Case Mod - In Progress Project "Caution! Overclocked" - CrossFire 7970 / X58 Extreme / Xeon / Corsair 800D

I agree, crazy can't wait to see all those sexy items assembled

 

Let's build a little more excitement before I reveal what I have in mind, maybe you already guessed it....

Today's product - water hoses! (Masterkleer)

 

Trifecta!

Todays product: XSPC Dual DDC reservoir!
Now my plan should be rather obvious....



Triple loop system!
GPU + North Bridge + CPU, each on its own pump, own fluid and own radiator.

Also, collected this weeks parts into 1 picture, quite the collection....



Did another thing today, disassembled the CORSAIR 800D, oh boy does it have a ton of parts, interlocking, riveted, screwed in. Wonder what I should do to it, but at least its now easier to work on in parts.

 

Not so many sweet products to show anymore, so im warming up to the actual mod and to restore these old parts. That alone is a whole project...

There where no pictues yesterday, so today you get 2 pictures instead to compensate.

I have cleaned, put new thermalpaste, new thermalpads and reassembled the 7970 card that is going to be watercooled.
Turned out way better than I had hoped!





There is a heatwave around here, with a light breeze, so im taking advantage of that and am cleaning the case parts today.
Had almost forgot how many parts there is, ohh boy supertower indeed!





See you soon for more hardware p0rn

 

Honestly, I don't do much these days on the project, it's way too hot around here and can't think...

Sorry, but I'll be back!


Weather forecast for the coming week (wonder what happened to this week, but it is kind of just on repeat so why bother I guess, as I said, can't think clearly)

 

Imagine this:

• Building a PSU shroud and cover plate, because PSUs are ugly and the mid plate in the 800D is also not rather nicely looking.
• Build a new motherboard tray plate, as the one there is now is soo full of ugly holes
• Paint them both and give them some magic (will show you later what that means)
• 
  
• On the backpanel, try and fill in the pass trough holes for external watercooling (as it will never be used)
  
• Cut away the Corsair mesh on the 140 mm fan spot and use a much nicer fan grill instead.
• Radiator for 7970 graphics will be mounted at the back
  
• Paint the whole backpanel inside and out.
• 
  
• On the front I will try and fill in the door, so it can never be opened again
• Not sure if I will paint the front or not
• Cut a hole in the door for a 120mm fan, so the rad for chipset can be exhausted at the front
• Mount similar to 140, but in a 120 size fan grill here too
  
• Don't reinstall the hot swap bays
• 
  
• On the top, make a full cover plate, so it closes off the 3rd fan mount and eliminate the strange shapes on the top, making it totally flat
• Make space for 240 CPU rad in the top
• Mount CPU radiator on top, with similar rad grill as the fan grills are
• 
  
• Side panel, front side, cut the window square, instead of sail format like Corsairs logo is
• Mount a tempered glass side panel on the outside, to bring it into 2018 and really show off this beast

No doubt the easiest would be painting it a new layer of flat black, but I think thats rather boring.
I'm considering using vinyl, as most of the planes are completely straight and should not be that difficult, can give it a very interesting look that way


I need to figure out what parts I need to mod this with, but now I have a general blue print.


Mock up front:



Mock up back and top:



Mock up side:



Of course there need some holes here and there for cables, but nowhere as many as the standard case have, this is a much cleaner look to it.


Follow along, but for now nothing is scheduled.

 

After thinking about it in about 5 minutes, then I just think I should get some painting done, vinyl always ends in a 50/50 success rate...

I imagine something like this style:

 

I'm just sitting and counting, in the 4 forums I generally post the thread here on, there are now 6.592 views - quite an amount taken into account it's really just the prelude to this mod.

I have today ordered one of the best spray paints in a color I hope is close to the same as the motherboard so soon I can if everything goes well, update with current work.

