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Scratch Build – In Progress * r e f l e X i o n *

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by Xion X2, 20 Oct 2009.

  1. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    You ventured through the portal and have taken your fated leap into the unknown. To a place where dreams and reality merge as one...

    [​IMG]


    To start, the name of the project is pronounced the same as "reflection," just with an X, instead. I came up with the project name based on a particular theme that I had in mind and then thought, “You know, what would really set it off is to spell it a little different, and hey, my online name fits perfectly!”

    To get the wheels turning, I designed a logo and custom graphic specifically for this project that captures part of my vision for it. The theme is galaxies and the reflection of light. I have always been fascinated by the stars, and with a little help from a buddy of mine, the theme was born. With this, I believe I have some unique concepts in mind that will give this project both life and a personality. Some of these concepts, which I feel are unique and have not seen done before, I will not be sharing until the later stages in the project. But I promise to keep this worklog interesting and will try to provide updates regularly. In addition, I want this worklog to be a two-way exchange. All constructive feedback and ideas are more than welcome as that’s how we learn.

    I'll briefly state my objective with this latest build before I get into the meat of the project.


    My objective: To build a machine that pulses with life and personality and that exudes excellence.


    My belief is that the ceiling of creativity is far from being reached in this hobby. My intention is to show a PC's artistic possibilities, to give it a name and a likeness. An identity. To accomplish this, I plan to inject some of my ideas, have them blend with a particular theme, and then to execute that theme through precise and risky modding. I believe that both can be accomplished, so my goal is to build a machine that's both edgy and refined.

    So without further delay, I give you:


    [​IMG]

    _______________________________________________________


    Sponsored by:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

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    Project Milestones/Progress:

    I. Side panel design completed
    II. Zero Gravity Chamber Conceived
    III. Case Layout Design Completed
    IV. Zero Gravity Chamber Waterjet Cut Completed
    V. Side panel waterjet cut completed
    VI. Zero Gravity Chamber design completed



    Chassis: Cooler Master Cosmos S
    Side Panel: Custom Waterjet
    Front Panel: Custom Waterjet
    Interior: "Zero Gravity Chamber" (custom SSD, pump and PSU mount)

    Hardware:
    Intel i7 950
    Foxconn Flaming Blade X58
    ATI HD5970 CrossfireX (4 GPUs)
    SSD Raid0 x 6 (OCZ Vertex SSD x 4; OCZ Core SSD x 2)
    Corsair HX1000W PSU

    Cooling:
    Dual MCP350 Swiftech H20 system, dual-loop design
    Swiftech MCR-220 Radiators (2 x 240)
    XSPC Reservoir DDC Top x 2
    Dangerden H20 (CPU, Chipset, GPUs)
    Coolant: Fezer Clear (UV), Fezer Black (UV)
    Tubing: 7/16" Tygon
    Fittings: BP Rotary, Dangerden Compression


     
    Last edited: 7 Feb 2010
  2. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    At this point, I'm still in the design stage. Going through a lot of renders right now which I will be putting up in the next few days.

    Here are some photos of the hardware that's going in.

    UPDATE 12/28: Upgraded to HD5970 CrossfireX (4 GPUs)

    Geforce GTX 275 SLI (1792 MB editions). These were fun to shoot because of the shiny black finish. :)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: 29 Dec 2009
  3. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    So as the intro to the project states, I decided on the Cosmos S for this build after some extensive deliberation. Other cases that I considered were the new Corsair Obsidian, the Zalman GS1000 (was VERY close to getting this one,) or a few of the newer Lian Li series. When it came down to it, however, I saw in the Cosmos much of what I was looking for when it comes to aesthetics. It had smooth curves and a futuristic look about it which I think meshes well with my theme. Seeing as I'm not quite ready to design a case from scratch, it fit my current needs better than any other.

    And, I mean, come on.. "Cosmos".. is there a more perfect name for a case based on a galaxy theme such as this one? In the end, there was no other choice. ;)


    [​IMG]


    Cooler Master does a great job with their packaging. To my delight, after opening the box I found the case wrapped in a nice polyester cloth all coddled like a baby.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Nice! There's something about the care that goes into packing that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, like what I'm about to get into has a lot of love and care given to it.

    Ok, now it's time to get naked.














    [​IMG]


    You and your dirty mind.. I know what you were thinking. :rolleyes:

    So once I got her naked it was time to get her in my studio, under the lights, and behind a camera. :hrhr:

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    The basic structural design will remain, but I plan on modifying quite a bit of it. The entire front will have a custom laser-etched panel. The current side panel with the mesh will be completely replaced with a custom side panel. The renders will lay all this out in more detail.
     
  4. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    Here's the final side panel design cut. I may be tweaking the edges again just to make sure they're as smooth as possible before cutting, but the design itself will not change. I'm still mulling over the different color options I have in mind for the acrylic and paint. The good thing is that the acrylic underlay can be easily swapped out to provide a variety of effects for the galaxy rings. I'm thinking that maybe a nice metallic gun metal gray may be the way to go for the case exterior instead of black. It's less common and may better represent the high-dollar look that I'm going for.

    I was able to purchase two solid side panels from Cooler Master late last week--one for the waterjet cut and one in case I *$^& up the waterjet cut. :D Only $14.99/apiece.. heck of a deal compared to what I thought I was going to have to pay. I've also started sourcing waterjets in my area and hope to have that squared away soon.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    Here is a the idea I have for the pump mounts. I will either modify the drive cage or build a custom piece to set the pumps on panels and looking through two windows which will be cut vertically, one under the other, for the reservoir tops to show through.


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    Once the pumps are mounted in the frame, the frame will be joined with a custom bay cover that acts as an overlay.

    [​IMG]

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    The cover will slide onto the frame and will be secured with countersunk screws.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    After the assembly is secured, it will mount in the drive bay.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The measurements aren't exact yet, but you get the idea. The bay cover will have holes drilled to route the tubing from both radiators/pumps.
     
  6. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    More renders.

    For the custom bay cover, four holes will be drilled slightly larger than the tubing diameter. The tubing will route from the res then outside the bay cover then through the return hole.

    A shot from inside the bay cover:

    [​IMG]

    And then from the outside.

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    This shot here shows the benefit of mapping out everything in Max before you go to cutting. I can see that I'll need to cut the windows on the bay smaller than they currently are so that the inside frame windows aren't revealed so obviously.

    [​IMG]



    The good thing about the bay cover is that it conceals things that I want hidden, such as the ugly drive cage and excess wiring. I am actually thinking about mounting the PSU into the bottom of it also since it could be an effective way to hide the core bundle of wires. I have the most room on the back of the drive cage, so that's where many of them would be hidden, anyway.
     
  7. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    Here's my current resting point. Tackling the SSD mount. Please ignore the green pegs as they're simply there to mark the screwholes on the SSDs. The initial idea is to have the SSDs mounted to an acrylic frame to give them a "floating" appearance through the window which will be cut on both top and bottom portions of the bay just as the pump windows were (except that the windows on the right will be sized to fit the SSDs.)

    [​IMG]

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  8. Top Nurse

    Top Nurse Minimodder

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    Nice start, when will we some metal cutting?
     
  9. Attila

    Attila still thinking....

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    There you go guys, you need to get more creative. :eyebrow:
     
  10. Editor22

    Editor22 E22 | Hex-Gear

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    Tthis looks like its going to be one heck of a mod, cant wait :)
     
  11. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    Don't take it personal. It's just one person's beliefs, and we're all different in one way or another, right? My point wasn't directed at anyone here but speaking in general. I know that there are many talented modders out there, and I acknowledge them. I was simply trying to state that I don't believe the ceiling has been reached.. not even close to it.

    If you have your own opinion and would like to expound on it, please do so and I will gladly listen. If not, then I would ask you to help keep this log civil and avoid any petty arguments that are based on opinion rather than fact.


    Thanks, Top Nurse. In the next 1-2 weeks. I'm currently sourcing waterjets in my area and doing some pricing. Will also cut the custom pump and SSD mounts soon as the design on both is nearing completion.

