My "murder" project.

[Friedchicken]

everything looks awesome man, i really like that mobo tray

did you remove the silverstone logo? i tried and like half there and half not

I am not sure how it was done. I got the case from Charles without any badging.

ummmm i love the murder box and yours is coming along nicely, but shouldnt you get a motherboard that is actually good for such a project?. even if your not going with the intel chipsets you should at LEAST get a 780i, if only to be able to properly use/overclock that quadcore. just my advice, am looking forward to your progress

Truth is, I was waiting for a stable solution to come along- and I have heard too many issues with those boards. So for now, I am using my current parts cause I know they play well together.

Last thing I need is to have to RMA a motherboard. I am tired of being an early adopter and one thing I have learned is; get parts and componenets which have been proven to work together. It's not worth my time to mess around and re-invent the wheel or do a lot of groundwork. I want the system to look and work great. Spend more time enjoying the PC, than building it.

And +1 to this suggestion. Leds are so much nicer when done.

I wanted really UV reactive lighting and Charles gave me the same ones he uses in murderbox. I’ll conceal them the same way he does. As for the LED lights, it’s my understanding that the “UV” ones aren’t very UV…

I love those blank mobo trays... makes me drool every time, it's the best detail in my opinion.

If you like the motherboard tray, just wait for the custom midplate that is coming in. Charles said he can have it ready in about 5 days. He's doing something different for my build because of the LCD doesn't play well with the extra PA120.3 underneath.

[Friedchicken]

Friedchicken, we are the same kind.
(if you know what i mean )

Looking forward to your build of this awesome case.

Steffen. PM sent
Cheers.

[biftek.]

nah that doesn't really do it for me...
never been a diamond plate guy myself, and that is more of a benching tray...
Although i do love your custom cases

I'm high maintenance, what can i say?

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

Truth is, I was waiting for a stable solution to come along- and I have heard too many issues with those boards. So for now, I am using my current parts cause I know they play well together.

Last thing I need is to have to RMA a motherboard. I am tired of being an early adopter and one thing I have learned is; get parts and componenets which have been proven to work together. It's not worth my time to mess around and re-invent the wheel or do a lot of groundwork. I want the system to look and work great. Spend more time enjoying the PC, than building it.

I have had to RMA 2 x 680i AR's and 3 x 680i A1's due to bi-hourly BSOD's caused by the faulty and oh-so-breakalbe memory controller on that motherboard,

I'm sure almost everyone will agree with me when i say that the 680i has been proven NOT TO WORK (counter to your justification above) I'm not trying to put a damper on your project but seriously, go get another mobo if your dont want to have to deal with the crap that one will give you.

Thats not even considering the NUMEROUS issues the 680i has with quad cores (i always use core2 duo with mine), and I know your gonna say "oh well they fixed that with the a1 revision". errrr wrong answer they didn't, your clocks are gonna be limited and it'll be a darned shame with all that smexy watercooling your putting in.


I just hope you will re-evaluate your options on the motherboard and maybe realize that I'm not just telling you these things for fun, I seriously want your project to be successful

[disruptfam]

any updates?

[Friedchicken]

I have had to RMA 2 x 680i AR's and 3 x 680i A1's due to bi-hourly BSOD's caused by the faulty and oh-so-breakalbe memory controller on that motherboard,

I'm sure almost everyone will agree with me when i say that the 680i has been proven NOT TO WORK (counter to your justification above) I'm not trying to put a damper on your project but seriously, go get another mobo if your dont want to have to deal with the crap that one will give you.

Thats not even considering the NUMEROUS issues the 680i has with quad cores (i always use core2 duo with mine), and I know your gonna say "oh well they fixed that with the a1 revision". errrr wrong answer they didn't, your clocks are gonna be limited and it'll be a darned shame with all that smexy watercooling your putting in.


I just hope you will re-evaluate your options on the motherboard and maybe realize that I'm not just telling you these things for fun, I seriously want your project to be successful

sniipe, I know your post is well meaning, however I am using something I have already been using for the past 12 months. I did go through the RMA headaches with this board a couple times and finally have one that has been working perfectly for 6+ months. I REFUSE to go through that again until I see a decent Sli board that can replace this one without all the hassles.

I don't benchrace my overclocks, or try to eek out every Mhz of performance. I am very happy with this combo for what I use it for. I can pump this 2.67 QC to 3.6 without breaking a sweat. That is more than enough power for my personal needs. The choice in motherboard/cpu/ram is quite irrelevant here, as this build is not specific to the brand of board that is used.

I digress. This thread is not about my choice of internal components. It's about taking a proven case design and parts that already fit well together, and then adding my own set of challenges and solutions to make something different. That is where I have my work cut out for me. The custom TJ07 case and PC parts are easily accessible- the know-how is not. That is what I want to share with everyone.

Honestly sniip, I respect you for bring the issues up and taking the time to let me know. If I didn't already have this tested 680i in my possession, yes, i would have sought another mainboard based on your info.

