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Case Mod - Complete Bulldogge Builds - Amphibious

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by Bogga, 11 Aug 2017.

  1. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    [​IMG]

    Hello there my fellow modders...

    I visited Dreamhack earlier this summer with my previous project, I met lots of awesome people in the same "business" and had a successful participation in the open casemod competition. All this combined gave me a real taste for this stuff! After Dreamhack my contact at be quiet! who helped me with fans wrote to me and asked if I might be interested in doing a project with one of their cases. I thought it would be a great opportunity and a nice project to get going with straight away, so of course I said yes!

    Through my contact at be quiet! I got in touch with Alphacool who will be helping me with everything related to water cooling. Gigabyte decided to once more help me out with a motherboard. And I've also received help from one of the best sites for hardware here in Sweden, Inet will be helping out as well.

    So now we have this project, which I've decided to name "Amphibious", which most of you know means "works both on land as in water". My plans with this project is to do a clean build but still having a competent machine and using as much as possible of the space that the case offers.

    • No SSD or HDD. Just an m2 which means less cables and a cleaner look.
    • A vertically mounted graphics card.
    • Straight tubing with adapters, no bent tubing anywhere.
    • Custom sleeving done from scratch, which means no extra cables and less clutter.
    • Then of course I'll be drilling, filing and sawing here and there in the case to get rid of excess parts that I wont use. I'll be creating panels and covers in acrylic. I've got a pretty clear plan in my head, but things will probably change along the way.

    Hardware

    This is the stuff I'll be using in this project:

    • CPU - Intel i7 7700K
    • Mobo - Gigabyte Z270X Gaming 5
    • RAM - G-skill 4x8GB 3000Mhz
    • M2 - WD 1TB
    • GPU - Nvidia Geforce 1080Ti FE
    • PSU - be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 Platinum 750W
    • Case - be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900

    Water cooling parts

    I'll be doing on loop for both cpu and gpu since the case allows quite large radiators and I'll be taking advantage of this all the way. A 420 Monsta in the front and a 45mm 280 in the top. Both radiators will have 140mm be quiet! Silent Wings 3 in push/pull. The blocks I'll be using for CPU and GPU are Alphacool Eisblock XPX and Watercool Heatkiller IV...

    Alphacool have been incredible and sent me everything I need for this project, both the watercooling parts and the sleeving. I'll be showing pictures of all the stuff as I go along with this project and do some more detailed descriptions of each part.

    Check my next post for some quick pictures of various parts I'll be using in this project. Feel free to check and follow my facebook page or my instagram account where I also post minor updates every now and then, I've already made a small live video on some minor casemods and shared some thoughts on my project. I'll also be posting videos on youtube later on... Links to all pages can be found below.

    Bulldogge Builds
    - Facebook - Instagram - Youtube -​

    All components used for this project can be found on...

    Inet
    Aquatuning
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 11 Aug 2017
  2. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Just some quick pics of some of the stuff I'll be using...

    The beautiful be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 that I'll be working in...
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    Fans and PSU from be quiet!
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    Some fittings, adapters from Alphacool and RAM as well...
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    The pump, Alphacool VPP655 PWM and the block Eisblock XPX
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    The motherboard, Gigabyte Z270X Gaming 5
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    1TB m.2 with some additional cooling
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    Just had to try the humongous radiator with fans attached on both sides... HUGE!
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    And sleeving of course!
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  3. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    My wifey was kind today... I got some time for myself and I spent it doing some modifications to the case. So I said bye bye to the possibility to add 120mm fans... as I said, I'll get rid of all excessive parts. And since I'm going 140mm those parts are excessive :)

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  4. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    No more warranty for you mister!

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  5. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Started modifying the front of the case today... more airflow for the fans on the 420 in the front. And a place for my aquaero as well :)

    I plan to play som with acrylic as well around all that...

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    This is tedious work... so enough for today. There's another day tomorrow
     
  6. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    I took a trip to the hardware store to buy some new drills since my old ones are way past their expiry date. While there I decided to buy a small cabinet for all my adapters, fittings, extensions and other small stuff that's lying around.

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    Quite the improvement. Lots of space to work and some order among all the stuff... Since my vacation ended and I started with a tough week at work and the lack of acrylic and drills I haven't been able to make any progress with the project. But in the coming week I've got lots of spare time and I'll move forward with this project! [​IMG]

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  7. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    I wasnt satisfied with what I achieved with the door. So I've changed my plans and decided to go with a piece of acrylic with cut out holes for ventilation and my aquaero in the middle of it. Similar to the door, but not a door...[​IMG]



    I started cutting out a piece of acrylic for the aquaero. Cutting and drilling doesn't take much time at all... it's the filing and trying your best to get things straight that takes time. Tomorrow I'll start working on the piece that'll replace the door.



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  8. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Havent happened much lately for me. I've had loads of stuff to do at work and on my spare time my family have stolen the little time I've had left.. I've spent loads of hours in two occasions where I achieved exactly nada since I managed to break the plexi that I had planned to use for the front... so ~8 hours down the drain :(

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    The other day I gave it a third go and decided to drill holes instead of sawing patterns, which was the cause for me breaking the plexi...

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    I used the front of the aquaero to get the holes lined up as straight as possible and to be the same distance from one another...

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    Now all that's left for the front is to file the edges and get them straight...
     
