Project: Eldritch

*EDIT 5/24/10*
Done with the build, thanks for all the support!
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8332/eldritchv.jpg








A big hello to all my idols and friends at Xtreme Systems! Like the creepy old man at the playground I have watched the forum and its denizens from afar and now I am making my first appearance--don't worry--I have already been ticked once today for public nudity and its hard to undress in a straightjacket...

With PAX less than two weeks away now and tickets to the BYOC, I decided it was time to get working on a system. I have a few dusty ideas I found lurking in the darker corners of my mind that I can use for this project, and I think it will be fun to see how things turn out...

The Cast:
ASUS Rampage II Gene – a micro-ATX board with a shady past looking for a new chance at life...

i7 920 – A frenzied speed-addict whose last chance for salvation lies in the hope of one man and his dremel...

Corsair Dominator: Triple-pack – These triplets only have two things in common, one is amnesia, and the other they can't remember. Will they be able to overcome their ironic handicap to save the day?

With a cameo appearance by “Dr.” Pyle (of Acrylic)...

STAY TUNED!!!!!!!

Yeah so, basically all the junk I have sitting on my desk. I haven't decided on what card I am going to use, but I am going to grab a pair of SSDs now that they have decent write speeds and lifespans. I want to learn all I can about these puppies while they are still obnoxiously difficult to wrestle with so that when they become plug-and-play I can whine to my grandkids...

THE DESIGN

Normally I work in various versions of CAD and either Max or Maya, depending on if I have a PC up and running or if I have to use my Mac. Because I am pressed for time, I am going to use Sketchup for my prelim drawings...and because I already doodled up a design in Sketchup while at a friends house over the weekend...

I call it: CRUCIFIXTION OF PEARS:A CONTEMPORARY LOOK INTO LINE TOPOGRAPHY AND THE MENTAL ABSTRACTIONS OF THE PYGMY ARTHSAURAPOD

Actually scratch that, I'm going to go with Eldritch instead. “Its classy, has street cred, plus I can keep my monogrammed slippers.” Points to the individuals who get the reference...

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4363/86456443.jpg
I am now taking any and all questions, such as:

Q. Who the **** are you and why do we give a ****ing ****?
A. You don't, however your mother knows who I am and she apparently gave quite a few ****s last night. I have a Sketchup model of that too should you need proof.
Q. Instead of showing us a picture of one of your sins against nature and expect us to understand it how about you break it down so we can mock you step by step?
A. That's not a question, that's a request. Apparently you fail at asking questions, Mr. Pretend Question-Asker...what kind of figment of my imagination are you, anyways? I will however honor your request in a series of annoying, bandwidth-hogging posts...

Before I begin I want to be honest with you guys. Not in the “because I'm noble” sense, but in the “I don't wanna get called bs-on” sense. But seriously, these screens were taken late in the design process and just reflect my train of thought and work process, and omit obvious needs such as alignment and re-position...ment...that sort of thing. Don't worry, the assembly will be a live process where you can witness what happens when my lack of talent combines with zero hand-eye coordination and $250 worth of acrylic supplies. =D


1. First I threw in what parts I knew I was going to use in some sort of form, and played with them until I knew how I was going to orient the power supply and the motherboard. When I figured both out, I built the base. The cubes are ¾ an inch and come in a bag of 100 for the cool price of $34 from my favorite acrylic supplier, Delvie's Plastics. Most PSUs (I haven't decided on one yet) have a 140ish sized fan on the bottom, and the base accommodates this with a big hole. The idea is that cool air will be sucked through the staggered cubed base and through the PSU and jetted out the back.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2524/54259242.jpg

2. I positioned the radiators and fans accordingly, and then slapped some front panels on them. At first I used two Black Ice radiators using the components from http://scc.jezmckean.com/home, where all the other components I use come from, but then I ditched them for Koolance's new HX-CU1020H because I wanted to use some of the extra-low rpm fans I have laying around. This widened the case considerably (about two and a half inches) and presented problems with the barbs as they would now come out from the bottom, but after some adjustments I decided I was still happy with its proportions. I had decided from the start, obviously, that I wanted a dual-loop system.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/7002/70263907.jpg

3. I added the “second floor” and cut out a section in the front panel for a LCD, make and model not yet determined. I figured I would stuff an LCD and a DVD burner down in the first channel along with the pumps, and use the second channel for a relay board, fittings, and lighting.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1159/69060503.jpg

4. At this point in the model I needed some closure on how I was going to mount the motherboard. Rather than just screwing in some stand-offs directly into the back panel, I decided I wanted some kind of removable system. At first I decided on acrylic hinges, because I was drinking. Later I realized how crappy that would look and came up with a much better solution, albeit a bit unorthodox.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/2845/42097902.jpg

5. Magnets! Magnets are hella-fun, and they are historically known to cause damage to computer components, just like water! Of course magnets shouldn't actually hurt anything inside my case, but I did a bit of research just to be extra safe—especially on their effect on SSDs. So I made a sandwich with an old PIV system with a stack of retarded-strong neodymium magnets as the bread. After running along side me for the weekend (and still running as my web-server now) I decided we were good in that area. As I didn't have any SSDs on hand to subject to this torture, I had to rely on the internet for information, as well as a basic understanding of physics. Basically, in this way if my SSDs fry I can at least blame the internet and physics, my two arch-rivals.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1254/454gcb.jpg

6. Cut some holes for the IO ports. Everything in the model is to scale with the numbers already recorded so I can hopefully replicate this, in case people were wondering if my cuts were arbitrary. I also positioned some of those cubes for use as braces. Oh, right, the orientation. This case is fairly small as you probably can tell using the 120mm fans as a reference. Because I do game, and attend my fair share of LAN parties (both public and private) convenience is something I look for in my PCs. I always seems to battle with plugging in my system and moving it around, and having the ports on top just seemed like the logical solution. It might suck, and I will admit I was wrong—but I want to put it in practice.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/7086/53608114.jpg

7. Time for the front/side. I prefer PCs to sit behind my monitor with their “front” side on the edge of my desk. I call the side the front because that is the side I see while using the system. I wanted this PC to take full advantage of this orientation—another argument for having the ports on top. I spent quite a bit of time on this part, as I am a firm believer in the window being the most important feature of the case. When it was proportioned to my liking it looked like this:

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2175/80634483.jpg

8. The case as you see it so far is going to be one piece and assembled in this order. I am going to weld it together using acrylic cement. The windows both in the front and back will serve as access areas to the components. I did measure, and I should have no trouble replacing parts as I need to, save for the radiators, which will be a tight squeeze. I should never ever have to replace them though. The lower rectangular cut-out is for the reservoir, which I am going to assemble using several 1/4” acrylic pieces and lay them on top of each other. This should assure me a perfect seal without using any of that noxious-smelling aquarium caulk, as well as being damn near indestructible.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/3442/21260837.jpg

9. The finished reservoir. The middle section will be made out of clear acrylic and boast my logo, so everyone will know who to laugh at when my project fails horribly. I plan on illuminating the logo using LEDs, and hopefully with the water turbulence and its 3d positioning I will have a cool little effect. If this has been done before, then I apologize for going into detail. If it hasn't, then I call dibby-dib-dibs until September 9th. =P

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/4195/23070178.jpg

10. I added five pieces as extra interior trim to neaten things up. Four of them are just flat pillars that seal the radiator channels to increase the fan efficiency. The fifth piece creates the “third floor” and is a thin piece of translucent white acrylic that will showcase the SSDs and hopefully illuminate the components with a soft, warm glow when I get some lighting under it.

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6758/56940583.jpg

11. I exploited the case's curvature and added some handles. I plan to reinforce them with those nifty cubes I mentioned earlier.

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/4791/47316963.jpg

12. Because the windows are going to be the only form of access this chassis allows to the components, they need to be removable. Because magnets would be too strong, I opted for some dual-layer trim, which I think looks more elegant anyways. Basically the “glass” is sandwiched between two layers of acrylic, and can slide straight up and be removed. Because both the “glass” and trim only add up to 3/16” thick, they still appear slim when viewed from the side. I took this opportunity to make the LCD hole a frame too, even though I will have to redo it when I decide on a screen...

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6585/72295677.jpg

Well, like it or hate it, this is more or less what I am going to be assembling over the next two weeks. Tomorrow I plan on finishing up the model (after I decide on a LCD) and tweaking a few things here and there, and then drawing out the panels I can't hand-fab myself in vector to be laser cut. So far I think the only qualifying panels are the 1/16” window retainers and the NFC logo... We shall see...

More tomorrow...

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/4381/90177166.jpg

Nice renders there and I will be following this builds log with eagle eyes.

Very cool project! I am not very familiar with acrylic, are the white and black sections acrylic with some kind of paint on them? Definitely looking forward to seeing the evolution of this project.

I wanna see this built!

Good rendering mate, I am so curious about rest of this worklog.

you even write good this should interesting, hurry up and entertain us

great start buddy :up:

Today was pretty fruitful, although non-photogenic. Between my day job and my hobby of cataloging mashed potatoes that kinda-sorta look like Elvis I produced the vector files needed to create the more complicated parts of the chassis.

I also picked out and ordered my display--I backed down from the SVGA idea and went with something more tried and true, Matrix Orbital's tri-color Typhoon GX. That and the acrylic should be arriving here tomorrow from California and Utah, respectively. This is where I normally would make a Mormon joke, but all the jokes about Mormons and acrylic have already been done:

"Hey, did you hear about that Mormon who walked into an acrylic bar?"

"No? What's the punchline?

"There is no punchline, it was Plexiglass! Get it? HAHAHAHA!

"..."

*Cough* Moving forward...

I also rounded up various bits and ends from local hardware stores, and there will be IRL pictures of that junk tomorrow along with the other stuff I ordered.

For now all I have is the updated chassis with room for the burner and the screen, and yes, I promise, this is the last picture of an imaginary computer:

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/4942/34238616.jpg

Pictures of hardware and stuff tomorrow, and maybe I will get to cutting...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cobra_kai

Very cool project! I am not very familiar with acrylic, are the white and black sections acrylic with some kind of paint on them? Definitely looking forward to seeing the evolution of this project.

