My case mod hookup, Todd, over at the CoolerGuys never ceases to amaze me with his mods. When he contacted me to give this bit 'o eye candy a whirl, my jaw dropped. As of late, it is not enough to have all the go fast parts in your rig. You can have the fastest hardware, but if your case looks like ass, don't bother comin' to play with the big boys. Since my case is always in a state of constant planned upgrades, I am always looking for the one thing to make my case stand out from the crowd, CoolerGuys is always my first stop for killer eye candy, and more and more as of late, killer hardware.
80mm Alien Head Stainless Steel Grill Neon Kit
 | Product: 80mm Alien Head Stainless Steel Grill Neon Kit
Price: $59.95
Availability: Now @Coolerguys
Written by: Cygnus_X_1
Reviewed: August, 2002
Edited by: Mack (SPeeD) Littleton |
THE KIT
Here's what the kit includes:
·One 80mm Alien Head Grill custom coated with Purple Neon. ·One set of Mounting hardware. (short & long self tapping screws, and rubber grommets) ·One 80mm Crystal Blue LED fan with Green Neon coating. ·Two 12 inch Black (Ultra Violet) Cold CathodeLight kits. (Includes shrink wrapped inverter, pass thru molex connector, and switch. The CC's are already mounted acrylic in tubes. Pre-wired and ready to go!!) Todd was also kind enough to supply
This Crystal fan is 100% clear, with a cool Green Neon coating. Perfect for those window kits.
This fan features two BLUE LED’s that light up when powered on and is also exceptionally quiet with excellent performance, and includes manual RPM adjustment.
Dimensions: 80x80x25mm Air Flow: 32.5CFM Noise: 28.3 dba (Ultra Quiet) Voltage: 12 VDC Current: 0.13A Power: 1.6W
Includes: 3 pin RPM sensor for mainboard Includes: 3 to 4 pin adapter for main power supply if no 3 pin connector is available. Self-tapping screws for fan mounting
The little bottle of liquid is Neon Green Water Dye supplied by Danny from D-Tek Customs PC Performance.
A little more on that later in the review.
In normal daylight, the Alien Head has the normal Stainless Steel appearance, and the fan appears clear.
Turn off the normal white light, turn on the Black Light and the Alien Head and fan combo comes to life.
Let's get this GOOSH installed, shall we?!?
I originally planned to have the fan and grill kit mounted in my window, but unfortunately, after many conversations with Todd from the CoolerGuys, I was unsuccessful in getting the grill to reflect the UV to make the grill glow.
I decided to replace the exhaust fan in my case with the CoolerGuys kit, since for my case setup, it would optimally show the effect of the UV.
Tell me those UV mods wouldn't draw a crowd around your case at ANY LAN...They'd be too busy being memorized by the purty lights in your case, you could run around all day, and frag the hell out of 'em...
Conclusion: CoolerGuys is never one to skimp on quality, and with the Alien Head Kit they came through again. Although I would have liked to mounted the grill on the outside of my case to really appreciate the look of it, with my case setup it just wasn't gonna happen. Still the desired effect was achieved. The addition of the silver braided IDE cables, and the Neon Green Water Dye from D-Tek Customs PC Performance really bring the whole UV theme together. The silver braided IDE cables are only US$9.95 a piece, so getting 3 or 4 won't break the bank. Now the US$60 price tag on the 80mm Alien Head Stainless Steel Grill Neon Kit may make you think twice about shellin' out the duckets, but when you consider what's included, UV treated Sculptured Stainless Steel Alien Head Grill,UV Treated Clear 80mm Fan w/two Blue LED's, 2 x's High Quality, UV Cold Cathode's, the 2 cath's are almost worth the price of the kit if purchased separately. The Neon Green Water Dye was only US$12.99 for a 1oz bottle, and to achieve the desired effect you only need 2-3 drops in your cooling system. Needless to say, it will last a LONG time. I want to thank CoolerGuys, and D-Tek Customs for donating the the great looking products they supplied. Be on the lookout for more great products from both of these guys...(hint, hint...)
Pros:
- Great looking mod
- Moderately easy to install, and includes all necessary hardware, and mounting supplies
- Will definitely get "oohhs" and "aahhhhs" from your buds
Cons:
- Couldn't get the grill to reflect the UV light with my setup when it was installed on the outside of my case
- Alot of wiring to route
Here are some BIG ASS parting shots of the mod...so if your on dial up, squint real hard to look at the thumbnails...
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
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