Project: Monolith.

[Omega]

So first things first, let's start with a few confessions. I have never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yes, I realize the monolith is a thing from that film. But I'm gonna go off of the dictionary definition so give me a break.

Secondly, amazingly, despite all my tenure here...

I have never completed a case mod.

I know, I know. I've been a member of this community for eight years and I have never completed a case mod. What the hell is wrong with me!?

Well, time to change that.

Enter the Fractal Design Define XL R2. I decided on this case for it's outright simplicity. So many cases on the market these days have 700mm fan grills and seventeen razor wire features and nine shark fins and, and, and... which leaves something to be desired for those of us who just want a simple, straightforward case.

Stock image...

Okay, so I don't have any sketchup model or even hand drawings. Why, you ask? Simple: This is going to be a simple, straighforward case mod. This isn't going to be some show queen computer with twenty graphics cards and insane watercooling loops or anything -- just my regular ole desktop PC. It's time to replace my CM Stacker 830, whose power button has, ahem, fallen apart as well as other signs of the fact that it's nearing seven years old.

The case is going to be very lightly modded and have an emphasis on cable management.

So, I've had this case for a day and I've already torn in to it. I covered the side panel in masking tape and drew up a window design. Except it wasn't big enough. I wanted to show off every bit of the case but I was stressing about the mounting. The initial idea was to do a big one-way mirror sidepanel... but I scrapped that, caved in and bought the FrozenCPU window kit with a white border. The case is all black aside from the fan blades of the three fans that come standard, and the hard drive cages. So the white border window was a no-brainer, it will fit the theme perfectly.

However anybody who has a Define will know that the sidepanels are coated in a nasty, heavy tar paper sound deadening. Well, that was tonight's project.

So there's the left sidepanel sans tar paper... and

here's the case as she sits tonight.


So I'm waiting for the FrozenCPU window kit to come in, as well as three more Fractal Design 1000rpm 140mm fans so I can fully load out the system. I'm looking at getting a multicolor LED strip with remote control so I can vary what color the case is, given that it has not colored accents right now. Mood lighting...

Stay tuned!

[Omega]

Oh and specs are my current rig that's in the stacker 830:

Intel Core i5-3570K w/ Arctic Cooling Freezer i30
Biostar T-series motherboard
eVGA GTX 550Ti w/ Arctic Cooling Accelero Twin Turbo II
8gb of G.Skill RAM
some hard drives and other crap
850W Cooler Master PSU

[TheMainMan]

Looking forward to seeing this come together. I've loved the look of the Fractal Design Define series since I first heard of them and having worked on a Fractal Design Define Mini in a build last year they are very nice and really slick looking in person. Good luck on getting it done, we're pulling for you!

[Omega]

mini-update, got my case fans in the mail today:

Awesome packaging design, plus they have a little extender thingy in there which is neato too.

Also, the last time I had a computer with a top-mounted fan that I left uncovered, I knocked a drink in to it and fried my PC (Rest in Peace, Athlon 64...). So I decided that in order to help protect against that a little bit, but more to help the aesthetic of the mod, I'm gonna build a custom top vent panel.

The plan right now is to build it out of acetal or styrene or something, and have magnets in the base so it can be held on to the case and not require any drilling or something. This will also give me the ability to remove it for fan cleaning and replacement should I so desire.

I'm gonna get dimensions and do a "quick and dirty" sketchup model in a few minutes here, will post when that is completed.

[Omega]

rough sketchup of what I'm talking about:

each of the vent's "blades" is a 1" tall strip at 45*. The whole thing is 2" tall and the leading edge is at a 45* also. The blades are directly above the fans.

I am debating making it 1" tall overall instead of 2", or maybe just over 1" tall with build tolerances and stuff. Magnets to hold it on to the top panel will be located in the outer edges so as not to interfere with the fans. Also I am thinking of keeping the 2" lead-up but with a 1" height giving me an angle of 63* instead of 45* which will look more "sleek". Vent blades will remain at 45*. I've toyed with the idea of having adjustable vents but that's a little above my skill level and desires for this case since it's going to live it's life underneath my desk probably 95%+ of the time.

[Twigsoffury]

why are they called fractal, if they have nothing to do with fractals, the M-set or or benoit mandelbrot?

(just curious)

I like the idea of magnets holding the vent in for easy cleaning

[Omega]

why are they called fractal, if they have nothing to do with fractals, the M-set or or benoit mandelbrot?

(just curious)

I like the idea of magnets holding the vent in for easy cleaning

No idea, just a neato name I suppose.

I was lamenting the thought of having to drill in to the top of the case for mounting because that would mean more sound dampening removal... then I thought, why not magnets? The case is made of steel, after all.

[Twigsoffury]

No idea, just a neato name I suppose.

I was lamenting the thought of having to drill in to the top of the case for mounting because that would mean more sound dampening removal... then I thought, why not magnets? The case is made of steel, after all.

(^_^)

should be cool!

[edit]
oh hey! you ought to add pictures to your review of the case you did!

[Omega]

Super-mini update, ordered the LED strip yesterday from Amazon, ordered a new Corsair PSU today. Fully modular HX750W.

PSU should be here in two days thanks to ShopRunner, but the Amazon order says it'll be here in March... poop.

edit\\

also I'll go take some pictures in a little bit.

[Stonerboy779]

Waiting for pics