Jump to content
  • Forum Statistics

    9.8k
    Total Topics
    55.4k
    Total Posts
  • Member Statistics

    136,868
    Total Members
    16,800
    Most Online
    linda
    Newest Member
    linda
    Joined

Designs By IFR

Members
  • Posts

    110
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    12

Posts posted by Designs By IFR

  1. Hi everyone, I have not posted in a long time and over the last few weeks i have upgraded my desk PC. 

     

    The upgrades include new hardware, new liquid cooling gear and new custom platforms to house all of the components.

     

    SPECS:


     

    I7 5960x

    Asus Rampage VI Extreme Motherboard X99

    Asus RaidR Express SSD PCIe

    Asus Xonar Essence one External DAC Soundcard

    740gb Samsung EVO PRO SSD storage

    17tb Western Digital HDD storage

    32gb Kingston HyperX Predator 3000mhz RAM

     

    This upgraded system would not have been possible without the help of our sponsors:

     

    3cw85h6.png

     

    s5zC6nC.jpg

     

    who helped to supply me with the gorgeous hardware below.

     

    E65E2vt.jpg

     

    amr77m1.jpg

     

    h8L8HDk.jpg

  2. So below is the first progress in this build, today I wanted to get the sections cut out for the acrylic windows, 

    get the back piece of MDF wood cut out which will act as a support for the whole build as well as provide a solid panel 

    for me to screw my motherboard tray and mount my power supply to.

     

    UhcMiDO.jpg

     

    These 2 panels were cut out using a dremel. First I taped up all of the edges which help to create a nice clean cut and it 

    also reduces the risk of me slipping and accidentally scratching an area. Second I marked out with a pencil the area 

    that needed to be cut so I had a guide line to follow. When using the dremel I let it do the cutting instead of forcing it which 

    normally leads to slips. After the windows were cut I filed the edges down to remove any bumps and loose metal. 

    Last I grabbed the dremel and a polish wheel and ran that along the edges to make sure it had a nice smooth clean finish.

     

    CuhPiME.jpg

     

    In the back panel I wanted to add a MDF panel to strengthen the build and provide an area for me to mount the motherboard tray to. 

    I cut out the panel using a jigsaw and filed it down to size. The panels have screws in them so I had to cut some grooves in the 

    MDF so that the screws were not interfering with the installation of the Panel.

     

    Mou0moY.jpg

     

    Now that I had these cut outs complete I put the build back together to test fit some components to insure my ideas were going to work.

     

    ciFX4RN.jpg

     

    YjDV2f2.jpg

     

    For testing purposes I am just using my test power supply to see if I can mount the PSU in the correct space without ruining any other plans.

     

    gFnXqJE.jpg

     

    All three windows are cut out and are ready for some plexi glass.

     

    jzbJITX.jpg

     

    Thank you for following the build everyone, please check out the video below for Progress 1 of the build in video and 

    some of the cutting processes and building process I went through.

     


  3. Firstly I wanted to show everyone what I started with and where I plan to head as the build progresses. 

    I did a very quick sketch up of the build as I vision it but kept it plain and simple not to give too much away before I actually progress with the build.

     

    Below is my first render and as you can see i have kept it very bare but i just wanted to show a general shape as to where this project is heading.

     

    YX56eiy.jpg

     

    So as you can see, I am aiming to create two separate sections, one essentially houses the components 

    and hides wiring while the other will be the main displayable area housing the motherboard and main parts of the PC.

     

    5Zv7sNc.jpg

     

    I forgot to take some images of the build before I put it together and started working on it however, 

    I found these two photos of it untouched so please excuse everything else on the photos.

     

    Dr7AWoP.jpg

     

    Below I have just sectioned the build off to see if components would fit or not and just placed a bit of paper down to create a temporary floor for the motherboard tray. 

     

    siAJHqO.jpg

  4. nmdeVtl.png

     
    Hi everyone and welcome to another build log of mine, this time we are building another PC from scratch out of an old fire pit. 
    There will be lots of modding and custom work done to complete this build and in the end we will be displaying this build at the MSI booth at PAX Australia.
     
