LUMINA by Design_Master

The VGA mod

I wanted a complete redesign of the cooler for my ATI Radeon X1950 Pro graphics card, as the current one didn't fit the theme of my new mod. So, it was back to the drawing board. I wasn't looking to completely lose my old cooler...so I just focused on a new shroud for it.



I started out with the actual card and cooler in hand as my measuring guide, placing it on the acrylic to make exact measurements. Once I had my measurements, I began to bend the edges.



After the new shroud was bent, it was on to giving it the definitive LUMINA shape of curved, graceful lines. I notched the new shroud to fit the heatpipes, then cut a new set of vent holes for the fan. I also made sure to trim up the edges to add curve to them.

The next step was to create the graceful corner pieces in an effort to mirror those that were on the outside of the case. Once again, I cut and bent clear acrylic until I had the shapes I wanted, then gave them a frosted finish.



Since the shroud was almost complete, it was time to create a fan for it. I took another 80mm blue LED fan and began to trim it down. First the square edges, then the whole other side of the moulding, then the blades until it was sufficiently thin enough to fit under the shroud. Two LEDs of the four were kept, just enough to provide some subtle lighting.



Rather than leave the PCI bracket as it was, I created a new one out of smoke acrylic. This would help to better blend the card in when looking at the back of the case. I also made some more stickers for accent pieces.



With the shroud in place, all that was left was to attach it to the card and plug the fan in. The completed ensemble really ends up fitting the look of the LUMINA project, I think!