Project #FF7F00

Soldato
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Now that the bedroom redecorating is completed (bar 2 shelves to put up), time to get some man time! :p

New HAF922 case is going to be the base for the new setup, with most/all my current hardware getting ported across. Will update as we go but intend on sticking with the watercooling but tidying things up and sticking with the black and orange theme that i currently have.

Current Setup

Antec 900
Q6600 @ 3.4ghz
4gb Kingston PC8500 Ram (2x 2gb)
5850
P45 DK DFI board
40gb Kingston SSD V Drive (inc trim!)
500 WD Storage Drive
Corsair HX620 PSU
Samsung DVD Drive
X-fi Pro Soundcard
Scythe Fan Controller.

Watercooling current
D TEK cpu block rev 1
240mm Radiator (swiftech)
5850 EK Full cover block
EK-Multioption RES 250
Black Tubing/Orange Primocoils
DDC Laing 18V Vario Pump

Ideas and potential things to do. will probably take a few weeks/a month to complete.

  • Black interior case to be done
  • Some small orange detailing inside case.
  • New bitspower matt black compression fittings
  • Improved CPU block
  • Possibly new ressy and EK top for pump
  • Improve cooling on NB as the stock cooling is poor (might just be a case of some MX3 paste etc and clean off the stock stuff)
  • Brading cables and minimum cabling on show
  • Big job is a window on side panel, thinking a slightly smokey perspex
  • Try and mod the dvd drive to look like a standard part of the front panel

Starting mess!!

Please excuse the wallpaper - not got round to decorating the study yet!!
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HAF 922 and 15 mins work to disasemble the case - anyone need a 200mm fan!!! :lol: :lol:

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Sanding,priming and paint due in next few days. More to follow.
 
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Soldato
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When I saw the title I thought it was Final Fantasy 7 build (not sure what that says about me :p)
But your HEX love of IreOrange is clear for all to see :cool:
Quite partial to all things orange myself :)

Keep us posted booyaka.
If you use a etch primer you don't need to sand the metal down to get a good key
 
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Associate
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souldlook a lot tidier with in the haf there is so much space but just for the heads up you might struggle to get th rad in i had to use a black ice stealth with 2 20mm yate loon slims or the mosfets might get in the way mount the board the measure up befor you put your loop in
 
Soldato
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souldlook a lot tidier with in the haf there is so much space but just for the heads up you might struggle to get th rad in i had to use a black ice stealth with 2 20mm yate loon slims or the mosfets might get in the way mount the board the measure up befor you put your loop in

thanks - that will be one of the first things I will be checking when I get around to moving things over.
 
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you could mabey get away with mounting the rad touching the top then the fans under the rad. When you fit your mobo look down through the top of the case and see if the fan holes look like there gunna touch the mosfet block
 
Soldato
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Primer, sand paper and black paint purchased today - will endeavour to get case masked up and some priming done tomorrow if I can spare some time.
 
Soldato
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2 coats of primer on the case tonight, will give it a rub down tomorrow and get a coat of black on there as well.

Pictures to follow tomorrow.
 
Soldato
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couple of coats of primer on and 2 coats of black on as well. Will try and get some pictures up but busy day at work today and a funeral to attend as well:(
 
Soldato
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Update time.

Never liked the blue heat spreaders on my Kingston ram as it wasn't going with the black/orange theme!!

So picked up some Geil Evo One ram which is all black and sold my kingston ram (made £7.50 in the process!!):grin:

Also on the hunt for a Q9550/Q9650 as well.

Anyway - some new fans to go with the build (2 for the rad and at least 1 for exhaust) Nice and colour coded and very very quiet! Also nicely braided by previous owner!!

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Case looking pretty decent as well. Might give it a once over again with some kind of coating to stop any flaking/scratching etc.

Side panel for the near side on the pictures isn't completed yet - going to speak to a mate who might have some decent tools for a nice clean cut to put a window in, if not a local computer place appears to be able to do this for a fee, to be invesigated.

