mrmylanman
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2008
- Messages
- 1,484
That looks very slick. Excellent job. I can't wait to see it at 100%
![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
HP Blackbird 002
- Thread starter MrBean_Oz
- Start date
Thanx 
Been playing with the fans a bit, and I have a very good solution to the problem - I will put the fans in a push configuration, ontop of the rad - you see, due to the shape of the case, the top is not horizontal, and when I made the fan-brackets, I had to built in a "tilt-angle" to get the fans horizontal.
Now, there's a gap between the top of the radiator, and the roof of the case, and if I drop the brackets by 15mm, the 25mm fans fit - and, best part, there is a 10mm clearance between the bottom of the radiator, and top of the otherboard then, and all cables fit very well, plus, the end result is a much sleeker appearance.
Neat. I will fab new brackets, and then have a very nice rad-grill lazer-cut to go where the fans are currently located.
Should look pretty decent.
Been playing with the fans a bit, and I have a very good solution to the problem - I will put the fans in a push configuration, ontop of the rad - you see, due to the shape of the case, the top is not horizontal, and when I made the fan-brackets, I had to built in a "tilt-angle" to get the fans horizontal.
Now, there's a gap between the top of the radiator, and the roof of the case, and if I drop the brackets by 15mm, the 25mm fans fit - and, best part, there is a 10mm clearance between the bottom of the radiator, and top of the otherboard then, and all cables fit very well, plus, the end result is a much sleeker appearance.
Neat. I will fab new brackets, and then have a very nice rad-grill lazer-cut to go where the fans are currently located.
Should look pretty decent.
mrmylanman
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2008
- Messages
- 1,484
That's awesome. I like it a lot. I like the SAS array that went in there in particular. Pretty cool, you don't see much of that. Probably pretty expensive as well, when all is said and done lol.
I have fired her up last evening, and I can say the 240mm Feser radiator is doing a great job! I had OCCT Linpack running for a few hours, and none of the 8 cores went over 44 deg C, while the GPU temperature increased from 28 to 34 deg C, testament that the CPUs are dumping a fair bit of heat in the water, but the system is doing a great job of maintaining equilibrium.....
So yes, to prove a point to all guys over at certain forums who told me you cannot cool all this hardware with a single 240mm rad......it does a very, very good job. You can throw anything at this system, the 2x CPUs, as well as the HD4870X2 (dual-GPU) stays cool and calm. Will run a few hours of 3dMark Vantage , but doubt it will make a ding in the temps.
Ah well, I'm pretty happy, now I neat to tidy the tubing - still need to get some Bitspower fittings, but at least the cabling on the non-motherboard side is all neat, and ready to go. Will post pics later.
So yes, to prove a point to all guys over at certain forums who told me you cannot cool all this hardware with a single 240mm rad......it does a very, very good job. You can throw anything at this system, the 2x CPUs, as well as the HD4870X2 (dual-GPU) stays cool and calm. Will run a few hours of 3dMark Vantage , but doubt it will make a ding in the temps.
Ah well, I'm pretty happy, now I neat to tidy the tubing - still need to get some Bitspower fittings, but at least the cabling on the non-motherboard side is all neat, and ready to go. Will post pics later.
mrmylanman
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2008
- Messages
- 1,484
That's awesome. Glad to see that it's going as well as you'd wanted. With temperatures like that, it seems going to another 240mm radiator would have definitely been diminishing returns.
Yep, true. I'm running Folding@Home now on the 4870X2, and temps are not moving above 37 deg C on the GPUs. And I'm running 2 oiginal Lian Li 120mm case-fans, spinning at around 2800 rpm...I can actually drop down to 7V, and make the system nearly silent, and it will still have very respectable temps.
The CPUs are currently at 3gigs, so not to shabby.
The CPUs are currently at 3gigs, so not to shabby.
Vlad_13
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,830
A quick suggestion, go for Delta electronics. Best fans in terms of reliability and performance. They have high speed, high performance 25mm fans. Industrial grade. For the system like yours i would not expect nothing less. Grab those FFBs and your system will be a monster of the monsters
(With that much air is pushed trough that radiator i'm sure it will bring down the temps 5-8c)
Linkie:
http://www.delta.com.tw/product/cp/...rsl&tp=co&fantp=1&size=120x120&th=25.4&vol=12
I do have 2 Deltas myself in my setup, one 32mm and one 25. Abit motherboard gives me speed/voltage controls so its a perfect for to my system, when i need the system to be quiet i put the AFB on 6v, when i need the system to be COLD i crank it up to 10-11v makes the thing spin at 2800-3000RPM.
Hello Vlad,
Yep, I do use them in Industrial applications too -> will think about this one, but they may be a little noisy for my liking for this application. But, come summer, I may need them when ambients hits 40-45 deg C in Melbourne (Australia) summer again.
A small update -> been playing with AutoCAD a bit, and drafted a new Front-panel button, and will have this CNC'ed from billet aluminium - seeing I can't get this from HP Pretty sad, really, but no biggie. I made 2 different versions, one with the original square buttons, and one with new 3mm round versions.
