By: Ross 'Tweakmonster' Wenger, Feb.2003

I love being a computer modder, and there is really no way of explaining that to someone that just cannot comprehend. For me, computers are more than just an electronic device that allows me to surf the Internet, send emails and play games. However, if I had to explain it to someone who couldn't understand, I would have to say that computer modding is just like restoring a classic automobile. For some, a car is just a means of getting from point A to point B. For others, it goes way beyond that. It is also an extension of their creativity and passion. I heard a saying once that goes "Your work is your love made visible". If this is true, then that explains why I get so much satisfaction when I finish a mod session that took some ingenuity and a whole lot of time and effort, and it comes out really nice. This article features my newest endeavor to mix together not only fast hardware, but also some flat out jaw-dropping aesthetics that can demonstrate just how far from the 'beige box' look I could get. With the plethora of aftermarket modding products these days at my disposal, this should not be too difficult to do. I have named it Project Blue Sun.

It represents almost an entire month of planning, outside processes, and final assembly before it came to completion. Aside from the usual peripherals that a computer requires, it also has some custom made electronics incorporated, but more on that as we come to it. First up, a few words about the case I chose to use for this project.

By now most people have seen atleast one of the clear acrylic PC cases that are available from numerous places around the Internet. Why would anyone want a clear PC case? Simple....IT KICKS MAJOR ASS!

Nothing says "look at me!" like a clear acrylic PC case. This one was supplied to me by Clearpc up in Canada. Granted, this is the first acrylic case I have ever worked with, but nonetheless I was very impressed with its quality and overall design layout. As you can see from the pictures above, this is a 'mid' tower case and comes with all hardware needed to install (1) 5.25 drive, (1) floppy drive, and (1) hard drive. Also included is all the needed hardware for installing the motherboard and power supply. The front bezel of the case unbolts and slides completely out allowing you to remove the entire drive area quickly and easily. This makes assembly super fast and allows for easy upgrades in the future. It gets 2 thumbs up for this feature. The inside of the case is accessed easily through the one piece panel that unscrews from the left side and allows unrestricted access to the entire case. When working with an acrylic case, it is easy to understand that unsightly fingerprints are going to be your worst enemy (seeing there are no sharp metal edges to get cut on) To eliminate this possibility, I required the use of latex gloves throughout the entire assembly of this case. Yes, it did take longer because of this extra measure, but having a clear PC full of fingerprints when you are done is about as ridiculous as putting a $1000 set of wheels on a Yugo. It just wouldn't be right.

Next up, we will look at the rest of the preparations I took before actually putting this beautiful case together.