Intel China's Modding Expo

China's Modding Scene

Along with our four modders and their great works, Intel invited three modders from Asia to join us. Though China is relatively new to modding, it has a burgeoning DIY system builder population. So of course, there has been a natural transition into modding, even if it's not as popular as it is here in the West just yet.

The Chinese modders definitely had a different sense of style than those of us to the West, but that didn't make their creations any less original or beautiful to look at. Each mod contained its own unique design traits and materials, much like the western mods. One was ornate beadwork, another was wood, and one was a plexi creation that even had smoke at the top.

Since we haven't seen these mods before, I'm including a couple extra pictures of each.

Zong Sanchuan and Iceberg

Sanchuan hails from mainland China just outside of the city of Beijing, and has some interesting stories to tell. Whatever you do, it's best to avoid the topic of Chinese delicacies if you've a light stomach. A self-employed salesman, Sanchuan is one of the younger modders on the tour at only 21 years old. He can be found on modding forums in China under the name TigerZSC.


Sanchuan made his iceberg mod out of plexiglass, and it contains a water-cooled E6600 setup inside. Though it looks a little like an overturned chandelier from a distance, up close there is a nice attention to detail. We do wish he would have blended his LCD screen into the mod a little more (the black LCD is a little jarring), but the overall mod is really quite attractive. And hey, it smokes...how can you complain about that?!

eazo studio and Jing Xi

Eazo studio is actually not an individual person, but a higher-end industrial design studio in Beijing. The "studio" has branched out from its parent company (known simply as eazo) into modding, which it sees as an extension of its design skills. Judging by some of the great architects we have as modders (like Gert and Nick, as well as Pieter aka Dutchcedar), we're inclined to agree. Eazo sent one representative to the show, which illustrates how modding could well be a commercial success as well as an artistic expression in China.


The mod that eazo studio brought may not be to everyone's taste, but the craftsmanship is top notch. Over the top of the slimline case are hundreds upon hundreds of rhinestones that make the case look almost like it belongs in a Las Vegas show. Of course, Asian themes are also present with the red dragon on the front and Chinese characters on the sides.

Li Yiqi and Orz

Yiqi is a 26-year old engineer from Taiwan. Fortunately for us, he did speak a little bit of English, and his interpreter worked wonders to find the words he couldn't. He's got a passion for movies and swimming outside of modding, when he's not busy at his job in Administration of the Engineering department at Ming-Chi University of Technology.


Orz, as you can see, is a bit of an unusual mod. It's made out of wood, with plexi behind the Intel logo (which glows green and purple inside) to form a window to the motherboard chamber. But if you look on the outside, you'll see it also makes a person kneeling on the ground as if to worship. In fact, that's exactly what it is - the figure also spells out the word "Orz," which is the Chinese word for worship. Cool, huh?

Now, guess where he stuck the DVD drive...