Project Alternate 4K Build "COMPLETE"

[Deblow]

 

 

 

Project Alternate: PC in a desk scratch build & MODs

 

Hi all,

After what feels like a very long year I have decided to start work on my new desk build.

The idea for this desk came to me when i was working on my last desk & at one point I almost started the project 

again, but I'm glad i didn't

 

Most people liked the desk & I learned a great deal during the build.

 

The Project Alternate design slightly changed month by month & I will show some of the other plans & explain why the changes was made.

This time I'm hoping to outdo my last desk & hopefully help others in the process. 

 

The desk work is about to start, using mostly MDF, Perspex, clay, metal & glass I plan to build the desk in 3 parts,

starting from the bottom, then middle followed by the top section.

the tricky parts will be the sharp corners & angles on the edges.

 

In making the desk in 3 parts it will allow for easy transport from my garden shed to my 

very small room/office.

 

I plan to have the 2 reservoirs just under the top shelf so i can see the water flowing by

 

have a couple of different layouts for the internal components, 

but want to wait until the top compartment is built so I can see IRL what looks & works best.

 

For the specs, I'm upgrading from my trusty i5-2500k to a i7-5820K, due to the CPU upgread I will also be using the new ASUS X99 TUF

motherboard & DDR4

 

This time I will also go with 3 screens at 1440p if possible, or 1X 4K screen, so my HD7970s will also need upgrading to a R9-295x2.

 

The desk is going to take months to complete, so rushing out for parts now is not necessary unless it's something on sale I can't pass on

 

**UPDATE 18/10/15: some Specs**

 

SPECS

CPU    - i7-5820k

MB     - ASUS Sabertooth X99

RAM    - 32GB Avexir Blitz 1.1 (DDR4) 

GPU    - ASUS R9-295x2

PSU    - Cooler Master: V1200 Platinum

PSU2   - Cooler Master: GM750W

Fans   - Cooler Master: Jet flow 120's & Cooler Master Silencio FP120 PWM 

HDs    - Western Digital Green 6TB - Barracudas x2 2TB - Wester Digital Green 1TB

SSDs   - 2x Samsung EVO850s 250GB (500GB)

RADS   - 2x Phobya G-Changer 360 RADs V.2

RES    - 2x Phobya 450 reservoirs

CPU WB - Alphacool NexXxoS XP³ Light

PUMP   - 2x Alphacool VPP655

GPU WB - Alphacool NexXxoS GPX

KB     - CM Storm quickfire xti

Mouse  - CM Storm Reaper

 

 

 

For people that just want to see the photos & the build progress here are the build log vids

The final will be added later.

 

 

Build log 1

 

Build log 2

 

Build log 3

 

Desk top lift

 

 

For past & present MODs/Builds please check my Facebook & Youtube pages. 

 

 

 

 

[Deblow]

here is one of the many 1st designs i did, had to change it due to the size 

 

 

After the wife told me to move all my model cars from the living room, this cabinet ended up in the garden, I was planing to use the glass from this

on the next build & was one of the main reasons the desk is so angled, I also love the Honda CBR600RR due to its sharp looking design & ofc Lambos have the same sharp designs that i love,

now due to the design changes I cant use the glass so will be using fresh cut glass or thick perspex.

 

[Deblow]

 

The MDF for the 2 bottom sections along with most of the MDF for the middle have now been cut to size & I have started to assemble.

 

 

 

I was told to kit myself out with a face-mask & glasses when cutting MDF,

but the normal size face-mask was causing my glasses to steam up lol

So had to dig out my airsoft mask to use in conjunction with the small face-mask

 

 

 

Some of the bolts/screws I will be using to fasten the main parts together, they will make it more easy to remove with standard alan keys & should last longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sides ready to be fasten to the bottom & back, soon as the miter edges are done

 

 

The hardest part so far, miter edges, very tricky & most the time i have to use scrap wood before doing the final peace or risk wasting some MDF

 

 

My 1st set of angled corners cut ready to use as shelf's/frame

 

 

Bottom left assembled 

 

[niofalpha]

Wow. Following this post! 

