Now that I finally received and installed the Ultra-X HSF, it was time to make the motherboard permanent. That meant spending about a good 3 hours planning the cable routing. I wanted some of the cables to run beneath the mobo, but had to find a way to make them fit and still allow the mobo to bolt down. It wasn't easy!

The first pic shows my first idea. It didn't allow the mobo to bolt down without too much flexing of the mobo, however. I had to find another way to route the fat black 24-pin power cables. The second pic was my eventual solution.

The P4 connector runs down under the mobo, zip-ties into place, then comes back up just enough to curl into the connector at the top, near the PSU. The 24-pin cable was just the right thickness to allow me to route it behind the 5.25" drive bays, and would be held in place as I was able to stuff them beneath the drives themselves quite snugly.

I scrapped my earlier idea of using black cable sleeving for the IDE cable running to the DVD burner, because I wanted that to slip beneath the mobo too, since the IDE connector is right at the edge of the mobo. I removed the sleeving and simply pulled the IDE cabling (that I'd previously split into ribbons) tight, and it also made a very nice, snug fit beneath the anglerfish mod.

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Here is the mobo and "hardware essentials" all installed, cables routed, and powered up. In the first pic, you can't even really see the 6-pin PCI-e cable that powers the ATI X1900 XT. It sneaks up from beneath the mobo too, with just enough length to reach the connector without so much as a twist or a crimp. From that angle, you can't even see the connected IDE cable, either.

The second pic shows at the top that I connected the HSF fan controller, I wanted to test the speed control. It also shows the really cool red glowing lure of the anglerfish. It'll look a lot sweeter when everything is lit up with UV....you'll barely see the anglerfish, just the glowing lure...until the UV comes on.

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This pic shows some nas-T mobo LEDs that'll really screw up my lighting scheme. There's a tiny green surface-mount LED next to the mobo power connector that comes on when the PC is turned on; a red surface-mount LED (just under the edge of the PCI-e slot) that's always on unless the PSU is switched off or unplugged; and the ugly green diagnostic LCD board. All of those gotta go, because it's all about paying attention to the details.

I simply covered each with pieces of black electrical tape.

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Now that I have that sweet-a$$ EnzoTech Ultra-X HSF, I'm able to return to the 5.25" bay control panel. I'll be adding the fan speed control to it, in the middle approximately. That leaves the right third for something in the future. I'm not sure what I'll put there, probably some front USB ports.

This fan control switch will mod in very easily. Drill a hole, insert switch shaft, fasten washer & nut on the outside, add a matching blue anodized tire valve cap.

I filled the cap with epoxy, as I did for the 2 cathode sound sensitivity switches. I'll drill out a hole just big enough to firmly press on the splined fan control shaft.

I didn't want the silver shining behind the mesh bay cover, so I did some more "cheap 'n' easy" Sharpie-modding. I colored all the parts that would otherwise be visible, black. I won't be using the PCI slot bracket, it's not needed for mounting the fan speed control. Sharpie markers are great for detailing!

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I completed the addition of the fan speed controller switch to the custom control panel. Drilled a hole in the steel mesh of the bay cover, added some washers on the inside so that the switch extends the right distance on the outside, I re-fitted a piece of the original filter material to fit, then pressed on the blue anodized valve cap with my vice. It works beautifully.

The third pic shows that I aligned the switch controls so they're all straight, and stick out approximately the same distance.

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I looked at the plastic-molded USB/front audio ports for several minutes, figuring out how I'd mount it to the inside of the control panel. I considered removing the 2 audio ports entirely, because I never use them anyway. I only want the USB ports. If I cut off the 2 audio ports, that would only leave one mounting hole for the USB ports. Probably that'd work good enough, but I want it to be more solid than that.

