Project: Opposition

[Vertigo]

PROJECT
OPPOSITION

http://srsbusiness.org/project/hexagram.gif

DESCRIPTION
The time has come at last, it's time to retire ANIMUS and build a new PC. The new machine will be for gaming in super widescreen. This is going to be a long term project, but I got my parts list together. Since school's started, I'm going to be busy teaching but I hope to have some movement on this pretty quickly. My goal is to get it all together by my birthday (November).

I've got a few surprises up my sleeves for this one, but you can definitely expect the black and red color scheme to continue (obviously) with my signature Milano red. But the main thing is, I want a PC with some muscle behind it, this is what I've come up with (in my $3000 budget).

The focus of this project, big and bad on a budget. I'll also be adding a side-project PC alongside this one named LAMPREY.

LEVIATHAN
■ Lian Li PC-V1200B Plus II
■ ASUS Crosshair V Formula AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Gaming Motherboard
■ ASUS EAH6950 DCII/2DI4S/2GD5 Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 CrossFireX Video Card
■ Thermaltake Toughpower Grand GOLD 750W ATX 12V V2.3 / EPS 12V 2.92 CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS GOLD
■ AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition Thuban 3.3GHz, 3.7GHz Turbo Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop
■ [4x] CORSAIR Vengeance 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model
■ OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGT100G 2.5" 100GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
■ Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003 2TB 5900 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
■ LITE-ON Black 12X Blu-ray Burner with Blu-ray 3D feature SATA IHBS112-29
■ CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
■ OPERATING SYSTEM: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit

LAMPREY
■ Rosewill RS-MI-01 BK w/250w PSU
■ Asrock E350M1 Hudson M1 Mini-ITX mobo w/AMD E-350 APU (1.6Ghz, dual-core) and Radeon HD 6310 GPU
■ Patriot 2GB DDR3/1333 DIMM
■ Samsung SH-222AB CD/DVD Burner
■ WD Caviar Blue 320GB
■ OPERATING SYSTEM: Dual Boot – Windows Vista Ultimate & Joli OS

MONITORS
■ [4x] SAMSUNG S23A300B High Glossy Black 23" Full HD LED BackLight LCD Monitor
■ ERGOTRON 33-091-200 DS100 Dual-Monitor Desk Stand, Vertical (black)

PERIPHERALS
■ SENNHEISER PC166 USB 3.5mm/ USB Connector Circumaural Headset
■ Logitech G510 Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard
■ Logitech G500 10 Buttons Dual-mode Scroll Wheel USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse
■ Logitech G13 USB Advanced Gameboard

[Vertigo]

Looks like I'll be nixing the LanBoy case in favor of a Lian Li (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27135) case from PauL. Should be getting it sometime next week, then I can start working on some serious mock up.

[Vertigo]

This case is going to be a lot more straight forward than my previous work, essentially it's a study in contrast between new and old. Baroque style floral engraving and carbon fiber!

Basically, I'll be fabricating some blank bolt on covers similar to the ones at MNPTech [ Billet Drive Bay Covers (http://www.mnpctech.com/Billet_Computer_Drive_Bay_Cover.html) ] however, mine are going to be made using some cheap scraps from the shop. Obviously, a bit heavier than the aluminum offered by MNPTech, but also easier to chrome.

Or more accurately, nickel plate. Below is a rough mock up of the new bay covers. I'm currently on the hunt for someone who does this type of engraving work.

http://srsbusiness.org/project/baycover.jpg

[SXRguyinMA]

that will look sick :D

[PauL]

I'm glad to be apart of your mod in an unconnected way :D Can't wait to see the final product and fate of my Lian Li

[Vertigo]

Changing the name of the project to LEVIATHAN. I'm adding a secondary side-project PC to this as well, named LAMPREY.

Since my laptop died I'm lacking in a means to web browse, watch videos, etc while playing games. I will continue using software KVM to control everything with one mouse & keyboard.

The fourth screen will be mounted above the three "landscaped" monitors on my desk.

[Vertigo]

Case came in today, this week I'm going to get measurements and start some mock ups. I'm going to hold off on paint till I've got all of the holes cut.

My main thing is making sure I've got room for the radiator and the case handles up top. I don't think it's going to be a problem, but I'm going to measure twice just to be sure. Pics coming later this weekend after I give the case a good once over.

[Vertigo]

I've got the basic color scheme worked out, both side panels are going to be in my signature Milano red, with the face, top, and back done in carbon fiber.

