Project: Xtreme WaveMaster

[Xilikon]

This is a old worklog of my project that I moved from another forum.

After some planning and previous discussions/brainstorming, here's the official worklog of my new watercooling and case modding project.

First, some background info : I own a silver CoolerMaster WaveMaster silver case, limited edition sold by CoolerMaster as excess stock from the Compaq X07 and X09 gaming computers. The main difference with the normal WaveMaster is the added side hole to feed cool air to the CPU area. Since the case is so unique, I wanted to keep it for a long time, till the industry decide ATX is too prehistoric, which mean it would be a hell of a long time.

However, as everyone know already, the airflow is pretty poor with only 80mm fans (2 on the front and 1 on the back with the possibility to add a 4th on the top hole by removing the media panel). 80mm make it really noisy if we pick stronger fans so a lot of people ditched it for newer cases with 120mm fans. But, the case is very well built with very thick aluminium panels and guts so it would be a robust case who can see lots of upgrades before showing signs of wear.

To combat the poor airflow, the best way would be to go to watercooling to get rid of most of the heat so when it's done, all it remain is to keep just light airflow to cool the motherboard and avoid the heat rising. As the name imply, it would be a natural marriage :) But there is no a lot of room to install the radiator internally, especially the triple fans version so the only place would be to install it externally on the top. This would work but it will not be pretty and it would break the lovely lines of the WaveMaster as Coolermeister himself said.

It's with this background infos that I will introduce my project Xtreme WaveMaster !

First of all, here's what the project will house :

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 (L723A765), the same one as XtremeTiramisu with a expected overclocking goal of 3.6 GHz 24/7 for folding.
Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP
Mushkin HP2-6400 (996576) 1Gb x 4 for a total of 4 Gb.
BFG GeForce 8800GTS OC 640MB
WD Raptor 74Gb AFDF
WD Caviar 320Gb AAKS
Samsung SH-203B SATA DVD-RW
Pioneer DVR-212 SATA DVD-RW
Seasonic S12-500HT powersupply

Watercooling and aircooling components :

Thermochill PA120.3 radiator with G3/8" -> G1/4" adapter from McMaster (4860K657)
D-Tek Fuzion CPU with nozzles kit
Swiftech MCP355 with Petra's DDCT-01S
EK FC8800 GTS with acetal top
Swiftect MicroRes
D-Tek 3/8" barbs x 10
Nylon hose clamps x 10
Corsair Dominator Airflow fan for memory
3x Silverstone FM121 fans (might replace it with Scythe Kaze Jyuni 1600rpm version)
Asus heatpipe fan (ordered separately from ebay since the P5K-E doesn't come with one)
3/8" ID 5/8" OD Excelon RNT tubing


You will surely say there is a lot of stuff to put in such a small WaveMaster without going external. Here's what make the project special : Why not buy a identical WaveMaster case, chop the top 8-10 inches off then extend my original WaveMaster height and use the extra room to house the radiator while keeping the case lines intact. The extra room will let me add another 120mm radiator to cool the chipset/mosfets in the future along with the 2nd loop hardware.

Now for some pics as a teaser :

Original WaveMaster currently running my setup :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1122.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1124.jpg

The long lost twin :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1131.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1132.jpg

Watercooling parts (missing EK FC8800 GTS and nozzles kit) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1123.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1125.jpg

Preliminary loop testing and cleaning :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1126.jpg

Have questions or comments ? Feel free to post here and I'll answer all of them with pleasure. Keep in mind this would be my first watercooling experience and first case modding experience so I would take some time to complete it

[Xilikon]

For tonight, I just started to strip the case to the strict minimum before modding so here's what it looks almost naked :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1133.jpg

Tomorrow, I'll start putting tape all over the top and the 4 corners for measuring and cutting. The green tape you see here is the reference line I used (it's the bottom line of the 3rd 5 1/4" bay so when it's fully installed, it should look stock instead of messing with a partial bay cut. This will give me 5 1/2" of height and add 3 extra bays for easy access to the radiator barbs.

[Xilikon]

I finished removing the excess parts from the case then masked all the visible areas to avoid any scratching then I measured and marked where the cuts would be done. I need to take care of the top aluminium billet which act as a door holder, which is 6 mm thick. I outlined so it would follow the lines of the original case top.

Here is the now decapitated twin :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1134.jpg

Test fitting on the original case, which works great. Remain to do some final filing and perfect fitting so the height would be the same from all 4 corners :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1135.jpg

That's all for now, folks :)

[Xilikon]

After a weekend too busy with family (think xmas house decoration)...

I continued the project by tacking my first unexpected roadblock, which is the fake screw on the front corners. Since the corners is fastened to the WaveMaster from top to bottom with 3 screws each, CoolerMaster needed to add 2 screws to act as a door magnet holder so they put it in the middle of the top part but since there is no need to hold it, they just tapped and put the screw on nothing.

Since I cut the corners, I need at least 2 screws holding both corners but only the topmost screw is holding it. I need to find a way to extend the fake screws to reach the inner corner. I found a idea with a pair of motherboard standoffs (6-32 male end and 5-40 or 4-40 female end) so I drilled and tapped 2 holes directly on the other side (I used a nail to mark where to drill). The end result is a solid grip :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1138.jpg

With the challenge solved, I proceeded to disassemble my main PC to be able to work with both cases. However, I fold so I wanted to be able to runj it still so I connected them on the table as-is (thank god for the motherboard tray) :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1137.jpg

I then started to do some precision test fitting and filing. After 1 hour, it's pretty good so here is some pics of what it should look in the end :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1139.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1140.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1141.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1142.jpg

I will fix both together with L brackets (there is a good one being used as a motherboard tray guide on the 2nd case). I will tap them with 6-32 holes to be able to use harddisk screws, which is the right size and the right tap.

[Xilikon]

First of all, I just received the EK FC8800 GTS waterblock and it's indeed a work of art :D I bought it used here on XS and it was basically like new (previous owner bought it hoping it works well with a MCR220 and cpu block but he didn't like the temps so he sold it off for 80$ shipped. His loss = my gain).

Here is some pics :

Waterblock with both acrylic and acetal tops. I will use acetal in my setup.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1143.jpg

Back of the waterblock (it's not dents, it's water droplets from condensation since it was sitting outside in the mailbox and this is just 30 mins after opening).
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1144.jpg

Block added to the loop for leaktesting (took me just 10 mins stopping pump, cutting the long tube, spill some water, plug the new block, refill the res and restart the pump).
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1145.jpg


Back to the modding project. It's now time to start the mounting system.

Here is the L brackets (taken from the upper motherboard tray guide, cut in two equal parts).
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1146.jpg

After using paint tape to place the brackets and adjusting with the top, I drilled the holes and tapped the holes. Here is the end result with countersunk stainless screws :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1147.jpg

I also cut 2 L brackets for the rear posts and placed it to show how it looks :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1148.jpg

This is where the brackets was cut off. Notice another challenge : the rear posts is C shaped but to be able to use L brackets, I need to cut it off so it become a L shape on 1 inch from the bottom :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1149.jpg

Tomorrow, I'll finish the rear posts mounting before I remove the psu cage (it's still there to keep the stiffness of the assembly).

