[USA] Calen Saddler

[Tt Andy]

[Envious Mods]

 

Hello Everyone!

I'm Calen and better known by my company Envious Mods! I am very honored to be a part of the CaseMOD Invitational and can't wait to show you what all I have in store for you!

I will be updating the build log several times per week but, I'll also be updating my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@EnviousMods) in order to give you even more access to what goes on behind the scenes.

No matter what happens I promise to bring you all some new mods, new techniques and something you've never seen done. If you need help or advice I'm always available to help fellow modders and enthousiasts.


Let The Modding Begin!

I want to introduce the "Replicant" Case Mod. It will be inspired by Blade Runner 2049. I will interweave this inspiration throughout the View 91 TG case mod. My goal is to bring you into the world shown within Blade Runner. I will also be employing linear actuators to give the build movement. The Thermaltake Voice activated digital leds (SyncAllSay "Hello, ) will play a big role in setting the scene for this epic mod. Almost every piece in this build will be modded in one way or another. I'm pulling out the stops and playing for keeps.

 

    Some of My Previous Mods:

 

Hardware is starting to arrive.....

I would like to give a massive thanks to the sponsors that made this competition possible:

Thermaltake - Asus - AMD - Plextor - Gskill - ROG - TT Esports - Ryzen - Luxa

 

Hardware Specs:

• Motherboard: Asus X470 Crosshair VII

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 
• Graphics Card: Asus Strix GTX 1070
• Ram: Gskill RGB TridentZ DDR4 (16gb)
• Storage: Plextor 512gb NVM PCIE SSD
• Power Supply: Thermaltake iRGB 850w
• Cables: Lian Li Strimer & Thermaltake black and white sleeved extensions
• Fans: Thermaltake 120mm Trio RGB, Ring Plus & Pure Plus.

• Watercooling: Thermaltake dual D5 pumps, 4 reservoirs, 480mm copper radiator, 4 X 120mm radiators, Pacific W4 Plus CPU block, 10 series GPU waterblock, 3 digital led controllers, Sync controller, 2 X inline digital temp sensors and white 16mm C-Pro fittings

 

[Envious Mods]

 

"Replicant" Design Concept Art

This concept art serves as a guideline for the Replicant case mod that will be done in a Thermaltake View 91 TG. I purposely left out an awesome feature that will go on the top of the build. I will also be adding lots of other mods and pieces as this build evolves.

I'm happy to have you all along for the Journey Into Modding.....

 

Mods Planned (Continually Updated)

• Custom dual reservoir combined to make 1 reservoir with 2 chambers

• Linear actuators to move front doors and top of the case

• Flip up side panel using custom hinges to make a mix of Ferrari and Gullwing doors 

• Extensive Cable Management that will be fabricated into the rear side of the case

• Acrylic & aluminum rear motherboard tray mount

• Water Distribution Plates (made in a new way with extensive features)

• DiffuseDo light panels found throughout the mod

• Scratch built feet, dual watercooling loop; (all hardware will be modded)

• Floating fan built from a modded Thermaltake Pure Plus fans.

• Modded W4 Plus CPU block & modded pumps

 

More Updates to the Design!

[Envious Mods]

--Getting Started--

Reservoir Connection:
The 1st idea I wanted to start playing around with was combining 2 of Thermaltakes smaller reservoirs to make one. To start out I decided to try just connecting them with straight tubing to see how they look. I really like it. However I want to also try bending the tubing in different ways but I need to wait till the case arrives to mock it up.

 

Thermaltake Ring Plus Rear Grill Cover:
I've never been a big fan of how the back side of fans look. Being able to see the wires ATC as always bother me. Decided to take it upon myself to come up with a design that would give it a sleek and clean appearance. Once I had the design all figured out I imported it into my laser cutters software. This allowed me to quickly make different iterations of it to find out which version looked best.

 

Laser Cutting Goodness:

[Envious Mods]

Lots More Updates Coming Soon!

I've been working hard to find materials I want to use as well as fine tuning the design for the Replicant case mod. I'm amazed at the massive response of people who voted for my mod in the Pre-Event Predictions! 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me and this project! We should be getting the case and hardware soon so that we can get started.