Here's a mock up of the painted side panels.
http://srsbusiness.org/project/panels.png

Very straight forward, but should look very good with a clean paint job and lots of clear.

The front will of course have the engraved pieces, against the black background the nickel plating should really stick out. More coming soon.

[Vertigo]

I think I've found someone to do the engraving work, Jim over at http://www.thegunengraver.com/index.htm I think should be able to handle my unorthodox request.

To be engraved:
4x Drive Bay Covers
Corsair Dominator Fan Enclosure

These pieces once engraved will be nickel plated.

At the end of the month, I'm going to get paid - then I'll start ordering some more parts.

[Vertigo]

I've been pretty busy with school having just started, but I decided to sit down and get some measurements. I'll be mounting the Corsair H100 to the top panel, with the PSU at the bottom of the case clearance shouldn't be an issue at all. I also wanted to make sure I'd have room to add a pair of the recessed handles like I used on Animus.

http://srsbusiness.org/project/toppanel.jpg

It's a tight fit, but I've got about a quarter of an inch between the rad grill and the handles. As for the rad grill, I decided to go with a Billet Aluminum grill from MNPCTECH. Looks good, and it'll match the other accent pieces I'm adding nicely, especially after the engraving work is done.

http://www.mnpctech.com/240_radiator_grill_aluminum_mnpctech.com1.jpg

■ Medium Aluminum Recessed Handle from Reliable Hardware (http://www.reliablehardware.com/mediumaluminumrecessedhandle.aspx)

■ 240 Billet Aluminum Radiator Grill from MNPCTECH (http://www.mnpctech.com/240_Radiator_Grill_BlackIce_Feser_Swiftech_Thermoc hill.html)

[Vertigo]

I've been pretty busy with school having just started, but I decided to sit down and get some measurements. I'll be mounting the Corsair H100 to the top panel, with the PSU at the bottom of the case clearance shouldn't be an issue at all. I also wanted to make sure I'd have room to add a pair of the recessed handles like I used on Animus.

http://srsbusiness.org/project/toppanel.jpg

It's a tight fit, but I've got about a quarter of an inch between the rad grill and the handles. As for the rad grill, I decided to go with a Billet Aluminum grill from MNPCTECH. Looks good, and it'll match the other accent pieces I'm adding nicely, especially after the engraving work is done.

http://www.mnpctech.com/240_radiator_grill_aluminum_mnpctech.com1.jpg

■ Medium Aluminum Recessed Handle from Reliable Hardware (http://www.reliablehardware.com/mediumaluminumrecessedhandle.aspx)
■ 240 Billet Aluminum Radiator Grill from MNPCTECH (http://www.mnpctech.com/240_Radiator_Grill_BlackIce_Feser_Swiftech_Thermoc hill.html)

[PauL]

I want to see pics of the beautiful case!! :D

[SchaibleTech]

i like where this idea is going...

[Vertigo]

Just ordered the following:
■ Pre-Wired Bulgin Vandal Resistant Illuminated Switches - 22mm Sleeved (Red Ring)
■ RadGrillz™ Stripes 2x120 Stainless Steel ACR-RG35258
■ Medium Recessed Handle, 10 Hole, Zinc - RH-0511
■ 3M Di-Noc CARBON FIBER FILM (12x24)
■ Corsair CWCH100 Hydro H100 CPU Liquid Cooler
■ 5x Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm Case Fan (1850 RPM, 28 dBA)

Decided to switch up the rad grill at the last minute, I like the one from MPCTech, but I don't like the "adjustable" grill inserts. We've moved into a studio apartment so I'm trying to eliminate noise in the new beast, to me those adjustable grills don't look like they're worth the price of admission.

The Steel RadGrill should hold up to the engraving work and nickel plating nicely. Parts should get to me by next weekend, then I can get cutting. I'll get some before and after pics the next time I update.

[SXRguyinMA]

lol I just ordered 2 of those stripes radgrills (in a 1x140) in black for my MS mod :)

[Vertigo]

LOL, yeah I really like the look. And unlike MNPCtech they are nowhere near $100.

I also decided to add a 19"x10" Window to show off some of the shiney I'm putting inside. I'm going to cover the motherboard plate in carbon fiber, and do braided aluminum line on all of the power/data cords. I also plan on getting at least the RAM cooler engraved/plated like the RadGrill. All in all, this should look pretty slick when it's all done.

