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Case Mod - Complete Project code name - Time.Sync. End name The Hellcat.

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by Vault-Tec, 9 Sep 2018.

  1. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    [​IMG]

    So I have not been around much lately. Why would I? I lost nearly two stone and we had the most epic summer in years. It's coming that time again when I return to my PC to game and do whatever but there is a problem with my rig as it is now.

    This problem has not really reared its head until lately. See, last summer I upgraded my rig to a new board (X99 SLi Plus) and a new CPU (14 core 3.4ghz BE Xeon) and it ran just fine under the 120mm AIO. I also upgraded my Titan XP's cooling to 240mm Bitspower and it now runs in the 40s all of the time.

    The problem however is the CPU. If you ever load up all 14 cores within seconds there is this burning dust smell in the room, akin to turning on your rads for the first time in winter. Within a few minutes it begins to throttle and get very angry. Now until now it was never a problem, then I noticed a couple of my apps using all of the CPU.

    "No problem just upgrade the CPU cooling". Well I can't. There simply is no room at the inn.

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    I pushed that case about as far as I could cooling wise. It was fine with the 5820k, if a little warm, but now the cooling is totally inefficient.

    So I need a bigger case, just buy one right? well that is the thing I do love my Alienwares. I've had this particular one for years.

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    But the inside was designed in 2007 and it really shows. So it was time to get to work.

    The first job that needed doing was pulling out the hardware and the two loops in there. I did that around January time and left it sitting empty since. Well, not empty, but I sold the bones of it because it was worth good coin. I kept the Fury X and fitted that to Dianoga, then sold off the rest (keeping all of the water gear).

    So I decided to basically rip it to bits and use it as my new case. This one will take some time...

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    Has its own computer.

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    Eight hours later.

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    Time to get cutting and drilling.

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    Cut up 360 rad mount and turn it into a 240 to go in the front.

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  2. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    OK so I have several bulk components I need for the build. I already had one of these but I have now bought another (one front one top).

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    Pump strong enough for whole loop.

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    Top

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    And this.

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    Hose (will be running soft and hard)

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    Few of these

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  3. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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  4. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    [​IMG]

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    As well as AC PA-3 Advanced, Splitty9 and Hubby7.
     
    Last edited: 9 Sep 2018
  5. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    We don't need to see the paint sticks, unless you plan on using them in the build. :lol: Or was it a cheeky take on hardware posters?
    The curse of space-wasting Dell interiors. What are you going to do about airflow in the front?
    -also: shoes. At least there wasn't a pair in the microwave.
     
    Dr. Coin likes this.
  6. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    The fans will all be pushing air out. If you look toward the back of the case you can see it is all meshed there. That means it will draw air in through there. The front panel also has vents all the way down to let the air out. That is how I ran it before and I had no issues with temps.

    I'm not done cutting on the chassis yet. I'm done drilling and making things fit, now I need to do some cutting. The mobo tray has a lip all the way around it, that needs to go. It is not designed to run a PSU with a fan in the bottom so I need to cut the underside to allow the PSU to get air and then cut the skin that goes over it and fit a vent before fitting some feet or wheels. I've not decided on the latter yet, but I am feeling wheels because it is just so heavy. Seriously when fully loaded it is almost impossible to lift. It has no handles and nowhere to grab it so you have to remove the side panel and lift from the inside but that won't be possible once it's all skinned out in acrylic.

    I'm also foregoing 4 of the 6 hdd tray slides in favour of some actual cable management outside of the cockpit as it were. Before it all had to be ran through the case. So more cutting needed there.

    I reckon I've got a whole day just cutting metal,my neighbours shall love me. Especially when you hit that resonant frequency and the whole shell hums like a subwoofer lol.

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    Odd you mention that. I ended up rounding them all up. Well, all of the ones lying around the living room any way. Shoes (like actual shoes) are all in the wardrobe.

    I may be a woman.
     
