LAN Dream:WorkLog - Overclock.net

*CyberDruid* · 06-25-07

Continuing my love affair with the Antec NSK 4400 is what I call LAN Dream.

Another LCC case this one has some twists to it. External rear mount Cyclone reservoir, UV blue 24Omm radiator, DB-1 and FuZion--which are far less expensive than the PA 160, bay res, MCP 655 and Stinger V8 in Blue Dream.

The benefit of the external reservoir will be freeing up an additional optical bay for gizomos and making a showier LC rig. the benefit of the 240 rad is by mounting it along the side panel there is no need to mod the front panel--lot's cheaper in time and materials. Plus the HDD bays remain intact. Now there will be a place to put a mess of cool looking switches, X-Fi Plat I/O or whatever. Upgrades...gotta leave room for buying cool stuff later...

Using the Air Cleaner top panel mod this case will be a departure from my last push/pull and forced air LC rigs making this my first exhaust only rig. The theory is simple. Mount a rad to the side panel with a cutout the size of the rad. Mount 120 x 38 Panaflo Mediums on the top and rear as exhausts. These puppies will just run full tilt or be controlled by the mobo headers...no controls: again--a cost cutting factor and easy upgrade. This is a LAN rig--just plug in the headphones and turn up the volume

Air wil be drawn through the rad and through some small orifices in the front panel just like Antec intended--this case ships with one fan--a TriCool on the back--all the cooling in this case is intended to be exhaust anyway..Cyber is just helping them out a bit...

A quick aside here to romance about the modification of plain beige and black boxes...part of why I mod the NSK 4400 is about what I feel is the root of mod: the plain black box--no swoopy front panel--no front fan--no window. A blank slate upon which to express the MADness.

Originally these boxes were terribly designed and had no airflow and were a great challenge--perfect mod fodder. Today most Office boxs like the NSK line are well design to meet TEC spec and actually perform very well--most mods to such a well thought out case either make it louder or even cool worse. So they present a different challenge...how to perceive what the designer hath wrought,

If you think Antec just slaps their cases together with no nod toward mod you need to look a little closer. I keep finding little pefections that have no business being there--why did they make the front panel exactly deep enough for a fan and have a rectangle in the molding of the back side exactly the size to cut out for a 120?

Why make all the 3.5 Bays removable? They could have just been pop rivetted or stamped into place--but in the ordinary steel chassis is a ton of thought about what this case might be...not just what it is....

Why is there an artfully formed circle in the dead center of the upper chassis between the PSU bay and Optical bay? There is no blowhole on the top panel of the NSK...but there might be

Why is the space between the bay side and the rear of the case exactly the right length to accomodate a 240mm radiator?

Why is the case just wide enough to accomodate a PA 160 in the front, if you remove those oddly removable parts...that is.

And why is there a nicely formed blank area on the rear panel the exact footprint of the D-5/MCP 655 pump?

Why?

I know why

More to follow as I lay out the LC loop in LAN Dream NSK4400LCC

*CyberDruid* · 06-25-07

Sorry for keeping a waitng all of four hours.

Form start to finish LAN Dream took about 6 hours.

Now that's my kind of Sunday Afternoon mod...3 beer--6 hours...it's awin win situation

This one is a beauty--flashy but finctional--all the features that set this rig off are functional--aircleaner blowhole--rearmounted reservoir--visible UV rad...

It's simple yet makes a statement--it sez I am here to kick some serious butt--prepare to be fragged...

I decided to swap sides with the door--you'll see why in a bit

See how Antec left the perfect length for the rad...

The rad is secured with the aluminum...

Eventually I will put a thumbnit on the front and rear of it but it's very secure as is.

The camera was charging while I worked out the loop..sorry for sparing you the boring details of cutting tubes to length, drilling holes,.. fitting grommets.

I am not going to paint the interior fo this one--I am trying to amke a LCC case that is entirely affordable--so no frills--no fan controllers--no fancy wiring no nothing...

I went with the MCP 655 after looking closely at the rad--I think it is fairly restrictive. Sonce I am using a powerful pump I went ahead and fitted a Swiftch Apogee I have laying around...I wanted to start using stuff up.

The rad is easily removed so fitting amobo and so on is easier than in any rig I have made since Velocitor.

I had to us to 1/2" barb to 1/4 mip poly fitting on the rad--so two elbows--but the MCP 655 won't even notice...

This rig is done done on to the next done...I will let someone else worry about slapping the extras on it...

Here;s what I got in it

NSK4400 ($75)
Cyclone Res ($30)
MCP 655 ($80)
Apogee ($65)
Magicool Rad ($40)
PrimoChill ($20)
Tube clamps fittings ($15)

THis is one of the most aesthetically pleasing loops I have ever created--the only thing you see inside the case are the lines to and from the block--that's it. It does not get any cleaner than that. Plus the length of the lines is like 3 feet total...about as short a loop as possible--yet the rad has enough service to be removed for fitting a mobo. IMO this is one the nicest LC rigs I have made.

Hang on a sec for some killer shots of it filled--the Cyclone is named that for a reason

*CyberDruid* · 06-25-07

*CyberDruid* · 06-25-07

This loop filled up quicker than any loop I have ever plumbed--just tank it up and fire the pump and tank it up some more...

At half full the res is jumping like a Jack Russel Terrior on meth...

A virtual geyser

Once filled it settles down--but there will be no question if the pump is running with this rig...

This is the same FUed Primo I had in Blue Dream--I ran it though filter papaer twice to remove the sedimentary dye and it is back to normal...

It's a nice aqua color...

This is not the kind of reservoir you run with the cap off

Just look at that sweet picture--The side panel will get a window eventually--and that is all you are going to see of the loop inside the case...

That's the profile I was imagining--the res adds some bulk to the overall look and balances the aircleaner up top...

No front panel mods this time...

I will actually have the other panel on this side with some UC acrlic behind the grills with a couple of laser UV leds firing it off...just to keep people guessing...

Noice how the coolant looks deep blue now--it;s fromt he 4" UV CCL tubes on the res...

THe AC Ran Oveboost on the aluminum strap that retains the rad really makes the loop pop inside th case--the window will hid teh the light so tha only thing popping is the tubes...

That's how it looks in a lit room...no one will wonder if this is an LCC rig

Imagine how that will look through a window...

That's all for now--it's ^ am and I am done and ready to sack out...

I will not have much time tomorrow to mess with LAN Dream--but I may be able to finish the side panel cut outs and window...

Future additions will be: custom grab bars for toting it around--a window and cutout for the rad, and some other stuff I am too tired to go into...

Let me know what you think about LAN Dream...the affordable LC Rig...