fans (only without). backlight) but the benefits from them more than cover the unnecessary costs.
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System element |
Temperature, °C |
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3R System - Neon Light PRE |
"Birdhouse 001" |
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Analyzing the results, we can safely say that the modernization was not in vain. The processor temperature decreased by two degrees in idle mode, and by five degrees in stress testing mode. Video adapters are finally approaching a “sane” temperature range, which immediately affects the operation of their cooling systems. In games or other 3D loads, the turbines no longer worked at 100%, but were limited to a range of 40-70%, which was very pleasing to the ear.
The decrease in processor temperature made me think seriously about overclocking it, since there is potential for this. Using the already outlined settings, several attempts were made to pass stress testing at different frequencies. As a result, after comparing the frequency/heating ratio, it was decided to operate the system at the following frequencies:
The FSB bus operated at a reference frequency of 376 MHz, which, together with the x8.5 multiplier, made it possible for the processor to operate at a final clock frequency of 3200 MHz. At the same time, it was necessary to increase the supply voltage from 1.075 V to 1.15 V. All other supply voltages remained the minimum that could be set in the BIOS. As a result, the temperature of the main elements took the following values.
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System element |
Temperature, °C |
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3R System - Neon Light PRE |
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Since the system is positioned as a productive computer for games, it should be shown what kind of performance this system shows directly in games. And at the same time, what kind of gain did the system get from increasing the processor clock frequency by 364 MHz.
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Benchmark |
Settings |
3R System - Neon Light PRE |
Birdhouse 001 Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550@3200 |
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Average FSP / result |
Average FSP / result |
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Standard |
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. ClearSky Benchmark |
Maximum Improved Dynamic Lighting 1600 x 1200 |
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sun rays |
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Crysis Warhead FBWH BenchTool |
1600 x 1200 AA-x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 |
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RESIDENT EVIL 5 Benchmark Version |
1600 x 1200 AA-x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 |
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X3 Terran Conflict Rolling Demo |
1600 x 1200 AA-x0 AF –x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 AF –x16 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x0 AF –x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 AF –x16 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x0 AF –x0 |
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1600 x 1200 AA-x8 AF –x16 |
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The average performance increase in test programs and games was approximately 5%, which is not as much as we would like. Most likely, the weaker point in the system is the unoverclocked video cards, and the situation will change little if the processor clock frequency is further increased. Of course, it is possible to overclock video cards; moreover, there have been attempts to take this action:
However, to ensure an acceptable temperature regime, it took half an hour to cool the temperature in the room to 17 ° C using an air conditioner and continuously maintain it during testing. It makes no sense to talk about such exploitation on an ongoing basis.
Bottom line
Modding is a great way to improve the technical characteristics of a computer. Depending on its direction, you can achieve a more comfortable acoustic mode of operation of the system unit or make its contents work faster, or perhaps both at once. Using the example of the case described in this article, it is clearly seen that there is nothing complicated in this process, and even in terms of capital investment, such global work in total did not exceed 500 UAH. If we limit ourselves to simple fans, and not animated ones, then the final investment will be only about 350 UAH. In any case, both amounts are significantly less than the price of specialized Middle Tower and, especially, Full Tower cases.
And of course, modding is a great way to create something of your own, personal and unique, creative and high-tech, reflecting the “true face of the creator and owner.” After all, it’s so nice to present your creation to the public during some celebration, which will always be appreciated by knowledgeable people, or post photos of it on the Internet, where it will always be appreciated.
Positive consequences of creating the Birdhouse 001 building:
- unusual stylish appearance that matches the interior of the room and furniture;
- high cooling productivity with small dimensions;
- significantly reduced noise level compared to the original housing;
- the ability to increase the clock frequencies of components without the risk of overheating;
- eliminating annoying vibrations from drives and hard drives.
Negative features of the Birdhouse 001 case:
- skills in working with a soldering iron, drill, grinder, emery, file and other tools are required, as well as their availability on the farm;
- the complexity of the production process, requiring a lot of free time and patience;
- additional capital investments were required;
- inaccessibility of the contents of the case after assembly.
