Mod of the Month - February 2008

Phinix Cube

by Phinix
Worklog

What happens when you cram the legendary Orac into an itty-bitty cube? Well, we don't know, either – but Phinix is determined to find out, whilst putting his own spin on things.

Phinix asked and answered a lot of questions in his head before embarking on the project – after all, there were lots of possibilities for an acrylic cube. Danger Den? Gigabyte? Scratch build? Danger Den and Gigabyte were both too large, and acrylic scratch builds can be cumbersome.

Fortunately, Sunbeam (of all companies) makes a teeny-tiny acrylic cube case. But the more Phinix looked at it, the less perfect it seemed for the job. It was time to go back to the scratch build after all, where he could incorporate the best of the big cases with the size of the small cases.


You know it – plan plan plan PLAN! Phinix has a worklog full of plans, detailing each step. Whether it changes or goes perfectly, seeing the vision on paper helps keep him on task. With designer drive bays and watercooling, Phinix needed the help.



When working with acrylic, there often isn't the same luxury of finishing as with other materials. The devil is often in the details, and acrylic work requires nearly every detail done before it ever gets mounted. Phinix was no slouch in this department, though – even going so far as to use solder to coat the insides of screw holes for that professional fit and polish.

On top of that, he got even more creative with his hard drives – they'll be suspended with cords in a rather ingenious retention mechanism.



The case will be fully watercooled, but again Phinix is making sure to do it to the nines. The hand-made radiator spacer is cut with a curved edge to smooth out some of the harsh square corners. This theme will be echoed throughout the case.



With the blocks done, it's time for one more test-fit of the Gigabyte motherboard before finishing the motherboard tray. The red acrylic will be cut for ventilation and aesthetics, bringing more "curve appeal" to the square case.

Phinix is putting a lot of detail into this custom cube, and it's already looking the part. If the devil's in the details, then this case is sin city. OK, I'll stop with that now – I'm even annoying myself. So go check out his worklog and stop listening to me!

But before you go, make sure to vote for Phinix Cube as February's Mod of the Month if all this detail sets your heart aflame.