[Xilikon]

I did some bit of sanding to remove jaggies from the brackets edges and sanded the surface so it has the same brushed look (not that it matters after it's hidden but I wanted to experiment how to do this). This is what it looks after some work :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1153.jpg

Fully assembled look :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1155.jpg

Now that the brackets is installed and assembled, I can now remove the PSU cage so I drilled out rivets and slid it out of the way. Here is what it looks with the cage removed :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1156.jpg

A look at how roomy the new addition is giving me for my WC setup :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1157.jpg

If I have time tomorrow, I'll start measuring and tracing the outline for the PA120.3 radiator and cut it with a jigsaw. About the rear brackets a bit larger than necessary, this is because I wanted to put a back sheet flush with the corners.

[Xilikon]

Today, I didn't do too much due to family duties but I finished doing the measuring and tracing on the top for the radiator cutout. I first tried on the green paint tape but the lead pencil is barely visible, which make it hard to follow so I decided to remove it and redo with a standard paint tape. I used the dimensions sheet from Thermochill (http://www.thermochill.com/guides/PA120-3.pdf) to mark out the fans holes, which must be very accurate since everything else will revolve around this. I also drawn the outline around the hole so it would not be blocking any airflow and to get a idea how big.

Here is the final result of the drawing. I used black ink to draw the final cutting outline and drilling holes (lead lines have some errors that I corrected but to avoid using the wrong lines by mistake, I used ink) :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1158.jpg

Always measure twice or more and cut once ;)

Tomorrow, If I have time, I will cut it with a jigsaw and I hope the end result is as good as my expectations (A bit afraid of cutting thru the top then realize some error, wasting 85$).

[Xilikon]

I cut the outline with a jigsaw and here's the end result (not 100% perfect but it doesn't matter too much since a fan grill will hide them) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1159.jpg

With the radiator hole done, it's time to go to the next thing to do. Since the radiator tubing will go thru the top blowhole, I see the edge will be pressed on the tubing and can cause a risk of failure down the road so I thought about making a smoother edge. For this, I need to mark 2 lines :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1160.jpg

After marking, I cut them with the jigsaw then I used a pair of pliers and a hammer to shape it in a curve smooth enough to guide the tubing gently :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1162.jpg

The next step would be to start measuring and cutting the side panels to fit the new spacing of the top. This might wait till sunday evening since I need to do some xmas shopping for gifts.

I also started doing some research and discussions about doing some custom lasercutting jobs to make the side vents grills and get a stainless steel version of the radgrill to match the overall look.

[Xilikon]

It's now time to work on the side panels. The biggest challenge here is to find a way to do a perfectly straight cut so it looks like it's cut with a hydraulic sheet cutter, all this with only the tools I have...

After some thinking during the weekend, I came with this idea : Measure the line where it should be cut, get a straight edge to act as a guide, add 37 mm to offset the jigsaw base edge from the blade, clamp the edge in place then cut it.

All measured and ready to be cut :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1167.jpg

After cutting :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1168.jpg

I was very pleased with the results and the only thing to do after this is to sand the rough edge so it's very smooth with a sandpaper. Here is some pics with all the side panels installed to see what it would look :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1169.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1170.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1171.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1172.jpg

I'm now almost done with the case modding part, here's the remaining things to do :

-Cut and fit a panel to cover the rear hole and prepare it to receive a 120mm fan hole. This is where I would fit a single radiator (MCR120 only since a PA120.1 is too thick to fit internally) in the future and in the meanwhile, act as a exhaust vent for the air coming off the radiator.
-Determine what would be the best way to add side vents. At first, I thought about asking welshtom from ChilledPC to lasercut 2 side vents and use M4 bolts for a industrial look. However, the delay might be a slight issue so I might also draw a wavy pattern on a sheet of paper with SketchUp and place holes centers so it would be drilled with a 1/4" bit in a wave pattern (2 or 3 rows on either side).
-Check the radiator fitting and possibly trim the front top lip (it's inside so it won't matter, just there for rigidity).

Also, I just ordered from Performance-PCs 2 Lian Li mesh drive cover (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210&products_id=3904) and a rear 120mm fan mesh cover (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=92&products_id=2333) so it fit the overall look while adding more venting possibilities. I ordered just 2 drive covers only because the third would be useless as this will be a placeholder for the future Aquaero.

[Xilikon]

Did some work on the rear cover by using the rest of the cut side panel. It's a bit of a bitch to cut straight lines since the damn guide kept sliding due to the jigsaw vibrations and smooth surfaces but I finally managed to do it pretty good. Here's what it look during test fitting :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1173.jpg

After doing some sanding on the edges to make it smooth and fit it (it was cut slighty oversized to take into account any mistakes, which is more easily corrected by filing than by redoing another one), I finished adding the top holder plate (also taken from the psu cage as well, great way to recycle the useless bottom half) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1174.jpg

After drilling, tapping and screwing it in place, here's the final (not quite final but let's say it's done for now) look :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1175.jpg

Remain to drill a 4.5" hole (I need to find a hole saw for it, maybe from renting) but this will wait since I don't have the complete diagram for the MCR120 radiator since Swiftech didn't provide all the dimensions. When I will get the full dimensions, I will finish this later.

Now, I need to swap the front 120mm case fan from a FM121 to a FM122 since I need it to complete the radiator fans set (1 is coming from my SI-128 heatsink which will be retired when I will add the watercooling loop and 1 new in box that I bought from NCIX). Since the FM121 is a 25mm thick fan and the FM122 is 38mm thick, I need to make sure it still fit. Here's what it looks (it's a old mod I did last spring to replace the 2 80mm fans by a 120mm fan to improve airflow) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1176.jpg

Look from the rear, with the speed adjustement knob on the bottom right side of the fan (notice how nicely it fit and how it is helping cool the harddisks, especially the Raptor) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1177.jpg

Since the assembly cannot be done without getting the M4 socket cap head screws first and the top side panels cutting/drilling will wait till I finalize some talk with the lasercut guy, I will take a break and start working on the loop by replacing the EK FC8800 top place with the acetal one and adding the 4.5mm nozzle in the Fuzion cpu block before doing another leak test. I will put the 4.5mm first since I believe it might perform less well than a quad nozzle and that's what my testing will determine as promised soon.

