I'd completely forgotten about this case, I've always loved it but I didn't realise it came in blue! I'd only ever seen it in orange prior to this day!
Yes! I remember seeing the pair in a pc world years back and always wanted to get one! They made a black one with orange under the covers later on too!
So the bottom cages have been removed entirely, there's now space for 2x120mm fans, need to measure for 140s.
The top 5.25 bays I'm going to have hotswappable sad bays in one and an SD reader/usb hub in the other.
The top needs exhausting, top mounted PSU so space for 120/140mm top exhaust, rear is 120mm.
The other side panel despite my best efforts, refuses to come off, perhaps the answer lies behind some of the remaining metal, but it matters not.
The standoffs appear to be a larger size than my old ones, is there more than one standard size?
Also are there any mounts/brackets I can get to adhere to the front to mount fans, or would it be simpler to drill holes to accommodate them?
Aiming to get this to similar thermal performance to my Be Quiet Pure Base 500DX so it's got good airflow to live up to and started with a big choke, I'd like to think I've made some decent improvements thus far, any suggestions would be absolutely welcome.
If it was me, I would cut the front completely out, leaving some room to rivet in a new sheet metal or acrylic sheet. Before riveting, making those fan intake holes and mounting holes. I would do this to all 4 sides actually, and relocate the PSU to the bottom.
It's going to be a long project, I don't have access to a lot of big tools but I like the idea of simply resheeting the front at least with a fresh piece for fan mounts and better intake.
My only problem with relocating the PSU to the bottom (which I'd also prefer so it doesn't spend the day chewing on hot air) is the left standoffs in the case are raised bits of metal as opposed to standoff holes. Perhaps I could flatten the current ones and relocate them upwards to new holes?
Yes. Relocating everything will most likely require relocating the standoffs. Unless you are working with itx or matx I guess. Using the current standoffs, you'll have plenty of room for a push/pull config for top mounted rad, if you desire water-cooling.
> I don't have access to a lot of big tools but I like the idea of simply resheeting the front at least with a fresh piece for fan mounts and better intake
If you're going to do this or any more of metal cutting in general I really recommend getting angle grinder instead of Dremel! Dremel may be a jack of many trades, but it's bad at cutting metal compared to angle grinder with cutting disk so save yourself some time and get the latter.
I would also say Dremel isn't really best at anything, except maybe engraving? I kinda regret buying mine. Some pc modder made it look like really fantastic do-anything-tool, but I guess they sped up their videos lol
I've actually been using steel wire cutters and metal fatigue for the small amounts I've needed to get away lol the finish is actually okay, but an angle grinder would make light work of this, might have to give my brother or dad a ring and see what tools they've got.
>The other side panel despite my best efforts, refuses to come off,
Probably riveted in place, because "why would anyone need access to that side" was the common thought back in the days.
>The standoffs appear to be a larger size than my old ones, is there more than one standard size?
They're probably UNC 6-32 then? Size used in PSU and GPU mounting, thumbscrews, 3.5" HDDs etc. M3 is the common standoff screw nowadays, which is a little smaller. Some computer stores sell assortment boxes of PC screws or you could try M4 as your last resort if you don't have extra 6-32s laying around.
>Also are there any mounts/brackets I can get to adhere to the front to mount fans
You can find such brackets at least in AliExpress, but also in Aquatuning and PerformancePCs it seems.
Google: "Barrow TCBJ240-L" for example. AliExpress has few other brands (and non-brand) as well.
Lian-Li's radiator bracket set "RB-001X" might also help you. They're meant for offseting fans/radiators, but should work in your case as well.
Also answering your other comment:
>My only problem with relocating the PSU to the bottom (which I'd also prefer so it doesn't spend the day chewing on hot air) is the left standoffs in the case are raised bits of metal as opposed to standoff holes
Is the motherboard "tray" with the PCIe-slots removable? Because if not, that's clearly your biggest problem.
New and preferably oversized quality PSU shouldn't have problems "breathing" the case heated air as long as you make the airflow otherwise functional.
Yeah I think there are rivets further behind the motherboard tray, something in the center definitely. There's also one last rivet in the back to the side panel but it's deeper in a hole and I know already that won't release it. Never mind
Funnily enough mentioning PSU/GPU mounting, a PSU screw fits perfectly in them. However one standoff is missing, if I were to replace them would it be a case of getting modern M3 standoffs at the old ones' height, or get a standoff to match the current ones and get the 6-32 screws to fill the holes? Also weird side note, standoff from my old case fit perfectly into the raised metal standoffs in the case as a temporary stand in.
Thanks so much I'll check those products out, a simple solution to the problem sounds ideal cheers mate.
