Shazza's MM Cube Water Cooling Worklog (pics)

[shazza]

Finally got up enough courage to post my worklog here, after having spent the last month reading everyone else's. Not much exciting here for you experienced folks, but I'll try to share some of my frustrations and learnings along the way, which may be of interest to other first-timers.


HERE ARE FINISHED PICS, for those of you who may have just happened on this thread and don't want to slog through the detail:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfrontdec.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfrontside.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmchipset1.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmsystem.jpg



Now, a little intro - I did my first build about 3 months ago, which was actually just an upgrade of my 3 yr old Alienware desktop:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/teddyalien.jpg

(I know there are few Alienware fans in DIY forums, so no need to bash. The desktop served me well, as does my Alienware notebook).



I used the parts from the rebuild to make a spare computer from the ground up. Used the Lian-Li A05B for the build and loved the case and the quality:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/A05withV1.jpg



Liked it so much, I decided to search for an appropriate Lian-Li case to try my hand at water cooling. Then, I remembered DarthBeavis (who has helped and encouraged me through our association on another forum) had mentioned Mountain Mods, and that's where I ended up. I chose the U2-UFO Opti-1203 in brushed Aluminum. The Opti because I liked the symmetry of the front cover, and Aluminum because I wanted it to match my Dell 2707 monitor (stuff must match :p: ).

The case arrived, and I like it. I knew it was going to have that industrial look and that's fine for this build:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmcasewine.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmtop.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmback2.jpg




Now that I had the case, I just stared at it. "OMG", I thought, "what have I gotten myself into?" Prior to the builds I had just completed, my hardware experience was limited to installing RAM and a Hard Drive. I had to get some action going, so installed the feet:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfeet.jpg
(Does this count as "case modding?")



Oops, almost forgot to list the system components:

Intel Q6600
EVGA 680i A1 SLI MotherBoard
EVGA 8800 GTX
PCP&C 750W Quad Silencer PSU
2 GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800 RAM
WD 750 GB 7200RPM HD
Samsung 183L SATA DVD R/W optical drive
Mountain Mods U2-UFO Opti-1203 Case


Water Cooling Odds & Ends

D-TEK Fuzion CPU Water Block
EK Full Cover GPU Block
Alphacool Laing DDC Pump (12V)
Thermochill PA 120.3 Rad
EK RES-150
7/16 Tygon Tubing
Yate Loon Fans

and lots of bits and pieces - more than I ever thought possible!


When I first decided to try water cooling, I looked at all the various kits out there because I was overwhelmed by all of the choices. But, as I spent time researching and reading info here and other places, I decided to put together my own parts list. The biggest problem I've had is finding some of the stuff in stock - seems water cooling is the thing to do these days, and things like the Thermochill PA120.3 and barbs were in short supply. Got the rad from Mountain Mods, and ended up getting the fittings directly from Thermochill in the UK.

Other parts came primarily from Performance-PCs, Petra's Tech, and Frozen-CPU. All have provided great service and been very patient with my odds&ends orders.



Putting it all together: I did a quick build just to get a feel for the case. I put the MB, HD, and essentials in to see if everything booted - it did! But I had a problem with the EVGA 8800GTX card - it won't seat properly because the I/O plate sticks out too far, so I used a 7800 GTX to make sure all is well. Here are a couple of shots of the build in "test mode" - just threw it together to make sure everything was working:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mminsideshot.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmlights.jpg


As an aside, doing this build is also going to help me with my photography skills, as I've already started researching how to do better shots!

[shazza]

Worklog - Continued

The amazing thing about this project is, I'm learning to do some things I never even knew existed before. Here's one that's worked out reasonably well:

I wanted to see if I could hook up 3 fans ... after some snipping/sleeving/splicing/soldering, here's my first try (with special thanks to Patriote, who wrote a very nice guide to this I found by googling):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfanexper.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfan1.jpg


Didn't heatshrink the long piece yet, as I have to hook in the RPM wire. But, I wanted to see if it would work. Ta Da ...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfan2.jpg



Back to the point of this build...which I keep avoiding because I'm overwhelmed

I spent lots of time thinking about my water cooling loop ... then decided to do a mock up (we all know girls aren't good at visualizing 3D :) ):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmlooptest1.jpg



Hmmmnn... that might work, but why not try to shorten up the line between the res and pump:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmlooppractice.jpg


I cogitated on this for a week or so, not happy with the awkwardness of the res placement. Then DarthBeavis gave me a hint, and pointed me to a fitting from Danger Den that would allow me to screw the res directly into the pump top. Now see ... that's an example of something I had no idea even existed. Yay for the internet. We'll come back to the loop in a couple of weeks ... (in real time, but just a few minutes for the reader, if you're still hanging in there).



Next thing I dealt with was the Video Card. How about taking that $500 video card apart? Didn't know what I was doing, so just started unscrewing everything I could ... and here's the result:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmopencard.jpg


Ewwwww... lot's of gunky stuff:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmgpucore.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmgpucore2.jpg


A little progress on the GPU and EK water block. Question of the day --- will it still work after this torture (I really had no idea if I'd broken anything)???


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmekblocknotim.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmekblock.jpg


Another couple of weeks went by, and I didn't do too much. Did lots of reading and looking at other folks' work. Also had a weekend out to celebrate my father-in-laws 86th Birthday :up:



The weekend arrives (almost to real time here). I had started cleaning my PA120.3, and here are a few pics from my radiator cleaning and testing. I finally did get clean/clear water coming out of the radiator ... the glasses show the progress - the middle one has the most gunk, and that is what came out after I soaked it with deionized water overnight:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmradclean1.jpg


Now it was time to build a loop and do leak testing. I procrastinated every which way I could, but finally took the plunge ... pics and the experience to follow.


Set up my initial leak testing on the computer desk, using just the pump/rad/CPU block/res. Used a PSU tester to let me get power from the PSU without attaching to the MB (another one of those gizmos I didn't know existed). Really should have moved my monitor, but the fear of spraying coolant all over it added to the adrenaline rush:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmwatertest1.jpg

Lots of air in the system, and I started to get overwhelmed again. After rotating the radiator a bit to get the air out, and elevating the pump, I managed to get most of the air out of the loop:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmwatertest3.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmwatertest4.jpg



Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Mounted the CPU water block and GPU onto the MB, and set up a temporary loop in the case. This was scary, but it had to be done. Loop order is Pump > Rad > GPU > CPU > Res > Pump. Tubing left long for initial testing so I could move the radiator around if I needed to. I leak tested all afternoon. Had a small leak on the GPU block, but managed to fix that without spilling too much. Also having some very small leaks at the reservoir fittings - think I overtightened. Didn't take any pics of the in case leak testing, but here are some shots of the loop after I hooked everything up to the computer:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmloop1.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmcase1.jpg


:clap: Everything works (that is, I did not break my 8800 GTX), and temps look okay. The video card cooling seems to work quite well, as it didn't get warm to the touch, even while running 3DMark06.

