casemod invitational Completed "Replicant" (Blade Runner 2049) CaseMOD Invitational

Envious Mods · August 31, 2018

Testing Out Ring Trio & Ring Plus Color Schemes:
Before I pulled it apart to do wiring I wanted to test out different color schemes to see if I wanted more white or more purple. It always looks different on camera. After a couple shots I could quickly tell that it looked better with more purple. Once finished there's a lot more leds that will be used in different colors but this gives me a good idea of what it'll look like.

GPU Distrobution Block:
I've always wanted to make my own distrobution block that's a bit different from what I've seen. I had one on my Dark Matter scratch build that was done about 4 years ago. I decided to take advantage an design a custom distrobution block to link the GPU to the pump. I'm working on a bolt together distrobution block method but for this application is decided to do a sealed unit. It is about an inch thick which will offer up more than enough flow. An internal piece was added to promote proper flow and reduce unwanted turbulence.

Envious Mods · September 2, 2018

Running All That Wiring:
Now that I have the hardline tubing run its time to start dismantling the psu shroud so that I can run all the wiring. There's more wiring in this build then most due to all the RGB I decided to use so that I can get the Blade Runner look I'm going for. Fortunately I pre-planned some of the cable routes so it'll all fit cleanly within the custom cable management piece I built.

Custom Envious Mods GPU Insert:
I noticed a little pocket in the Thermaltake gpu block where the power plug goes so I decided to custom make an Envious Mods logo that is a perfect fit. The cool part is that I can swap in and out other ones for shows etc.

Envious Mods · September 5, 2018

Drain Ports:
Drain ports are an important part of any system. I've decided to put mine at the pump outlet which is at the bottom of the system. Once I have a chance to leak test and drain I may add another access port but this should work to get the majority of both loops drained. I wanted to add a custom made acrylic panel that holds the drain ports in postition. This is primarily for aesthetics as it keeps both ports in position and also gives it a Blade Runner look. I will paint them flat black before final assembly.

Attempt at Programming Thermaltake Addressable RGB Products:

I still need to do more research to learn how to properly program all these RGB products. If your just doing a few items it's pretty straight forward. I decided to do just about every product they own which makes it much more complicated. The reason it's more difficult is because I'm linking multiple controllers and running part of them off the Asus motherboards software through Thermaltakes new Sync controller.

So far I've got the 4 Ring Trio Fans and the Ring Plus Fan setup as well as the Lumi strips. The cool part about running some RGB devices through the Thermaltake SYNC and others through the Plus controllers is the ability to create different looks and effects. I plan on doing a video to show some of the features and voice control via an android phone. You can check out the different patterns I tried as well (video)

VID_120061207_021454_271.mp4

Envious Mods · September 7, 2018

Wiring Mockups of Cable Management:
I've done all the final work to the rear cable management parts. I want to wait to finish the rear wiring to the Thermaltake controllers so I can program it through the software. Once I have it in order I can assemble the controller mounts. I'll also add the shrouds after leak testing. Having them off gives me better access to the build to check for leaks.

Envious Mods · September 10, 2018

Invitational Badge:
I fealt it was only proper to make a Thermaltake CaseMOD Invitational badge for the cable management setup on the Replicant mod. I designed it from the ground up since I've been having some software issues. Took a lot more time but I like the way it came out so it's well worth it.

Front Acrylic:
Originally I didn't plan on making custom front pieces. I did however make a few acrylic pieces that make up the front but didn't originally design pieces to go around the front fans. Once I started disassembling and reassembling the front I decided that I really needed to make something to go around the fans even though they really wouldn't be seen much. I spent hours designing and redesigning a new front fan shroud. After many redesigns I came up with a great 1.

Leak Testing: (video)
I always go through a basic check list before leak testing. Making sure all the adaptors, tubes and fittings are tight is important to eliminate the potential for small leaks. The most common leak I come across is from not tightening an adapter or fitting all the way. Usually if I have time I'll fill the entire loop with coolant or distilled water without powering up the pump. Most of the time this isn't doable because most loops require you to power up the pump to fill the 2nd half of the loop. I design my loops so it usually isn't requured. This allows me to let the loop sit overnight before powering up the pump. It's not a required measure but make easier for me.

VID_239520312_040004_935.mp4

Envious Mods · September 12, 2018

Final Assembly:
It's my favorite time of any case mod; final assembly! I'm doing some of the final stuff in a bit different order than usual. I'm waiting to put on the two side shrouds until after leak testing so I can see all the watercooling fittings and connections. I was a letter to snag a few pics during the process. I still need to play with the dye a little to get the exact shades I want.

All Booted Up!
The moment of truth........when you flip the full power switch for the 1st time. It took me an hour just to flip the switch for the 1st time. It's that moment when it'll all be good or really bad. Fortunately it all went well.

Installing Windows 10 was a breeze on the Plextor M9Pe PCIE SSD. It was definitely one of the fastest installs I've done. After that it's time to install all the Asus utilities and drivers for the X470 Maximus Crosshair VII wifi + STRIX GTX 1070 gpu. Next up was installing the software for Thermaltakes new RGB software (V2.2). It took a bit to figure out at 1st but I got the hang of it after swapping around a couple things.

Envious Mods · September 16, 2018

It Comes to an End:

I can't thank you all enough who have supported the "Replicant" case mod. I'm amazed at the amount of support and positivity that has been shared with me. This competition was quite the journey and seeing Replicant finished; I know the extremely long hours were worth it.

I manged to push myself further than i ever have before while assuring that every piece is clean looking and achieved at my high standards. I pulled off my goal to touch every single piece and mod it in one way or another. Everything was done in house and with my own hands; the end result is something I'm extremely happy with. Thanks again and make sure to place your vote!

••Make SURE to VOTE for the Replicant CaseMOD Invitational build••

Thank You to our Sponsors!
Thermaltake - ASUS - AMD - Plextor - Gskill - ROG - Luxa - TT Esports

A massive thank you goes out to our Sponsors as the Replicant case mod wouldn't have been possible without them! Thermaltake also did a great job helping us all out with anything we needed. They have some wonderful employees that truly love the sport of Competitive Modding!

Hardware Specs:

Motherboard: Asus X470 Crosshair VII
CPU: AMD Ryzen 2700
Graphics Card: Asus Strix GTX 1070
Ram: Gskill RGB TridentZ DDR4 (16gb)
Storage: Plextor 512gb NVM PCIE SSD
Power Supply: Thermaltake iRGB 850w
Cables: Lian Li Strimer & Thermaltake black and white sleeved extensions
Fans: Thermaltake 120mm Trio RGB, Ring Plus & Pure Plus.
Accessories: TT Lumi Plus addressable leds strips, 5" touch screen monitor, vandal switch

Watercooling: Thermaltake D5 dual pumps, 4 X reservoirs, 480mm copper radiator, 4 X 120mm radiators, Pacific W4 Plus CPU block, GPU waterblock, 2 digital led controllers, Sync controller, 2 X inline digital temp sensors and white 16mm C-Pro fittings

Final Photos & (Video Coming soon):