"d00D" Corsair 900D Reverse

[Blade Runner]

"D00D" - Corsair 900D Reverse

“DOOD” is my next project, it’s my sons 900D which I have managed to pry off him (By installing his system in a work bench). This was my first ever build about 15 months ago, looking at it now it is pretty shabby, especially the cable management.

The cable “management” consisting of stuffing cables out of sight or tying them in loops and cable lacing with what looks like white rope. It was searching for a cable lacing guide for that build that made me find this forum and TTLs excellent reviews and I was hooked J

The main reason for this build, apart from keeping me busy while I still can’t do anything heavy manual (I have a week of tests at Papworth in December, which if all good, will mean I will be okay renovating the house again), the layout of my sons room/ desk means that a pc with a normal window on the left does not really work.

The plan therefore is to build this case in reverse style or as I call it upside down. This will involve quite a lot of custom metal work, by hand and custom acrylic by CNC and lots of head scratching and doing things several times until I get it just right.

I am going to fabricate a new motherboard tray from either Acrylic or aluminium which will mean it will be nice and clean with only enough cable holes in the right places. I am also going to move it forward toward the window.

The cable space behind the standard mobo tray is very narrow for such a large case, as far as I can tell I think it has been made that way to allow the mounting of the HDD bays fully in front of it. As I am not having any HDDs in this build that will not matter.

The items that will be getting reinstalled from the original build are the following:

· ASUS Rampage V Extreme MoBo
· 5930K CPU
· GTX 980 GPU
· Corsair AX1200i PSU
· Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB 2666 RAM

The plan is for the RAM to get another 16GB kit and I’ll add another GTX 980. It’s going to be water-cooled with dual loops and as much radiator length as I can fit without making it look cluttered. The Pumps will be AQ D5s with the USB and Aquabus interface mounted in XSPC acetal pump tops which I just love to look of.

I have managed to locate 2 of these tops but I think they may have been discontinued as there is a newer more square type available. The main colours are planned to be black and white but this may change. In many ways it is going to be like my STH10 in layout, reversed.

Here are a few before and after pics of the disassembly.

PS. If you are wondering, the builds name, “D00D” or "d00D" (pronounced dude) is 900D upside down; well it’s not really, as my son pointed out – "it’s 900D flipped 180 degrees on its lower axis” but that does not roll off the tongue quite so easily.. J

 

[Asperatis]

It's an amazing case to work with and you've got some great hardware there too, I'm sure you'll have a blast with this project!

 

[Warchild]

Haha I have just started a similar build which will be black and white in my 900D. I think we are both going to enjoy working with this case.

There is a beautiful 900D that was modded for reverse window called Refl3ctor if you get stuck or scratch your head too long used the panel next to the mobo as the reservoir

 

[Blade Runner]

Thanks Guys for the encouragement, it should be a good learning experience.

I have spent a lot of time just looking at the case and sketching ideas over the last few days. I don't want to do a proper CAD drawing until I have finalised the basic layout and location of panels etc.

I have separated the lower part of the case to be for a 480 rad and the other services. Getting 2 fans to fully blow into the motherboard chamber, still using the excellent Corsair front filter, has meant repositioning the front inner assembly higher in its aluminium frame.

This looks really ugly at the moment but it will be fully hidden by a sheet of aluminium/ acrylic a bit like the standard one but bigger to cover the whole front in one piece. The only original part that will show is the on/ off/ reset switch panel with USB sockets and headphone jacks. The front will also be getting a 7" touch screen monitor just below this switch box, in the area where the drive bays were.

The colours have been finalised, the outside will be standard black but the interior of the motherboard chamber will be matt white with just the panel holding the 2 intake fans left black carbon to give some contrast. The fan grill mount will be getting a coat of satin matt black.


There has been a lot of cutting with a hacksaw blade and a lot of filing, the worst being the carbon fibre sheet that when cut gives out tiny strands that get into your skin and really itch..... Worth it though for the 3D depth you get on the weave of the real carbon fibre, you cant see it in the pictures but it looks really deep and it sort of moves when light hits it from different directions.
I am just starting cutting out the new infill panel for the rear of the case. Once that is cut and fitted I can properly work out where the slide out motherboard tray will best fit and therefore allow me to fit the main motherboard chamber back panel. This is going to be aluminium now, acrylic will not work as well with the channel sections I need to allow the tray to slide out.

