# [Gallery / Build Log] Ultimate Wall Mount Rig - MAXXPlanck V2 (Completed)



## Show4Pro

Hey all, I just finished my wall mount water cooled rig. Took me 4 weeks and 100+ hr of work to put together, and I'd like to share with you guys the completed build log and rig gallery. Enjoy!




Spoiler: Gallery

















*[Intro]*
Its been a while (1.5 yrs) since I updated my computer. I thought about upgrading to the next gen i7 (I'm still rocking the bloomfield), but didn't really see the need for a faster processor. Thought about getting the new Corsair 900D to replace my 8 year old Super Armor, but wanted to do something different.. something unique. While browsing Battlestations on Reddit for ideas, I came across a very simple yet elegant looking wall mounted computer, and that is where this whole project began.

*UPDATE*
Just finished building the smaller and lighter version. Meet MAXxPlanck_mini!

*[Components]*

*Core Components*

Intel Core i7 950
Asus Rampage III Extreme
2 x AMD HD7970
6 x 2GB Corsair Dominator
4 x 120GB Corsair Force GT SSD
2 x 1TB WD Caviar Black
2TB WD Caviar Green
1.5TB WD Caviar Green
Corsair AX1200i
Creative Sound Blaster Zx
*Cooling Components*
CPU Loop

EK Supreme HF Full Copper
Swiftech MCP655 /w Speed Control
FrozenQ Liquid Fusion V Series 400 ml Reservoir - Blood Red
XSPC RX360 Performance Triple 120mm Radiator
GPU Loop

EK FC7970 - Acetal+EN
Swiftech MCP655 /w Speed Control
FrozenQ Liquid Fusion V Series 400 ml Reservoir - Blood Red
Watercool MO-RA3 9x120 LT Radiator
Fittings / Misc.

Koolance QD4 Quick Discounnect No-Spill Coupling
Bitspower G1/4 Silver Triple Rotary 90deg Compression Fittings
Monsoon Free Center Compression Fittings
Phobya Angled Clip 90° Tubing Guide
Phobya Terminal Strip Tubing Clip/Holder
PrimoChill Advanced LRT Tubing Bloodshed Red
EK UV Blue Non-Conductive Fluid
*Cables*

Bitfenix Alchemy Premium Sleeved Extensions
Corsair Individually Sleeved Modular Cables
*[Build Log]*
I acquired pictures of all the components I will be using, and accurately sized them according to their physical dimensions in PhotoShop. This way I can move them around and get a feel of what it's going to look like, and also to plan the tube routing. Here's a few layouts I came up with:

Ditched this one because there's too much blank space at the bottom right. Also the motherboard is the left most component when it should be the center of focus for the entire board.


Moved the PSU to place the motherboard closer to the center. Still lots of blank space on the bottom right. In the final build, inlet/outlet tubing is ran all the way to the right, and two thermometers are placed at bottom right.


Drawing the motherboard template onto the acrylic sheet


Since the video cards are going to be fairly far from the motherboard, I was chaining 3 200mm PCIe Risers from eBay for each of the card. Here, I'm testing that chaining 3 risers will still work. Later, I had huge problems with EMI/crosstalk between the unshielded cheapo eBay risers; because the ribbon cables were on top of each other. The system would get stuck at VGA BIOS when booting, and would only work if only 1 PCIe riser was used. Eventually I had to resort to very expensive properly shielded risers.


The goods arrived! Most of my WC parts was from Performance-PC. They even gave me a free EK shirt and 2 mouse pads!




Motherboard mounting plate.


All the acrylic panels are cut at 45° angle to get the edge lit effect.


Holes drilled and tapped. Standoffs installed.
BLAST!! The Rampage III Extreme is an eATX board. This is a standard ATX formfactor..
An eATX mounting plate was later made.


Time to gut my old dusty rig!


Shot of all dem speed.


The drives are installed in Vantec HDCS caddies that converts 2 5.25" bays into 3 HDD mounts.


Layin out the dough






All of the component's backplate.


Custom acrylic pump mount.


Closeup of the rough finish made by the table saw. These will be sanded later.


A triangular cut was made at the center of each plate. This will reflect the light which is projected perpendicular to the plate onto the edges of the plate. Without the cut the edges barely glow at all.


Lighting test with the sound card mounted.




All the back plates are wet sanded with 120 grit paper.


Close up of the sanded edge.


All the acrylic backplates with the mounting holes drilled.


Under the table saw. Acrylic "snow"


Painting those fins red.
Surprisingly, Corsair put thermal pads on the fins, even though these doesn't get hot at all.


Laying out all the components on the board to mark various slot and hole locations. The board is a 1/4" 48 x 30 hardboard.


All the slots and hole locations marked.


Preparing to cut the slots with my dremel.








Gluing on the frame.




Colored the inside edges black just in any parts are left exposed after the carbon fiber sticker.




Soldering the LED strips.




My soldering rig.


LED strips taped down temporarily.




Applying the giant vinyl sticker. This part was ridiculously hard and frustrating.. Gave me high blood pressure.
Imagine applying screen protector to your phone, but 1000x bigger.


No bubbles!








Used aluminum tape on the top of the HDD and SSD backplates to hide the LEDs for where there are gaps in between the hard drives.


Meet my helper Tommy.


All the backplates are mounted to the board using #10 screws into tapped holes in the acrylic.


Testing the lights.




Coolant and cables arrive! I'm using Bitfenix sleeved extensions for the component end, and the corsair sleeved cables for the PSU end.








The one on the left is the Bitfenix cable, and the right is the Corsair cable. The Bitfenix doesn't have the black heatshrink on the ends, which in my opinion is better looking than the Corsair ones.


Red zip ties to tidie up some of the lose hanging bits.


Back of the computer with all the power connected.


Leak testing the system while its on the ground and easy to trouble shoot.
Powered on the system for the first. No boot. Plugged in the iROG USB to my laptop to see boot message. Gets stuck at VGA BIOS.
Unplugged one of the risers and the system boots. Tried the other card by itself and also works. Try both cards again and still no boot.
Did some research and found out that unshielded PCIe risers with the ribbon cables are very susceptible to EMI. So I tried to shield the risers myself by wrapping them in multiple layers of crisscrossing aluminum foil strands. See pictures below.






After 4 layers of foil, I could get the system to boot with 2 cards. But, it would freeze as soon as I start a game or any 3D program that kicks both cards into 3D mode. Even worse, I had my Soundblaster connected with a daisychain of 3 x1 PCIe risers running behind the x16 risers, and it would interfere with the video cards and cause the system to lock up as well.
Finally, bit the bullet and purchased *these* shielded risers made by 3M.


3M risers installed. These were longer than the 3x daisy chain I had and was able reach the first slot and get both cards to run at x16 mode.




Got the SoundBlaster Zx to replace my Fatality. This card looks totally awesome!



*[Remarks]*
Everything is running pretty smoothly at the moment. The entire rig has 2 fans on the board; the AX1200i fan which barely comes on, and the chipset fan which I had replaced with a silent one. The pumps are also running at the lowest power setting. The rig is pretty much silent. One annoying thing is that without a case, you can hear some component buzz (high pitch whine) very clearly. For me, it's mainly the GPUs and the 1TB blacks that makes the most noise.

The EK UV coolant is incredibly reactive to UV. I know I'm not supposed to mix the coolant to retain the non-conductiveness property, but heck, if I were to use it undiluted I probably wouldn't be able to see the spirals in the reservoir. For both of my loops, I used about 1/8 of a bottle, and the rest is distilled water.
Here is a short video I made mixing the coolant in the reservoir. It looks pretty cool!





And another video of me topping off the reservoir with the same coolant a few month later.





I have received many questions regarding the performance of the PCI express extenders. So to get some quantitative answers, I ran many benchmarks on my test PC with various extenders and compiled them here:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1427731/pci-express-extender-cables-benchmarked

Thanks for browsing this long build log! And of course, I'm open to any questions, suggestions, and feedback.
Cheers~


----------



## kithylin

It looks totally awesome. I just have one comment.. I sincerely hope you're going to seriously overclock that thing to at least 4 ghz.

It would be very, very, very sad to run a setup like this at stock speeds.

I mean.. The entire thing is beyond fantastically awesome, the components should be running just as awesomely awesome. ... did I say awesome?









Edit.. it looks like your system in your signature there, is it already running @ 4400 mhz then?


----------



## Gilhooley

Nice


----------



## Roxycon

Nice, saw this on facebook









i have another comment too, are you going to mod the hdd's? the window mod could be a bit overkill but covering the raised part in some leftover carbon fibre vinyl would look epic imho


----------



## GileraCY

Nice


----------



## GTX670




----------



## Egami

Yum. Just yum. Totally loving every bit of the unusual about this.


----------



## daddyfatsax

Awesome! That is some amazing craftsmanship.


----------



## YP5 Toronto

Well done... I find myself just staring at each picture. I would love to see this in person. Well done...well done (slow clap....slow clap).

edit: ...oh you are in Canada....where? (no intent on breaking and entering to steal that piece of art).


----------



## trivium nate

wow man thats sick!!!


----------



## Roaches

Jaw dropping.....


----------



## orange2k

wow that's fantastic!


----------



## IAmDay




----------



## Hacksword

Very awesome! Well done. Very awesome indeed!


----------



## d3vour3r

this is a awesome mate! nice work! can you explain what and how you did those PCIE extensions?


----------



## ProfeZZor X

Your PCIe riser gave me a great idea for my up and coming build, so I went on ebay and found a 90 degree version that I ended up buying.

Custom builds are all about being different... Yours is a testament to that... So I hope my idea turns out well.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *d3vour3r*
> 
> this is a awesome mate! nice work! can you explain what and how you did those PCIE extensions?


I got the shielded PCI express risers from Digikey, I linked it in one of my build log pictures. One end simply plugs into your motherboard, and the other end is a regular slot to plug into your GPU. eBay also has many cheap unshielded alternatives. They work fine as long as your don't daisy chain them or put them near strong EMI sources.


----------



## modnoob

pics arent loading
but are you going to be making it a case for every one if they want one


----------



## d4rkr4in

I would vote this as MOTM


----------



## cptnighthawk666

wow that is impressive


----------



## petsasj

Congratulations man!


----------



## AMD SLI guru

Very NICE!!!! I like it!!!


----------



## TehOnlyMITTENS

How do those EMI protected risers work? Any performance hit?

I did some research and couldn't find anything saying using a riser card for something like a GPU was anything but "a bad idea". Let alone 4 7970s.


----------



## Chaython

Do want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Triniboi82

Now that's a mod


----------



## Terminus14

Well. As I sit here researching what case I want to buy for my upcoming build, I see this. Now I want to make one for myself...

One day...one day...


----------



## Bart

WOW. Just....WOW! If I owned that thing, I'd probably die of a heart attack from the added stress about worrying about that thing crashing to the ground because I hung it wrong.







Fantastic work!!!

EDIT: just watched the coolant video. Awesome!! Eating all that acid back in the 80s gave me an appreciation for things that resemble lava lamps.


----------



## discoprince

amazing


----------



## el gappo

Amazing work mate. Just popped it up on facebook and twitter. NZXT posted it as well


----------



## micul

very nice


----------



## Totally Dubbed

This is ridiculously sexy - well done!
I sense Logitech speakers?
I know those three green, black and yellow wires when I see them


----------



## Icekilla

I don't know if this has been asked before but... Didn't you just add A LOT of latency between the GPU's and the motherboard?


----------



## snoogins

Wow. Beautiful! Also, first time reddit has taken me to OCN.


----------



## Tux007

Amazing build. Had to log in just to leave a comment .


----------



## Dimaggio1103

Best mod I have ever seen.......Utterly amazing sir!


----------



## coachmark2

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Dimaggio1103*
> 
> Best mod I have ever seen.......Utterly amazing sir!


I was going to say this and then saw that you had. Completely absurdly wonderfully awesome. Easily the neatest build I've ever seen in many many years.


----------



## Bruennis

Wow man... THE BEST that I've EVER seen here or anywhere

Words can't describe the work you've done here...


----------



## BonzaiTree

Incredible dude!

Funny, I saw this on Reddit and thought--this guy should totally post this on OCN.

Turns out you had!


----------



## jlhawn

There are no words.


----------



## Drenlin

Dude, this is sick. Very well done, sir.

NZXT even linked it on their facebook page, haha:


----------



## RussianJ

MOTH with no question


----------



## spidey81

Damn! Funny thing is I was considering doing something similar to this. And it's actually the first wall mount rig that I've seen that really really impresses! Very nice indeed...


----------



## PCModderMike

Awesome custom work...I really like it.


----------



## MorgsTouch

Hey man thanks for sharing this amazing work.

Simply awesome....


----------



## SergAkaDuHa

Incredible dude. WOW
I want one too now....







:thumb:


----------



## zyezye

MotM? MotM... ? MotM!!!!!


----------



## mironccr345

oh man, this is awesome work! Great job!


----------



## t00sl0w

wow.....i dont even know what to say....incredible man.


----------



## Mainsil

Awesome build! It is nice to see something so different from the usual.


----------



## AbidingDude

nice work OP
you are a god amongst men


----------



## hedgehogbrown

Wait, is it 4 video cards or 2? I seem to see 4 early in the log, but then the finished article is 2?


----------



## koven

havent posted in a while but this is just next-level, impeccable style and execution -- well done

just one thing, i think the coolant is unnecessary especially with your colored tubing, never tried EK but using coolant will usually increase the need for maintenance in the future.. plus, when the frozenq res lights up it's hard to tell anyway


----------



## jetsam

awesome sauce


----------



## Buehlar

WoW...that just made me sick!
Great job on everything!
Thanks for sharing, this belongs in an art gallery


----------



## maestro0428

Awesome! I don't see wall PC nearly as much as I used to, so it's great to see. Just awesome.


----------



## PCModderMike

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hedgehogbrown*
> 
> Wait, is it 4 video cards or 2? I seem to see 4 early in the log, but then the finished article is 2?


The pic during the building phase where you saw 4 cards included the two 7970's used in this wall build and his two older video cards pulled from that rig he tore down. I don't recall him mentioning what kind of cards those were though.


----------



## cainy1991

Good work sir, your build quality looks top notch!

because of my personal preference in being able to move my computer
easily and quick... I would never wall mount...but that's my paranoid self









But if I did I can tell you one thing from running multiple open air systems over the years
....the dust.... oh god the DUST! I found myself having to disconnect my rads and actually
wash them every few months as they became so caked in dust.

Annnd a fan/waterblock on the VRM/MOSFET helps
extend the life of the board a fair amount when running
extreme overclocks... as I assume you would
running a custom water loop.


----------



## Dmz96

Isn't there a saying where the best way to protect something is to hang it on a wall out of reach?

Either way, this is one sweeeet build


----------



## RavageTheEarth

This is hands down MOTM. Unless someone builds a floating watercooled computer with 10,000mm rad space, 32 GPU's, 20 D5's and 4 4960x CPUs soldered on to the solid gold plated motherboard that was painstakingly crafted in a cold Alaskan land with someone's last survival materials. They had to give their life to create this motherboard!








< This does not accurately represent how this build makes me feel








< This also does not represent how I feel

Anyways, I think you understand what I mean. Thank you for bringing sexy back with a vengeance.

Congrats & Good Job,

Sorry for the spazzing. I just haven't gotten this excited about a build in a long time.


----------



## ezikiel12




----------



## terraprime

Dude this Build is insane, I like it so much I so only seen this cause I was on Facebook and had to share it with all my fellow friends that are PC capable if you know what I mean lol. And I love how everything just seems pretty flush with the wall and does not stick out to far. MAGNIFICENT you should win a modding award for this bad boy!.


----------



## sabin1981

That thing is crazy outstanding. Amazing stuff!


----------



## whitegold

This is out of this world. You make my rig look like ****.


----------



## Genocide_Jim

Great to know that about the riser ribbon. I've often thought about re positioning cards in custom builds but wondered about their performance ability.


----------



## kevinf

Wow! almost speechless.

inspirational mod... I want to mount a computer to the back of my TV.. great ideas


----------



## Nixalot

Absolutely incredible. Great job


----------



## kevinf

My company uses these PCIe adapters / extenders.. worth a look for future projects

http://www.adexelec.com/pciexp.htm

as well as http://www.amfeltec.com/products/x1x16pcie-riser.php


----------



## von rottes

IT'S SO PRETTY!


----------



## SneezyPepper

Saw this on NZXT and KitGuru FB page. Was wondering where I can see the build log... and it's nice to see that you posted it here at OCN.

Nice and clean....and excellent build!

+rep!


----------



## altsanity

This is a thing of beauty. Personally, I would have gone with the EK FC7970 CSQ to show off the coolant, but really, this is an amazing build


----------



## Zonda

Awesome!


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Totally Dubbed*
> 
> This is ridiculously sexy - well done!
> I sense Logitech speakers?
> I know those three green, black and yellow wires when I see them


You have a keen eye dear sir! The cables are from my old Logitech speakers. But I'm using Polk Audio Monitor 40B II for my front and rear speakers.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hedgehogbrown*
> 
> Wait, is it 4 video cards or 2? I seem to see 4 early in the log, but then the finished article is 2?


I was cleaning out the WC loop in my other rig which had 2 more 7970s when that picture was taken. Just thought it was cool having 4 cards out together.


----------



## Sp33d Junki3

WOW! Speechless.
I think I messed myself.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *koven*
> 
> havent posted in a while but this is just next-level, impeccable style and execution -- well done
> 
> just one thing, i think the coolant is unnecessary especially with your colored tubing, never tried EK but using coolant will usually increase the need for maintenance in the future.. plus, when the frozenq res lights up it's hard to tell anyway


Thank you for the compliment!
Yes I do agree with you on the coolant. I used a very light mix (about 150mL of EK coolant to distilled water for the entire rig) mainly for its anti-corrosion and anti-algae properties. It also gives the water a slight glow around the UV cathode in the reservoir which looks pretty nice.


----------



## kingchris

fantanstic build..







well done.
pci ribbons can be a bugger. had issues with mine in my last build, and i may have them with my new build. i have powered ones now, but still build the system so dont know if they are any better.
but thanks for the info on the issue.


----------



## Chopper1591

Kudos on the craftsmanship men.

I think I am in love....
This is so awesome. I am so going to do this when I have the money and time someday.


----------



## Genocide_Jim

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kevinf*
> 
> Wow! almost speechless.
> 
> inspirational mod... I want to mount a computer to the back of my TV.. great ideas


http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=19325&gclid=CN_Jo5O6trkCFQgepQodXwYAnQ


----------



## ThaSpacePope

Carbon fiber is so over done but this is a pretty damn impressive project.


----------



## killerfromsky

Is tommy a main coone perhaps? He looks like almost an exact copy of my cat








Great work on the build! How are the PCI extenders working for you?


----------



## iRUSH

Holy crap, this is a work or art! P-Casso


----------



## sat1va

Effing crazy mate.

What a feeling it would have been to step back and look at the finished product after all that planning my God!!!

Mad props


----------



## ssgtnubb

So much win!!!


----------



## july57

That is awesome. No need to say more.

PS: Running a Bloomfield over here as well (i7 930)


----------



## dumb321

This definitely deserves MOTM. As soon as I logged in I had to come comment on this, absolutely stunning.


----------



## V1ct1m1z3r




----------



## MadVector

so awesome


----------



## Zackcy

Saw this on Reddit, amazing.


----------



## DaXxJaPxX

absolutely amazing.


----------



## kithylin

I think we still don't have a definitive answer, is this thing overclocked or stock?


----------



## iSin

Mother of god... Do you mind if I spank it a bit to those pictures?


----------



## schizox

This is the best build I've seen this year, good job my friend.
One question though, does it get dusty?


----------



## lostsurfer

Simply amazing, true art work.


----------



## FireBean

Mind=Blown

Your next challenge to make one that folds up for transport to show off at lan parties.


----------



## Saturos

Words cannot accurately describe how awesome this build is. Great job OP!


----------



## kevinf

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Genocide_Jim*
> 
> http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=19325&gclid=CN_Jo5O6trkCFQgepQodXwYAnQ


Ahh, but my 40" TV is already vesa mounted to the wall on a full motion arm







. I want to reuse the extra rails on the back.

Need to do something similar to this mod, but two pieces of lexan one on left of arm with mobo, and one on right with HDDs

(the HTPC would do routing so the router would be removed, as well the L,R,C speakers would be wall mounted instead).. right now i just have my cheapo 2.1 Logitech system connected, and my computer upstairs via 20ft HDMI..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/veipnap3txg92hf/2013-08-21%2022.57.50.jpg

@OP, i may PM you later once I start my mod to probe your brain..


----------



## Hazzeedayz

:O
holy crap man, hell of a build
very outside of the box (







)

dude you gotta point me in the direction of what you used to hook up your GPUs off-board
I've been looking for something like that for months

EDIT: Never mind, found it in your build log
thanks for the link and the awesome build pics


----------



## Purger

Wow, that thing looks amazing! I wanted to do womething like this for an upcoming build, but I could never hope top make something look so great, big props!


----------



## MadScientist565

hey next time you work with acrylic take a gander at flame polishing the edges. nice build def unique


----------



## Simplynicko

JESUS CHRIST IN HEAVEN. WOW


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> I think we still don't have a definitive answer, is this thing overclocked or stock?


It's running stock at the moment. I had absolutely 0 airflow across the board, and the NB/SB was idling at 65°C.
I just put down 2 fans behind my monitors blowing upwards.



Don't worry! I have my 4.4GHz profile saved and ready to go!


----------



## Swisser

That my friend is a work of art. Or porn... Definitely porn...


----------



## kithylin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> It's running stock at the moment. I had absolutely 0 airflow across the board, and the NB/SB was idling at 65°C.
> I just put down 2 fans behind my monitors blowing upwards.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't worry! I have my 4.4GHz profile saved and ready to go!


That's the only problem with switching to water cooling I found with my build, my VRM/choke/mosfet temperature sensor reads around 85c under full load, and the primary chipset sensor reads upper 70's C almost all the time, even with "light" load just playing games with 10% cpu utilization. Seems we still need some fans even with water, sadly.


----------



## F3ERS 2 ASH3S

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> That's the only problem with switching to water cooling I found with my build, my VRM/choke/mosfet temperature sensor reads around 85c under full load, and the primary chipset sensor reads upper 70's C almost all the time, even with "light" load just playing games with 10% cpu utilization. Seems we still need some fans even with water, sadly.


could almost build a plexiglass encloser and use curves and fans to increase air flow over problem areas

amazing though so pretty!


----------



## andydviking

B.E.A.UTIFUL!!! Great build man. Looks awesome!


----------



## SiberianGhost

OMG That wall is soooooo sexy!!!!


----------



## burticus

That absolutely reeks of effort. Pretty cool looking though...


----------



## smoka

Wow, that's just awesome.. Love it!

I'm still trying to find out how to properly hide the wires on my new case with cable management (Cooler Master HAF 932)... That alone will probably take me a week, so building a rig like yours would probably take me a year








Quote:


> Originally Posted by *FireBean*
> 
> Mind=Blown
> 
> Your next challenge to make one that folds up for transport to show off at lan parties.


Do they still have those? I thought they died out once broadband speeds were common (a decade or two ago)


----------



## H3||scr3am

First off, beautiful build







amazing work









Second off, Congratulations on making the front page of Hackaday!

http://hackaday.com/2013/09/06/a-pc-rig-that-belongs-on-the-wall-of-an-art-museum-2/


----------



## magic8192

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *H3||scr3am*
> 
> First off, beautiful build
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> amazing work
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Second off, Congratulations on making the front page of Hackaday!
> 
> http://hackaday.com/2013/09/06/a-pc-rig-that-belongs-on-the-wall-of-an-art-museum-2/


I just came here from hackaday. Congrats


----------



## Chopper1591

Cant you put the nb and vrm's under water?


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Chopper1591*
> 
> Cant you put the nb and vrm's under water?


I'm considering it. Got someone offering $80 for the EK R3E block. But I think it'll make the motherboard area look messy by having the series connection to the R3E block as well.

Any thoughts?


----------



## IanVC

All of my why.


----------



## Yungbenny911

That's Ridiculously wonderful







... Great job mister







.... Even though i hate your choice of GPU's







...


----------



## Bart

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> I'm considering it. Got someone offering $80 for the EK R3E block. But I think it'll make the motherboard area look messy by having the series connection to the R3E block as well.
> 
> Any thoughts?


I think you could pull it off. I can see some straight short tube runs looking good here. With those GPUs out of the way, it might not look as messy as you think. Especially with straight (rigid?) tubing.


----------



## wermad

Insane







!!!!


----------



## KonaJoe

Now there's some wall art that would really make Mona Lisa smile!!

Congrats on a job very well done!!


----------



## vtech1

if only i had a workshop...


----------



## boxwunder13

That is so awesome. Looks real clean mounted on the wall behind those monitors. Well played sir, well played.


----------



## nvidiaftw12

Beautiful mate. Also must be super easy to work on.


----------



## Scorpion667

Amazing build!

I didn't realize you had two cards in there until closer inspection

Love the idea to use PCI-E extenders!


----------



## AngryFuture

This thing has been all over the internet this week. Ive seen it on FB and twiiter several times.

Props to some awesome work duder.


----------



## dman811

This is quite possibly the sexiest computer I have ever seen.


----------



## Buehlar

Over 30,000 views in just over a day! WoW


----------



## pepi93

speechless is an understatement.


----------



## bhav

I am sad that my internet has just gone totally crap and cannot load these pictures


----------



## Aleckazee

wow









Where did you get the giant sticker for the acrylic?


----------



## boxwunder13

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> That's the only problem with switching to water cooling I found with my build, my VRM/choke/mosfet temperature sensor reads around 85c under full load, and the primary chipset sensor reads upper 70's C almost all the time, even with "light" load just playing games with 10% cpu utilization. Seems we still need some fans even with water, sadly.


I was looking at the build, just taking the whole thing in and I think that with water cooling on the VRM's and NB it would not look like too much tubing. It could be fairly straight lines or the nice curves like the tubes for the GPU's. It is an amazing build. Thanks for sharing Show4Pro!


----------



## aatje92

This is sick, nice job man


----------



## sunset1

First of all ;:>
There should be a special award for this.
I have to ask if you are a project manager in some alternate life?

But the best part of this build is that you have brought all of these people to OCN.. Awesome Job!

I got chills when I saw the hackaday link. Really.

Ok Next week it will be Late night with.....

Last but not least functional wall art..

Sunset1


----------



## yesitsmario

Awesome stuff, 5/5!!


----------



## Rafa-K

That's so cool, great job mate


----------



## GreenNeon

Dampen the HDD's on the base plate and cover them in a sealed acrylic box? Wouldn't that reduce the noise?


----------



## JambonJovi

Chrisht on a bicycle!!! This is amazing.

