It might sound crazy to apply a wet sticky substance like paint to an expensive electronic gadget like a computer. But anyone who can figure out how to download e-mail should be smart enough to remove the outer case and front panel from the chassis before breaking out the Krylon. A visit to the Cool Case Gallery at Virtual Hideout , a site dedicated to customized PCs, reveals a selection of tricked-out paint jobs worthy of any hotrod magazine. The photos submitted by visitors show computers decked out in everything from a sleek gunmetal blue to a detailed airbrushed masterpiece featuring skulls and faux shotgun holes. Speaking of holes, they're popular, too.
Many users install custom portholes in their cases, revealing a glimpse of their computer's guts.
Of course, a window does you little good if it's too dark to see what's inside. So a number of people have installed neon lights inside their cases, giving them a radioactive glow worthy of an old science fiction flick. A few have gone so far as to conduct some interior decorating, hanging skulls and disco balls amid their cables and circuit boards. Many makeovers focus on improving the computer's cooling system, a concern for people who tweak their processor to run faster and hotter than the factory recommends. Take, for instance, the guy who won the coolest case competition held earlier this month at Quakecon , an annual gathering of video game aficionados.