[Build Log] MODZERO X - Phanteks EVOLV Micro

This is a little project I hadn't foreseen making. I'm working on a follow up to MODZERO FORTY a version 2.0 sort of deal, I'd enjoyed planning it so much it's grown into a much bigger project. So, I soon found myself with the Hex Gear R40 dismantled (MOD040 being my main rig) and myself without a means to enjoy DOOM!

I've always liked the Phanteks EVOLV chassis and had wanted to do a build in one for some time. I picked up the case and initially assembled my components with a no frills approach, it was simply meant to get the job done until the R40 returned. I went to bed that night my mind buzzing with ideas on how I could use parts I already had, add a new toy here and there and make something all that more special than the build I'd thrown together.


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I've been really impressed with the EVOLV, the stock front 200mm and rear 140mm fans are great bits of kit. I like the huge dust filter up front and how all the panels just pull off. In a matter of seconds you can have the case stripped to the frame.


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Around this time, Pascal was announced and whilst shocked (and gutted) at the UK price of the GTX 1080 I was already working out how I could get my hands on it. But then it struck me... I bought the GTX 980 on the day of release, I jumped in my car and drove 100 miles to OCUK and bought it for £399.99! It was the king of the hill for all but 6-7 months, the 980ti dropped and left it behind whilst the GTX 970 was released offering much of the performance for £100 less. Two years (ish) later and the 970 clearly hit that sweet spot in the market. If you can afford it, the 980Ti delivered on performance, but the 980... well, who cared anymore.

So now I'm looking at the market and thinking, I can't afford the GTX 1080 and sooner rather than later the GTX 1080Ti will spank it. Wait for the GTX 1070, The 'Founders Edition' cooler looks awesome, get it, run it on air, enjoy the perf boast over the 980. When the 1080Ti drops, buy a second 1070, put them both on water in MODZERO FORTY TWO and enjoy pascal until the next dead scientist is assigned an architecture.

MODZERO X is my little celebration to the 'founder edition'. The EVOLV has that awesome 200mm fan up front to pull in dust free air and that great 140mm in the back to clear the hot stuff. All I needed now was to add a little flair.


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This was all I needed for my CPU loop, a way to keep my adapted res in place and a home for the D5 pump I had left over from MODZERO OCTO.


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The EVOLV has the mounting options for dual 120/140 up front. Opting to keep the 200mm I was still able to make use of the 120mm mounting holes (needed a little modding to the 200mm fan to stop one of the screws from the bracket fouling the mount) making mounting the D5 a breeze, yeah, a D5 for a cpu loop is excessive but then again, so is a CPU LOOP.. plus.. I really like the EK REVO D5 TOP, it adds a fresh look to the time honored D5.


I've only recently retired MODZERO FOUR, it was the first Parvum build to rock a GTX 980 and at the time one of only three PARVUM X1.0 VEER cases in the world. I still think it's one of the nicest Parvum builds to date (not that i'm biased.. haha). When working on MODZERO OCTO I had to partially dismantle MODZERO FOUR to make use of the 'modding cubes'. It hadn't been rebuilt and bills needed paying, so the hardware 'went' and the case was wrapped up and put away...

But not all of it..


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My goal is to have the build ready for the GTX1070 FE on day of release (JUNE 10TH), just like I did with the GTX 980 I'm gonna make the drive and pick up the card. I'm hoping to get it installed, final shots taken and the images uploaded the same night.

So, erm...

I've got 48 hours...


J.

Less typing, more building! Looking good though and will be interested to see the speedy progress!

Cool! I have the same case and fully watercooled so looking forward to seeing this.

UPDATE 1.0 - LOOP - COOLANT - DECALS

Petelock said:

Less typing, more building! Looking good though and will be interested to see the speedy progress!

Click to expand...

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A quick blast with the jigsaw and good ten minutes with sandpaper and the 'Nvidia claw' inlay panel from MODZERO FOUR pressure fit almost perfectly. I had hoped to light the inlay from underneath but it didnt work out. I spent a couple hours hacking out the EVOLVs psu cover shelf around where the claw design sits. Spent an age tidying it up then fitted the Parvum panel back in place. Annoyingly the HDD cage in that lower compartment is bolted in place just under the right side of the claw, as I need the cage I couldn't remove that spot and so when it's lit, that area isn't. so I'm not bothering.


