Thinking "out of the box" when building a PC

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?

Beyond cable lengths, it occurred to me that perhaps rotating parts
like CD and especially disk drives need to rotate in a horizontal
plane in order to have a symmetric load on the bearings. Is this
true? I've seen PCs in the past with disk drives mounted vertically,
and one of them was quite new (although it failed for other reasons
later on--it was pretty cheap). Do disk drives have to be mounted in
only certain orientations?

Another concern might be EMI, but if you had a metal mesh enclosure or
something around the machine that you could close and ground, wouldn't
that stop EMI? Does anyone really have much trouble with EMI, anyway?

Anyway, what I picture is a sort of vast PC with tons of room between
components, almost like a huge rack in the style of old mainframes
into which you could easily stick your arm if you had to replace
something. Current cases are so cramped that one must pay careful
attention not to break anything when removing or adding parts, and the
air circulation never seems to be anywhere close to ideal.

Maybe something that fits under a desktop (literally) would work.
You'd have a hinged door on the desktop, and when you lift it up, you
have your PC components all nicely mounted in a roomy enclosure with
plenty of space to maintain or upgrade them, and powerful silent fans
to keep the whole thing comfortably cool. It would be the opposite of
a laptop: instead of trying to squeeze everything into the smallest
possible space, you'd be spreading it out into a very large and
accessible place that could potentially give you years of easy and
trouble-free use--and could be discreet enough that people wouldn't
even know that you had a PC (out of sight, and out of sound).

I've seen companies that build special furniture to receive a PC, but
it's always just a spot into which a standard cabinet can be fitted.
I haven't found anyone who builds PCs directly into furniture, walls,
etc.

Maybe there's no much demand for easy access. I'm the type who would
like to see subfloors and false ceilings with open cable trays and
access

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

In article <ag5fd11el6b453gall1ms4djr4enpfrf8p@4ax.com>,
Mxsmanic <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote:
>More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
>what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
>why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
>wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
>something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
>of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
>does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
>respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?
>
>Beyond cable lengths, it occurred to me that perhaps rotating parts
>like CD and especially disk drives need to rotate in a horizontal
>plane in order to have a symmetric load on the bearings. Is this
>true? I've seen PCs in the past with disk drives mounted vertically,
>and one of them was quite new (although it failed for other reasons
>later on--it was pretty cheap). Do disk drives have to be mounted in
>only certain orientations?
>
>Another concern might be EMI, but if you had a metal mesh enclosure or
>something around the machine that you could close and ground, wouldn't
>that stop EMI? Does anyone really have much trouble with EMI, anyway?
>
>Anyway, what I picture is a sort of vast PC with tons of room between
>components, almost like a huge rack in the style of old mainframes
>into which you could easily stick your arm if you had to replace
>something. Current cases are so cramped that one must pay careful
>attention not to break anything when removing or adding parts, and the
>air circulation never seems to be anywhere close to ideal.
>

Have a ball. I think FCC regs and even safety regulations (or at
least company lawyers worrying about lawsuits) limit cases to the
boring, as you have noted.

As for taste, nobody's going to make a PC in a way that only one
person likes.



--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ag5fd11el6b453gall1ms4djr4enpfrf8p@4ax.com...
> More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
> what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
> why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
> wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
> something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
> of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
> does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
> respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?
>
> Beyond cable lengths, it occurred to me that perhaps rotating parts
> like CD and especially disk drives need to rotate in a horizontal
> plane in order to have a symmetric load on the bearings. Is this
> true? I've seen PCs in the past with disk drives mounted vertically,
> and one of them was quite new (although it failed for other reasons
> later on--it was pretty cheap). Do disk drives have to be mounted in
> only certain orientations?
>
> Another concern might be EMI, but if you had a metal mesh enclosure or
> something around the machine that you could close and ground, wouldn't
> that stop EMI? Does anyone really have much trouble with EMI, anyway?
>
> Anyway, what I picture is a sort of vast PC with tons of room between
> components, almost like a huge rack in the style of old mainframes
> into which you could easily stick your arm if you had to replace
> something. Current cases are so cramped that one must pay careful
> attention not to break anything when removing or adding parts, and the
> air circulation never seems to be anywhere close to ideal.
>
> Maybe something that fits under a desktop (literally) would work.
> You'd have a hinged door on the desktop, and when you lift it up, you
> have your PC components all nicely mounted in a roomy enclosure with
> plenty of space to maintain or upgrade them, and powerful silent fans
> to keep the whole thing comfortably cool. It would be the opposite of
> a laptop: instead of trying to squeeze everything into the smallest
> possible space, you'd be spreading it out into a very large and
> accessible place that could potentially give you years of easy and
> trouble-free use--and could be discreet enough that people wouldn't
> even know that you had a PC (out of sight, and out of sound).
>
> I've seen companies that build special furniture to receive a PC, but
> it's always just a spot into which a standard cabinet can be fitted.
> I haven't found anyone who builds PCs directly into furniture, walls,
> etc.
>
> Maybe there's no much demand for easy access. I'm the type who would
> like to see subfloors and false ceilings with open cable trays and
> access

