PC Mod Projects: Cool It! Light It! Morph It!

by Edward Chen (Conducted by)

Overview

This guide includes four complete step-by-step projects. The projects cover water-cooling, lighting, morphing the case into an unusual shape, and adding an LED screen to the case so you can control the temperature of the case, get weather updates, and even get one-touch online access.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780072230116
Publisher:	McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media
Publication date:	08/13/2003
Series:	Hardware Series
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	7.98(w) x 10.04(h) x 0.69(d)

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	xiii
	Introduction	xv
Project 1	Installing a Water-Cooling System
Chapter 1	Planning the Mod	3
	Overcoming the Obstacles	4
	Case Design	4
	Using Water Cooling	6
Chapter 2	Prepping the Case	11
	Configuring the Can	12
	Case Cutting Tools	14
	Cutting the Opening for the Motherboard Tray	15
	Cutting the Window Hole	18
	Fixing a Bad Cut	22
	Installing the Rest of the Components	23
	DVD Player Installation	24
	DVD Player Installation: Phase Two	25
	Water Pump Installation	28
	Hard Drive Installation	31
	Cutting Holes for the Water Pipes	33
	Wrapping Up the Details	34
	Cleanup Time	34
Chapter 3	Building the Water Window	37
	Inspecting the Parts	38
	Building the Window Reservoir	38
	Cutting the Rear Wall of the Reservoir	39
	Prepping the Water Window Air Line	40
	Epoxying the Window Together	44
	Curing the Window	47
	Testing the Window: The Water Test	48
Chapter 4	Installing the Water-Cooling System	51
	Getting Started	52
	Preparing the Motherboard	52
	Installing the Waterblocks	54
	Testing the Water-Cooling System	58
	Finishing the Installation	60
Chapter 5	Completing the Mod	65
	Edge Molding	65
	Modding the DVD Switch	66
	Mounting the Top Fan	69
	Modding the Power Supply	70
	Adding Some Extra Cabling	71
	Building a Stand for the Case	72
Project 2	Adding Lights
Chapter 6	Planning the Mod	79
	The Early Days of Modding	79
	Overview of Lights and Fans	80
	Windows	81
	Lighted Fans	81
	Controls	83
	Paint	84
	The Importance of Planning Ahead	84
	Ordering and Checking Parts	85
Chapter 7	Preparing the Case	89
	Cutting the Case	90
	Fan Cuts	90
	Window Cuts	91
	Painting	97
	Casters	99
	Film	100
Chapter 8	Installing Lights and Lighted Fans	103
	Installing the Floor Fan and Lights	103
	Front and Rear Fans and Lights	106
	The Case Top	107
	Behind the Motherboard Tray	108
	The Wide World of Fans	113
	Fiber Optic Fans	113
	Cold Cathode Fans	114
	Modifying the Fan Duct	114
Chapter 9	Installing the Controls and Routing the Wires	117
	Introduction to Controls	117
	Installation of the Controls	118
	Connecting the Exhaust Fan	119
	Connecting the Intake Fans	120
	Connecting the Rheobuses	121
Chapter 10	Finishing Touches	127
	Organizing the Wires	127
	Dressing Wires that Cannot Be Hidden	130
	Powering the Lighting System	133
	Fitting On Your Doors	134
	Controlling the Fans	135
Project 3	Morphing the Case
Chapter 11	Planning Your Mod	139
	Choosing the Right Parts	139
	Modification Overview	143
	Acquiring Your Parts	146
Chapter 12	Cutting the Acrylic	149
	Prepping the Work Area	150
	Marking and Deciding How to Cut Your Acrylic	151
	Cutting Your Acrylic	156
Chapter 13	Piecing It Together	163
	Accessibility of Internal Components	163
	Cutting the Exhaust Fan Hole	168
	Gluing the Case Together	171
Chapter 14	Adding Components and Accessories	177
	Installing your Components	178
	Lighting	184
Chapter 15	Finishing Touches	191
	Changing the Color	192
	Creating an Etching	196
	Is That It?	199
Project 4	Epiphany in Blue
Chapter 16	Planning the Mod	203
	Planning the Mod	203
	Parts	204
	Tools	205
	Accessories	206
	Practice Makes Perfect	208
	Where to Mod	208
	The Finished Article	209
Chapter 17	Power Tool Frenzy	211
	The Case	212
	Removing the Fan Grill	214
	Cutting the Side Panel and Inserting the Window	215
	Cutting the Top Panel and Inserting the Window	219
	Cutting the CD Drive and Inserting the Window	221
	CD Drive Stealth Mod	227
Chapter 18	Let There Be Light	231
	Lighting Options	232
	Neon and Cold Cathode Lighting	232
	LEDs	233
	Other Lighting	233
	More Lighting Options	234
	Changing the Case Fans	235
	Case Lighting	236
	Inserting an LED into the CD Drive	241
	Construction Time	244
Chapter 19	Internal TFT Screen	249
	Choosing a TFT Screen	250
	Replacing the Cigarette Lighter Adapter	252
	Dismantling the Screen	253
	Mounting the Screen	254
Chapter 20	External LCD Screen	259
	Choosing an LCD Screen	260
	Powering the External LCD Screen	261
	Making the LCD Stand	263
	Designing the Keypad	266
	Finishing Up	269
	Index	273

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Goodbye, beige box. And good riddance! Haul out your electric jigsaw and your copy of PC Mod Projects, and let’s get to work.

If all you ever wanted to do was to add some chintzy LED to your box, yeah, you’ll learn how to do that here. But modding’s come a long way in the last few years. And this book will take you right to the, umm, cutting edge.

Take, for example, Project #1, in which you’ll build a PC into an old World War II gas can. Those babies were designed to be completely leakproof. Not exactly the ventilation your Athlon or P4 expects. But if you punch fan-holes all over it, you’re gonna wind up with something that looks, well, like a PC. The solution: water cooling. Quieter. More efficient. And a far better conversation starter (depending, of course, on whom you’re talking to).

Or why not build your case from the ground up, with a few itsy-bitsy pieces of acrylic (you’ll wind up with one of the smallest PCs you’ve ever seen). Or maybe you’d like to build a TFT screen right into the side of the case. (Now you don’t need a monitor. Or hook one up, and use it to play movies while you’re writing that term paper.)

As you’d hope, this book is immensely detail-oriented. Tools. Glue. Shims. Dressing your wires. Testing against leaks. Measuring twice, cutting once. Heck, you want to wind up with a PC, not a doorstop. Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.

bn.com

With all the graphics and glitz of contemporary computer games, the humble box that powers everything lingers beige and overlooked-but no more! These two books on "modding" (i.e., modifying) describe various ways to add both pizzazz and power to PCs, from tricking out cases to ramping up the speed and power of internal components. Build Your Own addresses gamers assembling their own PCs, including customizing cases and other components. While somewhat basic for its intended audience, it walks readers step by step through choosing equipment, then building and modding their PC, from adding windows and lights to overclocking the processor. Notes, tips, figures, and asides provide added information and cover common pitfalls; a color insert shows examples. Projects has a similar approach and style but includes step-by-step descriptions-including lists of tools and supplies-of four major modding projects: installing a water-cooling system, adding lights, building a case from scratch, and adding an extra LCD screen to the case. A color insert illustrates additional mods. Each title is appropriate for public libraries serving large populations of teens and gaming enthusiasts. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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