Debate: Should you paint the inside of your case or leave it bare metal?

I spent last month painting the inside of my old Fractal case matte black and it looks clean now, but my buddy says it's just extra weight and hides the craftsmanship of the bends and cuts. 3 years ago I would have agreed with him, but now I'm torn. Which side do you fall on for interior paint jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

caseyw1227d ago

Ever think about paint acting as a weird kind of sound dampener if you use a thick enough coat? A buddy of mine did a few layers of rubberized paint inside his rig and swore it cut down on some of the drive hum. Might be a fringe benefit worth testing if you already have a quiet system.

hugo_jones227d ago

I gotta push back a little here @caseyw12, because I really don't think paint does much for sound deadening on its own. Your buddy's rubberized paint probably helped a tiny bit, but mostly because it's thick and sticky, not because of the paint itself. You're way better off using actual sound deadening mats or foam if you want to cut down drive hum, something like Kilmat or Noico that's made for this. Paint is just too thin, even with a few layers, to absorb or block low frequencies from a motor or road noise. I've tried the spray-on bedliner stuff inside a fender once and honestly couldn't tell a difference, so I'd say save the effort for proper materials. The fringe benefit might be there but it's probably placebo more than anything.