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This was another PITA, the Bitspower 140mm pump/res mounting bracket is flat, like a grill. It's shipped with fan screws that don't fit the bracket holes and if mounted to a fan like I have, any use of the res mounting holes conflicts with the fan blades! Having just used the EK mounting bracket (which was a joy) I found this annoying. Nothing a couple washers, 30mm M3's and some dome nuts didn't sort out mind.


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I treated myself, I'd intended to use the two Noiseblocker NF-P12 fans I had in WCFT03, and to be fair, fans don't get much better than those. But, I've wanted to try the EK Vardar series since their release. It also brought a little more balance to the WC. Using EK pump, rad, fans and blocks with BP fittings and res.


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The motors are huge! something about their design reminds me of the old Scythe Gentle Typhoon.. haha, I've 8 of those still in their boxes somewhere around here..:brrr:



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The loop, I haven't done any bending since MODZERO KIMKO, so that was a must with this one. I also enjoyed the aesthetic of fittings for bends in MOD04, so I've gone with a little of both.

Pushed for time, I just roll up the backdrop here in the office and make use of the temp surface I use for the photography. Hardline is always fun to work with, this is more of E22 10/12mm Ultra clear. I tend to wrap a single loop of masking tape in the approx cut position, work out the length, mark it off on the tape, cut with a Jr hacksaw then chamfer off the end with grit paper.

I bought a Barrow bending kit, which works a treat for 45's but the 90's and 180 bend radius is huge. Instead I use a 'cut off' copper pipe I picked up at a local hardware store. Insert the bending core (whatever they are called) into the tube (dry), rotate over the heatgun stood on the desk at a height of 4-6 inches. Keep rotating until I feel it start to give, it quickly becomes very malleable, at that point I take the copper 'cut off' and gently bend the tube over the pipe, too fast and you get stress marks in the tube, too slow and you get nowhere..


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It was a fiddly loop but I'm happy with the results, filling and draining are a dream. Both the pump and res assemblies are the same height which give a semblance of symmetry and frames the CPU and RAM nicely. The pump pulls through the CPU from the res up into the rad and back to the res. My 2600k is a keeper, it's sat at 4.5ghz solid for years and will bench at 5ghz. Whilst this loop is excessive I'm looking forward to pushing the old 'sandy' once again.



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• Pastel - Mint Green Coolant 1L
• 2x 10ml Aurora Booster - Silver
• Dye Yellow 15ml
• Dye Blue 15ml

I had a plan here, but it didn't really work. I wanted to create a 'Nvidia green' pastel aurora, wish I'd been told not too. I couldn't find much info on it, but posted a few options to the community on the OCN thread. With no time, I rushed it and bought the above.

I took a clean clear 1ltr coolant bottle and put approx 900ml of Green pastel. The blue dye was a waste it was clear the coolant just needed more yellow. So slowly I added 10 drops, put the cap on, shook it and repeated the process. Over and over until I ran out of yellow dye... :eeek:


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At this point I was in two minds, I didn't like the result and found that Mayhems actually sell a bloody 'yellow green' X1 coolant!! so really just wanted to drain and buy fresh. But I'm on a tight budget and don't like to be beaten. so I bought more yellow dye.. :thumb:

The Aurora booster was a bust too, it's my own fault really but you just can't see it without being VERY close.


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Last part of the update for today is the decals. Being that this build is my little nod to the 10 series Nvidia GPU and whilst eagerly awaiting the GTX 1070's (whilst secretly working out how I may afford a 1080) release, a piece of Nvidia marketing did it's job and caught my eye.


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I don't have a plotter so I called up our very own UK modding champ Davido_Labido, fresh from his trip to computex and still with a dodgy leg, he kindly offered to help me out. I measured up where I wanted the design and created them in PS, sent it over to Dave and be worked his magic with the plotter.


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Tomorrow the day is upon us.. I've still a few things left to do before I can pop the new GPU in and call it done (I'd like to celebrate with a copy of Doom, please... anyone?). I've received some great LED strips from 'Addon Customs' that need fitting and another kit of KLEVV Urbane 2133mhz DDR3 expect to arrive tomorrow.