  9. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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  10. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Today I took the time to sleeve the cables on the pump... it was sort of a quick job since it's like 3% that's going to be visible [​IMG] Only gotta paint or remove the white thingie that's going on the motherboard...

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    Then I made a piece for the cover in the bottom, the piece that's going above the psu and the pump. I'm going to drill holes when I know the exakt position for the pump. My thought is that the remaining piece is going to cover the side of the pump, the psu and then go up and cover the entire front radiator.

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  11. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Hi again my friends...

    Been kind of off lately since I took my computer apart. I've painted parts of the motherboard to fit the theme better, delided my cpu since it was extremely hot even at stock. I've also cut out panels that I'm going to use to cover the psu, pump and other parts of the case... While at it I also sleeved the cables for the pump. Dreamhack Winter is not so far away now... so I better get this show on the road now!

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    Delid was much easier than I thought and gave me an incredible result. IBT at very high gave me temps of 99-100 degrees on all cores after the first pass... after the delid the exact same test with the same components gave me temps of 65-70 degrees. So if anyone are having temperature issues... delid that sucker :D
     
  12. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Long time no see... but haven't had access to a computer lately and have been modding like crazy to get done for DHW!

    Wasn't happy at all with my chosen colors for the motherboard... so I painted it black instead

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    While at it I threw the block on the gpu...

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    Of course there were two blocks for my card. Ett for those with DVI and one for those without... happily unaware of that I ordered a block with the 50/50 chance of getting the wrong one. Take a wild guess how that turned out...

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    Didn't think I would bother that much... but did I?! I contacted Watercool who sent me a new cover for the front. Saved me loads of cash since I didn't have to get a new block

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    I also switched the little alphacool logo on the cpu block

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    I decided to once more do a new front. Think I've done four of these in total... The first two I broke by getting a little wild with the saw. The third one turned out fine... but there were some minor details that I didn't like. But doesn't people say "Fourth time's the charm"? ;)

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    The orange details on the case has a more soft orange tone than all other orange stuff. So I painted that as well...

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    Measured and drilled holes for the pump...

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    The little hole in the front is for the bottom plug of the front radiator where I'll be putting a temperature sensor

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    I've also done a cover for the back and a small cable comb for the 24-pin

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    Think it turned out quite alright... sadly cases and motherboards rarely sync with the cut outs and the 24-pin. So I made sure it does for me

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    As you can see I've sleeved the 24-pin and the 8-pin eps, just the pci-e left. My fingers hate me

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    I've drilled holes, attached the reservoirs on the top of the case and started with the tubing...

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    One minor update tomorrow... then I'll provide you with the complete build after Dreamhack :)
     
  13. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Started with the tubing and completed it. Quite happy that all my thougts and plans worked out the way they should and that I didn't stand there missing an extender or fitting of some kind...

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    The little part in the back kind of crashed with the splitty9 I've put in the back... so I did some minor modifications there as well.

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    I also finished the pci-e cable and put it in place...

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    I don't know if I did anything wrong, but I couldn't get my Dr. Drop to keep an even pressure in a well sealed test loop. So I did an old fashioned leak test...

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    My project is now tested for leaks, filled with the proper liquid and more or less configured and all done. Tomorrow I'll be heading to Dreamhack Winter here in Sweden. When I get home I'll upload pictures of the completed project for those of you who are interested and haven't got the possibility to go there.

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  14. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    That came out pretty good. :D I will admit I liked the first faceplate better.
    1st: Get that useful scrap plexi up out out of the driveway! :lol:
    2nd: Using a hammer and punch on plexi? -Yeah...Don't do that. Make start points with a smaller bit.
    3rd: Your drilling is way too aggressive too! Like, Holy cow! :hehe: To get a good hole with no chipping, the moment when you pass through the underside should be unnoticeable. Either you spoil board was too soft, or pressing + high RPM was blasting through the spoil layer.
    I was never big on using a jig saw. If they catch or melt to the material, the torque will break the it. -Also there's not nearly enough support around the cut area for fine work.
     
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  15. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks for the pointers... I'll keep that in mind!

    To be completely honest I'm new to power tools and working with these materials. The first front I made I got some of the holes off, so I took the easy way out and made bigger holes... ;)
     
  16. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    Just got home after Dreamhack and feeling quite exhausted after having to make up for the days I lost at work. The project is now all complete and I had the honor of having to compete with the big guns in Casemod Masterclas, dudes with lost of project and many years in this area. No awards this time, but with such stiff competition and awesome projects I didn't expect anything. With that said I'm quite satisfied with what I achieved and how it turned out. Here's a couple of "samples" of the finished project... I'll be taking a couple of photos and will be making a short video of the project which will be uploaded here and in a gallery for those of you who want to see some better pictures of it!

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    I would like to thank all of you who's followed this project... all of you who said hi and watched my project at dreamhack... and last but not least my sponsors who supplied me with the awesome hardware I needed to make this project possible.
     
    Last edited: 8 Dec 2017
  17. Bogga

    Bogga What's a Dremel?

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    I've created a gallery for my finished project as well as a small video... I'm in no way an expert on filming or creating videos, but I hope you like it anyway [​IMG]






    Gallery: https://www.sweclockers.com/galleri/14435-amphibious



    The text for the gallery is in Swedish, but it's nothing I've alreay written in here ;)
     

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