Afterword
Few readers wondered about the durability of modding solutions and their “health.” I would like to leave a note in the afterword that the “Skvorechnik 001” building, without any comments, exactly in the form in which it is presented in the article and with the same acceleration worked for almost eight months, starting from the date of its creation - February 2009, and ending the date of his “retirement” is October 2009. You will find out what was the reason for sending such a seemingly competent corps “to retirement” in the second part of the material. You will also learn about the hidden overclocking potential of the components of this system, and you will actually see the new case, which is listed under the code name “ Birdhouse 002WaterWorld" In the meantime, as an announcement of a future review, the following photo is attached:
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...actually it all started many years ago, around 78, when I was four years old... When visiting relatives, they took out a large iron box with tools, light bulbs, switches and similar “trash”, after which throughout the entire “visit” I was neither seen nor heard. By the way, the owner of that box, my uncle, is very straight arms...
Currently, I work as a carpentry foreman. I have been craving for everything that contains microcircuits for a long period of time, but from the moment I purchased my first computer, the thoughts of “doing something with it” systematically appeared in my head. Then I found out what it was modding... And from that moment there is not a day without thinking about it... By the way, this is my first job...
That's probably enough introduction, let's get straight to the point. Every mod I make starts with a lot of thinking about what I want to do. As a rule, I don’t make drawings (but in vain :)), many thoughts come while doing the work. Unfortunately, at the time the mod started, I didn’t think that I would show my work somewhere (on the Internet), so there aren’t very many photos... Well, let’s begin...
Of course, it all started with a search for a system unit case; a damaged case of unknown origin was purchased, which served as the basis for the system unit. The idea was to make a wooden case and, moreover, it would not be embarrassing to show to friends, but since this is my first work, I decided to focus on the classic layout. The hardware was bought all new, here is a list of what was used
CPU Core 2 Duo E8400, 3000 MHz (9 x 333)
System board Asus Maximus Formula
Memory OCZ XTC SLI OCZ2N800SR2G * 2 pcs
Video ATI Radeon HD 3870 (RV670)
Sound adapter Analog Devices AD1988B @ Intel 82801IB ICH9
Sound adapter C-Media CMI8738/C3DX Audio Device
Disk drive ST3500320AS ATA Device (500 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA-II) * 2 pcs
Optical drive TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-S202H ATA Device
power unit CHIEFTEC CFT-500-A12S
CPU cooler Noctua NH1-U12P
Fans Thermal Take Cyclo Blue Pattern A2450 * 2pcs
I don't count the numerous LEDs, neon lights, wires, etc. The tools used were those that are available in any carpentry workshop... Unfortunately, I don’t have a Dremel... For now...
Actually, I started with re-gluing the front panel, base and cover of the system unit. The most important thing in carpentry is not to forget the golden rule. measure seven times, then measure again and only then cut, so we’ll cut off all the excess later.
Here is a photo of the future front panel:
I'll make a little clarification. For the top cover and front panel, I re-glued oak panels and drove them to a thickness of about 17-22 mm, then glued the slats along the edges. I made markings on the front panel, placing them against the iron frame of the system unit, after which a hole was made for the 120th fan using a ballet dancer and a hand jigsaw. Next we make the side walls from plywood.
The following photos show how the side wall will open. Plus - when removing the wall, good access to all internal components of the system unit opens, minus - In order to open it completely, you need to move the case away from the wall... Fortunately, you don’t have to open it often...
When the blanks are ready, the fitting of all the parts of the future body to each other begins. And also finishing all sorts of little things...
Subsequently, you should receive a practically assembled body, ready for further processing (grinding, painting)
After some time (there was a lot of work) I began adjusting the body frame. The thing is that the fans didn't fit in, so I had to cut it a little. Well, since I don’t have a Dremel, we use a grinder (don’t forget about Safety precautions)
And cutting off everything that bothered us
Let's start preparing the frame for painting. Due to limited funds, it was decided to limit ourselves to sanding and painting itself...
While the first layer of paint on the side wall is drying, cut out the window (jigsaw, hands) and place the pre-cut glass for gluing
Of course, the painting process takes a lot of time, the intermediate layers need to be sanded (500-600 sandpaper), painted again, etc. etc. As a result, we get a frame ready for assembly.
But not all body parts are ready for assembly, so we are painting the “wooden component”
For unknown reasons, the painting process itself was not photographed, but I can say that everything was painted with DUFA paint. It was opened 4 times with sanding between layers (grit sandpaper 600-800), then it was opened with varnish 2 times... let's start assembling... Photo For some reason they also weren’t done, I can only note that the assembly took place over 2 months (the motherboard was missing, I was waiting for it to be delivered) While I was in “standby mode” I started working on the power supply.
