Going to mod and finish my mITX build!

[WalmartSniperLX]

Hello neowinians. I currently have a small general purpose PC running these specs:

IN WIN BP-Series Case (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811108396)

Intel Celeron G530

AMD Radeon HD6670

4GB G.Skill DDR3 1333 (down-clocked :( )

500GB Seagate 7200RPM SATA rev. 3

Foxconn H67s MiniITX mobo

SeaSonic 300W PSU

Hand-me-down DVD/CD Reader/Writer lol

The PC surprisingly handles my casual gaming very well (L4D2, Borderlands, and hours upon hours of LOTRO :p ). The only problem I had initially, which I figured would happen, is that the video card was running extremely hot inside the case. I think my max temperature was around 94 degrees C before I shut off the load and opened the side panel. Being so tiny, she's just not circulating air very well. So, I attempted using a hole-saw to make a massive duct at the bottom for the video card. Long story short, there was lots of terrible noise, water, lubricant, heat, sweat, some blood, meowing from the corner and failure. I think the blade was too old or dull.

Open case, I'm running a lot cooler, especially on load. With a slight OC, the GPU is maxing at 76 degrees C.

I've picked up some sheet-metal mesh from the local hardware store to temporarily put in place of the panel just to keep any objects out, such as a 3 year olds hands or a cat who seeks warm, cozy places to lay in (true story). I originally wanted to paint it and mod it into the case. However, it's flimsy, bends easily, and the edges, from where we had to cut it, are extremely sharp. Also, the "holes" are extremely big. I'm basically still running an open case with it on there.

My question is, I'm looking up some "modders mesh" to finish what I've started. I'll post pics later, but the side panel to the case is an L, as it is also the bottom of the tower. I'll have to cut or bend about 500mmx500mm worth of mess to achieve covering both the side and bottom. What I would like to know, is what is the best method of doing this? Here's one of the possibilities that I'm looking at: http://www.frozencpu...450&id=DLxzcPTo

I'll post some pics later on. I basically just want to finish the job cleanly and do it right.

[Tom]

Case wise I'd go for this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811345017&Tpk=bitfenix%20prodigy

Except maybe in black. Rather nice.

[Haggis Veteran]

How big is the hole you cut in the side?

[WalmartSniperLX]

Case wise I'd go for this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811345017&Tpk=bitfenix%20prodigy

Except maybe in black. Rather nice.

This is exactly the case I originally wanted but it's frequently out of stock. It was actually just out of stock yesterday. I may consider it if it just isn't cost effective to mod my current case since I now know they have it, thanks to you :)

How big is the hole you cut in the side?

I never had a hole. I think the blade was too dull. Probably my first big and last mistake when it comes to poor preparation before execution. Now I want to try replacing the panel with mesh. Maybe, if possible, make a nice spot for a 120mm fan to mount, although it may not be necessary. We did cut the bottom portion of the panel incase I wanted to keep the side panel, and just replace the bottom with a mesh for the GPU.

[Haggis Veteran]

ok

was also thinking use a hole saw to cut a space for a fan to sit either inside or outside

what sort of state is the side panel in? lol

if you can cut around it but leaves enough to attach it and have some stability maybe you could wrap the mesh around like this

[WalmartSniperLX]

Here's the pc as it is now, with the temporary mesh on the side:

Here's the strip we made for the bottom of the case:

And the original side panel, with the bottom part cut off:

Everything is pretty bare. If we use the panel, we will sand it down or use any other method to clean away the sharp, uneven cuts. As for the mesh, it was a pain to cut, even with our steel cutters. As you can see, it doesn't really do a whole lot as far as closing the case, which is why I'm looking into something better. It's also pretty uneven at spots, so I was thinking of making a border. Sorry for the bad image quality. I took these in a very dark room.

[WalmartSniperLX]

I've been doing a bit of research into modder's mesh. Long story short, I've decided to just get a new case. The new one supports a standard ATX psu. My final question is, I wanted to save money and try running my friends 3-4 year old power supply. It's an Antec Earthwatts 500W psu with dual 12v rails @ 23 amps. Just wondering what you guys think about running this in my recent build. Thanks.