Project: ELITE (Watercooled Rocketfish)

Copenhagen69: I may just leave the front door stock for now as I really like the clean brushed aluminum. I might play around with something for the logo in the future, who knows :)

a573573: Thanks bro, Im liking the lcd more and more as I'm playing with plugins. It shows me my temps and whats playing in Itunes, acts like a clock, etc...

sduneman3: Thanks, took a while to think up of a logo!

Koslov: Thanks for the compliment.
 
Meanwhile, it looks like the hardware is dead. I was using the computer and in the middle of moving a window around, the whole thing froze. When I booted it up again, fans spin, lights, but nothing on screen. I already tested out the ram and videocard so it can't be those. What could the problem be? Anyone have any input?
 
yeah it sounds as if your mobo has died.

I am assuming it doesnt post. If not it could be 1 or all of 3 things.
1. The board has just died (it does happen on rare occasions and really sucks)
2. The processor may have died (highly unlikely)
3. The board has shorted and needs to be replaced (basically the same as 1).

Thats all I can guess the last thing i could think of is that something is grounding the board (ie a support thing forget what they are called doesnt have a screw in it and is grounding the baord.) really thats all i can think of with out having it infront of me and not know if there are any warning beeps or anything (which i assume there are)

This also may sound dumb but did you try the RAM in different slots on the board it wouldnt be the first time i have seen DIMM slots fail
 
If it is a Gigabyte board, which it looks to be, I am a Mod at the Gigabyte Support forum >>>
Code: 
http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/

If you would like some more help feel free to make a thread.

Since you did say you was moving things around while the system was on, you could have very well made something become loose and caused a short. I would for sure get the board out of there and look for burn marks, and begin testing on a box or wooden table

First I would say remove the board from the case and tray and see if it boots. If not, remove all hardware but the minimum (CPU/Heatsink, One stick of Ram in Slot one, GFX card) and see if it posts to the BIOS. Hard drive is not needed. If it boots like that, then start pluggin in items one by one until you find the culprit.

Many things can cause this, Dead or Dying ram, Corrupt BIOS, Bad Hard drive, Dying PSU, ect.

Nothing on screen means you may have corrupted your BIOS if you have tested all of the above methods. Have you cleared CMOS with HD jumpers for 20+ minutes to see if you can get a checksum error and load optimized defaults yet?

Like I said, More then willing to help here as I answer 20+ posts a day for Gigabyte. Let me know if you need further assistance
 
Thanks for the input guys!

I'm pretty sure its the mobo now as it had been acting up strangely before this. It had some trouble booting, then freezing, but this is the first time I can't turn it back on.

When I said moving windows, I meant like moving firefox so it can't be that I shorted something. I've already tested with mobo cpu psu and ram, and it still does not boot. Tried different DIMMS and even borrowed a totally different stick but still nothing. I will try putting a jumper on the CMOS clear, although I took out the battery and already touched a screwdriver to the two contacts.

a57, it is a Gigabyte P965 DS3. If I need to RMA, do you have any power to help me out? I really don't want to wait 3-4 weeks for an RMA:(
 
Well All I can do is get you the RMA info, it will be a few weeks though to get one back. Nothing I can do there.

Sorry bud!

I wish I could help ya more but the people I talk with are in Taiwan and you for sure would not want to RMA it to there in a attempt to get it back faster.

How long did you have the battery out? Shorting the pins is just the same as the method I mentioned, in that you must do it for 20+ minutes. That is why the jumper is suggested. Battery out could take 8+ hours. Jumper on the pins is fastest

Did you try each Ram stick by itself in slot one? And with no hard drive connected?
 
a573573 said:
Well All I can do is get you the RMA info, it will be a few weeks though to get one back. Nothing I can do there.

Sorry bud!

I wish I could help ya more but the people I talk with are in Taiwan and you for sure would not want to RMA it to there in a attempt to get it back faster.

