(build log) ? J U I C E B O X • NZXT Manta • Titan X • 6700K • Z170 Stinger • FINISHED!

[Hasle]

14 hours ago, amvoith said:

My preference for the RAM would be to take the chrome Allen bolts that you have that are holding the heat spreaders on and just put them in the threads of the EK modules. I think this would look great. (ie don't use the vinyl nor the heat spreaders; just use put the bolts in the EK modules).

 

Not sure if the threads are tapped deep enough though, you may have to get shorter bolts if you were interested in this option. 

 

Anyways looking great so far! Keep it up. 

That's not a bad idea at all. I just gave it a go, but the holes are not threaded very deep at all, only to accommodate about half the thread of the bolts. Think it will be difficult sourcing bolts with such a short thread, and I think I prefer the cleaner look with the vinyl in the end.

 

14 hours ago, Tech_Dreamer said:

that orange EK logo on the GPU back plate was a turn off for me , rest of em pretty awesome

You're in for a treat then, because I'm sticking orange EK-logos on absolutely everything.

 

 

#customreservoirmount

 

In place of the D5 pump in the above pictures, I'm going to mount my reservoir in stead. I tried numerous brackets and methods of mounting the Primochill

CTR II, and before that, an EK X3 Lite, but it just didn't give me enough adjustments for the small margins with relatively large reservoirs for the space, and

it didn't look clean enough. So I made a simple bracket and holders in SketchUp to the exact specifications of the CTR II:

 

 

 

Tried optimizing it for airflow, making the middle bits a bit slimmer, and everything else as simplistic as possible, while still retaining some strength. Everything

was laser cut from cast PMMA - the bracket in 3mm, and the rings in 10mm:

 

 

 

I was a bit iffy about using such a fine M3 thread in acrylic, but it seems to hold up just fine.

 

 

 

 

[iNoa97]

im fapping to this btw

[Hasle]

Been bogged down with work lately, but finally had some free time to spend on the build, so here's a small update - more to come in the next couple of days.

 

#pumpsleeving

 

The EK D5 comes with these nasty wires sticking out the back. Won't have that. EK are now offering these pumps pre-sleeved, but I wanted to do some proper

deep sleeving. Time to crack this thing open, and bust out the soldering iron...

 

 

 

 

It sprung open in a jack-in-the-box type of way, which made me drop my screwdriver. 

 

 

 

Shortened the power wires and used ATX/VGA crimps in stead in stead of the MOLEX connection, so I can plug it straight into the PSU - that's also why the wires

are so short. The pump will be mounted about 6-7 cm from the PSU. Soldered two black wires to the PWM wires - I'll shorten and crimp these later, when I know

how I'll be routing it.

 

 

 

I had to expand the hole in the end cap a bit to accommodate the thicker, sleeved wires.

 

 

And the end result (not sponsored by iFixit).

 

Until next time!

[Hasle]

Just a small update this time. Did up the front fans a bit. Not sure if I like the design, but the decals turned out quite nice I think.

 

 

 

 

 

Going to have some time off work soon, so I'll be able to make more sensible progress.

[Hasle]

Did one for the pump as well, now that I had the cutter out.

 

[BeardRex]

Loving the orange!

[Urishima]

Juicy.

[Hasle]

Thoughts on this lettering? Not sure if I'll keep it or not - the letters are perfectly smooth, but the adhesive backing makes them look a bit iffy. Might look alright when everything's in and lit up a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

[Droidbot]

move it to the other side, even if one letter is cut off

it looks way too close to the nzxt logo imho

[Hasle]

12 minutes ago, Droidbot said:

move it to the other side, even if one letter is cut off

it looks way too close to the nzxt logo imho

Damn you reply quick. Are you an actual bot?

 

I see what you mean. I tried matching the spacing between the letters, to the NZXT-period (about 4 mm), but maybe I should have matched the spacing between the T and the period. I just felt like it would sit too low if I did. Here's a slightly better view from the front:

 

[Urishima]

4 minutes ago, Hasle said:

but maybe I should have matched the spacing between the T and the period.

I think if you just move it to the right by that amount, it'll be fine... I am sorry, I mean it'll be juicy.

[Droidbot]

8 minutes ago, Hasle said:

Damn you reply quick. Are you an actual bot?

Nah, just interested in ITX stuff, owning a 250D with a H100i myself. 

Actually, I might be a bot.

Who knows. 

[Hasle]

#fanpwmhub

 

I have two intake fans on the front rad, and two exhaust fans on the top rad, and I want both sets to be connected to their own PWM-connectors on the motherboard. I also decided to pimp the area behind the motherboard tray a bit, so it'll look nice and clean when you remove the rear case side (which I probably never will :P).

 

 

Each of these originally had four PWM connectors, but i sawed them in half, as I only needed 2x2. The orange bit is the bracket in which they'll sit - it serves to keep the soldered pins on the underside to get shorted out when I mount them, and to space them evenly, as you'll see below.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the space right behind the SSD brackets. The two cable clamps have threaded holes in them, and you'll see why below...

 

 

I made custom covers for the rear, to cover most of it up. Completely unnecessary, but I had fun designing them, and I think the result is quite nice.

