Case Mod - In Progress [Worklog] Rebuilding an old companion Project ‘Battlefield’

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):

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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:

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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…

 

Good to see you back, even if it is just a copy/paste post.

 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

That would have been an idea, but it looks good, doesn't it? What do you think?

 

Love it.

 

The project is finished, so you’d think there would be time for the worklog, but since I’m writing this during my lunch break, there isn't much room for both the new project and the log here. But I want to improve and post a bit more frequently, as there is still quite a lot that needs to be documented.

Let’s move on to the distro.

In the first post, you can see the distro as it is now in its final state, but getting there was a bit of a bumpy road. The design was chosen for a good reason: I wanted to test certain shapes for future projects in everyday use, such as the pump being rotated 90 degrees to the main plate. Well, as it turned out, that idea – let’s just say it wasn't one of my best, but more on that later... xD

Once the distro design was finished, I sent the data to various service providers to have it manufactured. Due to the size, I didn't expect it to be cheap, but not a single quote was under 1,200 Euro. That was very frustrating at the time because that's simply way too much for some acrylic, so it was back to Fusion.

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A small distro plate with side inlets to test flow, throughput, shape, stability, and behavior.

As mentioned, having it manufactured was just too expensive, and I love designing things in Fusion and finding solutions, so the idea came to mind: why not 3D print it? I have a printer in the basement; it’s worth a try.

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Printed on a Creality Halot Mage 8K with a build volume of 228x128x230 mm, which is the only thing that might limit me a bit in the future. How can I put it – the tests went better than expected, and so the project was set: the plate would come out of the printer.


In the pictures, you can see the print. The only thing that is still made of acrylic here is the top plate, but that changed in the final project, as did the screws – unfortunately, I couldn't find better ones on short notice. The only thing that posed a small problem was the gasket because it leaked a bit of fluid, but that was fixed by remaking it and gluing it cleanly.


The distro was not treated, only briefly dry-sanded with 400-grit sandpaper.

The flow rate was decent, the pressure in the plate was also okay and held up even though two screws were missing. Partly because the threads were unfortunately not through-holes and were therefore full of resin and had to be recut.

Perhaps someone in the group has some tips for me on how to get that problem under control?

Let’s leave it at that for now, otherwise the post will be far too long. Thank you for reading and for any feedback.

Stay tuned.

 

Fantastic!
I've been playing with printing pump tops, but my print skills are significantly lacking.
Most machine shops don't like acrylic work. It's a high-tolerance job with low-tolerance materials, and it has a low melting point. I had a reservoir spiral that took a year to convince our machinist the rough billet I made wouldn't explode in the lathe.

 

Thanks!
Yes, you're right, and the machine also needs to be cleaned after milling because the shavings mustn't get into the aluminium or steel...

 

Before printing the distro, I wanted to test how accurate my single-digit readings are; the best way to do this is with the so-called ‘Cones of Calibration V3’.

Please excuse my handwriting...

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I have to admit it still needs a bit more fine-tuning, but unfortunately that had to wait a while... xD

The base layers are a bit too thick; there are some slightly overexposed areas where the surrounding material has hardened further, leaving slightly raised edges. Sanding sorts it all out – no problem at all. The advantage is that the part sits very securely on the bed and is unlikely to come loose.

I noticed that the less exposure, the more elastic the part becomes, so that should work for me too. The ‘cones’ were all fine, but with the transparent resin, the details that were printed in weren’t very visible because it’s transparent. But for my project, it was perfect.

The post-curing in the air was also successful; after UV curing, the patterns all looked very yellow, but:

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All in all, everything turned out surprisingly well, except that the threaded and through holes weren’t great, unfortunately.
I’m hoping you lot might have some tips for me on how to improve the overhangs, as they’re still a bit of a fail at the moment...

Once everything was printed, it was time for post-processing and sanding:

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Everything was sanded with 1x 400-grit, 1x 800-grit and then 1500-grit sandpaper, giving it a matt finish.
Not bad, really – next time I’ll polish it, though; let’s see if that works with the resin as well.

After a long search, I found the right screws and sealing tape; that definitely took longer than actually putting the distro together. xD

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I have to say that right up until the end, everything went smoothly without any insurmountable problems. Apart from the pump’s position – though that’s my own fault. As planned, the pump is the highest point, and when I filled the loop, it was full of air. Well, it’s working now, and as a pilot project, it’s okay if things don’t go exactly to plan, isn’t it? xD


Do let me know what you think – I’d really appreciate some feedback, and perhaps you’ll have a few suggestions to offer.

 

It came out fantastic. You really can't tell it's a print. It's a pity about the pump position. Sneaking a small vertical reservoir into the system somewhere would help keep the air out of the pump. It would likely still take forever to bleed.

 

I already have an idea of how I could solve this by using a 90° elbow with a hard tube and a plug right where the pump inlet is, so that should improve the situation a bit, but I still need to print it out first
The project isn’t quite finished yet. I’ve built a cooling tower with two 540mm radiators and want to monitor them with sensors and display the data via a Raspberry Pi.

I’m amazed—my post has 1,000 views! It’s really great to see how many people are still active here on the forum.

 

I guess the whole “regular updates” thing didn’t work out after all—sorry about that, but I just can’t seem to juggle everything with my schedule, unfortunately….

The case still needed quite a bit of work, so I had to make a few extra modifications, like the window for the PSU and another one for the graphics card.

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In the first post, you saw that the case was originally white—I couldn’t leave it like that, so I sanded it down and painted it gray.
However, there was a small problem: the paint I had had been open for quite a while and was bubbling quite badly.
I carefully cleaned the part with isopropyl alcohol and didn’t spray it right away; maybe the can wasn’t in the best shape anymore, so it was time to get a new one.

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Then the painting went smoothly.
As I mentioned before, I use Kobra Paint—in my opinion, it’s a very good paint and reasonably priced as well.


The next update is coming soon!

 

Looks like a bad base coat bond or reaction with a strong solvent paint. That also happens if the first coat wasn't fully cured.
I've screwed up a lot of paint in my day. -Just thank God your project wasn't sprayed with afro relaxer.

 

The base was definitely dry, but I think the paint in the can had gone bad because it had been open for a while. When I did a second coat with a new can, everything turned out perfectly.

 

Let’s continue with the case, as there were still a few details missing.
On the side where the GPU is housed, I wanted to create a rock face. The initial idea was to use real rock, but that was quickly ruled out for weight reasons.
So, back online I went to search for diorama rocks; it didn’t take long before my shopping list was finalised.
All it took was some aluminium foil, a frame made from leftover Plexiglas, and plaster.

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I picked up this trick from a YouTube video by a model railway builder.
Mix the plaster a bit more liquid and simply pour it in until everything is neatly covered and you’ve created a flat surface to glue to later.

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The result’s not half bad, is it?