With the right knowledge, you can improve just about anything, and the modding scene is full of people who do just that
Companies spend countless man hours and masses of money designing and refining new hardware. Whether it’s graphics cards, CPUs, PC cases, keyboards, or game controllers, there’s a large design team that spends its time creating the best product possible. Or does it? Even the best piece of hardware will fall short of some people’s expectations, and the old adage of not being able to please everyone all of the time is very true.
So, what do you do if this is the case? Well, some people decide to take matters into their own hands, and have a go at engineering their own solutions by modifying existing hardware to suit their needs, or to make an otherwise poor piece of hardware perform better. It’s also popular to create visually impressive modifactions.
The people that do this are commonly called modders, and there’s very little in the hardware world they won’t have a tinker with in order to customise things to their liking. So, we’re going to have a look at this modding scene, focusing on the kinds of modifications you’ll usually see, as well as some of the most prolific modders around. If you can’t make that square peg fit that round hole, maybe a bit of modding inspiration will help.
What Is Modding?
What is moding, exactly. Well, just to be clear, we’re going to be looking at hardware modding here, not software, so we won’t be focusing on custom made game modes or features for the likes of GTA V or Skyrim. Instead we’re looking at the kinds of mods that take an existing, off-the-shelf piece of hardware, and change it in various ways, such as to make a device more personalised, or to give it a more accessible feature set for disabled users. There are any number of reasons people may want to perform such modifications, and regardless of this goal, the end results almost always retool the hardware so it’ll function differently, look better.
By far the most common form of this is PC modding; people who dabble in this area spend a lot of time and effort altering existing PC cases and hardware to look different or run differently. This may be to make a PC run better with improved cooling or space for expansion, or simply to create a unique-looking PC, often themed after various licenses, including movies and games. In fact, the latter is possibly the most common, and those who create such modifications do so purely to create great-looking systems. However, there are some PCs that are created not just for looks, but to show how far a PC’s form factor can be pushed. This may be to create an ultra-small system, or a system that takes up an entire desk, such as the impressive L3p D3sk (one of our featured mods, see Ten Great Mods section).
Some modifications are easier than others, but none are simple, and often a lot of skill is required. There is a level of ability within the modding world, though, and some people are far more accomplished than others. Without a doubt, one of the most skilled, and famous modders is Benjamin Heckendorn, better known as Ben Heck. Known for his unique builds and modifications, which are shown via his YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/thebenheckshow), Heckerdorn work extends from the impressive to the downright odd.
Some of his best work has been to take console game controllers and retrofit them for disabled users. He’s also made a slew of custom machines using modded games consoles, PCs, and combination systems that combine more than one device, such as an Atari 2600 and a PlayStation 2. He shows that modding isn’t solely limited to creating custom PC cases, and can be taken to the next level by using these skills for many others tasks. He even created real-world Minecraft Redstone circuits, just because he could, and created a portable PS2, including it’s own screen, as well as a hand-held N64, also with its own screen. His PS3 laptop is another impressive creation, turning the third generation PlayStation into a fully working, portable system.
Heck’s show is produced by Element14 (www.element14.com), a website dedicated to supplying engineers and hobbyists, just like Heck himself, and many other modders. The site sells all manner of hardware components and tools, most of which are useful for those looking to do their own modding projects. This site alone is a testament to how popular the modding scene has become, and Heck’s channel, which has over 400,000 subscribers and over 26 million views is further proof, and he’s just one of many modders out there.
Other modders have also become fairly high profile in the scene, with some impressive portfolios full of work. Love Hulten (www.lovehulten.com), is a good example, with a site full of sleek, and sharp creations – usually involving a mixture of tech and woodwork – with a range of devices being created.
Peter Brands, whom we’ve already mentioned, also has his own YouTube channel, via which he showcases his various creations (www.youtube.com/user/l3pje) including the L3p D3sk. Also, Ronnie Hara, another prolific modder with a following on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RonnieMods) is well worth a look.
There are many other specialist sites now operating that supply modders with the items they need, and a quick search on Google or YouTube reveal results relating to modding, especially PCs, that are too numerous to count. As with most other things these days, there are also popular social sites with areas dedicated to the practice, including Reddit, Facebook, and so on. It’s a thriving community, and one that’s one of the most impressive creative circles around.
Don’t limit yourself to PC mods alone, though. It’s not just Ben Heck who has dabbled with modding consoles, for example. Modder, Kotomi, created a portable Super Nintendo Entertainment System he dubbed the SNEP, and one of the best mods is the Super Genintari by Richard DaLuz. This device merges the Arati 2600, NES, SNES, and Sega Mega Drive into a single console.
What about he gamer on the move who wants to listen to music? How about the Dreamcast VMU Pod Nano case? This custom case is an actual Dreamcast VMU case, modified to fit an iPod Nano. What’s more, you can even do this yourself by following the guide at bit.ly/1PWBzwc.
As well as sites feeding the modding movement with the materials it needs, there are also plenty of sites on the Internet geared toward teaching new, would-be modders how to tinker and tune their systems, and to create their own projects. Sites like www.modders-inc.com contains guides for all sorts of modding projects, so even those with little to no experience can get up and running, learning the basics. So, if all of these cool creations inspire you, why not give it a go yourself and become part of the modding community?
Official Support
Early on in modding days, companies weren’t fully on board with the kind of antics modders were getting up to with their hardware. Just as overclocking wasn’t an officially authorised practice, taking hardware and messing around with it was frowned upon, and many a warranty was squarely shattered. Whilst the warrantybreaking is still an issue for those who worry about retrofitting their PCs and other hardware, the negative opinion of modding from manufacturers has changed greatly.
Now, major hardware creators actively get involved with modding, to the point of making hardware far more mod-friendly, sponsoring modders and modding events, and even hosting their own modding shows, such as Nvidia’s 24-hour live streamed modding event, Mod24 (www.geforce.co.uk/whats-new/articles/mod24). This has galvanised the modding community, and has made it all the more rewarding for those who want to exercise their abilities. Now you have the chance to not only be admired by the select few who frequent your YouTube channel or modding sites, but a larger audience. You can even win prizes for your efforts.
As you van see, the modding scene is brimming with creativity and with a new more public showing in various events, it a new medium with which tech-savvy users can show off their creative abilities.