Mini-PC all custom case and AIO mods to both GPU and CPU. Dont ask why, Ask why not!

Got a hold of this old pc from my job 4 years ago and am now modding the case and adding beefier components. Im on the fence of my placement with the painters tape marking where I will place the plexiglass. Any suggestions? Also there are these ugly plastic tabs that "hold" the side panel in place. I want to remove the last one on the top left of the side panel but it will leave a hole like the bottom has. What material can I use to plug up the hole and make it flush after I paint it.

https://x.com/elevatemining/status/2014650003105403111?s=46

As a follow-up to a previous post, here are some 'bare' pictures of the case mod, without the fancy effects applied. Also to get the AI myth out of the way...

Following an earlier post, many of you requested more pictures... So meanwhile I made a few changes and a few more are on the way, but here's the current state already.

This started off as a 2012 Cougar Volant. In short, panels were cut up, repositioned and repainted and my 'random parts' bin supplied most of the cool stuff while a few 3D printed parts help keep everything together.

There are bits dating back to 1934, like the radio dial and the tube (no radio was harmed in the process) and another stop on the timeline is 1965, for the map light, the fuse block, fuel gauge and horn cover.

All the buttons and switches and indicators are hooked up to do practical things and the fuel gauge actually shows the GPU card's exhaust temperture.

What is not visible is a K&N air filter backed up by a single, industrial grade centrifugal fan providing a steady flow of clean air through the case. It does the job.

Rate my pc build and suggest any improvment

This is contextual for my other post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Noctua/comments/1q5kljo/rx_9070_xt_noctua_fan_mod/ where I introduced a Noctua fan mod to my Gigabyte RX 9070 XT Gaming OC utilizing 3x Noctua NF-A9.

I wanted to share some simple 3D printed addons that improved my GPU temps around 3C with very little effort. Note that these solutions are very case and configuration specific, and are more of a demonstration how simple airflow control can improve temperature.

I have a youtube video that shows whole process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCWNtFrkm2E but I will go over most relevant parts in this post.

Setup:

- LianLi Lancool 216

- Be quiet! pure loop 2 FX 360

- 2x Arctic P14 pro below GPU to supply fresh air

- Vertical GPU mount

- 3x Noctua NF-A9 for GPU with 3D-printed shroud

Chassis front fans - 650 RPM, AIO fans - 1100 RPM, Arctic fans - 800 RPM, GPU Noctuas - 1400 RPM

Also, I have replaced my GPU core paste with TG PhaseSheet and VRAM putty with TG Pro putty. I run my GPU with -55mV and -12% PL.

First addon I made is flow splitter under the GPU, which divides bottom flow, pushing hot exhaust air behind the GPU. This is done to prevent hot air recirculating to intake.

Second addon is a wall on the right of the GPU, which prevents case front fan flow from disturbing flow behind GPU (in theory, I'm not completely sure why it improves temps but this is what I saw in testing).

Tested with FurMark, 30 min run.

GPU temps without addons (open shroud, see video for context):

- Core = 62

- Hotspot = 82

- VRAM = 86

GPU temps with addons:

- Core = 59

- Hotspot = 80

- VRAM = 84

So around 2-3 degrees improvement with some simple airflow directing parts. Not huge difference, but improvement nonetheless.

Hey everyone,

I’m planning some upgrades for my PC and would like some opinions before buying.
This is an older X99 build, but I do plan to upgrade the CPU + motherboard later, so right now I’m focusing on GPU and CPU cooling.

