voidnotes.com

PC stands for Porygon Computer

I am getting my first proper PC! I've been using my partner's old laptop for a few years now and if I try to play sims 3 and watch a video at the same time it stutters. I am not going to tell you the specs because I didn't pick them and I do not care. What I care about is the colour!

I picked Porygon because I saw the announcement for a Porygon figure coming out soon and it made perfect sense. Computer pokemon. Computer. And I do not want a black and RGB PC. If I am spending £550 on something I am going to spend another £54 on painting it. I do not want to spend much more than that on materials. I have enough craft supplies I should be able to decorate.

Shame there are no full art Pokemon cards for Porygon (that look good). The other option would be a floral theme as I have a LOT of floral hair clips. Perhaps I will just put them on there anyway.

Possible Ideas

• Blue and pink panels with other colour highlight on the vertices
• Porygon model in the case
• Porygons on components like they live inside the computer
• With a shiny one hidden in the back
• Pokemon cards in/on the case
• Removing any existing branding I can
• Adding Silph Co branding
• Calling it Bill's PC
• PVA stained glass Porygon over the glass window
• Etching something on the glass with chemicals
• Pink & blue lights
• Matched external DVD-R
• Matching wallpaper and icons
• Custom start up imagery
• Matching poster on wall
• Matching peripherals

OK, what can I make?

I still have the WFH keyboard and mouse from work so I have no need to replace them. The fans that came with the case have rainbow lighting that is not programable so I can't set it to match. Again, no need to replace something that already functions.

Dubious Disc DVD Drive

Honestly so pleased with this idea. Dubious Disc is used to evolve Porygon2 to Porygon-Z. Couple of strips of tape & a sticker from my craft box and it's done. If the glue does not hold I may redo it with nail varnish or something.

Spray painting the case

Primed and drying. Spray painting outside in the dark on a windy day has some challenges. I am glad I bought sandpaper as there were a more than couple of drips.

The painting process took a couple of weeks. Partly waiting for things to dry or the weather to calm down but also due to Halfords loosing my order. That took five phone calls.

I also didn't paint this mesh that attaches over the top vent and didn't like how it looked so had to paint it blue as that was the colour I had left.

Accessories

The case fans all had logo stickers on in the centre which looked mucky when spinning. These pink flower stickers I had make a nicer blur.

I was not sure how well a mouse would take being painted (or if daily use would make it look awful) so I just added a highlight in nail varnish by the scroll wheel. You can also see the colour tests on the card next to it.

I covered the lights on my keyboard with a bit of wax dripped from a candle as that took up less space than tape.

This keyboard is not anything fancy but it looks interesting now. Perhaps I'll find a use for the card reader built in. I forgot tp paint the other windows key so I did the other with nail varnish. That looks nicer than the enamel.

Now I am painting keys occasionally and adding them to the keyboard whenever they dry. The holographic glitter flakes on the funtion keys have a texture now but I only use F5 and 12 so texture is not much of a concern.

Porygon Model

As of March '23 the figure has not been released. I cannot put it in if I do not own it. :(

Digital Decor

I set the highlight colour to pink and the background to blue. Not much worth doing beyond that. If the computer is on I will have a program open so I am not putting too much time into a rainmeter interface I'd never use.

The final build

*until the figure is released

Was it worth it?

Yeah! I learned a lot about paints and patience. I am happy with how it looks. I think a plain black computer tower would have felt like a missed opertunity. I wish I would have bought a white case first as that may have taken the paint better. I enjoy turning it on.

I put it together with my partner. As much as I wanted to learn I did not want to mess up the thermal paste and screwing on the CPU fan. No shame about that. It would have been an expensive lesson if done wrong.