[Xilikon]

Thanks :)

I finally got some time this afternoon to call a specialised distributor for some 6-32 socket head screws. I bought 2 cases of 100, one being 6-32 x 3/8" and another is 6-32 x 1 1/4" (for attaching the fans to the radiator). Here is a pic of the boxes and screws :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1188.jpg

With the new screws in hand, it's time to start installing the watercooling parts in the new case, mostly for test fitting and drilling new holes. I first attached the 2 FM121 fans I have in hand (the third is being used with my SI-128 so I'll attach it later when it's time to move the parts in my case) then I tried to fit the radiator inside but the top lip is giving me some trouble as this push the radiator 1/4" back causing it to not line with the holes. After some dremeling and jigsaw work, here's the offending part gone :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1179.jpg

With this fixed, I finally placed it to line up with the holes and started adding 3/8" screws but I just realized the holes doesn't all line up perfectly (some are 1 mm off) so after some thinking, I said to myself that since I will get a radiator grill, why bother using all 12 holes and just use 4 ?? I then proceeded to cut the 4 middle tabs and dremeled the 2 back holes a bit to make the holes line up with the radiator holes (sorry for some drunk cutting but a grill will hide it ;)) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1178.jpg

After attaching the radiator fully, here's what it look :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1189.jpg

I looked at the front and I realized it's a tight fit so I picked the tubing I had from my leak test and installed it to see if there will be any kinks but there is none. See how tight all this fit inside (nevermind the whitish stuff in it, it's a mix of condensation and radiator flux remains) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1182.jpg

At least, everything will work as expected so the new top purpose is now filled :) Now, it's time for the reservoir installation so I picked the side of the 3 1/2" drive bays since it's the only place with enough wide to fit with the side panel installed. I marked the 3 holes with a big nail then drilled and tapped it. I used 3/8" hex screws too (it's a perfect screw since the hole can allow the hex key to be used) and here's how it looks installed (disregard the half blocked top hole since when I fill or drain, I will unscrew the reservoir) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1183.jpg

Next to do is the pump mount, which is a temporary solution till Tom from ChilledPC ship me the new DDC mount prototype made by lasercutting a sheet of either stainless or aluminium. This temporary mount was taked from a disassembled Zip100 drive and holes drilles to fit the pump and a 70mm fan (the new prototype will allow a 80mm fan to be bolted to the bottom to cool the pump if desired) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1184.jpg

With the pump bolted :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1185.jpg

Pump installed in the 3 1/2" drive bay while allowing the bottom 2 to be used by my 2 harddisks :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1187.jpg

That's all I did today, which is a lot more than usual :) Next time, I will do some cleanup of the case to get rid of dirt and fingernails while making sure there is no aluminium dust left hidden.

[Xilikon]

Today, I didn't do any work on the case yet because I was busy creating 2 DWG files for lasercutting, one for the DDC mount and one for the top side grills. Here is a look of the grill (exported in sketchup and saved as a 3d view) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/SideGrill.jpg

I will send those files to Tom then we'll see how it turn up :)

[Xilikon]

Here's a fat update after being really busy yesterday and today finalizing the case and installing the WC stuff.

First of all, I used Goof Off with a rag to clean all the brushed aluminium surfaces and it's now very clean without fingerprints as you can see there :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1190.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1191.jpg

With the case being done for now and while waiting for the custom parts to be made and shipped, I decided it's time for me to start assembling the loop in the case (I can do this since future modding involve side panels and rear panel only, which can be removed and done away from the computer). First to come is the video card, a BFG 8800GTS OC 640MB in his stock splendor :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1193.jpg

Here's the EK FC8800 GTS waterblock fully assembled and ready to be used :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1194.jpg

After removing the screws and prying it off, here's the naked look :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1195.jpg

A look at the core markings (It's a A3, hopefully a great overclocker) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1196.jpg

After placing the included thermal pads on the mosfets, putting white thermal paste on the ram chips and AS5 on the core (spreaded a bit with the finger covered in a plastic bag), I bolted the block on the card and tightened (the core screws first in a diagonale order then the outside screws). Here's the fully assembled card in full glory with the sexy black delrin :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1197.jpg

With the card being done, I started assembling the loop in the case with the motherboard and video card installed to cut the tubing to the right length. Here is a picture before filling the loop :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1198.jpg

A look in the radiator connections :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1199.jpg

Currently testing for leaks :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1200.jpg

While the leak test is running, I took the time to do some wire management to hide the unsighty PSU wires to the back. You can see some work being done (disregard the unsighty bunch of cables under the radiator, it's temporary until I get new fans, probably Scythe SFF21F after selling my Thermalright SI-128 heatsink for some funds). You can notice the 3 dials installed for the 3 FM121 fans :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1201.jpg

A final look before I can use it, with the wire managemene fully done :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1202.jpg

Here is my computer now running (the leak test is 3 hours only since all the parts has been tested for some weeks already) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1203.jpg

I just found out that if I screw the reservoir to the case, it developed some very slow leak from the corner, which stopped when I unscrewed it... I guess it's time for me to look at another MicroRes or get a new EK X-RES 100 top (the Petra's top will be reused later with the chipset/mosfet loop so it's not a waste).

In total, I spend almost 10 hours working on assembling the loop and so far, it's great. Under full load (Prime95 at first then 2xVMWare instances running 2 SMP clients), the temps is hovering around 37-39C on the hottest core (21C ambient). This is at 3.2 GHz (8x400) with 1.3v in BIOS. I'm using the 4.5mm nozzle currently as a test and next week, I'll test with the quad nozzle to compare the results.

[Xilikon]

Finally started to work on the top front door... First of all, I must get rid of the WaveMaster logo on the top corner of the door since there is already one . With aceton, it worked so here is a picture all taped, measured and ready to be cut :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1205.jpg

After cutting with a jigsaw, here's the final result (it's a bit of a :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: since it's really thick, espcially on some parts) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1206.jpg

I sanded the bottom till it's fairly flat and clean then pulled the hinge pin from the cut off bottom part. After this, I hammered the pin in the new bottom corner (the hinge is tapered). Here is the result :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1207.jpg

During a fitting test :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1208.jpg

I drilled a hole for the door hinge, made some adjustements so here's the final pleasing result :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1209.jpg

Tomorrow, I'll drill a serie of holes on the door sides to help with airflow.

[Xilikon]

First of all, I got in a local hardware store to look for a T fitting and a plug (took the opportunity to buy a gift for my dad :bounce: ). After looking for a bit, I found the exact thing I want in brass, a 1/2" T fitting for PEX tubing. The outer diameter is slighty bigger than 3/8" (checked with a sample of 3/8" tubing in the store) so it would not be too restrictive and have a nice seal.

Here's what it looks with the T top part inserted (had to use some water and some cursing to put it) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1210.jpg

T fitting during installation :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1211.jpg

After installation, here's what it looks (disregard the fact it's not fully inside since it's just temporary until I receive a new reservoir from the RMA) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1212.jpg

Some pics for the hardware pr0n lovers :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1213.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1214.jpg

Also, I just received a package from Performance-PCs so here's a pic of the contents :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1215.jpg

I first tried to place the LianLi mesh plates but it's not a exact fit and the side holes doesn't line at all. I decided to drill new holes to fit the WaveMaster original holes then tapped it. Here is what it looks after installation :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1216.jpg

Tomorrow, I'll start working on the side vents (I bought a new box of titanium drill bits since my set is a bit worn out and doesn't eat thru aluminium very well).

[Xilikon]

Was a bit busy the last 2 days so I didn't do too much work. Here's what I did so far...

To improve the airflow from the top front area, I need to drill some holes on the door. I decided the best place to drill holes would be the right side since it's the least visible place for me in case I made some mess. Here's what it look overall with 3/16" holes (not the perfection but good enough visually and work right for me) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1217.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1218.jpg

At first, I thought about making holes on both sides but after doing some calculations of the venting area, I see that there is more area getting air than the radiator area pushing air out so I'll leave like that till I get the side grills and do some tests.

Since it's now one week running with the 4.5mm nozzle, it's time for me to swap with the quad nozzle. It's a :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: to refill and bleed with a tiny T-line (3/8" tubing doesn't help too much) but after 1 1/2 hours of fighting with the loop and getting air out, I can finally start it again but before, here's what the loop look after turning the Fuzion 90 degree (thanks nikhsub1 for the idea, it works better) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1220.jpg

Tomorrow evening, I will have a few hours free for myself so I'll continue a bit of work. Here's current ToDo list :

-Wait for the MicroRes to come back then reinstall it in the loop.
-Draw the rear 120.1 radiator template and start the cutting/drilling work. It will be covered by a mesh fan filter that I ordered with the drive covers and the rubber mounts.
-Install the rubber mounts on the DDC plate and place the pump on it. Place the pump one bay below so it will be under the reservoir. For this, I need to search for a few M4 locking nuts.
-Buy and precut a clear acrylic panel (probably 4-5mm) then cut the bottom side panel to accept the acrylic.
-Order and ship the top and side grills from welshtom of ChilledPC (I think it's being fabricated right now, no reply yet from Tom to my latest email).

[Xilikon]

Done some work this evening... First to do would be to remount the pump with rubber mounts and lower the support one bay from a suggestion made here so it's below the reservoir. Here is a picture with the pump in his new mount (disregard the crookiness because the outlet tubing is a bit short after lowering the pump so it is pulling upward, will fix that when I get the reservoir back) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1227.jpg

One ToDo item done... The next one would be to clean off the side stickers from my Dominator Airflow fan. After a bit of goof off and elbow grease, here's the end result :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1228.jpg

Next up is a big task : Create a new side window and install the plexiglas. First of all, I taped the whole side to protect it from scratches :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1230.jpg

All measured up and drawn (notice the curvy side toward the front, which is a reminder of the WaveMaster front curve) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1231.jpg

Here's a pic with the cutting edge fixed in place not only with C-clamps but also with screw/nut after drilling a hole in the disposable part. The reason for the screw/not addition is because the jigsaw vibration will cause the edge to move out of place, causing a crooked cut :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1232.jpg

I placed the side panel in place to get a idea how it look. Notice how the curved side has the outer curve landing right in the reservoir area so I can watch the level and if water is moving :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1233.jpg

Here's the updated ToDo list :
-Wait for the MicroRes to come back then reinstall it in the loop.
-Draw the rear 120.1 radiator template and start the cutting/drilling work. It will be covered by a mesh fan filter that I ordered with the drive covers and the rubber mounts.
-Cut the acrylic panel and drill holes equally around the window to use the 3/8" socket cap head screws and locking nuts. Assemble the panel with the side panel together.
-Get the top and side grills made and shipped from welshtom of ChilledPC.

[Xilikon]

Now working on adding the acrylic panel to the hole and mark out the holes equally around the hole. I decided to use 12 screws since it would be the best looking and it would fit my side grills holes (they are spaced approximately 100mm apart). I used some tape to hold the acrylic panel in place with the side panel together while I drill the holes :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1234.jpg

Here is the result after removing the paint tape and cleaning it with goof off (the best way for me to clean brushed aluminium since it will leave black residue on the rag meaning it works) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1235.jpg

After carefully peeling the protective paper around the corners then screwing both together with 6-32 3/8" socket cap head screws and locking nuts. Here is what it look in the end, which is a nice match :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1236.jpg

current ToDo list :
-Wait for the MicroRes to come back then reinstall it in the loop.
-Draw the rear 120.1 radiator template and start the cutting/drilling work. It will be covered by a mesh fan filter that I ordered with the drive covers and the rubber mounts.
-Get the top and side grills made and shipped from welshtom of ChilledPC.
-NEW : Buy some sleeving material at my local store and sleeve the motherboard header wires, fan rpm wire, rear fan wire and mosfet fan wire (damn you SiNiSon :p:).

[Xilikon]

The xmas storm has taken our house so I was unable to do any work but I managed to get some time yesterday evening to finish a todo item.

I removed the rear top plate and taped it :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1241.jpg

Since there is room to place a MCR120 radiator in the back while remaining internal, I need to map out the holes and opening to take into account the radiator dimensions. Here is what it look after drawing all the lines (notice how it's offset, which is not important in that part of the cast, to account for the barbs which will be on the right side) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1242.jpg

After using a jigsaw to cut the opening then used a dremel with a cylindrical sandpaper bit to soften the edges and make some round inside corners, I reused the same screws I removed from the old mesh side vent to fix the rear 120mm mesh filter :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1243.jpg

This is what it looks in the end :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1244.jpg

Notice the internal mounting brackets for the rear plate is interfering with the bolts :
[-IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/DSCF1246.jpg[/IMG]

I will do some dremeling to remove those bits so all 4 bolts can be used but for this, I need to wait until I receive the Yate Loons D12SM-12 fans and mount them on the fan after sleeving.

Also, I got a great news about my research of the Swissflow SF800 flowmeter : Swissflow's representative Dirk will ship me a free sample for me in exchange for some testing and review and also because I might be interested to act as a middle-men for the North America market of premodded SF800. Expect some results during the xmas holidays (I will be off work between december 21th and january 7th so I will have lots of time to complete the whole project minus the grills).

current ToDo list :
-Wait for the MicroRes to come back then reinstall it in the loop.
-Use a dremel to remove the excess bits of the rear mounting brackets so the fan grill holes is free of restrictions due to the brackets. Do this when the top is removed to swap fans.
-Get the top and side grills made and shipped from welshtom of ChilledPC (they lost it during shipping so another set is being remade).
-Install the YL fans on the radiator after sleeving it.
-NEW : Buy some sleeving material at my local store and sleeve the motherboard header wires, fan rpm wire, rear fan wire and mosfet fan wire.
-Prepare the SF800 for testing and gather enough data for a future SF800 information page.

[Xilikon]

Did some stuff bit by bit since the last update...

First of all, I looked for some sleeving stuff at my local electronics store and all I found is only various heatshrinks in various colors so I bought a few of various diameters. Even the store staff doesn't know what is sleeving :( I ended up ordering some sleeving stuff and a few extra fan molex (both male and female for my future SF800 testing, with a extender wire with resistors) from Performance-PCs and it will get here next week hopefully. So for now, I just sleeved the rear fan and the mosfet fan with the remaining sleeving stock from last year (3/16" black sleeving, 2 feets).

At least, there is good news : I just received the replacement reservoir last friday so I can install it back in the loop. I also received the 4 Yate Look D12SM-12 fans from Petra's (thank you Quoc for the help) but they will sit until I receive the sleeving stuff.

I first installed the new reservoir today and partially refilled the loop so here's what it looks so far :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1247.jpg

With the reservoir done (just a 15 mins job), I'm looking at my ToDo list and the only thing I can do now would be to fix the rear brackets to clear the fan mount so I whipped out the dremel, made a 45 degree notche on the bottom brackets :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1248.jpg

Then, it's the top bracket who receive the same notching treatement and here's the end result (not perfect but doesn't matter since it's hidden anyway) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1250.jpg

After reinstalling the brackets, here is what it looks with much more clearance :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1251.jpg

Rear shot to show how it now clears compared to my last picture :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1252.jpg

Since it's now basically done and awaiting for the rest of the stuff to arrive here, here is some pictures with the top side closed to get a "finished" look and to give you the idea how it will look in the end :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1253.jpg

Here is the look of the side window with the reservoir installed and 2 leds I salvaged off another case just for a try (I'm disappointed at how weak the leds is and I'm thinking of ordering a cold cathode kit to light the interior) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1254.jpg

current ToDo list :
-Get the top and side grills made and shipped from welshtom of ChilledPC (Tom received it from the lasercutter but the dimensions is wrong, awaiting for more informations).
-Install the YL fans on the radiator after sleeving it.
-Sleeve the various wires in the case for a uniform look, including the motherboard header wires, pump rpm sensor wire and front fan rpm wire. I'm also pondering if it is worth the extra expense to order a Corsair HX520 powersupply for their black modular wires.
-Prepare the SF800 for testing and gather enough data for a future SF800 information page. For this, I will need to build a fan wire extension with the resistor to directly plug it in the motherboard. The current SF800 FAQ thread can be found in http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=170101&highlight=SF800 and updated when I will get some data.

[Xilikon]

A small update (hard to do anything else during the holidays and not much packages getting here)...

First of all, as some of you have noticed, I have received the SF800 sample package from Dirk of Swissflow so here's a picture (notice how much SF800 I got :shocked:) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF1270.jpg

I have updated the SF800 FAQ (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=170101) with lots of pictures of the SF800 stuff for everyone to enjoy.

I also did a orders from NCIX for a set of Enzotech BMR-C1 ramsinks so I can slap 4 on the upper mosfet row above the CPU. It's currently naked as-is so I touched one of them to check and it's hot, enough to burn my finger if I hold for more than a few seconds. The ramsinks will hopefully let me tame the heat and with the pack of 8, I'm tempted to add on the left side as well then watercool the northbridge but that will wait for later.

So right now, here's what I'm still waiting on order :

NCIX : Enzotech BMR-C1 ramsinks, AC MX-2 thermal paste and Logisys dual 12" blue cold cathode to illuminated the inside (as I said before, I was disappointed at how weak the leds is at illuminating the internals so this will be used elsewhere).
Performance-PCs : Deluxe Sleeving kit (black), 6 female 3-pin pins (to replace those who are damaged when removed from the plug and to build extra custom fan extensions), 6 male fan housing kits and 6 female fan housing kits.
ChilledPC : Thermochill 120.3 radiator grill in brushed aluminium, 2x custom side grills and a 3 1/2" DDC mount (my own design). It's currently sitting due to a issue with the custom parts (I don't know more than this and I'm waiting for Tom to reply).

I hope to get the first 2 packages thursday or friday so I can progress a bit on the worklog.

[Xilikon]

Got the package from NCIX finally. Here is what I ordered :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1284.jpg

First of all, I installed the cold cathode tubes in the case and here's what it look with flash on :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1285.jpg

Flash off :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1286.jpg

There is no room beside this to mount the tubes but the end result is fine for me. After this, I removed the motherboard tray from the case after unmounting the block so I can install the ramsinks more easily. Here's what it look during my installation (I used the silk lines on the board as guides to install them squarely) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1287.jpg

After installing them, I touched them while running and it's barely warm now, which is exactly what I wanted. It's a great cheap option for those who want to cool the mosfets without resorting to the cumbersome (and expensive) HR-09 heatsinks or mosfet blocks. I will keep the remaining 4 for later when I will get a EK northbridge block as part of phase 2.

Here is some pics after full installation :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1288.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1289.jpg

I'm still waiting for Peformance-PCs package to get there so I can swap the fans after sleeving them. This might also be the time for me to start testing the SF800 (need to find the 350 ohms and 2200 ohms resistors in a local electronic store or in our audiovisual technician room).

Current ToDo list :
-Get the top and side grills made and shipped from welshtom of ChilledPC (It turned up Tom thought it was wrong and it was actually correct. Remain to bend the pump mount then it's ready to be shipped soon).
-Install the YL fans on the radiator after sleeving it.
-Sleeve the various wires in the case for a uniform look, including the motherboard header wires, pump rpm sensor wire and front fan rpm wire.
-Prepare the SF800 for testing and gather enough data for a future SF800 information page. For this, I will need to build a fan wire extension with the resistor to directly plug it in the motherboard. The current SF800 FAQ thread can be found in http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ighlight=SF800 and updated when I will get some data.

[Xilikon]

Did some work the last few days with the sleeving kit and the fan molex parts.

First of all, I cut the original plug of the SF800 since it's not a real fan molex and won't work right. I installed the fan molex after sleeving the wire and it's a real :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: because this is when I realized I need to invest in a molex crimper if I want to install the fan header pins for my future group buy :( Here is the end result (I had to solder instead and it's a bit of a mess but heatshrink saved the looks) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF1292.jpg

Next thing to do is to sleeve the 3 radiator fans and wire them together. Unlike others who have a lead off either side, I decided to have a lead in the middle so the whole fans assembly could be swapped for push or pull at will while keeing the lead in the same place. It's a :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana: to do this but the end result is worth the work (sorry, forgot to take pics of the work in progress). Notice I also created and sleeved a fan molex to 4 pin molex adapter to temporarily plug until I get a controller later (like BigNg or something similar) and because I'm afraid to fry the motherboard header with too much power :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1293.jpg

After sleeving them, it's time for me to swap the Silverstone fans for the new Yates. This is where you will see the advantage of my case mod :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1294.jpg

I can easily work while the computer is still running. When i removed all the fans and the radiator is being run passively, it was becoming a bit hot at 62-63C under load. the radiator assembly started to feel a bit hot so I hurried up to install the Yates so they can cool them off. After this, the temps dropped back to where they were but they are 1-2C higher than with the Silverstones but the big noise reduction is a price to pay :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1295.jpg

After reinstalling the top back :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1296.jpg

I'm happy to see my project is almost done now. Here is the current ToDo list :

-Get the top and side grills made and shipped from welshtom of ChilledPC.
-Sleeve the various wires in the case for a uniform look, including the motherboard header wires, pump rpm sensor wire and front fan rpm wire.
-Prepare the SF800 for testing and gather enough data for a future SF800 information page. For this, I will need to build a fan wire extension with the resistor to directly plug it in the motherboard. The current SF800 FAQ thread can be found in http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ighlight=SF800 and updated when I will get some data.

About my order to ChilledPC, they will finally be shipped very soon. Turned up the pump mount in stainless stell is too hard to tap and bend so they redid the mount in aluminium. Hopefully, this will let Tom put the final touch to my order and I should get them before the end of the month :)

[Xilikon]

It's Xmas day again for me today... I just received the package from Tom of ChilledPC.co.uk and it's very well packaged, a bit too much to figure how to open and no customs fees to pay :p: :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1299.jpg

The contents of this package :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1300.jpg

For those who can't figure what or are too lazy to read all my posts, it include :

-A ChilledPC Thermochill PA120.3 rad grill in brushed aluminium with mounting holes.
-A EK NB/SB Asus 3 with D-Tek 3/8" barbs.
-A pair of custom made side grills from my own design.
-A custom 3 1/2" bay mount for the DDC pump (More infos in another thread).

Since I took the day off today, I will start working by installing the grills on the case first. For the pump mount and NB, I will wait till NCIX get the D-Tek Fuzion pro mount in stock so I can overnight it and drain the loop (The pro mount require me to disassemble the Fuzion block anyway).

I will thank you Tom (welshtom from ChilledPC) a lot for his awesome service even if it took a while to get them. The delay is understandable since we have the xmas rush, a lost package from the lasercutter and a issue with the pump mount in stainless steel being too hard to tap. I don't think any other guy will be able to pull off this feat as well as Tom.

[Xilikon]

With the new grills in hand, I'm able to finish the case modding part of the worklog.

First thing to do is to tape both sides fully to avoid scratching :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1304.jpg

I picked a side grill, positionned it so it's in the center and drawn the outline :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1305.jpg

With the outline of the side grill drawn, I was able to determine the cutting layout so the edge isn't visible with the side grill installing while letting the screws grab the panel. Here is a pic of the side panel screwed on a MDF panel with 2 wood screws because cutting them with the jigsaw without support would distort the side panel and ruin it. With the MDF panel keeping the panel in shape while holding the piece, I was able to do a neat cutout with ease :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1306.jpg

Test fit after cutting to make sure it's ok :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1307.jpg

Finished look with hex screws (the side panel is tapped 6-32 so I can screw them together without using any nut) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1308.jpg

This is done on the panel on the right side (hidden) as training. I did the same steps on the right side so I didn't bother with pictures as you should already figure out what I did.

Look of the side panel installed :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1309.jpg

After this, I installed the top panel, which is straigthforward by bolting the radiator with the grill together. The front lip is interfering with the radgrill a bit but since I wanted to raise the top lid 1 mm to clear the top door, it's ok for now.

Here is a picture of what it looks in the end :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1310.jpg

What do you think of the end result ?

What remain here is mostly tweaking of my loop and sleeving :

-Sleeve the various wires in the case for a uniform look, including the motherboard header wires, pump rpm sensor wire and front fan rpm wire.
-Prepare the SF800 for testing and gather enough data for a future SF800 information page. For this, I will need to build a fan wire extension with the resistor to directly plug it in the motherboard. The current SF800 FAQ thread can be found in http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ighlight=SF800 and updated when I will get some data.
-Install the EK NB/SB Asus 3 block on the northbridge and install the 4 other Enzotech BMR-C1 sinks on the naked row after removing the heatpipe system.
-Order the D-Tek Fuzion pro mount when it get back in stock at NCIX and install it.
-Ditch the ghetto pump mount and install the new custom mount in place.

[Xilikon]

Small update of my small finish work :

I removed the top from the case so I can work with it while my computer is still running (and folding btw) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1319.jpg

The first thing to do is to trim the rear posts so I can fit the MCR120 :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1320.jpg

The next thing to do is to trim the parts of the top radiator cutout so it isn't visible thru the new grill. This is during my dremeling session :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1321.jpg

Another thing getting thru the dremel would be the top grill so it doesn't interfere with the top front door hinge :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1322.jpg

During the whole dremeling session, I think I destroyed about 20 discs because I ran out of reinforced discs and I only have a pile of 30-40 normal discs. You can notice the disc shards in the second pic ;) I'm not 100% done because I was also working on the SF800 testing as well with a new adapter created to try another idea (you can follow this in my SF800 FAQ).

Here is a picture to show why I decided to go with black Tygon R-3400 that I should be getting tomorrow from UPS :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1324.jpg

That's all for tonight :)

[Xilikon]

Another small update :)

I got the 3/8" ID 5/8" OD Tygon R-3400 tubing to replace my crappy tubing. I was surprised to see it's a bit stiff but it's not a biggie as long as it doesn't kind hopefully :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1329.jpg

While I'm twiddling thumbs waiting to get everything on hand to drain and rebuild the loop (I'm waiting for the Tygon Silver tubing sample and the SF800 adapters made by Martinm210), I decided to continue working on the top by installing the MCR120 radiator in the rear and check if it fit with the PA120.3 in place. Here is the radiator installed in the rear :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1326.jpg

View from the rear (I cannot put the fan internally since th total thickness will be over 50mm and will hit the PA120.3) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1327.jpg

When I looked at the installed barbs, I noticed it line up with the PA120.3 mounting holes so I'm worried. I reinstalled the top on my case and test-fitted both radiators. It just clear the barbs by under 1 millimeter but the tubing definitely will not fit :( After a long run without major mistakes, it's bound to happen :owned:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1328.jpg

I guess it's time to toss the rear plate in the garbage can and rebuild a new one with the rear fan hole shifted about 3/8" so it clear the barbs and allow me to fit the tubing. At least, it's not time critical so I have something to do :up:

[Xilikon]

With the rear plate being useless, It's time for me to redo it. Here is what I did after taking the right measures with the MCR120 (this is the leftover cutout from my window mod) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1330.jpg

After cutting, dremeling and sanding, here is the results (the plate on top is the new one and under it is the old one) to show how the fan hole doesn't line up the same :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1331.jpg

Test fitting with the new plate :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1332.jpg

More test fitting with the top radiator installed :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1333.jpg

Notice how the barbs now clear the PA120.3 and still have room to insert the tubing and clamp :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1335.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1336.jpg

Overall look with both radiators installed :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1337.jpg

Tonight, I will drain the whole loop and disassemble it. I'll use the stock Intel heatsink and old pci video card while I clean the current loop and do some testing with the Swissflow SF800 for accuracy. This is so I can write a full review of the SF800. After this, I will do a leak testing with the new components in place before I reassemble it with the new black tubing.

[Xilikon]

Sure, I took 2 pics just for you. The first is to show how good is the kink resistance :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1342.jpg

View of the tubing end to see how thick :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1343.jpg

BTW, here's my current computer naked :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1341.jpg

As I noted in the SF800 thread, I found out my motherboard is dividing the rpm by 2 so I need to adjust the math so it's Sensor/3000, not 6000 as specified. With this adjustement, the flow rate is very accurate.

I'm working right now to clean all the components and do some testing on the bench for leaks and preliminary flow rate testing. I will reassemble the loop only when I will receive the new delrin couplers made by Martinm210 and the Tygon Silver sample that the manufacturer is sending for testing. It should be next week if things go well for me.

[Xilikon]

Another boring update (loop not reassembled yet :()...

As I said before, I cleaned the parts and I'm currently doing another leak test, which is a opportunity for me to toy with the SF800 and configure the Samurize applet (You can see some screenies in my SF800 faq). With everything in the loop, I'm getting a hair under 1 GPM but I think the SF800 adapters is too restrictive. I'm still waiting for the delrin adapters from Martinm210 and I hope this will remove the restriction and get the numbers closer to the flowrate estimator.

First thing to do is to tap the DDC pump mount side holes so I can use screws when I will install it in the case. After this, I drilled the 2 holes to be a bit bigger so I can use the rubber mounts (they have a bigger thread than 6-32, M3 actually). After this, I installed the mounts and fixed the pump on it :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1344.jpg

Next thing to do is to work on the top side grills to follow coolmiester's comment. I used a wood chisel to remove the remaining metal shavings struck to the edges then I sanded it to fix the brushed finish. After doing this, I will add the mesh panel that I received a few days ago :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1345.jpg

It's silver (black was unavailable at the time of order) but it's not a problem. This will actually let me try this color and if it is not nice, I'll repaint it in black :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1346.jpg

After some work cutting and assembling them temporarity with tape, here's what it looks :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1347.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1348.jpg

What do you think of this color combination ?

I will get to the hardware store tonight and buy 6-32 locking nuts and washers to lock the mesh panel in place.

Also, beside this, I also did some odds and ends like sleeving and extending the white CCFD wires so I can hide the inverter, rework the SF800 connectionn so it's more robust, cleaned the MCR120 radiator, assembled the pro mount on the Fuzion block and taking some time to rething a few things about my case.

[Xilikon]

I finally reinstalled the new loop in my case. The first thing to add is the rear radiator :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1350.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1351.jpg

Next is installing the SF800 and the tubing for the MCR120. The silver section will be a run between the MCR120 and PA120.3, which is concealed. The silver tubing have 1/16" walls and it's very easy to kink so I need to be careful with the natural curve :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1352.jpg

Next is reinstalling the PA120.3 and the top grill on the upper section :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1353.jpg

Here is what it looks after finishing the tubing in this part :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1354.jpg

Next is to remove the stock cooler and cleaning any thermal paste off the northbridge and mosfets :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1355.jpg

This is what it looks after installing the blocks and the Enzotech ramsinks on the other row of mosfets (disregard the crooked mount of the NB block, it's by design) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1356.jpg

Next is to finish installing the tubing. The R-3400 is really stiff so it's hard to route them and I need to be careful with the natural curve to avoid any twisting :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1357.jpg

Look just under the PA120.3 :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1358.jpg

Pump area view :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1359.jpg

This is while filling and bleeding :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1360.jpg

System now up and running (I used black zipties to hold the tubing in place and it looks great) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1361.jpg

It's a big day today for me so I will take a break. Tomorrow, I will reinstate the original overclock I had before and finish the wires routing to make it tidy and neat.

[Xilikon]

With the current setup overclocked to 3.7 - 3.8 GHz, the mosfets get very hot and I even got a BSOD when I touched it. I realized there is almost no airflow in that area and the PSU fan is barely running (no hot air entering so it is currently running at minimum rpm) :(

The front fan might be giving airflow but it won't reach the upper corner of the motherboard because the rear fan pull the air. To check this theory, I attached a 120mm with zipties just above the cpu area using the PSU bracket. This helped it a lot and the mosfets ramsinks is cool to the touch. This has shown my theory is valid but I won't let this setup stay because it's ugly. This is when I got a idea to turn the rear fan around so it blow air but there is a problem : The air will just pass over the cpu area and not cooling the mosfets.

Here's my solution :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1363.jpg

After drilling the 80mm fan holes and bending using a home built brake :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1364.jpg

Installed in the case with the fan blowing air toward the deflector and down on the mosfets area :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1365.jpg

Overall look with the deflector in place :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1366.jpg

It's good for now but being perfectionnist, I'm not totally happy with this ghetto way so I'm seriously considering adding the mosfets blocks and splitting my loop in two (MCR120 for the NB and mosfets, PA120.3 for the CPU and GPU). Thank god my project already take the possibility of 2 loops in account :D

[Xilikon]

Damn, 2 Enzotech ramsinks on the IO side just fell :dammit:

That's it, I just placed a order for 2 EK Mosfet Asus 3, a MCP355 and 3 pairs of D-Tek 3/8" barbs from NCIX. As soon as I receive the order, I'll split the loop in 2 (partially to help with flow and to spread the heatload across 2 radiators).

For now, I removed the ramsinks from this row and placed the heatsink that I separated from the heatpipe :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1367.jpg

[Xilikon]

Here is the parts that I received (minus the SF800 that I already got :p:) :

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1368.jpg

I'm currently doing some leak test and I did it right because the SF800 got a slow leak and one mosfet block isn't tightened properly. After fixing them, it's running for 1 hour now without issues. I hope to install them tomorrow evening while my gf is going out to the cinema with friends.

[Xilikon]

After a satisfying leak test on the table, I finally managed to do some preparation and overhaul of the loop. It's a bit harder than I thought because the space is really restricted and with lots of tubing, it's a bit of a nightmare to route everything right.

First thing to do is to install then second pump and after some thinking, I decided to place this close to the front just under the PA120.3 (I had to think about tubing routing when deciding where to place so I can avoid tight bends in a restricted space). Here is a picture of the pump installed with rubber mounts after drilling the holes on the middle panel :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1370.jpg

Before I resume the tubing, I wanted to test fit with the top in place to see the clearance and it's not a lot. That's why I was curious to see if a aftermarket top with side inlet is a nice idea (it isn't from Martinm210's latest testing) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1371.jpg

Working on the tubing :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1372.jpg

I installed the mosfets blocks on the motherboard after removing the copper ramsinks (while the IO side row fell and doesn't stick, the top row is really struck ??? Maybe I didn't clean the mosfets well). After installing the blocks, I tubed the chipset/mosfet loop . This current pic is with a attempt to bridge the closest mosfets barbs but in the end, I swapped barbs so the bends is much more smooth :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1373.jpg

I didn't forget about the T-line and this is where I decided to place in the end because putting on the visible side caused the tubing to have a too sharp bend. The tubing was doing a loop toward the rear radiator, in the T-line then in the pump inlet :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1374.jpg

Here is the running setup with 2 loops working :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1375.jpg

There is a lot of work and it's a tight fit but I'm very happy with the results, especially when I'm able to fit 2 SF800 :shocked:

That's all for now, folks :up:

[Xilikon]

Not a lot extra being done, having a lot of stuff to do in real life unfortunately. However, the destiny is not happy that I didn't do anything about the project so he decided to mess with my P5K-E motherboard. Now, the northbridge is crapping out with 4 sticks and giving a lot of errors on the yellow slots. I'm now forced to run 2 sticks in the black slots in the meanwhile and I just got a RMA number for the board thru NCIX. Unfortunately, since it's over 30 days, they will only repair or exchange so no cross-shipping or refund...

