Alienware case, need some ideas.

[mdnelson09]

Im stuck on what to do with this, and i would love to hear what tpu has for ideas.

Im planning on modding it out like crazy, i just don't know where to start.

 

[Norton]

What's your budget and skill level?

 

[mdnelson09]

I'm pretty "handy" with a grinder and dremel. Budget is pretty dynamic. I already have a motherboard / cpu / ram / and a full water cooling loop

 

[INSTG8R]

I always thought that was a pretty cool case as it was. I would just load it up with kick ass hardware.

 

[Norton]

I'm pretty "handy" with a grinder and dremel. Budget is pretty dynamic. I already have a motherboard / cpu / ram / and a full water cooling loop

What do you have? board type, water setup type, GPU??

I do have an idea but I would like to know what parts you are using

 

[mdnelson09]

I have a i5 2300 / Asrock Extreem3 Gen3. No gpu for right now. Im really like the gray / white / purple color scheme.

Edit: I have a XSPC dual rez with a built in pump. 2x 120mm Radiator, xspc cpu waterblock.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

only my opinion - but that 2300 aint worth water cooling as you cant overclock it anyway. Sell it off and grab a 2500k or wait for ivy bridge. as for GPUs i think a 7950 would be nice.

secondly based on my observations, i dont think that case is good on airflow. fan on the side panel would help but it would ruin the case somewhat.

good luck anyway

 

[mdnelson09]

[...] Sell it off and grab a 2500k or wait for ivy bridge. as for GPUs i think a 7950 would be nice.[...]

Ive been thinking about it for a while, im just using the 2300 as somethign to use till i can pay for the 2500k. Ivy is too much for this build.
T_ski has 2x 6970's with w/b's i may pick up.

secondly based on my observations, i dont think that case is good on airflow.
good luck anyway

Yes its terrible for air flow. This mods are more for fun than anything

 

[Red_Machine]

Ah man, I was just thinking about this case. Nearly bought the OEM version two years ago and would love it for an Athlon XP build I have in mind.

 

[Norton]

Here's my idea....not entirely sure if possible:

Put your entire loop into the PSU area above the Mobo- vent your radiators heat out thru the top and PSU hole

AND

PSU relocated to bottom/front of case

Would need to do a lot of measuring followed by cutting, fitting, and swearing

 

[mdnelson09]

Ah man, I was just thinking about this case. Nearly bought the OEM version two years ago and would love it for an Athlon XP build I have in mind.

Well, I came to TPU to get some ideas, i would probably end up destroying it. If you wanted to we can work out a deal for the case.
Edit: Realized just now your quite far away. sorry

 

[Sir B. Fannybottom]

Put one 240mm rad up at the top with the PSU, and take out the HDDs and put the second there, then put a window in the side panel?

 

[mdnelson09]

Here's my idea....not entirely sure if possible:

Put your entire loop into the PSU area above the Mobo- vent your radiators heat out thru the top and PSU hole

AND

PSU relocated to bottom/front of case

Would need to do a lot of measuring followed by cutting, fitting, and swearing

That's a good idea. i don't think it can be done with how the chassis is. Its really durable though.

 

[mdnelson09]

My radiator flat against the top. You can see, with one fan, the psu won't fit.
The radiator doesnt fit right on the bottom... UNLESSs...... i put the psu where the hdd bay 'was' like on the Raven RV03

And here's the radiator next to the hdd bay. im sure that will come out first. and the floppy. Looks like the optical drive will come out and ill replace it with something home made.

 

[Norton]

I was thinking putting the rad with push/pull fans on the cross brace above the motherboard... then ducting the rad right out the PSU hole.

Cut the HDD bay out to fit the PSU and pickup a couple icy dock style HDD bays or unit to mount under the optical bays above the PSU.

*** EDIT- HDD bays access from inside the case- just in a quality casing (a 3x3.5" to 2x5.25" bay unit should fit there) ***

 

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

Cut a hole in the metal portion of the top (as the top is 2 layers) big enough for the rad to sit in. This should give you more clearance. The outer top is plastic so you can cut holes for fans in it.

 

[mdnelson09]

Cut a hole in the metal portion of the top (as the top is 2 layers) big enough for the rad to sit in. This should give you more clearance. The outer top is plastic so you can cut holes for fans in it.

I think it would throw off the look of the case if i put holes in the plastic, unless its more planned on my end. I love the input guys!

 

[mdnelson09]

[thread=162552]Here's [/thread] the case, after i finished the mods, if any one was wondering.

 

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

Nice work there.

 

[Krazy Owl]

Cut a hole on top drop a kind of Ram air on it with mesh grill and get a 120mm bolted inside so the air come in. Will be like a special air intake for alien spaceship

 

[mdnelson09]

I would if the top didn't take me most of the time already, haha. sick idea, and it might work with the headroom the case has, the only thing that bugs me is there isnt much room becasue of the cables. maybe some home made wiring would solve this. Something for another day

 

[St.Alia-Of-The-Knife]

Do an interior paintjob and get rid of the ugly metallic gray inside!

 

[DonInKansas]

Do an interior paintjob and get rid of the ugly metallic gray inside!

Which doesn't matter since there's no side window. If he cuts a window, then I'd paint the interior.

 

[mdnelson09]

Do an interior paintjob and get rid of the ugly metallic gray inside!

I did, all black.

 

[zootac]

People pay about 60 pounds up over on e.bay from them area 51 cases just a stand alone cases,