I inserted blue LEDs, cut out a side window, connected a 7-volt fan... In general, standard procedures aimed at “improving the appearance and performance properties” of this device. The fans in the case are also connected to 7 volts (front) and 5 volts (rear). The USB compartment cover is illuminated, and the computer's power button is also located here.
This made it possible not to place the power button directly on the front panel. The DVD-ROM tray is also illuminated and instead of the opening button there is a reed switch (located right behind the stickers that were later removed :))
And finally, the final photos
I’m currently hatching plans in my head to build a case based on the Core i7. And, of course, I hope this is not my last article, I’ve also made a test power supply and a mouse (more like testing the veneer technology).
Did: Mikhail Kopylov
The idea of creating a homemade case appeared in my head suddenly, as a result of the torment of servicing computer components and the liquid cooling system (LCS), located at that time, and this happened in August 2008, in an ordinary Chinese budget case.
Despite its obvious budget, the case with honor and dignity withstood the change of three platforms, the transition to LSS, as well as the installation of a GTX285-class video card with minor surgical interventions. During these events, requirements for the corps immediately began to emerge:
- Form factor – ATX Midi-Tower;
- 3 bays 5.25” + 1 bay 3.5” without front doors
- Multi-purpose orientation - both for lovers of life-support systems and for supporters of air cooling systems;
- Lower section for power supply (PSU) and additional equipment;
- Top section for main computer components and baskets;
- At least one internal cage for four 3.5” drives;
- Transverse arrangement of the internal cage of HDD drives with vibration isolation of the latter from the case;
- Quick release motherboard mounting plate;
- Possibility of installing “top” video cards with a length of 270-290 mm;
- Possibility of placing LSS radiators and/or other equipment.
Before any “reinvention of the wheel”, a review of “available” (in the Russian outback) cases for “enthusiasts” was carried out, with the requirements listed above. During the review, two interesting cases were highlighted from the bulk: Antec Performance One P190 and 3Q T-001.
Antec Performance One P190 (General description, Assembly and testing). This case was interesting primarily for its quality of manufacturing and external finishing, as well as the ability to install two (!) power supplies. But its negative aspects for me also had their say - the presence of a door, both declared power supplies were included in the delivery kit, and the total cost did not arouse enthusiasm - about $700 and excluding delivery.
3Q T-001 (Review). This case seemed interesting to me from the point of view of complete assembly and disassembly, apparently due to a difficult childhood and a lack of iron toys. I didn’t play enough with the designer then, so I was drawn to it, but the real absence of this unit in retail trade put an end to this path to solving the problem.
Next, cases from Lian-Li, Ikonik and Silverstone were studied, but nothing directly suitable was found. Each company has interesting finds, but they were immediately accompanied by their own shortcomings, which excluded this solution option.
I didn’t want to make compromises; the very idea of combining such diverse, universal techniques seemed very tempting to me - support for two power supplies, the ability to completely assemble and disassemble into one whole. At the same time, it was necessary to meet the production budget of up to 13,000 rubles per body (subject to single production). The design of the body began with such an intricate “technical specification”. A search was made for like-minded people in close circles, as a result of which one friend agreed to participate - to share all the hardships, hardships and hardships associated with the design and manufacturing process. But there was one condition - the second copy of the case had to fit into the niche of his computer desk.
Frame development and material selection
The main design idea was to create an all-aluminum frame housing with removable side covers and facing panels. This condition was put forward in the name of achieving reasonable weight-strength-dimensional characteristics with an estimated weight of 8-9 kg. For this purpose, in the first version, it was planned to make the frame from an aluminum corner 2 mm thick, AMg2/AMg5 alloy. 
