Project "CUBEIT"

Existing Equipment Analysis:
CM Stacker 830
ASUS Striker Extreme
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
2x1GB Corsair C4Pro
XFX 8800GTS
Gainward 8800GTS
4 x Seagate 320GB HDD
1 x Maxtor 300GB HDD
Silverstone 850W Power Supply
Samsung SyncMaster 21" 215TW
Benq 17" FP791 with TV Tuner
Zalman 9700 CPU Air Cooler
Noctua 120mm Case Fans
Crossflow Fan
TrackIR4 Pro
Saitek X52 Pro HOTAS
Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals
Z-Board Fang
Logitech MX-1000 Mouse
Cherry Cymotion Master Wireless SolarPowered Keyboard

Observations:
Existing system is too noisy and the GPU's tend to get a bit hot.

Requirements of Project "CUBEIT":
Cooler running of CPU & GPU's.
Totally silent PC (or next to silent).
Install existing components into a case that will provide more than sufficient internal space.
New case to provide many years of use with support for expandability and equipment adjustments as technology advances.
Case can look real funky too.

Equipment to be replaced:
CM Stacker 830
Zalman 9700 CPU Air Cooler
Crossflow Fan

Equipment that may be replaced if it doesn't measure up:
Noctua 120mm Case Fans

New Equipment:
Mountain Mods U2-UFO Opti-1203 Black Powder Coated - Diamond Top
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...U2UFOOM3BD.gif
Tygon 3603 Tubing 1/2"ID 3/4"OD
1 x Thermochill PA120.3 Radiator
1 x Thermochill PS120.3 (Shroud)
1 x Thermochill NG120.3 (Neoprene Gasket)
1 x Swiftech MCP655 Pump
1 x Filling Syringe
1 x Hose Cutter - Metal
2 x Swiftech MCW60 Graphics Card Liquid Coolers - Black
2 x Retention Hardware MCW60 G80 adapter kits
Swiftech MC14 VGA Forged Copper BGA Ramsinks (8 per pack)
Swiftech MC21 Aluminum Mosfet Heatsinks for MCW60 Water Block (4 per pack)
1 x D-TEK FuZion CPU Block
1 x Thermalright LGA775 RM LGA775 Retention Bracket
1 x EK Multioption RES 250
1-1/4" Black-Oxide Steel Thermochill/BIP/BIX Fan Screws (Pack of 4)
Spare Black Fan Screws (Pack of 4)
ArctiClean Thermal Material & Surface Purifier - 60ml
Not using now Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Using this instead Arctic Silver Ceramique
UV Reactive Pentosin G11 Coolant Additive (Blue) - 4oz.

Undecided Equipment:
Four Channel Sunbeam Rheobus, 5.25 Black OR
Zalman ZM-MFC1 6-Channel Fan Controller

Status:
All parts have been ordered except Fan Controller
now ordered ---> Zalman ZM-MFC1 6-Channel Fan Controller (using masaville's suggestion to remove the faceplate, mount it behind the slot cover and drill holes thru the slot cover)

Pictures:
Finally have some pictures - see below

Just ordered these fan controllers from Performance PCS, it's the rheobus with a Lian Li aluminum bezel......perrty clean lookin'
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...oducts_id=3227

Can't wait to see the build!
Dan

Get the Sunbeam or the Lian Li Rheobus without the crappy logo. Alteratively, but the Zalman, rip off the faceplate and overlay it on one of your faceplates and drill out holes in it. Saw that on another site for a UFO mod and it looked great. I have both. Prefer the look of the Lian Li Rheobus over the Zalman.

The Lian Li Rheobus does looks extremely hot :slobber:

Good idea masaville, if I removed the Zalman faceplate I could mount it behind one of the dark perspex cover plates and simply drill out the holes. That would give me 2 extra control switches.

Have to have a ponder today - even though I am already bending towards the Zalman, faceplate removal and some hole drilling. (I would also have the perfect template to use.) :)

dammit... i hate when "Project:xxxx" threads start w/ no pics... :mad:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stormshadow

dammit... i hate when "Project:xxxx" threads start w/ no pics... :mad:

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:rofl: I have to get my gear first :rofl:

OK,
Done two things.
Binned the AS5 for the AS Ceramique.
Ordered the Zalman Fan Controller (really liked the option for two extra switches on the fan controller), but I will remove the faceplate and mount it behind one of the dark perspex bay covers (probably the one with the F15 Eagle laser etched into it :slobber: ) Thanks for the suggestion Masaville :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeoffP

OK,
Done two things.
Binned the AS5 for the AS Ceramique.
Ordered the Zalman Fan Controller (really liked the option for two extra switches on the fan controller), but I will remove the faceplate and mount it behind one of the dark perspex bay covers (probably the one with the F15 Eagle laser etched into it :slobber: ) Thanks for the suggestion Masaville :)

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Had to go for the bling didn't you ? :D
I think you would have been happier with the Sunbeam Rheobus but it isn't a deal. Fan Controllers are cheap.

