CoolPC Acrylic Window Kit

Author : Wayne Date : 30th June 2001

3DVelocity would like to thank CoolPC and especially Stefan in sales for their help and courtesy in providing this window kit for review.

Introduction :

There's no doubt about it, much of the hardware available for your PC these days looks too damned impressive to spend its life shut behind a layer of sheet steel. What's the point of splashing out on that coloured PCB motherboard, Dragon Orb, rounded cables, kick ass graphics card and water cooling if no one's ever going to see them?

Case mods are big business all of a sudden and people are prepared to go to some extraordinary lengths to have the baddest box in town. From custom paint jobs to blow holes, window kits to EL wire, nothing is too much for the hardened case mod fanatic. But unlike a year or so back, this is no longer a pursuit for the extremist only. These days all manner of ready to go kits can be bought from all over the 'net, and just about anybody with the tools and a little basic common sense can pull off some pretty sweet looking mods.

Today I want to look at an Acrylic window kit from Australian vendor CoolPC.

Here's a bit more about the guys over there in their own words:

Cool PC is a small company that was founded by a few Uni students in early '2000. We got fed up with having to import items from the States and Asia, or the alternative of having to pay exorbitant prices here in Australia. We're here to bring you high quality cooling components at affordable prices. We're all overclockers and are therefore able to give expert advise, and since we visit all major online overclocking publications we'll always up to date and we will always strive to include the latest products on our site. If you don't see something you want, please don't hesitate to send us an email. We are well known for our great customer service and promise you won't be disappointed. Please have a look around this site, there's a very good chance you'll find what you need! Please click below to find out about different aspects of our company.

The Kit :

To say that there's not much to this kit is an understatement, but that's common to just about all window kits. The truth is that it doesn't take a mass of complicated parts to achieve this stylish mod. What the kit offers is pure convenience and cost saving. I say cost saving because chances are you'd pay more for the individual components that the kit costs to buy. Very few shops are going to want to sell you Acrylic in sizes as small as 22x29cm, nor such a small amount of seal.

The basic facts are that this kit has all you need, including a neat, laser cut, paper protected Acrylic window just waiting to go. CoolPC also offer a detailed installation guide for those who are new to the whole game.

 

Installation :

One thing I like to think is that when people read a review from us here at 3DVelocity, they appreciate the fact that we tell it how it is. Look around many of the window reviews you see on the 'net and you'll find a lot of them use the words "simple", "easy", "quick" and so on. Well let me tell you straight, if you don't have the tools, the patience and at least a little common sense and planning, you risk completely screwing up your case. For the veteran, fitting a case window is, at the most, a 20 minute job. For the novice, it's going to take longer need more planning.

Read the instructions :

No matter how many times you've fitted a case window, read the supplied instructions. Even if you've used a kit from that vendor before, you may be unpleasantly surprised to find the specs have changed when it's too late to do anything about it. If it's a first time for a particular vendor's kit, it makes sense to know what you're dealing with.

Have the tools :

Again, going against what you'll often read elsewhere, I genuinely don't believe this is a job for the trusty Dremel. Yes, it'll do the job in the end, but you'll need a cartload of cutting wheels and an equal amount of patience. Without a doubt the only sensible tool for this task is a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade fitted. You'll also need a drill for the start hole and a drill bit big enough to allow your jigsaw blade to pass through it. You will also need a file or Dremel for deburring after the cut.

Doing the job :

Okay, so step one was to read the instructions. Here it mentioned that the sealing strip had a wide and a narrow slot (below), and that the narrow slot was to go onto the case while the wider slot was to accommodate the window. Common sense really but worth noting.

 

Next up you need to decide where you want to situate the window. Take off the side panel completely and lay it flat. Try to visualise what will be visible behind the window when the hole is cut. Take a little time here as you don't want to finish the project only to wish you'd fitted it a little further back to show off your Blue Orb or 120mm case fan. As I was using an Antec SX830, the handle meant I was fairly limited as to where I could place it, so I simply went as close as I could to the handle without fouling.

When laying out the position, remember to allow about a centimetre all round for the width of the seal when fitted. Also, and again this is common sense, make sure there's nothing on the back of the side panel at the location you're about to cut. Some side panels have bracing or mechanisms for handles or locks that run along the back side of the panel.

The next step differs depending on who's doing the job. Personally at this point I draw around the window with a soft pencil to mark its final position.

 

The reason I mark it at this stage is so I don't need to cover the entire side panel with masking tape. Some people make the final cut mark here then mess around trying to put masking tape on without covering up the line. This is just time consuming, and I find it easier to just draw around the window first and use this line as a guide for the tape.

