[PROJECT] "The blank.box"

smee

Gawd
Joined
Sep 4, 2007
Messages
605
Well, I've gotten bored of building air cooled PC's....
I'm gonna get wet this time, with watercooling. ;)
I call this,

Sponsored by:






************

Me, my Dad, and "The blank.box"

Several years ago, I became very interested in computers. It started with the software, learning how Windows XP worked, what "CRTL+ALT+DELETE" really meant and discovering the Control Panel; I soon became the I.T. guy around the house (at least, when Dad was at work). . . But I had never really thought about what was really inside that rectangular box, the one that made noise beneath the computer desk. Some say, "curiosity killed the cat", but in this case (pun intended), "curiosity became a world of fun". . . And that, my friends, is where my obsession with Computers really had started.

Going back a few years (well, more than a few), my dad has been around since the Timex Sinclaria 1000, and ever since fiddling with that computer (and plenty more after that) he also became quite interested in computers, and eventually built a few for himself, friends and family.
He also browsed computer forums such as these, and soon discovered. . .(drum roll please). . . Watercooling.
He built his first watercooled system when I was about 9 years old, of course I new nothing about it all, just that it was a computer for us, and it worked like a dream.
Four years later in summer '07, he built a new watercooled system and I was able to help him do it all, which was quite an experience for me. . . and also led to my addiction with watercooling. :D

My Dad is also a "fix-it" kind of guy, if you had something needing fixing, 9 out of 10 times, he could fix it.
I grew up working in the shop (aka, garage filled with tools. . . :rolleyes:), and at a very young age started building things, messing with electrical, going out on jobs with my Dad. . . Boy those were some of the best times of my life. The knowledge I have gained through learning from my Dad all these years in the shop, I must say, has definitely paid off. As now I'm working in the shop more than my Dad does. . . and having access to the shop just about 24/7 gives me great opportunity to mod things, such as Computers.

So here I am, 17 years old, and still kickin' it with Computers. . . more specifically, "The blank.box".
I hope you enjoy watching this build come together, just as much as I am enjoying putting it together. :up:


Computer Hardware:
Updated 11-27-09

  • Intel Core i7 920 D0 CPU | Have
  • Asrock X58 Extreme Motherboard | Have
  • Diablo 3x2GB DDR3 2000Mhz RAM | Have
  • EVGA GTX260 1260-AR GPU | Have
  • Corsair 850HX Modular Power Supply | Have
  • 3x Seagate 500GB 7200.12 HDs | Have

WaterCooling Components:
Updated 11-27-09

  • D-Tek Fuzion V1 CPU Block | Have
  • Nafhjy Brass Promount | Have
  • Fitseries3 Dual Port Delrin Top | Have
  • 1x EK NB Delrin Top Block | Have
  • 1x EK Mosfet Delrin Top Block | Have
  • HK GT200 GTX260 Full Cover Block | Have
  • 2x Swiftech MCP655 (D5) Vario Pumps | Have
  • 2x EK150 Reservoirs | Have
  • 2x Swiftech MCR320 Radiators | Have
  • 2x Swiftech MCR220 Radiators | Have
  • BitsPower Fittings (lots) | Have
  • 2x (UN)Designs Z2 Bracket | Have
  • 2x (UN)Designs Absolute Pump Bracket Rev. 3 | Have
  • 20ft. 1/2" ID (3/4" OD) Masterkleer Tubing | Have

Other Hardware:
Updated 11-27-09

  • 2x Rosewill R-225 Case | Have
  • 2x RadGrillz / Stripes 3x120 Black | Have
  • 2x RadGrillz / Stripes 2x120 Black | Have
  • 12x Scythe SY1225SL12M Fans
  • Pioneer Slim Slot Loading DVR-TS08 CD/DVD Burner | Have
  • MurderMod MDPC-X 'Psychopack' Sleeving Kit | Have
  • Sunbeam Rheobus Extreme Black Fan Controller | Ordered