Can't wait to see the pictures. Best of luck with your build.

Looks like a good project! Can't wait to see some pics of the build. I'm just wondering, how much is the shipping on the UFO here to Aus? Might look at picking up one myself, but they already cost a few bucks more than I'd like to spend without a shipping cost added on...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by benny08

Looks like a good project! Can't wait to see some pics of the build. I'm just wondering, how much is the shipping on the UFO here to Aus? Might look at picking up one myself, but they already cost a few bucks more than I'd like to spend without a shipping cost added on...

---

HEAPS :mad:

All in US dollars:

Products
1 x U2-UFO Opti-1203 Black Powder Coat - Diamond Top $379.99
1 x Mountain Mods black Acrylic 5-1/4 bay cover - Etching: Custom Etching $10.99
1 x Molex Pin Remover $4.99
1 x Mountain Mods black Acrylic Triple 5-1/4 bay cover - Etching: Custom Etching $13.99
1 x Mountain Mods black Acrylic Dual 5-1/4 bay cover - Etching: Custom Etching $12.59
3 x 120MM Chrome Grill $2.97
4 x 80MM Black Aluminum Fan Filter $11.96
3 x Mountain Mods 120MM Fan Grill (VERSION 2) - Color: Mirrored $13.47
4 x 80MM Chrome Grill $3.56
10 x Tygon 3603 Tubing 1/2" ID 3/4" OD $28.90
4 x 120MM Black Aluminum Fan Filter $15.96

Sub-Total: $499.37
United States Postal Service (Global Express Mail (EMS) (3 - 5 Days)):$204.10
Total: $703.47

But there's more - got this email

Dear Geoff,
Sorry to inform you but we can not ship U2-UFO cases through the postal service to Australia.
The maximum Girth + Height of a box can not exceed 79 inches – see here:
http://pe.usps.gov/text/Imm/immicl/immiclab_012.html
The U2-UFO ships in a 20 inch cubed box for 100 inches in girth + height.
We do have pretty good Fedex international rates now, but it is $100 more.
At least with Fedex it is guaranteed to arrive 3-5 business days.
If you’d like to proceed with the Fedex international economy shipping on your order please PayPal the $100 to our account –mountainmods@mountainmods.com

So, in the end the total postage cost was US$304.10 :eek2:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeoffP

HEAPS :mad:

So, in the end the total postage cost was US$304.10 :eek2:

---

I feel your pain; although your setup will be one of a few quality wc rigs in this country - :toast:

wow man nice :D :toast:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sanhacker

Had to go for the bling didn't you ? :D
I think you would have been happier with the Sunbeam Rheobus but it isn't a deal. Fan Controllers are cheap.

---

Whats to bling :p: Sunbeam & Lian Li Rheobus's were really, really good. What got the Zalman controller over the line was that is has the 4 dial controls & 2 5V/OFF/12V switches. I can use these to turn on/off CCR's, etc. :)

I know the Sunbeam handles 20W per channel and the Zalman only handles a maximum of 7W, but that won't cause me any concern based on how the fans will be controlled.

Quote:

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Can't wait to see the pictures. Best of luck with your build.

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Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stormshadow

dammit... i hate when "Project:xxxx" threads start w/ no pics... :mad:

---

Here you go.

Piccies of my old pc which will be binned (apart from the guts):
Photos on the work bench and in its kennel:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o..._bucket/1n.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o..._bucket/2n.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o..._bucket/3n.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o..._bucket/4n.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o..._bucket/5n.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o..._bucket/6n.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o..._bucket/7n.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...ew%20Rig/9.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...w%20Rig/17.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...w%20Rig/18.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...w%20Rig/19.jpg

Have to admit the Stacker 830 is a damn fine looking case.

It seems that that Noctuca fan is backwards unless you are trying to push air from the back into the case.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kurz

It seems that that Noctuca fan is backwards unless you are trying to push air from the back into the case.

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The side fans are pushing air into the case. Which image are you referring to?

Ah excuse me...
Your fan setup is right.

Update:
Parts have started coming in.
Petra's gear has been delivered.
Other miscellaneous gear has been delivered.
My U2-UFO 1203 will be delivered today. :slobber: (According to the Fedex web site) - I keep on looking out the front window of our offices for the Fedex van - :rofl:
Danger Den gear is in route.
Performance PC's gear is in route.
It's finally starting to happen :D

Case was delivered. Fantastic. :banana: Ripped open packaging, checked all components, bugger :( , 3 x Mountain Mods 120MM Fan Grill (VERSION 2) were missing.

Already sent an email and had a reply from Mountain Mods. They will send out the missing pieces asap :)

Now I can do some face plate work this weekend, oh, and polish the case :eek: . A bit of Zymol polish will bring the paint work up a treat as well as add a hard protective layer. :party:

Cant wait for the spread of pictures you will be taking!
I must have something to ogle at on those lonely Friday nights, besides Jessica Alba...

photos, oh yeh, photooosss.

will be plenty

OK.