I built a case out of 1" stock (wood) with laminated plywood set in grooves
for side panels that just slide out from the front. I use it for testing
purposes at my work bench. It hangs by woodscrews under one end of my bench.
The main problem I had was the rear panel (scavenged from a case I had
setting around) and the on/off and reset switches which I also scavenged and
cut holes to match. Never thought much about EMI since I use a completely
open wooden board for testing MBs, PSUs interior components etc. I could
stain it and mount it pretty much anywhere if I wanted and it would not look
much like a PC. I use it for testing printers, USB devices and other
externals mainly. It has 802.11g so it is very functional and I have posted
here from it while working. It is an old FCPGA P3-700 @ 933 and stays nice
and cool running W2K. My workspace is small and bench room is at a premium,
but I guess I could have done the same thing with an old case I already had.
All the components are easy to get to and change since my bench is fairly
high and it is mounted with the left side panel to the front. I just have
two 80mm fans in the case and an old Golden Orb for CPU cooling. The main
drawback is that if your time is valuable, it would probably be more cost
effective to purchase a case............ On the positive side, you can
build it the way you want and make things very easy to swap out.

Ed

 

[Clyde]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Mxsmanic wrote:
> More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
> what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
> why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
> wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
> something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
> of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
> does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
> respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?
>
> Beyond cable lengths, it occurred to me that perhaps rotating parts
> like CD and especially disk drives need to rotate in a horizontal
> plane in order to have a symmetric load on the bearings. Is this
> true? I've seen PCs in the past with disk drives mounted vertically,
> and one of them was quite new (although it failed for other reasons
> later on--it was pretty cheap). Do disk drives have to be mounted in
> only certain orientations?
>
> Another concern might be EMI, but if you had a metal mesh enclosure or
> something around the machine that you could close and ground, wouldn't
> that stop EMI? Does anyone really have much trouble with EMI, anyway?
>
> Anyway, what I picture is a sort of vast PC with tons of room between
> components, almost like a huge rack in the style of old mainframes
> into which you could easily stick your arm if you had to replace
> something. Current cases are so cramped that one must pay careful
> attention not to break anything when removing or adding parts, and the
> air circulation never seems to be anywhere close to ideal.
>
> Maybe something that fits under a desktop (literally) would work.
> You'd have a hinged door on the desktop, and when you lift it up, you
> have your PC components all nicely mounted in a roomy enclosure with
> plenty of space to maintain or upgrade them, and powerful silent fans
> to keep the whole thing comfortably cool. It would be the opposite of
> a laptop: instead of trying to squeeze everything into the smallest
> possible space, you'd be spreading it out into a very large and
> accessible place that could potentially give you years of easy and
> trouble-free use--and could be discreet enough that people wouldn't
> even know that you had a PC (out of sight, and out of sound).
>
> I've seen companies that build special furniture to receive a PC, but
> it's always just a spot into which a standard cabinet can be fitted.
> I haven't found anyone who builds PCs directly into furniture, walls,
> etc.
>
> Maybe there's no much demand for easy access. I'm the type who would
> like to see subfloors and false ceilings with open cable trays and
> access

Once in "Maximum PC" I saw pictures and descriptions about a guy who
build his PC in a desk. All the parts were in different drawers. Yes,
there were mods to the desk and wiring considerations. He had to make it
to get air in there for cooling, but found that separating all the hot
parts kept things pretty cool anyway.

I thought that was pretty cool.

Hey, look around on the Web. There are a lot of people that have done
some creative and/or crazy things.

