Glorious PCMR - Crystal 570X Build Log

[NavyChief]

 

The past few years I have completed one full tower (Corsair 800D) and three super tower (two Corsair 900D and one CaseLabs STH-10) builds. These builds have won their fair share of case modding contests at Dreamhack Austin, QuakeCon and most recently the Gigabyte Mod2Win event. 

 

Although these full size cases are excellent for building extreme rigs, they are difficult to move to the various LANs that I attend (Dreamhack Austin and QuakeCon). Their sheer size and weight are prohibitive for transporting easily. My latest build in a Corsair 900D case weighed in at just over 80 pounds!

 

Many people have also commented that case modding is too expensive and requires too many specialized tools to fabricate the mods. Although some of the more extreme builds do utilize advanced tools (i.e. laser cutters, CNC machines, etc), it is possible to pull off a successful case mod with minimal tools. This build will be completed with normal hand tools, with the exception of a dremel for minor cutting.

 

After carefully contemplating various designs, I have settled on the PC Master Race (PCMR) theme. The yellow, white and black theme goes perfectly with the Corsair color scheme of yellow and black. I have also decided to use a mid-tower case since it would be easier and lighter to transport. Instead of a full watercooled build consisting of reservoirs, pumps, radiators, fittings and tubing, I wanted to try an All-In-One (AIO) unit due to the simplicity in installation and lower overall cost.

 

Corsair was gracious enough to sponsor me again for this new build and I look forward to highlighting their new Crystal 570X case and showcase a lot of their parts.

 

Now let's get started with the components...

 

Main Components:
CSE: Corsair Crystal Series 570X RGB ATX Mid-Tower
MBD: ASUS ROG Maximus IX Hero Z270
CPU: Intel i7-7700K Kaby Lake
AIO: Corsair Hydro Series H100i Extreme Performance
MEM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3000MHz (4x8GB)
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC2
PSU: Corsair HX850i Platinum Modular
SSD: 2 x 480GB Corsair Force MP500 M.2
SSD: 2 x 480GB Corsair Neutron XT SATA 3
HDD: 2TB Western Digital Black
FAN: 6 x Corsair HD120 RGB LED High Performance 120mm PWM
RGB: Corsair Lighting Node PRO

 

Peripherals:
MON: ASUS ROG PG279Q 27" 165Hz IPS
KBD: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum Mechanical - Cherry MX Speed
MSE: Corsair M65 PRO RGB FPS
MPD: Corsair MM800 RGB POLARIS

 

I will keep this build log updated as the assembly commences and it starts to take shape.
 

[Damascus]

Followed, I'd love to hear comment on the K95 Plat eventually

[NavyChief]

Definitely! Currently use the Razer Blackwidow Chroma and really looking forward to the Corsair K95!!

[Damascus]

Just now, NavyChief said:

Definitely! Currently use the Razer Blackwidow Chroma and really looking forward to the Corsair K95!!

Awesome, its such a gorgeous key board and TBF its the only one I'm really considering for upgrade (I have a  K70 RGB lol)

[2FA]

NAVY!!!!!!

 

I didn't know you were on the LTT forums.

[DocSwag]

Just now, DeadEyePsycho said:

NAVY!!!!!!

 

I didn't know you were on the LTT forums.

Do you two like... know eachother?

[2FA]

Just now, DocSwag said:

Do you two like... know eachother?

Yeah, we are both members of the gaming community The Art of Warfare.

[NavyChief]

DeadEye, nice to hear from you again!

 

I am semi-active on many different forums and have been busy with modding over the past 6 years or so. Been doing well so far and enjoy building custom PC mods.

 

Still active in TAW (The Art of Warfare) also. Member of the BF1 unit and having fun.

 

This build will be a more relaxing one in that I am not going full-tilt with watercooling and such. Want to build a more mobile PC, yet still have some customization that most anyone can accomplish.

[NavyChief]

Here is a shot of the Corsair Crystal 570X from their website.

[DocSwag]

The 460x and 570x look super nice IMO. Now if only I could get my hands on one *rubs hands together with an evil maniacal laugh*...

[NavyChief]

I have received most of the components over the last few days.

 

Here is a shot of them all ready for action.

 

 

Here is the Corsair 570X carton. I am used to cases standing upright in the box and this is the first where it is laying sideways.

 

 

Love the protective wrapping they used to cover the case in the packaging. Will definitely be keeping it for use whenever I have to transport the case.

 

 

The case is absolutely stunning! All that tempered glass is just screaming for some color to be applied to the interior. The protective glass film is still in place.

 

 

Everything that could easily be removed has been taken out. Was thinking of cutting a pass-through opening in the PSU cover but decided against it so that the case could remain stock.

 

 

Wow! This case has a lot of rivets to remove!! Here is pile when all the panels were de-riveted.

 

 

Panels all ready for painting.

 

 

I will be using Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover Flat White Primer as a base so that the yellow color stands out easily. The yellow paint is Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover Gloss Sun Yellow. I wanted to use the same brand to ensure compatibility with the paints and the gloss yellow should stand out nicely.

 

 

This afternoon I was able to get the 2 coats of flat white primer applied. They are now hanging in my garage. Tomorrow they will get their yellow coatings.

 

 

 

There are the little corner pieces that hold the glass panels in place.

 

 

[Damascus]

Looks awesome, love this setup

[NavyChief]

This morning I applied the 2 coats of Gloss Sun Yellow to the pieces. One full day to dry and I should be able to start re-assembling the case tomorrow.