    Before we get started I need to thank our sponsors for this build because without them these builds would not be possible.
     
    wSreIyu.png
     
    NRNjoPY.jpgp0AVdJS.jpg
     
    wxIUerl.jpg3lhVv1j.jpg
     
    pnDzWmv.png

     

     

  5. So i have finally finished the desk and the leak testing is over. I plan to over clock the CPU and GPU but i will do that at a later date and share the results with you guys. The x99 series motherboards, DDR4 RAM and new GPU's are coming out so i am most likely going to upgrade the desk when these items are out on the market. Here are some final photos, please enjoy and remember you can watch my full build log series at:

     


     

    and you can view more photos of the desk build, my upcoming cabinet build and some awesome modifications at my facebook page:

     


     

    please enjoy.

     

    KN8cldN.jpg

     

    14YejC7.jpg

     

    15i4C5f.jpg

     

    oE3YA8W.jpg

     

    sRXWSy0.jpg

     

    jGsxsWG.jpg

     

    HJsFMNH.jpg

     

    5yLwGL9.jpg

     

    ZLiNpWB.jpg

     

    2zsQQqR.jpg

     

    qMHoJdN.jpg

     

    qX2CZHu.jpg

     

    zJZ4vdA.jpg

     

    lgPeHzG.jpg

     

    etT0hTn.jpg

     

    t2UTbPy.jpg

     

    YgWFpNX.jpg

     

    L1pyFhh.jpg

     

    wYFE4LH.jpg

     

    tQreZoL.jpg

     

    u1VbAZO.jpg

     

    C3mNG23.jpg

     

    u8PY4to.jpg

     

    jSy2pNd.jpg

     

    sviN37R.jpg

     

    UEImXnx.jpg

     

    yyjOyFu.jpg

     

    Th1fGd0.jpg

     

    G4xzayl.jpg

     

    That is my water cooled PC desk modification with built in car audio system, Please note the audio system works well but there are obviously better audio systems out there, the car audio was used purely so do something different, to save room and because the green and black suits the theme.

     

     

    Once again please show your support by checking out my youtube and facebook page for more photos/build log videos and game footage.

     

    I am about to start my liquid cooled PC cabinet mod which will be a red and black theme so check out my pages to follow that build which is being sponsored, Cheers.

  6. After the major accident involving the leakage on the motherboard i finally got to refill the desk. The liquid coolant i am using is distilled water with some mayhems UV green dye. Please enjoy.

     

    Please visit my facebook page to see more photos at a higher quality and chuck me a like, it would really help me out. 

     


     

    This is the distilled water i picked up from Big W. I had a fair amount of trouble trying to find distilled water because most places were either sold out or only had deionized/demineralised water.

     

    NAg9yyz.jpg

     

    When filling the loop i always had some cloth/towels near by incase of a possible spill/leak.

     

    EMKSAxJ.jpg

     

    I used a funnel with a drink bottle to fill the loop. It made the process much faster and easier which saved a lot of time.

     

    AQGVYXU.jpg

     

    5yjeHIr.jpg

     

    I started adding the Mayhems UV green dye to the distilled water one drop at a time until i achieved the look i was after.

     

    9anrJjW.jpg

     

    Nk9uEaV.jpg

     

    RfsFGnO.jpg

     

    The loop was filled so i had to start leak testing for 24 hours. Always make sure to put some cloth/towels/paper towel to prevent possible fluid leaks from getting onto components.

     

    EQxVD7v.jpg

     

    pLCwiy0.jpg

     

    kjZ5W0z.jpg

     

    ASQjV4m.jpg

     

    I always checked how the leak test was going every so often..

     

    RO3XzvC.jpg

     

    Here are a few images after the leak test

     

    nkPMPuz.jpg

     

    LiAlz02.jpg

     

    B7hHn8u.jpg

     

    MEsaYis.jpg

     

    LBPQyQA.jpg

     

    A5zQ3UG.jpg

     

    njuXS9z.jpg

     

    Please visit my facebook page to see more photos at a higher quality and chuck me a like, it would really help me out. 

