[NameUnknown]

Ive got an old MGE case with mediocre ventilation (2 80mm & 1 120mm fan) and only decent aesthetics. also the LED display on the front of the case is dieing, some of the LEDs don't light anymore.

Mod Plan:
1. Cut a hole in the top and creating an angled bay above the 5.25" bays for a fan controller to be placed up there.
2. Cut a window in the side panel.
3. Extend the side panel away from the mobo tray to allow better wire routing.
4. Cut another 80mm hole on the top for another intake.
5. Cut 2 80mm holes in side window for exhaust.

 

[Demented]

Good enough plan, but I would definitely do something with that front LCD/LED screen. Get a new temp monitor, or see if you can mount a card reader there. Maybe even just pop a CCFL in there. I dunno, but that case is SCREAMING for modification.

EDIT: You mentioned putting a 5.25" fan controller up top. Perhaps go with a 3.5" one and put it where that LCD/LED thing is now.

EDIT: OK, I think I see the LED thing. What's the rectangle down towards the bottom? That's where I would try to put a card reader, fan controller, or CCFL. The pics "talked fancy to me, I got confused!"

 

[Syrillian]

A blank canvas if I ever did see one.

Time to do some damage to that case.

Extending the side-panel for more space may be problematic... "may be". Do you have a plan for that?

 

[NameUnknown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demented Good enough plan, but I would definitely do something with that front LCD/LED screen. Get a new temp monitor, or see if you can mount a card reader there. Maybe even just pop a CCFL in there. I dunno, but that case is SCREAMING for modification. EDIT: You mentioned putting a 5.25" fan controller up top. Perhaps go with a 3.5" one and put it where that LCD/LED thing is now.

No the idea was to put the fan controller, one like a Rhobeus or Zalman at an angle above the 5.25 bays.

 

[NameUnknown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syrillian A blank canvas if I ever did see one. Time to do some damage to that case. Extending the side-panel for more space may be problematic... "may be". Do you have a plan for that?

I actually do, The way the slots are attached to the side panel is that the panel was made too large originally and they folded the metal over and cut tabs out that slot in on the case. this means that you can actually use a dremel or something of that sort to slice that folded piece off and get blocks or a bar to extend it further off the case.

Ive got to go to the dentist, Ill be back in a while.

 

[NameUnknown]

Did my poll close ><

Edit: Im an idiot i was viewing the results....

 

[NameUnknown]

come on, I know more of you out there have something to say. Goodness knows I see it everywhere

 

[Bastiaan_NL]

hmm,
i should put some bigger fans in it, not those 80mm ones.
Spray it all black(not the front, but interior and the back) put 2 120mm fans in the side, one left high, the other right low, and make a nice sidewindow between them.

(sorry for the crapy paint)
On top a 120mm fan.
There are 3.5"bay fan controllers for sale, maybe thats better than making an extra bay on top of the case, you will get big trouble with that front panel...
Maybe its nice 2 use red fans, and red paint on the front panel and top, making some kinda striping on it

Anyway, MOD IT!! (if you want to spend money on it)

 

[StretchNuts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NameUnknown Mod Plan: 1. Cut a hole in the top and creating an angled bay above the 5.25" bays for a fan controller to be placed up there. 2. Cut a window in the side panel. 3. Extend the side panel away from the mobo tray to allow better wire routing. 4. Cut another 80mm hole on the top for another intake. 5. Cut 2 80mm holes in side window for exhaust.

1. Cut a hole in the top and creating an angled bay above the 5.25" bays for a fan controller to be placed up there. Just add a fan controller in one of the lower 5.25" bays

2. Cut a window in the side panel. Awesome idea

3. Extend the side panel away from the mobo tray to allow better wire routing. No need for that, just make the wires as flat as possible, and tape them down on the back side of the mobo tray.

4. Cut another 80mm hole on the top for another intake. Exhaust goes up top, intake goes up front and/or on bottom.

5. Cut 2 80mm holes in side window for exhaust. See #4 above.

 

[Enigma8750]

Modding mesh up front.. Leave the frame and For Pete's Sake keep the Red light at the top. Brighten it up big time. Paint Yellow, Red, Green, Purple and Black. IF you go with Black go with satin. It looks more like you bought it that way.

