A Nostalgic Look Back at My First Custom Casemod

Recently, I stumbled upon some images of my very first custom casemod, and nostalgia hit me hard. While I can’t recall the original model of the case, it sported a distinctively painted Quake III logo and featured a handy 5V/off/12V fan bus. This build also included stealth drives and an ambitious attempt at sound dampening using cork—though I have to admit, the most memorable aspect might just be the less-than-pleasing custom rounded IDE cables that I crafted back in the day!

One of the standout features of this mod was the custom-made waterblock, which I had professionally CNC milled at my school. It was quite the accomplishment for an aspiring modder, and it certainly added a unique touch to the build.

As for the hardware, I was running an Epox 8KTA socket A motherboard, paired with an Athlon 1000 Thunderbird that I had overclocked to a staggering 1400 MHz. This setup was equipped with a RAID 0 configuration utilizing two IBM Deskstars—little did I know then the reason behind their notorious nickname, “Deathstar.”

I apologize for the small image quality; those pictures reflect the original resolution of my early digital camera! Nonetheless, revisiting this project has reignited my passion for PC modding, and I can’t wait to dive into new ventures in the world of custom builds. Cheers to the journey and the memories along the way!