P182 water cooled *In Progress - First Time Custom WC*

[Solidsnake666]

This is my first custom water cooling system and my first case mod ever. Constructive criticism is welcome! It's a work in progress but I'm water cooling my system in a p182 case and it took me a while to get all the parts together and get the tools I needed to get this going. So far I'm pleased but obviously the main thing is getting it all running. I'm praying for no leaks lol. So far I've gotten it mostly setup and last night was running all the hose and I ended up being about a foot short. I have to run to Microcenter tonight to pick up a couple more feet of tubing and then hopefully I'll have more pics with leak testing.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2144/2496795609_bb81a8dfcc_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/2496796951_277ca9b906_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2312/2497619848_247db7d216_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2496801729_43768e6d1c_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2285/2497631378_5719531739_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2294/2496808201_e3958cc982.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3212/2496812063_9d9feb41df_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2232/2496814661_576fa70898_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2070/2497641482_50c866a00f_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2380/2496816391_993aea0cce_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2108/2497642836_0f33de0a8a_b.jpg

Hopefully the rest will go as well as it has so far :D (knocking on wood!)

[MINIz guy]

Nice job working with a brand new case (I assume this as the protective plastic is still on)! Why didn't you drill holes for the barbs of the radiator to pass through the top of the case, so you eliminate the long looping tube around the case?

[Solidsnake666]

Nice job working with a brand new case (I assume this as the protective plastic is still on)! Why didn't you drill holes for the barbs of the radiator to pass through the top of the case, so you eliminate the long looping tube around the case?

I actually want to put a 4" cold cathode behind the rad so I can have the tubes glowing coming out of the case. didn't get optimal placement on the tube holes because there are just too many things in the way. It seemed like a good idea at the time but now that I'm running the tubes I'm starting to regret it.

And yes that is the protective plastic lol. I bought this case just for this project.

[Giannis86]

thats looking quite nice and clean :clap:..I would also recommend a hole on top for the tubing though:yepp:

[Solidsnake666]

thats looking quite nice and clean :clap:..I would also recommend a hole on top for the tubing though:yepp:

Thanks! I'll see what happens when I get home with more tubes. I'll have to make a decision before i start leak testing

[lokitexas]

thats looking quite nice and clean :clap:..I would also recommend a hole on top for the tubing though:yepp:

I second that. Or....is it possible to mount the rad at the bottom where the pump is?

[Solidsnake666]

I second that. Or....is it possible to mount the rad at the bottom where the pump is?

If there wasn't so much metal BS down there then maybe. I would have to do some heavy modding down there and although i thought about it I came to the conclusion that it probably wouldn't be a very sturdy solution (i would have to cut out that beam supporting the center area).

[wra1th]

Solidsnake666, why you've decided to instal a radiator outside? I think inside is enough place or I'm not right?
And such fastening of the pump not the best - it will rustle because of vibration...

[Giannis86]

looking at this again there is something else you can also do. If you lower the position of the res, tubing from res to pump, and from gpu to res will be shorter

as about the rad, you might be able to JUST fit it under the fans but i dont know if there are clearance issues with your mobo

[Solidsnake666]

Solidsnake666, why you've decided to instal a radiator outside? I think inside is enough place or I'm not right?
And such fastening of the pump not the best - it will rustle because of vibration...


looking at this again there is something else you can also do. If you lower the position of the res, tubing from res to pump, and from gpu to res will be shorter

as about the rad, you might be able to JUST fit it under the fans but i dont know if there are clearance issues with your mobo

The rad wouldn't fit inside. i was originally going to run it that way but couldn't.
I ended up leaving it and I'm leak testing it now.

[Solidsnake666]

It's almost done! Just got my system up and running last night and decided I would add some Pictures.

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/1395/cimg0614tr3.jpg
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/6936/cimg0617nu4.jpg
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/3223/cimg0624qb6.jpg
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/4840/cimg0628jd1.jpg

All thats left is a little more wire management and some switches need to be setup in the front panel. I need the fan grills for the top of the radiator. And most importantly a window needs to be cut in the side panel so I can close it up.

I'm glad its back up and running. I suffered those 5 days without a computer while I was putting in the tubes and whatnot :(

[WoZZeR999]

You may want to put a radgrill on top of it or something. Just in case you drop something on it and bend the fins.

[Solidsnake666]

You may want to put a radgrill on top of it or something. Just in case you drop something on it and bend the fins.

I was planning on using 3 fan grills on the top. Something like these (http://www.petrastechshop.com/12figuch1.html) just not sure if I'm going with chrome or black. I may change my mind all together though.

I originally bought a nice kickboxes grill but it doesn't fit on the side with the barbs.

Any suggestions are always welcome!

[Cupcake]

why did you have the radiator barbs facing upward ?

[Solidsnake666]

why did you have the radiator barbs facing upward ?

Originally I wanted the tubes coming up and then into the case. and I had planned on putting a small cathode to illuminate it. It didn't really work how I had planned. Now I'm pretty much done and i think (for the most part) it was a bad decision. Although it would have definitely been more cluttered in the case had I put the barbs facing down which is a big plus.

[Solidsnake666]

Anyone ever cut into a P182 side panel before? Is it just 2 layers of metal or is something in between?

[inCore]

There's a layer of plastic in between. I'm going to attempt it for my case mod on Thursday so I'll report back. I know you're subscribed to my thread so I'll post it there :p:

It's harder than most other cases but there are plenty of examples on the internet, a few of them in the P180/P182 thread on Hardforum and others just found through Google.

[Solidsnake666]

There's a layer of plastic in between. I'm going to attempt it for my case mod on Thursday so I'll report back. I know you're subscribed to my thread so I'll post it there :p:

It's harder than most other cases but there are plenty of examples on the internet, a few of them in the P180/P182 thread on Hardforum and others just found through Google.

What are you planning on using to cut it with?

[Solidsnake666]

I put in the window yesterday. Didn't come out too bad...

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5697/cimg0631wb6.jpg

But i scratched the outside of the case :(

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/9233/cimg0636eo9.jpg

Anyone know how I can fix it or cover it up?:help:

[FrogBite]

Another window around the scratch :D

[Solidsnake666]

Another window around the scratch :D

I thought about that, but thats where I'm hiding most of the wires.

It looks like spaghetti down there :doh: Don't really want to show off the spaghetti...

Some of my friends suggested to take it to a collision repair center and let them work their magic :shrug: Would anyone here suggest that or is there a better alternative??

[FrogBite]

The metal has a strange surface I doubt they can repair it so that you don´t see anything but I guess it´s worth a go though.

[Solidsnake666]

The metal has a strange surface I doubt they can repair it so that you don´t see anything but I guess it´s worth a go though.

Even if they can just make it *better* I'd be happy. Right now every time i look over my eyes go right to it. if it was slightly less visible i could... if i really have to... live with it.

I think the surface is an anodized steel. It's not really painted. Maybe i should contact antec and see what they suggest :confused:

[MrWizard6600]

I thought about that, but thats where I'm hiding most of the wires.

It looks like spaghetti down there :doh: Don't really want to show off the spaghetti...

Some of my friends suggested to take it to a collision repair center and let them work their magic :shrug: Would anyone here suggest that or is there a better alternative??

buy a 2nd P180.

Its what I'm doing lol, but then i royally killed my case.

[Solidsnake666]

buy a 2nd P180.

Its what I'm doing lol, but then i royally killed my case.

:eek: What did you do?