The dimensions are exactly the same as the original plastic unit, and note the 2x 1mm leds that will indicate power and HD activity. I still need to do some intricate design that will go where the original "hp" backlight logo was - might have this engraved, or go one better and have it lasercut, with some blue lisa-dyed perspex forming the backlight letters.
Will think about it for a bit. Also, I will nmake buttons out of aluminium too, I think - either that or Delrin or something nice.
Anyway, herewith some screendumps of the (Autocad) button-panels.
An isometric of the back of the original power buttons:
and one of the front:
Then, one of the new round buttons:
and the front:
Feedback appreciated.
Yep, I do use them in Industrial applications too -> will think about this one, but they may be a little noisy for my liking for this application. But, come summer, I may need them when ambients hits 40-45 deg C in Melbourne (Australia) summer again.
A small update -> been playing with AutoCAD a bit, and drafted a new Front-panel button, and will have this CNC'ed from billet aluminium - seeing I can't get this from HP Pretty sad, really, but no biggie. I made 2 different versions, one with the original square buttons, and one with new 3mm round versions.
The dimensions are exactly the same as the original plastic unit, and note the 2x 1mm leds that will indicate power and HD activity. I still need to do some intricate design that will go where the original "hp" backlight logo was - might have this engraved, or go one better and have it lasercut, with some blue lisa-dyed perspex forming the backlight letters.
Will think about it for a bit. Also, I will nmake buttons out of aluminium too, I think - either that or Delrin or something nice.
Anyway, herewith some screendumps of the (Autocad) button-panels.
An isometric of the back of the original power buttons:
and one of the front:
Then, one of the new round buttons:
and the front:
Feedback appreciated.
Vlad_13
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,830
HP? meh... go for something original, name it with a girl name, Sasha or perhaps Natasha?
@ Vlad: Ah, want to keep the original branding
Herewith the rendition of what the button panel with logo will look like - I hate when Acad doesn't do proper anti-aliasing....bleh. Anyway, the logo is sunk in by 1mm, and doesn't protrude above the surface.
Looking good I think....
and
Herewith the rendition of what the button panel with logo will look like - I hate when Acad doesn't do proper anti-aliasing....bleh. Anyway, the logo is sunk in by 1mm, and doesn't protrude above the surface.
Looking good I think....
and
Last edited:
Hello Guys,
Tidying the backside wiring a little - I always hate it when modding, and leaving the backpanel wiring a mess.
Here a close-up of the SAS harddrive cage I'm using - used some of the "excess" cabling/connectors on the PC Power & Colling 1KW Turbocool unit, snipped off the original plugs, and used a 10-pin Molex connector and wired it for the SAS backplane - very simplistic, and very few cables to support 8 drives - neat to tidy this up a little, but you get the general idea.....
Then, here are 2 shots of all the cabling you will see on the backside, nothing else will be visible when opening the sidepanel on this side. There are the main 24-pin ATX, as well as a 4-pin ATX, and another 4-pin Molex going to the top of the motherboard, and all the front/top IO panel connectors, made up of 2x USB, FP sound, 1x Firewire, and a multimedia card adapter, ie CF, SD etc....
Not bad, I guess.....
and
Tidying the backside wiring a little - I always hate it when modding, and leaving the backpanel wiring a mess.
Here a close-up of the SAS harddrive cage I'm using - used some of the "excess" cabling/connectors on the PC Power & Colling 1KW Turbocool unit, snipped off the original plugs, and used a 10-pin Molex connector and wired it for the SAS backplane - very simplistic, and very few cables to support 8 drives - neat to tidy this up a little, but you get the general idea.....
Then, here are 2 shots of all the cabling you will see on the backside, nothing else will be visible when opening the sidepanel on this side. There are the main 24-pin ATX, as well as a 4-pin ATX, and another 4-pin Molex going to the top of the motherboard, and all the front/top IO panel connectors, made up of 2x USB, FP sound, 1x Firewire, and a multimedia card adapter, ie CF, SD etc....
Not bad, I guess.....
and
Vlad_13
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,830
*poke* Get those FFBs with a nice fan controller (unless mobo has a dedicated fan controller ap built in, then i guess no need one)
Nice cables.
(unless mobo has a dedicated fan controller ap built in, then i guess no need one)Nice cables.
Have the following on the way, needed a few things to finalize the waterloop - as usual, I got them from perfomance-pcs - nice....
Order Date: Monday 03 August, 2009
Products
6 x Bitspower G 1/4" Silver Shiny 90 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter $41.70
6 x Bitspower Premium G1/4" "Stubby" High Flow 1/2" Fitting $16.74
2 x Bitspower G 1/4" Black Shiny Rotary Angle Fitting - 1/2" $27.90
6 x Tygon 3603 7/16" ID (5/8" OD) Clear Tubing $16.74
8 x Bitspower Premium G1/4" High Flow 7/16" ID (5/8" OD) Compression Fitting $55.60
1 x Watercool Dual DDC-Case Laing Cover $59.95
8 x *** NEW *** Bitspower G1/4 Silver Shiny Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 7/16" OD 5/8" $119.60
Sub-Total: $338.23
Will update the log once I get them hardware....