    Thanks, Editor!
     
    Last edited: 22 Oct 2009
  12. sentek

    sentek What's a Dremel?

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    sweet!!
    i like the theme.

    subscribed :D
     
  13. AnG3L

    AnG3L Ultimate Modder

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    I believe oldnewby didnt want to offend you brother, here is a community that we admire each others hard work and as I say creation needs inspiration! Each one of us tries to give their best self to what we do. Peace among us and brotherhood! :thumb:

    And overall this is a very nice start! Let the modding begin!!!!
     
  14. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks. If I read the comment wrong, then I apologize. Initial impression wasn't great, though, and I don't take back my original statement because I believe there's a good amount of truth to it.

    Anyway, on we go.

    Just so you guys know, this is a spinoff of the original worklog I have going over on XS. So I'll be updating it as I go. Right now, it's lagging a little behind, but I'll do my best to keep it up to date.

    Step 1: observe the structure and layout of the case and to strip it of much excess weight and bulk before taking measurements for the custom pump and drive mounts. So let's see what we have to work with.

    The innards:

    [​IMG]

    And the first thing I noticed, was...

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    Yuck. Those blue clips just have to go as they take away from the overall sleek look of the case.

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    Goodbye, Mr. Blue Clip. I hardly knew ye...
    [​IMG]

    I have to say that Mr. Blue Clip looks a lot better lying on my workspace counter.. don't you agree?

    Now that those are off, it's time to look inside the drive cage. But wait.. even before I got that far I noticed something that was eventually going to pose a problem.


    [​IMG]

    That mesh cutout just isn't going to work. Notice how it's not lining up with the bottom bay section?
    [​IMG]

    The XSPC RX240 is going to rest there in the bottom bay. I knew I'd be doing some cutting, obviously, to fit the two fan ducts. But what this is going to do is cause a bare, uncovered spot in the floor which I just can't have. One of the major objectives is to keep this build nice and tidy, so it looks as if a custom case floor may be in order. Hmmm.. more on that later.

    So looking into the drive cage, once I made it past the initial horror of that awful mesh cut, I saw that it looked pretty clean. There was one resident that had to go, though.

    Alright Mr. Drive Cage.. any last words? No? Didn't think so.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Aaah, nice and clean.. that's looking a lot better already.

    Okay, .. I wanted to see how much space I had on hand to hide any excess wiring. I figure at least 20% of this build will rest on wire management as its impact on aesthetics cannot be overstated.

    [​IMG]

    Ok.. I see we have a little bit of room over on the left behind the drive bay. What about to the right...

    [​IMG]

    Yikes, that's not a lot of room to work with. Two positives to think about, though. One - the side panels on the Cosmos are thick and sturdy, so if the wires were sitting flush against the side then the panel probably wouldn't bow much if any at all. And two - there are a number of creative solutions for wiring. It just takes a little planning. More to come on that later, as well.

    [​IMG]

    Well, she's all stripped down and feels like she's lost a good 10 lbs of excess weight and bulk.

    More to come, so stay tuned.
     
    Last edited: 21 Oct 2009
  15. stonedsurd

    stonedsurd Is a cackling Yuletide Belgian

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    You have some serious pic-taking skills! :thumb:

    I'm watching this project.
     
  16. wgy

    wgy What's a Dremel?

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    nice start,

    but some advice.. check out oldnewby's project log, then try and throw words like uncreative around so freely.

    sure, its your oppinion yada yada... but seriously, if your new here, check out ALL of the old and great case mods on this forum.

    enjoy.
     
  17. Attila

    Attila still thinking....

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    This is your thread and I really don't want to trash it, so Ill have my say and get out of the way.
    I didn't take it personally and I don't mean you any harm. The world is full of creativity and
    everyone here is doing something creative, some more, some less. If you don't like most of
    what passes for modding, that's fine, but it's a bit of a stretch to say that this hobby lacks
    creativity. After all, that's what it's all about.
     
  18. stuartwood89

    stuartwood89 Please... Just call me Stu.

