New case! Upgrading from huge chieftec fulltower to Lian Li midtower
Time to get rid of ol' reliable. I need something LAN-worthy, and a 26in tall steel case isn't gonna do it. So the plan was to get this:
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...ormal_mine.jpg
into this:
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggIma...112-099-14.jpg
Here's the case, Just came in yesterday:
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...ase_before.jpg
Fitting the heatercore with the power supply. Damn close fit! I measured before I bought and got this case specifically because it would fit my stuff in this manner.
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...ad_fitment.jpg
I have a little trick up my sleeve that gets me 100% surface area usage without a shroud ;)
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...rad_gasket.jpg
The block is...BLEEDING! Nope, it's a household acidic solution - ketchup! Cleans copper perfectly, as you can see from the fuzion block on the left, which was black and looking pretty rough beforehand.
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...b_cleaning.jpg
Here is a picture of my 8800GT. Believe it or not the ram STILL gets warm. No wonder the ram on these cards fails if overclocked.
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...gt_cooling.jpg
And the desk...poor desk. It went from this:
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules.../the_desk1.jpg
to THIS:
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules..._workspace.jpg
This is the finalized gasket install. Notice the ziptie? I used zipties under the rad to bridge the gap and hold it up, then 2 straps above to pull it down tight. What you end up with is a suspension that doesn't move AT ALL. Yes I could have drilled holes across the case, screwed in dowel rods, or any other oddball way of mounting this, but I chose this way because it required no modification to the inside of the case. Even the pump is taped down with double-sided tape, which works perfectly.
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...ase_gasket.jpg
Here is a shot of the clearance between the top and the rad. It's less than 1cm. I would have liked it a bit lower so there was more clearance, but this is good because it keeps the foam gasket nice and tight.
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...rad_clrnce.jpg
Here is a picture of the finalized system. I would like to clean up the wires a little more, but for now I am just glad to have my computer back in one piece haha. Tweaking, for me, comes with time ;)
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...se_running.jpg
Shot from the front, with rheostats for the fans. I'll get some matching nuts and bolts later for the fans, and bolt them down tight. Also, it runs a little warmer since I no longer get the rad air directly from the room, idle is 36C on the hottest 2 cores. Room temp is a bit warm though, around 76F. For now, this will do!
http://texasoverclockers.com/modules...running_fr.jpg
