Project P182 Watercooled V2!

[DeMoB]

My last WC project was in a P180, and I'm not very creative when it comes to naming things so this project has been dubbed V2.

Anyway, this is what I managed last time for my first ever PC build/Watercool/Mod (yeah, all rolled into one!):

(and you can read about it :here:)

Not bad eh?

So lately I've had the itch to upgrade my cooling, but there just wasn't anywhere that I could see in my current P180 to fit a bigger and better radiator. So for a while I was looking at other cases, but I decided I just loved my P180 too much to give up.

I made a compromise and got a P182 to start again with (I'd always wanted a black P180, so here was my chance!)

The plan is pretty simple (and I'm afraid this time I didn't do an awesome mockup in paint).

I'm going to take one of these bad boys:

And fit it internally into a P182!

Just for those of you that don't know the scale of this radiator, here's my current P180 vs the PA120.3

This is going to be fun!

Dan

 

[DeMoB]

P182 Sexytime

This arrived wednesday last week, and I shouldn't have ordered parts knowing they would get here while I still had to work (I didn't have the time to mod, but wanted to start on it!)

Why Antec didn't make this in black originally I'll never know! It's so sexy.

Here's the inside of the P182, just like all the other P182's in the world. But this one didn't look like that for long.

Within 5mins of opening the box (and taking the above pics) I'd stripped it down as far as I could.

Don't look, she's nekkid!

Oh have I got plans for this baby :lol:

Dan

 

[DeMoB]

Let the modding commence!

I finally had some time to do some modding today

But before I could do any modding I needed something to cut with (because I was out of Dremel wheels), fortunately I managed to find some (after looking in three hardware stores!). So let the modding commence!

I've still not got everything planned out in my head, so I'm taking this slow till I work out where things are going to go.

I'd taken out the rivets on the bottom chamber middle bits yesterday so I could try and fit some stuff in, but I couldn't. So to see if this is all going to fit, i'm going to have to cut it and just pray!

Cuts cut out! Hmm, there's still a bit of metal I've got to cut out. What shall I do about that?

Let's murderalise the case is what!

I was having fun taking out rivets, Maybe I went a little too far?

I made some other cuts and filed down edges etc, but I'll not bore you with pictures (namely because I didn't take any more)

And this is what a case looks like when it's held together with zipties rather than rivets, hmm, it's like a whole new level of ghetto modding

But anyway, that masked up thing is actually my rad, and if you hadn't of guessed yet, that's where I'm planning on stashing it.

To make enough room for the rad, the shroud and the fans, I going to have to to turn the PSU on it's side and cut out the metal lip that the sidepanel hooks onto (I'll have to mod the sidepanel accordingly later).

Where the PSU is, there will be absolutely no room across the width of the case for anything else in the bottom chamber. At the end of all this, if the sidepanel goes back on without a bulge then I'll be dead chuffed

I've ordered a bunch of watercooling gear, and apart from a couple more cuts in the case, I'll be waiting on all that to get here before I can carry on with anything major.

Dan

 

[Ham]

Looking very good!

/looks at P180 sat behind him doing nothing and starts stealing ideas

 

[PeterStoba]

Nice job, look forward to the rest of it

 

[DeMoB]

WC Parts Are Here!

Got my WC parts in today

Now I can get some real case cutting done

Dan

 

[daniSAUR]

Sweet moding! What tools did you use to cut the case up? I'm currently doing a small case mod (on an old case I had) and I want to cut it up nice.

I love how you've mounted the PSU and PA120.3.

 

[DeMoB]

Thanks for the compliments

I've used a Dremel (rotary tool) to cut out everything so far.

I drilled out the rivets with a drill.

And I'll probably be using a jigsaw to make the cuts in the sidepanels for the fans etc.

Hope that helps,

Dan

 

[daniSAUR]

Nice!

I'm looking into getting a Dremel, but they're a bit too much for me to spend. I'll probably get one anyway... Regardless on what my bank says.

