...Basically, you have an unlimited budget and you are an extremely talented mechanical and electrical engineer. You want to build a computer, but with a very special twist. Instead of some random computer-on-a-desk scenario, you want to do something both unique and functional. What would you do? The internal hardware of the puter doesn't matter, I'm talking about what you do with it externally. Here's my example:
The computer itself is mounted on the wall somewhere near my bed, so that the power button is easily reachable. The monitor is suspended on some kind of track running across the ceiling. It is on some kind of platform, in which I can adjust the angle of the monitor itself from being flat against the ceiling to being at a right angle from it, or anywhere in between. This track runs throughout the room to places that would be most convenient - it would curve from the ceiling down to right by my desk, it would also go directly above my bed and to the wall directly across from the bed. It would be operated by a small remote control so that I would not have to manually move the monitor myself. The computer would be operated with a wireless mouse and keyboard, to allow for transportation. There would be a second case-type enclosure located on the desk containing extra CD/DVD drives and things of the like, and a power button so I don't have to walk to the bed to turn on the computer. The case and monitor railing would have LEDs all over it, and a decal of Rainbow Dash on the side facing outward. The speakers would be a surround-sound, home-theater type setup embedded into the walls around my room - let's pretend I'm also a programmer, where I made my own driver to interface with these speakers so I can change the orientation depending on where I am currently located. My PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 and Gamecube would all be connected into some kind of hub-type box, which is connected to the monitor (at this point I think the monitor should be a TV) - the box would have its own remove to switch the input used, so therefore all my game consoles work as well.
Some comments:
You will probably get tired with the "pony/brony thing" in the next year or so, and wonder what the hell was wrong with you, and regret putting it on there. Also, PS2's and Gamecubes require an older TV (say from around the time they were made) as the games don't look as good on our current monitors/TV's as they did back then, so you would need a platform or a box of sorts to house it in.
Some comments:
You will probably get tired with the "pony/brony thing" in the next year or so, and wonder what the hell was wrong with you, and regret putting it on there. Also, PS2's and Gamecubes require an older TV (say from around the time they were made) as the games don't look as good on our current monitors/TV's as they did back then, so you would need a platform or a box of sorts to house it in.
...Basically, you have an unlimited budget and you are an extremely talented mechanical and electrical engineer. You want to build a computer, but with a very special twist. Instead of some random computer-on-a-desk scenario, you want to do something both unique and functional. What would you do? The internal hardware of the puter doesn't matter, I'm talking about what you do with it externally. Here's my example:
The computer itself is mounted on the wall somewhere near my bed, so that the power button is easily reachable. The monitor is suspended on some kind of track running across the ceiling. It is on some kind of platform, in which I can adjust the angle of the monitor itself from being flat against the ceiling to being at a right angle from it, or anywhere in between. This track runs throughout the room to places that would be most convenient - it would curve from the ceiling down to right by my desk, it would also go directly above my bed and to the wall directly across from the bed. It would be operated by a small remote control so that I would not have to manually move the monitor myself. The computer would be operated with a wireless mouse and keyboard, to allow for transportation. There would be a second case-type enclosure located on the desk containing extra CD/DVD drives and things of the like, and a power button so I don't have to walk to the bed to turn on the computer. The case and monitor railing would have LEDs all over it, and a decal of Rainbow Dash on the side facing outward. The speakers would be a surround-sound, home-theater type setup embedded into the walls around my room - let's pretend I'm also a programmer, where I made my own driver to interface with these speakers so I can change the orientation depending on where I am currently located. My PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 and Gamecube would all be connected into some kind of hub-type box, which is connected to the monitor (at this point I think the monitor should be a TV) - the box would have its own remove to switch the input used, so therefore all my game consoles work as well.
Hmm
I'd have like 10 super computers, and it would let me change from Linux to Mac to Windows, but with all of my data updated live on all platforms. It would have like 20 TB of physical memory, a ton of CPU, 10TB of RAM (Hey, you said "Pretend"), and wireless everything. I would also have the TV and Cable connected to the computer. I want dual monitors- no, triple monitors. More would just be annoying, also an epic Canon somehow-infinite printer ink, and fax/copier/and scanner built it. I would also want to have lots of space for my keyboard and mouse, lots and lots of USB ports, surround sound speakers and headset, and what you said with your gaming consoles would be supah sexy. Also a shelf of books and games to my right, the powerbutton on the monitor (lol) and one of those unbelievably awesome comfortable spinn-y chairs. Oh, and orange juice and snack dispenser to my left.