+REP


----------



## caenlen

really well done, minus the choice of gpu, crossfire is terrible imo. tried 7950 CF, ./shivers at the nightmare


----------



## Cruze

Totally awesome


----------



## kflipz

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Hazzeedayz*
> 
> :O
> holy crap man, hell of a build
> very outside of the box (
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> )
> 
> dude you gotta point me in the direction of what you used to hook up your GPUs off-board
> I've been looking for something like that for months
> 
> EDIT: Never mind, found it in your build log
> thanks for the link and the awesome build pics


Could you show me what you found? I couldn't seem to find it in the thread, and some google inquiries brought me to a product that serves the same function (I think) but I'm not sure that it is the one OP used. Thanks!


----------



## sleekz

Can someone please explain why he's using a ****ty soundcard instead of a DAC and amp?


----------



## Hits9Nine

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sleekz*
> 
> Can someone please explain why he's using a ****ty soundcard instead of a DAC and amp?


His soundcard is fine, at least he is not using the onboard audio.


----------



## JambonJovi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kflipz*
> 
> Could you show me what you found? I couldn't seem to find it in the thread, and some google inquiries brought me to a product that serves the same function (I think) but I'm not sure that it is the one OP used. Thanks!


This >>> http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/8KC3-0726-0500/3M12026-ND/3641403

Great idea


----------



## Rykoshet

I am going to steal this for an HTPC rig I have in mind (no need for water cooling)

Screw m-ITX cases, hang it on your wall!

Thanks mate.


----------



## Woodies0351

This thing is just soooo cool.
Big props, +rep for taking detailed photos!


----------



## kithylin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Hits9Nine*
> 
> His soundcard is fine, at least he is not using the onboard audio.


Actually the onboard sound on modern motherboards today is completely adequate for 99% of most people's needs. The only reason anyone ever needs any kind of add-on sound card these days is for music production/editing.


----------



## Buehlar

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> *Actually the onboard sound on modern motherboards today is completely adequate for 99% of most people's needs*. The only reason anyone ever needs any kind of add-on sound card these days is for music production/editing.


Agreed
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sleekz*
> 
> Can someone please explain why he's using a ****ty soundcard instead of a DAC and amp?


Just enjoy the view bro


----------



## fedrosishere

One question. Are you a millionair ? lol


----------



## Hits9Nine

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> Actually the onboard sound on modern motherboards today is completely adequate for 99% of most people's needs. The only reason anyone ever needs any kind of add-on sound card these days is for music production/editing.


I notice a BIG difference in sound quality from using my onboard audio to my soundcard on all fronts.


----------



## axiumone

Incredible. Very well done.


----------



## kithylin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Hits9Nine*
> 
> I notice a BIG difference in sound quality from using my onboard audio to my soundcard on all fronts.


You're in a extremely small minority group there. I have very sensitive ears and hear sounds most folks don't even notice (I can hear the buzzing from "power bricks" for various devices doing their switching, for example) And even I can't tell the difference in an X-Fi sound card and the onboard on my EVGA x58 board, even with both connected to a stereo receiver. That's just me though.


----------



## Moragg

This is so cool.

You should patent the idea and then license it to a case manufacturer. That way us mere mortals could get something similar


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sleekz*
> 
> Can someone please explain why he's using a ****ty soundcard instead of a DAC and amp?


That sound card is actually quite good for gaming. Love the "beam forming" microphone that came with it. The sound quality is non short of amazing. I also have


Spoiler: this






sitting off frame just to the left of the first picture.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fedrosishere*
> 
> One question. Are you a millionair ? lol


Ha I wish. The raw material for the mount was pretty cheap. I think it was around $80 for 2 sheets of 4mm acrylic and a 4'x4' hardboard. The carbon fiber vinyl was $60 of ebay. The rest was just hard labor putting it together.


----------



## Nexo

Wow so neat!


----------



## Thrasher1016

What little e-peen I had before just shrank like it go dipped in cold water...

*SO WICKED.*

Some of your work give me ideas; I could never succeed at copying the whole thing, but there's some neat touches I wanna try with my stuff!

Thanks - T


----------



## Osco

Absolutely awesome!! A bit overwhelming for a newbie builder like me, but amazing build!!


----------



## NinjaSushi2

Holy hell this is bad ass.


----------



## ozlay

do those type of risers fit under a video card such as a 680 thats blocking a pcie slot i been wondering because id like to have access to one of my pcie slots that are blocked by a video card by looking at the picture it looks like maybe it would fit under a card but im not sure?


----------



## Gtalover1234

Dude u r ****** genius.. totally cool rig.









hey can you help to choose motherboard between ASRock 990FX Extreme4 and ASRock 990FX Extreme9 or any good AM3+ socket motherboard..
please


----------



## /\/_|_\/\

Did you even try?


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ozlay*
> 
> do those type of risers fit under a video card such as a 680 thats blocking a pcie slot i been wondering because id like to have access to one of my pcie slots that are blocked by a video card by looking at the picture it looks like maybe it would fit under a card but im not sure?


Probably not.. depending on your video card. I measure for you; for the regular ribbon type risers, the distance from the top of the PCIe slot to the top of the tightest bend is 12mm. I tried with a dual slot 5870 and it won't fit with a riser plugged into the slot right below it.


----------



## sunset1

I just read your computer description again and it seems like we need an effective acronym for your mod.
See what you have started now..


----------



## ozlay

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> Probably not.. depending on your video card. I measure for you; for the regular ribbon type risers, the distance from the top of the PCIe slot to the top of the tightest bend is 12mm. I tried with a dual slot 5870 and it won't fit with a riser plugged into the slot right below it.


thanks you so much


----------



## ALEXH-

God damn dude this is amazing. I saw multiple posts about this build come up on Facebook!

Breathtaking.


----------



## Hits9Nine

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ozlay*
> 
> thanks you so much


Take a look at this video






I think this may help you


----------



## ChristTheGreat

Just Wow!!!


----------



## Quarker

Pure brilliance and awesomely creative craftsmanship. Everything just looks perfect! The lighting + carbon fibre-look especially.


----------



## bowmanvmi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> Actually the onboard sound on modern motherboards today is completely adequate for 99% of most people's needs. The only reason anyone ever needs any kind of add-on sound card these days is for music production/editing.


And the average stock computer is completely adequate for 99% of most people's needs. What's your point?

Point is I have to run a card to output a signal so an amp can upmix it to 7.1 surround.


----------



## Killam0n

Since walking into a computer shop one day and seeing their POS terminal running off of a motherboard mounted to the wall I have had an appreciation for wall mounted setups. I wanted to wall mount my computer for a while, but couldn't find a solution I felt comfortable with also due to ESD risk as well as RF interference - I am sure its not of grave concern but one of my friends brought up that without a metal grounded case the computer is more likely to be susceptible to RF, and or emit RF interference so I was somewhat turned off to the idea.. until I saw your build.

Excellent work.


----------



## Squeeker The Cat

AWESOME!!!!









i hope you take an air can to that every day to keep dust and kitty hair off!!


----------



## Mongo

How hot do those Hard drives get?


----------



## SOCOM_HERO

EPIC. Tech of Tomorrow featured this build today. I knew it was an OCN build before they featured it, but I needed to comment to congratulate the OP in his creative endevor, at a performance level that makes sense for just about everyone, you don't need the latest and greatest components to build an amazing system.


----------



## Dcode

Looks really excellent, I admire the hard work and craftsman ship you put into this


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mongo*
> 
> How hot do those Hard drives get?




The black drives are a little on the warm side, but nothing too crazy. Ambient is 25°C right now.


----------



## ozlay

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> 
> 
> The black drives are a little on the warm side, but nothing too crazy. Ambient is 25°C right now.


you could always install fans behind the harddrives that be interesting


----------



## kithylin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bowmanvmi*
> 
> And the average stock computer is completely adequate for 99% of most people's needs. What's your point?
> 
> Point is I have to run a card to output a signal so an amp can upmix it to 7.1 surround.


And the onboard sound on my EVGA motherboard from 2010 even can do 7.1 out the optical port, I use it for movie watching all the time, connected to a stereo receiver and watch movies in 7.1 surround sound just fine.

Point is.. X-fi and pretty much all creative sound cards offer nothing the onboard can't do, and are a complete and utter waste of money.

But hey.. some people have money to burn on stuff that doesn't do anything, so more power to em. And.. it does look good.


----------



## Frozen-Q

Just wanted to pop in and say how amazing this build is! Excellent work!


----------



## Hits9Nine

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> And the onboard sound on my EVGA motherboard from 2010 even can do 7.1 out the optical port, I use it for movie watching all the time, connected to a stereo receiver and watch movies in 7.1 surround sound just fine.
> 
> Point is.. X-fi and pretty much all creative sound cards offer nothing the onboard can't do, and are a complete and utter waste of money.
> 
> But hey.. some people have money to burn on stuff that doesn't do anything, so more power to em. And.. it does look good.


Your right your onboard audio does sound "just fine" and my X-fi Titanium HD sounds great in 7.1.


----------



## XLifted

Like A BOSS....


----------



## dman811

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *XLifted*
> 
> Like A Sir...


FTFY


----------



## nanoprobe

Holy E-Peen batman. An absolutely beautiful build. Well done.


----------



## JambonJovi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> 
> Meet my helper Tommy.


----------



## AlderonnX

Stunning, even the non-computer savvy people I showed this photo thought it was awesome. /Slow Clap


----------



## ElectroManiac

This looks AMAZING.

This made me go for my lube and make a mess of myself









Good Job


----------



## TheSchnitzelkil

one of the most awesome casemods i've ever seen


----------



## Sin100




----------



## Chopper1591

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TheSchnitzelkil*
> 
> one of the most awesome casemods i've ever seen


Wall mod.









I want this as wall decoration in all the rooms in my house.


----------



## LancerVI

Stunning. Simply stunning. It is all well done.

Oh....and I want one. Name your price!


----------



## Poser

Beautiful


----------



## jackbrennan2008

Really well done. I haven't seen such an interesting design in a long time.

Top job!


----------



## kithylin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> 
> 
> The black drives are a little on the warm side, but nothing too crazy. Ambient is 25°C right now.


You may want to keep an eye on those, the maximum temps according to WDC are only 60c for those black drives.


----------



## rpm666

Love your style bro! Very sweet setup.


----------



## Sydfrey24

I was reading the 1st post w/ dropped jaw. Simply awesome.


----------



## Apex22

Awesome rig! Great pictures!


----------



## NickLe

Wow a great job!
What more, what more, what more can I say?


----------



## KLEANupguy7

awesome


----------



## mitchcook420

Great looking build! Good job


----------



## error0909

..nice







.....actually that's amazing!..never thought of a wall mounted PC....saves so much space (...well for me it would anyway)


----------



## lurker2501

I don't understand what all the hype is all about. It's not that the idea is original or something. Plus the tanks do not match the color scheme.


----------



## dman811

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lurker2501*
> 
> I don't understand what all the hype is all about. It's not that the idea is original or something. Plus the tanks do not match the color scheme.


Way to insult something someone worked hard on. Does it make you feel better about yourself?


----------



## V1ct1m1z3r

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lurker2501*
> 
> I don't understand what all the hype is all about. It's not that the idea is original or something. Plus the tanks do not match the color scheme.


This guy *custom built* *a wall-mounted, water-cooled* computer and the best thing that you can think to post is "meh" ?

Classy









I admire his build, but I simply appreciate that he shared his work and build log. Im sure others feel the same.


----------



## Moragg

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lurker2501*
> 
> I don't understand what all the hype is all about. It's not that the idea is original or something. Plus the tanks do not match the color scheme.


Troll detected!

Not to mention blind... the spirals are red, and just the coolant is blue to give it the "electric" look.


----------



## Spritanium

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *lurker2501*
> 
> I don't understand what all the hype is all about. It's not that the idea is original or something. Plus the tanks do not match the color scheme.


Your opinion is incorrect.


----------



## ozlay

inserts someonesjealous.gif


----------



## cptnighthawk666

hey i am interested in those pci adapters where do i get these things? and i am going to sleeve them.i am also considering mounting my video cards on the exterior of my case.and once again nice work.


----------



## u3b3rg33k

He posted a link earlier to where they come from.

I was wondering - are the cards running at PCIe 2.0 speeds? Last time I actually used cables that long that passed data quickly, they had twisted pairs in them:


I think that's why the cheap ones don't work, and I do remember flat 80 pin ATA cables, perhaps they pulled the same trick?


----------



## Penombre

Oh wow the design's incredible. Can't say I'm not jealous, though living in somewhere like California, I'd be paranoid what would happen to it in case of earthquakes (then again I don't trust my own building skills at all lol)


----------



## Bindusar

Beautiful Picture Perfect V2 (or have there been others??)...makes mine look like poop.


----------



## sunset1

what he said ^^^

2004?


----------



## aatje92

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Spritanium*
> 
> Your opinion is incorrect.


+1


----------



## Crazydood

I came across this video on youtube.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *u3b3rg33k*
> 
> He posted a link earlier to where they come from.
> 
> I was wondering - are the cards running at PCIe 2.0 speeds? Last time I actually used cables that long that passed data quickly, they had twisted pairs in them:
> 
> I think that's why the cheap ones don't work, and I do remember flat 80 pin ATA cables, perhaps they pulled the same trick?


Yep, they're running at PCIe 2.0 x16.
The 3M cables are "twin axial" cables. I'm not an expert but that might be similar to a twisted pair?


----------



## HardwareDecoder

when I first saw this I literally said some swear words out loud...... this thing is epic beautiful man.... good job.


----------



## irsh

Wow, that is amazingly creative.


----------



## craze4games

Top architecture I have seen in my life so far. Awesome job


----------



## deafboy

There are definitely a lot of things I would have done differently, but all in all I really enjoy this build. Haven't seen a proper wall mounted rig in a few years. Nice work.


