[noahmateen1234]

Well I have pretty much finally decided I want an HTPC. It is going to be air-cooled. The goal is to have it as quiet as possible and as low power as possible. I will be using an AMD x2 cpu.
Anyways, I am pretty set on getting this case and I want to paint the inside.
I will have a gigabyte 780g matx board, corsair dominator ram. So I was thinking maybe a baby or ice blue interior with a few 4" cold blue cathodes. But I just thought maybe make the inside gold and get some OCZ gold ram and some green cathodes. Just want some opinions on my ideas.
Also, what brand paint/primer would you guys recommend. The inside is aluminum so whichever paint is the best for that. I really want this case to show off its beauty. I will sleeve all the cables either blue or green(whichever color scheme I go with)

 

[Ducky]

For painting bare metal, you gotta go with self etching primer, just be sure to give the interior a good sand-down before you prime. As for the main paint, most people have only good stuff to say about krylon and rustoleum. I would highly recommend you clearcoat the paint job though to further protect it from the bumps it will recieve upon installation, and the best way to ensure compatibility (there have been a few recent issues in builds with clearcoats not going on right) is to get the same brand clearcoat as paint.

That, and spray a test panel

 

[noahmateen1234]

Yeah I am hoping my dad gets an iMac(if they update them in Nov) and gives me his rig. It has a Pentium D, 2gb ram, 7600gt, intel mobo, 250gb hdd, 400gb hdd, 2 dvd burners, psu. so I will paint that case as my first test. I will probably paint it a different color because I would still use it, but at least I could try out my skills lol.

 

[IEATFISH]

This guy did an amazing job recently, I'm sure he could give you some good pointers even though you won't be using quite the same materials as he did.

http://www.overclock.net/computer-ca...uter-case.html

 

[CattleRustler]

self etching primer is to seal steel against rust, since the case is aluminum, and since alu doesnt rust, self etching primer isnt necessary. You can use standard "indoor/outdoor" primer and paints and youll be fine. It wont hurt to use self etching but that stuff is way more nasty than regular primer (toxicity etc)

krylon indoor/outdoor acrylic enamel primer and paints are very good, as well as rustoleum prducts including the new Rustoleum Universal line of paints. I have used these in my projects with good results

 

[MyndKontrol]

if you have acces to a paintgun/compressor i recommend going with automotive products

if not, you could go with rattlecans paints and clear but the finish wont be as smooth and shinny...
you need to disassemble as much as you can to make a good job or tape what cant be...

the secret to any paintjob is the preparation: precise taping, good sanding and good cleaning...
shooting paint in light coats is also very important, dont try to cover with only 2 coats...you'll get less adhesion and an uneven finish

last thing, since rattlecans products have a higher solvant concentration, they are very liquid and wont cover up sanding marks very good so before applying the primer i suggest sanding with a P320 grid, then sanding your primer with a P500 grid or even smoother like P800 or even a grey scotch brite pad

hope this will help you with your project