Next step is to apply the masking tape. Using the line as a guide, make sure there is enough width of tape to accommodate the foot of your jigsaw, and also remember that as the jigsaw takes the curves the back end will kick out a little, so be safe and add extra width. If you like to be double safe, you can also add masking tape to the foot of the jigsaw too. Obviously you don't need too much tape inside the line as this bit is going in the bin anyway.

Next you need to site the window back where it was using the line that should still be visible though your tape. You're now ready for the final cut line.

Taped to the back of the window is a small steel washer. This is used to make sure the hole you cut is a couple of millimetres wider than the actual window allowing room for the rubber seal. You simply place the washer up against the window's edge, and placing the pencil in the hole at the centre of the washer, you trace out the edge.

You now have a line that marks out exactly where you need to cut, and I do mean exactly. This line isn't a rough guide, it's the difference between success and failure. Cut the hole too big and the window will keep dropping out, too small and chances are you won't be able to fit it at all.

 

Next up it's time to fire up the power tools. I'm not going to give you all the safety lecture about goggles and safety first, I'm sure you all know the score.

The first thing to do is to drill a hole near to the INSIDE edge of your pencil line. You also need to drill it on one of the straight edges as it's easier than starting your cut on a curved corner. As I mentioned earlier, make sure you jigsaw blade will fit into the hole you're drilling. If you haven't got a drill bit big enough, elongate the hole with a round file or (if you have one) your Dremel Be careful not to cross the line.

 

Then you simply guide your jigsaw round the pencil line until you have completely cut out the centre section. Chances are by now you're panicking that the panel looks rough and dirty, but don't worry, it'll all clean off when the tape's removed.

Using your Dremel, electric drill or a file, remove the burrs from the sharp edge and tidy up any mistakes you made with the cut. Take your time with this stage and work as close to the line as you can.

 

Once you've tidied up the rough edge, it's off with the tape and time for a quick wipe over with a damp cloth.

Next step is to put on the sealing strip and check it for length. As you can see below, the seal kicks out slightly where the two ends meet suggesting it needs a fraction taking off the length. In fact, you need a little over because as the window is installed, it pulls the seal tighter into the curves of the hole, and I would say that this is about ideal. Any longer and I would have trimmed a little, but if you cut the seal too snug you may find a small gap appearing with the Acrylic in place. I always fit the rubber with the joint to the bottom centre of the window, but this is not important and is just the way I do it.

 

Of course the last step is to finally fit the window itself. This can be a bit fiddly, and for wider sealing strips there is a tip I use that involves string (windscreen fitters will know what I mean), but in this case it wasn't really suitable. I often find something blunt can help to prise the seal over the Acrylic edge without ripping it, but with a little patience you'll eventually get there, assuming your hole isn't too small that is.

Last but not least, you refit the side panel and sit back to admire your work. While you're admiring, you could also perhaps plan how you're going to light your new work of art, but that's another review for another day.

 

Conclusion :

It seems almost impossible that CoolPC are offering this kit for $23 (Australian), which is £8.29, or $11.74 (US). This is certainly considerably cheaper than the other main players in the PC mod game. CoolPC may not have the biggest range of goods in town, but they certainly make a lot of effort to keep prices as low as possible.

The fact that this kit is cheap doesn't mean it's a cheap kit. The seal, Acrylic and instructions are top drawer and certainly comparable with other kits out there at the moment. I have worked with easier seals, and I have used seals that felt more secure, but as with all things there's a balance. The seals that feel very solid and sturdy tend to be an absolute pain to fit. The seals that come supplied with locking strips tend to be bulkier and more expensive, while the seals that are easy to fit are often too flimsy, and the slightest knock has you taking of your side panel to fish the window out of your box.

A window mod is a fun, semi-easy way to add that little extra to the look of your case, and with carefully chosen lighting it can even become a room feature or mood setter. CoolPC have put together a top quality kit at an almost silly price, and if you have the tools, or can borrow them, there's no reason why anybody should be put off trying this themselves. Properly planned you should have the whole job done in around an hour or so.

My only complaint, and this goes for all window mod kit manufacturers, is that I'd like to see some kind of plastic tool supplied (or made available at extra cost) to help with seating the window in the seal. I always use the end of a teaspoon (the blunt handle end) and have a little soapy water to help lubricate it, but many people will instinctively reach for a flat bladed screwdriver and risk tearing or snagging it.

This aside however, CoolPC have a great product at a great price, and even with international shipping you may well find the price is better than most of the rest.