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Project :blingGreen(04/03/2005 - MaximumPC's June issue! Rig of the Month!!!)

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by Tech-Daddy, 21 Apr 2004.

  1. TheDon

    TheDon What's a Dremel?

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    Being in Texas I figured you would get some more sun... a little pale there.. :D I look forward to the update... Maybe it will motivate me to start a project.....
     
  2. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    USA + taxes - child deductions = refund$$$!!!!!

    I have a TON of stuff showing up for the family (desks, wireless cards, wireless router, 19" LCD for the wifemate, new video card and a bunch of customization bitsies that you'll be seeing in the coming days), and I squeegeed out a bit 'o $$$ for me to do what I wanted to do! :rock:

    But before I get to the parts... just a quick glimpse at my completely unorganized workshop:

    First stop, the side window....
    "When last we left our hero...." yeah, right!
    I was tearing apart the lexan off of the side window and redoing it.
    Well, I also took the time since I had the window off, to properly outline a flame set on the acrylic, then cut to within distance tollerances that I thought would make the flames look a bit more natural, and not quite so erratic. No lights yet... that will hopefully be this weekend.
    [​IMG]

    I was also experimenting with LED lights, series UV lights, to see if I could get the chains to do what I wanted them to do. Here is me laying one of the light strands over my leg:
    [​IMG]

    I've now come up with an idea that will expound on the earlier suggestion of flickering flameage! I have the circuit parts on order, and they are coming from a local company, so I am fully expecting them here tomorrow, or at the latest, Friday. This is the solution I have been pondering on for many a week. cpemma is tha MAN! :thumb:


    Vanna... please show them what is behind door number 1?
    [​IMG]

    It is a 3D Rocket cooler from Gigabyte. They make a couple of different flavors, this is the most quiet. and I like that. I especially like how the whole heatsink is utilized, convection maximized, and a different type of fan integrated. It has a little external pot that allows for speed adjustment.

    Here is a shot from the underside and you can see what I mean...
    [​IMG]

    It has some little surface mount LED's on the top (they are blue, so I'm working on a fix to that...) but the unit is relatively light, and the shroud that is about mid ways down has the functionality of pushing air across the surface components of the board, thereby cooling them as well! With my next surprize, there is an ideal use for this functionality!

    *ding*
    Please open door number 2!!!!
    (shwoooosh...)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Some Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe goodness!

    Notice the mosfet heatsink on the rear of the board next to the rear ports.... the 3D Rocket, I am theorizing, will actively cool this heatsink and the components around them.

    I was torn between using this one, the MSI Diamond (If I could find one for a reasonable price) or waiting on the DFI - SLI (Yeah, I know the Ultra trick... but I did not want to void motherboard warranty)... well, after much gnashing of teeth, I dismissed the Gigabyte as kind of a mixed up attempt at style (personally think it is butt ugly, but that is just my humble opinion), MSI has a nice, and classy approach... but they were missing PCI slots. Not that I would use them, but I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it ant not have it.

    DFI was tough, as I have always admired their engineering on the LanParty series. Some of the colors were just too cool (others made me think, "WTF?!??!"), but they consistantly performed well. I knew that the DFI board was going to be a performer, but there were 2 things standing in my way in getting that board:

    1) Availability. It is out now, but until the sales channel fills up and equalizes, there will likely be a $40-$80 premium for the privlidge of being one of the first to own one of these bad boys. I don't play like that.

    2) Color scheme was going to clash wildly with blingGreen.

    So, after meditating on the fact, I chose the classy, black, (with a little smattering of color) Asus A8N as it has everything I like and want, and a rockin 3 year warranty to back it up.

