Monday, April 30, 2012

CPU Case Window Mod

Many high-end CPU cases come with cool windows through which you can see the guts of the computer. Mine is a low-end case, which gave me an opportunity to make my own.

I taped off the cover and used a dremel tool to cut out the shape I wanted.


Even after sanding, the edges are still rough and sharp, so I added plastic u-channel around the frame.

The plexiglass is cut to the rough shape of the opening. It's okay if the plexiglass is too large for the opening, as long as it rests flat. In my case, I had to cut around the handle indentation for it to fit.

Without extra lighting, there won't be much to look at once it's reassembled. I've built an LED array controlled by a little microcontroller circuit. The whole thing is powered by the PC's power supply and will slowly fade in and out in a cool electric blue. After this step, the plexiglass protective sheet can be peeled off and everything reassembled.


Reassembled, it looks pretty good. It's fun to watch the blue fade in and out.



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