Thermaltake Mozart TX

[G-Dubs]

Cheers for the info Shadow, and thanks also for the e-mail. i've been following your fanless build and admire your work, particularly your inovation skills. Not sure yet if i'll use the panels, but both they and your build have given me lots of spin off ideas.

Case is now on its way to me in the post, which is much better than having to go and collect it. I worked out it would cost £40 in fuel, and the chap has posted it Parselforce 48 hour for £12.99.

Should be here Monday.

I'm like a kid waiting for Santa to come at the moment!!!

 

[G-Dubs]

Monday is here and so is the case.

WoooooHoooo

first time I've seen it in the flesh and have to say I'm very impressed with it. The guy I bought it from has looked after it well and it came packaged well so no marks at all.

it's big, and I mean BIG.

I'll try to get some pictures up in next few days.

Currently have it sitting on the side in my room. It's going to take me a little while just looking at it and visualising what I'm going to do. Also will be taking it apart to see how it's put together and see what is feasible with it.

Things decided so far:

Custom paint job inside and out
Modding the windows and doors. removing rivets and replacing with allen head bolts. replacing widow with either smoked or 1 way mirror.
i7 9 series processor, monster graphics, SSD etc.

And finally the reason I went for this case in the first place....
Triple loop water-cooling (3 rads 3 pumps 3 reservoirs)
Over kill I know but I have the water-cooling bug big time and it's and itch I just gotta scratch.

 

[G-Dubs]

did you win the case from the bay ?

Yeah it's the one off the bay. In the end the chap very kindly packaged it up and posted it to me. £12 for 48 hour parcel force. Not bad for something this big and a heck of a lo cheaper than the estimated £48 it was going to cost in fuel to fetch it.

Sorry no photos today. i've literally just gotten home from work and i'm up again at 5:30 for an early. should have some time tomoroow though and might even start to take it apart a bit

 

[G-Dubs]

As promised some shots of the case. Apologies for the quality they're taken on the phone in a very badly lit room.


Left hand side of the case. ATX mobo goes in lower compartment. HDDs and cooling goes upstars

Right hand side. I'm able to put a mATX at the bottom with the optical bays up top. PSU also goes this side.

Rear of the case.

2 x 240s will go in here a treat.

Front left quarter

Next step is taking it all apart.

 

[G-Dubs]

rodney reynolds would like that its got a removable motherboard tray :d

???

 

[G-Dubs]

3d gamerman.com he fixates over motherboard trays every man to his own i perfer a women tbh lol

V funny matey.

I've been away from home end of last week and have a busy weekend this weekend with guests round but thought i'd just get a few pics up for size illustration as tealc suggested. The mug i've used is 9cm tall and the other case is just, well another case.


I obviously have my own ideas as to what i'd like to do with this case, but one thing i've learned from other projects i've undertaken is that there is a lot of pent up imagination and creative juices knocking around on the forums. So if anyone has some good ideas about things I could try or colour schemes they think would look good i'd like to hear. As with all mods i'm looking to do something as unique as possible. I won't share my other ideas at present as I don't want to influence the ideas you guys have. You might have just one little detail point you think would look good, or have a whole concept in mind either way i'd like to hear.

So your chance to have some input on the mod.

What'll it be guys?



Comparison shots

 

[G-Dubs]

Well the recent pictures really do highlight how hideous this case is in it's original form. Given this and the high quality of your previous mods I'm sure whatever you come up with will be a massive improvement.

Thanks (I think)

 

[G-Dubs]

Jesus, that case is one ugly mofo.

I hope you mod it something better (and good luck!).

Yup it's a buff alright. There is however a considerable amount of potential in it. mainly due to it's size but also due to its unique appearance. One of the reasons I've enjoyed modding the skeleton case so much is down to its uniqueness.

 

[G-Dubs]

Some great ideas here guys keep em coming. Like the idea of the mirrors and had given it some thought already. Thinking maybe replace windows with either tint or the 2 way mirror stuff (looks like a mirror from the outside until you turn the lights on inside.

I actually quite like the front but I guess you chaps are right when you say it's the ugliest part of it, or at least the part that stands out the most. I was originally going to leave it but after tealc's suggestion might look a bit more into replacing the front. Only think is it's finished in a rather tactile brushed steel and up close it looks nice

All my previous mods have been very bright high contrast colour schemes so I was looking to perhaps change things about and do something a bit more "stealth" and sleek, basically the end product should ooze class and quality. (so I guess the bread board's out lol)

Not sure whether to bother putting 2 systems in there, as another thought i'm having is to have the whole of the down stairs as the PC, this would mean moving HDD and optical bays down stairs and having the whole of the upstairs as the water cooling plant.

