Going to a LAN, Upgrading

[ctjoyce]

Well in about 4 months I will be going to Nor Easter 2006. This is the biggest LAN in the northeastern US, so if you go, you go big. So basically I've got a birthday comeing up, and my mum said I could spend $350 on stuff for the LAN. Now the question is what to get. I could just blow the entire thing on a Sapphire X1800XL or... I could spend it on makeing my case look as fast as the hardware. So this is what I have decided on.

ThermalTake Soprano ATX $96
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811133157

Zalman CMPS-9500 $62
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.a ... 6835118223

2 12' UV Cathodes and Cathode / Fan controoler $30

2 120mm and 1 92mm Blue LED fans $40

Then I'm spending the rest on 3 day shpping, BAWLS and food for the LAN. Now I know this is probibly the wrong crowd to be bragging to, but I figured you would want to know, and also see your thoughts on the case. I plan to put one cathode on the floor of the case, and the other hanging from the bar at the top. I figure that that shoudl maximize the light in the case. The other thing I wanted to ask is if you think that there will be enough light in there with only two UV cathodes. I may need two more, which my budget allows for.

Cheers
Cameron

[congo]

Money doesn't buy respect at a LAN meet.

Originality and in your face impact does. From stuff I've read, the store bought mods are just fobbed off by the enthusiasts.

I build and mod a PC for me, it's my ego I'm trying to impress, not anyone else's. I don't give a rat's about what people think about Flourescent Pink, I like it.

My best case fan comes from an ancient PC I found crushed at the dump, it took some effort to extract it from the twisted wreck. I sold it once and 3 years later I got it given back to me.

If I went to a LAN meet, I've got hardware to be proud of, (I can't buy pretty things while there is a better video card or CPU worth having), and enough originality in my case to make people stop and look at what I've done, whether they like what they see or not.

Another thing to consider, go to the LAN to check out systems for some ideas, and spend later to create your personalised beast.

[ctjoyce]

Well I've been modding for quite awhile now and have plenty of ideas from the forums of www.kustompcs.co.uk And I plan to go pretty hard core on this one. UV clear coat, masked drives, and Brade all fan + cathode tails. So with a clean case that glows like crazy and a 3.9Ghz or better overclock with the new HSF I should do okey for myself. Another thing I may do is get a custom etched window. I figure that it may not win the best case contest, but will hold its own over the Raidmaxes and Roswells that many of these kids are useing.

What I have found about LANs is that to be respected you need three things.
1. A absolute dream machine
2. A georgeous case
3. Be atleast #10 on the Counter Strike server.
I don't know about number three but the other two I can do. And now that the X1900s are out, the X1800s should be comeing down in price and I will get one of those.

Cheers
Cameron

[congo]

Aaah, sounds like you might have one of the nicer rigs at the LAN, and you know heaps more about case modding than I do anyway, I know it's gonna look great.