Blue Storm

[diluzio91]

So here it is. Im starting my second project, and i have 2 warnings, 1 this will be my first water cooled rig, and i will be using some used parts where i can. The second is that this build will be slooooow. Like one or 2 updates a month once i have to start buying parts, so it will probably be part build, part review as i oogle over the new toys as they come in. So, the story commences.

The goal: to make a watercooled rig in a cooler master 690 case, the lighting will be blue, and not blindingly bright, and the only cables that should be seen through the window will be the 24pin power connecter, the 4 pin processor connector, and the 6 pin graphics connectors (one at first, a second will be possible later). The budget is 1500, and thats where the parts list falls for everything new. Some things may be upgraded if i find good deals, or deals that go very underbudget ill be getting better parts. So this project began early because my gf got me the case for our one year anniversary (:bannana. So here we go!

The case! and yes i have the radiator mounted to the motherboard for now to keep it safe and together. lol.

The radiator was purchased from SXRguyinMA, huge thanks and a + rep goes to him for helping me out with this! The Res is built in to the top, and i will be using it to make a fill port to the top of the case.

The case has quite a bit of mesh to cut out to make it as quiet as possible.

Here we can see the screwless PCI slots. That blue will not DO! they will have to be painted.

The drive bays where the 120 mm radiator will be mounted, the tape signifies the mounting bars (much, much thicker than the bars will be) that will be used for the rad mount, and allowing the blue fan to shine through the front.

The 240 mm rad will be mounted on top... however, the pre made mount points wont fit the fans under the cover, and will block too much of the mother board, so it will have to be modded... hmm... who would have thought... So you can see the lines where the 120mm fans will poke through, about half of the fan will sit above the case, the mounting solution will have to be improvised, so i will be stealing ideas from R2's sand crawler, and using flatbar to mount it.

The vent for the back will be morphed into an open panel so that i can change out heatsink back plates like many of the newer cases.

here are the toys that came in e case.

A few more details.

The interior color scheme is yet to be determined, how ever the outside will be satin black, there will be an aluminum bottom plate to hide the cables coming from the PSU, and there will be a mobo cover that covers the bottom inch or so to hide the cables that are going to be plugged in. The next update will be the window design for the side, Enjoy!

[diluzio91]

Update time:

Got the design for the window nailed down, and its now in place (with tape) the grills will have to be filled with bondo, but other than that we are great, so, pics!

There probably wont be any more work done until school is out, but ill still answer any comments or questions.

[diluzio91]

Da da da DAAAA update time!

So after getting over a cold i got to work on this thing (finally). To start out:

The Victim, a coolermaster 690 that my beloved girlfriend got me for our 1 year anniversary.

Looking at the inside. it CAME WITH 2 RADIATORS???????? not quite, those are the fruits of my labors of staring at the for sale section for hours.

A closer view of my $20 each radiators (lol... to B.O.B., thats what it works out to with division in my head)

the little one

The big one!

Sir! where are your clothes!

Oh i see, you are here for surgery...

Here is the hole for the top radiator!

And all that silly mesh removed so the power supply can breathe.

Oh i have always wanted one of these... would make life sooo much easier... Dremel tools make dreams come true

Hmmm.... That looks like a piece of the mesh that he cut off... what could that be for...

ZOMG... this man is a genius! Such a simple, free, and effective radiator mount!

And it even holds the radiator above the DVD drive to reduce vibration!

The same design to mount the top radiator? how versatile!

More to come

@ SXRguyinMA, Thanks for the awesome RAD hookup, ill be using plumber's epoxy to put a 1/2 in barb fitting into the top hole of the rad where the missing plug is supposed to go so i can route it to a fill port on top of the case.

@ Blue on Black, Thanks for the WC parts hookup, ill be taking glamour shots of the parts when my new barbs arrive.

@ x88x, microcenter hookup = AWESOME! you will see the use for that random seeming T fitting and all that sleeving soon enough.

Also thanks to all the sweet mods that prodded me into this!

[diluzio91]

Alrighty then! time for a real update... Mind you its mostly pics of my toys for the case thus far, but its progress in a way i suppose.

@x88x, you will see the application ill be using it for in the pics if that helps.

@SXR, any you dont need i can probably use.

so begins the update

So, I want to create a false bottom for this tower, and heres the cardboard mock up.

Water pump with XSPC top and Bitspower fittings.

Water Block with some black bitspower fittings i had around.

MMMM high flow goodness

Crystal T fitting... notice that the fittings that will be seen are pretty, and the ones that wont.. .well.. arent pretty...

Mr CPU needs a waterblock too!

So shiny it focused on the reflection of the trees...

Same 120x1 rad, but with new fittings!

For the graphics card again, Deal Extreme heatsinks... 1/5th the price of any other retailer online... with free shipping too

Some came with thermal tape. some didnt

So some real work finally, Plumbers waterproof epoxy puts a nice 1/2in fitting in the top of this so i can have a fill port on top.

