[Buildlog] GAME HARD, FOLD HARDER

[Hukkel]

Small update. I finally came around to make all my fan extension cables tonight. 9 pieces in various lengths I believe. I measures how long every fan extension needed to be. Wrote it down and took a seat
I will sleeve them tomorrow I think. They will be all black. They just need to look clean not be noticed a lot
It just needs to look tidy.



I also received a small package from an UK watercooling shop. I wanted to try out a few shops just to see how fast they ship and how good their prices are and also very important how good their stock is. I hate it when shops need to order stuff themselves and it takes weeks or longer for it to arrive to them. I don't have tie for that. Anyway, bought me two 90 degree EKWB adapters (who needs Bitspower with these looks and prices), an XSPC SLI connector to connect two pci slots that are directly next to eachother, a very heave Alphacool T-section. I will use this to fit the tab for the loop at the lowest point. And a male-male Alphacool connector to be able to fit that tab to the T-piece





Hopefully I can mount some stuff tomorrow or sunday. I still need to also sleeve the pump wiring (and shorten the 4 pin on that a lot. It is now almost all wiring, cablemanagement and hoses/pipes. After that the LEDs and their LED board. And after that.....leaktesting.

 

[Hukkel]

I am in kind of a rush tonight sorry guys.
I want to thank all of you guys for your positive reactions since my last update. It makes doing this even more rewarding.

-------------------------------------------

Time for an update.
After many weeks of labour finally my attic is now the bedroom for my youngest daughter. She has left the babyroom and now has her own bedroom with floorspace to play with toys and such. And now sleeps in a big bed. My girls are getting big

On the bright side. Now I could finally start transforming her old babyroom into my stash and modifying / sleeving room
I put up my first (of 2 or 3) desks and finally took my baby home. I can now finally work on her much easier and faster. Room for storage, room for building, not having to clean up everything everytime.
I am in modding heaven



I have done some stuff on the build I forgot to take photos of. Here are a few things.

Last time I fitted my custom made extension cables for the fans. I now have no wiring in sight from the side. Al nicely tucked under the radiator stand Muderbox-style. Awesome design guys, I love it!







Now they all come up on the frontside of the case. You can still see some sleeved wiring there but I will make a small plate to hide them all.
They have been fitted to the fancontroller. As well as the 3 top fans. I need to do some cablemanagement but cannot find the cable-management-clips I bought a year ago. Poooooh. I need to find them





I also started figuring out the hose routing. Fitted some fittings to see if I have enough and the correct type.

I had to change the very nice looking Bitspower fillports for far less good looking Alphacool ones. In the pictures you can see why.
I am just glad Alphacool sells them. No other brand has such long fillports. Ideal for midplates as you can see.







I also fitted the XSPC SLI fitting. Looks very nice and stealthy. Now lets hope it doesn't leak.



Finally I have been busy building a small monitoring block. A USB Aquacomputer flowmeter and tempsensor. They will be placed in between the radiator and the midplate going to the waterblocks. Going to use them with the aquasuite software.









That is it for tonight everyone. Expect more updates soon!

 

[Hukkel]

How do you sleeve so nicely?

I started modding actually with sleeving. It was the first thing I wanted to learn. So after a build of my own I started doing sleeving jobs for others to both get some cash to buy more sleeving equipment, but also get a lot of experience.

You can see a bunch of my sleeving job op here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dutch-Lion-Customising/438394219534591#

Lutro0 Customs on YouTube and practice I think... Oh and asbestos thumb and index fingerprints helps as well.

You are correct. Lutro0s videos were the basics for me. He is a sleeving master. All his sleeving is perfect ones he is happy with it.

I'd like those thumb and index fingerprints
I now just have sore fingerprints and blisters on my thumb

But it is just practice and patience like any other thing in life. You don't need a uni degree to do this.

 

[Hukkel]

Sleeving with the shrinkless look is defenitely the easiest method. The heatshrinked look is getting extinct and is far harder (to make a perfect line of shrink).

 

[Hukkel]

Did some more work yesterday. Yesterday I realised I cannot fill the loop when I have closed the front end completely. And I have to close the front end completely to fill the loop.

PARADOX!!!

I did not want to mutulate the outside of the case to create a fillport. So I instead wanted to create one on the left side 5,25 inch bay.
I had ordered a tool for some decent hole making for fillports from Aquacomputer.
I first drilled a hole with a regular metal drill, then used the tapped drillbit and man it went like the sidepanel as if it was butter.
But the bits of metal were flying all over the place. I used a vacuum cleaner under it but still missed a lot of bits flying. I had to vacuum the inside of the case as well
Finished the fillport off with an Aquacomputer pressure equalisation membrane.

