First off, let's build this case!
So many parts. Could not be happier with the build quality. Not a single screw was missing, and everything is super sturdy.
The indispensable manual:
The skeleton:
I love the brackets for the radiators and fans--makes them super easy to install in the case.
Must climb the summit of Aquacomputer mountain:
The pumps find a home:
Sizing up the pump and res combo to make the holes in the midplate:
And here's the test-fit in order to get the custom cable lengths and other necessary measurements:
So many parts. Could not be happier with the build quality. Not a single screw was missing, and everything is super sturdy.
The indispensable manual:
The skeleton:
I love the brackets for the radiators and fans--makes them super easy to install in the case.
Must climb the summit of Aquacomputer mountain:
The pumps find a home:
Sizing up the pump and res combo to make the holes in the midplate:
And here's the test-fit in order to get the custom cable lengths and other necessary measurements:
What does one do when there's no such thing as an Asus Rampage V Black Edition? Make your own, of course!
Before...
Tools of the trade. X-acto, tons of tape, acrylic paint, and brushes.
I also used a cheapo DDR4 stick of ram (as though there is such a thing!) and an old PCIe card to block each slot as I painted it. There are other techniques out there of course. Spraypaint, Plasti-Dip, etc. But I felt like this would give me the nicest finish, precision, and a bit of texture to boot. The results:
Not too shabby. You can still see a bit of red inside the slots, but none once they're plugged, and I'd rather have that then the chance of the contacts getting messed up.
Before...
Tools of the trade. X-acto, tons of tape, acrylic paint, and brushes.
I also used a cheapo DDR4 stick of ram (as though there is such a thing!) and an old PCIe card to block each slot as I painted it. There are other techniques out there of course. Spraypaint, Plasti-Dip, etc. But I felt like this would give me the nicest finish, precision, and a bit of texture to boot. The results:
Not too shabby. You can still see a bit of red inside the slots, but none once they're plugged, and I'd rather have that then the chance of the contacts getting messed up.
n this update, I'll cover the waterblock placement.
First, a few shots of the motherboard block (EK's Full Cover Monoblock). I really like it, and it wasn't too hard to put on.
Next, I put on the EK full cover blocks for the GTX 980 Tis:
Finally, I did the RAM blocks. Step one was removing the Ripjaws heatspreader with a heat gun and some old fashioned prying. Be careful! A friend (ahem) once ripped off one of the chips in this process.
Unfortunately, the adhesive leaves some weird residue on the chips:
Normally, I use isopropyl alcohol or the specialized TIM remover for this task, but the TIM remover wasn't working well on the adhesive, and I was all out of alcohol. Nail polish remover, while not recommended, will do the trick:
Now for the thermal pads:
And, then putting on the Monarch heatspreaders. Note that when you're putting the ram sticks into the heatspreaders, make sure they're in roughly the same position. DIMMs on the board don't move, obviously, so you want the Monarch screw holes to all line up when the RAM is in so that you can properly attach the waterblock on top.
Now to see it all on the mobo:
Au revoir!
First, a few shots of the motherboard block (EK's Full Cover Monoblock). I really like it, and it wasn't too hard to put on.
Next, I put on the EK full cover blocks for the GTX 980 Tis:
Finally, I did the RAM blocks. Step one was removing the Ripjaws heatspreader with a heat gun and some old fashioned prying. Be careful! A friend (ahem) once ripped off one of the chips in this process.
Unfortunately, the adhesive leaves some weird residue on the chips:
Normally, I use isopropyl alcohol or the specialized TIM remover for this task, but the TIM remover wasn't working well on the adhesive, and I was all out of alcohol. Nail polish remover, while not recommended, will do the trick:
Now for the thermal pads:
And, then putting on the Monarch heatspreaders. Note that when you're putting the ram sticks into the heatspreaders, make sure they're in roughly the same position. DIMMs on the board don't move, obviously, so you want the Monarch screw holes to all line up when the RAM is in so that you can properly attach the waterblock on top.
Now to see it all on the mobo:
Au revoir!
epic, keep up the good work!