---

Nope, although I used paint on acrylic as an effect in previous mods:
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/5859/swordd.jpg

The acrylic I am using for this project will come from the press colored. I will take some pictures of it tomorrow, but both the white and black have a mirror finish. I should note that the white is translucent, but the black is opaque.


Thank you for the compliments, I am sure I can try harder to disappoint you over the next two weeks. :)

This is looking hella-cool :P
Very nice intro, looking forward to the rest of it, good luck!

Today was pretty normal. I got hit by a diesel F-250 crossing the street, but luckily my 5 dollah footlong absorbed most the impact. This post is dedicated to the memory of my sandwich:
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1301/teriyaki.jpg


Yes, I did get work on Eldritch done. And by work I mean I sat on my cushy butt (less cushy without my 1400 calorie Subway though, thank you very much!) and took pictures of stuff that came in the mail. Along with your mom. OoooOoooohhhh snap!

Wait, please don't leave!

Anyways, let's start off with a CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!!!!

You are either:

A. Koolance
B. Danger Den
C. EK Water Blocks
D. ???

Now, when you see the {xXx} substitute for your character. Let's practice.

"My favorite waterblock company is {xXx}!"

If you substituted {xXx} for the Jonas Brothers, you failed. If you gave a respectable answer, such as Koolance, you can continue.

So after work, I headed off to {xXx} where my good buddy Dean was waiting for me with open arms (he closed the door and locked it). After using the alternate entrance I was formally greeted by him and thus began our conversation:

Dean: "JOSH, what the **** are you doing?? I told you not to come here anymore this isn't a store OR your playground. Its a warehouse where I STILL have a job, no thanks to your antics."

Josh: "What's an antics? is that even in season? Anyways I came to pick up some stuff."

Dean: "Fine..." *Dean walks toward the techroom*

Josh: "Can I hang out here in the warehouse?"

Dean: "No. You know why? Because last time you dumped sixteen gallons of Propylene Glycol on the concrete and used it as a slippy-slide, now come with me."

Josh: *pouty* "wasn't..*mutter*...16..."*grumble*

Dean began to work collecting various things on my list while I smiled and nodded at the other employees. We finished up, I paid, and I headed back home with my phat loot, thinking all the way how great {xXx} is. Seriously though, I offer my gratitude to the guys at Koolance who are all very friendly and supportive of my projects, and I am thanking them publicly here for the hefty discount I received as sponsorship. And if you would like to be a sponsor, I am always looking for some. The only company I would decline would be Ford. SERIOUSLY WHERE THE **** DO THOSE F-250s COME FROM? One minute your crossing the street about to enjoy a delectable lunch, and the next...POW..from nowhere man...seriously.

So I got home and found out my order from Frozen CPU had arrived. So here comes the obligatory list of component pictures.

Here is what 550ish dollars of Koolance hardware looks like. I am very lucky to have been sponsored or I would be broke right now. This allows me to go broke later on in the project. I decided to use Koolance hardware for this project, because their blocks are as good or better than the competition, and I think the quality of their products is phenomenal, and increases monthly. EK Waterblocks and Danger Den have great products you can't go wrong with (and I do choose them usually for reservoirs) but in my personal opinion Koolance has the best looking blocks and fittings. You do pay for all this nickel though:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/1787/1550bux.jpg

A picture of the nice nickel-plated clip next to the ugly standard one. Yeah, yeah, zipties are cheap as free but I am splurging on this mod:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4364/15clips.jpg


PUMPS! WE HAVE THEM! Man I love Dr. Tran...Koolance was out of stock of the Acetal tops, but the acrylic ones look great too. The center top is still in the packaging if you are wondering why it looks lumpy:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5...wehavethem.jpg


The CPU-350 in all its glory. And its mounting hardware in all its glory... In and Out, just like YOUR MOM LAST NIGHT OOOOOOOOOOOOOSNAP......please don't leave =(
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1991/3cpufront.jpg

The CPU-350's contact side.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2392/4cpuback.jpg

The radiators I think are the most gorgeous pieces. These are the newish full-copper ones, I was lucky enough to get to test one in Seraphim earlier this year...
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/9675/5radfront.jpg

...Showing the thickness. These rads are setup for low-CFM fans. Yes, that is a Ghostbuster's trap in the background:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4366/6radsides.jpg

The un-boxing of the old 285 block (for 12xx cards). The new one is for the models beginning with 11xx and would have been incompatible with the refurbished 285 I ordered:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/6486/7unboxing1.jpg

Still in its wrapper. Tasty.
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/9951/8unboxing2.jpg

The business side.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1817/9unboxing3.jpg

FANS! I chose the Cluster from the Enermax Twister series. These fans are very quiet, rated at 8-14 dBA, with a CFM of 23-53. I don't have the equipment to test them, but I plugged three in and I couldn't hear them over my test PSU (Corsair 750), which I found to be very impressive. By comparison the Aerocool 92mm fan on the right is darn noisy, and I will be installing a rocker switch to turn it on and off (it will be the only exhaust fan, which I doubt the system will need). They were expensive, but so far well worth the cost:
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/1694/10fans.jpg

The blades are detachable, so you can pop them off and run them under water, as well as having access to your radiator for easier cleaning. My design incorporated this feature, so the blades will have clearance to pop off. There is a problem though, the plastic Enermax used in these fans is EXTREMELY brittle. It isn't a quality issue, the material is very lightweight and these fans feel half as heavy as a normal Yate-Loon 120mm. They also have a very shiny finish because of the material. I just don't think it's possible to remove the fans if they are installed, because I think they will break the brace in the back, if you don't break the blades--as they are VERY hard to pull out. This was disappointing to me but my only gripe about an otherwise perfect fan:
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6901/11bladeout.jpg

The fans even come with a power switch which disables the four white LEDs and spins at a lower RPM. I could honestly not hear a difference in a completely silent room though, as the normal mode is already extremely quiet. Maybe after all six are running I can see if I can discern a difference.
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3...ightswitch.jpg

A rather big order of sleeving supplies and some misc stuff from Frozen CPU, one of my favorite vendors:
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/7862/62541230.jpg

This momentary key-switch I chose because it was ONLY FIVE DOLLARS!!! It uses a real key too, not one of those crappy chucks that fit all "locks" this size. This way, when I lose the keys, I can be REALLY frustrated! I also want to note that I found this at Fry's for 5 dollars. The reason I mention this is because the other momentary key switch they had was 22 dollars, and made of cheap plastic. Fry's inventory control is piti...well, Fry's needs inventory control period:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/467...tarykeyswi.jpg

These are from Frozen CPU too. They are nifty chrome ?covers? for LEDs. I plan on using two for the power and HDD lights, respectively. I bought two extra because they were cheap, and cool:
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/8060/15ledcovers.jpg

Ok, modders: take note. This is JT&T sleeving, which you can find at most Fry's locations. This is premium stuff and in my opinion it matches the legendary murderMod's sleeving in quality (though you don't get the nicely put together kit, or the sata sleeving). It is also fairly inexpensive, at 35 cents a foot. The reason I bring this up, is because I ordered a TON of sleeving from Frozen CPU because if I can support vendors like them and get what I want then awesome. Frozen CPU charges .59 cents a foot, plus shipping, which I am _HAPPY_ to pay. However, when I received my my sleeving, I was extremely dissapointed...
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/166...cesleeving.jpg

The length on top is from JT&T, and the bottom is Frozen's. Because of my crappy photo, it might not be apparent yet:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8...rozenvsfry.jpg

How about now? Both are compressed the same amount...Granted, Frozen's expands to the size of Rosie O' Donald's ... um...it expands a lot but sleevers are going to de-pin or cut their cables anyways, and I am willing to bet they would go for quality over expansion any day. Plus, the difference between the two is just staggering in person. I'm just bummed because this is a very poor product that I will not use in any of my nicer systems. If anyone from Frozen is reading this, I love you guys but could you consider carrying nicer sleeving? I am happy to pay more for it, I just don't want crap:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7...ozenvsfry3.jpg

Corsair Dominator, and the Dominator fan unit. Unfortunately, the ASUS GENEII has memory sockets with only one set of clips, so this cool unit will not fit. Which is what your mom said. Last night. I know, I am out of control and need professional help. =/
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2091/19dominator.jpg

My motherboard and 920s. What? They both wont fit? WELL NOW YOU TELL ME! I was able to get a nice discount for buying two, and I haven't bothered to look at the batch numbers. I'll just use the "better" one, whichever it ends up being.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1279/20stuff.jpg

The Matrix Orbital Typhoon GX Tri-Color display. It came in a metal drive bay that seriously could survive being inadvertently sat on by Drew Carrey--an impressive feat for screens and chairs alike. It easily unscrewed from the plate:
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2...atrixfront.jpg

The backside. It uses a 4-pin USB connector, if you wondered. I'ma going to make an internal cable to clean things up:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9555/22matrixback.jpg


The acrylic came today too. I used to use Tapp Plastics because they are a great company and have the best selection, but Delvie's Plastics is my new go-to source for all things acrylic. I ordered this stuff yesterday. I got here today. From Utah. All 60 pounds of it. Yes, that was with standard shipping. I can't guarantee the same results for you guys, but they are freaken fast, and SUPER nice. I have ordered from them in the past and called them up begging them to ship it out same day so I could have projects done on time for various events and even though they don't normally do rush shipping they have always bailed me out. *I*, however, made a large-ish mistake and punched in the wrong order code, and I received the translucent white, instead of the more opaque white. This mistake will DRASTICALLY change the look of the case, though I can't say for better or worse. Instead of ordering more stuff I will live with it and make it work, cause that's the mantra of the modder. The stuff I meant to order is on the right, and the stuff I ordered is on the left:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3023/23milky.jpg


In normal lighting, they both appear the same, though the stuff I ordered is a little more milky than bright white:
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9...ormallight.jpg

Hold it up to light though, and the difference is night and day. This could look very cool with how lit my case will be, but it might also show joints, welds, and wire silhouettes that I don't want appearing:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/6557/25brightlight.jpg

This is all for tonight guys. Possibly more tomorrow, depending on if I get anything cut, or if Newegg knocks on the door with the rest of my parts. Cheers, and thanks for taking the time to view this thread. =D

wow m8, your project seems very interesting this far and u sure have a lot of work to do.