My 4 pin, deal ex again, sleeved this time.. now you can start to see my sleeving issues... if that helps you guys with sizing up HS for it...

The 24 pin extender. Is it easier to remove the pins from the male or female end. And the HS needs to compress 4 wires with a zip tie over them well.

I also started my false floor... but my dremel died on me... Sadddd

This will need some filing to make it right...

Just easier to see the progress on this

[diluzio91]

small update time, which will shortly be followed by a big update with pics.... So i made a menards run for some various things.. bondo, heatshrink, paint, bolts... And i ended up doing a mini project before i could work on blue storm. Things accomplished

-mini project - made a suitable work surface

Removed the plastic "mesh" from the top panel so there would be room for the radiator and fans.

Bondo'd the top mesh holes

finished cutting the false bottom and drilled mount holes for it.

primed 95% of the case

re-designed the window for the side

Tomorrow, there may be an update, if not ill be chillin in the dells (wisconsin) for a while... but i am expecting an order from xoxide tomorrow and want to get my window cut and polished so i can finish the painting... after that ill be killin time till i can afford parts for the rig... updated wish list though,

Phenom 2x4
6gb gskill trident 2x2 1x2
60gb ssd (whatever is cheapest when i have the $$)
samsung t drive
ati 5830 (same as ssd)
silverstone 650 watt PSU
asus mobo


and now we wait... pics to come... also, if theres a mod watching could you delete the SPAM post above this? thanks

[diluzio91]

Real update...

first off, the project that i did before the project.

This also acts as a TV stand while im at school

Then The case, after bondo, sanding, and priming

DVD drive primed, will be painted flat black to match the interior

Side panel after priming and 1 coat of paint ( i used engine enamel)

False bottom is cut sanded primed and drilled for mounting needs

How everything will be mounted on there

GOODIES FROM XOXIDE!

And after a tip from sxr.

Fancontroller... dosnt have to be pretty... just has to work...

Thats all for now folks!... Gotta get back from a fam trip, then more painting... and next update you will get to see the new window design.

[diluzio91]

Got some more work done today... Here it is!

I tested the hold on my silicone glue with some scrap plexi and scrap from the case windows

I picked up some awesome tinted Plexi at menards.

My weapon of choice

The new window of Blue Storm

Exterior coat of paint. first coat

The engine enamel dried on the tower

The first coat of enamel for the false bottom

The window cut out and ready for mounting

[diluzio91]

So since ive last updated i've finished the case till i get hardware... (god i want the hardware! its like its teasing me...) But some pictures for all you guys watching this

Back Side looks stock, with a less... bumpy... paint job

The user side (?) window looks sharp too... i love how this turned out... As a side note, i love the CM 690 that i used, just disliked its stock lack of window-ness. i also had to make the 240 rad fit on top...

Better view of the window... looking at the pic there seems to be a little bit of wag in the cuts that dosnt appear in real life...

Better window view... the flowers in the back ground are popping like crazy, this isnt edited, this is how it looks outside today, hence why im sitting on the back porch with my macbook

The back of the window

Silicone... messy... but effective

My dirty wire secrets exposed!!! lol

Pump mount

Top radiator mount. The fans and the top of the case gave me some trouble... but it turned out well.

Not quite unisleeving... but not a bad look... i like it... although the different lengths on the shrink bugs me a little.

drive area

another interior shot

This was my remedy for the fan clearance issue... worked out pretty well i think...

The next update will just be stealthing the dvd drive on front, you can already see the velcro there for it. i just need my dremel tool back... After that there will be updates when i can afford some hardware for this guy.

[diluzio91]

As promised, updates of the new shiny silver paint job.

More pics to come after my 2 fillports come in... if your looking for a cheap one grab up the enzotech on jab tech.com, only $6.99! so i ordered that one and a delren port from DD. Once those arrive they will be installed, the components will be put in, and leak testing will commence... Side note... do you guys have any advice for filling a loop for the 1st time with a top mounted fillport?

[diluzio91]

I finally got the fillports installed, and got all my tube wrangling finished up. I loaned my camera out, so i had to take some pictures with my cell phone, but heres an update.

So i realized that i didnt have a drill bit large enough to make a hole for my fill port, so i started with a 1/3 inch drill bit, and took a file to it, to get this

it looks kind of rough, but after you insert the fillport i think it looks pretty good.

And after 3 hours of tube wrangling, fighting, swearing, burned fingers, and a cut thumb we get this.

Not too shabby, i cant wait to get the coolant in it and leak test it, i also have to fix this in the morning

I think i tweaked the radiator while i was getting the tubing on the barbs, so ill have to go sort it out and re-tighten the mounts. and i might have to trim more of the under side plastic to get it flat again. better quality pictures tomorrow, as well as my shenannagins on trying to fill the loop. Stay tuned guys (i know some of you are watching this )