Dannyisnows first log

D

dannyisnow

New member
Ok well here goes my first ever build log.

Original Plan Spec:

CPU: 2.4 Intel quad core Q6600

GPU: 2x XFX 8800gt 512mb

RAM: 4gig corsair XMS2

MOBO:Asus Extreme striker 2

PSU:Thermaltake Purepower RX 600 watt

COOLING: Watercooled CPU,GPU & NB

CASE: Thermaltake Mozart TX

Changes to planned spec:

When i recieved the mobo and tested with the parts that i had I was having problems getting the motherboard to even initialise the CPU. So after days of trying to resolve the problem i eventually sent the mobo back for refund. So im currently deciding wether to pay that little bit extra and go for the ASUS x48 maximus formula or look into a different motherboard, have any of you guys got any other suggestions ?.

Heres a couple of pictures of the case idoly waiting modifications ( i wont go into too much detail about those just yet :p).

1-1.jpg


Brushed alluminium really brings out those finger prints :p

2-1.jpg


The case fitted with the watercooling reservoir ready to go.

3-2.jpg


And finally my little "core 2 quad" etching :P ( its actually frosted vinyl... but it has the same effect :D

I plan on taking out 3 of the clear windows the top window ( above the motherboard ) , and the two windows on the other side panel. Im going to replace these with 3 orange acrylics which have been frosted. The idea behind this is to make cable management easier , i dont have to worry so much about the asthetics of cabling and can concentrate more on keeping maximum airflow.

More will be revealed shortly :)
 
If you have 2 nvidia gpu's for sli they won't work in sli mode on the x48 as it only supports crossfire. You need an nvidia chipset for sli...

Looking forward to seeing more
 
looking good, but mr smith has a point, X48 will not support SLI, only crossfire, other than that, looks pretty decent, good to see you wont have a shortage of fans :p
 
name='Mr. Smith' said:
If you have 2 nvidia gpu's for sli they won't work in sli mode on the x48 as it only supports crossfire. You need an nvidia chipset for sli...

Looking forward to seeing more
Click to expand...

I didnt realise that, using more than one gpu in a build is relatively new to me :P, crossfire it is then i suppose :)

And nope i definetly wont have a shortage of fans, but i definetly dont intend on keeping those dreadfull thermaltake fans in the build.
 
just a thought, you have a HUGE amount of space inside that case, why not mount the res inside somewhere?? just saves the worry of knocking it off when moving it about.

I was going to go for a nice powdercoated one of these marcus was selling and slap one of those touchscreens in it, but thought against it due to the price.

Other than that, it should be nice to see whats going to happen to this one. What you doing about colours, fans, themes etc??
 
and as for the mobo, why not consider an Abit IP35 pro. its cheaper than most but it will dot he job lovely. or if you dont mind spending a little more and not going sli then maybe something in the P5E area??? Im not sure on the latest one but i do hear good things, but i'd say at the end of the day its all to do with personal preference.
 
Thanks for the suggestions socks , the Abit IP35 pro would be just the ticket i think, it would allso save me a fair bit of money which can be spent elsewhere on the system.

As for the reservoir i do plan on fitting it inside the case. Basicly where it is now, on the inside. What im going to do is cut a hole at the top of the case slightly bigger than the diamater of the reservoir so i can have the refill cap petruding just outside of the case finished with some neoprene edge trim to keep things tidy. This way regular refills arent a problem and dont require haveing to take the actual reservoir out each time.

Anyway heres a plan ( or attempt atleast... ) of how the cooling should be fitted.

cooling-plan.jpg


I didnt finish mapping the tubing simply because it was looking too cluttered and confusing :p. But I think you can just about get the gist of things. ( by the way if your confused as to what the two orange dots are on the front of the case, its where i plan to run the tubing to the outside of the case using 2x 1/2 repairer connectors fixed to the case front to create a mini loop. This is 1 for asthetics and 2 easy drainage :) just incase.

Im going to see about having the inside of the case sprayed black, and the insides will be an orange and black theme. For the externals i find the idea of painting or spraying brushed aluminum quite daunting, so my plan is basically to leave the brushed alluminum and silver side panels but i do have a couple of tricks up my sleeve to bring the colour scheme from the inside, outside.

Anyway i shall be getting with things today and should hopefully have some developments soon :)
 
thought about powdercoating?? its relatively cheap, last for ages and is more durable than paint imo.

WCUK offer it, speak to marcus in their forums. best man i know for it.
 
name='sock58' said:
thought about powdercoating?? its relatively cheap, last for ages and is more durable than paint imo.

WCUK offer it, speak to marcus in their forums. best man i know for it.
Click to expand...

powercoated case looks amzing :D
 
Yeah powdercoating is an option for the near future, at the moment my budget wont stretch that far, but maybe that can be the final touches a bit later on .

Just a small update, i Have now recieved most of the parts, Motherboard ( went for the x38 Asus maximus formula ) and most of the watercooling gear arrived around 5 minuites ago. Decided to stick with the single 8800 for now with the intention of upgrading to a 9900 asap.

Im this very minuite replacing the original acrylic windows with orange tinted acrylics which look great by the way :D , pics coming soon ;)
 
New updates

DSCF1507.jpg


First thing i did was fit the new acrylics, I removed the old clear acrylics and used it as a template. For the cuts i used a bandsaw for the straights and a jigsaw for the curve. ( sorry for lack of pictures during the process, I tend to get carried away in the moment, I need to get into the habbit of taking pictures every step of the way :P )

DSCF1508.jpg


I used some neoprene edge trimming to give the window some definition.The holes around the window are where the silver studs were to hold the old window in place. Im going to replace the old silver studs with newly sprayed black studs which im in the process of now.

DSCF1509.jpg


Sorry for the picture quality ( hands arent the steadiest at the moment, and the lighting was pretty poor ) :rolleyes:

DSCF1545.jpg


Refitted the reservoir on the inside of the case.

DSCF1546.jpg


Ive allso placed the pump, not too sure wether im going to have some problems with space, theres a chance that 8800 might cause a couple of issues, but we will see tomorrow.

More updates to follow later on today.
 
looks very nice :D

(one pic needs the code editing, it didnt work :()

but i am definatly liking the looks of this, got any hardware pr0n for us? :D
 
DONT REMOVE IT!! I'm giggling like a girl.

Keep it there as my B'day present. PWWWEEEEEESSEEEE!!!!

(ps. take a non blurry pic of it and i'll have it as me avatar. you so know you have to XD)
 
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