% Customized computer cases % David Parsons % Thu Jan 17 14:53:55 PST 2008 #Homemade computer cases & casemods I've been building some custom computer cases over the last few years because I'm not overly happy with the look of the ones you can find in shops. I started simply modding existing cases (in 1992, I marbleized a mini-tower case and put a handle on it to make it, um, "portable") and eventually starting building them from scratch. > [[![The Factory Case](Factory/001-sm.jpg =400x300)](Factory/)](class:starboard) > > ##[The Factory Case](Factory/)## > Built out of **Design Preservation Models** modular wall parts wrapped > around a VIA EPIA5000 mini-ITX motherboard.
> [[![The oggOmatic](mini/jukebox_finished.jpg =375x286)](mini/)](class:port) > > ##[The oggOmatic](mini/)## > This little box will cache all of our music so we can play it in > any room of our house without carrying around a box full of CDs. > It contains an EPIA 5000, a _quietquietquiet_ Fujitsu hard > drive, Berkeley Unix, and all of our music.
> [[![The Glass PC]( glassPC/GlassPC03.jpg =439x322)](glassPC/)](class:starboard) > > ##[The Glass PC](glassPC/) > I built this box to use some pieces of colored glass I bought at > [SCRAP](http://www.scrapaction.org). I'm not exactly > sure what I'll use it for (perhaps a music server for the living > room; it fits the craftsman style better than the oggOmatic), > but it's a pretty little PC that doesn't look much like one.
> [[![ELECTRIC PICTURE FRAME!](new_sbc_case.jpg =400x300)](pictureframe.html)](class:port) > > ##[The Electric Picture Frame](pictureframe.html)## > This case was done for me on commission, and so was the pictureframe. > The electronics were ripped out of a point-of-sale terminal, and the > final product runs [Mastodon](/Mastodon/).
> [[![The Goldbug](Silas+goldbug.jpg =300x288)](goldbug.html)](class:starboard) > > ##[The Goldbug](goldbug.html)## > A simple casemod. This is an elderly e-machines micro-ATX case > that's been modded with many coats of gold paint, acoustic matting, > and a nice quiet Papst fan. It's nicely insulated and fairly > quiet, but it's still too loud for my ears.
> [[![GLOWY SERVER CASE](servercase/glowyservercase_t.jpg =299x171)](glowyserver/)](class:port) > > ##[The glowy server case](glowyserver/)## > A handmade aluminum server case with an illuminated power switch.