[Resto-Mod] Koolance PC2-C

ApolloX75 · March 27, 2016

*CAUTION: LARGE IMAGES IN SPOILERS*

So I've gotten bored with my plain black Anidees AI6. And all it's flimsiness caused by the fact I had to completely disassemble it to fit a rad in and it didn't even end up looking all the great. Performs extremely well though.

And it's spring! Which means it's warm enough to work in my garage again. So between rebuilding my Apollo and fixing my troublesome Firebird I've decided to take on a "relaxation project" because dammit I'm not busy enough.

So PROJECT TIME!

Feast your eyes on the glory of 2001! A Koolance PC2-C with an integrated aluminum radiator, 1/4" vinyl tubing and a copper waterblock capable of cooling an... Athlon XP. Yeah that's not too exciting, I know.

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Oh I know... it looks terrible. It's been sitting in my basement for well over a decade. Probably close to 15 years since I used it last.

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As you can see from the above pictures it's a downright mess, and definitely going to be difficult to work with. This case has none of the modern features we've all become accustomed to working with. Nothing is tool-less; there's no CPU cutout in the motherboard tray; no SSD trays; no cable management space behind the tray, hell it doesn't even take 120mm fans only 90mm. It's a nightmare.

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So now that I've torn the whole thing to pieces and sandblasted all the things, what's my next step?

Well I've already reassembled it and tapped all the holes (no more rivets) so I can use stainless hardware. I've been test-fitting motherboards to make sure FrankenPC's Z87-A will fit and figuring out where I shall mount my SSD and HDD. I've also been redesigning the inner shroud which I shall probably throw out completely and make a brand new one out of aluminum. I'm planning on having a grill in the front of the case taking up the two upper bays from which the 120mm fans on the slim (likely a DarkSide LPX240) radiator will draw fresh air in and push the hot out through the top. This will mean the radiator is completely isolated from the rest of the case. Tubing wise I am not 100% sure what I plan to do yet; or whether it'll be soft or rigid, I don't have the equipment for a hard pipe build yet but I'm definitely considering it. The GTX 970 Windforce is another area I'm uncertain of since this case predates even the FX 5800 Ultra; but I do believe someone fit a Voodoo 4 in one so length shouldn't be an issue especially if I eliminate the lower 3.5" drive bay. Or I can just throw a waterblock on it I guess, but that will extend the timeline of the project as it stretches my funds.

The rear panel presents another challenge for air circulation since the case is a half inch slimmer than we are used to, and modding a 120mm fan gril in place of the 90mm just won't work. I will have to figure something out for that. I am determined to keep the Koolance pump and fan controller with temperature readout in the build, as I'm about 90% sure it still works. I will probably fill the floppy drive bezel and make it like the other plain ones and hopefully I can find my missing spares. I cannot find the case sides so I will build my own from aluminum and plexiglass.

So stay tuned! I'm really excited to be working on this old beast again because ~~nostalgia is a terrible disease~~ I like to do difficult things. I'll be updating more later this week as I prepare to prime the metal and consider my options for paint color schemes. This does mean I will likely have to paint the Z87-A heatsinks as they are ridiculous and gold. Thanks Asus.

I am also waiting to hear back from Koolance as I contacted them in hope they might have spare parts sitting in some dusty corner of a warehouse. Instead I got the slim possibility of a sponsorship from them so who knows, maybe I'll get lucky. I do know I am keeping very good track of my progress as I go just in case so I can put together a comprehensive build log if need be.

*Edit for strange picture placement at the bottom. Not sure what happened there.

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colinreay · March 28, 2016

Wow... This is as old as I am... Looking forward to see an overhaul. The cable management - or lack thereof is pretty cringy. Awesome!

ApolloX75 · April 4, 2019

4 hours ago, Mr. horse said:

Did this build ever go anywhere?

Thanks to a lack of parts, lack of time and a new career I put it on hold for now until life gets out of the way and I can get back to tinkering. I have the case prepped and ready for when things open back up.