Custom Computers

Excitement in the early 90's

Vendors Show a Parade of Intel-Based Products by Tom Krazit

Intel placed PCs made from wildly different materials and form factors at the entrance to the convention floor. One, a menacing “Alien Head” design from Marc Weitz, uses an Intel 2.53-GHz Pentium 4 processor.

It is about twice the height of a normal desktop PC and its exterior, molded from Styrofoam and fiberglass, alternates between iridescent purple and green. Weitz has developed several unusual PCs for competitions. The mouth of the Alien Head is actually a CD-RW drive, and power switches are concealed beneath the Alien’s breastplate.

Intel Takes Art to the Next Level Tom's Hardware Guide

Two phrases that you perhaps don't expect to find in the same sentence are Intel and case modding, but that assumption went right out the window with Intel's display called "PC Mods - Creating Art With Technology". We were excited to have a chance to talk with Intel's Gabriel Achanzar, who is the Gaming Program Manager at Intel. Gabriel told us, "We have been seeing the unique things people have been doing in the case modding area, and it is truly art." When people have the chance to be exposed to it, they find it very interesting; the only problem is that you can't go to your local dealer and buy one of these one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The first case that we looked at was the "Alien Beast," by Marc Weitz. Marc was the winner of the CPL C3* Contest ... this case looks much like a sculpture. A block of Styrofoam was used to carve out the shape for the Alien Beast, and then fiberglass was laid into the Styrofoam to create this one-of-a-kind look. The unit features an Intel Pentium 4 at 2.53GHz on an Intel D850MV2 motherboard. The outside is painted with color-shifting paint. The breastplate hides the handmade power switches, and the alien teeth hide the cover for the CD-RW drive.

Creating Art with Technology Intel Home Computing

Marc Weitz's latest PC mod is elemental—at least, it combined the elements of fire, water and, eventually, air, in a prizewinning and incredibly resilient design. Inspired by the post-apocalyptic world in the movie "Reign of Fire," [Marc] created a case decked with a fire-breathing dragon. On the inside, the custom PC is water-cooled. "Everything fit so nicely together," says [Marc], but sometimes even great concepts go awry. No matter. Even though the radiator blew on the first trial, his mod went on to win first place at the Cyberathelete Professional League’s C3*. On his wish list for Intel® Pentium® 4 processor features? "Make it waterproof."

PC MODS — Computing Outside the Box by Peter Lewis

Welcome to the world of PC mods. Just as hot-rodders enjoy creating clever designs for their cars, PC modders entertain themselves and others--typically at PC game tournaments, at software developer conferences, and in detailed show-and-tell forums on the Internet--by modifying high-performance PCs into functional works of art. We spotted three mods at Intel's headquarters. The ice cube-cool mod is called Frostbyte, by Gareth "Lord Pheaton" Powell of Burbank, Calif.... Another is Techno Tube, built into a tall hotel ashtray by Troy "T-Bone" Ervin of Dallas.

Then there is the Harley-themed Midnight Fire--with chrome flames, a tachometer, and bullet casings for the power and reset buttons-- by Marc Weitz of New Orleans.

Harley-themed Midnight Fire--with chrome flames, a tachometer, and bullet casings for the power and reset buttons. Fortune Magazine, PC MODS

The case itself was modified to house a water-cooled, peltier-driven system. This meant making allowances for a water pump, radiator, hoses and peltiers to cool down the CPU and video card. The radiator was situated on the top inside of the case and had a chromed aluminum flame bezel that outlined the hole made for the radiator. The case was painted with a marbleized candy wineberry finish over sparkling ghost flames. The dragon cutout has a blood-red plexiglass plate behind it, so the lights inside the case help illuminate the interior and show off the dragon as well.

Intel, Creating Art with Technology winner of the CPL C3* Contest in the Summer of 2002. This case looks much like a sculpture. A block of Styrofoam was used to carve out the shape for the Alien Beast, and then fiberglass was laid into the Styrofoam to create this one-of-a-kind look. The unit features an Intel Pentium 4 at 2.53GHz on an Intel D850MV2 motherboard. The outside is painted with color-shifting paint. The breastplate hides the handmade power switches, and the alien teeth hide the cover for the CD-RW drive. - Intel Takes Art To The Next Level

Designer Marc Weitz describes X-Gate as...featuring a Pentium 4 processor..."giving me the processing power I need when editing film..." Highlights include a water cooling system, internal electroluminescent highlights, and neon trimmings visible through a hand-cut fluorescent Plexiglas panel. -Intel Developer Update Magazine, "X-Gate"

This LSU case was created for Judy Weitz's personal use.