I'm looking for a case I can cut up and feel good about cutting into ... something that is akin to a blank sheet of paper, but has elements I know will work for me. I want it to be light, but not too light -- so it looks like aluminum might be out of the picture. I found this: Ultra X-Blaster Black ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, FireWire and Audio Ports ULT33178 at TigerDirect.com

Side panel is dieing for a cut, and I can shape the window any way I want. Rear fan grills can be drilled out, and the room for 120mm fan intake / exhaust is good. I can even add on those case handles I got from the Secret Santa list -- maybe paint something.

Best of all, it makes a good "holder" case for my first cut, which will be to tear apart my current case and see what I can learn in the process. And it's cheap.

anyone else have favorites / suggestions?

-godling

All depends on the mod. For Pimp Status, I used a case I found in a friends garage. I didn't have any idea what I wanted except small, light and quiet. I made room for the fans I wanted, the water cooling, etc. With all the different cases on the market, just look around for something that has a chasis that meets your needs and go from there.

That being said, that case seems to be what you need, and it's inexpensive and a blank canvas to boot. Go for it.

Older cases are better because they don't come with those damned side vents which can result in compromise window shapes or sizes.

Personally, I wouldn't settle for a case under 20" deep if I could avoid it (I moved from a 23.5" deep tower to a 19" deep one, and it's so cramped.)

My favourite was the old Skyhawk MSR4600 series (4610-4615-4620), but good luck finding those anymore. Slightly bigger than most ATX cases, Lian-Li ripoff styling (on some models), aluminium, and dirt cheap.

Because it's so roomy and durable, I also love the Ark SR-8100, but it weighs a ton, as a steel EATX tower is apt to.

Personally, I don't like Antec cases much; a lot of them are surprisingly shallow for their class.

Thermaltake and Ultra are on my dislike list because they brand too agressively. I don't want to be reminded for the next two years whose case I bought.

Quote: Originally Posted by Hak Foo Thermaltake and Ultra are on my dislike list because they brand too agressively. I don't want to be reminded for the next two years whose case I bought.

The side-mounted fan cover will be replaced ... hell, half the side panel will be cut out, so the vent will be removed and the grill replaced. The front Ultra branding will also get replaced, as I intend to cut a big hole in front for the 120mm fan intake. Maybe use some bondo to re-shape the front bezel. That's all well in the future, however.

I'm still open to suggestions from folks!

-J

Looks to me like the perfect case for a learning experience. It's cheap, and definitely a blank canvas.

Don't forget to post plenty of progress pics, and remember, there are lots of awesome modders here that would be glad to help, so don't be afraid to ask!

Despite the price, I have a soft spot in my heart for Lian Li cases. I feel that they offer a bit more of the "blank canvas" factor, as well as good construction, light weight, and just plain good quality in general.

If you do some looking, you can find Li Li cases with removable motherboards, some with fixed motherboard plates that have plenty of room down the backside for cable routing/stealthing. Some have very quiet setups, others don't take up space quite as much, the list of features goes on and on.

The bottom line for most people, what scares most folks off from Li Li cases is the price. I can relate, BUT... Lately, there have been more and more e-tailers showing up with Li Li replacement parts. So if you screw up the top of your PC7B Plus II case like I did, you can get a replacement top for it without having to buy a whole 'nother case.

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 Despite the price, I have a soft spot in my heart for Lian Li cases. I feel that they offer a bit more of the "blank canvas" factor, as well as good construction, light weight, and just plain good quality in general. If you do some looking, you can find Li Li cases with removable motherboards, some with fixed motherboard plates that have plenty of room down the backside for cable routing/stealthing. Some have very quiet setups, others don't take up space quite as much, the list of features goes on and on. The bottom line for most people, what scares most folks off from Li Li cases is the price. I can relate, BUT... Lately, there have been more and more e-tailers showing up with Li Li replacement parts. So if you screw up the top of your PC7B Plus II case like I did, you can get a replacement top for it without having to buy a whole 'nother case.

I just bought a PC7B Plus II for my new build. Havent decided on a theme yet though or how or if Im going to mod it. Maybe something along the lines of how the Navy has beaten the snot out of Army for the last 6 years in football....than again Army did put a whoopin to our Volleyball team Just ribbin ya buddy.

In all seriousness, I don't get much into the Army/Air Farce/Navy collegiate sports as some of my co-workers do... So none taken...

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 Despite the price, I have a soft spot in my heart for Lian Li cases. I feel that they offer a bit more of the "blank canvas" factor, as well as good construction, light weight, and just plain good quality in general. ... So if you screw up the top of your PC7B Plus II case like I did, you can get a replacement top for it without having to buy a whole 'nother case.

that is a beautiful case, and very much a blank slate. My fear is -- being relatively new to the dremel -- totally whacking a $110 case (after shipping) vice a $50 case. I think I need to get comfortable with the tools before I start getting nicer cases to cut.

that is a sweet case, however.

[edit] Thanks to a post by sleep_sentry, I headed over to mwave and found this one: Mwave.com - Buy Computer Parts, Notebooks, Ipods, Digital Cameras, Software, Graphics Cards, CPUs and more at the lowest prices and best service from Mwave.com only $28 +shipping, and that's one case I won't mind cutting!

Now to purchase, and then start cutting into my old case first. When the case arrives, I'll start a new worklog.

-godling

I have now worked on a couple cases that I just found and picked up for $5 a piece at a pc recycle place. I figured that they were decent enough cases and if I messed up then oh well, they were only $5. Only problems with doing that is the cases are all old and heavy steal cases and they are small. Once again though, oh well they were only $5.

Lian Li PC-7 plus is a great blank canvas, nice construction, easy to disassemble, and has 120mm front & rear fans. the last I looked at newegg, they were listed at $89.99, Newegg.com - LIAN LI PC-7A plus II Silver Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases