Computer Case or mount pieces seperately?

[ThePaul]

Do most people just toss a computer in a regular computer case in their cab or is it common to mount the mother board, power suply, drives etc.. to the cab?

[Stingray]

I belive it's commonly done both ways. I chose to gut a computer and mount the bits inside the cab, myself. Just 'cause I'm a geek.

-S

[Lilwolf]

I started mounting mine directly...
Then added a case at one point
Now I have the case outside my cabinet (so I can access it a little faster.

The trougble I had with direct mounting was space and accessing it from the from.  The way the insides where... I didn't have a place for the powersupply on the shelf near the coin doors... (where I wanted my computer / cdrom for easy access)...

I also hit things kinds often when reaching inside to unflick the control panel.

[Santoro]

Probably depends on what is more important for you - authenticity or convenience.  

I wanted MameNation to look and feel like an arcade machine inside and out, so my 'guts' are mounted to the inside walls.   It can also be moved without having to remove or secure  the PC first.

If I intended on working on the PC a lot, I would probably have opted for a case inside the cab.

[Sephroth57]

i plan on mounting mine on wood inside, it will look cooler and more arcade machine like

[hyiu]

if it matters... I have my computer inside the case inside the cab...

I think if you have enough space... just put the computer (with case in there...) less work.... and in case something went wrong / upgrade / ... etc and you need to pull the computer out... all you need is unplug and pull the whole computer out....

well... my cab has enough space inside and I'm just lazy....
 

[fredster]

I'd go with the case.  It keeps the parts together and dust off the components to protect it.

I had to take the case off on a cocktail, and it has given me nothing but problems.  It looks cool, but it doesn't move very well.  Any cards sticking off the motherboard giggle around and come loose. Plus there is a layer of dust on everything.

Plus, you can pull it and put a whole new unit in fast if it's in one piece.

[patrickl]

Won't you get problems with cooling if you mount the pieces inside the cab? For instance, when I leave my computer case open the harddrives go very hot. They will die a lot sooner if they don't have the cooling airflow of a fan over them.

[Chris]

In the first version, I put it in a case, but working inside the cab became a major pain with the case in the way.



So when I upgraded my PC, I went to direct mounting:



The problem with direct mounting is it's difficult to secure add-on cards, so I have an all-in-one motherboard.  This severely limits your audio and video options; probably not a problem for emulation, but could be an issue if you want to play PC games as well.

I notice that some newer cases have the entire back panel mounted to the motherboard tray, and they come off the case as a unit.  If you could get your hands on one of these trays, you could just mount the motherboard and cards in the tray and mount the tray to the wall.

[nipsmg]

At work, we were scrapping a really crappy case, in which the entire frame (Back piece, hard drive trays, motherboard tray) came out as one unit..

so I'm using that.. makes life easier..

[Stingray]

Won't you get problems with cooling if you mount the pieces inside the cab? For instance, when I leave my computer case open the harddrives go very hot. They will die a lot sooner if they don't have the cooling airflow of a fan over them.

I added a couple of additional, strategicly-placed fans inside my cab to address the cooling issue.

-S

[Sephroth57]

hey chris do you have any more pics of your monitor supports? i need to do something like that trying to get ideas. whats holding that up in the middle/front?

[Chris]

hey chris do you have any more pics of your monitor supports? i need to do something like that trying to get ideas. whats holding that up in the middle/front?

The monitor is just sitting on a shelf that was there when I got the cabinet; there is a 2x4 underneath the shelf for stength, and another 2x4 behind the monitor to keep it from moving backwards.  Both 2x4's are mounted with joist hangers.

That monitor is actually on my desk now; it was replaced by a Wells-Gardner D9100.  It is currently just sitting on the same shelf; eventually I'll screw it down to the shelf and add side supports so the cabinet can be moved without removing the monitor.

--Chris

[krick]

Wico has a PCB mounting bracket that screws to the inside of the cab adjusts to accomodate different sized boards.  I'm thinking about getting one...

http://www.wicothesource.com/new2/pages/page15.htm

[JoeB]

At work, we were scrapping a really crappy case, in which the entire frame (Back piece, hard drive trays, motherboard tray) came out as one unit..

so I'm using that.. makes life easier..

I totally agree with the above statement and have followed it.

I initially started by mounting the motherboard directly to the inside of the machine, but then changed my mind and went with only the frame.  There are many advantages of using a frame over a direct mount:

- All points on the motherboard are grounded.  Some motherboards require that!  By direct mount, you are not connected the ground!
- There is no chance of PCI cards coming out of the motherboard in the future as you move the cab! (i.e. my SBLive or NIC!)
- Much easier to mount and much less stress on the MB! The metal frame makes the MB more solid and doesn't bend during install (which can brake it!)

But I'd suggest again putting a complete case inside the machine.. You're restricting free air flow around the components by putting the cover on!

[Sasquatch!]

I leave mine in the case.  If I'm staging the machine or doing any major overhauling to it, I find it easier to just take it out of the cabinet and hook it up to a regular keyboard / monitor / mouse.

[Minwah]

I have mounted my PC stuff on a removable board, so I get arcade-looks, but it can be easily removed for maintenance etc:

[Minwah]

It just slides into the left-hand side thru the front door:

I have holes cut out of the rear panel which line up with the PSU fan + chassis fan.  I *think* it will remain cool enough, although I haven't actually had it running inside the cab yet.  I picked a P4 so that cooling isn't so much of a problem, and I can have slower/quieter fans

[Ghoward]

This is how I did it I mounted the pc on a shelf that pulls out. The pc is a rack mount pc so not to take too much space up.

Gary