2CPU Antec Titan 550 Project

Hi Guys,
Welcome to my first watercooled project. I have been meaning to get this log on the web for a while now, to be honest I should have been taking more pictures as I went along. Anyway, as a little introduction, here are some shots of my first completed mod which I did about 2 years ago - http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...postcount=2587


And now onto the project at hand -
This is going to be my primary PC/Workstation. It's my first liquid-cooled build. On the hardware side I'm using an MSI K9ND Speedster mainboard, with 2 Opteron 8220 CPUs.

On the cooling side, I'll be using an XSPC RS360 rad with 3 Nidec Beta V tri-blade monster fans strapped to it. What can I say, Ive always been a fan of Deltas, etc. :) I am going to mod a fan controller into the top of the case, in front of the rad, to allow me to tame these beasts a little. I will be using a D4 as the pump, with a Primochill T3 as the res. It'll all be hooked up with high-gloss black 3/8" tubing over 1/2" barbs, with no clamps (don't be angry :().

My first step in this project was acquiring and test-fitting the CPU blocks - 2 Swiftech MCW60s converted to Apogee 1Us. As you can see on the below picture, I'm using a 3-card SLI bridge to connect the blocks in series.
http://www.abload.de/img/068j2.jpg

The next thing to do was to draw up a template for the cuts on the top of the case. I used Inkscape for this -
http://www.abload.de/img/0point25lwuf.png

I then printed out the resulting drawing onto sheets of A4, trimmed and glued them and then stuck them to the top of the case with double-sided tape.
http://www.abload.de/img/0point5v7ut.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/10wu9.jpg

Then it was time for some angle-grinding and filing... (Not a final shot, the cuts got much neater than this!)
http://www.abload.de/img/3bwns.jpg

Testing with some trim...
http://www.abload.de/img/2oju4.jpg

I used a dremel and some files to make the slot from which the fan control dials would protrude...
http://www.abload.de/img/4ym93.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/53vil.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/1307xm.jpg

The fan controller itself needed modding too. The pump in the drive bay would interfere with either the fan connections on one side, or the metal of the controller on the other. I trimmed down the excess parts of the controller mount and resoldered the fan headers onto the back.

Before:

http://www.abload.de/img/70nic.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/80vb0.jpg

During:

http://www.abload.de/img/1017uj.jpg

After:

http://www.abload.de/img/121kra.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/119mmb.jpg

Here you can see the controller in situ, and get a glimpse of the replacement dials I bought for it:
http://www.abload.de/img/15b7fn.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/16gvgw.jpg

I then decided that (surprise surprise) my initial cuts on the fan controller slot weren't perfect enough, so I re-did the design allowing enough room for me to use a large dremel sanding barrel to make perfectly circular ends. I printed onto tracing paper this time so I could easily line up the new design with the old one:
http://www.abload.de/img/18p71e.jpg

After a while filing and dremelling, I had this:
http://www.abload.de/img/191kqj.jpg

I then sanded the top panel flat ready for the first coat of primer -
http://www.abload.de/img/20wmry.jpg

I ended up doing about 4 coats of primer in the end, sanding between each one with 800-grit wet-or-dry, followed by about 5 coats of matt black, which left me with this -
http://www.abload.de/img/22umxq.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/21jwba.jpg

As you can see, it still needs a bit of a rub-down, but I'm happy with it overall. I was planning to repaint the whole case, but I actually like the contrast between the top panel and the sides.

Next tasks are to make the holes for the rad tubing and get everything installed

awesome job so far :)

i like the mod work, keep it up!

Looking forward...

Nice one!

That looks bloody fantastic :eek:

The sli fitting between CPU blocks...

The resoldering fan headers onto the opposite side...

You had me at hello man, keeping an eye on this one. Great job on those cuts, too.

EDIT: Took a look at your older build, you have a funky eye towards design, escher-like.

Thanks for the kind words everyone :)

@Kibbler
escher? hehe never heard that one before! The first mod was just an attempt to do something radical, but not too difficult. This one's a lot more conservative. What can I say, I'm getting old (20) :rofl:

Pretty awesome mod, I would have suggested cutting individual holes for each fan controlling knob to stick out of instead of a slot, but it looks good regardless. I'm guess the rad is going to be external? How are you going to run the tubes inside the case?

Nice job m8 :clap:
Waiting for the next steps :up:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by genERIC

Pretty awesome mod, I would have suggested cutting individual holes for each fan controlling knob to stick out of instead of a slot, but it looks good regardless. I'm guess the rad is going to be external? How are you going to run the tubes inside the case?

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I did originally plan to drill individual holes, but the drill I had at the time.. well... sucked. I ended up fubaring at least one of the holes and had to resort to plan B.

You see those 2 holes inbetween the frontmost fan holes and the fan controller mounting holes? Those will be enlarged and rubber grommets inserted. The rad tubes will run through these.

This is looking great. Good skills in cuts too, they look great. Really looking forward to more.

I like the fan controller idea, you are coloring that also right?

Thanks again for the kinds words everyone. I probably wouldn't be motivated to do something like this without your input.

Sorry about the lack of updates - it's Ramadhan at the moment, and I need to spend a lot more time focussing on prayer, so won't be updating much for about a month.

CPUs arrived today, decided to do a little ghetto testing:

http://www.abload.de/img/23tz2w.jpg

In other news, cable sleeving stuff and fan extension cables, etc. should arrive tomorrow. Expect something a little different from the norm.. not too different, just a little. Whether it'll be the good kind of different or the bad will have to wait till I open the box.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Armitage

I like the fan controller idea, you are coloring that also right?

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I think I'll paint the controller itself, but not the dials. Will have to see how everything looks with the radiator in place.

Be well, folks

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...&postcount=739

To be continued...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by karbonkid

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...&postcount=739

To be continued...

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Wow, that sleeving looks clean, where did you get it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by genERIC

Wow, that sleeving looks clean, where did you get it?

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It's 3mm Alpha Wire fibreglass sleeve. Got it from www.cpc.co.uk

Sorry about lack of updates, I've been taking pictures as I go along, I'll probably upload them all in one go when I get the chance. I've pretty much made the holes for tubing coming out of the rad, but managed to chip a little of the paint in the process, so I've got that masked and ready to be painted up ASAP.

I'm also uncertain about how well the SLI fitting between the CPU blocks will seal, as in the current configuration the pipe only contacts one of the two internal O-rings on the connector, so I'm looking for some replacement pipe that I can cut to the the exact required length.

Great so far, looking forward to more updates!

Update time. *grin*

Finally finally painted (I hope):
http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1603mb4s.jpg

Cluoseup of radiator mounting:
http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1619yl5l.jpg

"Who says it's cramped in here?"
http://img4.abload.de/img/dscf1631yl47.jpg

316 Stainless Steel tube.. makey SLI bridge extension?
http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1596sbcb.jpg

Need a hand?
http://www.abload.de/img/dscf16069yyl.jpg

Shiny! [note to self - dremels don't polish good]
http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1612jlkq.jpg

And finally, a shot of the interior as it stands at the moment...
http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1628s9op.jpg

very nice project, very. i like the way you connected the two water blocks using that sli bridge. keep up the good work mate. :up:

Awesome work. Will be watching this one.

Thanks for the comments guys.

Leak-testing the loop atm, and it seems my D4 is seriously, seriously loud - video here: http://www.vimeo.com/6535492

That is indeed loud! :(

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf16490i6v.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1658cdme.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1662mdnk.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1664ccoy.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1669cfbc.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1675iefx.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dscf1687fgc1.jpg