It's gonna be a busy day.

Thanks for checking out the update. Be sure to come back tomorrow for some Pascal glory.

J.

Very nice. Loving it and given me some idea's when I upgrade my ATX version of the Evolv to a full custom loop at some point in the future

Looks fantastic!

UPDATE 2 - OCUK - VR - GTX 1070

I'd heard on the grape vine the GTX 1070 would drop today (10th) at 2PM, I'd also heard stock was very limited. So today was all about being stood in the OCUK store at 2PM with a credit card in hand and a huge smile on my face..

It seemed the elements were against me, Davido_Labido is pretty tight with the OCUK crew so I brought him along for the ride (good thing I did). The detour picking his ass up meant I was way behind schedule and the weather slowed us down a lot. So at 1:50PM whilst speeding down the A50, I handed Dave my card and asked him to make the call.

We got through to a sales rep just before time and were told nothing was announcement yet.. so we called back pretty much immediately and he was able to secure me one (thanks Dave). Which took the edge off rushing..


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It was close to 3PM by the time we arrived and having warned his man on the inside of our arrival we were met in the store front with the 1070 under one arm and a huge box of Haribo under the other.

After some failed attempts to secure a DOOM key we remembered the VR room OCUK had recently put in.


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We were invited in and spent the next hour falling in love with VR! I'd tried the DK1 and DK2 and even had a quick play with a Vive DK but nothing prepared me for that experience.


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Dave has a couple funny video of me screaming like a scared child... maybe he'll share them. We left with a massive smile and a deep need for a VIVE.

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Can't forget my GPU.

It took an age to get home and it's really left me with little time to get everything done. I had to make a new 8-pin PCI from my 2x 6-pin, I had installed for the GTX 980. Oh, the cables I'm using I had made by Pexon PCs years ago, I had them in my FT03 build. it's all MDPC-X black and shade 19. Then I cut and fitted my LEDs from Custom Addons (Which are awesome! but more on them tomorrow). I installed the 1070 and and wired it all up.

BANG! :jawdrop:

oops... :worried: Remember how I said the Bitspower Res mount bracket was a ****** design? and how I'd used some washers to provide clearance from the blades? well It wasn't enough. I hit the power button, the fan span, slammed into a nut, snapping off a blade which jammed behind the bracket causing a second blade to snap. it took mere moments.. by the time I pulled the plug the damage had been done...

After putting all my toys back in the pram I unplugged the ruined 140 Phanteks SP fan and moved the case over to the studio drop. I've no time nor replacement for the broken fan so It'll just have to wait. I enjoyed shooting it all the same, I've taken some good shots and can't wait to share them.


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But the battery died and it's still recharging.. I took this with my phone. That KLEVV Urbane RAM looks awesome!

I'm gonna edit a couple shots later tonight and post them before I call it a day.

Thanks for checking out the update.

J.

Excellent pics mate. Love the black and green. My next project will definitely be those colours

You're right, it does look nicely symmetrical. I've got the same Barrow bending kit (as well as the Monsoon one I didn't realise was too big) so it's good to know of alternatives for smaller bend radii. Looks like that's a chunk of the larger 22mm copper pipework rather than the run-of-the-mill 15mm. Thanks for the tip.
That does suck about the fan but, on the plus side, I thought you were going to say the 1070 you'd driven all that way for had gone bang

UPDATE 3.0 - GTX 1070 - FINAL SHOTS PART 1

LewisRaz said:

Excellent pics mate. Love the black and green. My next project will definitely be those colours

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Thanks chap, the two colors certainly work well together. I do plan on changing my coolant mind, I'm going to move to Mayhems yellow green X1 with silver Aurora booster. The pastel looks great and I wanted to get as close to the Nvidia green as possible.. I'll stay with it for a couple months, then change it out before I go to summer LAN iSeries.

Cenedd said:

You're right, it does look nicely symmetrical. I've got the same Barrow bending kit (as well as the Monsoon one I didn't realise was too big) so it's good to know of alternatives for smaller bend radii. Looks like that's a chunk of the larger 22mm copper pipework rather than the run-of-the-mill 15mm. Thanks for the tip.
That does suck about the fan but, on the plus side, I thought you were going to say the 1070 you'd driven all that way for had gone bang

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No problem, haha, if the card had gone bang i'd have lost my ****. It was bad enough when I put the box in my boot, then hadnt closed my boot correctly. parked up and went for lunch... then noticed about 10 mins after setting off the lights in the car were still on.. show that the boot was open then had Dave teasing me the 1070 was stolen until I could check..


