Project: Erebus

darwin1859 · 12 May 2015 at 18:13

Introduction

Hello and welcome to project Erebus. My previous project, Aether, was a Crossfire R9 290X, watercooled Corsair 450D build. Erebus will be bigger and faster. The plan with this project is to create a silent, powerful gaming machine based on the X99 platform. 4K graphics and fully-watercooled, with rigid tubing.

Main components

Case: Corsair Obsidian 900D
Motherboard: MSI X99S SLI Plus
CPU: Intel Haswell-E i7-5820K
GPU: 3x XFX AMD R9 290X
Memory: Corsair 16 GB DDR4 Vengeance LPX 2666
Display: iiyama 4K FreeSync and 144 Hz FreeSync monitors
PSU: Corsair AX1200i
Cabling: Custom-sleeved with E22 Teleios

Watercooling components

Radiators: 2x Alphacool NexXxoS UT60 Full Copper 480mm
Pumps: 2x Alphacool VPP655 (Laing D5)
CPU block: Alphacool NexXxoS XP³ Light (Black Chrome edition)
GPU blocks: Alphacool NexXxoS GPX
Reservoir: Alphacool Cape Corp Coolplex Pro 25 LT
Fittings: Alphacool HT 16mm HardTube compression fitting G1/4
Tubing: Alphacool HardTube 16/12mm plexi clear
Coolant: Custom Mayhems purple pastel

Fans: 16x Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition
Fans: 3x Corsair AF140 Quiet Edition
Fan controller: Lamptron CM615
Flow sensor: Aquacomputer High Flow USB

Peripherals

Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 RGB UK
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M65 RGB

Confirmed sponsors

I would like to thank my kind sponsors for making this project possible.

Hardware acquired so far

Updates

darwin1859 · 12 May 2015 at 20:28

Bensons said:
Nice plan and I love the name, it reminds me of the Horus Heresy.

Thanks, it's actually the name of a god of darkness. So I guess that fits well with the WH40K type theme.

darwin1859 · 13 May 2015 at 14:58

Luggs said:
Damn +1 for that mobo, wish more manufacturers would do plain black mobo's and not force you down their colour scheme. Really nice mate!

Cheers mate!

dacads said:
True, most appear black but are dark brown :S not sure why maybe cheaper to make somehow?

Yeah my current/previous mobo's (MSI G55 SLI) PCB is a very dark reddish brown. It might actually look okay on a board with red details, but the details are blue, and if you look closely it doesn't match well.

darwin1859 · 15 May 2015 at 13:09

n14hta said:
Good selection of parts, looking forward to see progress.

Thanks, I have almost everything in place now, and itching to get started.

darwin1859 · 10 Jun 2015 at 11:30

Hi guys,

A quick update to confirm the project will be using both 4K FreeSync and 144 Hz FreeSync displays.

More updates coming very soon...

darwin1859 · 11 Jun 2015 at 22:05

colinmcr said:
Nice hardware, I also like that motherboard it's very clean looking.

Cheers

darwin1859 · 15 Jun 2015 at 22:36

I also started a test build. I'll be using a Corsair H105 until the loop is fitted. More pics coming soon...

darwin1859 · 28 Jun 2015 at 00:33

Luggs said:
Back in Black! (get rid of that white fan!! lol)

Will do

Looks really clean and slick, are you planning to add some accent colour or stick with all black?

I haven't decided yet, but probably orange or purple accents. Still keeping heavy black throughout though.

Bryan Kortez said:
This is going to be a nice build Really liked your Aether build too, amazing.

Thanks!

darwin1859 · 28 Jun 2015 at 00:35

Alphacool parts arrived!

darwin1859 · 30 Jun 2015 at 22:34

B N3GATIVE said:
Erebus is the First Chaplain of the World Eaters,he is the primary instigator of the downfall of Horus.

40k....Since Day 1.

Thanks for the info... I used to have an awesome Space Marine army... until my little bro decided they were toys and demolished them all :mad:

darwin1859 · 27 Jul 2015 at 21:23

Finally making some more progress on the project. I fitted the awesome Coldzero kit for the 900D. Very impressed with the quality and engineering of the parts.