Then the obvious solution came to me: I'd cut off *one* of the audio ports, and the remaining existing audio port would be my other mounting hole for the USB ports! I'll cut it where I've indicated in the picture, then I'll fill the port hole with epoxy, drill it to the diameter I'll need for a self-tapping screw, and color the whole thing with my black Sharpie. Then all I need to do is remove a rectangular hole for the USB port, file it smooth, and screw it in place...and the control panel will be finito.

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I'm spending a good deal of time planning how to mount my cathodes. Depending on the effect you're looking for, especially if you're trying to make some UV-reactive stuff glow, you have to position cathodes in optimal locations. Also, if possible, you don't want the cathode tube to be directly visible, either. Lastly, you want to hide the inverter box(es) and cables as best as possible.

I never use the included Velcro tape, because some months later, it always comes off. The Velcro parts stay stuck, but the cheap adhesive tape that cathode manufacturers use almost always comes unstuck from whatever your surface is. I always try to use zip-ties to keep things where I want them, more or less permanently.

This project uses four 12" cathode tubes: 3 in the main part of the case, and 1 on the back side, illuminating the fish separately. At least 3 out of 4 cathode tubes will not be visible through the side window. One of them, well...it's not possible to hide it, I'll have to see later on how things look.

This particular cathode I'm referring to, I figured a way to mount it vertically, alongside the 5.25" drive caddy. It's going to illuminate the front fan, the rear fan, the anglerfish, and (hopefully) get some UV light onto the CPU fan and large window fan. I figured out a way to mount the inverter box so that the connectors from both the rear-side cathode and this vertical cathode easily connect to it. It's perfectly invisible--because I located the inverter box on the back side of the chassis, stuffed neat and tight alongside the 3.5" drive caddy.

I used a round needle file to file a rounded "notch" in the cathode end cap so that it'll fit snugly against the rolled edge of the 5.25" drive caddy with some zip-ties.

Since the UV cathode control panel will be mounted in the bottom 5.25" bay, it'll be quite easy to route the single yellow/black power wires out the back of the caddy to the inverter box, and nobody can see it.

My advice for routing cabling for the cleanest look is simply to do each component one at a time. Find the best way to route your devices individually. If you see that you can route things in the same path, zip-tie them together or use sleeving to group them.

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I wasn't liking how the vertical cathode was sitting yesterday, and I wanted to do something a little more pimpin' than just using zip-ties and Velcro tape. That's just too Mickey-Mouse for a truly pimp case. I had this black meshed metal lying around, so I decided to make some custom cathode mounting brackets. This metal is fairly rigid, but also easy enough to bend with a vice and needle-nose pliers, plus it can be adjusted after installation with a little bending.

I cut out rectangular strips of the metal, filed it smooth, and colored the bare metal edges with black Sharpie. I made a curled edge on one side, inside which I'll have the cathode tube. I drilled some holes in the metal that aligned with some existing hard drive mounting holes, and got a few black self-tapping screws and bolted the brackets in. I slipped the right-side cathode in the curled edges, then bent the curls tight around the cathode tube. These mounts also allowed me to move the cathode more rear-ward (towards the HSF) so I could get better lighting of the braided cables, HSF, and eventually the big window fan.

The rear cathode was mounted at the top by drilling an extra hole in the top corner of the 120mm fan, so that I could run a zip-tie through the existing and added holes, and around the cathode tube. For the bottom mount, I made an L-shaped piece with the same meshed metal, drilled 3 holes in it (2 for mounting to the rear of the chassis with some black thumbscrews & rubber washers, and 1 for a zip-tie), to secure the lower half of the cathode tube.

This mount also allowed me to angle the cathode in a way that I expect will get better illumination of the window fan. All the ends of the cathodes with the cables sticking out, are facing downward, right next to the case floor, where they won't obstruct the intake airflow.

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This afternoon, I worked on the control panel, modding in a pair of front USB ports. I began by using the rotary tool to cut off a piece of the original beige USB/audio wire headers. I removed one of the audio ports, then snipped off the two wire leads going to the audio connectors to the mobo, which I won't be using. I'm only interested in the USB ports. The extra audio port, as mentioned before, will be used as a second mounting hole.

