Project: Black2 (squared)... Another MM mods

[D-Cyph3r]

Got the Mountain Mods from Tom today, so I can get this project underway (I haven't even finished the Lian-Li yet). I love my Cosmos S, but this should be special.:D


Cooling:

CPU Loop

Laing DDC Ultra w/XSPC Res top->TC PA120.3->EK Supreme Plexi

GPU Loop

Laing DDC Ultra w/XSPC Res top->TC PA120.3->EK FC9800GX2

I'll be using black 7/16" ID tubing over 1/2" barbs (Primochill ghosts for the blocks, D-Teks everywhere else) and the distilled+PK Nuke that everyone seems to rave about. Xilence red LED fans will be used throughout.

Hardware:

Most of the hardware will be coming out of the Cosmos S, with a few upgrades along the way....

Asus P5E3 Deluxe X38
2GB OCZ Platinum 1800Mhz DDR3
Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 (upgraded from E6600)
GeForce 9800GX2 (upgraded from 512MB GTS)
CoolerMaster RealPower M700
X-Fi Extreme Gamer
150GB Raptor X + 2x300GB Hitachi Deskstar T7K500

Pictures:

I dont know whats happened to my phones camera today, but the pics came out a little crap. I'll be buying a proper camera at the weekend so the pics will get better.

Anywho, here she is after a polish up (thanks for that Tom, she looks a beaut after a bit of wax on-wax off :lol: );

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4600/frontsidedu6.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=frontsidedu6.jpg)
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/7158/frontce7.th.jpg (http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=frontce7.jpg)
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9759/backsidegs2.th.jpg (http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?image=backsidegs2.jpg)
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/681/frontsidetopkx9.th.jpg (http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?image=frontsidetopkx9.jpg)
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/937/paintky2.th.jpg (http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?image=paintky2.jpg)

Next updates will be at the weekend when I strip everything out of the Cosmos and get ready to start plumbing in the new loops.

[BlueAqua]

Looks like it could be a good project. Kind of overkill, but I like overkill. Each loop with it's own PA 120.3 with just an E8600 and a 9800GX2 should give you great temperatures and room for upgrades.

I always love the Horizon setup too, should be good.

[MomijiTMO]

Yay a new worklog.

[D-Cyph3r]

Looks like it could be a good project. Kind of overkill, but I like overkill. Each loop with it's own PA 120.3 with just an E8600 and a 9800GX2 should give you great temperatures and room for upgrades.

I always love the Horizon setup too, should be good.


Heh, maybe I should rename the build Rocket Launcher....


"When you absolutely positively have to kill everything in the room":p:

[Riggs]

Gonna be awesome, cant wait to see it.

[AliG]

The great thing about the 9800gx2 right now is that aside from the 4870x2 it still holds the performance crown in a lot of places and yet it is dirt cheap, good choice imo. Not to mention i7 doesn't seem to be good for gaming, so there's another win with the e8600, I like your thinking (even if you aren't on the same track as me, just go with it:D).

Good luck with this, especially since as others said that pa120.3 provides you with tons of headroom for a qx9650 down the road when they're cheap (no I don't mean q9650, locked mults)

[Chris1985]

sweet looking build there Cyph :up:

and, incase you don't need the Cosmos anymore...
mind sending it my way? :D

[D-Cyph3r]

Right lads, some updates. I'll just caption the pictures through out. But a quick progress report goes like this:

-CPU Loop is in and leak testing. Been a good 3 hours now and looking good
-Did some googling and found out that the PA120.3 isn't fussy about fan configuration so I was able to mount the rad with the Redwings pulling air through. Will be replacing the silver screws with black ones though.
-Got an idea of where most of the cables are gonna go.
-Realised I need a couple of 90 degree fittings to allow the top panel to be fixed on
-Completely jubbed out and forgot to buy a power button. Wont be able to do anything with her till I get that sorted and with me going up to Norwich tuesday it most likely means she wont power up till next weekend at the earliest. >.<

Now for pictures (click on 'em to enlarge)....