I love your liquid cooling parts, can't wait to see some more pics!

awesome job :up:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NFC

The length on top is from JT&T, and the bottom is Frozen's. Because of my crappy photo, it might not be apparent yet:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8...rozenvsfry.jpg

How about now? Both are compressed the same amount...Granted, Frozen's expands to the size of Rosie O' Donald's ... um...it expands a lot but sleevers are going to de-pin or cut their cables anyways, and I am willing to bet they would go for quality over expansion any day. Plus, the difference between the two is just staggering in person. I'm just bummed because this is a very poor product that I will not use in any of my nicer systems. If anyone from Frozen is reading this, I love you guys but could you consider carrying nicer sleeving? I am happy to pay more for it, I just don't want crap:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7...ozenvsfry3.jpg

---

That's becasue the difference is between normal PET sleeving and Clean Cut. Clean Cut is worlds apart from PET sleeving and would be the only kind I would use (except for MM's sleeving of course) and it's just a shame that the Clean Cut doesn't come in a variety of colors.

Everything else here looks awesome and I can't wait to see more pics!

Cool, I love learning things, especially at the expense of my dignity. :)

What category would murderMod sleeving fall under? Their stuff is hecka nice and if I just threw together a mod every six months I would use them every time, but it just is not practical for how much sleeving I use on a weekly basis. =(

I apologize if my writing made it appear that I was not appreciative of the technical merit of murderMod sleeving; this was not my intent. I just think the JT&T stuff looks as nice and it is much more easily accessible to me.

I used the same stuff from fry's for my first (and only) sleeving job. I loved it! It was a bit stiff though, but I don't know if that's normal or not. There are two or three fry's in Houston so, for me, it was much more cost effective. And I could always go get more when I messed up. Which I did. A lot. Looking forward to seeing this build come together!

Don't get me wrong, I love the Clean Cut sleeving that you have, I found it really nice to work with and sleeved my PSU, Mccubed, McCubed amplifier(or whatever it's called), 6 LED strands, 4 fans, 3 temp probes, all Start button wiring+HDD+Power LED's - the whole shabang. So IMHO, the Clean Cut is tops. However, I have not tried the MM sleeving, but everyone who has says it is even better than CC and it comes in a variety of colors. I would say it's worth a shot if you want colored sleeving, otherwise the CC is the next best option.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NFC

Cool, I love learning things, especially at the expense of my dignity. :)

What category would murderMod sleeving fall under? Their stuff is hecka nice and if I just threw together a mod every six months I would use them every time, but it just is not practical for how much sleeving I use on a weekly basis. =(

I apologize if my writing made it appear that I was not appreciative of the technical merit of murderMod sleeving; this was not my intent. I just think the JT&T stuff looks as nice and it is much more easily accessible to me.

---

the MDPC-X.com sleeving (what MM stocks) is better than the clean-cut stuff you have, but there is nowhere near the difference you have between the two types in those pictures. Plus it comes in different colors and a SATA cable size. check out http://en.mdpc-x.com for more info.

This morning I got to work on some of the simpler parts, such as the pedestal. The pics are not very comprehensive, as holding power tools and a camera are usually a recipe for disaster--but I did take a few. Never-you-mind the blood, it cleans up nicely with a mop...

Here is my workbench, where I use a wide variety of high-tech tools, such as my Dremel 300, my Dremel XPR, and my Rotozip. I know, I might as well be NASA. :p:
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3264/1somecutting.jpg

This is why I use scrap acrylic on the edges...so when the Dremel digs in it doesn't ruin the part I am cutting:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9...voiddremel.jpg

I use one of those stone tips to smooth out the corner and make it look neat:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4...outcorners.jpg

I cut circles the same way anyone else does with a Dremel, as you can see from this picture:
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/934...ingcircles.jpg

After I made the cuts, I go back and do the last 1/16" with the sand belt to make it a bit more even and smooth. I still will need to do hand sanding to get a perfect edge though:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/999...dingcircle.jpg

When the edge is sanded enough, first with 400 grit and then 1000, I use a propane torch to polish it up. Sorry about the angle, but holding the torch and camera while not burning my edge was a bit too tricky for me:
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7239/6flamepolish.jpg

Then the doorbell rang, and it was Santa:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6396/7stuff.jpg

I thought the packaging for the OCZ Summit drives was fairly well done:
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3389/p1010568x.jpg

The drives weren't bad looking either, but I expected a brushed aluminum casing for some reason. The backside is, but it is covered in a giant sticker. The black material has a rough finish to it--all in all, a nice looking drive:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3248/p1010569m.jpg

Corsair's packaging for all their PSUs:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/118/p1010571dfo.jpg

This particular model boasted in the description "extra-long cables." I have to say, these are extra long:
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8361/p1010572.jpg

I set the rig up to test everything out thoroughly before spending hours neatly installing it. Here is a picture of the Windows 7 installation after I updated the SSD's firmware and upgraded the mobo BIOS:
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1982/p1010574d.jpg

The Comcast guy decided he would knock out my street's internets before I could finish downloading the latest GeForce release, so I decided to test out Win7's stock drivers just for kicks (3dmark Vantage):
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1222/p1010575dhs.jpg

The score was a bit disappointing, at least if I had the latest drivers. I am impressed with how well Windows 7 runs out-of-the-box:
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/5479/preoverclock.png

I spent the next few mins doing some minor tweaks for the SSDs. I'd like to dig in a little bit deeper when I have the time. TRIM is enabled, but I'm not sure if the drives are actually taking advantage of it...and OCZ's TRIM program, wiper, does not support raided drives. I'm still a n00b at how this stuff works exactly, but give me time.

boot:
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8926/iobench.png

500k@100% read--yah, I know this isn't an everyday scenario:
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/8028/io512100read.png

4k random read--more realistic:
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1426/4krandom.jpg

After I saw how far I had to go to get the speeds I wanted, I decide to curse a little bit, then give up and move onto something fun:
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/2046/p1010577h.jpg

Ahhhh...that's more like it...
:p:

Meh, so it's all setup and it doesn't crash--nothing fancy yet. I'll have it run some numbers tonight and see what happens. I'm going to be busy all weekend, but I plan on utilizing Monday to finish all the acrylic cutting, drilling, sanding, and polishing. I'll try and take some pictures--it will be easy to take lots of them during the assembly, which should happen Tuesday!

Oh, and if whoever can identify the piece of hardware my monitor is sitting on I will award them One. Million. Points.
That's it for now. Thanks for lookin'. :)

haha.....cool looking.

hmm , I think that's SUN's logo on that monitor stand, so juust a rough guess, your server?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LogAn'sRun

hmm , I think that's SUN's logo on that monitor stand, so juust a rough guess, your server?

---

You have a sharp eye, and that is a good guess, but I meant specifically what is the piece of hardware (and yes, it was manufactured by Sun)?

I am going to offer a prize to the first person who names that piece of hardware and the function it was intended for--I'll update later when I have a suitable prize. Probably a set of fans or some spare water-cooling junk...:rolleyes:

After screwing around in the 3.5GHz range for a day I felt my components were tested enough to begin voiding their warranties...

This is my first 285. I have been using 250s, 260s, and 275s so I haven't had the pleasure of cracking open a 285--this is the old version (12xx), I might add. It is MUCH easier to take apart than EVGA's 260s--as it has absolutely none of those durn clips, just unscrew, pry and you're done:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3084/21295898.jpg

Here is a pic with the supplied heatpads installed:
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/9633/56463637.jpg

Everyone does their Arctic Silver different. Here is how I did it:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8314/98551049.jpg

Too bad this side of the card will not be prominent the way the case is laid out--it is very shiny:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5161/80207294.jpg

When I realized how visible the topside of the 280 was going to be I was disappointed it did not come with a top bracket like the 260 does. I dug through a pile of EVGA heatsinks but I couldn't find a top bracket that would fit it, the 260 was close but it would take too much work to modify. Instead I decided to make my own.

The only acrylic I had at home (my other stuff is at the shop) was too thick, except for some 1/16" clear stuff, so that is what I went with:
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8...ngviascore.jpg

This is what it looked like when I got done shaping it:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/7...einstalled.jpg

With holes:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/6150/57512531.jpg

I thought I would be able to use Koolance's included spacers and screws, but I was wrong. I needed to double up on the spacers to clear the circuitry--luckily I had spares thanks to ALL MY FREAKING MONEY going to Koolance all the time. I was not so lucky with the screws--they were too short for the application. I drove to Ace and was able to find some that were perfect. I had a picture for here but it came out bad...

The plate did make me feel more comfortable with the heavy block attached, and it did add some visual flavor, but I wanted something more so I printed off the design I am using for the theme, provided courteously by Megan Smith (Sponge5 on Deviant Art), and began to etch:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/8...paretoetch.jpg

At first I planned on "frosting" the whole design, but after I finished the outline I wanted to see how it looked. I am pretty sure I am going to go back and frost it out, but for now I am undecided. What do you guys think?
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/2176/6outlines.jpg

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7...edwithetch.jpg

...Yeah, it is really hard to make out the design from those photos...:down:

I had some extra time, so I began on the 24pin:
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/812/8depinned.jpg

And I botched the power line...GG/fail:
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3264/9casualty.jpg

Halfway-ish done:
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/8...omesleeved.jpg

I left the green line for last, soldered it up, and I was done:
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/6682/1124pindone.jpg

Tomorrow will be busy, but I will probably finish most of the PSU. I need to leave the CPU line for now, as I most likely need to extend it.

