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Scratch Build – Complete Blu & Red Aluminium - Sponsored by Gelid - Updated 27/03

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by Sam__, 15 Apr 2020.

  1. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Made up some more of the RGB units today.

    [​IMG]
     
    kim likes this.
  2. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Big delivery from Overclockers.co.uk today. The tempered glass is in!

    [​IMG]

    Two of these beauties:
    [​IMG]

    And one of these:
    [​IMG]

    Also got a bunch of fittings and some dye.
    [​IMG]

    Here is the dye looking very abstract art style.
    [​IMG]

    Some nice right angle fittings for the GPU.
    [​IMG]

    Some barbs because I'm not 100% on the loops yet and I didn't want to be left short on fittings.
    [​IMG]

    Managed to cut 70% of the aluminium to length today after some measuring up with the glass panels. Two of the three dimensions are sorted. Here's an example of the annoyingly small adjustment required to all six of the width extrusions. Just a few mm.
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Update: Some of the panels have been cut. Just propped them up in place to test the fit.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Here are the almost final specs:
    Will add it to the first post.

    Specs are as follows:
    7800X - hopefully with an overclock once this gets done.
    Gigabyte X299 AORUS Ultra Gaming Pro
    32gb Corsair Vengeance LPX 2666Mhz
    AMD Vega56
    Samsung 960 250GB NVME
    Samsung SM951 250GB NVME
    Antec AX1200
    Asus Xonar DX Sound Card (maybe, I've got it in a box somewhere so may as well use it).

    The watercooling plan is as follows...
    CPU Loop:
    Block: EK Supreme HF
    Rad: 420mm EK Coolstream XTC 55mm
    Fans: Gelid Silent 14 x3 (tempted to get another three for push/pull)
    Pump: EK DCP 2.2
    Res: 150mm Tube (This may change depending on where they end up being mounted)

    GPU Loop:
    Block: EK Supreme HF with custom mounting bracket.
    Rad: 360mm Generic approx 25mm thick. I've had it for years and it's a trooper.
    Fans: 120mm x3 (again might get another three)
    Pump: D4 with custom speed controller (because it's so damn loud!)
    Res: 150mm Tube (This may change depending on where they end up being mounted)
     
    Last edited: 4 May 2020
  5. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Running the numbers there could be anywhere between 9 and 20 fans in this build. I feel a custom fan controller coming on!
     
  6. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    I recon I could manage to fit 16 channels on one controller and leave the rest to the motherboard. That'll come a LOT later on though. Will see how many splitters I've got laying around first.

    Progress:
    Testing out the spray paint colours on the GPU mounting bracket. The blue looks brilliant! It also looks to be a very good match to the water dye.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    The L brackets needed trimming as they overhang the extrusion a little. Not too many to cut though!!!
    [​IMG]

    Before and after. All cut by hand saw.
    [​IMG]

    Also, in between rain showers I managed to prime two of the side panels. One takes the 3 x 140mm radiator and the other takes the 3 x 120mm radiator.
    [​IMG]
     
  7. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Couple of things in the post today.

    The valves for the drainage ports. Only £3.50 on eBay for two. Seems better than some of the other more expensive offerings. I also may spray the black handles.
    [​IMG]

    Some magnet. Hopefully will get to use these on the intake filters.
    [​IMG]

    First time putting the whole frame together with everything cut to length and most of the side panels cut. Starting to take shape!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Okay. change of plan on the colour scheme.

    Going for a bi-colour theme now. Red and Blue. More to come later...
     
  9. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Here's a bit of a sneak peak at the colour scheme.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    So I've been experimenting with the colours and painting affects the last few days. Here's what we'v got.

    Practicing fading from red to blue on a scrap piece of MDF.
    [​IMG]

    Test pattern on a scrap piece of MDF.
    [​IMG]

    Prepping the pattern on the front radiator mount.
    [​IMG]

    After spraying.
    [​IMG]

    Mounted onto the frame. I'm pretty happy with it.
    [​IMG]

    What do you guys think?
     
    The_Crapman and Jean R built like this.
  11. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    Neat. Very '80s.
    It'll be hard to match up all the parts if you do them one at a time, though.
     
  12. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    yeah I'm still figuring out which panels to put this effect on and which to have solid colours. Don't want too much going on.
     
  13. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Alternative design:
    [​IMG]
     
  14. Jean R built

    Jean R built Modder

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    Use the design you like the most, I like this one with triangles and squares texture more, it looks really good :hip:.
     
  15. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Thanks. I really like that one too.

    What I'm tempted to do is to have two designs. One on each side of each accent panel. Then I can flip them whenever I want!
     
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  16. The_Crapman

    The_Crapman World's worst stuntman. Lover of bit-tech

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    Reminds me of BMW racing stripes. Love the work so far :rock:
     
  17. Jean R built

    Jean R built Modder

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    That's a good Idea too.
     
  18. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Custom SATA cable made up today. The drives are mounted so close together on the back of the motherboard tray it doesn't make sense to have a conventional cable to power them.

    Decided to match the colour scheme of the build even though the cable should never be seen as both the PSU and SSDs are below the motherboard tray.

    L-bracket mounting for SSDs.
    [​IMG]

    First wire added to connector.
    [​IMG]

    Checking the distance between the drives.
    [​IMG]

    The metal locking parts had to be removed. It was too difficult to remove the connectors from the drives with them present. Also the push fit was more then enough to hold in place.
    [​IMG]

    Fully wired.
    [​IMG]

    Cover plates on.
    [​IMG]

    Added a third for another drive.
    [​IMG]

    Then crimp the molex connectors (by hand, no crimp tools here!).
    [​IMG]

    All done.
    [​IMG]
     
    MADPC and Jean R built like this.
  19. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Yeah I'm going to have to make new brackets for three drives instead of two.
     
  20. Sam__

    Sam__ Minimodder

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    Some progress today making the PSU panel.

    It contains the PSU, a 140mm exhaust fan and four USB ports.

    Marked up:
    [​IMG]

    All cut out: (sorry for the wide angle lens distortion and yellow lighting)
    [​IMG]

    The USB ports on the left were particularly challenging as I only have limited hand tools. The majority of the cutting on those was with a knife and finished with sandpaper over a screwdriver.
     
    Last edited: 13 May 2020
    ciaognep and Jean R built like this.

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