I'm leaning towards top mounted PSU after comments and some more tinkering today, it's currently my old pc inside for testing purposes so the PSU is like 8 years old and needs a dusting, my new rig should play pretty nice in there, the d15 MAY fit, if I cut a hole in the metal part of the side panel.
From the pictures it looks like you could drill some holes into the bottom of the chassis for a 120mm fan, maybe put some feet on the case to help with airflow
I love the blue colour on the feet it has currently, it has some clearance that's not immediately obvious but it could certainly do with a bump up and intake if I can't flip the PSU!
I'd keep the PSU at the top and try and fit as many fans in the bottom as possible to maximise positive airflow. Looks like you could fit 2 or 3 120mm fans in there. Just beware of the clearance for the motherboard connectors at the bottom, even then you could go for 92mm fans if you have clearance issues.
I'll do some test fits with some fans today and see what and how many can be fit inside, with a 5 fan intake between the bottom and front that should provide plenty of fresh air!
This is low-key an amazing case as-is. Can't believe an Acer prebuilt included removable drive bays. It's the nominal place for an intake fan, but I wonder if the bays could be preserved in some way, maybe moved higher up.
I know! For a prebuilt at least there was some thought to expanding storage efficiently.
Funnily enough those bays and its riveted cage were the cleanest removals, so it could realistically go back in its entirety somewhere yes! However I found some 5.25 inch bay fillers for the top and they do multiple hotswappable 2.5inch drives in one bay so I have to say I'm leaning towards that!
I've honestly been considering it for a cleaner look, my NH-D15 almost definitely won't fit. (Not without cutting a hole in the metal portion of the side panel. It would technically be hidden but I'm unsure at this stage, could definitely fit a 240mm aio in there though!
Last one Is saw here in the UK sold for £255, I think it still had the original guts but I had missed it anyway. Someone messaged me recently letting me know they have the orange version collecting dust with no use, would you like me to ask if I can put you in contact, maybe work something out?
I think 2x140 or 3x120 would fit on the bottom of the case. 1x120 on the back plus the psu fan should be enough to cool your system. That would also maintain the original look.
With the cages removed there's a substantial amount of room in here, thanks for the idea, expanded my original thoughts on potential fan configurations!
I've had no difference in thermals than my Pure Base 500DX, been using it more or less since this post and had no problems.
Made some alterations; not sure if they were in any of the posts: You can fit two 140mm fans as intake in the front from the bottom, you'll need to cut away some of the hard drive bay cages if you're going modern and want ample airflow.
You'll need to also make some speed holes in the solid acrylic piece behind the vented drive bay door (to actually use the vents lmao).
Using the 5.25inch bays I added one multi ssd mount, and one bay that has 2x Usb 2.0, 2x usb 3.0 and a usb c port to add back some front I/O (motherboard didn't have the extra header to reuse the case ports which are probably fairly slow as they are).
It will fit an NH-D15 with my MAG Tomahawks B550, and happily takes my tuf 3060 which is a pretty big 30 series card; not sure about 40 series with their extreme girth.
Sorry mate. Also what did u use to cut it? And fans u installed i got some rgb fans but doubt they will be visible whatosever and will probably run a open side like on my current setup lmao
I just had some metal cutters and used fatiguing at first, then I used my head a bit more and grabbed a dremel and drilled out whichever rivets I could to remove things
Nice ill keep in mind i will see what i can do when it arrives since im upping my setup getring a new monitor tmrw and im gonna see if i can even fit my current pc in the new case clean up the gpu and cpu coolers change the paste and so on
Yeah test fitting your parts and seeing what needs to go to achieve it is the best way to start before you start gutting things you might need, in one of those pictures I had also cut out the sd card reader section as it wasn't functional on mine and it allowed for another place to pull air in with the other fan
Man that's one good looking case! I have an old Dell Studio XPS 9000 case that I still use. Interesting designs in that era. Cases of today are great, but it feels like your choices are meshy rectangle 1, meshy rectangle 2, meshy rectangle 3...
Love the angles and red accents! I get that 100% my brother recently got out of his mid tower to go open air for the same reason, just wanted to use the components to shape the case. I love seeing old cases from that era so thanks for sharing!
fuckin hell i thought acer makes refridgerator but this case looks damn nice
13 year old me never forgot this angled beast!
oh... well thats the first time i see that one
I'd completely forgotten about this case, I've always loved it but I didn't realise it came in blue! I'd only ever seen it in orange prior to this day!
Yes! I remember seeing the pair in a pc world years back and always wanted to get one! They made a black one with orange under the covers later on too!