Order Date: Monday 03 August, 2009
Products
6 x Bitspower G 1/4" Silver Shiny 90 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter $41.70
6 x Bitspower Premium G1/4" "Stubby" High Flow 1/2" Fitting $16.74
2 x Bitspower G 1/4" Black Shiny Rotary Angle Fitting - 1/2" $27.90
6 x Tygon 3603 7/16" ID (5/8" OD) Clear Tubing $16.74
8 x Bitspower Premium G1/4" High Flow 7/16" ID (5/8" OD) Compression Fitting $55.60
1 x Watercool Dual DDC-Case Laing Cover $59.95
8 x *** NEW *** Bitspower G1/4 Silver Shiny Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 7/16" OD 5/8" $119.60
Sub-Total: $338.23
Will update the log once I get them hardware....
Well, fittings from PPCS have shipped, together with my new Watercool Dual-DDC top. Jut got my hands on another Swiftech DDC 3.2 pump, so, once the shipment arrives, I can go mad - yeay.
Just contacted Petra's TechShop to see if they would be willing to ship me a couple of Iandh's KillCoils. waiting for an answer, I'm sure they will help out.
Will inform you guys later of my progress.
Just contacted Petra's TechShop to see if they would be willing to ship me a couple of Iandh's KillCoils. waiting for an answer, I'm sure they will help out.
Will inform you guys later of my progress.
Update Ok, my parcel from Performance-pcs has arrived Yeay.
I received numerous Bitspower fittings, all catering for 7/16" hose, so I can finally complete the watercooling, tidy up the loop, and fit the OEM internal baffles to my Blackbird case.
I have also received my DDC dual-watercool top, and had both a DDC 2 pump, as well as DDC Rev 3.2 (Swiftech) I anyway got my 2nd DDC Rev 3.2 delivered today, not that it would make any difference, but, I needed another pump for my Wife's system, so there you have it.
So, nope, I'm not anal, just logical I guess. So, the 2 Swiftie MCP355's have been bolted to the Dual-Watercool top, and I fitted 2 BP 7/16 compression fittings. Looking nice - and will fit much better into the cavities in the Blackbird case, as it has not that much space available if you want to do a decent job of a custom watercooled setup.
The next few night I will do what I do best, observe/look/view/peek at the inside of the case from all angles, and visualize how to best route the pipes, where to mount the pump so it adds rather than detract from the overall aesthetics, same with the reservoir - I have a few I could use, and will decide which one suits the mod best.
Why dual-ddc? Well, I have a dual Xeon setup, HD4870X2 gfx card, 240mm Feser - so why not keep with the dual-theme, and get the Watercool top
Well, that and the fact that this compact setup will fit better in the case, if I wanted to retain OEM baffles, which I did, as they add a lot to the overall appearance.
Check back on the weekend, I will post pics then.
One of these days I will do a last change - once the Thermochill guys release their 140x2 Rad, I think I will mod that into this case - it was build for it......nice, thanx Thermochill!
I have also ordered some KillCoils, and they should arrive by this weekend - so indeed good progress. Last cash outlay needed for a while, so ready to finish this off. Finally, and a few thousands later.
Yeay.I received numerous Bitspower fittings, all catering for 7/16" hose, so I can finally complete the watercooling, tidy up the loop, and fit the OEM internal baffles to my Blackbird case.
I have also received my DDC dual-watercool top, and had both a DDC 2 pump, as well as DDC Rev 3.2 (Swiftech) I anyway got my 2nd DDC Rev 3.2 delivered today, not that it would make any difference, but, I needed another pump for my Wife's system, so there you have it.
So, nope, I'm not anal, just logical I guess. So, the 2 Swiftie MCP355's have been bolted to the Dual-Watercool top, and I fitted 2 BP 7/16 compression fittings. Looking nice - and will fit much better into the cavities in the Blackbird case, as it has not that much space available if you want to do a decent job of a custom watercooled setup.
The next few night I will do what I do best, observe/look/view/peek at the inside of the case from all angles, and visualize how to best route the pipes, where to mount the pump so it adds rather than detract from the overall aesthetics, same with the reservoir - I have a few I could use, and will decide which one suits the mod best.
Why dual-ddc? Well, I have a dual Xeon setup, HD4870X2 gfx card, 240mm Feser - so why not keep with the dual-theme, and get the Watercool top
Well, that and the fact that this compact setup will fit better in the case, if I wanted to retain OEM baffles, which I did, as they add a lot to the overall appearance.
Check back on the weekend, I will post pics then.
One of these days I will do a last change - once the Thermochill guys release their 140x2 Rad, I think I will mod that into this case - it was build for it......nice, thanx Thermochill!
