Scratch Build – In Progress BlackBox ! - FINAL PICS [2.4.2014] !!

Update #7 - Watercooling !

I did put stuff inside of case again.





Size of window is pretty nice i think! Shows just enogh but not too much.

Measured it a lot.
I noticed that case was not designed for watercooling..

But here is plan. Drawed it, scanned and clear it with GIMP.



Front rad will be raised 20mm, couse PSU wires need to get fitted.
Remember that acrylicplate behind of mobo.. Couple of tubes need to go though that.

Watercooling stuff:

EK Supreme LTX - Plexi
EK 770GTX fullcover - Plexi
EK DDC X-RES 100 QSQ
EK DDC 3.2 PWM
EK 16/10 Fittings - Silver
EK 16/10 Tubing - Matt Black
Alphacool NeXXXos ST30 240 Rad - 1450rpm Gentle Typhoons
Alphacool NeXXXos XT45 140 Rad - Bitfenix Spectre Pro

Filled with EK Clear Ekoolant.


Next time i show how i get ready for painting. I did made painting"room". Some filler and final sanding. Maybe show fanfilters etc.

For now, i have painted inner plates and frame. Still waiting for watercooling.
I need that 240 rad, to make hole for it at top plate. Then i can finnish painting.

 

It certainly looks clean, but your fans won't be able to move any air if there is a closed door in front of them. I suppose air can leak in/out around the sides of the door, but you're going to significantly limit the flow. Sort of defeats the purpose of fans. If you do go this route I think you will need to have both of these fans sucking air in to the case, that should at least be a little less flow limiting.

You may get by not needing much airflow through these fans if everything in the case is water cooled (assuming your radiator is going somewhere else where it gets good airflow), but at that point it seems to me you might as well remove these fans and not use them.

 

Good notice.

I have design it that way, there is about 10mm space between door and panel. At corners, frame raises it 3mm, So at center, there is over 10mm space and corners about 7mm.
I also have demciflex fan fiters. Even with those, there is enough space and fans get enough fresh air in my option.

I will see final result soon.

I dont have any time for update today.. So tomorrow you guys will get double update! "Live" - update as well about watercooling parts, which i get today.

 

I'd be curious to see your case temps with and without those two fans running (I'm assuming here that you have an unobstructed fan somewhere else in both test conditions). I'd be surprised if they're doing much, but perhaps I'm wrong.

If I'm wrong I'd like to know - I may start putting walls in front of my fans too Could probably make a pretty effective dust baffle like that.

While you're at it, might as well check the temp with the door open too. Then you'd also know how much fan performance you're losing.

 

Well see.
I will tell my temps, yeah.


Sorry guys, havent got any time today either..

 

Outstanding fabrication Nikozii! Amazing skill..

 

Update #8 - Watercooling Stuff !

Thanks a lot keenan!



All watercooling stuff. Came from aquatuning (240rad, grill) and jimms(all other).




Unpacked.





Rads and fans.



Blocks.



Pump and res.



Fittings.



And other what I need to get my loop running!



You can see PCI- slot covers too.


So hurry once again, so Ill post more tomorrow.

 

Update #9 - Get ready for painting !

I fill most of the holes..





Had two end of cans, use them as first layer. After that I spray layer of paint and checked out all parts and sand them again.


And heres all together, waiting for painting.
All the plates are between newspaper.




I need to made painting room.. Its like 5 degrees outside at here, so i cant paint at outside.. Finnish fall.

But yeah. We got workshop for wood at our garage. I stole one corner.
Made wall from 2x2" wood and plastic.



After that I found old door. Fix lock of it.
Made whole room dense with silicone, tape and "weatherstrip".



I put all my spray bottles there..
Lower right corner i got paints for this projects. Matt black, matt lack and grey primer.



Also took old casefan for left corner, fresh air comed from there.

Then I bring old table at there, placed some plasterboad at wall.



Those earlier pics you can see pipe, it pulls air off the room. You cannot see it from this pic, but its at right corner, just next to table. Goes at flue.

I tried to paint little pieces there.


That was how I get ready for painting.


I will post next update about what i bought for this project, extension cables etc.
After that, pics of painted parts. Right now Ill go paint rest of them! See you soon!

 

Update #10 - Painted parts !

I have been pretty busy now. So im sorry i havent post new updates.

Here are all parts painted.














It take two more weeks until i get outer plates painted. I had to wait until my rad grill came so i could cut hole for top rad. Grill is Phobya Brick. I will modd those squares off and fill holes for M3 screws.

 

Update #10 - Painted parts !

I have been pretty busy now. So im sorry i havent post new updates.

Here are all parts painted.














It take two more weeks until i get outer plates painted. I had to wait until my rad grill came so i could cut hole for top rad. Grill is Phobya Brick. I will modd those squares off and fill holes for M3 screws. Also will add countersinks for same screws as whole case have.



Rad is mounted wit M3x6 screws which stays under rad grill.


That was pretty quick review what have i done. Actually this takes three weeks.

 

Update #11 Let the build begin !

