[Build Log] my first build - Page 2

some pics of the first parts acquired

case:









PSU:

thanks for the sub

more parts arrived this week. here they are:

plexi that will become a nice side window. hopefully



i'm a bit worried that maybe i should have bought a thicker one. this one is just 2mm. seller had a 4mm version aswell.

fan controller





fans. just the kaze ones tho. the typhoons in another purchase





i tested the fan controller and the fans on my current rig:



the fans are working superbly and move A LOT of air... but i have a few problems with the fan controller. first off, a bit of paint peeled off the mesh. i thought i shouldn't return an item for something that can be fixed with a can of spray paint... but then, when i tested the controller, it couldn't start the kazes on the lower setting. the lamptron fan-atic has three settings: low, high and off. high is the full 12v and low, as stated on the box, is supposed to be 7v. earlier models were rated 5v on low, and even that should, in theory, have been enough to start the kazes, which have a starting voltage of just 2.8, apparently.

weirdest thing is a have a 80mm noctua nf-r8 lying around... which is rated to start at 4v... hooked it up to the fan controller and it was able to run the fan both in high and low settings

thing is, because of the conflicting kaze test and the noctua one, i don't know if the problem lies with my particular item or with this fan model. i'd replace it if i knew it was just this item not working properly, but if it's a problem with the lamptron fan-atic itself i don't know... i'm not keen on getting a refund since this is the look i want with my fan controller and i don't want to use a fan controller that looks differently... for reasons explained here
Edited by Moralagos - 2/14/12 at 3:13am

had to make some adjustments to the shopping list

i decided i'm going to mod the case and fit it with a side window, so i'm not going to be putting a kaze on the side as intake, as i originally planned. i thought i'd put the first kaze in the front and the second on the bottom, both as intake... BUT the kazes have 120mm mounting holes, which i didn't realize prior to buying them... so i couldn't fit one on the bottom... then i was informed the gentle typhoons i was going to order can't be shipped to romania! i felt rage creeping up lol... then i took a deep breath and gave it some thought. i placed both kazes at the top as exhaust, with the intention of moving the radiator at the bottom, with just a pull system. i will replace the four typhoons with two cougars. i also proceeded to order one 140 noiseblocker for front intake and one 120 noiseblocker for rear exhaust. everything at this stage is just plans, theories and setups in my mind, since i don't have all the parts. once the parts come in, i will see what temps i get and i will mess with the fans and radiator setup until i get the best temps. not that big of a deal to switch some fans around, even if i did have to improvise and use cable ties to secure the kazes to the top of my case, because of the 120mm mounting holes
Edited by Moralagos - 2/14/12 at 3:06am

i'm too impatient to wait until i have all the parts before i start my build... so i've started putting together the few parts that have already arrived

stripped case with the bottom of the hdd cage removed for better airflow. i'm going to use only one hdd and one ssd anyway



replaced the top stock 140mm fan with two kazes



i had a bit of trouble with the kazes being 140mm in size but having 120mm mounting holes. had to use zip ties. now, before you nail me to the cross for using white zip ties with black fans on a black case, i couldn't find my black zip ties anywhere and i got frustrated with looking. also, when everything is put together, this area won't be visible



fan controller in place. i don't have a picture of that, but i fixed the peeled-off paint with a can of matte black spraypaint that i got from the supermarket



psu in. looks pretty nice



this is all for the moment. this week, maybe even later today, some more stuff should be arriving. not any of the big stuff yet (cpu, mb, vga), but i'll probably get the ram and hdd by mid march or so
Edited by Moralagos - 2/20/12 at 2:20am

new goodies arrived. yay!

used musketeer in excellent condition:



one 140mm noiseblocker and one 120mm noiseblocker:



noiseblockers unboxed:





i also bought this 80mm sharkoon red led fan:





i thought i'd install it on the right side panel so it would give a nice red glow from under the motherboard... thing is i didn't bother to check my case specs first. it can only accommodate a 15mm thick fan on that side... and this fan is 25mm. now, it does fit exactly over the cutout made so you can fit the cpu backplate easier... so i'm hoping that there's enough clearance so that the fan won't touch the backplate, but i won't know that until i install the motherboard, which is still a loooong time to go

EDIT: never thought about this before, but it just crossed my mind that if the backplate would touch the fan, i could just replace the motherboard standoffs with slightly taller ones. i'll wait and see tho. i could do a mockup with a piece of cardboard, but i can't be bothered to do that now have to go to work anyway
Edited by Moralagos - 2/23/12 at 4:56am

photos of the case with the new fans in

musketeer painted and installed. that's all for today







i must say... the look is taking shape now and i love it

hehe. thanks for being a fan, even one in hiding

as for the aquagate max, things are looking good. after the namibian disappointment i've got a positive response here. i'm just waiting on a shipping quote. hopefully it will be a done deal today or tomorrow and in the mail

keep following my other thread. there have been more interesting developments