Since I needed a new board asap while waiting for the RMa, I said to myself "why not take this opportunity to get a X38 board that I wanted for a long time". With this in mind, I raped my credit card again and ordered a Maximus Formula from NCIX along with a Enzotech CNB-S1L for the southbridge with some thermal tape (I wanted to reuse my EK NB/SB Asus 3 that I bought and which fit the SB indeed, however, I must pay 30 dollars again for 10 extra feets of tubing so this will have to wait unless someone is kind to sell me 3 feets of R-3400 3/8" ID 5/8" OD).

Since the NB block I got isn't compatible and since I wanted the acetal version, which is not in stock anywhere in North America, I ordered directly from EK along with the mosfets backplates and a new set of thermal pads. If the last order I did is a indicator of their shipping, I would receive it within 1 week. My board should be here tomorrow or wednesday at most. By then, I can join the Maximus aftermarket cooling club :D

[Xilikon]

I received the EK NB S-Max Acetal directly from EK yesterday so it's time for me to remove the stock cooling and install the blocks on the motherboard :

Naked :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1398.jpg

The heatpipe assembly (I removed it with a hairdryer for 20-30 seconds then wiggling till it popped off) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1399.jpg

I now understand why we can't use the stock backplate threading, it's so small !! Since I didn't want to void the warranty of the motherboard by modding the stock backplate, I used some piece out of the decapitated WaveMaster to make a thicker backplate by using the NB holes as reference :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1400.jpg

Stock under the new custom (to check if holes is aligned correctly) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1401.jpg

To avoid touching the components on the backside, I used a few washers stacked and electrical tape to cover the surface :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1420.jpg

Installed on the motherboard :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1421.jpg

Mosfets installed (I had to grind off a bump out of one since I didn't buy the Mosfet 3a version. It's not a problem since it's just 1 bump to grind off) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1422.jpg

Picture with all the aftermarket blocks and heastsink installed :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1423.jpg

After filling and bleeding the loop, it's now running fine with great NB/SB temps (I will report accurate readings tomorrow when I will put back my original overclocking). Here is the computer in the final stage minus some final touch on the wiring :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF1424.jpg

Soon, I will try to do some "professional-looking" photoshooting of the final result. Hope my digicam is up to the task and if not, I'll have to hunt for a better one (I need to buy one soon anyway).

[Xilikon]

Xtreme WaveMaster v2 log


Lots of you will remember my worklog of the Xtreme WaveMaster which can be found at http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=165596 which is "basically" done for the moment. It took a break because I was in the middle of a move to a new condo and this took all my time (that's why I was less active on the LC forum lately since my mind isn't really into it with that much stuff to deal). Now that things got settled, it's time to revise my built, principally to replace my video card by a new EVGA GTX 260 Superclocked card and this require some changes.

Along with the v2 worklog, I will start a whole new project called Black Alpha to watercool a Lian-Li PC-A05B which will serve me as a HTPC box. The worklog will follow shortly. This 2nd project gave me the opportunity to order a D-Tek Fuzion CPU v2 but instead of using it in the Black Alpha, I'll update my current loop and use the v1 in the HTPC.

First of all, here is some mandatory pictures :

Video card with stock cooling :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF0064.jpg

D-Tek Fuzion GPU v2 with the GTX 200 UNI-Sink :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF0068.jpg

D-Tek UNI-Sink front :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF0069.jpg

D-Tek UNI-Sink back :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF0070.jpg

D-Tek Fuzion CPU v2 :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF0073.jpg

The main reason I picked the D-Tek Fuzion GPU v2 instead of a full cover block is because it's currently hard to order a FC quickly with the NA availability almost non-existent. The Fuzion is also looking much better than most FC blocks beside the EVGA HydroCopper block. I also wanted something I could reuse since I'm strongly considering a Step-Up if the GT200b get released in late-august or beginning of september.

With this in mind, I just thought that it would be a opportunity for me to have the first loop be 100% D-Tek v2 while the second loop is 100% EK :)

Here is what my setup look currently with the GTX 260 running (to make sure it works fine with folding for 24 hours) before I disassemble the main loop :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/Modding/DSCF0075.jpg

Here's the ToDo lost for v2 :

1-Setup a test bench with the blocks and extra pump to check for leaks.
2-Drain the main loop fully and clean the components.
3-Install the Fuzion GPU v2 + UNI-Sink on the GTX 260.
4-Install the Fuzion CPU v2.
5-Redo the tubing to accomodate the Fuzion GPU v2 instead of the former EK FC.
6-Drain the 2nd loop, clean it and refill.
7-Reroute the wiring in the case to make it more cleaner.
8-Order a extra ATX connector wire from Corsair and sleeve it properly.

Later, if the budget permit, I'm considering powdercoating the guts of my WaveMaster

[Xilikon]

Well, after upgrading the driver to 177.41 to follow the advice of Scott LeGrand (NVIDIA CUDA developer), the issues I had disappeared so it's the driver. With this out of the way, the video card is rock stable so it's now time to finally assemble it.

Card with stock cooling (EVGA GTX 260 Superclocked)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0068a.jpg

Disassembled :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0069a.jpg

Closeup of the GPU core :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0070a.jpg

Closeup of a memory chip :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0071a.jpg

Naked with all the chips cleaned with 99% isoprophyl alcohol :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0072a.jpg

With the UNi-Sink installed :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0074a.jpg

Stock backplate reused with the new UNi-Sink (BTW, the backplate is cast aluminium, not plastic as I initially thought so heat will dissipate correctly) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0073a.jpg

D-Tek Fuzion GPU v2 disassembled :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0075a.jpg

Assembled (I forgot to install the mounting plate in that pic) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0076a.jpg

Fully assembled and ready to be installed in the loop (with the BitsPower 3/8" barb in black sparkle finish, looks much better than the usual D-Tek HighFlow barbs I used due to a slighty bigger diameter) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/Xilikon/LC/DSCF0077a.jpg

Now that it's put back in the loop, the GPU is hovering at about 41C running the F@H GPU2 client, which is great while it hover at about 54C with the stock cooler running the fan at 70%. The only bad thing about that setup is that the barbs orientation is not optimal so I must try to route so it doesn't hit or rest on the side panel. I guess a couple of 90 degrees elbows can solve it but since it's working as is, I'll leave it alone.

I have more pics but I'll post them tomorrow evening after I take a few more to complete a serie.

[westtrade]

nice work

[DexNfX]

:D I just caught the waaave...nice job!