I have also ordered some KillCoils, and they should arrive by this weekend - so indeed good progress. Last cash outlay needed for a while, so ready to finish this off. Finally, and a few thousands later.
Ah, I have received the rest of my BP goodies - so will finally give Pugs the pin-outs he was after, and the rest of you the pictures you're waiting for - the loops are semi-complete, as I missed on a few critical BP fittings, and without them, the end result was not what I wanted.
So, tonight I will tackle this, and by tomorrow I will be finished - nice.
Even got 4L of demin water from Bunnings - yeay - no more excuses!
So, tonight I will tackle this, and by tomorrow I will be finished - nice.
Even got 4L of demin water from Bunnings - yeay - no more excuses!
Hello Guys,
Ok, as promissed, a few photos of my recent progress, and evolution of the waterloop to a useable state.
First, a few pictures of my testloop, to make sure pump was workine fine, and that the Feser 240mm would actually keep the dual quad Xeons, as well as HD4870X2 cool.
First, an overview:
a Close-up of the reservoir:
another one:
the pump:
and the bottom of the graphics card:
Ok, as promissed, a few photos of my recent progress, and evolution of the waterloop to a useable state.
First, a few pictures of my testloop, to make sure pump was workine fine, and that the Feser 240mm would actually keep the dual quad Xeons, as well as HD4870X2 cool.
First, an overview:
a Close-up of the reservoir:
another one:
the pump:
and the bottom of the graphics card:
Ok then, this was first stage of watercooling complete, and basic tests done, making sure everything was working as it should, and that all components fitted as it was supposed to.
Onto second phase, which commenced as soon as I have received my Bitspower fittings, and a few other small items. At this point in time, I could not complete the tubing routing, as even though I ordered a significant amount of BP fittings, it still was not enough - unfortunately you always discover as you progress
With that said, it took me to the stage where I could visualize what I still required to finish the tubing routing.
But, I am running ahead of myself, so here is the second stage routing, with all the BP fittings I had by then.
7/16" Tygon, and nice BP 45deg fittings to the waterblocks:
a few shots of the acetal reservoir, replacing the old Swiftech MicroRes:
and another one:
Here one showing my intentions with the graphics-cards - one problem here is the fitment of the OEM middleplate, and frontdoor, which will not fit, as tubing and/or fittings would interfere - and hence the reason I had to place an order for a few more fittings, and some extra tubing to finalize this phase:
And an overview of the "final" loop as far as I could go:
Onto second phase, which commenced as soon as I have received my Bitspower fittings, and a few other small items. At this point in time, I could not complete the tubing routing, as even though I ordered a significant amount of BP fittings, it still was not enough - unfortunately you always discover as you progress
With that said, it took me to the stage where I could visualize what I still required to finish the tubing routing.
But, I am running ahead of myself, so here is the second stage routing, with all the BP fittings I had by then.
7/16" Tygon, and nice BP 45deg fittings to the waterblocks:
a few shots of the acetal reservoir, replacing the old Swiftech MicroRes:
and another one:
Here one showing my intentions with the graphics-cards - one problem here is the fitment of the OEM middleplate, and frontdoor, which will not fit, as tubing and/or fittings would interfere - and hence the reason I had to place an order for a few more fittings, and some extra tubing to finalize this phase:
And an overview of the "final" loop as far as I could go:
So, the OEM HP Blackbird case comes with some puny little unit by Asetek, with a very thin 240mm rad, all-in-one cooling solution which is probably no better than decent air.
Tubing would have been 10mm, and HP designed this case to pass the tubing through from the CPU to the GFX underneath the mid-plate divider, by running them through the midplate support bracket located immediately below the rear 120mm fan....
This is the bracket, which I need to modify to enable 2x BP fittings to fit side-side:
and here it is mounted after modding:
Tubing would have been 10mm, and HP designed this case to pass the tubing through from the CPU to the GFX underneath the mid-plate divider, by running them through the midplate support bracket located immediately below the rear 120mm fan....
This is the bracket, which I need to modify to enable 2x BP fittings to fit side-side:
and here it is mounted after modding:
And now, I have finally received the last BP fittings needed for this mod, ok, admittedly I might have been better off getting another 1 or 2 45deg fittings, but with that said, things worked out well - ok, maybe 1 or 2 more 90deg bents than I would have liked, but, overall flow is pretty decent, and system stays cool.
Graphics, with everything running full-tilt, driving 2560x1600 in Farcry 2, 1 cpu core driving FC2, the other 7 crunching SETI, gfx goes 42 deg C, and CPUs are doing 35-38 deg C.
Ambients about 25 deg C. Not to shabby.
But, pics.....
New 90deg Elbow on the gfx card to better route tubing from 2nd CPU block:
Fittings passing through modified mid-plate bracket:
Showing from underneath the mid-plate:
another one:
Top-side with tubing connected:
Showing the pump inlet passing through the mid-plate in the fron of the case:
And showing the general layout of the tubing:
and another one:
Graphics, with everything running full-tilt, driving 2560x1600 in Farcry 2, 1 cpu core driving FC2, the other 7 crunching SETI, gfx goes 42 deg C, and CPUs are doing 35-38 deg C.