Have laid out everything I have so far.

Before anyone says anything, I have already noted that the drive bay trays at the front of the trays are badly scratched. I will sending these photos back to mountain Mods asking for replacement bays are they are bloody awful.

That aside, here are some photos (click on image for bigger shot):-

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/1s.jpghttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/2s.jpghttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/3s.jpghttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/4s.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/5s.jpghttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/6s.jpghttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/7s.jpg

While I'm waiting for other stock to arrive I will look at drilling out one of the bay covers and mounting the fan controller behind it. Should look sweet :D

it's a monster :eek:

Optimax 1203 with Diamond Top. Its not a U2-UFO, its better, but I'm sure you know that. What's with the bay covers?

Nice case.

My utterly useless Tt Tai-Chi ended up costing my nearly A$700. I wish I had bought a MM.

I should have bought 2x PA120.3 instead of 120.2 as well.

What bugs me is not the price of the bits, but the postage.

I hope MM don't expect you to send the scratched bits back at your expense.

Looking nice till now :D..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanY

What's with the bay covers?

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I take it you are querying the aircraft on the bay covers :p:

I'm into flight sims ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fossil

Nice case.

My utterly useless Tt Tai-Chi ended up costing my nearly A$700. I wish I had bought a MM.

I should have bought 2x PA120.3 instead of 120.2 as well.

What bugs me is not the price of the bits, but the postage.

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Postage was huge for everything altogether - that's the price we pay for living where we do ;)

Quote:

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I hope MM don't expect you to send the scratched bits back at your expense.

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Well, I sent them an email last night:

Hi (again),

As I stated in my previous reply to your response, I have not found the 3 x MM120FGV2 grills and would appreciate them being sent out.

I have assembled the swivel legs and one (1) nut for the leg screws is also missing. Could you please send one out with the grills.

I have also attached a couple of photographs of the front of the case. You can clearly see that the front bezel of each drive bay is badly scratched.

To me this is unacceptable as I have paid a premium price for a premium product which at the moment is not meeting its high quality image and name.

As such I would like replacement bays for each of the badly scratched drive bays. I will return the scratched drive bays if you want me to.

Please contact me via email with any queries re this.

I am also posting my U2-UFO build on forums which are being viewed by Australian rig builders. The U2-UFO is a fantastic case which is largely unavailable in Australia due to postage costs. I'm sure that a positive reply from Mountain Mods re these issues will show that a lot of money can be spent with confidence.

Yours Sincerely,

Geoff Pipprell.

No response as of yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeoffP

Postage was huge for everything altogether - that's the price we pay for living where we do ;)

---

I went to Australia before and wow, you guys would love being in America :p: seriously stuff there is ridiculously expensive.

Well, like everything it has its pros and cons.
pros, general violence is a lot less than the US.
cons, prices are more expensive, broadband generally sucks.

Pulled the case apart today, cleaned it, then polished Zymol Titanium polish to every painted surface.

This will protect the paint work and make it super slippery which helps prevent finger prints, easier to clean, etc. Gives it a deeper gloss as well.

My son helping outhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/18s.jpghttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/19s.jpgCase tophttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/11s.jpg
Before Polishhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/12s.jpgPolish appliedhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/13s.jpgPolish offhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/14s.jpg
All finishedhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/15s.jpgCase top againhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/16s.jpg

I tried using the polish on the scratched front bezels of the drive bays with no luck, scratching is still very apparent.

It was interesting running my hand over the unpolished drive bays, and then over the polished surfaces. Almost like sand paper to baby oil in smoothness :p: The pictures don't do the polish justice..

Fit Zalman fan controller behind drive bay cover.

First, pull front cover and dials off fan controller..
Bracket offhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/8s.jpgThis won't hurthttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o.../CUBEIT/9s.jpgSee, I told uhttp://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/10s.jpg
Bit of marking up and drilling tomorrow :D http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/20s.jpg

Oo, I like this!

great job!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeoffP

I take it you are querying the aircraft on the bay covers :p:

I'm into flight sims ;)

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And so am I :) Do you play Lock On ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanY

And so am I :) Do you play Lock On ?

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OT: I saw that game advertised a long while ago, and then it got delayed and delayed then I never heard about it anymore. Is it any good?

Very nice work!

BTW you have any idea where one might find some of the Zymol Titanium Polish you used?

Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SparkyJJO

OT: I saw that game advertised a long while ago, and then it got delayed and delayed then I never heard about it anymore. Is it any good?

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OT OT OT

Sparky,

The game is more of a sim than a game. Its learning curve is very steep, even for flight sim standards. Once you get going, its incredibly fun. The enemy is well skilled and even the average difficulty levels are challenging. The sim is designed primarily by Russians, so you get a whole lot of Ruskie aircraft. That was one of the common complains in America.. not enough Nato aircraft, but I think part of the fun is learning the incredible capabilities of a MIG29 or a SU27. YOu do get to fly F15s and F16s, but the game really emphasizes Ruskie aircraft. Having said that, I really enjoy flying the A-10 :)

Its sold for about $15 now. You can find it at EB.

