Abby [making My Personal System Awesome]

[skullbringer]

Hello guys,

 

I plan on upgrading/rebuilding my personal rig for a long time and I just watched the livestream and it just inspired me to start this build log right now, even if I only ordered some leds for the build its self, my head is full of ideas and I really want to share this with you guys. Just for the lolz.

So first of, my English is not excellent, but ok, so don't be mad if I say make instead of do or something like that. I am run a small german youtube channel, so if you understand german or you bare with me reading subtitles I plan to make sometime in the future on future videos, then come over and check it out. TrueRegulators on Youtube. Even if you dont like it, constructive critisism is always appreciated.

 

So to my build, here are some shots taken with my S3. I bought a Canon Eos 600D for making photos and videos with it, but because it has no auto focus and I was really not impressed with it, I sent it back, so bare with my noisy image quality.

Also I am not quite sure how to upload/resize picrures to make them watchable in a browser window, so most is still kinda ghetto. Speaking of ghetto I just set a fan on my psu to somehow cool the second 680 which fans are blocked by the Asus Xonar D2X soundcard.

 

 

The case is a CM Storm Stryker and I am pretty happy with it so I will keep it. 2x GTX 680 4 GB Asus DirectCU II. I am trying to sell them now, to get some money for one to two 780s (Titan LEs to believe the rumors). [advert] So if you want a GTX 680 4GB and you dont mind paying in advance to a stranger, I am willing to sell it to you. :) [/advert]

I am also currently using the stock cooler on my 3770k. That is only temporary. Sold my H100 few weeks ago. That i7 is running at stock of course and heats up to 95°C while rendering, which is why I ghetto mounted (just laid in) fans on top of the chassis / hang them next to it with cable ties, to keep temps under 80°C.

 

The memory is 4x 4GB GSkill RipjawsZ 1600 MHz 9-9-9-24, that cost me 80€ (~100$) when I bought them half a year ago and are sold now for like 140€ (~180$)... xD
 I tried overclocking it to 1866 MHz, but I could not hold 9-9-9-24, I had to go 10-11-11-26, it did not gave me any benefit in gaming and made my system run less stable, especially while rendering, so it is just running on stock.

I thought about selling 2 sticks and replace them with black ones. So red slots with red sticks and black slots with black sticks, but there is now 2x 4GB GSkill RipjawsZ black out there... maybe ebay but probably not gonna happen.

 

I will end this entry here and go on in another one, because I have bad experiences writing loooooong posts and the forum just not saving it...

[skullbringer]

So pictures are pretty huge, uncompressed 2xxx x 3xxx something Galaxy S3 resolution. I will compress them when I load up pictures later in the build log, but this post is still part of the first one so one more not resized picture.

 

 

PSU is a Corsair TX750 V2. The fan is running on full speed all the time. I wanted to RMA it, but I would have needed a replacement unit in advance because I dont like 1 week downtime for a silent PSU, and I would have had to call some expensive phone number in USA (I live in Germany) to make a in advance RMA possible. Just now. I stuck with it and I just got a AX860 as a replacement.

Speaking of the PSU I am going to make all my wires from scratch. I already received the cables (30m of some black cable Nils from MDPC-X recommended to get). Tried to resize to 600x800. Let's see if this works ;-)

 

 

(Puretrack Talent white Gaming mouse mat <-- AWESOME !)

 

Speaking of MDPC-X I got all my sleeving from Nils. I am going for a red and black theme, yeah everyone has done a red and black rig, but I like the colors, and this is my first custom rig, so I just wanted to try it out. Pictures of all the sleeving stuff coming soon, hopefully next week.

I have 3 HDDs and 2 SSDs, which is why I have all the HDDs cages in there. I might put all the HDDs into one cage and just stick the SSDs somewhere. HDDs are Seagate Barracudas (just ask if you really want to know the full nomenclature) and the SSDs are 2 Corsair Force GT s.

Then I might remove the bottom HDD cage to make room for a larger radiator with better acces for the fans to fresh air (room for air to be pulled in, actually).

 

Speaking of radiators, I am going to do a full custom loop, using 2 240mm rads in the top and the bottom (45-80mm thick, not decided yet), maybe a 120mm in the back and watercool the 3770k with the naked Ivy Add-On kit and a EK Supremacy. Also I am going to get 2 GTX 780 also watercooled.

Bitspower fittings all the way (black sparkle).

 

[shout Out to SingularityComputers, who was a HUGE inspiration for me! YOU ARE THE MAN! ]

 

Pump and reservoir will be a XSPC D5 vario combo unit, tubing will be Primochill Primoflex Advanced LRT (probably 3/8"-1/2").

Mainboard is an AsRock Fatal1ty Z77, that I cant find any good looking water blocks for, so will probably stay aircooled. 

Fans are Noiseblocker eloops controlled by a Scythe Cazemaster Pro fancontroller. I will get the red Phobya ones for the radiators.

 

The waterblocks and the reservoir will have red LEDs, I will put up white LED strips to light up the case its self.

 

Guess that is it for the build log untill now. I know, it is all kind of random and "unprofessional" and lot of things are still not sure, but it was kind of an impulse post and I just wanted it to do it now and this way to finally start this build log, I have been thinking about for months now.

 

Videos about IHS removal coming sometime soon, and other buildlog ish videos will be coming on my YT channel, hopefully soon no more with the S3 camera, because I get a S4 !!!! No seriously, I try to get more professional, technically, with my camera and microphone and tripod and stuff, so yeah stay tuned, and thanks for reading so far. :D

[MekaMain]

Nice Build :)

[TicTac]

Nice job man :P

[skullbringer]

Almost all the tools arrived today, I am still waiting for a heat gun.

 

 

Also the LEDs and the Naked-Ivy precise mount kit add-on for the Supremacy Waterblock arrived.

 

 

I am waiting for the sleeving stuff from MDPC-X to come to finally turn my ideas into reality.

[skullbringer]

fixed the picture sizes in the first two posts ;-)

[Samdb]

Can't wait to see more from this build, hope lots of updates are to follow!

[skullbringer]

Update:

new PSU (Corsair AX860) arrived today. I wanted to do an unboxing, but I was so tired I could not focus on what I was doing... :/

 

 

I tried to extract the pins from for example the eps or atx power connectors with these phobya tools I have. Did not work at all. One I could pull out with a lot of force, another cable just ripped out of the pin. I really cant extract the pins. :/

Does anyone have experience with these tools in combination with corsair PSUs? Initially I wanted to reuse the connectors from the AX860, but it looks like I have to order some connectors and make the wires completely from scratch.

 

 

At least it worked on the molex connectors. Did my first custom sleeving with some old phobya sleeving material I had laying around. :)

 

 

MDPC-X stuff is coming in the next few days.

[andrevautour]

Love those screwdrivers.

[Lystfiskern]

Sorry about those cables - UK based Pexxon PCs stated on Facebook that he would not do any more customer sleeving on Corsair AXi`s - or something to that fact. Too much of a hassle....

[Ashratt]

I want to to custom cables for my bequeit psu too, the stock cables are to short to route them properly behind the back and i want to sleeve them too, so the cable color fits the sleeve and

you won't see any other color shine trough. What cable did Nils recommend? 

And you definitely have to by new pins and crimp then, there's no way you can reuse old ones. Nils sells them too, high quality as all his other stuff  ^_^

[skullbringer]

Update: Ordered all the connectors for the cables from lutro0customs.com. Great guy, very supportive and helpful.

 

So today there was something(s) in the mail.

First, moooooaaaaaar megapixels!!!

 

 

Second, the crimping and sleeving stuff from mdpc-x finally arrived.

Look, that drawing Nils made. awesome!!!

 

 

Sleeving

 

 

A lot of sleeving

 

 

he even sent me some white :D

 

 

Made a test sleeving on a sata data cable... I will improve on my technique, but looking good so far. What do you guys think?

 

Crimping tool

 

 

test crimps (he tests every tool his self)

 

 

more crimps

 

 

As already said, connectors are ordered. I plan on starting with the wiring this weekend.

[Lystfiskern]

cool  :)  Very nice Sata-cable and congratz on the new phone

[skullbringer]

The connectors for the cabling are now ordered and payed, so they should arrive in the next few days/weeks, coming from America to Germany.

In the meantime I did the sleeving for the front panel. As some of you might know, the CM Storm Styker has a built in fan controller, HD audio, 2x USB 3, 2x USB 2, power and reset switch and some indicator leds.

 

 

Surprisingly all the cables are connected via kind of fan connectors, much like the fans on a graphics card, but the connectors were clued to the pcb with hot glue. Did not expect to see something like that with a 150$ case.

 

 

So I removed the fan controller, the audio and the leds, and only sleeved USBs and power and reset switch. looks cleaner and I never used the fan controller or the front panel audio anyways.

 

 

Sorry for the shaky image, I really need to use the tripod, even to take some quick shots.

 

I have updated my plans to mod the roof of the case to fit a 360x120x60mm rad in the top and I stick with the 240x120x60 in the bottom and I duped the rear rad. After some research it turned out that it is just unnecessary, and it would have made tubing routing much more difficult.

Speaking of tubing, I ordered 2 metters of Primochill Primoflex Advanced LRT 3/8"-1/2" crystal clear, to work out my tubing runs, before ordering the fittings. Hopefully I can route some of it behing the mainboard tray. That would be awesome and make it all A LOT cleaner and much more special.

 

So guys, stay tuned, more updates coming soon. ;)

[TicTac]

Looking good man can not wait to see how this turns out

[dOug]

Looking forward to more

[skullbringer]

Today arrived a few things and I just took some photos.

RMAed Noiseblocker e-loop B12-4 fan (the one I sent back stopped running at 8V or lower), I will use the stock sleeved wires as they are looking pretty good.

 

 

Dremel 200 starter set (metal cutting stuff is probably going to arrive tomorrow)

 

 

And last but not least, the RMAed Func MS-3 mouse (the one I sent back had a defective sensor)

 

 

More updates coming soon, tubing is already in the mail.
 

[skullbringer]

So again, Update:

Primochill Primoflex Advanced LRT 3/8"-1/2" crystal clear tubing finally arrived after one week of priority air mail shipping. I expected it to go much faster. But anyways, I think it does its name justice.

 

 

I tried to route it behind the motherboard tray, even with closed back panel, it does not kink and goes through the cable cutouts nicely. No I can start to work out exactly what the loop is going to look like and order the radiators, waterblock, pumps, fittings, etc.

 

 

Just to clarify, the build is not finished at all, the way it is now is just a work in progress shot. This is not like many other build logs, posting the first post when the build is already done. This is a real step by step build log showing the progress every few days. ;)

[That Norwegian Guy]

You have excellent taste in mice.

[bradscoolio]

Can't wait to see what you can do with my case!

[rhoscrazy]

Nice, I'll have to check back here when it's finished. Good luck!

[skullbringer]

Finally, after 2 weeks of shipping and tons of import fees and taxes:

 

 

Let the wiring begin! Connectors from: Lutro0 Customs

[Ymac]

cool stuff dude!

can't wait to see progress :)

Nils is an awesome guy!

[skullbringer]

[sHOUTOUT] I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for all of your supportive comments. That really motivates me and encourages me to really do my best to make my first custom rig as good as I possibly can. [/sHOUTOUT]

 

And I ran out of atx/eps female terminals already. My fault, I ordered a "starters kit" that was meant to be used for doing extension cables. So now I have 30 male terminals left and I am missing about 100 female ones. NILS, TAKE MY MONEY !!!

 

 

[skullbringer]

Fittings arrived today, other watercooling stuff is in the mail.