Case Mod - In Progress Riff Tamson, just a simple loop :)

Riff Tamson was a Karkarodon male from the planet Karkaris. Tamson served as a commander and warlord for the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars and was placed in charge of operations on aquatic planets such as Mon Cala.

OK so basically I now have a third Area 51. It's one of these.





Again it is the ALX version, so chrome everywhere and motorised front panel and roof vents. The last time I worked on it it was badly broken (the PSU had blown and it was in a right state) so to get it into working condition I had to basically rewire it all as it was not designed to run from a normal PSU. It has a 10 pin cable for the board that controls everything. Any way, it was a success and it now looks like this.



Only replace the Titan Black with a Fury X. It looks like this when empty.



It has a false floor etc, all very tidy (trust me it took many hours to make it look like that inside !).

Now I did some counting earlier from the leftovers of Dianoga and deduced that I am not far from another loop. This rig already has an AIO but I can sell that for £20 or so and buy a block. Talking of blocks, I need opinions. I have three on my shortlist (£8.50 each) and wanted opinions. There's this one.



Which I used on Dianoga (needs modding to make it look nice). This is much in the same vein.



Or there is this one which I am heavily leaning against for a couple of reasons. Firstly it is smooth and larger so my fittings will not hit each other or anything else (like writing etc) and secondly because I don't need to mod it at all.



For the rad I am looking at a nice fat Mayhem atm. I will see what else is out there too. Coolant? XSPC, same as I used before (it needs nothing else and works on any metal).

If any of you guys know about a cheapish pump (say £25 max?) then please LMK. I am not going to drop my knackers on a pump. I've already got a res etc.

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I've found this for a tenner.



It's stating 500l ph and 3m. I looked up my DDC that Lewis gave me and that seems to be about 1/2 spec. However, the CPU I have is 60w max. It's an 8 core Xeon clocked to 2.2ghz on all 8 cores. I could replace with a 2670 V2 but there's not much point really because the 2.2ghz is actually fine. I've gamed on it quite hard and it was great.

I am only doing this for something to keep my mind from the dark side and cosmetics. I love mechanical things and water cooling is lovely for that

Hoping to find some second hand stuff to save on costs because Xmas is coming. Found some stuff on OCUK that I have added to my wish list too

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Well I did some more research. It seems the model number for the pump is SC600. I ran a search over Google which took me to Youtube.



There are quite a lot of videos on there showing the pump being used. It seems to be popular. There's also a video of a guy who has taken it apart.



I'm quite into electronics and even I can tell that it's pretty meaty and quite well made. So sod it, I ordered one. The pump is one of the most expensive parts so at £10.93 it was a no brainer. I did not want to pay £7 extra for the bracket (as it's ugly and stuff) so I will make one out of leftover acrylic and then spray paint it, given it will be small enough to fit into the booth.

I have also decided on black hose. XSPC, same as before.

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Well the order is in. Just got everything crossed right now that the rad is in stock as there is only one left... So yeah, pray for me guys !

Firstly and most importantly I ordered myself a rad. Watercool HTSF2 LTX to be specific. Same guys who do Heatkiller blocks.



It's stainless and very industrial.



Which is quite important, because the inside of the case is raw stainless. A black rad would suffice though if they don't have it in stock. This thing holds 5 bar. No, that wasn't a typo from me this time this rad holds 5 bar lmao. Another reason why it's important to me, as it's going to be a server.

I also ordered four of these in a multipack for £9.





Wise words were spoken by Gareth. Always buy twice as many fittings as you think you need. You will use nearly all of them lol.

I've gone for this for hose.



2m gloss black. The case does not have a side panel, so once it's all set that will be it.

For coolant I am sticking to what I know.



Dianoga used about 3/4+ of a bottle. This has far less going on so I reckon I could get two fills. Chose red because I don't like clear. You will only see it in the res and block.

Now I needed a couple of 90' but they are expensive. About £8+ each. Any way, I found these



On sale for £3.95 each and I have some "blocker" things that I can shut off the third holes with, giving me either straight or 90'. Cool beans

Budget right now? bang on £90 total. The block will be a tenner, but I have not decided on which one I want. I want silver/nickel if I can but it has writing on so I am currently weighing up my options of basically making a new top out of 8mm acrylic.

Oh yeah, other stuff. I have three of these in orange and one in black.



Six or seven of these.



Which were £1 each and work/look awesome. This is the res I will be using.

 

Note for B-T. This chassis has already been extensively modified etc. I had to rewire the entire case, as the 1500w Alienware PSU burnt up when I used a bad Gelid extension and it's a proprietary unit that has a 10 pin cable to feed the daughter board. That's all done now (as is the floor wiring etc) so I am simply adding a proper water loop to the CPU, as it has a Fury X in with a rad on.

 

Man you are pumping out mods like mad.

 

All of the hard stuff on this rig has been done already tbh. It took me ages, because I needed to find the pin outs and schematics of the daugther board without burning it out.

Without the daughter board nothing on it works, and I was determined to make it work as it should. It's an epic case.