I also started to create the loop in the front and bottom part. I have a 90 degree fitting coming in for the left fillport through the midplate. It will let the tubing block the fan less.
I put soft pads for under chars etc and stuck it under the flowmeter and Alphacool square block. No scratching and no noise.

I have found another xspc annoying thing; their top reservoir screw is an M20 one. Which means it is incompatible with any other brand fitting. And yes I used the Bitspower fillport as well, but the thread are smaller.
So I had to order an XSPC fillport for their reservoirs. Which of course didn't come in black so I have to use a shiny one instead. And NO ONE has one in the listing let alone in stock in Holland. So I had to order from the UK again. Which means again a long wait before I can move on. Stupid me for thinking I was almost done

AAARRGGHHHHHHHHHHH

Oh well, I started on doing some cable management as well. Making sure some wiring will be nice and out of sight using cable clips.

 

[Hukkel]

Mmmm sexy

Thank you Jonnyp.

Yesterday I finished a custom made and sleeved 4 pin molex cable for the fancontroller, pump and LED station.

I also received 5 meters of E22 plexi tubing and a bending cord. I expect fittings today. After this I need to make the custom SATA power cables. The day of the start-up is coming soon. I can smell it!

 

[Hukkel]

 

[Hukkel]

haha nice

--------------------


If all goes well 2 updates tonight. First off:

I fabricated a custom 4 pin molex cable to feed the pump, the fancontroller and the LED station. I am also installing the LED station at the same time.

Received a few fittings. I thought I had everything I needed now. But I miscalculated on the 1/4 extender. So had to order a smaller one right away UURRGGHHHH it will hopefully arrive in the mail tomorrow.
I got to fit the loop drain valve now to the monitoringstation. Another thing on the list I can cross now.

Also fixed the molex cable on the inside of the bays to keep the wiring nice and tidy.

 

[Hukkel]

And here is the second update.
I was giving this a try tonight and I am so hyped I needed to show you guys this.

I ordered 5 meters of 12/10 acrylic tubing and a bending cord.

At first I wanted to see if I could do it without a paint removing hot air blower or open flame.
So I thought; water boils at 100 degrees celcius. The plexi bends earlier. Maybe I can bend it with the steam coming from it.
So I put a pan with water on the stove, hit maximum firepowah!!!
The steam is hot enough to burn the skin from your hands.....but the tubing won't get warm/hot. You can still put your hand on it and it will not bend.

PLAN B!!!

I grabbed my bike and cycled to my parents like a good Dutch boy. Grabbed the hot ar gun and cycled back.
Put the heatgun in my 20+ year old Workmate upside down. Put it on setting 1 first; meh no heat, then setting 2 out of 3. PERFECT!!!

It will not burn the tubing even if you hold it a few mm above the tip. It makes the tubing soft in seconds. You have to heat up quite a big piece to avoid weird wrinkles and flat spots. But when you have that first good bend....you feel like such a pro xD

I have been testing a bit with one piece and created 2 pieces I put in the build so far.

I am really torn atm. Please help me guys. I did the wide bend to the CPU block first. And later the much tighter bend to feed the memory block.
I somehow feel like my entire build should consist of the tighter bends and I should redo the first one.
What do you think? Keep both? Do one of them again? All tight bends, all wide bends?

Lets make me shut my mouth now and look at the pictures

 

[Hukkel]

Oooh, I do love acrylic tubing!

To be honest both look good but I think the tight corner wins, just!

Thanks for the advice Mole

The wide bend does look good from the CPU to the graphics block.

If you were to use a tighter bend on that link it might look like it was only done to force the use of the tight bend where it isn't needed (I hope that comes across right)

I've gotta say I totally agree with this, the curve from the CPU to Graphics Card looks natural as it is, it'd look all wrong if you were to use a tighter bend in that location

I think I agree with you guys. Maybe having 1 type of bend is not good at all.

------------------


Did another round of bending today. How are you liking my round shapes guys?

I will have to shorten the long bottom pipe just a little. The midplate fittings are now being pushed back.

The short small bend on the cpu block was quite hard to do. I think my 3rd try I succeeded.









I personally LOVE this angle.

 

[Hukkel]

The horizontal piece looks good.

Thank you Chris!

I love how this is developing. I'm definitely going to resume work on mine to finish it off.

What's the "tapped Drillbit" that you mentioned a page or so back? I've made a right mess when drilling holes and that looks ideal.

The nearest thing that I can find on the bay is a TAPERED drill bit. Is that it?

Thanks a lot Tattysnuc. I have also been following your buildlog. We orange builders need to stick together

Ozaudio is correct. Pardon my lack of technical English sometimes

That is sick, beautiful!

That is a big compliment Gavin, thank you.

