Hello all, Let me appologize ahead of time for the amount of questions in this post. This is my first attempt at building a custom case. I'm planning on building a SFF case for my current setup. Here is what I have currently: Q9550 @ Stock speeds 8GB GSkill DDR3 1333 GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-UD3LR Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120mm Heatsink&Fan (Single fan) 3xNoctua 120mm fans @ full speed (damn they are quiet) EVGA 8800 GTS (640MB model from '05 or '06, G80?) Plextor DVD Burner (might replace this) 2xMaxtor 100GB SATA II (Will be replaced with WD Blacks) D-Link 802.11g (will be replaced with an 802.11n, maybe USB for concealment) Cheapo Bluetooth adapter Enermax Liberty 800W PSU (Non-modular) I love this rig except my HDDs. They are so freakin slow! I've only bought one Seagate drive in my years of dabbling in PCs and that one lasted 3 days after the warranty expired (I was sooo pissed). Have they gotten better and do they offer anything that competes with the WD Blacks? I don't plan on doing RAID until I can afford some SLC SSDs (god I wish I could afford a pair of X25-Es). The case design I'm going for is similar to the QMicra case internally, but with a more rounded top. I love their design, but I can't afford $250 for it, so I can attempt making it myself with a few changes. So, the question is: What is a good alloy of aluminium or steel to go with? Weight isn't a major factor, as long as it is lighter than my Antec 900 (I am beginning to hate that case). GPU replacement. I refuse to go back to ATI. I've had 4 and all of them died. I currently own 7 nVidia cards and they ALL still work and are used continuously (6000 series up to 8000 series). I haven't thought about buying a new GPU until now and I'm wondering if a GTX 260 or 275 will tide me over for a few years. The 285s and 295s are still too pricey to consider. I won't be doing SLi, so I'm leaning towards a 275. Is it worth the extra cash? I've always trusted Corsair PSUs and Enermax has done will for me too. I'd like to go modular, but I don't know if Corsair is really worth the money. Yeah, they get great reviews, but what about the other guys? Various other stuff: What should I look for in sleeving/heatshrink and who are reputable companies? Does anyone make a cheap fan controller that is temperature controlled? Powder coating or spray canning, which holds up better? Are there are good slot-loading DVD burners out there (perferably slim)? I can only find Sony's and they are freakin expensive. Thank you all for your time.
Well, aluminum is lighter and easier to machine/work with than steel. I am planning on using 6061 aluminum in my build that I am starting up this month. It is probably the most widely used grade of Al. This link will get you started on finding out if Al is the way for you to go. http://www.espi-metals.com/tech/machiningaluminum.pdf I use FSP for my PSUs. Never had a problem with them. As far as modular goes, if you have a little extra cash, do it. It helps cut down on cable clutter http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...ath=44&zenid=1ac50a2de57ecd64d2a5cc3691bb606c Powder coating > spray can. If you do decide to buy aluminum I am planning on using http://www.onlinemetals.com/index.cfm Not sure of your location, but in the states the shipping is pretty reasonable. They also offer international shipping if you are overseas.
If you can justify the cost get it from murder mod. they probably have the best braid quality you can get. it take patience to do the sleeving but is totally worth it.
I've got a GTX260 in my system and I game on maximum settings at 1920x1200 (24" native resolution) without any problems whatsoever. Hence I'd highly recommend a GTX260! Also mine is the older 192 core model so the newer 216 core models will be even better!
Interloper: 1.) I've got a local supplier of 6061 & 5052 @ $5.00-$7.00 per sq-ft depending on thickness. Is 1/8th" too thin/thick for minimal bending (6" radius)? I can get that for $5.23/sq-ft and 3/4"x3/4"x1/8" angle for $0.67/ft. along with any welding done for a flat $50 if it isn't too intricate. Then I can focus on finish and cleaning up the welds. 2.) I've never used FSP, but I'll look into it, thanx! 3.) I was looking at them already. Expensive shipping to my area. 4.) I'm still looking for a quality powder coater in town. I saw some work from the one close to me, but it was craptacular at best. Oreon_237: Definately worth a look. Thanx. Doggeh: Does that card run hot? Well... before you W/Ced it that is.
I might want to add that Aluminum is pretty damn expensive.. And while you're at it, I suggest you at least try to take up welding, so you have a much better time fixing up everything yourself.
Who will be doing the bending? If that supplier offers that service, I'd use it. It would be quicker and the end result will be nicer. (Not taking a jab at your abilities, but they would have the proper equipment and experience.) I'm no sheet metal expert but I did take a CAD class last semester that covered it briefly. There is more to take into consideration than just thickness when bending metals. The metal on the inside radius gets compressed and the outer radius is stretched. This is more important in tighter angles. Because yours is a fairly large radius, it wont have as much of an impact on what you want to do. So in short, you could bend that thickness, but how to go about it is not my area. What is the purpose for this bend? Is it structural or is it cosmetic? Does it NEED to be perfectly round, or could you divide the arc into equal angles to achieve the total bend arc? EDIT Did a little more research on bending that thick of aluminum. That's going to be pretty tough. Your best bet would be to slim down the thickness, and find a place that has the appropriate equipment.
The temps without water cooling are nothing the stock cooler can't handle, it is what it was designed for after all! (It was around 75degs under load if memory serves which is perfectly fine. Under water cooling I'm now at 35degs max under load)