Okayy. After inner plates have dry one week, I decided to put them together!

Before that, I need to made acrylic pieces between frame and legs. Clear 4mm thick acryl with 3mm red led.




After making three more of those I put some plates on!



Did some wiring.



And tested out, looking pretty good i think!




Front panel connectors get cover.




Getting some stuff inside of case!





I bought 2mm thick weather strip. Less vibration from psu to case, less noice. I think..




In next update I need to build my whole computer at this case so i can measure all places for cables etc. Making backplate for mobo, from acrylic. See you then!

 

Update #12 - Assembly with aircooling !

Well. I'll post new update now..

So, I took everything off my R4 and build it at my project case!


Bottom of the case is my HDD and SSD. HDD will be replaced with 240Gb Kingston V300 and SSD will be placed back of the mobo.



You can notice that mobotray is too big. No, its not. Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 is just 2,5cm/ inch smaller than normal ATX.
I used my old GPU as well. New one is EVGA GTX 770, as you can see in earlier update.



Is 4cm too much for these cables? I dont think so..



Also took off Bitfenix sleeve from old/extra 6pin.Placed it at powerbutton. Looking pretty good?




Next time I will make coverplate back of the motherboard, After that I build my first watercooling loop! See you soon!

 

Update #13 - Now watercooled !

Here am I again.


As I said, i needed to make backplate from acrylic before watercooling. I only got one photo of it, where you can see shape of it.



I have only sawed it to right shape. Lot of holes been done after that.. Top of this plate is my testpiece for 24pin cable wires..

Next picture I took of it after i had assembled watercooling.. So, here are some pics of assembly.









And before putting on watercooling, i sleeved some cables.


1450rpm Gentle Typhoons.



And pump.





Before i let you guys see result, I show you couple pictures of cablemanagment..


It was pretty close i get top rad on. I need to take off a bit from fan so i can fit 8pin.




And backside.



I used those pads for cableties. Cables of PSU arent holded with those. I only use re-usable Akasa cabletie. But cables wont go anywhere. They sit pretty nicely i think!



AAAND the result. I like it. My first watercooling!





Feel free to comment anything!
Im going to dye this water to red etc. Still so much to do.

 

BIG Update #14 - Covers, Sidepanels, Lightning, red coolant etc !

Havent post update in while now. Project is now pretty much ready, only small things need to do. Ill post now pretty big update. These pics may not be in order.


Lets start with covers. Backplate for GPU and big cover for PSU, fancontroller, rad, shroud and fan.


Made from 3mm black acrylic. Same as mobo backplate.



I decided to cover them with black contact paper. They are holding together with 15x15mm aluminium angle iron. Same 4mm screws for it.




Same material for backplate.



And covered. View from bottom shows you that i have drilled 2mm off. To fit it better and closer to pcb.





Putting them on:



This cover is attached to same screws that are holding front door.



I think they look pretty good. Some air bubbles on backplate, but you dont see them when its on.


Lets put frontdoor on! Much less noise from front fan and psu fan.



Soundproofing mat for sidepanels.



Window from smoked acryl.



I drilled 3,5mm holes at acryl, made threads on it. Working pretty good actually. Small countersinks and here we go.






After getting all panels ready, I got 240Gb Kingston V300 sdd to replace my hdd. Double sided tape to hold it, and 128Gb 840 Pro. Also had wired switches etc.



Sidepanels fits really well!





Then I needed some light inside of case. I bought collasible ledlists. Also bought new soldering iron and other stuff.



Tooked about hour to get it done.



I tested lot of diffirent options. Wasnt happy about result with one list, so i ordered couple more..



They were list of 30 leds. They were too long so i cut 6 of them away from each list.

Finally i got good result. I holded them at the sidepanel! Made 45 degree angles to upper list. Then I had those fast connectors for it.



Do you guys agree? Its hard to take picture which shows how it really look. These are pretty close.





Also put on filters for fans.





Last thing, red dye for coolant!







Coolant at CPU- block looks blunt.. I thougt polish it, should I?


As I said, I only have some small things to do. Resetswitch, USB's, Cover for I/O -connectors and rad fans maybe? Also started to work on with radgrill. Soon post another small updates.

But now I'd like to hear comments about this !

 

That's pretty impressive. The air vents at the front are a nice touch.

When does the optical drive make its appearance?

 

It's looking nice and clean. The red accent on the feet works well.

 

Very nice! honest work

 

Thanks! When have you seen optical drive? I only have fancontroller..

Thanks! Yes, it gives nice touch.

Thankyou! I'll do my best!

 

What an amazing case build! love cases that are near costumers cases. But when you made it, youre the only one having it!

Check mine out if you want.

 

Update #15 - Modified fangrill !

Thanks Ygd3n ! Your build looks amazing as well. Bit too much space in my option.



Here is original shape of Phobya Brick 240 -fangrill.



And here is new shape. That ugly square at center is gone. I filled accessory holes and made countesinks to fit same screws on this.



Just sprayed layer of paint to see how it looks. It still needs pretty much sanding.