PC Mod Projects: Cool It! Light It! Morph It! (Consumer) [Paperback]

Edward Chen (Author), Carl Mixon (Author), Philip Mansfield (Author), Grace Punska (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0072230118 | ISBN-13: 978-0072230116 | Publication Date: August 18, 2003 | Edition: 1

Get four complete, do-it-yourself PC mod projects in one book! From a water-cooling aquarium to a neon light show to an outrageous casing to a functional one-touch LED screen, the projects show you, step-by-step, how to transform your ordinary computer into a one-of-a-kind mod. Helpful photos and diagrams are included.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Make PC stand for "personalized and customized"--mod it to increase performance or simply to improve its looks and think outside the plain beige box. Go beyond the manufacturer's limits and add a high-performance heatsink, or increase functionality of your box by adding more controls and ports in the front. Get the psychological edge in LAN gaming by morphing your box with lights, windows, custom paint jobs, and more. Divided into four distinct projects, each one written by a field expert, this hands-on guide delivers professional instruction on installing a water-cooling system, adding lights, morphing the case, and much more.

• Cut windows, install plumbing, and paint your case
• Illuminate your box by adding lights
• Install fiber optics, light-emitting diodes, and cold cathode fluorescents
• Build a switch interface
• Transform your box into an aquarium by water-cooling your components
• Morph your case and add accessories
• Use molding techniques
• Use alternative enclosures or acrylic cases--even an old gas can--to house your components

About the Author

Edward Chen (New York, NY) is a web programmer for one of the largest communications companies in the world. He is the founder and web master of GideonTech.com: a case modification website. He co-authored Build Your Own High Performance Mod PC. Carl Mixon (Houston, TX) Mixon was an IT professional for 5 years before launching PcMods.com. An avid case modder, he has developed several products on the PcMods website, including the window kit, Socketed LED tails, translucent window molding, and many other products. He also participated heavily in the development of the Rheobus, the Cold Cathode light, and nearly every OEM product that PcMods has brought to market. Philip Mansfield (Cambridge, England) has worked in computers all of his adult life, and finally became fed up with beige boxes a couple of years ago. Since then he has modified his own PC cases, and undertaken some custom work to design replacement drive bays for other people. Grace A. Punska (Melbourne, FL) is a telecommuting purchasing agent for a electronics manufacturer, buying components for arcade games, computer modding and military stuff she can't tell you about. Punska is also a mother of 2, a self-professed geek who likes nonviolent computer games, and author of the website and published novel Sands of Ice.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (August 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072230118
• ISBN-13: 978-0072230116
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,115,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Old School, April 8, 2010

By 

grasshog (Washington St.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PC Mod Projects: Cool It! Light It! Morph It! (Consumer) (Paperback)

If you want to get into PC modding this is a good reference for starting off. I do have to say that the book is already starting to show it's age with some of the mod projects.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Transform an ordinary computer into an extraordinary one, May 6, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PC Mod Projects: Cool It! Light It! Morph It! (Consumer) (Paperback)

The collaborative effort of Edward Chen, Carl Mixon, Philip Mansfield, and Grace Punska, PC Mod Projects: Cool It! Light It! Morph It! amounts to a compilation of four complete, do-it-yourself PC mod projects under one cover! From a water-cooling aquarium; to a neon light show; to an outrageous casing; to a functional one-touch LED screen, each of these instructional projects show, in a step-by-step progression, exactly how to transform an ordinary computer into an extraordinary one.

1 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally awesome, September 9, 2003

By 

Nobody - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PC Mod Projects: Cool It! Light It! Morph It! (Consumer) (Paperback)

This book rocks. It guides you through each part and really gives you an idea of what kind of work goes into a unique mod.

Not to mention my case is on the cover :-)