Project Log: Revamp

[TrevorRC]

Anyway, here's a quick summary:

A while back, I bought a PC-60B, a 2-199 heatercore, and a few other minor things (i.e.; tubing, an Eheim 1250, an MCW6002)... and recently, I realized that having my box open because I was still 'tinkering' with it wasn't right.

Here are some pictures (it did look slightly better than this, because the case feet were there + the CPU waterblock was attached.. etc..)
BEFORE
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5
The rather hideous top

The new parts!
The Radiator/Fans/RadGrill Top-Down
Rad/Fans/Grill, Side View
Bottom of the Rad
The new case top
Everyone's favorite tool
The New Case Top
The New Cables
The Fan/Fillport

Few more random pictures coming soon.
Maze 4 Top
Maze4 Bottom

Tubing
Bendableness before kinking. (w00t for coining new words.)
Bought the following (pictures of most above):
1) A new Lian-Li PC-60B Case Top. My current one was hacked into in order to support the radiator (which was 2 inches thick, btw.)
2) A secondary set of PSU cables. I plan on modifying these to suit my own needs, for this system only. (Unfortunately, these still haven't arrived. And they were shipped on the 14th. Heh.) Pictures of the case will be posted soon. (Mainly the side, so you can see the wires. I haven't had the case closed in ~3 months.)

3) A wire management kit. This will be used for the extraneous wires, and to route them through the case. Anyone with a PC-60 knows how difficult it is to hide the wires if you add a case window.

4) Some case feet. I bought some ghetto sunbeam LED feet, and it made my case look like a ricer had created it. Not a look I was going for.

5) 7 feet of Primoflex Red Tubing. Nice stuff. Better than Clearflex60.

6) A Maze4 GPU block. (Thanks Snerp!)

7) A Swiftech MCR220 Radiator (2x120mm Rad. Slightly thicker than the BIP II, but worth the width.)

8) A rad grill, so when I cut the hole this time it won't look so terrible o_o

9) Some fans, to get more airflow through the back of my case and the PSU. 2xPanaflo + Blue LED for PSU exhaust

10) 2 12 inch Red Cathodes. They were 3 dollars at Vouyer, cheap enough that I could find a use for them. :]

Acquiring a digital camera, dremel and the rest of my parts tomorrow.

This thread will be used as my worklog, pictures and all

CC is much appreciated.

(Please note, I won't be able to do it all on Monday--odds are this won't take off 'till after Tuesday, and the bulk of the work will be done on Friday/Saturday).

--Trevor


Ran into some problems

1) If I try mounting the Rad in the CENTER of the case.. (at the top) it blocks access to the 20pin ATX cable.

I was thinking of moving it to the side a bit.

(Picture here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/trevor_r_C/e2db1f86.jpg and here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/trevor_r_C/db4c8196.jpg)
Though I'm not sure how great that would look.

2) The internal PSU fan plugs are 2 pin--mine are 3. Red/Black/Yellow (for mine), PSU only contains Yellow and Black. How do I go about removing the red pin, and binding the Black/Yellow to the PSU fan power outputs?

Thanks!

--Trevor


Also, here are the pics of the pins.
PSU pins:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/trevor_r_C/927a0147.jpg

Fan pins:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/trevor_r_C/218237d4.jpg

Thanks.

Sent a slightly modified version of this to GY, but figure I'll post it here anyway

Edit
Here are some more pictures, top-down with full view:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/trevor_r_C/2c5686bd.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/trevor_r_C/40b0a320.jpg

 

[TrevorRC]

Bump. Picture updates. More pictures coming soon.

 

[Mrvile]

Can't wait to see the finished result. Good luck.

 

[TrevorRC]

Having some problems, see my first post (at the bottom)

Any advice/etc.?
Thanks.
--Trevor

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Looks great! I always wondered if I could pull off water cooling in my PC-7B, but my air cooling's powerful enough as is. If I ever get a spare $250, maybe.

EDIT: as for the PSU fan pins, don't panaflos come with only two wires anyways? I think you can order them with only a two pin connector. If not, you can always get a pin remover and just lose the tach wire and move the other two closer together, I think you can probably still use the three pin connector with only two pins it.