 

#cables

 

I just got done with the last cables, most of which had to be custom made to fit in the tight spaces. The PCI-E 6+8 pin cable I had sleeved by Icemodz.com had to be scrapped, as it ended up being too long to fit, so I redid it without sleeving, to make it more malleable. Cables that were modified or custom made to accommodate the Manta:

• ATX and CPU-power cables custom made by Icemodz.com.
• Power cable on the D5 - shortened and fitted with a 6-pin connector to plug straight into the PSU.
• PWM cable on the D5 - replaced with black wires and lengthened to reach the CPU PWM connector on the motherboard.
• SATA power cables - custom made to fit in the space (~10mm) behind the front rad.
• 6+8 pin PCI-E - custom made at a length of 11 cm.
• 2x Fan PWM hub 4-pin cables - custom made to discreetly connect to the two top PWM CHA_FAN connectors on the motherboard.

And just to give you an idea of the space I have to work with, with a 45mm rad in the front, a D5 in the basement, and a Corsair HX850i in the rear:

 

 

Now that all the cables are done, I'll disassemble everything down to the smallest detail, dust the chassis off, apply thermal paste to the CPU, wipe down all the nickel, and then fit everything back together, and commence the leak test! More to come.

[Danny21]

On January 25, 2017 at 4:48 PM, Being Delirious said:

I wonder how much the watercooling gear was.

Probably more than my pc combined

[DildorTheDecent]

orange is best colour. 

[DocSwag]

17 minutes ago, DildorTheDecent said:

orange is best colour. 

@deXxterlab97 would disagree.

[DildorTheDecent]

2 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

@deXxterlab97 would disagree.

he's wrong anyway

[DocSwag]

Just now, DildorTheDecent said:

he's wrong anyway

[_blackknight_]

Orange is the new Black

[Hasle]

17 hours ago, _blackknight_ said:

Orange is the new Black

You said it. 

 

#tidbits

 

So, I just got cracking on the tear down, and got a few tidbits out of the way - minute details that lift the overall aesthetic.

 

 

The current state of affairs. I don't like having elements in the build, that I won't be utilizing, like the holes on either side of the NZXT. logo, for mounting a reservoir.

 

 

This was the simple solution, a discreet piece of matte black acrylic that sort of matches the vinyl on the RAM modules.

 

 

Then there's these eyesores:

 

 

No need for a bulky thumbscrew there, as I would have to drain the cooling loop and drill out twelve rivets to remove the top of the case, just to dislodge the top SSD.

 

 

Much stealthier.

 

 

Using the slimline SATA cables from Silverstone - an absolute godsend when the connectors are positioned so visibly.

 

 

The front rad only just clears the SSDs and cables by a few millimeters.

 

 

CPU is in. Pea or cross? Pea! 

[Urishima]

14 hours ago, Hasle said:

CPU is in. Pea or cross? Pea! 

Oh dear, time for some JUICY drama.

[Hasle]

#jigsawpuzzle pt.1

 

So, it's time to put the puzzle back together. Due to the constraints of the case, the size of the radiators, and the funky tube routing, everything will have to be put back together in a very specific order.

 

 

 

#1 Firstly, the tube connecting the front rad to the GPU block is screwed in:

 

#2 Then the front rad is mounted in the case:

 

#3 The Titan goes in:

 

#4 The FC terminal for the EK GPU block is pushed onto the tube from the front rad:

 

#5 The GPU out tube is screwed onto the FC terminal:

 

#6 The whole thing is swung under the GPU, and the FC terminal is secured to the block:

 

#7 The EVGA Powerlink is mounted:

 

That's it for now. Assembly continues shortly!

[DildorTheDecent]

mint

[BeardRex]

Yummy.

[Hasle]

#jigsawpuzzle pt.2

 

Onwards!

 

#8 Time to cram the pump in place, attaching it to the inlet on the front rad:

 

Really have to stuff it in there, and it's so exhausting sliding it into the fitting, making sure it passes both o-rings. Phew.

 

 

#9 The front bottom case foot is removed, and the pump is secured with M4 bolts. The two extra holes are for ventilation, I didn't measure wrong, you hear?! 

 

#10 The case upright again, the reservoir is slid into place, and wiggled into the fitting on the pump inlet, barely clearing the power connectors on the Powerlink, and the PSU shroud:

 

#11 I had to assemble this monstrosity to secure the bottom left screw holding the reservoir bracket to the rad:

 

 

 

#12 Tube connecting the CPU block to the reservoir inlet is mounted:

 

#13 The top of the case bearing the top rad and fans is reattached, the 90-bend from the top rad being pushed into the CPU block inlet:

 

#14 As the last piece of the loop, the Bitspower flowmeter is mounted between the GPU outlet and top rad inlet:

 

The top fill port just barely clears the top rad. I noticed that it had been scraping the rad finish a bit, and I was afraid it would cause some resonance, the reservoir being so firmly attached to the pump and all - so I fashioned a quick decal, protecting the finish on the rad, and cushioning the fill port a bit.

 

 

 

I had this piece laser cut when I was filling out a sheet of acrylic anyways, fits snugly, and gives the top area a nicer, more finished look. I'd also read that some were reporting a lot of "false air" being sucked back down into the case, in stead of going out of the side vents in the top. Dunno if this helps that much, but maybe a bit.

 

 

#15 Doh - this should have been #1, but I forgot the darn things.

 

All done, after a minor surgery removing the RAM and detaching the ATX power connector (worst thing in the world next to plugging it in the first time).

 

 

Almost ready for leak testing. Stay tuned!