This was my final build for 2024, so I wanted to do something a little different. Microcenter had a bundle with an mATX board, and an open box 205M - this gave me the core of the build. It was meant to be just a basic mid-range build (which it is). Next thing you know there's sawdust and paint fumes everywhere; this is the result.

I used 1/8" walnut veneer for the panels and GPU backplate. I don't have a CNC machine, so they were all cut by hand. All are secured in place with VHB tape. Note the floor of the case is solid, so no ventilation was lost. There's about a 2mm gap under the GPU plate - not enough to ventilate, but should prevent the wood from discoloring from the heat. GPU temps seem unaffected.

Other mods included painting the front air vents and various heat sinks on the board to match. I made an acrylic cover to hide the rear IO components; the rear fan wire hides nicely under this. I painted the Noctua fans to give it an industrial/mildly steampunk look. Lastly, I added recessed channels for RGB strips to better illuminate the interior.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the GPU used a regular 8-pin PCIe cable, rather than the new 12VHPWR (I hate making those new ones).

Detailed parts list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XMPt74