Pc in a desk project

[feygan]

I've seen this a while ago and been throwing some designs around in my head to build on myself, partly for sound reasons, partly for space and asthetics. The one problem I can't solve is the case components.
By this I mean the motherboard, HDD mountings. I don't really want to canibalise my current case ones as I may use it for a second machine, but I also can't find anywhere online that sells case components.

Anyone out there know of a place I can buy some? I'm in the UK and wanting a UK based supplier.

Just a few pics to show an example.

[clocker]

Don't see any pics.

The only real specific part you need is a motherboard/backplane assembly.
Any case that uses a removable motherboard tray (many Lian-li and CoolerMasters do) would be a suitable donor.

You might try Coolercases UK for a start...

[tesco]

http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/.../CaseOpen1.jpg
http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/...seRightOut.jpg
Try clicking those clocker.

I think I seen this a long time ago, really doesn't look very hard to make.

The motherboard tray idea from clocker sounds good, and for optical drives if you don't want to cut the cage out of a case you can just make your own brackets out of some metal or wood to hold up the drives.
Harddrives can be secured however you want (I'd probably just make a metal plate/bracket to screw it onto and attach that tothe bottom of the desk case.

[clocker]

This is a project I participated in a few years ago.
Mounting of the HDDs and opticals was done with simple aluminum L-brackets and the I/O /backplane was stolen from a spare case.
The motherboard was mounted on common nylon hardware store spacers.

Rev.2 (which, as far as I know, was never built) was going to utilize a laser cut plexi backplane.
We were also planning a watercooled system-again, never implemented- to help lower the high temps of this prototype.

This proof-of-concept design worked surprisingly well although many of the niceties (mostly my ideas I confess) were not included.
Were I to build another strictly for myself many things would be different but the whole project was surprisingly easy to build and well worth the effort.

Good luck with yours.

[fkdup74]

Nice stuff.
I actually did something similar recently, with no modding at all.
Yep. No lie. It was on an old Celeron system.
I called it PC In A Trash Can.

[ApacNTS]

Nice stuff.
I actually did something similar recently, with no modding at all.
Yep. No lie. It was on an old Celeron system.
I called it PC In A Trash Can.

[suprafreak6]

nice one

[silent h3ro]

Cool project, I wish I was as talented as you. Also wish I had more money but I'm only 16 w/one job.

[feygan]

I've got no real hassle with the major cash side, as through abit of research it's become best for me to go with 18mm MDF. This is for both stability, cost effectivness, and sound proofing. But I've no metalwork skills at all, so sadly feel I may have to buy an old second hand ATX case and canibalise it.

[clocker]

Why bother?
Do it the easy way.