Ambients about 25 deg C. Not to shabby.
But, pics.....
New 90deg Elbow on the gfx card to better route tubing from 2nd CPU block:
Fittings passing through modified mid-plate bracket:
Showing from underneath the mid-plate:
another one:
Top-side with tubing connected:
Showing the pump inlet passing through the mid-plate in the fron of the case:
And showing the general layout of the tubing:
and another one:
Something about the Pumps: I have decided a while back I would (eventually) replace my trusty MCP 655 Vario with something hopefully better - dual rev 3.2 Laings on a Watercool dual top:
and here.....
Well, this pump will eventually find it's way into this setup, but only after I perform the final mod, ie a new 140x2 rad once it's released......I see the 140x3's are available, just a bit longer to wait - this Feser 120x2 is doing a wonderful job, and no real reason to replace it, other than aesthetics, as the HP case is pretty wide at the top, and shaped something akin to a trapezium....
With that said, for now, I will stick to my MCP 655 Pump, and did a few quick mods to assist with easy assembly of the waterloop:
and
For those that don't know, I fitted custom in- and outlets, but opted to keep the standard top - it flows pretty well, and the only real disadvantage compared to aftermarket tops for the D5 would have to be the moulded in- and outlets.
The BP compressions makes life a lot easier.
and here.....
Well, this pump will eventually find it's way into this setup, but only after I perform the final mod, ie a new 140x2 rad once it's released......I see the 140x3's are available, just a bit longer to wait - this Feser 120x2 is doing a wonderful job, and no real reason to replace it, other than aesthetics, as the HP case is pretty wide at the top, and shaped something akin to a trapezium....
With that said, for now, I will stick to my MCP 655 Pump, and did a few quick mods to assist with easy assembly of the waterloop:
and
For those that don't know, I fitted custom in- and outlets, but opted to keep the standard top - it flows pretty well, and the only real disadvantage compared to aftermarket tops for the D5 would have to be the moulded in- and outlets.
The BP compressions makes life a lot easier.
Last edited:
As mentioned earlier, the "front-door" on the BB case was going to present a few problems with tubing routing, so I had to do a small mod on it too:'
The inlet 90deg elbow on the 2nd gfx processor on the HD4870X2 was interfering with the front-door card retainer bracket - as a result, I had to perform a small mod:
and here is the retainer bracket fitted back to the front-door....
Giving us a clean look with the door fitted:
and here:
Please take note that immediately adjacent to the fron-door is the mid-plate, seperating the top cpu chamber from the gfx and SAS raid cards - it is not that visible in the pics, but, it can be observed where the pump inlet from the reservoir pass through it....
Another thing, I will still finish the cover plate at the bottom of the case, will be done next weekend though, as this is how far I got.
I will also finish the cover plate at the bottom of the case, will be done next weekend though, as this is how far I got.
There's still a fair bit to do on the cabling too, as that is not finished yet - in case anyone wondered...
Feedback would be appreciated.
The inlet 90deg elbow on the 2nd gfx processor on the HD4870X2 was interfering with the front-door card retainer bracket - as a result, I had to perform a small mod:
and here is the retainer bracket fitted back to the front-door....
Giving us a clean look with the door fitted:
and here:
Please take note that immediately adjacent to the fron-door is the mid-plate, seperating the top cpu chamber from the gfx and SAS raid cards - it is not that visible in the pics, but, it can be observed where the pump inlet from the reservoir pass through it....
Another thing, I will still finish the cover plate at the bottom of the case, will be done next weekend though, as this is how far I got.
I will also finish the cover plate at the bottom of the case, will be done next weekend though, as this is how far I got.
There's still a fair bit to do on the cabling too, as that is not finished yet - in case anyone wondered...
Feedback would be appreciated.
Hello Guys,
I will (eventually) replace the clear Tygon with black tubing, problem is I could not find the proper tubing from the supplier this time round, and hence the reason I di not mount the dual-DDC setup either at this point in time.
I will need 1 or 2 additional BP fittings too, just to tidy things up in the gfx area, and will then substitute with black 7/16" tubing. I have a good idea on the tubing routes now, and will optimize from hereon in.
You know how it is with a casemod, it just never gets completed - we always tweak and fiddle.
I will (eventually) replace the clear Tygon with black tubing, problem is I could not find the proper tubing from the supplier this time round, and hence the reason I di not mount the dual-DDC setup either at this point in time.
I will need 1 or 2 additional BP fittings too, just to tidy things up in the gfx area, and will then substitute with black 7/16" tubing. I have a good idea on the tubing routes now, and will optimize from hereon in.
You know how it is with a casemod, it just never gets completed - we always tweak and fiddle.
