Alienware ALX 1.5 BLACK EDITION Build Worklog

[lcrava]

As promised, after finishing the case mods worklog which can be found in:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3351290#post3351290

Without further ado I'll start the build log :yepp:

Start off with some pics of the case without the first WC system:

[lcrava]

WC system in place :up:

[lcrava]

Couple shots of the PSU that's going in next :D

[lcrava]

PSU mounted on the case... that's a looooong ass PSU...lol :YIPPIE:

[lcrava]

Some of the goodies going in and the first set of WC parts :clap:

[sniperbob]

man i can't wait to see this one in the end!! GOOD WORK! looks sexy...

[lcrava]

Mounting the intake fans (2x 92mm and 1x 80mm fans). There are a total of 3x 120mm fans connected to the 2 radiators blowing air out... that's for another day though :rolleyes:

[lcrava]

Some pics of the Asus Striker Extreme II Mobo, that will be later completely underwater :yepp: (No Fusion Block here :slap:)

[lcrava]

The Velociraptors... :sonic: I was planning on using 4 of these in Raid 0, but I decided to go with 2 instead and use the 2 TB WD MyBook External HD for back up :cool:

There are also the Fusion HDTV5 PCI-E (which I had to mod a little to fit on the slot because of the GTX 280 HC backplate.) and the Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty Champion :woot:

[lcrava]

While installing the bay drives I had to remove the back of the Imon Ultrabay so it would play nice with the WC system and also give extra space for cable management...

[lcrava]

And that's all she wrote for now... Long day of cable management :clap:
I am still waiting for my power button switch replacement (one of the six pins broke while I was trying to resolder the cable... Does anyone know if I can just connect it to another pin instead? There were only 2 being used.)

[Marcam923]

Awesome!!! :up:

[Marcam923]

Wow after looking through the pictures again, that is one intensive system! Are you a little afraid working on that case after all the modding that was done? :D

One phrase comes to mind --- Spare no expense!!!

That is the most full drive bay area I have ever seen.... :up::up:

[R0bert]

Looks cool, but 1.6kW? Ain't it too much?

[dingdong555]

Looks cool, but 1.6kW? Ain't it too much?

1.6K :O

Freaking insane man!!!

Good work!

[lcrava]

Wow after looking through the pictures again, that is one intensive system! Are you a little afraid working on that case after all the modding that was done? :D

One phrase comes to mind --- Spare no expense!!!

That is the most full drive bay area I have ever seen.... :up::up:

I am happy as it can be. It took me a long time to figure out the cable management, but you can barely see them considering the amount of equipment and cables that are in there :D

[lcrava]

Looks cool, but 1.6kW? Ain't it too much?

It will only go to 1.6 if you get an electrician to install an industrial outlet and power circuitry in your house, with the regular cable is 1.2. I might inquire about the electrician though...

After all, this is Xtreme Systems... :rofl:

[Marcam923]

It will only go to 1.6 if you get an electrician to install an industrial outlet and power circuitry in your house, with the regular cable is 1.2. I might inquire about the electrician though...

After all, this is Xtreme Systems... :rofl:

WOW, I did not know that. That my friend is very useful information. Not that my Silverstone 1200 is being near capped right now, but just in case, definitely useful information. I wonder how many people have that PSU and think they are running 1600W??

[YMAA]

Looks the business, that's for sure. Nice work, best-looking Alienware build I've seen, that's for sure! :up:

[dingdong555]

ONe tip, Use black cable ties. The blue just makes it out of whack =)

[Marcam923]

ONe tip, Use black cable ties. The blue just makes it out of whack =)

I agree somewhat, but it also shows the amount of work put into it. :D They also may be UV reactive!

[lcrava]

I thought about using all black, the thing is that portion of the case is covered, and I used different colors to know which cables I was routing where... Like blue for the SATA pwr and data cables, black for the Mobo and PCI-E cables, etc...

[Marcam923]

Ahhh very smart. :up:

[pcaddict]

Awesome!

[MomijiTMO]

I like the wc gear [well not the coolant :p:]. We finally get to see what you are going to do with your case.

[SoulsCollective]

I like the components going into it, but...what is the point of that window? You can't see anything except the end of the PSU and the top 5.25" drive bays. Would've looked better to have had a solid side with some carbon effects.

[Marcam923]

I think even though all the components may not be visible, once she is all lit up, the glow from the inside will be nice. :D

[SoulsCollective]

Even then, I think it'd look better shining out through a grill - as in the lower part of the case.

