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The project has now begun !
New INDEX added below !
Take Care and hope you guys Like this one, as most of you know I Love NZXT Cases and Parts !
MybadOmen
Sponsors so far:
http://www.nzxt.com/new/product_all.php
http://www.ekwb.com/shop/
http://www.primochill.com/
http://www.enermax.com/
http://www.mod-smart.com/
http://mnpctech.com/
http://www.avexir.com/
More Sponsors to come !
Just a title.... jibbed haha
hopefully some progress soon and some more progress on the bench mod too
:pics:
There are no Pictures the case is under NDA for 10 more days. Trust me will be tons when its possible.
That's the NEW Phantom teaser pictures they've been sending out. Let me know if you need help with paint.
UPDATE 1 !
I know its been a long wait but yes its true ! Update #1 is here and its a very small update but also a HUGE update. Reason this update is going to be small is because the updates following this will be in depth and something new from me if it all works out.
Anyway not much more to say then October 26th 2012 the NEW NZXT Phantom in Matte Black has arrived and is ready for Modding !
Quick look for now but it will stay in the box until i open it with you guys and give a quick review and my thoughts on the case. Seeing i have owned and built many many Phantoms and a Switch 810 i think i should be able to give you guys a really nice review from a Modder / Water coolers point of view that is very familiar with NZXT.
Here she sits till i open here with you guys:
Thank you NZXT and all my friends that come back to watch another Mod . This should be good.
Take Care and be back Very soon
MybadOmen
Update 2 !
Here is my first ever Video UN-Boxing and Review .They will get better as i go but i don't want them to become professional either.They are meant to be from a Modder /Enthusiast to other Modder's and Enthusiast . Also didn't realize there was such a short video time on YouTube so i had to post it on Veoh which seems to be pretty nice.
My first ever Review was of the NZXT Phantom 820 and i feel pretty good about the video besides some improvements i need to make.
Also i want you guys to know i waited 2 days as i had the Phantom 820 sitting in my house to even open it till i did it with you guys watching.It was very difficult to hold out but i wanted it to be a special thing i did with you guys that follow my work so in the long run was very much worth the wait.
Please watch the Video and let me know what you think as i plan on continuing to make them if you guys like them.Will try to make them shorter to fit on YouTube though from now on.
Take Care and Enjoy guys !
My First Ever Video Un-Boxing & Review "" NZXT Phantom 820 ""
http://www.veoh.com/watch/v393656918kgBZzBS
And Keep watching guys Parts are on the way and tools are ready to go !!
MybadOmen
If you guys are wondering why not updates on either of the 2 Sponsored builds i am doing its because i am Human like everyone else and struggling with something on each of them right now. Normal process usually in my Mods but will jump the hoop soon and keep on moving with them. Some of the things i think up just don't work and i don't want to do what i know everyone else would.I try to as much as possible to keep everything Unique which we all know is almost impossible at this point on a Case Mod. So i have to totally rethink it. But in the end it will all come together. I just need to think and get past the issues.
Just being straight up Honest on why no updates. Its because i'm currently stuck on both and back to the drawing board. Just once again proves i no different then anyone else.
There you have it. As soon as i have a full update together it will be posted immediately.
Take Care,
MybadOmen
Update
Just want to show you guys im in the middle of a bunch of things at the same time on the build so once i post some updates there will be allot of them and then i will have the thread moved back to the Build Log section.I am currently working on 4 builds right now well actually 3 as i just completed one for a client 2 are the Mods you guys see posted here and the other is a new test bench that i badly need for product testing and my own research. I also have been putting together guides for everything i have been doing which you will also see soon but right now im focused on the Phantom 820 and the JukeBench Mod.
Here is what i am working on now as well as my Google sketches and some designs i left out that would give the project away.
First i will start with just a few Photos of the first phase of the design (Not to exciting but in a way it is because i see what it looks like done and you will also soon).
Taking measurements on Paper and then i transfer them into Google Sketchup and then order what i need and start cutting.
As most know from my previous projects i dislike the stock motherboard trays so here i am designing the fix for that.
5.25 bays will be Modded but i want to try to keep them usable in this build but if not i already have a plan be for that. Plus a bunch of mods going into the drive bays.
Messy scribbles but this is how it all begins every build.
Thats about all i can share on that part right now without giving away the whole theme of the build and its way to early for that..
Next some work to the Pump
Getting the Pump Ready.And i made it sorta a Tutorial at the same time for those that never seen inside a D5 Pump before.
This is the Pump going in this build and before its asked yes the wife will be sleeved also :)
Here is a Stock D5 (MCP655) which come in many flavors , Single speed,Variable speed, and just about every brand name carries the D5 under a different name. One in this little guide is Swiftech variable speed, but like i said brand and speed control doesn't matter its all the same.
D5 stock pump:
First spin of the big plastic nut that you see me taking off now. Left to loosen it.
The Pump should now Split in 2 parts as shown:
The old top we can now put away because we will no longer be needing it.(Make sure you save the O-ring that is inside the old top in case you plan on putting it back together later.)
Now we simply remove the plastic nut from the wire by sliding it down over the wire. We will no longer be using this either.
And here is what we are left with the actual D5 pump itself.
There are a bunch of different tops on the Market to choose from. I just happen to be using the EK CSQ Plexi Top for this pump which is a high flow top so not only do pump tops improve the looks of a D5 but also the performance.
First i slide the new back plate over the wire with the inside groove facing the front of the pump. This back plate takes the place or the Plastic nut we removed earlier.
The new Top should come with a new O-ring which simply slides over the pump as shown.
Next since i don't want to scratch the pump top i place it face down on a piece of soft foam in the direction i want the top to sit when i place the pump into it.
Simply Place the pump assembly onto the top lining the screw holes up at this point.
Most Pump tops will come with all the tools needed and the hardware to assemble it. So take the small Allen wrench and the long screws as that's what we will need next.
This part is rather important since the Plexi or whatever top you are using can easily be stripped.Turn all the screws in with your fingers a good 5 threads before using the Allen wrench to avoid stripping the delicate threads.
Now use the Allen wrench and tighten the screws evenly in a criss cross pattern. Just snug them don't crank them down as you will destroy the top. All you are trying to do is compress the O-ring which don't take much pressure.
And there we go ,Not done yet but starting to look like a much better pump then what we started with and we should only be minutes into this project.
Next we need this Plate that comes with the kit. This is the Mounting plate to actually mount the plat inside the case. Optional mounting kits are also available again from different manufacturers.But this is what comes supplied. Also the last 2 screws (The short ones) are used in this step.
On the Bottom of the Pump Top you will see 2 holes.Make sure you are looking at the bottom as the other 2 holes on the side are for LED's if its a Plexi clear block.Easy way to tell is to make sure the holes have threads inside as shown in photo.
Next the same thing start the screws with your fingers first and then snug them with the Allen Wrench.
On the EK tops there are 2 outlets and 1 inlet so the Pump Top comes with 1 Plug so you can choose which outlet to use. I will show both outlets blocked so you know which are the outlets.
And finally drop in the Fittings and there you have it. Allot better looking pump with a higher flow rate and the use of G1/4 compression fittings or barbs.
If you actually followed this guide you would see the whole precess only takes a few minutes tops.Its a very simple Mod that any one can do to their pump thats make a huge difference in both looks and performance..
Now i am just going to do a simple Mod that makes a huge difference. This is only optional and you can use your own creative ideas on yours. I decided i wanted to make the back of the pump Chrome as i had some old Chrome Vinyl i had for using on cars. Its kinda like a stick on Chrome used for decorating cars. Any auto shop should carry it.Or you can simply paint your pump or even use Di noc its basically whatever you want to do.
This took 2 seconds to do and made a huge difference:
And finally a side by side before and after or what we just did.
Hope you guys enjoyed the Update/Guide and hope it helps someone out there.
MybadOmen
Very cool. What a difference...
Very nice. Well photographed steps, and good tips on not stripping the threads.
Update 6
Hiya Guys i'm back with some more updates. I decided to hang low for a bit and stop logging and just concentrate on Modding. But now im back. I have tons of Photo's for my logs and a bunch of new guides also that i havent decided where to post them yet.
So with that being said Lets get moving on to the build Log which as always i try to share as much as the process as possible so newcomers to this wonderful world of modding can have something to go by. It just makes me feel better showing how its done and explaining it rather then just posting pictures of completed parts.
Last Time we left off we were at about this point in the build.
The case in its stock wardrobe.
Here was me just trying somethings and getting some measurements. Mainly when things start to click and i get that little light bulb over my head.
My scratching. Lol dont look like much but later in the log it will make sense.
I removed the top and front of the Phantom which both come apart basically the same so i will show just the top as its the one that's a little more difficult.
The Top
First i flipped the top over and you can see the 2 Mesh filters a bunch of screws and a new clip system from NZXT that i will explain in the next few photos.
Here is a shot showing the screws and more importantly the new clip system they are using on the 820.
Next i removed all the screws and then figured out how the clips worked.To release the clips i used a small iPhone Flathead screwdriver and put it in between the clips as shown in the photo and gently pry outwards. (Away from the middle of the top) They seem they could break very easy if to much force was used so if you try it be careful.
And when your finished it should look just like this.If you break a thing or 2 just throw them over your shoulder and mod something to replace them. Lol just kidding.
Ok here are the Pieces i am going to be starting with.But the painting process of those build will be done in a few stages and not to bum you out but that will be in the next update as i am trying to keep updates 15 photos or less do to some forum restrictions.
Ok now i am going to go over the materials i will be using and like i said continuing after into the next update.
As many of you already know i can spray basically any paint and have 12 Real pain guns and a few airbrushes but after painting enough and trying plenty of paints i decided i will be just using Krylon Fusion Rattle cans. It is an incredible paint for both plastic and metal. No adhesion Promoter needed for plastics with this paint nor primer on metal (Unless its bare metal i would still use an etching primer. Anyway incredible paint. Dont believe me go buy a can and try it i promise you'll love it.
Next thing i will be using is a wet/dry sandpaper i have a pack of 220 and a multi pack . I usually use a 400 myself personally for this kind of thing. Dont but crappy sandpaper get wet/dry you wont regret it.
I also will be using some mechanic towels (Blue in photo) a lint free micro fiber cloth and some rubbing alcohol I prefer 70% but 50 % will do also if its all you can get.
Never ever paint even spray paint without a mask. for spray paint in a well ventilated area use either of the ones in the photo but when you start getting into guns and Lacquers and more aggressive paints you should upgrade you masks. Its your life and your lungs and the 5 pack of masks you see cost me 1 dollar so their is no excuse not to wear one.But of course i am only giving advice as i would hate to see anyone get hurt over something so simple.
Stay tuned for the rest of this update and more soon and its nice to be back. I think you guys will really get a kick out of where this build is going.
Take Care my Friends,
MybadOmen
To be continued ......
Update
Hiya guys and thanks for coming back to check out another update if you are here :) This update is just continuing on from the last and seeing there will be a few different times i am painting on the case i will try and keep them in order the best i can.
Ok so last update we left off showing the meterials i was going to be using to paint the Mesh on the top and the fron of the Phantom 820 the old fashion Spray bomb method which with the right paint can be just as durable as using my guns and look just as nice to a point of course.
Here i will walk you through what i did to prep and paint the mesh. and here is where we left off in the last update.
The Mesh just removed .
First i washed them in some luke warm water with Dawn brand dish soap to remove all the grease or anything that could be on the case.It is important to do this before sanding as the sanding will just spread the oils or whatever is on the case or part you are painting all over the place. ( Sorry no Photo of this step wasnt even thinking about it at the time i did it) But its simple enough.
Next i decided to go with a 400 Grit wet/dry sandpaper for the Mesh because i dont want to remove the old paint, I only want to remove the shine or basically scuff it up so the paint can bond good to it. Seeing i know how good this Paint bonds i know i can easily get away with a 400 grit which is finer then a 220grit. (Higher the grit the finer the sandpaper).The reason i dont want to remove the old paint is because i will then be left with bare metal and in that situation you need to use an etching Primer before you can paint.
Sand everything and both sides.Try not to miss places as that will be the place you have the chance of peeling paint etc. With the paint i am using i doubt it ever but just be be safe thats what really should be done.
Now as in the update before this i showed and talked about the materials i would be using and as you can see i am using the 70% Alcoholand shop towels to wipe everything clean until no black shows on the towels. I then at then end whipe it quick with a clean Microfibre rag or a Rak rag depending on what i am painting. Microfiber is fine for what i am doing.
Here is how dirty it was even though after sanding it seems to be clean. So if i just painted without cleaning there is a good chance the paint would peel or fish eye on me.
Here is a Photo showing the mesh Properly prepped for painting, If you look close you can see its lighly scuffed up but not down to metal. (Dont worry there will be spots you go through to bare metal just try to avoid it is all)
Next i hang the Mesh in my Messy Shed i i have been mosty using my shop inside the house now so havent got a chance to get it more organized. Besides that i blew all the dust out first with my air compressor and Vaccumed .Its also good practice to wet the floor if you are somewhere that is possible to do to keep the dust down. But again with what i am painting here its not really that necassary.
Note i am hanging the mesh by one of the clips in case i get a mark from where the hanger was ,this way the clip is hidden when the mesh is put back into the case.
Sorry i never get Photos of me actually spraying besides 1 time i think i did .Reason for this is the pain will destroy my camera as its floating in the air sorta like dust when im painting.Not to mention its a bit hard to focus on laying the paint down nice with a camera in my hand.
Anyway start with whats called a Tack coat. This is just a very light coat of paint that barely covers at all and then let it sit in the case of the paint i am using i gave it about 3 minutes as the complete dry time is 15 minutes but remeber thats still not the pain fully cured but it is handable.The reason for a Tack coat is to help avoid getting runs while painting and also to help the paint bond better also so it is rather important. Never try to just paint anything in 1 quick coat and always leave time in between coats.There is a good reason for this also. If you just try and throw a heavy coat of paint on something its for 1 most likely going to run on you or fish eye and also the top of the Paint will dry before the lower coats leaving the paint sorta sealed in so it cant dry. would be a soft finish or peal all kinds of nasty stuff so basically Tack coat and leave time between coats.
Showing the prepped and Finished Mesh:
Looking Very Nice and very durable.
And everything else on the build is in shambles as im working on a few things at the same time on it so ignore the inside for now.But the white Mesh fits where i am heading with this build just right and i think im pretty pleased with it so far but tons to go as far as painting and Modding.
Thanks for Looking guys and i still have allot more to still get logged so will be back very soon with more.
Take Care and Keep Watching.
MybadOmen
Update
Hiya again Fellow Modders / enthusiest /Overclockers / etc .
Today's update i would like to start by thanking another talented Modder named Kellen aka (Kaged) many of you may remeber him from his Pink Cancer awareness build that he Modded and raffled off and then donated the 100% of the proceeds to a cancer awareness program. He has also built another Phantom recently called "Lucky 13" which is also another nice mod. but the reason i am mentioning him is many of you may have already known but many dont.Kaged was the person that made all my Vinyl Decals for "Mass Effect 3" and the Masking for "Venom" but the funny part is i have a high end plotter sitting in my house that i just didnt know how to use. So some of the delay on the project is i wanted to learn Corel Draw ,The Plotter software ,how to work with Vectors,Welding Vectors etc. After a few nights with no sleep and Kaged on my PC via remote desktop i finally learned it all and this will be my first Project making my own Masking and Vinyls.So i think a huge Thank you goes out to Kaged for all the help he has given me with this as its not a simple thing to learn and took many days.
That being said lets get on with the Update :
First off this is a Plotter for those that never seen one. This specific one is a Graphtec America Plotter and goes for roughly $2400. new without the stand but you can buy Plotters for a less that will basicaly do the same thing i believe the cricket is similiar also. This particular one cuts Din noc etc and meterial from 24 inches wide to any length. This Plotter was also a gift from someone for my birthday that i work for.Anyway what a plotter does is can take a drawing or name etc and cut a certain metarial like a sticker etc without cutting all the way through. Most sign makers use plotters or t shirt makes.
Here is the plotter i will be using
And here is the Plotter actually working.This is after i made the design i wanted,Converted it to Vector ,Improved the quality of the image and welded it also . (Welding basicaly makes sure the blade dont cross itself or go off the path that you want cut.Its hard to explain but if interested in it more you can Google Plotter welding) and finally i end up with a .cdr file that i sent to the plotter and position it where i want it then send the command to cut. Sorta like a printer.
Here are the first cuts i made but the face was a bit to big so i resized it and tried again. Live and learn .
The material i was cutting was a medium tack masking but when i was finished i relized i had no transfrer tape which is extremly important to apply the masking or a decal and you will see why soon.So what i did was thought about it and went to the local hardware store. I happened to find some low tack Clear Contact plastic used for lining drawers and it was basically the same exact thing as transfer tape so i came back home and could continue working without another delay.
Here is the Contact drawer liner i bought and the other thing in the photo is a cutter i use for all kinds of projects but goes perfect with the plotter.
Now what i have to do is carefully lay the transfer tape or in this case the drawer liner :) over the masking so it should look something like this when completed. (This is a completed Masking ready to go).
Now that i have the masking i need to clean the surface that i will be painting and placing the masking so just like in previos post i used alcohol ,Shop towels and Microfiber cloth.
First i clean the surface good with the Alcohol
Then i wipe it clean with the Microfiber cloth ,I will repeat this again right before applying the masking to make sure there is no dust at all.
Now we take the backing off the masking (Not the clear transfer tape but the other side) And i then center or position the masking where i want it and since this is going on a pointed area i place the center of the decal or masking on first and then work away from the center with a credit card or squeegy to make sure there are no air bubbles in the blue masking.
Next its time to peel the clear transfer tape off and this can be tricky depending on the design you are working with. The best way i found is pull towards yourself keeping the transfer tape pulled way back as shown in the photo. Also of you have long thin lines in your work start where the line is conected and then pull the tape from that point to the tip to avoid peeling the masking off.
And its off. Not i just make sure there are no bubbles or more important any spots that are lifted where i will be painting as that will destroy the paint job.The reason is the pain will go under the lifted area and just make it messy looking.
Now we simply mask of everything we dont want painted.I am using a medium tack painters tape. (Dollar store i think i got it)
I forgot to mention this the previous update but when i do use Spay Paint i always warm the can in luke warm water first.Thius makes a huge differents in the way the paint flows from the can and gives a smoother finish.
Next i peel the masking off. It takes a little time to get the perfect timing down on when to remove the maksing as to early the paint can be ruined from stringy looking paint thats not dry yet and to late the paint will be stuck to the masking and peal off with it. Its usually not a problem so dont worry to much about it as i am just saying it could happen.
In this case it came out perfect
And still more painting to go but here it is with the door back on for now
Hope you liked the update and like i said the painting is far from done as well as the build as a whole .
Keep watching lots more to come
MybadOmen
UPDATE
Here is the latest work on my "Legion" Build and sorry updates are not going as fast as my prior builds but to be honest financially and time wise its very difficult for me as a dad of 3 to afford one mod on top of another even if they are sponsored Mods they still cost allot and i am doing my best so hope you enjoy the build. I figured i would finally come clean and just tell you guys why it takes me so long on these current builds.
Well with that out of the way here is the new Acrylic i made to be part of a motherboard tray when its completed. (The blue is just the protective layer) the color is solid white. Also thi is the second time this was made as i broke the first one.More work has to be dont to it but here it is at this point.
Next came sleeving my PSU. I really dont like extensions at all do to the extra wire and plugs so as always i am doing the whole PSU.
This Sleeving job is being done a little different as i am actually using the new Modsmart Kobra Max Paracord sleeving. This can only be purchased as either a PSU kit or as Extentions but since the owner sponsors me i asked for some of the wire to use on my PSU. The reason you cant but this sleeving alone is because its a New type of Paracord that's actually formed tight to the wire and it would be impossible to put on without a machine.Anyway the stuff is absolutely amazing and i love it. The tight to the wire look is extremely clean looking and easy to work with but don't get me wrong the way i am doing it is still a pain but you can buy the extensions ready to go.
First off the PSU i will be sleeving and rewiring is the Enermax Platimax Fully Modular 1350w (1600wPeak) PSU. Thanks to Enermax and their help with the project.
Here is the Mess i have to work with after cutting the factory sleeving off :) Looks fun don't it. Yes allot of work but well worth the final results.
Its always fun to find wires crimped together like this photo and makes sleeving just that much harder but i am noticing this in many new PSU's coming out now.So it ends up being a rewiring job rather then just a sleeving job. Every harness is like this on or worse.
I decided to use Red plugs with White and Black Modsmart Kobra Max Paracord (Majority of the color being White) Here are some of the wires done. Looking way better then the photo above.
Thanks for Looking and adding more updates now.
MybadOmen
UPDATE
This update will be a 2 part update do to the amount of Photos i separated it into 2 parts that still make sense.
This Update will be on the GPU's and Blocks going into Legion.Legion will be running 2 Nvidia GTX680's with EK's new CSQ line of blocks and there installation .
First off here is the package sent by Nvidia as part of the sponsorship of the Legion build.
Ok lets get started. In this update i will go over doing a single card as if i was going to only run 1. Here is the 680 we will be working on.
First on these cards its very important not to miss this screw on the GPU bracket or you have a chance of breaking your card.
Next you want to remove all the screws on the back of the card that it says to remove in you block instructions. Use directions as it varies from GPU to GPU.
Now carefully split the stock cooler from the GPU also being careful of the small fan wire when separating them. Unplug the Fan wire and you should end up with something like this.
Remove all the thermal Pads and clean the thermal paste from the GPU itself.So its nice and clean like this:
At this point cut the new thermal pads according to your instructions and apply them to the card where the directions also show. And add new thermal paste to the GPU of your choice.I think i used MX4 and you can do the pea sized drop or use an X pattern when applying.That's up to you.I didnt show this photo as the directions should def be used for this part.
Here is the block i will be using the EK FC 680 GTX CSQ block (Nickel/Plexi)
Place the block on the card gently with the screws ready to go.Try not moving the block around at all once you set it down.
Next its time to add the back plate that i should mentioned has to be purchased separately from the block. Here is EK's new CSQ Back plate. I think its damn sexy.
And finally here is what a single GTX680 looks like dressed in EK CSQ Nickel/Plexi Block and Back plate.
Of course there are many different fitting configurations you use on a single card setup like this with the new CSQ blocks.I am only showing this setup as there were complaints or rather confusion when the cards first releases but now EK added another block that gives more options with the newer kits so all issues are gone with that problem. Sorry i got my blocks early so i dont have that adapter to show since i dont need it anyway.
Take care guys and will show the Dual setup in Next Update which will be a short update.
MybadOmen
Update Or rather extended from last one.
Hiya Guys back to finish off the GPU setup that will be going in Legion so i will get right to it.
Ok last update i showed the single card setup but Legion will be running dual 680's so this will be a really quick update.
Basically all i am going to be doing next is adding an EK GPU Bridge and Blank off do to the spacing on the Asus Rampage Formula IV x79. Since assembly of the bridge is simple there is really no need to show how to assemble it so here it the EK CSQ Triple Serial Bridge with blank off. This gives me the ability to add third card if i chose to in the future but i highly doubt i will be.
The Bridge simply screws right on the the cards do to the new CSQ design. Here is the block that would be on the Card where you can see it is threaded.
And assembled here is what everything looks like for Legion's GPU power.
Lastly this is how Legion sits at the Moment but tons will be changing soon so keep watching for it.(Ignore the red and black cables)
Thanks Guys for looking and i will do my best to get you updates when possible.
Take Care
MybadOmen
UPDATE!
"Modding Top of the case (Rad Support) to fit the EK XTX360 & 6 Enermax Cluster Fans"
Hiya guys i am back with another update ,I know going slow but it will get there. Anyway when i started planning this build which i never really actually plan a build but i did know i wanted an EK XTX360 Rad on Top & the EK XTX240 down Bottom with Push/Pull Enermax Clusters. 6 on top and 4 on Bottom plus my Intake and Exhaust fans of course.
Well after a bit of not thinking of it and working on other things i decided to fit the XTX360 in place (Those not aware its the thickest of the EK line Rads.In this order XT/XTC/XTX) . Seeing my Mass Effect 3 build had the XTC420 up top and is a Switch 810 and the NEW Phantom 820 is the same size and was made for water cooling with holes up top for a 360 or 420 rad i figured i would drop in the XTX 360 with room to spare.
Well when i got the EK XTX360 out of the box and seen how huge it was next to the case i had a feeling i was in for a fun time getting it in. Well right off i bolted it in and it was was to far back and way to low.There was no way possible to get fittings on without some major modding which i went ahead and started.
Its Kind of hard to explain as i forgot to take photos before i went to work but i will try to explain the problem of the Rad fitting.
In this Photo if you look on top of the case the top dips down almost an inch and it is directly centered bringing the Rad to close to the motherboard and rear PCI cutouts of the case.
Here is just another Photo showing how low the Rad is sitting as well as how close to the motherboard it is not to mention the rear fitting threads are literally sitting on the PCI bracket cutouts of the case.
Goal of this Mod: To Fit the EK XTX360 up top , To move it forward and a little of an inch forward from the back. Do the Mod without sacrificing the built in Hue lights, Access to to G1/4 Threads on the rad. And of course to keep everything clean looking in the end.
Here is a good shot showing the issue at hand (Sorry found these photos after )
Ok just the brunt of the work will be in this update the details and making it pretty will come in another when i know all the cutting is done.
[B]
Lets Get Started:
First i had to get a new piece of metal ready to make the new Rad support (Raised and Moved) so i got out some i believe 24 gauge sheet metal and went over to once again another antique tool which is still doing its job like the day it was new. (I love working with Old tools)
Old School Sheet Metal Sheer
This shot is showing what has to go. Its just not happening for me.
And next for the Not so old school tools. I love Using the Plasma cutter the thing is the bomb.I am now cutting out the area i showed in the photo above with the white square.
[B]
Next was time to take out the RotoZip with the angle head attachment which is one of my favorite modding tools and remove the paint that's in the area i will be spot welding. (Another tool i haven't got to play with much)For case modding its ideal compared to welding in my opinion.
Here is the new Rad top being welded together using the Spot welder /Tack Welder or whatever you know it as, I circled it for those that dont know what a spot welder is. This is a 220volt one but you can also get a smaller 110 one also.
Well like i said this update will just be the brunt part of the work. Cleaning it up and cutting out slots for better airflow around the fans is next as well as painting etc. All part of a Process and want to just get what i can while i have the use of these great tools for the day.
As you can see crude but in the end will serve the purpose perfect and be awesome.
Here you can see i have it marked out for more cutting and Dremel work when i get home. I will also smooth it out more and use a filler of some sort to make it look factory when finished.
Smoothed a out a little more as i had a little extra time and worked on straightening the inside edge a bit more.
And Last thing for this update as its getting late and i also did some other fun stuff during the day is to Punch out the 2 holes i need for the rad ports . Just in case i need them.I used a small Knock out tool to do it. You may have seen Bill Owen use the large one for Punching through cases to put in 120mm fans etc in some of his videos.
New Update soon showing the top all finished.
Hope you enjoyed the Update and thank you for watching
MybadOmen
Update
Hiya Guys again,
Well if you look at the last update you can see we left off with a New top for my Phantom 820 Legion build making many changes to comfortably fir an EK XTX360 Rad with 6 Enermax Cluster Fans.
Ok so the job was done but it was very crude cut and it was def not optimized for airflow and that's where this update comes in.
Here you can see the basic shape is there but still a mess to deal with. Plus if i bolt a rad on the way it is it will restrict at least 25% or more of the airflow from the Fans.
So i grabbed one of my Dremel's and of course my awesome Smith & Wesson Safety Glasses from Mnpctech and got to work.
And after a little time with the Dremel its time to dig out my beat up files and do some hand filing. (Probably not necessary but im pretty picky)
Now you can see why it was so important i did all that Dremel and filing work. If you look now all of the Fans power will be pushing and Pulling air through the Top rad. Cluster Fans from Enermax are powerful yes but also pretty silent when they run but they def push allot of airflow.
As you can see from this Photo i went from not being able to even fit the rad or get to the fittings to now fit the Rad with 6 Fans and plenty of room to get to the fittings. And yet the Hue lighting is still there also.
Next it was time to try to weld around the rim where the metal was cut to make it look a little better and for a little more strength . Si i grabbed my Mig on low power and tried doing my best to fill the holes from the metal we used which was scrap and tried to fill the cap between the 2 metals to later smooth out.
Me Ready to go !
This is what i am stuck with unless i use body filler which since this will never be seen i dont want body filler in my PC where it will crack when moving it. (Might add something to make it cleaner later because even though its not seen its still bugging me.
By looking at the Photo you can also see how much its moved to the right and forward.
Photo from Underneath :
And Rad sitting in place (Not tight) but there for measurements.
And that's it for this update guys still tons to do Modding the 5.25 bays will probably be next for better airflow of the bottom front fan.
Until Next Update Take care and Thank You for Looking and all your Support.
[B
MybadOmen[/B]
That fabrication is looking really nice. Can't wait to see where it goes.
Progress to date on "Legion" will try to add more photos of the actually Using the tools etc soon. It still has to come apart a few more times before starting the theme. But i have a vision of it now and i am on a roll.
Hope you like were its heading:
I'm looking forward to this one, that phantom case looks sweet and almost screams "do some kinda Spartan helmet mod!" ... and +rep for the step-by-step goodness.
Having said that ...
Er, how exactly does this piece of plastic improve the performance of the pump?Quote:
Originally Posted by mybadomen
supposedly they flow better but I've never seen any tests to prove that
UPDATE!
After a while i realised something about the build didnt seem right to me and i couldnt put my finger on it but it drove me crazy.So what did i do? I tore it all the way back down again including the Rivets.
First off i decided there wasn't enough white inside for what i am aiming for yet i didnt want any white paint on the back off the case or anywhere on the ouside besides where i intend to put it. So first step was wash the whole case (In my Tub) with dawn Dish soap then put it outside to dry in the sun. I thing sanded the whole inside by hand with a 500 grit sandpaper since the paint i will be using has its own built in adhesion promoter i don't have to go down any more course then 500.I then washed the case again and set it out to dry again.
Here is what i had after tearing Legion back down:
First thing i did was used some nice Vinyl masking i have that works way better then masking tape for getting in tight places etc.
After using a squeegee and making sure no paint could get through the masking in the back i finished masking the rest i didn't want painted.
Next for Painting the Case, I said earlier in the logs i would not be using my Paint guns on this build as there really is no need to so i will be using Krylon Fusion White paint which is the only paint i now use when not using my guns.
After Painting you can see how good of a job the Vinyl Masking does:
I also drilled the rivets out on the back motherboard tray and the PCI I/O Shield holder sorry forgot the name right this second but the part you screw your GPUs etc to on the motherboard and the I/O cover sits in.Anyway i painted that as well and its time to put it back in without scratching any paint. To do that simply put masking tape over the tip of your Rivet gun and poke a hole through to place the rivets. This way if you slip you are allot more protected but still try not to slip ..lol
Next i was weary about messing with my Motherboard and Voiding the warranty as almost everything i have the warranties have been voided and these Motherboards are not cheap. But i said screw it and started to work on the Motherboard.
Removing the Mosfet Heatsink: (and as you can see the EK block bracket has been painted white as well)
Naked Mosfets:
Now prepping for Paint (all i did here was washed them down good with a 70% alcohol and masked what i didnt want painted off)
And now for the Chipset Cooler:
and of course since this is Pron , the naked Chipset of the Asus Rampage Formula IV X79:
Same goes for the Chip set cooler but first i had to get the Asus aluminum plate off which sorry i forgot to take photos of. But this is how i did it. To remove the Asus Plate i used a heat gun and a razor hobby knife and carefully heated the plates while sliding the knife under the glue itself to try to keep the glue intact.You have to be very careful and take your time or you will bend the Aluminum plate.pretty basic though really if you ever modded anything.
Here is the Chipset cooler all masked yet again only where i want the paint is showing.
You might be asking what i painted the mosfet and chipset cooler with as i seen the question asked many times before, Or you might be asking if it will lose its heat transferring capabilities do to the paint. The answer is will i with this method no. But yes paint can def interfere with cooling capabilities of a heat sink if 1) Its the wrong kind of paint 2) Its sprayed to thick 3) I also believe a shiny gloss paint can also have a bad effect even if only be a few degrees tops.
Anyway here is what i used and why. Krylon High Heat & Radiator Paint is the paint i chose for this project and the reason was because its semi flat but still looks bright white even using very little paint on the coolers, Plus it can run 600 degrees F forever of it can even handle temps of 1200F for short periods of time. So to me it was a no brainer and the perfect paint for the job. oh yeah and one other reason is a non gloss paint tends to breathe better or be more porous then a gloss would. Ok back to the photos :)
Painted Mosfet cooler:
Painted Chipset Cooler:
http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/...ps60d78411.jpg
Motherboard back together: (used ICDiamond for TIM if anyone was wondering)
And some Final shots of what i have done so far:
Hope you guys like it still tons to do but im starting to be happier with it now.
Take Care and keep Modding guys,
MybadOmen
I can do some tests to show you guys if you like as i have been working for a water cooling company for many years now in R&D so i have most of the test equipment here but i can give you one i know for sure as i just tested it a few days ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Konrad
GPM = Gallon per Minute. Flowrate
Stock D5 Pump out of the box new: 1 to 1.4 GPM
Same Pump with EK HF Top: 2.7 to 2.9 GPM
Most don't realize a D5 pump is a very low pressure and flow pump most i seen and currently have 6 here are new out of the box closer to 1GPM to get a 1.4Gpm chances are like 1 in 6 as far as my lucks gone lol.
Hope this helps some.
MybadOmen
nice work, love the white insides :D
The paint really makes your work and attention to detail stand out quite nicely. :up:
Tiny Update:
Not a Huge update but just something i am happy to have been able to get the parts to make. Here is the Custom Primochill Vortex Flow Indicator going into Legion. Like i said nothing huge its just a stock Vortex that i had the company make me a chrome/mirrored wheel and new white back plate for.Also if you look close you can see Primochill's brand new Revolver series Rigid Compression fittings which i had the pleasure of getting first before they were sent out to resellers.Huge Thanks to Primochill for their support on this build and hope you guys like this tiny update.
Just had to share it as i think it came out beautiful. (Bunch of different views)
Hope you like the Photos and i will post some more soon as i got a bunch of new parts to get some more sleeving and making cables up done. Plus some other modding materials i want to keep secret until those updates come.Seeing camp is over in a couple weeks for the winter you'll be seeing allot more of me soon.
Take Care My Friends and Keep Modding,
MybadOmen
looks nice :)
Update!
