Boddaker

Got a bunch of little things knocked out last week and over the weekend.  First up was to mount the SSD's.
I originally thought a nice geometric shape would be cool, so I broke out the circle template and worked something up..
 
 
But then I realized that it didn't quite fit the theme, so I scrapped that idea (but will keep it for future use) in favor of a more organic design..

 
Satisfied with the new shape, I went back to the scroll saw to cut it out.

 
Cutting complete!  After a quick de-burring with the files, it's looking better.

 
SSD placed in the center for marking the bend lines.

 
..and bent!

 
SSD's in for fitting..

 
.. and taped in place on the back of the angled panel.. plenty of clearance between it and the PSU.

 
Next up was to trim the main panel so the side panel will fit around the back edge and close fully.  I cut about 1/2" off to make room for the side panel's rear lip, but left the area in the center where the grab handle is.

 
Side panel on and closed..

 
Close up shots of the tight fit..  the corners were just a tad tapered.

 
Here's the handle inset..

 
I also made the PSU cover to clean up the back area.  I welded mounting bracket onto the back panel just above the PSU grill to give the cover something to fasten to, and folded a lip at the bottom and screwed it down.  I also made some notches along the back edge for the 24pin, 12v 8pin, and SATA cabling..

 
Lastly, I got the D5 pump mounted at the front of the case.  Pretty basic stuff, just using the stock mounting bracket.

 

 
Work continues.. thanks for reading!

Hey guys, it's time for another case mod project! This will be for my daughter this time (if you recall I did a Minecraft R2-D2 mod last year for my son).
I'll be using the Suppressor F51 for this build, as it lends itself well to the sleak and elegant design my daughter and I came up with.  She wanted a pink rose themed build, so I will have a beautiful rose-shaped reservoir in the front, and all the hardware will be openly displayed on a custom one-piece angular chassis insert. All plumbing will be hidden behind the insert, except for an elegant curved water channel that spans over the motherboard to the GPU...

Here's a breakdown of hardware I'll be using in this build:
 

EVGA X99 microATX motherboard
 

EVGA GTX 970 with EK block
 

EVGA 550w Supernova GS PSU and X10 Carbon mouse
 

Crucial 250Gb SSD, and 16Gb DDR4 Ballistix memory kit
 

EK Supremacy Evo CPU block
 

EK D5 Pump top and chrome cover
 

EK 280mm Coolstream Radiator
 

EK 45º and 90º elbow fittings
 

Primochill Revolver fittings & fluid
 
Huge thanks to Primochill, EVGA, Crucial, EK, and of course Thermaltake for their continued support!
 
So let's get to some actual modding shall we? Seems lately I can't help but to hack into a case first thing. So after stripping it down to the frame, I taped off the area that will be cut away to make room for the new one-piece insert...

 

 
I made a cardboard template to see how the pieces will fit together.  Only three pieces make up the entire insert:  Back piece, angled center piece, and front piece.

 
After some initial attempts at bending the center piece myself, I realized I wasn't going to be able to produce the results I was looking for, so I sucked up my pride and brought the cardboard template down to the local metal fab shop and had them weld it up for me.

 
They did a nice job bending and tack-welding the pieces together.  I can now go in with the bondo and smooth out the panels and fill in the corners.

 
I'm hoping to have this case done for PDXLAN 28 in July, my daughter's first lan.    Stay tuned!
 

Worked on the integrated fan grill over the last week.  I wanted a rose grill, but wanted to maintain a clean look so instead of doing a separate acrylic screw-on grill, I decided to incorporate the design into the one-piece panel. So I printed out a few rose patterns and placed them accordingly onto the panel, gluing them on with a gluestick.

 
Then I proceeded to cut out each petal one by one.  Since the panel was all one piece, I couldn't simply use my scroll saw to cut all these pieces out.  So I was forced to use just my dremel and drill, and the jigsaw where ever I could.

 
After the rough cuts, I went back over the holes with files and grinding bits to clean them up.

 
A shot from below..

 

 
Moving onto the third rose. I used the dremel to start the longer cuts, and then used the jigsaw to finish them up.  It's faster, and it prolongs the life of the cutting wheel.

 
A close up of the rough cuts all finished.

 
And finally the third rose is done!

 
The last rose is a bit smaller and at the edge so I won't be able to use the jigsaw at all.  It will take a bit longer, so I will leave that for later.  Once its all done, I'll go over all cutouts with sandpaper to smooth everything out.
Work continues!

Hey guys, it's time for another case mod project! This will be for my daughter this time (if you recall I did a Minecraft R2-D2 mod last year for my son).
I'll be using the Suppressor F51 for this build, as it lends itself well to the sleak and elegant design my daughter and I came up with.  She wanted a pink rose themed build, so I will have a beautiful rose-shaped reservoir in the front, and all the hardware will be openly displayed on a custom one-piece angular chassis insert. All plumbing will be hidden behind the insert, except for an elegant curved water channel that spans over the motherboard to the GPU...

Here's a breakdown of hardware I'll be using in this build:
 

EVGA X99 microATX motherboard
 

EVGA GTX 970 with EK block
 

EVGA 550w Supernova GS PSU and X10 Carbon mouse
 

Crucial 250Gb SSD, and 16Gb DDR4 Ballistix memory kit
 

EK Supremacy Evo CPU block
 

EK D5 Pump top and chrome cover
 

EK 280mm Coolstream Radiator
 

EK 45º and 90º elbow fittings
 

Primochill Revolver fittings & fluid
 
Huge thanks to Primochill, EVGA, Crucial, EK, and of course Thermaltake for their continued support!
 
So let's get to some actual modding shall we? Seems lately I can't help but to hack into a case first thing. So after stripping it down to the frame, I taped off the area that will be cut away to make room for the new one-piece insert...

 

 
I made a cardboard template to see how the pieces will fit together.  Only three pieces make up the entire insert:  Back piece, angled center piece, and front piece.

 
After some initial attempts at bending the center piece myself, I realized I wasn't going to be able to produce the results I was looking for, so I sucked up my pride and brought the cardboard template down to the local metal fab shop and had them weld it up for me.

 
They did a nice job bending and tack-welding the pieces together.  I can now go in with the bondo and smooth out the panels and fill in the corners.

 
I'm hoping to have this case done for PDXLAN 28 in July, my daughter's first lan.    Stay tuned!
 

The power supply will be located on the back of the inner chamber, in between the two reservoirs.  But in order to mount it there, I'll need to fabricate a bracket for it to sit on.  So more galvanized steel was cut..

 
..and bent into a shelf-like form..

..Here's a couple shelfies..


 
The mounting holes were transferred to the bottom panel from the psu itself.

 
Using special diamond-carbide cutting wheels, I was able to remove the center of the panel for adequate PSU ventilation.

 
And the PSU mounted to the shelf.

 
Using a box, I propped up the PSU and shelf to the desired height so I could mark the holes on the inner chamber.  It will be held in place by some pop rivets once everything is prepped and painted and ready for final assembly.

Got all the shock absorbers mounted over the weekend!
Working on the top shocks first, I got the corner shock brackets mounted into the corners using the existing pop rivet holes.

 
For the top shock mounts, I had to cut the ends off of the radiator support bracket to make room in the corners.

 
The back two shocks mounted..

 
..and the front two..

 
All four top shocks mounted to the corners.

 
After measuring and centering the inner chamber at the correct height, I drilled holes on all four corners to mount the other shock brackets.

 
Flipping the entire case over, I started working on the bottom shocks.

 
I removed the inner chamber temporarily so I could have room to work, and proceeded to mount the remaining four shocks in the bottom corners.

 
While the chamber was out, I drilled holes in the bottom using the same measurements as the top, and re-installed it into the case.

 
We now have a fully suspended inner chamber!