     


     

    Also visit my YouTube channel where i will be posting three new Desk mod videos and help me out by subscribing. Thank you =)

     


     

    More progress/final photos shortly, Thanks

  7. So, progress has been made with the desk. 

     

    A few days have past, i have my 24 hour leak test complete and so far no dramas. Next phase of the build is to put the three 27 inch monitors up on the monitor stand i purchased from USA. 

     

    I open the monitor stand box only to find that the wrong stand had been sent out to me. Instead of a free standing stand that i ordered, i received a stand with a clamp screw to hold the monitor mount onto the desk, which is a bit of a problem...

     

    q7pfU4t.jpg

     

    The clamp cannot open wide enough to fit the thickness of my desk due to the desk being a hollow box roughly 200mm thick. Thoughts....

     

    I came up with a solution that only Albert Einstein himself would think of, okay that's a lie it didn't take much to come up with the idea. 

    I had to create a wooden stand that the monitor mounting stand could clamp onto and the stand had to screw into the back section of the desk, pretty simple...

     

    Went to Bunnings warehouse and scored myself three 1m lengths of wood for free (who would have thought..). 

    I cut each length down to 800x150mm and cut a small piece to screw on top of the three side pieces. This top piece acted as the base for which the monitor mount would clamp on to.

     

    9OiT3QS.jpg

     

    GIKw629.jpg

     

    By creating the stand it also relieves the desk of all weight and prevents any possible bowing of the wood. The stand turned out well as you can see. 

    I covered it in some left over carbon fibre wrap and now i can attach all three of my monitors and run either a nvidia surround setup or run with the 3 seperate screens with the two gtx 780 ti GPU's in SLI mode. 

    Also by having only the 3 sides and an open back it acts as a place to hide cables which makes everything look neater and well managed.

     

    gIAVwpM.jpg

     

    My desk is up and running now so updates will be posted very shortly within the next few days.

     

    Again, please help me out by liking my Facebook page, subscribe to my YouTube where i will be posting regular videos of game footage and desk mods. It would really help me out, i appreciate the support Cheers.

     



  8. So.. I managed to fill the loop yesterday and ran into some problems. I filled the loop and had it running for around 2 hours when i noticed liquid all over the motherboard. 

    Straight away i turned the pumps off and had to take everything apart to clean the motherboard and dry it off. I drained the loop to do just that.

     

    When everything was taken out of the desk i took apart the Asus maximus VI formula motherboard to dry it out and observe where the source of the leak had occurred. This is what i found..

     

    9LcfYRu.jpg

     

    As you can see in the image above, the motherboard water block looks as if the coolant has leaked through the seal, 

    so i decided instead of returning the product for a new one, i might try tighten the seal and dry out the motherboard.

     

    nfx2Zbw.jpg

     

    The picture above is of the motherboard with the back plate and thermal armor removed as well as all of the thermal blocks and the CPU. 

    It was essential that all of the liquid was dried and removed so it was necessary to remove all of these components to prevent a short circuit when i powered the PC on. 

    I wired up a fan to a small 12v power adapter and placed it over the CPU and RAM slots to dry out any liquid that found its way into the gaps. I also borrowed my sisters hair drier to speed up the drying process.

     

    q4wvWFZ.jpg

     

    Above is testing the components to see if they all still work after letting everything dry for 8 hours or so. I had removed the CPU water block to let the CPU slot dry so when it came to testing whether the components worked or not i had to reinstall some thermal grease on my delidded CPU and on the thermal copper plate and use the stock air cooler. 

     

    The PC powered up fine and everything worked. While i had the computer on i decided to check the CPU temperatures because i had delidded the CPU and put my own thermal grease on. 

    Previous core temperatures ranged from 34-37 degrees Celsius, the new temperatures ranged from 18-21 degrees Celsius with the stock cooler, so i was very happy with them results.

     

    3cOkSZ5.jpg

     

    The picture above is of the refill and previous leak area, so far so good. Another possible cause of the leakage around that area is where the fittings screw into the motherboard water block. 

    I have since installed some extender fittings into the motherboard and then screwed the compression fittings into those. 

    The reason for this is the compression fittings are a lot wider and i believe that the design of the motherboard water block was preventing them from #### down all the way, therefore creating a leakage area. 

    I have highlighted the problem areas below. These areas are sticking up preventing the compression fitting from #### in all the way.

     

    wcsskgo.jpg

     

    As of this moment i have put everything back into the desk and i am leak testing overnight, so far the problem areas have been fixed. I will be uploading more progress very shortly.

  9. So, i have received my last parcel in the mail and i have put the PC inside the desk and wired everything up. I am so happy with how it looks. I still have to wait till tomorrow for the glass top of the desk and i will also be putting the UV green Mayhem's dye in, so hopefully i can post some more progress shots within the next few days. After all of that is done i can get the monitors going and turn the computer on after 24 hours of leak testing. Once 100% complete i will post a load of images on here for all to see, cheers

     

    Progress shots:

     

    These two shots are of how messy the cables were before i put the elevated platform in the desk.

     

    4xi963W.jpg

     

    Q1IBI62.jpg

     

    These pictures are of the desk as it stands today. Iv also taken some pictures under the different lighting options and i am very happy with the look of the desk. Dont mind the mess under the desk, that will be cleaned tomorrow before the glass guys get here.

     

    SIhs6oK.jpg

     

    5AVt0tf.jpg

     

    YKTCtSZ.jpg

     

    oFC1WqR.jpg

     

    oCzbkpP.jpg

     

    NHHfqf2.jpg

     

    2h9wnKG.jpg

     

    zpi3EJQ.jpg

     

    3YE6pTB.jpg

  10. WATERCOOLED PC DESK MOD WITH CAR SOUND SYSTEM

     

    Hey guys, Below are links to all of my Pages. Most YouTube footage will not be up until the desk mod is complete so please stay tuned. Visit my Facebook page for more pictures at higher quality.




     

    I would first like to start off by saying this build cost me a total of $22000 AUD and took around 6 months to build. I have chosen to include an inbuilt car audio system to do something different and save some space. This is my very first build and two weeks prior to building this i had no idea how to put a computer together or even what parts to buy, it took me a solid week of studying up on computers so that i was confident enough to attempt this build, so please enjoy.

     

    Please forgive me for image quality.

     

    I was researching the internet one night for a new computer because my laptop just wasn't up to scratch anymore and it couldn't even run battlefield. I knew nothing about computers however i was interested in trying to put together a build.

    Luckily my mate knew about computers and he helped me put together a neat build.

     

    Components include: Windows 8.1, 4770k i7 processor, Asrock extreme 4 motherboard, 850watt cool master PSU, 16gb Rip jaws RAM, Nvidia GTX 780 GPU, 2tb Western Digital HDD and a 120gb Samsung SSD.

     

    cCwCTea.jpg

     

    Putting this build together got me more interested in computers so i decided to look up other builds on the net and came across some awesome computer mods, one that caught my eye was a computer within a desk, I WANTED TO MAKE MY OWN.

     

    Starting in January 2014, i did two full days of research on computers, components, how to videos and reviews because i knew absolutly nothing about them.

     

    Two days passed and i decided to drawn up some plans for the desk.

     

    FGac45J.jpg

     

    With the desk drawn up i made a list of components that i would need to purchase, the main computer specs included:

     

    Windows 8.1, i7 4770k processor, Asus maximus VI formula motherboard, two 1000watt corsair gold RM series PSU's, 32gb of corsair dominator platinum RAM, two nvidia GTX 780Ti GPU's in SLI, 4Tb western digital HDD + three 1Tb western digital HDD,

    two 250gb samsung SSD's + two 120gb samsung SSD's, Asus xonar essence stx soundcard and Asus xonar phoebus soundcard. I will also be watercooling everything, running tripple 27inch monitors and setting up a full car sound system within the desk.

    Since this build was going to be a long and expensive project i went all out on components to make a beast.

