Apogee GTX custom plexi top

[Kayin]

What it would take is the will to do so. Basically, how many of us want it vs how many are sold a day. If there's not enough interest, there's not product. Similarly, if there's no will, there's no way.

I really need to study more physics, but this is too entertaining.

[kevinbo03]

A great idea... But let's say gabe has 1000 GTX tops made.

Let's also say that the supplies costs is around $4 per top (Mass amount of copper bar stock would save money); The CNC work is $6 per top (Compare to the PTS DDCT01... they've made over 1000 I'd guess, And sold $30 per. Also, Delrin is cheaper to mill Vs copper); Then $3 per top for the hardware, packaging, and manual. That's $13.

Then, We have to factor in the cost to ship all of the above items to the fabrication plant. Let's say $2000 in shipping costs for all of the tops (1 shipping crate).

So add $2 to every top. That's $15.

Now, seeing as the GTX costs $75, Let's make a ballpark estimate that it cost $30 to make each GTX (A gross over exaggeration, Since they make much more of them). A %150 price markup by the time it gets to consumers.

So, A $15 would end up costing $37; We'll say $35 for the heck of it.

How many people would pay $35 to make their CPU block look better and lose Alu?

I don't see 1000 people buying it. Maybe more like 300-600.

If it was Acrylic or Delrin, Much more feasible. I'd guess around $15-20 per top. At that amount, They could just hike up the GTX price to $80 and add the new top.

Keep in mind, That this is a dated CPU block at this point. It's still great, But the time and money would be better dedicated to a whole new product.

[nealh]

All Copper GTX ?
If we made it, I'd say your'e probably looking at a $100 water-block.

Wouldn't you rather get a Drive for the same price instead?

Same performance, and you get a pump on top of it..

Hmm..you are saying for an all copper top adds $30-40..and plating is that much cheaper?

I was able to get my GTX new a bit cheaper than the std price of $75, but yes I would still pay more block that does not mix metals...no matter how minute the risk

Petra...you need to sell 300 tops to make it worth while..how have you done with DDC top

I bet given the popularity of the GTX, I would expect it to be a hot commodity....Delrin would be fine, copper great....plex sure looked cool...I would say whatever is easiest but that's my 2 cents(and this from someone who bought a 2nd DDC2 (and another DDCT top of course)just to get it before there were none left...and there alot of people like me

[gabe]

My stance is that I can research building a top like that, or I can follow my own ideas and make super-high end blocks a batch at a time that I believe people will want to use. This being Xtreme, I'm doing the latter, even thouugh I don't know that I'll sell a one. Yes, I'm nobody, as they say, but it takes nothing for a large corporation to ruin a nobody.

Gabe, if I thought it wasn't disrespectful, I would pursue it, but honestly, it's as you said. This is your baby. Just like my reservoirs and my waterblock designs are mine. In your situation, I don't know how I would feel

THAT People, if the true inventor spirit. Follow your dream, do it no matter what. Succeed? Fail? It is not important. The voyage is what counts, and once you have fought all these battles, jumped all these hurdles, and finally arrived somewhere, see how it feels when some replicates the fruit of your labor.

When Cathar approached me some years ago to manufacture the Storm, we made a deal. We gave him royalty as well as credit for the design, and everyone was happy.

That is how it's done.

[gabe]

The problem I see though Gabe, is that the base and bottom is the real fruit. The top is what? If people are asking for an option for the top, and you dont want to provide it, but someone else is willing......

The top is what? my design.

anyways, I already responded here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...9&postcount=72

[IanY]

I guess I have a different thought process from you, Gabe. Would I spend the money on a legal fight? Not always. Sometimes, however,it can be very useful. Get hold of one guy and tear him apart... no one will ever mess around with you again... ever... You spend 10K.. you settle for 50K. I guess after years in the corporate world, I'm as ruthless.

[Hey_Its_Cole]

I do have to say I like that copper top.

[FischOderAal]

The top is what? my design.

anyways, I already responded here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...9&postcount=72

still a problem that they only made them (the plexi and the copper one) for themselves? they're not gonna sale them.

[Fiber9]

Why spend 10 or $20k in attorney's fees? All I have to do is make copper tops for the German market and give them away so that he won't sell ONE PIECE!

