Project: 972 Rebuild

[Tattysnuc]

Holiday update

Ok - Piccys now uploaded, Hopefully this'll give you some ideas of where I'm going with this build.

First I need to select the choons for the work

GTA Vice city soundtrack. If you haven't heard it, it's worth it just for the joke adverts.

So, this is what the case looks like before we start:

First I'm going to fit a phobya rad over the hole I've already cut in the base of the case.

Draw round the rad, and mark the holes...

Tape into position...

Mark where to cut the case...

Black lines indicate where I will be removing more case...

then it's cut cut cut. Apologies - I've lost the image with the cut made. Rest assured it's just like before but slightly bigger...

Next, to cut a hole in the roof for the fill port. First drill a pilot hole, then get out my cutter. Not sure of the EXACT size, it was just big enough to put the thread of the bulkhead fitting into.

et voila!

 

[Tattysnuc]

Now, my holidays have been drawing near, so I really need to get the kit in and see if I like it. Besides, I've been waiting weeks to play Far Cry 3, and now's going to be one of the last opportunities I get!

First I fit the rad to the new hole I've just cut...

Then the res. I'm really not sure about putting it in the drive bays anymore you know. I think I'd like it in the internal drive bay area. Tough - here will do for now...

Then in got the radiators at the top. 3.120 Phobya in the roof with Scythe Jyuni 1900's in the roof, and 1.120 phobya rad at the back. It's a tight fit, but they do go....

Then in goes the CPU block...

My Apogee XT has seen some action over it's life. Still works a charm, even if it is quite restrictive...

Then in go the GPU's...

A bit more plumbing later and the loops complete... At least for test purposes..

Stand back and admire my rushed work...

Functionally, this fulfills my brief - the bitspower fittings to the top and bottom of the gpus are actually quite mobile when in situe - as can be seen from the angle they leave. That'll straighten up once I get the shelf back in and cut the holes in that. I'm going to leave that for now though - this is about getting some gaming time in - and some test folding while I'm off

2 days of leak testing, nipping and tightening later, and I was ready to power up. Don;t think I've ever been so nervous - guess that;s what happens when you've been without your rig for 5 months and can;t afford to replace any parts.

The final pic for today is the test setup:

I installed the SSD, BR write and Soundblaster cards plus front bay, without any issue, then I started the install process. I've been using an evaluation copy of Window 8 on my old laptop (Innova Thinkpad with an SSD in) and I'd gotten quite used to it. Windows 7 just felt weird going back to it.
Whilst downloading all the windows updates and drivers, I spotted my first mistake - for SLI you need to use the 16x lanes and that's slot 1 and 3, not 1 & 2 as I had setup. Thankfully I was able to disconnet my gpus without too much fuss - due to the Koolance QDC fittings, without spilling so much as a drop.

I love it when a plan comes together

All went back together nice before it was time to start overclocking... That's very much work in progress, so I'll leave you with my efforts so far:

http://valid.canardpc.com/2771117

tidy
All with the bios settings still on auto and folding stable so far (2 days of folding, plus gaming on FarCry 3 )

 

[Tattysnuc]

It is starting to come along.

That blue ram hurts my eyes though. Grab a can of paint will ya?

One step ahead of you there I'll draw up what my next changes are going to be, For the moment though it's going to remain as is until I get some free time... However, some more bits and bobs arrived which I'll photo and get up

 

[Tattysnuc]

I dunno, blue and orange work and if anything, it does match the desk lamp

I like what you've done with the QDC's

The blue's going as soon as I get the time and energy (and bottle!) to get the spray can out. I've not got anywhere in the house, so I've been putting it off till the weather picks up.

As for the QDC's - Ta! Necessity and the mother of invention and all that. The hosing's all going to change as assembling the components has made me re-evaluate what I want, where.

I'll do some drawings, but in a nut shell, the Koolance res is going to go inside the drive bays INSIDE the rig. I'm going to cut down the side panel to show off the guts, as well as mod the hidden rear side to incorporate an inlet - with some air filtering so we dont get a clogged up with dust again!

I'm going to re-locate the top rad so the fittings are at the front of the case instead of the back so that I can do something a bit more effective with the hoses - and a can of orange spray paint for the fittings

I see this project as a living mod, evolving now. I see how it looks and then I want to improve it. I couldn't be happier with the hardware - it's running beautifully.