[Peter Vaughan Truslow]

<snip>

this build looks beautiful. definitely following.

I'd go with glass. I have a glass shop near me that can custom cut glass for reasonable prices. perspex scratches too easily and glass is worry free.

be careful about joining the MDF. glue everything you do with something like titebond 3 and drill all of your holes, as MDF splits REALLY easily. I personally glue everything then use brad nails to hold it all together until the glue dries. the glue is holding it together, as screws in MDF can't really be trusted.

[gazabi]

Yay another desk build! followed.

[Sam Z Man]

I love it.

[slifer]

How'd you get the sponsors? Did they reach out and tell you they wanted to help out? Or.. did you email them or something asking if they would like to help out?

[alby800]

subbed, I <3 desk builds

[Deblow]

this build looks beautiful. definitely following.

I'd go with glass. I have a glass shop near me that can custom cut glass for reasonable prices. perspex scratches too easily and glass is worry free.

be careful about joining the MDF. glue everything you do with something like titebond 3 and drill all of your holes, as MDF splits REALLY easily. I personally glue everything then use brad nails to hold it all together until the glue dries. the glue is holding it together, as screws in MDF can't really be trusted.

 

 

Thanks for the tips, iv been using glue & screws on most the joins, some places just used the screws to hold it as the glue set like you said,

I use to work with glass & so I have some contacts still that are helping me cut the glass needed, not going with plexi now as too many say it will scratch easy

my only concern was the waight of the glass, but I think 6mm will be fine now after some readjustments 

 

 

How'd you get the sponsors? Did they reach out and tell you they wanted to help out? Or.. did you email them or something asking if they would like to help out?

 

 

Had a bit of both, I used some of the companies items on my 1st desk build so they already was familiar with my projects, had already bought most the needed items

so sponsors was not really needed,

2nd time around (this build) i let them all know the plan via emails & phone,

Iv been stuck at home with a broken leg for 3 years & unable to do

my main jobs, so without sick pay its tricky to get my wife to pay for none essential things like my PC lol

 

was getting bored & depressed so started this project, without the sponsors it wouldn't have been as good components or a X99, DDR4 build

P.S

thanks for all the other above comments

 

[Deblow]

Both bottom left & right shelf's/frames are completed, no permanent fittings just encase i have any problems moving the desk to the house,

This was by far the easiest part so far

 

 

 

The main compartment that will act as a frame for the top & hold the fans & other components - the RADs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here im making some slots for the front panels that will be resting on the left & right side shelf's, doing so will help hold them im place as I screw them down 

 

 

[Deblow]

Over the past week some build items have arrived so I will cover them along with the case mod im doing

Moving the MEGA desk build (2013) in to the case to make room for the new desk & to ensure I have a working 

computer during the build so I can keep you all updated 

 

 

My 1st package had some Cooler Master bit n bobs that I will cover later in the build

along with my replacement tea cup & cap 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd package had the heart of the new build, A v1200 PSU along with Jet Flow 120mm RED fans & some

very nice Resonar in-ear buds so I can have some decent music as I'm working in the shed 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last thing I received this week was my new CPU, Intel i7-5820k witch will be a nice upgrade for me

the last CPU I was using was the i5-2500k.

 

 

[Deblow]

Moving the old desk build to a cooler master silencio 652s case..

Wrapping with some 3M vinyl wrap (brushed silver)

 

 

 

Case broken down ready for the wrap, fairly easy to do

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter Vaughan Truslow]

Thanks for the tips, iv been using glue & screws on most the joins, some places just used the screws to hold it as the glue set like you said,

I use to work with glass & so I have some contacts still that are helping me cut the glass needed, not going with plexi now as too many say it will scratch easy

my only concern was the waight of the glass, but I think 6mm will be fine now after some readjustments 

 

 

 

 

I have some 4mm glass on the dining room table, which is a huge table with 10 place settings, split into two pieces and the weight on that is not too bad. I don't think the weight would be an issue for the size of your desk. how much rad area do you intend to have? 4x120mm?

