Although the title might suggest that this is one of those Channel 5 compilation shows you’ll find close to Christmas, we just couldn’t help but cover some of the awesome PC case mods we’ve seen in the last eight months.
Naturally, we had no trouble finding these mods on Reddit and YouTube, because if you’re going to mod your case and make it look like a fever dream that Amazon Alexa might have, then why not show it off?
As is customary for any listicle about epic PC case mods, the Coolermaster World Series played their part in catching a few eyes, as well as CDPR’s #CyberUpYourPC competition in partnership with Alienware. We selected five of the most stunning designs that made it to final build – each one being a fully working PC, and not just a pretty face.
Yaiba Kusanagi Aurora by Italian Extreme Modders
First up is Italian Extreme Modders’ “Yaiba Kusanagi Aurora”; a PC case that might not look out of place appearing on the desk of a hacker in Cyberpunk 2077. It comes as no surprise that this build was in fact inspired by the game and built as part of a collaboration with CD Projekt Red as an entry for the #CyberUpYourPC Contest, actually showcasing the Alienware Aurora and PC case modding.
Full Spec:
- Alienware Aurora
- AMD Ryzen™ 9 3900 (12-Core, 64MB L3 Cache, Max Boost Clock of 4.4GHz)
- NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 Edition
- 16GB Dual Channel HyperX™ FURY DDR4 XMP at 2933MHz
- 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (Boot) + 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s
It’s incredible to think that this was made from a pre-built, and The Italian Extreme Modders have outdone themselves. The Italian Extreme Modders are a team of six PC modders and an Overclocker with strong rep in Italy as well as international recognition. The IEM team works in the IT industry and utilises both “industrial and artistic craft modifications” with components, pre-built PCs and systems.
We asked PC builder and reviewer, SImone Marino of the Italian Extreme Modders about the more difficult aspects of the build, who told us: There was a lot of difficult aspects, for sure working on all the 3D printed parts to make it look real along with the painting process have been a tough tasks,
With any build like this, the concept can take on a life of its own, so we also asked if they managed to get all of the ideas into the build, or if any were left on the drawing board. Simone told us, Luckily enough we were able to do all the project ideas, both on the stand and the PC itself, thanks also to the fact that we've been able to work side by side with the designer.
Militech ‘Curvhead’ Utility Bot - Matin Poursadeghi / Staszek "Tips" Wiertelak
The Italian Extreme Modders’ entry came second in the #CyberUpYourPC contest, but we think you’ll agree that being beaten by the Militech ‘Curvhead’ Utility Bot (Maelstrom Mod) is nothing to cry about.
The concept:
Covered in crazy decals, spray paint and gang signs, the design shouts Cyberpunk 2077 loud and clear, and deservedly went down in case mod lore, winning critical acclaim from industry legends Gamers Nexus, and wowed Marcin Momot (CDPR Global Community Lead).
The Curvhead Bot took the crown in the competition, and it’s really not difficult to see why. Designed by a visual effects designer and built by a professional modder, this cold steel, corporate design was based on the Militech Flathead Robot coupled with the aggressive look of the Maelstrom Gang.
The build:
This spectacular build uses the Alienware Aurora, just as the Yaiba Kusanagi Aurora:
Full Spec:
- Alienware Aurora
- AMD Ryzen™ 9 3900 (12-Core, 64MB L3 Cache, Max Boost Clock of 4.4GHz)
- NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 Edition
- 16GB Dual Channel HyperX™ FURY DDR4 XMP at 2933MHz
- 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (Boot) + 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s
Ikigai - Nick Falzone Design
This stunningly beautiful case mod was conceptualised and designed by Nick Falzone and began as a humble block of wood.
From those humble beginnings, Ikigai began to take on a new life and quickly became a work of art, exuding style with its hand-cut smooth lines. Every step of the highly detailed build was catalogued in his worklog, posted on the Coolermaster forums. Forum members were quick to notice that Ikigai was no ordinary build, owing to Nick’s use of traditional hand tools and deliberate, precise selection of materials.
We contacted Nick for a few comments on Ikigai, who told us:
The most difficult part