Bye for now!

well done
i like the design

I would say either frost the clear acrylic or stick some leds by it so the design glows... that would look badass

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NFC

, and if whoever can identify the piece of hardware my monitor is sitting on I will award them One. Million. Points.

---

Is it just me, or that thing is something on the 595 series Sun external peripheral series?

My first guess would be something like this, or an external HDD with CD-ROM caddy (it's the one most similar to the picture you posted).

However, since you said that is actually your server, maybe you modded that one to a single-piece server, with x86-compatible hardware inside? It seems like a great mod, tbh...

Now, on topic again, great project, I subscribed already. Can't wait to see what comes out of this one.

Cheers.

Miguel

Quote:

---

Is it just me, or that thing is something on the 595 series Sun external peripheral series?

---

You, sir, are correct, and on top of being awarded ONE. MILLION. POINTS. win this:
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1386/p1010635q.jpg

...and some used 100CFM 120mm LED fans, and a very used Koolance TNK-120-V2 reservoir + hardware. Shipping is free, but quality is not included.

pm/email me to claim your prize. The next object will be more challenging, and the prize much nicer, if you consider this nicer:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2805/p1010636x.jpg

...if you don't find that appealing, then I guess I could take some nekkid pics of myself but you'll have to check with the Mods :rofl:

Ok, to work! I got some more sleeving done, and yes, I know your sick-to-death of people posting their sleeving jobs. I am just trying to be thorough here (mind-numbingly thorough) and sleeving does take up a good chunk of my available modding time:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8392/p1010626a.jpg

old vs new comparison:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2764/p1010625.jpg

So far (the zipties are temp):
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/6324/p1010628.jpg

I was on a roll voiding my various warrantees left and right, so I decided to crack open my Corsair PSU in the name of SCIENCE:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9897/p1010630x.jpg

Nifty anodized heatsinks...
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2693/p1010631z.jpg

...aaaaaanndd AHA! Sleeved tails! That is where your money is going my friends:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3882/p1010634m.jpg

As promised, I worked all day (it was my day off to waste) cutting various panels. I am particularly proud of the I.O./top panel, though God definitely had a hand in it too:
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1277/p1010638p.jpg

The I.O. plate sits flush, after a ton of filing:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6391/p1010639l.jpg

The two front panels, I say two because there is no backside to my PC, I want it to be showy from all sides: http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3726/p1010640y.jpg

These are the pieces I cheated on and had laser-cut. I would still be in my garage if I used my dremel and file on these:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2731/p1010643z.jpg

Back to good-old-fashioned rotozip+dremel+file+blowtorch work:
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9438/p1010645j.jpg

After I got done with all that crap I wanted to revisit my GPU top bracket, so I printed off the same template I used before and taped it down to a piece of 1/16" black acrylic:
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/2802/p1010647.jpg

Then I traced out the edges with an precise-O-knife:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2493/p1010648xws.jpg

This is what it looked like when I was done:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/372/p1010649n.jpg

Mr. Dremel makes an entrance:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4879/p1010651sok.jpg

Then my good-'ol-file finishes up the job. Mmmmm...tedious:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8291/p1010652g.jpg
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9016/p1010653qek.jpg

And here it is mounted. Yes, there will be LEDs that I will wire to a harness that will use the card's fan power port:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6394/p1010658icm.jpg

'Nother pic:
http://img199.imageshack.us/i/p1010654w.jpg/

I was still early (apparently I was wasting time efficiently) so I got to work on the reservoir. I started to use TAP Plastic's acrylic cement, but then moved onto micro-Gorilla glue, then Loctite gel superglue which I found worked best:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2594/p1010661d.jpg

Here it is assembled, glue still drying:
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5996/p1010663h.jpg

'Nother angle:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7088/p1010664k.jpg

Ok, so what I learned from this is that acrylic cement, while excellent for creating a leak-proof bond that catalyzes almost instantly, is not easy to use in the angles created by stacking those pieces. The gorilla glue looks like it created the most water-tight bond, but it takes a freakin' hour to dry and the pieces move around too much. On top of that, like normal Gorilla glue it expands to an insane size, and it was hard to judge. The loctite gel was 5.49 at Wal-Mart, and is the most expensive of the three, but worked the best. It went on easy (the bottle design is brilliant) and while the pieces were still maleable after they were glued, they weren't so slippy to hinder my work on other parts. All three solutions are waterproof, but it just is a matter of being sure there is a good sea, which *might* not have happened.

I needed a break after that so I began welding the cubes onto the PSU baseplate:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4402/p1010667w.jpg

Flipped:
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/83/p1010668m.jpg
I would like to note that the darn cubes are NOT perfect geometrical shapes. They are more like marshmallows and because of that they would not weld properly, so I had to use some of that Loctite gel.

Back to more frustrating work, the bezel border for the Sony drive was microns too small in the interior, and needed filing. I swear, I would file for what seemed like ages on my least-aggressive file, and then try to slide it on, and it would still seem juuuuuuuuuuuuuust a tiny bit too tight:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/6158/p1010670t.jpg

FINALLY:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/1095/p1010671y.jpg

Here is the drive, in position with the ring and all--literally a perfect fit:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/5801/p1010672.jpg

I drilled out some holes for the power and HDD leds, but my bit was too small so I need to go back. The key-switch fit perfect though:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8541/p1010675l.jpg

That's a wrap for tonight. I'll finish the side panels tomorrow and hopefully get 80% of the case welded up. Check back tomorrow for the next round of the "identify some random old crap" contest.

Cheers! :)

awesome job so far!

I have to say that I find it very refreshing to read your logs as they have a nice blend of humor mixed with the technical.

No words to describe this, wish I had the same skills as you... Looking forward to the finishing results:up:

I hate to post without adding anymore progress, but I wanted to thank you guys for your kind and encouraging words. It's posts like y'alls that help me work through all the frustrating details and then rant about them.

If you have anything negative to say that I can benefit from, please do not hesitate to lay it on--I want to build the best computers possible and I can only learn from mistakes and criticism!

Anyways, I sincerely thank you peeps for reading my thread. I'm headed back to work on the side panels now, and will give you more updates tonight!

*wphew*

It's been one heckuva night, and many trials came and went, and I am left with a few more, but I have been blessed overall and many of the mishaps sprouted wings and flew away...

...but not all of them.

So we begin with part two of the contest. Identify this piece of old junk, circa 19XXish:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/9248/p1010745y.jpg
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/1985/p1010746.jpg

Winner claims the Dominator memory fan unit...

So with the panels done I basically never want to see another drill press for as long as I live. I was halfway to the lake with the unit about to send it off to the murky depths below in celebration, when common sense kicked in and I realized it would have more purpose as a door stop or a teacher's aid. Here is what they looked like after being cut:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/2995/p1010677.jpg

I peeled off the protective backing of the inside back panel (say that six times fast) and got ready for work:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4076/p1010682p.jpg

Oh, wait, we can't start with Mr. Mobo tray, he is the life of the party the Jackson 5 used to sing about:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/870/p1010683k.jpg

The first piece I welded on was what I call the right panel. This would be considered the front of a more traditional case:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/1235/p1010685t.jpg

I left a 1/64th inch overlap of the back panel (front panel will follow suit) purposefully. This allowed me to use the syringe to apply the liquid acrylic with ease, and it will provide starker contrast to the overall theme. This sort of thing is subtle, but I am convinced it makes a difference:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1162/p1010687p.jpg

Then I glued the base on, if you will notice I added a black panel to it from last time. This part was fairly tricky as the offset I used for the cubes (and top part of the base) didn't sit even with the overall frame, and I had to use layers of paper-towels to get it even so the liquid acrylic would set:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/795/p1010691z.jpg

This L brace goes to the front two inside corners and reinforces the bond between the base and the rest of the chassis. For styling purposes the chassis does not rest on the base, rather it is held up by only a thin amount of material. After I add the pumps, drive, LCD, and wiring I will revisit this area and further reinforce it (the HDD cage is not part of the build and was just used as a weight):
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8666/p1010693eog.jpg

Now it was time to add the left panel (back in a more traditional case). It went in fairly nicely:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/4386/p1010697e.jpg

This was the first in a long line of mistakes, just like what my parents said about me. This brace is just 1/4" too long and interferes with the PSU placement. After everything finishes bonding tomorrow I will have to hack out/sand this to the appropriate length. Yes, it looks naaasssstyyy with all that glue bubbling, but you wouldn't be able to see this even if you wanted to after the case is finished, and I wanted as much reinforcement as possible here:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/9135/p1010699.jpg


Ok so this is where the Kayak capsizes and drowns its passenger with wet, wet water. When I exported my CAD drawing and printed it out (this is how I did all the complicated panels BTW, with a printed overlay) the radiator models I had created interfered with this panel and the holes I had made for them did not get printed out. You would think that I would have REMEMBERED this while cutting, but I placed all my trust in my drawings. BAD MOVE. But wait, it gets stupider, or I do...either one. ;) I decided to be lazy and just move the panel up two inches. See? It fits just fine there and one could argue that it even looks better than the intended design. Wow, Josh, you are soooo much smarter when your not using that PRECISE 3d model you spent so many hours on!!!!
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/7376/p1010701.jpg

Yeah, look at that, The radiator fits in just perfect, it's like God is telling me not to worry about my last mistake and everything is going to be O.K:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/860/p1010703c.jpg

Annndddd for a while it was. I took some pictures of where I had intended the Mobo to be, and where I was going to adjust to. At first I thought this was a problem, because it left so much more empty space that would make the case look boring. After measuring the ATX cable and adjusting how the SSDs fit I decided it actually looked better in the new way. Score!
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/8850/p1010707p.jpg
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1883/p1010706a.jpg

Then came my first serious problem that was out of my control. I don't know what happened to the picture, but the left panel and the top panel did not line up. The top panel stuck up a whole quarter inch from the left panel, which was BAD NEWS BEARS. I sat bewildered for a couple minutes looking the case over to see what mistake I had made--it was perplexing because the opposite side aligned perfectly. I was scared to death that I had cut the panel wrong, so I took it out (I had not welded it in) and remeasured like four times. I decided to call up my Dad to cry, but instead of being useful as a shoulder, he mentioned that the boards could be warped. Boards could be warped...haha, thats a retar......and then it was obvious.