I suppose lately I have just been taking Morgan Freeman's advice.. Either get busy living, or get busy dying.

The only work this really needs is a new floor I think (I remember it cracking as I fitted it but the vinyl held it together) and a pump mount. Both of which will be made out of beloved acrylic. I just love working with it it's cheap and I can do some cool stuff with it Then it's just fitting the loop etc.

Oh yeah, god news ! the OCUK order is showing as shipped. That means I paid £43 for the rad, half of what it costs. I love a good deal me this should all cost £100 or less all in.

 

I think I have decided on a block..



It's pretty much the same as what I have now, only black. I'm quite liking the black out idea tbh. Once the rig is done I will only be able to see water in the res at the front any way.

 

You do like the alienware computers.

Any left overs make it possible to tinker and test in future. Also buy twice as much tubing.

 

That I certainly do

Aye that's what got me into this one haha. Mind you, no idea what I will do with a meter of green curled up hose from the other one

 

Hey all

Yesterday I was not feeling so good so literally opened the parcel to make sure it was all there. Then I spent the rest of the day trying to sleep whilst having palpitations. Sucked. Any way, here is what arrived yesterday. You will note that there's a plastic storage container under the order, that's where everything else is. Just as I tidied it all away it will be coming out again



Apols for the ropy pics. It's so dark today and just peeing with rain. I do believe I have found the Noctua of rads though.



The finish is gorgeous.



And the build quality? typically heatkiller tbh.



They may not be the best rads but man they are beautifully made and very heavy (about four times the weight of my EK Coolstream 360 !).

 

OK so some progress made Firstly I moved everything around and got the rig ready to be worked on on my other desk. So yeah, just been removing hardware tbh.



I then removed the rad carrier from the roof.



And am now praying that the rad doesn't hit the motherboard (well, not the rad the fans on it). I am sure I ran push pull on a H100 in here though? and it was fine. I need to take some measurements basically.

 

OK so long and short? the rad does not fit. It is too wide to fit into the case's rad carrier and there is no other way of mounting it. Here is the discussion I have been having with a mate on another forum.

The problem is that without the carrier there is no way to anchor anything in. If I start bolting things to the top of the case the roof won't fit. It's down to the active venting. Anything in the way of that (like a bolt head or a nut) and that simply won't go back on. Now I know why it has a carrier haha. I can't mod the carrier either because if I do (and cut it to open it up) it will no longer work. IE - I will either trash the pole that holds it in at the back or destroy the mech which clips it in at the front.

Right now I really just don't know what to do tbh. I'm waiting for inspiration, but all I feel is tired haha. If I could weld it? yes, I could make it work (not weld the rad like weld in brackets) but without welding you are facing nuts and bolts, one of which will stop the top slotting over the case.

I need more time to ponder it really.

I am off out to mum's in a bit (fireworks night at the local pub) so will leave it for now. I'll get some pics of it probably tomorrow now, but you'll see it's all very complex and not something I've managed to get my head around yet..

Technically the rad does fit in a space in the case, but there's just no way I can think of to actually hold it in.

OK so here is the case without the vents/top fitted.



I have marked the "Max height" line for a rad or fans to go up into the top in this pic.



OK so here is the back side.



Now the completely obvious idea is to bolt some brackets onto that flat part that sticks up and screw the rad to that. The problem is the top itself.



As you can see it has an identical part that literally sits jammed up against the back of the upright bit that could hold a rad. So if you put so much as a *** paper through it that then no longer fits

You can't anchor at the back end because there are two mech levers that remove the side panels. Same goes for the front, there is a motor and wiring harness there.

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Mate then suggests hanging it on longer screws...

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It hits the motherboard. I already thought of that. From my calculations you literally fit the rad and the fans and that's it. That is when it literally sits against the motherboard. Another MM? it doesn't fit any more..

I think the answer here lies in the rad carrier itself. I need to do some calculations, mod that. Remove the motherboard, fit it back with the rad and fans in situ and then bolt it in on the angled part That angled part has space behind it for about 7mm of bolt. So instead of using the catches on the carrier I would basically remove the mech (as it fouls the rad) and then use two bolts, if I can get my fingers in there at the end lol.

Just looked. I really won't be able to put any bolts in at the end. The roof is notched ffs. I am going to have to cut the entire rad holder, *and* the mech for it to open it up and then put it all back together again. It will take hours of cutting

Yeah that's affirmative. I need to mod the rad carrier. At the back side where it meets the back wall it's flat. It is slanted on the front side though. So here is what I need to do. I have fitted it and marked the entry point into the case.



I need to lower the line by about 2mm to take tolerances into account and thickness of the metal etc. Then on the inside? I am going to have to cut the entire way along the bar.



I reckon I need to take around 5mm off of the retention bar, but won't know for sure until I have stripped it all, cut the main box and then put it back together to see how much it impedes the rad. Then and only then I can cut it.

So much for just a simple loop, eh?

 

BZZP *swear swear* BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZP.