I re-measured where I was going to mount the USB ports, deciding on a vertical alignment. This also leaves room for one more switch or whatever, on the right side, for future expansion (though I doubt I'll mount anything there anyway). I busted out the rotary tool again and removed the square piece from the metal mesh bay cover, then filed the edges smooth. I drilled 2 holes for the mounting screws, then used an X-Acto knife & fine scissors to cut out holes in the underlying filter material.

Before mounting the USB ports, I again used the Sharpie to blacken any potentially visible bare-metal edges.

I changed my mind about using epoxy cement to fill in the hole of the audio port, then drilling a hole for a self-tapping screw. I decided to go with long bolts, washers & nuts. After mounting the USB header, I cut down the excess bolt lengths with the rotary tool.

The finished control panel looks really cool and very unique!

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Now that the front bezel is pretty much finished, it was time to carefully figure out my wire routing. I need power leads going to both cathode connectors, the side tube lights for "power on", and the front glowing power ring in the custom case badge. I also need to route the cable going to the front fan switch, 2 wires from the cathode inverter boxes to the control panel, route the HDD activity lead from the light tubes to the mobo, hide the double USB cables that run to the mobo, and then connect the red "Eye of the Deep" (nickname seems fitting for the red glow when the DVD drive is active) to the case badge too. The "Eye" mod looks just awesome. It's just like black glass when the power is off, you can't see anything happening. But when either the blue ring is glowing (anytime the power is on), and/or the red "eye" is glowing (DVD is active), they appear out of nowhere. It's quite a cool effect that I might make you all wait for the project completion to show finished pics of it.

Hmm...did I forget anything?

Anyway, I began by neatly clumping up the groups of wires that'll mostly sit on the bottom floor of the 5.25" drive caddy, which all connect to the control panel on the bezel. I also made a tidy-looking power cable that will power the four 3mm UV LEDs that will make the "Power On" blue ring glow.

I also had to test the eject button of the pre-stealthed drive bezel, making sure it lined up over the DVD's eject button.

I took a pic of the finished front bezel. It's amazing how clean and simple it is, considering the complexity of the "currents flowing down below". I'm really happy with the simplicity of the front bezel.

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As I mentioned before, I don't trust the cheap double-sided tapes/Velcro tapes that are included with cathode kits. Months later, the cathodes almost always come loose, sometimes with disastrous results. So, I always make sure to secure them more safely/permanently with zip-ties.

I drilled a few small holes in the red acrylic floor to affix the floor-mount cathode in the best location for my lighting effects. To prevent acrylic shavings from messing up my clean interior, I stuck on a thick piece of masking tape just below where I'd be drilling, with a 90-degree fold, so that the sticky side is up. The shavings that get through fall onto the sticky side like flies to flypaper, and you just remove the tape with the shavings and toss it out.

I then used the orangey UV-reactive zip-ties that were part of my $50 allowance for goodies for this case, but I found they glowed WAY too much, it's like they're LEDs almost! It seems to interfere with the rest of the interior lighting, so I'll be swapping them out for plain-Jane black zip-ties.

I also took a teaser shot. The case is nearing completion after many months, I only have to build a top control panel for the Power/Reset switches, and route those tiny cables to the mobo headers. The cabling is sooo tidy in this interior, because most of the "ugly stuff" is beneath the mobo or behind my angler-fish panel. (Both cathode inverters are tucked away there.)

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Well, here's a much belated non-update. This computer is still my primary rig, it looks incredible, but I still haven't figured out what the hell to do with the top panel, with the power/reset buttons. A combination of a lack of time (being a first-time homeowner since June 2007 means almost no time for me) and getting back into drumming in a big way has left this case in a state of suspended animation.

I think I'll upload some pics of the top, maybe someone has some ideas how I might complete this beast.

Cheers all!