Project: 'pimp' [black pearl,dual loop, powdercoated]

[lowfat]

Every other log has a name so I guess pimp will do

Anyways.. Pics of old setup:



I want to do a significantly better job this time around. I want this case done perfect the first time around.


Hardware used:
eVGA 780i
E8400
4GB Patriot Viper
2 Galaxy 8800GTs
800W Odin GT
Silverstone Commander ESA fan/light controller.

Loop 1:
DTEK Fuzion V1
ViperJohn 780i NB Block
MCP355 w/ EK X-140 top
MCR320

Loop 2:
2 x MCW60
MCP350 w/ Petra's top
Swiftech Micro-Res
MCR220

Here is the Black Pearl stock. Although I am sure most of you know what it looks like.





case stripped and RadGrillz templates on.


Radiator holes cut. Still need to clean up the edges a bit.




And yes the doorstep is my workshop Well off to work. Tomorrow I'll be cleaning the edges up and cutting the remainder of the wire management/tubing holes.

[ownage]

Looks nice Lowfat. I was just about to ask you on your process with the Black Pearl in the other 'should I buy The Tagan Pearl' thread. Guess this answers my question

[disruptfam]

NICE start look forward to updates!!

[Cptn Vortex]

Lookin good! Hard to keep up with both worklogs though! Lol

[Pellepel]

Nice start, did you use a rotary tool to cut the outline's of the radgrill?

[lowfat]

Nice start, did you use a rotary tool to cut the outline's of the radgrill?

Yes. Tried a jigsaw at first, but I found it too bulky to use.

[MomijiTMO]

eh you don't have to have a perfect hole since the rad grill will cover it up

[Dangals]

Looking good! - keep the pics flowing!

[Blacky]

Where I can get those AC ryan line tracing for rad drilling ? between subscribed

[lowfat]

Where I can get those AC ryan line tracing for rad drilling ? between subscribed

They came with the Radgrillz, you can also download them from the RadGrillz product listing on Performance-PCs.



So I am doing a test fit with the rads installed and notice that these.....

should of being cut off and not avoided. The 1 1/4 inch screws aren't long enough with them still there. So looks like all the time I took to actually keep them was in vain.

o well.

[Jamesrt2004]

looking good so far looking forward to grabbing a couple ideas

[lowfat]

looking good so far looking forward to grabbing a couple ideas

don't worry, I'll be borrowing a few from other installers as well.

[lowfat]

fixed my screwups and radgrillz mounted.

[Cptn Vortex]

Very nice!! Man I need to get some Radgrills! Will the ones you got work with Swiftech MCR series??

[lowfat]

Very nice!! Man I need to get some Radgrills! Will the ones you got work with Swiftech MCR series??

I am using Swiftech rads, so yes

some sleeving pics...
A few pics of the sleeving.




usually you can't see through the sleeving on the PCIe cables, I think i just had too much light for the pics.

[lowfat]

So I no have reached a HUGE problem in the build. The radiator up top is blocking 1 PCI slot and 1 PCIe slot. Both of which are very important to me. Either I can loose my RAID card & soundcard, or I loose SLI.

Solutions:
a. Loose the 2nd loop. I have all the equipment already and I really wanted to do a dual loop setup.
b. Loose SLI. Either buy a new more powerful card, or stick with a single 8800GT.
c. Buy another HTPC/file server. Throw the bluray/hddvd drive,soundcard, and RAID array in it, then use onboard sound *shiver* for my gaming PC.

Still undecided what to do as of yet. The whole reason I bought this board was for SLI

Pick of the mock-up setup to make sure everything was going to fit and to pick where the wires would be run, and holes be cut.

Excuse the ty picture. Still trying to figure out a way to take a good pic of a case without daylight.

[Dangals]

Sorry to hear about your current dilema

just wondering is there a reason why both the rads can't be mounted down the bottom?? I am assuming due to a large number of HDD's but correct me if I am wrong.

If the 220 rad could be moved to the bottom that would allow you to keep all of your current hardware in the one machine.

[lowfat]

I don't think I have room enough to move the MCR220 to the bottom. I have a hard drive cage (with 4 HDDs), a microres, 1 pump, and both drain valves down there already. Although I still will try my best to get it to fit without loosing hardware.

[Dangals]

what is currently going in the bays up top?? have you considered a bay device that will hold the hdd's - that will free up a considerable amount of room at the bottom for your res, pump and drain valves.

I hope you can sort it out as it would be a shame to have to split it up if it doesnt work out...

[Alt]

Can you post a link to all the sleeving stuff you are using? I really wanna sleeve some cable but am totaly lost on what sizes etc... to get.

Builds coming along fantastic by the way.

[lowfat]

what is currently going in the bays up top?? have you considered a bay device that will hold the hdd's - that will free up a considerable amount of room at the bottom for your res, pump and drain valves.

I hope you can sort it out as it would be a shame to have to split it up if it doesnt work out...

I can likely move the hard drive bay up top, and quite likely be able to fit everything in the bottle, albeit beyond cramped (and likely no drain valves yet). Will post pics of mockup setup in the morning.

Can you post a link to all the sleeving stuff you are using? I really wanna sleeve some cable but am totaly lost on what sizes etc... to get.

Builds coming along fantastic by the way.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...roducts_id=832


and using this for heatshrink
http://cableorganizer.com/heat-shrin...rink3.htm#DUAL

The dual wall heat shrink is expensive stuff, but very good.

[MomijiTMO]

Looking good lowfat.

[b@llz0r]

Still undecided what to do as of yet.

How about mounting the fans outside the case covered by a shroud?

That should buy you ~25mm

[Eddie3dfx]

Another black pearl user.. looks great!
I'm glad you posted this because I was looking at how the 2nd card would fit with the 780i in this case and this kind of gives me the idea of how much clearance I will have to put a radiator/25mm fans flushed to the top.
What do you think of the fan controller?

Is the middle gfx card on the 4th screw connector from the top?

There is plenty of room in the bottom compartment for radiators.
I mounted 3 down there. One 320 on the floor, 1 120 on the left where the fan mount is.. fits very nicely.
One 220 the motherboard side (cutout side of the case that is solid and added rad grill)
just relocated the 220 down below and use the top for fan exit.

[yarden]

i hope some fatter tubing will be implemented this time preferably with out hexis coils???