The backpanel (right side panel in more traditional cases) could be slightly warped and that would definitely account for my problem, and I knew what I needed to do, bust out my heatgun...
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/1589/p1010709.jpg

No, not that sissy heatgun, I am talking about Big Bertha, the biggest, baddest, meanest heatgun in the West. Big Bertha once melted a group of small popsicles as they were crossing the street AND LAUGHED AT THEIR STICKY, BURNING, POPSICLE BONES. She was the perfect tool for the job:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1690/p1010710t.jpg

Big Bertha is so badass, that not only did she survive being run over in my Jeep, but actually came out modded for the AWESOME:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/263/p1010712b.jpg

See, the Jeep took out that sissy heat shield plate AND bent the nozzle to focus the terrifying beam of toasty death...

This is Big Bertha's holster, a radiator, and boy does she need it to cool off. Yes, that is a full propane tank next to her. Yeah, so, I do keep my extremely flammable :shrug: pressurized gasses next to my sizzling 1500 watt heat gun. Is that bad?
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/319/p1010714v.jpg

Well the procedure did not work as well as my introduction would lead you to believe. It DID have a noticeable effect, as it lowered the edge by about 1/8th an inch. I am going to have to wait till tomorrow and trim it down, and man is that going to be a PIA. I also had to use the heat gun to align the top planel with both the left and right panels, as all the other glue joints caused a very tiny gap that would not allow the liquid acrylic to flow.

Every modder needs to spend 100 bux on a Lian-Li to get this tool. No, I don't care what you do with the case, it can be friends with my teacher's aid drill-press for all I care--they just need this tool. No, it doesn't count if you buy it separate. What are you, a Communist? :shakes:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2650/p1010715g.jpg

I used said tool to remove with ease the screws to the GPU plate so I could see if the motherboard and video card lined up. They did, thank God.
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5484/p1010716.jpg

I deserve to be ridiculed for this. It was my intent from the start to modify the GPU back plate so I could secure it to the top of the case. When it came time to do it, I felt akin to a PETA activist trying to shoot 5 different kinds of baby animals crammed into a bucket with a nail gun. Yeah, I had no problem destroying all my other hardware and ruining their warranties, but bending a $10 replaceable part? **** that, Batman.
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/628/p1010719grm.jpg

Grrraaa errr...can I look?
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/7356/p1010722.jpg

THE PAIN, THAT POOR, SUFFERI...
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/5521/p1010723o.jpg

NOOOO YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU?????
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/510/p1010724k.jpg

Oh, well, I guess that wasn't so bad. The picture's angle is deceiving, but the plate is actually flat and flush, just like my Guinness and YOUR GIRLFRIEND!
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5422/p1010726.jpg

I know, very uncool of me. :down: Luckily it's not like I have a reputation...:rolleyes:

Here is the top plate, all welded in. If you look carefully in the back you can see the 1/8th inch lip I will have to level:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/8479/p1010728n.jpg

Ok, seriously WTF. This is divine retribution for all those "your mom" jokes and that awesome...I mean lame one I made about your girlfriend. This was NOT here last night! No, officer, I swear, that white powder isn't mine!
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/5864/p1010729o.jpg

It is some residual powder from the Micro Gorilla Glue, and I seriously do not UNDERSTAND how it got all over the back plate to my reservoir...AND WHAT? MY RESERVOIR??????
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/3637/p1010730t.jpg

In the words of Darth Vader: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/6267/p1010731.jpg

Ugh, I predict hours of tedious sanding and polishing in my future. I threw out that glue right away and I am still perplexed by how it apparently EXPLODED throwing deadly spores in all directions to populate and ruin my work. This would be epic failure and tie into that other epic failure I was leading up too earlier, as it would distract me from the reason I reached for the reservoir in the first place, to test fit into the case...

Here is a shot of the top panel so far:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5536/p1010733.jpg

Yeah so, being distracted from the reservoir, I looked at my work, now proud, drunk, and tired, and decided I should press on and weld in the plate that separates the pump bay from the reservoir and fittings bay:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/6120/p1010734.jpg

Yup, yup, looks pretty decent:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/7630/p1010736.jpg

And in here O.K. too with the extra braces TO ADD SUPPORT CAUSE THERE IS NO WAI I COULD HAVE MADE A MISTAKE RITE????
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8233/p1010738r.jpg

Annnd, waaaiiit for it....
http://15.media.tumblr.com/IA7WP67Ye...LTYQo1_400.jpg


EPIC FAILURE. Thank you and goodnight.
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/8013/p1010744.jpg


"So Josh, what did you do today?"
"Oh, you know, the usual, EPIC FAILURE and stuff. :down:"
Yeah, so THIS is why it is important to pay attention to your measurements, models, prototypes, and notes--you know, the whole reason you do all that stuff so you don't go off in a creative tangent without your brain and before you know it your ******* off a ******* *******. Stars for effect.

Yeah, so my failure lies within the fact that now there is no way my reservoir can neatly plug in without drastic cutting to that panel I just welded in. Had I not ignored my original design and CUT OUT those boxes for the radiators, and not shifted everything up, then I would not have shifted this plate up too (after all it matched the back, I thought I was good). If I had not been distracted by the beer and the Gorilla dandruff or whatever the crap that stuff was then I would have placed the front panel (side) and avoided this err in judgment. Oh well, I guess its not an interesting mod anyways if horrible tragedy does not challenge you to work around it. I'm just going to hope and pray this is the worst setback and I don't drop my case on the way to the competition, like last time. Oh unhappy thoughts...

I started drilling out the motherboard tray, but I was too tired and frustrated so I called it for tonight. Tomorrow I will begin hacking away at that plate and trying to figure out a way to integrate it into the design so it doesn't actually LOOK like a mistake. I wonder if a Styrofoam cutter would work on 1/4" Plexiglas....I seriously doubt it but zomg would that be a wunderbar solution...apologies to the actual Deutsch-speaking people on this forum.

Last two pics of the night:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4003/p1010740.jpg
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/2593/p1010741e.jpg


Cheers.

I would also like to point out that WoW gamecard is used for very little but my Arctic Silver applicator. =P

simply great

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NFC

You, sir, are correct, and on top of being awarded ONE. MILLION. POINTS. win this: [snip] ...and some used 100CFM 120mm LED fans, and a very used Koolance TNK-120-V2 reservoir + hardware. Shipping is free, but quality is not included.

---

Wait... So I actually got it right? I guess 1h+ combing Google, Wikipedia, Sun and eBay actually paid off... lol

About the prize, check your PM :p: Do keep in mind, though, that I'm from Portugal, P&P can be a pain.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NFC

...if you don't find that appealing, then I guess I could take some nekkid pics of myself but you'll have to check with the Mods :rofl:

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:rofl::rofl::rofl: and probably not the smartest idea. Mods will probably either shot that prize even before the pictures are taken, or demand a copy for themselves...:rolleyes: Kidding, of course... lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NFC

I was on a roll voiding my various warrantees left and right, so I decided to crack open my Corsair PSU in the name of SCIENCE:

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Shouldn't that read "Silence", instead? :p:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NFC

Here is the drive, in position with the ring and all--literally a perfect fit:

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Are you considering a hand-made drive bezel, just to keep the lines fluid?

The project seems to be taking shape rather quickly, and it does seem at least as good as the mock-ups. Kudos, and keep it up!

Cheers.

Miguel

very nice :D

wow, i felt something move in my pants....

Good evening =)

I am pretty worn out so I will keep the commentary to a minimum.

I started with the mistake I made last time--that panel I placed too high. Here is what it looked like as a reminder:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3933/p1010748tsg.jpg

Then I chopped that sucka out:
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4200/p1010749r.jpg

Then I sanded it down and worked on the edges:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8964/p1010751q.jpg

Then I used a 1000 grit piece of sand paper after I filed out the corners--then I wrapped said peice of paper around my file, so I was able to get the corner smooth. Then I flame polished it with my propane torch. I felt quite blessed that I was able to repair that blunder as good as new:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4332/p1010753g.jpg

My reservoir would not fit in the front panel window created for it. It was just a ity bity bit too short, like immeasureably short:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7940/p1010757u.jpg

This sucked because I didn't want to remove too much and have there be a gap and the corners are hard as heck to sand. Plus I was out of sand paper that could have shortned it. So I was forced to use the dremel--I set the speed to 4k and ground it up:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9571/p1010755z.jpg

With some work, the reservoir finally went in flush:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3716/p1010759cen.jpg

Here is another shot:
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/3281/p1010762c.jpg

I don't have a picture yet, but my goal was to create such a tight fit that the acrylic would seem to change color--rather than making a 1/16" border to hide gaps like I did for the LCD and the burner. (by the way, Miguel, I do plan on making my own faceplate for the burner. I actually intend on replacing the faceplate, with the LED, button, and all, and it will require some extra work. I will save that for later, as the competition is coming up fast and I am running out of time...) I would like all the opinions you guys have wether I should keep my current design or make a border...

The motherboard standoffs gave me more trouble than usual. Firstly, I was out of the agressively threaded standoffs in the right size. I had ones that were long, and way to freaking long, and they just weren't going to work. I had, like, a billion Lian Li ones but they are threaded machine style and I ended up having to glue them in. I have no idea how this will work and it could end up being bad--so I will test it before that happens. Then, the one screw that wasn't a Lian Li BROKE OFF inside one of my holes. I didn't want to drill it out because I didn't want a hole in the backside of my case, so I am going to create a spacer out of acrylic. I can't ignore this because it stops the video card from flexing the board:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/811/p1010763a.jpg
I bothered posting this pic because if anyone knows how to get that out so I can reuse the hole and not have to fab a acrylic spacer then please let me know! :confused:

Difference between the two:
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3807/p1010764.jpg

Here is what it looked like when I finished. The black strip serves as extra support for the motherboard and provides some security should the standoffs fail. It might look out of place now but it blends in quite nicely with the board:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9464/p1010766c.jpg

You will also notice that not all the standoffs are on the removeable mobo tray. Because I moved the mobo up an inch and a half this had to be done. The motherboard should be able to be removed as plan from the back, it is just going to have to swing out from the bottom before being removed.

