17 replies to this topic

[FlyingAce39]

I'm thinking of building a custom tower display for my consoles. I've got some very usable sheets of MDF board and I would like to use them, but I was just wondering if anyone else had any experience building their own tower. Maybe some pointers? I have a bunch of cool ideas for this thing, but I'd like to hear ideas from anyone who has experience with this kind of thing.

[blindinglights]

Plenty of ventilation if it is enclosed. Maybe some accent lighting.

If I was going to build one and go nuts, I'd wire up temperature sensors and cooling fans in each console compartment to an Arduino and have it output the real time stats to a small LCD display on the front. Maybe even have it play the Super Mario Bros. tune when you open the doors.

[Vulcan2422]

Might want to post in the pc section.

http://www.cheapassg...isplay.php?f=10

[FlyingAce39]

Might want to post in the pc section.

http://www.cheapassg...isplay.php?f=10

It's not a PC tower. It's a gaming tower. Kinda like this one.

http://www.amazon.co...ds=Gaming Tower

Plenty of ventilation if it is enclosed. Maybe some accent lighting.

If I was going to build one and go nuts, I'd wire up temperature sensors and cooling fans in each console compartment to an Arduino and have it output the real time stats to a small LCD display on the front. Maybe even have it play the Super Mario Bros. tune when you open the doors.

That would be cool, but just a bit more trouble than it's worth. :P

I'm definitely all over the accent lighting, though. I've got a blacklight that I already plan to stick either underneath it or in it somehow. Since the tower will be black and most of the consoles are black, it'll match beautifully. As far as the cooling goes, I am debating whether to enclose it or not. I would like to, but the consoles will get hotter if I do. I'm not worried about the Xbox, though. It is the coolest running console I have. The others, however, get pretty warm. Not dangerously, but warm enough.

Edited by FlyingAce39, 09 February 2013 - 12:33 PM.

[Michael Scott]

Not sure if you're going to be in the market, but you might wait to see what the next gen consoles are going to look like. It'd be a shame to go to the trouble to build a sweet gaming tower only for it to be obsolete when the next consoles don't fit in it.

[Vulcan2422]

My bad. When I hear gaming tower, I think PC gaming. Now if you said entertainment shelf, I would have understood better.

[MisterModest]

[Invicta 61]

LOL it's cool how you have all the current gen stuff in the tower but have it topped off by a top-loading NES.

I like how you cut ports in the sides to install fans. Where did you get the stand and how much time did it take to do your modifications?

[FlyingAce39]

Not sure if you're going to be in the market, but you might wait to see what the next gen consoles are going to look like. It'd be a shame to go to the trouble to build a sweet gaming tower only for it to be obsolete when the next consoles don't fit in it.

I dunno if I'm gonna be in the next-gen console market right off the bat. The prices are always insane for newly released consoles. Besides, there isn't going to be anything new for a while. Until something is actually announced, and not announced by overanxious nerds, then I'm not going to worry about it.

Now THAT'S what's up! Bravo, sir! Where did you get those fans? They look like they're from a PC case. Also, how did you wire them up?

[dafoomie]

I've been looking into this, cable management should be priority #1 including any wired controllers, you can go as far as building ports into the stand on each shelf for everything to plug into and having the other ends in one location. Ventilation and airflow are a concern for modern consoles, might even need some fans. If you need an a/v switch some type of integration with the stand would be a little nicer.

Saw one that this guy had setup with little LED spotlights shining on the names/logos of the consoles like the starship Enterprise. That's a little much. But if you put some thought into it you can have a really sick looking display.

[FlyingAce39]

I've been looking into this, cable management should be priority #1 including any wired controllers, you can go as far as building ports into the stand on each shelf for everything to plug into and having the other ends in one location. Ventilation and airflow are a concern for modern consoles, might even need some fans. If you need an a/v switch some type of integration with the stand would be a little nicer.

Saw one that this guy had setup with little LED spotlights shining on the names/logos of the consoles like the starship Enterprise. That's a little much. But if you put some thought into it you can have a really sick looking display.

That's actually pretty cool. I'd do that if I had more time and money.

I'd like to build it and incorporate the black consoles with the black cabinet and even use my black light. I think there's some really cool stuff to be done here. I just need to think about it.

[Spokker]

Very nice, but I do think people are paranoid about ventilation. I think that tower without the fans would have sufficed for those thinking about replicating the idea. You just don't put it on the carpet or block the vents in the back of the console. The Xbox 360 failures just spooked a lot of people, but that is 99% on Microsoft's horrid design.

[dafoomie]

Yikes, those are fans? I thought they were just shitty lights.

[dohdough]

Yikes, those are fans? I thought they were just shitty lights.

You don't build your own computers I'm guessing.

I'm hoping there's some push/pull flow on the fans or else one of the fans would be blowing hot air back at the exhaust vent on the PS3.

[FlyingAce39]

You don't build your own computers I'm guessing.

I'm hoping there's some push/pull flow on the fans or else one of the fans would be blowing hot air back at the exhaust vent on the PS3.

Now, by "push pull", do you mean like this:

<-|___|->

I was thinking this push pull system would be more efficient.

->|___|->

It would blow hot air towards the console, but it would also blow more hot air towards the other fan (which is pulling air out) as well.

[dafoomie]

You don't build your own computers I'm guessing.

My last preassembled machine was a 386, I just think LED fans are tacky. For something like this if you're going to have ventilation it should be unobtrusive, I don't think those even have grills on them. Push pull is totally unnecessary when you have a wide open shelf like that, might even be counter productive.

[dohdough]

Now, by "push pull", do you mean like this:

<-|___|->

I was thinking this push pull system would be more efficient.

->|___|->

It would blow hot air towards the console, but it would also blow more hot air towards the other fan (which is pulling air out) as well.

I meant the latter. The fat PS3 actually puts out a lot of heat and in a confined space like in the pic, you definitely want to get rid of as much hot air as possible. The fans should be help airflow go in the direction of the intake and exhaust ports. dafoomie's comment would be correct in certain contexts though. You just have to figure out what you want to make first.

My last preassembled machine was a 386, I just think LED fans are tacky. For something like this if you're going to have ventilation it should be unobtrusive, I don't think those even have grills on them. Push pull is totally unnecessary when you have a wide open shelf like that, might even be counter productive.

Since 386's huh? Your family must've been doing pretty good for that, but I agree that LED fans as tacky as hell(nothing personal to the owner of the unit).

There might be a couple inches behind the unit, but unless there's good airflow within the room itself, the hot air just kinda lingers where it is.

[dafoomie]

Exactly, the main concern would be not allowing heat to build up in the rear, that could easily be done with some quiet, slow fans where they wouldn't ever be seen. You don't need intakes when you're wide open. I would have to think dust is an issue for that guy with the LED's as well.

386sx was a budget machine even pre Windows 95, got mine used. Turbo button and all.