     

    Just a few photos of some parts used in the build:

     

    affh3Ht.jpg

     

    rCw49Xt.jpg

     

    SOKoCd8.jpg

     

    TYIihAZ.jpg

     

    P1ZmNHF.jpg

     

    Oogd0JL.jpg

     

    xMhMdb8.jpg

     

    Moving on to the desk, the wood used to make the desk is 18mm thick and the legs were made thicker for extra support. Iv also included a back board for extra support and stability. The top of the desk is routed out to fit a sheet of 6mm thick hardened glass.

     

    A few pictures of the desk being built:

     

    i7rXdwG.jpg

     

    nWKWvcm.jpg

     

    03Z0k6l.jpg

     

    KEh55Ll.jpg

     

    v40L1pP.jpg

     

    I also made some fake elevated bottom platforms to hide wires and make wire management as clean as i can. I wrapped the platforms in a carbon fibre vinyl which turned out amazing.

     

    Elevated Platforms:

     

    ZCDdBPN.jpg

     

    CWrqXiQ.jpg

     

    yEcpEne.jpg

     

    RvjnULV.jpg

     

    jnldxhI.jpg

     

    Once i had all of my cutouts done to size i decided to test fit some components and also see how much space would be available for cable routing, lighting and running tubing to watercool all of the components.

     

    Test Fitting:

     

    TnlXCR7.jpg

     

    rwS2njq.jpg

     

    ht0Tc4P.jpg

     

    CNUXzU8.jpg

     

    27DukWI.jpg

     

    10YVs8R.jpg

     

    Components fit well and i am happy with how the desk is shaping up.

     

    I decided it would be a good idea to test out the computer with its stock coolers before i install the waterblocks to make sure everything worked correctly. I also ran some performance comparisons with my 780Ti superclocked GPU's.

    The results i obtained are with no overclock, everything will be overclocked when the build is complete.

     

    One 780Ti GPU on ultra settings.

    X07yFDN.jpg

     

    Two 780Ti GPU's in SLI configuration.

    F7ovw2Q.jpg

     

    The desk is now ready to be painted. I decided to go with a nice gloss black on the outside and the raised platform in the desk. The inside walls of the desk are being wrapped in carbon fibre vinyl.

     

    Desk Painted:

     

    KendeBB.jpg

     

    wxkaFnS.jpg

     

    vxxyf4K.jpg

     

    OP4ZOnY.jpg

     

    gaCzdqJ.jpg

     

    Now that i have built the desk and painted it, i started installing some components such as fans, speakers, amplifier and i also installed my water blocks onto the computer components.

     

    bI4atf4.jpg

     

    KxCByke.jpg

     

    Moiv4N6.jpg

     

    IXorved.jpg

     

    UkZfVRi.jpg

     

    DrLFS9l.jpg

     

    i1MOomz.jpg

     

    Since installing a lot of my components i have made some real progress with the desk. I have installed 2/3 of my tubing and now im just waiting for some extension cables to come in the mail before the desk can be finished.

     

    Progress pictures:

     

    6loIQv3.jpg

     

    NqF7WN4.jpg

     

    7ibsnVc.jpg

     

    Now that the desk is around 2/3 built i decided to add some LED light strips to illuminate all of the components. I wired all of the LED strips up to switches and i put some perspex under my amplifier,

    HDD's and SSD's to create a green illuminated boarder around them. There are LED strips under the perspex to illuminate it even further.

     

    g3YoMEh.jpg

     

    6EvkMJk.jpg

     

    d2jRXf1.jpg

     

    This is an image for anyone who would like to know how to wire your LED lights to a switch/dimmer.

     

    qp0xLYB.jpg

     

    hZQhecc.jpg

     

    After wiring up all of my LED lights to switches and dimmers i wanted to test the lights to make sure everything is working as planned.

     

    kbAUBko.jpg

     

    sh3Z0l7.jpg

     

    b2cdqgf.jpg

     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     


     

    This is my build as of the 12/06/2014. I am currently waiting for some extension cables in the mail so i am able to put the motherboard side in the desk and work on some nice cable management.

    Hopefully i should receive the goods next week. Please stay tuned and ill upload more progress photos as i continue with the build.

×
×
  • Create New...