Now, onto some pictures :)
12-28-07

cimg4289in9.jpg

Case, "The blank.box"

cimg4293my8.jpg

Inside of the case

cimg4295yj2.jpg

Back side of the case

Ok, so I'm going to put the MCR320 up on the top panel of the case (still inside of the case though). But doing that won't allow me to put my power supply up there...
So heres the first mod:
cimg4301fv5.jpg

I took out the 3.5" bays, I had to drill out the rivets to do that.
I'm going to put the PSU down in the front of the case, I'll have to mod a couple more things though :)

I'm waiting for the rad, grills and the fans to come. More updates soon!
_____________________________________________
UPDATE!!!
12-28-07
Apparently I won't be getting my rad or fans untill the 1st or 2nd of Jan.
So I'll update with pics of the rad when it gets here :)

But for now, heres a pic of some dremel work I did tonight:

cimg4321mo6.jpg

I'll be getting some of that rubber edging stuff from petra's soon to put around those sharp edge's.

It will be a while till I order some more components (gotta make some more $$), but I'll post pics and update ya'll whenever I do something new :)
_____________________________________________
UPDATE!!!!
01-03-08
Ok, so I got my shipment from newegg and petra's today.

8 Tt 130mm Silent Wheel fans:
cimg4413kn8.jpg

_
cimg4424bo1.jpg


And my MCR320 wOOt!! :D
cimg4421gz7.jpg


Going to mount six of the fans in push and pull config on the rad and the other two inside the case.
I'm going to do some more cutting in a little bit too, I'll keep you updated :)
________________________________________________
01-03-08
Are those fans gonna fit? It looks like the mounting on those thigns are meant for 120mm fans but yours are 130mm and protrude out a bit more. I know on my MCR320 the fan spacing is really tight, with my PA120.3 you have alil more space between each fan.

Already thought about that, and I've got a plan hehe... I'll post pics of the fans after I'm done modding them ;D
________________________________________________
Alright, as promised heres another UPDATE!!!!!!!
01-03-08

Since those fans won't fit close enough to line up with the holes on the rad (and I knew they wouldn't) I had to mod them.
cimg4434ik3.jpg

I screwed one of the new fans to an old square fan.

cimg4435rg5.jpg

So now I have to sand it down until both fans are level with each other.

cimg4436st3.jpg

I used 80 grid.

cimg4438kh5.jpg

There we go :D

cimg4439id9.jpg

I sanded down the sides that I needed to on all the fans.

cimg4440nf8.jpg

Heres one up close.

cimg4444pf5.jpg

Mounted them on the rad, they look pretty good!

cimg4448yn2.jpg

The under side of the rad with the fans on.

cimg4450bc7.jpg

I'm doing push and pull. I tested the fans out while they were on the rad and it pulls air through likes nuts! It's super quiet too, I can feel air coming out 10" away from the rad when the fans are on.
Now I've just got to do a little wiring and soldering on the fan wires.


Tomorrow I'm going to be doing some more cutting.
I should be getting the rad grills in the morning.
I also plan on cutting a window into that ugly ol' side panel ;):
cimg4410oh9.jpg

Yuk.

cimg4411yu8.jpg

Put some blue tape on the front.

cimg4412hz3.jpg

And a little on the back.

Well, it's late and I'm tired, I'll UPDATE ya'll tomorrow.
_________________________________________

I'll leave you HL guys with that for now. I've got more updates when you want them. :top:

So what you guys think so far??

