Archon

[Grinder]

The Mad Driller!! Excellent Work

Thanks Han, I'm happy to be finished with it! Been working on another build, but it's soon time to paint the bottom, top, and side.

A free source of modding mesh can be found at your local heavy duty mechanic shop. Go to the dumpster and grab a used air filter from a semi truck. Peel the screen of, wash it up and there you go.

Nice tip xman, I'll keep that in mind for next time. I'm happy with the drilling results on the top, it makes a nice consistent look that is strong enough for the triple rad, and by drilling the bottom it was easier to preserve the hd cage mounts and fan filter supports, plus you don't see it anyway. But having used the mesh salvaged from the side of this case for the bottom intake in another build, I can say it made it a lot easier to get a good result!

[Hero1]

Great job so far.

I like that you didn't completely gut your case like I did.

[Grinder]

Thanks Hero1. I like that you DID completely gut your case. Very entertaining to watch a fearless hero in action! I particularly liked the PSU relocations

If my budget were larger, I think I'd buy a Fractal Newton 1000W or other high end but SHORTER power supply. Plus two full cover GPU blocks. Then I think the case would accommodate another 2x120 rad in the front of the case in the fan frame, with the fans in pull inside, and the bottom rad shifted slightly to the rear. Then Father Fuzzy could make his raddage comment again

[Grinder]

Ok, I'm officially in n00b painter hell

I prepped the top, bottom and side of the case, then primed them. Turned out fine. Then I painted flat black, trying to match the existing panels since I don't plan to paint the whole thing. Turned out fine, however the black wasn't dark enough and the finish was tooooo flat. That was annoying. So I opted for semi gloss, but in my agitated state I rushed it a bit. I like the colour and finish, but ended up with some runs. GRRRR. Sanded out the runs and painted the panels again, this time including the other side panel. But I didn't do a great job of sanding, and the gloss shows up the imperfections more. *sigh* Rinse and repeat. Again.

I was finally happy with the result. After they had mostly dried in the garage, I moved them into the rec room since it was kinda humid and cool out there. However the wife didn't like them there. In the process of moving them again, I managed to put two nice gouges in one panel...

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o!

[Grinder]

Here is the bottom of the case, where the holes were drilled for the 120mm fan. Just reinstalled, and already dusty...



The side panel, with the window kit installed. This thing is a hair and fingerprint magnet. The dress piece and nicely cut window give it a real professional look, should be really nice once installed.



Now to sand and repaint the top section of the case.

[Grinder]

Thanks to gabuuzz, I've averted a leak with my Swiftech MCR220-QP radiator. The newer Swiftech rads are fine, but the old ones have a recess where the fitting screws into the rad. Because of the recess in the rad and the size of the fitting (XSPC 3/8 ID in my case), the fitting is blocked from going far enough into the recess to compress the O-ring. The solution is simply to use a thicker O-ring, although you can't go too thick as there is a small recess in the XSPC fitting as well where it has to fit. In this shot you can see the recess in both the rad and the fitting, and the original and replacement O-ring ($0.59 at Home Hardware).



Thanks again gabuuzz

[Hanoverfist]

Troubles with paint,....I hear that!!

The mistakes you make early on..only serve to make you better later...lol!!

[Grinder]

Judging by the number of mistakes I'm making, I must be learning a lot!

The latest lesson: Don't set your sanding block down where it can pick up a piece of grit which is then dragged across the surface, gouging it again...

[Hanoverfist]

I feel your pain...

[Grinder]

Thanks Han. I sanded out the gouge, did two coats of primer and two coats of the semi gloss. There are a few small imperfections, but from what I can see they aren't bad or in obvious places. I'll let it fully dry and then check again, but I'm getting the feeling that part of the process is knowing when to stop

[Grinder]

Finally got the painted case reassembled, including the window! Of course, it's already full of hair and dust, thanks to my golden retriever...

Loving the side window, and the holes I drilled in the top look like they belong. I'll let the paint harden a bit more before I hang the top rad.







I'm trying to decide on lighting. I'm removing a pair of blue cold cathodes, too much I think. I'll try it with the blue leds on the G.Skill memory cooler, XSPC Raystorm, and the res, to see how it looks. The other option I'm considering is plain white, to emphasize the black/white contrast.

[Grinder]

Installed the GPU ramsinks, VRM heatsinks, waterblocks, upper rad, cpu block, and got everything plumbed and leak tested. Still working on lighting/cabling and fans.

[Grinder]

I'll probably order a couple of 50mm Fractal Design fans to replace the ones on the ram cooler (they are blue LED, and a little noisy to boot). I have mixed feelings about the Antec spot cool as well, which is also blue LED. It might be possible to remove the LEDs, but it would be a real pain to paint white due to the way it's put together. Instead, I'm thinking about a second Fractal Design 140mm fan at right angles to the one on the drive cage. Mounting would be easy, just a couple of 90 degree supports, it fits with the theme, and both could be connected to my t-balancer miniNG fan controller. I would have one channel based on water temp for the rads, and the other based on a VRM thermal sensor controlling the two 140mm fans. The remaining three 140mm fans (two intake and one exhaust) can be controlled with the integrated 3 speed case controller. Although they are so quiet, they could probably be run flat out.

I'm also thinking of white sleeved extensions for the PSU. I was going to do the GPUs as well, but if the fractal fans work out as well as I hope, I might not bother since they will be hidden in behind the fan.

Also, I was able to integrate a simple drain into the loop at the bottom rad (temp sensor is also there). It is just a M/F extension and a stopper, but what I do is relieve pressure in the loop at the res fill port, then tip it back on it's side so the drain becomes the highest point. I then attach an old piece of tubing with a G1/4 barb on one end, and on the other an ugly plastic valve left over from my first watercooling kit 10 years ago, and I'm in business.

One of the other little touches is a pair of black zip ties to help resist the pressure of the tubing between the GPUs. I just ran it through a pair of holes in the cards, the end piece won't pass through the hole. At the other end I slid another zip tie on, took up the slack, and trimmed off the excess. It's very slim, hardly noticeable.

[Grinder]

Bracket worked out well, I cut two small pieces of galvanized strapping and painted them black to use as mounting hardware.

So, opinions please. White or black for sleeved extensions? The PSU ones will be hidden behind the fan, but somewhat visible as it rotates. I'm kinda torn, the contrast of the white is great but it's also appealing to stealth them, and stick with the white on the tubing and fans. It's consistent with white for the cooling stuff, black for the stuff being cooled. The ram cooler will be back, with white fractal fans, and there will be white LED lighting as well.

[Grinder]

Hmm, that central fan seems like an obvious target for some paint. Although there will be LEDs on the CPU and GPUs to distract the eye away from it, as well as on the res and lower intensity background lights.