Man creates motherboard walls

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 14th August 2008
Comments (29) Stumble
Man creates motherboard walls

The motherboard walls took around six hours each to complete, and used over 68 kilos of old motherboards.

If you're a geek, you've probably got some decoration in your home environment that reveals your tendancies: I'm talking about Space Invaders fridge magnets, Curse of Monkey Island posters, and a papercraft Companion Cube. The chances are that you haven't gone this far, however: motherboard walls.

Neatorama reports on a monumental achievement in geeky artwork at the Carnegie Mellon University. Chris Harrison and friend Aubrey built a collage out of old motherboards, which caught the eye of Carnegie Mellon staffer Scott Hudson – who, rather than call the men in white coats, commissioned the pair to build a much bigger version for his electronics lab.

By purchasing bulk lots of old and/or broken motherboards from eBay Harrison was able to amass enough motherboards – approximately 68 kilos worth – to cover the walls in motherboards. Sort of a three-dimensional, spiky wallpaper.

Harrison and Aubrey took around six hours to make each wall, attempting to distribute the colours in a pleasing pattern as well as mounting each board at slightly different heights to further increase the artistic effect.

As you can see from the photo – more of which are available on Harrison's blog – the finished walls are pretty impressive, although a trifle dark for my liking. I'd also be worried about the sharp little bits sticking up from the motherboards themselves – even though they're unlikely to do you any harm, it could ruin that nice new Angora sweater if you get a little too close.

Tempted to do something similar in your own computer room, or is it taking the whole geek-chic decorating thing a trifle too far? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote confusis 14th August 2008, 09:18
ooooooh pretty

now he needs to add CPUs, RAM and a few HDD's, power them up and run folding@home on the whole lot
Quote icutebluezone 14th August 2008, 09:19
:O oh baby I would love to have a wall like that even better a wall of HDD's :) or CPU's lol
Quote Furymouse 14th August 2008, 09:35
Anybody want to try and identify each board? :D I see at least one MSI and a few ASUS, probably a few Tyans also.
Quote sotu1 14th August 2008, 09:35
I'd love that in my tech room. be even better if some of those mobos ran cpu's gpu's, fans, led lights, neons, cathodes even just for the aesthetic factor! would be wikid!
Quote mclean007 14th August 2008, 10:07
Quote:
it could ruin that nice new Angora sweater
Hang on, this is a computer lab full of self-confessed geeks - surely you mean "that nice new bry nylon cardigan (with pocket protector) / t-shirt with Star Wars / Penny Arcade / Gentoo motif"? :D
Quote _DTM2000_ 14th August 2008, 10:43
Hmm, I've been looking for a room divider for at home. I wonder what the wife will think of this idea? I think I can guess.

If I was a bachelor, I'd already be on ebay buying up mobo's in bulk. The thought of catching my knuckles on it when I walked past does make me cringe though.
Quote ComputerKing 14th August 2008, 10:48
This is awesome!! I wish if my room walls are full of motherboards and GFXs ;)

Nice news BT, Keep it going. This is really cool :D
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 14th August 2008, 10:49
Quote:
Originally Posted by Furymouse
Anybody want to try and identify each board? :D I see at least one MSI and a few ASUS, probably a few Tyans also.

I think I see a couple of Intels.. Maybe an abit..
Quote DougEdey 14th August 2008, 12:15
Prevents people leaning against the walls I suppose
Quote DXR_13KE 14th August 2008, 13:03
this is geek uberness.

i have 2 mobos on my wall as they were a poster.
Quote RTT 14th August 2008, 13:10
that's pretty ****ing sad tbh...
Quote Mentai 14th August 2008, 14:14
Quote:
Originally Posted by RTT
that's pretty ****ing sad tbh...

I can think of more depressing things than being commisioned to make a wall from motherboards..?
Quote Redbeaver 14th August 2008, 14:24
that was a pretty neat idea... until i realize it might not work with the ladies........
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 14th August 2008, 16:04
I actually think it's pretty cool and looks quite nice...

