Major upgrading and modding on my first build. DONE!

[Ptopman]

Ok, before I really start I should tell you now that updates may be few and far. But, at the end of every week ill post what I have even if it just that I have bought an Item or still waiting on items.

This post will primarily be what my set up look like, what you will be seeing from me, and other items. Shortly after I post this I will post a quick video about my fans/#1 on my future upgrades list (give me a few min to an hour because I am still rendering the video and then uploading it you YouTube will take a few min).

 

I shall start with what my current build looks like and my room that I posted in the Topic "Show off you setup!"

http://imgur.com/a/RYVfx

As you can see its a nice set up but im not to much of a fan of my case and computer looks and specs.

 

Now I am doing everything I can to stay low cost and you will blatantly see that here in a second.

 

Now for what my future upgrades I will be doing and taking you guys along with me.

1. I will be turning all my blue led fans into red led fans by hand. I do not want to spend $80 on fans when I can do it myself for $5 and time.

2. Cable sleeving. My sleeving will be red and black. My color scheme on my 24-pin will be brbbrbbrbbrb where b=black sleeving and r=red sleeving. This will be the color code I will be using on all my cables. - Finished

3. This will be where I am sinking all of my money into. A CPU and mobo upgrade. As you can see from my bio, I am running an phenom ii x6 1090T @ 4.0GHz with an old ASUSTeK M4A79XTD EVO mobo. I'll be moving to Intel with an i7-4790k and ASUS Z97-Pro mobo.

4. As I install my new CPU and Mobo I will also cut new wire routing holes in my mobo tray to help with cable management. - Finished cutting new motherboards holes but no mobo or cpu yet.

5. After all that is good and done, my last step will be cutting out the side panel fan and side window ( i'll see if I can't draw a picture of how I'll have it for you guys to visualize it) and replacing it with plexiglass.

 

Now that block of text is out of the way here is another one. I have somethings ordered that will have in a few days.

1. The black and red paracord will be here around Nov. 24 - Received.

2. Molex removal kit will be here around Nov. 24-28 - Received.

3. 5mm red LEDs will be here around Nov. 28 - Received.

4. Red LED strips (4 30cm 12v strips) will be here around Nov. 28 - Received.

5. Some 3:1 Heatshrink that will be here around Dec. 15 - Jan. 2 (I'll probably not even bother with it and use some 2:1 heat shrink that I already have and just make the heatshrink a bit bigger). Received 3 weeks after I cable sleeved >

 

As you can see, I have many things that I will be doing over the course of the next few months. It may not look like a lot but a few of these items are going to be very VERY time consuming, Good thing I have a lot of it. As well This is the first time I am doing any of this to stick with me and be patient we are going to experience many ups and downs along the next few months.

 

Feel free to ask me anything (like you guys need me to say that ). Follow this thread to stay updated!

 

Update #1: Fan LEDs.

Update #2: Showing how my side panel will look (no work done).

Update #3: I have received my Paracord (no work done).

Update# 4: I have sleeved a molex splitter, Its all I can do right now.

Update# 5: Progress! I have started to really sleeve my PSU!

Update# 6: Sleeving is done!

Update# 7: Other than the new CPU and Mobo, I'm done!

Update# 8: Done! and with a video!

[Ptopman]

Ok so the first item on my list was manually changing the color of my blue fans to red. Now I have only changed on fan color because I do not have any more 5mm red LEDs but as you can see from the item I have ordered more are on their way so here is a quick timelapse of me changing one of my fans.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_ihtGw0G7I

 

As well Ill create an playlist on YouTube for any videos on my upgrades. If you have any questions for the video please do not comment on the video itself, please post you question here and start with the name of the video.

Ex: Changing fan LEDs: "Question"

It is easier for me to respond on here than it is on YouTube.

[clarkmcc]

Looks good! Cable management will look better along with the sleeving.

[Speedyv]

Awesome man cave 

[Shroomster]

Awesome!

[Ptopman]

In Future mod #5 I said that I would be modding my side panel and I would show you guys what I was thinking and to help you visualise what I was thinking. Cut on the red line and make one large plexiglass window.

http://imgur.com/uLxUvKl

[CookieTheMonsta]

In Future mod #5 I said that I would be modding my side panel and I would show you guys what I was thinking and to help you visualize what I was thinking. Cut on the red line and make one large plexiglass window.

http://imgur.com/uLxUvKl

Just wanted to ask, how will you cut it out, with what tool? Cuz I'm interested in doing the same thing on different case

[Ptopman]

Just wanted to ask, how will you cut it out, with what tool? Cuz I'm interested in doing the same thing on different case

I'm going to be using a dremel with a cutoff wheel. Ill mark my cutline with masking tape or scratch the aluminum with a razor and ruler. Take the cuts nice and slow because if you mess up you are going to be very sad. for any burs, ill use a fine metal file and a Grinding wheel with the dremel. This will work for a metal case, just make sure that the cutoff wheel is for what material you are cutting ie: Ill be using an cutoff wheel made for cutting aluminum.

[Ptopman]

I have received my paracord for cable sleeving but am still waiting for my molex removal tools.

 

http://imgur.com/RfJVDHW?

[Ptopman]

So Still waiting for my molex removal kit, I decided to fool around with a 4-pin molex splitter that I will be using. Now being my first time cable sleeving I personally think it turned out great.

