Case Modding is coined from the term modification wherein you modify the chassis of your computer in a non-standard way. Non-standard way meaning that those modifications is not normally seen on retail stores. Case modding can also be applied on gaming consoles like the XBOX, Playstation, etc.. (you name it).
There are many reasons why case modding is done to a chassis, and these are what I think:
1. To show off the internals of the PC. Most of the cases sold today are alike a huge metal box, and it can be quite boring. The modifications that can be done is to cut a huge hole on the side (or in any part of the case) and replace it with a transparent Acrylic glass so that you view the inside and marvel the hardware inside.
2. For aesthetics purposes. You'll literally change the way on how you see your PC case. One way to do this is to do paint, decorate, or apply Air Brush designs for that eye catching looks.
3. For performance. One of the things that is usually neglected by PC owners is the heat generated by your PC, and as we know, exposing any hardware in high temperatures will degrade the quality and performance of the components and eventually shorten its lifespan. You can improve this by cutting holes (also known as Blow Hole) wherein you'll install extra Chassis Fans to remove the Hot Air and/or add an extra Chassis Fan to act as an intake fan to push the cold and fresh air outside into your Chassis.
Based from those reasons above, we now came-up with the types of modding.
1. The most common type of Case Modding is Window Mods. These type of mod involved replacing the left or the right panels of the case (sometimes the top panel also) is replaced with an Acrylic Glass so that the internals are viewable. This became very common that some of the manufacturers now offer some cases that has windows already installed. There are some cases that is made up of entirely of transparent Acrylic Glass so that you can view the insides 360 degrees. Below are some samples of Window Mods, the 2nd picture has window mod on the left and top panels (this 1st case looks familiar, hmmmm, let's move on).
2. Lighting Mods. Are you into disco? Not really, hehehe. Well, in this mod you install what we normally call a CCFL tubes (Cold-Cathode Fluorescent Light) or an Array of LEDs. The CCFL is not your common household Fluorescent lights because it produces a lot heat and you may toast your hardware. Cold-Cathode means, well... Cold, it produce heat but not too much heat. The LED lights are most common now a days because it is small and energy efficient than CCFLs. Also, this mod is usually accompanied by the Window mod.
3. Cooling Mods. There are many mods that falls into this category. This mod is aimed to improve the airflow (or better circulation of air) inside the case. Mostly this involves drilling a new mount for the extra fans to assist in taking-in or exhausting of air. These are done mostly of overclockers to help their PC breath efficiently. Overclocking means setting-up your PC to run at higher levels compared to the factory settings of the components, and this extra performance produces also extra amount of heat. One mod that is under this category is water cooling mod, wherein you replace the fan that cools the components (CPU or Video Card) with a set of water block and a radiator, just like a car, hehehe. The first picture is a liquid-cooled PC, wherein you have a pump to push water to the CPU and Video card, a reservoir, and a radiator (hidden). The second picture is composed basically of fans, it's an overkill i know, but you get the point, hehehe (maybe there's a hurricane inside).
4. Painting Mods. This is my favorite part wherein you paint the components like the keyboard, monitor, mouse, or even the whole case depending on your design. There are many ways to paint the components, by spray painting, using automotive paints, or by powder coating. You can also incorporate an Air Brush design. The first picture shows a painted keyboard (red part), and the second pictures shows a painted case wherein it is mirror-finished just like a show car (most cases that are available in retail are painted dull or in matte finish).
5. Case Building Mod. In this mod you are building your case from the ground-up or from scratch. You can use an existing case designs or build a radical case. You can base your design from a microwave, a wheel, or even a barrel. This is the most difficult type of mod, because you must carefully design the placement of the components. I could consider the Component Mod under this category, because the component mod may involve the relocation of components, example is relocating the Power and Reset buttons, relocating the Hard Disk Drives, etc... Now the pictures below are some of the great mods. The first is a mod wherein it looks like V-twin engine which literally contains 2 physical PCs. The 3rd pictures looks like a telephone booth or something.
Is replacing an old component with a new or updated one is considered a mod? Well, actually no, that is only an upgrade, and this question will sometimes engaged you in a long fight in forums. As for me, upgrading components is NOT a mod, period!
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