The Left Handed Build

[piggin]

Truly amazing work you've here mate!

Gratz, my hands are raised to you!

Unique would be an understatement!

Will eagerly await the next instalment!

Thank you
I am trying to spend as much time as possible doing the build.
Unfortunately this does not leave a lot of time for the build log

I love the attention to detail in this build.

Now put it together already

Thank you
lol, unfortunately everything takes time.
I am now on hold as an order from EK is taking for ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCfdKHz7b3c
my thoughts on this

lol, I think Mrs P would have liked to put my head through a table a few times
I am not sure the consultant who just carried out this operation on me would agree though
http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-ACDF.htm

 

[piggin]

Amazing build.

Thank you

OMG that case is gonna be one......

Great job fella!

Thank you

Peh! Buy her some flowers when you're done, and remind her how much you love her.

lol, she will think something is up if I start doing things like that.

Nice build. Have you really got that kit sat around idle all this time, or are you running it naked? (I mean without a case - otherwise that might explain Mrs. P's dismay.... )

I have run a lot of it 'naked' for some time.
It stated of as 'The Shelf'

At the start of the year I sold almost my whole system (chip, motherboard, GPU's etc). This put a smile on Mrs P face.
She was even happier when I purchased a laptop, as she thought I had got 'The Left Handed Build' out of my system.
Unfortunately she did not know I was 'upgrading'

So the build then moved onto 'The Table'

 

[piggin]

And in next weeks exciting PC Building adventure - The Wall!

lol, I don’t think Mrs P will go along with that. I think the next update will be ‘The Skip’ or ‘My Clothes In Rubbish Bags On The Front Lawn’

It's the next evolution of "the table".... Not to be sniffed at either... Looking at L3pD3sk's work you're only a few screws step away from it being someone elses end project

I very much like the idea of a custom build desk with the PC built into the structure of the unit (maybe something for the next build). I just don’t think Mrs P would like it in the dining room

Does that therefore make you an artist?

I have been called an artist before but they normally start it with a P

It sounds like Mrs T and Mrs P must have attended more that one of the same "life" classes... What you describe sounds all too familiar...

lol, sounds like they both have their hands full.
Mrs P would love to send me off to classes, maybe obediency

Wow, this is incredible, I can't wait to see it finished!

Thank you, work is still ongoing & should be finished soon (or so I have told the Mrs)

Love the way everythings been displayed and setup on the table, definitely a "desktop" LOL!

Keep up the good stuff fella!

lol, maybe I could start a whole new trend.
They will no longer be called ‘desktops’ but 'dining room tops’

 

[piggin]

Cant wait to see this finished nice work all around loving the idea off the table pc =]

Thank you

All these comments about the table has got me thinking
I think 'the home office' would look nice with a custom build PC desk with in build water cooling & multi screen display setup
Just have to find my tape measure before Mrs P does

 

[piggin]

lol, ZZZAC you have to learn to relax.
I had a new CMStorm Trigger keyboard delivered this morning.
I wanted to make sure it was working , so did a little update

Placed the panel behind the motherboard section so all the power cables are hidden

Attached the PSU to the rear panel & run all the cables into the false panel

Bulk head fitting used to bridge the gap between the rear of the motherboard tray & false panel

Placed the hard drive caddy on the centre divider & attached with bolts from underneath.

Placed sticky velcro discs on the side of the drive caddy so the cover will stay in place.

Placed the cover over the top of the drive caddy so everything is hidden from sight

Top rad fitted with pipe work running down behind the PSU & through the centre divider plate

Once side now completed

I think it looks quite neat but I would say that

 

[piggin]

looks great so far, the black/white cables are not to my personal taste but the overal build looks nice. the hdd's and cables look neat too

Thanks very much.
The cables are more black & silver/white but I can that they would not be to everyone’s taste.

So would anyone else looking at the pictures, I think!