As can be seen from the figure, the frame would consist of two welded frames connected by “bent” jumpers, but during the research this idea had to be abandoned due to the difficulties arising in the process of welding the left and right frames, and the accuracy of domestic rolled products leaves much to be desired very, very best. In addition, in order to stay within the budget, in the process of searching for a manufacturer, we had to abandon “official manufacturing” and look for workarounds and solutions to specific workers. This path brought its own characteristics to the process - it became difficult to find aluminum welders in production without a throughput system. Naturally, we had to immediately forget about any conductors and the accuracy of the manufactured frames. In addition, frames made from angle iron would have to be milled, which would also cause extra costs. Therefore, the way out of this situation was to choose a solution: to make frames from corners obtained by bending sheet metal. This would eliminate milling, simplify welding, and, as a result, reduce the cost of producing a prototype. This version of the frame is shown in the figure below: 
It seems that a solution with a frame has been found, but another problem arises. It was planned to make all the parts from rolled aluminum sheets with a thickness of 1mm and 2mm, but this option quickly disappeared. An analysis of the procurement process showed that the purchase of at least two sheets with dimensions 2x1500x3000 and 1x1500x3000 would cost a considerable amount, and this is taking into account that more than half of the unused material would remain. The budget limits are not rubber and the idea of an all-aluminum body had to be abandoned in favor of making from aluminum only the power units that carry the main load - the frame, jumpers, mounting plate, power profiles. All because of the same savings, Dibond composite panels had to be used as side and facing panels. It was decided to make the remaining parts from ferrous metals, which resulted in the weight of the entire body. The estimated weight was close to 12.5 - 13 kg.
Basket development
At the same time, it was necessary to develop two baskets:
- “Large” for 3x5.25” + 1x3.5” devices;
- “Small” for HDD.
There were also a lot of pitfalls in this place. For example, when developing a “small” basket, it was necessary to take into account three mutually exclusive factors - vibration isolation, quick removal of drives and manufacturability of the product. The “big” basket has undergone only two changes:
- the first version was developed as a screwless quick-release design, but this option was rejected after trial production and a short service life;
- the second version is simpler in terms of manufacturing with screw fastening of devices.
About 50% of the design time was spent on developing the baskets alone. Final basket options: 
Development of side and facing panels
There were problems not only with the disk baskets, but also with the side panels. Particular difficulties were caused by the mechanism of attachment to the body. The main restrictions were caused by the need to fit the body being developed into the niche of a companion in misfortune, therefore, strict dimensional restrictions were imposed both on the overall overall dimensions and on the free movements of the side covers in this niche. The following cover design was initially proposed 
If the structure is located in a table niche, then removing the lid from the side is impossible; its removal must be reduced to three movements - first along the body, then to the side, and then along again. Anterior fixation was planned with thumbscrews. However, later, upon reasonable reflection, it occurred to us that the bending accuracy would certainly become poor, so we had to abandon this option. In addition, this option of fixing the walls led to joints with clearly visible gaps between the lid and the front panel. Again, budgetary constraints required simplifying the complexity of the design of the units. 
Fans and dust filters
Scythe Kaze Maru SY1425SL12L were chosen as purging case fans. For approximately the same fans, sizes 120x120 - 140x140, dust filters of a universal design were designed. 
Buttons and indications
The choice of buttons turned out to be meager - radio parts stores mainly sell industrial buttons, but I wanted to supply compact, low-noise buttons, preferably with built-in backlighting.
After a lengthy search, we were able to find the following positions:
- The PBS28B button is selected for the role of the “Power” button;
- the SWT-6 button is selected for the role of the “Reset” button;
- “Power” LED – GNL-5033PGC (green);
- “HDD” LED – GNL-5033URC (red);
The connection of buttons and LEDs to the motherboard is realized via an 8-wire cable with three BLS-2 connectors and one BLS-3 (for the “Power” LED).
A student with no experience in woodworking or computers made a computer case with his own hands. The tools he needed were: a hammer and a wood chisel, a jigsaw and a drill, and computer components. What came out of this, see step-by-step instructions in photographs.
You can make the same computer case yourself, here's what it looks like:
To start making the case you will need a wooden frame measuring 420mm x 420mm.
Next you need to remove the edge for the side panels using a chisel and hammer. The recess should be 5 mm by 15 mm.
Installing fans in the case. To prevent the fans from having friction, which will create sound during operation, you need to cut down a fraction of the wood over and over again until the coolers fit tightly. The same method was used for the coolers on the bottom of the case.
Installation of controllers. The compartments were cut with a jigsaw and the slots were smoothed with sandpaper. RGB LED controllers were installed in the case.
Aluminum sheets will be needed for the inner and outer walls of the housing.
The next step is to install the power supply into the case. To do this, you need to cut a hole to attach the power supply to the back of the case.