I used temporary hot glue to attatch the mobo tray brace so I could position it accurately before welding to the tray:
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2513/p1010767l.jpg

This should give you an idea of the width of the case, with the mobo brace. I hope you can tell with my commentary that it is an exceptionally skinny case, barely wider than the 120mm fans:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8022/p1010771.jpg

This, like all of the horrible pictures tonight, is a crappy shot of an excellent product. High Strength Bolt in Lakewood found these beautys for me, and I fell in love with them. In person they have a perfect gunmetal finish, and are supposed to be able to be polished to a mirror-finish. I might polish them later to match the key start and the HDD/PWR leds, but I love the gunmetal and I am going to keep them as is for now:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6453/p1010774m.jpg

My plan was to remove the stickers from these fans, but they actually serve a functional purpose and hold this tiny tiny magnet in when the blade is removed, and thre are some ugly, off center holes too. I was dissapointed that my plan fell through but the stickers aren't really horrible and will be fine for now (as they will be turning too fast to see at PAX anyways...):
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2637/p1010775y.jpg

The holes I had drilled for the fans were too small and off by, as usual, an immeasureable amount. This was easy to fix--I just used a bigger bit:
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1221/p1010777i.jpg

A pic showing how off I was on some of them. Damn you, ruler! Damn you!
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7645/p1010778nsp.jpg

Here is what it looked like when I finished and installed the radiator. This is the left (backside) of the case:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4369/p1010779u.jpg

This picture was meant to show you guys how awesome these screws are, but the camera I am using tonight sucks:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/812/p1010780hyo.jpg

Here is another angle of the left radiator:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6959/p1010784o.jpg

Here is the right side of the case with everything installed:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7127/p1010785f.jpg
Both radiators:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/2743/p1010786j.jpg

Better angle?
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/975/p1010790h.jpg

This is what you can see through the vents:
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6784/p1010793g.jpg

When I was done with that I revisited my earlier mistake and began to drill out 1/4 an inch off the brace:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7466/p1010794q.jpg

The PSU went in quite nicely after that:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3978/p1010796k.jpg

This is what it looks like from the back:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8973/p1010798g.jpg

The PSU had the sticker upside down when I opened the box, I meant to fix it earlier but never got around to it. I'm going to leave it that way for now because A. I am lazy and B. with this orientation you can see the 850 and the branding. I don't think its going to matter at all cause I am planning on putting a black piece of acrylic there and sticking all my sticker-badges on it:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5200/p1010799q.jpg

I took this picture so you guys could see the cables that I plan on using for the interior of the case. The 8 pin still needs to be sleeved so that is not pictured--the good news is that it is the PERFECT length ( I think ) and I will not have to extend it as I previously had thought, even after moving the motherboard up 1/5 inches:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5870/p1010800d.jpg

This picture should give you an idea on how much clearance I have left to work with for lighting and such:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7723/p1010801.jpg

I did a bunch more work that I didn't take pictures of because it was boring. I worked on the middle plate the SSDs will be embedded in, and I created a new back-plate for the reservoir because the old one was ruined by Gorilla dandruff or something...I'm actually kind of glad that happened now, because I like my new idea better.

Here is how I ended the night, and yes, I know they are crappy pictures, sorry:
Flash:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7909/p1010803b.jpg

No flash:
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8360/p1010805o.jpg

It might look like I'm getting close, but I think I am only half way done with the hole project so far. I have several small pieces to fabricate, all the wiring to do (which will be Xtreme because there is NO extra space in the case--everything will have to be cut-to-order), then the loops which will suck given the confined space and the way the reservoir works. I have a TON of fine detail stuff to do too--I don't know how much I will be able to get done before PAX, but I plan on adding all sorts of artwork in the form of 1/16 inch acrylic with some intricate laser cuts, as well as vinyl. The road seems to be getting longer...but hey, that's what Guiness is for!

Night all.

Looks like this is coming along great. I really like how you include all the mistakes you make and what you do to fix them - it gives people a much better idea of what goes into a mod of this quality. Keep up the great work!

This work log is a joy to read and after coming home from work all i do is click this page from my bookmarks to find out what things have been done. Excellent read and very down to earth.

Wow, thanks to the one pointing me to this worklog. Looks very promising. No-compromise - go for it :)

Cool looking case ;) Submited and waiting for more updates :]

I think that if the bottom looked exactly like the top and the case was a bit shorter it would look just as good:-)

With that shape on the bottom there is enough room for some fans to take in some air without vacuuming the floor and without having to put the case on top of something while it's on the floor. So your airflow could be from bottom to top and be in line with your mobo arrangement... that is if you were cooling with air. Maybe something to consider if you decide to make a similar case in the future.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by boredtodeath

I think that if the bottom looked exactly like the top and the case was a bit shorter it would look just as good:-)

With that shape on the bottom there is enough room for some fans to take in some air without vacuuming the floor and without having to put the case on top of something while it's on the floor. So your airflow could be from bottom to top and be in line with your mobo arrangement... that is if you were cooling with air. Maybe something to consider if you decide to make a similar case in the future.

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I read your post a few times, but I am having a hard time understanding it--admittedly I am a bit dense... I am always open to suggestions.:yepp:


Its been a while since my last post, and I am happy to see there is interest in the case. I am about 90% finished with it--I presented it at PAX and it has been very busy since I got back. Check back soon, I'll have a nice big post with lots of pictures. :D

Awesome, can't wait for the update. I really want to see this build in its finished state

I received a PM with a question about the GPU backplate, and thought if one person had questions then maybe others did too. I'm not sure if this was meant to be private, so I will keep it anonymous:

Quote:

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I love how you created that back plate.
The only question I have, is what did you use as a washer when it was mounted? did you just use double sided tape or is it attached to the back using the block screws?

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First up, thanks for the compliment. The backplate required some creativity. It consists of five layers--plastic washers double-stacked to clear board bits, 1/16" acrylic, some tiny pieces of double-sided foam tape, and another piece of 1/16" acrylic.

With the washers the screws Koolance provided were just too short to work (as were the stock 285 screws) so I had to head to Tacoma Screw to find matches. I was unlucky there as well, so, out of desperation, I dug through all my old video card heatsinks until I found some that fit--from a 260 first revision. These were long enough to clear two washers and 1/16" acrylic. So if you want to do this mod you are going to have to buy a first revision 260 and throw it away. :p:

Yes, the black piece is attached with three very tiny pieces of 3M foam double-sided tape to give the angel outline some depth and bounce some extra light around. Some people might think this is ghetto, but w/e. It works and looks the same as if I had used block screws.

Hope this helps. :)

What I meant earlier is basically, well look at the top of the case and then picture the bottom of the case looking exactly the same... now picture the front and back each looking the same too. Basically just like that black trim shape you have on the side of the case. So instead of being flat on the bottom front and back it looks like there are four handles instead of just two on the top?

The airflow could be from bottom to top and you could have one rad at the very bottom and another rad just above it and each rad has a set of fans to try and force the airflow over the rads faster and up out the top of the case faster too.

I like how I read through here and see you giving away stuff you took from me :P

Anyway... post finished picture!

Nice worklog and excellent job on the project. Acrylic looks very complicated to work with, but you are doing awesome.

I finished writing the worklog, but I'm too beat to match up the pictures and format the post. I'll have it up later today though. =)

Here is a random image from the log:
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/5527/editwl.jpg


See you guys tomorrow!

That is one of the most awe inspiring worklog reads I've read for quite some time. You've definately set a hard act to follow for other upcoming projects.

I have had nothing but fun when reading your work log, the great things are that you made it a story, you include all of your mistakes and how you fix them, and yes. i do love the mom jokes.

Very nice looking case! cant wait to see the finished pictures!

very nicely done NFC, i have followed the whole thread closely, but usualy dont comment until finish,

so many cases are put together now a days, that it is very hard to come up with something that is truly original, you have not only achieved this, but have put togther something that i think, looks stunning, i look forward to your finish build log.

sleep well

man, that case is awesome! I wonder how full off awesome it would be in 4mm Alu????? :drool:

I gotta say, not only have you created an awesome case, but you didn't scimp on the contents of it either. Way to go! I wish I had this kind of skill.

Thank you guys for your kind words and support. This really motivates me into making another log for my next build, which is coming up quick. :rolleyes:

Quote:

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What I meant earlier is basically, well look at the top of the case and then picture the bottom of the case looking exactly the same... now picture the front and back each looking the same too. Basically just like that black trim shape you have on the side of the case. So instead of being flat on the bottom front and back it looks like there are four handles instead of just two on the top?

The airflow could be from bottom to top and you could have one rad at the very bottom and another rad just above it and each rad has a set of fans to try and force the airflow over the rads faster and up out the top of the case faster too.

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Ahhh, gotcha. My next build is a bit crazier than this (yeah, I already have started...sad huh?) but in the future I will honor your comments and see if I can put some more symmetry into the case. Funny you should mention that though...the original design was like that, with the "handle" shapes echoed on the bottom. I changed that because I thought it looked boring...As far as the radiators, I am kinda happy with the cooling though...37C on the CPU at 4.2Ghz in Vantage "high" preset.

Quote:

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I like how I read through here and see you giving away stuff you took from me :P

Anyway... post finished picture!

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But Dean, this was my SHOUTOUT to you! Besides, I saw that Scrabble set I gave you for Christmas on Craigslist...Like anyone could guess Cool Thing's identity...(don't inside jokes rock?)