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    Will be watching also :)
     
  19. Xion X2

    Xion X2 What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks, stonedsurd!
    Thanks. Glad you like it!

    :thumb:

    I've checked his/her log for a short bit. I've checked many of the other logs here. Just to clarify, I'm not "new" to this forum; I'm a long-time lurker and a 3-year member at XtremeSystems and several other advanced modding communities. I've followed some of the finest mods and builds the industry has to offer by MurderMod, MillionDollarPC, etc. So I know what a nice build looks like and know there are some talented people out there.

    I think that opening statement is being misunderstood, and so I've modified it to perhaps clarify my stance a little more effectively. It was and still is a comment made in the context of the potential I believe exists in the industry that has not been fully exploited.

    I've modified my opening statement so as to avoid any unnecessary arguments and perhaps clarify my stance a little better. Can we move on now? Thanks.

    I've taken some more measurements of the case before disassembly. I'm looking at two things in particular here: 1) the support rods on the front and back of the case which, as it stands, will get in the way of the custom bay cover I've designed, and 2) finding an alternate mount for the PSU to make room for the bottom RX240.

    This first picture will probably look familiar. Never mind the blue clips as they've already been taken out as shown in the last build update. I'm just showing this to point out the support rod that stretches from the drive cage all the way to the back of the case.

    [​IMG]

    Not too visually appealing, is it? Not at all, but it suits its purpose well which is supporting the overall case structure while providing an easy way to unlatch the side panel.

    There are four latches on the support rods that correspond to grooves inside the side panel. I'm resting my finger next to one of the latches here:

    [​IMG]

    The latches are controlled by a release lever that is located on the back side panel under the outer shell:

    [​IMG]

    By pushing on that lever, all latches release to the left and the panel simply releases from the top down.

    Here's another shot. You can see that it's screw-mounted to the drive cage with standoffs.

    [​IMG]

    The mounting won't be a problem since the bay cover will fit snugly against the drive cage. I can simply use shorter standoffs or file these down and then screw them into the bay cover. But the same can't be said about the ridge along the edge of the drive cage.

    [​IMG]

    That ridged edge that pushes up against the support bar would need to be cut off to make room for the bay cover to slide on and over the drive cage.

    So this support bar is an ugly yet important piece. It's not something I could just do away with without possibly compromising the case structure and ease of use. So if I can't get rid of it, well, maybe I could possibly move it.

    [​IMG]

    Looks like I have about 1 3/8" there between the bar and the top groove to work with. I figure the closer I can get it to that top groove the better as it should blend in better with the case frame. I'll just need to ensure that whatever distance I move it up that I also match the distance on the panel so that the latches still line up with the grooves.

    In looking at the back of the case I notice a connecting panel that looks to solidify the motherboard panel while providing a way to hide some wires. I can see that it's secured in place with rivets.

    [​IMG]

    That piece will have to go to make room on that left side for the bay cover to slide on. I'll just have to find another way to support the back panel if it needs it.

    In a rather ambitious and likely unpopular venture, I'm looking at mounting the PSU in an alternate location. Recognize this from before?

    [​IMG]

    Where the fark is the PSU, they're asking. Good question.

    The idea I have is to install it in the bottom of the bay up towards the front of the case to make room for the RX240 on the bottom. I have two concerns with that. 1) Heat exhaust. Obviously, I don't want the PSU heating up my case since it won't be able to exhaust out the back, and 2) it doesn't fit into the drive cage! :)

    #2 can be easily remedied. I'll be taking the entire frame apart to powdercoat, anyway, and can just cut a custom drive cage wide enough that will fit the PSU and just ditch the stock one (I won't be using the drive cage for optical drives, anyway.. it'll be filled with pumps, res' and SSDs..)

    For #1, I'm thinking about reversing the intake fan on the PSU, located on the bottom, and using it as an exhaust. The vent on the side would then act as the intake.

    More to come. :)
     
    Last edited: 22 Oct 2009
  20. Guest-23315

    Guest-23315 Guest

    I've been following this over on XS, nice to see it over here


    :thumb:
     

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