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Project:
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ClearPC Part 2 - Acrylic Mid-Tower Server Project |
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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March 8th, 2002
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Introduction:
The acrylic case concept is nothing new to the case modding community and when the Upgrade Path based out of Victoria,
BC launched the ClearPC Mid Tower Case it signified two great achievements. The first achievement was the fact that
this case was manufactured exclusively by a Canadian company. The second achievement was that I had the distinct honour of
being the very first person to ever modify this case from its original stock form. Since the release of my original
article, there have been some fantastic modifications done to this case. Two of the more standout mods are Project
Crystal by Koolvin and the jaw dropping Macro Black by Macroman over at Bit-Tech.
My article felt rather dated, so it was time to do some small modifications and add in some improvements to my Windows
2000 Server. In every project that I approach, there is always a list of objectives, so let’s review them this time
round:
- Replace the stock 7v/off/12v baybus with a modified rheostats baybus
- Replace the stock Antec 300w PSU with a Enermax 450w PSU.
- Re-route and clean up existing cabling and system wiring.
- Replace the 2 x 120 Panaflo fans with Enermax Ultra-Cool 120mm Clear Blade Fans
- Complete customization of the CDROM, tape backup and floppy drive bay plates.
- Revise the atomic laser grills with chrome plating.
- Replace the 10" Red Neon with a new 12" ice blue cold cathode tube.
Special thanks to Frank Goluza over at ClearPC.ca
for providing the stock clear drive plates for this project.
NOTE: Proper precautions should be taken when attempting your own case mod project and as with all warnings,
you are responsible for your own actions. MODTHEBOX.com cannot be held responsible for any damage caused to your case
or computer equipment by not following the necessary safety procedures.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The original ClearPC project was completed in September of 2001 and since that time the Windows 2000 Server has been
happily running on my office LAN with no problems. One of the aspects that I covered in my last article was the fact
that acrylic cases are very high maintenance. After powering off the server and examining the insides, I noticed that
a fair amount of dust had settled at the bottom of the case. This project would require a complete cleaning as well as
a modification of existing parts. I managed to assemble a few replacement parts which included 4 ClearPC drive bay plates,
PC Mods Rheostats Baybus Kit, Enermax 450w PSU, 4 x Enermax Ultra-Cool Clear Blade Fans, Chrome Motormaster Automotive
Paint and a 25ft roll of polyethylene 1/4" spiral wrap tubing.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The very first production ClearPC cases did not include individual clear drive bay plates and instead used a 3 bay
clear cover. The single clear drive bay plates are great for individual parts and simplify the process of maintenance
on the system. The first part of the project involved refitting a 632 16x2 Crystalfontz Serial LCD onto one of the
clear drive bay plates.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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In order to mount the 632 16x2 Crystalfontz Serial LCD, measurements must be taken to accurately mark off the 4 corner mounting
holes. I turned the clear drive bay plate upside down and placed the LCD on top and inserted one 4 x 4-40" screw into each corner. A
black marker was used to mark off all the mounts in each corner and a 7/64" drill bit was used to drill out all the holes.
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