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Mr_Armageddon

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Everything posted by Mr_Armageddon

  1. I moved the new build from the "tinker" room to my actual office setup. After connecting everything, it was apparent that I needed to do some much needed cable cleanup behind the standing desk. Purchased a few cable racks, and the end result is greatly improved. Dubbing myself "Cable Lord" after that cleanup job.
  2. Since is just released today, thought I would post my 3DMark Time Spy DX12 Benchmark score.
  3. Project Open Core: Final Build Pics This build is DONE!! That doesn't mean I won't make any changes, as I am a constantly tinkering with things, but the core system is ready to go. I still need to moidfy a few things at my desk and route cables before I move it over, but still calling the project done at this point. Not really any reason to describe each picture, so just going to post a bunch of them from different angles. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  4. Project Open Core: Mayhem Blue Pastel Concentrate Sneak peak at the completed build. Will have the "Final" pictures up within the next day or so. Until then, put together a little video showing the process of adding the Mayhem Blue Pastel concentrate to the hardline tubing loop.
  5. Project Open Core: Benchmarks & Temps I am putting together a neat little video of the filling process and adding the Mayhem Blue Pastel dye to the system. While working on that, I had a chance to play with a bit more Overclocking, and wanted to share those specs along with some Benchmarks and Temperatures. Overclocking was pretty easy on this system. I was able to hit 4.8GHz on the 6700K fairly easily using a core voltage of 1.375, and temps never got above 58C during stress testing. I tried for 5.0GHz, but no matter how much voltage I threw at it, couldn’t get stable enough to run benchmarks, so stayed with 4.8GHz, which really isn’t that bad with the temps I am seeing. With the GPU the highest I was able to get and be 100% stable on the EVGA GTX 1080 SC, was a core clock of 2151MHz and Memory at 5500MHz. That’s not overly impressive compared to other GPUs in the past, but apparently the Pascal series cards already come out towards the peak of their frequency threshold. Even then, a 24% core clock increase over reference 1080 cards isn’t too shabby, especially being that my GPU temps have yet to rise above 40C. Once I had the CPU and GPU OC’d, it was time to throw some benchmarks and games at it. Unigine Valley Benchmark 1.0 Setting: Exreme HD FPS: 120.4 Score: 5038 Unigine Haven Benchmark 4.0 Setting: Extreme FPS: 101.8 Score: 2563 Ashes of the Singularity Setting: Crazy, DX11 Average FPS: 65.5 Shadow of Mordor Setting: Ultra Average FPS: 174.45 3DMark FireStrike 1.1 Score: 19499 Compare: Better than 982% of all results 3DMark FireStrike Extreme 1.1 Score: 10735 Compare: Better than 92% of all results 3DMark FireStrike Ultra 1.1 Score: 5807 Compare: Better than 78% of all results 3DMark Sky Diver 1.0 Score: 42539 Compare: Better than 99% of all results For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  6. Sounds good. Curious to see if the new Thermaltake cables are as good as the one purchased from Amazon.