Do you remember the nightmare of a game called "Back to Baghdad?" It took me two days of reading just to taxi and take off :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mcoffey

great watching these come up from the start. good to see you have your boy involved also, always like to see father and son getting into stuff together. bet he's having a blast too.

andyc

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Andy,

Like to see my son's water cooled machine ? :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mcoffey

oh heck yeah, love too.

andyc

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Look at Page 75 of the W/C Gallery. Same rig, same specs, except that my son runs three raptors instead of ten :) The tubing has been moved to 1/2" ID 3/4" OD Tygon, and is now without smartcoils. Others tuff remains the same.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hard H20

Very nice work!

BTW you have any idea where one might find some of the Zymol Titanium Polish you used?

Thanks.

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I bought it from PROTECH Car Care in Melbourne, Australia.

You should be able to pick it up from an authorized retailer. Go to the Zymol web site, then store locator.

It is the best polish I have ever used. The Titanium is a bit expensive, but man, do they have some over the top stuff that is way better ---> with a way better price I might add :eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanY

And so am I :) Do you play Lock On ?

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ABSOLUTELY!!! :toast: Got it the day it was released in Oz.

I have the Flaming Cliffs add-on and am eagerly waiting for the Black Shark add-on.

I'm using a Saitek X-52 Pro HOTAS, and TrackIR 4 Pro (6 dof :slobber:).

Can't fly without em now I'm that used to the technology ;)

Favs are the Warthog & Eagle :woot:

Geez, it's a tight fit in your sons wc pc :p:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mcoffey

very nice,

no more HJ'ing Geoff I promise:D

andyc

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HJ? Daywalker? Who me? Mech Warrior 4? LOL

Where did u dig that up? Haven't belonged to HJ for at least 4 or 5 years (around the time my son was born). Am I on the right track here???

Did MM take care of the scratched pieces? I want to get one of those cases, but i'll be really upset if I pay $350+ for a case that is all scratched to hell.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by quiet

Did MM take care of the scratched pieces? I want to get one of those cases, but i'll be really upset if I pay $350+ for a case that is all scratched to hell.

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No, not yet.

I emailed them 2 days ago but haven't heard anything back yet. Being Easter I will wait until next week. Hopefully they are pro-active in this as you can tell from the pictures that both drive bays are badly marked.

It actually shows that the quality checking process is lacking if this got through.

I will update this thread with Mountain Mods response.

LOL. Thought u dug up my past gaming history. hehe

NP

looking very nice cant wait to see it all together now, how many hours have you put into this case?

About 3 hours yesterday polishing, probably take 1 or 2 hours today to markup and drill out the holes for the fan controller.

Realy nice work, what did you paint it with was it 2K or somthing else, you must have some experance in the body shop to get a good looking finnish like you have done

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeoffP

I bought it from PROTECH Car Care in Melbourne, Australia.

You should be able to pick it up from an authorized retailer. Go to the Zymol web site, then store locator.

It is the best polish I have ever used. The Titanium is a bit expensive, but man, do they have some over the top stuff that is way better ---> with a way better price I might add :eek:

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Geoff,

Price is of no concern when looking for quality. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hard H20

Geoff,

Price is of no concern when looking for quality. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

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It's a pleasure :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sacha35

Realy nice work, what did you paint it with was it 2K or somthing else, you must have some experance in the body shop to get a good looking finnish like you have done

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Wish I was that talented. I bought the case from here

Fitted the fan controller behind the bay cover today. Thought it would take an hour or two, five hours later. :eek:

Measured up the cuts required on the bay cover, started cutting with my electric hand saw, WAY to strong. Would have broken the cover from all the vibration. Quick trip down to Bunnings to pick up a small hacksaw (Bunnings is a very, very large hardware conglomerate in Australia - you want it, Bunnings has got it. Kinda like Walmart).

Finished cutting some of the plastic work off the bay cover with the hack saw. HEAPS better cutting control - loved it. :)

THEN, out with my brand new dremel. Never used one before, but it made short work of smoothing the rough edges from the hack saw.:cool: Good bargain too I thought, came with the flexible extension, plus a mounting block and telescoping arm to hang the motor on, and a ton of fittings - all for AU$40 :D
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/21s.jpg

Then it was time to do some test drilling on the discarded offcuts. I was a bit dubious about how hard and brittle the bay cover plastic was. I picked the two drill sizes I needed to match the existing hole sizes in the fan controller front cover. Started to drill at very low speed (all drill bits were very sharp BTW), SNAP, :eek: , plastic clean snapped in two. tested again at a higher speed, same result, bugger, bugger, maybe I can't drill this stuff out without destroying the bay cover.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/22s.jpg

Then I test drilled with a smaller bit, perfect every time IF I was very careful.