[Marcam923]

Yeah I can see your point. But with the side panel the way it is, there wasn't much option.

[SoulsCollective]

Yeah I can see your point. But with the side panel the way it is, there wasn't much option.
Well seeing as how the side panel was modded to include the window (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=3303834&postcount=5), surely there was the option to have no window at all, or a mesh grill instead?

It just seems like such a shame to spoil a fantastic case mod with a completely pointless window that's going to expose no more than the ugly parts of the rig - the outside of the 5.25" bays and the spaghetti exiting the back of the monster PSU.

[Marcam923]

I am sure there was some point. It may not be revealed as of yet, or maybe Icrava can clear it up as to why the window is there. Maybe he just liked the idea, some like certain things, some don't. :up:

[SoulsCollective]

Well, I'd love to be pleasantly surprised considering how much money is going into this rig :yepp:

[Marcam923]

Well, I'd love to be pleasantly surprised considering how much money is going into this rig :yepp:

Yeah that is a lot of dough!! :eek:

[tajoh111]

Monster E-penis. I mean monster. I mean this in a good way.

[lcrava]

We tried to make the window as big as possible. Marcam was also right about the UV Lights. Last but not least I really liked the window and it shows up the blacked out chassis...

[lcrava]

Monster E-penis. I mean monster. I mean this in a good way.

:yepp: :rofl: :ROTF:

[illidan]

great build :up:

but... i think that this glossy shiny psu doesn't go with flat black interior of the case :)

[NaeKuh]

very pretty build, however why did you get a 1.6kw ultra? Its very big, and seems like it limited your radiator size due to it.

Well anyhow, if you need a UPS for that power range, although you may never trip it..

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4171836&Sku=ULT33046B&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=TBBTkwCjCVyBpAgf%20mwzygtCjCVRqCjCVRq

1500VA will do it as well, however, i have a habit of matching psu with ups.
So my 1KW is paired with that 2000VA ups which is raited to about 1200watts.

Absolutely love that UPS, and i recomend you getting a ups to protect your expensive hardware.

[lcrava]

very pretty build, however why did you get a 1.6kw ultra? Its very big, and seems like it limited your radiator size due to it.

The radiator goes on top of the PSU and it's proprietary to the case, so there's no real limitation. The main thing I like about this particular PSU is that is fully modular out of the box and the flex cables make it very easy to route and hide :cool:

[lcrava]

great build :up:

but... i think that this glossy shiny psu doesn't go with flat black interior of the case :)

Thanks for the input.

[Detale]

Looks great so far man. Do you have any plans for the extra Dominator fan that comes with the ram or are you going to try and install both of em?? Also what was the total price of all that gear :O

[lcrava]

Looks great so far man. Do you have any plans for the extra Dominator fan that comes with the ram or are you going to try and install both of em?? Also what was the total price of all that gear :O

THANKS :) At first I am actually planning on running the RAM without any fans and monitor the temps. If it starts getting toasty I'll attach the fans. I tend to keep the boxes and extra parts of everything I own in case I decide to sell it someday. To answer your question I bought the all parts new in between 20% to 40% (depending on the part) off retail value. :D

[Marcam923]

We tried to make the window as big as possible. Marcam was also right about the UV Lights. Last but not least I really liked the window and it shows up the blacked out chassis...

I knew there was a good reason!! :D

[Marcam923]

Looks totally killer by the way bud! :up::up::clap:

[lcrava]

All right gents. Quick update of things to come...

I took some time off from work to be able to move, work on my build and play Fable 2 :D while also tending to some personal affairs with my lil' brother.

Anyways, I'll be getting the second part of my WC components on Thursday and hopefully also get my CPU so I can start working on the Watercooling loops, fill them up with distilled water and run a 24 hour leak test. Yes, there will be pics.

Last, but not least, by following some not so explicit advice given to me here, I got 2 bottles of Black UV Feser One to fill in my loops instead of the non-conductive Koolance stuff :yepp:. Expect major progress throughout the weekend .

[sniperbob]

i've heard mixed reviews on the actual color of the UV black Feser One... Some people claim it is purple in color... Just my two cents...
Otherwise Can't wait to see some more pics! Keep em coming! :up:

[pcaddict]

awesome, more plz :up:

[disruptfam]

1600w psu is overkill

but nice rig none the less

[lcrava]

Thanks for the comments everyone :D.

