Sprocket's New Home

[Super Dude]

kaiweiler, or anyone else, could you guys post a link to the OCforums.com thread about the BIOS? I can't seem to find it there...

[kaiweiler]

HERE YOU GO B)
Scroll down a bit and you'll see it

[Super Dude]

Originally posted by kaiweiler@15 June 2004 - 03:23
HERE YOU GO  B)
Scroll down a bit and you'll see it

K,

Thanks alot for the link.

Clocker,

Good luck with your *Grandiose Plan*.

I hope, by the time you're done experimenting and beautifying Sprocket, she'll turn out to be like this:



Miss Computer 2004.

[clocker]

Originally posted by Super Dude@14 June 2004 - 23:06


Clocker,

Good luck with your *Grandiose Plan*.

I hope, by the time you're done experimenting and beautifying Sprocket, she'll turn out to be like this:



Miss Computer 2004.

Hmmm...Sprocket is moderately jealous.
ATM, she is stripped to the bare essentials while I experiment on some cooling configs.
Without makeup and the sexy bikini she cannot compete with Ms. Australia PC.

Just wait though.

She is one determined bitch.

[clocker]

As promised....
The new Sprocket.
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/G6full.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
Here she is in all her fully dressed splendor.
I really tried to avoid making the case look like it had been modded, but some additions were unavoidable.
The hole in the sidepanel is for a 120mm fan (visible later).
The upper bays house two optical drives with black alloy CoolerMaster faceplates and a fanbus ( soon to be replaced with a custom panel).
In the floppy bay opening is a LED temp readout (cobbled from a HDD cooler, it cycles between two sensors- currently reading case ambient and radiator exhaust) and right next to it is my "Clear CMOS" button.
Centered below is the volt guage from a Volkswagon GT-I, it reads from the +12v line on the PSU.
At the bottom ( below the Gateway logo), are the USB ports that I added and in the base is the floppy drive (which I was forced to install so I could load SATA drivers and now think is pretty cool down there).
I'm trying to work out a door to cover the USB ports but haven't come up with anything I like yet.
Movin on ( or in, actually...)
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/G6side.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
The full side view.
This shot gives a good impression of how tall this case is (23").
Above the motherboard, where the radiator now sits, is the original location of the PSU.
In it's stock form this case had a caddy above the PSU which would house three more HDDs.
I removed this bay ( it was screwed in, very nice) and relocated the PSU to the top of the case.
Trimming out the now vacant PSU opening allowed me to mount two 92mm exhaust fans on the back wall which pull air through the radiator ( and from the case in general).
The crossbrace which holds the side 120mm fan ( intake) used to be higher up, I drilled out the rivets and drilled/tapped it for 6-32 screws and moved it down the case.
Originally this was to accomodate the SilentTower HS I was trying, now it positions the fan to blow over the passively cooled video card and provide outside air for the fans on the north/southbridge.
The grey plastic box in the lower right corner holds the modified water pump and serves to muffle the pump noise ( it works&#33 and also to contain any possible pump leaks. This box is an electrical junction box from Home Depot.
Two semi-closeups...
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/pump.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/rad.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
Again, I must apologise for my lack of photography skills, hopefully you can glean any detail info you like from these shots.

I love this case.
The steel is probably 25% thicker than more modern cases and the ABS front bezel is correspondingly sturdy.
Fit and finish is superb and the design is growing on me daily.
Airflow is very good, the design of the front bezel is far more condusive to air intake than most modern "performance" cases. The center section that the volt guage is mounted on stands proud of the rest of the bezel by about 1/2", kind of like that weird obelisk on the front of the WaveMaster case, ( not easily visible in my bad photos) and is completely unobstructed behind, so intake is excellent.

Admittedly, these are idle temps, but they do show that this case and configuration works pretty damn well.
The absence of exterior holes makes Sprocket very quiet ( no, NOT silent, but very tolerable).

Attention-whore that she is Sprocket craves all comments/criticisms, so have at her.

[tesco]

What? No cow spots?


Looks good, case is a lot better than I expected, and those temps are amazing too. Wires are kinda messy But i guess it's just becuase of the watercooling pipes that it LOOKS messy.

You might wanna get rid of that gateway label on the front, it's one of the first things I would do

[Virtualbody1234]

Interesting. Is that a floppy drive on the base at the bottom?

Edit: Sorry. I just reread the text and see that it is in fact the floppy drive.

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[img]http://img26.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/G6full.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>

[clocker]

Ross, in person the wiring/tubing is much neater than the pictures suggest.
Neat cabling is a particular fetish of mine, but comprimises have to be made to ease assembly/removal of components without completely stripping down the case.
It's a work in progress...every time she's disassembled I discover a slightly better method, which is why even the simplest alteration seems to take a minimum of three or four hours.

I kinda ( well, at least to this point anyway) like the Gateway logos.
They are not simple stickers anyway, rather raised/embossed in the plastic with painted faces.
It would require some major surgery to remove them without leaving evidence.

Edit:
Yes VB, it is.
My favorite mod of the whole project so far.

[Virtualbody1234]

It would require some major surgery to remove them without leaving evidence.

Looks like a perfect opportunity for you to add your own "custom made" logo.

[clocker]

Certainly a possibility...I'll add it to the list.
Currently I am embroiled in some other construction upgrades, the case aesthetics are not terribly pressing ATM.