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In the last pictures it's just the flash that is showing, not a grey bit or anything!:grin:

Probably not much more movement till next week, as I'm off on a stag weekend to Chester this weekend:devil::devil:

Next week will see the bitspower compression fittings/ pump top etc getting ordered and old system getting stripped down and transferred over
 
Soldato
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stag do and work etc been taking up time so hoping to strip existing case down tonight.

Have ordered:

EK-D5 X-TOP - Acetal G1/4 Rev.2 - top for the pump
SOme more barbs
Black Sata cables
Black extension pre-braided psu cable
some MX-3 paste
more black tubing.

Ditched the idea of compression fittings for the time being due to cost, some stories of a dodgy batch of bitspower fittings (leaking etc), and also my current cpu block will probably not fit them on. Might revisit at some point but sticking with barbs.

Will get a few pictures up later.
 
Soldato
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If you are going too spray lacquer on your paint work - be very carefull not to apply any presure to it for at least 24h
And might be worth leaving it to fully dry (2 weeks) before assembling the case.

Damaged my paintwork by spraying the other side of my panels on the same day.
Wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else, as lacquer dries differently to paint.
Forms a thin skin, but is still liquid underneath for hours
 
Soldato
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If you are going too spray lacquer on your paint work - be very carefull not to apply any presure to it for at least 24h
And might be worth leaving it to fully dry (2 weeks) before assembling the case.

Damaged my paintwork by spraying the other side of my panels on the same day.
Wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else, as lacquer dries differently to paint.
Forms a thin skin, but is still liquid underneath for hours

cheers for the heads up - saw your build log and duly noted!:eek:
 
Soldato
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Old case emptied tonight, clean out cpu block, rad, pump and ressy etc. Will give them a final rinse tomorrow with some de-ionised water.

How did I ever get all that inside an Antec 900 i'll never know!

Anyway - stripped motherboard of heatsinks on NB & SB to find the usual crap just flung on!!





Awful stuff!! No wonder my NB temps where 60 plus at times!!

Anyway replace gunk with some decent MX-3 and replace heatsinks.

Mounted motherboard in new case to get an idea of space/rad placing etc. My worries were soon confirmed that the rad +plus fans in the roof space would not clear the fins on the NB heatpipe cooler.



Will need to get a thinking cap on/modding cap. I could go for thinner rad or fans but not really wanting to do that. Might just see what I can squeeze in. Will keep you posted.

Tomorrow hoping for mounting psu, some cabling and general thoughts on the layout of the cooling loop etc.
 
Soldato
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Weekends generally kept me busy but managed some work on the project. My pump top and other bits got delayed so not delivered till tomorrow now.

Anyway - as previous had some issues due to heatpipe design on the NB cooling. Decided to bend them flat as this shouldn't effect the cooling much, if at all, and the rad fitted fine.

Rad mounted with a couple of nice fans. (yes I still need to change the labels round!!)



Motherboard and cpu in case (looking pretty good for a spray painted job - along with the flattened fins at the top of the motherboard)



Copped out of the braiding so decided to buy a pre bradied NZXT cable and very impressed with the quality of them.



Rad mounted in roof of case, along with the prebraided 24 pin extension cable. I did have to squint one of the fans very slightly due to the still intruding NB cooling pipe. It's literally a 1cm out or so but shouldn't affect anything in terms of fans pulling air through the rad.



Also decided to give the usual silver bracket on my DTEK cpu block a coating or 2 of black paint to match with the rest, came out fairly well.



As mentioned can't yet complete my loop due to awaiting a pump top, but put in a couple of runs of tubing from the rad to cpu and cpu to gfx card. Usual 7/16 tubing over 1/2 barbs. Lovely tight fit using some hot water to soften them up.



Also going to attempt to mount the ressy approx where it is in the picture below (this was purely for a mock up using a couple of cable ties). Will be easier to see what's happening when pump top arrives etc.



That's about it for tonight - should be able to finish things off in next few days/week.

Spray painted some blank pci plates black and also some finishing screws etc. Also got a mate to knock up an orange and black sticker for the my Corsair 620HX psu - looks sweet and will get it on soon!!

More to follow - any comments welcome!
 
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