Customizing desktop computers has become more accessible to casual users, with options for internal components and external modifications such as case color and style. Advanced modifications include lighting effects, case windows, and unconventional builds like computers built into toasters or statues.
As computers have become more accessible and ubiquitous, users have begun to customize their systems in a variety of ways. Computers are no longer the boring beige boxes that seem to dominate a workspace, nor do they come in just one configuration. Computers can be a true reflection of a user’s personality, tastes, and even needs. A desktop computer can be customized to include the internal components that the user needs or wants, a case that gives a look that the user prefers, accessories that add to the look, and a variety of other options that can make it unique a computer. These custom computers are no longer the preserve of just skilled technicians, but are now something the casual user can get hold of easily.
A custom desktop computer starts with the internal components. When personal computers started to become popular, their parts were such that only a limited number of configurations were made available to buyers. If someone wanted to add or remove components from the system, it often meant that he would have to have professionals do it or even be willing to weld pieces into the system himself. Now it’s rare to see a computer for sale without a wealth of customization options. This makes custom desktop computers available to everyone, even just internally.
Along with advances in parts and manufacturing standards that allow people to have their own customized desktop computer, it has become common to have external customizations as well. Computer manufacturers offer a range of external customizations to buyers, such as case color, case style, and even case modifications on a pre-selected basis. Most system vendors now include minimal case color and style options due to the availability of off-the-shelf parts that allow the system to be cost-effectively manufactured.
Additional custom desktop computers may be purpose built, or more frequently, modified by owners who are looking to truly set their system apart. Cases often feature cold cathode lighting, light emitting diode (LED) lighting, and illuminated fans. Rounded, colorful cables free up internal space and enhance the look of the system, and the fans themselves can be covered with special die-cut grilles instead of ordinary wire spirals.
Naturally, lighting modifications to a custom desktop computer are much more pleasing when they can be seen, and as a result, case windows have become a common modification. Large window panes can be cut into the side of the custom desktop computer, then lined with acrylic glass to allow the light effects to shine through. The windows themselves can instead create die-cut patterns instead of full and open spaces. Alternatively, semi-opaque decals can be applied to acrylic glass to give an etched look.
At the end of the custom desktop computer spectrum are the complete modifications to custom desktop computers. These do away with conventional computer cases altogether, building computers into things as varied as toasters, ammo boxes, or whole statues. There have been dashboard computers, computers hidden in stuffed animals, and even custom desktop computers with built-in beer taps. The limits to this type of custom desktop computer depend entirely on the creativity of their creators.
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