It was a late night, I've pulled a few images together, but I intend to reshoot once I've fixed the broken the 140mm fan and addressed the leak! (see if you can spot it) It's very very slow, like one drop every 4ish hours. The bottom cap on the res is leaking, I have another O-ring so hopefully won't be too much of a pain.



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I'm loving the new cooler design, I picked up a Titan the week of it's initial release and ran it on air for weeks simply to enjoy the cooler. I went with the reference GTX 980 on release too. The ten series release is ultimately frustrating, the prices are so high and whilst yes they deliver on performance the customer is certainly paying out the ass for it. It's a shame AMD aren't competitive again just yet.. we need to drive the prices down. £399 bought me a 980, £399 should have been able to buy me a 1080. Slapping a premium on a reference cooler is a cheeky way to disguise a price hike. I like to stick with reference designs then put a block on them, ultimately that yields a performance boost equal to any AIB release. With the 1080 being priced in this country at least, for the kids with trust funds, the middle classes and bankers I held out for the 1070.

The 970 was a clear winner of the Maxwell generation and feel the 1070 should hold it's value, I'm hoping to run this one 1070 until the 1080Ti shows face. Then I'll most likely pick up a second 1070, put blocks on them both at that point and OC the snot out of them.

I was, however, happy to see the 1070 came in at £399 for the FE. With performance akin to the TitanX and a VRAM advantage, it will serve me well at 1440p. I had fears when I set off to yesterday to pick it up from OCUK (price still unknown) that it may drop at £440-£460, it wouldn't have sold as well that close to the 1080 low end but you just never know in the UK.


Anyway, enjoy..


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So that's it for now, I'm going to drain the loop, repair the leak (did you see it??) refill, bench it a bit. I'd like to do a fresh install of windows and OC the 2600k too, so the log will continue for a little while.

I've also got some images of the 'Addon Customs' LED strips I'd like to share and will no doubt reshoot on a white backdrop too.

Thanks for checking out the update.

J.

Difficult to spot right at the back there in the shadows. Wouldn't have spotted it if you'd not said there was one.
Nice build. Very clean.

Freaking hell mate, that is awesome! Very jealous! Black and green never looked so good

This is a gorgeous build ! Great job mate.

Hat off to you for your build and your beard!

Seriously though, really clean work given the razor deadline you were under. I am impressed fella!

Cenedd said:

Difficult to spot right at the back there in the shadows. Wouldn't have spotted it if you'd not said there was one.
Nice build. Very clean.

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Yup, you found it. It's fixed now. I drained the loop, took out the res and removed the busted 140mm fan. I've put a Parvum 120mm F1.0 in it's place. luckily I had the 120mm Bitspower bracket as I don't own another 140mm fan. I think I like is more with the Parvum fan. I adore the work those boys do and MOD04 was a lot of fun. You can actually see the 'claw' much easier in this build (granted this one is three times the size).

Teuton said:

Freaking hell mate, that is awesome! Very jealous! Black and green never looked so good

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Many thanks, it contrasts so well. I'm gonna change it soon mind. I've put far too much dye and aurora booster in there, I doubt it's doing any good. I'm gonna try Mayhem yellow green with silver aurora next.

CosminGCole said:

This is a gorgeous build ! Great job mate.

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Thanks! I've got plenty more content coming, I've got some shots of the 'Addon Customs' LEDs I've used (they are wicked good) I've taken more shots now the broken fan has been swapped out and the leak fixed. Then I wanna use the damn thing, see what I can get out of the 1070.

J.

Very nice mate. Good to see more mATX WCed builds. Really like the green against the white. Also the quality of the pics are great.

Really liking the tubing, clean and precise.

And that ram looks sweet, might have a looksy at what else they do

This is absolutely ****ing beautiful. I love it.

Aesthetically I think this build would look better with the reference rather than waterblocks. Two 1070s is going to be sublime.

Stunning build!! love the green coolant

Some very nice work going on there