This is all still just ideas though, nothing is finalised or even closer than concept

Keep the ideas coming guys

 

[G-Dubs]

lol

Well that's the paint scheme sorted then

 

[G-Dubs]

Do we think leave the front? (aside from painting etc) or make a new front?

 

[G-Dubs]

I quite like the front, but maybe a bit of painting and a slight mod...

Oh and BTW, I sent you a trust about switch panels

I quite like it also but not ruled out modding it yet. I think it will be dictated by the demands of the build. Got the message, will try to get back to you asap

I know we were talking about a cascade reservoir and if so wouldn't it be nice to have it not only visible from the side of the case but part of the side so it's a big feature. Would be awesome to see a big chunk of acrylic all full of waterfalls.

Not sure how masculine you're going for, but if you're sticking with the cascade water cooling - no idea how it would work but sounds awesome, you could do maybe some clear acrylic front and side panel with like a serene rain-foresty kind of theme or something?

kd

Might not be able to use the sides as they both open, but perhaps the front?? Maybe something built into where all the optical drive bays are???

 

[G-Dubs]

Just wondering how this is progressing! Seemed like a promising idea!

kd

Not started yet as still in planning stage and I still have quite a bit of hardware to secure.

I've got some very strong ideas re the content and coulour scheme, but things may still change between now and when I start

I guess perhaps early next year before the build gets underway.

I'll be opening a proper build thread when gets underway.

 

[G-Dubs]

Evening all

Well you'll be pleased to know that I should be starting this project in the next few weeks or so.

I'm pretty much decided on the colour scheme but like a lot of my stuff I'll be led by the project as it progresses.

Still have to source components etc so a little while to go yet.

Meanwhile a few more pics and thanks for being patient. (thats a 120mm fan beside it to give scale).

 

[G-Dubs]

Cheers guys.

Still open to suggestions so if you have ideas you think would look good let me know.

 

[G-Dubs]

Nah not dead but I will be if I start it before i've decorated the Bathroom and showerroom. Mrs Dubs insists.

Should be getting going soon enought though, at least get the kit inand start the planning even if i'm not out in the garage with the dremmel.

Thanks for being patient

 

[G-Dubs]

I could always put you in contact with Mrs Dubs if you'd like to try to persuade her otherwise

You feeling Brave???

 

[G-Dubs]

Well thanks for being patient. I now have official permission from Mrs Dubs to start this project.

Permission was granted about 30 mins ago and already i've got the case out in the garage and got things under way.

Why the sudden granting of permissions? Cos I've just had to fork out over a grand for a new boiler, shower, sink, tiles, taps, etc and that's not counting the Plumber.

Worth every penny I say as I can now get on with this.

I have a reasonable clear Idea about what I want to do now, but as anyone who has modded will tell you things tend to evolve along the way. And by evolve I mean you have to adapt what you want to do to what can actually be done.

You can plan as much as you like but things will still bite you in the bum.

It's also nice to let the build go it's own way to a certain extent. I'm not saying modding is an organic process or anything quite so deep, but projects do take on a life of their own as they progress.

Ok enough of the ethereal stuff and a few pics to get things started.

I should add that i'll be using two cameras in this project depending on what i'm doing. the phone cam will be on hand at all times to get quick snaps as I go along, but the main updates will be with my new baby, my Canon 60D. No i'm not minted, i've saved for a heck of a long time and added to it a collection of various Birthday monies. I would have gotten it sooner but apparently you're not allowed to sell human organs on e-bay, even if they're your own.

First up a few of the workshop.

Anything missing????


Oh yeah, the case.

And lastly, the most important piece of kit I will ever own...

 

[G-Dubs]

many thanks for the feedback and support guys. I'm intending to start a build log but wondered whether to move this or start afresh. Any mods reading i'd appreciate input.
Not sure if its pos to mve a chunk of posts or not

personally probably like to start afresh as I now have a Project name.

Keep your eyes peeled for ***Project Modzart***

If I do this I'll probably copy over relevant old bits and link back to this thread for anyone picking it up and wanting some background.

Oh, and no, it won't be the elephant theme

 

[G-Dubs]

do you reckon you could fit a custom phase unit into this case ?

Funny you should mention that, as I did look into it. I think I could maybe get a little one in there but have decided not to as I'm not a big fan of the noise they make when they run.

It might look like like a fridge now, but I don't want it to sound like one later.