 

 

Since Adrenaline is such a potent chemical, it must be handled very carefully.  If just one drop should escape from its container, the consequences would be devastating.  So first and foremost, construction of the transportation unit is critical, and extreme care in keeping the Adrenaline stable is paramount.  That is why these heavy duty shock absorbers will be employed on every corner to ensure that no vibration makes its way into the container..
 

 
These heavy duty shock absorbers, normally used on full suspension mountain bikes, will be put to better use here.

 

 
Taking 1" square box tubing, I cut eight individual pieces out for mounting the shocks to the inner chamber.

 
The shock fits inside the bracket, utilizing the mounting hardware that came with it.

 
All eight chamber mounts done.

 
For the other end, a slightly different design was needed to mount the shock to the corners of the outer frame.  More 1" box tubing was sectioned out.

 
Cut and drilled to accept the shock bolt.

 
All mounting brackets done!

 
These triangle pieces will fit into the corners of the frame.

 
The top brackets are drilled in the center, and the holes squared.

 
This keeps the carriage bolt from spinning when the nut is screwed on.

 
Both pieces fastened together.

 
A 1" flat washer is used to reinforce the bracket and spread out the load.

 
Once the frame is prepped, these brackets will then be riveted into place.  More soon!
 

Thanks guys!
 
Had a great productive weekend, got a bunch of little things taken care of, and was able to start assembling the water cooling loop.
 
Got some of the lighting done, which required some soldering.  I had to cut up the UV  ledstrip and re-attach them so they would lay where I wanted.

 
For the logo badging on the front, there was only a small area where I could hide the leds so they wouldn't bee seen through the badge, so two strips were laid side-by side and connected via two small wires.

 
A quick smoke test..

 
Once I confirmed they worked, I stuck them to the inside of the lightbox, on the wall behind the solid part of the logo. The box was lined with aluminum foil tape, which accomplishes two things:  Reflectivity inside the box, and keeping the light from escaping anywhere else but out through the logo face.

 
Here's the logo lit up with nice indirect lighting.

 
And here's the finished lettering that will go underneath the lit logo badge..

 
The logo also makes an appearance inside the inner chamber, on both sides.  I had some 1/8" acrylic cut to cover the floor and up the sides, turning into Adrenal Express half way up.

 
Now you know why I painted the inside of the box the way I did. 

 
I got the box lit up with more UV lighting, hidden behind the front edge all the way around.

 
And finally with the floor in place, I could start installing reservoirs and the rest of the hardware..

 
This is the last week before voting starts!  It will be close, but I think I can get this thing wrapped up before the deadline.  Wish me luck!

Got all the fan grills mounted last night.  Both rads' fans and the PSU face the side panel, and sit right against the window.  So holes were cut and the grills were attached right to the window.
 
First I marked all the holes on the window and taped off the area around the touch screen fan controller.

 
Then I proceeded to cut out all the holes after taping the surface for protection. This was after I cut everything and was demasking (forgot to take the pic earlier)

 
Testing the fitment of the rad grills.

 
After a light sanding of the grills to frost them up a bit, I mounted them to the window using spare HDD screws.

 
And the window back in the panel and on the case..

 
Looking forward to a good modding weekend ahead!  Hoping to wrap up the front panel and get the pump/res's installed with tubing.  Then it's on to wiring (ugh) 

Got a bunch of things accomplished over the weekend.  I got my laser cut acrylic in from Primochill on Friday, so my plans to do wiring got happily postponed lol.  Here's a teaser shot of the radiator grills..

 
I remade the PSU's fan cover as well, with the Ad Ex logo in the center..

 
I will have a backlit logo badge on the front panel, so I had all these letters cut.  It took a bit of time gluing all of them down.  I used a piece of tape as my alignment to make sure everything was straight and spaced evenly.

 
I spent most of the time prepping the front panel for the logo badge and front IO relocation, as well as a secret special feature that I will reveal later.  ;-)

 
I cut a piece of black ABS sheet to fit behind the mesh, and sprayed a bit of green around the cutout for effect. I'll be doing the same behind the top panel.