Just look at all those cables (outside the computer!) on the right hand side of the last photo though!

lol, should have done a tighter crop or a little bit of cloning in photo shop as you are not supposed to see them.
Actually they have now been cable tied together and covered in spiral wrap.
This was the first fitting upstairs before any water was added & it became so heavy I would have had to get a city crane in to move it.

Actually I still reckon that you are building something more than just 'a computer' and am convinced that it is really a nuclear power station control box, in disguise!

Shush, don’t tell everyone. This is a top secret build. Before you read this build log you have to sign the official secrets act (I know I have)

... and I also think you have a very understanding wife!

I think she would say yes but I think I have become so accustomed to the ‘nagging’ I can now tune it out & ‘go to my happy place’

Seriously though, what you are building there is definitely a real work of art, and something to be really proud of.... keep up the good, or should I say excellent, work.

Thank you so much.
When this is finally finished, I will sit back with a knowing smile & take a moment to reminisce about the good & bad times I have spent doing this case. lol

So Piggin where can we sign up and place our orders?!

lol, I don’t think so. Some days I wished I had purchased another Mountain Mods case or had something from Little Devil.
This has been a good learning experience & ‘The Left Handed Build’ has become a test bed for many ideas that have worked (some haven’t). I think I could make another in a fraction of the time but I don’t think I could afford the divorce

Excellent build and attention to detail is immense! Can't wait to see the finished package, almost there! (I bet Mrs Piggin is counting the days)!!

Great thread!

Thanks very much. Hoping everyone will like the finished item
As I write this Mrs P has come in twice & given me ‘an ear bashing’
Basically, she thinks I should be getting on with the build & not spending precious time giving everyone updates
Hopefully it will all be finished soon & then Mrs P can be happy

This looks awesome!


I like how the power cables are for the HDDs,Did you do this yourself or is this how the PSU comes?

Thanks very much
As for the cables, they are all my own work.
Started off as cables, plugs etc & finished off as this.
Maybe I should take a few more images & do a little ‘how to’ write up on producing this for SATA drives , as a few people have asked about it.
If you are interested, then PM me as I put together a few e-mails on another forum.

Hi Piggin, been reading through the log over the last few days at work while i'm bored, your attention to detail is amazing! The build looks great, can't wait to see the finished artile. Wish i had your skills to attempt something like that.

Thanks very much.
Just hope everyone likes the finished article.
Just concerned you get caught reading the ramblings of a mad man (namely me but a few people who have commented on this thread are a little strange ) in work.
I have always wanted to fit ‘wing mirrors’ on my desk at work so no one can ‘sneak up’ on me. Maybe something for the future.

 

[piggin]

'wing mirrors' are a good idea but may be a bit obvious and I would have to be looking at them rather than reading "the ramblings of a mad man" to notice anybody.
I think a strategically placed webcam to catch any sneaks may be a bit more imperceptible

Maybe I am just showing my age

Something like this would work well as they are discreet

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Funtime-FU7280-Rear-View-Glasses/dp/B000FCJVAI

 

[piggin]

love this build, like what you have done cant wait to see the finished item

Thanks very much

Found and read the entire thread in one go (In between doing things at work)

Subscribing!

lol, always concerns me when people say they have read this in work.
Just don't want someone getting disciplined for reading my log

I cant believe this is still going on haha, looks like it will be worth the time and effort however. I love how you 'upgraded' before you even finished xD

subbed

Yes, still going (much to the disappointment of Mrs P)
As for 'upgrading', this system has gone through many changes during this build.
I personally think this build will never be completed & there will always be something being changed

 

[piggin]

This thread is great, an awesome build

Thanks very much

Somehow I just knew you were going to say that!

It would be lovely to see it... even for just a few days, as a complete and fully assembled working system though... and not on your dining room table, either!!

lol, I think it will be completed but there will always be something 'ongoing' (much to the disappointment of Mrs P).
I am not sure if this could be classed as a 'disease' or a 'condition' but sometimes I wish I could just be happy with what I have & stop changing things around.
I have some more pictures read for the next update, just need to get it written up.

