Projext : White is the new black.

[paulstung]

Time for another project, this time I'm actually moving away from black and yellow like my last 5 rigs, and going for a white Enthoo Luxe, one of only 2 cases in white I actually like, the other being the Luxe's big brother the Primo, and that is just too big. Along with the white, it's going to be blackk, with the odd touch of silver, in the XFX DD cooler and trim and a 3rd cable colour.

I'm not going for any insane mods, just a nice clean build with the odd different touch hear and there. Like a panel to block off, the drive bays, and a stealth motherboard tray cover.

The specs for the build are :

White Enthoo Luxe
I5 4690k
MSI Gameing 5
2 x 4gb sticks Teamgroup 2666MHz Frost edition
2 x 4gb sticks Teamgroup 26666MHz Black ( coming tomorrow )
XFX R9 290 DD, in Crossfire
SuperFlower Leadax 1000w 80% gold
2 x Kingston HyperX 4K 120gb SSD's
2 x Kingston 60gb SSD's ( free with GPU's )
Samsung250gb 840 Pro SSD
1TB Seagate SSHD


Cooling :

XSPC RX360
XSPC Raystorm CPU block
Aquacomputer Aqualis 150ml Res
Bitspower Deluxe White fittings
Mayhems black X1 coolant / Mayhems silver Aurora 2 1ltr
PrimoChill Advanced LRT 1/2" tube
Pump Koolance PMP500
120/140mm Alpenfohn black and white wing boost fans
2 120 Corsair SP120 LED fans up front
Custom Black White, and silver cable extensions, in the middle of doing
1m Phanteks RGB LED strip





Firstly I had to remove the heatsinks to change the red to white, MSI make it very easy as the claws just come off by un screwing 2 screws on each.












I'm undecided on this, I've got another one cut to size, that I'm going to try a different effect, I'm just waiting on a mate to bring his scroll saw over.





And a few to show the LED strip off, it's a shame that my camera doesn't do the colours any justice in person they pop.

Red


Green



Yellow


White


I'm just waiting on a 3rd batch of fittings, coolant, silver cables, and memory, I can then finally get cracking and get her wet. I'm planning on adding the GPU's to the loop, but money is a bit tight at the moment, plus the UK seems to have a shortage on R9 290 water blocks, every where seems to be out of stock. I've got a selection of radiators, and I've bought enough fittings, I think, so, as soon as I can find a matching pair they'll be added.

 

[paulstung]

White indeed IS the new black. You should have taken the red MSI emblem off as well. Loving the new look you gave it so far.

No mate, that's only a badge, it deserves to be left alone.

The other SSD's are in one of the 2 removable drive bays. The bay plate, I have 2 made in one there are drilled holes in areas where, they are needed, but in the second I'm going to use a scroll saw and cut out some design, of some sort, and then mount fine mesh behind.

They have made one big change compared to the Primo, and that is to the top mesh, they've added a centre spring loaded pin between the 2 push clips, other than that no changes to the bay sleds, or clips.

The only fault I can find is that the paint finish on the metal has two different finishes, the top and bottom parts of the Chassis, and psu cover are smooth pure white gloss, but the rest is rough and slightly off white, and that goes for the plastic as well the front panel and top are smooth glosss, whereas the feet, and the sides of the top, are that slightly off white and rough. I can't understand why they went about the finishes the way they did.

I also wish they had provided another res mount, because once you've got your GPU /s in, there isn't enough room left to mount a res on the provided bracket. With the drive bays removed, you can mount drives in the top 3 bays, and then the res bracket could have been mounted just set back by about 30-40mm would have been a great option. between my 290's it only leaves 50mm to mount the res on the bracket.

I bought the thinest res I could find the Aquacomputer Aqualis 150ml but even that at 50mm is too big. I've had to mount it on the rear.

Other than that they have pulled another great case out of the bag again, I think I prefer the Luxe over my black Primo, and the lED's are a must buy, for the price they are bloody awesome, about the best RGB's iv'e used, or even seen.

 

[paulstung]

To be honest mate, it's done in such a way that it looks right, and can't really be noticed, with the top being one finish and the sides being another, it looks even, and matches quite well.

 

[paulstung]

It's alright mate, once you have 2 gpu's installed though there isn't any room up front to use the res bracket, you have to mount it on the rear beneath the fan. Even then if you want a rear fan, you will have to choose wisely with the height.

A little update, I've decided to go in a slight different direction with the build, I'm adding the stealth motherboard tray, and GPU blocks from day one, so whilst I wait till payday, I can concentrate on hole placement in the tray, and finish the black white and grey, extensions.

I've got just over a week to get all I want done, and I'm off work for 10 days, so plenty of time to wrap this build up, and a couple of days to play with the finished product, yea me...