Thanks for the information! Keep up the awesome work.

 

[DeMoB]

Cuts Etc

So i've done a fair bit of cutting and didn't take any in-between pictures, probably because I wanted to just get it done rather than faff about with stopping for pictures

(I've still got to cut out some more of this so it can slide open/shut and not get caught on the fans)

And for the first time, here is everything lined up inside!

Look at that! Pretty much a perfect fit

And for my next trick, how'd you like the look of a Noctua NF-P12 with a black frame?

Painstakingly hand painted with chaos black model paint that I stole off of my brother

(I don't think I dare paint the blades in case it unbalances it and sends the fan wobbly).

Dan

 

[Sleekit]

And for my next trick, how'd you like the look of a Noctua NF-P12 with a black frame?

Painstakingly hand painted with chaos black model paint that I stole off of my brother

(I don't think I dare paint the blades in case it unbalances it and sends the fan wobbly).

Dan

oh yes get rid of that horrible noctua brown colour

looks decent now haha

 

[moogle]

And for my next trick, how'd you like the look of a Noctua NF-P12 with a black frame?

Painstakingly hand painted with chaos black model paint that I stole off of my brother

(I don't think I dare paint the blades in case it unbalances it and sends the fan wobbly).

You painted the wrong thing which makes the fan look ugly

You can paint the fan, it really doesn't unbalance it. Many others have done so before, especially on Noctua's. You can also remove the fan itself to paint it without having to cover the frame up etc.

 

[Ya Mother]

I agree with moogle....they are good fans but look naff....like something from the 80s.

 

[DeMoB]

You painted the wrong thing which makes the fan look ugly

You can paint the fan, it really doesn't unbalance it. Many others have done so before, especially on Noctua's. You can also remove the fan itself to paint it without having to cover the frame up etc.

Got any links?

How does the fan come off exactly? These are expensive fans to just try brute forcing it off, so would like to know if there's a proper way of doing it.

I agree with moogle....they are good fans but look naff....like something from the 80s.

So that's another vote for the brown blades need to go?

Dan

 

[moogle]

Got any links?

How does the fan come off exactly? These are expensive fans to just try brute forcing it off, so would like to know if there's a proper way of doing it.

Yeah there's a proper way of doing it. I can't find the links anywhere though.

It does require peeling off the sticker on the back of the fan and behind there is the fan metal rotor with a sort of circle ring holder. That's what holds the fan in place and all you do is use a small screwdriver to take the ring off and the fan comes off the housing

I'll keep searching for the guide on it.

 

[DeMoB]

Thanks

Dan

 

[Socks]

You cant rip a noctua NF-P12 fan apart at all. They simply wont budge....

 

[moogle]

You cant rip a noctua NF-P12 fan apart at all. They simply wont budge....

Seems so

I found the link anyway Dan

Here

Guess for the Noctua it's masking the frame and painting for you if you want to.

 

[DeMoB]

Jigsaws and Zipties

Guess for the Noctua it's masking the frame and painting for you if you want to.

With not being able to get at the fan blades to ensure an even paint coat, it's not something I want to risk. Personally, I can live with the brown blades.

(Thanks for finding the link though)

Anyway, update time!

Aside from cutting the few extra holes I needed to in the case (and re-cutting the fangrill 'window' in the sidepanel for the third time) I went a little de-rivet crazy.

How crazy you ask?

That crazy

I kinda like having the case in small manageable chunks. Definitely made working on the last few cuts easier.

After I'd finished cutting I wanted to see if everything (still) fit, but I can't rivet it together again till I've gotten it painted.

So I turned to my trusty zipties once again.

I bet you've always wondered what a case held together with zipties looked like. Well, maybe you haven't. But you now know what one looks like

Next on my todo list is think of a window design, this is the best I've been able to come up with so far:

Anyone got any comments/suggestions to improve the design?

Dan

 

[Ya Mother]

Looking good DeMoB........you dont need any suggestions...your doing a great job so far...keep it coming m8.