[Case Gallery] Previously new toys on somewhat new case!

[otero51]

To view this case mod, go here.



Specs:
Antec 900 (air cooled) » Sirverstone OP750 PSU, 52Amp single rail » Core2quad (kentsfield) OCed 2.93GHz » Scythe Infinity (3fans) » BadAxe2 motherboard » Patriot Extreme 2GB 800Mhz 4-4-4-12 @ 2.1V » ATI x1950XT 256MB » Maxtor 500GB 7200rpm » SoundBlaster Audigy 2 SZ » Pioneer DVD-burner

Mods:
Well I just got lucky to find a used Antec 900 on craigslist for 45 bucks with all 4 120mm fan slots populated. I drilled 2 holes near the drive bays, cut a thin rectangle near the bottom right corner of the MB. Also cut a hole below the last drive bay to send the unsused cables to the back of the case. Painted everything matte black with texture.
Wire-wrapped the power/reset/1394/USb cables that come off the top. Covered PSU's cables with black plastic tube so PSU didn't look like a hairy spider.
Dremeled about 1cm off side-panel fan's top corner so it would fit with my Scythe Infinity heatsink. Word of advice, if you want good cooling and don't care having problems with side-panel fans, get this heatsink. Otherwise, get something else; I had the same problem with my Dreamer II case.

I pretty much gutted my old case and put everything in the Antec. I gotta say though, these Antec people seem to forget that PSU's have cables...looong cables...or maybe they think all PSU's are modular now. This is the hardest case I've had to work on to get a decent cable management.

You can see my previous case at http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/1006.html

 

[Glendor]

Excellent Work

Antec 900 + Cable Managment = I feel your pain

Good work though! I too don't have a new fangled modular PSU, but I flipped it over and it turned out pretty neat. Take a look (and vote if you haven't already): http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/1027.html

Also, you should paint those slot covers. I did mine, and I think it looks much better than when I had them silver. I was considering painting them a contrasting color, like white, or gloss red, but it turned out good enough in black.

I'm about to take fresh pictures of my computer that showcases all the changes it's been through in the past two months. It's all in the details, but it made a big improvement in GPU temps, and cable management.

Glendor...

 

[d44ve]

Does the back panel of the case fit on with the wires running through the back like that?

 

[Glendor]

It's a tight fit, but it can be done without causing bulging, but you need to be careful to not overlap too many layers.

 

[otero51]

Thanks for the feedback Glendor,
I actually used your mod to base mine of (hehehe ). I went through all antec 900's mods but found that the way you made the holes made most sense (after hours of measuring). I did went with mate tectured black instead of glossy just to follow the outside scheme (plus you need good steady hands for glossy to have a good finish, which I lack).
You are right, painting the slot covers looks better. I didn't do that part yet cause wife needed the PC built asap. I was thinking on going with glossy yellow; have some type of pace car/racing motto, somewhat like the antec tpq-850 power supply.

I thought about inverting the PSU like many have done. But I'm a bit concern about dust building too fast inside the PSU. I think I'll have enough to clean with the amount of air this monster pushes through the system hehehe. If you can (and haven't closed the back panel yet, could you post pics to see how you put your cables?

In my case I pretty much had to split the cables in half. Half went to the back, as you see, and half were coiled below the bottom drive bay cover. Even with that it's pretty tight, and I mean preeetty tight on the back. Pretty much all cables must go by the side of the drive bays (like in the picture). The only ones that would barely fit behind the MB back panel were the SATA cables (other cables heads would be too wide to fit, at least that's what I found).

 

[otero51]

What type of paint do you guys normally use? I've noticed that spray paint, even made for metal, tends to scratch and flake pretty easily.

 

[intel igent]

What type of paint do you guys normally use? I've noticed that spray paint, even made for metal, tends to scratch and flake pretty easily.

its all in the prep, youve got to scuff/clean the surface to make shure it adheres properly.

nice job btw

 

[magical]

when i was a child i had a huge collection of various types of toy. i love them very much still now. when my mom said to sell all of them i denied clearly.

 

[Wile E]

This is the hardest case I've had to work on to get a decent cable management.

Trust me, a Stacker 830 isn't any better. I need a frickin dremel. lol

But seriously, nice and clean. Very, very good cable management for an Antec 900 with a non-modular psu. And as for the paint flaking, use a high quality enamel, and you may want to lightly sand it first, with about 800grit, then clean it thoroughly, then hit it with a good primer, then hit it with the paint. Should hold much better.

Overall, I like it. 7/10 from me.