[Build] The Elysium Beast V2.7: Dual Xeon, Dual D14, Dual SAS RAID6, 8 ODD, 16.0TB

Current Pics 5/1/2013



Current Installed Storage Capacity 4/29/2013 16.35TB
Current Configured Storage Capacity 4/29/2013 11.85TB

CURRENT SYSCONFIG 4/29/2013
CPU 2x Intel Xeon E5520 (2.267 GHz)
CPU Heatsink 2x Noctua NH-D14 (adapted to LGA1366 Xeon)
System Memory 8x Corsair CM72DD2G1333 Registered ECC (16384MB, 6 channels)
Motherboard Tyan S7025AGM2NR DIY
Chipset Cooling 2x Thermalright HR-05IFX (DIY retention system)
PSU Enermax EPM1000AWT Platimax
CPU Fans Noctua NF-P12-PWM (600-1200RPM)
Exhaust Fan Thermalright TY-140 (1000-1300RPM)
Graphics Card Fan Nidec Servo D1225C12B4AP-14 (1400RPM)
Front Storage Department Fans Scythe Slip Stream Slim SY1212SL12SL (800RPM)
Graphics Card Nvidia Quadro 4000 Supercooled Edition DIY (X16_0)
Graphics Card Heatsink Thermalright DIY-modded Spitfire
Firewire Belkin F5U602 USB2.0+IEEE1394b combo card (X16_1)
Firewire Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro (IEEE1394a)
Audio Device Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro (PCI)
Audio Device Realtek ALC262 integrated codec (front case jacks)
Host Drive OCZ RevodriveX2 100GB (X4_1)
VM Drive WD740ADFD (Marvell CH0) (SATA-150)

Storage Controller 0 Exsys modified EX-3520 (Marvell 88SE9128) (X4_0)
Storage Controller 1 Promise Supertrak EX8650 (X16_2)
Storage Controller 2 Promise Supertrak EX16650 (X16_3)

Storage Controller 1 P1,3 WD5000BEVT-00A0RT0
Storage Controller 1 P2,4 WD5000BPVT-22HXZT3
Storage Controller 1 P5,6 HTS547564A9E384
Storage Controller 1 P7,8
Storage Controller 2 P1-4 WD5003ABYX-01WERA0
Storage Controller 2 P5-8 WD1003FBYX-01Y7B1
Storage Controller 2 P9-11,13-15 WD10EADS-00L5B1
Storage Controller 2 P12,16 WD10EACS-00D6B0

RAID Group 0 Storage Controller 1 ports 1-4, RAID6, 1.0TB
RAID Group 1 Storage Controller 1 ports 5-8
RAID Group 2 Storage Controller 2 ports 1-4, RAID5, 1.5TB
RAID Group 3 Storage Controller 2 ports 5-8, RAID5, 3.0TB
RAID Group 4 Storage Controller 2 ports 9-16, RAID6, 6.0TB

Backup Capsule external DIY 3.5" cartridge reader (in place of optical drive 6 when needed) (TI-IEEE1394b)

Optical Drive 0 MATSH|TA DVD-RAM SW-9576S (Marvell ATA) (UDMA-4)
Optical Drive 1 HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L (ICH10_0) (UDMA-2)
Optical Drive 2 HL-DT-ST BD-RE BH10LS30 (ICH10_1) (UDMA-2)
Optical Drive 3 Optiarc BD-ROM BC-5640H (ICH10_2) (UDMA-5)
Optical Drive 4 Optiarc BD-RW BD-5730S (ICH10_3) (UDMA-5)
Optical Drive 5 Optiarc BD-RW BD-5740H (ICH10_4) (UDMA-5)
Optical Drive 6 HL-DT-ST BDDVDRW GGC-H20L (SB-IEEE1394a)
Optical Drive 7 Optiarc BD-ROM BC-5640H (NEC-USB2.0)

Main Display HP LP2475w (DVI_0)
Preview Display Eizo Flexscan S2243W (DP_0 to DVI-D)
Aux Display Onkyo TX-NR906 (DP_1 to HDMI)
Keyboard Logitech MK520
Mouse Logitech M570 trackball
Editing Controller Contour Design ShuttleXpress
Card Reader Hama/Transcend USB2.0 multi-card reader integrated in light control module
Near-field Audio System Rotel RA-935BX and Monitor Audio Radius 90HD

Note: I DIY-mod almost everything PC-related I get my hands on

First, let's get the thing out of the box and remove everything not needed during the building process.


Modding a Lian-li BS08B slot cooler: replacing stock fans with 2x Scythe Slip Stream SY1225SL12SL (500 RPM), taking fans out of the frame and removing the dual-slot bracket.


Testing placement. As you can see, this cooler will be used for expansion cards compartment, except the Quadro 4000 on slot#1, mainly for SAS controller on slot#7. I use the pre-drilled liquid holes for exhaust. Thumbscrews for testing, flush screws for definitive mounting (to allow side panel fit)


I'm afraid this setup will touch higher than normal cards (i.e. Sound Blaster), I may have to remove grilles or rubber mounts...


To be continued...
Edited by pm40elys40 - Today at 5:19 am

Placing some industrial-grade wheels on key junction and weight-bearing points, to get the best strength. Stock wheels were crap and placed oddly. Plate fixing with M5x10 stainless bolts.


Enhancing and tidying top ports compartment, now the first 5.25 bay should've become usable for standard devices (this is a common issue on the Elysium)

Edited by pm40elys40 - 3/4/13 at 5:44am

Update: I took some measures of the bottom compartment, and using a EATX board it should be able to accomodate three Lian-Li EX-H34B hotswap SATA backplanes, stripped of front doors and rear fan, HDD handles pointing towards side panel. That means 12 HDDs with all front bays free could be even 16 using the bottom three front bays... . Natural convection cooling from floor or maybe a couple of Scythe Slim series (1/2" thick) can be housed under the cages. Now if I only had something like a Promise EX16650 controller...

Mcmogg
The USB3.0 cables are simple extensions: male to female, only the female end has the two screws to bolt it to a panel. You could replace them with a USB3.0 bracket, if you can find a compatible one (for holes distance and dual separated ports), then remove ports from slot bracket. I checked compatibility with a Delock code 82942 (dual stacked USB3.0 ports with internal header connector) and it almost matches with a little plastics filing, but on the underside it protrudes more than the stock ports so renders bay#1 unusable for ODD devices. And with that Delock thing you'd need an internal USB3.0 extension cable since it has only a 46cm (18") long one. IMHO if you want internal connectivity and cable hiding, simple route the blue cables behind the mobo tray, then use an internal header-to-plug converter, usually USB3.0 headers on motherboards are close to the edges, use one of the cable passages or if it's far from the header, drill one Ø20 mm (3/4") should be enough.


A Quadro 4000 and two E5520 Xeons don't need extreme watercooling, on my current Stacker T01 build I have two Prolimatech Samuel-17, which are some of the smallest i5/i7 coolers around, adapted to Xeon mount, and my CPUs stay pretty cool (max 76C/170F on full load) with very low overall noise. Never used watercooling on my rigs, that's for gamer systems, not for a plain old Xeon workstation intended to be highly reliable IMHO.
Edited by pm40elys40 - 4/9/12 at 5:26am

PS: wanting to do it, watercooling with entire bottom area filled with HDDs, PSU on top bay and keeping 5.25 bays free would still be possible: using a 140 rad on rear exhaust and a 240 on rooftop, moved towards the front as far as it can go to fit the power supply.
Using the front bays, well that'd make for a nice 480 and no free bays, 360 or 420 and 1-2 free bays, 280 and plenty of free bays

Enlarging rear liquid holes


Enhancing exhaust port of side cooler (enlarging and grille)


A lot of M3/M4 stainless bolts, a fully charged drill...


To proceed with de-riveting and get an (almost) fully bolted Elysium for better torsional rigidity. M4 bolts when space allowed them to fit, M3 otherwise, flat and anti-loosening washers on all junction points. Now only rivets left are in the corners


First simulation with a 4x HDD cage taken from a Lian-li PC-C34 (i.e. first glimpse at "ton of HDDs and no front bays occupied" ), it should be the same as those sold separately for 5.25 bays. I can get 16 mm (5/8") clearance under the cage before touching the side cooler, that would allow for a 1/2" thick fan but max. 100x100 in size, since the four M3 holes on the bottom are too close to fit a 120x120 fan and a sturdy bar to anchor the three cages together. So the only choice would be Scythe Slip Stream Slim 100x100x12 x3, but I have in mind recycling one of the front doors to house a 120x120x25 fan and a piece of water pipe (Ø125), with some metal ducting it should be fine.

Edited by pm40elys40 - 3/4/13 at 5:47am

Dismantling fan and door from the EX-H34B cages


Clearance test...


And after some hours of work, here it is: 12 HDD hotswap cage, fully bolted, extreme rigidity


With a slight modification to three handles (drilling out the center indentation) inserting a HDD in the lowest bays becomes almost easy...

Edited by pm40elys40 - 3/4/13 at 5:49am

Round support bar in case of very heavy tower heatsinks (i.e. Noctua U12, TR HR02)

Edited by pm40elys40 - 3/4/13 at 5:50am