-------------------------

I have been waiting for sooooo looooong for this moment. The moment to fill up the loop for the first time and leaktest it.
I NEED to do it before it is done. Because after I close the front end I can't get to those cables and wires anymore. And those fittings. If there would end up being a leak I'd have to disassemble everything, undo all motherboard cables. the lot. So I wanted to give it a try right now.

I finally received that final XSPC fitting for the top of the reservoir. I have made a picture of the finished inside product of the connection reservoir to fillport. It is a real basterdised one A piece of 16/10 tube, an Alphacool straight 16/10 fitting, an Alphacool 45 degree revolvable 16/10 fitting, an XSPC reservoir fillport, a Bitspower 45 degree adapter and a Bitspower fillport.

Then it was time to fill the loop, test the pump, the lot for leaks, the Coldzero parts, the fans, the fancontroller and the LED board + some leds.

The filling was a mess because I didn't have a high point in the loop te bleed the air out. But guess what, a piece of MDPC-X sleeving helped me out perfectly! Another great purpose for it

I put a piece of it through the fillport untill in the reservoir. That way air could escape through the sleeving when water was being added. It went soooo smooth after that.

I used a bend piece of tube to fill up the system. It wasn't good enough for in the build, but good enough for being used as a nice standing up filling hose

And don't forget my ghetto PSU on/off switch. This way I don't have to reach around the back of the case. Very easy to use.

So far the only thing not working correctly is the far left fan. I will have to investigate if it is the fan of the controller channel.

The last thing I had fun with were the individual LEDs. I think the use of them will be perfect for a slight illumination of the parts above the GPU blocks.
In real life it looks absolutely stunning. I am really happy with it.

I still need to figure out if I will add some rear fans. I just love the look of the grill like this.

 

[Hukkel]

Beautiful!

Love the way the everything ties together perfectly, and that 5.25 cover is incredible.

Only problem with larger graphics cards is they cut a lot of light out from a mid plate light box

Thank you very much.

And to think that they're reference 670s. About the smallest card there is. A 780 will be about 50% longer. But I get what you're saying, that is why all waterblocks will have those single white leds in them. They will make the top hardware visible in a not too shiney way.

 

[Hukkel]

Stunning. Would have maybe liked a wee bit of colour in the fluid to contrast with the light box, but well done Hukkel. Go enjoy her.

She is not finished yet mate. I am just leaktesting with pure water. Mayhems orange will be used for the final. Still need to close the front, adjust the case doors, the plexi SSD etc etc, enough stuff to do.

 

[Hukkel]

I thought I read that a while back. derp.

I'll just sit back and wait

No problem mate. I just finished emptying the loop. Disassembled the things and am now busy doing the final cables in the front and closing it up. After that it is assembling and filling with the good stuff

I still need to do the custom cables to the SSDs, but other than that I don't see a reason why I can't have it up and running soonish. Unless I have some DOA stuff

 

[Hukkel]

I got a lot of work done today.
I started by draining the loop.
I now know the res and it's fittings aren't leaking.
I did some final cable management. Like sleeving the two 5mm leds going to the back of the reservoir.
Then I took the motherboard slide out, the midplate and the sidecover.
I fitted all the bay covers.

Isn't it a beauty? So many people doing stuff with the front. But I personally love it how it is like this. Filled up with the annodised aluminum covers.

Put it all together and plugged the midplate and side lightbox in the fancontroller again (which was a pain to say the least ).

Fit all the fittings again.

Filled it up with Mayhems pastel orange.
It is funny to see how this turns a bit... salmon coloured through the tubing, but is bright orange through the plexi pipes.

And then the final leaktest before plugging in all the PSU cables.

I also fitted the 2nd SSD on the back. The plexi one.

I am very much doubting this.
I can a) leave it like this or b) put a black piece of whatever under the top or c) ditch the entire idea and put it back in the original Samsung casing and leave it at that.

What do you guys think?

And what about the LEDs in the waterblocks? I really liked it when there was clear fluid in there. But with the orange fluid, it seems to look out of place.

??????????????

 

[Hukkel]

I reckon that the res LEDs will look more 'in place' when you get the gpu/24pin cables in. The white cables should pop nicely and tie it together.

Not that it looks off as it is

Thanks Petey. Maybe you are right. I will finish it and then decide

thats sick

I hope the good sick
Thanks Divx

----------------------------------

A small update untill now. I made two custom SATA power cables.
Both being one SATA connector per cable. I think this way the cables look much cleaner.
I will need to make another for the motherboard itself (near te sata data ports).

I am so close to a startup I can taste is now

 

[Hukkel]

You'll miss the fiddling when it's all over

Dunno why I said res LED's btw...

hahaha nah man too many projects and potential projects to work on.