How long did you have the battery out? Shorting the pins is just the same as the method I mentioned, in that you must do it for 20+ minutes. That is why the jumper is suggested. Battery out could take 8+ hours. Jumper on the pins is fastest

Did you try each Ram stick by itself in slot one? And with no hard drive connected?
Click to expand...

wouldn't placing the jumper over the proper thing and then pressing the power button with the power un-plugged do the same?

or with the battery out, and having the computer un-plugged, then pressing the power button.

im fairly sure that drains any and all power from the board.
 
Well likely not, the power button is a momentary switch. Jumper is the easier way of accomplishing the battery removal method, that is why it is there.

I have a Switch on mine ON or OFF only type rocker, so off is always off and on/connected is always on if it is in that setting.
 
Well thanks for all the suggestions everyone :)

I finally got this thing sorted out and running! Its kind of bizarre the reason the board was not booting. I actually had this issue before, when I had a Tuniq on it. The issue resolved itself after I plugged a different PSU in then reverted back to the original one. So when it happened again this time, I was sure the Mobo was faulty. I got an RMA number and everything then just looked around on the web for stuff related to watercooling.

At this point, I saw a pic of a really bowed motherboard and it suddenly hit me! My mobo was not bowed at all due to my backplate, but the pressure of the mount must have compressed the adhesive on the backplate so much that the backplate was making contact with the back of the mobo. I was mounting with springs like this:
IMG_2495.jpg

And the back:
IMG_2500.jpg


I took the waterblock off and just held it on the cpu with my hand, and lo and behold, the damn thing boots! :D

After that, I spent a good 45 min with a blow dryer and exacto knife prying the backplate off. When I got it off I stuck some high performance neoprene material (aka mousepad) in between it and the mobo, and the issue is resolved:p
IMG_2499.jpg


Now with my luck, I figured all of this out after I bought a new mobo and it shipped. So now I have a sealed Gigabyte EP45-DS3L sitting here doing nothing! I want it gone, so if anyone wants it you can snag it for $90 shipped on my FS/FT thread.

AARRRGGHHH!:D
 
After going through all that taking the cpu on and off and remounting like 5 times wondering what was wrong with my computer, I decided I had to do a little something before I put the cpu back in. :)

So, since a few of my friends asked me how to lap a cpu, here's a mini guide.

Why:
People lap their CPU's to increase thermal transfer between their heatsink and IHS(integrated heat spreader) This is because manufacturing does not produce a perfectly flat IHS. For example, almost all C2D's are concave, so the cores do not get optimal contact with the Heatsink. When we lap a cpu, we are sanding off the excess copper and nickel so that the whole IHS becomes flat. This can result in a few C drop in temps, to as much as 10C in extreme cases.

Materials:
IHS cpu (Im doing E6400 Core 2 Duo)
Sandpaper: Ideally 300, 600, 1000 grit (Any grit close is ok)
CPU plastic back covering ( you can go without it, but it's nice to protect the contacts)
Tape
Glass surface (since it's absolutely flat)
Water
Alcohol

Process:
To start, gather the sandpaper you need. I had 200, 400 and 1000 grit handy, so I used those. Anything close is fine as long as you spend some extra time with 1000 grit to get it smooth at the end.
IMG_2502.jpg


Then, put the CPU plastic backing on and tape it so that it's secure. Scotch, masking, anything will work.
IMG_2503.jpg


Now, put the cpu with the IHS facing down on the sandpaper, starting with the lowest grit. Just lay the sandpaper on your glass working surface. Put your three middle fingers across the back of the cpu and begin sanding by moving the cpu in a cross direction. Lets say 10 times up and down, then 10 times left and right. Like my paint skills?:p
lapcpu.jpg


In just a short amount of time you'll see the nickel plating being worn through. The copper will show up underneath unevenly, proving that the surface is indeed not flat.
Starts at the edges:
IMG_2503.jpg

Keep progressing in the cross motion:
IMG_2504.jpg

You can see that the central area and edges are higher than the rest of the IHS.
Almost there:
IMG_2505.jpg


When all of the nickel is gone, your IHS is flat. You can then progress to 600 grit to smoothen it out. To get it smoother, transition to 1000 wet or dry. Remember to use water as a lubricant at 100 grit.
If only I could display this on the outside, brushed copper may be the only thing better than brushed aluminum :D
IMG_2506.jpg


IMG_2507.jpg


After 1000 grit you're pretty much done. You can make it smoother if you spend more time on it or move onto a higher grit. However, this is sufficient as it has been proven a reflective finish does not result in any higher heat transfer. I just leave my cpus at this. After that, clean off your CPU with some alcohol and pop it in!. Remember the thermal paste :)

IMG_2509.jpg


I noticed a 2-3C drop in temps immediately after, and that's without AS5 even curing. I bumped my E6400 OC up from 3.2 ghz to 3.47. I'll play with it later to see how high I can go.

