Part of the goal in modding this case was to ensure plenty of airflow. The radiators are only as good as the amount of airflow that moves through them. Once that air moves through them, it needs to have someplace to go. That led me to what you are about to see next. I’m going to cut out the sides of the case, and prepare to put mesh in it’s place.

I’ll be using the same mesh as the front, and have even copied the front’s pattern for a fairly consistent look and feel.

Here is the first side taped out and ready for the dremel. The stock mesh will soon be history…

A little bit later, I’m left with the rough opening in the side of the case.

Here is the same side after being filed and sanded.

With one side cut, I can begin marking out the second side. Notice it’s slightly different in layout than the first. The protrusion on the far side, will have a cut out for power and reset switches, as well as a USB port. The preceding items will be mounted to a panel on the case itself. That will allow the cover to be removed without the need to disconnect any cabling.

Up next will be the finished cutting on the second side, and some mesh placement. That also means I’m about to bring a new technique to the table. Stay tuned for the debut of the ‘torch’…