[Project] Out of Reach

[shadowscotland]

Phase 6: The return (Cable tidy)

Just a quick update (and a step backwards to a previous phase) as the parcel from TEHALIT
arrived yesterday and I’ve just returned from the metal workshop next door. So I’m now in
the possession of a precision cut aluminium extrusion at the required length and at no extra cost
Now if only they could send me the correct end caps

TEHALIT with protective film still applied

 

[shadowscotland]

Phase 6c: The final push (Cable tidy)

Never underestimate the amount of time cable tidying takes – especially when all hidden.
To that end he’s where I started from.

A mess

I’ve been hinting at the use of electrical dado trunking for a while now and here it is. Complete
with a host of cuts and bends to allow access for wires. It’s three duct trunking with filleted
(not chamfered) top and bottom edge profile. Made of 2mm minimum aluminium extrusion
its both easy to work and very robust.

Four piece construction

End shot when assembled

Usually with this stuff you mound DSSO (double switch socket outlets) covers on the middle
panel, but I wanted to keep the surface clean so I’ve installed my plastic 4 way inside the
middle duct, with only the WC tubing and wires breaking free at the end.

Covers off to show cables

It not completely finished, which is why the protection is still on. Annoyingly one of the
plugs is 3mm higher that the others, so I either shave of some plastic or rewire it to get
the middle cover to fit flush.

Little more to do on the inside too, but the outside is nearly finished

Screen and desk parked

Workstation ready for action

 

[shadowscotland]

Well done

Thanks guys, not quite finished yet as some finishing touches still to do.

But it's bank holiday Monday so he's a quick update.

Phase 6d: Neat and tidy (Cable tidy conc)

Not really had a chance to do anything, and with the PC working and much of what I was
trying to achieve done, the finishing touches has been left.

Anti-fit trunking

Reason – four different plug sizes

This has been the biggest one – and also the most annoying. After all the measuring and
research some of the sealed plugs were to tall, (the two I measured fit btw, the two I didn’t,
didn’t) Anyway a trip to my local hardware store and a few quid got me 3 blank (and flat)
plugs. I could have just changed two – but call me a budget perfectionist, I wanted them
the same.

Four white plugs all in a row.

Making sure I swapped out the 3A and 5A fuses into the 13A blanks and a quick check
which colours go where, I was ready to reassemble the trucking.

Still hadn’t received the rounded end cover, so I cut four slots in the chamfered one with
my hacksaw, and sloted it in.

Extra ventilation and cable route.

That’s all for now, as someone’s just woken up

 

[shadowscotland]

Arm is fully adjustable so no problem there - also, he already knows what no means.
After all, it's every two years old favorite word

These changes are for me and the misses, as it's all mounted on the bedroom wall.

 

[shadowscotland]

Thanks neon

The cradle in my old TJ05 was a direct copy of one I'd seen in a 'how too' artical on SPCR or simular site but using flat elastic instead of bungee cord. There are various technigues some are shown on this thread here

It was just a step further to apply it to a cage instead of a 5.25 bay, with the tighteners acting in the same way as crossed elastic in TJ05 Cradles.

 

[shadowscotland]

Phase 7: updated loop

A few more images of the last bust of work.

Mostly due to getting a new cpu block - XSPC Edge, following some early reservations on quality.
I'm very happy with it's performance.

Edge installed.

This is only the third cpu block I've installed and must say it when in like a dream.
The oversize bolts and thumb nuts made life very easy (as did the locking nuts so you didn't need to hold
the bolt in place as you screwed on the spring loaded bolt.
I was so impressed I when out and got something very similar for my Maze4 chipset block.

Twin blocks

The other new toy is a HHD caddy - doesn't really do that much for the sound
(not a completely sealed unit - but drop my raptor temp by nearly 20c in this weather

Filed down the sides of the raptor so they were flat.

on with the blocks

paper sliders to minimize the damage to the foam layer inside the enclosure.

As the noise level is very similar to my bungee mod - I'm very tempted to move the raptor and blocks
back into the elastic caddy, not sure as yet, may do some testing over the weekend if I've time.

Temps?

A month ago
Res2 - Apogee GT ([email protected]) - Maze4 (P35) - DS rad - Res2 = (47c cpu@100% ambient 23c)

Wednesday - notice the 7c rise in cpu temp even after lower clock
Res2 - Apogee GT ([email protected]) - Maze4 (P35) - DS rad - Res2 = (54c cpu@100% ambient 25c)
The pins on my GT were even worse that I thought and filled with algae - not good

Yesterday
Res2 - XSPC edge ([email protected]) - Maze4 (P35) - Alphacool SilentStar (36gb Raptor) - DS rad - Res2 = 43c
(cpu@100% ambient 25c)

4c lower than a month ago, and adding the raptor into the loop and a higher ambient.
The flow meter on the Res2 is also spinning at lease +50% faster that a few days ago
(if not faster then I've ever seen) confirming it's a low restriction block
All in all a very success rebuild, and recommended for Zalman Res1 or 2 upgrades

Edit: it at 46c now after being at load all day - still not bad if you consider my raptor was a 54c on friday
(and now its at 34c)

 

[shadowscotland]

Thanks for the comments - what were you searching for to bring back this old thread?

In answer to your question - I couldn't find a tower case that was 450mm or less in depth at the time (all in build log opening few posts).

There are a few now - and I got the GMC R2-toast as a replacement for a while.
was mounted on a speaker bracket in same position as the silverstone.

But moved back to a floor standing case - S80B with an internal passive loop.
And my little boy is not so little anymore so knows he shouldn't touch the pc case.
And I missed having a quality made case.