This Update i would like to Thank Crucial for coming on board and helping to make this build possible by their Sponsorship of 2 Crucial 240Gig SSD's for me to Mod and run Raid 0 Striped in Legion for superior performance when shes finished.I have always loved Crucial Products not only for their blazing fast yet reliable SSD's but also for their Great Ram! (Also like to Thank Primochill for use of their New Wet Bench to Benchmark these Drives for you guys.
Huge Thanks to Crucial !
http://www.crucial.com/store/ssd.aspx
First off i would like to say the M500 Series SSD's are just as fast as they say they are but i find it incredible you can get from 120Gig drive all the way to a 940Gig! And at a reasonable price to top it all off.
Anyway my point isn't to advertize the SSD's but rather to show you them and the benchmarks and explain how i will be Modding them. (As much as possible at this point in time)
Here is What Arrived from Crucial for the Legion Build:
Here is the Bench i will be Benchmarking on.
First i will show you the drives ,then give you the bench Specs and lastly the benchmarks.
Opening the M500 box you dont find much beyond a Quality SSD:
And a spacer to make the 7mm SSD fit in a 9.5mm space.
And that's about it for whats in the box. (A sticker would of been cool but performance and reliable are all i care about)
Next i mount the M500's on the Wet Bench and get ready to start benching:
And here is the setup i will be using for these benchmarks today:
I have no need to drop GPU's on the setup and i swapped the ram out from whats in the photo.Which i will explain in the Specs.
Test Bench Setup for the Crucial M500 Benchmarks Running Raid 0 Striped.
Test Bench: Primochill Wet Bench white/white
Cpu: Intel i5-4670k @ 4.5Ghz 1.34v
Motherboard: MSI G-45 Z87 Gaming Board 1150 Socket.
Memory: 8 Gigs Xtreme Team 2400 Mhz C10
Drives: 2 Crucial 240Gig M500 SSD's Raid 0 Striped.
PSU: Cougar 850 watt
Random Watercooling
And to save on Picture space i added all Benchmarks in 1 Photo:
As you can See in Atto the drives easy Break 1,000Mbs Read and all other tests show the drives to be pretty much close across the boards just showing that these drives do perform extremely well.Also installing in Windows 7 64bit was a walk in the park.
For any of those Interested i also added the Windows Experience Index score for you as well:
The Modding Part: These drives will be Modded in White and Chrome yet still carry the Crucial M500 name on them when done.
Thank You for watching this update and the benchmarks and keep an eye out for the actual Modding of the SSD's to come shortly.
MybadOmen
UPDATE !
Hiya guys,
In this Update i am going to be Hard Tubing "LEGION" using Primochill's New Rigid Tubing and i was also lucky enough to get my hands on some of their New Nickel Revolver Series Rigid Fittings before they are released.
I will also be showing you how to bend the tubing easily using the method that Primochill provides by using a Heat Gun and Primochill's Bending Silicone, A cool little hobby saw i have and a Homemade Jig and don't forget the Olive oil (Seriously).
Ok Lets get started with this Update First off here is the 1/2"OD Primochill Clear Rigid Tubing i will be using (Comes in many colors but i wanted clear for this build)
Type i am using in Legion:
And other colors available:
Also here are the New Revolver Series Rigid Fittings by Primochill in Nickel i will be using.
Here i will try to explain a simple yet productive Bending Jig i made from an old piece of scrap wood in my backyard,A few sockets and nuts ,bolts and washers to fit through them all. Simply drill holes in a bunch of places using a Square ,Protractor or just place the holes any place you like to make whatever angles you want. Nice thing is you can always drill more holes later for even more bends. But figured this was a simple design anyone could build so i went this route rather then pulling welders etc out.
Next here is the silicone that is a must for making crazy bends and Primochill sells it through most resellers (It comes in different colors either Orange/Black/Grey) but its all the same thing.And here is where you need the olive oil as well and some 1 dollar cheap gardening gloves so you don't burn your hands.
Simply Dip the tip of the silicone into the olive oil and slide it into the Rigid Tube paste the point you want to bend. (To get the little oil out of the tube after simply use Dawn dish soap)
Now that the tube is ready with Silicone inside and gloves on use your Heat gun and slowly heat in the area you want to bend until the tubing becomes almost as flexible as the Silicone itself . It really is amazing how flexible it gets. Also at this point when bending dont push hard against anything or it will leave a mark in the Rigid when cooled .Basically the trick is slow and easy the whole time.
And here is an example of the bends and don't worry about the excess as we will be cutting that to the correct size soon.
And the 2 Bends i need for the CPU to Ram blocks:
Now its time for Cutting and you can use just about any kind of saw to cut the Rigid .I have the ultimate little saw that is perfect for it that can be bought at Harbor Frieght for short money but i have used Dremels and Scroll saws as well.Here are a few option but there are many more.
My Favorite saw for Rigid:
Also scroll saw works great , just file and sand the edge after:
And of course what most will have handy is a Dremel and a file or some sandpaper .You can achieve that same results with.
Ok now that i Bent and cut the Rigid to size i start assembling it and remember these are compression fittings so they hold in very tight with no worries at all.
And now for the other Ram Block:
And after more Bending etc and also don't get me wrong i had some scrap from trying different routing but here is what i ended up with so far.
Well that's all i have for today guys i hope you like the Update, I still have some really cool updates coming when it gets to working on the Theme of the build so i am very excited now and hope you guys are as well.
Take Care all and Keep Modding,
MybadOmen
Wow! That tubing really is excellent-looking stuff. If it bends as easily as you make it look I'll be using it in my next build.
Thanks and awesome work!!
Looking good man! I need to make myself one of those tubing jigs lol. And that mini chop saw is great idea!
Check out by HAF XB mod blue - I used rigid as well (although E22 instead of Primochill) and it was super easy to work with and looks much cleaner. Plus it won't stain like regular tubing will.Quote:
Originally Posted by blueonblack
Update!
This is rather a small but pretty cool update and Mod but i figured i would add it now before i forget and it gets missed.