Only problem? the retention mech is toast. It's never going to fit back in no matter how much I hack it, so I am going to need to find a way to lock it in place.

 

Victory is mine. I fitted the carrier and put two bolts in that can be fitted with the rad in (though it doesn't matter they can actually go in first).



Then fitted the rad using small washers on top of tap washers (dampening and security).



And inside. The outlet came out just about good enough. I think I am going to fit a 45' to send back to the pump which will be quite close. I will use the outlet nearest the outside of the rig for the CPU block. I will paint those copper parts black, after I clean the rad out tomorrow so I can final fit it. You will notice the floor has gone too. That was cracked but I have plastic welded it. Going to change out the white vinyl for something else so won't have that until next week.

 

OK so now that the plastic weld has done its job I've removed the white vinyl from the floor pan. I will order in some more vinyl soon to recover it

 

The rad is in.



Took a bit of doing but glad I got it to fit I have fitted a 45' and chaingun to the outlet, this will feed into the res which I will fit in the bottom of the 5.25 bays which are now empty.

The mech from the carrier is missing though. It was a black stationary part and a moving white part. What I did was plastic weld them together and I just need to put it back on.

 

So today I offered up the res. Unfortunately it too does not fit this case. There is about 50mm between the actual face of the case and the steel carrier. Due to this the res does not go into the case enough to be able to be screwed in. I can't have it tipping around though.



Apologies for the flash on the photo. It's actually dark in here today

The solution was simple, extend the res. As you can see here I have plastic welded on a piece of 5mm red acrylic. I can then drill through this and bolt the res in once the cure has completed.

 

First join is made



Apols for the cabbage pics, British winter sucks.



If you look at the part where the res fits you can just about make out a very small allen hex button nut. This goes through the res extension which has now cured and holds it all in place

Oh also, good news. I consulted the manual for the board last night (X79 UD3) and it seems you can put two sticks anywhere you like for dual channel. Massive relief, as it means I can put them in the left side banks so they won't foul the hoses. Think Corsair Dominator, then add about another 10mm lol. I just love them though.

 

OK so tonight I ordered the last parts Firstly I ordered some more chainguns (god damn you OCUK and your prices !)



Four obs.



Hands down these are easily the best fittings I have used yet. The chaingun design is also handy, because you can get your fingers into the poles in order to tighten them meaning they need no tools and because they are so huge they are also easy to tighten up fully without removing your skin.

I got a new res cap (it's a brand new res but I stole the cap from it to put on my dual bay res)



Thanks for finding that G !

OK now for the block it will either be like this.



Or like this.



Basically I bought it used from the bay of fleas. I paid £25. Apparently the guy has loads and is selling them off cheap. It may have a couple of marks on it but nothing that I don't think I can polish out etc. Not sure why I went for a high end block tbh? maybe because it will be here sooner etc. Either way whether I get the clear one I requested or a black one it doesn't really matter too much

I got one of these.



Which I was worrying about at first because this res has no spare ports (unlike my dual bay res) but then I remembered I bought these.



The first of which goes near the pump, so instead of capping it with a cap to turn 90' I will just put the temp probe in

I ordered an A3 sheet of black 3mm.



Because Gareth was wrong, I don't have a stash, honestly*

I also ordered plenty of silver brushed alu vinyl (for the floor and inside) and some brushed black alu vinyl (for the two bays I need to fill in the front of the rig). Of course I will be custom making a front panel cover that will hold the temp sensor etc.

* I'm lying really and he was right. But it's all pukey colours like yellow and orange and purple etc. I cba painting it so I ordered some in black, which seems to go faster.

 

Morning all. So here is what I did yesterday. Firstly I removed the small trunk that was hiding all sorts of nastiness.



And then took it to the kitchen and painted it last night. Whilst I was at it I removed the broken wire holder (the Alienware one to the left of it, black thing) and made a trunk for the 24 pin and 8 pin. If you look at it you will see where the 24 pin will come out and the comb I made for the top. That is welded in and acts as a cap also.

 

What a frightfully good piece of fortune

I was digging around in my spares box earlier and forgot I had a nice dual res bay cover. The window is in the absolute perfect place to make my single res look like a dual res





So you will see loads of liquid now, instead of just a tiny bar. When I put it back I also got away with removing the 45' as the hose was the perfect length to just curl in.



It will be a little bit harder to fill and cap now, but it's well worth it. It also makes it far, far easier for me to mount and plumb the pump

Oh yeah. Obviously the top bolts fitted the res beautifully. The lower ones however? I just dug out some M3 allen bolts and put them in and put nuts on the back. So now it looks bone stock like a dual bay res

 

Morning all. Got a busy day ahead so figured I would do some work on the PC last night.



The trunking is now fitted with the combs etc. I like it, I think it looks much cleaner. Ignore the fact that the Fury X is in there. I just fitted that to make sure it all fitted after I modded the rad duct. I decided to set it up push/pull. I will probably put the GPUs on a fan controller of some sort because I will be running the CPU fans at 7v, so I want the option to drop them a little when I am not gaming.