Next, mark up the holes. Used the fan controller front cover as a template.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/23s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/24s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/25s.jpg

Very, VERY carefully drilled out the holes (crapped myself the whole time - I could see bits of plastic flying off everywhere :( ).

Then, used the dremel and slowly expanded the small drill holes out to the required size. Used drill bits the same size as the required holes to progressively test the correct diameter of the hole.

End result, top LED holes successfully dremelled (is dremelled a word?) to correct diameters and only SO slightly out of alignment (the tape protecting the front face plate is actually out of alignment - LOL).
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/26s.jpg

Next, push up the cover in the vice ready to do the bigger control knob holes.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/27s.jpg

All holes finished, test fitted the fan controller.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/28s.jpg

Finished product mounted into drive bay (which still has to be replaced by Mountain Mods due to bad scratching). There's still a bit of tape adhesive on the cover plate, still have to give it a good clean.
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/29s.jpg

And that's it, what I thought would take a couple of hours, well, five hours later :p:

For a boofhead like myself who couldn't cut a piece of string into equal halves to save himself I am actually rather pleased with the end result :D

Nothing more to add until the week after Easter. I am on holidays from next Tuesday until the following Sunday. Hopefully the remaining parts will have been delivered to work next week so I can continue when I get back.

Hey.. I like women. Do you think my wife will allow me to install bay cover plates with "fronts" and "rears" on them? :D

Glad to meet a fellow flight sim junkie, although I'm sure you're much better than I am :)

On Lock On, I tend to fly the MIG-29 :)

I use a combination of Thrustmaster and CH equipment.

http://www.thrustmaster.com/product....1&PlatformID=5
http://www.thrustmaster.com/product....8&PlatformID=5
http://www.chproducts.com/retail/pedals.html
http://www.chproducts.com/retail/y_vpp.html
http://www.chproducts.com/retail/t_tq_quad.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeoffP

THEN, out with my brand new dremel. Never used one before, but it made short work of smoothing the rough edges from the hack saw.:cool: Good bargain too I thought, came with the flexible extension, plus a mounting block and telescoping arm to hang the motor on, and a ton of fittings - all for AU$40 :D
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/21s.jpg
.

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i'll get the same one tomorrow....bunnings right??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dinos22

i'll get the same one tomorrow....bunnings right??

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Yep, I got it in the power tools section at Bunnings - Cranbourne. Of-course all the stores should have it.

Just checked the receipt - Exact cost was $41.96. (Rotary Tool - RTG-920VK) is the part number. Another reference number on my receipt is "9319510003090".

"Always remember to keep your receipts please customers" :fact:

There are more expensive units available and they may perform better, but I have nothing to compare against so for me it is a great tool. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanY

Hey.. I like women. Do you think my wife will allow me to install bay cover plates with "fronts" and "rears" on them? :D

Glad to meet a fellow flight sim junkie, although I'm sure you're much better than I am :)

On Lock On, I tend to fly the MIG-29 :)

I use a combination of Thrustmaster and CH equipment.

http://www.thrustmaster.com/product....1&PlatformID=5
http://www.thrustmaster.com/product....8&PlatformID=5
http://www.chproducts.com/retail/pedals.html
http://www.chproducts.com/retail/y_vpp.html
http://www.chproducts.com/retail/t_tq_quad.html

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Jeeez, you have some good equipment there... :slobber:

I had the Cougar a few years ago. Had the "Uber" mod done on it. They are a bloody expensive unit but it was worth it. Sold it a way back and only just got back into the HOTAS setup last year when my normal joystick broke.

Here are some piccies of the pit I setup with my Kitty.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12


Funny thing with progression, they only two items I still have from all those photos is my speakers and desk.

IanY, I think with all that gear you have you are probably a bit more experienced than me :cool:

Do you fly on-line?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeoffP

IanY, I think with all that gear you have you are probably a bit more experienced than me :cool:

Do you fly on-line?

---

Seldom fly on line, but I must try more. Time is an issue.

Naw, I'm an amateur flier. I'm better at MS Flight Sim than at combat flight sims. Yes, I have been at flight sims for a long time now. You can tell from my commercial jet equipment that I'm practicing for Jihad <-- what my wife says :)

I'm a much better driver. Formula One games and driving sims are where I can hold my ground.

Tried FSX, found it very, uhm, non-interesting - nothing to shoot :D
Need to fulfill mans primitive urge to build & destroy :frag:

I actually really like TOCA cars :p: nice deformable vehicles :p:

If you haven't tried it yet, look at the TrackIR 4 Pro. You can use it in flight sims, racing sims, etc. Once u have tried it u will never go back

Just got this reply email from Mountain Mods,

Hi,
Sorry about the scratches on the 5.25 bays hard to say if it was shipped that way or a result of shipping friction at any rate we will ship out 2 replacements as well as the grills and missing nut shortly.