  7. Project Open Core: Initial Fill and Leak Testing Now that the tubing and cables are done, time to fill this thing up with fluid. Before I did an entire system fill, there were 2 things I needed to do. Needed to flush the radiator of any particulates. I have heard in a lot of reviews that radiators can have all kinds of metal shards inside time left over from the manufacturing process. I detached the radiator from the rest of the loop, and flushed it with distilled water. Pleased to find very little in they way of particulates, so drained it and reattached the tubing. Then had to decide on what color of LED I wanted to use in the Res, being that is was one of the few lights in the system that wasn’t RGB. I filled it up a little over halfway, added a bit of Blue Dye, and first tried the White LED, which is the photo on the left. It looked good, but wanted to try blue as well. At first I was worried that the blue would look purple and not match the rest of my system (kinda like it does in the picture on the right). But in real life, it is the perfect color blue, and seems to light up the entire Res a bit better than the white one, so going to stick with the blue LED for now. Its an easy change if I decide to go with the white sometime in the future. After deciding on the LED color, I drained the Res, connected the tubing to the rest of the system, and began filling with distilled water for the first official “Leak Testâ€. Quick note of filling a system with this XSPC Photon Res… you will need a book, which you can see in the bottom right of my photo below. The case/res has to be tilted at an angle during the fill process, or the opening will keep backing up with air bubbles. The first 5 minutes of the fill process were very frustrating until I figured this out. After sliding a good size book under the right leg of the case, filing became very easy. Was able to fill the whole system in a just a few minutes, alternating between running the pump and tilting the case to release air bubbles. It looks like it is going to take around 1.4 liters to completely fill the system loop and res. I then ran it for a few hours, and didn't find a single drop of water outside of the loop. Leak test completed successfully. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  8. I am happy to report that the PCIe riser cable I purchased works perfectly! No more boot errors, benchmarks work, and I can even OC without issues. Here is the Amazon link if anyone with the Core P5 Case would like to give it a go. It seems a lot higher quality than the one provided by Thermaltake, and is shielded well. The only problem is that one of the screw holes doesn't line up exactly with the P5 case mount. I ended up using the screw on the side with the PCIe latch, and a zip tie on the other. Not ideal, but it works, and doesn't wiggle. One thing I made sure to do this time is not have any drastic bends, and to not bend anything near the connectors. Used a can of Pledge Spray as my guide for nice rounded bends. Now that I am back to having a 100% working system, I can work on getting this build finished up! Time for some leak testing.
  9. Project Open Core: Sleeving My last build incorporated sleeving from MDPC (MurderMods), and it turned out really good. I still have a lot of sleeving left over from that project, but decided to try something different for this build. I have heard a lot of things, both good and bad, about Paracord sleeving, so I decided to do a sample to see if it would work for this build. As I mentioned before, I like MDPC sleeving, but I find it a bit stiff to work with at times. So I purchased a few hundred feet of coreless paracord, which cost less than $25, and got started sleeving. In addition to the custom sleeving, I typically make my own power cables for each build. I find by doing this I am able to limit all the extra cable length taking up room in the case, and it allows for better looking cable routing. Here is a pic of the primary tools used for the job. Paracord (Black) Paracord (Royal Blue) Paracord (Slate Grey) Lutro Paracord Sleeving tool (makes job snag free) 100ft 18AWG Wire PSU Power Connector Pins (lots) MDPC Crimping Tool MDPC Pin Extractor Molex PSU Connector Heads (Various) Precision Titanium Snips Hobby Knife Bic Lighter After doing a few trail runs and deciding that I really like using Paracord, I set to work making my cables. In addition to looking great, and being very flexible, I like that with Paracord I can sleeve the cables without having to use heatshrink. I personally think it looks cleaner, and it cuts down the time required to get the job done. For most of the build I am using “Wire Wraps†that are 3D printed by Ensourced. I find they are really easy to work with, and look great once installed. They do a good job of keeping the sleeved cables tidy, especially when doing bends. Here you can see a comparison of my new paracord sleeved ATX connector vs my older one using MDPC sleeving. So pretty! Here we have another comparison of the two types of sleeving. Really impressed with the look and feel of the paracord. Also liking the combination of the 3 colors, and how well it goes with the rest of the build. The cable shown below is one I had to create later on in the process after I was having boot issues caused by me not adding a power connector to my USB 3.1 expansion card. You can see the cable plugged in the bottom part of this picture as well. Glad I got that one figured out! Here we have the final stage of the custom cables and sleeving in all it’s glory. Really liking how the colors look, and how clean the paracord sleeving turned out. Cable management in the back is good, but could be better. May work at securing everything down a bit more once I verify that everything is working the way it should. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  10. I actually had that same cable in a wish list since it said as of yesterday, not available. When I clicked the link to see if it was the same one, they had them in stock. Mine will be here Friday as well! Really hoping it fixes the issue. If not going to try the more expensive Lian-li cable which is similar tobthe ilone made by 3m.
  11. I am actually using the 2nd version of the cable that Mike already sent out. I too am having issues (can't even boot up) when the riser card is used. I have emailed Mike again a few days ago, but haven't heard back. I am going to try and add extra shielding to see if that helps. I really like the idea of the vertical card installation, but so far in practice it is proving to be a poorly executed idea.
