Computer Modifications

2»

Comments

  • Marik_SteeleMarik_Steele To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
    edited September 2003
    <!--QuoteBegin--Burncycle+Sep 19 2003, 01:14 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Burncycle @ Sep 19 2003, 01:14 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> What's a stealth drive?  [...] <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Making your CD-rom drives "stealth" drives is one of the cheapest, most instant-gratification mods you can do. You know how if you get a case, before installing any optical drives in the drive bays, the case comes with plastic drive bay covers? The goal of the mod is to make all of your drive bays look like that -- even if there's really a drive there. When you want to pop the tray out, press the plate in and (if you've done it right) the optical drive's eject button will get pushed, revealing the drive as normal.

    Typically, all it requires is:
    A drive bay cover (which comes with the case)
    An eraser head (to push the button)
    Scotch tape (to make sure the eraser head stays in the right place to push the button)
    A screwdriver (both to move the drive back about 1/4 inch and if necessary remove some of the optical drive's original faceplate, things needed to make the stealth mod flush with the rest of the front of the computer)
    And finally, some way of making sure the bay cover sticks onto the front of the CD tray. (I use strips adhesive on one side and velcro on the other so I can re-adjust or remove the bay cover as needed. I imagine some types of glue would work as well, but I'm sure you can see the disadvantages.)

    The only disadvantages I've found with the mod are that you can no longer see the activity LEDs (which for many people is part of the goal anyway, and doesn't matter for anyone who can hear the drive spinning), and you don't have easy access to any special feature the drive has on the front (such as a dedicated volume control or "play" button separate from the eject button.)
  • BurncycleBurncycle Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9759Members, NS1 Playtester
    thanks <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • TenSixTenSix Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7932Members
    Hm, I just got a new drill and a bunch of drill bits... and those fan holes are a bit small...

    Be back in 20...
  • Marik_SteeleMarik_Steele To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
    edited September 2003
    [continued from previous post]
    The following pics come from the first stealth mod tutorial I could find in a Google search, from forums.extremeoverclocking.com.
    <a href='http://members.home.nl/mist/DCP_0931s.JPG' target='_blank'>This pic shows an example of removing the drive's original faceplate.</a> The white part left is the tray, which in my case is what I put a velcro strip on. The companion velcro strip went on the drive bay cover I used. See how the plastic button on the original faceplate is located in the bottom right corner? Pressing that white plastic button on the original faceplate pushes the REAL button in turn. That's where you'd put an eraser head or equivalent to make sure that pressing the "stealth plate" presses the button. [edit]Whether you scotch tape the eraser head to the real semi-internal button vs. taping or gluing it to *just* the right place on the stealth plate is just a matter of personal preference and what works best. (You want it to work every time you press the general area, right?) I taped it to the inside of the stealth plate.[/edit]
    <a href='http://members.home.nl/mist/DCP_0916s.JPG' target='_blank'>This pic shows the final result.</a> This person did a particularly good job with it.
  • BlueNovemberBlueNovember hax Join Date: 2003-02-28 Member: 14137Members, Constellation
    edited September 2003
    Useful Mod contacts:

    <a href='http://www.atechfabrication.com' target='_blank'>http://www.atechfabrication.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.avsforum.com' target='_blank'>http://www.avsforum.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.cfide.com' target='_blank'>http://www.cfide.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.coolcasemods.com' target='_blank'>http://www.coolcasemods.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.crucial.com/uk' target='_blank'>http://www.crucial.com/uk</a>
    <a href='http://www.crystalfontz.com' target='_blank'>http://www.crystalfontz.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.gocyberlink.com' target='_blank'>http://www.gocyberlink.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.dabs.com' target='_blank'>http://www.dabs.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.evation.com' target='_blank'>http://www.evation.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.hauppauge.co.uk' target='_blank'>http://www.hauppauge.co.uk</a>
    <a href='http://www.hushtechnologies.com' target='_blank'>http://www.hushtechnologies.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.intolect.com' target='_blank'>http://www.intolect.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.kustompcs.co.uk' target='_blank'>http://www.kustompcs.co.uk</a>
    <a href='http://www.lcdc.cc' target='_blank'>http://www.lcdc.cc</a>
    <a href='http://www.quietpc.com' target='_blank'>http://www.quietpc.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.matrix-orbital.com' target='_blank'>http://www.matrix-orbital.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.mini-Itx.com' target='_blank'>http://www.mini-Itx.com</a> -Drool
    <a href='http://www.overclockers.co.uk' target='_blank'>http://www.overclockers.co.uk</a> -If only they were cheap...
    <a href='http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.html' target='_blank'>http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.html</a> -Edit: This has since crashed/ moved [/Edit]
    <a href='http://www.showshifter.com' target='_blank'>http://www.showshifter.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.snapstream.com' target='_blank'>http://www.snapstream.com</a>
    <a href='http://www.tranquilpc.co.uk' target='_blank'>http://www.tranquilpc.co.uk</a>
  • niknito123niknito123 Join Date: 2003-09-09 Member: 20681Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--BlueNovember+Sep 18 2003, 08:52 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (BlueNovember @ Sep 18 2003, 08:52 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Ok. Here we go:

    <img src='http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.10/images/FT_makeover_3.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

    <img src='http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.10/images/FT_makeover_6.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

    <img src='http://www.geocities.com/squalor_ed/coffee.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

    <img src='http://www.extremepcgamer.com/images/bluecasesm.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    wow. pc with coffee machine. I WANT ONE
  • ANeMANeM Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16267Members, Constellation
    Hmm.. Coffee machines in computers..
    Running HOT WATER though a computer.
    Yep. Sounds god damn brilliant to me.
    </sarcasm>
  • airyKairyK Join Date: 2002-12-19 Member: 11126Members
    I have a lian li pc-7b that i have plans for, i guarantee that it a natural - selection theme. heres a picture of my the case now and when that time comes i will post pictures of the final product.
  • BirdyBirdy Join Date: 2003-05-29 Member: 16825Members, Constellation
    <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • Cr-ckCr-ck Join Date: 2003-09-14 Member: 20873Members
    I bought a Premodded case from Enermax, Since i know adding a window would take alot of money,time and work.

    I built this PC in Janurary - So far i havnt done much "modding" then adding a new neon light,2 more fans,changing the face of those screws and adding some more pci cards. Which isnt really mods but anyways if your interested heres some specs:(remember this is year 2002 when i started to order parts)

    2.0AMD Anthlon XP+,512 MB Ram,80 GB which came to a total of about 700$

    After looking the pic you migh the asking yourself..Dark pic? Purple Lava lamp? Well no, Its blue but my camera sucked(till i got a new Canon Powershot)
    pc3.JPG 56.2K
  • DelarosaDelarosa Naturally Custom Join Date: 2002-11-29 Member: 10214Members, NS1 Playtester
    my stealthed CD rom drive...
  • ScinetScinet Join Date: 2003-01-19 Member: 12489Members, Constellation
    I'd love it if my computer looked like this:
    <img src='http://www.laborneun.com/forms03/review/5f55/images/DSC06036.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

    It's from 5F_55's gig setup. The guy's gig costume is also top notch:
    <img src='http://www.laborneun.com/forms03/review/5f55/images/DSC06055.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image'>

    Actually, if I ever want to make a mod, I'm gonna buy a big ol' used Roland synthesizer, the kind of that' absolutely ridiculously sized but only contains like a single GM soundbank. Then I'm gonna toss away all the useless crap from the inside, paint a flatscreen monitor black and mount it on top of the synth, and then build a working PC designed for audio applications inside the keyboard case. Then I'm gonna use a computer keyboard as an emulated input for a software synth and hit the stage. All this just to see people confused as to what exactly are the instruments I'm playing.
  • DelarosaDelarosa Naturally Custom Join Date: 2002-11-29 Member: 10214Members, NS1 Playtester
    ...and you thought i was making a joke about the girl thing....
    mod.jpg 31.7K
  • BlueNovemberBlueNovember hax Join Date: 2003-02-28 Member: 14137Members, Constellation
    Now what would really impress the ladies is a car PC mod.

    Being able to pull down the sun-shield to get a touch-screen LCD. Nice. 15.3 surround sound. Yeah.
Sign In or Register to comment.