Just thought that might be a cool bit of info for any of you who wondered about lapping a CPU.
 
OofC_S7v7N: Thanks :)

Malicios Haha, you guys just love hating on the blue gigabyte boards. You should lap your cpu too just to make everything brushed copper. ;)
 
you should check my mod out its not anywhere near halfway done but i like the progress, its called Titanium OC
 
Wow man this looks really really good. Makes me really wanna mod/buy a new case but a 30 inch monitor and vid card must come first.
 
I use that same backplate with my block, just dont tighten the springs so tight maybe.

I do use my own screws and springs though. But I also did not remove the sticker over the sticky part, left it there, and added electric tape to the Whole back side just to be on the safe side

Nice to hear you found it for sure!
 
This thread is siiiick. I just took my sunday morning to go through it all, but props dude! I just ordered a new system yesterday. Hopefully before long i'll get sick of it and try out some modding haha. As this is the first computer i'm going to be building from scratch, it should be lots of fun! Keep the updates coming! Subscribed ftw!
 
cheezeit said:
OofC_S7v7N: Thanks :)

Malicios Haha, you guys just love hating on the blue gigabyte boards. You should lap your cpu too just to make everything brushed copper. ;)
Click to expand...

ok ... yea i just don't understand why they have to make them so ugly ... i mean if you're trying to make an enthusiast product why not take 10mins to consider aesthetics
 
OofC_S7v7N: Wow, nice access to paint equipment you have there. Is it easy to get mod supplies because your dad owns a body shop?

Nick_Leo: Thanks :)

a573573: Yeah that's definitely a good precaution. I'm actually not using springs anymore just to be safe and the hardmount seems fine. Thanks for all your help when i thought my mobo was dead, it kept me tweaking around with it until I found the problem.:p

Bucnasty229: Thanks bro. Have fun with your first build, I remember how exciting it was the first time I put a rig together.

malicious: I guess its just cheaper this way, seeing as how the gigabyte boards are all like this. But damn, there's at least 8 colors on the bottom of the board... red, black, blue, purple, yellow, lime green, orange....:rolleyes:

Noodle: You could buy me a nice black P5Q for my birthday ;) And by the way, I'd like to thank this Noodle guy for giving me a usb bracket for the internal LCD and letting me borrow some ram to test when I thought my mobo was dead.

I can close the right panel now that I have the bracket and everything is hooked up internally. Added internal bluetooth too :) I'll see if I can get some pics up sometime soon.
 
Well, I do think you should use the springs, just maybe some different ones or just dont make them so tight is all.

Hey, I am glad you found it for sure! Sorry for not thinking of taking it out of the case, I generally only think of that after a few more replies in helping of someone :rolleyes:

Either way, glad you got it! And remember if you do need some gigabyte Help (BLUE BOARDS ROCK BY THE WAY!!!) Remember you can always stop in the support forum

Good luck with the rest of the build, Ill be watching for updates
 
you have no idea it doesnt make it easier but it makes it moe fun cause i have every tool i will ever need there and i get discount on things i need to! so im loving it!:D:D
 
cheezeit said:
Noodle: You could buy me a nice black P5Q for my birthday ;) And by the way, I'd like to thank this Noodle guy for giving me a usb bracket for the internal LCD and letting me borrow some ram to test when I thought my mobo was dead.

I can close the right panel now that I have the bracket and everything is hooked up internally. Added internal bluetooth too :) I'll see if I can get some pics up sometime soon.
Click to expand...

no problem :)

glad I could contribute..

the P5Q is a sexy THAng..
 
