December 09, 2002 - Tekime
Introduction
Following in step with my window mod I decided,
like so many others before me must have, that a window in your case is only as
cool as what's inside. Or something like that. So, about five minutes after
finishing the window mod, I decided to go the last mile and grab a Studio 54
neon auto light for my case.
They can be picked one up for about $10 at Wal-Mart; so this is obviously a
pretty cheap project. It's about half the price of your average cold cathode,
and you probably don't have to order it.
Preparation
Before we get started, let's look at the materials we will need for the light mod:
- One Studio 54 Neon Auto Light
- Wire cutters
- Electrical tape
- Molex splitter or extension
- Dremel (optional)
Step One: Dissection
If the light fits inside your case without any changes, the only thing you need
to do is cut the wire leading to the 12V cigarette style adapter, and splice
it onto a Molex plug. If the light doesn't fit, you will need to chop one end off,
preferably with a Dremel or similar cutting tool.
In order to plug the light into your power supply, it needs to have a Molex adapter.
You can simply cut off the cigarette adapter, and splice it with a Molex in the
following order: black (ground) connects to clear wire on light, yellow (12V) connects
to white striped wire on light.
If the light will not fit inside your case, Dremel the end off with a thin
cutoff wheel. Be extremely careful when cutting along the bottom of the unit,
there is a circuit board approximately 1mm below the surface which you do not
want to damage.
I made the first cut deep enough to expose the knob (which controls the sensitivity
of the audio response) and the switch which turns the audio response on and off.
A second cut made further down freed up the entire board, and the end can be moved
out of the way at this point.
Conclusion
This is indeed a cheaper and quicker solution than ordering "real" lights. There
are a few drawbacks of course, it is a neon light and does produce some heat. Not enough
to see any change in my case temps, but every little bit counts. Also a light made for
your PC won't require any cutting, taping, chopping, et cetera. But that just isn't
any fun now is it tweakers?
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