CoolIT Systems

Hey guys... this is my first build here. I have been posting a project log over at watercoolinguk.co.uk and just thought I would start a new thread here as well. It will be nice to be able to get feedback from other peeps with the Boreas for input on some upcoming issues I may have, Anyway... I have copy pasted all my posts thus far to bring you up to speed with my build. Enjoy!

B

Hey there guys,

After debating the value of CoolIT's Boreas mTEC Chiller I decided to give it a go based on a friends first hand experience with it. I am calling this build a "hybrid" because I am using a TEC Chiller as well as a traditional water loop. I haven't decided to what level I am going to go into modding this case further. As you can see from the pics there is only 3 bays on the front panel and then a blank area. I have been pondering cutting the area out below the drive bays to mount an LCD of some sort. I have approximately 4-5cm space between the chiller and the front panel. I am not sure how thick those lcd displays are.

I have begun this build by dismantling my TJ07 and preparing the mobo tray and inside tray to be cut for cable management. I will then be sending it off for powder coating. Internals will all be black with red bits here and there.

Here is the hardware list for the build:

ASUS Rampage II Extreme
Intel i7 965 Extreme
Memory TBD (8G Patriot Viper DDR3 2000 to trade up for tri channel!)
2X EVGA GTX 280 SSC with Koolance VID 428 in SLI
Sound Blaster X-FI Titanium Fatal1ty
2X 150Gig Velociraptors in RAID-0

CPU Cooler CoolIT Boreas Tec Chiller
Laing D5 Pump with EK Cover
DangerDen single bay Res
Radiator XSPC RX360
All Koolance Compression Fittings
Tygon R-3603 1/2" ID

Here are my first pics.





























B

Things are slowly but surely coming along. I have drilled out most of my holes and am almost ready for powder coating. I have been hit with a dilemma though. I found a local PowderCoater here in London that said he would do my whole case for around 50 quid. They seem like a reputable company. But the thing is I am worried about it coming back and not being able to go back together. I know Marucus is damned good at PC'ing but it is quite a bit more expensive, not to mention the shipping! Also I have been drooling over some of those flakes and pearls colors. I particularly like the Black Starlight. Mmmmmm.

I Did accomplish something today that I think is pretty sweet. I turned my boring, drab, creme and brown Noctua's into hot sexy Black & Red fans. How did I do it??? I'll never tell. Oh of course I will tell. I will snap some photos of the next batch I do.

B

Off to the PowderCoaters you go!

Sorry WCUK... I found a guy in my backyard that could do it for me. This is in no way a choice made by quality. If I was rich and money was no object I would have been sending this stuff to Marcus ASAP. Lets just cross our fingers that they do a good job!

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/pc[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/pc2[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/pc3[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/pc4[/IMG]

Also ready to start braiding. Got my first set of fans for the rad daisy chained... thanks to the "How to Dasiy Chain Fans" thread.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/daisy[/IMG]

And on the XSPC RX360

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/redrad[/IMG]

More to come.

Pictorial update:

Had some down time and thought I would post up some more pics that I have taken along the way. I need to try and stay more chronological with the pics.

Anyway...

Here are the mods I did to the MoBo tray. I stole the idea for cutting out the back of the CPU block from 'Cobalt's' "ColdFusion" build. Must give props to him for the idea. The only thing I did different was the place where I cut out a notch in the tray so that the 8 pin CPU cable could come over from behind the tray. I noticed on 'Cobalts' that his cable kinda came over the top at an angle. I decided that I would try to alleviate that. See pics for details.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/mobotray[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/mobotray2[/IMG]
Here you can see the part of the angled bit on the tray that I removed to make way for the 8 pin to come straight over.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/mobotray3[/IMG]
And the results. You can see how it now has a direct line.

Here are some more pictures of my Fan Daisy Chain for my bottom Rad.
I suck hard at soldering. I wish someone would do a tut on "How to properly solder".