[Envious Mods]

Thermaltake Gear & Watercooling Arrival:

Some of the awesome gear ordered from Thermaltake has arrived. I still have some more on the way as well as all the hardware that will be used in the Replicant case mod. I wanted to make sure I took some photos to show you everything that'll be used as it gets the the Envious Mods shop!

 

[Envious Mods]

 

Work Starts!

I got some free time to open up the large Thermaltake View 91 TG case and this thing is a beast. I knew it would be but I didn't know it would be so well built. I was also amazed at the ability to mount 2 large radiators behind the motherboard tray. It also has lots of cable management grommets and tie downs which is important for a case of its size.

My 1st task is to remove the large drive bays since I won't be using full sized drives. You have to unbolt the bottom to remove the rack. I did like the slides that the racks sit in which allow you to move them left or right. It took a decent amount of screws to remove but, wasn't difficult to do. Once it was all removed I could start mocking up the basement/shroud.

The psu shroud will be pretty complex because I want to be able to fit it in tightly as well as have the ability to access all the wiring. Access helps a lot for future upgrades or if you have any issues. This will be one of the most complex shrouds I have built.
 

[Envious Mods]

Rear Struts (Behind Motherboard Tray):

These vertical pieces really look neat. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time now and it fits perfectly with the design cues found throughout the build. A ridiculous amount of measurements and fine tuning was needed to get each panel just right. As of right now I'm using 14mm PETG tubing between the vertical pieces. I may swap to some thinner stainless steel I have laying around. If not I'll give these a metal treatment.

 

Rear Cable Management:

Since the Thermaltake View 91 TG case has tempered panels on both sides I wanted to make the back side of the case a feature versus hiding everything. It takes way more work to do it this way but it'll make the build look stunning from every angle. To keep the main wiring cluster organized I decided to build an acrylic tunnel that'll house most of it. The wiring coming out of the tunnel will carry along pre-determined paths to the PSU, TT RGB controllers and other rear mounted devices.

 

[Envious Mods]

 

Rocket Pods:

The top mounted rocket pods are my way of continuing to push the boundaries. These pods will be primarily made out of acrylic. Making them this way took several revisions of the design to get them just right. Once I had the pieces cut out there was a ton of work chemically welding the tiny acrylic pieces to make up each pod.

 

I still have to build 2 more of the smaller rocket pods and the rotating mount. During this 1st phase I will do all the structural work. For the 2nd phase I will add all the detailed pieces that will really bring it all together.

 

 

 

Fine Tuning & Mounting Acrylic Panels:

 

Since I've finished building most of the acrylic interior panels I need to mount them and fine tune them. I had to file parts of them so that they'd fit the contours of the cases interior. Most of this work can't be seen. It's time consuming but a requirement when you want perfect fitment. 

 

[Envious Mods]

 

Thermaltake PSU Arrival:

Thermaltake sent out their new ToughPower iRGB Plus 850w Platinum rated and fully modular PSU for the Replicant case mod. These new digital PSUs are awesome. They have all kinds of sweet features including addressable LEDS, real-time performance control and monitoring. These features can be controlled via PC or mobile device.

 

 

[Envious Mods]

 

PSU Shroud:

I had to put some thought into the PSU shroud because I want to be able to get to things for maintenance and repair. I ended up making multiple pieces to make up the psu shroud. Just the psu shroud will be made up of well over 25 pieces which is more than I've ever used.

 

[Envious Mods]

 

Rocket Pod Mounts & Update:

I've designed and cut the main pieces needed to mount the 5 rocket pod parts. I've also done the rough sanding to remove any glue and prep them for paint. There's a ton of small details that will be added to each pod. It's taking a lot testing and thinking outside the box to make out of acrylic. I'm planning on using some bondo as well so that they're perfect.

New Techniques (Proof of Concept)

I've had this idea for over 4 yrs now and I've never seen it done. This is just a rough proof of concept. Now that I know it'll work I can make all the other pieces which will make it brighter and more crisp. I will use this technique in a couple places which will really give it the Blade Runner 2049 look and feel. For the proof of concept I made a GPU shroud which covers the GPU extension.

There's detailed pieces that'll be added to it later to give it the depth needed. I'm amazed at how well it came out. Especially considering I didn't do the whole process. I just wanted to make sure it worked before spending the added time on it. It'll look insain with proper lighting etc.