 

edit: woah. how did you get that paint effect on the CM case?

also nice glamour shots of the PSU. some nice bokeh you have there.

[Deblow]

Building from bottom to top, the sides are cut and attached with screws & glue, 

decided to use some old wood for this part to test out the new saw & my skills with mitering

 

In the end I was so happy with the results I kept the old wood & didn't bother redoing them with MDF 

 

 

 

 

This bit was tricky, wood too deep for the dremel, design to narrow for the multi tool 

Ended up having to use a bit of everything including a hand saw & blade.

 

 

 

 

 

Now time to cut the part that will allow my legs to go under the desk, then for the 1st time I can sit at the desk to get a feel for how it

will be when completed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the drive bay holder cutouts, again with the older wood

 

 

 

 

 

The final update for this weekend is the start of the two shelf ends that will also act as speaker boxes 

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the updates, please let me know your thoughts as I progress, good or bad, still time to change things if needed 

 

Have a nice week

Rob

[Sam Z Man]

I totally did the vinyl wrap on the case I will have to do this to my case.

[slifer]

I hate you so much right now... that thing looks amazing.. and to look at what I'm doing with my life.. Subbed btw!!

[Deblow]

I totally did the vinyl wrap on the case I will have to do this to my case.

 

its a good choice for people not wanting to spend a bomb or make a mess with paints, just practice on something small to start with if its your 1st go

 

I hate you so much right now... that thing looks amazing.. and to look at what I'm doing with my life.. Subbed btw!!

 

thanks mate, but dont hate lol

im lucky in some ways, but unlucky in many others

thanks for the sub!

[Sam Z Man]

its a good choice for people not wanting to spend a bomb or make a mess with paints, just practice on something small to start with if its your 1st go

I worked as a bodyman for a school bus company as a summer job last year and got really good at putting on vinyl lettering so vinyl wrap shouldn't be that much harder for me.

[slifer]

its a good choice for people not wanting to spend a bomb or make a mess with paints, just practice on something small to start with if its your 1st go

thanks mate, but dont hate lol

im lucky in some ways, but unlucky in many others

thanks for the sub!

What are the tools you're using to make this??

[Deblow]

I worked as a bodyman for a school bus company as a summer job last year and got really good at putting on vinyl lettering so vinyl wrap shouldn't be that much harder for me.

 

Ahah,, well your sorted then, probably better at it than me

 

 

What are the tools you're using to make this??

 

 

Handsaw, drills, files, rotary tools, jigsaw, table saw, miter saw, and other little bits, nothing special, just tools you pickup over the years when doing home DIY

 

[Sam Z Man]

Ahah,, well your sorted then, probably better at it than me

I don't know looking into it looks quite different then putting on lettering but I'm thinking of doing red chrome and carbon fiber accents.

[slifer]

Ahah,, well your sorted then, probably better at it than me

 

 

 

 

Handsaw, drills, files, rotary tools, jigsaw, table saw, miter saw, and other little bits, nothing special, just tools you pickup over the years when doing home DIY

 

time to start saving up.. give me a couple years! how much typically is a custom cut peice of glass?? and would you recommend tempered.. or etc

[Deblow]

I don't know looking into it looks quite different then putting on lettering but I'm thinking of doing red chrome and carbon fiber accents.

 

apart from going around shapes everything else you would need to know is also related to the letters, bubbles,heat & dust control.

think you'll do fine

 

time to start saving up.. give me a couple years! how much typically is a custom cut peice of glass?? and would you recommend tempered.. or etc

 

took me over a year of saving for half the tools

the size glass im using (clear) (6mm) (Tempered) would cost you maybe £50-60 at a guess, edging, drilling & toughening all would add to the cost along with the thickness & glass type.

YES, defiantly get the glass Toughened/tempered. best option

[Deblow]

ASUS R9-295x2

 

been testing it out on my current rig & im very happy so far, BF4 FPS are now over 120FPS  maxed out @1440p