Posted 04/28/09 at 12:43:45 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

Some people want their rigs to be an approximation of what computers will look like at some point in the far-off future. Richard Clinton, though, wanted to look back to a simpler time: the 8-bit era. But while computer technology was less complex back then, building the Black Mage was anything but easy.

In order to re-create his favorite Final Fantasy II character type, Richard organized, glued, and painted 2,000 1”x1” cubes. All told, it took four months to assemble the Black Mage. To see the process shortened to 10 minutes, check out Richard’s build video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoUVgK65FIA.

More pics after the jump.

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Posted 02/20/09 at 02:40:36 PM by Tom Edwards

If your laptop needs are limited to email and epic rounds of Bookworm on cross-country flights, plenty of machines will do the job. However, if you need to do something a bit more power intensive­, your options are much more limited.

Will Urbina couldn’t find a desktop replacement that suited his needs for video editing; everything available was lacking in some area—so he built the CinematographHD. And although this 82 lb. rig may stretch the definition of portable, we salute his no-compromises approach. The images here give a hint of what Will created, but to get the full picture, check out his build video at http://www.vimeo.com/1847710.

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Posted 11/07/08 at 07:15:37 PM by Tom Edwards

Chris Cook comes from a long line of artists and explains that “it is this great gene pool that I am abusing here.” While Chris may make light of his own skills, it’s evident from these photos that he is  an able successor to his forebears.

Project FiveWood  utilizes nine types of wood, including mahogany, cherry, pine, and cedar. Chris’s goal was to create not a wooden shell but rather a case made entirely of wood­—without a single screw! This project took more than 350 hours to complete—not including design time­. We find the result well worth the effort.

Check out the rest of the rig right after the jump.  

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Posted 09/29/08 at 06:09:20 PM by Tom Edwards

A man needs a place of his own, and when Thom Davis found using the family computer for his gaming pursuits to be less than ideal, he set about building the Seizure, the ultimate form-follows-function gaming rig.  His goal was to create a rig that was gaming friendly, had no exposed wires, and looked good in the living room. We think he succeeded on all three counts.

While building the Seizure, Thom discovered that connector manufacturers definitely tend to think “inside the box,” and typically don’t make cables suitable for such a large rig, but with the assistance of a local electronics supply store, he was able to create the 6-foot cables he needed to complete the job.

More photos after the jump!

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Posted 09/22/08 at 05:55:21 PM by Tom Edwards

Vic McGuire found a diamond in the rough when he set out to build his latest mod. While browsing through a computer store, he found a custom case with chrome-plated front air grills in the junk pile and an idea came to mind. After arduously sanding the rust off the grills, Vic had the basis for the HawgWild U.S.A. 

Hit the jump for more delicious photos!

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Posted 07/08/08 at 08:21:57 PM by Tom Edwards

Scott Dacus is such a big fan of Portal his ringtone is the game’s theme song, “Still Alive.” However, an even bigger fan of the game commissioned Scott to build this case as a gift for his wife. We think this man is a genius or headed for divorce court—either way, he’s our new hero!

Hit the jump for an up-close look at a case which will never threaten to stab you, and in fact cannot speak.

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Posted 05/28/08 at 06:40:09 PM by Tom Edwards

The power of Satan compels you to check out Sheldon's Rig of the Month

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Posted 04/29/08 at 03:38:51 PM by Tom Edwards

Ken Kirby celebrates his father-in-law's love of Dodge muscle cars with his bright green Super Bee mod.

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