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  • #46
    Thank you very much Danny and Hooded! I really appreciate your comments. This part of the project is undoubtedly the most difficult and your support help me keep working.

    I also never seen a power supply modified like that. I know that Koolance made one, but it is to big to fit in the container and (I think) his water cooler is made of aluminum.

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    • #47
      Pretty sure it's copper, just not a very high grade. Aluminum would have a more silver look.
      Blue Dragon CM690 II an i7 - 960 x58 build
      OverKill HTPC - Red Team Build an AMD FX6100 with dual HD 5870's in crossfire.
      Canadian Amateur Modding Competition

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      • #48
        Haha yeah i think its cheap copper but you know, alluminum can be worked to make it look different and it's the budget like material when you want affordable parts. In both cases, Cooper or aluminum, it does look cheap imo. I mean the watercooled PSU.

        Always wanted to try to make a custom water Cooled PSU just for the fun of it. Maybe one day..

        everytime i look at what you are doing make me feel like a midget lol. I mean, i said on my topic, about my build on the way, that i was going to do massive modding to my TT Level 20XT. Now, when i look at your job so far, i dont feel like i'm working on mods at all haha.

        By the way i gave up on that project. Decided To change strategy and got myself à new case to go with my Maximus XII Formula. Once they release it. So, yeah i got 2 Thermaltake View 71 and 1 Level 20Xt for sell now lol.

        Anyways, cant wait to see what will be the next pictures you are going to post. Good night guys!

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        • #49
          That's a seriously impressive PSU mod. I'm looking forward to your next update!

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          • #50
            I just took a look in the archived products section of the Koolance website (they made them almost two decades ago) and they made four watercooled PSU: a 1000w (first one in 2001), a 1300w (almost same than the 1000w), a 1200w with an AIO 120mm and a 230w (I am still trying to figure why). The informations available about those power supply are pretty limited. I never found any pictures of the PCB and the water cooler inside the box.

            Hooded, Danny, I think you are both right, their water block looks like made from cheap copper/brass (according to the visual aspect). Koolance do not produce any WC power supply anymore and I don't know if a single one company actually do that. It seems that was not a commercial success for Koolance and no one wants to try again.

            Thank you Danny, I don't know what to say... I don't know your skills but I believe you can do mods like that if you are, like me, obsessively focus on the project. I will probably spend more than 400h on it, so, with so much working time, creativity is the only limit. Also, I am not a professional who build PC to make money, the time spent is not cash lost. Sx4 is the 4th PC I ever build (1st in 1999 and 2nd in 2004) and MP90 was the first mod ever for me. I am considering myself as an artist "patenteux" able to fix anything with everything available around me. In my eyes, this project is more close to a functional piece of art than a PC. I am not better to anyone in Moding, I am just a crazy and manual guys who likes to create things.

            About The Cooler... This is more difficult than expected, I mean, the solder. I have to work every surface with sand paper, brass brush and flux before soldering. Otherwise, the soldering material just don't stick at all. This part is critical for leaking and safety, I must be sure of every solder joints and they pretty tricky to do. The next picture shows how I have to prep the surface.
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            I had a kind of soldering learning curve, as you can see there (l was using the propane torch as heat source); I started at the bottom left.
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            The two next pictures show the solder joints of two cooler finger and the caped end of one. I made them with my old 140w Weller 8200 Solder gun (my soldering base station died this week, I ordered I new 100W T12 one, still waiting it).
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            Here is where I am now with The Cooler:
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            10% done may be.

            Thank you again for your comments!
            Last edited by C0LLARD; 05-15-2020, 09:51 PM.

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            • #51
              Sx4
              The Cooler
              Assembling




              This part of the project was pretty hard to design and assemble. In addition, soldering copper/brass is really tricky because of the high heat conductivity of those metals. I earned a lot and it made me upgrade my soldering skill level.

              The first step was to fill the unused holes of each ends:
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              After that, I made and solder two cooler fingers (flat tube with dead end) to watercool the MOSFETs (who are under the board) via their heatsink:
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              Then, I done two "flow thru" flat tubes; one cool down the regulators (via their heatsink), the other one watercool the two diodes bridges (direct contact, tube in "sandwich" between them) and the PWM hot side switching transistors (via their heatsink):
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              The last part of this Cooler section is the end casing that have the G1/4 connectors on it. I soldered them in the right orientation to make sure the two Barrow 90° low profile fittings holes, goes face down:
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              Finally, I made two copper bracket to hold the bottom part of The Cooler to the grounded screw holes of the board. I cut them in copper plate from a noname cheap CPU waterblock, which I bought (two) last year for MP90 (to watercool his TECs) that was never used for. This plate is perfect to use for these brackets because it have tapped holes and it is in copper (easier to solder and lower risk of galvanic corrosion). I soldered them to the end casing of The Cooler.
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              Painting time!
              Last edited by C0LLARD; 05-26-2020, 12:47 AM.