The noisiest thing in the system is the little Southbridge (MCP) fan on the EVGA 680i board. I'm going to either have to try a different fan, or consider a water block for that as well (but not ready to add more components).


First thing this morning, I emptied out the coolant so I can redo the tubing to the right lengths, and see if I can fix my leaking res fittings. Also thinking of adding a T-line in the loop to make it easier to drain, since this will probably be a work-in-progress for some time.

I'll update once I get things back together again. Thanks for any advice y'all may have, as well as for all the helpful info I've gained from this friendly forum.

[NIF]

Nice build so far! But You have the V-reg portion of the EK 8800 block on upside down with the wrong screws!

[shazza]

Nice build so far! But You have the V-reg portion of the EK 8800 block on upside down with the wrong screws!


Great catch :yepp: I was wondering if anyone would notice that. Fortunately, I figured that out before trying to attach everything to the card. Just another example that I am mechanically challenged ;)

[NIF]

LOL! I am going to watch this build! I have been Eying that same case for a while now! Keep up the good work!

[Jedda]

Nice build
The learning is half the fun.

[septim]

with some improvisation as the other half.

keep up the good work...

[disruptfam]

LOOKS AWESOME! very well done

I would shorten up the tubing between the pump and the radiator....and maybe the gpu block to the rad aswell looks abit long might the camera angle though...

[louie101086]

damn nice

[shazza]

Thanks for the kind words. Still a long ways to go.

Hmmnnn... drained everything, shortened up the tubing (left it longer originally so I could move stuff around), fixed my leaks, and ran deionized water through everything to rinse. Then, I filled the loop with UV Red (really pink) Fluid XP+ Ultra. I know this isn't the preferred coolant by most, but I liked the color, and wanted to check it out.


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmxpfluid.jpg


It was very easy to bleed this time. Shook the radiator around a bit, did a few stops and starts and that's all it took. I knew the XP Fluid was more viscous (and not as efficient at heat transfer as H2O), but it was also very easy to bleed. The pump is quiet as a mouse now, and I'm getting very little turbulence in the res. In fact, I'm worried that something isn't right - I know I'm getting flow, but can this pump handle this liquid? I dunno:


The res with the pump going:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmxpfluidres.jpg

[disruptfam]

more pic's please :)

[louie101086]

you shouldnt have went with fluid xp if you were going to go with pre made fluid primochill would have been better but the best is distilled water

[NIF]

I just tried Fluid XP in my loop and I noticed the same thing! My EK res used to swirl a bit, but not with Fluid xp ( Too Thick)! Went back to distilled and pt nuke and my flow is back! Also with Fluid XP my temps went up 2-3c from just Distilled!

[shazza]

I knew the temps would be a couple of degrees higher ... wasn't really concerned about that. Also have no problem mixing my own, just wanted a nice bright pink/orange color.

I'll try it for a little bit, but just not comfortable with what looks like low flow although it may be just fine. Oh well ... this is all about experimenting and learning. I'm getting good at draining that loop.

[louie101086]

here are some options which you could mix with distilled water and all would give you red color you want and all are better than fluid xp

http://www.petrastechshop.com/peg12coaduvr.html
http://www.petrastechshop.com/peuvreddye1.html
http://www.petrastechshop.com/loliredcoad.html
http://www.jab-tech.com/Dtek-Liquid-F-X-UV-Dye-Fire-Red-pr-3703.html

[Solarfall]

damn thats a sweet looking case you have thereshazza

[DarthBeavis]

Shaz turn your res to the side to so the intake of the res shows the flow coming in . . .if you know what i mean. that pump can handle the fluid think tho i have not tried the ultra yet (have a bottle I got from them just have not used it yet). Fluid XP is decent stuff. I have tried Primochill and also use DI. One to two degrees is a reasonable trade off it you are happy otherwise. These watercooling people who want to whine over a couple degrees of difference should just quit watercooling and step up to the big leagues (phase change, water chilling, etc) if they think they want cooler temps . . .if you are at ambient or above a couple degrees is lame to worry about . . .Marci from Thermochill uses Fluid XP (at least he has in his previous posts) . . .all the guys from Danger Den use Fluid XP. . .These people live for watercooling.


Now lets all give Shaz a shout out from a sweet build. it is AWESOME to see a chick make such awesome watercooling sexytime explosion. Lets do the happy dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTWZHVVfuWk&mode=related&search=

[louie101086]

some people just cant pay that much for the stuff what is a bottle cost like $20 when you can get a bottle of distilled water for like $1 and like $5 for rest of additives i rather pay less to get a couple of degrees cooler but if shazza likes the stuff in her loop go with what works

[Polizei]

Nice work.

About the fans - DO NOT tie all 3 RPM wires together if you want RPM sense on your motherboard. That will triple the magnitude of the pulse sent to the motherboard and it may damage your board.

[shazza]

Thanks for the warning Polizei ... I've got them connected to a Sunbeam Rheobus fan controller for now, so I think I'll be okay.

louie10186 - thanks for the links to the other coolants. I've got some Pink Pentosin, but after seeing how light the blue was, I thought I'd try it later with some UV dye. Will look at the others as well.

Got things hooked to the computer, temps are stable, albeit a couple degrees higher (okay for what I need).

[DarthBeavis]

some people just cant pay that much for the stuff what is a bottle cost like $20 when you can get a bottle of distilled water for like $1 and like $5 for rest of additives i rather pay less to get a couple of degrees cooler but if shazza likes the stuff in her loop go with what works

Exactly . . .either way is good as long as you are happy!

[shazza]

And, DB ... not sure what you meant about turning the res to check the inlet. Remember, it's screwed onto the top of the Pump (your idea with the DD fitting). But, I'm satisfied I've got flow ... won't worry about it til I start doing something more taxing than reading the internet.

And, by the way, thanks again for all your help.

[DarthBeavis]

Shaz how are your temps? I suggest getting a logitech G15 keyboard, a copy of Everest or Speedfan, and then using the keyboard LCD to monitor your temps while you are benchmarking (if using 3dmark06 which is good cause i taxes your GPU and CPU).

[YugenM]

I've never really liked the look of the EK res (don't really like the look of the blanking plugs on the side), but that idea with the res stuck on the pump looks too damn cool to not try :up:

[louie101086]

Shaz how are your temps? I suggest getting a logitech G15 keyboard, a copy of Everest or Speedfan, and then using the keyboard LCD to monitor your temps while you are benchmarking (if using 3dmark06 which is good cause i taxes your GPU and CPU).

is g15 really that great i wanted one but dont know weather to get that or razer tarantula

[leo_bsb]

I would change the inlet outlet ports on the rad just to bleed it easyer.
BTW, nice work.