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/daisychain[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/daisychain2[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/daisychain3[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/daisychain4[/IMG]


I modded my D5 pump a tiny bit. I have decided to mount the pump so that the inlet is facing up towards my res which is a 5.25" Single Bay Res by Danger Den. I am going to use industrial streangth carpet tape to hold the pump down to the mid tray. The problem was that the power cable came out the back of the pump making it unable to sit level. So I drill a small 4mm hole to run the wires out the side instead. Heatshrink, and braid will come soon after.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pump1[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pump3[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pump4[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pump2[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pump1[/IMG]


This is the way I am lining up my pump to the Rad on the bottom.
[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pumpmount[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pumpmount2[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/pumpmount3[/IMG]


And the last update is a small mod I have done to my CPU Block retention bracket. The block and retention bracket on the Boreas is absolutely boring. It is litterally nothing more than a die cut piece of steel. It came with the naff silver screws with philips heads and some naff silver spring coils for the tension. I had a random thought and wondered if perhaps the screws on my Swiftech GTZ might be a match in clearance size. It turns out that the size from the C clip to the begining of the threads that go into the CPU block backplate match perfectly. Also the screws are also the same diameter. The results are as follows.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/cpublockbefore[/IMG]
Before

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/cpublockafter[/IMG]
As you can see it is MUCH sexier this way.
I am considering painting the steel bracket RED to match the build.
Opinions on this????

That's all for now.

B

Thinking bout adding this to my Rampage II Extreme.... Mmmm tasty

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/koolance[/IMG]

The koolance logo is clear to show the coolant through which is blood red Primo. I think that will look super duper. ;)

The other thing is that I already have two of these:

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/vid[/IMG]

Which has got me to thinking that I am going to replace the CPU block on my Boreas as well... to this:

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/cpu[/IMG]

Nice eh?

B

So I pimped my TEC. It now more suitably goes with my colour scheme. I am eaither really brave, or really stupid to paint this thing. Not sure how it will react with the extreme temps It is industrial grade automotive paint so it should be ok. If not I will end up tearing her down and taking the covers off the TECs to be anodized or powdercoated. We shall see. The one thing that I am SURE of... is that it looks pretty sweet. I also braided the wires from the pump and fans. I still have some to do for the sensor and the TEC's power, but I'm just not sure how those cables will run yet so I am holding off on that. I also replaced the black coils with some nice metal Koolance ones I found. They are 1/4" coils!! And the best news... they are RED not PINK. lol

Here are the pics of the process...

B

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec1[/IMG]
How they looked before. Take a deeeeeep breath! I can't believe I am about to paint this thing.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec2[/IMG]
Masking off...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec3[/IMG]
More Masking...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec4[/IMG]
Better safe than sorry...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec5[/IMG]
There are 4 of these things!...


[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec6[/IMG]
Plastic bags, and packing tape around the rest...
Then I did a light sand on the aluminium, and got ready to prime.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec7[/IMG]
Red Primer...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec8[/IMG]
3 coats and sanded in between each coat.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec9[/IMG]
I sanded, and then primed the brackets.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec10[/IMG]
Primed and ready for paint! I was going to paint these red and actually did a set red to see how they looked. Then decided to rock the black instead.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec11[/IMG]
First impressions of my Flame Red...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec12[/IMG]
Satin Black for the brackets...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec13[/IMG]
Removing the masking was fun!! Ooooo RED

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec14[/IMG]
I started to remove the stock coils to put my new red ones on.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec15[/IMG]
The bottom TEC with the labels back on. Looks like it came from the factory that way!!

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec16[/IMG]
Getting read to put the coils on...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec17[/IMG]
First set of coils on... They were tough to put on. Metal coils stretch and then you have to fiddle with them to try and get the spacing right, and twist them to make them tight again. Uhg.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec18[/IMG]
Braiding the fan cables...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec19[/IMG]
Wires were all black so had to label them so I could remember what went where.

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec20[/IMG]
Starting to look pretty naahs. ;)

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec21[/IMG]
Nearly Finished...

[IMG]http://www.bradmadison.com/junk/buildpics/tec22[/IMG]
And there she is... Hmmmm Red Goodness.

I think I am going to replace the block on this thing now for sure. I might just use my swiftech GTZ and get some 1/4" Nozzles. Not sure how compression nozzles work on neoprene. Anyone ever used them on Neoprene?

B