A plain old SLI Bridge wasnt going to cut it after i got my 680's all dressed up so something a little more flashy that also gave thanks to NVIDIA for sponsoring me at the same time,So this is what i did.
First i got a Sheet of Mod/Smart Chrome/Mirrored cast acrylic which is another company that sponsors my work. Here is that Sheet.
Next i marked it out and to the size i needed and cut it. After cutting i then filed and sanded on a flat surface to get the cut edges straight as possible and rounded the corners a bit.
So here is the Bridge i will be Modding as its boring as hell and the Raw cut piece of mirrored acrylic with the protective layer still on.
Next i grab a 2 part epoxy that i use all the time. You can but this at about any hardware or auto store and it also comes in black and white as well but i prefer the clear and use it on all my mods and other projects. (Its super strong and dries fast) I also used a cheap brush with the bristles cut down and just a coffee can lid.Anything can be used instead.
Next you want to make sure you have a 50:50 Mixture of the 2 part epoxy.
Make sure to mix the epoxy very good as if you have any that didn't get mixed ,then it will not dry.
Next i put some epoxy on the bridge more like in globs at different points of the bridge yet not to close. What you want to happen is to make sure you def have the epoxy touching both objects yet not to much that it all comes squirting out when you put the 2 objects together. Also after centering wait a few minutes and recenter if it moves within the first couple minutes.
While that was Drying i went into Corel Draw and made an Nvidia logo that i liked and though would look good on the Bridge. Here is the Logo i came up with . Very simple yet very nice. (It wont be black ,black is just a base color i use for my plotter)
And after running the new drawing through my Plotter, weeding out the vinyl i dont want and adding transfer tape this is what a Vinyl Decal looks like.Btw i was very pleased with the results
Next i simply peeled off the backing of my new decal and centered it on the Bridge,Used a squeegee to make sure it stays forever ,And finally the Custom SLI Bridge is all ready to go.
And last what it looks like in the build so far although there is still a ton of work to be done inside Legion still before it all comes together.
I know it was a short update but i really hope you guys enjoyed it.
Take Care and Keep on Modding,
MybadOmen
I don't think Nate has Compressions for Rigid as far as i know only Primochill makes them at the moment.The Tubing will work if its 1/2OD though.Quote:
Originally Posted by SXRguyinMA
Update:
Hiya Fellow Modders,
Again another small update just so i don't forget to log it,Unfortunately i broke the blade on my ancient scroll saw and have to wait to find new blades which is a bummer at the moment. My scroll saw is ancient but was built amazing way back then compared to those they sell today as it not only holds the blade straight and from walking it also adjusts down to hold the part your cutting in place.It really is very nice even though its ancient. But ets move on to the Log now.
First off for those Interested here is my Ancient Homecraft Scroll Saw:
Ok and now for the beginning of the Mod i am working on right now.
I start with some white acrylic like i used on the motherboard tray and mark it out to the size i need using a square to make sure its perfect (Paper on the acrylic is just the protective layer) :
And now drawing out angles on both covers so hey are all perfectly even.
And what they look like after cutting the edges :
Next i drill 2 holes in each cover 1/4" from the edge on the covers and the motherboard tray.This will be to make them removable.
And Finally here is what they will look like in place but they are shiny white acrylic with chrome knurled rounded nuts ,I still need to make the cutouts going on the covers but i want to keep that secret until that update. But for now enjoy these Photos:
Also a sneak peak at the other Mods for the build i am working on a the same time.This will also be a complete update so just a sneak peek for now:
Like i said it was a small update but i still don't want you guys to miss anything as i try to share he complete experience of the build process with you.
Until next Update Take Care and Keep Modding,
MybadOmen
Excellent work, sir! I am most impressed by your obsessive attention to detail, and perhaps inspired enough to start bending my own rigid plastic tubing (my own limited experimental attempts with glass tubes were disappointingly mediocre). I give you +rep.
And thanx for demonstrating what the mysterious plastic bit on the pump was for, it wasn't obvious before your updates.
I note that your processor temps are excellent. Do you have any temp readings on your mobo chipset parts? I'm specifically curious about how hot the mobo vregulator caps get (especially with heavy power draw or "dirty" PSU) because they look - to me - a little physically crowdy in terms of heatflow, especially since you've blocked out so many of the vents. I'm a component-obsessed guy, lol, seeking some "field data" to consider in my eventual (I promise!) DIY homebrewed motherboard project.
UPDATE,
Long awaited i know but i'm doing the best i can with real life and all.
This update is just simply some more work to the 5.25 bays which are still going to need allot of work to be completed. The idea behind this mod is i needed the EK CSQ Spin Res as high as possible as it will be feeding a second Primochill Phase II Reservoir i believe the D5 version but with the 2 huge rads there is tight space to get to Phase 2 res in just the right place to be fed by the EK bay res.
Anyway here's the work that was done.
As you can see there have been a couple other mods already done to this small 5.25 bay but in this mod i will be getting the EK spin res to fit in a slot that just isn't there yet.
You can see me holding the Res where it needs to go in this photo.
In this Photo i am showing the area i will be cutting out with a Dremel 3000 with a bigger arbor and 2" fiberglass reinforced cutting wheel.
And here is what it looks like before cleaning it up and completing the other mods
Here is showing how it will fit in leaving me plenty of room to hardline it. (Also remember it wont look like this as i am only working on the structure right now not the looks.)
And here is where you can really see it starting to come together perfect. It now lines up perfect with the top of the Primochill Phase II res which is exactly what i was looking for.
All bays will be filled and it will look totally different then but here is how the Res with sit sorta with the front on. Sorry bad photo..
Well not a Huge update guys but to me its big progress,I am sorry to those who follow my work and i haven't been Modding to much lately but that is all about to change shortly. I am moving across country and will have a huge shop in my new house just for modding so i am very excited about it.
As soon as Legion & JukeBench are completed i will be moving right on to more new mods.
Thanks for looking and the Support Guys and i promise i will be back full force very soon.
Take Care,
MybadOmen