Once all the main bits are fitted I will measure it up and draw it out properly so that I can plan the loops and cable runs.

PS. Can anyone recommend a spray paint that will give a little texture, like a powder coated effect? I don't want a smooth finish on the new aluminium sheets I want something more like the outside of the case which is quite rough, a little like it has been sandblasted?

 

[Blade Runner]

I got the back panel cut out last night, it was a lot of sawing with a hacksaw blade but I find that more accurate than a Dremel and therefore there is a lot less filing/ sanding to get to the correct size, so its swings and roundabouts, time wise.

I decided to bond this panel in place as the lip left from the original rear panel is very narrow on one side (Where vents were) and really too narrow to fit an allen bolt/ washer. Araldite was mixed up and it has cured now, about 24 hrs after application.

Next job is fitting the motherboard panel and the slide out motherboard tray, this is going to be quite tricky so I am going to sketch it up in CAD so I don't get any cuts wrong and can work out the best position for the slide out tray.

I have ordered a 480/4 Aquacomputer Radical 75mm thick rad for the lower chamber, I cant really fit a Monsta in there without leaving little space for the pumps/ other services.

A quick measure shows that I may be able to fit a Monsta in push/ pull in the top of the motherboard chamber. I will have to draw it out properly with other bits fitted to see if it will work properly.

Its looking like the 480 x 75 rad in the bottom in push only and a Monsta in push/ pull or worst case, push only, will be all the rads I fit. I don't want to squeeze another 240 in somewhere as it would make it a bit cramped; especially as I am planning on having 2 Aqualis reservoirs which are quite wide.

ETA. Section of the removable motherboard tray and the channel sections.

 

[Blade Runner]

Another session with the hacksaw blade and I have the rear panel cut out for the PSU in the lower chamber and the slide out mobo tray in the main chamber.

I am just waiting on some 3mm aluminium and another length of 5/8th channel section to finish off the main motherboard panel. This panel will be quite tricky to get right as it will be trapped on 4 sides.

To make it a bit easier to cut and fit I am playing with the idea of leaving it a little short of the top, which will be hidden by the rad anyway and it will give another easy option for cable/ pipe routes.

Now I know where the motherboard tray is fitting I am able to finalise the top radiator. A Monsta in push pull would fit, just but it would be very close to the top edge of the mobo. This will make the cables in that area difficult so I have decided to go with another Aquacomputer 4/480 Radical (75mm thick). I had not realised but these 120mm x 480mm rads are actually 140mm wide so they are a big radiator anyway.

 

[Warchild]

Outstanding work with the hacksaw. Not sure I would have the patience for it

 

[Blade Runner]

Outstanding work with the hacksaw. Not sure I would have the patience for it

Thanks man, its something I find quite relaxing

Really liking how your 900D is looking too, we are going to end up with very similar layouts, I have dual loops and two reservoirs beside the mobo too.

Our 900D builds are like buses, you don't see one for ages and then 2 come along at once........

 

[Warchild]

Thanks man, its something I find quite relaxing

Really liking how your 900D is looking too, we are going to end up with very similar layouts, I have dual loops and two reservoirs beside the mobo too.

Our 900D builds are like buses, you don't see one for ages and then 2 come along at once........

Haha yeah so true.

I have been sat down planning it out, and I'm thinking of sticking with a single loop right now and doubling up on the pumps. The extra space I have on the back board can then be used to place the SSD cards... maybe.

Decisions decisions.

 

[Blade Runner]

Goodies!

First delivery came today from Germany, I just love the quality of the Aquacomputer stuff. The 4/480 Radical radiator is awesome, it is so solid and beautifully engineered. Just one thing worth noting though is the width, its 140mm not 120mm as you would expect on a 480 rad. It is not a problem for my lower chamber but I have had to off set the existing mount on the top of the case to clear the back panel. With the 140 width and the 75mm thickness it feels and looks like a big rad and at less than £75 its very competitively priced (Got to love the GBP/ Euro exchange rate ATM )

Also got a delivery from OCUK, Phanteks fans, these too are really solid heavy pieces of kit. It will be interesting to see how these work when run from the Aquero in comparison to the IPPC Noctuas I have in my STH10. The Noctuas can be made to run at double digit RPM figures off the Aquero, which I think is due to their motor type, if the Phanteks can get any where near that it would be great.