I hope this fellow reads this: don't with me. Make your own blocks, enjoy life and stay healthy.

Well, he doesn't have to be afraid, because if your only source of inspiration for the top came from imitating a valve cover, he can also copycat other parts manufacturer.
By the way, did you pay royalties to Edelbrock?

[MotF Bane]

I guess I have a different thought process from you, Gabe. Would I spend the money on a legal fight? Not always. Sometimes, however,it can be very useful. Get hold of one guy and tear him apart... no one will ever mess around with you again... ever... You spend 10K.. you settle for 50K. I guess after years in the corporate world, I'm as ruthless.

That's a pretty good idea. Show everyone not to screw around, it might be worth it in the long run for protecting your ideas.

[gabe]

Well, he doesn't have to be afraid, because if your only source of inspiration for the top came from imitating a valve cover, he can also copycat other parts manufacturer.
By the way, did you pay royalties to Edelbrock?

can you tell the difference between inspiration and imitation?

[Till]

As FischOderAal already said the tops made by Finn and André are unique individual items so there's no reasonable cause to make such a fuzz about it.

However, swiftech hasn't got a registered office in Germany and neither patents on the top's functions (it's nothing new with it) or protection by the utility model over there - it would have been nearly impossible to arange that anyway cause there had been (chrome) engine covers looking quite alike for years eg. for DOHC Honda engines.

So anyone could legally produce a bunch of coppertops in easterneurope for est. less than 4 Euro/pice and as long as they to go through US customs there won't be any serious problems...

But as there won't be enough potential buyers, nobody will do it anyway

[Andreoid]

hey gabe,..
this cover is home-made and only for the use of myself!
i do not sell this top...
if you want us to remove the pictures just say a word

yours Andreoid


@ all,..
We are 19 and 21 years old. Cooler-milling is just our hobby. Earn money with this does not work by this litle way of doing customization of 15 coolers in a month.
ours logo is the “AF” and our name for our tinkering is Anfi-tec. (ANdreoid & FInnzwerg)
grown through our nicknames.
@ those who thought that we are a big watercoolingcompany .... THANKS
we feel very honoured!

[alejo]

You guys make nice blocks!

Don't let the "ruthless" keyboard warriors egging Gabe on to litigate bother you.

[gabe]

hey gabe,..just cool down!
this cover is home-made and only for the use of myself!
i do not sell this top... do u really think i am this stupid and dont know that this is NEARLY a copy?!
yes man u made the design,.. but in aluminium!
why i dont wanna have alu & cu in one cooler? have u ever seen a corroded cooler? this totally sux
and dont praise urself with inventing the design,.. just remember coolers from 2002,.. they already had nealy the structure what u used @ the apogee gtx bottom
Do the pictures of the plexi top hurt you? if you want us to remove the pictures just say a word

yours Andreoid


@ all,..
We are 19 and 21 years old. Cooler-milling is just our hobby. Earn money with this does not work by this litle way of doing customization of 15 coolers in a month.
ours logo is the “AF” and our name for our tinkering is Anfi-tec. (ANdreoid & FInnzwerg)
grown through our nicknames.
@ those who thought that we are a big watercoolingcompany .... THANKS
we feel very honoured!

read my post: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...9&postcount=72

"If he made a one-off, I could not care less. If he made a big square top, I couldn't care less."

[Bun-Bun]

All Copper GTX ?
If we made it, I'd say your'e probably looking at a $100 water-block.

Wouldn't you rather get a Drive for the same price instead?

Same performance, and you get a pump on top of it..

I woudl buy it... I woudl probably buy two. And recommend them to all my friends.

LOL!

As cool as that would be, Quoc would probably prefer that I didn't spend all of my time prototyping everything imaginable... Granted, if you guys really do think that getting rid of 300 Delrin and/or brass Apogee GTX tops wouldn't be an issue, then I may start tinkering in Solidworks to see what I can come up with...

I could easily see you selling them all off... just look at your DCC tops.

As I've said before, so what? $80, $100 WTF is the difference? I won't use the GTX as long as it uses aluminum, I don't care how good it performs. I know there are others that feel the same way. As much as you would like to change that Gabe, it will never happen.

100% Agree.

Gabe has already stated his concern is about cost of such a block (please correct me if wrong) and even though users on Xtremesystems would buy them, I suppose they're not a true representation of the rest of the market.