I just got done browsing through the thread and I just got one word for this mod, awesome!
I got some projects of my own that i would like to do some time soon. I liked the hidden DVD burner that was a cool idea. I got one question for you though I always wanted to switch to water cooling but was scared of frying my parts. Is it easy to set up and safe?
 
water cooling is easy to setup assuming you have a location to place the radiator. It is very easy to get a leak proof installation if you follow the directions for the barbs. I prefer Koolance compression fittings for my tubing. Like these here. The disadvantage of the koolance fittings is that you have to use thin wall tubing. This can result in kinking if you are not careful or you can use tubing rap like this. Dangerden.com has recently started making compression fittings and they look really good. They are more expensive but you can use thicker wall tubing if you have the space for both fittings on your block. The other thing to remember is do not use straight tap water, you will end up growing stuff in your system if you do. Also can lead to corrosion of your water kooling hardware. Koolance has solved the corrosion issue with plated coper parts, nickle does not corrode very easily. I am not saying Koolance stuff is the best, it looks very good, i have used Dangerden and EK parts with very good results as well.
 
a573573: Actually the GTX is not supposed to be mounted with springs, I was just experimenting with mounting pressure. With the springs I actually bent the mounting plate that holds the GTX:eek: ,so I'm happy with this mount. And why would you be sorry for anything, you were the one that got me ready to RMA it and therefore take it out of the case! :D Thanks for the offer, now I know where to go if my ~ 6 Gigabyte builds go wrong.

OofC_S7v7N: Haha, cool, tools make everything fun.

NoodleTech: When do we take pics with your D20?;)

ice24: Thanks bro, glad you like it. As for watercooling, it is safe if you set it up correctly. However it is substantially more difficult to set up than Air cooling, and be prepared to have patience and alot of time to get it right. The last thing you would want to do is have a leak spoil all your parts. Spend plenty of time researching the parts and how to set the watercooling up. I recommend you take a look at the guides on this forum:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=202394
All the info there is great. When set up correctly WC gives you excellent temps with flow running silent fans. I went from high end Aircooling (Tuniq and VF900) to watercooling and now I cannot hear my rig because all it takes is 5V yate loons to cool my rig.
Anyways, if you decide to jump into watercooling, its very fun if you know what you're doing.:)

nlancaster: I would actually avoid Koolance like the plague. Many of their parts are aluminum and will cause galvanic corrosion if you run them with parts from other manufacturers. If you're using all Koolance, then you will avoid corrosion but pay a ridiculously inflated price for mediocre parts. Their compression barbs are the one thing that they make alright, although Bitspower allows thick tubing and is excellent quality.
 
Thank you for all the info, I will read it. what place do you recommend for buying the parts and what parts should I buy?
 
that is some awesome work that you've done on that rocketfish. I've got a brand new rocketfish that I'm about to start modding out as well. Excellent cases, especially if you can get one at clearance price.
 
ice24: petras tech shop ;)

boyne70: Thanks alot bro

Ok, so it's been a while and i realized i never took any decent pics toward the end. Life got in the way haha. Anyways, I'm on spring break and the sun was out today so I decided to see if i could get some nicer pics. All i have still is my crappy point and shoot but i busted out the tripod and messed a bit with the settings. Oh, got a new motherboard too (Abit-IP 35 PRO) for all you haters of my gigabyte rainbow colored board :D Here's what i have to show you guys from that:

IMG_3371.jpg


IMG_3397.jpg


IMG_3402.jpg


IMG_3377.jpg


IMG_3376.jpg


IMG_3435.jpg


IMG_2465.jpg


IMG_3475.jpg


As soon as i get time I'll be cleaning up the wiring sleeving (need some decent quality sleeving, not the crappy xoxide stuff) I'm also going to try and make a plug on the back for the palm, right now it is just a wire leading out the back like you can see in the last pic. I also have some black spray paint so I might see if i can paint the silver parts on the front black

What do you guys think?
 
Looks good. I have a Build log (Devils Dark Side) on hear using a rocketfish as well. Check it out. I like to see what other people have done to this case.
 
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