I would make a "Boilermaker Super Special" case (think Lian Li train case detailed to look like the Boilermaker Special, and stationary). However, it would be able to fit an EATX board (would I ever use a board that size? probably not, but who cares?) For cooling, I would steal a compressor and piping from a minifridge (I would assume that would be enough cooling power). I would put the compressor in a small insulated box for noise dampening and make sure the radiator had some decent fans on it with it hidden away somewhere. Yes, I would have a freon cooled computer.
Edit: My girlfriend just told me she wants a case with a window, a lockbox in it, one of those puppet display motors, and a hamster on a wheel in the window.
I would make a "Boilermaker Super Special" case (think Lian Li train case detailed to look like the Boilermaker Special, and stationary). However, it would be able to fit an EATX board (would I ever use a board that size? probably not, but who cares?) For cooling, I would steal a compressor and piping from a minifridge (I would assume that would be enough cooling power). I would put the compressor in a small insulated box for noise dampening and make sure the radiator had some decent fans on it with it hidden away somewhere. Yes, I would have a freon cooled computer.
Edit: My girlfriend just told me she wants a case with a window, a lockbox in it, one of those puppet display motors, and a hamster on a wheel in the window.
I would have a huge lever (like cast iron, steampunkish kind of) that turned the computer on or off, and a chair that could move to a mini fridge with the press of a button. Also, my PC would look like these.
I would probably have the case made out of bamboo and I would have some sort of fung shui type waterfall in the room with the water flowing into an evaporation chamber in the case to cool the parts. If you don't know what I'm talking about look up project waterfall on Overclock.net. I would basically have that cooling setup with a bamboo case that would have two separate windows. One looking at the motherboard and another to see inside the evap chamber. Below the chamber window I would have the word "Serendipity" cut out of the wood with light blue transparent acrylic to fill in the spaces. I'm not sure if I would have some white LED's below the acrylic to make it pop, but it would be a possibility.
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I would build a computer that contains everything, including yourself. Something I've wanted to do for a long time, ever since I read about these in a magazine when I was a little kid:
Sorry for the brief post, I could probably go into infinite detail but I don't have time right now D:
I would have a case the size and shape of a small, stocky briefcase. Inside would be the computer itself, probably built on a mATX motherboard. Naturally the height of a PCI card becomes a problem, but being an electrical engineer, I can modify the motherboard to have PCI slots that are parallel to the motherboard to solve that problem. On the outside of the briefcase would be an OLED monitor on a Z-shaped hinge with an extender that allows it to rotate to face up or down and elevate itself to my eye height. On the side of the briefcase opposite the monitor would be storage for the keyboard and mouse that doubles as a spacer so that the computer can draw air in from the bottom of the case when the keyboard and mouse aren't in the way. The outside of the whole thing would probably be made of leather with gold trim used sparingly here and there. When not in use it would look like a normal (but high-quality) briefcase.
I'm noticing most of these ideas have very little to actually do with electronics and more to do with expensive custom made metal parts and wall mountings and things.
I would have a huge lever (like cast iron, steampunkish kind of) that turned the computer on or off, and a chair that could move to a mini fridge with the press of a button. Also, my PC would look like these.
I'd probably deem this the cheapest one of the lot since it'd only need nothing more than a custom made lever, and an artist designed case. The chair thing is more of a mechanic job and would be pretty expensive to put in but the computer part wouldn't be much at all.
The other ones are a bit fantastic, some of which wouldn't really work. Most of them would work if you had stupid amounts of money to throw at them.
*Warning* This will be ridiculous and out of the current and or future realm of possibilites.
I would first by the farm land in front of my house and build a huge supercomputer. Think ~100 acres. For the screen, well it wouldn't be a screen. I'd have a vitural 3D environment that I could walk around in. Sort of like that room on Star trek. I would have the main 3D room in the supercomputer building itself, but I would also install a devices in the rooms of my house to allow me to use the computer in any room. Icons would be represented by floating 3D boxes. Programs would be interacted with by physically moving and pressing virtual buttons in front of you. For example, importing footage into an editor could be grabbing the video with your hands and then throwing it at something. For games, I would find a way to run a very large number of GPU's together. If I wanted to use a regular screen, the screen would be a 3 monitor eyefinity setup, but the screens would be fused into one large screen running at a very high resolution. For sound, probably just some very expensive speakers.
Naturally the height of a PCI card becomes a problem, but being an electrical engineer, I can modify the motherboard to have PCI slots that are parallel to the motherboard to solve that problem.
