Project: FrozenFire (MORE!! Watercooling changes Sep 8 05)

You would think, but nope. M3 is a DVD screw and these are definately thicker. If the 3mm of M3 is the edges of the threads than those are definately M4. The res plugs use 4mm allen key but have a G1/8 thread, and I think the res used a 2.5mm wrench not 3mm anyways.

 

The thread on optical drives and HD's is US thread (opt-drive=4/40, HD=6/32 and the allen wrench size does not correspond..being 3/32" and 7/64" BUT that is to be expected. We Americans enjoy making things as difficult as possible ).
The "G'" thread is another kettel of fish. All of Europe use the "G" thread for pipe but the British use there own BPT (and I think they have another thread-pitch variant along with that). My (cheap) metric allen wrench set goes from 2mm to 3mm, but I think you are correct there must be a 2.5mm.. You have me completely confused (I need another beer). Can a non-American bit-techie help us out???
We also have another problem. We started page-4 and now we are in need of more pictures..

 

I know this much for sure:

My Lian Li cases use M3 thumbscrews. These work fine in opticals. Whether opticals actually have a 4-40 thread and M3 just fits I'm not sure, but it does fit.

The screws on the Aquatube definately use an 2.5 mm Allen wrench. My set has 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8.

The screws in the AT are definately not the same as the thumbscrews, and are certainly thicker. I don't have any way better than a ruler to measure the width but they certainly seem to be 4mm wide (and the M3 screws 3mm wide)

My pumps have 6-32 threaded screws to hold them together. They use a 7/64" allen wrinch (just a hair less than 1/8). According to boltdepot, a #6 rod (6-32 = #6, 32TPI) is .14", approx 9/64" in diameter.
[/knowledge]

Point being that the allen key size really has nothing to do with the bolt itself, because I KNOW the AT screws are >M3 and use a 2.5mm allen key.

/edit

I've also got the pumps mounted in at least a temporary location. I haven't gotten those missing parts for the mounting bracket yet but as it turns out the rubber dampener feet thing are the same thread as ones from an old Zalman HDD cooler so I'm using those for now. I may move them though, depends how things turn out.

Also, Chris at The Cutting Edge told me he'd be willing to sponsor some parts! Huge thanks to him


Thanks for the confirmation on the AT screws

 

The aquatube uses M4 screws Looking good mate.

 

Tiny pump update

Just a few pics of where I mounted the pumps. Those fittings are just to give an idea, the G1/4 threaded ones I need haven't arrived yet





I'm thinking I'll use straight fittings on both sides (less inlet restriction), have the pumps mounted the other direction closer to the PSU (rotated 180 degrees) and take out that center plate so there's no problems routing the tubing without the right-angle fittings.

 

Your pump (s) look to fit well in that position. The new pump will be the same size? and did you say there was some-sort of pump cover?

 

I'm not sure when the MAGs will arrive, they're supposed to be a review sample and won't have the G1/4 threads on them so they probably won't go in this, at least not until I get appropriate housings for them as well. That's probably the pump cover thing you meant... the housing... it's just a poor label for the part of the pump that has the threads in it (just what C-systems calls it, go figure).

Yes, they will be exactly the same size, but both inlet and outlet will be on the top somewhat like the Laing DDC.

The pumps did fit well in that position, but I ended up moving them a bit anyways. They look better where they are now and will be easier to plumb into the system when all is said and done as well. At least if I choose a good location for the bulkheads when they arrive I have a few ideas but it's hard to picture them without actually HAVING them.

I also did a bit more work today... we had a snow day from school I took out that center bottom divider thing, flipped the hard drives around (so the wiring comes out the PSU side) and re-ran the SATA cables. They're still temporary but look better in the meantime anyways. All organized and pretty (the four SATA cables, now all red ones, ziptie together in a space still smaller than a rounded IDE cable).

As it turns out I may even end up using all six hard drive bays I've already got four in there, I might swipe a second Raptor from my P4 (I'm probably selling it to my dad to finally replace the 800mhz Comqrap "family" comp) and I'm planning to get a big storage drive (probably one of those 300GB 16MB NCQ maxtors). Doubt I'll do any RAID but it depends whether or not the SI3114 lets me have multiple arrays or not. All those drives make the case HEAVY though, it must be a good 20-30 lbs right now with everything that's in there, and only the aquatube and pumps are installed as far as watercooling goes, it'll see another graphics card, four waterblocks, two rads and all the water as well. Glad I installed that handle!

I also ordered some Carbon Fibre vinyl from MNPCtech (much cheaper than the PolyGFX ones, only $4.50 for 12"x15" vs $40 for 15"x30" and I ordered four, with other stuff it was only like $35 shipped vs over $50 shipped for half the skin and no other stuff from PolyGFX) and my PSU stuff from PPCs. Need a few days for the e-checks to clear so I'm probably looking at early next week, not sure. Still need stuff from boltdepot, allelectronics and Newegg. eBay too I suppose.... those bulk LEDs.

I'll post pics a little later, to keep you checking in the meantime

Let's just say that the cable management is getting to a level I'd consider acceptable (I'm an uber neatfreak) and they'll end up being routed and hidden much better than they are already. I also realized I now have a spare black ice pro (blue) that I could use as I took the watercooling stuff off of my P4, not sure if I'll use it or where I would if I do though, I may save it for another day or just sell it.

Short version of the above: Case is getting heavy, did some work but will posts pics later, cable management is much imrpoved, new pumps I may get are the same size and the current ones have moved, and I ordered enough to make quite a nice update once it all arrives including finishing the PSU and covering quite a bit with fake Carbon Fibre.

/me is e-panting from all that e-talking

 

Wow Firehed. This is so completely amazing. Inspires me to go grab a PC75 and get myself to work (trying to make a LAN-party deadline at the end of the month )

Still, absolutely amazing work. I see this one ending up being so much more impressive than it already is!

