Introduction

What's the point in having a window on your PC, if it's just full of boring computer hardware? One solution to spice up your case's insides is the use of lighting. There are a few types of lighting on the market these days: neons, laser LED's, glow wire, and glow strips, but the best products seem to be cold cathodes. Cold cathodes are a reliable answer providing lots of light while consuming little power. Today we will be looking at the 12" ultra violet cold cathodes and some UV reactive fans from Extreme Alterations.

Specifications

Before I write about anything, I would like to get a list of the features out of the way. Looks aren't everything, if a product doesn't have the basic components that you need, it's not worth buying. I am pleased to say that the these cold cathodes and fans have all the features you could ask for. Here is the list:

Ultra Violet Cold Cathode Kit:

• Length: 12.25 inches
• Average Current Damand +/- 3.7w
• Encased in a 100% acrylic shell for proper light distribution
• Encased inverter for safety
• Dual light capability
  

UV Reactive 80mm Fans:

• Dimension: 80x80x25 mm
• Speed: 2500 RPM
• Air Flow: 32.5 CFM
• Noise: 27.39 dBA
• Voltage: 12v DC
• Current: 0.11 A
• Power: 1.32 W
• Some fans include built in LED's, see product descriptions on E.A.'s website.
  

More information may be found here at Extreme Alterations, if you would like more detailed specs.

First Impressions

E.A.'s package arrived at my door only 3 days after they shipped it out - talk about fast! I opened up the package and found everything protected by lots of packing pops. I removed the contents and began to check everything out.

The cold cathode kits were the first things I wanted to look at. Each one came packaged in a plastic tube to keep everything together. The fans came packed the way fans normally do, but it's easy to tell they aren't your average fans. Each fan comes with mounting screws and the cold cathodes come with everything you need to quickly install them.

In this first picture you can see how clean these tubes actually are. These are clearly top of the line products, and I was very impressed by their construction. The monuting hardware include consists of two zip ties and two bases with adhesive tape on the bottom. I will get into the mounting hardware later though. The kit also comes 100% pre-wired and ready to plug in. The only work you will need to do is for mounting the switch.

The best thing about these lights is their size. As you can see, the cold cathode is no bigger around than a pencil, and the inverter box is nice and small. Such small size is great for fitting these things into already cramped cases!

Installing the Products

I decided to install these products into my project case. I am currently working on this case, and there will be an article coming soon about it's construction. Anway, The case is a Cheiftec Matrix, and it has a window, but it's still pretty dull. Here is a shot of it without the lighting installed.

Installing everything was simple. The first step was to remove the fan clips and plug the fans into them. After replacing them, I quickly plugged in the molex power cords and they were ready to go. Next I had to install the cold cathodes. I decided I wanted to run both bulbs off of one inverter to save space. To do this, I first mounted the inverter in the middle of the case. Then, I mounted one cold cathode in the top of my case and one in the bottom. I used the zip ties and stick clips, and the whole process took a few seconds. With everything mounted, I opened up the inverter case. There are two plugs for the cold cathodes, so I plugged in both of them. After closing the box back up, I plugged in the inverter's molex power plug. The last step was to install the switch. Lucky for me, I just happened to have a hole already drilled in the back of my case! I popped the plug into place and I was ready to go!

 

Results and Conclusion

When I turned on the computer, the lights powered right up. Even with the door off, my case already looked alot nicer. I replaced the door, and all I could think was, "Wow!"

There isn't much I can sayabout the lights. Just look at them! These pictures are worth a thousand words! In the first picture, it was around noon time, and even with all the light, the cold cathodes still lit up the case very well. At night, the cold cathodes can be fully appreciated, lighting up the whole case with beautiful UV effects. The UV fans also gave great effects with the cold cathodes lights. They both lit up very well and appeared to be glowing thanks to the cold cathodes. The only problem is I was only sent two UV fans, now I have to order more!

Extreme Alteration's UV products are all very impressive and overall, I liked the kit's and fans very much. As with any review, I like to write a list of Pro's and Con's. Here is the list I came up with for these cold cathodes and UV fans:

Pro's

• Looks awesome
  
• High quality product
  
• Solid construction
  
• Easy installation
  
• UV Light gives of beautiful effects
  
• 4" cold cathodes also available
  
• Fan's glow very bright with UV cold cathode's light
• Fan's are both very quiet, but move alot of air
  

Con's

• On a full tower case, the middle may not be as bright as the top/bottom

Final Thoughts

I would like to thank Extreme Alterations for sending the these products my way for review. These products are available for purchase on their website. I encourage anyone interested in lighting products to check them out.

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