This is just a mock up, with a scrap piece of hard board for the tray, and acrylic for the bay panel, the drilled hole idea was a bust, so I've got some very fine black insect mesh from my old reptile keeping days, so I'll cut some design out of the bay cover and place the mesh behind. I also need to measure and drill some holes for tube inlets and outlets, as the res is going to be under the rear fan.






Not much of an update, only the 24 pin cable extension finished, god they take an age to do

 

[paulstung]

Cheers guys, more pictures to come tomorrow, I've been busy, finishing the GPU cables, finally they're all done and dusted.


I'm dropping the stealth tray cover, I don't want to take the dremel to this case for the cable holes , I've got 4 cases knocking about including the Primo, that I have heavily modded, and can't do anything with once I move on. So I'm going for a nice clean un touched build.

The new Mini XL, looks great, I like the idea of being able to have a double build in one, I'm considering one for my next build with the 2 cpu's running on one loop, only one build, pc, will be used at a time. The same goes for psu, if it's possible to run to motherboards from one unit I don't no. But more interesting is the EVOLVE, it looks so clean, I'm thinking a sexy server.

Seings though the Primo was Phanteks first case, they are hitting the nail on the head and doing almost everything right, there is the odd thing both on the Primo, and the Luxe, that could have been done differently, but other case vendors, that have been doing it for years, can't come close.

All this talk of Phanteks, is making me want to dig my Primo out again all I need is a motherboard, and cpu block, I suppose a Z97 Asus Gryphon would look rather silly in such a beast of a case.


Just a small update, I've finished all the cables, that I'm going to do, I'm not bothering with the 8 pin cpu cable as you can't really see it, and I can't be bothered to be honest, I might do it just to match whilst I'm waiting on my GPU bloack to arrive, but it's a big might, I'm sick of the sight of cables. I've pinned down the tube runs, the best I can get it considering the res has to be on the back panel, as there isn't enough room on the supplied bracket once 2 cards are in. There technically is, once the blocks go on, but it might be tight for the fittings though, we'll see when they come. I've managed to get very short and straight runs, the longest being from the res to the pump, I might use my Primochill flow meter to break it up a bit, or my other option is to use my Bitspower white bulkhead fitting and have that run going bellow the psu shroud.

I'm not in the thinking of the less runs the better though, I think if you have spent that much money on water cooling why hide it, so long as it is done nice and neat, and well thought out, to me at least, it makes the build, and is a way, to bring the colour scheme together. I think I've decided on what colour fluid to use, it was out of black pastel, black X1, but that has a green tint at low light, and purple at hight light, white pastel which I think might look a bit too much, or my favourite option silver Mayhems Aurora 2, I think the silver will add a nice contrast to bring it all together, if I'm wrong It's an easy fix, as I've got all choices except white hear, only trying will I find out.

 

[paulstung]

Updates to follow in a bit, I'm waiting on the UK Mail van man with my lovely new EK blocks, to finally get my GPU' s wet. I just need to wait until Wednesday ( maybe ) for the super cheap almost giving them away prices, on the DDC pump, that we've been promised ( well I hope so, if I'm waiting a few days, just hope it's worth the wait )

 

[paulstung]

I've finally got the GPU blocks thrown own, it's just a shame that my pump failed and I had to buy a new one, otherwise I would have been able to buy the pack plates, but never mind I should be able to get them on without having to strip down the loop, at least I thought to test it before the BP's were ordered this way I can at least get the loop filled and running.








I haven't really got much done at all as I've been waiting for my new pump, and block, as well as the final couple of fittings.

I ended up going with the DDC, with the Aquacomputer top, just so it matches the Aquaero 150ml res, and I'm glad I did, it is a sexy little chunk of plastic, with a touch of brushed what looks to be steel.

I almost forgot, my blocks are now on the GPU's now, and again very sexy chunks of plastic with a lovely shiny nickel plate, touch of bling. I'm glad I added silver as a 3rd colour to the cables now, as the odd silver colour here and there, gives it a bit more of depth, rather than just being black and white.







The cable combs, are not staying in the next couple of pictures, I only use them to get some shape, into the cables, and I find it easier, to lace them with the combs in place.









I can at last start to get her wet tomorrow, that is if my last 2 fittings arrive. I'm slowly starting to have enough now, I just really really want to get my game on.

 

[paulstung]

I didn't get round to taking many pictures along the way as I just wanted to get it finished. But here are a few of the 90% finished article. I need to save some cash for the custom cables, and the back plates, but overall I'm chuffed to nits, and I'm glad I used the blue Aurora 2 it gives it more of a lift than the black and white.











I didn't like the grommet on the psu shroud, so with a scrap piece of smoked plexi, and the phanteks badge I made a new home for it. I'm going to block the end of the shroud, so it light up more evenly once it's done.


I love the effect from the purple light, the blue just piops.

 

[paulstung]

Cheers mate, I don't normally go for case badges, but considering the Phanteks badge belongs in the case, I had to find somewhere, and that stupid grommet was an obvious choice really.