  12. Project Open Core: Hardline Tubing For this build, I decided to go with Monsoon Hardline PETG Tubing 1/2" ID, 5/8" OD. I initially had purchased PrimoChill PETG Tubing, but decided that the diameter was too thin and liked the look of â…†OD better. This is my first time “tube bending†so I purchased a lot of it since I knew that I had to account for the varoius screw ups that would occur. Luckily it is not very expensive. Since it was my first time working with hardline tubing, I had to acquire a few tools to make sure my bends look good. I already had a few things, like the rotary pipe cutters and a heat gun, but also picked up some Monsoon Mandrels to help form bends, a measuring kit, and a tube bending rig made by Barrow which came in really handy. I have noticed that a lot of people cutting tubing use a hacksaw, but I personally thing the rotary pipe cutter is a much better tool. Not only does is make very straight cuts, but it leaves no mess, and gives the tubing a nice beveled edge as can seen in the picture above, and ensures I don’t damage the o-rings when sliding them on for the fittings. The Barrows bending rig was very useful when doing more complex / multi angle bends, and assured not only my angles were dead on, but that the tubing was straight throughout the level plane I was working with. It also allowed me to keep things stable when doing larger 180 bends than what the Monsoon mandrel kit supported. Used a can of compressed air as a form for one of the bends, and it come out really nice. For the most part, my bends held true to my original 3D render which I was glad to see. One place where I had to simplify a bit is where the Motherboard outlet connected to the GPU block. I was initially going to go with a nice multi-bend solution, but realized after installing the fittings that my plan wouldn’t work. There wasn’t enough clearance between the fitting and the motherboard housing to do a 90 degree bend from that location. So I used my measuring kit to form a more simple “L†bend directly to the GPU block. Not as fancy, but the end result still looks great. Towards the end of the process, I was getting really good and quick at making quality bends. I may change things around at some point, but for now, I am happy with the end result. Time to move on to finishing up making some power cables and getting them sleeved. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  13. Issue Resolved… sort of After trying what seemed like everything I could think of, along with some suggestions from people on various forums, finally figured out what the issue was. I thought I had unplugged everything in my search for a fix, but I missed the PCIe USB 3.1 card, mainly because it was hidden behind the PCIe Riser Cable going to the GPU with its vertical installation. I couldn't see it, and passed it over. The reason that particular card was giving me issues was due to the fact that USB 3.1 can draw a lot more power than 2.0 and even 3.0, which it what was triggering that particular error message, and causing the reboots. I went ahead and made a new SATA Power cable and added it to the expansion card, and the power / current issues are gone. I have finished a few test, and was even able to install Windows 10 while checking for fluid leaks. Still having an occasional issue during boot up, but I know that cause this time of the Q-Code 62. That same PCIe Riser Cable that hid the USB Card, is causing the boot process to lock up. As soon as I unplug the card, everything functions as it should. I have been reading that adding extra shielding to the cable can fix the issue, so going to give that a shot. If not, will have to hit up Thermaltake for a new cable. I really hope it will be a quick fix, as the build is almost done and I would hate to have this hold things up.
  14. Slight Problem, need help I was planning on testing all of my wiring since I made the majority of the PSU cables myself, and ran into a bit of an issue. Everything powers on well, lights up, pumps work, etc. But the ASUS MoBo will not fully boot. Keep getting an error saying "USB Device Over Current Status Detected" and an error code on the motherboard of "55". A Google search tells me Code 55 is "Memory Not Installed", but as can be seen in the picture below, the RAM and CPU are fully recognized. Plus, I don't see what that would have to do with the USB Over Current Error. I have also unplugged everything from the motherboard (including front case USB headers) except the keyboard and mouse. No Drives, GPU, or fans are plugged into the motherboard. I have tried various USB ports, and have even tried different keyboards. Keep getting the same error, and cannot get into the BIOS at all. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I doubt I will hear back from ASUS for a few days. Thanks.