    Last edited: 9 Sep 2018
  7. adidan

    adidan Guesswork is still work

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    I may have to buy one of those facemasks. Just because.
     
  8. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    There is nothing worse than Dremel dust up the nose. You can't smell anything at first, then all of a sudden you get a stench (and taste !) of steel. It's bloody awful.
     
  9. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    It is a strange but effective model choice, isn't it?

    Dremel dust is blood-sneezing levels of nasty.
    I have 4 sets of the same type of work boot in various levels of decay. Steel toe house slippers need to be a thing.
    I've hit that resonance note before. :lol:
     
  10. Dr. Coin

    Dr. Coin Multimodder

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    Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

    Love it!

    Use to use the cheap paper masks for dust. Then I got an extra half mask from work, love it. Especial having an organic filter cartridge on it when dealing with my kids diapers.
     
  11. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    I used to use those but I found Dremel dust was so fine it would get in around my cheek bones. Even with something like the above it can still get in, so I put a Tshirt over it too.

    Also, when you are done cutting keep it on for at least a few minutes. Otherwise it's still floating around and you'll get a nostril full of it.
     
  12. Defyant Mods

    Defyant Mods Multimodder

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    I love everything about this case :rock:always wanted to mod one :thumb: like what i'm seeing so far mate Subbed :grin:
     
  13. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    It's a beautiful case tbh. A real work of art, like some of Inwin's very high end stuff. IIRC the premium was about £650 for the basic one and £800 for the ALX I have with the motorised front panel.

    They just didn't seem to bother with the inside, which is a shame.

    I got the block today and the dust mask, so cutting begins tomorrow.

    Few more parts ordered. Firstly a pressure membrane that allows pressure to release from the loop. I got this because there was some historic leaking in the case I never even knew about.

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    Needed this too.

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    And parts for the new fan bit in the bottom of the case.

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    Of course then the case needs lifting so it can get air in.

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    And that ought to about do that mod.
     
  14. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    Well that sucked. It was time to cut a hole for the PSU. There are only certain areas you can cut, or things won't stay on. So I decided on this.

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    Not ideal, but at least the PSU should be able to breathe. It sucked because of this.

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    Most of it was double walled ffs. Not fun !
     
  15. Dr. Coin

    Dr. Coin Multimodder

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    Double wall with a dremel :| hope you bought lost of disks. You might want to leave courtesy ear plugs for your neighbors.
     
  16. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    I had one break the mandrel. Other than that I used one. Slow and steady wins the day....

    Next up cutting out the PCIE slots from the back so the vertical mount will work :)
     
  17. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    OK more cutting done. Now it has more modern manners.

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    The hex on this blends in so well it's scary :O

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    Much better. This needs painting before properly fitting but it's where it should be :)

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  18. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    OK did the worst bit earlier. Took over an hour of solid cutting. Still, it's done now.

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    Now this can be riveted in.

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  19. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    OK I got more done but none of it was worth taking a photo of as it was small stuff that you can't really see. It's all fixed in with rivets now, and I have some more cutting to do tomorrow. That should be it for the metal work then.

    So after cooking dinner and cleaning up I decided to have some fun.

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    It works :D
     
  20. Vault-Tec

    Vault-Tec Green Plastic Watering Can

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    I know I said no LEDs but the more I work on this case the more I realise just how special it is. It's like top end Inwin special tbh. Whoever designed it did not have a budget limit.

    So I wanted something a little special in there. Giving it will all be pretty monotone. So I decided in the end to get this flow meter.

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    Which just so happens to be RGB :) the only problem I faced was the case has no RGB controller (well it does, but not that you can connect anything to) and of course my X99 board doesn't either. Bit of a PITA, but I ended up settling on this.

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    Which I can access in the storage area of the case to change the colour etc.

    Of course then I need a way to connect it to the res (between the res and the pump)

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    So all that left was a big sheet of acrylic.

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