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Noobie Questions: Building a*Very*Custom Case

B

BukkY

Member
I am new to case modding, new to PCs even, being a long time mac user.
I want to build hot XP box for games and a few programs not available on
mac. Please help me build the case of my dreams for my *future* custom
PC. I'll post a picture of it here when I'm done.

I plan to find any old ATX case, rip the plastic sides off, and build my cust-
om case around the metal frame. I have a vision for the way the case will
look. It will be built entirely from thick metal and look really mean. I have
some metalworker friends who can help.

My custom case will take much time and money to make. This is why it
needs to be as upgradeable as possible and I also want to make it right the
first time.

I have most of the details planed out but what I need to know now is this.
((1)) If I put a mother board in my stripped down metal "frame", then build
the case so that it has the proper opening in the back for the PCI slots and
such. Now if I replace the mobo with an newer motherboard later will the
opening in the back still be right?

((2)) Also should I be picky about the case I start with (to use the metal
frame). Do most cases some with power supplies? Will every power supply
have the power plug in the same place? See I'm familiar with the parts and
most the terminology but have never built a machine being a mac dude
most my life.

Any other tips would be well appreciated. I gather people here are fans of
Asus mobo's and Athlon64s


Thanks,
-Bukk
 
PCI slots are typically in the same location compared to where the ports come off the mobo (to the back of the case).

If you want to do it right, get a case with a removable mobo tray, use that, and maybe some of the rest of the case.

Look up the BTX standard as well as ATX and make something that can easily go either way.

PSU's have the ports as part of the back. Generally cases just have a large open section for the PSU with just the holes positioned for mounting the PSU. That way, it doesn't matter if the PSU maker puts the plug in a different location on the back or not.

I'm always picky about the hardware I use in my pc's. I'm also a Mac user too (been on one since 1988) but I've also built many pc's from scratch.

I'm NO fan of asus but I do like AMD processors. I prefer MSI mobo's since they have a long warranty period and the attention they pay to details. Such as providing the SATA RAID (and storage) drivers on a floppy. You STILL need to have that floppy in order to install Windows.

Look at quality case makers to get ideas. I'd look at Coolermaster and Lian-Li to see what they're doing.
 
Thanks Akira34

When you talk of using the motherboard tray are you saying to take that out of the metal case? Would this be better than just keeping it in it's case and building around that? I will need the rest of the case to hold up the optical drives and such, right? Am I missing something?

Haven't heard of BTX, shall have to look that up. Would a tray type case let me switch to BTX later if needed?

Also is MiniATX a good option since I will only need a few PCI and maybe two exposed drive bays?
 
I have made some sort of fanatic-extremist commitment to using recycled, used ATX tower cases. I've found a few that were so old, they were "on the cusp" between AT and ATX form-factor, so that the I/O panel had to be nibbled or dremeled out to match the newer ATX mobo requirement. Very tedious business -- cutting the rectangle to fit those tin I/O panel-plates that come with ATX motherboards.

Even in those cases, all the PCI case slots lined up perfectly with the motherboard -- with the motherboard anchored on the stand-offs and ATX-compatible stand-off locations in the mobo-pan. That included the AGP slot, which lines up perfectly with the "PCI" slot-opening nearest the I/O plate.

You could probably find two discarded ATX cases, and use one to build a "removable" motherboard tray. You would want to pop-rivet some rails or slides in the case you choose as the basic frame for your box, so that the tray would slide in securely. Before you DO that however, look around at some ATX cases that have removable trays and get an idea as to how it's done and how you will have to cut the tray and the hole where it will fit.

Some people are fanatical about aluminum cases. aluminum has three times the heat-conductive capacity of steel. But I have found that a case with superior air-flow doesn't need to act as a heatsink, and therefore the choice of metals for that purpose is at best marginal in value. Steel works better than aluminum, especially where "bending" is required. On the other hand, it is heavier, but I don't get the feeling from your project description that weight is an issue. Anyway, my point here is that if you want to build this sort of custom case, it will be more economical to get discarded computer cases for the frame and pieces that you need, and you might be able to implement a more "daring" design for lack of fear that you are destroying something you paid for. It is possible to get these old discarded ATX cases for "free." I DO!! 😀
 
PS

ATX power-supply placement has always been standard, insofar as the mounting-screw holes, fan and switch cutouts. Different cases may place the PSU differently: some at the top of the case, some in the middle just above the mobo. Newer (very, very recent) cases actually place the PSU in the case bottom.

Of course, you can change where you want to place the PSU with a drill and bits and dremel-cutoff tool -- or even a "Radio-Shack nibbler tool".

I don't advise using the "used" PSU's you may find in recycled ATX cases. Buy a new one.
 
Akira is actually in the minority on Anandtech in his like for MSI boards. While my ownership of them has been limited, go over to the motherboads forums, ask about MSI quality, and get ready for alot of not so happy responses.

This is not to say that all motherboard makers don't have their issues, MSI just seems to have had more recently. Personally I prefer Abit as they have never steered me wrong, but ASUS is another popular brand though I have never actually purchased one.

As for the case, there are many cheap $20 steel cases that can be easily modded, though if you are into a little "dumpster diving" like BDuck you can find alot of cool stuff for... free!

Personally I suck at doing hard core modding, I tried using a dremmel on an old case of mine and found that my cuts leave something to be desired. Kudos to you for being willing to try such a complex mod to start off with.

I may eventually try a mac now that they are $499, but when the choice is a mini-mac or a 20.1" LCD... well... you can guess what I would choose 😉

-spike
 
The ATX form factor has been set in stone for years. There is a site: http://www.formfactors.org , that has all the pertinent measurements. It also has PSU and BTX design basics. You might want to use a generic mounting plate for your PSU as many of the high-end cases do. So that if you want to use some different size of PSU in the future, you could just fabricate a new mounting plate for it. Some of these cases come with mounting plates for both standard ATX PSUs and for redundant PSUs.
.bh.

 
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