Now you will need black plexiglass measuring 390x390x5mm, in which you need to trim the edges to match the oval depressions on the wooden body.
Then the inner wall inside the housing is attached. For this, metal corners, screws and washers were used.
Installing the ON/OFF button into the housing. A hole is drilled in the aluminum wall, and the edges are filed with a file, adjusting it to the correct size.
Installing an I/O panel that is held in the chassis opening only by a tight fit.
This is how wooden legs for the case are made; on such legs the computer will stand stable.
The case is almost ready, all that remains is to try to install the computer components correctly with your own hands, so that your creative wooden computer not only pleases you with its beauty, but also works :)
All cables are hidden in the space between the walls of the case.
For a more impressive look on a wooden case, you can install LEDs under the glass.
Here is the final result - this is what a wooden computer case made with your own hands at home looks like.
The home computer, despite the fact that they are constantly trying to force it out of the shelves, still holds its position and is still used both at home and in the office. Moreover, some professions necessarily allow only a desktop computer without any compromises, such as a laptop, tablet, ultrabook and others.
Computer installation is another important aspect. And if at home it’s not scary even to have it on the desktop, then in the office every detail is important, including placement. And if this is the main server, then it should generally be given a special place.
Thus, with the introduction of new technologies, a wide variety of plexiglass products have become widely used. Boxes for system units were not spared. So, how to protect and from what the plexiglass box protects the computer’s brain, and most importantly, whether you can make it yourself, look below.
Practicality
In this case, the use of the computer should be thoughtful. In an apartment, for example, the cooler can often suffer. In other words, this is a fan that cools the main “engine” of the machine. Due to constant operation, a lot of dust from the air can get into this cooler. Naturally, by enclosing the case in a special box, and even correctly calculating the cooling holes, you can really improve the condition of the machine. Moreover, glass can repel dust. This quality is simply irreplaceable in the case of a home computer.
Also, the plexiglass body can be easily wiped. Taking into account the fact that the material does not allow moisture to pass through, you can be absolutely calm about your computer.
Aesthetics
There was a time, it was even fashionable, to enclose the processor in a transparent box, which revealed all the contents that were difficult for many to understand. This had its own aesthetics and its own romance. Moreover, sometimes there was a special neon or multi-colored lighting that illuminated the glass. The end result was very beautiful, taking into account the presence of elements of the most varied shapes and sizes inside the box.
Nowadays a wide variety of organic glass is used. It can be multi-colored glossy or matte material. It looks great and stylish, adds severity, a little brightness and texture to the form. This, by the way, is sometimes also important, especially if the work involves “cooperation” between a machine and a person.
Independent work
So, you can make a box for the processor yourself. Moreover, the main thing is to calculate, cut and cut. Gluing plexiglass is not difficult; for this there is a special polymer glue that holds it together perfectly and is absolutely transparent. In addition, it perfectly seals seams for better performance. However, it is also possible to use certain fittings. It is worth looking at photos of product examples, as well as master classes where you will see every step.
And we will start with the simplest thing - cutting. To do this, you need to measure the processor first in the old case, and then without it, or rather without one wall. You need to be prepared for the fact that most of the parts will need to be transferred to one of the plates. Therefore, if you are unsure of your abilities, it is better not to do this, but to buy one and ask a specialist to help with the installation. The cutting is done to size, adding a little - 1.5-2 cm on each side. Thanks to this approach, you can not make a mistake with the size, and if the box is slightly larger, it’s okay. You can put an LED strip inside and then the body will be gracefully illuminated.
The material, I must say, can be cut perfectly with a hacksaw; you can use a grinder with a special attachment. Then it will be easier to perform manipulations. In order to see the cutting line, it is best to use a black non-permanent marker. It will perfectly highlight the desired line, and it will be easy to erase it later.
Another important point will be the elaboration of the fastening. It must be of the highest quality. This requires fittings or glue, as mentioned above. For example, special small screws. In principle, plexiglass is a fairly pliable material; it does not crack or burst when working with it. And, nevertheless, if the work is to be done for the first time, it is better to use a small piece to check. If, when screwing in the screw, the glass does not crack, you can safely use it in the future. In general, in most cases, organic glass does not crack when screwing in self-tapping screws, if the correct level of pressure is maintained.
So, in conclusion, we can add that such an operation is an excellent tuning for a computer, and besides, it can become an additional positive experience of working with material that belongs to the future.