I have had a rear panel cut from acrylic as the delivery of aluminium sheet has been delayed. I have worked out that I can probably make it work with the slide out mobo tray, so I will try and fit it tomorrow when I have some more time.

ETA. I thought I would test fit the rad as I have modding cubes down there that I had not taken into account when I measured. Luckily its fine there is about 3mm clearance to the cubes and 10mm off the bottom of the case.

 

[Blade Runner]

Another couple of boxes from Gremany today, the second Radical radiator, a Farbwerk for the LED strips and Bulbs and a couple of Aqualis reservoirs.

The Aqualis reservoirs have the USB connection and the fill sensor and can take a temperature sensor input which will save a couple of cables running back to the Aquero which is going to be tight for space.

I'm not going to RGB light these up on this build, I did on the STH10 but with coloured fluid you cant really see the colours change on the LEDs. Just 6 plain LEDs will be going in each of these which will also save a lot of cables, the RGB option meant 24 wires coming out of each reservoir base!

On the Farbwerks on my 2 previous builds I have found the standard connectors that come on LED strips a bit difficult to sleeve nicely due to their size, having to use SATA sleeve just to get over them, (or cut, then sleeve and solder back together, which is a pain).

I noticed the other day that PCB type fan connectors have the same spacing on the pins that go onto the PCB.

They don't just push in, that would be too easy! You have to slightly file the pins down a little until they fit. This is going to make the LED strips and RGB LED bulbs a lot easier and neater to sleeve.

ETA.

First the good news...............the acrylic rear panel fits a treat and the modding cubes all line up with the holes in the case. It just needs the missing bit of vertical aluminium chanel at the end of the removable mobo tray which is due for delivery tomorrow.

Now the bad news............................. I forgot to take into account getting an allen key onto the top of the Aqualis reservoirs would be needed to bleed the air. The holes for the bulkhead fittings are 30mm too high so I am having to get another one cut

 

[Blade Runner]

The bit of aluminium channel that I needed turned up in the post today so this evenings job was to fit that to the motherboard panel. All the custom panels are finished now with all the holes drilled for the modding cubes and everything fits together nice and snug.

The acrylic back panel, as I said yesterday is getting replaced due to me miss calculating the position of the 4 big holes for the bulkhead fittings. It is still okay to fit other parts to it as the replacement will be exactly the same, bar the 4 big holes.

I can now strip everything down again and start building up the paint on the chassis and some of the panels. this will take a few days as some panels will be black on one side and white on the other so I will have to wait for the paint to be dry enough to take Frog Tape without fear of it wrecking the finish.

With the back panel being in gloss acrylic I have decided to get a decorative piece also cut for the mid plate top. This should help reflect the light inside the case. This leaves only the rear of the chassis that will need a nice finish from the rattle can and if that fails I have a very small piece of gloss white vinyl on order but I would rather not use that if I don't have to.

As the last bit of channel fitted onto the rear panel first attempt, I had some spare time so although its a bit out of sequence I altered the length of the bottom chamber fan cables, sleeved them and fitted terminals that all go to a 4 way splitter that will be supplied from one of the Aquero fan channels.

 

[Blade Runner]

I got a bit of painting done this morning before the rain started, once that set in I was unable to do any more so it was back to some wiring.

The 6 LEDs for one of the reservoirs took a surprisingly long time to make up from scratch but I needed to have the proper wire starting outside the base or there would not have been enough room for all 12 wires/ resistors.

The ready made LEDs I have would not have worked, the added bonus of making them up from scratch is that I could use some super bright bulbs which have an mcd about twice as high as a typical pre made LED.

I have also got the rest of the fan cables cut to length and sleeved which is another good job done. The all black wires on the Phanteks are nice and stealthy but make it a pain to have to test every cable when putting the terminals on. I am just hoping for better weather tomorrow to carry on with the painting.

 

[Blade Runner]

In between dodging the rain showers and putting more coats of paint on the parts I have fitted the lower radiator.

