Project: ShadowNyfe

Hey guys, this is my first time posting a work log though I've been lurking here for quite some time. I gotta, say very freaking impressed with the things the people on this forum have put up. I'm hoping to get a lot of feedback from you guys as to what I could to do improve upon my build.

First thing I need from this community is for an evaluation of the build before I actually go out and purchase the parts.

- CM 690 case
- Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz
- GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L
- EVGA 8800 GT 512MB
- Kingston 4x1 GB 1066 DDR2 RAM
- OCZ StealthxStream 600w PSU

I have tons more questions on how to cut specific parts and wiring for LEDs, but lets start at the basics and work from there :]

I'll also be asking for ideas on making a side window, again later on.

welcome to work logs? lol hey this one shall be interesting i love watching mods develope.. i cant help you with the specs because idk whats better intel or amd every1 tells me different

heres a video on how to make a side window :) first bit of advice


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpZoE...eature=related

I'm going to move this to the ideas section since you're still in the planning phase. When you start the build, I (or another mod/admin) can move it back for you.

Oh, and for LED's.. We got ya covered there. Feel free to ask away.

Ya thats fine :] I need to purchase the internals before I start modding the externals, so I guess the faster I get more opinions on the basic parts of my computer the faster I'll get to building haha.

I have a pretty good idea that this will be a good gaming rig, not top of the line but should be able to handle pretty much any game out currently (minus crysis). Lemme know what I should change out!

currently i already own:
- 8800 GT
- StealthxStream 600w PSU
- CM 690 case
- the DDR2 RAM

everything else is still to be purchased.

WOOT thats like my rig but... i have a 800w psu witch totaly owns and a soprano.. i dont really like it because i cant add extra fans..

Sweet, so the components I already have, working pretty good for me so far :]

Actually on all these parts, I've researched and found they've all been very well received, I just want second opinions, which seem to be lacking at the moment. That was part of the reason I posted in worklogs; it just gets a lot more attention than these threads heh.

Well another day is here and I'm sitting around dismantling my computer so I can at least start painting the different panels and such. A few questions have come up:

- Should I remove all the rivets of the case in order to paint each piece separate or can I just paint it as a whole?
- If I do take it apart and paint it, will it throw off tolerances and not fit together correctly?
- How do I take out rivets? =D
- I bought a rivet gun and was playing with a few rivets. The directions say squeeze the handle then break off. I noticed with the first squeeze, it pulled it in a bit but not much. If I reset it, it seems to get pulled in all the way and the center rod breaks off after that. Is that supposed to happen or are we supposed to be able to break off the rod earlier?


I'll come back with LED, CCFL, and fan wiring questions next time :]

Well it's your choice as to whether or not you want to take apart your case or not. I'd say leave it together unless you want to paint each panel a different colour. If you're painting it all one colour then leave it together.

Taking it apart will only throw it off if you accidently bend a panel. But it should go right back together with no problems.

You take out rivets with a drill. Just take a drill bit the same width as the rivets, usually 1/8" for PC cases, and drill through the center.

And yes, that is how a rivet gun works. It might only take one pull when you're attaching thick metal, but with just a rivet it usually takes one to two squeezes of the gun.

As for your system, I can't help there since I know very little about nVidia and Intel parts. I prefer AMD and ATI myself.

Yay! A response! Haha I've been waiting for ages.

- I think I will do a compromise and take out the motherboard tray and the HD cage/ Drive bays. I want to paint the Mobo tray a different color and I'm doing away with the HD cage completely. So that means I'll leave the other rectangular chassis in place take apart the insides. This way I should be able to get all the nooks and crannies.

- Thanks for the confirmation on how the rivet gun works and how to take out rivets :]

- CMON someone give me some opinions on how the build is component-wise :[ It's the only thing holding me back is getting a few second opinions on the parts. someone has to have SOMETHING to say, even if it's like "i like how that's spelled."


UPDATE:

- I said above that I'm going to be doing my own thing with the HD cage, specifically modeling it after the Antec 550 HD cage, suspending it from bungee cords. Questions arise here:
- I know they should hold the HD well enough if it's sitting next to my desk, but would it be enough to secure it during transport?

- Wiring questions! I want to hook up 3 fans and my two CCFLs to a switch:
I will be using this switch:
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/58...tl=g44c153s318
These fans:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835233009
And these lights:
http://www.xoxide.com/cathode.html

Can someone give me a detailed wiring diagram on how to attach it all to that switch and how to attach it to the PSU? That would be awesome. :]

man nobody responses here :[

another quick question, what kind of screws do I need to mount the motherboard to the standoffs?

It depends mostly on the standoffs you use. Most are coarse thread, so any typical case screw would work for you (the ones with the hexagon shaped heads). I prefer smaller screws, since I like a lower profile on the board.

As for the diagram to switch your lights.. gimme a few mins. :)

Ok, so I cant make a diagram right at the moment, but I'll get you one. I can try to explain it though.

Since the fans and the ccfl's are both powered from a molex connector, just get a molex extension. It's got a female plug, some wire, then a male plug.

Cut the yellow and black (the black right beside the yellow) wires somewhere in the middle, and connect those to the power and ground prongs on the switch. Next, connect another wire from the ground on the switch back to the other end of the cut black wire.

Last, connect a wire from the ACC prong on the switch to the other end of the cut yellow wire.

That's it!

The idea is that you are going to use the switch to control the flow of wire on the yellow wire. All you need to do now is connect the female plug to a molex connector in your case, and the male connector to the power connector on the ccfls and fan (they are all in series.. one to the next to the next, etc).

Flip the switch, and they all power up. :D

Hope that makes sense!