Client Build Log: Into the Abyss with Indignity

The part of this mod that will set Indignity's Antec 900 apart from any other is the custom front panel.


Painted in MetalCast Metaflake Blue with a 1/2 routed and polished slab of acrylic...it's one of a kind.


The color matched top panel.



Details: routed and polished slot for a try type DVD burner, detents and holes for the modified SunBeam fancontroller, mountes for a pair of 120mm fans.



The acrylic is permanently fused to the bezel and simply snaps into the chassis making access to the guts of the case simple.


The beginnings of Into the Abyss


The customized panels go on an equally customized chassis painted in a durable automotive grade matte black.


Holes for cable management and the fan of a PSU will make for a neat interior.


The rest of the parts are in production...the customized side panels, grill and associated parts will soon follow

Phase one: The Gathering of the Silicon Godz.

For any enthusiast one the more entertaining parts of building a PC is probably researching and finding and purchasing all the necessary gear. There are so many options...thinning it down to the actual purchases and final build is always a challenge.

This build is a little different. Almost all of the parts needed are on hand here at the shop.

Indignity is going for a Q6700 (purchased) Asus P5K Deluxe Wifi (here) eVGA 8800GT KO (here) platform. He already has the RAM and PSU he needs (in transit to me) and the LC parts and DVD burner I have in stock. He's on the prowl for some fast HDDs to RAID but that's no problem.

Of course the HW spec may change a bit...I leave that open to improvement...but I have taken into consideration that Indignity is looking for a stable easy to OC platform for a single card. I really can't think of a better $200 board than the Asus P5K deluxe...

That said I would not hold it against him if he up, down or side-graded to some other platform...to me it's all good. My focuse will be on the custom case, assembly of whatever parts we choose and the final tweaks and touches that will make his rig a real showpiece.

More to come!





























There it is: Into the Abyss

At this stage the rig has been plumbed. No real cable management has yet taken place. The HDDs are yet to be installed.


Ready for HDDs.


A pair of Raptors and a pair of Samsung 750GB and 4 pairs of Scythe AV mounts.


The drives simply slide in.


And are secured by thumbscrews.


This improves case airflow over stock. Plus it dampens the Raptors for better performance.


I had to rework the fan mounts as the drives are slap up aginum. Self locking acorn nuts...


Still a ways to go.


I am liking the EK reservoir.


I doubt I will ever make another acrylic base just like that...


My first effort at window etching...not bad.


Though taller it looks balanced...it's a tad heavier now too.


The Matrix thinger came with scant printed instructions and I will look on the disc to see if there is anything to help me figure it out. but I think I should be able to change out the external usb cable with an internal cable...


I lost an 1/8" with the fancy side panel and I hope that is not a critcal 1/8". The FSP is not lacking in cables...it makes me want to take the snippers out...


I am waiting on some cables I special ordered...should be here soon.






Into the Abyss

The rambling monolog....you know the routine

So what are we doing for Indignity? Whatever he wants! Basically the man has thrown buckets of money at me and now it's up to me to make him happy. I can do this

After a couple of days of discussion and looking at a variety of options we settled on the Antec 900. As some of you probably remember I have a soft spot for this case and have built a number of them in the past year. I think they are a very nicely designed case: if you are a modder

I see a lot of potential in the basic design and simply remove everything that conflicts with this vision.

The mesh HDD cages: in the bin....

The funky window on the side panel....chop it out.

200mm fan? Put it to work pushing air through a radiator of course

THe two things Indignity wants for sure are a CPU loop LCS and a custom side panel window.

The exact details of this are still be worked out. There are a number of options to consider and I have a couple of new ideas I would like to explore.

In the past I have mounted a rad under the fan and a rad over the fan...but I feel like putting a rad in a pedestal base this time. This is not set in stone...because there are always technical difficulties to overcome and it's always good to have Plan B Plan C and even Plan D as backup

The window will be UV blue and discreetly lit to evoke the feeling of being underwater...at this time I am thinking to use a d-Tek FuZion, MCP655 Vario, Bay reservoir and PA 160 radiator. These have proven to work extremely well in a number of different builds.

The PA 160 could either mount on top of the case in a tasty manner...or it could be concealed in a ventilated base with a fan in the chassis floor...I am leaning toward the base to keep the case looking super sanitary inside.

I want to do something a little special to the exterior panels...I have this scroll saw I need to put to work...and might try my hand at some artistic perforations on the blind side panel and then light that from within....we'll see how that works for me

More rambling to follow as the build gels

Take a number

Thanks for the listing Indignity...that's a good thing to have up in this thread.

I'm excited about this build and I will be pushing myself to try some new things. Hoping it warms up a bit...but if I have to mod in a snowsuit so be it

BTW it's the last Lunar Eclipse till 2010...a fitting time to start this build