



It's good to be BUSY and I love Sci-Fi & Military theme builds. So I was very excited to receive an inquiry from Planetside2's Creative Director Matt Higby, about doing a New Conglomerate theme case for his new PC build.



"PLanetside2" is the sequel to the landmark MMO FPS has been revealed and is bigger and better than ever. PlanetSide 2 is a massive multiplayer online first person shooter. Game play delivers truly epic combat on a scale never before seen in stunning, breathtaking detail. Battles wage with literally thousands of players aligning with one of three unique factions in intense land, air and vehicle gameplay where the fight for territory is more than a victory, its survival. The "New Conglomerate"(commonly abbreviated NC) is Matt Higby's favorite faction. The NC is one of three empires waging for control over the planet Auraxis. They are characterized by hard-hitting weapons and heavily-armored vehicles that are designed with straight lines and hard edges. Their faction colors are blue and yellow.







Matt will be utilizing Corsair's H100 CPU cooler for the best optimal cooling.









I'll be creating a front intake with LEPA Chopper Cooling fan and 120mm Overkill Fan Ring







My canvas is Corsair's new Vengeance c70. It's a rugged, military inspired design. It arrives equipped with lots of features. It includes three Corsair 120mm fans, with the option to add seven more 120mm fans. Option to mount 240 or 360 radiator in the top panel. It has eight expansion slots. The retail price is $139.99. You can read my [url="http://www.mnpctech.com/casemodblog/2012/05/29/corsair-vengeance-c70-military-mid-tower-case-dissection-review/"]Corsair c70 Vengeance Case Review[/url]



Factory Specification List:

Warranty: Two years

Dimension: 19.7" x 9.1" x 21" / 501mm (H) x 232mm (W) x 533mm (L)

MB Support: ATX, mATX

Expansion Slots: 8

Material: Steel

Drive Bays: Three (3x) 5.25” bays, and Six (6x) 3.5”/2.5” hard drive bays

Cooling Fans Included: Three (3x) 120mm fans

Front I/O: (x2) USB 3.0, (x1) Headphone, (x1) MIC, Power, Reset Switches

Power Supply: ATX (not included)











Onto the first Case Mod!







The first modification is converting the c70's factory window to plain window without any fan hole perforations.







The c70 window assembly dismantled. Save the 16x Black screws! We will be using them to re-install out custom window.







The new window will be cut from 24" x 24" sheet of 1/8" thick, Clear, cast acrylic. I'm tracing the factory window dimensions onto the sheet.







Using Vertical Saw to cut the new window.







Going on 6 years ownership of my 14" Grizzly Vertical saw w/o a hitch.. You can use 1/8″ x .025 bi-metal blade for cutting acrylic and metal sheets. I usually cut 1/8″ thick sheets, http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-G0580-14-22-Bandsaw-HP/dp/B0007D2WS8







This step is optional! I Rounded corners in the window with Hand file.







Using [url="http://www.tapplastics.com/product/supplies_tools/plastic_tools_supplies/tap_plasdrill_bits/161"]"Plas-Drill"[/url] 1/4" drill bit to make insert holes for the mounting pegs, on the 4 individual Black window trim pieces. The best drill bits for plastics are spur-point bits, also known as dowel bits. They are specifically angled to make smooth cuts in the material. A spur-point bit has a central point and spurs that keep the bit aligned, maintaining a clean, neat hole.







Place the acrylic sheet onto the panel and mark off the locations for mounting peg holes.







Using 1/4" Drill bit made for Plastic.







The acrylic sheet is placed on backside of the panel in this photo.







Reinstall the 4, Black window trim pieces into the panel. The pegs on the trim piece protrude through the panel and into your acrylic sheet, (after removing the paper backing on your acrylic sheet).







Remove the paper backing, then install the acrylic sheet. The pegs on the Black trim should protrude through.







Use the 16x factory Black mounting screws, you removed to install your new window. You will need washers. You can get washer from Hardware or Home Improvement stores. I chose these [url="http://www.mnpctech.com/FanGrommet.html"]fan grommets[/url] as spacers, to mount the acrylic sheet.







Close up of [url="http://www.mnpctech.com/FanGrommet.html"]fan grommets[/url] being used as spacers, to mount our custom window.







Our new window is installed!







Now Matt can view into his PC without anything obstructing his view. Next stage is customizing the c70's front bezel with something a bit more Industrial look..