MaximumPC 2006 01

112 MA XIMUMPC JANUARY 2006

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ririgg of the monthADVENTURES IN PC MODIFICATION

CHRIS CARDINALE’S

RX-8 PC

W

hat do you get when you cross a full-ATX PC

with a Mazda RX-8 sports car? A party on

wheels, apparently, because this tricked-out “rig,”

spares no form of mobile entertainment.

Chris Cardinale, a gear head in every sense of the

word, pimped his ride to serve up music, movies, and

games, in addition to traditional PC functionality. Heck,

the car’s even wired to be a travelling light show.

Of course, when driving, Cardinale only avails

himself of the RX-8’s 5.1 audio and engine perfor-

mance-monitoring functions. For that, he needn’t

even lift a finger, thanks to an integrated voice

controller (which augments a touchpad built-into

the center console and a backlit keyboard that’s

stored beneath the front passenger seat). See

details at http://rx8.mine.nu.

“I knew there might be a potential for heat-related

issues,” says Cardinale, “so I decided to go with a P4

for its well-known thermal protection. I have never

feared packing the trunk full... and have done so on

many occasions.”

This is what a tailgater might see. Video sources

in the system include a DVD/CD player, a DVD/CD

changer, TV, PS2, computer via an RGB-to-compos-

ite (RCA) video adapter, and two auxiliary inputs.

Clearly, a passenger’s options are plentiful, with a

choice of screens and controllers, as well as inte-

grated wireless headphones, so as not to disturb

the driver. “Shotgun!”

SPECS

MOBO Asus P4R800-V Deluxe

CPU Intel P4 2.8GHz

RAM 512MB Corsair DDR400

HARD WD 200GB 7200rpm

DRIVE

OPTICAL Samsung CD-RW/DVD

Cardina le uses the integrated webcam to record

“spirited drives along a nice stretch of road...” or,

he jokes, “the occasional police harassment.”

The PC was built into a framework that fits snug ly in

the RX- 8’s t runk. Wires run through the car’s center

console, the side sills,

and the rear pillars.