Case Mod - In Progress GAME HARD, FOLD HARDER - back to work on this baby

Did some more work yesterday. Yesterday I realised I cannot fill the loop when I have closed the front end completely. And I have to close the front end completely to fill the loop.

PARADOX!!!

I did not want to mutulate the outside of the case to create a fillport. So I instead wanted to create one on the left side 5,25 inch bay.
I had ordered a tool for some decent hole making for fillports from Aquacomputer.
I first drilled a hole with a regular metal drill, then used the tapped drillbit and man it went like the sidepanel as if it was butter.
But the bits of metal were flying all over the place. I used a vacuum cleaner under it but still missed a lot of bits flying. I had to vacuum the inside of the case as well
Finished the fillport off with an Aquacomputer pressure equalisation membrane.

I also started to create the loop in the front and bottom part. I have a 90 degree fitting coming in for the left fillport through the midplate. It will let the tubing block the fan less.
I put soft pads for under chars etc and stuck it under the flowmeter and Alphacool square block. No scratching and no noise.

I have found another xspc annoying thing; their top reservoir screw is an M20 one. Which means it is incompatible with any other brand fitting. And yes I used the Bitspower fillport as well, but the thread are smaller.
So I had to order an XSPC fillport for their reservoirs. Which of course didn't come in black so I have to use a shiny one instead. And NO ONE has one in the listing let alone in stock in Holland. So I had to order from the UK again. Which means again a long wait before I can move on. Stupid me for thinking I was almost done

AAARRGGHHHHHHHHHHH

Oh well, I started on doing some cable management as well. Making sure some wiring will be nice and out of sight using cable clips.

 

Amazing build!!

Great WC stuff, I want to see the loop filled with that Mayhems, it will look impresive for sure.

 

Thank you very much Longyny

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If all goes well 2 updates tonight. First off:

I fabricated a custom 4 pin molex cable to feed the pump, the fancontroller and the LED station. I am also installing the LED station at the same time.

Received a few fittings. I thought I had everything I needed now. But I miscalculated on the 1/4 extender. So had to order a smaller one right away UURRGGHHHH it will hopefully arrive in the mail tomorrow.
I got to fit the loop drain valve now to the monitoringstation. Another thing on the list I can cross now.

Also fixed the molex cable on the inside of the bays to keep the wiring nice and tidy.

 

And here is the second update.
I was giving this a try tonight and I am so hyped I needed to show you guys this.

I ordered 5 meters of 12/10 acrylic tubing and a bending cord.

At first I wanted to see if I could do it without a paint removing hot air blower or open flame.
So I thought; water boils at 100 degrees celcius. The plexi bends earlier. Maybe I can bend it with the steam coming from it.
So I put a pan with water on the stove, hit maximum firepowah!!!
The steam is hot enough to burn the skin from your hands.....but the tubing won't get warm/hot. You can still put your hand on it and it will not bend.

PLAN B!!!

I grabbed my bike and cycled to my parents like a good Dutch boy. Grabbed the hot ar gun and cycled back.
Put the heatgun in my 20+ year old Workmate upside down. Put it on setting 1 first; meh no heat, then setting 2 out of 3. PERFECT!!!

It will not burn the tubing even if you hold it a few mm above the tip. It makes the tubing soft in seconds. You have to heat up quite a big piece to avoid weird wrinkles and flat spots. But when you have that first good bend....you feel like such a pro xD

I have been testing a bit with one piece and created 2 pieces I put in the build so far.

I am really torn atm. Please help me guys. I did the wide bend to the CPU block first. And later the much tighter bend to feed the memory block.
I somehow feel like my entire build should consist of the tighter bends and I should redo the first one.
What do you think? Keep both? Do one of them again? All tight bends, all wide bends?

Lets make me shut my mouth now and look at the pictures

 

I'd keep the wide bend from cpu to gpu and use a 90 degree fitting instead of a bend for the midplate to ram...

Is the lion backlit?

 

Thank you for your advice Meelobee

I prefer to nog use fittings for 90 degree bends. It is a) more expensive and b) like how a lot of others do it. I want to create the best bends possible with the tubing itself. Have the best of both world. Great clear tubing, perfect straights and nice bends. But who knows after looking at it for a while I might agree with you and change that opinion

 

Did another round of bending today. How are you liking my round shapes guys?

I will have to shorten the long bottom pipe just a little. The midplate fittings are now being pushed back.

The short small bend on the cpu block was quite hard to do. I think my 3rd try I succeeded.









I personally LOVE this angle.

 

That is all!

 

So sexy! Great work dude!

 

Make an adjustable jig:

 

Thanks a lot James!

Thank you very much AN.

I think the walls of the 12/10 tube are too thin for that kind of bending. I think the walls will be very much dented and such by doing such a thing with this tubing.