It's just going to take a while, I'm looking at somewhere around $100 just for the wiring.

[SXRguyinMA]

something I just saw regarding that H100 - check your lot # once you get it

http://www.legitreviews.com/news/11591/

[Vertigo]

Hmm, thanks for the heads up - I'll check it out.

[Vertigo]

Quick update, I got the stuff in this weekend. But there's a problem. You know the old saying measure twice, cut once. Well, it also applies to buy it now. I was originally ordering my case handles from one company, then realized they had a $20 minimum for orders. So, I switched to Amazon.com and grabbed a pair from there (without checking the measurements). So, now I have a pair of super heavy duty handles that are just slightly too big for the case + radiator.

[Vertigo]

Time to get to work, I've got some parts in now. I'm still waiting on a few pieces, and this weekend I'll have the blanks cut out for the bezel covers. But I can start working on the cuts for the top of the case.

http://srsbusiness.org/project/01.jpg
Here's the case I got from PauL (take a last look at it before it's cut up!)

http://srsbusiness.org/project/02.jpg

http://srsbusiness.org/project/03.jpg
Here are the handles I got, unfortunately they're too big to use in conjunction with the rad grill (pictured) so, I'll be shelving them for a later project (or trade) later. I'm going to be using a shelved Lite On Drive I had laying around.

I'll also be adding a 10"x19" window in the side panel.

[Vertigo]

I got the plates for the drive bays cut, today I'm filing away the burs and then I'll work on the finish for the face. After that, it's to the engraver. I'll have pics together a bit later of the plates in progress.

[Vertigo]

Well, today is not going so well lol.

I actually took the day off thinking I'd get some things done, I cut about 2 inches in before my Dremel 400 XPR began smoking and sparking. I'm going to let it cool off and try running it at a slower speed, hoping I didn't burn the thing out but might have to make a run to town for a new Dremel now.

Either way should have some polishing work to show later today.

[SXRguyinMA]

my 400 XPR did the SAME EXACT THING!! Got about 3" into a side panel cut and it started smoking and crackling and popping. I picked up a Dremel 4000 (http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/ToolDetail.aspx?pid=4000)and it's WAY better and stronger than my 400 XPR was :D

[Vertigo]

I cheated, I picked up a Dremel 300 and a 4000. The 300 is going to be used mainly for working on Warhammer figures, the 4000 is grunting it's way through that Lian Li case. I've got it cooling off right now, I grabbed some EZ Locks and it's cutting through like butter now.

The day was mostly wasted by bad weather and worse service at the store, but I've got the goods to make some serious progress.

[Vertigo]

Quick Update.

I got the top cut out and mounted the grill and handles with some 10/24 hex nuts. The contrast turned out as good as I imagined. Unfortunately, the cord for t he digital camera has disappeared so I've got a bunch of "in progress" pics that I can't show atm. I got a quick snap of the assembled top with my iPhone though.

http://srsbusiness.org/project/04.jpg

I also picked out my fans, and ordered five of these:
http://srsbusiness.org/project/fan.jpg

Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm Case Fan (1850 RPM, 28 dBA)

Next update should have the new bezel plates polished and in place. Then I'll get to work on the drive bay devices.

[Vertigo]

Minor update, the weather is still sloppy as hell. So, I spent some time on the bezels. Got them mounted and I'm pleased with the look, now I just have to get the aluminum sanded down and polished (they got pretty dinged up in the shop).

Anyhow, here's a couple of pics of the bezels.

http://srsbusiness.org/project/05.jpg

http://srsbusiness.org/project/06.jpg

[SXRguyinMA]

those look nice :D

[Vertigo]

This will be a busy week. I just got in a couple of sheets of carbon fiber film and I've salvaged some parts I'll be using on the new machine, the Dominator cooler I got for Animus will be recycled as well as a DVD drive I had laying around (I have absolutely no idea where it came from but it works). I also picked up a 2TB external drive to do backups and dump files.

On a sadder note however, I have decided to nix the idea of using the engraved plates on the front of the case. They came out all right but my measurements were just slightly off. Enough that it would drive me slowly insane. That, and it just doesn't look quite right with the rest of the front bezel.

Anyhow, I just made Xoxide and Newegg very happy... Here's what the mailman has in store for me:

Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair V Formula AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Gaming Motherboard
Processor: AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 3.6GHz Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor
Video Card: ASUS Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series Gold 750W 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Power Supply
Storage: Corsair Force Series GT 60GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (x2)

Cooling:
Corsair Hydro Series H100 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

Controls & Extras:
Scythe Kama Rack 5.25 Panel
Lamptron FC6 Fan Controller
XSPC Red LCD Temp Sensor (x2)
XSPC Bay Temp Sensor Frame
5 Ft Red EL Wire Kit

[SXRguyinMA]

nice goodies!!

[Vertigo]

Thanks, I should get a sponsorship with all the Corsair and ASUS gear I been using lol.

[Vertigo]

I have a small pyramid of boxes ready to unpack, expect a major update with a lot of pictures tonight.

[Vertigo]

Merry Christmas to me...

http://srsbusiness.org/project/07.jpg

http://srsbusiness.org/project/08.jpg

Unfortunately, it's not all good news. I ordered some parts from Xoxide as well as Newegg. Newegg delivered my packages to the Edward Jones Investment firm below my apartment, not that big a deal but a little annoying. Xoxide however used FedEx and came right to my door, unfortunately that was the good news with them. The bad news is that three items I ordered weren't in the box.

2 XSPC LCD Heat Sensors

And more importantly my Corsair H100 Water Cooler.

Oddly, somebody goofed and sent me 2 XSPC dual bay reservoir pumps.

A look at the invoice shows both the sensors listed but no H100 (doesn't list the reservoir pumps either). It does however include the H100 in the total cost on the invoice, so I'm a little bit bothered right now.

I have to take the dog to the vet this morning, then I'm going to assemble the PC. I'm not going to risk OCing with the stock cooler, but it should run at least until I get this mess straightened out.

[Vertigo]

Quick Update:
Just got off the phone with Xoxide, my sensors were just apparently not packed. And the Corsair is already on it's way, it was packed separately.

So, I'll have the machine running today but not absolutely finished until the weekend most likely.

[Vertigo]

Here's the assembled front bezel...
http://srsbusiness.org/project/09.jpg

Wiring from the bezel and fans only...
http://srsbusiness.org/project/10.jpg

I got cracking on the boxes today, since I've got the water cooler and sensors inbound, I'm going to hold off on firing it up till I get those in.

Meanwhile, I can mount the motherboard and other parts now and see about getting the side panels painted. Either way, it's looking like I'm going to be putting the beast through it's paces this weekend.

[billygoat333]

Mmm... new hardware. lol

[Vertigo]

Happy Accident time.

Good News:
I got the Corsair H100.
Bad news, it doesn't fit in my case.

More accurately, I can just BARELY squeeze it in. But then I don't have room for a second 6950. Even so, there's still questions about the wiring if I mount the H100.

The good news is, Xoxide goofed again...

This time they sent me both an H100 and an H60.

I mounted the H60 in my rear exhaust position and suddenly there's room again.

Anyhow, I got everything shoe horned in and things appear okay, though I do need to rewire the start button (I didn't account for the upside down motherboard, so my power button doesn't work). Luckilly, there's a start button on the motherboard itself and everything seems to be working.

So, it's just a question of tidying up the wiring, and fixing a few settings (the Lamptron needs to be set to red for instance).

http://srsbusiness.org/project/11.jpg
Love this motherboard...

http://srsbusiness.org/project/12.jpg
This video card comes with it's own zip code, putting two in is really going to be a tight fit.

http://srsbusiness.org/project/13.jpg
Almost there!

[Vertigo]

Minor update today, everything went together well. Unfortunately when I turned the power on, nothing happened. Well, the fans came on, etc. But the monitor stayed black. So, of course I went through the tedium of checking each part individually (maybe it's a bad ram chip, etc?) nothing worked so I called ASUS and the second I mentioned that I was using a Zambezi processor with that motherboard I was asked to hold.

A few minutes later I find out that I need a BIOS update that is not currently available, they took my email and assured me I would receive instructions in a few days. So, it's waiting time again...

Meanwhile, the rain won't let up. Which is really putting a crimp into any painting work I want to do.

BAH HUMBUG!

[Vertigo]

Quick update, I received my new BIOS chip via American Express today. Unfortunately, this changed nothing. Screen is still blank, I did move my water cooler's power plug to the correct socket and noticed the video card fans were noticeably louder but the PC still doesn't work. I'm pissed beyond belief at this point.

[yingxuy]

I am glad your mod apart from the way a connection can not wait to see the final product.