 
Before installing the inner chamber for the final time, I laid down some 1/4" foam sheet to cover the bottom of the case.

 
I cut some slots in the center to clear the dust screen hooks.  They actually served to hold foam the down quite nicely.

 
Getting the rads mounted, and all the shocks back in in preparation for the inner chamber.

 
The inner chamber is back in!  Hopefully for the last time.

 
A shot of the top, with the WC inlets and outlets that will connect to the radiators.

Got a bunch of things accomplished over the weekend.  I got my laser cut acrylic in from Primochill on Friday, so my plans to do wiring got happily postponed lol.  Here's a teaser shot of the radiator grills..

 
I remade the PSU's fan cover as well, with the Ad Ex logo in the center..

 
I will have a backlit logo badge on the front panel, so I had all these letters cut.  It took a bit of time gluing all of them down.  I used a piece of tape as my alignment to make sure everything was straight and spaced evenly.

 
I spent most of the time prepping the front panel for the logo badge and front IO relocation, as well as a secret special feature that I will reveal later.  ;-)

 
I cut a piece of black ABS sheet to fit behind the mesh, and sprayed a bit of green around the cutout for effect. I'll be doing the same behind the top panel.

 
Before installing the inner chamber for the final time, I laid down some 1/4" foam sheet to cover the bottom of the case.

 
I cut some slots in the center to clear the dust screen hooks.  They actually served to hold foam the down quite nicely.

 
Getting the rads mounted, and all the shocks back in in preparation for the inner chamber.

 
The inner chamber is back in!  Hopefully for the last time.

 
A shot of the top, with the WC inlets and outlets that will connect to the radiators.

Great detailing on the sabertooth cover!  Just the right amount of color I think.    I have the same board, and am presently working on adding neon green accents to mine.  You are lucky the blocks on the video cards are already white! I will have to paint mine to match my color scheme.   Keep up the great work!

I'm loving the detail man.  That back panel is insane already!  Looking forward to the finished piece!

The power supply will be located on the back of the inner chamber, in between the two reservoirs.  But in order to mount it there, I'll need to fabricate a bracket for it to sit on.  So more galvanized steel was cut..

 
..and bent into a shelf-like form..

..Here's a couple shelfies..


 
The mounting holes were transferred to the bottom panel from the psu itself.

 
Using special diamond-carbide cutting wheels, I was able to remove the center of the panel for adequate PSU ventilation.

 
And the PSU mounted to the shelf.

 
Using a box, I propped up the PSU and shelf to the desired height so I could mark the holes on the inner chamber.  It will be held in place by some pop rivets once everything is prepped and painted and ready for final assembly.

This vessel will be carrying the potent adrenaline, so it needs to be very strong and impervious to cracking, crazing, scratches, bullets, lasers, sharks, ... and even laser sharks.  And since there is nothing tangible on this earth presently that comes close to this, I had to travel into the future and bring back some transparent unobtanium.  Fortunately, I found that the future Pringles chip containers were made of it and happened to be the exact sized cylinders I needed, and was able to purchase a couple cans from the local Eleventy-Seven (formerly known as 7-11).
 
Here's the stock container, ready to be upgraded.

 
The de-agitator was disassembled, and it's feeble exo-coating removed.

 
A special protective UltraViolet-activated barrier strip was applied to the outside.

 
To further dissipate all those UltraViolets, this semi-permeable alloy was added over top the barrier strips.

 

 
Once, reassembled, the housing's performance is greatly enhanced by these super cool racing stripes..

 
Both vessels have been upgraded, and ready to be filled with the toxic fluid.

Got all the shock absorbers mounted over the weekend!
Working on the top shocks first, I got the corner shock brackets mounted into the corners using the existing pop rivet holes.

 
For the top shock mounts, I had to cut the ends off of the radiator support bracket to make room in the corners.

 
The back two shocks mounted..

 
..and the front two..

 
All four top shocks mounted to the corners.