 

[TrevorRC]

Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
Looks great! I always wondered if I could pull off water cooling in my PC-7B, but my air cooling's powerful enough as is. If I ever get a spare $250, maybe.

EDIT: as for the PSU fan pins, don't panaflos come with only two wires anyways? I think you can order them with only a two pin connector. If not, you can always get a pin remover and just lose the tach wire and move the other two closer together, I think you can probably still use the three pin connector with only two pins it.

Problem would be the 'fit'.

Not sure how I'd get the two to bond together. I could always take off the connectors, then just solder the wires together.

Thanks
--Trevor

 

[Painman]

Have you considered going for a rear mount on the rad? That's one part of my own project that's completely situated at this point. I'll post some pics of my mounting scheme tomorrow if you want, I've got the same rad (though not the same case).

 

[TrevorRC]

Originally posted by: Painman
Have you considered going for a rear mount on the rad? That's one part of my own project that's completely situated at this point. I'll post some pics of my mounting scheme tomorrow if you want, I've got the same rad (though not the same case).

I've considered it, but I really don't have enough air coming into the case to put it there. In addition, I'm trying to keep everything inside the case.

Still love to see how you've accomplished it
Thanks.

Any other thoughts on the two wires?
--Trevor

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Bendableness Bendable-goodness or flexability.

PM sent and most definatly will be following your project log.


...Galvanized

 

[TrevorRC]

Found a way to join the wires, and a bit easier than soldering. Just using some wire knuts. (Dad has loads of this stuff. w00t.)

Pictures of the finished PSU coming soon

Should start the dremel work tonight--I've decided that I'll be fine with only one CD/DVD drive, because I usually just rip everything on to my HDDs anyway. (In other words, mounting the thing with the tubing inside the CD drives.)

Should be better for WM in general.
--Trevor

 

[TrevorRC]

PSU pictures coming tomorrow Need to find another screw.

Anyway.

Decided that instead of using a dremel, I'll go use a 4000W laser instead. Should be a cleaner cut, more precise. Easier on the whole. Have all the cutting done by tomorrow (couldn't get out to my dad's factory tonight), then assembly should start. Also having some problems with the GPU block. Weird buildup.

--Trevor

 

[pkrush]

If you're replacing the PSU fan with a standard one, you probably have the wires wrong. On most fans, red is +12 Volts, black is ground, and the yellow wire is used for RPM Monitoring. If you put 12 volts through the monitoring wire, I can pretty much guarantee that Bad Things will happen.

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: pkrush
If you're replacing the PSU fan with a standard one, you probably have the wires wrong. On most fans, red is +12 Volts, black is ground, and the yellow wire is used for RPM Monitoring. If you put 12 volts through the monitoring wire, I can pretty much guarantee that Bad Things will happen.

Nah, the problem is the plug. He needs the fan to have a plug on it like the one here. It sounds like he's already spliced the wiring from the original PSU fan onto the one he wants to use, so he should be set.

 

[TrevorRC]

Edit: See below.

 

[TrevorRC]

Originally posted by: Painman
Nah, the problem is the plug. He needs the fan to have a plug on it like the one here. It sounds like he's already spliced the wiring from the original PSU fan onto the one he wants to use, so he should be set.

Yeah, already got it.

Originally posted by: pkrush
If you're replacing the PSU fan with a standard one, you probably have the wires wrong. On most fans, red is +12 Volts, black is ground, and the yellow wire is used for RPM Monitoring. If you put 12 volts through the monitoring wire, I can pretty much guarantee that Bad Things will happen.

Used a car battery charger to test the plugs on the fan, found which 2 I needed to use, and voila. Cut the extra off, took the end off, stripped the two, combine it with the match, wire knut, and you're done.

As it turns out, the two wires coming out of the PSU were black and yellow---and I already knew that yellow was USUALLY RPM monitoring.


So then, match the colors, right? Wrong. Red and Black FTW.

Dad introduced me to something called the ASSumption principal.
When you assume, you make and ass - u - me. Ass of you and me. Worked well.

Had I assumed that I was supposed to match the colors, I would've turned on the PSU and after a bit smelled something burning. (Provided I didn't check them.) (I'd already known yellow was RPM monitoring on standard 3 pin fans, but the PSU fans were the unknowns.