I got a lot done the past 2 days. Let's start off with some pics of the WC components and the beast QX9770 CPU:

[lcrava]

Next I installed the CPU and removed the Fusion Block from the Striker II Extreme and clean the SB, NB and Voltage Regulators :hehe:.

[lcrava]

Applying TIM (MX2 :yepp:) on the CPU, SB and NB. Took out the excess using a little keychain plastic card. I gotta say I was tempted to lap the CPU when seeing how uneven the surface is, but then again, I didn't want to loose the warranty on a U$ 1500 CPU (eventough it cost me $ 700 with the live serch cash back :woot:) Using Thermal Pads on the VRegs :D.

[lcrava]

Very sexy Koolance blocks (nickel plated copper). Now the Mobo is officialy pimped :pimp: and ready to go for a swim :up:

[lcrava]

The case with a couple of case badges that I had laying around (let me know what you guys think about those, as they will easily come off :cool:). Also installed the front cathodes. 2 more coming in the back (I accidentaly broke them trying to take off the plastic cubes at the ends so they would fit inside the rails that hold the PSU :shakes:. 2 more on the way :()

[lcrava]

The S2E is finally home :clap:. I decided to keep the ROG logo since it was the only thing I liked from the Fusion Block (C'mon, guys... it glows in the dark...lol :D) Installed the nozzles on the GTX 280. Both loops with compression fittings :up:.

[lcrava]

Couple of shots of the first loop. I am still looking for a replacement radiator for the proprietary WC system that would allow me to use better tubing :shrug:. If you guys have any ideas or know what to use, please let me know :eh:

[lcrava]

Couple of shots of the final loop :clap:. Both loops have a flow meter and a drain. Now what's left is to fire it up and do the 24 hour leak test :yepp:. Or so I thought...

[lcrava]

The pump on the bottom loop (GPUs) is DOA :mad:. I ordered a new one and I will return the crapped one for a refund :shakes:. The first loop is fine and everything else seems to be working good so far :up:. I'll update again when I get the pump back. Thanks guys, I gotta go because I am beat :coffee:.

[.Logic]

Now... before all the koolance bashers chime in, let me congratulate you on a BUILD WELL DONE. :up:

If there was one thing I could criticise it would be the cable managment/loop layout. If I was you I would cut a hole in the motherboard tray and route all the cables for the motherboard behind and through. :) Also, unless the smartcoils are actually stopping the tubing from kinking, loose them (unless you like the look).

Nice job, you have done surprisingly well in cramped quarters.

[Utnorris]

Looks good.

[masxerofkartis]

Well 1st thing as Logic well mentioned above is the cable management.

Secondly i dont really like mobo being covered from all the cables and tubing.

I also wonder how many rad's you needed since i cant really see the rad up there.

Overall quite a nice build well done i could never have fitted all that in that case

[begrip]

Don't really like the koolance blocks

[pcaddict]

I dont either like koolance blocks :(

but nice build for now :up:

[lcrava]

Thanks fot the comments guys. The only thing covering the Motherboard is the WC loops, the cables are all running on the right corner next to it and hid behind the drives. The ones you see disconnected is because I am leak testing the loops with a jumper. As far as the loop layout if you guys have a betterr idea on how to route the tubing, please let me know. I will stay away from cutting holes on the Motherboard tray for now, but thanks for the suggestion.

[lcrava]

Finishing and filling up the loops with Feser One :yepp:.

[lcrava]

Next, I'll be installing the cathodes :up:, without breaking anything this time :shakes:

[lcrava]

And voila :clap:! Let there be light :D

[lcrava]

This has been a long time coming. Time to turn on the beast...

[lcrava]

Couple of night pics and the system almost finished. :up:

[lcrava]

Everything going according to plan. I was testing each module individually. I was getting random errors at first, but those stopped as soon as I increased the NB voltage slightly. Unfortunately, as I started testing the second module, the motherboard started to force the monitor into stand by before even getting to the bios. I am waiting for Asus to send me the board back. lat time I checked, it was being replaced. :shakes:

[shazza]

Icrava ... I've been away from the forum for a while, so missed your build log. Very nice job! I happen to be an Alienware fan (1 desktop and 2 laptops), so I'm pleased to see you making the most of your system. Also happy to see that there has been no Alienware bashing here ... prebuilt systems don't generally get much applause from the DIY community. BUT ... yours is now anything but a "prebuilt." You have definitely made it your own.

[FrostyPanda]

Eek! That looks like 1/4" tubing :shocked:. Great build though :up: