Project: Svart³

[Henrik Pejer]

Hi folks!

Let me just say that this is my first case mod as well as water cooling so I'll probably make mistakes, screw up and probably aim to high. So I expect lots of help and constructive criticism from the pros ;). This will be a learning experience for me and I hope you will find it interesting as well.

My aim is to transform a perfectly good Lian-Li cube into the same cube but with horizontal motherboard. A slight overclock would be something I will try but for now the challenge is to get this thing done.

Gear will be EK-blocks (nb,sb,mosfets, supreme and 3x geforce-280) and reservoir, 120.3 radiators, san-ace fans and DDC (blue impeller) and somehow this will all be transformed into a dual-loop. I'll try to work as fast as possible but in between work, regular business travels, family with a kid there is plenty to do.

Anyway, here are a few images of the progress. I've started with some sleeving and fan painting a few days back. Yesterday I cut the back of the case and removed the motherboard tray so there is no going back now... And I do need to clean the edges up, and wipe it of, paint the inside black and .... well... you'll just have to wait and see now wont cha?

Mini-update:
a few more pics for your viewing pleasure (now that I know where to store them on 'the internets'!)
http://static.henrikpejer.com/images/project_svart/N30_1009602.jpg
http://static.henrikpejer.com/images/project_svart/N30_1009604.jpg
Pretty ok sleeving, I think
http://static.henrikpejer.com/images/project_svart/N30_1009619.jpg
http://static.henrikpejer.com/images/project_svart/N30_1009628.jpg
All these fans are SAN ACE fans. Haven't seen a painted one yet so I thought that this might make me somewhat unique or just nuts, you be the judge...
http://static.henrikpejer.com/images/project_svart/N30_1009638.jpg
I don't know if I'll use that grill, we'll see...

[RedRaider]

I await your masterpiece, my friend...:D

No one is a "pro" my friend, rather some are just more experienced through trial and error.:up:

[Xilikon]

There are no pro or n00b here, just various level of enthusiasts. We all learn something every day ;)

I cannot wait to see the progress of your build, I'm sure it will come out nicely :up:

[Henrik Pejer]

Alright... a mini-update. I hade hoped that I'd gotten further. I have lapped the CPU and I have started rinsing my radiators. I simply hook up a filter, the DDC and the rad and pump water through the radiator, through the filter and then back to the DDC. Funny enough I see nothing in the filter so either I'm doing it wrong, or the radiators I got was clean. I'll rinse them some more and use even hotter water this time. And shake just a little more vigorously.

Here are few pics of the lapp-job.
http://static.henrikpejer.com/images/project_svart/N30_1009726.jpg
http://static.henrikpejer.com/images/project_svart/N30_1009729.jpg
I think it's ok, but as you can see when held in the light you clearly see the 'lines' from the sand paper. I really don't know if that's a bad thing, but I believe its better than before.

I'll be leaving on a business trip soon and I'll be gone for about 10 days so this project will unfortunately halt.

Thanks for tuning in, take care and happy modding ya'll!

[Xilikon]

Nice lapping job. May i ask you at what grid you stopped lapping ? I think you stopped at 800-1000 while a better finish is done with 2000 grid and more.

[Henrik Pejer]

Since I went through 400-800-1600-2000 and 2500 I must have done something wrong then ;)

I got freaked for when I used the 1600 my CPU turned dark and looked tarnished or ... something. Since I've never done this I didn't know if I made a mistake or if this is 'supposed' to happen.

I came to the conclusion that something was strange with the 1600 so I threw that away and then jumped on the 2000 instead. The papers all got clogged with copper so I stopped and continued on the next one. My guess is that I perhaps should have done some wet sanding.

Well you learn something new every day and I probably can do a better job. Maybe I'll buy some more sanding paper and finish of with a few more minutes of wet sanding, or whatever tips you guys might have.

[Xilikon]

Yes, try some wet sanding or mix 2000 with some Arctic silver ;)

[just a noob]

looks like an interesting build to be...

[Langer]

I like your sleeving job mate... what kind of sleeving are you using?

No one is a "pro" my friend, rather some are just more experienced through trial and error.:up:

I dunno mate... I think I'm pretty hardcore. Hahaha...kidding of course.
Moreover I've killed a lot of nice toys in the process.

[Snyxxx]

Looks like a nice lapping job to me. I think the important point is to get it flat. I love it when it is part nickel and part copper at first. That alone tells me I am doing something good.

I know everyone likes to see the mirror shine, but this looks fine to me. Mine had streaks in it like the above picture, so I think it is normal.

[Henrik Pejer]

Hi guys!

It's been hectic so I haven't had time to do much else than work and sleep.

Langer: Thanks. The sleeving is this: http://se.farnell.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=1346809 . I first ordered some that i thought was to big for the cables so I decided to get the smallest I could find. I prefer the tight fit instead of the larger diameter ones. This sleeve is 2mm and it's not that 'shiny' stuff that I did get first. First I didn't like it but once I started sleeving some cables I quickly changed my mind: its perfect. It doesn't stretch that much at all and it's actually so tight that it almost doesn't fit over the cable. The time it takes to put the cable through the heat shrink takes longer than doing measuring, cutting heat shrink and sleeve, put the heat shrink on etc.

@snyxxx: I'll see if I take a second shot at the lapping. It is flat, and surely better than what it was. I just have some 'scratches' from the sand paper.

Take care guys and thanks for all the positive comments! I'll be back home in about a week so there will be no progress for another 7 days... I can't wait to get back to continue the build!

[Septim]

hmm 7 days absent, there better be some good take home pictures then for the boys and girls here...

good sleeving job btw...

[andersson.j]

Nice sleeving and I love the look of your painted San Aces. I've never dared to paint my fans, couldn't the paint cause imbalance and vibrating fans? Let me know how they work, I might have some painting to do!

I don't think the streaks in the IHS will affect performance.
Here's a few lapping links that I've collected over the years:
Graystars lapping method (http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php?p=3955374&postcount=11)
Here's (http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php?p=1513538&postcount=8) another good post from Graystar.
A shiny surface does not equal a flat surface (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?p=3086430#post3086430)

[Chicken Patty]

subscribed, keep them coming bro, looking good so far with the sleeving and the lap job :up:

[Henrik Pejer]

Nice sleeving and I love the look of your painted San Aces. I've never dared to paint my fans, couldn't the paint cause imbalance and vibrating fans? Let me know how they work, I might have some painting to do!

I don't think the streaks in the IHS will affect performance.
Here's a few lapping links that I've collected over the years:
Graystars lapping method (http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php?p=3955374&postcount=11)
Here's (http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php?p=1513538&postcount=8) another good post from Graystar.
A shiny surface does not equal a flat surface (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?p=3086430#post3086430)

Painting the fans will most likely generate more vibration and the fans will probably not last as long. I haven't done any scientific testing but I can't feel any difference which should mean that the difference isn't that big.

[iandh]

Painting the fans will most likely generate more vibration and the fans will probably not last as long. I haven't done any scientific testing but I can't feel any difference which should mean that the difference isn't that big.

The ratio of the mass of the paint to the mass of the fan blades and hub is very large, and the motor/bearing assemblies in san aces are built like tanks, so there should be essentially no detectable difference unless you were to apply many, many coats of paint, and do a horribly uneven job.