Draining the Cosmos S. Surprisingly/dissapointingly there where no accidents this time round:

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5590/drainingthecosmossq2.th.jpg (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=drainingthecosmossq2.jpg)
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/926/emptycosmoslq6.th.jpg (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=emptycosmoslq6.jpg)

Heres an example of the notorious hole spacings in the roof of the Comsos, I though I got a couple extra in but it turned out I only ever got those 4 center ones:

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/5500/cosmosholesare:banana::banana::banana::banana:xv4. th.jpg (http://img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cosmosholesare:banana::banana::banana ::banana:xv4.jpg)

That rad definately needed cleaning up, thats for sure:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5918/xspxneedsacleanuprq8.th.jpg (http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xspxneedsacleanuprq8.jpg)

But 20 minutes later she was good as new, inside and out:

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8278/goodasnewak1.th.jpg (http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=goodasnewak1.jpg)

Got a Swifty this time round. Going for Ultra's in this build (hey, why not), the red O-ring set it off nicely:

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6985/ddcultraresoh2.th.jpg (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ddcultraresoh2.jpg)

The Horizon with the Rad mounted, was an absolute ***** to do with only 2 hands. Was the first of many times tonight I almost gave up:

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/1809/mmradmounteddr1.th.jpg (http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mmradmounteddr1.jpg)

By this stage there was already an epic mess, when I stood back and took this picture that feeling of wanting to give up came back:

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2377/pigstyxu8.th.jpg (http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pigstyxu8.jpg)

Trusty Supreme, need some work before getting in on the build:

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/9180/pinksupremedb1.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pinksupremedb1.jpg)
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/16/pinksuprem2qs4.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pinksuprem2qs4.jpg)

What a few months of Feser can do to such waterblocks:

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/7881/pinkspurmegunkoz4.th.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pinkspurmegunkoz4.jpg)

A bit of red sauce and a toothbrush and she's all spruced up:

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/9751/pinksupremecleanwf2.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pinksupremecleanwf2.jpg)

Mounted to the mobo (now with a backplate). At this point I should mention that theres some serious clearance issues with the motherboard tray on the case. I'm slightly anxious to know if it'll power on after the amount of force I had to use to get it to line up with the standoffs and to get the X-Fi in it's slot. I'm optimistic though:

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/2130/moboreadyye3.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=moboreadyye3.jpg)

First run of tubing on. Heated up the ends of the tube and it went on the barbs no problems, but even after it cooled down it didn't seem like theres was as much grip on the barbs as i'd like, so I ended up adding cable ties aswell:

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/4985/tubingupbn5.th.jpg (http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tubingupbn5.jpg)

A pic of the leak test (you can see the first cable tie on). About ten seconds after this pic was taken my dog knocked the bit of wire hotwiring the PSU and killed the rig, scaring the absolute crap outta me at the same time:

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/9222/rednesspn8.th.jpg (http://img254.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rednesspn8.jpg)

And a really cruddy pic with the side panels on. Tomorrow i'll get some decent pics up:

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2714/takingshapeul1.th.jpg (http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?image=takingshapeul1.jpg)


So now I need to just get a power switch, wire everything up and she's good to run. With the work move i'm most likely gonna have to put the GPU loop on hold for a couple of weeks, but at least it'd give me time to get the right screws firtst. :P

[BlueAqua]

Hey I didn't know they made a pink Ek Supreme. :ROTF:

Any chance you could make the pictures full size in the post. I just hate clicking 15 times to see the pictures.

[MomijiTMO]

Good job. :up:

[bentleya]

R3 yer the case has done the rounds think its on its 4th owner now :D

[D-Cyph3r]

Haven't posted any updates here for awhile. She's in a 80% complete stage now. All thats really needed is a couple of Bulgin switches, some black screws to replace the silver ones and the GPU loop installed:

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1046/rotmsideif8.th.jpg (http://img206.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rotmsideif8.jpg)

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/9384/blackfin2pr1.th.jpg (http://img47.imageshack.us/my.php?image=blackfin2pr1.jpg)

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/1034/06092008777zv2.th.jpg (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=06092008777zv2.jpg)

E8600 has really helped unlock the GX2's potential aswell, 3DMark scored rocketed up (06 from 15500 to 17400, 03 from 59k to 74k). :eek:

It's a :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: that I have to go back up north to work and wont be home again to do any more tinkering till next weekend.:(

[Riggs]

Have fun with it, that Cpu seems like a beast.

[marauder16]

great, I simply love horizon builds and there are so few...
hm, can you tell me how much did that custom side panel cost you? this one that looks like the original top without the fans. I'm asking cause I still don't understand their custom panel pricing =)