XCM Hot Rock Nintendo Wii Case Review

Written by Brakken
April 2008

Introduction

Welcome to my review of Team Xtender's (XCM) Hot Rock which is complete replacement case for your Nintendo Wii™. That's right, just like the computer case modification scene the console modification scene offers brand new cases for your next generation console. Team Xtender produces a variety of cases, but this one looked to be the best of the best so I'm going to take my time to review it.

The Hot Rock Case is made out of a sturdy clear plastic that doesn't smudge easily and comes with built in LED's which surround the DVD-ROM drive and the thermometer assembly on the rear of your Nintendo Wii. Yeah, the case comes with a built in temperature display which will change colors depending on how hot your console gets. So if it gets too hot you'll know right away you need to turn it off to avoid damage to internal components.

So the case has two uses - it looks cool as hell and will help you save the life of your Nintendo Wii. Installing a Nintendo Wii case isn't the simplest task, but luckily there is no soldering involved. I would have to say the hardest part of the whole ordeal is keeping track of the damn screws. So what's the products features?

Manufacturer Overview/Features

The HOT ROCK Case is a new innovation in case modding technology. With a built in Digital LED thermometer, the HOT ROCK CASE is able to alert the user by changing the LED color when the Wii console reaches certain temperatures. Color changes take place in 5 degree increments. For example, if your Wii console's temperature reaches over 55 degree Celsius, the LED will display RED and start flashing. This will alert the user to turn off the console and check for problems.

Hot Rock case (color changing chart)

Temperature (Celsius) / Chameleon LED color
- Below 29 c : Light blue
- 30-35 c : Blue
- 36-40 c : Green
- 41-45c : Yellow
- 46-50 c : Orange
- 51-54 c : Red
- Over 55 c : Red light flashing

Contents

Top of Case w/LED Assembly
Bottom of Case
Case Stand w/Holder
Front Interface Panel
Thermometer Assembly w/LEDs
GameCube Port Cover
Memory Card Port Cover
Battery Holder
Eject, Reset & Power Buttons
DVD Power Cable w/Splitter
Bottom Pads x4
Side Pads x4
Side Screw Covers x3
Small Phillips Head Screwdriver
Micro Mini Phillips Head Screwdriver

Installation

To sum up the installation you're basically going to have to totally disassemble your Nintendo Wii and swap cases. Even seasoned veterans of modchip installations are going to have to take their time as there's a lot more involved then just removing the DVD-ROM assembly. So if you're not familiar with taking the Wii apart to access the DVD-ROM drive you should check out this guide I wrote that will get you to where I start the installation in this review. There's no point in writing the guide over again.

Once you're at the point in the above guide it's time to take the fan off of the back of the Wii. Simply unscrew the two screws holding it down and remove it's power connector. Now it's time to remove the fan's housing. First remove the two PCB's from the housing then unscrew it's four screws. I'd keep separate piles of everything you take apart so you don't mix up the screws. Once this is done you can remove the next black housing which only has two screws.

Next you'll have a metal shield which is housed in the center of what's left of the Wii. Remove it's single screw and set it aside. Next remove the last black casing which is located on the front of the Wii - it has three screws. The arm that protrudes out of it needs a little tug to be removed. Don't worry, unless you're a super muscle freak it won't break on you.

Now comes the fun part! Remove the fifteen screws that hold the metal shielding down. You'll notice the two screws that go over the GameCube™ controller ports are longer then the others - so keep that in mind. Once you've removed all of the screws pull up on the shielding to remove it. Set it aside and put the screws with it. Next remove the four screws that are holding down the heat sink.

Once the heat sink screws are removed you can remove the motherboard. Under the motherboard you'll find a metal shield. Take the shield off and then you'll find a small piece of foam in a corner. Swap the foam out into the bottom half of the Hot Rock Case and then snap the metal shielding you just removed over top of it. Make sure to snap it down tightly.

Next put the motherboard on top of the shielding and screw the heat sinks four screws back in. Now would be a good time to swap out the DVD-ROM power connector with the one provided with the Hot Rock Case. Simply unplug the old one and plug the new one in. Not that hard at all.

Next replace the fifteen screws. If you get confused on where the fifteen screws go there's an easy way to tell where not to put them. Each screw hole is marked with either an "X", "[]" or "->". Use the arrows - those are where the screws go back into. Oh, and remember the two large screws go over the GameCube controller ports.

You can now connect the front black casing with it's three screws. Once this is done it's time to install the Hot Rock Thermometer Assembly. It basically goes in place of where the fans housing was at. Snap it into place, screw it down using three of the screws and make sure the fourth one is holding down the small PCB. The other PCB goes on the right hand side of the assembly. Don't forget to screw back in the fan!

Now screw in the metal shielding that had only one screw into the middle of the console. Once this is done you can route the PCB's wires through it so they aren't hanging out. After that replace the last black piece of plastic by screwing it it's two screws. Make sure to switch out plastic fan cover from the top of the original case to the Hot Rock Case. Of course, plug the top of the Hot Rock Case into the wire coming from the Thermometer Assembly. Otherwise you won't get those fancy LED's surrounding the DVD-ROM drive.

We're almost done! Next it's time to swap out the innards of the original front Interface Panel into the new one. Take your new panel and insert the three buttons into it and then take your old panel and unscrew the three screws that hold the plastic holder and drive cover together and swap them into the new panel. Once this is done you can put the panel on the Wii. Not much is left other then screwing in the outer screws back into place and you're all done!

Usage

To use the sucker you just plug it in and turn it on. It'll start off glowing green and after time will start to heat up and shine other colors. There's a simple toggle switch near the USB ports where you can turn off the LEDs if you wish. That's basically how you use it - not too complicated.

Conclusion

Due to the really high quality of plastic used, the included tools, professional packaging and it's great look I would defiantly recommend picking up this case. Even if you're new to case modding - you've got to start some place. So why not start off with a kick-ass case with barely any flaws? I've installed a lot of cases in my days and this has to be one of the best ones Team Xtender has created. Get the Hock Rock - you can't go wrong with it.

Negatives

Screw Posts not Threaded
White Stickers Covering the Screw Holes Look Out of Place

Positives

Easy Installation
No Soldering Required
Works as Advertised
It Just Looks Damn Cool

Links

XCM (Team Xtender's) Website
Extreme-Mods - USA Reseller

-=[ XCM Hot Rock Nintendo Wii Case Review Discussion Thread ]=-

Product(s) were received from the website above. ISO-420 will always link back to whomever sent the product(s) *respect*, but please remember that the reviews are independently written by our staff and are not subject to alteration by whomever supplies us with the review product(s).