 You've been telling us for some time now about your crazy concoctions in the computer lab. So we thought we'd share some of the grassroots goodness with the rest of our readers. Here for your viewing pleasure is "Functional Design," a complete system with extensive modifications throughout, designed and built by CPU reader Jim McClain (aka Grump) of Quincy, Calif.
The case on this modded beauty is an Antec SX635 with a large window of real glass on each side. Jim cut out the front bezel and replaced it with rods from a barbecue grill. The optical drives are hidden but retain the LED lights and emergency open holes. There are bright lights to show off the insides and front face and extra fans to keep the rig running cool, all controlled by the custom switch panel on a 3.5-inch drive cover.
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Far Left: Long hours in front of the PC demand a certain level of comfort, made possible by this custom-made Craftsman Tool Cabinet and roll-about shop stool. Top Right: A place for everything and everything in its place. Middle Right: The barbeque grill rods on the front bezel help this mod fit right into its surroundings. Bottom Right: Yep, that side panel window is real glass. | Jim also modded the Samsung SyncMaster 955DF 19-inch monitor, the Memorex MX2750 keyboard, and the Kensington TurboRing trackball. The system resides on a custom desk made from a Craftsman Tool Cabinet, and Jim can work in comfort on a cushioned Craftsman roll-about shop stool.
We tried to get Jim to tell us how much it cost to put this system together, but he wouldn't say. He pointed out that it was more a labor of love than an attempt to get the best system for the lowest price. Like a true modder, he was more interested in the final product than bargain-hunting parts along the way. 
On The Inside
Here's a list of what makes this system tick. Everything is monitored by PC Geiger in the top drive bay, powered by an Antec TruePower 550W PSU, and controlled by Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1.
| Component | Model | | Motherboard | ABIT KR7A-133R | | Processor | AMD Athlon XP 2100+ | | Heatsink Fan | ThermalTake Volcano 7+ | | Memory | 512MB Crucial PC2100 DDR (x2) | | Hard Drive | 40GB Maxtor ATA/133 7200rpm (x 2) | | Video Card | ATI All-In-Wonder 9700 Pro 128MB | | Sound Card | Creative Sound Blaster Audigy | | Modem | 3COM 56KB V.92 Fax/Modem | | DVD-ROM | Pioneer 116 | | CD-RW | Plextor PlexWriter 40/12/40a |
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You've been telling us for some time now about your crazy concoctions in the computer lab. So we thought we'd share some of the grassroots goodness with the rest of our readers. Here for your viewing pleasure is "Functional Design," a complete system with extensive modifications throughout, designed and built by CPU reader Jim McClain (aka Grump) of Quincy, Calif. 