Just a short breakdown of components/parts used for this build:
System Components:
SuperMicro X7DWA-N server board
2x Xeon 5430's at 3gig (These are HP OEM's picked up from one of my suppliers)
4x 2gig Kingston 800 FB-Dimms
ATi HD4870X2 graphics
HP NC 6170 Optical Network card
HP P800 SAS Raid controller
5x HP 146gig 2.5" SAS harddrives
HP ML370 T05 SAS drive cage
HP 160GB AIT Tapedrive (Not mounted yet, need to revise reservoir mounting location to make way for this drive)
Panasonic DVR-K06 Slotload Slimline drive
PC Power&Cooling Turbocool 1KW PSU
30" Apple Cinema Display
Watercooling:
Feser 240mm Radiator, MrBean custom mounting brackets (Will be replaced by Thermocill PA140.2 once available, and if I'm in the mood of fitting it)
Dual DDC Rev 3.2 Pumps, Watercool Dualhead Top (currently using my modded MCP655 Vario pump though)
2x D-Tek Fuzion Rev 2 CPU waterblocks, mountings for Socket 771
2x Swiftech MWC60's for the gfx card
Swiftech Caldera heatsink for graphics ram and v-regs
7 feet (approx 2.1m) Tygon 7/16" tubing
Loads of Bitspower fittings
Bitspower 5.25" Bay reservoir (mounted vertically in BB's 5.25" optical drivebay)
Cost:
To scary to even think about it.
Still needed:
7x pci retention plastic clips
1x original front-button panel
A few short words on this - I actually have more HP components in my build-from-scratch BlackBird than one originally supplied from HP. All my SAS drives, drive-cage, AIT Tape Drive, 2x HP Xeon CPUs, and P800 SAS raid controller are OEM - pretty happy with the fact too, as HP's server components have served me well over the years.
The SM X7DWA-N motherboard is a beast, and arguably they produce some if the best server boards available today - it is super-stable. Hell, I'm crunchin SETI (7 instances) and playing FarCry 2 at the same time, all settings max'ed out, driving a 2560x1600 resolution, and not a single hiccup.
Now, that's priceless
If anyone can help me with an original BlackBird front-button panel (I don't need the PCB, just the plastics), I would really appreciate it - I would buy the thing, guys, please help me out making this mod worthy.
System Components:
SuperMicro X7DWA-N server board
2x Xeon 5430's at 3gig (These are HP OEM's picked up from one of my suppliers)
4x 2gig Kingston 800 FB-Dimms
ATi HD4870X2 graphics
HP NC 6170 Optical Network card
HP P800 SAS Raid controller
5x HP 146gig 2.5" SAS harddrives
HP ML370 T05 SAS drive cage
HP 160GB AIT Tapedrive (Not mounted yet, need to revise reservoir mounting location to make way for this drive)
Panasonic DVR-K06 Slotload Slimline drive
PC Power&Cooling Turbocool 1KW PSU
30" Apple Cinema Display
Watercooling:
Feser 240mm Radiator, MrBean custom mounting brackets (Will be replaced by Thermocill PA140.2 once available, and if I'm in the mood of fitting it)
Dual DDC Rev 3.2 Pumps, Watercool Dualhead Top (currently using my modded MCP655 Vario pump though)
2x D-Tek Fuzion Rev 2 CPU waterblocks, mountings for Socket 771
2x Swiftech MWC60's for the gfx card
Swiftech Caldera heatsink for graphics ram and v-regs
7 feet (approx 2.1m) Tygon 7/16" tubing
Loads of Bitspower fittings
Bitspower 5.25" Bay reservoir (mounted vertically in BB's 5.25" optical drivebay)
Cost:
To scary to even think about it.
Still needed:
7x pci retention plastic clips
1x original front-button panel
A few short words on this - I actually have more HP components in my build-from-scratch BlackBird than one originally supplied from HP. All my SAS drives, drive-cage, AIT Tape Drive, 2x HP Xeon CPUs, and P800 SAS raid controller are OEM - pretty happy with the fact too, as HP's server components have served me well over the years.
The SM X7DWA-N motherboard is a beast, and arguably they produce some if the best server boards available today - it is super-stable. Hell, I'm crunchin SETI (7 instances) and playing FarCry 2 at the same time, all settings max'ed out, driving a 2560x1600 resolution, and not a single hiccup.
Now, that's priceless
If anyone can help me with an original BlackBird front-button panel (I don't need the PCB, just the plastics), I would really appreciate it - I would buy the thing, guys, please help me out making this mod worthy.
Heya Guys,
Tweaking the system a little - a wise man once said no project log is ever complete
Well, I just got a very decent GFX card waterblock from a Mate second hand (thanx Stelios), but in very good condition - it is a Watercool Heatkiller 4870X2 LT. To be honest, I am not to mad about this full-cover waterblocks for such big cards, as there are obvious compromises, but let's not get into that for now. It is a very sexy block, and will very much simplify my gfx waterloop, and help me cut down on a few of those BitsPower fittings I have used in this loop - the fewer, the better (less flow-resistance)
Here's a link to the Heatkiller 4870X2 LT
I will need to get new thermal tape of appropriate thickness, as there's supposed to be 2 different ones used with this block - and will probably fit this on the weekend. Pics will follow, and hopefully I can "rewire" the loop to be more pleasing to the eye. Let's see how it turns out, will keep you posted.