[Envious Mods]

Dual Pump Mounts:

I wanted to make a mount that holds both pumps for each loop. It gives it a sweet look but also is a lot more convenient for maintenance or getting to wiring down the road. This will also be mounted on vibration dampeners even though they're not needed.

 

 

 

 

 

Pump Mods:

Custom paint will work well on these Thermaltake pumps. In most builds the back side of the pump isn't shown. I really like the round shape and it fits the round pieces in the build so I decided to display the back side of each pump. Custom paint will bring then to life as well as some custom acrylic wotk.

[Envious Mods]

 

 

Front Acrylic Work & Hinges:

I didn't want bolts to be seen on the back side of these front panels. I came across several acrylic hinges that can be chemically welded. They were pretty expensive since I needed them quickly but visually it'll make a big difference and is well worth the expense.

Thermaltake Radiator Addressable LED Mod:
I was so stoked to see that Thermaltake is selling these by themselves. Typically these are made to mount on the side of their radiators but I wanted to do some mods as well as use them in other spots in the Replicant mod. I started by paying around with different techniques using acrylic and it really looks neat.

 

[Envious Mods]

Rear Thermaltake Controller Mount:

Since I'm doing some extensive cable management I had to come up with a way to cleanly mount the Thermaltake controllers and the Sync controller. I ended up making mounts that held them from behind and allow me to run all the cables right behind it. Works pretty good too. I also custom cut acrylic TT logos to replace the embossed ones on the controller. I think this is a much better look. I used thin acrylic to give it a slightly 3d look.

Top Vents and Grill:

The new top pieces I designed and cut serve as a stylish vent for the 480mm radiator as well as give it a more Blade Runner look. I still have a couple more panels to cut but I need some more acrylic since these are long pieces. I also have to finish the cap the goes on the back of the top panels. I included the logo from company that makes the Replicants. This logo can be found throughout the Replicant CaseMOD Invitational build.

[Envious Mods]

Thermaltake's New Copper CL480MM Radiator Arrives:

As you may know Thermaltake recently released a copper radiator which is the creme of the crop. I've been waiting for this for a while now so I had to include it in the Replicant CaseMOD Invitational build.

[Envious Mods]

 

5.5" PSU Shroud Monitor:
Not only does this fit well with the Blade Runner 2049 theme but it's also very useful since I can use it for system monitoring and I won't need to hook up to a full size monitor at shows to configure or troubleshoot potential issues that may arrise. Being able to reconfigure the extensive custom lighting is a massive plus if I want to change the overall look of the build. I decided to make it look like a screen from the world of Blade Runner 2049 with buttons to control different settings like launching the drone.

 

Motherboard Tray Beauty Panels:
I could have left the black metal panels as is in the case but I really wanted to give it a more immersive look. I made them adjustable so that they'll fit flush with the top of the PSU shroud.

 

Passthrough Surround:
I didn't need to build a surround panel for the passthroughs but it'll look killer once the motherboard and cables get put in. I'm a big believer that small details like this are the ones that can take an awesome build and make it epic.
 

[Envious Mods]

 

Thermaltake Ring Plus Fan Grill:
I wanted to try and come up with a new looking fan grill which I really hard to do. I ended up designing one with the origami horse from Blade Runner. Using a couple layers I came up with a really neat design that'll look amazing once it's edge lit. The combination of semi opaque white and clear acrylic will light up well.

Sanding Tons of Acrylic:
Most of my case mods are made up of lots of individual pieces but the Replicant build is more then I've ever had. I couldn't even count how many individual pieces. In order to paint the parts I decided to put a long table in the shop so that I could organize them by the color they'll be painted. This also allows me to show you the 1st batch. There is still a 2nd batch to go but I wanted to show the 1st portion.

[Envious Mods]

 

LED Placement & Concept:
RGB LEDs don't have to be in rainbow or obnoxious mode. Some people are apprehensive but, I want to show how they can be used to set a scene in a case or mod. So far I've placed Thermaltake Plus LED strips along both sides of the top where they can illuminate the interior without being seen.

Envious Mods Badge:
Instead of doing my typical styled badge I decided to give it a bit more detail using 2 layers of acrylic. It really makes it pop and I'm glad I took the extra time to design and cut it.