Another UPDATE :D

I've done alot of things in the past 48 hours, But I'll start with some wire management :)

I did some soldering on the rad fan wiring:
cimg4455ns3.jpg

(yes, very messy table)

cimg4489vi7.jpg

I tested them and they all work great :D
Now I don't have 6 nasty wires hangin' around on the rad :ROTF:

Heres the rad grillz I got yesterday:
cimg4463sc5.jpg


cimg4464wd7.jpg

Outta da box... they look sweet ;)

Here's what I did with the small grill:
cimg4465vp5.jpg


cimg4466eo8.jpg


cimg4467rk7.jpg

Cut out a squarish circle in the black thing that use to have the power button in it.

cimg4468hm9.jpg

Put it together

cimg4470vo1.jpg


cimg4472so9.jpg

Put it on the front plastic piece.
BTW, I put a longer wire on this fan because it needs to reach behind the mobo.

cimg4473ov3.jpg

different view

cimg4475nc0.jpg

On the case

cimg4493xn7.jpg

Looks pretty good! :D
This mod took me about 10 minutes... record time :cool: :rofl:

More mods in next post!

More mods!!

I finished cutting out the side window, I did it with my good ol' dremel and some reinforced cutting disc's.
cimg4479pv4.jpg

It took a while, but was well worth it :D

cimg4478lt2.jpg

Fits very nicely, now I just have to go get some plexiglass.
And, BTW, the rad is not mounted on the bottom of the case, it's just sitting there for now.

Next mod:
The other day my mom and I went to Target... I was looking through the isles when I came across these:
cimg4498vs3.jpg

And I thought, oh, I could use those!
They cost like 7 bucks each, I bought them :D

This morning, I cut one of them up a little,
cimg4500fv8.jpg

I cut a little piece out...

cimg4501uo7.jpg

Then I folded the edges over and fit it to size. Then screwed it on the case.

cimg4503so3.jpg

Close up

cimg4502mr9.jpg

Full picture.

Now i've just got to cut the top of the case and mount the rad to the case and rad grill.
cimg4495vb5.jpg


I might do that tonight, not sure yet.

Tell me how you like it all, comments and ideas are welcome! :D
~Parker :woot:

UPDATE!!!!!!!!
01-31-08

Ok, so it's been a while!
Heres a bunch of pics:

cimg4746vd4.jpg

Rads mounted with fans on both sides.

cimg4756xf0.jpg

Another view

cimg4755wv2.jpg

Top view of the rad. I got two sizes of screws that match, score! :top:

cimg4752zk5.jpg

Another look at the top, sorry for bad pics, i took them real quick...

cimg4750xj0.jpg

And another one...

cimg4759zp8.jpg

Heres a pic of the inside of the case with the rad at the top.

cimg4760kc9.jpg

Ok, the tubing is going to come really close to the mobo on that back barb... but I've got a plan for that! It's called stubby's :) They help with really tight turns.


Ok, what do you guys think of this:
cimg4757bo3.jpg

I put some black cloth duck tape on the outside of the side panel, I'm thinking I'll do this to the whole outside of the case instead of re-painting it black (if you look above at on of the case pics you can see how scratched up the case is).

What do you guys think of this?
It's kinda Ghetto I know, but I think it would look really cool for lan party's and stuff :)

My updates to come when I order some more stuffs :top:
For now,
~Parker
 
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Looking good with the rad, but please, if you take the time, take some more and do it right. Paint the case, there are lots of instructions on how to do it right (sanding, primer, sanding, THIN coats of color so that it doesn´t run, more sanding, clear coat, buffing), you could paint the inside aswell while you´re at it.
The screws on the rad... just don´t look right, maybe look for some darker ones. They look as if they were meant to hold some wooden stuff together, also the screws at the back holding the mesh should be replaced with something more fashionable. If possible, make a back plate as some kind of last step which gets affixed with the screws which also hold the sides so that it covers the open ends of the mesh (any maybe any paint errors that could occur around the openings at the back, that´s always a tricky part to paint).
The window looks kinda uneven on your pictures, the corners don´t seem perfectly round. Maybe trace round corners on the metal with a bowl or a glass, the long edges with a ruler and then file away the excess metal to give it a nice, clean edge.
Doing it all rigt takes a lot of time, but trust me, better do it right or you´ll always spot the imperfections and ask yourself later on "why didn´t I ...".
 
Awesome work so far, but no, don't go with the duct tape, actually paint it. You'll be glad you did when it's all said and done.
 
Nice job with the fan wiring and the front fan mod, very clean =).

Just a side note...Are you sure you want to be pushing the radiated air into the case? Seems like that would pump a lot of unwanted heat into your case and onto your components. +1 to painting, duct tape would be cool, until that is it started to peel off and get scuffed up by the toils of daily life =/, paint would hold up better.
 
This is looking hella good, the fan mod was a great idea! :D I like those fans, are they pretty silent?
 
Those fans look sweet! And id try and paint the case it looks awesome so far but if it had a panted interior it would look a thousand times better.
 
Are the fans upside down on the Rad or is it just me?

Normally where the cross-supports are is where the fans are going to be pushing air, you want a push-pull setup pushing the hot-air through the rad and pulling it outside of the case right?

Right now it's going to be pushing air down... right? maybe those thermaltakes are different :confused:

Looks good so far though... :D
 
Are the fans upside down on the Rad or is it just me?

Normally where the cross-supports are is where the fans are going to be pushing air, you want a push-pull setup pushing the hot-air through the rad and pulling it outside of the case right?

Right now it's going to be pushing air down... right? maybe those thermaltakes are different :confused:

Looks good so far though... :D

Pulling cool air in from outside the case, through the radiator, can often be more efficient than doing the reverse.
 
Are the fans upside down on the Rad or is it just me?

Normally where the cross-supports are is where the fans are going to be pushing air, you want a push-pull setup pushing the hot-air through the rad and pulling it outside of the case right?

Right now it's going to be pushing air down... right? maybe those thermaltakes are different :confused:

Looks good so far though... :D

Lol, The fans are pulling cold air from the outside of the case though the radiator.
If I had them the other way, there would be warm air from the inside of the case going through the radiator.

It's like this, if you had to thaw out a frozen can of orange juice would you want to use cold water or warm water?

Pulling cool air in from outside the case, through the radiator, can often be more efficient than doing the reverse.

Bingo.
It may seem more logical to pull the hot air out of the case, but not for watercooling.
I've got that rear exhaust fan in the back of the case pulling that hot air out, and I've got the front fan pushing cold air into the case, so I think it's all going to be fine.

About the duck tape.
I have decided to clean up the edges of the case window (to make them even) and paint the entire outside of the case. So no duck tape. :)
But, which which shade of black should I use?
I was thinking I'd to semi-glossy black? Or I can do flat black and then paint a clear coat of gloss on it?

And yes, I am going to paint the inside of the case black, I'm thinking it'll be more of a semi-flat'ish color. I've got to go to the hardware store and check out some paints though.

Let me know your recommendations, and thanks for all the positive comments/feedback/and suggestions!!! ;)

Thanks!
~smee
 
I dunno why but the orange and black color scheme just screams "Nemesis" as a name for the project
 
I dunno why but the orange and black color scheme just screams "Nemesis" as a name for the project

Hey I really like that one!
I'll think about it for a day and see if I like it :D

[PROJECT] "The Nemesis"
[PROJECT] "Nemesis"
[PROJECT] "Blank.Nemesis"
[PROJECT] "Black.Nemesis"
[PROJECT] "blank.nemesis
[PROJECT] "black.nemesis"
[PROJECT] "Blank Nemesis"

Which one? Any other suggestions?
 
Very nice work! I especially like how clean the top of the case works once the rad was in, absolutely fantastic. That said, paint the damn thing, don't skimp on the last lap and duct tape it :p
 
Im more of a minimalist so id got with just plain "Nemesis"

So [Project] "Nemesis" or I could do it with a lowercase n, [Project] "nemesis".
The lowercase n might look better once I do a photoshopped banner thing.
 
Very nice work! I especially like how clean the top of the case works once the rad was in, absolutely fantastic. That said, paint the damn thing, don't skimp on the last lap and duct tape it :p

Thanks K6!
A couple post's up I said I'm going to paint.
What shade of black should I paint the outside and what shade on the inside?
 
Nice way on soldering the rad fans... do you have a link to somewhere for a guide for "Solding computer fans and basic EE work for Dummies?" I'd like to apply that and test it on my current rig, I'm hoping to watercool my next computer and have tons of low RPM fans to make it ultra silent :D

Looking good so far, I'm pretty envious :) only thing I'd say is spruce up your case like others have said.
 
Lol, The fans are pulling cold air from the outside of the case though the radiator.
If I had them the other way, there would be warm air from the inside of the case going through the radiator.
Ahh, yea now I feel stupid, I've never done watercooling so I never considered how to setup the fans/radiators...

Makes sense though :D
 
Don't worry your not the only one to think it would be worse than pushing out =P
<----
I can see how it could be worse to pull hot air through your cooler, didn't think about that. Still logically pushing warmed air into your case still isn't ideal.
 
it all depends on the position of the radiator and the speed of the fans.
In my watercooling setup, the fans ran at 4V, they were barely spinning - I just wanted some kind of airflow, could´ve shut them off completely when I wasn´t gaming.
In that case, with the rad on top, it´s better to suck the air out because otherwise you would work against the way of natural convection (warm air rises by itself) and all the passively cooled stuff in your pc still creates a lot of heat (voltage regulators, ICs etc) that needs to get out.
If you have high speed fans on your rad though, suck in cold air. But then again, why go for watercooling if not for silence? Loud overclocking can be achieved with air much cheaper, or with LN2 if you go for extremes.
 
it all depends on the position of the radiator and the speed of the fans.
In my watercooling setup, the fans ran at 4V, they were barely spinning - I just wanted some kind of airflow, could´ve shut them off completely when I wasn´t gaming.
In that case, with the rad on top, it´s better to suck the air out because otherwise you would work against the way of natural convection (warm air rises by itself) and all the passively cooled stuff in your pc still creates a lot of heat (voltage regulators, ICs etc) that needs to get out.
If you have high speed fans on your rad though, suck in cold air. But then again, why go for watercooling if not for silence? Loud overclocking can be achieved with air much cheaper, or with LN2 if you go for extremes.

These fans are 57CFM at 16db. They can almost not be heard unless you put your ear close to the case.
The fans will be fine how they are pushing air into the case, I've got fans pulling air out of the case in the back.

Thanks for the comments guys!
And for those of you who didn't catch it earlier, I've decided to paint the entire case instead of duct tape :rolleyes:
BTW, I know how to spray paint very well, you don't have to lecture me, please :D

More updates to come!! I got a deal on an E6600 for $120!!!!!!! w00000t0tttt! :p
I should be getting it on friday, I'll post pics then :)

Edit:
I've decided that I'm going to sell the proc on ebay or something and make some money off it. Reason, I have a buddy who can get me a free one :)
 
Just so you know those fans are louder than 16dba. I know they are rated at that but I have a couple of them and they are defiantly underrated. If i had to guess they are closer to 25dba.
 
Just so you know those fans are louder than 16dba. I know they are rated at that but I have a couple of them and they are defiantly underrated. If i had to guess they are closer to 25dba.
90% of thermaltake fans are, I wouldn't be surprised.
 
Just so you know those fans are louder than 16dba. I know they are rated at that but I have a couple of them and they are defiantly underrated. If i had to guess they are closer to 25dba.

90% of thermaltake fans are, I wouldn't be surprised.

I know there overrated a little bit, but not 26db, I know that much.
six of them on the rad aren't even 26db. there really quiet.
 
I've overlooked this log for so long and I don't know why.

Really starting to come together.

Take your time to paint it. Preparation is everything.
 
I've overlooked this log for so long and I don't know why.

Really starting to come together.

Take your time to paint it. Preparation is everything.

