PC Case for a grow?

lilgpack1

lilgpack1

Member
So I am planning on doing a PC Grow (this will also be my first grow) as I am limited on funds and space and privacy. Can someone tell me if this looks like a good case to use?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854004

Its 21 inches tall. I understand its not the tallest but like I said I'm limited on my resources.
I do plan on doing a scrog.

It has 2 large fans in it already so I figured one can be intake and the other outake.

EDIT: also I have looked around on craigslist and there is nothing worth the money. This is the best bang for my buck as far as I can find

Any input is appreciated thanks!
 
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orangesabc123

Member
Not that I'm an expert but if you're tight on money AND buying a 90$ 2sqft case...well, that just doesn't add up.

IMO, go back to craigslist and ebay and wait for a cheap case or piece of furniture comes up. Use the money you saved on lights and a carbon filter or maybe a real fan. Although you might want to temper your expectations.

If you didn't want my 2cents...then back to the case. Keep in mind you want to seal it up, so all those holes you have to seal, since the back panel is removeable that mobo tray is eating up some of your space although at least you'll have a lot of stuff to mount to. Fan wise, a lot of people don't view PC fans as sufficient for ventilation, so keep in mind you may(or may not) need something stronger to pull through a scrubber. Also it would kind of suck to tear stuff out of a brand new case.(opinion)

TL: DR- Hmmmmmm............
 
lilgpack1

lilgpack1

Member
Yeah i get what youre saying. Basically i figured my budget at 140 for just the box supplies as seeds will run me 40-60. I see the 90 dollar case as in the budget because it will only cost another 20 or so for the other box supplies (lights, reflective material, etc)...also i like the idea of portability with the pc box since im young and move around a bit with school and such. Obviously a bigger box would be more ideal but im not sure that is plausible for me at the moment
 
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orangesabc123

Member
Boo!!HISS!!!

Can't believe you just said that.

Fuck the case. Get a 20$ old nightstand off of craigslist. Spend the money on a real light and not 3$ CFLS from walmart. Spend the rest on a real fan and a real scrubber.

Priorities...What you are growing in is a far, far, far fourth place to Lights/fans/scrubbers...the things that will actually make your plants grow, not die from heat, and make sure your house doesn't smell like skunk. Hell I think those things are probably more important than even expensive seeds.

That's not even to mention nutrients! Or ph testers!

Disclaimer: Everything mentioned was an opinion and I have the right to augment or retract any of these statements without prior notice.
 
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orangesabc123

Member
Wise.

Just remember cabinets may not be completely air/light proof, especially ones with huge double doors. Make sure to run some type of foam or weather stripping around all relevant door openings and seal any other loose joints so you don't get any leakage.
 
lilgpack1

lilgpack1

Member
also, you were saying to put my money into a light as well as other things..do you think an HID is the better route or should I start with CFL??
 
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orangesabc123

Member
lilgpack1 said:
well what kind of furniture (or any object) would you suggest for a stealth(ish) grow box??
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One that's not conspicuous in your house? For example if you used a refrigerator and put it in your bedroom, if anyone happened upon it they would immediately spot it. But let's say you used a big speaker and put it next to other big speakers in a tv setup in your bedroom, someone would be less likely to notice unless it's making weird noise or shooting out light.

In general you want something you can work with, don't get a piece that you can't cut ventilation holes in or mount things to. ( Too hard or too thin ) Something that's relatively air tight, ie no holes but the ones you put in there. And something of reasonable dimensions for what you're planning. Don't get a .5ftw x .5ftdx 4 fth piece if you want to scrog and don't get a 2ft h piece if you don't want to manage height in some way.

Just use common sense, everything works if you mod it enough. Search the forums for ideas. (Mini-fridge, speaker, cabinets of various sizes, armoires, nightstands large computer tower)

As for lighting, I simply meant don't cheap out. CFLS can work, HIDS are of course better for growing, but produce heat so in small setups they may not work. You also may want to consider LEDS. But I just meant don't limit your lighting because you blew your budget on some less important item.
 
lilgpack1

lilgpack1

Member
Did the math and one 600 watt HID will cost me about 36 a month alone...maybe one day i can grow with HID but for now that is leaving me with CFL and LED...

also I am looking into grow tents...found some perfect sized ones for 60 or so

my budget just increased a little bit...have about 350-400 dollars to spend
 
lilgpack1

lilgpack1

Member
interested about LED though..any suggestions on lights?? not sure how knowledgable you are in LED lights but any info helps
 
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orangesabc123

Member
lilgpack1 said:
interested about LED though..any suggestions on lights?? not sure how knowledgable you are in LED lights but any info helps
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Sorry, currently looking into the best way to do a DIY LED myself.

The options basically are:
UFO type hood from some company, they come pretty small but will not be ideal performance/cost wise.
Fixture LED - which have large profiles and again may not be ideal
DIY LED - which is the best option but requires essentially pasting LEDS onto a strip of aluminum and wiring them in series off of a power supply and maybe adding some active cooling to it.
 
bicit

bicit

Well-Known Member
Well to be honest you don't need to go full bore with a 600w HID. You can pick up lower wattage HID lights. The hardware stores sell 100w metal halides and hps lamps that aren't terribly expensive. There are also the 150w and 215w philips Ceramic metal halides that have been really gaining popularity lately.

