Got an idea.. need feedback

[dgrmkrp]

Basically, my case has reached it's limit.. i will continue to mod it (not many bucks available per month), but as summer comes and school is about to end, i'm gonna get a job and have some more cash to spend.. or not.. either way, i'll have more time and be closer to some nice tools... so i've been planning this thing forever.. a new case, inverted atx design, wind tunnel effects and high speed fans turned silent... for starters, i've been designing the hardest and most important aspect of.. aspect :) the front panel:

it would be 200mm wide and 500mm high.. this would also be the dimension of the case..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/4dfeac4b.jpg
.. i'm going with a custom made hard drive cage, modular in design, no fan, but with a big hole for airflow (active or passive). no holes for putting this in the proper 5,25 rails yet.. this baby should be a 3x5,25" to 4x3,5" converter, but with more airflow..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/b3aff283.jpg
..the front panel.. made up of modules.. still a "building in progress"...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/619afc9c.jpg
..and completed: 12 hdds max, 3 120mm fans, a 7 channel fan controller (design still pending), and a dvd writer (gotta buy another, current is dead)..

My questions:
1.Does it look good? Should it be silver or black? should i use aluminum+chrome fans or blue led ones?

2.From a functional point of view, is this design good...? Well, not good, but.. better than what is commercially available?

3.The controller has the knobs mounted on an internal plate and only about a 3rd of their lenght can be touched.. i'm hoping this will make 'em more robust to transport (last panel went broke after transport :( ) Has this been done before? If yes, any issues?

[CanaBalistic]

I plan on doing somthing simmilar but for a huge 360mm rad.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h258/Cana-Balistic/front.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h258/Cana-Balistic/SystemLayout2.jpg

The bottom picture is more dimentionally correct.

I hope to see this take shape, maybe get some pointers along the way

[dgrmkrp]

i was thinkin something simillar, that's why i bought a heater core... but seeing as watercooling is still expensive and i dont have the money to invest in a system worthy of it.. that's why i'm going modular, so in a better future i could just swap the 3 baycovers for another big one, made for watercooling...
Q: r u modding a case? or building one? cause i want some pointers too :P :)

[Nagoshi]

Cana-Balistic : 10 fans?! Omfg! You really want to keep it cool :P

dgrmkr : Maybe using cluminium+chromed fans so you can hide your hard drives.. and you could place a led in each fan case so the reflective fans would get the light.. The effect won'T be strong as in transparent fans, fur sure, but it'll be unique :)

[dgrmkrp]

:) 10ks.. 1 more vote in favor of al fans :) + leds :)
btw.. i also have lots of em.. have 6 right now blowing on the pieces of what used to be my pc.. :P and i planned the new case to allow 6x120mm (3in/3out)+ 120mm exhaust blower.. for starters; 2 or 3 120mm fans on the sonic tower and 2 more 80mm for the psu :) all controlled for silence or performance :) i want my pc to be cooler than me <37 centigrade.. so, respekt 4 all who R cool :D

[CanaBalistic]

Im modding an old server case i found while i was at work. I had to remove the drive cages and put a smaller cage in from a desktop system. I did this just so there would be enough room up front for the rad to stand verticle.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h258/Cana-Balistic/100_1870.jpg

I got a lot of work ahead of me still but so far so good

[UK-Blade]

I think Thermaltake already make what your describing. They call it the iCage and it converts a couple of 5.25" bays into 3x3.5" bays with a 120mm fan on the front.

Have a look here. (http://www.thermaltake.com/product/Chassis/misc/icage/a2309.asp)

[dgrmkrp]

well.. i know about that.. seems a bit inefficient.. this looks better>> Cooler Master 4-in-3 Device Module, Lian Li EX-34 Expansion Hard Drive Kit

but none is made of thick aluminum.. basically, i'm testing this right now.. my hdd sits on a plate of solid aluminum.. it cools it a bit :) I like all of them, i just think that mine is more flexible... and cheaper (free).. but i would buy the cooler master one..

[DaveW]

Nice 3D models. I need to learn to use that program...looks good, but i can't imagine it with anything. you know what i mean?

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

DaveW: not sure what you mean.. but it's ok.. if you are reffering to the fact that my pics lack.. err.. a case.. that's gonna come soon too.. i have an idea 4 a complete system.. just takes time to measure every bolt and nut that i wanna use.. calculate bends and distances.. i not only obtain pictures with a finished product, but i can also extrapolate dimensions and material requirements :) so all that work is well worth it..

[DaveW]

if you are reffering to the fact that my pics lack.. err.. a case..

Yeah, that's what i was attempting to say :)

-Dave