    "Cha-Ching!" - *Sold*

    "But wait?"
    (UH UHu hu hu Uuu huh ... he said "butt weight".... U Hu hU hU HuH uHuuu hhhU hu H)

    What CPU are you running you crazed computer "smacker arounder"?
    Feast your eyez upon this, and keep the drool off of the keyboard :naughty:
    [​IMG]

    I still dont believe this thing is real... until I boot this beast up, I'm still in denial... :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop:

    Catch this... I received this as a *GIFT*....
    :eeek: :eeek:

    This processor alone was the driving force behind this upgrade. Never, have I owned such a high performance processor. I could have sold it and paid for the upgrade parts without touching any of my $$$, and probably would have had a better video card when all said and done... but because of "who" it came from, and "why"... I wanted to make it the centerpiece of bling. Just as a daily reminder to myself that good things can happen at the most unexpected times. So, always... always... put your best foot forward and always remain positive and engaging in life. You never know when opportunities like these will arise.

    I'll be upgrading bling this weekend, as well as mounting lighting and some other things that I have planned (shhhhh... dont want to give too much away!) But for the next few weeks, up to the LAN competition, I'll be hammering this baby into shape!

    Until then.... MOD ON!!! :dremel:
     
  3. TheDon

    TheDon What's a Dremel?

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    [​IMG]

    Is that an FX53 that i am looking at?????? It looks like it...... and if it is can you please share some of your spare clock cycles with me.. my XP2600 could use a little help..
     
  4. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    Yeppers... an FX-53, baybeeeee....
    In all of it's raw, naked glory! ;)

    I can WAIT to compare how this baby runs with the 1GB (2x512) OCZ's!
    *duh-rhooooolll*
    :hip:
     
  5. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    Just a quickie before I keel over from need of sleep...

    Hooked up the A8N-SLI DELUXE, my FX-53, and the Leadtek 6600GT... slapped an 80GB PATA drive that I had laying around, XPSP2 is installed and up! All drivers loaded!

    Board looks good!

    Realized one small thing, and that was that the version of heatsink that I purchased was the SE (which has no lights or a varible speed controler) instead of the VG (which has previously stated lighty things and speed potentiometer).

    No biggie... I was already drilling on how to change the lights, and I have the perfect way to do it! I'll show it to ya later! ;)

    I'm headed to bed!
    3 desks and two rooms of furniture to build and move tomorrow. Then the real fun begins on finishing up my computer!

    LED's did not arrive today, but a Sluggo inspired part *did* arrive! Hehehehehe
    :naughty:

    nighty night....
     
  6. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    Bleh.... 3 desks, 2 rooms moved, 1 wireless network FINALLY functioning as I wanted it to.

    2 days... 2 days folks. 3 different routers, 3 trips to the local electronics shop to exchange/buy parts to make this thing work...

    SHould not have been that difficult. I work with wireless stuff everyday @ work. I understand the security and compatability concerns with certain vendors... but to have 2 routers from the same vendor exhibit the *SAME* problem... that just smacks of fouled up engineering...

    So, I jumped ship on the last run to the store, returned the one I had bought, got a credit, and then hopped onto a Netgear WGT624 (see product here )

    Guys, I dropped it in, setup WPA-PSK and MAC authentication (just like I had done on the previous routers that went TU)... went to the other machines with the PSK and *WHAMMO!*... instant network. That was how I remembered it all working! :clap:

    The first one I was working with was a Belkin Pre-N router. I had recommended it to everyone I knew, glad it worked for them... cuz it CERTAINLY did not work for me!

    Classes start this next week (MWF, 6-10) so my arriving parts might have to wait a bit before being implemented... we'll see how this first week of classes goes, and how much energy I have afterwards!

    Just tossing out an update!
    Apologies for the lack of progress.... :sigh:
     
    Last edited: 7 Feb 2005
  7. jaguarking11

    jaguarking11 Peterbilt-strong

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    WOW nice setup. I was wondering if you were going to upgrade the original pc. Gr8 mod even tho im not a big fan of amd but respect is delivered where its due.

    Good luck there and happy modding
     
  8. TheDon

    TheDon What's a Dremel?

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    What kind class are you taking?? Glad you were able to get the network up and running. I use a CISCO AP with Radius authetication for my wireless lan.
     
  9. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    I'm pursuing my MCSE+Security, and MCSE+Messaging.