 

http://imgur.com/a/7kxVK

 

*I would upload the images straight here instead of directing you to Imgur but I can not upload pictures for some reason.

[flibberdipper]

Ah, a fellow Michigander. Looking forward to seeing how your trusty dusty turns out.

[Ptopman]

Hey Look an update! So I have really started to sleeve my PSU so yaaa... here.

http://imgur.com/a/RgH9Q

 

I have sleeved my 20+4pin and my 4+4pin connectors.

 

I have allso had to modify my PSU case to accommodate the extra needed space.

[Analog]

Looks good so far. With that processor you will se a conciderable performance gain. 

[Ptopman]

Hay I have another update! I have finished my cable sleeving and tested to make sure it all works and it does! As well, The last picture shows that I have cut motherboard holes larger.

Note: the Zip-ties are very temporary, thew were just to hold things together while I was working.

http://imgur.com/a/7IwdE

Unfortunately I am hunting right now and can not work on the rest of my fans and lighting till Monday 12/1. But I have recessive the leds and led strips but once again I was not home when they came, I got a shipping txt.

 

So Its coming along and should be done around 12/5 at the earliest. 

[Ptopman]

Well I was going to make an entire timelapse of me building but I got so into everything that when my battery died I never changed it, but to make it up I have made a small edit of my computer.

 

Summary:

She is done and working. All cables are sleeved including fans and the led wires. All blue LEDs have been replaced with red LEDs except on the MSI GTX 670, those are still blue, I don't want to mess with my GPU. Even my power button and HDD activity LED are now read where as before power was blue and HDD was orange. I have 2 red LEDs light strips, one on the top of my case inside and on the bottom of the case on the inside.

New Holes have been cut on the mobo tray for better cable management. Its not going to look any better than it is because of the HDD cage and my GPU power cables being about 2 inches short to rout them one more cable routing hole up.

 

Next up:

I have ordered my i7-4790k because cyber monday forced me to, Should be buying the motherboard soon but will not be able to do anything until christmas because that is the deal I have with my parents for them spending $300 on me. Speaking of motherboard. because I saved about $60 on the CPU I am now going with an ASUS Z97-Pro because of the extra USB3.0 front I/O and PCIe 1x slots. I have no use for PCI slots.

I will be getting fan controller and because my case does not have front USB 3 I/O I will be getting a 5.25" bay USB 3 I/O, but that is not a big deal.

 

As well, Some time after Christmas I will be cutting my new side panel window getting rid of that horrid round mesh.

 

Until than this thread will slowly get pushed to the end of the list until I revive it again.

 

[Ptopman]

Got this beauty today.

http://imgur.com/Mc08IvS

[-ism]

My favorite part of your build is that you have a GTX 670 Power Edition. I ran one of those for a long time and I loved it. It's gonna look great in there with all the lights turned to blue!

[Ptopman]

My favorite part of your build is that you have a GTX 670 Power Edition. I ran one of those for a long time and I loved it. It's gonna look great in there with all the lights turned to blue!

Actually I have turned from blue to red. But I like how the GTX 670 stand out with its blue accents and lights.

[Ptopman]

OOOOOK, so I did some stuff and I was finally able to upload to my gallery so no more imgur links!

Quick little warning, I am using an T2i at 1600 iso so the quality is not best, as well, canon has one hell of a time with red lights so they look very harsh. believe me when I say that its not that bad and its smooth lighting.

 

So first off, here are all my cable sleeving pictures...

 

I have receaved my Motherboard and CPU. I will be installing them on christmas and will make a timelapse video for this thread.

 

As well I have made a cable / PSU cover out of plexiglass with my computer name on the top.

 

For the plexiglass, I started out with a 2x2 foot piece of acrylic plexiglass which then I cut down to the right with, after I got that sorted out, I spend some time bending it with a propane torch and strength over the edge of a table, I then cut for the height and depth of my case/PSU, after, I used some higher grit sandpaper to frost it, as well cut out back groves for my sata cables and front I/O, Then (by hand) I cut a stencil for the "Quantum" and used acrylic paint to... paint it...

After all that work It was not lighting up correctly I got another sheet of plexiglass and cut a small rectangle which I put 4 pieces of LED strips onto which lay just behind my PSU. As well, because my PSU was not letting light to get above it, I cut another strip of LEDs and slid them just under the expansion cutouts on the back of the case. 

All in all, I think it came out rather nice.

 

That all I have for you guys. Ill have more after christmas! will post then.

[Ptopman]

Welp, here it is, the end of my build log, I have received my i7-4790k, my Asus Z97-Pro, and my Kingston V300 240GB SSD. I am currently using my computer to write this so It works, and I have OC'd it as well, I am at a stable 4.7GHz at 1.210v with a Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus. I have been reading around and many of the people I see have a very hard time getting 4.5GHz under 1.25v and they have heat problems, so Im wondering if I have, what I call, a gold chip. Any who my computer "Quantum" is done and I have made a timelaps of switching out everything as well at the end of the video I have some performance numbers that show just how much more power I have now than I did with my Phenom ii X6 1090T and I could not be happier, As well a computer that boots into a usable windows environment in under 30 seconds! It was fun and I am happy that its done and I can relax now, and my wallet can start to gain weight again .

 

[Ptopman]

Umm I need to find out how to delete this post, I really did not mean to post this...

[Rorro]

Umm I need to find out how to delete this post, I really did not mean to post this...

just edit it and leave it as a space you could use to expand in the future!