-----------------------------------------------

Not a really big update.
I have about fitted all cables now. I am busy trying to trim them. Won't be easy fitting them all behind the motherboard tray
I have made something from aluminum and painted it. I want to try and do the same the BIG LIAN LI is using. I loved that. Only now it will be one that will fit both the 24pin and the GPU cables.
I do need to buy a lot more of those cable clips. They make cables run way more nearly and small.

I have one more sata power cable to make for the right side motherboard because I am running SLI.

As you can see I am making a mockup to make a cover over the IO ports. I never liked those silver coloured boxes over there.
I am still wondering wether to glue them or tap holes in one of the two pieces.
I still need to sand the edges more straight. It is a work in progress

I want to turn this animal on asap. Need to board the Folding train again now my GTX680 of my main pc is away for a waterblock.

I will still mod some things to this computer so the project is not over yet. Stuff like the SLI bridge and the door windows and pheripherals and do some better cablemanagement. But at least it will be able to run and fold

 

[Hukkel]

Tis' a thing of beauty to behold

Thank you Krisali

Top quality work there, looks awesome well done

Thanks for the compliment.

Hukkel those cable clip thingies look brilliant, I've been trying to create something like that on the laser cutter without much success, they have all either been to fragile or too bulky in my opinion, do you mind if I ask where you got those?

They are from Modsmart; Kobra SS clips. I got them from Performance PCs in the US. But you can also order them from www.hiflow.nl nowadays.

Definitely my favourite TJ07 build on here

Thanks Chris. Always a pleasure reading you comments in my threads

 

[Hukkel]

I think a little update is in place.

Because...

IT IS ALIIIIIIIVE

The project is not finished completely. But it is alive and kicking. I am flabbergasted it worked. No hickups as of yet.
I set the two SSDs in raid 0, inserted the Windows 7 on USB stick, installed all drivers and software I thought I needed, fiddled with the Aquasuite software.
And then.....Folding@home....
No overclocking as of yet. Haven't even had the time to try.

Because I was so happy with the moment I decided to grab my less than average camera, put it on the even cheaper small tripod, and make some pictures to savour the moment.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

 

[Hukkel]

It's BIG RED LEVER DAY!!!!!

Well done Hukkel. It's been great watching this build unfold... Good luck with the gaming and folding with her. Now if only I could come in to about £3000 I'd do my own interpretation of this.

hahaha indeed my friend

Thanks a lot man. Really appreciate it.

looks great, will be following this

edit: ITS DONE AND ITS AMAZING

Well not completely done. But I think I'm somewhere in the 90%.

But thank you

stunning

Thanks

what temps are you getting while its folding? I bet it runs super cool!

I am kinda confused about it. My cpu is doing around 50 C at 100% stock clocks. But according to EVGAs precision X my GPUs are both running around the 1.100 Mhz mark. But one is running 35 degrees C and the other runs 51 degrees C. While the coolant is 28 degrees and the flow rate is around the 100L/H mark. So I am confused wether the software is buggy or one of the waterblocks is just not touching the GPU perfectly. Which is perfectly possible since I had to mod both of them to make them fit.

looks amazing tim!

been following it from day one and its really taken shape!

grats dude!!

Thanks David. Means a lot! I have also followed your buildlog throughout the progress. ORANGE FTW!!!

I don't often get envious but for this build I will make an exception, just had a good look through top notch attention to detail I would be proud as punch having this on my desktop very well done sir

That is a big compliment, thank you very much my good sir.

Stunning

Thank you.

One thing to say....



Congrats on finishing it benchmarks?

Thanks man!

Well I first need to overclock it. I am taking my time for that. Don't want to see any fumes coming from my case
But I am going to see how far I can push especially the GTX670s since they will do most of the PPD gathering.

Great work Hukkel, its very professionally done, and as others have said its all down to the attention to detail.

For me personally, the LED wires would drive me crazy after all the work put into making it neat inside.

Also is there a window? What does it look like with the side on?

But no taking away from the great job you have done.

Hey Adam. Thank you very much. Really means a lot coming from you.

I was mostly giving the LEDs a try. I am going to sleeve those wires and manage them so you will hardly see them against the black PCB.

The doors I am still working on. I am out of money for this month. I am going to cut the window a bit bigger so it will follow the lines of the case and also show the letters on the bay side cover. Plus the other side of the case will get a small window that will feature the sponsors engraved in it while displaying the SSDs and part of the sleeving. But I need monies for that.

Incredible looking machine but does it run crysis?

I will find out after I am done overclocking. Crysis 3, 1080p, highest settings possible. Going to check the FPS I get (and enjoy the game ^^)

very nice - well done

Thank you.

Looks absolutely stunning. Those braided cables finish it off perfectly.

Thank you Mushtafa. I could not mess that part up
I do sleeving jobs for others from time to time so I have quite a bit of experience