jadragon

BioShock Deco

Category

Case Mods

Status

Ready for Battle

Deets

Inspired by the wonderful Art Deco environment of the BioShock game from 2K software, my BioShock case mod starts with a glossy black shell constructed of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). Multiple elements from the BioShock game are incorporated throughout the design, including the metal-trimmed arched window in the side of the case. Decorating the three brass-columns of the window are the stylized statues that appear throughout many of the levels of the game. (The statues are cast epoxy resin colored with bronzing powder and reinforced with fiberglass threads.) A plastic panel insert behind the window has softly glowing water cascading down the inside and pooling across the base of the window. The opposite side window is in the form of a porthole or Mr. Bubbles diving face plate. This window has some green ripple glass distorting its limited view into the case.

The front bezel area is done in foil-clad white glass, again in the arched design, with an open-work version of one of the Neptune doors as a front fan grill. The lower drive bay holds a floppy drive – flash card combo unit, painted gold with a bit of Art Deco bits added on either side. The DVD-RW drive is also gold, with more of the brass rod detail and the drive tray concealed behind the stylized wing design found on the Pneumatic Mail drops in the game. The “MAIL” sign is backlit by the drive activity light that I repositioned and replaced with a white LED. In the upper bay is a clear acrylic reservoir with an openwork BioShock / Rapture city design (minus the letters).

The system is MSI 975X Platinum Motherboard with an Intel Core2 Q6600 CPU and a Visiontek Radeon HD 2600 Pro 512MB Video Card. The CPU is water cooled with a Swiftech Apogee Extreme Duty Water Block, Heavy Duty MCR120-QP 120mm Radiator and the suitably deco-industrial look of the MCP655-B water pump.