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Custom PC Mod of the Summer
Stuart Andrews takes a look at the fantastic entries in our ‘Mod of the Summer’ competition
Q: Fitting all that equipment into a relatively compact case can't have been easy? What were the biggest challenges in the design and, later, the build?
A: I honestly don’t think the design was that challenging for me. I really wanted this thing to be zero compromise in terms of components, so I grabbed the parts and really just sat there for an hour or so arranging them in space, using books and pieces or cardboard to prop them up until I found an arrangement that left the least amount of unused space. I know a lot of people like to spend a long time doing up 3D models and drawings, but once I had that I took just one or two measurements down and started building.
Q. There's some pretty hefty engineering going on there; you built the chassis and the case from scratch. What sort of background and experience have you got?
A: Most of the techniques I employed for this build were self-taught. I’ve done a couple other scratch case builds in the past, and before that I learned a lot from working on my car. I'd have to say that my primary instruction came from watching shows on the discovery channel, like monster garage or American chopper. The cool thing about building from scratch there are no parts you have to worry about destroying. Everything can be cut in half and everything can be glued back together.
Q: Are there any really cool little touches in there that you'd really want people to know about?
A: One thing people seem to miss is that the whole thing flips back from the bottom to reveal the storage area for the keyboard and mouse, and that is also how you can easily access all the ports for the system, including any PCI card that I might have installed. One important one for this machine is the HDMI capture card to compliment the Blu-ray burner. It has all the connections I could possibly want, but the only one exposed that is required is the power cable (which fits comfortably with the keyboard and mouse in that little compartment.)
Q: Your focus seems to be on function rather than aesthetics. These are systems designed to be used rather than just looked at. Do you feel other modders emphasise style too much?
A: When I'm modding I first come up with a design, and then do my best to make it look good. I personally love simpler, more industrial looks, and wouldn't want my stuff to be covered in flames or skulls. I see some modders make these massive works of art that take 2 or 3 people to move them from venue to venue, and, oh yeah, there's a computer inside, but what's the point? On the other hand if it's the activity of modding that is what you enjoy then go crazy. The success some of my mods have seen, particularly the Cinematgraph HD, has been incredible, and I'm honoured that people enjoy my work. However the most rewarding thing for me is that every computer case I have built has had a long, busy life; you know, being a computer.
Q: What qualities do you feel make a top modder?
A: Confidence and passion. I recently went to my first LAN party and for the first time saw a ton of mods and modders in person. The ones with what I thought were the best mods had the coolest stuff to say about new materials and techniques they were using, as well how they came up with their ideas and what inspired them.
