The Sleeper

[Tech-Daddy]

So, it's going to be a little bit before I get my 1TB drive, so I employed a dead laptop drive and put it in as a place holder, seeing as the SATA connectors are all I really need in order to gauge cable placement and such.... so, I put the 3 drive kit together:

And bolted it into place:

How much clearance between the drives and the fans? About 5 mm, With this air flowing over them, I wonder if I could cool a Raptor that was not in a heatsink? That is not in the works, it is just me thinking out loud...

More as the weekend allows! Everyone, do not forget, Mothers Day this weekend! (If your country celebrates it, I know for a fact that Mom's Day is tomorrow, Sunday, May 9th here in the USA).

Everyone have a good one!
-=TD

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Ok,

So this update is going to likely be a bit underwhelming after the gap in time between updates. But, I've been purchasing stuff, and sketching stuff out in my notebook, and finding inspiration on the web for unexpected challenges!


The Hard drives posed a bit of a challenge in that my flash drive was flipped over in order to be properly mounted. The byproduct of that is the notch for the SATA cable is on the other side of the connector now. And with 2 drives facing one way, and the flash drive facing the other way, I had to look around a bit to see if there was a SATA cable that routed 90 degrees "the other way" from a standard 90 degree SATA cable. Found them (they are called "left angle" SATA connectors for those needing to know) and it allowed me to route the SATA data cables all in the same directional fashion!

After routing the cable around each hard drive, I poked them through the back of the bay area and out a near by hole, to a nice, discrete exit behind the motherboard panel! This will allow me to pop the SATA header through the hole near the motherboard ports... YAY!

I also started biving serious thought to "how in the hell" I was going to wrangle this unexpected mess of cables!

I found the fan controller I wanted, but in my hast to incorporate it, I forgot to remember that 6 fans will need to be attached to the controller, which means 6 additional cable groups! I wanted the controller, but I certainly could have done without the cabling mess that came with it! So I thought and thought... even posted up another question looking for inspiration or ideas....

And while looking and thinking, I stumbled into the old build log of Orac3! An incredible build log that was amazing in it fit and detail. One of the style tricks that was done for the use of the cable management was the use of 1/4" phone jack style plugs. I am going to totally spin this connection method in my own flavor, as I ordered the jack parts tonight. Below is a link to his build article on Bit-Tech:
http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2004/06/09/orac3_part5/4


My plan is to use these jacks:
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/specsheets/KC-300516.pdf

And poke them through from the back side of the motherboard tray, through some holes that will be drilled. This will leave the plug protruding into the computer area. These connectors will each be attached to one fan (cables routed on the back side of the case).

The fan controller leads will be reworked to use one of these 2 female connectors:
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/specsheets/KC-300862.pdf
or
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/specsheets/KC-300858.pdf

I bought enough of each to see which one will look better with the build. But, these will be built onto a cable constructions of vinyl dyed cables, sleeved with a to be determined color of PET, and then ran through a clear plastic tube. I will then build an acrylic cable spacer that will allow me to keep all 6 cables in proximity of each other, and allow me to style them visually so that they compliment the water tubing that will be going into this mod...

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Tonight I mocked up the loop, to get a feel for the layout and take a reality check on my plans...

Now, you will see why I wanted that cross flow rad!
The flow will go from the pump > GPU > CPU > top rad > front rad > pump

Obviously I have done nothing with the fan leads yet, but Mouser did confirm my order today! YAY! So, that means that my parts (since they shipped locally) will likely be here in the next day or two! DOUBLE YAY!

-=TD

 

[Kougar]

Hmm, definitely an interesting look with that tube color... Your build is looking great!

Wish I could say mine looked that smooth, I really need to get a better case for a proper tube layout...

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Thanks Kougar! I'm out of town until this weekend, so I have not been able to work on this any more, but I am going to change one of the tubing lines which will isolate the pump and hide it back behind the 5.25" bay walls.

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Started bright and early in the morning before it got hot in the garage, so this update is brought to you by Sobe No Fear Sugar Free! DON'T MOD TIRED!

Here we see a Swiftech 655 pump that needs to have it's power and RPM leads sleeved.

Always try to have the proper tools ready for use before working on something like this. If you don't have the proper tools, research how others have done it on the Intarwebz! Never force a tool on these parts, you will break the molex pin if you do not exercise caution...

Also, take a good pictorial reference of the parts *before* you pull them apart. Cannot tell you how much tome I have lost on past mods where I pulled something apart before I noticed that "it was put together a bit differently..."