 
After measuring and centering the inner chamber at the correct height, I drilled holes on all four corners to mount the other shock brackets.

 
Flipping the entire case over, I started working on the bottom shocks.

 
I removed the inner chamber temporarily so I could have room to work, and proceeded to mount the remaining four shocks in the bottom corners.

 
While the chamber was out, I drilled holes in the bottom using the same measurements as the top, and re-installed it into the case.

 
We now have a fully suspended inner chamber!

 

 

The inner chamber of the Adrenaline Transport Container was completed over the weekend, using only the highest grade galvanized steel sheet.  The galvanization process alters the molecular structure of the steel, creating a superior adrenaline-proof barrier, should any leaks occur.  Our courier's safety is of utmost importance here at Adrenaline Express!
Marking out the dimensions of the inner chamber onto raw galvanized stock.

A jigsaw outfitted with high tensile strength tungsten carbide blades was used to cut the specially treated steel. 

After bending, we have four sides.

A separate piece for the back was made, with a 1/2" lip all around..

The back fits perfectly inside the four sides.

Once riveted together, I could start test-fitting parts inside the chamber.  First was to ensure the two Adrenaline Reservoirs would fit snugly in their places.

Next will be placement of the main control board, which will be responsible for regulating the environmental conditions of the chamber, as well as monitoring vibrations.

Since Adrenaline is such a potent chemical, it must be handled very carefully.  If just one drop should escape from its container, the consequences would be devastating.  So first and foremost, construction of the transportation unit is critical, and extreme care in keeping the Adrenaline stable is paramount.  That is why these heavy duty shock absorbers will be employed on every corner to ensure that no vibration makes its way into the container..
 

 
These heavy duty shock absorbers, normally used on full suspension mountain bikes, will be put to better use here.

 

 
Taking 1" square box tubing, I cut eight individual pieces out for mounting the shocks to the inner chamber.

 
The shock fits inside the bracket, utilizing the mounting hardware that came with it.

 
All eight chamber mounts done.

 
For the other end, a slightly different design was needed to mount the shock to the corners of the outer frame.  More 1" box tubing was sectioned out.

 
Cut and drilled to accept the shock bolt.

 
All mounting brackets done!

 
These triangle pieces will fit into the corners of the frame.

 
The top brackets are drilled in the center, and the holes squared.

 
This keeps the carriage bolt from spinning when the nut is screwed on.

 
Both pieces fastened together.

 
A 1" flat washer is used to reinforce the bracket and spread out the load.

 
Once the frame is prepped, these brackets will then be riveted into place.  More soon!
 

I really like the X9, not only for it's size, but also for the shear number of options and configurations one can choose to go with when building a system.  It literally takes the boredom out of putting a computer system together because it can be built in so many different ways within this one chassis.  This is evidenced by the myriad of X9 rigs out there right now that people have built for themselves and others, each one vastly different than the next, much like snowflakes in their uniqueness.

That's why when I took delivery of my X9, I felt a sense of anticipation, as if I was stepping into the unknown, my path uncertain.  I was giddy with excitement, eager to tear into the box like a child and his present on Christmas morning. My heart started racing and I quickly scribbled my illegible signature on the delivery man's tablet and waved him off, never once taking my eyes off the box.  My new enemy became the very cardboard that had served to protect that which was concealed inside, and was quickly subdued as I targeted its weakest points with the first thing I could find within reach:  my house key.  Stabbing the packing tape repeatedly along its seams, I eventually succeeded in opening the box, only to find the X9 was yet unseen; obfuscated by Styrofoam and plastic (Dr. Cardboard's obvious cohorts).  But even these final layers of protection were no match, and ultimately yielded to my unrelenting desire to gaze upon my new case.