There are PCI extension cables that you could use to fix this problem. Your case would be more up an ME's alley than EE. The trickiest parts I see are the hinges you are suggesting, and making sure it cools properly (both of which ME's handle a lot of [machine design, and thermodynamics])
The computer itself is mounted on the wall somewhere near my bed, so that the power button is easily reachable. The monitor is suspended on some kind of track running across the ceiling. It is on some kind of platform, in which I can adjust the angle of the monitor itself from being flat against the ceiling to being at a right angle from it, or anywhere in between. This track runs throughout the room to places that would be most convenient - it would curve from the ceiling down to right by my desk, it would also go directly above my bed and to the wall directly across from the bed. It would be operated by a small remote control so that I would not have to manually move the monitor myself. The computer would be operated with a wireless mouse and keyboard, to allow for transportation. There would be a second case-type enclosure located on the desk containing extra CD/DVD drives and things of the like, and a power button so I don't have to walk to the bed to turn on the computer. The case and monitor railing would have LEDs all over it, and a decal of Rainbow Dash on the side facing outward. The speakers would be a surround-sound, home-theater type setup embedded into the walls around my room - let's pretend I'm also a programmer, where I made my own driver to interface with these speakers so I can change the orientation depending on where I am currently located. My PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 and Gamecube would all be connected into some kind of hub-type box, which is connected to the monitor (at this point I think the monitor should be a TV) - the box would have its own remove to switch the input used, so therefore all my game consoles work as well.
So, that was fun. What would YOU do?
You will probably get tired with the "pony/brony thing" in the next year or so, and wonder what the hell was wrong with you, and regret putting it on there. Also, PS2's and Gamecubes require an older TV (say from around the time they were made) as the games don't look as good on our current monitors/TV's as they did back then, so you would need a platform or a box of sorts to house it in.
that was not intended for this thread methinks
i5-4690K @4.6GHz ~ ASRock Z97X Fatal1ty Killer ~ EKWB Supremacy MX ~ Watercooled SLI STRIX 970s
Project RedShift
Just have all of the parts dangerously and loosely hanging from the ceiling, with the power supply tied to the bedroom fan. No case.
So almost like my computer right now, because NCIX still hasn't shipped my case after THREE WEEKS.
Oh, yes, it was.
ahh ye, was confused a bit cause i semi skimmed it, think my brain is trained to not see anything after mlp related stuff
i5-4690K @4.6GHz ~ ASRock Z97X Fatal1ty Killer ~ EKWB Supremacy MX ~ Watercooled SLI STRIX 970s
Project RedShift
I'd have like 10 super computers, and it would let me change from Linux to Mac to Windows, but with all of my data updated live on all platforms. It would have like 20 TB of physical memory, a ton of CPU, 10TB of RAM (Hey, you said "Pretend"), and wireless everything. I would also have the TV and Cable connected to the computer. I want dual monitors- no, triple monitors. More would just be annoying, also an epic Canon somehow-infinite printer ink, and fax/copier/and scanner built it. I would also want to have lots of space for my keyboard and mouse, lots and lots of USB ports, surround sound speakers and headset, and what you said with your gaming consoles would be supah sexy. Also a shelf of books and games to my right, the powerbutton on the monitor (lol) and one of those unbelievably awesome comfortable spinn-y chairs. Oh, and orange juice and snack dispenser to my left.
Now that's a life. xD
Edit: My girlfriend just told me she wants a case with a window, a lockbox in it, one of those puppet display motors, and a hamster on a wheel in the window.
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/SteevyT/saved/21PI
I think she meant mechanical hamster so it looked like a hamster powered computer.
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/SteevyT/saved/21PI
Sorry for the brief post, I could probably go into infinite detail but I don't have time right now D:
I want to build this thing now.
I'd probably deem this the cheapest one of the lot since it'd only need nothing more than a custom made lever, and an artist designed case. The chair thing is more of a mechanic job and would be pretty expensive to put in but the computer part wouldn't be much at all.
The other ones are a bit fantastic, some of which wouldn't really work. Most of them would work if you had stupid amounts of money to throw at them.
I would first by the farm land in front of my house and build a huge supercomputer. Think ~100 acres. For the screen, well it wouldn't be a screen. I'd have a vitural 3D environment that I could walk around in. Sort of like that room on Star trek. I would have the main 3D room in the supercomputer building itself, but I would also install a devices in the rooms of my house to allow me to use the computer in any room. Icons would be represented by floating 3D boxes. Programs would be interacted with by physically moving and pressing virtual buttons in front of you. For example, importing footage into an editor could be grabbing the video with your hands and then throwing it at something. For games, I would find a way to run a very large number of GPU's together. If I wanted to use a regular screen, the screen would be a 3 monitor eyefinity setup, but the screens would be fused into one large screen running at a very high resolution. For sound, probably just some very expensive speakers.
There are PCI extension cables that you could use to fix this problem. Your case would be more up an ME's alley than EE. The trickiest parts I see are the hinges you are suggesting, and making sure it cools properly (both of which ME's handle a lot of [machine design, and thermodynamics])
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/SteevyT/saved/21PI