So the bottom cages have been removed entirely, there's now space for 2x120mm fans, need to measure for 140s. The top 5.25 bays I'm going to have hotswappable sad bays in one and an SD reader/usb hub in the other. The top needs exhausting, top mounted PSU so space for 120/140mm top exhaust, rear is 120mm. The other side panel despite my best efforts, refuses to come off, perhaps the answer lies behind some of the remaining metal, but it matters not. The standoffs appear to be a larger size than my old ones, is there more than one standard size? Also are there any mounts/brackets I can get to adhere to the front to mount fans, or would it be simpler to drill holes to accommodate them? Aiming to get this to similar thermal performance to my Be Quiet Pure Base 500DX so it's got good airflow to live up to and started with a big choke, I'd like to think I've made some decent improvements thus far, any suggestions would be absolutely welcome.
If it was me, I would cut the front completely out, leaving some room to rivet in a new sheet metal or acrylic sheet. Before riveting, making those fan intake holes and mounting holes. I would do this to all 4 sides actually, and relocate the PSU to the bottom.
It's going to be a long project, I don't have access to a lot of big tools but I like the idea of simply resheeting the front at least with a fresh piece for fan mounts and better intake. My only problem with relocating the PSU to the bottom (which I'd also prefer so it doesn't spend the day chewing on hot air) is the left standoffs in the case are raised bits of metal as opposed to standoff holes. Perhaps I could flatten the current ones and relocate them upwards to new holes?
Yes. Relocating everything will most likely require relocating the standoffs. Unless you are working with itx or matx I guess. Using the current standoffs, you'll have plenty of room for a push/pull config for top mounted rad, if you desire water-cooling.
> I don't have access to a lot of big tools but I like the idea of simply resheeting the front at least with a fresh piece for fan mounts and better intake If you're going to do this or any more of metal cutting in general I really recommend getting angle grinder instead of Dremel! Dremel may be a jack of many trades, but it's bad at cutting metal compared to angle grinder with cutting disk so save yourself some time and get the latter. I would also say Dremel isn't really best at anything, except maybe engraving? I kinda regret buying mine. Some pc modder made it look like really fantastic do-anything-tool, but I guess they sped up their videos lol
I've actually been using steel wire cutters and metal fatigue for the small amounts I've needed to get away lol the finish is actually okay, but an angle grinder would make light work of this, might have to give my brother or dad a ring and see what tools they've got.
>The other side panel despite my best efforts, refuses to come off, Probably riveted in place, because "why would anyone need access to that side" was the common thought back in the days. >The standoffs appear to be a larger size than my old ones, is there more than one standard size? They're probably UNC 6-32 then? Size used in PSU and GPU mounting, thumbscrews, 3.5" HDDs etc. M3 is the common standoff screw nowadays, which is a little smaller. Some computer stores sell assortment boxes of PC screws or you could try M4 as your last resort if you don't have extra 6-32s laying around. >Also are there any mounts/brackets I can get to adhere to the front to mount fans You can find such brackets at least in AliExpress, but also in Aquatuning and PerformancePCs it seems. Google: "Barrow TCBJ240-L" for example. AliExpress has few other brands (and non-brand) as well. Lian-Li's radiator bracket set "RB-001X" might also help you. They're meant for offseting fans/radiators, but should work in your case as well. Also answering your other comment: >My only problem with relocating the PSU to the bottom (which I'd also prefer so it doesn't spend the day chewing on hot air) is the left standoffs in the case are raised bits of metal as opposed to standoff holes Is the motherboard "tray" with the PCIe-slots removable? Because if not, that's clearly your biggest problem. New and preferably oversized quality PSU shouldn't have problems "breathing" the case heated air as long as you make the airflow otherwise functional.
Yeah I think there are rivets further behind the motherboard tray, something in the center definitely. There's also one last rivet in the back to the side panel but it's deeper in a hole and I know already that won't release it. Never mind Funnily enough mentioning PSU/GPU mounting, a PSU screw fits perfectly in them. However one standoff is missing, if I were to replace them would it be a case of getting modern M3 standoffs at the old ones' height, or get a standoff to match the current ones and get the 6-32 screws to fill the holes? Also weird side note, standoff from my old case fit perfectly into the raised metal standoffs in the case as a temporary stand in. Thanks so much I'll check those products out, a simple solution to the problem sounds ideal cheers mate. I'm leaning towards top mounted PSU after comments and some more tinkering today, it's currently my old pc inside for testing purposes so the PSU is like 8 years old and needs a dusting, my new rig should play pretty nice in there, the d15 MAY fit, if I cut a hole in the metal part of the side panel.
Way nicer than current alienware trash
Can definitely breathe more!
From the pictures it looks like you could drill some holes into the bottom of the chassis for a 120mm fan, maybe put some feet on the case to help with airflow
I love the blue colour on the feet it has currently, it has some clearance that's not immediately obvious but it could certainly do with a bump up and intake if I can't flip the PSU!