Clyde

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Mxsmanic, <mxsmanic@gmail.com>, the pearl necklace-wearing, susurrant
festered sore, and keeper of the kitchen cupboard, whimpered:

> More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
> what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
> why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
> wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
> something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
> of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
> does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
> respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?
>
> Beyond cable lengths, it occurred to me that perhaps rotating parts
> like CD and especially disk drives need to rotate in a horizontal
> plane in order to have a symmetric load on the bearings. Is this
> true? I've seen PCs in the past with disk drives mounted vertically,
> and one of them was quite new (although it failed for other reasons
> later on--it was pretty cheap). Do disk drives have to be mounted in
> only certain orientations?
>
> Another concern might be EMI, but if you had a metal mesh enclosure or
> something around the machine that you could close and ground, wouldn't
> that stop EMI? Does anyone really have much trouble with EMI, anyway?
>
> Anyway, what I picture is a sort of vast PC with tons of room between
> components, almost like a huge rack in the style of old mainframes
> into which you could easily stick your arm if you had to replace
> something. Current cases are so cramped that one must pay careful
> attention not to break anything when removing or adding parts, and the
> air circulation never seems to be anywhere close to ideal.
>
> Maybe something that fits under a desktop (literally) would work.
> You'd have a hinged door on the desktop, and when you lift it up, you
> have your PC components all nicely mounted in a roomy enclosure with
> plenty of space to maintain or upgrade them, and powerful silent fans
> to keep the whole thing comfortably cool. It would be the opposite of
> a laptop: instead of trying to squeeze everything into the smallest
> possible space, you'd be spreading it out into a very large and
> accessible place that could potentially give you years of easy and
> trouble-free use--and could be discreet enough that people wouldn't
> even know that you had a PC (out of sight, and out of sound).
>
> I've seen companies that build special furniture to receive a PC, but
> it's always just a spot into which a standard cabinet can be fitted.
> I haven't found anyone who builds PCs directly into furniture, walls,
> etc.
>
> Maybe there's no much demand for easy access. I'm the type who would
> like to see subfloors and false ceilings with open cable trays and
> access

Why not use a refrigerator as your case, it has a handy light when you open
the door. Your components would be as cool as you wanted and you could keep
your beers in there too.

--
For my own part, I have never had a thought which I could not set down
in words with even more distinctness than that with which I conceived
it. There is, however, a class of fancies of exquisite delicacy which
are not thoughts, and to which as yet I have found it absolutely
impossible to adapt to language. These fancies arise in the soul, alas
how rarely. Only at epochs of most intense tranquillity, when the
bodily and mental health are in perfection. And at those weird points
of time, where the confines of the waking world blend with the world of
dreams. And so I captured this fancy, where all that we see, or seem,
is but a dream within a dream.

 

[kyle]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Check this case, or lack there of, out!!!!!

http://www.extremetech.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1205,l=&s=1005&a=130781&po=10,00.asp

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Legally in the U.S. a computer has to have a metal case because otherwise it
outputs powerful RF signals which will interfere with your neighbors
electronics, according to the FCC. Also you would be picking up loads of
interference on your computer's internal signal cables since they are not
shielded cables by design.
In other words, no go.

--
DaveW



"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ag5fd11el6b453gall1ms4djr4enpfrf8p@4ax.com...
> More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
> what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
> why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
> wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
> something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
> of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
> does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
> respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?
>
> Beyond cable lengths, it occurred to me that perhaps rotating parts
> like CD and especially disk drives need to rotate in a horizontal
> plane in order to have a symmetric load on the bearings. Is this
> true? I've seen PCs in the past with disk drives mounted vertically,
> and one of them was quite new (although it failed for other reasons
> later on--it was pretty cheap). Do disk drives have to be mounted in
> only certain orientations?
>
> Another concern might be EMI, but if you had a metal mesh enclosure or
> something around the machine that you could close and ground, wouldn't
> that stop EMI? Does anyone really have much trouble with EMI, anyway?
>
> Anyway, what I picture is a sort of vast PC with tons of room between
> components, almost like a huge rack in the style of old mainframes
> into which you could easily stick your arm if you had to replace
> something. Current cases are so cramped that one must pay careful
> attention not to break anything when removing or adding parts, and the
> air circulation never seems to be anywhere close to ideal.
>
> Maybe something that fits under a desktop (literally) would work.
> You'd have a hinged door on the desktop, and when you lift it up, you
> have your PC components all nicely mounted in a roomy enclosure with
> plenty of space to maintain or upgrade them, and powerful silent fans
> to keep the whole thing comfortably cool. It would be the opposite of
> a laptop: instead of trying to squeeze everything into the smallest
> possible space, you'd be spreading it out into a very large and
> accessible place that could potentially give you years of easy and
> trouble-free use--and could be discreet enough that people wouldn't
> even know that you had a PC (out of sight, and out of sound).
>
> I've seen companies that build special furniture to receive a PC, but
> it's always just a spot into which a standard cabinet can be fitted.
> I haven't found anyone who builds PCs directly into furniture, walls,
> etc.
>
> Maybe there's no much demand for easy access. I'm the type who would
> like to see subfloors and false ceilings with open cable trays and
> access