After a few moments of silent staring and admiration, I took a deep breath as I began to contemplate my seemingly impossible task of deciding what to do for a theme. The choices are virtually unlimited!  How can I settle on one single idea?  Should I go with a video game theme, or movie? What could I do that hasn't already been done a hundred times over?  Then the answer just appeared before me as I watched the delivery truck start up outside and drive off.  This whole thing that I had just experienced, the anticipation, the excitement, the excelerated heartbeat... it was like getting a shot of adrenaline.  Before the X9 arrived, I was bored, tired and lethargic.  And once it got here, I felt awake, motivated, inspired.. I felt alive!  So this theme will exemplify that feeling of heightened alertness. The Core X9 will become the vessel that transports this highly exuberant chemical to its new owners, curing them of the common doldrums.  Of course, there is only one company internationally certified to carry such a fragile, and extremely rare commodity...

And that company is:

Greetings everyone!  It's such an honor to be selected to represent the US in Thermaltake's CaseMod Invitational, Season 2!  This is going to be a really exciting competition, with so many talented modders battling it out.  I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with, using the X9 chassis. 
 
Here are my requisite photos of all the great hardware that will be going into this build.  Special thanks go to not only Thermaltake for hosting this amazing competition and providing for most of the hardware, but also to Avexir for the sweet DDR4 memory kit, and to Newegg!
 
Here is an overall shot of the booty, case and all..

 
Thermaltake ToughPower 1200w power supply

 
ASUS Sabertooth X99 motherboard

ASUS Strix GTX 970 video cards X2

 
Intel i7 5820K processor

 
Avexir DDR4 16Gb Memory Kits X2

 
 
Samsung 850 EVO 240Gb SSDs X3

 
Thermaltake hot swap dual drive bays X2

 
360mm Rads X3

 
200mm Res/Pump combos X2

 
 
Soft tubing

 
Rigid tubing

 
Miscellaneous fittings (too many to itemize lol)

 
STRIX 970 waterblocks X2

 
120mm Riing Fans Green X9

 
200mm Luna Fan white

 
Commander FT Fan Controller

 
Commander FX 10 port Fan Hub

 
 
 
 

The time has come to create the opening for the motherboard's IO, but I needed the factory cutouts for a template.  I couldn't just put the entire case up next to the inner chamber, so I cut it out. 

 
Now I'm free to mark the openings with the stock "Ttemplate"..  I included the GPU's IO brackets as well so I could transfer those holes for the displayport, HDMI, and DVI ports.

 
Holes marked..

 
Motherboard IO cut and the panel in for a test fit..

 
With that in place I knew right where to add the standoffs, so now the motherboard is mounted.

 
Moving on to the GPU cutouts..

 
Graphics cards installed!

 
Next up is drilling holes for the pump wires, along with other cables such as USB3 and front IO.

 

Got all the shock absorbers mounted over the weekend!
Working on the top shocks first, I got the corner shock brackets mounted into the corners using the existing pop rivet holes.

 
For the top shock mounts, I had to cut the ends off of the radiator support bracket to make room in the corners.

 
The back two shocks mounted..

 
..and the front two..

 
All four top shocks mounted to the corners.

 
After measuring and centering the inner chamber at the correct height, I drilled holes on all four corners to mount the other shock brackets.

 
Flipping the entire case over, I started working on the bottom shocks.

 
I removed the inner chamber temporarily so I could have room to work, and proceeded to mount the remaining four shocks in the bottom corners.

 
While the chamber was out, I drilled holes in the bottom using the same measurements as the top, and re-installed it into the case.

 
We now have a fully suspended inner chamber!

 

 

Since Adrenaline is such a potent chemical, it must be handled very carefully.  If just one drop should escape from its container, the consequences would be devastating.  So first and foremost, construction of the transportation unit is critical, and extreme care in keeping the Adrenaline stable is paramount.  That is why these heavy duty shock absorbers will be employed on every corner to ensure that no vibration makes its way into the container..
 

 
These heavy duty shock absorbers, normally used on full suspension mountain bikes, will be put to better use here.

 

 
Taking 1" square box tubing, I cut eight individual pieces out for mounting the shocks to the inner chamber.