[Patriote]

Looks good! :)

[DarthBeavis]

is g15 really that great i wanted one but dont know weather to get that or razer tarantula

G15 has tons of applets, i have three working G15s and one I gutted for parts

[Patriote]

Razer Tarantula IMO. :D

[louie101086]

Razer Tarantula IMO. :D

why???

[SiGfever]

Excellent job! :clap: :clap:

Please keep the pics coming. :up:

[shazza]

Boys & their keyboards :cat:


I'm happy with my Saitek Eclipse II for now. Will probably add temp display in one of the 5 1/4" bays ... need to use them somehow.

My temps seem okay ... using SpeedFan - ambient is 24 deg C, and idle CPU is about 31 (at slight OC to 2.8GHz), GPU about 40. Haven't done a good load test yet (need to figure out which app to use for the Quad and Vista). After an hour on Prime95, haven't seen the CPU go past 40.


Should be cleaning up my mess, but couldn't resist the chance to check out some bling ('scuse the leaning UV cat):


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/1-1.jpg


From another angle, showing the res:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmcattest2res.jpg



And, with the flash, just to show the case better (altho the coolant is not quite that bright in RL):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmcattest3.jpg

[Gunlance]

Lookin good!

[EnJoY]

Close it up, finish up any wiring, and take some pics from multiple angles in both light and dark. =) Nice build.

[shazza]

I would change the inlet outlet ports on the rad just to bleed it easyer.
BTW, nice work.

You're right, but no issues bleeding so far (and I've had 3 different coolant fills in it in the last 24 hours :p: ). I set the loop up the way I did so the tubing wouldn't cross - guess you could say I'm going for looks here.



Close it up, finish up any wiring, and take some pics from multiple angles in both light and dark. =) Nice build.

hehe ... I'm probably weeks away from closing it up. Gotta change out the PSU, actually connect the rad to the fans (I'm afraid I'll puncture it!), and major cable management.

But, DON'T Worry - I won't be posting updates every hour in the meantime. This was a big weekend, as I made some major progress. I was hesitant to post my stuff here, since I'm such a beginner - but everyone has been very supportive, and it's nice to know help is just a post away http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif

[Pete]

Wow, what review/porject log. Thanks for shearing that. Seams like you learnt load, had tons of fun and very happy and now full understanding why we leave a mess hehe

Nice one 10/10

[SiGfever]

You're right, but no issues bleeding so far (and I've had 3 different coolant fills in it in the last 24 hours :p: ). I set the loop up the way I did so the tubing wouldn't cross - guess you could say I'm going for looks here.




hehe ... I'm probably weeks away from closing it up. Gotta change out the PSU, actually connect the rad to the fans (I'm afraid I'll puncture it!), and major cable management.

But, DON'T Worry - I won't be posting updates every hour in the meantime. This was a big weekend, as I made some major progress. I was hesitant to post my stuff here, since I'm such a beginner - but everyone has been very supportive, and it's nice to know help is just a post away http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif
Get a 6-32 tap and tap handle and tap all rad holes. Then just use 6-32 machine screws to attach. This way there is no pointy screw to puncture the rad.

[sergers]

what did you use to connect the res directly to the pump? barb with threading on each side?

the gap is quite small.

[DarthBeavis]

what did you use to connect the res directly to the pump? barb with threading on each side?

the gap is quite small.

check Danger Den's site,
Shaz run 4 instances of Prime to push all ur cores.

I also suggest buying some acrylic mirror (clear or colored) to put on the bottom of your case.

[Dark Prodigy]

I'm not a fan of MM cube cases.... but I can dig it. :up: Definately waiting to see this one 100%.

[Jedda]

A mirrored floor would look great with this build :up:

Tarantula has the looks and Eclipse the ergonomics but G15 has that LED screen to go with a heap of supporting apps. Just a pity it's styling is as it is.:(
I think Razor would have a winner if they released a LED screen for that dock port.
While I wait the G15 will do me.

[louie101086]

thanks jedda but i went with tarantula couldnt stomach the thought of having a keyboard that didnt go with mouse plus couldnt deny razers great products

[Marci]

Marci from Thermochill uses Fluid XP (at least he has in his previous posts)

I can't stand the stuff. I use whatever a customer tells me to use in their rig, despite my efforts to advise otherwise. For my own purposes, I use straight distilled with no additives, no dyes.

[DarthBeavis]

I can't stand the stuff. I use whatever a customer tells me to use in their rig, despite my efforts to advise otherwise. For my own purposes, I use straight distilled with no additives, no dyes.

I based that on pics YOU posted of a rig. Marci you need to put in disclaimers dude ;)

Laughs at myself . . .publically pwnd :rofl:

Now I will go hide my head in shame. God I HATE being wrong.

[Baleful]

FluidXP tends to separate over time. Personally I would switch to something else, but i'm with Marci on the no additives. Just watch your loop closely, i've seen more than one test where that stuff will separate on you.

[{SKA} Silence]

Ok ok I have to show my noob status again. Hey Shazza what psu tester did you use. I need one so I can do the same, and test the different parts and pieces of my build as it comes in before installing.

And nice build!!!

[Viper959]

Hey Shazza

Great build. Just got a MM case myself and love it.
I would say you want to stay away from Speedfan for your temps though. I have heard they are out by about 15 degrees.
Try Coretemp instead

http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/

[[XC] DragonOrta]

Hey Shazza

Great build. Just got a MM case myself and love it.
I would say you want to stay away from Speedfan for your temps though. I have heard they are out by about 15 degrees.
Try Coretemp instead

http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/

It's true that Speedfan is off by 15 degrees on some CPUs, but you can change that in the Advanced tab of the Configure options. Choose INTEL CORE and you can change the temp offset.

Just compare Coretemp .95.4 and speedfan to see what you need the temp offset to be set to.

Shazza, I love the look of the brushed aluminum. :up:

[DarthBeavis]

Hey Shazza

Great build. Just got a MM case myself and love it.
I would say you want to stay away from Speedfan for your temps though. I have heard they are out by about 15 degrees.
Try Coretemp instead

http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/

I use Speedfan because it is HIGHLY accurate for sub-zero temps . . .CoreTemp and MOSt other temp monitoring methods DO NOT work at sub zero.

For ambient level and above temps I like Everest.

[shazza]

I'm not a fan of MM cube cases.... but I can dig it. :up: Definately waiting to see this one 100%.

Thanks. Dark Prodigy ... your v1200 build is one of the ones that really got me interested in trying water cooling. I expect I'll end up with one of the Lian-Li cases down the road as my everyday rig.




Laughs at myself . . .publically pwnd :rofl:

Now I will go hide my head in shame. God I HATE being wrong.

This one gave me a good laugh ... I'll save this quote for a future time to haunt DarthBeavis ;)


Ok ok I have to show my noob status again. Hey Shazza what psu tester did you use. I need one so I can do the same, and test the different parts and pieces of my build as it comes in before installing.