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Matt writes:

> Find a case that is easy to open and that supports easy changing of
> components.

Does anyone make such cases? Most of them seem to be designed for
looks or compact size rather than maintenance or cooling.

 

[Chris]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

> More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
> what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
> why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
> wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
> something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
> of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
> does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
> respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects.asp

 

[JohnS]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Ideally, a properly built PC would be about the size of a Readers
Digest
book. It would have a small transmitter-receiver for a remote keypad
and mouse, and probably be kept on a shelf or coffee table in my
living room. It would talk remotely to at least 3 monitor-TVs located
in my home office, living room entertainment center, and monitor at
work. Inside, it would have 40 terabytes of battery backed ram, and
that is the only storage medium it would need. The OS and all
programs would be in permanent ROM. No matter where I went, I
could talk to it, and it would answer in a sexy female voice that
would make my wife, and all my girlfriends insanely jealous. I
would even be able to "think" to it during quizzes and exams.
I would never have to work ....

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Mxsmanic wrote:
> More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
> what prevents someone from building a PC with no case? For example,
> why couldn't you, say, build some sort of wooden mounting area into a
> wall or a desk, then mount all the components to it, so that you have
> something that blends into the furniture and/or something with plenty
> of open space to ease maintenance and keep the machine cooler? Why
> does everything always have to be in a cramped box? As long as you
> respect things like cable lengths, are there other limitations?
>
> Beyond cable lengths, it occurred to me that perhaps rotating parts
> like CD and especially disk drives need to rotate in a horizontal
> plane in order to have a symmetric load on the bearings. Is this
> true? I've seen PCs in the past with disk drives mounted vertically,
> and one of them was quite new (although it failed for other reasons
> later on--it was pretty cheap). Do disk drives have to be mounted in
> only certain orientations?
>
> Another concern might be EMI, but if you had a metal mesh enclosure or
> something around the machine that you could close and ground, wouldn't
> that stop EMI? Does anyone really have much trouble with EMI, anyway?
>
> Anyway, what I picture is a sort of vast PC with tons of room between
> components, almost like a huge rack in the style of old mainframes
> into which you could easily stick your arm if you had to replace
> something. Current cases are so cramped that one must pay careful
> attention not to break anything when removing or adding parts, and the
> air circulation never seems to be anywhere close to ideal.
>
> Maybe something that fits under a desktop (literally) would work.
> You'd have a hinged door on the desktop, and when you lift it up, you
> have your PC components all nicely mounted in a roomy enclosure with
> plenty of space to maintain or upgrade them, and powerful silent fans
> to keep the whole thing comfortably cool. It would be the opposite of
> a laptop: instead of trying to squeeze everything into the smallest
> possible space, you'd be spreading it out into a very large and
> accessible place that could potentially give you years of easy and
> trouble-free use--and could be discreet enough that people wouldn't
> even know that you had a PC (out of sight, and out of sound).
>
> I've seen companies that build special furniture to receive a PC, but
> it's always just a spot into which a standard cabinet can be fitted.
> I haven't found anyone who builds PCs directly into furniture, walls,
> etc.
>
> Maybe there's no much demand for easy access. I'm the type who would
> like to see subfloors and false ceilings with open cable trays and
> access

Have you taken the time to explore case mod websites? Do a google search
for "case mod" and go from there. Some of the competitions and how-to
guides that can be found are very impressive!