I've been looking for a message facility, and can;t find one. I'd like to see your guide on how to do this please, and where you got the bits...

I have sent you a message through trust
I will also post on this forum but can’t link the actual items as they are competitors to OcUK (names changed to protect the innocent & me)

 

[piggin]

A short run through how I sorted out my power distribution system for my SATA drives.
The first power cable I had was basically a cheap cable that I purchased & just cut up.
This did the job but was not as neat as I would have liked.

For this new build I purchased all the individual components & manufactured it from scratch.
I used

Power Connector 4pin Molex plug
Power Connector 4pin Molex plug pins
Power Connector SATA Molex plug
Power Connector SATA Molex plug end caps

and a few meters of cable (the cable is rated at 4.5 amps)

The method

Set the drives out

I used an old Lian Li hard drive caddy to hold the drives

I put the drives in the correct place & fitted the SATA power plugs into the rear of the drives (this gives the correct spacing)
Measure the distance between the power plugs & add a few millimetres (this gives the correct length of the heat shrink)
You then start putting it together.
Push the wire into the rear of the SATA power plug (no need to remove any insulation of the cable as the wire is cut as its pushed on)
You then add the heat shrink, pull the cable tight & push it onto the next power plug.
Just repeat this for all four cables. (+12v, 0v. +5v, 0v)

If you do it correctly, you should have something like this.

Hopefully this information will be helpful but if you need any more then just ask

 

[piggin]

Thanks fella. Appreciate the details. Will use most of this when I rebuild mine

Not a problem, just happy to help

... it's just a shame you can't do something similar with the sata connectors.

I end up plugging in the end drive, then running the next one over the existing one to the next drive, and then tape it down onto existing cable, then rind and repeat until all 4 or so have been done. it looks ok, but it bends the sata connector on the drive if you do the tape up too tight. It's also very difficult to then move the taped cables as 4 SATA cables taped together can be quite stiff - lending a problem when it comes to tidily plugging the other end of the cables into the mobo.

Any suggestions?

Unfortunately not as I have never seen a combined SATA cable (but I have a nagging feeling that I may have )

I know you can also get the SATA cables pre sleeved by BitFenix


This is what I had to do (you have most probably already seen this)

Everything neatened up with a few cable ties but this still puts a lot of strain on the rear of the drives. I then run the cable as one ‘thick’ cable as the five were all joined together.
On the motherboard end I then ‘fanned’ them out & put them in their respective plugs
I thought about using the 'hot swap' caddy from a 800D (you see these for sale sometimes when someone is doing a water cooling project) but as you see, I went with what I know

 

[piggin]

Not the biggest update but very important.
The work that has gone into getting everything looking so neat has been incredible.
I have to add how disappointed I am in the quality of the images I have taken (they all look soft).
I hope this does not distract from the viewing experience.
I hope you enjoy

The motherboard was ‘test fitted’ a lot of times to ensure everything was correct

All the fittings have spacers fitted underneathe them. These have been machined in a lathe to ensure they are the correct length

This has ensured that all the pipework looks very ‘clean’ & minimalistic

Both reservoirs test fitted in place

I also went with the EK system for linking all the GPU’s together (you may also notice that I now have another 680GTX (sorry no pictures))
I also run in all the cables

All the cables that were run up to the fan controllers were ‘adjusted’ to ensure they were not longer than required. (this was very fiddly & just used up so much time )
But looks neat in the end

Not long now until it’s all finished

 

[piggin]

this is looking top notch

Thank you

Hey Guys,

New here after lurking for a while had to subscribe mr p amazing work

Be proud

Its great to see another lurker coming out of the shadows (was one myself for so long) & so happy that my build was the one you wanted to comment on.
Thank you

I have to say that this is one of the best builds i have ever seen, the amount of detail and work that has gone into this really is amazing, i hope to see the end pictures very soon with that monster fully fired up!
awesome!!!