Thanks for your support!

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

sniipe, I know your post is well meaning, however I am using something I have already been using for the past 12 months. I did go through the RMA headaches with this board a couple times and finally have one that has been working perfectly for 6+ months. I REFUSE to go through that again until I see a decent Sli board that can replace this one without all the hassles.

I don't benchrace my overclocks, or try to eek out every Mhz of performance. I am very happy with this combo for what I use it for. I can pump this 2.67 QC to 3.6 without breaking a sweat. That is more than enough power for my personal needs. The choice in motherboard/cpu/ram is quite irrelevant here, as this build is not specific to the brand of board that is used.

I digress. This thread is not about my choice of internal components. It's about taking a proven case design and parts that already fit well together, and then adding my own set of challenges and solutions to make something different. That is where I have my work cut out for me. The custom TJ07 case and PC parts are easily accessible- the know-how is not. That is what I want to share with everyone.

Honestly sniip, I respect you for bring the issues up and taking the time to let me know. If I didn't already have this tested 680i in my possession, yes, i would have sought another mainboard based on your info.

Thanks for your support!

lol sorry i didn't know that, shoulda mentioned it b4 and i woulda zipped my mouth

[Friedchicken]

any updates?

Unfortunately I’m waiting for threaded elbow fittings to use with the Thermochill rads. It's painful to have the whole build held up for the smallest parts- but once they arrive, things should hopefully go together pretty quick.

I’m hoping they arrive within a week, but they are coming from Europe so we’ll see. It’s all good since Charles hasn’t finished with the new midplate or the faceplate. The faceplate only needs to be bolted on at the end of the build, so I’m in no immediate rush for it (although I am anxious to get my hands on it).

I should hear from Charles about the midplate Monday but since I’m waiting on fittings, it will just sit untill I finish installing the rads and plumbing the lower section.

...In the meantime I can start thinking about the upper section. I will say it's great not having to spray paint anything. Getting all the parts already power coated is great… he even gave me powder coated pci slot covers! Now that’s attention to detail!

[disruptfam]

Unfortunately I’m waiting for threaded elbow fittings to use with the Thermochill rads. It's painful to have the whole build held up for the smallest parts- but once they arrive, things should hopefully go together pretty quick.

I’m hoping they arrive within a week, but they are coming from Europe so we’ll see. It’s all good since Charles hasn’t finished with the new midplate or the faceplate. The faceplate only needs to be bolted on at the end of the build, so I’m in no immediate rush for it (although I am anxious to get my hands on it).

I should hear from Charles about the midplate Monday but since I’m waiting on fittings, it will just sit untill I finish installing the rads and plumbing the lower section.

...In the meantime I can start thinking about the upper section. I will say it's great not having to spray paint anything. Getting all the parts already power coated is great… he even gave me powder coated pci slot covers! Now that’s attention to detail!

I know exactly what you mean !!! i feel your pain i'm in the same situation extremely frustrating waiting for the smallest parts

[Friedchicken]

Got the elbow fittings so everything’s ready to go.

My next delay actually has nothing to do with the build, I’m so swamped with work that I can’t see when I’ll have the time to get this build done.

When I talked to Charles he said he’d be happy to put my system together.

We worked out a barter deal where he would do the build and I would do some webpage work for him. It’s great because not only will I get a murderbox quality system, but I’ll also get my machine a lot faster than if I was to do it. I asked him if he could do a worklog like I was going to do - he said no problem. He’s got all the stuff so expect some updates soon.

Sorry for the delay... you know how these thnigs go...

[illidan]

subscribed here...

great so far that case look awesome!

[evil-98]

Got the elbow fittings so everything’s ready to go.

My next delay actually has nothing to do with the build, I’m so swamped with work that I can’t see when I’ll have the time to get this build done.

When I talked to Charles he said he’d be happy to put my system together.

We worked out a barter deal where he would do the build and I would do some webpage work for him. It’s great because not only will I get a murderbox quality system, but I’ll also get my machine a lot faster than if I was to do it. I asked him if he could do a worklog like I was going to do - he said no problem. He’s got all the stuff so expect some updates soon.

Sorry for the delay... you know how these thnigs go...

wow thats nice so your getting the works.

[64dragon]

thats awesome, can't wait to see an update

[charles_h]

Hi all,

Fried Chicken asked me to make a worklog of his build so here we go. Please go easy on me as this is my 1st attempt at a worklog. I’ll try to focus on the stuff that I think may be of interest and not so much on the obvious. I’m not accustomed to taking photos while I work so if I omit anything that is of interest, please don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll answer your question as best I can. Alright, enough with the flapping of gums, on with the build.

It all starts with a Hammond 1591A project box. I’m a gonna build the whole system inside it.





Kidding… I use these for a bunch of stuff; they’re really cheap and to start with, make great radiator platforms.