Tweaking the system a little - a wise man once said no project log is ever complete
Well, I just got a very decent GFX card waterblock from a Mate second hand (thanx Stelios), but in very good condition - it is a Watercool Heatkiller 4870X2 LT. To be honest, I am not to mad about this full-cover waterblocks for such big cards, as there are obvious compromises, but let's not get into that for now. It is a very sexy block, and will very much simplify my gfx waterloop, and help me cut down on a few of those BitsPower fittings I have used in this loop - the fewer, the better (less flow-resistance)
Here's a link to the Heatkiller 4870X2 LT
I will need to get new thermal tape of appropriate thickness, as there's supposed to be 2 different ones used with this block - and will probably fit this on the weekend. Pics will follow, and hopefully I can "rewire" the loop to be more pleasing to the eye. Let's see how it turns out, will keep you posted.
Hello Everyone,
So much has happened since my last update.
Well, finally, I have found the ideal reservoir for this case, the just-released Koolance RP-401X2.
It will fit in my single 5.25" drivebay, and what's better, I can use my 2x DDC pumps in serial mode, all integrated, for a very nice and compact, but extremely powerful watercooling system. I posted pics of the dual DDC Watercool top some time ago, and I am currently running them in the loop anyway, with quite a few changes since I posted pics last.
I will receive the new bay-res hardware, including new TMS-200 controller, TMS-EB200 Expansion board, and INS-FM18 Flowmeter, mid next week, and mount this all on the weekend.
I opted for the TMS-200, as I have the mCubed T-Balancer bigNG currently, but, to be honest, the (lack of) proper software under Win7-64 is giving me the shits. So, it's gotta go, probably relocating it to the Wife's system.
This HP Blackbird setup has been running watercooled for the past 2 years, so everything is in place, just need to mount this new compact res/pumps combo. Please check back for an update next weekend, you won't be disappointed
So much has happened since my last update.
Well, finally, I have found the ideal reservoir for this case, the just-released Koolance RP-401X2.
It will fit in my single 5.25" drivebay, and what's better, I can use my 2x DDC pumps in serial mode, all integrated, for a very nice and compact, but extremely powerful watercooling system. I posted pics of the dual DDC Watercool top some time ago, and I am currently running them in the loop anyway, with quite a few changes since I posted pics last.
I will receive the new bay-res hardware, including new TMS-200 controller, TMS-EB200 Expansion board, and INS-FM18 Flowmeter, mid next week, and mount this all on the weekend.
I opted for the TMS-200, as I have the mCubed T-Balancer bigNG currently, but, to be honest, the (lack of) proper software under Win7-64 is giving me the shits. So, it's gotta go, probably relocating it to the Wife's system.
This HP Blackbird setup has been running watercooled for the past 2 years, so everything is in place, just need to mount this new compact res/pumps combo. Please check back for an update next weekend, you won't be disappointed
Last edited:
Thanx Mate - yeah, I would luv the latest and greatest dual-Xeon setup, but this SuperMicro X7DWA-N board with the E5430's, well, it's doing such a great job, I simply don't want to replace the system.
So, even though I haven't posted progress pics in a while, I have done a lot since last post, and will update thread next weekend, which should also conclude this mod
Thanx for checking back!
So, even though I haven't posted progress pics in a while, I have done a lot since last post, and will update thread next weekend, which should also conclude this mod
Thanx for checking back!
Hello Boyz,
A small update, as promised.
Way back in the first post, I had a few shots up of the case, when I received it from Alex at ComputerChoppers in the USA. It was in great condition, but, no side-panels, and no front-panel to house the switches et al.
Or, to be more precise, it did come with the button-panel plastics, albeit in a pretty bad condition - at least the PCS was in good shape.
And here's a shot of the front-panel electronics, minus the rather nice HP frontpanel assembly:
The original assembly was modified, but it did not come out well, and will not fit this mod particularly well -
and the backside:
Then followed the AutoCAD design - by me of course
An isometric of the back of the original power buttons:
and one of the front:
Well, herewith a few photos of an unit machined by a Pal in the USA - this is not the final version, but a very good specimen none-the-less. The final version will come with some machinining on the fron surface. This unit is machined from a solid bar of aluminium, and exactly as per the AutoCAD drawings.....what you guys reckon? good, or?
Please ignore the HP Logo, this is only temporary....
and
and a last one
A small update, as promised.
Way back in the first post, I had a few shots up of the case, when I received it from Alex at ComputerChoppers in the USA. It was in great condition, but, no side-panels, and no front-panel to house the switches et al.