----------



## P1kabal

Fantastic work m8!


----------



## Maxximus

WoW! Simply amazing.. Tom's Hardware posted it on facebook.. Congrats.


----------



## Paradigm84

Someone put this build on Reddit/ Imgur again also, no idea who, but it's on the main page of Imgur at least.











http://imgur.com/4gk9CuL


----------



## JambonJovi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Paradigm84*
> 
> Someone put this build on Reddit/ Imgur again also, no idea who, but it's on the main page of Imgur at least.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://imgur.com/4gk9CuL


LOL some of the comments on imgur are hilarious...







*wipes tear*


----------



## boxwunder13

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JambonJovi*
> 
> LOL some of the comments on imgur are hilarious...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *wipes tear*


I was reading them and shaking my head. How many people are going to comment on how many HDD's and SSD's there are and how they do not see the reason for all that space. Also the people wondering where the GPU's are. Haha. Great.


----------



## noiiaz

my.face.

This is really inspiring and out of all, awesome. You sir are a fantastic person with brilliant thoughts and I admire your talent 

Very well freaking done man


----------



## JambonJovi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *boxwunder13*
> 
> I was reading them and shaking my head. How many people are going to comment on how many HDD's and SSD's there are and how they do not see the reason for all that space. Also the people wondering where the GPU's are. Haha. Great.


I know ya... I understand that none of us are born with technical knowledge/experience,
and that certain ppl might not have the faintest idea about the concept of the build,
but some of the comments posted were born out of plain ignorance.

Still... the ones about "barber poles" crack me up.


----------



## Buehlar

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JambonJovi*
> 
> I know ya... I understand that none of us are born with technical knowledge/experience,
> and that certain ppl might not have the faintest idea about the concept of the build,
> but some of the comments posted were born out of plain ignorance.
> 
> Still... the ones about "barber poles" crack me up.


LOL those comments are nutz...

Question: But...but... where are the GPUs???

Answer: Right there, next to the flux capacitor!

Question: But...but...why have so many HDDs & SSDs??

Answer: Umm...why not?

Most ppl just haven't the slightest clue as to what they're looking at









A good read for a LOL though


----------



## veirge

This went viral, fast. Question though to OP, how do you deal with the dust on that. I mean, being out in the open and all.


----------



## scorpionvenom

amazing


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Paradigm84*
> 
> Someone put this build on Reddit/ Imgur again also, no idea who, but it's on the main page of Imgur at least.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://imgur.com/4gk9CuL


Wow that picture got more attention in 1 day than my whole album. It's great that people are posting links to here!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *veirge*
> 
> This went viral, fast. Question though to OP, how do you deal with the dust on that. I mean, being out in the open and all.


It's been up on for a couple of weeks now and there's not much dust on there at all. There are no fans actively pushing/pulling air across it. It's about 1 foot from the ceiling so I think the only major cause for dust would be static and random floating particles. Also, you are always looking at it from the bottom, so you don't notice the dust anyways.


----------



## dimaethor

Congratulations man... this is uber awesome.

I've always had this idea and wanted to do it just to have a computer without a case... but i never had the time to do it.


----------



## Crouch

This is definitely one of the best builds i ever saw! Simply amazing & brilliant


----------



## punker

foil did nothing because it may have not been grounded correctly


----------



## jmoorez2001

:thumb:now this is a awsome build for sure ..... i would at least add a flow meter or 2 in the bottom right hand cornner of the board with led's to fill the space up a bit more and so u can see the water flowing as well incase of a pump stopping


----------



## u3b3rg33k

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> Yep, they're running at PCIe 2.0 x16.
> The 3M cables are "twin axial" cables. I'm not an expert but that might be similar to a twisted pair?


is that running 2.0 because the cards are 2.0, because they're in link power saving mode, or because it can't run at 3.0 with that much extension cable?


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *u3b3rg33k*
> 
> is that running 2.0 because the cards are 2.0, because they're in link power saving mode, or because it can't run at 3.0 with that much extension cable?


The Rampage III Extreme doesn't support PCIe 3.0


----------



## Figit090

beautiful work!


----------



## AlphaC

Those 3M riser cables are a good find


----------



## daguardian

Such dedication, congratulations on a truly unique build


----------



## irul77

oh my god thats awesome


----------



## tmontney

I think you may have inspired in me a new way to put together a PC.


----------



## Bold Eagle

Arguably the best build I have seen to date. The design and visual creation turns high end functionality into a desirable visual construct. Exceptional effort and thank you for the stimulation.


----------



## geovas77

This Rig is amazing, PC Cases are overrated


----------



## TiezZ BE

Awesome!


----------



## BVM

Talk about thinking outside the box. WOW


----------



## fnkskyline07

Masterfully done and executed!

Only one question, how will you about maintaining this setup clean and clear from dust? Not that a little dust will completely break the setup, but I'm just curious as at this moment there is no cover over the components.

Again, congratulations on completing and assembling this setup.


----------



## CptGuapo

OH...MY...GOD!!!


----------



## daguardian

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fnkskyline07*
> 
> Masterfully done and executed!
> 
> Only one question, *how will you about maintaining this setup clean and clear from dust*? Not that a little dust will completely break the setup, but I'm just curious as at this moment there is no cover over the components.
> 
> Again, congratulations on completing and assembling this setup.




Get yourself one of these and never have a dust problem again, case or no case


----------



## Interpolation

..This is arguably one of the best builds of 2013. Thank you for sharing this technically complex, challenging, and truly inspiring build with us.


----------



## overclockerjames

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> Hey all, I just finished my wall mount water cooled rig. Took me 4 weeks and 100+ hr of work to put together, and I'd like to share with you guys the completed build log and rig gallery. Enjoy!


Where are the radiators?


----------



## overclockerjames

Finally found the radiators. So after all that work of mounting it on the wall, *you leave the radiators hanging out on the side on top of a bookshelf?*







Why??


----------



## videoman5

MoTM? No.
MoTY? No.
MoTD? No.
MoTC? No.
MoTM? HELLZ YEAH.

Seriously. Holy moley.

I've seen 100's of mods. This is the best I've ever, EVER seen.


----------



## [Adz]

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *overclockerjames*
> 
> Finally found the radiators. So after all that work of mounting it on the wall, *you leave the radiators hanging out on the side on top of a bookshelf?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Why??


Airflow.
Mount the rad on the wall and where will the air go?


----------



## EXVAS3221

What was the total cost







i like the look, but if you don't have thing better to do, than yea; i can see it...


----------



## overclockerjames

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *[Adz]*
> 
> Airflow.
> Mount the rad on the wall and where will the air go?


mount the rad on their side on the wall? Looks like there's plenty of room where the four tubes are.

the way it is now is like having a electric car that drives around with a long extension cord


----------



## faslane

I LOVE YOU!

Seriously though, this is amazing!

I'm from Spokane ;-0


----------



## bowmanvmi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *daguardian*
> 
> 
> 
> Get yourself one of these and never have a dust problem again, case or no case


Glad I finally broke down and bought one of these. In terms of paying for ****ty compressed air in a can, I could've bought one years ago.


----------



## overclockerjames

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bowmanvmi*
> 
> Glad I finally broke down and bought one of these. In terms of paying for ****ty compressed air in a can, I could've bought one years ago.


I just use a cheap $55 air compressor from walmart
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-1-Gallon-Air-Compressor/9189093

cheaper than that $70 datavac electric duster
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896367002

and air compressors can be used with lots of things like nail guns, inflate tires, airbrushing, etc


----------



## F3ERS 2 ASH3S

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *overclockerjames*
> 
> I just use a cheap $55 air compressor from walmart
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-1-Gallon-Air-Compressor/9189093
> 
> cheaper than that $70 datavac electric duster
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896367002
> 
> and air compressors can be used with lots of things like nail guns, inflate tires, airbrushing, etc


but also condenses moisture which is why it is a nono. horrible in humid climates..


----------



## kithylin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *overclockerjames*
> 
> I just use a cheap $55 air compressor from walmart
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-1-Gallon-Air-Compressor/9189093
> 
> cheaper than that $70 datavac electric duster
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16896367002
> 
> and air compressors can be used with lots of things like nail guns, inflate tires, airbrushing, etc


VERY BAD! BAD!

These condense (and expel) moisture on to your computer parts. Water and electrically connected devices = BAD. Also, typically the air is -NOT- filtered where it is taken in to these compressors, and thus you end up sending small debris flying at your sensitive electronics at very high speeds. I've heard horror stories from others that have actually dislodged surface mount components from their video card / motherboard / etc; using "shop compressors" and a nozzle before, there-by completely ruining their expensive components.

No one should ever be using these compressors for de-dusting computers, not even once. There's a reason that compressed cans of air are produced and sold.


----------



## overclockerjames

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kithylin*
> 
> VERY BAD! BAD!
> 
> These condense (and expel) moisture on to your computer parts. Water and electrically connected devices = BAD. Also, typically the air is -NOT- filtered where it is taken in to these compressors, and thus you end up sending small debris flying at your sensitive electronics at very high speeds. I've heard horror stories from others that have actually dislodged surface mount components from their video card / motherboard / etc; using "shop compressors" and a nozzle before, there-by completely ruining their expensive components.
> 
> No one should ever be using these compressors for de-dusting computers, not even once. There's a reason that compressed cans of air are produced and sold.


compressed cans of air blow frozen liquid (flurocarbon?) on your computer which is not good and can cause frostbite. If it's cold enough to cause a frostbite it can cause cracking on hot electronics if they're cooled off too quickly

a lot of overclock.net members say air compressors are fine:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1295356/is-it-bad-to-clean-a-computer-with-an-air-compressor

as for filtering the air: they usually do have a filter, and not much is going to go through that tiny nozzle

if someone is dislodging parts then they have the PSI up way too high and it is there own fault. The PSI can be dialed down to a lower number.


----------



## kithylin

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *overclockerjames*
> 
> compressed cans of air blow frozen liquid (flurocarbon?) on your computer which is not good and can cause frostbite. If it's cold enough to cause a frostbite it can cause cracking on hot electronics if they're cooled off too quickly
> 
> a lot of overclock.net members say air compressors are fine:
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1295356/is-it-bad-to-clean-a-computer-with-an-air-compressor
> 
> as for filtering the air: they usually do have a filter, and not much is going to go through that tiny nozzle
> 
> if someone is dislodging parts then they have the PSI up way too high and it is there own fault. The PSI can be dialed down to a lower number.


It's always been a long standing rule for years and years everyone is supposed to always know you never use shop compressors for computers, it's even documented in most every computer repair / tech books I've ever read.

I've used small "pancake" compressors before, for airing up tyres and stuff. They don't have a PSI setting, just an on and off switch and a gauge to show full/low they just run at the max PSI they're rated for every time, and the cheap $35 one I had from walmart didn't have any sort of filter what so ever.

No one should be advocating or endorsing the use of shop compressors on computers, you're misleading folks that don't know any better.

"canned air" only freezes things if you turn it upside down. And.. no one does that while dusting, right? There's even warnings on the side of the cans not to turn em upside down, or shake while dusting.


----------



## RavageTheEarth

Hmm this is interesting. I have always used my huge shop compressor to blow dust and even water (once) from leaks off of my computer components.


----------



## overclockerjames

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *RavageTheEarth*
> 
> Hmm this is interesting. I have always used my huge shop compressor to blow dust and even water (once) from leaks off of my computer components.


I have to agree with you. Last year immakulate asked if it was bad to clean a computer with an air compressor. 14 replies, everyone said it was fine.

Another overclock.net thread saying air compressors are fine

HardForum thinks air compressors are fine too.

Howtogeek.com says air compressors are fine but vacuums are not

Google it and everyone says using an air compressor on computers is fine.

There's small risks, like if the PSI is crazy high (like 1650psi powerwashing levels) it can damage components, but the smaller compressors don't usually have high PSI (max out around 60-100psi) and the larger compressors are adjustable. Some said that when air compresses moisture can come out, but the water usually comes out first so just spray a few seconds into your hand and you're fine, or turn the PSI down so it's too low for water to come out of the tank.

Only site that said air compressors were bad is ricksdailytips.com
http://www.ricksdailytips.com/dont-remove-dust-with-air-compressor/
He complains about the water and the high PSI, but I've covered solutions to that and honestly rick does not sound like much of a PC expert according to his About Me page, his only expertise being he passed the A+ test and build about 150 computers in the 80s and 90s
http://www.ricksdailytips.com/about-rick/


----------



## dman811

Make a new thread for this debate seriously guys, why encroach upon someone else's thread more than is due?


----------



## Show4Pro

UPDATE!

Since we're on the topic of dust; It has been on the wall for almost 1 month without any dusting, and there is negligible amount of dust. Here is proof!




Some funny comments I got regarding dust
Quote:


> ... this thing would look like it snowed by morning.


Quote:


> Impressed. Must be a nightmare to keep dust free.


Quote:


> My paintings on my wall are not water cooled and I have to dust them once a month.


Quote:


> May the dust be with you.


Another thing I noticed. The EK UV reactive coolant seem to degrade with heat. As you can see in the 3rd picture, the right reservoir is a lot brighter than the left. The left is my GPU loop, and I let it run passively (no fans on the rad) through the massive RA3 rad. The water temp for that loop usually hovers around 35-42°C. Compared to the CPU loop with the triple rad, temps are usually 27ish.


----------



## Nightz2k

Love it, that build is just amazing. I'm in awe every time I see it, nice work!


----------



## vaporizer

i think i am in love with your set-up. great job


----------



## Lutfij

Massively amazing build!


----------



## ApoC_101

incredibly awesome build, well friggin done!!!!