Thank you very much.
As you said, there has been a lot of detail in the build (some may say that it has been over kill in some areas, as some of it will never be seen) but I wanted to continue this standard throughout the build.
Hopefully the end product will not disappoint

This is just so epic on so many levels. I kinda spent a fair chunk of last night reading this, got to bed way after 3 (some 4 or so hours after my GF went to bed) -_- but was worth it.

I really hope you get around to finishing this project as I can wait to see the final product.

lol, so happy you enjoyed the read but most people would say my build log could be used as a remedy for insomnia.
Also hope the GF did not get the entire duvet
As for finishing, just a little longer & its all done

Just spent who knows how long reading through this with avid interest! I don't often venture into the Project Logs forum but I'm sure glad i did

Mr P, from one anal retentive to another, you have done an amazing job with this!! I've never attempted a custom PC build, but my attention to detail is lavished on renovating my house, and I am sure that Mrs P and Mrs D would understand each other's pain

In fact, a couple of times my other half has ventured into the room and made me feel a little guilty that I am not currently building the forms for our kitchen worktops - I had better do something about that now, or as with your build, ours will never be finished!

Once again, incredible work, I love it Looking forward to seeing the finished article...

Glad you stuck your toe into the murky waters that is the ‘Project Logs’ section & thank you for your king words
As for being ‘anally retentive’, if you have this ‘problem’ then unfortunately that’s how it is.
I think I have always had it but since becoming an Engineer, its only got worse.
Everything has to be just right & the words ‘that will do’ is my pet hate.
In my eyes, its right or wrong.

As for getting you into trouble with Mrs D, I am sorry for that & I hope the read was worth it

Wow!

Stunning tidiness. I love the tube routing that you've done. I thoroughly appreciate how much time must have gone into getting that to look that good!

The soft lens filter is a bit pr0n like though....

Thanks m8 for the kind words
Unfortunately, the soft lens was not intentional
I don’t know why the images are not as sharp as they should be ????
I have recently gone to a local camera shop to get the lens checked over
Hopefully it’s user error & not an expensive fix.

How long do you think until you'll be ready to leak test?

It’s being leak tested as I type
The GPU loop filled & tested without any issues.
However the CPU loop has been a real PITA due to the rad being above the res & blocks.
The res constantly fills with air & does not want to come out.
I think it’s just a question of time before all the air comes out of the system & makes its way to the top of the res (fingers crossed).

Another update soon

 

[piggin]

WOW!
this build is amazing!
makes my pc look like something you seen down a dark road next to the dumpsters! haha
wish i had the skills to do something like this!
and i also wish i had the budget!!!! im stuggling to get the money togther for a 3570k! hahaha

Thank you for the kind words & the original budget is a long distant memory (until I see my credit card statement)

What an awesome build, great work on the case over time, not far to go now

Thank you.
I hope to finish soon but have had a little "set back"

Can't wait to see. When I did my loop, I ended up hardwiring the loop to the PSU and then inverted the case to get the air bubbles out the radiator. Can you do that?

lol, this case has been upside down, back to front & inside out
The water is now a mass of ‘micro bubbles’ that can’t be removed
Anyway that loop has to be drained down as the EK res has split around the threaded area & is now leaking fluid.
(I think EK quality control has struck again )
Not happy about trying to sort out another EK RMA
I think its time for me to spend my money with another company

 

[piggin]

Just had an e-mail from EK support.
They are going to send me a new 60mm replacement acrylic tube to replace the damaged on in the reservoir.
Hopefully it will be with me soon & progress can start again

 

[piggin]

I had that trouble, RMA'ed it and the second one did it too and couldn't be bothered to repalce so went with an aquacomputer nickel res. I figured a metal one wasn't going to crack lol.