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              • #52
                Sx4
                The PSU
                Mods


                To adapt this power supply to The Cooler and then, make them fit in a container, I had to modify The PSU.

                To make sure the tube that cool down the two diodes bridges and power MOSFET can goes thru, I had to remove the diodes bridges heatsink and move the rectangular black capacitor + the small transformer.

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                I also had to upgrade and move those electrolytic capacitors to give the space for the two cooler fingers.
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                Then, I soldered the extension cables to connect the modular board (inside The Case) to the power supply. I used a car battery cable for the ground, red power supply extensions for STB5V, 5V, 3.3V & CTRL connections and then, a charcoal power supply extension for the 12V. Of course, those cable reduce the power rating security, particularly with the 12v. I calculated that those 16 gauge cables are safe at 5 amp (they can support way more), that give 480 Watt (8*5A=40A*12V=480W). My build will not use more thru the 12V.
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                Here is the before and after pictures.
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                Finally, I tested it and everything looks good!
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                I am very happy everything works. I made a lot of modifications and soldering on this part and I was only able to test it after everything was connected.
                Last edited by C0LLARD; 05-19-2020, 07:12 PM.

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                • #53
                  Sx4
                  The PSU & The Cooler
                  Serious mods


                  This is the last step to complete this water cooled power supply; fit The Cooler on The PSU.

                  First, I done paint + clear on The Cooler section and mounted it on the power board. Then, I placed many thermal pad/grease where it must be cooled. I also used some isolation sheet to avoid short circuit between the board and the pipes.

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                  The Cooler needs his top section to be completed, so I soldered the 2 parts left and the two brackets I made to hold it.
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                  Now, this WC PSU should be functional and leak free. Time to test!
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                  Everything works perfectly without any leak, I am so happy! Making tape done. Paint and clear done.
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                  It looks good, I love it!
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                  The Salty time is coming!
                  Last edited by C0LLARD; 12-25-2020, 05:58 PM.

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                  • #54
                    Crazy stuff lol

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                    • #55
                      Sx4
                      The Salty

                      My wife really like gummies (first picture of the log), but she also loves those north European salty liquorice (Salmiakki). She discovered this strange treat during her university session in Denmark 10 years ago. I tried to eat one the last time (her danish friend, Rie, send a package full of gift every year to my wife), and... well... I don't understand why she loves that. Anyway, this project is for her, then, I will fill it with candy that she loves. The good thing about this disgusting candy is that my kids will probably don't eat them.

                      This container is also the one with The WC PSU inside. This was the biggest challenge of this project and I finally did it.

                      I started by a protective clear coating on the back of the board and I put a big thermal pad between the back of the board and the acrylic back cover. Then, I fitted everything inside the container.
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                      Little cleaning modifications (hole on right side) and reassembling of the bottom end of the container.
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                      The Salty is now completed:
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                      Another pictures:
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                      Of course, the modular board is also part of it (fixed in the bottom of The Case).
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                      Water cooled power supply inside a Vendesing container done!
                      Last edited by C0LLARD; 07-17-2020, 05:26 PM.

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                      • #56
                        I just want to say happy Canada Day to everyone.
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                        About Sx4, it is not finished yet but I am confident that I will be able to do that for her birthday. I will continue to update the build log after It is completed; strategic use of my free time left until 2 August

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                        • #57
                          Happy Canada day back at ya.
                          Mind blowing build.
                          Awesome modding.
                          Blue Dragon CM690 II an i7 - 960 x58 build
                          OverKill HTPC - Red Team Build an AMD FX6100 with dual HD 5870's in crossfire.
                          Canadian Amateur Modding Competition

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                          • #58
                            This boggles the mind! Awesome work so far! Innovative and creative! Can't wait to see more!

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                            • #59
                              SO glad this got a Canada Day bump,! MOAR!!!!!

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                              • #60
                                Sx4
                                The Sweet

                                The fourth and last container of the build is the one with the graphics card inside and a bucket of mixed fruit candy.

                                I bought this Zotac 1070ti mini for 160$ from a mining farm GPU reseller just before this virus infect FB marketplace. The price was low because the original fans were broken. This was an awesome deal for someone who plan to put a waterblock on it. The one I used is the only one I found that fit on this GPU; Bykski N-ST1070TIMINI-X

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                                The 90° chrome fittings used to do the pass-thru junctions are low profile and did not swivel. I had to try many of them on each hole to find the perfect one for every section. I still believe I was lucky with those one.
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                                I had to make some holes in the back of the container for the two pass-thru fittings, the 8 pins power cable and the PCI-E extension cable.
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                                Everything fit perfectly!
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                                The last part is the acrylic back plate.
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                                I really like the look!

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