This is the one I ordered: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=101&products_id=2850
I think they are readily available at a number of places. You can also jumper the PSU connector without this, I just felt safer doing it this way.


Get a 6-32 tap and tap handle and tap all rad holes. Then just use 6-32 machine screws to attach. This way there is no pointy screw to puncture the rad.

Sounds good ... I'll give that a try.



what did you use to connect the res directly to the pump? barb with threading on each side?

the gap is quite small.

This is the fitting I ordered: http://www.dangerden.com/store/product.php?productid=286&cat=34&page=1

I'll most likely also replace the Fluid XP coolant next time I redo the loop.
RE temps ... will also follow up with the programs suggested. The CPU temp I'm reporting is the one reported from the BIOS and from the CPU temp in Speedfan (which agree). Speedfan does show the Core 0-4 temps lower by another 12-13 degrees, which I know can't be right because it's lower than ambient.

Thanks for all the help!

[shazza]

Made a little more progress. Still more cable management and other things to do, but wanted to see what it would look like closed up. Waiting for my Sata Optical Drive to arrive.


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmdesk1.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmdeskdark1.jpg



The brushed aluminum picks up finger prints like crazy ...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmdesk2front.jpg




And ... just to see what it would look like with a little less color:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmdesksepia.jpg

[disruptfam]

looks sik shazza nice work :)

i like the colour's you used

[shazza]

okie dokie ... been a bit quiet, but I haven't given up yet!

Burned out my pump last week, so had to wait while a new one came in:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmpumps.jpg


My new pump + 1 with the obligatory Petra's pen and note pic. Decided to get two pumps, cause I might as well do another loop.


Here's one pump opened up. I watched the installation video on Petra's site, so figured I couldn't screw this up - note the large O-ring left in the old top - gotta transfer that to Petra's top:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmpumpapart.jpg


That was so easy, I installed the top on the other pump as well. Tested out the first pump in my old loop - all works well.


Now - on to the new stuff. Decided to go back to my ASUS P5N32E-SLI board:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmasus.jpg


Since I was taking everything apart, thought I'd try these:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmekblocks.jpg


And, all the blocks mounted on the motherboard:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmasuswblocks.jpg



Hey - wait a minute, what's this on the floor under the table:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmoring.jpg


Crikees $#@%& ... so much for me knowing how to install the tops on my pumps. Took apart the one I hadn't tested, sure enough - it was missing the O-ring. Whew, glad I found that before I hooked it up.


And now ... a couple pics of my new loop during leak testing:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmbluetest.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmbluetest2.jpg


Slight problem with my loop. The small loop connecting the mosfets isn't going to work - gotta figure something else out.

[disruptfam]

wow that blue is real nice what did you use to get it???

Also those ek block's are sexy i can't wait to get mine!!! I would of went with the full acrylic set...including the gfx block but that's just me

What rad are you using for the second loop (looks like a mcr220) and where is going in the case

excellent work shazza looking 4ward to some more update's

More pic's more pic's!!! :) lol

[shazza]

Thanks, disruptfam. The blue is XP Fluid Ultra midnight blue. I KNOW this is not a preferred coolant - but I ordered it before I'd done all my research, and the color is pretty :p:

Yep the second rad is the MCR220. It's going in the back of the Opti-1203 case above the PSU. Going to keep the CPU and GPU on the PA 120.3 for now, and just use the second loop for mosfets, NB, and SB. Overkill, but I'm mostly cooling these for looks and as part of my learning experience. And yeah, I would have ordered the GPU acrylic blocks, but got those before I thought about doing the chipset - but the acrylic wouldn't show since it'll be on the bottom when the mb is in place.

[Creek Tha Gray]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmbluetest2.jpg


Slight problem with my loop. The small loop connecting the mosfets isn't going to work - gotta figure something else out.

on the loop issue jump to the mofet barb that is farther away you will need mob tub but bend will be better. curent is this mofset 1 output to mofset 2 input to mofset 2output change to mofset 1output to mofset 2 output

[Patriote]

Wow! All those blocks = Sexyness! :eek:

Nice job m8!

[DarthBeavis]

Shaz u never cease to amaze me . . .I am putting the same set of NB/SB/mofset blocks on my Striker Extreme next week (after midterms!!!).

[shazza]

Wellllll ... with every step forward, we have the potential to go back two...

Got the loops set up for testing in the case:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mm2loop.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mm2loopres.jpg



Everything was working fine ... turned of the PSU, hooked up the fans on the fan controller ... turned PSU back on, started then stopped ... now no power coming from the PSU. I have a spare, but wondering what I did????

EDIT: hooked up the spare PSU, hooked up the pumps, all works fine. Turned it off, and plugged in the other fans just like I did with the other PSU ... everything worked fine and is still working. Guess I'll have to check on a warranty repair for the PCP&C 750W PSU - dang, it's the one that was custom sleeved by Perf-PC's.

[DarthBeavis]

shaz u are so naughty . . .damn that is one hawt rig. Suggestion: You DO NOT NEED a PC Power and Cooling 750w in there. Anyone here who says u need that much power does not know what they are talking about (we did testing at PDXLAN 10 . . .number to prove it). Get a Hiper PSU from Performance PCs (they come in blue, red, silver with VERY nicely sleeved modular cables). Looks like the blue is not on the page but I have one and you should still be able to get one. You know I have been a PSU snob for a while (I have a PC Power and Cooling 1 k in Hellmouth, a PC Power and Cooling 850 w in Order 66, and have done a couple other builds with them). They are overkill.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=287&zenid=194f3ea4735d0c67d90969b64d8ed9ec

[YugenM]

Cleanest dual-loop set-up. Ever.

[disruptfam]

Cleanest dual-loop set-up. Ever.

i don't think shazz has done the cabling yet mate....

but yes very very nice work shazza... !!!! Great job!!!Very sexy build!!!

More update's of finished build!!!

[Brother Esau]

Wow! All those blocks = Sexyness! :eek:

Nice job m8!


Well I have seen this girl Posting for years what say we get a Look at you sweet heart and I don't mean the computer either:hrhr:

[shazza]

Well I have seen this girl Posting for years what say we get a Look at you sweet heart and I don't mean the computer either:hrhr:


:rofl: Just picture your grandmother and you have all the visual you need.


Thanks for the kind words, folks. I'm having fun, even with the minor setbacks. Hooked up the Corsair 620 PSU and everything is working fine. Still have to do all my cabling (for about the third time), but hoping to get it finished within the next week or so.

[disruptfam]

More pic's please

[DarthBeavis]

:rofl: Just picture your grandmother and you have all the visual you need.


Thanks for the kind words, folks. I'm having fun, even with the minor setbacks. Hooked up the Corsair 620 PSU and everything is working fine. Still have to do all my cabling (for about the third time), but hoping to get it finished within the next week or so.


