Posts Tagged ‘ mods ’

“Project CF” – Playing with Carbon Fiber Film and the ATCS 840


For the last couple of months (has it really been that long), we’ve been working on our gaming PC built in the classic Cooler Master ATCS 840.  We installed our hardware, then charted a series of CPU cooling upgrades:  We replaced the stock CPU heat sink with the Cooler Master V6 GT; we then lapped both the V6 GT and our CPU; we further optimized the V6 GT’s aerodynamics and got further incremental performance improvements there; finally, we installed a custom water cooling system in the ATCS 840.  That’s a rather significant series of upgrades, and really what we’ve done is demonstrated a typical upgrade cycle a custom PC constructor would make with his/her machine.

This week we’ll do something a heck of a lot simpler, but no less rewarding.  I’ll be teaching you about one more way to make your custom PC truly unique.  It’s a purely cosmetic modification which endows no performance benefits.  It will, however, help set your custom PC apart from everyone else’s.

We’ll be playing with some carbon fiber film this week.

Read on to learn how to apply this material to your PC. Read more

2011
11/02
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CATEGORY
Case Builds/Mods
How To
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Cooling Upgrade, Phase 3: Aerodynamic Experiments (V6 GT)

Last week I showed you how to lap both your CPU IHS and your CPU cooler’s base so that both surfaces are flat, thereby improving thermal performance.

However, lapping is what I would classify a “destructive” modification, in that it’s a risky procedure.  You perform the mod fully accepting that there is the very real risk of you damaging or destroying either your CPU or your CPU cooler, or maybe even both.  Not only that, but you also relinquish all warranty claims once you start down the path of lapping either component.  Finally, you also have to just accept and understand that lapping does not guarantee that the mod will yield as big a gain as you might hope.  I’ve lapped many CPUs and heat sinks, but there is a variance in effectiveness in doing the procedure.  In most cases, I got at least 4°C improvement; however, I’ve also had situations where no amount of lapping yielded any noticeable improvement to your CPU temperatures at maximum load.  When it comes to most things in performance computing, the old adage is always true:  YMMV (“Your mileage may vary”).

This week, I’ll show you one more modification you can try on your CPU cooler. Read more

2011
10/12
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Case Builds/Mods
How To
1 comment

Cable Managing the CM 690 II Advanced – Redux

The CM 690 II Advanced is a stunner – no doubt about it. Among cases, few can match its chiseled lines, smooth curves, and daunting appearance. However, that can only be matched by a cable management setup that will complement the 690 II’s beauty. It expects no less from you, the enthusiast!

And yes, before you say anything, I know that a guide such as this has been done before. However, I believe that my setup is more representative of a 690 II that you will find out in the real world, far beyond the labs back at Cooler Master HQ. Thus, this should give you a much better perspective on how to best manage your cables in your 690 II.

Let’s get started, shall we?

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2011
08/05
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Case Builds/Mods
How To
7 comments

CM Blog Interviews: Triple-boot OS Xbox Pro Modder Will Urbina

I tracked down a modder many of you are likely familiar with. He was thrust in to the spotlight some time ago by winning a Newegg video competition. His video submission was a video work log that showed him stripping down and completely rebuilding a Microsoft Xbox developer kit system into a triple-boot computer running Windows, Ubuntu, and Mac OS. The mod, in of itself, was impressive enough, but what really set it off was that he was able to utilize his video production abilities to make a 10 minute work log video compelling and interesting. Read more

2011
03/25
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Case Builds/Mods
Interviews
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Featured Forum Case Build: Tron’ish Inspired ATCS 840

I must admit that I’m very interested in seeing the new Tron. That’s what led me to post this somewhat old ATCS 840 mod from March of this year. The design seems to have a bit of a Tron aesthetic without doing so deliberately.

This mod comes from Magnus Persson over at Bit-tech.net. It’s a pretty slick build with many beautiful photos. I know it’s not exactly Tron, but it sure does loosely remind me of it. Maybe I’ve taken some liberties here or perhaps I’ve gone crazy. What do you think?

2010
12/09
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CATEGORY
Case Builds/Mods
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