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

spodosaurus writes:

> Have you taken the time to explore case mod websites? Do a google search
> for "case mod" and go from there. Some of the competitions and how-to
> guides that can be found are very impressive!

I didn't know what to look for; I was searching on "customized cases"
and things like that. "Case mod" does indeed pull up a flotilla of
sites. Most of them seem to be in the fantasy category (from my point
of view), but at least it's a starting point. Somebody somewhere
probably has more pragmatic "mods" to show. Thanks for the pointer.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Mxsmanic wrote:
> Matt writes:
>
>
>>Find a case that is easy to open and that supports easy changing of
>>components.
>
>
> Does anyone make such cases? Most of them seem to be designed for
> looks or compact size rather than maintenance or cooling.

You can hire someone to make just about anything...

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

DaveW writes:

> Legally in the U.S. a computer has to have a metal case because otherwise it
> outputs powerful RF signals which will interfere with your neighbors
> electronics, according to the FCC.

I've never seen interference from a PC with the covers off. Have you?

I've heard that cell phones can bring down servers and vice versa, but
I've not personally experienced that, either.

In any case, if you really do see any EMI, you can put some sort of
mesh around the PC and prevent it. But I don't see why a PC would be
any worse for EMI than a TV set, and TV sets are typically in plastic
cases, not metal cases.

> Also you would be picking up loads of
> interference on your computer's internal signal cables since they are not
> shielded cables by design.

Here again, any examples? I know this can happen in theory; it
doesn't seem to happen much in practice.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 13:07:26 +0200, Mxsmanic
<mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote:

>More and more, as I look at prefabricated cases for PCs, I ask myself:
>what prevents someone from building a PC with no case?

Apathy?

That a decent case is "good enough"?

That the return, benefit from such a case is often less than
the effort in making it?

Because there are some novel products out there for niches
like this,

http://www.svcompucycle.com/techstation-case.html

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ag5fd11el6b453gall1ms4djr4enpfrf8p@4ax.com...

> Maybe something that fits under a desktop (literally) would work.
> You'd have a hinged door on the desktop, and when you lift it up, you
> have your PC components all nicely mounted in a roomy enclosure with
> plenty of space to maintain or upgrade them, and powerful silent fans
> to keep the whole thing comfortably cool. It would be the opposite of
> a laptop: instead of trying to squeeze everything into the smallest
> possible space, you'd be spreading it out into a very large and
> accessible place that could potentially give you years of easy and
> trouble-free use--and could be discreet enough that people wouldn't
> even know that you had a PC (out of sight, and out of sound).

Actually, I'm working on something like this right now. I build computers,
and I build tables, so it seemed like a natural combination. What bothers
me most is the fact that there are only certain pieces of the computer that
really need to be cooled yet manufacturers lump them all into the same case
and go about trying to cool the whole thing. Also, I hate noisy little case
fans. The world has enough noise, yo.

It seems as though the most elegant solution would be to spread the
components out as far as cables would allow, then focus your cooling and
noise reduction efforts on the components that need those things. Well,
that's my solution at any rate.

I've actually had success with tacking all the components onto particle
board, then hanging that on the wall. It's sort of artistic or something...

I'm not sure about the RF deal-i-o because I've never experienced EMI. My
project is wood, so I'm looking into RF shieldng paint. Though, actually
learning to fabricate metal might be the cheaper way to go. Places that
sell the stuff generally also sell stuff that looks an awful lot like
chicken wire.

Ultimately, I'd like to build something that goes beneath a desktop but uses
nothing but laptop parts. I like the idea of being able to use quiet laptop
power supplies, and I'd like to mount bays to recieve removeable drives
(like most laptops have) inside the front edge of the table.

It's sort of a pet project of mine.

Quiet, unobtrusive, elegant, easy to work on, etc. etc. I'm not sure
exactly what folks have in mind when they design PCs, but I can tell you
that it certainly isn't any of those things.

The time for such design considerations is well overdue.

