Foreword Hello, finally something to show again. The project started out very differently from how it ended in the end. The original idea was to build a “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl” project, but for many reasons it eventually turned into a Battlefield 6 case mod with lots of extras. Uhm yeah, that’s the short version. In reality, it was mainly the time I was missing towards the end to finish the project before the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Unfortunately, it also wasn’t ready for the release of Battlefield 6, but it was finally completed by Season 2… So much for the story of the project, now let’s move on to the concept. The Project Some of you might know about my participation in the HWLuxx Modding Contest. Here’s the link to the worklog for those who missed it -> HardwareLuxx Modding Contest 2021]: Project “富士山” - ivory2k14 Here are a few pictures since the Imgur file apparently no longer exists (it is a Germn Forum): Spoiler The PC was sitting on my desk and after a while it all felt a bit too boring. Something new had to happen. But scrapping the case and the hardware felt like a waste, because it was still running well and was perfectly fine for my needs: a bit of Fusion 360, image and video editing, and occasionally some gaming when I have the time. Over the years the GPU was replaced with an Intel Arc A770 — that was the only upgrade. A quick note on how I actually came up with the idea to start a project like this. I’ve been following the modding scene for several years and over time you get in contact with a lot of people and get inspired by many well-known creators, such as: Blue Horse Studio: https://www.instagram.com/bluehorse.studios/ AK Mod: https://www.instagram.com/akmodtw/ JMDF: https://www.instagram.com/jmdf_th/ Moddingcafe: https://www.instagram.com/moddingcafe/ CzugA: https://www.instagram.com/czuga/ It was time to try something new. A simple case mod felt a bit too boring to me, so the idea came up: why not build a diorama with everything that comes with it… :stupid: After a few thoughts and some sketches, the concept slowly became clearer. You probably know the situation: everything is modeled in Fusion 360 and you’re ready to start building — and then a new idea pops into your head… Why not redesign the distro plate? So that’s exactly what I did. Here’s a small preview: Spoiler Everyone does it their own way, but I prefer having something drawn in 3D because it helps me visualize things much better. Now it was finally time to start the project. Some details were not really possible to model in Fusion at that time, so those only existed on paper — or well, in my head. Hardware: By the end of the project the hardware changed a bit, so here is the current configuration. There will be a separate post about the GPU, since it was also modified slightly. CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Mainboard: MSI MPG B550 GAMING EDGE WIFI RAM: G.Skill Trident Z Neo F4-3600C18D-16GTZN GPU: Lenovo RTX 4080 SSD: MSI SPATIUM M480 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 + 1TB no Name SSD Case: MSI MPG GUNGNIR 110R PSU: Seasonic Prime TX 1300 Cooling: CPU Cooker: Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora GPU Cooler/Backplate: Custom build. The chip cooler itself is the XG3 RGB HYBRID GPU-Waterblock for the 4080/4090 Pump: Alphacool VPP655PWM - Single Edition Radiator: 1x Alphacool NexXxoS UT60 Full Copper 360mm Radiator - White Special Edition + 2x Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 Full Copper 180mm Triple Radiator Fittings: A mix of hard and soft tube fittings from the Eiszapfen series in 16/10mm soft tube and 13/10mm hard tube Fans: 3x Valkyrie X12 ARGB 120mm Fan + 6x Phobya 180mm Fan Tubes: 16/10mm Soft Tube and 13/10mm Hard Tube Accessories: Various cables, connectors, a 3D printer, glue, etc. — as always. Final words: I have to say that the PC is already finished and currently in use, and the worklog is being written afterwards. Unfortunately I have to admit that I should have documented this at the same time, because after switching smartphones some steps are missing since the photos are gone. :shot: However, I’ll describe those parts to fill the gap. A few additional ideas also came up spontaneously along the way, but more about that in the log. A huge thanks also goes out to the sponsors. Without them it would not have been possible to realize this project. Alphacool Thermal Grizzly MSI Deutschland Seasonic G.Skill AMD Deutschland My Valkyrie Admin: if I should remove the links please let me know. Thanks for reading, more updates will follow shortly. PS: Yes, the banner was AI-generated. Next time I’ll make something like that myself again…
Hi @Cheapskate sorry, that always happens to me... Let’s start with the GPU… By chance, I got my hands on a Lenovo 4080. I have to admit, it’s quite a rarity, as you can hardly find anything about it online. I’ve handled a few GPUs before, also through my work, and the cooler seems very high-quality to me and well-sized. Spoiler Admittedly, there is unfortunately no data from the stock condition… Which is a real shame, because from what I’ve tested so far, the GPU performs very well. But as I said, I don’t have any baseline values for comparison. The Concept The GPU was supposed to get a matching water block, so first I disassembled everything. Spoiler I contacted Alphacool and sent them pictures. After a few days, unfortunately, the disappointment came: no block fit. Well, that made things a bit difficult. I still had a Corsair 3080/3090 block lying around, so I tested that right away—but unfortunately, it didn’t fit either. There was nothing left to do but search the internet for a suitable solution. After browsing several shops and articles, I came across a video by Roman. Back then, he had tested the Corsair iCUE LINK XG3 and was generally not dissatisfied. Spoiler Unfortunately, I’m missing pictures of the original, but the thing did fit on the GPU. However, it wasn’t quite as desired and didn’t look that great either. First step: remove the cooler and take measurements. After several hours in CAD, this was the result: Spoiler Part 2: To be continued – unfortunately, we can’t include more than 10 photos
Basically like the original, but with two fans and a modified XG3. All parts were printed with a Creality Halot Mage 8K to minimize sanding… At that time, resin printing was still relatively new to me, and the first print didn’t turn out as desired. One issue was that the design consisted of a single piece, which unfortunately resulted in a complete failure. So I had to start over and split everything into multiple parts. The GPU cover was glued and screwed together at the end. Spoiler In principle, any universal GPU cooler would have fit—but none cooled the memory, whereas this one does. The cover was glued using two-component adhesive and then filled and sanded multiple times. After that came the first coat of paint, followed by more filling and sanding. For the paint, I used Kobra Paint for the entire project—a brand known for graffiti paints. It sticks extremely well even without primer, looks great, and is also quite affordable. Spoiler Part 3: To be continued – unfortunately, we can’t include more than 10 photos
A bit of weathering, a nice layer of Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut, and the GPU received a stylish water block with additional heatsinks for cool VRMs. Very compact, yet still delivering full performance. Spoiler Part 4: To be continued – unfortunately, we can’t include more than 10 photos
The weathering was done using acrylic paints. The first layer was basically just water with a drop of black paint, applied generously several times with a brush. The rust was mixed and dabbed on using a sponge. Next time, I plan to apply some sand with glue to create a 3D effect. But overall, I think it doesn’t look too bad as it is… For the backplate, I initially wanted to have one custom-made. However, it was quite difficult since I couldn’t find anyone who had time to laser-cut an aluminum piece for me. The solution I chose was the simplest: I modified the original backplate by shortening it and adjusting the color accordingly. Spoiler I wanted to keep the GeForce RTX logo—it was supposed to look like a badge. However, only after everything was assembled did I realize that no one would actually see it, since the GPU is only visible from the fan side… Well, it’s still a detail that simply had to be included. That’s it—the GPU was finished at that point, and I didn’t even know yet whether it would work at all… xD Next up is the story with the distro plate—it’s going to be even more exciting, so stay tuned. xD
You could've tried making a block with staggered flat copper and a cpu plate. With your skills I'm shocked you haven't.
