Introduction

   I guess it's no secret by now that the Chieftec/Antec/Chenming mid tower case is my current favorite case. I think it's the same with Diceman too with the amount of mod projects/reviews that you see around here revolving around the case.

  It's not only it looks, but the features that attracts me and Dice to the case. Lot's of room, a well-thought out and balanced cooling system is just among the many features of the case that we love. But one thing that is missing from the case is front USB ports.

   Antec answered that shortcoming with their new line of Performance Plus cases, that was reviewed here by Diceman, but it's just not at the right place. Rather awkward positioning and it kinda interferes with the overall front bezel look. But that's just me I guess. :O)

   But what if you're like me? Preferring the old Antec/Chieftec look but still want those front USB ports? Mod one into the case! That what! So here is the guide for you "old-school" Antec/Chieftec lovers. Like all custom mod projects, this one requires some degree of planning and also patience. Heheh! So if you screw things up, don't look at me!

   Now before you actually do this mod, you gotta make sure that you have those USB Extension Brackets that comes with your mobo. Most new motherboards nowadays comes with at least one. Even is they don't include them, there should still be a USB Header on your motherboard somewhere and you can then purchase the brackets separately. Not sure about you folks in the States, but here in Singapore, it's widely available.

   I'm using the bracket from my Gigabyte GA-8IRXP P4 mobo. The package comes with two brackets actually; a bracket with 2 X USB 1.1 ports and another with 4 X USB 2.0 ports. The one I choose for this project is a no brainer guys! :^) OK, in case you haven't seen one of them brackets before, here's how it looks like.

USB 2.0 Extension Bracket

  As you can see, these brackets were designed to be installed in one of those expansion slots at the back of your case. No way! This is going in the front!! So, the first thing you need to do here is remove that metal bracket. Usualy, it's connected to the USB ports by screws so that should make light work of it.

  Once you got the bracket removed, it's time to aligned the USB ports to the where you want to mount it in the case. I chose to mount it on the left side of the Chieftec front bezel (looking from front). There's a considerable amount of FLAT surface area to mount the ports easily and blends it nicely into the overall case look. (I have my case on my right side, so the ports are easily accessible).

  Next thing to do is to mark out the holes for the ports on the bezel itself. I hope you didn't throw that bracket away! Not only does it makes marking out easier, but it'll also help you in getting the right size hole and cut-outs, as I will show you later.

   OK, now that you have a rough idea where to mount your USB ports, let's get to the cutting part!! :O)