After extracting your pins from the molexes, you will want to make sure your retention clips are in good shape. On the Mini fan molexes, there is a small clip on the back side of the flat piece. In the below pic, the clip is the bright rectangle in the middle of the silver tip on the blue cable:

On these two pins, they are side flares off of the main molex pin. The bottom black cable is showing the retention clip nicely.

Typically what I do to make sure the clips are in good shape is use a very sharp bladed surface, like an xacto knife or a razor blade, *gently* work it below the clip and gently angle it out ever so slightly. It does not require much in order to catch on the plastics of the molex once re-inserted. Be careful and patient here. You are dealing with a very sharp instrument, so be neither quick, nor casual on these steps, else you will injure yourself.

After sleeving the wire and using heatshrink on the ends to hold the sleeving in place, here was what I was left with:

Feeling good, I set to work on a proof of concept. Passing the 12v fan power through a 1/4" jack plug. 12v is passed on the top connection (the one with the loose heatshrink. The ground is soldered to the center leg of the jack.

I put the jacket back over the plug, and then soldered the 90 degree connector and created the circuit. I then used alligator clips on a 12v test line that I created and use all the friggen time, to make sure the fan spun up and did not cause issues...

The concept worked flawlessly!!
Mind you, this is just "beta building" to get a feel for how the parts work together. The cables will eventually be housed in something more substantial to make them more appropriate to the size of the jacks...

-=TD

 

[Optix]

Yeah, well today I made a sammich, so there!

Very nice, TD!

 

[moon111]

Awesome work. Have been so uninspired to do any modding lately. Even my fans are all full of dust.

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Ya.... been there many times! I either find inspiration or drank an a$$load of energy drinks.... the latter usually kicks the creativity up a notch or two!

Been putting off doing this, so I figure, if I get started, the momentum will carry the project forward...

disassembling PCI-E power connectors:

I'm grouping them by "over/under" pairings, so that is one 12v and one ground:

I put 2 pieces of sleeving over the ends so that I get a consistent wire color that is visible from the molex, then put the sleeving, and then 2 of the 1/4" heat shrink pieces, one for the base of the cables where they come out from the PSU and one for the end of the cables where they attach to the molex.

Be sure to put the pins back in the proper places of the molex:

And here is what I completed tonight:

The rest of the wires will get a similar treatment. Will take some time, but it will happen!

 

[DarkStarr]

Looks nice but maybe its just me on this, wouldn't having just one sleeved cable for all 4 of the wires in the PciE connector be easier to hide? (and cut down clutter, because then you would have 7-8 connectors in the case whereas with individual sleeving it seems it may be hard to hide and there are like 1200 individual cables that can get caught or what not.) I don't know sleeving isn't something I have done I just hide my cables, and pretty good on a Antec 900. Why are there no real places to hide cables? >.<

 

[Tech-Daddy]

It's kind of a double whammy in my book.... when you bundle sleeve the cables into one unit, they are thicker, harder to flatten. And unless you have a case with an a$$load of cable space, you have a 1/4-1/2 inch thick space behind the motherboard to route through. If you break the bundle open, you can spread out the wires into a flatter space... but it shortens the overall remaining cable length... so you have to make sure you have enough length to handle the technique.

Plus, and this is me, I dont like the individual colors of wire on my molex connectors. This is my attempt at normalizing the colors that will be seen in my case. It's a lot of extra work, but the end result can look really cool when properly engineered.

I have some funk-tastic ideas on wrangling these into impressive bundles, but they are ideas right now that I have never tried. We'll see if any of them work!

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Hey all, just a quick note to let you know I am still working on Sleeper! I am slowly working my way through the PSU. I have completed all of the main hardwired lines *except* for the 24 pin motherboard connector, I am progressively working through that now.

After that, the modular plugs come under my gaze...

Went to Sears tonight (because... "There's more for you life at Sears!"... I just dated myself there!)

Used my gift certificate that my wifey got me for Fathers day. got 2 kick ass products, one I would have *never* thought to get @ Sears...

#1:
A portable parts chest. This thing is PERFECT for all of the LED's and stuff that I have!!

Removable trays....

2 levels, easily accessible!

Then I picked up this little jem! It is a JVC digital camcorder, that uses SD flash media! No moving storage! Did not expect to find this there... and the associate that helped me out, was by far one of the friendliest, *and* quite knowledgeable electronics salesperson I have met in quite sometime! Do yourself a favor, and see if your local Sears was as good as mine was. I'm changing my tune, and putting them on a short list for electronics purchases!

Palm sized

Fold out view finder

dual SD slots. Holds a max capacity of 2 - 32GB cards.

I purchased the camera on a floor model clearance for $67!!!!

