Project Xsesive Build Log...

[ShortAlieN]

By popular demand I am proud to bring you a build log

Since I don't have much else to do this evening and I'm bored, I hope you are all ready for a good read.

First: A little back story.

Around August of '10 I was beginning to look for a new computer since my well aged desktop was beginning to show signs of complete failure and my laptop that I got in early '09 just wasn't filling the void I had. I walked into a pawn shop and seen a brand new NZXT Lexa S with the plastic still on. Upon further inspection I found that it had a decent motherboard and processor. The OS had no key, one of the hard drives wasn't even hooked up and it had two cheap *** video cards in it that were not even capable of crossfire. After tinkering with it for a bit I found it had a few problems. No biggie for me, but easy pickings for getting a good price on it. They wanted $450 for the box... walked out with it for $200. Not a bad start.

After bringing the box home I stripped it down to its bits, found and fixed the hardware issues(someone had left a couple of extra stand-offs on the motherboard tray) then hit up the Egg for a few new bits for it. New RAM, PSU, hard drive OS and GPU stuck in and bam, good to go, and for about $400 total I was sitting decent with my first quad core and decent gaming PC in a long while.



Now three years ago this system would have pleased me to no end. It had everything I needed, a quad-core, four gigs of RAM, good graphics card and it was shiny and blue, not bad, but it didn't leave me feeling whole again. I felt it was lacking. Something was missing in my life and I couldn't quite figure out what. Only when I did, I wished I hadn't. I just wanted to build something, or keep adding to that something. I felt the itch that had been hiding away deep inside of me for a long time. I actually was not aware that this particular itch was still alive in me. I thought it had died, cause I was sure that I had killed it, but that's another story.

I needed to build a computer, a new one. So I began looking. One of my clan members had recently upgraded to a 980 and was willing to part with his i7 920 for cheap. I was screwed. I knew I couldn't stop myself now. So I started hunting for parts on the Egg again. It must have been fate, because the Sabertooth x58 had just been released that same day and NewEgg had sent me discount codes. Had to have it. Talked my boss into buying the computer that I had just gotten up to Par. Sold it to him for $300 and kept all the parts that I had just bought, including the case it came in and the Zalman CPU cooler. Stuck that setup in my really really old case and dropped it off.

Seen the Sabertooth and had to have it. Loved the look.





Now I'm feeling better, but I kept watching videos, reading reviews, started overclocking again. This itch was bad. No matter how much I scratched I couldn't get rid of it. Seen the closed loop H50... thought I would give it a try.



Not bad... could run at 3.6ghz and run at a respectable temp and really got into the nice and tidy internal. Video card was the next itch to scratch. The 5670 was commendable, ran all my games at a decent FPS, but not much of a clocker and didn't score.... well. Seen a few reviews for the MSI GTX460 Hawk that had just been released and really liked the card. Kept my eye on it for a while because I just couldn't bring myself to spend $250 to replace a card that didn't have any problems. Then around Christmas time it went on sale and I couldn't hold back anymore.



Looking respectableish



Finally the itch subsided for a while, or so I thought. Overclocking was fun, got the 460 Hawk to clock to a nice steamy 932mhz benchable clock. Was having a bit of fun, but was feeling a bit cramped and started looking into Full Tower cases. The NZXT Phantom had recently been released and was getting high praise in reviews and it was appealing to me. Early January one morning I woke up like usual, hopped in the shower, got ready for work and did my morning ritual of checking emails and other online interactions. Figured I would stop by the Egg and see if I could pick up a deal on something. Front page the Phantom was on sale for $99 delivered. Sold.





All Right! It's Done! Or so I thought. This damn itch just will not go away. What the hell am I going to do. Even snowmobiling in very epic winter conditions was not taking my mind off this damn thing, I feared something may be wrong with me, but before I knew it I was balls deep in computer parts.

I had just sold my old snowmobile and had a pocket full of cash, at this point I think the itch is gaining ground while I'm losing it. February rolled through with tons of snow so I was occupied well, but still felt itch eating at me and early March I ordered more... stuff. New monitor, PSU, and five hard drives later the hunger had been fed.



I could breath better now. I had a very respectable system that pleased me greatly. I could run all my games at top settings and a great FPS. What I had not realized is that my itch had mutated into a full fledged monster with a stomach that was seemingly bottomless....

 

[ShortAlieN]

Feeding The Monster​

The itch had turned into a monster and I was scared of what would happen if I let the hunger build. I was too late though, the monster had an accomplice that I was unaware of from the very beginning. Their teamwork was incredible and I was no match for them, they took me down with a single blow.

I had no sooner got the computer together and taken a picture when my clan-mate let me know that he had just replaced his video card with the new GTX 580 and was willing to part with his GTX 480 for $50. I bit and swallowed. Hook, Line, and Sinker.

The 480 was amazing, and amazingly hot. Combined with the heat of the i7 920 at 4.2ghz, the monster had all he could take and took possession of me. I recently seen a review for water cooling and the hunger had built to such a degree that the monster could no longer be contained. He went for it, and he Feasted.

Koolance blocks for the GPU, NB and Vreg. XSPC Rasa 750 RS360 kit, Black Ice x-Flow 120mm radiator. Nine Cooler Master Sickle Flow 120mm fans. BitsPower compression fittings, rotary angle adapters, and barbs. Acrylic panels for windows and fan grills. Corsair HX850 PSU. The Monster was mean.



The monster had feasted like a king, but he had only began. I started into the water cooling full force, but before I knew it I had drilled out almost every rivet on the case. The monster needed paint. I tried to appease him, but my choices were wrong, and he became angry.

I tried to just get some spray paint from the hardware store and work with that.



The monster became angry and consumed $200 worth of paint and supplies at the auto shop. At this time I was not sure if I would survive the monsters wrath. A Dremel tool was picked up at the pawn shop(not sure, but I think the pawn shop may also be in league with the Monster) and some adjustments were made to the side panel.



Bits of the case were strung up, primed and painted.





Not even the plastic parts were safe anymore...





Found some copper rivets that were especially appealing.





360 radiator fits pretty nicely in the top of the Phantom.



Video card was the first get its block.









Next the motherboard went under.





Lapped the CPU





Then proceded to put everything together. Holes were drilled, tubes cut, replaced, removed and replaced again. Eventually getting everything tucked insinde. 30+ hour shifts over three days with four hours of sleep, working on the water cooling was beginning to weigh on the monster and he was beginning to weaken and grow tired. His grip was strong on me though, I was still unable to break free of his grasp.









The Monster had released his grasp, he needed sleep. He had fed, ate, devoured and even had time for dessert. After the loop was completed, wires maintained for a minute, and leak testing began I had enough. I needed sleep. And I did. For 18 hours.

 

[ShortAlieN]

Keeping the Monster at Bay​

I had finally got the Monster back into the cage. Over the last few weeks I kept him under control with regular feeding, Making windows, wet sanding and buffing side panels, Fan grills, making LED light fixtures, Tidying up the cable management.

Cut the acrylic panels into proper shape and cleaned up the edges of them.







LED light fixtures for highlights.



Fan Grill designed




For the Finished Product, Follow the Link:

Project Xsesive Gallery​

 

[snowbrd]

Wow. That was a really fun read. I love how you worded it.

 

[muddocktor]

ShortAlieN, I am sorry to say that I don't have time to read this thoroughly right now as I have to get ready to leave to the rig for a few days. But just skimming through real quick, you have me laughing and almost spitting coffee on my computer desk with your talk about feeding the monster! Boy, do I know that feeling myself.

Hopefully they will have internet access on this rig where I can get back to this thread are read the above posts and look at the pics, because you have done some amazing work there and most of us here have gone through the "feeding the monster" stage with our loops and computers.

Good job, my friend!

 

[ShortAlieN]

Wow. That was a really fun read. I love how you worded it.

Thanks it was fun to write.

Dont have too much fun at work Doc

 

[muddocktor]

Yeah, right!

At least it's just a couple of days. The job is about to finish up, but the hand I'm going to relieve has to be somewhere (like vacation) tomorrow, so I will go there, sit on my butt for 2 day, do about 30 minutes work of work filling out paperwork, then bring the test equipment back in from the rig. And it's a land job instead of offshore, so I won't be totally screwed over too.

 

[ShortAlieN]

ahh, well at least you can still stand on solid ground.

 

[fall]

Ok so one of my questions still stands Wheres tha dang Pump????!??!?!!!!!!!11one...

Naw but great log was interesting to read got in trouble at work when the boss came by and saw it though

 

[ShortAlieN]

Ok so one of my questions still stands Wheres tha dang Pump????!??!?!!!!!!!11one...

Naw but great log was interesting to read got in trouble at work when the boss came by and saw it though

LoL, Pump is in the reservoir.

Now dont go getting in trouble.

 

[fall]

Ha well he builds puters too so after i showed him what i was looking at he just said "Nice!" and left

 

[ShortAlieN]

LoL, even better.