I normally find the EK RMA process very frustrating but this time I had no problems.
I received an e-mail over the weekend saying a replacement has been shipped.
I thing the fact I linked my build to the request could have helped as I almost have 50000 hits on OcUK alone

Build is looking awesome, can't believe how patient Mrs Piggin is for the mess though.

Thank you.
As for Mrs P being a patient women lol
I don’t think any women can be called that
Every day I have been given a thorough ‘lecture’ about ‘that bloody mess’
The only problem now is she will have to find something else to ‘nag’ me about.
She has already hinted that the bathroom could do with a fresh lick of paint (no rest for the wicked)

I am sure it has been asked before but has the planned hardware changed during the build? as thinking the time this has taken and will take until finished some new shiney hardware come out.

When I first started the build, I didn’t intend to change the hardware as the build should have been completed quite quickly (that plan did not work out lol)
As time moved on, so did the hardware
Changed from a X58 to the X79 format
The GPU’s changed from a 5970, then to 580GTX’s in SLI & now 3x 680GTX’s in SLI

When I consider what has been changed, only one 1.5TB hard drive remains from the original build I started with.
As for changing hardware before this build is finished, I don’t think so, as it’s pretty well specified

3960X
ASUS Rampage IV
16GB Mushkin RAM
3x 680 GTX’s in SLi
SSD’s for windows & game folders + 5.5 TB for storage

But in the future, I think things could change lol

 

[piggin]

"But in the future, I think things could change lol "

I like your honesty. Why change the habit of a lifetime eh?

I think Mrs P would like to think this will soon be all over but I am more of a realist


Anyway, one with the update

Both res’s are now fully plumbed in

And the loops are completed (for the eagle eyed, the GPU's now have backing plates )

Leak testing ongoing

As you can see, the left hand res (used for the GPU's) is full of micro bubbles

Even though the fan controllers were ‘quite neat’

I thought a little cover would make it look that bit better

I have also added some lighting to the case, in the form of led strips on the sides & cold cathodes in the top

All the control wiring, switches & transformers are above the DVD drive

The GPU's res now has a 'crack' in the bottom & I am awaiting a replacement.
Hopefully it will be with me soon & everything will be finished

 

[piggin]

Looking quite "finished" now

Looks fantastic, I've said it before but I love how clean this build is (and look forward to seeing the finished rig)

Thank you very much
Once the EK res situation is rectified, the build will soon be completed

That looks amazing, good job. Any photos with the lights? I see you put some in there, looks great!

Thank you very much
The last job before putting the external panels on will be doing some pictures with the lighting on & some with everything finished etc.
These should be completed soon & the last update can be posted

 

[piggin]

I thought the issue with the EK reservoir leaking was going to be easily rectified when EK offered to send me a new replacement acrylic tube.

The res leaks very slowly, so the level is lower in the CPU loop (shown on the left)

I did not want to drain the whole loop just the res, so tilted the case up on its side to make the res the highest point in the loop

I then put a small clear plastic pipe inside the res & siphoned the fluid out (be careful if you attempt this @ home as EK fluids can be harmful & don’t taste very nice)

Level dropped down to the bottom of the res

The small clear plastic pipe was repositioned & the res was fully drained

The top fitting was undone & pipe work plugged

The res was then popped out of its holder to make access easier

The top was then unscrewed & removed

The acrylic tube was then unscrewed from the base

Then to my dismay, I found the tubes to be the wrong length

On closer inspection I found the new tube to be 20mm longer than the original.
I once again contact EK & found they don’t manufacture the ‘advanced’ tubes anymore only the ‘basic’.
At this time, I am in contact with EK & the supplier to try & get the correct replacement parts but I am not holding out much hope.

 

[piggin]

Hi Antony
Thanks for the suggestion
I think you are referring to Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape.
Unfortunately, due to the brittle nature of the acrylic tube, I think it would crack even further if PTFE was added to the diameter of the res.