There are a lot of people at XS and we do have a large influence on this market...

[Angry_Steel]

Wouldn't you rather get a Drive for the same price instead?

Same performance, and you get a pump on top of it..

Umm...let me think.... No. I already have 4 pumps, and I can swap out either a pump or a block if the need arises without having to remove 2 components from the loop.

You guys seriously think that I am going to allow anyone to rip-off my design?

Huh? I mean honestly, if you want to get sticky about it, the GTX bears a more than strong resemblance to the exterior of the whole PolarFlo TT line of waterblocks and accessories which were also based on automotive components.

I hope this fellow reads this: don't with me. Make your own blocks, enjoy life and stay healthy.

Get real.... I dont see Laing getting their panties in a bunch over people making 3rd party tops for their pumps. Or any of the other companies getting upset because someone is putting another top on their blocks. If anything it is a good sign that your not giving people what they want.

You make your money... Your tops come with your bottoms and you dont lose a penny. So if your not going to offer something that the community (whom you cater too) seems to want, then why not let someone else do it.

If someone was making copies of your base and selling a carbon copy of your block then yea, thats a perfectly good reason to get po'ed and deal with it, and Im sure most of the people here would be right behind you all the way. I just dont see why your getting all riled up over a top....

[peebee]

If I paid for this block, I can replace the top with anything I want, isn´t that true?
I was about to contact a friend of mine to make a different top for my Apogee gtx. Do I bring him into trouble, if he makes a top for me? I will also pay for the material he needs to spend for the top.

I know, that warranty is gone, but who cares? I do not want that damn alu in my rig! But a cooler with good performance.

[Bun-Bun]

Umm...let me think.... No. I already have 4 pumps, and I can swap out either a pump or a block if the need arises without having to remove 2 components from the loop.



Huh? I mean honestly, if you want to get sticky about it, the GTX bears a more than strong resemblance to the exterior of the whole PolarFlo TT line of waterblocks and accessories which were also based on automotive components.



Get real.... I dont see Laing getting their panties in a bunch over people making 3rd party tops for their pumps. Or any of the other companies getting upset because someone is putting another top on their blocks. If anything it is a good sign that your not giving people what they want.

You make your money... Your tops come with your bottoms and you dont lose a penny. So if your not going to offer something that the community (whom you cater too) seems to want, then why not let someone else do it.

If someone was making copies of your base and selling a carbon copy of your block then yea, thats a perfectly good reason to get po'ed and deal with it, and Im sure most of the people here would be right behind you all the way. I just dont see why your getting all riled up over a top....

I can see why he is getting all riled up over an exact copy of his top... but I agree with the rest of your points.

Obviously there is a need/want that gabe is not catering to and there is the potential to make money on offering different tops. North Wizard had a cool idea with his WB in that he was going to offer offer custom mounting brackets to those who wanted them. Its a way to personalize your rig even more. Now I am not saying it is econically feasible to custom make blocks for everyone, however, having some different tops made with different materials would hit more of the market then I think he realizes.

[Mekrel]

I woudl buy it... I woudl probably buy two. And recommend them to all my friends.



I could easily see you selling them all off... just look at your DCC tops.



100% Agree.



There are a lot of people at XS and we do have a large influence on this market...

You can say we do, but can you prove we do?

[ranker]

You can say we do, but can you prove we do?

Might as well use this as a roll call:

$20 in my hand waiting for a top, here.

[Waterlogged]

Might as well use this as a roll call:

$20 in my hand waiting for a top, here.

I have a feeling this is going to prove something.

[IanY]

Might as well use this as a roll call:

$20 in my hand waiting for a top, here.

Counselor,

Come on. Of all things, you are in the legal business. You know better than I do that such things are ethically questionable, at best.

[ranker]

Counselor,

Come on. Of all things, you are in the legal business. You know better than I do that such things are ethically questionable, at best.

Just trying to get the ball rolling in establishing demand.

[IanY]

I recognize a little conflict of interest here .. I too want a copper top badly.. HOWEVER, it would be absurd to knowingly compromise ethical standards especially when I know full well that this constitutes a massive trampling of IP.

Oh what the h3ll... I got $40 for a copper top... don't sell to ranker.. sell to me