Slight change of plan with this, I have decided to mount the fans on the outside, it gives me more space in the bottom chamber for the pumps, cables etc.

It means making a custom panel to fit around the fans but it will also get rid of that "off centre" look you get with the standard lower chamber door. The 4 fans are going to be fitted with black circular wire grills, I really like the industrial look of those.

I had to drill some holes for the fan cables which has left that area pretty clean. The biggest problem I had was with the Aquacomputer Radical radiator and its little loose threaded inserts. - They would test the patience of a saint, they just fall out all the time and get stuck between the fins meaning taking off everything you have managed to fit to get them out.

After an hour and a half of trying to get the second fan fitted I decided there must be a better way and ended up super glueing them in place.

I really don't know why AQ have gone down this route as their Modular rads have a normal tapped hole.

I also put the pump tops on their brackets to see better where they might fit best. I think I have enough of the fixed points established that I can properly draw the loop now.

One thing that has become apparent with fitting the radiator is a clash between the GPU feed pipe and the bottom rad. I want a straight pipe coming from the mid panel directly into the bottom of the water block. To achieve this I am going to have to change the decorative mid panel sheet of white acrylic to an active one.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

Looking good so far.

 

[Blade Runner]

Looking good so far.

Thanks Kong

The Aquero 6 Pro turned up today so I decided to get it fitted to the inner front frame, (It will be surrounded by, and sit flush with, the new clip on front panel when finished)

I had already made and fitted some aluminium plates to fit the Aquero to yesterday. I screwed each of them to an existing threaded hole in the frame and bonded 2 other sides with Araldite where there was not enough room to get a fixing.

I have a few spare parts for the STH10 in the drawer so decided I would alter a FlexBay bracket to allow easy removal of the whole unit. It took a while to get everything lined up, but I got lucky with the depth of the AQ stainless bracket.

The bracket, just happened to sit on the desk when the face plate was in the correct location which made marking it up for drilling and cutting much easier. Once all the holes were drilled and everything lined up okay I cut down the Stainless brackets to fit flush with the rear and make access to the various connectors easier when mounted in the case.

Its had some primer and a one coat on the black metallic pearlescent paint that I have chosen for the outside panels, it will need a couple more coats and then it and the fan filter assembly can be fitted back into the aluminium frame and on to the front of the case.

 

[sfelock]

Looks like she's coming along quite well. I'm interested to see the finished product.

 

[Blade Runner]

I got the loops drawn up today, I think they are pretty much how they will end up. Just ignore where the connections are shown to the mid plate from the bottom, they are just shown in easy to draw positions.

In reality they will most likely be directly behind other pipes. The 3 connections on the top, to the mid plate from the CPU and GPU should be as shown.

The fan grills turned up so I got those fitted and I am pleased to say my super glued threaded inserts on the rad' made it a very quick job, if they had still been loose it could have taken all night......................

Starting at the drain off point for the CPU loop I hit a clash straight away, the Alphacool valve's body was hitting the rear tray on the end piece. This meant a bit of drilling, cutting and filing to get it sorted.

In the same area I need to fit a 4 way fan splitter so I took out the RPM reporting pin (Pin No.3) on 3 of the 4 connectors. I just held a soldering iron against the bottom of the pin and pushed it through the PCB when the solder melted.

 

[BigDaddyKong]

I have a little bit of mixed feelings about the Aquaero location. It may look great when everything is done. It's the best fan controller on the planet, and you can't go wrong with it.

 

[Blade Runner]

I have a little bit of mixed feelings about the Aquaero location. It may look great when everything is done. It's the best fan controller on the planet, and you can't go wrong with it.

I know what you mean, it is very low down on the front, I am hoping that when the new front panel wraps completely around it, it looks better. It will be balanced at the top of the front panel with a 7" monitor that is the same width which will also have the new panel wrapping around it.

Its the best place to fit it to minimise cables runs, its also the only place where I can get decent access to the rear to plug in connectors etc. I made the mistake on my STH10 of having very little easy access to the rear of the Aqueros and really struggled to fit connectors.

If it still looks wrong, I will just take off the display and use it without, with the panel going over it. I have not used the touch screen on my Aqueros since I installed the Aquasuite so its not really essential, a sort of Aquero 6LT?