  15. Project Open Core: Hardware - Displays & Peripherals I am working on wrapping up hardline bends and sleeving, and will post on those topics once completed. As my last “Hardware†post, going to run through my Displays & Peripherals. I am a consultant, and about 50% of my job is on the road. When not traveling I work from home. For my setup, I went with a custom Sit/Stand desk with motorized legs. I usually start the day standing, but by 2-3pm, the knees start to ache a bit and I drop the desk and pull up a chair. My displays are wall mounted, on articulating arms. Although I can adjust them to my heart’s content, I have found a good location for them that I can use while standing or sitting, so they never move. Using 3 monitors currently in a PLP configuration. Primary Display - 30in Dell 3011U @ 2650x1600 Side Displays - 20in Dell 2007FP @ 1200x1600 (x2) Total resolution is 3850x1600, which gives me a lot of good workspace. Here is what the desktop looks like in a seamless “Print Screenâ€. Using Display Fusion to manage my wallpapers, and a few Rainmeter “skins†to customize the look of the desktop and give me system stats at a glance. Keyboard and mouse using a Corsair K70 RGB Mechanical Keyboard, and a Logitech G502 Mouse. Both utilize RGB LEDs, and are customizable. The newest addition to my setup is the Saitek X-56 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. Flight Controller. I have been getting into Space Sims lately, and this has been a huge upgrade from my old but trusty Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick. The difference the new X56 has from the X55 is two additional thumb control sticks for your thumbs, specifically helpful for extra control with space sims, and the addition of RGB lighting. Here is a pic of all of them together. Really liking that manufacturers are going with RGB lighting so you don’t have to settle for whatever color they decide to ship units with. Very easy to match the colors of the new build. Customization FTW! For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  16. Project Open Core: Hardware - GPU As stated in the OP, part of the reason I decided to build this sytem was to put together the hardware to provide a good VR experience with the Oculus Rift. Being that the GPU is the most important factor in this, decided and upgrade from my GTX 970 was in order. Timing worked out pretty well, as Nvidia recently released their “Pascal†cards, and I was lucky enough to snag an EVGA GTX 1080 SuperClocked Edition card from Newegg’s first available batch. Didn’t even have to wait in a queue. Since that particular card although overclocked out of the box still retains the reference PCB design, I picked up an EK Waterblock and Backplate to go with it. I have to hand it to EVGA, they made a really good looking card with the 1080. Even though the stock cooler and backplate are coming off, wanted to take a sec to show what the card looks like before it gets “nakedâ€. Removing the cover was very simple, and I was surprised to see a location where LED lights plug into the PCB. On this particular version, the LED is white only, and the EK block covers the pins, so I didn't pay it much mind. EVGA ships some sort of pre-shroud that goes between the cooler and the card. It actually looks really cool, and it would have been great to be able to incorporate it into the water block, but they aren’t compatible, so it had to go. Behold a naked GTX 1080 SC. Important to note, that the stock EVGA backplate will NOT work with the EK Waterblock. I had to purchase the EK backplate separately. This particular EK block is the Nickel & Plexi combo. I like the look of the nickel, and wanted to be able to see the fluid as it goes through the block, so this really was my only option. I wish they made one that was a nickel / acetal / plexi combo that looked all black, but still showed the fluid in the middle. Since they don’t make one, I did a few mods to achieve that look. Here we have the card installed and a quick fluid test to see how it looks… and it looks great! The backplate is very nice as well. I wanted the fluid to glow blue in this card, and was initially planning on using the two pre-drilled 3mm holes for LEDs on the block. Gave them a shot, and found they are too bright of a focal point, and wash out the color of the fluid as seen below. As a solution, I decided to add more RGB LED strips to both the GPU and CPU Waterblocks. Not oly does this allow me to get the color to match what I have going on around the case, but I can also tone down the brightness levels to a point where it just glows but doesn’t blind you. As nice as the photo above looks, all the little circles and cutouts glowing was a bit too distracting for my taste, so I went about using Carbon Fibre Vinyl to wrap the face of the block. It worked really well, and helps focus the attention on just the fluid, and also glows around the exterior of the block similar to how I have the case setup. They go really well together. I drained the test fluid and installed the card on my case. It looks really good sitting where it does, and as can be seen below in both the CPU and GPU blocks, the subtle blue glow really works well. Can’t wait to finish my tubing so I can get some coolant running through this build! For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  17. Ha, thanks! The workspace definitely makes it a bit easier to do projects.