 
The shock fits inside the bracket, utilizing the mounting hardware that came with it.

 
All eight chamber mounts done.

 
For the other end, a slightly different design was needed to mount the shock to the corners of the outer frame.  More 1" box tubing was sectioned out.

 
Cut and drilled to accept the shock bolt.

 
All mounting brackets done!

 
These triangle pieces will fit into the corners of the frame.

 
The top brackets are drilled in the center, and the holes squared.

 
This keeps the carriage bolt from spinning when the nut is screwed on.

 
Both pieces fastened together.

 
A 1" flat washer is used to reinforce the bracket and spread out the load.

 
Once the frame is prepped, these brackets will then be riveted into place.  More soon!
 

Greetings everyone!  It's such an honor to be selected to represent the US in Thermaltake's CaseMod Invitational, Season 2!  This is going to be a really exciting competition, with so many talented modders battling it out.  I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with, using the X9 chassis. 
 
Here are my requisite photos of all the great hardware that will be going into this build.  Special thanks go to not only Thermaltake for hosting this amazing competition and providing for most of the hardware, but also to Avexir for the sweet DDR4 memory kit, and to Newegg!
 
Here is an overall shot of the booty, case and all..

 
Thermaltake ToughPower 1200w power supply

 
ASUS Sabertooth X99 motherboard

ASUS Strix GTX 970 video cards X2

 
Intel i7 5820K processor

 
Avexir DDR4 16Gb Memory Kits X2

 
 
Samsung 850 EVO 240Gb SSDs X3

 
Thermaltake hot swap dual drive bays X2

 
360mm Rads X3

 
200mm Res/Pump combos X2

 
 
Soft tubing

 
Rigid tubing

 
Miscellaneous fittings (too many to itemize lol)

 
STRIX 970 waterblocks X2

 
120mm Riing Fans Green X9

 
200mm Luna Fan white

 
Commander FT Fan Controller

 
Commander FX 10 port Fan Hub

 
 
 
 

I really like the X9, not only for it's size, but also for the shear number of options and configurations one can choose to go with when building a system.  It literally takes the boredom out of putting a computer system together because it can be built in so many different ways within this one chassis.  This is evidenced by the myriad of X9 rigs out there right now that people have built for themselves and others, each one vastly different than the next, much like snowflakes in their uniqueness.

That's why when I took delivery of my X9, I felt a sense of anticipation, as if I was stepping into the unknown, my path uncertain.  I was giddy with excitement, eager to tear into the box like a child and his present on Christmas morning. My heart started racing and I quickly scribbled my illegible signature on the delivery man's tablet and waved him off, never once taking my eyes off the box.  My new enemy became the very cardboard that had served to protect that which was concealed inside, and was quickly subdued as I targeted its weakest points with the first thing I could find within reach:  my house key.  Stabbing the packing tape repeatedly along its seams, I eventually succeeded in opening the box, only to find the X9 was yet unseen; obfuscated by Styrofoam and plastic (Dr. Cardboard's obvious cohorts).  But even these final layers of protection were no match, and ultimately yielded to my unrelenting desire to gaze upon my new case.

After a few moments of silent staring and admiration, I took a deep breath as I began to contemplate my seemingly impossible task of deciding what to do for a theme. The choices are virtually unlimited!  How can I settle on one single idea?  Should I go with a video game theme, or movie? What could I do that hasn't already been done a hundred times over?  Then the answer just appeared before me as I watched the delivery truck start up outside and drive off.  This whole thing that I had just experienced, the anticipation, the excitement, the excelerated heartbeat... it was like getting a shot of adrenaline.  Before the X9 arrived, I was bored, tired and lethargic.  And once it got here, I felt awake, motivated, inspired.. I felt alive!  So this theme will exemplify that feeling of heightened alertness. The Core X9 will become the vessel that transports this highly exuberant chemical to its new owners, curing them of the common doldrums.  Of course, there is only one company internationally certified to carry such a fragile, and extremely rare commodity...

And that company is: