Project <<| Black3d |>> | Update 14/04/207 | Completed final pics

Yeah I did think about the black but a couple of things help me back:

1: It could be a different black - which would look naff

2: I quite like the contrast of black and Alu silver. I think thats a look I want

 

Quick update to anyone who's interested on the Water Block

It was VERY uneven and even after over an hour I only managed to get this

 

that rad and grill are lush!!

 

Hi Kempes,

In what order did you lap?

I normaly start with like grid 800 upto 2000 But furmly do the first to grids for like a hour.

Good luck on the lapping.

 

I lapped as following:

Grit 400>600>800>1000 (all for about 10-15mins.

Then I used:

40micron>25 micros>20micron>15micron and 10 micron for about 5-10mins each.

It took a long time but no matter how long i used the lower grit paper I could not get the base flat on the glass. Both myself AND SpecialTech are not impressed with Alphacool. SpecialTech are going to talk to them about their quality control tomorrow.

@ Washfordmonkey: Yep they sure are. Bit miffed when I realised that the Rad only has screw holes for fans on one side tho. I had to order some M3 x 45mm screws especially for the task. Hoping they come for the weekend.

I'm hitting the sack...very tired and my arms hurt from lapping that water block!!

 

Hi Kempez,

Weird A because i have 2 cpu blocks who are mirror finnished.

Tell me what comes out.

 

The sink is pretty mirrow finish in all honextly. Its just that it was so not flast that I have parts that the paper (being on glass) can't get to. I may smooth them off with my hand or just get SpecialTech to get me an RMA.

I had to sell the stacker to raise some funds meaning that I had to move to the Lian Li today. I haven't done much modding really. But I did manage to get a couple of things done:

1: Install Rad + Grill + Fans
2: Decide to put a window in front of the 3 1/4" bays where my HDD's are. Looks pretty nice.
3: Install everything back into case minus watercooling. Still waiting on some integral stuff from Watercooling Shop

Soz for the bad pics but I had to use my phone as the missus has gone away for the night and taken our digi-cam

Still waiting on some stuff for watercooling so thats why there is a stock HSF on there

Top Screws done. This is for the benefit of whoever wants to know where to drill out the rivets. If you look at the top there are two bolts holding on the case top. Before I started they were rivets. This is about the same at the back of the case. Just drill em out



Grill and fans installed:



Getting the LCD in



Getting all the drive bays in place:



Dinner break - 10pm!!



For the drive bay I cut off a piece of perspex to size of the hole. I then drilled 4 holes equidistant from each corner of the drive bay. I drilled the perspex with matching holes and use some nice bolts and nuts to hold it in place. I think this looks nice



Eventually got the hardware installed



Front view of the case:



Top view showing that sexy grill and fans. I found that silenX fans come with a kind of black dust covering them. Maybe this is for protection but either way I got out some surgical spirit and got it off. Now they're nice and shiny



A money shot of the LCD in action as well as the HDD drive bay window. I may mod the drive bay itself to accept a small fan blowing over the HDD's from the side. We will see.



Planned:

* Figure out window mod

* Figure out lighting

* Mod the HDD bay to accept a fan

* Clean up and perhaps polish HDD's so no stickers show

* Etch window bay acrylic

* Get the rest of my watercooling to actually turn up at my house then install it.

* Braid all unbraided wires in black

* Find some wheels for the case.

I'm thinking white lighting with UV cathodes. What dya think?

EDIT: And do something about the power and reset switch....damn they're boring


EDIT: Just been speaking to XMS and I may as well stick the pump on the floor and put the HDD's in the spare drive cage. Then the res will be behind the window with an etch and some lights.

 

Don't think I'll be using orange...

 

I have etched an OC3D logo into the front window last night and got some pics but I haven't uploaded them yet. Will do tonight. I should be getting some watercooling stuff through today but I've also decided I need some 90degree elbows for the GPU cooling.

 

Here's a pic of my planned water loop. Unsure of whether I'm going to have those fans in the top-left blowing air to the rad or not but we'll see. Its a rubbish pic which I may tidy up with Sketchup once I'm home and not @ work



I have various elbows and fitments coming soon so should be able to install the water soon

EDIT: Comments always welcome people

 

hmm
the hot water goes from the cpu to the gpu und comes then in the res and in the pump, i think its better when the hot water goes first through the radi
SORRY for my bad english, i hope you understand what i mean

but i have a pic

 

it depends on preferance, but rad after pump is best as pumps put like 8W of heat into a loop, so by putting it through the rad after pump, water is the coolist.

 

Yep I deffo don't want the GPU offloading hot water to the CPU as thats whats gonna have to be kept the coolest. The d5 doesn't offload that much heat into the loop but I still think that pump > rad is the best was to do it. That way any heat from all components gets taken out from the loop before it hits them again.

Anyhoo - Here's the pics of my etch









I don't think its too bad for my first one

 

Another quick update:

At the moment I'm undecided with the case. I really want to do the hole but I'm scared

The watercoolings coming together. I just cleaned up the GPU block again so here's a couple of pics:

 

the hole for what?

 

This one:



side window

 

Getting second thought on the green theme as the Crystalfontz is blue.....any thoughts?

 

In my eyes you have 3 opinions right know:

1st: Change the Crystalfontz color to green.
2nd: Change the overall theme to blue.
3rd: Don't care and just go on.

Imho green has been done way too often so it wouldn't be that bad to switch to blue, which also looks a bit classier to me. But be careful as light blue sucks and too dark blue doesn't give you the effects you might look for (lighting in the case...).
It's your choice but if you already have some green plexi or other green stuff at home then try to change the Crystalfontz, if you don't go blue I say.

 

Yeah not too sure about green in the first place but then bl00 has also been done a few times. The bl00 I have is actually pretty nice. Plus I like the Crystalfontz screen the way it it

Having said that the green UV I have just recieved looks nice

 

Soz about the lack of updates I've been busy

recieved a load of stuff for the project recently

Amongst them are:

Cardkeeper Card retainer
Swiftech Apogee CPU Block
Loads of 1/2" Elbows
Loads of Jubilee Clips
Cable Braiding Black
Cable Ties white
Matt Black Car Aerosol Spray Paint
UV Green Water Dye
2 x Green LED's
2 x white LED's
1 x 12v LED inverter
Bolts...lots of Bolts


I also spoke to Alphacool. They said that the block I got was a one-off and they are sending me a new block. Should be with me tuesday.

All-in-all pretty decent news!

Monday I should be able to work on the project