Thanks mate!:)

I'm not going to paint anything until I get all the hardware and I'm done drilling holes and cuttings things. I don't want to paint it and then realize I need to drill another hole...
:D
 
I know there overrated a little bit, but not 26db, I know that much.
six of them on the rad aren't even 26db. there really quiet.

26 db IS really quiet. That's below the noise level for a quiet conversation. If you really want silence, put all those fans on 5 volt switches.
 
lookign good. just so you know about the fan ratings, 56CFM is at max voltage, and 16dB is at the lowest voltage. you can't have both ;)
 
lookign good. just so you know about the fan ratings, 56CFM is at max voltage, and 16dB is at the lowest voltage. you can't have both ;)

Ok, that makes sense. I have them at max voltage running off of molex connectors...
 
Never mind your going to mount the psu on the bottom. I was going to ask where your going to put it but i already found my answer.
 
Hey guys!
Small Update!
2-20-08


Ssoooz.....
I got a package in the mail from a friend on another forum....... :)
w000000000tttttT!!!!! Thanks a bunch :D
cimg4910yj4.jpg


I've been looking inside the case, and I've got a couple of place's I could mount the res.... but I'll have to decide that later once I get the actually computer hardware in there.
But thanks again! :cool::D

For now!
~Parker
 
BTW, I don't think I ever posted pics of the cutting out the top for the radiator.... :confused:

Well heres the pics! :D

cimg4507nm8.jpg

Drawn out :p

cimg4509ij0.jpg


cimg4510jc1.jpg

I cut it out with my dremel (I love dremels ;))

Don't know why or how I forgot to post those pics.... :frown:
Well, at least I got them up here! Enjoy. :)
 
Alright guys, change in plan!! :D
So, over on another forum a couple guys suggested I have a nice color scheme, Orange and Black. Another guy suggested I should name the build "Sunkist", I think that would fit very nicely, even though it's an Orangy color scheme not Yellow I think it'll be fine.
I'm going to paint the outside of the case a semi-glossy black, the insides will be both black and orange (different parts will be different colors).
I may even do some orange pin-striping on the outside of the case... :rolleyes:

So, change in main components:

I've decided to grab the DFI LanParty Dark P35-T2RS motherboard instead of the ASUS P5K-E/Wifi. The DFI board will match the color scheme way better and will look cooler.
Heres a pic:

DK%20P35-T2R.jpg


Also, I've decided to get a Corsair XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800Mhz (Cas4) kit instead of the Crucial Ballistix kit. Reason being is that it again matches the color scheme better and because it has better cooling. I'll also eventually be getting a second kit to have 4GB of RAM. :cool:
Heres a pic of the RAM:

20-145-177-04.jpg


What do you guys think?
Suggestions? Comments?
 
Could have just gotten some aftermarket heatspreaders for ram, coulda used what you wanted. But those look nice.
 
Ok guys, looks like I'll be ordering the mobo, memory, HD(s) and the dvd drive tonight!!!! w0000000000Tttt!!!!!! :D:D:D:D

But heres the dilemma... i can't decide on the HD I want to get!! :p
I'm a hard core Seagate fan, I don't buy any other drives unless there given to me for free :rolleyes:
I can get the new Seagate 250GB Sata HD with 32MB Cache for $$80 + $6 shipping from Newegg.
Or...
The Seagate 320GB Sata HD for $80 shipped for Newegg.
Or...
The Seagate 250GB Sata HD for $70 shipped from Newegg.

I'm not doing any special RAID or anything, it's just simply one OS on each HD. :)

QUESTION!:
Will I see a noticeable difference in speed with a 250GB 32MB Cache drive vs. a 250GB 16MB Cache drive?

Which drive should I get?
 
How much d'you have to spend on the drive? If you can afford it go for a higher capacity drive like a 500giger, as the denser platers will give slightly better performance, you'll have much more space and i don't think they're that much more expensive?

And on the memory, i don't see how the Corsair's silver heatspreaders really fit the colour scheme any better? If you're going for overclocks etc worry about the performance of the chips more than the colour of the heatsink.
 
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