Project Crystal Madness - A project for the ages (big images)

[OddsCrazyStuff]

This is a project that I have though about for a year now. Its finally starting to come together, but it dont looks like it will be a quick build as things takes time and money. I'm also not the best writer in the world, so please understand that my posts might not be the best for a build log, but I hope to make up for it with pictures and video. Plus English is not my first language, so please excuse my writing errors (which I hope to keep to a minimum).

 

This is also my first proper project. I have only done water cooling once before (current pc) and built 2 PC's before (this is an upgrade of the 2nd one), everything else is my first time doing. So please have that in mind as you look at it.

 

Current time line:

Status update:

 

I decided to refresh this project, so new build log is here:

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/535976-project-frost-dragon/

 

Info updates

6 September:

This project log was getting a bit out of hand with the double posting. I wanted to keep a record of everything in the first few postes, so it would be easy to find, but I see now that was a stupid waste of space. So my reserved posts (first 5 posts) will only contain highlights from now on, which I might edit if a later update works better then an earlier one.

 

9 September:

A lot of the stuff has now arrived and since its 66 days left to Dreamhack Winter, so will this project move as fast as I can manage. I will try and keep the updates on the same topic down, so you dont see 10+ posts about sleeving (unless people want that). I will also vary between video and photo updates, so please accept that some things might take me longer to post about.

 

28 September:

Felt like updating the title, as most of the focus right now is Dreamhack Winter 2015 and the Casemod Championship. It will be more work to be done after DW15, but at least the look of it should be done by then. So things will move a bit slower after that, as the only things left are hardware upgrades, which will probally take me a bit longer between being able to afford. Unless I win a lot of money at DW15 that is.

 

Case:

Caselabs Magnum TH10A

Current PC:
CPU: Intel i7-5930K
MB: Asus Rampage V Extreme X99
GPU: Gigabyte G1 980Ti
RAM: Crucial DDR4 2133MHz 32GB (8x4GB)
Storage: Crucial MX100 SSD 512GB, WD AV-GP 4TB, WD Black 1TB
PSU: Cooler Master V1000, 1000W PSU
Monitor: ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q 1440p 144Hz

Future PC:
CPU: Intel i7-5960X(missing)
MB: Asus Rampage V Extreme X99
GPU: Gigabyte G1 980Ti 3 way SLI (missing x2)
RAM: HyperX Predator 64GB (8x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz (missing)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO NVMe 512GB (missing), Intel 750 NVMe PCIe 1.2TB (missing), Samsung 850 PRO SSD 1TB x2 (missing), WD Black 6TB x10 (missing)
PSU: Super Flower Leadex 2000W 8-Pack Edition
Monitors: ASUS ROG Swift PG27AQ 4K 60Hz x3 (missing)

Water cooling hardware:
Skeeper custom reservoir x2

EK Revo D5 PWM Plexi x2

EK-CoolStream RAD XTX 480 x2 -> will replace with: Hardware Labs Black Ice SR2 480 MP x2 (missing)
EK-CoolStream RAD XT 480 x2 -> will replace with: Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis 480GTX x2 (missing)
EK-CoolStream PE 480  -> will replace with: Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis 480GTS (missing)
EK Vardar F4-120ER 2200 RPM x39

EK-FC980 GTX Ti WF3 Nickel x3 (missing x2)

EK-FC980 GTX Ti WF3 Backplate Black x3 (missing x2)
EK-FB ASUS R5E Monoblock Nickel
EK-RAM Monarch X4 Clean CSQ Nickel x2
EK-RAM Monarch Module Black x8
PrimoChill PETG hardline tubing
PrimoChill Revolver Compression Fitting x10 Red
PrimoChill Revolver Compression Fitting x12 White
Bitspower Mini Valve Matt Black x2
Bitspower Plug Carbon Black x14
Bitspower Elbow 90 degree Matt Black x2

Other stuff:
Mayhems Pastel Red -> will replace with: Mayhems Pastel Extreme Red (missing)
Mayhems Pastel White -> will replace with: Mayhems Pastel Extreme White (missing)
EK-Cable Splitter 4-Fan PWM 4 headers x10
Nanoxia Cable Splitter 4-Fan PWM 2 headers x3

EK-UNI Pump Bracket (120mm FAN) Vertical x2
Demciflex Fanfilter x3
Nanoxia Sleeving Black
Nanoxia Sleeving Red
Nanoxia Sleeving White
Heatshrink Black
Aqua Computer farbwerk x2
Aqua Computer RGB LED strips
Fimo Effect Transparent 014 White

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Crystal stuff

This idea might not be the easiest to understand, but my idea is to make crystals that looks like they are growing out of the pc it self.

Then add some light effects and you have a system that stands out in the jungle that is custom pc's.

 

The concept is sound, it just need some work on the production method.

 

Just for the sake of it:

 

 

 

New design:

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Hardware stuff

 

The beast of a PSU:

 

The mountain of fans that this build needs:

 

Some more colors on the fans now:

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Water cooling stuff

 

Custom reservoir

As 2 normal big reservoirs would like out of place in my build, so did I have Skeeper make me 2 instead.

Its based on another reservoir he did, but its adapted to fit what I wanted.

 

They might not look like it, but they are hand made and the fact that you cant tell is maybe the most amazing part.

 

Just a test shot from Skeeper, with the colors he had:

 

Water blocks

 

Its getting close to its final look.

Bigger image: http://s4.postimg.org/jfoinhraz/P1010493.jpg

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Reserved Finish build

[Timopomer]

>mfw upgrades from 5930k to 5960x sitting here with a fx8350

[OddsCrazyStuff]

>mfw upgrades from 5930k to 5960x sitting here with a fx8350

Its a reason I called it "madness" :rolleyes:

 

But the upgrade will most likely be needed to keep the 3 980Ti busy, plus its nice to have more rendering power for 4k video.

[starwarsguy99]

So Jealous.. 

This is going to be a great looking build!

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Here is my plan for the day:

 

 

So Jealous.. 

This is going to be a great looking build!

Thanks.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

The case is built

 

 

Other then a few problems like the window being on the wrong side, thanks to me confusing left and right when I ordered:

 

Which was no more then a few extra screws away from being fixed, as the case and parts was design for moduality:

 

Other then that the build was okay, as long as the manual was clear enough. The pictures had little contrast and many parts could be turned and still look the same:

 

Like this one, which took me a few tries to mount right:

 

At least I cant say anything about Caselabs packing job, other then that they could save some packing material in some spots:

 

As that is the best packed front panel I have seen:

 

And now the next step is to move the focus to the looks of the case. For as much as I want to start building in the case, I would have to take it apart again when more parts arrive, so I will just let it remain empty for now.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

First clay update

 

I have spent a few hours working on the new crystals in clay.

They work in terms of form, but it seems they focus the light more then the plexi did and the light dont go as high as I had hoped:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: Almost forgot to give an impression of scale:

 

[theninja35]

That reservoir is amazing. And an idea with the crystal lighting, maybe wrap a light into each crystal-y bit, like up in the top to give more of a glow. I think they look pretty sweet now, but you said you weren't sure about the lighting. Just an idea.

 

P.S. I followed

[OddsCrazyStuff]

That reservoir is amazing. And an idea with the crystal lighting, maybe wrap a light into each crystal-y bit, like up in the top to give more of a glow. I think they look pretty sweet now, but you said you weren't sure about the lighting. Just an idea.

 

P.S. I followed

I like the form, but I'm not sure about the current way they light up. So will have to try a few more things before I decide on a final design.

Plus I need to look up some clay tips on tools and how to prevent finger print before I start making more.

 

Your idea about putting a light into them is a good one and it does seems to work: http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Glow-Mushrooms/?ALLSTEPS

But no idea how to ether make that work with an LED strip or make the Farbwerk accept normal LEDs.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Guess LED dont like being too close to the object they are lighting up, so space deviders added to the list of things to get/make:

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Another day, another clay crystal attempt

 

Had some problems with the method I used:

 

But I think it came out much better then the once with a flat base and the it has more of a rock crystal feel to it now:

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Info update

This project log was getting a bit out of hand with the double posting. I wanted to keep a record of everything in the first few postes, so it would be easy to find, but I see now that was a stupid waste of space. So my reserved posts (first 5 posts) will only contain highlights from now on, which I might edit if a later update works better then an earlier one.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

An update from Skeeper about my custom reservoirs

 

I dont have them yet, but you can already tell that the the amount of work that where put into them.

As far as I know, so is everything ether handmade or made to fit the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OddsCrazyStuff]

How many 980ti's?

Gigabyte G1 980Ti 3 way SLI or in other words, 3 of them.

At least that what I will have when I'm done, as I have only 1 now.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Not sure how many are interested, but figured I should do it anyway:

 

Oh and the ads are turned on, for the sake of hopefully getting some more cash to finish this build faster.

[ConnorDahne]

I'll be honest, had me hooked within the first sentence!

Looks great, and definitely an awesome idea

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Here is a few more images from Skeeper, this time with liquid, too help past the time:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be honest, had me hooked within the first sentence!

Looks great, and definitely an awesome idea

Thanks.

[Hikaru12]

Its a reason I called it "madness" :rolleyes:

 

But the upgrade will most likely be needed to keep the 3 980Ti busy, plus its nice to have more rendering power for 4k video.

 

Even with the 5960 you might run into bottlenecks with that chip. Jaystwocents runs three Titan X's and he has run into bottlenecking issues. Not sure what his overclock was. 4.7 is what I believe he achieved from a 4.9 OC. Good luck!

[OddsCrazyStuff]

Even with the 5960 you might run into bottlenecks with that chip. Jaystwocents runs three Titan X's and he has run into bottlenecking issues. Not sure what his overclock was. 4.7 is what I believe he achieved from a 4.9 OC. Good luck!

Jaystwocents 5960X cant go past 4,5GHz I belive, but he keeps it at 4,4GHz for stability reasons.

But yeah, with 3x 980Ti so might I be bottlenecked as well, unless I get lucky and manages to go past 4,5GHz.

[Hikaru12]

Jaystwocents 5960X cant go past 4,5GHz I belive, but he keeps it at 4,4GHz for stability reasons.

But yeah, with 3x 980Ti so might I be bottlenecked as well, unless I get lucky and manages to go past 4,5GHz.

 

You're right. I was thinking of his 4790k overclock. Yeah, it's really hard to get those chips any higher. I've yet to see many people push them over 4.5-4.6.

[theninja35]

The green liquid looks amazing.