  18. Project Open Core: Hardware - Fittings I have used Bitspower fittings in a few of my past builds. Haven’t had any issues with them, but they are pretty expensive as far as fittings go. This go around, I decided to give Barrow fittings a shot. I have read on various forums they are physically the same as Bitspower, but much less expensive, and they have a matte black finish instead of shiny black likes Bitspower do. I still have a few select bitspower fittings, but the majority will be Barrow for this build. Also decided to change out the o-rings for all the fittings to better match the theme of the build. Went with Monsoon replacement o-rings. They look pretty good when installed, and are nice and thick. For the hardline tubing, decided to go with Monsoon fittings as well. They have the same matte black finish as the barrow fittings, and are really easy to install and tighten with the included tool the kit comes with. For my drain port, I am using a combination of a Bitspower ball shutoff valve, and a Phobya Quick Disconnect Valve. On a rotary fitting, it sits sung under the radiator, but can swivel out for easy access to drain the loop. The setup works really well. Swing it out, attach the female end of the QDC and tubing going to a bucket, then turn the ball valve. Simple and quick system flush. You may have noticed in the first picture above, I had a Bitspower flow indicator with the rest of the fittings. After seeing another option, decided to change it out for one made by AlphaCool . I like the shape, and it matches the overall look of the build better. The only thing I don’t like is that ugly yellow spin wheel. While one side is blue, I doubt I will be able to see that when the Blue Pastel fluid is going through it. Don’t want any yellow showing (yuck), so used the good ole Vinyl dye to change to color to black. Color change completed, I put it back together, and tested it with the fluid. The black looks great, and much better than yellow. I may also install a very dim LED behind the indicator, but will test that out once I have the Pastel Blue fluid in the loops. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  19. Decided after getting some good feedback to modify the blackout and add RBG LED strips instead of the 2 x 3mm LEDs to give a more even light across the acrylic, instead of just 2 bright spots. Even without adding the carbon fiber vinyl, this is looking pretty sweet. I personally think it looks even better this way, and the glow around the edge matches what I am trying to achieve with my case in this build. Now that I have RGB LEDs Installed, I can also tweak things to make sure I have a uniform color throughout the entire build (which I have not done yet).
  20. Custom Liquid "Hydro Copper" (1080 SC + EK Water Block), Initial OC Benchmarks & Temps I was tired of waiting for more official news on the EVGA Hydro Coppers, so went ahead and grabbed an EVGA GTX 1080 SC Gaming, and EK Waterblock / Backplate. Install was easy and the temps are unreal. But before I get to the numbers, I wanted to get some forum feedback on a simple mod to the waterblock I am thinking about. Here is the block installed, and a sample of the fluid I will be using. Looks great, but since I am mounting this vertically in the Core P5, if I insert LEDs they are a bit glaring in the dark. So my idea was to basically "blackout" the acrlyic so that only the fluid parts show. Now the LED only glows around the edges, which is what I prefer. Does anyone think this just looks terrible, or should I keep it this way? (The black electrical tape is just to cover the LEDs, not staying there). On to Overclocking, Benchmarks, and Temps. One thing I noticed off the bat that was kind of unexpected, is that this particular card will Boost to 2000MHz on stock settings. Not complaining, but didn't know it was set by default to go that high. As far as overclocking goes, the highest I could go and still get 100% stability was a max core clock of 2126MHz, and Memory at 5500MHz. I haven't messed with voltage at all, so maybe there will be some more wiggle room if I do that. Here is a benchmark running Haven Valley. I also ran a few rounds of "Shadows of Mordor" and averaged around 126fps on Ultra settings, and then did a few runs on 3DMark to continue to test stability. Note that my CPU is not overclocked much right now, as I am just trying to feel out the stability of the GPU at the moment, not go for max score with the the entire system OC'd to the limits. Fire Strike Extreme: 9958 Fire Strike Ultra: 5404 Here is the great news about this card and block combo... my temps after almost 2 hours of overclocked stress testing never went past 45c! Loving the setup so far, but have to yank the card from my current system soon to go in the new build, so I can start bending hardline tubing! It will stay in my current system for maybe 1 more day, so if you have any questions, post them here. Thanks in advance for any feedback!