Depending on what size space you're looking at lighting, a DIY led would be feasible with that budget. COB LED's like the bridglux vero series make assembly a snap.

What size tent are you looking at? I could offer better advice on lighting that way. Speaking of tents, I highly recommend Apollo horticulture tents. I've tested quite a few different brands from gorilla to china budget. Apollo has the best bang:buck ratio and (IMO) are higher quality than gorilla. Just don't buy any of their led lights, those are garbage.
 
lilgpack1

lilgpack1

Member
bicit said:
Well to be honest you don't need to go full bore with a 600w HID. You can pick up lower wattage HID lights. The hardware stores sell 100w metal halides and hps lamps that aren't terribly expensive. There are also the 150w and 215w philips Ceramic metal halides that have been really gaining popularity lately.

Depending on what size space you're looking at lighting, a DIY led would be feasible with that budget. COB LED's like the bridglux vero series make assembly a snap.

What size tent are you looking at? I could offer better advice on lighting that way. Speaking of tents, I highly recommend Apollo horticulture tents. I've tested quite a few different brands from gorilla to china budget. Apollo has the best bang:buck ratio and (IMO) are higher quality than gorilla. Just don't buy any of their led lights, those are garbage.
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I am moving into my new place in June which is when I will be able to begin my first grow. It will likely be a 4x2x4 (Or something similiar) inside a closet. It will be hard as it is to vent thats why I have been leaning away from HID although from what I have seen and read I understand that is the preferable way to go (so much cheaper to at least upfront)

Also can anyone tell me if a more cube like tent (vs the recatangular ones I am looking at) are better to grow in? I'd like to put out a few ounces per harvest at least when i get better at growing. Is this even possible in that size tent?
 
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orangesabc123

Member
lilgpack1 said:
Also can anyone tell me if a more cube like tent (vs the recatangular ones I am looking at) are better to grow in? I'd like to put out a few ounces per harvest at least when i get better at growing. Is this even possible in that size tent?
Click to expand...

Technically from a mathematical standpoint squares will maximize your area.

For example a 4x2x4 tent is 32ft^3 while a 3x3x4 tent is 36ft^3....but that's really of no significance in this particular scenario, imo. It also may help diffusion of light if you consider bulbs as a single point that spreads evenly...but if you're going with multiple cfl bulbs or multiple led bulbs it's less of a concern because you have more points of origin.

TL: DR- Yes, but it's not that critical.

In a 4x2x4 tent you should easily pull a few ounces...easily, depending on how much light you use of course. In general you could get away with a 400w HID light if you wanted to and it's considered relatively easy to get .5grams per watt. 400x.5 = 200/32 = 6oz. So even if you go with a lower wattage you should be able to pull a few oz per 3 months. In an ideal world with a 400w HID you could get 1-1.5 grams per watt = 400/32 = 12oz per 3 months.
 
bicit

bicit

Well-Known Member
lilgpack1 said:
I am moving into my new place in June which is when I will be able to begin my first grow. It will likely be a 4x2x4 (Or something similiar) inside a closet. It will be hard as it is to vent thats why I have been leaning away from HID although from what I have seen and read I understand that is the preferable way to go (so much cheaper to at least upfront)

Also can anyone tell me if a more cube like tent (vs the recatangular ones I am looking at) are better to grow in? I'd like to put out a few ounces per harvest at least when i get better at growing. Is this even possible in that size tent?
Click to expand...
you can get a few oz per harvest out of a 2x2 if you're so inclined. It will mostly depend on your skill level as a gardener and genetics. The winner of the last solo cup comp got around 28grams out of a 16oz cup... to put that into perspective.

Neither style are 'better' than the other. Depends on your style/lighting/space available. Cubes are great for HID setups, since you can run a bare bulb vert which avoids reflectors losses. Long and skinny don't work as well with HID, IMO. Everyone has prefrences.

Heat is a function of power displacement. No matter what light source you're running, you'll have to vent at some point. HID lamps are very efficient which allows you to use less power than a fluorescent setup to get the same job done.

If you wanted to be cheap, I'd get a 3x3 tent and a 315w Ceramic metal halide, run it bare bulb in the center and pick up a cheap 4" vortex fan with a carbon filter. That should set you back less than $500.
 
lilgpack1

lilgpack1

Member
In my situation I will have to be venting out the closet into the room the closet is in. Luckily it is a spare extra room and not my bedroom but I still hang out in there. Is heat build up from venting a MH or HPS into that not a concern? And cant that effect ambient temp (not sure how uch that matters).....if thats the case though would running a normal fan in that room keep temps down? Itll be summer here in Chicago so AC will likely be on most of the time plus I live in a garden apartment so temps will be naturally cooler
 
bicit

bicit

Well-Known Member
Like I said, heat produced is a function of your power displacement. A 600w toaster oven is going to produce the same amount of heat as 600w worth of 70% efficient led. So you have to size your light to your ability to cool it.

Honestly, 600w or less you won't even notice. If you have AC for the whole house then you'll be golden. That room may be slightly warmer than other rooms, but it won't be a drastic difference. ~88*F or less should be adequate. Though you'll want it more around ~80*F or less ideally.
 
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