We won’t ask for you to return the scratched pcs unless you should feel inclined. If you can make use of them please do so, but if not we hate to have things just tossed out and would appreciate them be returned as we can respray and reuse them.

Very good customer service - Thanks MM :thumbsup:

Finally have all the parts in. :D
Mountain Mods replacement drive bays and missing fan covers came in as well. (Thanks MM, I really appreciate the fast turn around on delivering the replacement drive bays.) :)
Polished both drive bays plus the F15 & F4 Phantom bay covers. Everything is nice and smooth now.
Anyway, put together the first drive bay this evening.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/32s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/33s.jpg

Pulled out the Thermochill PA120.3 rad. I had no idea they were so huge.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/30s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/31s.jpg

How has everyone found the plastic barbs? Any issues at all?

I will flush out the rad tomorrow, going to watch a bit of tv and relax.

plastic barbs are pita to put hose on manually. usual soak in hot water then slip on plastic barbs. or buy metal G3/8 barbs...

i am in the philippines, almost same costing if ever i buy one of em UFO cases.

very nice shine you got going there. nice pic reflections too.
will have to/can't wait for more pics...

the dremel part, more cutting disks in reserved if ever you're goin modding holes. else simple drill with slow setting and appropriate drill bits should suffice.

Wow! :slobber: i wonder how i could miss such thread!

I like it! Thats going to be a hell of a case!

Oh you didn't got some Metal barbs for your PA120.3 huh ? If you wouldn't have been in Australia, i would have sent you 2 AquaXtreme High-Flow Fitting (G 3/8" Thread, 1/2" OD) for free! I bought 6 some time ago (Ordered them all the way from Cooltechnica to Canada, Montreal and paid 17$ USD For shipping!)) and thought of selling them to ppls in here as they were hard to get. But now that Petra stock them...

Incidently, if it matters at all, I use those plastic barbs on all my Thermochill radiators. They serve me very well. I don't use 7/16" ID tubing, so I don't have any hose issues. My Tygon slips right on, and when need be, come off after using a little force.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by septim

the dremel part, more cutting disks in reserved if ever you're goin modding holes. else simple drill with slow setting and appropriate drill bits should suffice.

---

No matter what speed setting I used when drilling the holes the plastic would snap because it was so brittle. The only way was to drill very small centering holes, then dremmel them out to the correct diameter.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IanY

Incidentally, if it matters at all, I use those plastic barbs on all my Thermochill radiators. They serve me very well. I don't use 7/16" ID tubing, so I don't have any hose issues. My Tygon slips right on, and when need be, come off after using a little force.

---

Ian, do you use the 1/2" ID Tygon on 1/2"OD barbs?

I suppose if you are using 7/16" ID (on 1/2" OD barbs) it is a lot harder to slip on.

Can you snap the plastic barbs if you apply too much pressure?

Also, would they become brittle after a while due to the heat incurred in the loop?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patriote

Wow! :slobber: i wonder how i could miss such thread!

I like it! Thats going to be a hell of a case!

Oh you didn't got some Metal barbs for your PA120.3 huh ? If you wouldn't have been in Australia, i would have sent you 2 AquaXtreme High-Flow Fitting (G 3/8" Thread, 1/2" OD) for free! I bought 6 some time ago (Ordered them all the way from Cooltechnica to Canada, Montreal and paid 17$ USD For shipping!)) and thought of selling them to ppls in here as they were hard to get. But now that Petra stock them...

---

I didn't even think about what type of barbs I would be getting with the rad. First wc build, kinda like building your first house, you ALWAYS leave stuff out...

If need be I can order a couple, it will just delay the build a few days..

:rofl: just googled "AquaXtreme High-Flow Fitting" for Australia, NIL hits :rofl:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GeoffP

Ian, do you use the 1/2" ID Tygon on 1/2"OD barbs?

I suppose if you are using 7/16" ID (on 1/2" OD barbs) it is a lot harder to slip on.

Can you snap the plastic barbs if you apply too much pressure?

Also, would they become brittle after a while due to the heat incurred in the loop?

---

Yes. I only use Tygon 1/2" ID tubing. I do not like 7/16" ID tubing of any brand and I do not use the smaller size, for my own reasons, which quite a few people in this forum disagree (notwithstanding the icon status and opinions of an industry expert who contributes to this forum).

Try snapping off a plastic barb. I can't and I haven't. I use plastic barbs exclusively, except for my Apogee GTX block, which I have not changed out. Otherwise, I refuse to use metal barbs and I dislike them.

You would think that I am one of those who puts the most intense heat on my water cooling loop. My Kentsfield loop is reported to have a thermal signature in excess of 280 watts when fully overclocked at 1.5 volts, something which no dual core Core 2 Duo can replicate, regardless of overclocking speed. I have also used water cooling equipment on an immensely overclocked AMD FX60 and FX62 systems. We all know how hot AMD Athlons can get.

You will have to make your own judgments. Don't allow anyone else to make decisions for you.

