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This is my first official build log. Take it easy please
UPDATED main post 12/30/2013
Due to the crazy number of changes that have occurred with this rig, I am going to post a brief evolution of it and shortcuts to progress:
- IN THE BEGINNING, Force1 was going to be a watercooled x58 Classified Board, i7 920, three GTX 480's, and a 1500W PSU in my old school LianLi Aluminum case... all because I bought a 670 for my other rig (leaving three gtx 480's nliying around unused)
- THEN, my primary system died, so I had to pull the x58 and 920 for it. Force1 evolved into an SR-2, dual Xeon X5679's, and quad GTX 480's with dual 1500W PSU setup. The LianLi case was modified for the SR-2 to fit in an inverted mount with PCI-E Slots at the top and I/O panel at the bottom.
- NOW, three 480's my two 670's have found a new home... I picked up a 780 Classy HC for my other system and 3 Titans have found a comfy home in Force1... along with a little 2 GB 670
Force1 Project Links/shortcuts
LianLi Case Modding
- Initial Case mod (see below in this 1st post)
- Adding the SR-2 mobo tray
- Fitting the SR-2
- Acrylic Back I/O panel and Top cover
- Initial Acrylic case divider
- Acrylic divider update
- Back inner beauty plate and mystique paint demo
- Case Divider placement with vertical fins attached
- Updated HDD/PWR LED's and Power switch
- Pump divider, beauty plate, and possible front fan placement.
- ST1500 PSU window side blow hole intake vent
Force1 Logo Selection
- Initial Designs
Paint and Color
- First Paint update
- Case primered white
Silverstone Dual ST1500 PSU's
- Initial Fitting (towards the bottom of the linked post)
- Second Fitting (towards the bottom of linked post)
- PSU cutout/mount area on acrylic back panel
- 3rd Final Fitting with case divider in place
Watercooling
- The Radiator (see below in this post)
- Koolance All-in-one unit mod
- SR-2 MIPS blocks
- NATEMAN Doo Full Copper Block Set
- MIPS board blocks and XPSC Cu Ed Blocks installed
- CPU and board block copper tubing 1st attempt
- White Epoxy painting of Tube test (looks like powder coating!!)
- Inlet and outlets for external radiator
- Initial Dual MCP35x Pump placement on divider
- Loop from koolance res to pumps through divider and back out
- Pump divider update and new tubing
Graphics Cards
- TITANS Arrived!
- Titan Hybrid (water/air) cooler initial design idea
- Titan MCW82 Block Fitting painting update 1
- Titan 90* turn using Swiftech SLI bridge's
- Titan Hybrid Cooling Update 2 (new window fitted)
- Titan ambient lighting ideas 1 (below the SLI Bridge update)
- Titan update (lighting, copper tubes and tubing brackets)
- Titan update and decision to use my creation or Heatkiller's creation (poll included)
- Titan Pipe work and Placement update
- Titan Pipe work and Placement update 2
- Titan Trio complete
- ELWire in top Titan
- GTX 670 Cooler Mods First Fitment of the Cooler
- GTX 670 plumbing
- Titan copper conduit for power delivery setup #1 (a few other ideas I'm tossing around)
I have dual Silverstone ST1500W PSU to ensure the video cards of my choice, x5679's, and all my watercooling gear have all the juice they could ever want for this project. The ST1500's actually run at a decent efficiency in the 30-60% load range
I decided that I would be using an external radiator setup after building my "Supa Troopa" setup. It had two 140 rads, a 280, and a 240 mounted inside of a Stormtrooper case. I didn't want that for this build so I decided on this:
The 670 box is for reference.... this thing is ginormous! Its a Watercool MO-RA3 420 Core Radiator. A thing of beauty really (to me anyway). I have some Koolance 1/2 ID 3/4 OD quick disconnects (picture above) to hook it to the box.
At first I thought I would incorporate the rig into a desk, cabinet, or wall with some acryilic... but I just couldn't stand the thought of my old-school LianLi PC-7077A full tower case going to waste. Seeming how i had this shiny new Dremel 3000 and various tools laying around I started modding the case lol. Here is what the case looks like out of the box:
Unfortunately I didn't get to snap any pictures before I started cutting. Didn't intend on doing what I did but you ALL know how that goes. Once you start it is hard to stop! I decided to do the ever so common motherboard tray flip. I almost didn't do it because the back of the LianLi case is formed from the same piece of aluminum that the bottom of the case is. This required me cutting the entire back of the case loose from the bottom. I measured the length of the aluminum at the top and cut the same distance from the bottom.
The result was actually better than I thought. I don't have any "forming" tools here so I just cut a piece of aluminum bar and riveted it to the new bottom and back. I drilled new holes in the top for the factory rivet locations and put everything in place. I then test fitted the top and side covers to ensure that the case frame remained in form.
I was going to add an aluminum cable channel up to the top from PSUs, but the SR-2 is too long for that. So cabling will be tucked behind the board where it extends past my mobo tray. I will be building a divider to separate the top from the bottom of the case as well.
After spending enough to build a nice system on fittings in my Supa Troopa build, I decided that I wanted to try out copper tubing for this build instead.