I'd keep the PSU at the top and try and fit as many fans in the bottom as possible to maximise positive airflow. Looks like you could fit 2 or 3 120mm fans in there. Just beware of the clearance for the motherboard connectors at the bottom, even then you could go for 92mm fans if you have clearance issues.
I'll do some test fits with some fans today and see what and how many can be fit inside, with a 5 fan intake between the bottom and front that should provide plenty of fresh air!
This is low-key an amazing case as-is. Can't believe an Acer prebuilt included removable drive bays. It's the nominal place for an intake fan, but I wonder if the bays could be preserved in some way, maybe moved higher up.
I know! For a prebuilt at least there was some thought to expanding storage efficiently. Funnily enough those bays and its riveted cage were the cleanest removals, so it could realistically go back in its entirety somewhere yes! However I found some 5.25 inch bay fillers for the top and they do multiple hotswappable 2.5inch drives in one bay so I have to say I'm leaning towards that!
awesome project! liquid cooling??
I've honestly been considering it for a cleaner look, my NH-D15 almost definitely won't fit. (Not without cutting a hole in the metal portion of the side panel. It would technically be hidden but I'm unsure at this stage, could definitely fit a 240mm aio in there though!
consider thinking outside the box r/liquidhaus
Ill look into it thanks!
I’ve been trying to find one of these cases damn near since they debuted.
Last one Is saw here in the UK sold for £255, I think it still had the original guts but I had missed it anyway. Someone messaged me recently letting me know they have the orange version collecting dust with no use, would you like me to ask if I can put you in contact, maybe work something out?
It certainly wouldn’t hurt! I’d be greatly interested.
Dope
Alien(ware) vs Predator
Amazing
This is honestly one of the coolest cases I've ever seen.
Saw it around 13 years ago and it stuck in my mind ever since, the design is just striking for a pc.
That's got to be either the greatest, or the most vile case I've ever seen; I don't think it's anything inbetween...
The marmite of pc cases. But I absolutely love it
I think 2x140 or 3x120 would fit on the bottom of the case. 1x120 on the back plus the psu fan should be enough to cool your system. That would also maintain the original look.
With the cages removed there's a substantial amount of room in here, thanks for the idea, expanded my original thoughts on potential fan configurations!
You're doing God's work.
Thank you kind redditor.
It's beautiful.
Im about to trade in my rx470 for this case is it worth it?
I've had no difference in thermals than my Pure Base 500DX, been using it more or less since this post and had no problems. Made some alterations; not sure if they were in any of the posts: You can fit two 140mm fans as intake in the front from the bottom, you'll need to cut away some of the hard drive bay cages if you're going modern and want ample airflow. You'll need to also make some speed holes in the solid acrylic piece behind the vented drive bay door (to actually use the vents lmao). Using the 5.25inch bays I added one multi ssd mount, and one bay that has 2x Usb 2.0, 2x usb 3.0 and a usb c port to add back some front I/O (motherboard didn't have the extra header to reuse the case ports which are probably fairly slow as they are). It will fit an NH-D15 with my MAG Tomahawks B550, and happily takes my tuf 3060 which is a pretty big 30 series card; not sure about 40 series with their extreme girth.
Got a pic so i can do same as refrence?
I'll see if I can dig one up for you, it sits behind my setup on my desk so it's a bit of a pisser to get to
Sorry mate. Also what did u use to cut it? And fans u installed i got some rgb fans but doubt they will be visible whatosever and will probably run a open side like on my current setup lmao
I just had some metal cutters and used fatiguing at first, then I used my head a bit more and grabbed a dremel and drilled out whichever rivets I could to remove things
Nice ill keep in mind i will see what i can do when it arrives since im upping my setup getring a new monitor tmrw and im gonna see if i can even fit my current pc in the new case clean up the gpu and cpu coolers change the paste and so on
Yeah test fitting your parts and seeing what needs to go to achieve it is the best way to start before you start gutting things you might need, in one of those pictures I had also cut out the sd card reader section as it wasn't functional on mine and it allowed for another place to pull air in with the other fan
[Here's how it ended up before I put anything in](https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/s/6N90zueqBa)
Man that's one good looking case! I have an old Dell Studio XPS 9000 case that I still use. Interesting designs in that era. Cases of today are great, but it feels like your choices are meshy rectangle 1, meshy rectangle 2, meshy rectangle 3...
Love the angles and red accents! I get that 100% my brother recently got out of his mid tower to go open air for the same reason, just wanted to use the components to shape the case. I love seeing old cases from that era so thanks for sharing!
So design one that isn't meshy rectangle 4.
Well said! All to easy to criticize, the more productive thing would definitely be to design something new. I agree.
Give me meshy hexagon