 

I know what you mean. A H20 cooled machine gets very heavy. My little v1000 is heavy, but yours: with (2) radiators (2) pumps and all those harddrives plus the weight of perhaps 35-45 ounces of H20. Heavy Metal- indeed..

 

Actually a majority of the weight is the side panels. Almost 700 cm^3 of alu per side panel if I did the math right! Like I said, not much of the watercooling hardware is in yet, and the pumps couldn't be more than a couple ounces each. The hard drives too. The pair of DVDRWs probably don't help things either Hopefully the window(s) should lighten things up a bit since plexi is much lighter than the alu.

I would have weighed the thing but I don't feel like lugging it to the bathroom scale

Zephyr... It's comments like that that make us wanna keep modding! Except spelling my name wrong

 

Lug the bathroom scale to it...
Also, I think you mean 700cm^2 I highly doubt you've got 7 cubic meters of side panel

 

No, it's 700cm^3. Which is .1 dm^3 - ie if you melted it all down you'll get a block 7cm by 10cm by 10cm which isn't that big (approx 4"x4"x3") When working in cubics, you have to cube the conversions too, ie 1cm^3 = 1000 mm^3 = 0.000001 m^3.

 

is right, sheeit. You'd think I would have seen you around enough to know how to spell your name

 

heh in my sig on my site it even makes a rude comment about it. But no worries

 

New bottom work

Did some work during the week including relocating the pumps and taking out the bottom divider plate. Most of what I need is now ordered aside from hardware... I've talked to CuttingEdgeCaseMods about acrylic already and just need about $30 worth of stuff from boltdepot.


I cut some holes in the mobo tray for wire management. None of them will be visible with the mobo installed. I may do some more, it depends how things work out.


New pump location. They're now facing away from the PSU. This should work out better for routing the tubing, and luckily they block almost no airflow from the PSU.


I cut a small hole behind where the rear rad will be to accomidate the P4 and Eazyplug wires. They shouldn't be visible at all when the rad is in place.


The system temporily reinstalled. Note that all the SATA cables are now the same color and the hard drive wiring is now facing the PSU. Also note that the IDE ribbon cable to the optical drives is run UNDER the mobo tray


This wiring will be improved upon at some point... I'll end up doing a custom SATA power lead. Hopefully I won't melt wires... I could end up with as much as six drives on that single chain, two of which are raptors. I'll use right-angle plugs for MUCH improved neatness.


Just to get a spacing idea with the rad in place. Note that the area is MUCH cleaner without the wiring of the hard drives coming out that side. Should reduce temps of both coolant and drives a bit.


That's all the wiring that I need. HUGE improvement! Ziptying the SATA cables together really helped. I'm planning to get some 1m long ones and see if I can route them better. If not, I'll at least dye them black. Same for the audigy cable. The wiring to the USB devices (LCD and 6-in-1 reader) will be extended and then routed similarly to the IDE cable.


Closeup of the cutout for the P4 and Eazyplug lines. I haven't made the cable for the Easyplug yet but they should be hidden very well.


Honestly I'm not sure what I was thinking when I took this pic so make what you want out of it.


That IDE cable gets hidden nicely It'll be even better when all is said and done.

Anyone have suggestions as to where to put the bulkheads? I'm thinking mounting them in a piece of acrylic in the large hole where SATA/IDE cables to hard drives would normally pass through, or where the EATX wiring comes through.

 

Nice update Mr. Firehed. You have your work cut out for you with wire-stealth (you have a lot of gear in FF)..
Even though you won't see those two cuts on the MB tray, I would '"clean them up". Perhaps inlarge them and use c-strip around the holes, and some rubber grommets for the (4) drill holes. "God is in the details" my man.

 

Niiiice!

Definately trim up that new cut out, saftey and consistancy!



Keep up the excellent work!

 

I'll wait till I find out if I need more cuts first, but I do want to clean them up a bit. If I end up making custom cables, which is fairly likely for USB/1394 at least, I don't want them shredded. That's probably a place where the smaller stuff I got from mnpctech a while ago (which imo looks pretty ugly but is better suited to the smaller areas) would best be used. I'm not sure if I have/can find gromets in the right size for those holes (3/8") - and that could actually reduce functionality of them. If you can't tell from the location (or I didn't mention it) it's so I can access the back of the fastening screws for CPU and chipset coolers and if gromets are too thick I'd have trouble getting the screwdriver in!

The good thing is that the cuts, despite how they look, are fairly smooth at least. A Nibbler tends to make much less jagged cuts than a dremel when used correctly. I may also go over the whole tray with some sandpaper for a more interesting look and to get rid of the various marks, scratches and fingerprints.

Forgot to mention I also need my stuff from allelectronics and ebay (lighting, etc) which is probably another $70 at least, but aside from the dual 6800GTs my necessary purchases are nearly done. I sold my old P4 system to my dad for a bit less than I'd have liked but it did eliminate most of my debt to him (as I'm 17 I need to go through him for Newegg purchases :/ no CC). And luckily enough Newegg now sells te eVGA 6800GT PCIEs for $394 (last I checked) so prices have come down now that the initial insane demand has dropped off. Of course the mobo is now $60 less than when I bought it too, oh well

 

That sounds good, but you need to get the bulkhead fittings first. Your H20 loop will (more/less) dictate the location of the fittings.
snt-systems warehouse has been MT since 1/29/05. Dan has not ordered more AC equipment since that date. Not sure what he is doing, other than Danny counting our money.

 

He told me a while ago that most of the stuff (including my bulkheads I think)was already on order and he finally started overstocking a bit. Should be here to him week if it isn't already, which is safe to assume has he hasn't posted anything.