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I have been waiting for sooooo looooong for this moment. The moment to fill up the loop for the first time and leaktest it.
I NEED to do it before it is done. Because after I close the front end I can't get to those cables and wires anymore. And those fittings. If there would end up being a leak I'd have to disassemble everything, undo all motherboard cables. the lot. So I wanted to give it a try right now.

I finally received that final XSPC fitting for the top of the reservoir. I have made a picture of the finished inside product of the connection reservoir to fillport. It is a real basterdised one A piece of 16/10 tube, an Alphacool straight 16/10 fitting, an Alphacool 45 degree revolvable 16/10 fitting, an XSPC reservoir fillport, a Bitspower 45 degree adapter and a Bitspower fillport.

Then it was time to fill the loop, test the pump, the lot for leaks, the Coldzero parts, the fans, the fancontroller and the LED board + some leds.

The filling was a mess because I didn't have a high point in the loop te bleed the air out. But guess what, a piece of MDPC-X sleeving helped me out perfectly! Another great purpose for it

I put a piece of it through the fillport untill in the reservoir. That way air could escape through the sleeving when water was being added. It went soooo smooth after that.

I used a bend piece of tube to fill up the system. It wasn't good enough for in the build, but good enough for being used as a nice standing up filling hose

And don't forget my ghetto PSU on/off switch. This way I don't have to reach around the back of the case. Very easy to use.

So far the only thing not working correctly is the far left fan. I will have to investigate if it is the fan of the controller channel.

The last thing I had fun with were the individual LEDs. I think the use of them will be perfect for a slight illumination of the parts above the GPU blocks.
In real life it looks absolutely stunning. I am really happy with it.

I still need to figure out if I will add some rear fans. I just love the look of the grill like this.

 

Looks amazing, really love how it turned out!

:3 actually going to be using black and orange for the next mod i think. not totally sure yet.

 

Thank you very much

Well this mod is not done yet. I still have stuff to do and to mod.

Even when I have closed the front and added the Mayhems orange coolant and alle cables are in etc. I still need to do the work on the back of the mobo plate, finish the 2nd SSD in the plexi casing, do something I don't want to tell yet
Work on both of the doors of the case (the windows of them). There is stuff coming up about the pheripherals that involve modding.

You're not rid of me yet

 

Don't want to get rid of you :I!

also like the supermicro ^^

:I can't wait to get going on my own. just damaged at the moment haha

 

Thanks a lot man.

Go and give it a try man. As long as you enjoy doing it.

 

I got a lot of work done today.
I started by draining the loop.
I now know the res and it's fittings aren't leaking.
I did some final cable management. Like sleeving the two 5mm leds going to the back of the reservoir.
Then I took the motherboard slide out, the midplate and the sidecover.
I fitted all the bay covers.

Isn't it a beauty? So many people doing stuff with the front. But I personally love it how it is like this. Filled up with the annodised aluminum covers.

Put it all together and plugged the midplate and side lightbox in the fancontroller again (which was a pain to say the least ).

Fit all the fittings again.

Filled it up with Mayhems pastel orange.
It is funny to see how this turns a bit... salmon coloured through the tubing, but is bright orange through the plexi pipes.

And then the final leaktest before plugging in all the PSU cables.

I also fitted the 2nd SSD on the back. The plexi one.

I am very much doubting this.
I can a) leave it like this or b) put a black piece of whatever under the top or c) ditch the entire idea and put it back in the original Samsung casing and leave it at that.

What do you guys think?

And what about the LEDs in the waterblocks? I really liked it when there was clear fluid in there. But with the orange fluid, it seems to look out of place.

??????????????

 

I liked your GPU backplate and wondered if you could do a simillar design for the SSD cover ?

 

You know that is actually not such a bad idea. The only issue could be; thickness of the lot.

I am going to think about that. Thanks

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A small update untill now. I made two custom SATA power cables.
Both being one SATA connector per cable. I think this way the cables look much cleaner.
I will need to make another for the motherboard itself (near te sata data ports).

I am so close to a startup I can taste is now

 

Not a really big update.
I have about fitted all cables now. I am busy trying to trim them. Won't be easy fitting them all behind the motherboard tray
I have made something from aluminum and painted it. I want to try and do the same the BIG LIAN LI is using. I loved that. Only now it will be one that will fit both the 24pin and the GPU cables.
I do need to buy a lot more of those cable clips. They make cables run way more nearly and small.

I have one more sata power cable to make for the right side motherboard because I am running SLI.

As you can see I am making a mockup to make a cover over the IO ports. I never liked those silver coloured boxes over there.
I am still wondering wether to glue them or tap holes in one of the two pieces.
I still need to sand the edges more straight. It is a work in progress

I want to turn this animal on asap. Need to board the Folding train again now my GTX680 of my main pc is away for a waterblock.

I will still mod some things to this computer so the project is not over yet. Stuff like the SLI bridge and the door windows and pheripherals and do some better cablemanagement. But at least it will be able to run and fold

 

DAMN!!!!!!!

Super sexy bud!! Well done!