Project DEEP PURPLE (The Introduction)

[modding.fan]

Hello fellow modders! I’ve been perusing through TBCS for about 2 months now and I have to say I’m impressed. J So, as such, I’ve made up my mind to do my project work-log here. I’ve been building systems for years now, and have one real heavy mod to my name (did it about 6 years ago, when modding was still pretty uncommon).

Anyway…moving on to project DEEP PURPLE. Currently I’ve got a system on my desk, built in a plexi box, with 6x 80mm system fans, 2x 40mm fans on the HD, 2x 80mm PSU fans, a 40mm chipset fan, a 40mm VPU fan, and a monster Athalon cooling fan. Needless to say, it’s loud, well, it’s worse than loud, I seriously thing I’m going deaf from it. That, and the fact that the system is a good 4 years old, has finally pushed me over the edge and forced me to start building my new system.

Now, I’ve grown a few years since my first mod (not the plexi, that was more of a parted out build than a mod), and I think I know where I want to go with this system. Basically, I want silent, smooth, and elegant. No harsh red neons, no multi-color eyesores, I want something that will blend in with my personal taste and style.

I’ve spent a couple of months just researching what I want, looking at part and company reviews, and most importantly surfing the internet for the perfect case to begin with. Oh, did I mention that, due to my job, I live in India right now so I can’t just run to Home Depot or BestBuy to pick up parts? J My challenge is limited to what I can mail-order from the states, which is 99% of my new build.

I was going to hold off on starting the project log until I got all of my parts in, but, you know how it is when boxes start showing up. You just can’t wait to get the approval of your peers and start detailing all of your work. So without further ado, here is what I’m going for overall, I wanted a strong gaming system, that would look great, for around $2k, not too bad a goal and I think I hit the mark:

Primary System Specs/Components:
CPU: Intel 820d Dual-Core 2.8Ghz
RAM: 2Gb DDR2-667 Patriot Memory
MOBO: Gigabyte GA8NSLI (Couldn’t find any mobo’s with a purple PCB, but this one had great reviews, and it’s blue, pretty close, it should work great in the end.)
VPU: XFX GeForce 7900GT
HD’s: 2x (striped) Maxtor 200gb SATA’s
Optical: Lite-On DVD/RW
PSU: Rosewill Modular Black 550W

Cooling System Components:
Pump: Danger Den D5 Pump
Blocks: DD RBX775 CPU, DD NV-78 VPU, DD Maze-4 Chipset, DD Aqua-Drive HD Block,
Rads: 2x DD Black Ice Extreme 120mm single radiators
Reservoir: Innovatek Tank-o-Matic w/ Black Aluminum caps.
Fans: 3x Coolermaster Silent 120mm Purple LED fans
(1 for each rad, one to replace the blue, loud fan in the PSU)
3x 120mm silicone fan silencers
Fluid: Blue & Red PrimoChill Ice fluid (hoping to mix for purple)

Case & Accent Bits:Case: ThermalTake Armor, aluminum (silver, but it’s the first thing to get changed)
Light: 15” Purple Lava Neon tube from StreetGlow
Light: 2x 15” Black-Neon tubes from StreetGlow
Control: PC-Neon connector kit from StreetGlow (I love how clean and simple this thing is)
Misc: Copious amounts of black cable sleeving, heat shrink, and tie wraps. I’m doing this one right.

My Plan:As far as modding, I’m going to do a total case destruction. J The internals are all going to be a nice high-gloss black. Outside the case is going to be a deep midnight purple, with black accents. I have in mind exactly what the accents will be, but I’m not going to spoil the fun yet. I’m hoping to replace the bottom window that comes in the case with a piece of un-etched plexi, since this will be my case and not ThermalTakes. I’m going to try my hand at replacing the system LED’s on the case with purple ones as well.

The entire water-cooling system is going to be a ½” ID setup, with the purple UV reactive fluid. All my other cables inside the case will either be totally buried (behind the mobo, through the racks, routed out of window view, etc.) or done in black to hide. Between the black lights and purple fluid, and purple lights, I’m really trying to do a subtle highlighting of the water-cooling setup. I’m also thinking of putting some holes in the case windows and weaving some extra tubing in and out of the case for effect, but I’m not sure if this’ll be feasible without overstressing my water pump.

As pieces start coming in the mail, I’ll do individual component, and small-step pictures (as I’ve got a lot of friends who have never seen a PC built from scratch, and it’ll be a fun way to show them what goes into building a computer, and what goes into modding one). The first couple of boxes are in, so when I get home this evening, I’ll do some pictures and start putting them in.

My Problem:
As I said, I live overseas, and I have a limit on box-size I can receive in the mail. So, I can’t actually pick up my case until I head home on vacation this summer. In the meantime, I’ll start with this intro, and the photos of what I’ll be doing with the components I get in (mounting water blocks, changing out fittings, looming cables, all the little stuff). When I get back from vacation on the 24th of July, then the true fun will begin (rivet drilling, sanding, cleaning, painting, assembling, all that stuff).

The Conclusion (for now):
So, I hope you will all enjoy looking at the (slow) evolution of my new beast. I’m up for comments/suggestions as always, and I am more than happy to just chat about my design with people.

Cheers for now, the next post will follow with pictures of the first couple of boxes I’ve gotten in.

-Modding Fan

[modding.fan]

So, welcome back to project DEEP PURPLE. My first two boxes of parts came in today. I'm ordering as I can each payday and all, but here's what came in today.

First, the Motherboard showed up. Yay!

It's a nice looking board overall, but, look at the size of those heatsinks!!!

Those are going to have to go. All in due time.

The box came with the standard goodies for an SLI board. PCI Cables, an SATA Cable, a bridge to connect the two PCIX video cards if you go SLI, and the retainer for the bridge. Manual is thin, but, the one online has already answered all my questions.

Along with the motherboard, the processor came as well (actually found them as a package deal from PriceWatch.com. I'm only showing the packaging from the processor (if you look close on the picture of the board above, I got a little ahead of myself and couldn't help but drop the CPU in already) so you can see the gigantic fan and heatsink. Really, these are among the primary reasons that I'm doing a watercooling setup...the noise is insane!

[Scotty]

Sounds cool, cant wait to see more progress

[modding.fan]

So, as I said, there were two boxes waiting in the mailroom for me. Number two was from the gang over at FrozenCPU.com this box was just *loaded* with all sorts of accessories, extras, and little tidbits.

Most importantly, the first stack of my watercooling gear came in:

The CPU Cooler, a DangerDen RBX block.

Two chipset coolers, for the north and south bridge chips. Both DangerDen Maze-4 waterblocks.

The top-mounted Fillport, so I can ensure my system is nice and full, and even better, bubble free at all times!

A handfull of extra 1/2" barbs from DangerDen, just in case any of my other bits need new barbs (i'm worried about the radiators actually, the pictures show them with plactic barbs and that just won't do).

A nice 13' length of 1/2" ID tubing.

PrimoChill Ice fluid, in Red. As I mentioned above I'm going to mix a bottle of Red with Blue to get Purple. However, FrozenCPU was out of blue, so that's coming in anther order.

The CoolerMaster Silent Purple LED fans came.

The Fan Silencers, an all important part for my quiet system.

Beyond the cooling stuff, a few other items came in.

My IDE cable for the DVD/RW.

My pre-loomed SATA Cables. I know, it's cheating having cables loomed at the store, but, I've never seen an SATA cable, and really had no idea if the loom I was buying would fit over the ends or not, and I was pretty sure that you can't remove the end off of an SATA like you can with Molex power...so...I figured better safe than sorry right?

And last but not least in this box was my small stack of goodies that I'll be using to do my own wiremanagement (what little I'll have to do). The heatshrink, black loom, and tie-wraps.

That's all the parts for now. I probably won't be able to contain myself this week and you're sure to see me putting, at least, my chipset blocks on (if I don't do the chipset and CPU blocks).

I'll try to keep this up to date, at least until I head on vacation. Can't wait till I get back and can start working on the case itself.

Cheers for now!

[modding.fan]

Originally Posted by Scotty

Sounds cool, cant wait to see more progress

Only problem is that a lot of real "progress" won't be too visible until I get my case. That's when *most* of the work will start. But, I'm sure little things like water block polishing and attaching will happen.

But...thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm sure I'll need all the support I can get when it comes to my painting. I haven't so much as looked at a can of paint in, oh, 5 years?

Either way, it'll be a great learning experience. I'll try to throw in highlights of any and all mistakes I make to help anyone else avoid them.

Cheers!

[Shikimaru]

looking good, danger den now has a silver version of it's top performing CPU block

[modding.fan]

Originally Posted by Shikimaru

looking good, danger den now has a silver version of it's top performing CPU block

Damn....and I only find this out *after* I get my stuff in and can't really process returns due to where I live. Oh well, the copper will work well.

[Short Modder]

You're gonna make us wait how long? LOL! JK! This will turn out to be a cool mod when you finish it.

[modding.fan]

Originally Posted by Short Modder

You're gonna make us wait how long? LOL! JK! This will turn out to be a cool mod when you finish it.

Yup...sorry for the suspense. Like I said I really wanted to wait so I didn't have to put the thread on a one-month hiatus, but, when stuff started coming in I just had to start.

I got another box of stuff in today, but, I'm at work. Tonight I'll throw some more pictures up of the deliveries. I *so* can't wait to really start the hard work on this case. I'm going to do the whole primer + wetsanding and everything, a lot of work, and a lot of skills that I've never employed.

On a semi-related note; I leave for my vacation next week, and I can't wait. A weeks worth of SCUBA diving in Thailand, a week of visiting old friends in DC, a week back home with my family and attending my class reunion, and then a few days in Vegas. Somewhere in there, I need to hit a computer store and pick up the case to throw in my suitcase!

Cheers for now...pictures tonight!

[modding.fan]

Hello again my TBCS friends.

I got two things in the mail today, yay!

First was my bottle of blue PC Ice fluid. More non-conductive juice for my system. If you couldn't guess, I'm hoping to mix the red and blue to get purple (kindergarden was a long time ago, but that sounds about right to me).

Next, and more fun, was my water tank. It's the Innovatek Tank-o-Matic. And the moment I got it I had to start putting it together...I need to do something right? Can't save all the fun for after vacation.

First, here's what it looked like out of the box:

Pretty basic, but, it's all in pieces!

My first issue with the T-o-M is that the barbs are were *way* too small. I'm going to be running a 1/2" ID system, and these just wouldn't cut it:

But I'd planned on this, and as you saw above, I ordered extra DD 1/2" barbs, which went on beautifully; first the compairison between the two:

And the re-put-together base:

Now that's waht I call unrestricted flow.

Next it came to putting in the input and outtake tubes into the base, but oops...can you see the problem that I almost didn't notice?

Yup, that's right...I nearly completley cut my flow off on the right tube by jamming it all the way down. Not sure how i caught that, but I know that I would have missed it had i left the original tiny barbs on. I'll just take that as a lesson and hope that i don't do anything blonde like that in the future.

Anyway, all put together this reservoir is one smooth looking piece, and will look great sitting in side my case lit up with a black light to show off all my (hopefully) purple fluid.

I'm spending the weekend packing for my vacation. SCUBA diving in Thailand calls! I'll be back with *many* more updates when I return from vacation. Don't abandon me in my abscence!

Cheers

MF