X-8 Featuring White Lightning. An 8 core Hackintosh...

[GhostWindGamer]

Does this happen often? 

[ALXAndy]

Does this happen often? 

 

On Ebay yeah. I've had it loads lately, people selling items they don't have.

 

Scan are now selling on their website, Ebay and Amazon, so a fuck up is just a formality.

 

Sadly they didn't specify exactly what it is they're missing so I've shot them an email. No reply as yet (doesn't surprise me, Scan's customer service is notoriously crap.

 

Case I am flexible about any way, I've got a few I would use. Cooler? not so much. I want a 120mm AIO as it's tidy. 

[ALXAndy]

OK so I just got an email telling me my order has been picked.

 

So, fingers crossed it should arrive Monday or Tuesday.

 

The fans have been dispatched too, so I'm relieved about that. Forgot to mention, they're only 800 RPM so should be completely inaudible. This is good, as I reckon if I really wanted to I could run the H55 passively any way.

 

All I really need to do is make a new PSU cover for the Raven. Rest is pretty much done now.

[ALXAndy]

Order dispatched apparently. Will believe it when I see it !

 

Edit. Got confirmation, it's coming Monday. Fans won't be here til around Thursday though.

[ALXAndy]

So the stuff arrived and it was time to get started.

 

First up I stripped X8. Amazing how much shit I had stuffed in there really.

 

 

Remove the old cooler.

 

 

And fit the H55. I decided to run the fans in push pull as they are 800 RPM so should be utterly silent.

 

 

And fit.

 

 

Then fit the GPU.

 

 

Sadly cable management is a bit of a nightmare really so I need some cable ties. Can't get them until tomorrow so the build will commence then

[123h54ah56Sfdg54wh]

Looks good, are you going to replace the case in a short while with the RV one? I really wouldn't bother cable managing something you will replace in one or two weeks, but that might be me  :rolleyes:. It's probably not but it looks like that GPU is sagging, is this because the GPU shroud has some angles to it?

[GhostWindGamer]

Very nice

[ALXAndy]

Major - that is the Raven mate

The GPU isn't sagging no. It's very angular especially toward the bottom. Very odd cooler tbh and nothing like anything else I've seen. It's similar in ways to the GTX 260 cooler but slightly different

Just on my way out to get some cable ties now

[123h54ah56Sfdg54wh]

Major - that is the Raven mate The GPU isn't sagging no. It's very angular especially toward the bottom. Very odd cooler tbh and nothing like anything else I've seen. It's similar in ways to the GTX 260 cooler but slightly different Just on my way out to get some cable ties now

 

Oh my :facepalm: the difference in the cases is massive and somehow I still managed to not see that, guess I was scrolling through your old pics. After looking again I was comparing the line of the GPU PCB to the bottom of the case. Since the bottom of the case is angled, so obviously if you draw a line on the bottom of your pc case and a line collinear to the PCB they won't be parallel. When you draw a line on the top of the PC and one collinear to the PCB of the GPU they are linear. Obviously wasn't all that sharp yesterday  .

[ALXAndy]

Yeah the case is like, stanced so the front leans down.

 

Well, after another whole day nearly I have it finished. Word to the wise - if you buy this case you better know what you are doing. I would consider myself to be an expert when it comes to cable management but this thing is the hardest case I have ever built into in 30 years.

 

I guess with a fully modular PSU it would be a lot easier but this thing is incredibly difficult and required two packs of cable ties and a lot of patience.. 

 

So here we are then, all fitted. I've now got a 1tb 3.5" drive in there which is why I changed cases.

 

 

Was scratching my head thinking about a PSU cover, then I had a brain wave and simply used the Intel panel with some double sided foam. It's really incredibly neat in there thanks to how the case was designed. Things just disappear.

 

So here is a shot with the window fitted. I will be fitting some white LEDs inside for sure, there's no way I'm hiding that Quadro !

 

 

And all put together.

 

 

Pretty tidy, and very small and compact ! So, my thoughts on the case..

 

Pros. 