Do u have a tramp stamp like Fasmia? ;) LOL. I wish I got to meet you with Red . . .maybe you can come out if we all get the AlienwareNiche LAN organized someday

[YugenM]

i don't think shazz has done the cabling yet mate....

but yes very very nice work shazza... !!!! Great job!!!Very sexy build!!!

More update's of finished build!!!

No, damn near every other dual-loop build I've seen is a mess of tubing.

[DarthBeavis]

shaz can I make one SMALL recommendation? Get red and blue clamps . . .

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g30/c101/s180/list/p1/Liquid_Cooling-Fittings_Accessories-Tubing_Clamps-Page1.html
I know it is being picky but then you know I am a stickler about asthetics. I am gonna order some so I can add some to my order to save shipping then drop you a little first class envelope of just the amount you need. Lemme know the tubing size the color and amount of each.

[Patriote]

Well I have seen this girl Posting for years what say we get a Look at you sweet heart and I don't mean the computer either:hrhr:

Oh sorry! Shazza's a women? :yawn: :hitself:

[DarthBeavis]

Oh sorry! Shazza's a women? :yawn: :hitself:

LOL . . .Shaz u need a female symbol for your avatar . . .now, ask her if Red really looks like Ron Jeremy in person . . .:rofl:

[shazza]

shaz can I make one SMALL recommendation? Get red and blue clamps . . .


Agree ... I got some blue ones, but they were the wrong size. Will add this to my list.

[disruptfam]

hey shazza how are you temps on the q6600 and the gtx??

[Senater_Cache]

Hey , nice work

Hows that res-on-pump working out in terms of creating a vortex?

[Brother Esau]

:rofl: Just picture your grandmother and you have all the visual you need.


Thanks for the kind words, folks. I'm having fun, even with the minor setbacks. Hooked up the Corsair 620 PSU and everything is working fine. Still have to do all my cabling (for about the third time), but hoping to get it finished within the next week or so.


Yea.....Right:D C'mon now:rolleyes: I could be someones Grand Parent too if I had kids when I was 16 -17 years old .....I don't believe it!:sofa:

[shazza]

More pic's please


Careful what you ask for:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmost1.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmostuv2.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmostfront.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmostfrontuv.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmostback.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmostsideuv.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmostclosedf.jpg


Hope to finish up next weekend. Me and Maggie are plum worn out from all this stuff:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/maggieturtle.jpg

[Jokester_wild]

Looks very good, having the space to run two loops is awesome. Sometimes I wish I could.

hahaha @ maggie

[DarthBeavis]

shaz u should put something in here to look at or put in a window with blackout etching with lights behind the etching.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmalmostback.jpg

[shazza]

shaz u should put something in here to look at or put in a window with blackout etching with lights behind the etching.
]


or just not look at it :ROTF:

Actually, an etched window is a good idea. Wonder if Mountain Mods will do a "Barbie" version for me.

[disruptfam]

wow looks nice shazza, i love that blue coolant the green cable ties look good on the blue loop, the only thing i don't like are those white clamp's in the pink loop but u already said u were changing them so algud.The case looks really spacious...more so than my v2000 to bad we can't get them in Aus....

[Jedda]

Cool dog! lol
Maggie spend all summer like that?

[shazza]

Yep - Maggie attaches herself to the tile in the summer. Amazing she can still do the frog-spread, cause she's 16.

To answer a few questions asked earlier -

1) No issue with a vortex in the EK res, this is no doubt helped because I'm running Fluid XP+ Ultra - it's more viscous, bleeds quite easily, but temps are 2-3 degrees higher. Not a bad trade off for the colors. I'll watch for separation/gunk build up.

2) Temps seem to be okay. Low-mid 30's at idle on the CPU (now running the E6850, not the Q6600) with ambient around 25. CPU is now at 47-48 (using Core #0 and Core #1 readings from Core Temp 0.95.4). GPU shows 43 using NVIDIA Monitor. This is after running ORTHOS for 30 minutes. Note - I'm getting virtually the same temps with all fans set at 7V. System is very quiet, even with two pumps running right next to my ear - happy with everything so far!

3) New cable ties on order...

[DarthBeavis]

Yep - Maggie attaches herself to the tile in the summer. Amazing she can still do the frog-spread, cause she's 16.

To answer a few questions asked earlier -

1) No issue with a vortex in the EK res, this is no doubt helped because I'm running Fluid XP+ Ultra - it's more viscous, bleeds quite easily, but temps are 2-3 degrees higher. Not a bad trade off for the colors. I'll watch for separation/gunk build up.

2) Temps seem to be okay. Low-mid 30's at idle on the CPU (now running the E6850, not the Q6600) with ambient around 25. CPU is now at 47-48 (using Core #0 and Core #1 readings from Core Temp 0.95.4). GPU shows 43 using NVIDIA Monitor. This is after running ORTHOS for 30 minutes. Note - I'm getting virtually the same temps with all fans set at 7V. System is very quiet, even with two pumps running right next to my ear - happy with everything so far!

3) New cable ties on order...


Shaz when God made u he broke the damned mold . . .arg.

[shazza]

Shaz when God made u he broke the damned mold . . .arg.


My husband would argue that's a good thing :rofl:


Making progress ... system is running fine. Got my top fans in, now just gotta change out my Optical Drive and a bit more cable management. Waiting for one more part to come in this week. Will post some more pics today, but here's one for now. I found THIS on the floor when I was cleaning up my mess this morning. Almost had a heart attack ... the joys of living in Florida:



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/P1010842.jpg

[disruptfam]

lol damn toad....

Any pic's of updated rig?

[AAjax]

What kind of lighting is that on the ram slots?

[newls1]

where at in FL do you hail from?? Used to live in wellington.........

[Jedda]

What kind of lighting is that on the ram slots?

Corsair Xpert RAM

[Clockwork_Apple]

Very clean dual loop setup :clap:

[shazza]

@ AAjax ... it's Crucial Ballistix Tracer RAM with LEDs

@ newls1 ... currently living in Palm Beach Gardens - not all that far from Wellington.

@ Clockwork Apple ... Thanks for the clap (wait a minute ... that didn't come out quite right ;) )

___________________________


Here's some more pics from the weekend's efforts:


Most of my efforts were spent on hooking up the UV CCFLs ( a pain in the neck. I picked up 2 Overboost AC Ryan CCFLs ... very disappointing). Here's my sleeving efforts:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmccflsleeved.jpg


A look after more cable management (not very exciting, I know ... but I'm working hard at it):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmbackcase.jpg


With the back door on ... note, the biohazard sign is just an applique - it will come off when I figure out just what I want to do with the window:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmbiohaz.jpg



And, a few pics of the mosfet/chipset waterblocks:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmchipset1.jpg




http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmchipset3.jpg




http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmchipset2.jpg


(Looks like a bit of dust showing up in that last pic) :p:

[shazza]

and a couple more. Working on using the nighttime mode on my camera. These give a pretty good representation of what the color looks like in a darkened room with the UV lights on:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmuvnight.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmuvdarknite.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmtopuvnite.jpg

[disruptfam]

Wow looking awesome shazza.... how bright is that ram ?

are you finished with the build?

nice work on the cable management by the way

[SiGfever]

Beautiful job young lady! :clap: :clap: :up: :up: :cool:

How about a picture of your dog's face etched into a panel for the side?