----------



## intelink

Amazing build, very creative. Thank you for sharing so much detail. I am looking into the Risers because of you. Thanks again.


----------



## malzmidx

I'm not sure if you mentioned this but where did you get the shielded risers?


----------



## intelink

Poor guy. Me included, you are the hundreth guy to ask. I guess that's the cost of doing something awesome. Risers are from 3m. Link is on page 1 amongst the photos. Sorry on mobile can't paste.


----------



## JambonJovi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *malzmidx*
> 
> I'm not sure if you mentioned this but where did you get the shielded risers?


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *intelink*
> 
> Poor guy. Me included, you are the hundreth guy to ask. I guess that's the cost of doing something awesome. Risers are from 3m. Link is on page 1 amongst the photos. Sorry on mobile can't paste.


THIS


----------



## DsertFox2

I love the quality of the build.
I have access to a laser cutter back at school,
and boy would I use the heck of it to make a custom case out plexi and fiber.

I get my inspiration from this build




These guys did a pretty cool job with their ["NANO Tower" ITX SFF PC was scratch built by Maciej "Mike" Krysztofiak (aka phinix)]

Cheers, and keep up the good work!


----------



## xibrownbearix

Sweet build man. Im not even gonna ask the price


----------



## JasonKnight

Hi Show,

The big question....how much did it cost?


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JasonKnight*
> 
> Hi Show,
> 
> The big question....how much did it cost?


About $1500 in new watercooling parts and misc bits and pieces. The raw material for the wall mount was pretty cheap; 4x4 hardboard + sheet of acrylic was $40 at my local hardware store. The carbon fiber sticker was $60 off eBay. However, I did spend quite a lot of dollars getting new tools to be able to construct the thing. All the hardware I took from my old rig, but would probably work out to be around $2000 nowadays.

On an unrelated note, here's another video of me topping off the reservoir with UV coolant.


----------



## Chopper1591

Hey Show4Pro,

I have been following this build for some time now. But I hadn't expected it to be in this mod of the month.
You had it done already for some time now, right?

But nonetheless you totally deserve the titel.

Keep it up.


----------



## ludwigwestberg

I don't understand that triangular cut part. Could anyone help me out? What he meant by that.


----------



## SkitzoPhr3nia

I assume you are talking about the triangular cut he made to have the light disperse across the acrylic. I think it is basically a V shape cut out of the center and the LEDs are placed into that V.


----------



## Petyyyyy

Holy cow! Its look fantastic!


----------



## bobvilla

This is amazing... I'm thinking of doing something similar however one of the biggest criticisms I have heard is the latency between the mother board and the graphics card with the long PCI cables. Is there really a noticeable difference between using these shielded connectors opposed to the normal setup? I wouldn't think it would be that big of a deal, although some people seem to think it is.


----------



## simsim44

Truly an Awesome job, very well done. Very clean.









....inspiring.


----------



## fireduckzilla

This build is so Crazy I actually registered specifically to ask you questions.

I'm about to do a very similar build myself, but substantially smaller (matx), and I want to know couple things:


How did you mount the graphics cards? You have 2 there, but I can't see how you have them separated/mounted.


Where are your rads, and how are you getting air to them?


How have you hung it on the wall? Brackets etc?

Thanks,
Fireduck


----------



## overclockerjames

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fireduckzilla*
> 
> This build is so Crazy I actually registered specifically to ask you questions.
> 
> I'm about to do a very similar build myself, but substantially smaller (matx), and I want to know couple things:
> 
> 
> How did you mount the graphics cards? You have 2 there, but I can't see how you have them separated/mounted.
> 
> 
> Where are your rads, and how are you getting air to them?
> 
> 
> How have you hung it on the wall? Brackets etc?
> 
> Thanks,
> Fireduck


i don't know about the rest of the questions, but his radiators are on the side on the bookshelf, they're not mounted to the board like everything else. If you look at some of the pictures you can see the tubes running off to the right and to the radiators

edit here's a photo:


----------



## JambonJovi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fireduckzilla*
> 
> 
> 
> How did you mount the graphics cards? You have 2 there, but I can't see how you have them separated/mounted.


He used these PCIe risers >>> LINK


----------



## SteamSpoon

Just on the subject of compressors, many (at least mine) have a glass bell specifically designed for any moisture to condense into to prevent water spraying out, and it also has a filter


----------



## F3ERS 2 ASH3S

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SteamSpoon*
> 
> Just on the subject of compressors, many (at least mine) have a glass bell specifically designed for any moisture to condense into to prevent water spraying out, and it also has a filter


There is also static electricity other wise this patent would not exist
http://www.google.com/patents/EP1064054A4


----------



## SteamSpoon

Fair point, I have never cleaned a PC using mine, I was merely pointing it out. That patent actually seems like a really good idea


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *fireduckzilla*
> 
> This build is so Crazy I actually registered specifically to ask you questions.
> 
> I'm about to do a very similar build myself, but substantially smaller (matx), and I want to know couple things:
> 
> 
> How did you mount the graphics cards? You have 2 there, but I can't see how you have them separated/mounted.
> 
> 
> Where are your rads, and how are you getting air to them?
> 
> 
> How have you hung it on the wall? Brackets etc?
> 
> Thanks,
> Fireduck


For the GPU:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1424387/lightbox/post/20743744/id/1643822
I glued 2 pieces of supporting shelf to the panel to hold up the GPUs. From the picture, you can see a short piece to the left and a long piece to the right of the PCIe plug. There were also 2 screw holes I used on the GPU (1 hole which used to mount the PCI bracket, and the other to mount the stock cooler), which I tapped matching threaded holes into the acrylic to screw the card down for extra security.

I have 2 rads, they are both on the shelf to the right side of my computer. I have a 6ft long Molex extension that runs a fan controller on the shelf as well. That powers all 12 silent fans for the rads.

Unfortunately I don't really have a good picture of the wall mounting mechanism. I'll try my best to describe it.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1424387/lightbox/post/20743744/id/1643817
On that picture, you can see a 1x2 glossy beam near the top of the frame. That beam is attached securely to the frame with 6 screws and lots of wood glue.

The attachment to the wall is made by using a L piece. I have 3 of those L pieces each screwed into a stud behind the wall with 5 screws. Keeping in mind that the 1x2 piece is attached to the computer.. One would simply lift the whole computer above the L piece, and slide it down on top of it. The tops of the L pieces are carefully measured to nudge up against both the bottom edge of the top frame and the bottom of the 1x2 beam.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Skuli

Show4Pro, props on a sweet and unique build. Love it.


----------



## joshuamapuhi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *trivium nate*
> 
> wow man thats sick!!!


i have one questions
where do you buy all your componets & your cables at/bitfenix and the corsair ones.


----------



## sjwpwpro

This rig is so amazing I made it my background. I think i have ever seen anything so awesome in my entire life.


----------



## u3b3rg33k

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SteamSpoon*
> 
> Just on the subject of compressors, many (at least mine) have a glass bell specifically designed for any moisture to condense into to prevent water spraying out, and it also has a filter


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *F3ERS 2 ASH3S*
> 
> There is also static electricity other wise this patent would not exist
> http://www.google.com/patents/EP1064054A4


Generally speaking, if you have a moisture issue, you don't have a static charge issue. that's why we use humidifiers on furnaces during the winter.


----------



## JackNaylorPE

I am actually tinkering with a similar design so finding this was great ..... actually planning a cabinet type design with glass front, twin 560 rads along the top and rigid acrylic tubing

had a question about the PCIE riser cabling ....if it flexible or stiff ? .... available with 90 ends ? Reason i ask isi wonder if could be safely hid under Asus Thermal Armor

I also kinda surprised that the industry hasn't come up wit acrylic "frames" ..... think a picture frame in standard component sizes (SSD, HD, etc) that had a Z- flange that ya could screw down to ya board, mount lighting underneath and thereby "frame" ya components thereby hiding all the wiring connections.


----------



## donkristo

How much does this rig build out from the wall? Whats the depth?


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JackNaylorPE*
> 
> I am actually tinkering with a similar design so finding this was great ..... actually planning a cabinet type design with glass front, twin 560 rads along the top and rigid acrylic tubing
> 
> had a question about the PCIE riser cabling ....if it flexible or stiff ? .... available with 90 ends ? Reason i ask isi wonder if could be safely hid under Asus Thermal Armor
> 
> I also kinda surprised that the industry hasn't come up wit acrylic "frames" ..... think a picture frame in standard component sizes (SSD, HD, etc) that had a Z- flange that ya could screw down to ya board, mount lighting underneath and thereby "frame" ya components thereby hiding all the wiring connections.


The riser is thin and flexible. Can easily make even 180 bends. I'm not sure how much clearance you have under the Thermal Armor, you will need at least 3mm for the cable to run underneath.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *donkristo*
> 
> How much does this rig build out from the wall? Whats the depth?


The surface with the carbon fiber is 1 1/2" from the wall. Looking from the side, the board is 1" thick with a 1/2" gap between it and the wall for the mounting mechanism and some room for the wires in the back.


----------



## TheGenesis

really nice work!

but i have a question

how do you fix a power supply??


----------



## JackNaylorPE

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> The riser is thin and flexible. Can easily make even 180 bends. I'm not sure how much clearance you have under the Thermal Armor, you will need at least 3mm for the cable to run underneath.


Muchos grassass !


----------



## iiDeadSeriousii

Some people are inspired by great works of art like paintings and sculptures but this thing has been on my mind for weeks since I first saw it. I can truly appreciate the hard work that's gone into this thing.

I am going to attempt this in 2014. I'm undecided on getting new components or just going with my current build. I have a few questions:

The HDD/SSD mounts, how difficult were they? Were the holes for screwing down those components already there? Same question for the GPU's, I know you said you used the existing screw holes that held the cooler and the bracket, but in between the two cards did you use standoffs or something? And that SLI watercooling bridge, is it an in/out setup from the same side? I always thought you had to go in one side and out the other end.

Lastly, besides the PCIe risers, what was the toughest part of the build?


----------



## DatBrotato

show4pro

I'm doing a similar build and plan on making a thread for it as well, i'm almost done, but i've hit a brick wall. It sounds absolutely stupid but i've shorted TWO boards.. I bought a pair of powered 19cm riser cables(powered=they come with molex connectors), daisy chained them together and it would appear they are the source of my problem, I can't think that it would be anything else. Do you think that the length is just too long for the risers, being that they're un-shielded? Or possibly that it's fact that they're powered?

I'm about to bite the bullet and buy the 3M ones you used, but I really wanna make sure that's the issue. What do you think?
Note: i've checked all the mounts and everything is properly grounded with spacers. PSU is fine, no exposed LED wiring that could cause interference.

Also, are you experiencing any latency, instability, power issues with the 3M risers?

Please respond, I'm holding off on the order of the 3M riser until i hear for you.

I swear if I burn another board i'm throwing this build in the trash and just gonna buy a conventional case. I've been working on this for weeks and the man hours i've put into it only to get stuck one step before finishing is driving me insane.

here's what I have so far:
a pale shadow compared to your build....


edit: i've since fixed the water loop and it doesn't look quite that messy anymore. It goes reservoir-->pump-->radiator---> water blocks. Hope that makes sense


----------



## DatBrotato

ah, I found your benchmark post:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1427731/pci-express-extender-cables-benchmarked#post_20824553


----------



## donkristo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> The surface with the carbon fiber is 1 1/2" from the wall. Looking from the side, the board is 1" thick with a 1/2" gap between it and the wall for the mounting mechanism and some room for the wires in the back.


I was more wondering how much the rig is building out







Like from the wall to the highest point. Maybe the top of the pump or reservoirs? (Dont need how much it builds at the the PSU


----------



## darwing

One of the most amazing builds out there,

only thing I would change is toss on 1/2" EK Acrylic tubing everywhere


----------



## el gappo

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DatBrotato*
> 
> show4pro
> 
> I'm doing a similar build and plan on making a thread for it as well, i'm almost done, but i've hit a brick wall. It sounds absolutely stupid but i've shorted TWO boards.. I bought a pair of powered 19cm riser cables(powered=they come with molex connectors), daisy chained them together and it would appear they are the source of my problem, I can't think that it would be anything else. Do you think that the length is just too long for the risers, being that they're un-shielded? Or possibly that it's fact that they're powered?
> 
> I'm about to bite the bullet and buy the 3M ones you used, but I really wanna make sure that's the issue. What do you think?
> Note: i've checked all the mounts and everything is properly grounded with spacers. PSU is fine, no exposed LED wiring that could cause interference.
> 
> Also, are you experiencing any latency, instability, power issues with the 3M risers?
> 
> Please respond, I'm holding off on the order of the 3M riser until i hear for you.
> 
> I swear if I burn another board i'm throwing this build in the trash and just gonna buy a conventional case. I've been working on this for weeks and the man hours i've put into it only to get stuck one step before finishing is driving me insane.
> 
> here's what I have so far:
> a pale shadow compared to your build....
> 
> 
> edit: i've since fixed the water loop and it doesn't look quite that messy anymore. It goes reservoir-->pump-->radiator---> water blocks. Hope that makes sense


So cool that @Show4Pro inspired another build


----------



## iiDeadSeriousii

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DatBrotato*
> 
> show4pro
> 
> I'm doing a similar build and plan on making a thread for it as well, i'm almost done, but i've hit a brick wall. It sounds absolutely stupid but i've shorted TWO boards.. I bought a pair of powered 19cm riser cables(powered=they come with molex connectors), daisy chained them together and it would appear they are the source of my problem, I can't think that it would be anything else. Do you think that the length is just too long for the risers, being that they're un-shielded? Or possibly that it's fact that they're powered?
> 
> I'm about to bite the bullet and buy the 3M ones you used, but I really wanna make sure that's the issue. What do you think?
> Note: i've checked all the mounts and everything is properly grounded with spacers. PSU is fine, no exposed LED wiring that could cause interference.
> 
> Also, are you experiencing any latency, instability, power issues with the 3M risers?
> 
> Please respond, I'm holding off on the order of the 3M riser until i hear for you.
> 
> I swear if I burn another board i'm throwing this build in the trash and just gonna buy a conventional case. I've been working on this for weeks and the man hours i've put into it only to get stuck one step before finishing is driving me insane.
> 
> here's what I have so far:
> a pale shadow compared to your build....
> 
> 
> edit: i've since fixed the water loop and it doesn't look quite that messy anymore. It goes reservoir-->pump-->radiator---> water blocks. Hope that makes sense


Yea, I was just about to ask you why you went about setting up the loop the original way you did until I saw your edit. That sounds like it's a lot cleaner.