 

[Envious Mods]

 

New Thermaltake Trio Fans Arrive:
I was fortunate to get a set of the new Thermaltake Trio addressable fans which will fit in perfectly with the Replicant look. I'm using a lot of different Thermaltake addressable leds so that I can use them to help set the scene or feel that I'm going for. I will post videos showing the Voice Controlled Thermaltake app and what can be done when all this RGB is tastefully used in order to set a scene in a mod.

Quad Thermaltake R11 Reservoirs Arrive:
The 4 small Thermaltake reservoirs arrived and now I can get a better idea of of placement. I'm came up with a neat idea by combining 2 reservoirs to make one epic and original looking reservoir. Since I have a dual loop it'll have a matching setup next to it.
 

[Envious Mods]

 

Lian Li Strimer RGB Cables:
I decided to use the Lian Li Strimer RGB cables for the 24-pin. The Blade Runner 2049 theme fits these cables perfectly. I can't wait to try them all out for sure.

Reassembling Painted Panels:
Due to always liking to be exact I have to do some added sanding in order to get everything to fit perfectly after paint. Made it a little tricky and definatly ate up a bunch of time.

[Envious Mods]

Hardware is starting to arrive.....

 

Hardware Specs:

• Motherboard: Asus X470 Crosshair VII

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 
• Graphics Card: Asus Strix GTX 1070
• Ram: Gskill RGB TridentZ DDR4 (16gb)
• Storage: Plextor 512gb NVM PCIE SSD
• Power Supply: Thermaltake iRGB 850w
• Cables: Lian Li Strimer & Thermaltake black and white sleeved extensions
• Fans: Thermaltake 120mm Trio RGB, Ring Plus & Pure Plus.

• Watercooling: Thermaltake dual pumps, 4 reservoirs, 480mm copper radiator, 4 X 120mm radiators, Pacific W4 Plus CPU block, GPU waterblock, 3 digital led controllers, Sync controller, 2 X inline digital temp sensors and white 16mm C-Pro fittings

 

[Envious Mods]

Trying Out Different RGB Settings:
Thermaltake offers a large line of various led products. I will be using a good majority of them. I decided to get a jump on learning how to program them. The new Ring Trio Fans are pretty awesome. I like how you can custom layer colors and effects. Most digital leds I've used are pretty limited but these really allow you to do all sorts of things. So far the best setting is with both putter rings all White and the inner ring purple to match the build. I'll try out more combinations once I get the motherboard installed.

Below is a video showing some of the New Thermaltake Trio Fans & their pre-programmed effects:

Plextor M9Pe PCIE SSD Mods:
I really wanted to take the opportunity to mod as much as I could in order to show my versatility. I've never modded a pcie SSD so I took the chance to mod the Plextor M9Pe. Since the gpu is inverted in my build I want to mount the SSD as high as I could so that it can be seen. The stylistic heatsink on the M9Pe inspired me to make a backplate. Due to the tight tolerances of the backplate it was very time consuming to get perfect. I can't wait to see what it looks like once it's totally finished.

[Envious Mods]

 

Asus X470 Crosshair VII wifi Motherboard Arrives:
I've got to say this is a killer looking motherboard. Asus has design cues in most of their products that match my natural design style so it's a good fit. I took the opportunity to start mounting the Gskill RGB TridentZ DDR4 like, AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Thermaltake W4 CPU block that I've already modded earlier on in the competition.

Thermaltake GPU Waterblock Arrival & Mods Planned:
The Series 10 GPU block arrived so that I can start designing the mods for it. These GPU blocks look great right out of the box but I wanted to take it to the next level. To start out I took measurements so that I could start designing the custom pieces that would make up the new plates.

 

[Envious Mods]

 

Finishing up Plextor M9Pe Mods:
Now that all the acrylic is glued it's time to paint it all flat black. It looks someone dark in the photos but the interior leds will make it easily viewable once finished. I also decided to custo. The Plextor logo out in white and purple vinyl which brings it all together.

Mocked up Hardware in Replicant:
While finishing up the hardware installation I also decided to mock up the Lian LI Strimer RGB Cables. I can't wait to fire these up as they couldn't first a build much better than a Blade Runner 2049 themed build. I also allowed me to make sure I had the best location for the Plextor ssd that I modded. You will be able to see it just as I imagined. It fits the theme and hardware styling very well.