Right, pictures. I guess it makes the most sense to continue the worklog...so where was I. Oh yeah, the reservoir.

I needed to work on the back plate for the reservoir so it, you know, could hold water. I originally had chosen the backplate to be black, but my piece of black was ruined by that nasty Gorilla Glue (not the normal stuff, but the "mini" superglue bottle...I recommend ya'll stay away from..). I decided that this was fortuitous because translucent white would look way better and provide for more illumination. I was right about this in the worst way possible--but more on that later. Here is me, drilling holes...like last night wit...ok I'll spare you guys this one time =P
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5968/p1010809q.jpg

In the next picture the left hole is right after I drilled through--the bit was very rough, but it didn't matter because I needed to sand the interior for a loooong time to make sure the plastic fittings went in perfect--like on the right. They were glued in with superglue, and water sealed with aquarium caulk. Which is the worst smelling stuff in the entire world--seriously:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8903/p1010811g.jpg


Nothing in this mod worked perfect, except maybe the IO plate... This picture illustrates the length of the plastic fittings I was using that would need to be cut to 1/4" threading and sanded smooth to remove the threads.
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9179/p1010812u.jpg

Now it's starting to look more like a computer, eh? No? =/ The motherboard is in, as well as the GPU. Now I want to warn yall, there is going to be much more commentary than pictures, because everything from here on out was done the DAY before PAX and I needed to rush--so I spent more time making than taking pictures. Sorry.
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5471/p1010815w.jpg

You will notice that the GPU has double sided tape on its bracket. This was to hold the GPU level so I could accurately measure and create acrylic guard rails for it. Basically, how it works, is the GPU can be installed and uninstalled by lifting it straight up from the motherboard, and the short rails keep it balanced and level (and from popping out.) To install the GPU, you reverse the procedure. Simple stuff, but it was my alternative to screws.
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/1342/p1010817.jpg

This was the first cable I had to modify--the USB cable for the Matrix Orbital. I took an old camera USB cable and cut it off, and magically on my first try it was already color coded. SCORE! Then I just pinned it.
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/746/p1010818j.jpg

The USB cable in. Yes, it isn't sleeved, this will be apparent later, but there is no way that a sleeved cable would fit between the radiator and the motherboard. I did, however, sleeve the tail in white and ran it between the mobo support bar, and a standoff.


Power switch. Please note that this isn't momentary, and as Dean pointed out to me earlier it could be dangerous and potentially fry my motherboard. The conversation went something like this:

Dean, beer in hand: "You know that switch isn't momentary right?"

Josh, coffee in hand: "Yeah, DUUUHHHH. I know my state capitols."

Dean, blank stare: "... .... ... ...... um"

Josh: "Besides where do you get off trying to sound smart, what the hell do you know anyways."

Dean, under breath: "...dumbass" *swigs beer*

I took my chances and went with it anyways:
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/5714/p1010819b.jpg

These are for the LEDS? I don't remember. LOOK AT THEM ANYWAYS!
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/2241/p1010821.jpg

All the wires run from the same place. Since they are between the mobo standoff and the brace so they won't move or separate:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9334/p1010823.jpg

This shows stuff plugged in, but the purpose of the photo is to show you guys the lack of clearance between the radiator and the motherboard. A precise fit really describes this. I could have been in trouble because I didn't think about this when I was using modeling the system, but it all worked out:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/5695/p1010824t.jpg

Nothing special--just made this for the front fans (I made a 12v one for the pumps too):
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1659/p1010828w.jpg

I kept the control line, just in case I decided to plug that on into the motherboard:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/429/p1010829.jpg

This picture probably was supposed to mean something when I took it, but I don't remember what it's for. Probably to make note of the empty fan header?
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6686/p1010830r.jpg

Figuring out the wire routing:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/7640/p1010831p.jpg

Chopsticks with double-sided tape! This is the wiring enthusiast's tool of choice when navigating those tough-to-reach areas:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5457/p1010832.jpg


The 8 Pin did not need to be lengthened, as I had originally thought. This was a good thing because I recall people having problems with increasing the resistance in the 8 pin lines (I have never experienced this before but if I can avoid lengthening 8 wires then I'll use any excuse.):
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6269/p1010834g.jpg


The 8-pin sleeved and tucked away:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8253/p1010836.jpg

The speaker, HDD LED, PWR LED, Power Switch, and USB all wired and run down. The seam between the white acrylic plates is from the motherboard tray and the chassis, in case it wasn't clear:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8442/p1010839.jpg

All the cables, routed down to the sub-floors of the chassis (the 24 pin isn't plugged in yet). The SSDs cover this up later:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/7789/p1010840g.jpg

Here are the cables as they rest in the middle chamber. Yes, the 6 pins look nasty where they meet up--but it was no trouble at all to sleeve them with a bigger piece of loom later, I just didn't grab a shot of it.
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1397/p1010841w.jpg

ALL the cables in their final position in the mobo chamber:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5924/p1010842.jpg

Now it was time to hook up the control cables:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8237/p1010844aw.jpg
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/6514/p1010847.jpg
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/8022/p1010849.jpg


Don't remember what this picture was for. Make up something:
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1048/p1010850m.jpg

This one shows the 90mm fan? Don't remember, sorry:
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5553/p1010858.jpg

This is where I was so far with everything. The flash really shows all my fingerprints, and I had to spend about an hour when it was all done polishing everything up for the show:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/793/p1010859zj.jpg


Remember how I opened up my PSU earlier, forever voiding my warranty? That was so I could have enough courage to do this:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/761/p1010860e.jpg

Aaaaannnd....gone.
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5427/p1010861ws.jpg

Pic of the overall carnage:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/9793/p1010862.jpg

Ok, I am going to get flak for this, and maybe I deserve it. I didn't individually sleeve the SATA power cables. Hell, I didn't even use the ones that were on the Corsair PSU line. I snipped that off like my dog's poor tonkers. This was frankly the neatest solution--I wanted the SSDs to appear to be floating from the underside, and on the topside encased in ice or angel goo or w/e. This was the lowest profile option. At least I changed out the white plastic 4 pin head for a black one. The cable was custom, of course, to fit the drives side by side:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/9948/p1010864l.jpg

This is me trying to get a sense of cable lengths so I could modify and adjust their lengths:
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/7077/p1010865u.jpg

I had a problem. The mini-sata cable for the Sony DVDRW was too short to reach the motherboard. I did not have a replacement, and for those of you not familiar with mini-sata it is a one piece connector that combines the data SATA with a tiny SATA power clip.
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/7953/p1010867r.jpg

I did what any sleep deprived maniac would have done at this point: Clipped that *#^&$@ in half:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4883/p1010872l.jpg


It took a TON of fine sanding to get the mini-sata power cable and the data sata cable to mate perfectly, and it was tricky because any more plastic and I would have destroyed it. Luckily, I pulled it off:
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5170/p1010873g.jpg


At this point it was beginning to be morning, in the rooster sense of the word, and I was getting desperate. For a presentable PC. I was feeling calmer though because I figured I would watercool it and call it a night. Watercooling is hella easy right?

WRONG! Well, it normally is, but the crazy angles I needed to make cause me all sorts of problems--and I was quite exhausted at this point and prone to not thinking as clear as normal...no comment please.

$80 in adapters later (again, soooo grateful for Koolance helping me out on this one):
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7575/p1010878.jpg
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2609/p1010879k.jpg
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/6817/p1010880y.jpg
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/9268/p1010881s.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6544/p1010882.jpg

And done! Ok, not really...at all. Just done "enough" before I threw everything in the back of the Jeep and drove to Seattle for PAX, which was great this year. I still did a ton of work that isn't logged because I was getting seriously frustrated with what should have been the easy part, and I was running out of time and exausted. Taking pictures when you are holding back your arm from long barring your PC over is a bad idea. Lighting is a big one that didn't go recorded. Another huge one was the loop--because of the orientation of the reservoir and because of the near-right angles the tubing had to make I had some severe flow restrictions. MUCH battling later, I was finally able to get everything working properly.

Then I had another problem which haunted me throughout the weekend. I forgot to run a cleaner through my radiators and because of this I had all kinds of nasty white gunk in my loop. I had to end up draining the system five times to get it all out. Meh, not fun.

Finally, I applied the vinyls. Please note the SERAPH vinyl is just a placeholder until I cut up an ELDRITCH one. I just wanted something there...

Here are some crappy pictures (I'll try to take better ones later):
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3769/91201380.jpg
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4879/25137408.jpg
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/6194/32085662.jpg
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5927/edit2h.jpg
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4200/p1020040y.jpg
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8351/p1020050v.jpg
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/2493/p1020061g.jpg
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2526/p1020071o.jpg
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/5783/p1020074v.jpg
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3442/p1020080x.jpg
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4836/p1020097e.jpg
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/7743/p1020101j.jpg http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/p10...pg/1/w1024.png
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/1928/p1020122p.jpg
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7880/p1020132a.jpg
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5185/p1020152.jpg
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/6360/p1020153uv.jpg
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4469/p1020168d.jpg
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/8799/p1020175k.jpg
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1015/p1020176a.jpg
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/9481/p1020191.jpg

Mkay so since I didn't take pictures of some of the details, I feel like I need to literate.

1. The "SERAPH" vinyl on the back bottom floor was intended to be positioned as it was. I thought it looked sick when I cut it out and stuck it on that piece, but I don't think anyone, including me, liked it like this. I should have centered it. No biggie--going to flip the panel around and redo it. Whalla! Also, this panel is on sliding grooves--it slides right and reveals the pumps and various wiring. It also pops out like legos for complete removal.

2. The angel is a variation to my normal theme, which you can view on my website, and was graciously provided by Megan Smith (Sponge5). You can view here Deviant Art page here. Remember guys, I can't stress how important it is to GET PERMISSION from any artist whose work you use!