 

For an ATX case it's incredibly compact. It literally wraps itself around your components.

 

It's nicely made and the internals are super solid.

 

The cooling is pretty much about as good as it gets. There are two 180mm Air Penetrators fitted in the floor which push the air upwards and out. So basically it's a wind tunnel.

If you can get it together it's incredibly neat.

 

You can fit a 120mm water cooler if you wish.

 

The white LED light on the front looks absolutely lovely.

 

Every fan has a removable filter and you don't need to take the case apart to remove and wash them.

 

Fan controller works very well.

 

Cons.

 

God, where do I start? DO NOT try building this case with a non modular PSU. I have had to cut off a SATA and MOLEX run just to get the cables squashed in to get the side on, and how the side ever fitted on is a mystery.

 

It's very, very small. Probably about the smallest full ATX case I've ever seen. This can be good and bad, but the bad is you're constantly smashing your knuckles trying to work in it.

 

The rear air filter for the PSU is magnetic and IMO a bit of an afterthought. I have seen reviews where it wasn't included so I guess Silverstone forgot.

 

No air filter for the top, meaning when you shut it down dust can fall in. I will have to make one with some netting.

 

The plastic finish looks OK, but, would have been incredible had Silverstone used that soft touch stuff (though admittedly that stuff does smear with dust and looks a bit nasty.

 

Cable management is for experts only. If you take this case on with little experience it will bite you on the ass. You need lots of cable ties and lots of patience, and, don't be surprised when you are cutting them all loose again to revamp the layout. It seriously is an absolute nightmare.

 

The fans are connected up in a very strange fashion. Basically they run to the front for the fan controller. It's incredibly easy to accidentally disconnect one, then, a crapshoot to get it back in the right way and get all of the fans running.

 

I had a fan wire snap off and had to break out the solder iron, so an amateur would be setting up an RMA right about now...

[VIhul]

Any chance of some pics with it on?

[ALXAndy]

Tbh apart from the front light there's nothing to see.It's very stealthy tbh.

I'm fitting some white led strips inside soon so I'll get some more then

[ALXAndy]

Ammendum.

 

It seems I made a bit of a booboo when it came to building the Raven. In the cable management side of the case there is a plastic housing for a slim optical drive. Had I removed it the build would have been so much easier, so please bear this in mind on my cons.

 

And a small update. Rig is running beautifully and I have fitted my wireless dongle to a USB extension cable and that's allowed me to get the top on with no issues.

 

Coming up - a few white LED strips to liven up the inside

[Ralphington]

LEDs! LEDs! LEDs! but srsly, so cool, also, are you going to paint the case at all or nah?

[ALXAndy]

I'm not going to paint it mate no. Sorry for the late reply, been stupid busy lately..

 

I will cut some custom graphics for it though and have a few small mods planned

 

Sadly right now she's sitting in her box because the monitor I bought only has one input, but I have a screen I can wall mount so will be doing that soon when I'm not so busy

[jojoharalds]

I am not really a fan of the xorbidden apple,but this looks really nice .Awsome job.

[ALXAndy]

'kin badass !!!

 

Well with a little jiggle and some modding I managed to come up with this...

 

 

And then...

 

 

Fits like a literal glove. There isn't a mm to spare !

 

 

Close at the back too !

 

 

And the CPU H55..

 

 

Hurrah ! AIOs coupled with two 600 RPM Noiseblockers and this rig is absolutely and utterly whisper quiet. I've also got the 180mm Penetrators on low speed so it just sits there purring away.

 

Well happy. Everything happens for a reason, so I guess the TBs were meant to stay on air whilst the 480 Lightning got the AIO treatment.

 

I love X8. It's everything the big orange rig isn't. It's quiet, small and compact and very refined

[ALXAndy]

lmao the GPU is cooler than the CPU.. GTX 480 Lightning... Now I've seen it all :D

 

[ALXAndy]

And a few LEDs and Mr Skull later...

 

 

 

 

And X8 is finished. Blimey, two rigs in three days.