 

[I_dalder_I]

Im glad to see that nobody's voted no lol

 

[NameUnknown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bastiaan_NL hmm, i should put some bigger fans in it, not those 80mm ones. Spray it all black(not the front, but interior and the back) put 2 120mm fans in the side, one left high, the other right low, and make a nice sidewindow between them. (sorry for the crapy paint) On top a 120mm fan. There are 3.5"bay fan controllers for sale, maybe thats better than making an extra bay on top of the case, you will get big trouble with that front panel... Maybe its nice 2 use red fans, and red paint on the front panel and top, making some kinda striping on it Anyway, MOD IT!! (if you want to spend money on it)

Quote:

Originally Posted by StretchNuts 1. Cut a hole in the top and creating an angled bay above the 5.25" bays for a fan controller to be placed up there. Just add a fan controller in one of the lower 5.25" bays 2. Cut a window in the side panel. Awesome idea 3. Extend the side panel away from the mobo tray to allow better wire routing. No need for that, just make the wires as flat as possible, and tape them down on the back side of the mobo tray. 4. Cut another 80mm hole on the top for another intake. Exhaust goes up top, intake goes up front and/or on bottom. 5. Cut 2 80mm holes in side window for exhaust. See #4 above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enigma8750 Modding mesh up front.. Leave the frame and For Pete's Sake keep the Red light at the top. Brighten it up big time. Paint Yellow, Red, Green, Purple and Black. IF you go with Black go with satin. It looks more like you bought it that way.

I had thought about Plasti Dipping my HAF932 but I didn't want to mess anything up, I could use this as my test on it so I learn wth I'm doing.

As for the fans, I had only been planning on 80mm so that I could keep the airflow the same easier and not have problems fitting the 120mm Fan up top as there isn't a whole lot of room between the PSU and Optical drives. But with a Fan controller I can get some loud high power 80mm fans to tone down. And yea, I should have exhaust on top and intake on the sides, that's really dumb of me to have had that backwards.

As for painting the outside of the case, I doubt Ill do more than the back at this point as the front is plastic and as odd as it is, its kind of nice in an old school kind of way.

But as for the side panels, the back panel that would cover the wiring only has like a hair of 1/4 of an inch from tray to panel which is why I wanted to "raise" it and give more room back there.

The 'red light' up top isnt even a light although that's a pretty badass idea actually. What it is is the housing for the HDD and Power LEDs but Ive got a better idea now, color changing LEDs, although the tinting will probably distort the colors.

As for the window, the design offered is an interesting one. Pretty much any design will do though, I'm not terribly picky about it, I may not do the one offered up though as I don't have any practice cutting metal

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_dalder_I Im glad to see that nobody's voted no lol

lol as am I

 

[Bastiaan_NL]

hmm, if i where you i should measure up the room between psu and 5.25" bays, cause a scythe slip stream 1900rpm will give you 110cfm, thats a lot more then any 80mm can give you... although its kinda loud, but with the fan controll it wont be loud if you put it at 1000 rpm..

for the sidewindow, the best is to keep it round, its hard to cut if you dont have any good tool, but it will make your case look nicer than with any sharp edges in it.. if you use a jigsaw with a special metal blade its not that hard, but youve got to have one...

 

[xxbassplayerxx]

Do something about that top mounted PSU! move it to the bottom and isolate it with some sort of aluminum or plexiglass panel.

 

[NameUnknown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bastiaan_NL hmm, if i where you i should measure up the room between psu and 5.25" bays, cause a scythe slip stream 1900rpm will give you 110cfm, thats a lot more then any 80mm can give you... although its kinda loud, but with the fan controll it wont be loud if you put it at 1000 rpm.. for the sidewindow, the best is to keep it round, its hard to cut if you dont have any good tool, but it will make your case look nicer than with any sharp edges in it.. if you use a jigsaw with a special metal blade its not that hard, but youve got to have one...

Im goin to be borrowing my cousins dremel...hopefully he still has it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxbassplayerxx Do something about that top mounted PSU! move it to the bottom and isolate it with some sort of aluminum or plexiglass panel.

I had thought about that but then decided i didnt want to hack the entire case apart, sidepanels i dont mind, but if i screw up the back of the case, then im truly screwed, so I dont think Ill be doing that even thught it would be about as good a thing I could do to this case.