In the photos you might also notice my dolly trolley. It has made working on the system so much easier!

Current test build until I fit the loop:

darwin1859 · 27 Jul 2015 at 21:24

Rehok said:
Now you don't ever need to go to the gym for upper body as you can just lift your PC as it will weigh a few tons , Going to look good, apart from you when you try to move it

Tell me about it - I recently moved house and had to carry it! Check out my above post about the dolly...

darwin1859 · 28 Jul 2015 at 12:50

zack1667 said:
The 900D is mahusive! good job so far man

Thanks! It is indeed - the ATX mobo looks tiny inside.

darwin1859 · 30 Jul 2015 at 17:10

Lamptron fan controller and 5.25" bay stealth mod.

Before...

Out comes the Dremel...

After...

darwin1859 · 31 Jul 2015 at 23:38

Keechy said:
great front bay mod keep up the work

Thanks

darwin1859 · 31 Jul 2015 at 23:39

Fitting two of the three R9 290X with Alphacool blocks.

darwin1859 · 3 Aug 2015 at 00:42

Brian18741 said:
I've never actually seen Alphacool blocks before! Also the front bay mod worked out great, very neat!

greyfox591 said:
That looks sweet & nice mobo

TechMinerUK said:
Those alphacool waterblocks have a nice beefy look to them. Also the case mod for the fan controller looks really clean.

Excellent work

Thanks for your comments. The Alphacool blocks are pretty beefy, the styling has grown on me the more I look at them.

It's been a busy weekend, lots of progress but I can't post more until all the loop is finished and the system is back up and running.

darwin1859 · 17 Aug 2015 at 21:14

Happy to say I'm back up and running after successfully fitting the loop. I'll be catching up with logs for a while!

Spraying the Corsair SP120 and AF140 fan rings. No primer - I just sanded with about 200 grit paper, cleaned thoroughly and sprayed several thin coats. I'm happy with the paint, it has a good matt finish.

Tower of fans...

With painted rings

Flushing the (2x) Alphacool UT60 480mm rads, ready for fitting.

Fitting the top rad. I had to solder a female-female adapter for the 8-way fan splitter.

Top rad fitted. Also fitted the GPUs, CPU and MOSFET blocks. My planned tubing routes are marked by pipe-cleaners.

Drilled some holes - two in the midplate for tubes to pass through to the lower section, one above the res for a rear fillport, and a couple to mount the res holders further apart.

Both rads now fitted. I also used carbon fibre vinyl on the fans.

More coming soon!

darwin1859 · 21 Aug 2015 at 15:12

Cutting, bending and fitting the rigid tubing. The tubing is 12mm ID / 16mm OD, which meant the bend radius was quite large.

This post shows a test fill with clear coolant - this will soon be replaced with a custom Purple pastel coolant from Mayhems...

Tools for cutting and bending

First tubes in place - reservoir inlet and outlet, and fill port routing to the rear of the case

90º bending mandrel. As it turned out, a tighter bend radius was needed...

Improvised tight bend 90º jig, using the original mandrels for alignment, and a plastic bottle cut and nailed down for the bend itself

Bending a tube with the new tight 90º jig

Another improvised jig, used to secure the bent tube while bending again in a perpendicular plane. This gave perfectly-aligned bends

An improvised tight radius 45º jig, again using the mandrels as guides for the tubing

All bends done, tubing prepped and finished, and fitted in the system

Test filling the loop with clear coolant. This was followed by a (successful) extended leak test. The coolant will soon be replaced with a custom purple pastel coolant from Mayhems

darwin1859 · 21 Aug 2015 at 15:15

Luggs said:
Love the subtle use of colour, this is so my style of build. And i'm still in love with your mobo btw lol

Great work!

Thanks for your comments. I'm glad the choices I made with the theme are well received.

Brian18741 said:
Very nice, the fans turned out great! Some purple Mayhems Aurora coolant would looks the bidness in there!

Even better - Mayhems have agreed to sponsor the project, and have made me a custom purple pastel coolant, to match perfectly the fans and cable sleeving