Just today, however, it has not completely gone according to plan, my bag was stolen, so I have to now deal with this trough the insurance..... Could easily have been without this problem....
(luckily there was no hardware in it for this build, have not received any shipments today)

 

I'm still alive, have not totally melted away yet... I'm just waiting on packages as usual, parts for the mod.

I will reveal the theme has evolved and will be somewhat car related!




Partly because the blue color Im going to use reminds me of the color some sports cars use.
So some light, carbon, heat shielding tape, decals, paint and other stuff and the mod will be done.


But the paint alone is a pain to get my hands on, so have to be patient.... Be patient to be perfect....

 

First, a close-up of some of my "vision", afterwards a more telling picture of what I actually received.



Fan grill(s), car laquer and real carbon fiber plate!
It's not just a foil, but 5 layers of carbon "sewn" together and mat lacquered. It can't be described by a picture how awesome the fiber textures in actual carbon fiber is in reality.


Follow along as the mod hopefully soon take shape

 

I have a few parts stuck in traffic, seems like they are lost in the postal system somehow, so as I wait I agreed to help out a friend building his new LAN rig.... gotta keep busy....

See it in here

 

I need your help!

This is the car I have bought, collectors ed. die cast metal car inspired by Fast & Furious:



Should I:

1) Unpack my toy car and park it inside my build
- or
2) Leave it in its collectors edition packaging, inside my build?

 

Builds are awesome, but lets say, 10 years down the road, your build will probably have been pulled apart and pieces sold. By then your F&F fanboys such as myself will be 40 to 50, midlife galore. Those that can't afford an R34 will buy your R34. You'll get more dosh for the packaged version.

The real deal however should be driven and driven hard.

 

Had not thought about it like that, but you are probably right. Actually I think this rig will just stay for as long as I have the space for it. Pieces are pretty much worthless in a few years time so it will be more like an art piece of hardware there once was.
Not sure what to do with the car, better to make up my mind when I get the case back together after painting it. Hopefully painting and reassembling next week.

 

I have today received what I expect will be the last part in this build!!! So whenever I am finishing up the project I'm currently working on and the family allows, then this monster will come to life.


Stay tuned within a foreseeable future!

 

Today I started actually working on this beast!!!

And I found out I need one more part, of course....



The paint looks AMAZING!
The color is absolutely the right choice, and it even have silver sparkle in it!
But, it gives a rather dusty surface that needs a brushoff and lacquer to really shine - so I need to find the perfect lacquer now...


Don't mind the uneven "at0mac" logo, it's only a mockup of an even cooler idea I have


Also, those tacky flames that looked like for a toy car, the adhesive was terrible and it was bend in the post, but it became a rather nice stencil for some masked off work


Am only experimenting with the backside panel for now, its the one panel in the case that will be seen the least, so if any mistakes are to be made I think this is the place.



Stay tuned for more!


...btw, right now I am also building a Ryzen system for a friend and my Killer Panda is waiting in the closet, so when ever this is ready, there will be some pretty sweet benchmarks to conclude from.

 

Im really really bad at sitting still... But the past few weeks I have been away from the keyboard due to a minor surgery that was much harder to recover from than what I had thought.
I am literally about to be back on my feet and are finishing off the Ryzen thread before going back in time and revive this thread with new exciting updates.

If you can't wait, I am rather easy to find on other platforms where I more often post about whats currently going on, also updates about this you have not yet seen.

Just be a little patient and this thread will be brought back to life.
See you soon

 

Well lets be honest, I dont have the time to finish this project now and dont want to do a half bad job, just to rush it, I dont really need this PC, its just for fun.

My best estimate is that I have much better time in December, so am actually thinking to make it into 24 updates and present the 24th of december
Whatever the case may be, you are going to see this again!

 

slacker.....

Just kidding, I get it bro. You do alot of work on alot of PC's. So finish it up when you get time! Ill be happy to see it!

 

Yea if anyone im sure you would get it, i see you even follow along on Insta and im so sorry I have too many projects, its just damn hard to focus when everything is pretty interesting, so i end up mix and match