ASUS Xtreme Design competition-

[zads]

Added a little summary/running video of it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB2YDt2kdqo
Enjoy!

I sure hope I get chosen as a winner for stage 2!
I think I already know what those stage 2 prizes will be

[josk1]

everything fits inside and probably works fine, but excuse me to say: it won't be a MDPC

[callen_1]

everything fits inside and probably works fine, but excuse me to say: it won't be a MDPC

Why did you feel the need to say something like that? I think he did a great job, well done mate.

[kgtiger]

Well done Zad, you have really put a lot into a little box, bit of a shame the ram heat sink needed to be cut to size.
As to the photo/image I was unable to see before, it was the AutoTune feature screen shot. I can see it now.
Good luck with the comp, let us know how you go with it.

[zads]

...I think he did a great job, well done mate.

Thanks!
It is my first full custom case-design/build,
my first watercooling system,
and my first attempt at actual acrylic fabrication,
so I'm quite pleased that it has all come together nicely

Well done Zad, you have really put a lot into a little box, bit of a shame the ram heat sink needed to be cut to size.
As to the photo/image I was unable to see before, it was the AutoTune feature screen shot. I can see it now.
Good luck with the comp, let us know how you go with it.

Thanks kgtiger, I don't mind cutting the ram heatsink- they really aren't needed on DDR3 technology if you are running on Nehalem-level voltages (~1.65V).
And with the Core i5/i7 processor IMC, you don't need more RAM voltage for high speeds anyway,
unless maybe if you are doing a suicidal/WR overclock or something..?
Now I just need a good story if I ever have to return it for RMA/warranty replacement...

everything fits inside and probably works fine, but excuse me to say: it won't be a MDPC

Josk1, well a couple clarifications here:
1. What I meant to say that it is built, but it is still unfinished.
"White dwarf" still needs paint, the primary-level sponsors' stickers on it, wiring cleanup/shortening, spotlight LEDs, etc,.
Also, the front fan grilles will become a single piece mesh filter to keep out some dust and make it look better.
This is also why I haven't posted it in the Computer Cases forum- because its still a work in progress

2. I didn't build this to be an artistic case design,
from the beginning it was all about custom packaging and keeping a small footprint without sacrificing performance capability.
The car corollary is that I'm trying to build a Lotus sports car, not a monster truck.

3. I wanted to build something different and on my own design from the start, instead of modding an existing case.
I think you said it best yourself on your own gallery:

...but everyone does that!! and I don't like to have the same thing than others! that's supposed to be the first idea when you mod, isn't it?? ...

[zads]

Paint:
Added some gloss black spray paint for the front face area (which you will see in a Home theater environment),
pardon the tape still on there that's being used for masking...
looks like reflective 'piano black':


Her you can see the effect of putting gloss paint behind acrylic (painting the inside):
Notice how the paint in the foreground is glossy piano black,
in the background you can see the actual gloss black paint on the inside isn't as glossy,
but the clear acrylic adds a ton of depth and gloss to some cheapo Pep Boys automotive spray paint:



Wire management
Before
This system has 8x 128GB SSDs in it, so the power and signal cabling can get kind of out of hand-
the Antec stock SATA modular connectors used 3x cables and power connectors on the PSU to feed all 8 SSD drives:


After
Added some badly needed wire management;
Swapped the longer SATA cables (maybe 18" long) for some short 8" SATA cables,
Created a single modular PSU connector from the Antec modular connectors,
feeds 8 SATA power connectors that are perfectly spaced so that they actually hold the SSDs together without any wire slack between them:


Front face look after painting:
I put a piece of paper in front of the fans to mask the LED fans,
simulating (light-wise) how it will look after I put the black mesh foam filter in there;
It should have a back glow behind the filter, as well as some light seepage around the clear edges out of the bottom and top of the case.
It will keep the case from being too bright in your face,
while letting you know there's something powerful lurking in there:

[zads]

I did some idle power consumption tests using the ASUS Softwares,
using the Kill-a-watt power consumption meter (measures at the plug)


Baseline power consumption:
143 Watts

After adding EPU-6
(reduces Bclk and CPU voltage slightly more than Intel Speedstep):
137 Watts

After turning T.Probe to power savings mode
(uses 8 VRMs/voltage regulators under idle conditions, 32 VRMs under full load conditions):
133 Watts

After installing Smart Doctor v5.49, allows EPU-6 to control the video card power as well:
130 Watts

That's about a 9% decrease in idle power consumption,
just from ASUS software tuning using the Xtreme Hybrid Design technologies.

[zads]

Amazing how a 65" HDTV can still make a new 50" Plasma look small...

[kgtiger]

Once again really nice work there Zads.
Your sata cable mod for the 8 SSDs worked out excellent.
Are you planing to re-sleeve the power cable and sata cables to the SSDs?

Damm that 65" HDTV looks nice, poor fish looks like it's swimming in the ocean by it self.

Keep up the excellent work mate.

[zads]

So I come home tonight and I find out that I have gone and done it!

