Inside the World of Artist and Fabricator, Bill Owen

At the urging of a friend, Bill Owen turned his passion for customizing cars into customizing Personal Computers (PCs), and launched a new career. It was 1999. Boutique gaming PC companies, like Alienware and Falcon Northwest, were still relatively new and attracting attention. This custom PC market appealed to Owen, inspiring him to launch Mnpctech in his basement.

Mnpctech began producing personalized PCs with features such as carry handles to make it easy to take equipment to LAN parties. Other custom elements included unconventional windows and fan grills. Owen’s modifications quickly captured the interest of the PC gaming industry. And, today, his designs reflect the unique characteristics of the best games produced by leading game developers and publishers.

According to Owen, his process for PC game-related builds and mods is to first immerse himself into the game and its world. “If the game’s still in development, I’ll sign an NDA and work with artists and game developers – or be provided with illustrations, screenshots and other assets – to truly understand their vision.” The challenge is to transform a hard rectangular box into something that’s visually and thematically connected to the game, and which will excite the fans.

Upping the Modification Game

Owen’s work at Mnpctech has helped change how people view PC and PC case modification, influencing both the enthusiast DIY market and hardware industry. He was the first to create instructional PC modding videos, just two years after the launch of YouTube, and currently more than 75 thousand people subscribe to his YouTube* channel. But his connection with builders and modders started in 2001, when Owen established an online store selling custom PC parts that he develops and manufactures.

At the Mnpctech workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Owen uses a variety of fabrication resources. They range from basic hand tools to 3D printing, and include a 5-axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, a CNC lathe and a laser cutter. Since, 1999, the majority of his PC builds use Intel® processors.

“I also use other Intel® products,” said Owen, like Intel® Double Data Rate (Intel® DDR) modules, Intel® Solid State Drives (Intel® SSD) and Intel® Optane™ M.2 memory modules. I put so much into my work; I won’t sacrifice on what goes in them.”

Applying Design Principles to Gaming PCs

Owen’s knack for capturing the essence of a PC game and transforming it into the physical structure of a PC is what makes his work so compelling, and popular among gamers and game developers.

For his work on the Metro Exodus Steam Powered Gaming PC Mod, Owen produced a PC with an armored exterior that features authentic Russian Industrial era controls, switches, lights, labels and gauges. He also aged and weathered every component, giving it the proper look and feel. “It’s as if the PC was discovered in an abandoned factory deep within Russia and smuggled out of the country,” said Owen.

The Metro Exodus game was developed by 4A Games* and published by Deep Silver. It is the third installment in the Metro video game trilogy, and the story is based on Dmitry Glukhovsky's graphic novels.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Russia, there’s no longer any functioning electrical energy sources. Instead, the characters make do with alternatives, such as a steam-powered locomotive. To convey that idea, Owen built a PC that appears to be powered by single-piston steam engine, located in the bottom front of the chassis.

“The piston and crankshaft are made from Delrin and they actually pump inside the cylinder,” said Owen. “To produce the smoke that emits from the top of the PC, I used a model steamboat stack made in Australia by RC Smokers.”

To get into the proper mindset, Owen physically took on the role of the game’s main character, Artyom, who must scavenge items to survive. In doing so, Owen hopped a fence and donned a protective mask and gloves to dumpster dive in the bins behind an undisclosed manufacturing facility.

“I struck gold and discovered a steel handle and vintage incandescent worktable lights to illuminate the PC’s interior,” said Owen. “The parts are just like what you’d find behind an abandoned factory in Russia.”

The technologies used in the Metro Exodus PC mod include:
• Intel® Core™ i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
• MSI Z370 Gaming Motherboard
• 64 GB DDR4 Corsair* Dominator
• Corsair* Force MP500 M.2 SSD, 1 TB
• NVIDIA* RTX 2080 Graphics card
• Corsair* RMX 850W PSU

Builds as Unique as the Games Themselves

Some of Owen’s other builds and mods include a STAR WARS ROGUE ONE* Gaming PC Mod, an Porsche* 917 Gaming PC Mod and The Outer Worlds* Gaming PC Mod.

Each demonstrate Owen’s vision and how to apply one’s inspiration to PC building and modification. For example, the Rogue One PC emulates the dark side environment of the galactic empire and is machined with surface panels to suggest the Death Star’s hallways.

To realize this Porsche 917 Le Mans-inspired mod, Owen tracked down the factory paint codes for the 1970 Porsche 917 and built a liquid cooling system using the same 316 stainless steel tubing found in race car brake lines.

Owen’s Outer Worlds gaming PC began as part of a 2020 marketing campaign to be displayed at CES, E3 and other PAX gaming events, and then given away at the last event. “All that was cancelled due to the pandemic,” said Owen.

After posting a message about the status of the Outer Worlds gaming PC, offers to buy it filled his inbox. Owen chose to sell the custom PC to The Toolshed, LLC. “They're a small indie game development studio in Montana,” said Owen. “I admire their grit. Knowing my PC is helping to inspire them makes me smile.”

Excitement About TechMesh

Owen recently joined the Intel® Insiders Advisory Council and he’s eager to get involved in this community of PC builders, modders and other artists. He likens TechMesh to the building in which he constructed his workshop.

“It’s a group of artisans and specialty businesses,” said Owen. “What makes it extraordinary is that everyone there takes an interest in each other’s endeavors. That way everyone learns what skills or services they can receive from each another.”

Owen also points to people like Attila and Paslis, whom he met through online communities. “Those guys were generous in sharing their knowledge and amazing project logs,” said Owen. “They inspired everyone to be unique and to follow their imagination. And they taught me to never rush my personal projects, so I enjoy the journey.”

From Owen’s own experience posting videos on his YouTube channel, he emphasizes that engagement is essential to building an online community. “I hope that sharing my unique PCs will encourage constructive feedback,” said Owen. “I also want to inspire people to look at what they can do with their own PC builds and mods.”

What’s Next for Mnpctech

Owen is currently building a Fingle Dan gaming PC mod, inspired by GTA5, for Twitch*. “I’m also working on several other crazy gaming PCs to promote new PC games to be released this year,” said Owen. “Each will be shared here on TechMesh.”

Elevate Your Mod and Build Skills

For inspiration or to start sharing your work, join our community of worldwide PC enthusiasts as well as modders, builders, creators, and streamers at Intel® TechMesh. Learn more about the benefits of the community, including peer collaboration, networking, and access to experts.