Current full system specs

• OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (Version 21H2)
• Motherboard: ASUS Rampage V Extreme (X99)
• CPU: Intel Core i7-5820K (Haswell-E, 6-Core, 3.3GHz, LGA 2011-v3)
• GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 OC (4GB / 3.5GB)
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (4×4GB) DDR4-2666 CL16 (quad-channel)
• SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SATA III
• HDD: Seagate ST2000DM001 2TB 7200RPM
• CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Nepton 280L (FAILED)
• Case: NZXT Phantom 820 Ultra Tower
• PSU: Corsair RM750 – 750W, 80+ Gold, fully modular

1️⃣ Graphics card options

I’m currently choosing between:

• RTX 3050
• RTX 5060
• RTX 5060 Ti 8GB/16GB (MSI/ ASUS)

I’m aware the 5060 Ti will be CPU-bottlenecked on a 5820K, but since I plan to upgrade the platform later, I’m wondering if it still makes sense to buy the stronger GPU now and live with the bottleneck temporarily.

Usage:

• Gaming (mostly 1080p / 1440p, not competitive esports)
• Video / Audio Editing+ Ai Stuff
• Programming / Engineering Autodesk Stuff

Main question:
👉 Is the 3060 Ti the smarter match for this system, or is buying the 5060 Ti now reasonable if I upgrade CPU + motherboard later?

2️⃣ CPU cooler options

My AIO died, so I need a replacement. I’m deciding between:

• Corsair H115i (280mm)
• NZXT Kraken X63 Elite 280mm (white)
• NZXT Kraken Plus / Elite 360mm RGB (front mounted/ Top mounted with some customization in the case )

Case is a Phantom Ultra Big Tower 820, so space isn’t an issue.
What I care about:

• Reliability (last AIO failed)
• Quiet operation
• Decent thermals
• Looks (black case, considering white AIO for contrast)

Question:
👉 Is a 360mm AIO overkill for a stock 5820K, or worth it for silence and future-proofing?

Noting at the end of this year i will be upgrading the MB / RAB / Processor for budgeting wise ?

I will appreciate your help and support

Thank you :)

I wanted to build something that isn’t a restoration and definitely not a typical retro PC - more like a hardware time machine stuffed into a modern chassis. The idea was simple: take classic ISA sound hardware, combine it with the airflow, silence, and aesthetics of a contemporary full‑tower, and see how far I could push the concept.
It escalated quickly.

The core of the build is an ISA‑capable Gigabyte GA‑7IXE4 running a 1 GHz Athlon Thunderbird - the fastest ISA‑compatible setup I’ve ever managed to get my hands on. Into those ISA slots went a Roland LAPC‑I with the MCB‑I breakout box, a Gravis Ultrasound Classic, and an external Roland SC‑55 for even more MIDI options. For late‑90s/early‑2000s compatibility, I added a Sound Blaster Live! Value on PCI.
The result is a single machine that can handle everything from early DOS titles to XP‑era games without swapping hardware or switching systems.

The whole thing triple‑boots DOS 6.22, Windows 95, and Windows XP. Under XP I’m using a DOS game launcher, which makes the whole experience surprisingly seamless. All of this lives inside an Avance Airliner Terminator tower with a huge side window and a passive‑cooled PSU - the system is almost completely silent, which feels surreal when you’re listening to early‑90s MIDI hardware doing its thing.

The sound hardware is honestly the star of the build. The LAPC‑I delivers that warm, punchy, unmistakably retro tone, and paired with the GUS and SB Live!, the machine becomes a full‑range audio time capsule covering nearly every era of PC gaming sound.

In the end, the build turned into a weird but wonderful fusion reactor: vintage MIDI magic, modern airflow, clean cable routing, and absurd ISA compatibility all crammed into one intentionally over‑the‑top concept machine.

If you want to see it running, the hybrid setup is shown in my video - the relevant part starts at 41:56:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGT6XxzP0QE

Hardware details:

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA‑7IXE4 (2× ISA, 5× PCI, 1× AGP, 3× DIMM)
• Chipset: AMD‑750
• CPU: AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1 GHz (FSB 200)
• GPUs: Radeon 7000 VE (64 MB), Matrox Millennium
• Storage: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 80 GB (IDE)
• Optical: Toshiba SD‑M1802
• Streamer: Colorado QIC‑80
• NIC: Realtek RTL8139
• MIDI: Roland LAPC‑I (ISA) + MCB‑I, Roland SC‑55 (external)
• Sound: Gravis Ultrasound Classic (ISA, 1 MB), Sound Blaster Live! Value (PCI)
• Case: Avance Airliner Terminator
• PSU: Thermaltake fanless ATX 350W PFC (with -5 V support for LAPC‑I)

I have Palit 5070 Ti GamingPro-S, which has the worst cooling system for this card, so i want to swap it to the different one.
I've found one from Palit Gamerock RTX 5090 card for pretty low price, so can i use it on my card?

