The SLOB Build Log

[wattermain]

Main Parts

Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe
Intel Core I5-3570K
Corsair Vengeance LP 8G 1600 DDR3
Sapphire Radeon HD6790
Corsair AX750 PSU
Intel X25-M 80G SSD
2 WD Raptor 150G (in Raid 0 with SSD as cache)

Watercooling Parts

Watercool Heatkiller IV Basic CPU Block
Watercool Heatkiller GPU-X3 Block
Aqualis 450ml Res with D5 Pump Adapter
Laing D5 Vario
AquaComputer Filter
Bitspower Galaxy Freezer Ram Waterblock
EK CoolStream CE 280 Rad
Darkside/Bitspower/EK/Barrow Fittings
EK FC 7870 GPU Block (for SSD)

This build started with needing a case for the Aqualis Res. The cases that I liked were too small for it, so scratch case it was.
The midplate is made from 1/16" aluminum sheet framed by 1/16" 3/4x3/4 angle. Used 1/8" hardboard between sheets as spacer and hoping maybe a sound dampener.
Did not want to use the reservoir's fountain effect or the plastic diversion plate in the bottom of the tube. When the aqua pipe was installed, it's outlet ended up protuding halfway into the res. Thought if the return was split in two, the flow would be cut in half. Installed a second return fitting and aqua pipe. Wanted the res to be mounted on midplate but top caps never line up in the same place twice. Modded res so that it tightens down with an acorn nut instead of screwing on to threaded center pipe


Filed down threads on center tube and pinned a 3/8 bolt in there.
Top of res now attached to midplate by two return lines and the fill port
Used the inlet on the pump adapter for the drain and the inlet on the base of the res is blocked. Sure hope all this works.

[Hooded]

Should work. Although I don't yet see why you are requiring two returns to res.

[wattermain]

Hey Hooded. I guess what I was going for was to reduce the speed of the water and air returning to the res, so that it wouldn't shoot right down into the pump and out again. Plus there's not a lot going on in the front compartment, so I thought it would jazz it up a bit.

[wattermain]

The next component I had leftover was the AquaComputer filter. Not the easiest thing to find a place to mount. Put it in midplate so as not to see this in front compartment. It sits between the SSD waterblock and the rad. Using the LED light port as a drain for the rad, with the Darkside long LED stop plug going in the T fitting so that it's not shining right at you. The SSD waterblock was also a leftover part. I bought it for an XFX 7870 Double D but it did not fit. (The EK compatability chart said it was a visual fit) Trimmed the acetal top so that it fit between the frame rails under the floor of the front compartment, drilled and tapped some mounting holes in the top, and made an SSD mounting plate out of 1/8" aluminum.

[wattermain]

This rear i/o panel came out of a Lian-Li PC-A03. Cut off one of the expansion slots. and mounted the motherboard on 22mm standoffs. Wanted the cables to pass behind the board and through the access hole in the midplate, to the PSU in the rear compartment.
Drilled the holes for the power/reset switches in the wrong piece of channel. They ended up on the back side of the case. None of the pieces are interchangeable so I mounted another power switch on the front side.
The standoffs around the access hole behind the motherboard are going to be used as cable management brackets.

[DazMode]

Mobo setup looks neat. Loking forward for more.

[wattermain]

Thanks Daz. Wanted to get rid of those PSU cables right away. Hopeful that it won't be too much of a problem dressing them into place behind the board.

[wattermain]

These compression fittings are from my first watercooled build that was converted to acrylic tube. The T fittings are for draining different parts of the loop. Used the black EK Y fitting to match the matte black EK ZMT tube. I like the ZMT tube. It's snug but not crazy tight.
Made the fan hub cover to hide wires because they aren't sleeved back to the motor.
Same on the 140mm corsair that blows on the video card.

[wattermain]

The rad fans are 140mm Bitfenix Spectre Pros. Picked them up because they were on sale and the Bitfenix site's static pressure rating was higher than the Corsair site's rating of their SP140 fans. Not the best looking fans.
Removed the LEDs. The center frame unclips from the outer frame.
Cut the flanges off of the outer frame.
Clipped both flanges back on rad side of center frame.
I think they look a bit better now.

[Hooded]

Nice trick with the fans.
Loads of plumbing love it.

[wattermain]

Hey Hooded, Be nice if more fans were so easy to take apart. Make them easier to paint and stuff.

[wattermain]

This Bitspower ram block is a good deal at the Dazmode Store. Sanded off the logo and polished it up. Made the heatsinks out of 3/4" aluminum angle. Did not get any pictures taken but they look like this. (If this drawing makes any sense)
Overlapped the tops , clearance drilled the upper angle ,drilled and tapped the lower angle.
The screws that attach the block hold it all together.
Used double sided tape to mount the factory heatsinks.

[wattermain]

The channels that hold the LED strips are mounted inside the front vertical corner angles.
Bought them at Lee Valley in Burlinton. They come in 3 and 6 foot lengths.
Mounted 20cm Darkside Connect G2 strips in both front corners.
They have a white plastic lens that snaps into place.
Also mounted one of these under the top angle in the rear compartment.
Haven't fired them up yet, but there should be lots of light.

[wattermain]

The two back panels are 1/8" aluminum.
Thought the power supply would need an extra support bracket
But it does not flex when mounted with just the four rear screws.
The 92mm fan under the PSU is for exhausting heat from the two WD Raptors that will be mounted on the
white HDD isolating grommets.
A WD Green drive will be mountde on the 3rd set of grommets
All of the case fans are tapped for 5mm screws.

[Markes12344]

sure is some neat moddifications here. too bad it's not in the Amature case mod compitition, sure would make some more tough compitition