[Project] Water-Cooled HAF 932, Painted Satin Black

[jellyrole]

I personally like to show off what a company has provided for me as far as a quality product is concerned.

[xguntherc]

Ya, I'll be leaving the badge on, I'll support my Cooler Master, I like there products.

and booger, I like that info there about the fans. So Slow Speed fans work better in a Pull config, Faster fans work better in a push config, and medium fans like mine, it doesn't really matter.

So I'd be ok to just set them for push and have it go Case, fan, Rad then?

Also, this is my first loop ever. I have everything ready to go. I just need to do it. I have tomorrow off, and then thursday and friday. So tomorrow I want to put the case back together, and this is what I had planne.d Tell me what you all think. I was going to take an old motherboard and mount it inside my new HAF.. I'll then completely setup the Watercooling system where I "Think" I'll put it all, and then use an old 300w PSU to power on, and run the Pump. Then I'll leave everything in there, and the old Mobo. set it all up, and run a leak test from tomorrow, all through Wednesday. and if all goes well. Then Thursday I can go ahead and take apart my current system, and move everything over to the new HAF. and mount the Mobo into new case, and just hook up the CPU Block to it's spot. and everything else will be in place... Does this sound Ideal? and would that work ok? and when I do it, I'll just take into consideration the two 260's that will be in the middle, bottom of case, and I wont run any tubing there. Does this sound like an OK way to do this.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on where to put the Res, I was thinking right in front of my 260's on the back end of the case, under the rear 120mm fan. but now I'm thinking I'll just put it in the bottom 5.25 drive bay instead?.. sound ok?

thanks

[shazza]

Your plan will work, but here's what I would do:

Put you fittings on your CPU block and GPU blocks ... connect to the res and pump outside the case (You can include your radiator(s) here, but it's not absolutely necessary). Use your old PSU to test your connections (being sure to jumper the Pin No. 4 - the green one, and one of the nearby black/ground pins). If none of your fittings leak, you should be ready for the next step. Then, place your CPU and GPU blocks on your motherboard. Use your old PSU to connect to the pump (jumpering again, so just the pump is running). Put paper towels beneath all your fittings --- just in case. Turn on your pump and check your fittings, including the radiator connections, for a few hours (24 hrs is best, but I'm comfortable with 3-4 hours). If all is well, go ahead and connect your main PSU to your motherboard, pumps, etc. and fire it up. Watch it closely and let it run for an hour or so. If all is good, you should be okay.

Again, your idea with the older motherboard is fine, and will give you confidence that everything works when fitted together.

Good Luck!

[xguntherc]

Hm.. Well, I see your point as well there, but my only concern there is how would I know how much tubing to use. You're way I'd just be guessing. Or are you saying I should sort of reach up inside the case, and get rough estimates on what all the lengths will be. Then run the CPU block with pump outside of case. Also I'm not running the GPU's the first round. This is my first loop, so I'm learning first, and the blocks for the 260's are an arm and a leg. So I'm going to add those on later. but for now it's only a CPU loop. 360 RAD just for my PSU should cool plenty well right..

It's probably not as hard as I think, I'm just a little nervous with it being Water thats all. lol. but I'm sure it's fine, as I'm always very careful with everything I do with my system. oh and for like $2.00 dollars I got some clip that looks just like your regular 24 pin but it's a bridge thing I plug over my original 24 pin, I bought it at Petra's Tech shop. and thats going to make it easy to just tweak the PSU, then I'll just plug in and go with the Molex for my Pump.

So ya, my only concern with your idea is that I wont have the right length's for all the tubing. But now that I think about it. It sort of makes sense. What I Should do is go ahead and build my entire new system in my HAF. Put everything together. But don't install the GPU's or the CPU Cooler of Course. Then I should go ahead and get the old PSU, set it up, and test my WC system the way you explained to. Then when the first step passes. I install it onto my Block, inside my PC. with my main PSU and test more. and if that all goes well. Then I can go ahead and seal the deal, install my GPU's, and be on my way.. that's probably the better idea.. right?

[jellyrole]

No pics of the paint job yet?

[xguntherc]

coming now.. lol but my lighting sucks. ;(

[jellyrole]

Lol, it can't be as bad on the lighting in my basement...

[xguntherc]

well I'm in a tiny room with nothing but a Lamp.. I think I have the bad lighting for the day.lol.

tomorrow in the daylight I'll take some better ones, Here's some I just took really fast just now. Nothing special, with only a lamp for lighting.. can ya tell. lol





Thats all I took tonight, I can do more tomorrow.

[alpha1ma]

wow..looking great..

nice paint job..

that reminds mi..i shld have gone for powder coating of my internals..

[xguntherc]

Yea, the paint turned out really good, but these pics don't do ANY justice, when I have my water gear out tomorrow, I'll take pics of everything with some natural light, that will show the paint a little better.

Thanks, ya I looked into Powdercoating, just slightly to much though.

[The[R]eaper]

wow nice paint job looks very professional.

[bianco]

nice paint job! project looking good!


sub'd

[shazza]

Nice paint job. I missed the fact that you are doing only your CPU right now --- that's a good idea, and something I'd definitely recommend for your first time.

What I do is mock up the tubing first ... set everything in the case, measure your tubing - even attaching it to make sure if you want. Then, I tear it down and test outside the case. With the GTZ, this is pretty simple, because you don't have to remove the motherboard to get the waterblock off (altho the HAF does have that nice cutout in the mb for those not using the GTZ. If you are worried about your rad fittings leaking, you can estimate the tubing without putting the rad in, then test with your CPU loop out of the case before re-installing everything. Hope this makes sense. Careful is never a bad thing when mixing electronics and water.

[theseeker]

Great paint job!

[xguntherc]

Thanks guys.. Ya it turned out pretty well. I'll be starting the water today. Up bright and early. lol

[jellyrole]

That's a ton better than my paint job which looks uneven. Keep up the work, more pics plz!!

[evoted]

awsome paint job! keep it up!

[Hudson]

great paint job. What paint did you use? Did you clearcoat?

[illidan]

great paintjob!

is that paint this color?

[Hudson]

Have you decided yet where to mount the rad?

[xguntherc]

The rad will be mounted up top. with the barbs at the back.. the pump will be in the HD bay, and the RES is the question I'm still not sure on yet.

Here's some pictures. I went head and sleeved the Pump's wires today also.


Close-Up of Sleeving


Here's a view of it, there's this slot, gap thingy on the back right there were I can run the tube to the top. So I'll be doing that. and then I'm trying to decide to have my RES be either right there that's pictured, or have it on the left side in front of the 1-3 PCI slots.. but if I did it that way, I'd have another long tube running to the filport.


what ya guys think, how should I mount it all.

thanks guys, I used 3-4 coats of a aluminum automotive primer, rust-oleum brand, and I used 3 cans, and about 5-6 light coats of the rust-oleum Black Satin, there satin has a coating in the paint so I did not use any clear coat afterwards.

thanks for the compliments. I appreciate it peoples!

[Grinch]

where are you gonna mount your hd's?

[jellyrole]

He has 2 HDD's which he can mount at the top of the HDD bay above where the pump is located.

[xguntherc]

I only have 1, and will be getting a second, but with the pump right there. there's still room. there's like a gap for the tube to go out right there. and I'll be able to put it there.

[Grinch]

I only have 1, and will be getting a second, but with the pump right there. there's still room. there's like a gap for the tube to go out right there. and I'll be able to put it there.

will it not put pressure on the tubing?