Plexi-Case : Should I?

[HeadachesAbound]

Did a quick Search / Scan but didn't see anything off-hand about this.

Is a plexiglass (or similar material) case wise?

I have seen tons of reviews saying that they are great for looks but I have also seen a few discussing the concerns with static electricity and plexi. Any opinions or advice before I dig deeper and build my monster?

[Budfred]

Beyond the fact that they are a bit pricey, I have noticed that the ads always say something about them being good for shows and displays, but quietly discouraging basic home use. I suspect this means that they may not be real workhorse type cases (fragile, problem prone???). Also, I suspect they are a little on the noisey side...

[HeadachesAbound]

I'm looking more at creating my own beast. The standard case just doesn't fit with my home decor anymore and I'm looking for something a little different.

I have several ideas about what I want and plexi seems to be the best possible alternative at this point. My only concern is whether or not I might end up destroying my hardware in the process as my current machine is quite loud to begin with (4 case fans, 2 ps fans, hs / fan on the processor, fan on the graphics card, cd-rw, dvd-rom, and 4 hds [3-80s, 1-20]).

[pentachris]

My understanding for the reason they are discouraged for basic home use is that they start out looking all nice and pretty - and then the dust starts to build up. Keeping a window clean, and the visible area behind it clean enough, is one thing. Keeping a whole case and everything inside it clean is another.

[Whyzman]

Hmmmmmm....not sure about Budfred's noise concern...

I'd think that they might be quieter than metal. If you're going to manufacture your own I'd dis the plexi and go for Lexan. It doesn't yellow and if you go thick enough you could probably stop a bullet with it!

Thickness being the operative word here...that's where I think you'd pick up on some sound quenching.

As far as static electricity, I'd think if everything is properly grounded to the Power Supply you'd be good to go.

I was trying to pull up the picture I saw in TweakTown Forums...but for some reason they will no longer allow access unless you're registered. It was sweet!

I would suggest checking out a wholesale plastic supply house and see if they'll do a one time "in house" order for you. I purchase from one here in Minneapolis where I can pick up their leftover pieces.

The pieces you'd probably need to design a case might be able to be had inexpensively from the same...

[HeadachesAbound]

As part of my design I plan to put filters in place for the fan intakes try and cut down on the amount of dust that gets into the system. I did read about the (3?) variations that you can get with plexi being the cheapest and lexan being the most expensive. I'm more or less at the design / experiment stage and figured on getting a couple of pieces just to experiment with.

[pentachris]

Here's a link to somebody with too much time on their hands.

Maybe it will help you with some techniques and ideas.

[mjc]

Hmmmm...seems that nobody is mentioning the one reason it seems not to be such a good idea..EMI (electro-magnetic interferrence).

The plasitc would not provide any protection from/prevention of it.

[Whyzman]

You could use electro-magnetic interference neutralizing paint...it comes in your choice of opaque colors!

Or, I've seen folks fashion aluminum hats to prevent various forms electro-magnetic interference. Now that would be "stylin'" to have a computer with it's brains shielded...

[HeadachesAbound]

Hmm..Aluminum...Dr Pepper Case?

Ouch, too sharp / dangerous.

EMI, the other thing that might cause me issues. EMI neutralizing paint? Where might I find such a thing? I have issues with making the case non-clear as I really am not sure that I want to expose my computers nakedness in such a fashion. I am more looking towards having a functional case that will fit in my limited space. A do-it-yourself plexi is significantly cheaper (and smaller) than my alternative of a Lian-Li or giant server case at this point.

A beer box case might be a little out of place when the in-laws come to visit and could raise some concerns. I watched the ScreenSavers last night and heard them discussing a fridge pc. I think that might be a little much too.

Most of the designs that I have seen tend to lean towards a perfect cube (if such a thing exists). Mine would need to be roughly 14 inches on all sides to accomodate my needs. I am still looking around for the plexi though as what I have found so far is either too expensive ($75+ for 12x12 sheets) or too thin (1/8 inch).