700D carbon fibre build: Blackbox II

[3t3P]

Just starting a thread for my first water cooled build.
Progress will be gradual as work and fatigue interfere!

As for the name Blackbox II, my Dad always used to call my PC 'the blackbox' so this build is an evolution on that theme.

The theme is carbon fibre, silver metal and white illumination highlights, including motherboard backlighting. I am going for a clean look that also performs well, something that Dad would be proud of!

So forgive me build addicts, as I take my time with this one

700D

Sans grommets:

Standoffs came off with some needle nose pliers:

All off:

What do we have here?! A tube...:

3m Carbon Di-Noc vinyl emerges:

More:

Stock 140mm fans removed:

PCI slot covers plates removed:

Ready for cutting with a scalpel:

The exposed and cut to shape film:

In situ:

Too big as planned:

Picture of the back:

Spot the motherboard! This case is BIG but getting used to it..:

Some access points cut out, I stopped myself there as I realised I didn't necessarily have to cut them ALL out and could have created a cleaner look potentially, oh well no deal, too late now, hopefully i'll need to use them all:

Box of toys:

Test fitting the bottom piece:

That's all for now, I have more pics but will do another uploading session tomorrow. Night

 

[3t3P]

FINALY got some of these, 25mm fan shrouds are JUST too big to clear mobo heatsink up top:

Cutting rear stock grill off with heavy duty snips:

off with initial smoothing:

cutting top grill off:

one off:

two..:

three..:

eventually got myself reinforced cut off discs, these are BRILLIANT as I found out later:

money shot:

first efforts:

getting there:

happy considering first working with steel:

everyone likes DUST:

allow me now to change direction, to the backlighting:

soldered together:

testing:

Also flushed the rad today:

XSPC RX360, didn't realise it had a plenum chamber both sides, my first rad but it looks decent:

A cuppa solves everything, it got HOT fast!:

First flush, clear water with copper oxide pieces:

Second flush with warm water, less junk:

Did hot water two more times then three or so of deonized and have left it at that.
And yeh, correct as to where solder is from

All this being monitored is good for keeping me working on it

 

[3t3P]

who knows what this is?:

gulp, time to take apart the GTX, first screw came out ok, so they'll all be like this right?:

WRONG! I knew they would be thread locked, was painstaking, eventually a bigger but more acutely tapered (sharper?!) screwdriver I had was perfect as I could apply much more needed pressure. I also used a soldering iron on some but don't know if it did anything:

prising cooler open:

no going back now:

forgot this final little tab, then it all came off:

taking the heatsink off:

the paste, the paste:

presoak in nail polish remover:

Hello:

shiny shiny:

flushed with deionised:

core clean and ready for MX-3:

I just followed EK's paste application advice, thermal pads on too, not very sticky:

mounting bracket on with washer:

was worried about mounting these lads on for fear of em slipping around:

In the end the prolimatech paste I had was fairly sticky and did the job fine. standoffs would be nice however EK!:

Backplate time:

more:

block on card:

final one, magpie win:

 

[raikesi]

very nice! will the components going in there be as per your sig? or have you got completely new ones?

 

[3t3P]

Cheers,
Yeh specs as per sig, I have wanted to try watercooling for six years and went this way instead of going i5/upgrading etc.

However I will see what sandybridge brings to the table next year...

 

[R.C.Anderson]

always wanted a carbon fibre case, and l guess this is about as close as you can get without spending ridiculous amount of money

nice job

 

[waynio]

Good stuff, the sensible hassle free way to have a CF look .

 

[G-Dubs]

CF looks great, how easy is it to apply and work with? Also may I ask where you got it?

Don't think OCUK stock this sort of product so hopefully no issues there in asking.

 

[Tealc]

That stuff does look rather good. I bet it's fiddly getting it cut and laid right though.

I bet that will look sweet when the case is all covered and finished.

 

[Mayfair]

Looking very nice so far! Nice one mate

 

[NathWraith]

Carbon fibre looks sweet. Everyone loves CF so I don't blame for using vinyl sheets rather than the real deal, which is ridiculously expensive

As long as you didn't get the CF from a competitor feel free to post where you got it from up!

 

[benhomer737]

awesome will be keeping an eye on this one mate! good work!

 

[3t3P]

Thanks for the encouraging words so far.

I'm waiting for some dremel reinforced cutting discs and a mandrel to arrive this week to tidy up the rad grill area (i've cut out the stock mesh) and to make a starter cut for my jigsaw for a custom window Which will be faint smoked perspex i'm thinking.

The film is easy to apply, its scored with fine channels underneath, on entire flat sections not even one air bubble formed, even if it did you would easily be able to push it out. You can do compound curves with a heatgun too (I bought one for the mod) to soften up the film or return it to normal if you crease it wrong!

I have experimented on the corners of the case and found I can even make a seamless effect over the right angle! Great stuff, I got it from undergroundgraphics.com, best prices and sensible sizes in the UK I think...

Gonna take friday off work to make needed inroads

 

[Exsurgo]

Really great look going on, I might have to do something inventive with my next build Maybe some white/silver lighting could further enhance the look of the CF in the dark

 

[Tiamat21]

wow dude, that 700D is HUGE and the CF is making it look smooth.
Can't wait for more updates.

 

[Thumpsta]

Awesome, loving the CF. Will follow this one.

Cheers

 

[chaotic_uk]

will the heat from the mobo not lift it after a time ?

 

[Doughnut007]

I got some from here

They dont seam to sell anything OC dose so should be ok. I was tempted to go all the way and build the case from scratch useing Epoxy and carbon fibre but lacked the time money.

 

[3t3P]

Alright i'm off work now till monday whoo-hoo, but my housemate is recovering from nights now Didn't plan this so well...
Just gonna fire up the petrol angle grinder anyway...

No the film is removable but it needs a decent sustained tug to get it off, leaving no residue I might add. So the small puny heat from the mobo won't lift it I feel...compared to the heat gun which again does not cause lifting but increased maleability

From a few feet this stuff looks about 85-90% like real CF, the mess, cost and hassle of the real deal are astronomical and not for me. The new NZXT case would like pretty good and be easy to apply the vinyl to... specially as white CF vinyl is in the UK now...hmmm there's an idea

So today I may be blocking up the GTX 470, flushing the rad and blocks etc and anything else that doesn't involved grinding noises!

First gonna go pick up my cut off dremel discs from post office depot...exciting times

 

[EniGmA1981]

Give your housemate some money and pack him off to a Premier Inn lol

Looking forward to the progress on this one

Looking good so far pal!