Steve’s Tech Guide

For information about the origin and what exactly case modding is please refer to our previous post, Case Modding For Dummies.

Case modding as seen on the internet can seem like an impossible task. These people put in hour after hour into their mods to make something so incredibly unique and amazing that it spreads virally over the internet. It’s practically their life’s work crammed into 40 hours of work. Some people compete in case modding events, and even get sponsoring for their case mods, because they are so skilled.

DIY Case Mods

There are many different cases mods that one can easily do at home if they just know where to start. They don’t have to be extremely elaborate, or expensive for you to be able design an effective case mod.

Lights- A simple yet effective case mod can be done by changing, or adding lighting inside the case, and even on the outside. There are two main different kinds of lights: cathode lights, and LEDs . They connect to your computer via the molex connectors, some might use the fan connectors on your motherboard, but I doubt it. They come in a variety of colors, and kinds. Cathode lights usually come in dual packs so you can put two on both sides. LEDs can come in packs of 1-5, because LEDs are just one small light source while cathode lights are glowing tubes of light. Both of these lights are very cheap and can be found online from $3-$10, depending on how much lighting you actually want.

Fans- Another simple, yet effective case mod. Fans are major components of cases, due to the function they perform, and the aesthetics they provide when modded correctly. Fans can come with LEDs or without LEDs, and in a different sizes from 30mm diameter up to 220mm. The most typical fans sizes are 60mm, 80mm, 92mm, and 120mm. Most cases include these fan sizes into their designs. Fan speed, air flow, and noise level vary between different models as well. The colors of the blades can be different as well as the LEDs, there are even rainbow LED fans available. They primarily connect to your motheroard through molex connectors and the fan connectors on the motherboard. Adding new fans to your case mod can improve cooling as well, becuase you’re probably going to buy a better performing fan the previously existing one was.

Heatsinks- Heatsinks are fans as well, but deserve their own section, because they include the CPU and graphics card fans. Most people mod these for enhanced cooling performance. Changing out a heatsink requires some concentration and thermal paste. Be sure to read the instructions before going through this process, if you don’t pay attention it could vary well mean the end of your computer’s processor. Some heatsinks have really cool looking designs while others are more basic. Also some heatsinks come with LEDs attached to them giving off the same effect as an LED fan, but people are usually less worried about lights on their CPU than they are about light ons their case.

Fan Grills- Some people change out their fan grills, or add in new ones to protect the fan from the outside. These are easy to modify if you have a pre-existing fan grill in the side or top of your computer. Just unscrew them, pop the new one on and your finished. Fan grills come in the different sizes that computer fans come in, and they only cost just a few dollars.

Fan Filters- Fan filters are good for keeping the good air in the and bad air out. They help keep your computer clean by filtering out all the dust and bad things that may get sucked up into your computer. Filters are also good to use if you don’t have a fan grill for your fan yet, because it can help from people sticking their fingers in there or dogs getting their noses caught on the fans.

Windows- Case modders love being able to see inside their computer at all times, not only do plastic windows inside your computer look really cool, with the right lighting and effects it can turn your computer in a lean, mean, glowing machine. Most people install windows to compliment their new fans, because without the window you won’t be able to see very much of your fans, will you? Adding in a plastic window takes a little bit more work than the other previously listed case mods, but it is well worth it. Some people even put windows in their hard drives. This can add a really cool look to your hard drive, but can be detrimental to the health of your drive so I don’t recommend trying it yourself. Lots of hard drive manufacturers have recently began adding windows to their drives to keep up with case mod demand.

Blow-Hole- A simple case mod usually involves adding a blow-hole to the top of the case, or modding the side of the case to include a fan ventilation hole. The hardest part of this is cutting out the hole and making sure your fan screws line up, which in reality isn’t that hard if you have a bit of common sense and a ruler.

Case Mod Guidelines

These are a few guidelines you should take note of when either modding your case, or building one from scratch.

• Size- Make sure you have enough space/room for the mod you’re going to do, and if you’re building a case, make sure there is enough room for the motherboard including all expansion cards.
• Flammability- If you’re using flammable materials, make sure you take extra precautions, you don’t want your computer catching on fire do you?
• Inside Space- Make sure you have enough space inside for good airflow, and that nothing interferes with your fans, or else that could result in a really bad situation.
• Expansion Cards- When building your own case mod be sure you take into account expansion cards and the motherboard plate that contains all the ports, if you don’t you’ll have to go back and cut out holes and make appropriate arrangements which could make or break your case mod.
• Leave The Computer Off And Unplugged- This might be a given for some of you, but if you’re modding your case make sure your computer is off and unplugged, no need to break your computer, because you forgot to shut it off, or you got your finger caught in spinning fan, and then your processor overheated, which ignited a fuse in power supply, and then causes it to explode completely decimating your computer.