Morgan Rauscher | fun stuff computer case mods

Morgan Rauscher

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My 'Cool' Case Mods

Above is a video I created of me building “MIRAGE”. I build the entire case in one continuous stretch (real time - a couple of hours) just to demonstrate to all of you case modders out there that with a good plan you can execute any project easily.

Whenever I am modding, I like to start with a comprehensive plan. These 3-d models were designed to reflect the components of "MIRAGE", the mod I am showing here. "MIRAGE" is just one of many case-mods that I have built over the years, but I feel that the appropriate planning and execution of this project is one of my best.

The two above illustrations are of the hydration cooling units. On the left is a 3-d composite model of the fluid flow and cooling apparatus. On the right, you see the finished product, as built in the case. While I wouldn't recommend liquid cooling anymore, in early 2003 this was the state of the art cooling technique. These days, I would suggest using contact-specific gas coolants and closed loop cooling systems (as one would find in a standard air conditioning unit).

Here are two more views of the completed project, which I exhibited in an art critique at McMaster University. My reasoning behind discussing a case mod as an object of art is that within each case mod is a practical example of neo-futurist expressionism. By this I mean an object of technical function has been modified to be an artifact of expression, containing the mark of the person. What I show here is the outside of the case, and I also show the "innards" to demonstrate the mirrored design elements.

As with any good case design, it has to look cool in the dark. Practically, this is expressed by the use of neon and LED lights, both culturally identifiable as signifiers for technology. Below, I demonstrate a 3-d model of the next case mod I intend to build (if my wife will let me) where I will develop a super-cooled supercomputer. As you can see from the 3-d models I have already rendered (with realistic flooring representations from our place), it's going to be quite an undertaking. With four tera-plots, four quad-core systems working in tandem, and a sub-zero closed loop cooling interface, this will revolutionize my personal computing experience...