I love that each one comes with an inspected by card – how often do you see that on a $3.61 product!







They also come with a set of screws that I'll use to secure the boxes to the base of the case.







I use the box lids as guides to mark the holes…







A drill bit works well for marking the hole locations. I twist the bit between my thumb and forefinger a few times and presto; marked for drilling. Which reminds me – have you heard the title for Steven Segal’s upcoming straight to DVD movie – Marked for Discount. I know… don’t quit my day job.







One set of holes drilled and one to go…







On the underside I countersink the holes so the screw heads are flush.







Rad mounts installed. I sand the tops to to help the tape adhere… yes, tape…







I use 3M heavy duty mounting tape to attach the radiators to the mounts. The stuff sticks like poop to a blanket. You know this as fact if you ever have to separate something attached with it. Errrr… the tape… not the poop.



Ok, time for a slight deviation before finishing the rad mounting. I do a little something and now’s the time – before the rads are in place.







I start by separating the wires from the front PCB and then wrap them in two sleeves.







Next, I make a slight alteration to the front LED’s – I find them too bright so…







I cover them with small pieces of red gaffer’s tape. Now instead of bright blue, they’re a nice subtle purple.







Time for another Hammond 1691A project box! (ok, the exclamation was overkill). Holding the PCB as a guide, I drill two holes…







I mount the PCB using only the bottom two holes…







Using these 10mm M3 screws…






I attach the project box over the front PCB. Oh, I forgot to mention that I drill a hole in the side to pass the sleeved wires…


Ok, now it’s back to the rads…






I wire up and install the fans…







Finally it’s time to stick the rads to the mounts. I’ll repaint the top of the rads later (You’ll see that scratch on the PA120.2 through an opening in the midplate).







Other side…







The gangs all here… Rads, pump and PSU. It’s a tight fit but fit it does.







Next I check the rad fittings for leaks by run a mini loop… or as some call it a loopette.


No leaks… joy.







Time to test-fit the midplate and mark hose locations for drilling.







This is when I start praying that when I drill those 1” holes, I don’t fark up the finish. Sure I could mock up the build, drill the holes then have it powder coated but where’s the “live by the seat of your pants” thrill in that?







Nice and clean down below on this side…







Ack! not so much this side. It’s going to take a lot of cable management to get this rat’s nest sorted and it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better – I’ve yet to break out the 24 pin mobo power cable into individual sleeves. Actually multiply that by two since I’ll be doing the same for all 4 PCI-E power connectors. All told, I’ll have roughly 65 cables to deal with.

Well that’s all for today – next step is to power it up and load windows… oh wait; I think there’s a few bits to go before that.

The next time you see me I’ll have drilled the hose holes in the midplate and done all the PSU sleeving. The next installment will be focused on the upper chamber loop.

Until then - Thanks for stopping by.

[infinitesadd]

Looks great! Nice picture taking and what not for someone who said they weren't used to a worklog. :p


Loking forward to more!

[evil-98]

looks good charles_h very inspirational, i love all the panels and how clean they are. i am loving the black all around i definitely need to do that with my tj07

[disruptfam]

very nice charles

[ultimeus]

amazing presentation, finish and details are awesome, really clean I love that.

[64dragon]

thank you Charles for your time to help out friedchicken and your great work. i like that box around the front pcb.

by the end of the summer i hope to have the interior of my tj07 powder coated, they look so much cleaner with a black interior. hope to get a few other things done too

[charles_h]

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys.

I got pretty much all the wiring and sleeving done but unfortunately ran out of light so I'll get some shots over the weekend. I took a couple quick shots to give y'all a taste.



You're probably wondering what the 4 holes are for so I'll tell ya. Fried Chicken came up with the idea to make the CPU mounting holes accessible from behind. This is a great idea and allows for changing water block/mounting hardware without having to remove the mobo. The downside is having to drill more big honking holes in the motherboard tray. I use a step drill bit which works well - on one hole the bit grabbed the metal and spun the whole tray from my grip. Luckily this was before powder coating so no damage was done. Man, I have no idea what that motherboard tray is made of but its some nasty material. Its some kind of tin or something. Its plated but inside it could be anything. I wonder if its even from this planet.

The fifth hole is for the 8pin mobo AUX power. I'm pretty happy with how the PCI-E sleeving worked out (pics to come). 48 individually sleeved wires looks very HR Geiger and now I'm thinking this build might look cool all black. I'll bounce that off Fried Chicken and see what he thinks. More to follow - stay tuned.

[BlueAqua]

Wow I just found this thread. Amazing work. I just am absolutely amazed with the superb detail work. Keep it up!

[disruptfam]

amazing cable management so clean! ! !

[Steffen]

Charles, I love you

[64dragon]

very nice. i like those tabs that the wires are going thru

i did some dremel work myself the over the past few days. it was my first time cutting up a case but i thought it went ok, only broke 1 wheel. i'll have to take some pics today

[BigJoe]

Nice cable management