• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

My computer buildup and custom water cooled case mods with tons o pics

I

imported_megahyperion

Member
Ok I am gonna copy and paste some of this from my own forums to get up to date since the thread is already a couple posts long, this is just a notice in case you look at posting dates and wonder how I did a mod in a matter of minutes or something 🙂

Here is my old rig that I started with


http://burnersware.com/img/home/case.JPG
http://burnersware.com/img/home/inside.JPG

Since then I modded the case a little more with a window cut out in the shape of flames.
I also relocated the radiator to the inside of the case and mounted the fans on the top.
I had to modify the power supply by flipping it upside down and cutting a huge portion of it out to get the radiator to fit.
Heres a couple pics of that.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/case1.JPG
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/case2.JPG

Well since then I looked at the case and said to myself "Dave" "yeah Dave" "thats sucks Dave" "yeah I know" "wanna throw it away?" "eh sure why not" "ok"

So I scrapped it.
Here is what I ended up with for now.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/desktoppc1.JPG
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/desktoppc2.JPG

As some of you know I am rocking the crappy tnt video card because my original Radeon 9800 got smoked then my 9800 pro bit the dust shortly after.
Here is/was my 9800pro
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/vidcard.JPG
 
Ok new parts and a fresh start

Got these the other day

Got a new Gigabyte GA-7VT600 1394 to replace my GA-7VT600-L

Got a new MSI Geforce 6600GT retail boxed
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/6600gt.JPG

I wanted the Gigabyte Card to match my Mobo and because its just all around a better card imo, The MSI is a little underclocked, its red,the cooler is not really copper and sux, and the MSI software it comes with sucks big smurfy balls because it crashes more then it works.
However it does come with better games and more software.
The Gigabyte card was out of stock so I will pawn this one off on ebay once its back in and get it.

I ripped off the heatsink to throw on some artic silver and OMFG do you see those huge ass groves ?????
WTF is that SHT ?
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/6600bottom1.JPG

So I busted out the sand paper and went to town.
I had to attack it with 100grit on a power sander just to get it flat some most of the grooves out.
After a while I just gave up on sanding all the grooves out and focused on the ones where the GPU die will sit.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/6600bottom2.JPG
Its sad MSI has to make their blocks look copper to decieve the average consumer because all the other big company's are using copper.
This is obviously not copper, and the worst aluminum casting job I have seen ever on a video card.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/6600bottom3.JPG
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/6600bottom4.JPG

Here is the Bridge chip that allows you to use this PCI-e card on an AGP slot
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/6600bottom5.JPG

Yeah the heatsink for that is gonna need some sanding too.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/6600bottom6.JPG


Some New PQI pc3200 512mb sticks of ddr
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/ram.JPG


Boredom made me do it 🙂
Sanded down the SwiftTech water block to give it a little bit of a shine.
Before
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/beforeswift.JPG
After
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/afterswift.JPG
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/lappedbottom.JPG
 
More new toys.

Athlon Barton 3200+
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/barton.JPG

yeah I know I got some artic silver on there, I had to test it though.
I wanted to go Athlon 64 but the price of the board + the price of a bracket for my cpu water block + well I dunno, soon young gasshopper.....soon.



Sata Hard drives Woot , got 2 hitachi 80gb which will be set up in a Raid 0 array
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/sata1.JPG
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/sata2.JPG


Here is some keyboard I bought, it lights up blue n stuff but I think it looks really cheap and I dont think it will replace my Logitech Elite.
Girlfriend likes it so I guess its hers now.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/keyboard.JPG



New soundcard. Well a soundcard anyway my old sound was onboard.
I really like this card it uses a via chip and is cheaper then the Audigy but performes very well compaired to the audigy and even comes in a sweet black pcb with optical in/out.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/sc1.JPG
Oh yeah check out the gold plated pci bracket
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/sc2.JPG


Guess thats it for now.
I got a new case on the way and a totally new fresh idea for modding it and how to setup my water cooling.
I also have a new radiator on the way since my first one has some holes in it now (woops).

Stay tuned folks
 
Well I finally got an e-mail back from Gigabyte because I was having some serious issues with my 3200+ and this Board.

They gave me a beta bios and all is well now.

Only 1 problem , I already got another board on the way 🙁

So I guess I will wait for it before I start finalizing my installation so I can see which one I like more.

My system is not finished as far as setup goes but here are some scores with a lil bit of tweaking but I know the system still has alot more to give.

http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/3d01.JPG
Extremely close to 15k



http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/3d03.JPG

Damn so close to 8k
 
Well I got yet another board in the mail, the Soltek I ordered when I thought the Gigabyte was hopeless.

