The purpose of this build was to build a capable gaming/home theater/Blu-Ray player PC, all in a beautiful custom-made Minecraft case.
A large amount of the project was learn-as-you-go. Working with epoxy and plexiglass was definitely a challenge, and many "tricks" were learned regarding the nature of the materials. The functional design of the case was extremely fun to perceive and then carry out.
Many options were available for the visual design of the case. I believe the path that I took (excruciatingly detailed hand-painting, using paint mixed on my own as well as careful masking) was the best for the quality, though much time was expended.
A power/reset switch module was custom built (jury-rigged, if you will), and buttons were re-appropriated (read: scavenged) from other machines..
As usual, Prime95 as well as other tests were run to ensure that the system is indeed receiving adequate ventilation and that no overheating is taking place.
Boot time is quite fast thanks to the UEFI installation and the SSD. A secondary 1TB hard disk drive provides more than enough storage space. The Blu-Ray/DVD superdrive allows for watching movies, giving this machine adequate Home Theatre PC capabilities. The GeForce GT 640 allows for casual gaming.
Add'l Tools/Supplies used: 1. Epoxy, krazy glue, mechanical screws, nuts, and other miscellany 2. Dremel, Jigsaw, cordless drill, countless bits, sandpaper, and much more
Build progress pictures: http://imgur.com/a/ge0Jy
Moved from General Hardware to Cases & Cooling
-ViRGE
A large amount of the project was learn-as-you-go. Working with epoxy and plexiglass was definitely a challenge, and many "tricks" were learned regarding the nature of the materials. The functional design of the case was extremely fun to perceive and then carry out.
Many options were available for the visual design of the case. I believe the path that I took (excruciatingly detailed hand-painting, using paint mixed on my own as well as careful masking) was the best for the quality, though much time was expended.
A power/reset switch module was custom built (jury-rigged, if you will), and buttons were re-appropriated (read: scavenged) from other machines..
As usual, Prime95 as well as other tests were run to ensure that the system is indeed receiving adequate ventilation and that no overheating is taking place.
Boot time is quite fast thanks to the UEFI installation and the SSD. A secondary 1TB hard disk drive provides more than enough storage space. The Blu-Ray/DVD superdrive allows for watching movies, giving this machine adequate Home Theatre PC capabilities. The GeForce GT 640 allows for casual gaming.
Add'l Tools/Supplies used: 1. Epoxy, krazy glue, mechanical screws, nuts, and other miscellany 2. Dremel, Jigsaw, cordless drill, countless bits, sandpaper, and much more
Build progress pictures: http://imgur.com/a/ge0Jy
Moved from General Hardware to Cases & Cooling
-ViRGE
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