Giving your motherboard a neater appearance
Giving your motherboard a neater appearance
I previously purchased a plain, unremarkable Q170A board from eBay. It's a standard green PCB with no special features. The listing showed it functions adequately at a reasonable price. I've paired it with an i5-6500 for a personal project. My goal has been to enhance the build by adding RGB lighting, but without an ARGB header, I'm considering a budget controller solution. I'm also curious about modifying the motherboard to resemble the NZXT N7 B550 design—cleaner and more attractive. A potential challenge is adapting the plates for mounting without harming the board itself. Since I don’t have access to drill holes through the PCB or know other safe methods, I’m seeking advice on how to adjust the board so the plates can be installed without compromising its integrity.
The design would involve attaching the cover mounts during the motherboard installation, utilizing existing screw holes. This method might slightly complicate mounting, requiring longer screws for standoffs, but it offers a straightforward solution. Avoid drilling through the board; instead, consider a clip system or threaded standoffs for easier assembly. Alternatively, secure the motherboard into the case with standoffs—threaded in the same way as standard screws—and then attach the cover afterward. This keeps the board grounded and simplifies the overall process.
You can purchase this item from Amazon.
The product is the Scotch Mounting Tape 110-ESF White, model B00004Z498.
It would really bother me to install it while the case screws are being tightened, because I’d have to either buy or make longer standoff screws for both mounting options. This seems like my current best choice, so I’ll keep it in mind. This setup is... intriguing. I suspect I actually have extra standoffs on hand. I could try it out to check if it works... A bit nervous about working with internal components, but I’ve considered it. Yes, it would be the simplest solution. Still, I’m curious about how far I can go before deciding to build a solid side panel myself. The case itself is just a bunch of acrylic that fits on the side, so printing a new panel would be straightforward but would take some time.