Have you figured out your shorting problem? You try benching the board off the unit? I would check to see if maybe however you're mounting it to the unit isn't cutting into the MOBO. If you're using standoffs or whatever screws, just make sure there's not too much torque there or you can have a ground going straight through your MOBO.


----------



## DatBrotato

After doing some
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *iiDeadSeriousii*
> 
> Yea, I was just about to ask you why you went about setting up the loop the original way you did until I saw your edit. That sounds like it's a lot cleaner.
> 
> Have you figured out your shorting problem? You try benching the board off the unit? I would check to see if maybe however you're mounting it to the unit isn't cutting into the MOBO. If you're using standoffs or whatever screws, just make sure there's not too much torque there or you can have a ground going straight through your MOBO.


After doing some research I discovered it's a grounding problem. In a metal case everything is connected via the case/psu, which is then grounded. On a setup like this there's no contact between components, thus no grounding occurs via the psu. So static charge builds up in the acrylic plates and eventually discharges to the components, killing them.

Basically I need to run a ground from each component and acrylic plate


----------



## iiDeadSeriousii

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DatBrotato*
> 
> After doing some
> After doing some research I discovered it's a grounding problem. In a metal case everything is connected via the case/psu, which is then grounded. On a setup like this there's no contact between components, thus no grounding occurs via the psu. So static charge builds up in the acrylic plates and eventually discharges to the components, killing them.
> 
> Basically I need to run a ground from each component and acrylic plate


I'm assuming you used a wooden mounting rig like show4pro? Because what I was going to use was a typical wood board then 1/2" metal standoffs between the wood and the acrylic mounts. This way on the back side you can just daisy chain all the components together and have it go to a single ground point in the back so there's no difference in potential. I hope that came out as clear as it did in my head lol.

I'd like to get show4pro's input on how he grounded everything. I don't wanna go through what you just did and fry some stuff.


----------



## DatBrotato

yeh that makes sense. I was originally going to ground everything that way. But keep in mind, if at any point that single ground wire gets dislodged or disconnected you then have a completed circuit linking all your components together, which would fry everything at once.

So I intend on grounding each plate and component individually

Edit: I PM'd show4pro, and am waiting to hear his input on the matter. I'm not sure if he actually went about making sure everything was grounded, or if he just accidentally ended up grounding everything


----------



## iiDeadSeriousii

I guess the way I thought about it was if they're all getting fed from a single PSU then you'd want their grounds to all be the same as well. Gotta brush up on my electrical knowledge and look into this.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *iiDeadSeriousii*
> 
> Some people are inspired by great works of art like paintings and sculptures but this thing has been on my mind for weeks since I first saw it. I can truly appreciate the hard work that's gone into this thing.
> 
> I am going to attempt this in 2014. I'm undecided on getting new components or just going with my current build. I have a few questions:
> 
> The HDD/SSD mounts, how difficult were they? Were the holes for screwing down those components already there? Same question for the GPU's, I know you said you used the existing screw holes that held the cooler and the bracket, but in between the two cards did you use standoffs or something? And that SLI watercooling bridge, is it an in/out setup from the same side? I always thought you had to go in one side and out the other end.
> 
> Lastly, besides the PCIe risers, what was the toughest part of the build?


The HDD / SSD mounts were not that difficult to make, as long as you have the right tools. You have to drill / tap all the holes yourself. I used a Dremel with a the tile cutting attachment to cut the recess on the back of the plate so the head of the screw won't protrude once it's screwed into the HDD.
I used this coupler between the 2 cards for spacing, and nothing else. The 2 card's blocks are connected in parallel.

Hmmmmm toughest part.. I would say cutting and finishing the acrylic panel consumed the most amount of time and I had a lot of rework to get it looking the way I wanted. Also, the planning stage on the component spacing and hole locations were very critical to the build. That picture showing the pencil sketches on the layout took me about 10 hours to draw up.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DatBrotato*
> 
> yeh that makes sense. I was originally going to ground everything that way. But keep in mind, if at any point that single ground wire gets dislodged or disconnected you then have a completed circuit linking all your components together, which would fry everything at once.
> 
> So I intend on grounding each plate and component individually
> 
> Edit: I PM'd show4pro, and am waiting to hear his input on the matter. I'm not sure if he actually went about making sure everything was grounded, or if he just accidentally ended up grounding everything


Nice! Very cool build!

I do not have my motherboard grounded to Earth as it is typically done in a regular case. I plan on doing that when I upgrade the mobo sometimes in the near future. However I don't think grounding is your issue.
Also, static cannot slowly build up on the acrylic board with a motherboard on top of it. It would flow into the ground layer on the motherboard which is connected to the acrylic via the brass standoffs, or into your LED strip. To answer your question earlier, I currently don't any of the components on my wall mount rig grounded.
It is possible that you killed your mobo with static discharge from your finger to the board. With all the components exposed, you have to always make sure to ground yourself before touching anything on the board.
How did you come to conclusion that your motherboard is dead? Would it not post? Did you try it with the GPU plugged directly into the slot?

Just an observation. With your PCIe riser cable laying so close on top of the motherboard, it could be picking up and throwing back lots of interference. When I had the unshielded riser cables, simply touching the cable would cause my system to freeze. And that's with 2 layers of aluminum foil wrapped around it!


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *donkristo*
> 
> I was more wondering how much the rig is building out
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Like from the wall to the highest point. Maybe the top of the pump or reservoirs? (Dont need how much it builds at the the PSU


Highest point from the wall is the top of the GPU 90deg fittings @ 16cm from the wall. Second highest is the top of the pumps @ 15cm.


----------



## Show4Pro

Almost finished building my long delayed project. Meet MAXxPlanck Mini!


----------



## DatBrotato

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> Nice! Very cool build!
> 
> I do not have my motherboard grounded to Earth as it is typically done in a regular case. I plan on doing that when I upgrade the mobo sometimes in the near future. However I don't think grounding is your issue.
> Also, static cannot slowly build up on the acrylic board with a motherboard on top of it. It would flow into the ground layer on the motherboard which is connected to the acrylic via the brass standoffs, or into your LED strip. To answer your question earlier, I currently don't any of the components on my wall mount rig grounded.
> It is possible that you killed your mobo with static discharge from your finger to the board. With all the components exposed, you have to always make sure to ground yourself before touching anything on the board.
> How did you come to conclusion that your motherboard is dead? Would it not post? Did you try it with the GPU plugged directly into the slot?
> 
> Just an observation. With your PCIe riser cable laying so close on top of the motherboard, it could be picking up and throwing back lots of interference. When I had the unshielded riser cables, simply touching the cable would cause my system to freeze. And that's with 2 layers of aluminum foil wrapped around it!


i've made two videos showcasing my findings, uploading to youtube now, will respond again shortly


----------



## DatBrotato

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> Nice! Very cool build!
> 
> I do not have my motherboard grounded to Earth as it is typically done in a regular case. I plan on doing that when I upgrade the mobo sometimes in the near future. However I don't think grounding is your issue.
> Also, static cannot slowly build up on the acrylic board with a motherboard on top of it. It would flow into the ground layer on the motherboard which is connected to the acrylic via the brass standoffs, or into your LED strip. To answer your question earlier, I currently don't any of the components on my wall mount rig grounded.
> It is possible that you killed your mobo with static discharge from your finger to the board. With all the components exposed, you have to always make sure to ground yourself before touching anything on the board.
> How did you come to conclusion that your motherboard is dead? Would it not post? Did you try it with the GPU plugged directly into the slot?
> 
> Just an observation. With your PCIe riser cable laying so close on top of the motherboard, it could be picking up and throwing back lots of interference. When I had the unshielded riser cables, simply touching the cable would cause my system to freeze. And that's with 2 layers of aluminum foil wrapped around it!


my 3rd board failing for the 1st time:





Finally emerging victorious!:





Edit:I suppose it's possible that me touching the board could've been what killed it, but seeing as how it happened with 3 different boards, i feel that's unlikely. Also ever since i've grounded everything i've played with the heatsinks and other components in order to adjust temps while the computer was on and no shorting occurred.

oh and Thanks for the compliment!


----------



## donkristo

Thanks


----------



## iiDeadSeriousii

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> The HDD / SSD mounts were not that difficult to make, as long as you have the right tools. You have to drill / tap all the holes yourself. I used a Dremel with a the tile cutting attachment to cut the recess on the back of the plate so the head of the screw won't protrude once it's screwed into the HDD.
> I used this coupler between the 2 cards for spacing, and nothing else. The 2 card's blocks are connected in parallel.
> 
> Hmmmmm toughest part.. I would say cutting and finishing the acrylic panel consumed the most amount of time and I had a lot of rework to get it looking the way I wanted. Also, the planning stage on the component spacing and hole locations were very critical to the build. That picture showing the pencil sketches on the layout took me about 10 hours to draw up.


Alright thanks a lot, been holding off on getting a soldering kit and a dremel kit so I guess now is a good a time as any. Thanks for the tips, I'm sure I'll be back for more help


----------



## SgtSnipey

The Mini me looks awesome


----------



## SeanEboy

I know this means a lot, coming from a total newb.. But, that is the sickest rig I've ever seen.. I love the idea of letting it all hang out like that. Yes, I did just say that.

Honestly, I think you might be able to make a bit on the side selling those things. Or, at least building the templates for people. Considering there are so many standard sized parts (in terms of mounting screws), it wouldn't be entirely impossible...


----------



## vaporizer

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> Almost finished building my long delayed project. Meet MAXxPlanck Mini!
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!


I love the "mini" version. is there a pic with them next to each other for scale? just curious.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *DatBrotato*
> 
> my 3rd board failing for the 1st time:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Finally emerging victorious!:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Edit:I suppose it's possible that me touching the board could've been what killed it, but seeing as how it happened with 3 different boards, i feel that's unlikely. Also ever since i've grounded everything i've played with the heatsinks and other components in order to adjust temps while the computer was on and no shorting occurred.
> 
> oh and Thanks for the compliment!


Nice. Glad to hear you got it working. Seems like grounding could be the cause.
It would be better if you connect that grounding wire you made to Earth ground, which is the casing on your powersupply. You can use a case screw on the mounting holes in the PSU to secure the wire. Make sure you scratch off a little paint around the screw if you decide to do this though as most paints are insulators.


----------



## amandakimler

You could use it fot mining bitcoin as well, amiright?


----------



## SteamSpoon

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *vaporizer*
> 
> I love the "mini" version. is there a pic with them next to each other for scale? just curious.


This


----------



## SteamSpoon

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *amandakimler*
> 
> You could use it fot mining bitcoin as well, amiright?


You could, but with the new ASICs and FPGAs, you would be spending more on electricity than yiu would make off bitcoins


----------



## Bloodbath

Now that's the sort of modern art Id like on my wall!


----------



## ludwigwestberg

Just have to say that it looks totally awesome! Good job!
But I'm just wondering what kind of LED stripes you used.

-Thanks


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *vaporizer*
> 
> I love the "mini" version. is there a pic with them next to each other for scale? just curious.




Full Gallery : D


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ludwigwestberg*
> 
> Just have to say that it looks totally awesome! Good job!
> But I'm just wondering what kind of LED stripes you used.
> 
> -Thanks


I used 5050 RGB LED strips, with density of 60LEDs/m.
This is the exact one I bought:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/5M-5050-RGB-SMD-Flexible-Strip-LED-Light-Waterproof-300-LEDs-44-Key-IR-Remote-/130808038789?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item1e74c44585&_uhb=1


----------



## donkristo

The small one is a really nice build as well







Keep up the awesome work


----------



## ludwigwestberg

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> I used 5050 RGB LED strips, with density of 60LEDs/m.
> This is the exact one I bought:
> http://www.ebay.ca/itm/5M-5050-RGB-SMD-Flexible-Strip-LED-Light-Waterproof-300-LEDs-44-Key-IR-Remote-/130808038789?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item1e74c44585&_uhb=1


Thank you so much!









But I actually have two questions about the build.

And I see that the output is "three CMOS drain-open output". I don't really know what is, so if you don't mind; how are they connected to the PC? Molex?

And how do you make it power on without the switch & cables from a case?

Might be stupid, so sorry.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ludwigwestberg*
> 
> Thank you so much!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But I actually have two questions about the build.
> 
> And I see that the output is "three CMOS drain-open output". I don't really know what is, so if you don't mind; how are they connected to the PC? Molex?
> 
> And how do you make it power on without the switch & cables from a case?
> 
> Might be stupid, so sorry.


The CMOS drain-open output is how the brightness of each color channel is controlled. You don't need to worry about that. The LED controller takes 12V input, so I just spliced into a molex connector and ran the 12V lines into the LED controller.