-John


> I've seen companies that build special furniture to receive a PC, but
> it's always just a spot into which a standard cabinet can be fitted.
> I haven't found anyone who builds PCs directly into furniture, walls,
> etc.
>
> Maybe there's no much demand for easy access. I'm the type who would
> like to see subfloors and false ceilings with open cable trays and
> access

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Pragmatic? Like this one built into a sofa.. (article is in finnish, but
there are a few pics...)

http://www.mikrobitti.fi/nettijatkot/2003/06/sohvaservo/


--
Tumppi
Reply to group
=================================================
Most learned on nntp://news.mircosoft.com
Helsinki, Finland (remove _NOSPAM)
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=================================================



"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> kirjoitti viestissä
news:jj2gd197vto8imngsv1a5888mlus8cmvfc@4ax.com...
> spodosaurus writes:
>
> > Have you taken the time to explore case mod websites? Do a google search
> > for "case mod" and go from there. Some of the competitions and how-to
> > guides that can be found are very impressive!
>
> I didn't know what to look for; I was searching on "customized cases"
> and things like that. "Case mod" does indeed pull up a flotilla of
> sites. Most of them seem to be in the fantasy category (from my point
> of view), but at least it's a starting point. Somebody somewhere
> probably has more pragmatic "mods" to show. Thanks for the pointer.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Thomas Wendell writes:

> Pragmatic? Like this one built into a sofa.. (article is in finnish, but
> there are a few pics...)

All of these are very cool, but I was thinking more along the lines of
PCs that are integrated into furniture in a business or home-office
environment, so that they don't take up space on the desk. Maybe
something in a discreet cabinet at the workstation.

I was also thinking of something that is highly maintainable. On
large commercial computer systems, for example, traditionally
everything has been in racks or bays that you can just pull out when
you need to upgrade or replace hardware. (Tandem used to be famous
for its ability to tolerate hardware changes even on a running
system.) So some sort of custom arrangement that actually allows you
to plug and unplug components would be cool. Ideally this would
include even the motherboard. Ultimately you could unsnap and replace
any individual part of the PC without building a new enclosure or
dealing with fastenings that aren't designed to be undone.

 

[Clyde]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Mxsmanic wrote:
> Thomas Wendell writes:
>
>
>>Pragmatic? Like this one built into a sofa.. (article is in finnish, but
>>there are a few pics...)
>
>
> All of these are very cool, but I was thinking more along the lines of
> PCs that are integrated into furniture in a business or home-office
> environment, so that they don't take up space on the desk. Maybe
> something in a discreet cabinet at the workstation.
>
> I was also thinking of something that is highly maintainable. On
> large commercial computer systems, for example, traditionally
> everything has been in racks or bays that you can just pull out when
> you need to upgrade or replace hardware. (Tandem used to be famous
> for its ability to tolerate hardware changes even on a running
> system.) So some sort of custom arrangement that actually allows you
> to plug and unplug components would be cool. Ideally this would
> include even the motherboard. Ultimately you could unsnap and replace
> any individual part of the PC without building a new enclosure or
> dealing with fastenings that aren't designed to be undone.

So... Do it! What's stopping you?

Clyde

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

John Effty writes:

> Quiet, unobtrusive, elegant, easy to work on, etc. etc. I'm not sure
> exactly what folks have in mind when they design PCs, but I can tell you
> that it certainly isn't any of those things.

That's what I was thinking. I personally don't mind having computers
whirring on both sides of me--I've been working with computers for
years--but I know a lot of people who don't particularly care for
computer hardware and might be much more willing to use computers if
the hardware itself were unobtrusive.

The current state of computer cases is rather like having only one
type of light to put in a home or office, a huge streetlamp in
battleship gray. Of course, in reality, we have an endless variety of
lighting fixtures that one can buy for home and office; nobody needs
to buy a giant streetlight to light something. But we have very
little variety in computer cases: they all tend to be big gray or
beige boxes.

The designs I've been looking at on sites pointed to by people here
move in the wrong direction: they make the PC a center of attention.
I'm looking for people who have designed PCs that blend into the room,
like a lighting fixture. Sure, there's a PC in the room, but you
don't really notice it because it fits so well with everything else.
The PC hardware could be tucked away in a cabinet or drawer, with
modular construction so pieces could just be unplugged and replaced as
necessary. All a computer-phobic user would actually see would be the
screen, keyboard, and mouse--and even these could be customized to
fold out of the way when not in use.

> The time for such design considerations is well overdue.

I agree ... and I think there's a huge market for it. I don't have
the skills to do it myself, but someone out there does, and it's money
waiting to be made. Plus, it will help more people to use computers,
since they won't be put off by big gray cases on their desks.