Its a kt880 chipset instead of the kt600 which means its nearly the same but has Dual channel DDR "oooooo aahhhhhhhhhh"


I like giga better the soltek but I thought I would give the soltek a shot so I just gimped it on with my old win xp install and only 1 stick of ddr since my other stick is RMA'd back to newegg right now.

I barely tweaked anything and just barely scratched the surface of what the board can do but still hit 7998 on 3dmark 03 😀runk:

So I'm keeping the soltek. Sorry gigabyte.

On top of the great score with a gimp install and minimal tweaking the OS was also rock solid, even gimped with the wrong drivers. AMAZING I said to myself. Not only that but all the reviews I read said KT880 boards had problems running in single channel mode, I didnt have any. Got me ???

Here is a shot of the soltek mobo, Kinda pretty

http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/soltek.jpg
 
Got my cases. WoOt

Ok here the cases I bought, yes cases as in more then 1, I got 2.

The twin Towers, Twin ATX towers that is.

You will have to wait for the pictures of the mods I did to them and why i bought 2. For now here are some pics of the cases as they come stock.

These are some cheap knock off style cases because I coulndt really afford 2 Lian-Li cases and I wouldnt want to do what I am doing to one of these to a lian li anyway 🙂

Note on the case that there is an air duct that allow for cpu cooling, its adjustable and you can even put a fan in between the case door and the duct to force air in.
There is also a cutout for a fan right where the video card sits, and another at the top of the case.

Pretty kick ass desing IMO, oh yeah and another right infront of the hard drives of course and those cool little holes have led's already installed to light them up blue.

The case also came with 2 light up led fans, 1 that was blue and green leds and the other was this insane setup that used 4 tricolor led's that went from blue to green to red. They would gradiant into each other then start flashing then do it all over again.

Pretty cool but they wont make into my setup 😛

Anywho here it is.



Comes in silver or black
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/cg1.JPG
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/cg2.JPG

I got black
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/cg3.JPG
 
The Twins
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/towers.JPG

Ok the main pc is done. I just need to finish up a couple small things with the case like switching out the LED's in the front bezel and put on that last piece of tubing thats missing in the pics.

I am missing a few things, my heatsink is not on the southbridge because I need some thermal tape. And there is a stick of ram in between me and newegg for RMA shhhtuff.

I think I am going to get that crush proof tubing and scrap the stuff I am currently using.


Heres some pics of the nearly finished product.
Check out how I went with a flat black theme on the interior, it looks killer in person.

http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/nside1.JPG


http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/nside2.JPG


http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/nside3.JPG


http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/nsidetop.JPG


http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/nsidefront.JPG

Also note the custom barbs to connect the 2 cases together.

http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/back1.JPG


I also customized the inside screens that cover the inside top of the case and the inside case doors. I will upload some pics of them tommorrow.

I will also get some pics up of the other case which I am sure some of you are wondering where it is 🙂
 
Ok as promised here are the pics of the interior door of my main case, its kinda on a bad angle but you can see how I modded it and installed 2 fans, 1 for the cpu and the other is dead centered on the video card. Both fans blow out of the case since the vid cards cooler already shoots air out in that direction.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/a1.JPG


And here is the other MIA case that some of you might have been wondering where it has been.

Say hello to my little friend.
I took the other case and chopped it down severely.
I left 2 bays
1 for a cooler master musketeer
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/musketeer.JPG
1 for a vantec 3.5" fan controller
http://burnersware.com/img/contest/nexus35b.jpg
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m1.JPG


Interior shot, dedicated power supply for future additions.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m2.JPG


Top mounted radiator with dual 120mm fans
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m3.JPG


Rear connectors still not finished
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m4.JPG


A shot from outside the case at the top mounted radiator
Now you can see why I choose these cases
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m5.JPG


Leak testing the system, everything went fairly well, had some leaks at the fittings on the rear of both cases. Just a little dribble so I tightened up the connectors and fired up the main system with al the fans off to get the tubing warmed up so it would tighten up on the fittings.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m6.JPG


Nearly ready to go
Look closely at the case on the left and you can see the water level in the resevoir.
I modded the case just so I could push the resevoir as far front as possible.
In person the water is much more of a neon green and the blue leds are alot brighter then they look in the pics.
My camera is absolutely horrible at taking dark shots.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m9.JPG


All fired up. I still need to swap out the led's on the front of the cases and finish up some wiring on the interior of the smaller case.
Here you can barely see the little holes in the front of the cases lit up because my digi cam sux.
I actually mounted the resevior up close enough to the front of the case so you can see the water level through the front holes.
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m8.JPG


Time to burn the midnight oil
http://burnersware.com/img/burnerspc/m7.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top