The motherboard I have has a built in on and reset switch at the top right.


----------



## slowman87

This is amazing. NICE work!


----------



## ludwigwestberg

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> The CMOS drain-open output is how the brightness of each color channel is controlled. You don't need to worry about that. The LED controller takes 12V input, so I just spliced into a molex connector and ran the 12V lines into the LED controller.
> 
> The motherboard I have has a built in on and reset switch at the top right.


Oh I get it, stupid me








But is it possible to do something familiar with a motherboard without a on/reset switch?


----------



## Stealth Pyros

I love this. I've thought about a wall mount build before and seeing this makes me want to do it soon. The only thing I'd change about the OP's build is I'd stack all the drives (as best as possible) and compress the size of the whole thing, maybe reducing the space between all the parts too.


----------



## vaporizer

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Full Gallery : D


I think I am in love with you, or at least your work. it is inspiring. thanks for the side by side pic. looks so awesome.


----------



## hftjmac

I love this build have really gotten me thinking about where I want to go with my next build. Was just wondering you made the triangle cut into the bottom of the acrylic? Also how flexible are the 3m PCI-E risers in terms of moving side to side instead of just up and down? Also were the standoffs alone enough space for the backplate to be fitted or did you need to cut a hole in the acrylic for that?


----------



## holeyguy

mother of god. i kneel before you o master of pc


----------



## HDtom

This is amazing great job!


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hftjmac*
> 
> I love this build have really gotten me thinking about where I want to go with my next build. Was just wondering you made the triangle cut into the bottom of the acrylic? Also how flexible are the 3m PCI-E risers in terms of moving side to side instead of just up and down? Also were the standoffs alone enough space for the backplate to be fitted or did you need to cut a hole in the acrylic for that?


The triangle cut at the bottom of the acrylic is to reflect the light to the edges. Without that cut, the LED would project the light straight through the panel instead of going to the edges.
The 3M risers doesn't move side to side very well without kinking. But the cable is designed to be folded like paper, so you can make corners and sharp turns with it.
Don't really understand your third question.. The standoffs threads into the acrylic, just as it threads into a regular motherboard tray.


----------



## hftjmac

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> The triangle cut at the bottom of the acrylic is to reflect the light to the edges. Without that cut, the LED would project the light straight through the panel instead of going to the edges.
> The 3M risers doesn't move side to side very well without kinking. But the cable is designed to be folded like paper, so you can make corners and sharp turns with it.


Just realized I forgot how in the first question. Did you use a router with a 90 degree tip or something?
Also so if I were to get 2 290x's and run them in crossfire, one on the left and right sides of the motherboard, do you think that I would be able to achieve that with the cables?


----------



## solo-98

Nice work!!! Just wondering since you have so many HDDs and SSDs is it very noisy? Also where would you be able to plug in a external usb, like a flash drive?


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *solo-98*
> 
> Nice work!!! Just wondering since you have so many HDDs and SSDs is it very noisy? Also where would you be able to plug in a external usb, like a flash drive?


Since all the components on the board is pretty much silent, the HDDs are definitely audible. But not to a point where it becomes distracting.
I run several USB extensions to USB hubs on my desk.


----------



## ludwigwestberg

I really love this. But just a question. How did you mount the PSU, the graphics cards and hard drives to the acrylic so they are stuck? Since you can't use skrews like on the pump or motherboard.


----------



## khumquat

Curious, is/was it necessary to mount the components to a piece of acrylic then to the board you used? I am working on a design for a desk like this and I build acrylic aquariums for a living, so making this would not be an issue just curious if I can mount the mobo/vc/etc to the base piece or if I need to elevate them a little bit. I have the color changing strip LED in stock, too, so this thread made me want to use that









Looks great, very happy to see this done!


----------



## SupremeChi

Great work, I would also like to know more about the mounting process for those items also, such as the psi and graphics card. Is it possible to post more info about the bitfenix and corsair cables that you purchased? I am starting this mod asap and have started to accumulate the parts required. Still need a few more...


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ludwigwestberg*
> 
> I really love this. But just a question. How did you mount the PSU, the graphics cards and hard drives to the acrylic so they are stuck? Since you can't use skrews like on the pump or motherboard.


I had a lot of people asking me how everything is mounted. See below for some of my responses. Hopefully it clears things up.

If you look at this picture,


It is the panel I used to mount the 3.5" drives. You can see 16 blobbly looking circles with a hole in the middle. Those are the HDD mounting holes. They are countersunk from the back so the screw can sit flush with the back side of the panel when screwed into the hard drive. There are also 4 regular holes near the right and left edges. Those are thread tapped holes. They have matching holes drilled on the wall mount panel, and a screw simply goes through the wall mount panel and threads into the acrylic to screw it in place. All the other panels are mounted to the board this way.

For the PSU mount:


I glued 4 small acrylic "lips" to match the primeter of the power supply. It is then held down by double sided tape, and the 120V cord is clamped on the back side so even if the tape fails, the PSU won't be able to pull the cord out and fall.

For the GPU:


I glued 2 pieces of supporting shelf to the panel to hold up the GPUs. From the picture, you can see a short piece to the left and a long piece to the right of the PCIe plug. There were also 2 screw holes I used on the GPU (1 hole which used to mount the PCI bracket, and the other to mount the stock cooler), which I tapped matching threaded holes into the acrylic to screw the card down for extra security.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *khumquat*
> 
> Curious, is/was it necessary to mount the components to a piece of acrylic then to the board you used? I am working on a design for a desk like this and I build acrylic aquariums for a living, so making this would not be an issue just curious if I can mount the mobo/vc/etc to the base piece or if I need to elevate them a little bit. I have the color changing strip LED in stock, too, so this thread made me want to use that
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks great, very happy to see this done!


It wasn't necessary. The only purpose of the acrylic is to create the edge lit effect. If you put LEDs directly below the components, the lighting effect is much less dramatic.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SupremeChi*
> 
> Great work, I would also like to know more about the mounting process for those items also, such as the psi and graphics card. Is it possible to post more info about the bitfenix and corsair cables that you purchased? I am starting this mod asap and have started to accumulate the parts required. Still need a few more...


See above replies for the mounting process.

BitFenix cables I used:
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/premium-modding/alchemy-cables/

Corsair sleeved cable kit:
http://www.corsair.com/en/professional-individually-sleeved-dc-cable-kit-type-3-generation-2-red


----------



## Midgetkid151

WOW! dude that is amazing wish i could do that but i don't have half the skills you have got.


----------



## Hanoverfist

Really nice work.


----------



## Wanou

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY !

Great work.


----------



## T S D

OMG you made my day. I had a similar idea last year but the riser stopped me in my tracks. Couldn't find one long enough that supported x16. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I bought one today off Newark, a little cheaper than Digi-Key.

Now if the wife would leave me alone I might have time to build it!









Love the build, it's awesome. Look forward to your next creation.


----------



## TekWarfare

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> ...
> 
> For the PSU mount:
> http://www.overclock.net/content/type/61/id/1685139/
> 
> I glued 4 small acrylic "lips" to match the primeter of the power supply. It is then held down by double sided tape, and the 120V cord is clamped on the back side so even if the tape fails, the PSU won't be able to pull the cord out and fall.
> 
> ...


Can you elaborate on this bit further please, is the double sided tape on the entire back of the PSU or just the "lips"? And double sided tape doesn't seem strong enough for a heavy PSU like yours, why didn't you go with L brackets?


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TekWarfare*
> 
> Can you elaborate on this bit further please, is the double sided tape on the entire back of the PSU or just the "lips"? And double sided tape doesn't seem strong enough for a heavy PSU like yours, why didn't you go with L brackets?


The lower lip (5mm tall piece of acrylic glued to the tray) carries all the weight of the PSU. There are 2 strips of doublesided tape running vertically on the backside of the PSU. It is only meant to prevent the PSU from tipping forward and falling out.

In my newer builds, I made the upper lip taller and was able to put 2 screws through into PSU, eliminating the need for tape.


----------



## TekWarfare

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> The lower lip (5mm tall piece of acrylic glued to the tray) carries all the weight of the PSU. There are 2 strips of doublesided tape running vertically on the backside of the PSU. It is only meant to prevent the PSU from tipping forward and falling out.
> 
> In my newer builds, I made the upper lip taller and was able to put 2 screws through into PSU, eliminating the need for tape.


Thanks for explaining it and going to the effort of taking the picture, top man. I'm thinking L brackets in the same place you have your screws in the picture there would be just as good if not better, it's just getting ones that align.

And I see earlier there was a question about static and grounding, does that only apply if you're using acrylic? I'm thinking of doing something similar to your build, but without the acrylic or LEDs and I don't want to destroy my components unknowingly. I'll be using 9mm plywood as the surface and the motherboard will have standoffs similar to inside a PC case, would this be fine?

Cheers.


----------



## dman811

Wood is conductive so I would suggest having something between the wood, the standoffs and the components.


----------



## TekWarfare

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dman811*
> 
> Wood is conductive so I would suggest having something between the wood, the standoffs and the components.


Such as what?


----------



## dman811

In my HTPC (fully wooden case) I have a motherboard tray, I think a vinyl wrap might work, not 100% sure, some form of a rubber coating on the wood (plastidip comes to mind).


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *dman811*
> 
> Wood is conductive so I would suggest having something between the wood, the standoffs and the components.


Wood is *not* a conductive material. Wood also has much less capacity to store static charge compared to acrylic. So in terms of static, you are indeed better off without the acrylic. However, your main concern should be around EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference) as I elaborated in my main post. I would go as far as covering the back of the board with metallic tape or aluminum foil to help block out some of the EMI.
Not a huge deal though IMO.. This rig has been running for 9 month. 6 of which it was on 24/7 mining. No issues so far.


----------



## dman811

I thought at least some types of wood were conductive...?


----------



## nvidiaftw12

Wet wood.


----------



## dman811

So basically you could have a PCB right against a piece of wood? Nothing in between?


----------



## nvidiaftw12

Absolutely.


----------



## Ryugeist

looks pretty nice

by the way - I wonder how you got that plexiglass backplates done. I've tried it out but mine do barely glow. That "triangular cut" does not help.
What is the secret? What is necessary to observe? Do you have a guide with more information?


----------



## Slickwillymerf

Very awesome looking. I have a couple questions, if you wouldn't mind answering?

Could you explain the triangular cut for the acrylic lighting a bit please? I don't know why, but it's confusing the hell out of me lol.

Also, where did you get your huge vinyl sticker from?

Thanks in advance, and again, love the build!


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ryugeist*
> 
> looks pretty nice
> 
> by the way - I wonder how you got that plexiglass backplates done. I've tried it out but mine do barely glow. That "triangular cut" does not help.
> What is the secret? What is necessary to observe? Do you have a guide with more information?


The inner triangular cut helps redirect the light from the center to the edges. The 45° cut on the edges provides more area for you to see the light. Below is a simple drawing of the intended light path for the inner triangular cut.


The red oval looking object is the LED.

Without this middle triangular cut, the light from the LED will go straight through. Which results in a very dim outer edge.
The middle cut is flame polished to achieve maximum transparency. While the outer edges are rough sanded to disperse the light.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Slickwillymerf*
> 
> Very awesome looking. I have a couple questions, if you wouldn't mind answering?
> 
> Could you explain the triangular cut for the acrylic lighting a bit please? I don't know why, but it's confusing the hell out of me lol.
> 
> Also, where did you get your huge vinyl sticker from?
> 
> Thanks in advance, and again, love the build!


See my previous post for explanation.

The vinyl sticker was from eBay. You can get them up to 5 feet wide and a variety of textures. Search of carbon fiber vinyl sticker.


----------



## m3ntal1

Beautiful piece of engineering and art.


----------



## Shades of Orang

I'm actually building a wall-mounted pc myself, but I cant for the life of me figure out how to mount the graphics card. How did you manage to mount yours?


----------



## Gadarn

I'm wondering the same thing. I've got a project in the works, and would love to know how to mount the video card like that.

Hopefully we'll get a response - otherwise if you figure something out, let me know? I'll do the same if I find a good solution.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Gadarn*
> 
> I'm wondering the same thing. I've got a project in the works, and would love to know how to mount the video card like that.
> 
> Hopefully we'll get a response - otherwise if you figure something out, let me know? I'll do the same if I find a good solution.


On the V2 build, I was able to use 2 screw holes on the PCB that the fullcover waterblock did not use, and screwed the first card to the acrylic tray. Also on the bottom of the tray on both side of the PCIe plug are 2 lips that I glued to the tray extending outwards to support both cards. See picture below:



For other builds that used air cooling, I used a similar approach with the lips. But also secured the PCIe extender bracket to the board. See picture below:




This configuration will work for vertical and horizontal orientations. I wouldn't guarantee it's strength if you have to tilt the computer forward.


----------



## Gadarn

Thank you so much for replying! I hadn't taken securing the PCI-e extender into account either, so thanks for that.

I think I'll be able to get it all sorted out now.


----------



## jfing14

This build is simply STUNNING. I'm not a fan of wall mounted builds, but i REALLY like this build. Although may I suggest something? You should add a little more personalisation to it. Maybe give the SSD's a custom paint job, give the motherboard an acrylic front plate for some aesthetics perhaps? (http://www.overclock.net/t/1473387/complete-build-log-illuminate-time-to-upgrade-my-haf-x-with-alphacool-ut60-480-and-2x-780ti-classifieds), or make up some HDD covers or cover them in a cool carbon fiber wrap and give them a bit of style. I don't know, I just think you can give it a bit more... bling? You know make it POP! Its stiolol absolutely awesome! And looks great regardless, just some suggestions.