The White Dwarf case design has taken top honors for the ASUS Xtreme Design competition!!

This means that I have won a trip to CES 2010 in Las Vegas,
and my system will be showcased at the ASUS booth at CES.

Great job to all of the other entrants on making some great designs.

After I heard the news last night, I was so excited that I stayed up until 5am working on the case again!
Here's the changes I made:
Reroute the water cooling loop,
Clean up some of the cables/wires,
Add some charcoal colored aluminum mesh filter material to the front intake port,
Polish some minor scratches out of the acrylic.


Here's some more pictures of the White Dwarf system:




These pictures are all taken with the lid on, showing how optically clear acrylic can be:

[kgtiger]

Congratulations Zads, thats excellent news.

I like how you have polished up the top and sides of the perspex and you have really cleand up the inside as well.
Are you going to remove the harsh tool marks from the edges of the perspex, the top really could look heaps beter for it?
Looks like the table saw that cut the perspex had a ripping blade on it.
The easiest way to remove most of the marks would be to use a #2 bastard file, in a cross draw action.
Then a second cut file also useing it in a cross draw action.
Then follow up with wet and dry sand paper, using it wet.

Enjoy your trip to CES 2010 in Las Vegas mate, nothing like putting your best foot forward in life.

[zads]

Congratulations Zads, thats excellent news.

I like how you have polished up the top and sides of the perspex and you have really cleand up the inside as well.
Are you going to remove the harsh tool marks from the edges of the perspex, the top really could look heaps beter for it?
Looks like the table saw that cut the perspex had a ripping blade on it.
The easiest way to remove most of the marks would be to use a #2 bastard file, in a cross draw action.
Then a second cut file also useing it in a cross draw action.
Then follow up with wet and dry sand paper, using it wet.

Enjoy your trip to CES 2010 in Las Vegas mate, nothing like putting your best foot forward in life.

Thanks KGtiger, yeah I will be filing/sanding/polish compound the edges to make it look better.
Possibly add some more paint and decals, but not sure on that yet.

[zads]

Using the ASUS P7P55D Premium motherboard with SATA/6Gbps technology,
I setup the system using 6 or 7 SSDs in RAID-0.
Not including the faster Samsung SSD, which is being utilized on one of the SATA/6Gbps ports as a boot/OS drive.
The system has surpassed 700 MB/sec in disk reads and 500 MB/sec in disk writes (albeit in slightly different setup/configuration).

Asymmetrical/Software RAID:


Onboard Hardware RAID:

[Scaniris]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! YOU WON THE COMPETITION! SEE THE FRENCH NEWSPAPER ARTICLE IN A WELL KNOW FRENCH ONLINE TECH MAGAZINE ABOUT YOUR BUILD!

Hi, I was reading the latest news about CES 2010 in one of my favorite online french magazine and What did I saw: YOUR RIG! Immediately I remembered your Worklog here, and I think you'll be happy to know that french journalists talk about you

Here is the link to the website:

French version: CES 2010 - Boitier compact watercoolé et incluant 8 SSD !

English version (google translation): PC World France - CES 2010 - Compact and including 8 watercool SSD!

And a screen shot of the original artcile (in french, for english click on the link here upper):

[zads]

Thanks for the newsposting, Scaniris!

My 1st place prize (besides the awesome CES trip- THANKS ASUS!) included a Maximus III GENE motherboard,
which I have used to replace the P7P55 Premium which was part of the original contest.

Changed my case theme to black and red now, added some components and fastening parts..
Here's some progress shots on Phase 2 of this project...
I might be somewhat overkill for a i7-860 and GTX260(55nm),
but at least I will be all set if ASUS decides to make/send me a Rampage III GENE and GTX480, *hinthint*





Also to note:
-It's damn small and compact for what it has in it, I love it.
-The 2.5" SSDs still need to be mounted somewhere, good thing is that they are much smaller than 3.5" HDD..
Might use a blank PCIe PCB, or something to mount them to.
-Still need to buy some black(red?) cable sleeving
-Might still integrate a NZXT Sentry 2 LCD fan controller into the side panel
-Will probably end up painting the yellow stripes on the Antec PSU
-I'm probably at a ratio of 80:1 for time spent building this project vs time actually using the components.

[Polizei]

You make my upcoming mATX water cooled build look easy. Props.

[zads]

Just a brief update:
Done:
-Changed graphics card to Swiftech cooled HD5870 card.
-SSDs double sided taped to Unisink for the time being.
-Bundled PSU wires a little better.

To do:
-Spray paint PSU all black (maybe some red).
-Add fan gaskets or spacers to move them a couple mm away from the radgrills to cut down some of that turbulence noise and increase airflow.
-Add 1/4" acrylic plenum spacer to intake fans on Vertical radiator
-Make more permanent mount on the reservoir
-Add some red LED bling to the acrylic or something.. not sure about this one

Anyway I'm going to try and do that stuff before the end of the year,
but I'm currently too busy saving humanity in Mass Effect 2.