As for me, I am sticking to plastic barbs exclusively, except where Swiftech releases its product designed to be used with its own metal barbs. You know where I stand on metal worm clamps as well.

Geoff,

I'm pretty sure Petra has the AquaXtreme 3/8 > 1/2" Barb that you need for your rads in stock. Shoot Alex or Quoc an email I'm sure they will get you taken care of ASAP.

http://petrastechshop.com/aqhifig3th1o.html

Well,
My main concern is "would" a barb snap.
That aside, and maybe this is a really dumb question:p:, but what is the performace difference between the standard plastic barb supplied with the Thermochill rad and, lets say, the AquaXtreme High-Flow Fitting?

If those barbs are Nylon, they will not snap. Nylon is stronger than steel. Your more likely to snap a metal barb than a nylon one. If they are hard plastic then yeah, they can snap. I'm with Iany on the plastic. They provide more sealing area and are just easier to use.

How can I tell if the barbs are nylon or plastic.
They came as standard with the rad, so hopefully Thermochill ship out nylon barbs with their rads - or are the barbs provided by the retailer and they use whatever?

i read somewhere else that thermochill allows vendors to supply their own barbs and buy the thermos without barbs. you would need to ask the vendor who sold it or did you buy it straight from thermo?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dem1an

i read somewhere else that thermochill allows vendors to supply their own barbs and buy the thermos without barbs. you would need to ask the vendor who sold it or did you buy it straight from thermo?

---

No, got it from Danger Den.

OK, just checked their web site, they only have these available, so I imagine the ones I received are plastic.

I suppose I will give them a go and form my own opinion of them. I will have to remember to not be brutish when pushing & pulling tubing onto them, that's all.

i would suggest ordering some G3/8 metal high flow barbs from petra's too.

well its your opinion that really counts. plastic/nylon or metal, you decide.

OK,
Small update tonight.
Boiled up some demineralised water, filled up the rad and shook the crap out of it, emptied, did it again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again.

Burnt my hands a bit even though I had heavy duty gloves.

Tools of the trade---
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/34s.jpg

Will do it a bit more tonight, maybe pick up some vinegar tomorrow and do a couple of flushes with that as well, alternating with demineralised water.

The emptied water on each occasion didn't seem very bad at all - funny that..

I might pour the water into a clear glass container next time and gauge the clarity of the water then I suppose.

Geoff,

I have built quite a few systems. Never nce have I kinked a barb while using brute force, let alone snap one.

do these g3/8 plastic/nylon barbs come out only long ones or are there actually short ones available.

there is actually no problems with these long barbs on other setups, but on my externally mounted PA, longer barbs would result in a little longer tubing.
(my rad is mounted out back, with barbs facing out at the moment.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IanY

Geoff,
I have built quite a few systems. Never once have I kinked a barb while using brute force, let alone snap one.

---

I'm going to give the barbs a try out. Alternative is to order something else, cop the postage and wait time.

I'm sure they will be alright, otherwise they wouldn't be sold...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GeoffP

I'm going to give the barbs a try out. Alternative is to order something else, cop the postage and wait time.

I'm sure they will be alright, otherwise they wouldn't be sold...

---

I've kinked mine that were attached to my Swiftech MCR220QP. Plastic ones make it so hard to attach and especially remove since they bend with the pressure/torque that you apply. I had to bend it so hard that my plastic barbs had a permanent bend. Go chrome and never look back.

Well,
Couple of things to report.

Had a moment of weakness and ordered the AquaXtreme 3/8 > 1/2" Barbs from Petras, plus some PT Nuke and a bit more tubing as well.

That will take a few days to get here, so no building this weekend.

That is a good thing as I couldn't do anything anyways. My left knee has decided to pack it in, and the pain killers really stuffs with your head (drugs are bad, okaaaaaaaaaeeeee - my head is really spaced out right now :rolleyes: )

I must say that Quoc absolutely ROCKS. I rang him up this morning my time (which would have been late afternoon at Petra's). Asked for some advice which was provided very politely. Sent an email querying postage, received a reply very quickly. Payed using PayPal and got a USPS tracking number from Quoc late evening (Petras time). FANTASTIC SERVICE. My goods will ship Friday, so maybe hit my office mid next week - maybe my knee might be a bit better (probably not - need a knee replacement :p: )

Contrary to what the army says, running on hard roads in boots with a heavy backpack is NOT good for your knees...

Everyone have a great weekend :D now where are the rest of my drugs

Wow great build Geoff, I hope maybe one day to build similar :toast:


Re Lock-On, I'm glad some others found it hard/steep learning curve, I thought it was just me = dumb :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alpha0ne

Wow great build Geoff, I hope maybe one day to build similar :toast:


Re Lock-On, I'm glad some others found it hard/steep learning curve, I thought it was just me = dumb :D

---

These are the best barbs for PA120.3

http://store.over-clock.com/Barbs.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alpha0ne

Wow great build Geoff, I hope maybe one day to build similar :toast:

Re Lock-On, I'm glad some others found it hard/steep learning curve, I thought it was just me = dumb :D

---

It is a wee bit hard. Currently I only fly the Warthog & the Eagle. Way too much to learn to adequately pilot all the aircraft :)

As posted in another thread, I set about changing over one of my GPU's last Sunday.