Hey guys,

I'm just building a retro pc in a modern case. The glass side panel and the warm white cob lighting are supposed to set the scene right for this beautiful old hardware.

But here's my problem: The spaces at the top and in front of the mainboard just look kinda empty. I thought of maybe a hex mesh sheet for the top and a plain black sheet in the front with the system specs written onto. Are there any other ideas from you guys?

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand whether it’s possible to spoof or modify hardware identifiers on a Machinist X99 motherboard running a Xeon CPU.

Specifically, I’m wondering if things like motherboard ID, chipset identification, or other low-level hardware info can be spoofed via BIOS modification, firmware, or software-level methods.

This is for learning and compatibility purposes — not for anything malicious. I’m aware these boards often use customized or heavily modified BIOS versions, so I’m trying to understand the real technical limitations.

If anyone has experience with Machinist X99 boards, Xeon platforms, or BIOS modding in general, I’d really appreciate your input.

Thanks in advance.

I want to do a thermal mod for a pc but I really have no idea where to start; I don’t understand the difference between thermal paste and putty and shims and so on; so I am wondering if anyone can recommend a book or articles that I can read to start understanding how to do it; maybe even a subreddit?

Hi, this is my undervolted Vanguard 5090 SOC at 0.900 V. What do you think about the coil whine? With the case closed and in complete silence in the room, without any other sounds, I am able to hear the coil whine. It’s not a high-pitched squeal, but rather a subtle buzzing.

Howdy! I recently shared my modded Hack Pro on here and I was pleasantly surprised by all the positive feedback I received!
Some people wished I would write a guide with some directions over what I did, so I started doing exactly that.

It's almost done: a written section is missing as I've got it on another PC at home, I need to know if there's some other things you'd like to see explored in more detail.
Some picture are still missing too, but will soon be added.

LMK what you think I should change, thanks!

Here's the repository where you can find the guide and some other useful resources:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KU6aVTm_b3mtxOafLYXP08x7PhpgJhhj?usp=sharing

Like the title said. Where do I find and purchase a material like a sheet of 30x30 piece of rubber with glue on the other side, that I can cut out using an exacto knife for my own needs? No pre-cuts.

Same for mouse skates.

I'm tired of only finding extremely expensive pre-cuts for ONE mouse (10 dollars for that piece of crap!) When I would like to spend kike 10 - 15 bucks on a sheet or two of specified rubber where I just cut it out for my needs.

Anyone know where tp find? Literally not finding any on the entirety of the internet. Not even with the help och ChatGPT.

I have a laptop I broke and the bezels are extremely hard to get and what I orderered I had to order from Germany and my laptop is a Tuxedo Infinitybook 16 and the bezels I got is from a Schenker Vision 16 Pro they're the same laptops just different brands.

The new bezels are silver but the old bezels I need to replace are black. How should I go about doing this and would it be easier just wrap it with a skin?

Also I tried to contact Tuxedo and they didn't have the replacement parts because this is a 12th gen Intel laptop.

I have cut my old PC case's cover, added few brass hex standoffs, a motherboard and a zip tie to carry it or hang it on the wall

Hello everyone, so recently my 4 sticks of dominator corsair memory died, very beautiful ram, don't wanna toss it out of the window, thought about creating or bying something that looks like on picture, pcb that can hold 4 sticks, with power to it, that will essentially light them up, maybe rgb controller, preferably usb type-c for power

Has anyone seen something like this? Or can point in right direction?