A poor man's first mods

[Maturin]

So with a borrowed digital camera, I present to you my first two mods. Relatively common ones it seems, but it is big step for me, cutting pieces out of my computer case!







The first is the mod most Shuttle users should make use of. Cutting out the back grille and replacing it with this grille pulled from an old Compaq decreased my CPU temp by around 5C.







This is a variation of Hydran's USB plate mod .  At first, I wanted to mount a USB mini wireless adapter inside and have the other usb port in place of the parallel port cutout, but after doing so I found I lost a bit too much reception for the wireless adapter to be useable. So, having no means of cutting or drilling thicker metal I settled for simply using mounting tape underneath and over the top of both plugs to secure them to the ICE shroud.  They are very stable, despite not being screwed into the case itself. :]





 To cut out the shuttle grille, I used some small copper wire cutters that I had around the house.  These cutters were also used to cut off excess plastic from the USB outlets in order to make them fit in the parallel port cutout.

Yeah, modding isnt so bad, you just need the right tools :p

[hydran]

Well done!  Thanks for the pics too.  Don't worry about using tape rather than screwing it into the case - so long as it is holding when you push and pull the connectors in and out.  Glad to hear that my USB plate mod has been helpful.

[droopy1592]

nice work. More than i'm WILLING to do to my own box.

[Nubie]

I just got my first XPC, a SN41G2 V3.

I cut my grille out before I even put a processor in it thanks to you guys on this forum (esp hydran, thanks for your guides man).

I notice you didn't file the edges, I highly recommend it, I turned the XPC upside down on a piece of cardboard and just filed away with a big metal file, it didn't take that much time and makes a world of difference.

I used the fan gaurd already inside to put on the outside of mine, nothing was anywhere near it anyway (certaintly not my fingers for sure ).

I tried to mount the fan on the outside of the cage, but my DVD burner was too long, darn.

I like the USB ports though

[Maturin]

Thanks for the replies, guys.  Does filing the edges make a difference in cooling? I considered it but I didnt think I had the proper tools around, though now that you mention it I may have a big old file somewhere...

[hydran]

no cooling difference, but will stop cut fingers.  Make sure you remove everything when you file, ensuring that no filings get onto the board.

@ Nubie:  Its great to get this kind of feedback - thanks, I am glad that the guides are still proving to be useful.
SFF-Igor is the original G-case cutter...

[Maturin]

Taking out everything would be a bit of a chore, especially with no difference in cooling and a low chance of finger-cutting due to the grille being there. I am about to open it up and see if I can position the fan outside of the shroud.  Lessening the 'dead zone' of the fan on the heatsink would be a good change.


*edit* I don't know about moving the ICE fan to the outside of the shroud. It looks like it would cover up part of the airflow to the PSU fan.  See what I mean in the shot of the USB plugs mounted inside.

[Nubie]

To absolutely insure no filings would be what hydran suggested.

I of course simply turned the case upside down so the feet were up and then filed away.

A middle ground option would be too tape butcher's paper over the motherboard (tape would adhere to the back of the case inside, just above the ports) and then turn it upside down and file on it, removing any possibility of filings landing or being flung on the board.

I am curious to know what hydran thinks of this idea. ^^

I suppose it doesn't help the cooling any, but it sure makes it look better in my opinion.

The pliers I used made a worse mess than yours seem to though, so I felt I should file it.

[hydran]

taping off the board before filing is ideal.

[eCkliptic]

Looks great!  How about instally screws instead of using the tape?   That way if you need to open the shroud to clean the fan you dont have to retape it.  It'll also give you more support if you need to push/pull anything