[Faster_is_better]

Time to start this up.

Don't forget your:

Preamble:
Seems like this has been a long time in the making. I've been researching watercooling for over a year now, following the watercooling club, researching and planning. Now it is about time to make the final purchases and get this thing put together! Kickstart My Heart (in sig) is going to get wet. Putting the CPU and both GPU's under water. The primary reason for all of this will be noise. These 290s are terrible with there "leaf blower" reference design fans. (This is going to be really funny when you see the parts list) So in the quest for performance, silence and to expand my hobby, watercooling seems to be the next step. This will be my first custom loop, and the saying "Go Big or Go Home" will apply here. It will be slightly overkill in some ways

So follow me on my journey if you like, post your comments, suggestions, critiques, and have fun.

Components:
Phanteks Primo case
Gigabyte Z87 UD4H
Intel i5 4670k
MSI r9 290
XFX r9 290
4 x 4GB Samsung Wonder Ram
Various SSD, HDD
EVGA SuperNOVA 1300w G2
Creative Z Sound Card

Watercooling:
Alphacool XT45 480mm rad
Alphacool UT60 480mm rad
Barrow 65mm x 200mm reservoir
BP, XSPC, EK Fittings
1/2" x 3/4" Primochill Adv. LRT Bloodshed Red tubing
EK Acetal 290 blocks
Aquacomputer 290 back plates
EK dual parallel bridge
EK Supreme HF Full Copper CPU block
Swiftech MCP50x
12-16x Delta AFB1212SHE PWM fans

Mods:
Custom bottom radiator grill, original idea by @maskymus (see example here, love it!)
Custom fan splitter, powered direct from PSU
Custom fan controller TBD
Additional case lighting
Possibly some PSU cable sleeving
Possibly changing window out for clear version
A bit of case "trimming" to make things fit

Table of Contents
1. OP, Hardware to be used, Final pics - Link
2. Build preview pics, with links to full post updates - Link
3. Best thread quotes - Link
4. Video? Future upgrades/ideas pic - Link
5. Credits and Thanks - Link

Final Pics:
some day

 

[Faster_is_better]

Build Preview Pics
Links to single posts with lots of pics should be added to the small previews here.

Cutting out bottom mesh, to be replaced with custom 480 grill

Link to post

Prototyping custom fan power/PWM adapter

Link to post

Mountain of W/C Parts

Link to post

Modding for top Radiator (hot template action)
Template Download:

alphacool-xt45-ends-real-size-template-V2.pdf 395k .pdf file

**Always double check printed template for correct measurements. (printer settings, file differences, etc may come out incorrect)


Link to post

Blocking and Plating r9 290's (with mods)

Link to post

BEFORE:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

AFTER:


Coming

 

[Faster_is_better]

Best Thread Quotes
I want this thread to be a bit fun so any special/spectacular/funny quotes I will be adding here

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramzinho

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCautiousOne

Second

TCO

stop following me it's getting creepy

 

[Faster_is_better]

Video Update, Future upgrades, Ideas, Pics
I'll try to do a video of the completed build and post here, also reserved for any other ideas/mods pictures that I may highlight here.

Hmm, I had an idea about making a custom 5 1/4" bay panel that has one of those XSPC LCD temp screens, as well as a "Turbo" button... We'll have to investigate this idea a bit later

 

[Faster_is_better]

Credits and Thanks
Potentially the most important post of all! Going to list contributors, friends, any 3rd party helpers here that makes the build possible.

@Ramzinho - great friend and master deal finder, probably something from this rig was bought cheaper due to him

@ehume - advice on rewiring the Delta fans and general fan info
@Unicr0nhunter - advice about Primo modding
@bond32 - sold me the nice clocking XFX r9 290, MCP50x pump and some other W/C stuff
@r0ach - sold me the MSI r9 290

Misc. Help
@Blackops_2 @exodus1500 @DewMan @JaredLaskey82 @aka13 @brian-phanteks
@BramSLI1 @Domiro maskymus @By-Tor

www.craftedmetalart.com - cut out my 480 rad grill

 

[Ramzinho]

FIRST

 

[TheCautiousOne]

Second

TCO

 

[Ramzinho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCautiousOne

Second

TCO

stop following me it's getting creepy

 

[Faster_is_better]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramzinho

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCautiousOne

Second

TCO

stop following me it's getting creepy

So that's how he got here so quick? lol

 

[TheCautiousOne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster_is_better

So that's how he got here so quick? lol

Actually was looking the Intel Build logs for an S3 build but recognized your name

TCO

 

[BazG]

Third LoL

 

[Faster_is_better]

PICS

Some hand tools I'll be using...


Primochill Advanced LRT 1/2" x 3/4" tubing, think I have enough?

I have an assortment of sleeving to use on the custom fan splitter, probably just going to go with black, might experiment though.


Bought a few 4 pin fan extensions, to be chopped up



Here is my mostly naked Primo. I am quite impressed with this case. Everything you Don't see here was fastened by either a plastic wedge piece, or by screws. Quite the modular and easy to mod case. Good thing too because fitting 480s needs all the room you can get. But I will have to drill out the rivets on the bottom panel so I can cut out the honeycomb and replace it with this.

Just got it today, fresh from the plasma cutter

(original idea borrowed from maskymus, see OP for more info

)

Also my air leak testing rig here, still doesn't hold air...

This weekend I plan to cut out that bottom mesh, and mount/paint that 480 grill to the bottom. Also I will try to work on the custom fan splitter.
I will basically be replicating these fan splitters, same idea anyway


The entire "squid" connector will turn out something like this:


I have an extra EPS 12v space on my power supply, and since these fans at 100% speed can use a lot of power, this should be the best way to power them. I do plan to have molex 4 pin male to female connectors between the EPS connector and the splitters themselves, that will give me option to use these splitters separately on a single 4 pin peripheral plug if I ever need to. With this design I have 4x 12v and 4x grounds available on the EPS 12v connector, so I can connect 4x splitters. I am planning to make the thing really as short as possible as well, since it will be a bundle of connectors no matter what, I don't need any excess cabling to add to the mess. Overall length I'm hoping will be about 7" from the 4pin extension side, to the EPS 12v connector.

It's going to be really interesting sleeving this thing as well...

If these fans were voltage controlled this would be way to easy of course, just plug them into a high powered Lamptron controller and be done, but of course these are PWM monsters so I have spent several months just researching PWM and trying to determine the best power solution, as well as how to actually get a good PWM signal to 12-16 fans. Corsair Commander Mini and Aquaero 6 have been 2 of the most enticing options as far as PWM fan controllers with a nice software interface. It seems in the next 2-3 weeks though EK will be throwing down and entering the PWM fan controller ring with an exciting new product, that I hope fills the price void between the 2 controllers mentioned above. If it turns out right I will probably be using one, as long as it doesn't price itself out of my comfort zone.

 

[TheCautiousOne]

Them Tubes are Red!!

TCO

 

[ehume]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster_is_better

PICS

Some hand tools I'll be using...

You and I share all but one of your hand tools -- and I have a very similar wire stripper. Of course, you may wish to graduate to a better class of stripper:



It only cost about $10 more than yours. I have found that this kind works much better.

 

[Faster_is_better]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehume

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster_is_better

PICS

Some hand tools I'll be using...
http://www.overclock.net/content/type/61/id/2493730/

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

You and I share all but one of your hand tools -- and I have a very similar wire stripper. Of course, you may wish to graduate to a better class of stripper:




It only cost about $10 more than yours. I have found that this kind works much better.

I actually have that one too (same model even), but I probably won't bust it out till I start doing the fan connectors

 

[maskymus]

Glad to see someone who implements my mods in his build (you finally found local metal cutting). Good luck with your project!

I'm still working on modding mine and I'll try to implement RGB lightning (based on SMD5050 to have full color spectre) in the side front/top part of the case.

 

[Faster_is_better]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maskymus

Glad to see someone who implements my mods in his build (you finally found local metal cutting). Good luck with your project!

I'm still working on modding mine and I'll try to implement RGB lightning (based on SMD5050 to have full color spectre) in the side front/top part of the case.

If you find a RGB strip that fits easily into those little channels then let me know. It seems that most of those multicolor led strips are to fat to fit in the channel from what research I have done. I would like to swap out my blue lighting for red or RGB would be even cooler for multi-color options.

Just about have that bottom panel of the Primo done, just working on filing the sharp edges, not going to come out as pro as yours but it will do.

 

[Blackops_2]

Subbed as well, i think it's going to turn out great. I love Phanteks cases.

I didn't realize i had helped in some way, was just scrolling through builds thinking about finalizing Green Envy this summer to what it was supposed to have been, and click on this thread. Glad i could help in some way

 

[Faster_is_better]

I got to cut out the bottom panel of the case to make room for the custom 480 grill. Didn't come out amazing, but it is more of a performance mod and won't be seen anyway

I ended up cutting it out mostly by hand with tin snips, used a lot of tools on this by the end of it...
I used, tin snips, air grinder, dremel with cutoff wheel, heavy pair of pliers and a file. Also a drill to drill out the 15 rivets holding it to the case.

Started with this:


Here it is rough cut


Finished (minus some paint touch up if I decide to do that).



Bonus trivia: I had the air grinder out and my dad said that was going to be to wild, so he got out the tin snips. I told him I was cutting out all the mesh so he started snipping. Goes in a line cutting mesh right into one of the screw holes that I was saving lol. I don't think it will be worth it to weld, this will be attached by plenty of bolts, were that won't really matter.

Got a blister on my right hand middle finger near the tip, makes using a mouse not as fun...

 

[BazG]

The fun and games of cutting one's pc up LoL. Ye blisters are not fun