Or, to be more precise, it did come with the button-panel plastics, albeit in a pretty bad condition - at least the PCS was in good shape.
And here's a shot of the front-panel electronics, minus the rather nice HP frontpanel assembly:
The original assembly was modified, but it did not come out well, and will not fit this mod particularly well -
and the backside:
Then followed the AutoCAD design - by me of course
An isometric of the back of the original power buttons:
and one of the front:
Well, herewith a few photos of an unit machined by a Pal in the USA - this is not the final version, but a very good specimen none-the-less. The final version will come with some machinining on the fron surface. This unit is machined from a solid bar of aluminium, and exactly as per the AutoCAD drawings.....what you guys reckon? good, or?
Please ignore the HP Logo, this is only temporary....
and
and a last one
Then, I was never happy with the rear bracket where the tubing passed from the lower GFX-card area, through the 'floor' to the CPU-area.....this was the original bracket, which I modified to accommodate the BP-fittings:
and here it is mounted after modding:
I decided to manufacture a new bracket out of aluminium, and use BP pass-through connectors to do a better overall job, and it came rather nice. I do not have a photo of making the bracket, but it is a simple piece of angled aluminium, drilled/brushed/finished and fitted.
You can clearly see the new layout in these shots:
and from below
and here it is mounted after modding:
I decided to manufacture a new bracket out of aluminium, and use BP pass-through connectors to do a better overall job, and it came rather nice. I do not have a photo of making the bracket, but it is a simple piece of angled aluminium, drilled/brushed/finished and fitted.
You can clearly see the new layout in these shots:
and from below
As mentioned a couple days ago, I am awaiting the arrival of the new Koolance Bay Reservoir, which will allow me to mount 2x DDC pumps, as well as the Res, in a single 5.25" drive-bay. The Blackbird sports only one of these bays, and this new Koolance setup will be a nice addition to my setup.
Here is where the current BP bay-res resides, this will be replaced by the Koolance with pumps.....the little bay-door is open in this shot....
and here is a shot from the inside of the case, showing part of the reservoir, as well as the pumps in a cavity immediately underneath the Reservoir....
and the next one, more clear -> the pumps are actually sitting right n top of the SAS drive-cage, and I am not very happy with this arrangement - hence me forking out for the new Koolance RP-401X2 setup -> it will simplify tubing, and optimise the layout in this case - trust me, there is not much space of you strive to 'retain' the original BB layout....
So, I will update this are with new pics next week - will look much better
Here is where the current BP bay-res resides, this will be replaced by the Koolance with pumps.....the little bay-door is open in this shot....
and here is a shot from the inside of the case, showing part of the reservoir, as well as the pumps in a cavity immediately underneath the Reservoir....
and the next one, more clear -> the pumps are actually sitting right n top of the SAS drive-cage, and I am not very happy with this arrangement - hence me forking out for the new Koolance RP-401X2 setup -> it will simplify tubing, and optimise the layout in this case - trust me, there is not much space of you strive to 'retain' the original BB layout....
So, I will update this are with new pics next week - will look much better
A last one for tonight, herewith a close-up shot of the cards-area -> please pay no attention to the tardiness, once I receive the new Koolance TMS-200 controller with Daughterboard next week, I will remove the PCI slot-cooler, and SCSI card in the bottom-most slot, then sleeve all the cables, route temperature sensors/fan-cables and pump-control cables to the new controller, and tidy things up.
And then, previously I mentioned I populated all the drive-bays, the SAS cage now sports 8x 146GB drives - looking good. I will brush this drive-bezel, and anodize it, as well as engrave some details on it. This will be done in the next few weeks though, need to sort the most important issues out first. Same goes for the radiator-brackets, they will be anodized too.
and another one
and then, a last side-shot - will give you an idea of the current status of the rig, and the configuration the past year - the fill-tube will also disappear, once I fit the new Koolance res.....
Your feedback and opinions are appreciated, look forward to your replies
Tomorrow, I will post a few pictures of the backside, so you can see where the mCubed bigNG is mounted - of course, this will be relegated to the Wife's PC, in anticipation for the new Koolance TMS-200, which will be PCI-slot mounted.
And then, previously I mentioned I populated all the drive-bays, the SAS cage now sports 8x 146GB drives - looking good. I will brush this drive-bezel, and anodize it, as well as engrave some details on it. This will be done in the next few weeks though, need to sort the most important issues out first. Same goes for the radiator-brackets, they will be anodized too.
and another one
and then, a last side-shot - will give you an idea of the current status of the rig, and the configuration the past year - the fill-tube will also disappear, once I fit the new Koolance res.....
Your feedback and opinions are appreciated, look forward to your replies
Tomorrow, I will post a few pictures of the backside, so you can see where the mCubed bigNG is mounted - of course, this will be relegated to the Wife's PC, in anticipation for the new Koolance TMS-200, which will be PCI-slot mounted.
zer0gravity
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2008
- Messages
- 1,131
WIN! Great that your still posting on this a year later!