[shazza]

Thanks, disruptfam and SiGfever. The support on this forum is a great motivating factor.

The build is almost done. Just waiting for the last part - a 5 x 5 1/4 bay cover from Mountain Mods. Should be here this week, and next weekend will be THE END (for now, I imagine). I'm happy with everything so far, but I believe my next build will be a little more subtle (all black, maybe some red).

[RX7boricua]

...and next weekend will be THE END (for now, I imagine).

HAHAHAHA!!!! :rofl: :ROTF: :lol2: :lol: :rotf:

I've said that like 4 times now. :P Hell, tomorrow I'm going to partially drain my GPU loop to swap out my 8800GTXs for a pair of Ultras. It never ends shazza, just ask IanY. :P

[Canadmos]

Great build and very nice pictures!

One curiosity though. For the first piece of tubing going into the mosfet loop from the radiator, why did you choose to wrap it all the way behind the mobo tray? Instead of going directly overtop?

[warbux]

nice work, what fitting did you use on the res, and what did you use to clean the gunk off of the gpu, oh and the fans, you found an article on em, can you link it?

You mentioned your NB running hot, they sell nice aftermarket air cooled options. I wouldnt waste the water flow on a water cooled solution

[DarthBeavis]

Shaz is meh heroin . . .I mean heroine . . .uhhh . . .female hero dammit

[shazza]

Great build and very nice pictures!

One curiosity though. For the first piece of tubing going into the mosfet loop from the radiator, why did you choose to wrap it all the way behind the mobo tray? Instead of going directly overtop?

I was wondering when someone would ask that. Originally left the tubing long for my leak testing, installed it ... thinking I'd be tearing it down again, but everything worked fine, so I've got a bit much tubing there. It doesn't look too bad ... adds a bit more blue to the look, but I'll fix it next time I redo.

The fitting for the pump to res was this one. (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=342&products_id=22062)

As for why I water cooled the NB/SB/mosfets ... just for fun and looks - that's why they are in a separate loop.



HAHAHAHA!!!! :rofl: :ROTF: :lol2: :lol: :rotf:

I've said that like 4 times now. :P Hell, tomorrow I'm going to partially drain my GPU loop to swap out my 8800GTXs for a pair of Ultras. It never ends shazza, just ask IanY. :P

I should qualify ... "THE END" means I can post a few pics in the gallery, and all the basics are done ... screws, zip ties, etc. (I'm already picking out my next case and components for build #2 :eek: )



Shaz is meh heroin . . .I mean heroine . . .uhhh . . .female hero dammit

lolz ... I may be the only person here who happily admits DarthBeavis is my mentor.

[disruptfam]

(I'm already picking out my next case and components for build #2 )

can't wait!!!!

[Nate P.]

Ooh, excellent build! The contrast between the coolants looks amazing... awsome job!

[shazza]

nice work, what fitting did you use on the res, and what did you use to clean the gunk off of the gpu, oh and the fans, you found an article on em, can you link it?

You mentioned your NB running hot, they sell nice aftermarket air cooled options. I wouldnt waste the water flow on a water cooled solution



I just used isopropyl alcohol to clean off the GPU/CPU heatsinks. Seemed to work fine.

Regarding the fan sleeving/connecting ... the most helpful guide I found was this one by Patriote (http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/guides-how-tos/1906-guide-sleeving-3-pin-fan-56k-warning.html), and this one by phcjpp(post # 37) (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2198351&postcount=37).

[Talonman]

Thanks for the links shazza.

Did you do any of the fan connectors? I was wondering how big of a pain was it to pop them fan wires out, and back in their clips? :)

[shazza]

Did you do any of the fan connectors? I was wondering how big of a pain was it to pop them fan wires out, and back in their clips?


I was afraid to at first, but it was actually pretty easy ... made sleeving easy. I'd suggest practicing on something that isn't all that important first (since my Yate Loons were about $7 a piece, I wasn't too worried).

[Jedda]

Thanks for the links shazza.

Did you do any of the fan connectors? I was wondering how big of a pain was it to pop them fan wires out, and back in their clips? :)

Sunbeam have a good tool for the fan plugs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/sulk/Sunbeamtool.gif

[shazza]

arrrggghhh ... I knew things were going to well. My motherboard has started acting up. Now getting the dreaded "system opened, chassis intruded ... check system" upon booting. Sometimes it starts when I Save&Exit the BIOS, other times it won't start until I move the jumper to CLR CMOS (the one above the jumper on the chassis intrude pins that is SUPPOSED to stop this if you don't want it hooked up.

I've tried everything I can think of ... and everything I've found by googling (even tried reading TFM). Reset CMOS (power off, battery out, etc). Switched out RAM, unplugged all USB devices, replaced jumpers, even re-installed OS (Vista) and flashed the BIOS. Things got a bit better, but it's still doing it.

Just can't face the thought of having to tear down and start over :(

[pH(x)]

Great build, I love that you used the PA120.3 hands down best radiator out there.

[disruptfam]

arrrggghhh ... I knew things were going to well. My motherboard has started acting up. Now getting the dreaded "system opened, chassis intruded ... check system" upon booting. Sometimes it starts when I Save&Exit the BIOS, other times it won't start until I move the jumper to CLR CMOS (the one above the jumper on the chassis intrude pins that is SUPPOSED to stop this if you don't want it hooked up.

I've tried everything I can think of ... and everything I've found by googling (even tried reading TFM). Reset CMOS (power off, battery out, etc). Switched out RAM, unplugged all USB devices, replaced jumpers, even re-installed OS (Vista) and flashed the BIOS. Things got a bit better, but it's still doing it.

Just can't face the thought of having to tear down and start over :(


that suck's i've never had that problem sorry i can' help

[Jedda]

arrrggghhh ... I knew things were going to well. My motherboard has started acting up. Now getting the dreaded "system opened, chassis intruded ... check system" upon booting. Sometimes it starts when I Save&Exit the BIOS, other times it won't start until I move the jumper to CLR CMOS (the one above the jumper on the chassis intrude pins that is SUPPOSED to stop this if you don't want it hooked up.

I've tried everything I can think of ... and everything I've found by googling (even tried reading TFM). Reset CMOS (power off, battery out, etc). Switched out RAM, unplugged all USB devices, replaced jumpers, even re-installed OS (Vista) and flashed the BIOS. Things got a bit better, but it's still doing it.

