Pimp my rat’s nest of cables

Last year during our annual Christmas party the joy ended when our amplifier overheated and shut off. It was one of those record-needle-screeching-to-a-halt moments. I’ve been looking for a solution since then. I didn’t want to have to keep the component cabinet open all the time. For one, it looks bad; for another, an open door is an invitation for my children to practice their ad hoc rewiring skills.

I knew a fan was the key, but desktop fans were too big and loud. It seemed to me that internal PC fans would be perfect: silent, small, and made to cool electronics. Problem was (as I learned the hard way) there is no such thing as a PC fan that is powered from AC from the wall. They all use internal power connectors (duh). So that put the skids on that idea … until I found a G4 in my alley, souped it up, and plopped it in the media center.

The hardest part was obtaining internal power cables long enough to snake out of the Mac and up to the amplifier. Thankfully, case-modders sustain a healthy industry in wacky computer parts. (I was able to find custom length power cables here.) I bought two fans, complete with white LED’s (perfect for illuminating the connectors in the back) and voila! Instant cooldown.

You know, you’re not truly a dork until you post photos of your customized (and LED-bejewelled) hardware.