w00t! Nearly Finished!

**zackbass** · 09-19-2003, 08:35 AM

I received all the hardware and waterblocks on Wednesday and have been working on getting the system together non-stop since then. Everything went together a lot better than I thought it would except for the HDD brackets. They were too tight for a good fit, but the HDDs eventually got worked into place with a lot of force. I ran out of hose clamps (there are a LOT of hose connections), and so I'm running a few nonessential hookups without clamps.

I've got a Maze4 on the CPU and GPU, and a "Z-Chip" block on the Northbridge. CPU temps are stable at about 32C after running for a few hours. There's a lot of water to heat up, but I also have a radiator that's 4 times normal size.

The two Raptors aren't as bad as most say, they just make a high pitched whine like an old CRT. The XMS PC4000 has turned out to be some pretty awsome memory, and I just flashed my 9800 to pro. At this moment I'm working on getting the system totally stable at 280FSB. I've got an old reset button hooked up to the CMOS clear jumpers.

It's somewhat stable, but not good enough for me.

I also ran out of electrical tape which is why the wiring is a mess. That'll be fixed a few days. Other than that, tell me what you think.

**TAZTG** · 09-19-2003, 09:12 AM

Thats some nice work Zack!! Quick get some more tape.

I can't wait to see the PICS of the final end result. Looks like your SIG will need updating. Did you make side panels for the case??

**XP1800** · 09-19-2003, 12:14 PM

Whoa man it's coming together nicely! Can't wait to see the finished product

**Adisharr** · 09-19-2003, 01:52 PM

That's awesume man

Can't wait to see the finished product :thumbs:

**zackbass** · 09-19-2003, 03:26 PM

Originally posted by TAZTG
Did you make side panels for the case??

There are panels on the other side and top, but not for anything else. I sort of ran out of steam with the sheet metal. It was making me very angry.

I'm getting more tape and hose clamps today, then I have all weekend to polish it off.

**zackbass** · 09-22-2003, 08:07 PM

Well, here's the final product. The culmination of 12 months of work. The epoch of case buliding excellence. The... well you get it.

All of the wiring has been cleaned up with the help of one and half rolls of electrical tape and a few more hose clamps.

I moved the case back out to my work area for it's final "photo shoot". I strategically placed some tools around it for dramatic effect and started taking tons of pictures in every conceivable position and lighting combination. Here are the best three (dialup users be warned):

http://members.lycos.co.uk/zackbass1...compressed.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/zackbass1...compressed.jpg

http://members.lycos.co.uk/zackbass1...compressed.jpg

After a weekend of of tweaking and overclocking, here are the final specs:
285 FSB, 3.44Ghz
1.7V VCore
Vid card flashed to 9800 pro and running at 445.5 Core/392.3 Memory
3DMark 2001: 20103
3DMark 2003: 6695
CPU Temp (No Load): 31-32 C
CPU Temp (Full Load): 39-41 C

I already wrote up and sent an entry for MaximumPC ROTM. It contains a few details that I might have neglected to mention in the past. If anyone cares to read it, you can see it here (not formatted too well):

http://members.lycos.co.uk/zackbass1/ROTM.htm

I guess I have to get started on my next case now.

**San7a** · 09-22-2003, 08:22 PM

OMG, OMG! Do you have the water running through the case itself?? That's awesome!

**Tekime** · 09-22-2003, 08:26 PM

That is dedication! Awesome job, you must be really happy with the results. Totally clever too, I'm impressed!!

P.S. That third picture is a winner! If that doesn't get you in MaximumPC I don't know what will

**|_053|2** · 09-22-2003, 10:21 PM

whoa.... makes my computer look like a complete pile of ****

AWESOME WORK!!!!!!!!!!!

**XP1800** · 09-22-2003, 10:21 PM

If you do not win ROTM, I will personnaly beat the hell out of whoever makes that decision. Then, I will proceed to write my own article, of course giving you the award.

It's been really cool following your work since you started. I remember when you first started piecing everything together, it's been a long but fruitful journey!

This modder give you two thumbs up

**|_053|2** · 09-22-2003, 10:24 PM

Originally posted by XP18004life
This modder give you two thumbs up

i don't have enough thumbs to express how cool that mod is!

**RobsMob** · 09-23-2003, 12:28 AM

You sir are the bomb. Good work.

**Uzona** · 09-23-2003, 07:31 PM

NICE!!!!

I also remember when you first posted the idea of building this case. Back then it seemed like just another wild and crazy idea. Haven't been around much to see your progress reports, but it's great to come back to Sharkey's and see what you've accomplished.

GB hard work, determination, and a little ingenuity.

**talldude** · 09-23-2003, 08:04 PM

That's AWESOME. I remember way back when you were just drawing this one up, then the metal frame got done, and now I see the entire thing. All I can say is; Beautiful.

**zackbass** · 09-23-2003, 08:53 PM

Umm...wow, thanks for all the compliments! I don't know what else to say, but if anyone has any questions or comments they are welcome.

BTW, the original inspriation for the whole idea can be found here:
http://www.sharkyforums.com/showthre...hreadid=153834
Thanks CrawlingEye, I don't know where I'd be without that crucial start!

Edit: fixed some spelling errors

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