Going back to work on the power supply sleeving now.

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Just not right....
I get the entire 24 pin assembly disassembled, pictures taken through the whole thing so I can be sure and put the wires back into the same places again.... start sleeving and I ran out of a critical diameter of heat shrink! Thought I had more in the garage, but it was too big!

@)&^#@#(*&%!@!!!!!

Put it up and get to the store tomorrow and buy more, then wrap up this PSU sleeveing.

 

[Tech-Daddy]

WOOT!

Almost done with this frikken PSU! YAY!!!!!

This was the 56th pin... the last pin. I was 55 for 55 on the sleeving and reinsertion up until this point... this lil bastardo ruined my shut out! ^&@#&)*Y(*!!!!!

Now, to continue the funny story part of this... the inside of a power molex uses female pins of a very specific type and size. I went cruising all over the internet to a couple different forums, posting up my question.... "What tha hell type pin is this??!?!?" What I did not care to remember is that a few years ago, I had purchased a plethora of different molex pins and put together a "PSU repair kit"... hehehe, yeah. I had them... it just took me a couple of days to REMEMBER that I had them! Once I found the stash, it was easy after that. Pull a pin... and crimp that thing on.... YAY ME!

I'm finished sleeving but not done with the PSU!

Who needs warranties? This one is T-O-A-S-T!

What I am doing is putting a large 1.5" piece of heatshrink around the base of the wires where they come out of the power supply, in lieu of using a zip tie (which I had already pulled off). The 1.5" diameter shrinks down to about 3/4" after it is all said and done.

I've got a few more tweaks to knock out before I post the final pics of the power supply.... but I have finished one of the hardest parts! YAY!!!

 

[DarkStarr]

Wow, wish I had some sleeving, I wanted to find some connectors and make my psu modular but no good connectors anywhere that I've seen so far.

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Depends on how you want to make your PSU modular. You can try using several different types of sonnectors, from screw terminals (like on CB radio connections.... or you can use different types of plastic milex connectors. For most any of those, you will have to research in a catalog like Mouser or Digikey, or something like that. Might try Performance PCs and see if they have any in their "DIY" section.

So.... I am in full juggle mode right now...

Got a small parts shipment in from Performance PCs:

I did not put the black tubing in the picture, nor the 2nd fan. No real need. The meat of the order is right here. 2 items from Bitspower and some Cooler Master 120mm fans. The Bitspower items are a "Y" adapter and a pump mod kid. The MCP655 is not really what I would call remotely attractive in it's default kit. This should help it dramatically!


Here we have the 655 in all of its... *uuurp* ... "glory"...

PUll the pump off the bracket and compare the old to the new. Here is a hint, the one on the right is a chrome bracket with the Bitspower logo on it. And it looks a damned sight better than the default black!

Here is the replacement housing for the pump:

Here is the pump. I had to pull off the sleeving I performed earlier on the power and ground lines. I did this for 2 main reasons. 1) The sleeving was too transparent. and 2) it would not fit through the back plate of the chrome housing pictured above.

Unscrew the main pump nut that holds the pump to the nozzle plate:

After the ring is off, but the back plate piece on, threading the wires through the proper hole (I did this to insure the Bitspower logo was properly oriented), then slide the chromed cup housing over the pump, and screw it down where the nut was just threaded (the one you just saw me remove). after you have done that, you will end up with this yummy lil creation....

Easy and quick way to change the appearance of the pump. I'm happy with how it came out!

-=TD

 

[Tech-Daddy]

Sometimes, in order to get the lead out, you just need to push yourself through the roadblock. Me, the fan cable management is going to be tricky... so I have been dragging my feet on committing to that section of the build. Well, I feel like it is going to look sweet, so I needed to suck it up and bite the bullet. It is a 6 channel fan controller, and I need 6 holes to feed my jacks through....

I created a template in Corel Draw that had my 6 holes evenly spaced. I then taped it to the back of the case and layered painters tape under the printout so as to help save the painted finish.

I ran a center line for the holes, then used a center punch to dent where I wanted the 1/8" hole drilled. After I Had those center pilot holes drilled, then grabbed my stepper bit and enlarged the holes.

I need to go one or 2 sizes larger to allow for the jacks to feed through properly.... but it has begun!

-=TD

 

[x.clay]

nice update. The chrome pump housing looks great.

 

[Kougar]

I like that pump mod! I hadn't seen that before and it's relatively simple to pull off compared to most others I'd known of... I'll have to remember that one! Does it affect the pump noise any?

 

[Tech-Daddy]

It is tough working on 2 mods at the same time....
-=TD