BIG UPDATE:
right then, today i thought i would do a number of things:
1) remove the faulty H50 and replace it with my spare D-14 (which would also lower temps)
2) replace the rear exhaust 120mm with a white LED 140mm roof exhaust (which would allow me to use my custom side panel)
so i got to work, this is her when i first started
remove the TV card (which doesnt pick up BBC channels) and the gfx card
leaving a nice void
unplugging everything
a lot of dust considering it was only built for 2/3 weeks!
removing everything
starting to remove the faulty H50
out of the case
Mrs Mobo after the cooler was removed
taking off the H50 backplate was a PITA! i resorted to gouging it off with scissors VERY carefully
all cleaned up
starting to assemble the D-14, first with the backplate
almost finished with the mounting
ready to put her back into the case
can you see what ive done wrong?
see it now?
yep - i mounted the cooler the wrong way around!
back off -> cleaned with IPA -> fresh bit of MX4 -> reseated the correct way round
can you see the MAJOR issue now?
guess what?! the graphics card doesnt fit under the D-14!
i had two options:
1) buy a cheaper, worse performing cooler, refit the 5850 and then replace with the GTX 580 when it comes
2) keep with the D-14, but a proper ATX mobo, which will fit the D-14 and the GTX 580 and it even does SLI and Gen 3 PCIe
i went with option 2, more expensive, but better in my view
also: ive just broken 2000 views
that is 2057 views in 71 days ~ 30 views/day