Computer cases are no longer the drab, beige boxes that sit under a desk. Today computer cases can reflect a person's creativity and imagination by becoming useful computerized works of art that can proudly be displayed as a focal point of the room. There are many ways to customize a computer's case, the easiest of which is to simply purchase a pre-modded case from any of dozens of custom case vendors. To be the owner of a truly unique case mod requires a bit more work however.
A Brief History of Case Modding
At first, case modding seemed to go hand in hand with computer users that wanted to overclock their systems (to get more processing power out of a cheap CPU or chipset). Overclocking causes increased heat inside the case so many users would add additional cooling fans to their cases, often by cutting holes in the side panels.
This eventually evolved into artistic modders using special techniques to cut designs into the sides of the cases and replacing the metal with plexiglass or another material. Once a person could see inside the case modders began to insert small LED lights in various colors into their cases to make them light up from the inside. These first artistic case mods gave way to a competitive climate where winning case modding competitions were signs of prestige.
In the years that followed modders branched outside of the box, so to speak. Traditional computer cases were no longer a limiting factor as computer motherboards were modded into any number of common household objects or artistic inventions. Computers built directly into wooden desks, computers encased in completely transparent frames, and many other case modding ideas were explored and revered by many people.
Today the case modding craze has subsided as manufacturers have began to create computer cases with many of the design inventions that modders first thought of twenty years ago. LED lighting, glowing power supplies, lighted power cables, liquid cooling systems, and many other once unique ideas are now available on almost every store shelf.
Case Modding Today
Case Modding Problems and Other Issues
Remember that any holes cut into the case of a computer should be recovered with a heat resistant material. Holes in a computer case that were not part of the original engineering can actually cause heat related problems as air patterns are disrupted inside the case. Likewise always make sure that any special cabling is tucked away to allow air flow to continue unabated.
As long as a person heeds these simple warnings almost anyone can quickly and easily modify their computer case to reflect their own individual personality, breathing new life into a boring old beige box.