Learning a lot of stuff while I'm doing this Yay for Father-Son knowledge.



Just threw the rest of the stuff in the trunk. Should have everything done before ~4/5. (It's nice to be able to drive on my own o_o Just got my license.)

--Trevor

 

[TrevorRC]

Got the case laser cut. Accidentally nudged it when it was cutting. Fortunately, the cuts are straight. Unfortunately, they're about an inch or so off where they should be.

Dremeling the remaining area to where it should be

Got my processor in. High hopes for it Should have all the case work done tonight, and the water system assembled. If I'm lucky I'll get it filled, but it won't be up and running.
--Trevor

 

[Painman]

Welp, keep us posted... an incorrect backplate to my MCW60 is holding up my project. If it doesn't show up tomorrow, Swiftech is gonna get yelled at (it was supposedly sent via USPS Priority on Tuesday). At least the delay has given me time to study my layout, and make some adjustments that I think will work better. But I'm getting tired of looking at all my WC parts sitting here collecting dust.

 

[TrevorRC]

90% done with dremeling. Smoothing work right now.

Unfortunately, I made a TINY slip.

I'll probably use a sharpie to cover it--it'll be completely invisible.

 

[TrevorRC]

Dremeling work completely done.

Attaching the radiator to the top, then sticking the GPU and Maze4 together.

Probably work on mounting the motherboard to the removable rack tonight, then a few other minor tweaks. Should have everything in the case tomorrow after school, then I'll measure/cut tubing.

After the tubing gets cut, I'm home free. Stick it together, leak test, and voila.

Good luck to me o_o
--Trevor

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: TrevorRC
90% done with dremeling. Smoothing work right now.

Unfortunately, I made a TINY slip.

I'll probably use a sharpie to cover it--it'll be completely invisible.

TIP: When possible do the Demeling from the inside of the case. That way, in the event of a slip, the mark will be on the inside of the case. It's almost impossible to score the outside of the case.


...Galvanized

 

[TrevorRC]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee

Originally posted by: TrevorRC
90% done with dremeling. Smoothing work right now.

Unfortunately, I made a TINY slip.

I'll probably use a sharpie to cover it--it'll be completely invisible.

TIP: When possible do the Demeling from the inside of the case. That way, in the event of a slip, the mark will be on the inside of the case. It's almost impossible to score the outside of the case.


...Galvanized

Thanks. Thought about this, but it really wasn't possible in this situation (in terms of hand position/etc. I actually tried setting the case upside down on top of two items, with the space in the middle for dremeling--but it kept moving off [vibrations].
The sharpie took care of it. When I get the digital camera back, I'll take a picture of the top of the case and see if you guys can find it
--Trevor

 

[TrevorRC]

Well, the watercooling will be put on hold for a while. The Maze4 I ordered didn't have the correct mounting kit, so I need to order another one.

For now, I'll run complete air--which will actually be kind've nice, because I'll get some idea of temperatures before/after.
(And I'll be able to VMod the chip a bit more easily.)

Sticking the motherboard/etc. in right now. Without having to fill/bleed the system, this whole thing will be up within an hour or so.

--Trevor

 

[Painman]

Damn man, sorry to hear you got hit with the wrong mount kit. You know that I know how much that sucks Thankfully I got what I needed from Swiftech in the mail today. So my loop is all put together, and it's leak testing as I type. I'll post some pics of the rad mount, etc. in a thread of my own. It's not EXACTLY how I originally planned it out (you'll see why) but I'm happy with how it went together. We'll see how well it actually cools tomorrow!

 

[TrevorRC]

Yeah. I'm almost happy it happened, though--this will give me time to order a new PSU, as well, or modify my current one enough that it block the radiator.

 

[TrevorRC]

Project revamp is back online.
Finally got my DD block mounting in.

Took off the casing from the 20pin connector... and it worked like a charm. [For now at least]
Same PSU; though I'm going to be upgrading to a Silverstone ST60F soon enough.

For now, planning out where the water is going; water will be going in Friday/Saturday/Sunday [Unsure of which day. Spring break, and I'm planning 'mod-time' around the parties.]