... Is that wrong?
Quote naokaji 14th August 2008, 16:11
nice idea, doesnt cost much and looks nice, but how would you explain it to a non geek visitor?
Quote ComputerKing 14th August 2008, 16:15
are you telling me that GEEKS have non Geeks friends?!
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 14th August 2008, 16:17
Quote:
Originally Posted by naokaji
nice idea, doesnt cost much and looks nice, but how would you explain it to a non geek visitor?

You hand them a dictionary whilst pointing to the entry for "motherboard".
Quote EmJay 14th August 2008, 17:58
Looks geeky but cool, though I'd rather use them to make a large panel high up on the wall - more as 'art' than as an actual wall - to reduce the knuckle-scraping factor. Or use bare PCBs.

(The rest of that room is butt ugly though. They could put a Monet on the wall and it would still look gross.)
Quote Smegwarrior 14th August 2008, 18:18
Holy mother.....
Quote Cupboard 14th August 2008, 19:06
I have had an old laptop keyboard on my wall too!
This is pretty awesome though. If it were me, I would have the occasional one with a working computer in it too.
Quote Thacrudd 14th August 2008, 21:36
good idea, bad exectuion
Quote Jackypoos 14th August 2008, 22:09
The great satan has something similar to that!
Quote Bungle 14th August 2008, 22:18
Kind of cool if you've always dreamed of living in a Borg mothership.:D
Quote LordPyrinc 14th August 2008, 22:51
Definitely cool looking, but I agree with most on the practicality of it. Could you imagine stumbling into this wall after a night of heavy partying? You would end up with solder tips and capacitors implanted into your face the next morning.
Quote B3CK 14th August 2008, 23:01
For an extra "pizaz" that actually would of impressed me is if they went through the trouble of taking a picture of each mobo, using a "colloge" program to actually make some artwork in macro style, then built the walls to the program. Kinda like those picture, made of smaller picture commercials on tv.
Quote ParaHelix.org 16th August 2008, 14:36
Can tell he isn't bringing many girls come can't you.
Quote rhuitron 16th August 2008, 17:03
This guy might not realize it, But that is a CRAP load of money he has on his walls!.

You can actually go to labs to get your motherboard's (Any PCB's ) melted down with either fire or acids.
And redeem the GOLD in them.

I made a $10,000 dollar check a year ago, off of 2- 33gl barrels of old PCB boards. Not including the expenses. Roughly, $400.

If all his walls area covered in PCB's, his is freaking Rich!
Quote ComputerKing 16th August 2008, 18:20
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhuitron
This guy might not realize it, But that is a CRAP load of money he has on his walls!.

You can actually go to labs to get your motherboard's (Any PCB's ) melted down with either fire or acids.
And redeem the GOLD in them.

I made a $10,000 dollar check a year ago, off of 2- 33gl barrels of old PCB boards. Not including the expenses. Roughly, $400.

If all his walls area covered in PCB's, his is freaking Rich!

WTF are you talking about?!! change mobo in gold?! :(
Quote Saivert 17th August 2008, 23:43
I found a wall of motherboards in the show called Eureka (Season 2 Episode 8), airing on NBC and SkyOne(HD) in the UK.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c276/saivert/eureka_s02e08_00_55.jpg

I also spotted this Half-Life 2 shocker in the same episode (the scene was a games store):
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c276/saivert/eureka_s02e08_01_03.jpg

I also have some hardware on my wall. But it's not only motherboards:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c276/saivert/hw_on_wall.jpg
Log in

You are not logged in, please login with your forum account below. If you don't already have an account please register to start contributing.







Mobile Phones

LG Arena ReviewHTC Magic Review

Compare over 250 mobile phones &
52,000 deals!



Broadband

Mobile Broadband

Compare over 100 broadband & mobile broadband deals online!

Dragonage