Project: Cristal Toxin (Completed)

[JA90]

Hi people,

I'm Igor from Serbia, 23 years old student and case modding is my hobby. "Cristal Toxin" is my first serious modding project and I want to share it with you

I didn't have any sponsors, I bought all of the parts for this build myself, but I hope I will draw some attention with my skill set shown in this build and make some sponsored builds in the future

Also it won some small modding competitions and it's now entered in Cooler Master 2013 Mod Competition, so some Voting support would be greatly appreciated

You can do that by liking Cooler Master facebook fan page and you can vote for my mod on this link: http://on.fb.me/1ossVZC

I will post the final pics and vid first so you don't have to search for them in the thread and the whole build log after

Components:

CPU: Intel i5-2500k

MB: MSI z77 MPower

GPU: 2x MSI 7970 (R7970-2PMD3GD5/OC)

RAM: 4x 4GB Kingston Technology HyperX Predator 2400MHz KHX24C11T2K2/8X

SSD: 2x Intel 120GB 330series in RAID 0

PSU: Silverstone Strider Plus 1000W

Case: Cooler Master Storm Stryker

Case fans: 2x Gelid Wing 12cm UV Blue & 2x Corsair SP120 High Performance Edition

Fan controller: Scythe Kaze Q-12

Water cooling parts:

CPU Block: XSPC Raystorm

GPU Blocks: EK-FC7970 - Nickel CSQ

Reservoir: XSPC Dual 5.25" Bay

Pump: XSPC D5 Vario Pump

Radiators: XSPC RX360 Rev 2 & Phobya G-Changer 240 V.2 - Full Copper

Radiator fans: 5x Corsair SP120 High Performance Edition

Fittings: Monsoon Blue Rotary & White Compressions

Dye: Mayhem UV Green

Youtube:

Final pics:

Build log:

All of this started from a Cooler Master Storm Stryker case

First things first, case stripping and hard metal work... I've removed everything to get to the bare skeleton and cut down and sanded every protective metal mash on the case and cut open a hole in the top so I can fit a 360mm radiator in, cause CM Stryker is only optimised for 280mm max.

Here are some left overs from the metal work and some details I've stripped from the case.. I had to cut the handle mounts down, cause they wouldn't leave space for the fans at the top of the case and I there would be no other place to put them, cause I used 60mm thick rads.

Next on the list was plexi and metal sheets cutting time.. So here are some shots of plexi dividers, some decorations and metal sheets for SSD mounting and the back of the case, cause I've decided to close off that fan and make a positive pressure inside by having 4 filtered intakes (on the front and bottom) and 3 exhaust (on the top). And that white and blueish color on the plexi panels is just a protective covers, of course I didn't painted them before cutting

Early test fitting time for the dividers.

I cut open a bigger hole on the plastic top cover, to make better air flow from the exhaust on top of the case.

At that time, the rest of parts for watercooling, sleeving etc have arrived.

Cause I had some in my possession, but not everything I needed.

Paint prepping: I masked filters and radiator that will be visible and got everything in the booth ready for painting

By the way, you can now kinda see all the little bits and pieces I've custom made from plexi and didn't show hem earlier.

And at long last, PAINTING TIME :wub:

I will show you only 1 image from the booth (just to see the attention to detail) and the rest will be from the finished and semi-assembled pieces.

Some Monsoon Fittings glory shots.

"Sandwich" making time

That's how I call these plexi decorations that light up on the outside of the case, cause they have a lot of layers, starting from the top (view point):

1. 3mm plexi, painted from the bottom (to make it look glossy on the top and gives a certain depth to it)

2. White sticky foil on the top plexi (to better reflect light in combo with mirror foil)

3. Mirror foil (reflects light down)

4. 5mm plexi with a drilled-in hole for the 5mm LED and outline engraving (it is drilled so that LED can just make its way in and it serves so the light can bounce it's way to the engraved part on the edges)

5. Mirror foil (reflects light up)

- Metal side panel of the case, driled so that diode can go through it (sandwich parts superglues on it on both sides)

6. Diode holder (only there to fixate the diode from the other side of the sidepanel)

7. LED 5mm (goes through the the holder, metal side panel and goes in 5mm plexi)

And on top of all that, I super glued parts 3 and 4, as well as 5 and 6, to the metal sidepanel.

A lot of hard and precise job done, but it gives the best effect

GPU blocks assembly and radiator and reservoir fitting testing (I had to use a few 45 degree adapters cause of the lack of space due to dividers and cleaner look with as little tubing as possible in the visible area).

UV Sleeving done and a lot of details glued into place.

That panel :wub:

And by the way, that mesh effect on the big toxic sandwich is just a reflection, not something on it..

Wiring, soldering, making a panel to control all the LEDs and LED white and UV stripes from the standard Styker's front panel and on top of all that, cable management nightmare

And now.. Let it be light !

SSDs mounted and all the LEDs wired up.

"MSI z77 MPower Snow edition" with painted washers and thumbscrews, cable management finished and tubing instalation (now you can see why I used a few 45 degree adapters).

Finaly.. System filled and up and running, and here is a few quick pics

And that's it from me for now

I hope you like it, as I said, this is my first serious modding project and I hope you'll be hearing a lot more from me in the future

Of course, I'm opet for any questions, critics and admiration, it will mean alot to me!

And don't forget to support me on Cooler Master 2013 Mod Competition if you liked it!

[tryphaa]

Verrry nice. The only thing that bugs me is that I spell Crystal with a y, and not an i.

 

Anyway, the paint job is incredible, and so is the lighting.

[Chatzev]

Amazing!Dammit, now I'm jealous 

[itslegendddd]

I just love the look of the case so much work into it I love!

[HexaGuy]

Beautiful. Should put a picture warning for some users in the title though.

[BenD]

it's a beauty , awesome look.

however a little to flashy for my taste , but it does look like a animal !

[JA90]

Thanks guys it means a lot

 

@tryphaa, In my area it can be spelled either way

 

@HexaGuy, I'm new to this forum, I'm still getting my way around it

 

@BenD, Most of the lights are UV and they are not really visible to the naked eye, the only thing that's glowing are the tubes and UV reactive stuff (cables etc) and that not eye bleeding Plus it's all on controller and can be (and of course, for daily use is) turned off

[MrFoX114]

I like the "dirty Paintjob", but the electric stuff seems to be a bit risky for me. Awesome Build

[JA90]

^Thanks, it's "spilled toxin" (but not on the electric stuff)

[alpenwasser]

Yup, I like it.

[JA90]

Happy to hear that

[DeathSentinels]

Question, did you do any modding with the decals on the Z77 MPower? I wasn't quite able to tell with some of the pictures,

I'm unsure if it's just how the lighting is, but in a picture they appear white, i also have that motherboard but my decals are yellow.

[scaryjam823]

Wow... I can't even bring words to describe the beauty. :,)

[JA90]

@DeathSentinels, You have a pic named "MSI z77 MPower Snow Edition", so of course I did, cause yellow didn't match my color scheme

But I couldn't paint them, cause warranty providers in my country are pretty strict and they don't allow any modding (no matter how harmless like painting is) to components and won't replace them if something breaks down... So I didn't want to risk it and I only cut out a few pieces of white sticky paper in the shape of the decals and sicked them over the decals
 

@scaryjam823, Thanks

[AHaskin14]

Love the way the coolant glows more than anything.

[JA90]

@AHaskin14, Yeah, me too.. And it looks pretty cool on the pics, but it's muuuuch cooler IRL

[consoleconvergence2pc]

Would of looked better if you got a modular psu and sleeved the cables rather than putting extenders on 

[JA90]

@consoleconvergence2pc, PSU is modular, but I plan to upgrade it soon and my color scheme wouldn't appeal to everyone so it would be hard to flip
Extenders gave me more flexibility in that sense

[DeathSentinels]

@DeathSentinels, You have a pic named "MSI z77 MPower Snow Edition", so of course I did, cause yellow didn't match my color scheme

But I couldn't paint them, cause warranty providers in my country are pretty strict and they don't allow any modding (no matter how harmless like painting is) to components and won't replace them if something breaks down... So I didn't want to risk it and I only cut out a few pieces of white sticky paper in the shape of the decals and sicked them over the decals

 

@scaryjam823, Thanks

 

 

That's actually a really great idea!, and super easy to do as well!, I'm looking to do the same thing with my mobo,

thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

[JA90]

^ 

[Father Fuzzy]

Good job on the modding

Monsoons with the white ends look sweet

[Guest GRRigger]

Amazing lighting and design. Love how the interior looks. Blue / Flurescent UV really fit.

[AHaskin14]

@AHaskin14, Yeah, me too.. And it looks pretty cool on the pics, but it's muuuuch cooler IRL

I can only imagine. hear I am just getting my new NZXT Red Led Strip yesterday. Im hoping it lights up my build pretty cool.

[JA90]

Good job on the modding

Monsoons with the white ends look sweet

 

Thanks

 

Amazing lighting and design. Love how the interior looks. Blue / Flurescent UV really fit.

 

Thank you too, I love UV stuff

 

I can only imagine. hear I am just getting my new NZXT Red Led Strip yesterday. Im hoping it lights up my build pretty cool.

 

I'm not a supporter of colored lightning in cases.. Clear white or UV, nothing else.. It makes the components drown in the color of your lights, and I don't like it

So, either UV if you have UV reactive stuff, or clear white to show of you stuff in all of it's glory I think TTL has a vid about that, try to find it

[Snef]

Nice, like it a lot

 

what UV Green sleeving is this?