    Wont get there by Summer time, but I'll be a few tests closer!
    During these classes, I'll hopefully have my Security+ certification under my belt.

    Then I'll start working the CCxx route.
     
  10. Shinymod

    Shinymod What's a Dremel?

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    /me glares at his winchester 3500+ @2600mhz, WHY CANT YOU BE MORE LIKE HIM EH??? pfft. sweet mod... loving the flames and offset intake, nice :D
     
  11. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks, Shinymod! Appreciate the compliments!

    W00T! All of my components have finally arrived! I need to sort out my resistors and put them with the appropriate LED's... but I now have all of the pieces! I'm going to start on the controller board tomorrow night!

    :naughty: :thumb:
     
  12. Derelict

    Derelict What's a Dremel?

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    Very sweet looking so far, well executed :thumb:
     
  13. TheDon

    TheDon What's a Dremel?

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    Keep it rolling... Don't let the women or children slow you down..... :wallbash:
     
  14. devenfore

    devenfore LANCandy

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    MORE PICTURES! (please). looking good though.
     
  15. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    Hehehe, thanks guys!
    I got a bit of measuring and wire cutting done tonight. For the beginings of this next step of the mod, I give all credit to Captain Sluggo. His mk.V mod totally inspired this next step.

    I'll give you a teaser pic of the pieces of the puzzle:
    [​IMG]

    I pulled my computer, measured, drew out, and planned out the power cables that I would be needing, and am planning on a variation of the Captain Sluggo inspired types of cables (See his beautiful work here: mk.V ) Mad props to Sluggo for this inspired piece of engineering! He also has a step by step guide in the modding forum (See guide here )

    Also, I have the board together, and the OS installed....
    [​IMG]

    :sigh:
    I am having serious problems not installing this into bling right now! But I know what I have planned, I need to keep the order of operations in line... else I'll be doing double and triple work. Dont want that! :thumb: :wallbash:

    More on Thursday! (will try to get more done tomorrow... but school is tomorrow night, so we'll see how the time falls!)

    Thanks for reading, more to come, very soon!
     
  16. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    Just touching base to let all of you know that I have made significant progress on my wiring harness tonight! :D I like how this is turning out! I'll post up pictures tomorrow! Too tired to process them right now! Goood bit of pop!

    I hope I do Sluggo's materful idea justice, just with my own twist! :thumb:

    1:22am... time for sleep. Need rest. I have school tomorrow night, so the picture update will be a bit later tomorrow, after I get home. I think (assuming that I have these things wired and sparks dont shoot ofut unexpectedly) that you will all be surprised and happy with the results! MMmmmmm....

    :naughty: :naughty:
     
  17. Cowinacape

    Cowinacape What's a Dremel?

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    Looking forwards to the updates, getting lots of good ideas for myself here. Keep up the good work!
     
  18. TheDon

    TheDon What's a Dremel?

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    I have faith... But some pictures would be nice too. :)
     
  19. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    I'm using UV Reactive green acrylic on the line spacers (as opposed to the black ones that Captain Sluggo used) and I have my power lines "layered" through the spacers, as opposed to having the spacers for only one set of cables at a time. Also, I put the breen lines on the inside for the "black/ground" lines, and those are sandwiched between 2 blue rails (+12 and +5 accordingly), so now the power cables actually blend in with the scheme! :dremel:

    I tested out the UV reactiveness of the setup, and the green acrylic was jumping off of the power lines! Gave me a cool idea to do something later to "enhance" this effect. I cut them in rectangles and then sanded down the corners so that there were no points on the acrylic. :eeek:

    My drilling was less than precise, but when looked at from the side or the back, it'll pass muster! (I hope!) Working on getting a drill press in the next few weeks, which will help immensley with the precision. :thumb:
     
  20. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

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    I totally understand, and will have them up later tonight!
    Thanks for following!

    Thank you sir! I am glad to have brought inspiration to others! Hopefully I'll be done sooner than later, and we'll all be happy!
    ;)
     

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