Just can't face the thought of having to tear down and start over :(

Check PM

[shazza]

THANK you, Jedda. The I/O plate looked okay, but I did a thorough check of the motherboard to see if I could be shorting something else out, and found the top right screw had come loose. Replaced it, and everything now seems to be working as it should. Still not sure exactly what was causing the problem, but VERY happy that it seems to be fixed.

[Jedda]

Really good news:up:

Strange things motherboards. I had one that turning one mounting screw one quarter turn more was the difference between dead or working flawlessly.:shrug:
Some can bend like wobble-boards and others will split a trace with the tinyist of pressure.

[FallenCow]

Great looking build shazza! Diggin' the twin res setup.

[Darkatom]

Do the holes on the back of the case line up perfectly for a MCR220 ?

[Colossous]

Great job Shazza, i start my Opti 1203 soon and yours is inspiring ! :clap:

[shazza]

Do the holes on the back of the case line up perfectly for a MCR220 ?

Yep ... the back holes on the Opti-1203 are set for the MCR220.

Have fun with your build, Colossus!



I've been busy with work lately, but finally had a chance to play around today. I am ALMOST done! Here are a few snaps in the afternoon light ... with the computer off, because the LEDs are too bright to get a decent shot with it on. Gotta figure out how to do that. These shots give a reasonable view of the color in daylight.


http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/6890/desktopeditsk4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3883/mmfrontew6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmbackflashcopy.jpg


http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/4540/mmsideviewps7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[disruptfam]

Aww, now that's so CUTE!

cute??? lol that's new

[shazza]

Cute is fine ... you know I'm going for that "Barbie" look :)


A few more pics:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/P1020071.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmsideclosed.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/P1020103.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfrontuvres1.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmresuv.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmcloseup2.jpg

[disruptfam]

wow nice!!

[Colossous]

Absolutely nice !! Get my case back Thursday and i cant wait to start mine now, great job Shazza !! :up: :D

[Lu523]

Very nice work. i was thinking of gettin a TJ07. But the more I see of the MM cubes, the more I am leaning towards one.

[Jedda]

Ken will be proud he has such a clever little miss!:ROTF: :rofl:

Finishing off nicely, it seems.:clap:
What's that big figure on your desktop? I love it's sense of depth.

[shazza]

Ken will be proud he has such a clever little miss!:ROTF: :rofl:

Finishing off nicely, it seems.:clap:
What's that big figure on your desktop? I love it's sense of depth.


Maybe Ken will let me drive his convertible now ;) Re the big figure on the desk top, I was worried my reflection was showing in one of the pics, but I think you are referring to the abstract tubing ... found it on a wallpaper site. I had another one that covered the screen, but can't find it now:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmtubes.jpg


Thanks for the compliments, guys ... it has really been a fun project. Just a few minor things to take care of (gotta paint that "not so silver" DVD cover, straighten up my blue reservoir, and a couple of little things you don't notice til you take pics). Will also do a post mortem summary to share a few other mistakes that didn't make the log yet :p: )

[Jedda]

Yes, I meant the abstract tubular figure showing in your monitor.
Have been playing around with abstract 3D figures and find it quite challenging. The artist has a nice result there.

[nestcrw]

everyone on xtreme should now complement with cute! lol.

[Darkatom]

Did the see through bay cover located on the left side come with the case ?

[shazza]

Did the see through bay cover located on the left side come with the case ?


Didn't come with, but ordered it from Mountain Mods. Was originally going to copy the right side, but my reservoir experiment went wild, so got the 5 x 5 1/4in clear plexiglass bay drive. The bottom portion is covered with black tape ... will be painted.

[Patriote]

10 out of 10 Mrs. Shazza!

[kuhla]

Looks really good! If I ever buy a mountain mod case, I think I will have to credit this thread for doing so. I never really considered them before due to size but this build looks so damn nice!!

[shazza]

Ha ... bet you guys all thought you'd seen the last of this thread.

Finally had a chance to do a little "clean-up" today.


First ... thought I should share a couple of my "catastrophes" during the build (some previously mentioned, some not) with the group:


1) Blew out a brand new Custom Sleeved PP&PC 750 Quad Silencer PSU ... still need to do the RMA

2) Burned up a DDC pump -- plugged in to wrong connectors during attempt to sleeve the cables (this one definitely my fault!).

3) Cracked up an EK-Reservoir ... this happened while IN THE LOOP ... although cracking started slow. This one is my fault as well, as this happened after my chipset loop must have been very hot ... turned off the fans, forgot, left the room ... came back much later and things were very, very hot. Note that the chipset is cooled with the MCR-220. The CPU/GPU loop is on a 120.3, and did not get nearly as hot during my "passive cooling experiment." I should add that Petra's offered to do an RMA for me on the res ... but I didn't think that was fair, since it was my mistake.

Here's a pic of the leftovers from the last two escapades:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/casualties.jpg


On a more positive note, I had two things left to fix on my rig since I last posted. First was to paint the DVD drive cover to see if I could get a better match. Second was to paint the bottom part of my clear acrylic bay cover (since it was previously covered with electrical tape - a bit ghetto :p: )


First, I managed to get the covers off of the Optical Drive front ( remember, I am mechanically incompetent, so this wasn't all that easy!):


The Naked Optical Drive:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/dvddrivecoveroff.jpg


The newly painted Silver Pieces:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/paintedDVDcover.jpg


The Clear Acrylic Bay - painting in progress:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/paintedbaycover.jpg

(And yes, I know one should not paint in the garden, but I, ummmm, well ... let's just say there is a bit of excess silver paint in the garage from the Optical Drive cover experiment).


And, the finished products ---

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/newoptcover.jpg


The silver still isn't a perfect match on the Optical Drive, but better than before, the old color shown in the following pic:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/graydvd.jpg


Even the dogs are tired of this thread, but I may be back, if I have any luck with my photography experiments:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/beaumag.jpg

[Lunatock]

Sorry for your (hardware) loss :p:

I thought the MM brushed aluminum would look awkward and unfinished ... but it looks pretty good :)

[leo_bsb]

nice dogs, congratulations! ;)

[Isriam]

man this is a crazy build! totally love it.

would you mind telling me the total height of your pump + fitting + res? I really like that idea :)

[Waterlogged]

Snip......
3) Cracked up an EK-Reservoir ... this happened while IN THE LOOP ... although cracking started slow. This one is my fault as well, as this happened after my chipset loop must have been very hot ... turned off the fans, forgot, left the room ... came back much later and things were very, very hot. Note that the chipset is cooled with the MCR-220. The CPU/GPU loop is on a 120.3, and did not get nearly as hot during my "passive cooling experiment." I should add that Petra's offered to do an RMA for me on the res ... but I didn't think that was fair, since it was my mistake.
........Snip

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :up:

It makes me so happy to see that there is still someone else besides myself that believes in accountability for your own actions. You are to be commended shazza. :clap: :clap: :clap:

It really makes me wonder sometimes with all the RMA scamming I see going on if ppl never heard of being accountable for their own actions or the phrase "you broke it, you bought it". :shakes:


Beautiful build shazza. :up:

[shazza]

man this is a crazy build! totally love it.

would you mind telling me the total height of your pump + fitting + res? I really like that idea :)


The pump/fitting/res just fit in a 5 1/4 inch bay ... so about that high (sorry ... too lazy to take off the panel and do an accurate measure).