The Mac has occasionally moved in this direction, but it still has the
defect of making the computer a center of attention, instead of an
invisible servant. For non-geeks, PCs should be silent and invisible,
with only the necessary human interfaces being noticeable (screen,
keyboard, etc.).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Sat, 16 Jul 2005 12:29:48 +0200, Mxsmanic
<mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote:


>I'm looking for people who have designed PCs that blend into the room,
>like a lighting fixture.

Err, ok but then again there's probably someone out there
thinking "I want my lighting fixtures to blend into the
room", for them that too is another object to hide.

Stoves, refridgerators, etc- also appliances that don't need
hidden. If all you want is to just tuck it into a desk,
that's really not a big deal though, just a matter of taking
the time to do it. Get some sheet aluminum, a metal brake,
and a ruler. Fab some brackets and plates to screw down the
parts. Cut a hole or two for fans. You might save some
time making brackets and plates if you took an old ATX case
and sawed it up to use as templates.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

DL writes:

> Ya mean like this?
>
> http://www.squidly.com/php-cgi/Table-PC

Definitely a move in the right direction.

But still better would be a PC integrated into other furniture that
people already use, such as a nice desk in the office or home. The PC
should be no more obvious in the room than a power strip or discreet
room lighting.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Mxsmanic wrote:
> spodosaurus writes:
>
>
>>Have you taken the time to explore case mod websites? Do a google search
>>for "case mod" and go from there. Some of the competitions and how-to
>>guides that can be found are very impressive!
>
>
> I didn't know what to look for; I was searching on "customized cases"
> and things like that. "Case mod" does indeed pull up a flotilla of
> sites. Most of them seem to be in the fantasy category (from my point
> of view), but at least it's a starting point. Somebody somewhere
> probably has more pragmatic "mods" to show. Thanks for the pointer.

Add a word or two after case mod. Although this isn't really an example
of what you're wanting, "case mod wood" returned this, among many
others, offering of a skate board ramp that doubles as a very large
computer case

http://www.michaelbuffington.com/archives/2005/06/parabolic_heat.html

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my
neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in
hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone
marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow
transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor:
http://www.abmdr.org.au/
http://www.marrow.org/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Sat, 16 Jul 2005 12:06:06 +0200, Mxsmanic <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote:


>I was also thinking of something that is highly maintainable. On
>large commercial computer systems, for example, traditionally
>everything has been in racks or bays that you can just pull out when

I'm in total agreement with you, and I went through a period of searching
for something better myself.

I think PC cases were influenced by aircraft and military equipment
standards. For example, monitor cables screwed on to the video card with
slot head screws. Molex connectors and IDE ribbon cables are very tight to
survive high G forces, and can be a real pain to plug and unplug.

Personally, I would like to see a clamshell case with each component held in
with 1 or 2 thumb screws, or just snapped in.

I have a "mule" in my shop, consisting of an old MB, PS, HDD, FDD, Video
card, etc. all laid out on a bench. I can quickly swap and test components
with it. I really like working on my mule, and wish I had time to make it
prettier and actually use it for my personal machine.

When I have to work on my current personal machine, it causes me to get a
real high pucker factor. I hate climbing under my desk to unplug stuff, and
hate diving into all those cables.

I think we are ahead of our time. I think the industry is very slowly moving
in the direction of very accessible cases and very easy maintenance. Already
we are seeing nice roomy cases, more friendly mounting, nicer cables, etc.

Who knows what 5-10 years will bring? All these thoughts may be moot.
Perhaps the entire computer will be the size of a cigarette pack, and the
monitor can be unrolled like a big roll of wax paper and hung on the wall.

--
Bob

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 15:52:21 -0700, "DaveW" <none@zero.org> wrote:

>Legally in the U.S. a computer has to have a metal case because otherwise it
>outputs powerful RF signals which will interfere with your neighbors
>electronics, according to the FCC. Also you would be picking up loads of
>interference on your computer's internal signal cables since they are not
>shielded cables by design.
>In other words, no go.

The FCC rules apply to manufacturers, not hobbyists. FCC regs are overkill
anyway. Computers and TV's have come a long way since the original
regulations, and RFI did not develop into the problem it was once feared. In
other words, it's a go.

As for actual RFI problems, if it doesn't interfere with your own TV, it
will certainly not interfere with your neighbor's TV.
--
Bob