Here it is in its fancy overcoat with all the bits ready to go:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/35s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/36s.jpg

And the important bit, the back of the cards where the screws are:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/37s.jpg

Tried out the bracket - DIDN'T FIT!! (excuse the blurriness)
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/38s.jpg

Performance PC's didn't send the 2 x G80 brackets that I ordered with the MCW60's - bugger - no more work on Sunday.

Ended up getting the G80's from PCCaseGear in Melbourne on Monday. Would have taken too long to wait for PPC's to send them out.

Ssssoooooooo, onto tonight, bit more time on my hands.
Got my AquaXtreme 3/8 > 1/2" Barbs from Petras (Once again a huge thank you to Quoc [YOU ROCK MAN]) - Ordered them on Thursday (my time), got them Monday (my time) - OUTSTANDING. Wish Petra's was in Melbourne :p:
NB: Also got TWO pens :D

Action photos of barbs before and after fitting:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/43s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/44s.jpg I am going to buy some gloss black paint and spray the rad before I fit it as well.

Was going to fit the Scythe fans into the rad shroud to work out cabling requirements for the fans, bugger me, the fan self tapping screws diameter is too large for the pre-drilled shroud holes.
(very blurry photo again - got to work out the macro mode on my camera)
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/45s.jpg I will have to drill the holes out a bit to fit the screws I suppose.

Pushing on, I thought I would sleeve the 3 fans going into the rad shroud.

As always, take a photo or write down where everything is BEFORE you pull it apart:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/39s.jpg

Trying to work out best use of cable length:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/41s.jpg It's amazing how black paint shows dirt, fluff, etc - LOL

Working out the cable run inside the rad shroud:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/46s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/47s.jpg Got it sussed... everything has to come out the end.

That means some cable extensions. Also, 2 fans will paralleled together to run off 1 fan control point on the fan controller.

A bit of soldering and sleeving fun.

First the single fan:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/48s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/50s.jpg And no, I don't smoke - bought the gas lighter for the cable shrink stuff.

Then the dual fans - I have circled where the solder joints are. Thought they were the best location for neatness:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/51s.jpg http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/52s.jpg

That's it for tonight, might get some more done tomorrow however it's a holiday in Oz (ANZAC Day).

Probably go down to the beach with the family, have some fish and chips for lunch - yummee :slobber:

GeoffP, the fans goes on top of the shroud, not inside.

rad=>shroud=>fans

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by septim

GeoffP, the fans goes on top of the shroud, not inside.

rad=>shroud=>fans

---

The fans fit perfectly between the rad and the shroud, thought that was the place for them to go :confused:

Can someone who has this setup please post a picture - seems weird to me to put the fans on the outside of the shroud when they seem to fit perfectly underneath it.

Not questioning you at all septim :p: just seems weird to me.

Also, does it matter if they do fit as per my picture, is it going to effect the pulling performance of the fans?

Septim is absolutely right. Fans go on top of the shroud, which go on to the radiator. The shrouds are meant to keep the fans some distance from the radiator, and maintain a relatively airtight seal.

They way you have set them up is counterproductive and may even worsen the performance.

yes it will affect cooling/pulling performance, the purpose of the shroud is to have additional space between fan and radiator so as to prevent deadspots when pulling air through radiator.

OK. Thanks guys.

Just to confirm that this is the correct config:
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...CUBEIT/49s.jpg

It's a great thing to have forums like this.

Helps keep us newbies pointed in the right direction and hopefully not make dumb decisions :p:

I think gasket goes under shroud

If in doubt, RTFM
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o...structions.gif

Should have done this in the first case.

As I'm doing a pull config, I think it should go fan>gasket>shroud>rad>case>fan grill

I also have some 120mm fan filters - got them, just not sure if I really need them.
If I used them, I think they would go rad>filters>case>fan grill <--- Is this OK?

Do filters reduce air flow much? They would make it easier to keep crap out of the rad and inside of case, very easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner as well.

I also have a second gasket. I could do fan>gasket>shroud>rad>2nd gasket>case>filter>fan grill

Is it more of an advantage to have the rad hard up against the case (metal to metal) for better heat transference & dissipation into the case?

sure no problem with sandwiching a filter there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by soccerswim8

Geoff: why didn't you solder all the wires into one 3-pin connector?

---

The Zalman ZM-MFC1 6-Channel Fan Controller I'm using can only handle a maximum of 7W per channel.

The Scythe are 2.4W per fan. Three fans off one connector would be 7.2W - too much for one channel.

could/did you test that it won't work with 3 fans in one channel? the most will probably be that a fan won't start.