These res/top combos are now made by EK ... and this is what I'll try next. This pic is the shorter one, there is a taller one (available at Performance-PCs):

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2240/ddcxres100a01dz8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[shazza]

@ Waterlogged ... yeah, I know what you mean about fake RMAs. It's a pet peeve of mine, so I'm good with taking responsibility when I screw somethin' up. OTH, I know the PSU problem was not my fault, since I plugged the Corsair into exactly the same connectors with no issue.

[SiGfever]

As old as those puppies look they ought to be tired. :yepp: ;)

Excellent build, look forward to more pics.

[shazza]

Thanks, all. SiGfever ... the big one is 10 and the little one is 15, so they are old for sure.

Here's a few more pics after everything has been buttoned up:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfrontdec.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmback1.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmfrontside.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/mmsystem.jpg



That's about it, folks. Now planning Build No. 2, as we are moving to Arizona, and this one will stay in Florida. Decisions, decisons, decisions. Thanks for all the support from Day One. Great group here.

[disruptfam]

awesome!!!! this thread go 4eva and still would be great :)

[Jedda]

Build #2 will be even better, I'd wager, with the experience from this one.
Not the first custom sleeved psu prob I've heard of. Don't let that one slide, with your move and busy life. I know of 2 others where the shipping costs and general resistance from the online retailer deterred the customer from persueing the issue.
I suspect the assembly fault incidence is much higher than we'd expect.

[shazza]

Thanks, disruptfam and Jedda ... I've learned a lot from your work logs and answers to everyone's questions.

All I know about Build No. 2 is,

-- it will be BLACK,
-- it will be TiGHT (as in as neat as I can possibly make it),
-- it will NOT be a Pink & Blue show (although I am quite happy with this one as a first go ... visitors get quite a start when they see Grandma's PC :) )
-- it is still in the planning stages ...

[disruptfam]

ooooh sounds good :)

my next rig/project/lan pc will be...

white powercoated tj07
black tubing...

etc etc

[Jedda]

lol
My next build will be ...
All about putting a smile on my women's face.
New monitor, it seems, mobo and case. There's enough bits for the rest of it, sitting around here.

[shazza]

Awww...what a nice guy Jedda is.

I do know the new build will have to match the new Dell 3008 monitor http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif

[Isriam]

Thank you shazza :)

[SiGfever]

Those are some excellent pictures, they really show case your build. :clap: :clap:

[Jedda]

Awww...what a nice guy Jedda is.

I do know the new build will have to match the new Dell 3008 monitor http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/animatedkoaladance1zi.gif

Who's a lucky girl, then?
Very nice indeed!

[septim]

very nice shazza, will look forward to build 2...

[shazza]

Welllllll, in the spirit of full disclosure, here's an update.

Had some serious gaming duty this past week. AND, I noticed that my chipset loop EK res cracked again! But, I caught it before anything leaked (more about that in a minute). Again, I think it's my fault ... don't think I can get away with running the MCR220 with low fans. So, ordered a new EK top/reservoir combo from Performance PCs.

Draining the res and preparing to put on the new top, and I did this:


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/spillfull.jpg

Yes, I know ... I should be the poster girl of "How Not to Water Cool!!!" I've done this same drill 3 times before with no problems. And everything was going fine this time ... then I dropped the container with the drained coolant.

Oh yeah ... the carpet is less than 6 months old. Good news is, it's being ripped out in a month as part of a major remodeling project.


This is not as bad as something I did last year: Red Wine across a white sofa:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/winesofa.jpg


Needless to say, my husband is sponsoring my next AIR-COOLED rig for the new house http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/toast.gif

[Jedda]

These quad cases take up so much room there's always an available table top shortage, I find. No where to put things down on.

Love the red wine. Making a point waving the arm around, were we?

[Talonman]

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :up:

It makes me so happy to see that there is still someone else besides myself that believes in accountability for your own actions. You are to be commended shazza. :clap: :clap: :clap:

It really makes me wonder sometimes with all the RMA scamming I see going on if ppl never heard of being accountable for their own actions or the phrase "you broke it, you bought it". :shakes:


Beautiful build shazza. :up:

I was thinking the same thing.... This attitude is to be commended for sure. :up:

[IanY]

I believe that baking soda, a steam cleaner, a gentle brush and a lot of patience would take care of the carpet.

The red wine bit... I don't know if anything would work. You know that the sofa appears a standard size. Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware.. stores like these have slip covers.. some of the ones in Damask look lovely.. and these slip covers look like they would be a perfect fit for your couch.

[shazza]

Thanks, IanY ... most of the carpet stain has come out with just a bit of soap and water. The one advantage to the FluidXP coolant is everything in it seems to be quite water soluble. Had a brand new sweater on ... and a light wash took everything out.

Believe it or not ... peroxide did the job on the white sofa:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/cleansofa.jpg


(apologies for the diversion to cleaning tips ... I just seem to have lots of opportunities :) )

[Nate P.]

That's one clean lookin' couch!:yepp:

[IanY]

Shazza,

Thanks for the peroxide tip !

[Waterlogged]

Love the red wine. Making a point waving the arm around, were we?

This is just too effing funny. :rofl: :ROTF:

[shazza]

This is just too effing funny. :rofl: :ROTF:


Ha Ha :yepp:

Actually, I was setting up a new TV, and got a bit carried away. I don't seem to have the best luck around electronics.

And, I've figured out that at least part of my problem with overheating chipset loop is the FluidXP+ Extreme has gunked up the NB waterblock ... Lord knows what it has done to my radiator and pump. And yes, to all those who said "Don't use the stuff." YOU were right (but it sure was purty :ROTF: )

[Isriam]

isn't there something like food color you can just add for the colors? distilled + pt-nuke + light dye would be perfect i think.

[shazza]

Hey there, R3. I'm enjoying your worklog immensely.

And, I'm finally on my second MM build (had the case since March, but no time). I'll post some pics once I get everything working. My Striker II Extreme is off for RMA, so now have another couple of weeks to wait :rofl:

[BlueAqua]

Shazza, it's nice to see you back here. Keep us updated on your build. ;)

[T_Flight]

I just read this entire thread. Impressive! Moooost impressive. The force is strong with this one. She is more powerful than you all can imagine!

I look forward to seeing your next build too! I will be posting one as well soon. Waiting for realse of new i7 hardware. I'll be getting an MM Extended Ascension soon too. Maybe at the end of this coming week if all goes well.

You are quite talented with this stuff, and have an eye for detail.

[MomijiTMO]

Another MM? cool. :)