  21. Project Open Core: Hardware - Radiator & Fans My previous build I had 2 separate radiators, one for each loop. A 360 for the CPU, MoBo, and RAM, and a 240 for the GPUs in Push/Pull configuration. I have a few less waterblocks this go around, and will not be running SLI, so I opted for a single Alphacool NexXxoS 480 Radiator. Look and feel is very nice, and the reviews I was able to find show that it performs really well. Also picked up an inexpensive “gasket†to go between the rad and fans. One thing I really like about this rad is that it has 6 inlets + 1 fill / bleed port at the top. Tons of configuration options with that layout. They also put a metal gaurd below the screw mounts so you don’t damage the radiator fins by going in too far. That is something my last set of radiators did not have, and is a nice addition. Comes with everything you need to get started, including port plugs and various lengths of fan and mounting screws. For the fans on this build, going with the Thermaltake Riing 120mm Blue LED Fans (x4). These ones are specifically made to work with with radiators (static pressure), and the blue LED accent around the fan is a nice touch. I saw at computex they just released an RGB version, but for now blue is fine. I did have to do some cable clean up to make this look nicer. Basically cut to length, sleeved and combined 2 pairs of cables to meet back up at the fan controller. I didn’t want to have 4 separate cables running through the case so combined them for a cleaner look. Verified with ASUS that the fan headers on the MAXIMUS Formula VIII support 1A per header. Tested these fans and even at peak, none generated more than 160mA. Combining 4 fans on one header is still well below the max supported current, and will allow for easier fan control. Although not really a fan controller, the 4 fans meet back up at a Phobya 4Pin PWM to 4x 4Pin Fan Splitter. They basically act as 1 fan now, and I will use the ASUS AI Suite Software to control rotation and noise based on temperature curves. Picture of all 4 installed and spinning up with a nice blue glow. I kind of wish the blue were a bit more towards the green side of the color scale for a lighter blue, as these look a bit more purple. Will have to play with the RGB setting on rest of the LEDs on the system, and will find something that works for everything. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  22. Project Open Core: Hardware - Reservoir & Pump In previous builds I had used reservoirs that fit inside the 5.25in bays on a PC tower. Being that this case has no optical drive spaces, decided to go with a traditional “tube†res for this build. Went with the XSPC D5 Photon 270 Reservoir & D5 Pump Combo. Really like the look of this Res, especially with its glass and aluminum construction. The pump comes with a mounting bracket, foam anti-vibration pads, and LED that can be inserted into the bottom of the rese to make the internal acrylic tube glow from within. This particular variant of the D5 pump is the Variable speed type. Not sure what I will keep it at, but I am going to as little noise as possible while still getting good performance so probably around level 3. Here is a picture of what the glow tube looks like when an LED has been inserted. I like the look of it, but not sure if I will end up going with the White LED as shown below. My use a Blue LED, but need to test out which one looks better with the fluid that will be added to the system. The fill port at the top of the Res is larger than a standard fitting to make filling easier. I also have an adapter to a standard G1/4 fitting size in case i want to use my fill funnel at some point. The only part of the Res / Pump combo that I didn’t find aesthetically pleasing, was the plastic ring that holds the pump to the res. It just doesn’t go with the high quality look the rest of the unit provides, but luckily XSPC provides and aluminum replacement ring to upgrade the look. Much better in my opinion. The Core P5 didn’t have any mounting holes for this particular Res, so I had to drill a few holes, and secure them with the provided mounting hardware. Very easy to do, and once installed it looks great. Can’t wait to start filling this thing with some Mayehm’s Pastel Blue liquid! For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  23. Project Open Core: Hardware - System Status Display, USB 3.1 Card I have wanted to add some sort of system status display to a build for a while now, and decided it was time to do it. I was initially going to place a small 4in display on the front of the case where you can mount an SSD, but decided to go bigger. Found a 7in HDMI display on fairly cheap on Amazon. Not very high resolution, and the screen quality is not great, but works well for the intended purpose, which is to run the CAM dashboard on it, looking something like this. Wasn’t a fan of the glossy finish, so wrapped it in Carbon Fibre vinyl. It also has a camera shoe mount which made attaching it to the case easy. I like this option as it allows the screen to swivel a bit, so I can point it towards me. The buttons are pressure sensitive, and aren't’ affected by the vinyl. I doubt I will actually use the buttons much, as it simply powers on with the system, and also comes with a remote for settings navigation. Here is a view from the sides to see the connectors. Requires a 12V power source and either HDMI or VGA (via a VGA to Mini USB adapter) to run the display. Here is a picture from earlier in the build log, showing it mounted to the case just below the GPU support. I will get additional pictures of the software running on it once I get the system fully built. I also decided to add a PCIe USB 3.1 expansion card to the build. The ASUS ROG Maximus Formula VIII has a ton of USB 3.0 ports, and even 2x 3.1, one of which is the new Type C connector. Problem is, I have a lot of peripherals, and with the addition of the Oculus Rift, needed more ports. I have tried various USB 3.0 hubs, but have had issues when using them with the Rift, so going the direct route. The card is a PCIe x4, so I had to purchase a riser cable to mount it. It was already shielded, so I just wrapped it in the same Carbon Fibre vinyl to eliminate the reflection. In order to utilize the full current potential for USB 3.1, you have to attach a SATA power adapter as well. Install was pretty simple. It sits directly behind the GPU, and will be pretty much hidden from view. It is also very stable which was nice to see, as that was one of the concerns I had with the vertical GPU mounting method this case uses. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  24. Project Open Core: Hardware - RAM My previous system had 12GB of DDR3 RAM. Initially I thought that would be plenty, but as I started working more from home, and having 3 separate browsers open plus any applications I was using, started to see my RAM usage hover around 90%. Making the jump to 16GB was a no brainer for this system, and I thought I would be fine with that. Decided to go with a kit of Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 @ 3200MHz. Was also planning on adding the light bars for the blue LED effect. Then came Memorial day and it's accompanying sales. Not only did I have a promo code, but they also Corsair also had a promotion to get the light bars for free with the purchase of a Dominator RAM kit. At the end of the day I was able to upgrade to 32GB of RAM plus the light bars for an additional $30. Couldn’t pass on that deal. The light bars are a nice touch to the Dominator kit, but I did a few modifications to make it better match my build theme. First I colored the sides and bottom of the acrylic “light transmission†pieces so they would glow blue instead of white. I left the tops alone, as the blue plastic inserts would do a good enough job by themselves. I then whipped out the Plasti Dip and changed the color of the bars themselves from Silver to Black. Last coat was Matte Black spray paint to get rid of any gloss. The end result looks great. Here is the kit installed, and with the LEDs shining. I quickly turned on the MoBo just to get everything to light up. Will take better pictures once I get further into the build and get all my colors working together, but so far I am really liking how this mini-mod turned out. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
  25. Project Open Core: Hardware - CPU & Waterblock For this build’s CPU, went with what seems to be the obvious choice nowadays, Intel i7-6700K. I'm not into super heavy Overclocking anymore, but will still go for a slight OC and probably settle at around 4.5GHz. Looking forward to see how the performance of this CPU stacks up against my current i7-970. I had considered going with the X99 platform as an upgrade from my X58. But being that I'm not trying to achieve any crazy OC benchmark records, and the there weren't as many options that looked as good with the matte black and RGB LEDs, decided on the Z170 platform. For the CPU block, went with with an EK-Supremacy EVO Nickel. It's a really nice looking block, and performance is up there with the rest of the best brands (Swiftech, Heatkiller, etc). One of the reasons I went with the acrylic top is I wanted to be able to see the fluid as it goes through the block. This one also has holes to insert LEDs. Not sure if I want blue or white behind the fluid, will have to experiment a bit with that one to see for sure. The same will then be applied to the reservoir, and GPU block. One thing I didn’t like about the EK kit, was the chrome / shiny finish on the retention knobs. A little spray paint made for an easy fix to match the rest of the build. Block is now installed, and I have started experimenting a bit with some hardline bends. Have a good ways to go with that, and will be sure to share my progress in a future post. For High Resolution versions of all photos from this build log, pleas check out the Album on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/gp/24705522@N05/yB94Z9 . .
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