 

[NavyChief]

The motherboard for this build is the ASUS Maximus IX HERO. It utilizes the LGA 1151 CPU socket and the Intel Z270 chipset.

 

 

The motherboard is a beautiful blend of black and gunmetal gray. The large metal heatsinks provide cover for all the important parts and the motherboard backplate area.

 

 

The CPU to be used is the Intel i7 7th Generation Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake unlocked version.

 

 

This processor uses the LGA 1151 socket and an operating frequency of 4.2 GHz.

 

 

As for memory, I am using the Corsair Vengeance RGB modules.

 

 

This kit consists of four 8GB modules, for a total of 32GB of available memory. The speed of the modules is rated at 3000MHz. The key feature for this kit is that they contain RGB lighting on the top of each module.

 

 

Here are two shots of the CPU and memory modules installed on the motherboard.

 

 

[NavyChief]

Almost forgot about the NVMe M.2 SSD drives. These are the 480GB version and are about the size of a stick of gum.

 

 

 

One is mounted above PCIe slot 1 and the other is mounted near the bottom of the chipset heatsink. I intend for one to be the boot drive holding Windows 10 and other non-gaming programs, while the other will be used for my frequently played games. The speed of these units will ensure minimal loading times.

 

 

[Belgarathian]

I approve... This looks awesome. how are you going to put the case back together? New rivets? 

[Damascus]

Just out of curiosity, how did you get into PC modding?

[NavyChief]

5 minutes ago, Belgarathian said:

I approve... This looks awesome. how are you going to put the case back together? New rivets? 

Yes, I have a whole batch of black rivets for re-assembly.

[NavyChief]

3 minutes ago, Damascus said:

Just out of curiosity, how did you get into PC modding?

It started out small - putting a window in an Antec case that didn't have one. Then I saw the case modding event at QuakeCon 2011 and thought that modding didn't look too difficult. From there it grew. Each case has grown in complexity as I have learned new skills. My previous mods have included vinyl tubing, acrylic tubing and copper tubing. For painting, I have done powdercoating and automotive paint.

 

I always do a build log for each mod and that has helped gather attention to my efforts. As I started winning modding competitions, I was able to meet corporate sponsors that attended and talk with them. Sponsors really do look at build logs and past performance at these events. One of the more important aspects of any build is to have a theme and follow it!

 

For this build I am going low-tech with no massive watercooling setup. The CPU will be cooled with an AIO cooler and the GPU will remain stock. The only real change in this case is the color.

[Damascus]

2 minutes ago, NavyChief said:

I always do a build log for each mod

I noticed you have them on LTT as well, you go over everything in great detail.  The copper looked very cool

[NavyChief]

20 minutes ago, Damascus said:

I noticed you have them on LTT as well, you go over everything in great detail.  The copper looked very cool

Thanks. I post build logs on about 8 different sites. Some sponsors like posting in a wide variety of sites to reach a larger audience.

[Strike1st]

This is really awesome!

 

I have a 570x i wanted to spray white but it scares the shit out of me because I'm an amateur. plus I wouldn't know how to put the case back together after spraying it.

[2FA]

Looking good so far

[NavyChief]

12 hours ago, Strike1st said:

This is really awesome!

 

I have a 570x i wanted to spray white but it scares the shit out of me because I'm an amateur. plus I wouldn't know how to put the case back together after spraying it.

Don't be afraid to disassemble the case. It is not as difficult as you would imagine.

 

Painting is fairly straight forward - sand the surface, primer and then paint. If you are doing a white build, you can use Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover Paint & Primer. This one can has primer and paint together so you don't have to purchase them separately.

 

The disassembly is easy... remove all parts that you can with a screwdriver, then use a drill with a 1/8" bit to drill out all the rivets. The case can easily be disassembled in about 30 minutes.

 

If you are unsure of anything, then take photos before taking anything apart. I will normally take photos of corners and such to show me how the parts fit together. Here are two photos that I took of the corner pieces. 

 

 

 

As you can see, they show the majority of how the corners are assembled and fit together. Just take a lot of photos all around the case. Visual references can go a long way.

 

You will need a rivet gun and of course some rivets for reassembly. I will be using black rivets to complement this build. Most home improvement stores have the rivet guns and a good supply of aluminum rivets.

[Strike1st]

10 hours ago, NavyChief said:

Don't be afraid to disassemble the case. It is not as difficult as you would imagine.

 

Painting is fairly straight forward - sand the surface, primer and then paint. If you are doing a white build, you can use Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover Paint & Primer. This one can has primer and paint together so you don't have to purchase them separately.

 

The disassembly is easy... remove all parts that you can with a screwdriver, then use a drill with a 1/8" bit to drill out all the rivets. The case can easily be disassembled in about 30 minutes.

 

If you are unsure of anything, then take photos before taking anything apart. I will normally take photos of corners and such to show me how the parts fit together. Here are two photos that I took of the corner pieces. 

 

 

As you can see, they show the majority of how the corners are assembled and fit together. Just take a lot of photos all around the case. Visual references can go a long way.

 

You will need a rivet gun and of course some rivets for reassembly. I will be using black rivets to complement this build. Most home improvement stores have the rivet guns and a good supply of aluminum rivets.

 

Cool. One simple question though. Do you paint the screws as well? do you deal with it the same way as spraying the case itself?