3. The GX Typhoon display from Matrix Orbital was not accurately captured by my crappy camera. The colors are PERFECT and completely pure. The human eye doesn't see those dots--it just appears pure puple. And not that awful color seen in the photos. You will have to use your imagination. A good comparision is that the Nvidia and the Intel displays are 100% accurate in their color in real life. Yeah, that's how the colors in the photo are...The screen is really amazing, and if you have an extra $200 for your mod...this is where I recommend spending it (besides the screws! =P)

4. But, where is the reservoir? The reservoir fit perfect, and was leak proof. I know, I was amazed too...that never happens for me. I didn't use it because I hated with a passion how much it matched the rest of the case. Since I used the same material for the backpanel of the reservoir as I did for the rest of the case it all glowed evenly and took the effect away from my clear NFC logo. I tried covering up the back with electrical tape so it wouldn't let light through, but then it was just milky white. I hated it. I decided to leave it open for now, and I am going to go back and make that panel pop out using contrast. My idea is to outline a nude angel or some design in black acrylic and illuminate it by making the background white. I can still salvage it and make it part of the case.

5. I want to make one final note, THIS PC IS NOT FINISHED!!!!! It's almost there, and I know it's rough, but I am going to clean it up and put the icing on it. I still have to design and cut many "trim" panels out of 1/16" black and white acrylic. These will have tribal designs in them, as well as some text. I'm doing the artwork myself for them, and I am not an artist...so it takes a while. ALSO I want to take some nice pictures of it when I finish, as I can't take good pictures of it all lit up. The whites come out with a blue tint, and the like, so I either need a good tutorial for taking pics or I need to put down money for a photoshoot. Suggestions?

Anyways, thanks for looking. I'll update this thread as I work on finishing this thing...
Cheers.

OH, and if anyone knows of a round reservoir around 5-8 inches long with two intakes on the top and bottom, please let me know so I can improve my flowrate...I would make my own but I have another mod I need to quickly move onto and with the other details I need to add to Eldritch I am just not going to have enough time...:confused:

Thanks!

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1886/eldritch.th.jpg

beautiful case!, and for the reservoir, talk to frozenQ, im sure one of his reservoirs would be PERFECT in a custom case like this!

Very nice, one of the best cases iv ever seen.

This turned out great... love you mount and displayed the SSD's :up:

Great work mate, how are you pleased with the enermax fans? Are they loud?

Thanks to everyone for the compliments. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by muki | sk.4um

Great work mate, how are you pleased with the enermax fans? Are they loud?

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Those fans are by far the best I have ever owned, used, or looked at. Their airflow is impressive (I have them on the 60 CFM setting). I could give you numbers from the back of the packaging, but I couldn't hear the three I tested over the Corsair PSU...which as you know is very, very quiet. At PAX I had many people ask about the fans and compliment the system for how quiet it was--the only noise from the system comes from the pumps and the 92mm AeroCool fan I now have pointed at the NB.



Anyways, I _highly_ recommend them and I I see me using these fans for every project in the future. They were well worth the cost. :up:

Ok, thanks for the feedback :) They look very bling bling :)

That is pimpin my man. You don't live too far away from me either, I'm in tri-cities.

Impressive job :) Nice!

I only just discovered this and I know I'm late to the party but I wanted to say how much I thoroughly enjoyed your worklog. Excellent work Sir - very creative and truly unique!

You are now on my radar and I look forward to being further inspired by your future offerings. :)

NFC, do you have a larger picture of this?

I was thinking about using it as my wallpaper. :)

Hey, great build log I must say! However I have one main question (and please don't be offended by it!) I was considering doing something like this with acrylic but was holding off because of the almost dare I say "tacky", shiny plasticy look it can somethimes have. Do you know what I mean? If so do you feel that this project suffers compared to an airbrushed case? Thanks

WHOA. So its been a LONG TIME. What happened? Changed jobs, moved to Texas, and built a few more PCs for rushed events. I kinda abandoned this worklog, which is a shame considering how many wonderful comments I received. I'll make it up to you guys for my current project. As it is, I have some finished pics of Eldritch...

*DISCLAIMER* The PC had been running for like 2 months at this point so it was not showroom clean. Or clean at all really. Plus my pictures suuucccck:


http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/469/p1020766q.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/3304/p1020753u.jpg
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/5355/p1020734v.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/152/p1020731v.jpg
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/7546/p1020717.jpg
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1303/p1020705.jpg
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/523/p1020697fd.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6340/p1020693z.jpg
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/1153/p1020685y.jpg
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/3071/p1020659e.jpg
http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/8027/p1020649y.jpg
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/1457/p1020781l.jpg
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/1129/p1020796l.jpg


Sorry about the pictures, they are completely unedited and I'm terrible with a camera. But it hopefully gives you guys some closure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SimpleTECH

NFC, do you have a larger picture of this?

I was thinking about using it as my wallpaper.

---

I might somewhere, but where that somewhere is right now I don't know. :shrug: I am truly flattered though and I will begin my hunt for it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GJS1

Hey, great build log I must say! However I have one main question (and please don't be offended by it!) I was considering doing something like this with acrylic but was holding off because of the almost dare I say "tacky", shiny plasticy look it can somethimes have. Do you know what I mean? If so do you feel that this project suffers compared to an airbrushed case? Thanks

---

Not sure what you mean by airbrushed case, as you can airbrush acrylic no problem. Darth Beavis does it all the time. As for the first part, I am not offended at all! I can totally see where you are coming from. My answer is high quality, cell-cast, plexan has more of the surface properties (as far as appearance) of glass rather than the plastic most electronics are built out of these days. When you look at a high quality plexan case in person the best way to describe it is if the opposite side is painted (with whatever color the material is) and the side facing you has a gorgeous sheen with great depth. My advice is to order some samples from Delvies Plastics and see for yourself to determine if the material is right for you.

looks nice :) thanks for the pics

Wow, this build was absolutely incredible. Love the acrylic and the lights. Great job!

One of the best builds i have seen done on here! Congrats to you! Did you hook up the LEDS to the backplate you made for your video card? I would love to see how it looks considering i have the same card :)

Very cool case.
Lots of nice details.
One thing, though: wasn't there supposed to be a LED lighting up the logo on the cover plate for the graphics card?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aedubber

One of the best builds i have seen done on here! Congrats to you! Did you hook up the LEDS to the backplate you made for your video card? I would love to see how it looks considering i have the same card :)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nutman

Very cool case.
Lots of nice details.
One thing, though: wasn't there supposed to be a LED lighting up the logo on the cover plate for the graphics card?

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:(

Yes, actually, I did make a harness for it using the video card's fan power port. It was one of the last things I made along with a harness for the 3d angel that rests in the "window." It was made right after those shots for a LAN event that week. The case is in WA now and I am in TX so I'll have to get someone to take a picture of it for you guys. Sorry that I forgot to include it.

If you want a picture of how I did it for now, check out my website, there is a waterblock top I made that used the same effect. It's on page 2 (click the little "2" link at the bottom of the page or hit next.)

Sorry again for the omission, I'll have someone snap a pic of it...

*EDIT*

I forgot to mention, the "Eldritch" on the side and top I had laser cut for the sake of time. I feel that is important to mention considering it would otherwise detract from a case that was 98% hand made with a dremel and a drill press.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NFC

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/1129/p1020796l.jpg

Sorry about the pictures, they are completely unedited and I'm terrible with a camera. But it hopefully gives you guys some closure.

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For me, this was the shot that took the build from creative concept to impressive. I really like the lighting effects. Do you recall what type of acrylic you used? I'm looking at Acrylite GP for my project but it looks like anything other than clear is going to require a special order :/

Thanks for the compliment. That is 2447 1/4" white acrylic, which usually categorized as translucent. I recommend Delvies Plastics. :up:

cool case and nice build :)

Absolutely stunning. So this thing is glued together? That is amazing as well.

Got any pictures of the res side? I was wanting to see how that looked when lit.

Hey man! Love your rig. great job on the acrylics and putting it all together! You'll have one sick lanbox =D Does the name of the project has anything to do with FMA?

Regards,

Wolfskin07

Thank you all for your compliments. I'm using them as motivation fuel for my next project which is underway. :yepp:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Power5

Absolutely stunning. So this thing is glued together? That is amazing as well.

Yup. Part glued, part "welded" with the acrylic bonding formula.

Got any pictures of the res side? I was wanting to see how that looked when lit.

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I had to toss out the NFC reservoir for various reasons--mainly being how the stupid fittings fit...or didn't, rather. I still have it sitting on my desk. Right now it's just a Koolance reservoir behind that glowing Eldritch panel:

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/9149/p1020770n.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wolfskin07

Hey man! Love your rig. great job on the acrylics and putting it all together! You'll have one sick lanbox =D Does the name of the project has anything to do with FMA?
Regards,

Wolfskin07

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Thank you very much. The name doesn't actually have anything to do with FMA, I never got far in the show to be honest, though it was interesting. I just wanted a name to convey the sense of the ethereal, which I wanted to capture in the case.

This is by far the most amazing build I have ever seen. The worklog was beyond a plus. You sir are a god. I expect many custom builders to look at for inspiration

Thank your for the very kind compliments. If you enjoyed the worklog then stay tuned in this forum, I am beginning another project in the week before PDX which is slightly more...ambitious. =)

A year is too old for a computer, and in need of parts to create my new project due for Jan 1st, I decided to tear Eldritch down.

I figured some of you might want to share in the carnage and see what 210 hours looks like after 15 minutes with a screwdriver and hammer. ;)

Sorry for the abysmal pics, they were taken on a cell phone. :down:

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/2038/imag0076q.jpg
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2586/imag0077on.jpg
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http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9306/imag0085bb.jpg
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/7742/imag0087w.jpg

Eek, you should better sell it to some one and by gained funds build new one.
Pains to see such beauty smashed down :(

After the redesign I couldn't stand to see it sit there and mock me anymore. :)

I would have sold it but I gave up long ago trying to sell my mods as one system. It is sad that they are worth more broken up and parted out than they are in one piece.

Thanks for following the build, churchy.