----------



## M64D

Time for an Acrylic tube job.


----------



## HoztileManikyn

YOU SIR, are an artist! Absolutely beautiful!


----------



## Xavelin

This build looks absolutely amazing, and I'd like to do something similar some day myself. I have some questions:

Could you elaborate on how you mounted/connected the LED's? Especially how you mounted them, I'm really wondering how far away they are from the triangular cuts in the center of the acrylic mounting plates. And I've seen in one of your videos on youtube that you made a custom controller thing that keeps the LED's on when the pc is off, but at a dimmer level. I really like that feature, could you explain that in some detail? If it's not too much of a bother of course









Also, what kind of tools did you use? For cutting the holes in the hardboard, drilling holes and cutting the acrylic and such. Here I'm mostly wondering what kind of saw you used on the acrylic, since I have a type of table saw, although it's different from what you would call a table saw, I think it's a typical norwegian saw. Also, is your hardboard the same as HDF (High density fiberboard)? I'm not from a country that uses english terminology for products and building materials, so I'm really not sure what you mean by hardboard.

Also, is this how the triangular cut in the center is done? Still kind of confused regarding that. I get that the 45 degree cut desperses the light, but there would have to be 4 angled cuts in the middle in ordere to disperse light to all 4 outsides, am I right?



I'd be extremely grateful and honored if you would take your time to answer my questions!


----------



## Razroid

Hey! fellow R3E user here









Great build you have here, I'm just wondering if the pcie ribbon cables impact performance?


----------



## VectorRoll

This has to be one of the most awesomest PC Mod designs I have seen to date. It gives me a lot of ideas.


----------



## Way2grouchy

AWESOME!!!


----------



## gabrielbolea

Hello,

Can you please tell me how did you do the triangular cut in the acrylic ? some special tool ?
And also how did you fixe the graphic card on the acrylic ?

Thank you.


----------



## Cowski

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gabrielbolea*
> 
> Hello,
> 
> Can you please tell me how did you do the triangular cut in the acrylic ? some special tool ?
> And also how did you fixe the graphic card on the acrylic ?
> 
> Thank you.


These are the exact same 2 questions I had.

Thanks!


----------



## Razroid

Milling machine is my guess.


----------



## yoyodawulf

Hi all,
I am building a similar style computer as this one and need to use a PCIE x16 Riser.

Would this $35 one be sufficient for gaming with a GTX 760?
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/22460/cab-1922/PCI-Express_PCI-E_x16_Extension_Cable_Riser_w_Molex_and_Capacitor_-_13.html?tl=c38s2033b77&id=24jI4Sit

I really dont want to pay $80 for a top of the line one,







but if the one above won't work well, then I guess I have no choice


----------



## MyNameIsAsh69

what are the things you used to direct the tube from the radiators and components to the radiators?


----------



## TekWarfare

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *yoyodawulf*
> 
> Hi all,
> I am building a similar style computer as this one and need to use a PCIE x16 Riser.
> 
> Would this $35 one be sufficient for gaming with a GTX 760?
> http://www.frozencpu.com/products/22460/cab-1922/PCI-Express_PCI-E_x16_Extension_Cable_Riser_w_Molex_and_Capacitor_-_13.html?tl=c38s2033b77&id=24jI4Sit
> 
> I really dont want to pay $80 for a top of the line one,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> but if the one above won't work well, then I guess I have no choice


http://www.overclock.net/t/1427731/pci-express-extender-cables-benchmarked/0_100

The results show practically no difference in performance, but I'd recommend the 3M cable as it is longer, shielded and made by a reputable manufacturer therefore better peace of mind.


----------



## coroex

thanks for your post. i build it in the holidays. a lot of work, but i love my new work station!

lg georg

from austria!


----------



## TekWarfare

Looks good, coroex. How did you mount the PSU?


----------



## coroex

the bord of the psu is fixed at 4 points. there are the nut's fixed on the case. i remove the srew's and put longer one's is. stick they through the glas and fix ist with nuts. and at two points i mike small holes in the case, put srew's through it and fix it also with nuts. but is was difficult, because there is net very much space!


----------



## Xavelin

Looks really good coroex! Could you tell me how you made the triangular cuts in the middle of the acrylic plates? I asked the same question on the previous page, maybe you can answer?


----------



## coroex

i hope i have the right word vor that engine. i took a router(oberfräse in german) with an 90° cutter. i worked 4mm in the 5mm thick glas!


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Xavelin*
> 
> This build looks absolutely amazing, and I'd like to do something similar some day myself. I have some questions:
> 
> Could you elaborate on how you mounted/connected the LED's? Especially how you mounted them, I'm really wondering how far away they are from the triangular cuts in the center of the acrylic mounting plates. And I've seen in one of your videos on youtube that you made a custom controller thing that keeps the LED's on when the pc is off, but at a dimmer level. I really like that feature, could you explain that in some detail? If it's not too much of a bother of course
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also, what kind of tools did you use? For cutting the holes in the hardboard, drilling holes and cutting the acrylic and such. Here I'm mostly wondering what kind of saw you used on the acrylic, since I have a type of table saw, although it's different from what you would call a table saw, I think it's a typical norwegian saw. Also, is your hardboard the same as HDF (High density fiberboard)? I'm not from a country that uses english terminology for products and building materials, so I'm really not sure what you mean by hardboard.
> 
> Also, is this how the triangular cut in the center is done? Still kind of confused regarding that. I get that the 45 degree cut desperses the light, but there would have to be 4 angled cuts in the middle in ordere to disperse light to all 4 outsides, am I right?
> 
> 
> 
> I'd be extremely grateful and honored if you would take your time to answer my questions!


Thanks! Glad you like the build!

The LED strips are hot glued to the hardboard slot, the surface of the LEDs are flush with the surface of the backboard. They are probably in contact with the triangular cut on the acrylic trays.

The "Off state lightning" controller comprises of a relay and a DC/DC booster. Your PSU have a 5v standby output (not enough for the LED controller) which is fed to the DC/DC booster to be boosted to about 9v (can be adjusted for brightness). While the relay switches from the 12v source to the 5v standby source when the computer is turned off.

Tools for for the hardboard is mostly Dremel and jigsaw. While acrylic is the table saw and router. I also have a drill press for drilling holes, but a handheld drill would work fine too.
I had purchased a special plastic blade for my table saw on Amazon which worked very well for cutting acrylic:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00008WQ38?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

I think hardboard and HDF are the same. I picked this material mainly because it is easy to cut.

I made the triangular cuts in the middle on a router table with a bit shaped like an inverted "V":


Ideally, you would cut a + shape on the trays and install 2 LED strips. However, from my testing, 1 LED strip with the triangular cut disperses light pretty well to all the edges. Mind you for larger trays like the motherboard I installed 2 LED strips running parallel.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *coroex*
> 
> thanks for your post. i build it in the holidays. a lot of work, but i love my new work station!
> 
> lg georg
> 
> from austria!


Fantastic work Coroex! Looks awesome!


----------



## Vici0us

Drooling...
That's what I call art.


----------



## SenoritaCao

Holy god. Can't express my respect for the effort you put into this.

I thought of making my own wall-mount PC a couple months ago but I was unsure of how to do it. After seeing yours, it's hard not to copy it completely haha.


----------



## cxa5692

My God man. This is some next level stuff. Pro build all the way, congratulations.


----------



## jesusnadinosaur

Very very impressive!!! But you have dominator gts, why not throw some ek waterblocks on those too? I bought 3 x4 blocks and some dominator platinum on to find out they only worked with the gts







( anyways. I love your build and it's inspiring me to do one as my next project. Granted it will be on a much smaller scale but it will still be awsome!! Thanks for posting!!


----------



## r0kkz1n

Omg... I'll try make this thing!!


----------



## gabrielbolea

Here's mine, it took me a while to do but its finnaly done, I'm only waiting for the PCI cable because here in Portugal is very hard to found.








Thanks for the inspiration


----------



## jesusnadinosaur

thats looking awsome man great job!

I really like the blue and red bottons!!


----------



## gabrielbolea

thanks. The Blue one is for on/off and the red one is for the HD activity and reset.


----------



## Vici0us

That's pretty sweet! So what kind of unusual adapters, components, etc do you need to make a wall build? I've never really tried it, just wondering. Maybe my next build I'd like to try it. But I'd need to know what kind of unusual hardware I'd need to pull it off.


----------



## gabrielbolea

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Vici0us*
> 
> That's pretty sweet! So what kind of unusual adapters, components, etc do you need to make a wall build? I've never really tried it, just wondering. Maybe my next build I'd like to try it. But I'd need to know what kind of unusual hardware I'd need to pull it off.


There are no unusual components, maybe the PCI extension cable and if you want to do sleeving see the first post, its that build that inspired us all


----------



## volcom912003

Sweet rig! Looks amazing! What OS are you running and why so much storage seems over redundant to have over 6tb of storage. That is unless you use it for video and film editing.


----------



## My Desired Display Name

Just caught this on reddit, looks amazing.


----------



## volcom912003

Also mmo should have end game content that keeps you engaged and not doing the same
Repetitive nonrscence over and over and hope you might get something usable. That's how gw2 is but I do like the scalable feature. If you run a guildie through a dungeon or power lvl them on a zone your character scales down to match their lvl so they do not get do de fifa like other mmo's have. Also to
Get the best gear you have to craft it with materials which are nearly impossible
To acquire. They need to make it obtainable for the casual player and the hardcore as well.


----------



## Chapmanf

Thats awesome, how did you make the pump mounts?


----------



## ALT F4

Amazing work. Thank you for all the pictures, I love checking out build logs and seeing the progression over the pictures


----------



## gray7733

What kind of games does it run and how are the graphics on it?


----------



## TofuNasty

This Build looks great! Out of curiosity, it looks like you have a couple of analog temp read-outs on the bottom right you don't mention (or I cannot locate) in your step by step. How did you hook these in, what are they reading and where did you find them?

I am looking to do a similar build in a desk and I am not too keen on the digital temp controllers that are in the market.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Steele84

Is there any latency with the PCIe bridge connections ?


----------



## gigatiger

this is a really nice work, more than excellent, its truly inspiring, bravo, an artistic project with an overdose of fantasy !
who needs pc cases?
open air projects are more fancy
bravo again


----------



## Arcs

Your Rig looks just amazing, I'm stunned every time I see it.
That's definitely my #1 build I've seen so far.

You're concept inspired so much that I had to build my own wall mounted rig.
I hope you don't mind too much, cause there are some similarities










Build Log


----------



## BrjSan

The first Build by *Show4Pro* is Awesome and the build by *Arcs* is great, but both lack DETAILS, .... , see, both are detailed extensive and both ends in one post (first page only)














and and hence the users raining the threads with questions

Well, i know it is a bit hard to put the details of the build in the log, but would be nice if done, just sayin.

Great Job guys, really impressive and inspiring









Peace


----------



## Arcs

@BrjSan
Thanks








What do you mean exactly, could you name an example?


----------



## BrjSan

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arcs*
> 
> @BrjSan
> Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What do you mean exactly, could you name an example?


Hey Arcs,

Well, while browsing the posts, like others, comes up lots of questions, u know those specific questions, which goes into some detail of the details









like how you make a threaded hole in the acrylic? what bit sizes (specially for the mobo standoffs)?
What is the screw size (that holds the acrylic to the board)
What software used in the design/sketch (if you used) (I know it is personal preference and every body would use different app, but it is nice to know what others are using, also and explore and learn)
....
.....

Then i followed the whole pages







and read every single post to know that the mid cut in the acrylic should be triangular ....







....

*i know things should not earned eas*y ... dont get me wrong and we are all here *to search and learn* but if that tiny detail was posted in the first start (where preparing the acrylic lets say) ...







wow that would make it more easier .....

Just sayin: such builds deserve more details in their threads ... just for knowledge . . .. since a lot of OCN'ers are getting inspired by such.

(Not sayin should _*avoiding dodging bullets*_







)

peace


----------



## iqbalazmi

hey
i wanna ask. How do you make the triangular cut on the acrylic?
thanks


----------



## WrathCore

Hey Show4Pro,

How did you carved the 90 degree V on the acrylic , I have attempted this but it leaves a lot of white and looks broken. Didn't try on the main pieces though.

Should I just cut through the acrylic? I've been using a Rotozip that only spins at 30k rpm's with a 1/2" 90 degree V-Groove Carbide Tip.

Is this too fast for the acrylic or too slow. am I using the wrong tools?

Thanks


----------



## iqbalazmi

I want to know too but no reply.
Then I try myself using router and it came out pretty good.
The light reflect to each side perfectly.
The cut was perfect too. No broken acrylic for me.


----------



## iqbalazmi

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *WrathCore*
> 
> Hey Show4Pro,
> 
> How did you carved the 90 degree V on the acrylic , I have attempted this but it leaves a lot of white and looks broken. Didn't try on the main pieces though.
> 
> Should I just cut through the acrylic? I've been using a Rotozip that only spins at 30k rpm's with a 1/2" 90 degree V-Groove Carbide Tip.
> 
> Is this too fast for the acrylic or too slow. am I using the wrong tools?
> 
> Thanks


I want to know too but no reply.
Then I try myself using router and it came out pretty good.
The light reflect to each side perfectly.
The cut was perfect too. No broken acrylic for me.


----------



## RnRollie

i *think* 30000 rpm is way to fast... it gets tooo hot too quickly, acryl starts melting/deforming very fast.

There are some posts around on how to "machine" Acryll/PVC and then "baking" it in the oven to release the tension that build from drilling & cutting


----------



## WrathCore

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *iqbalazmi*
> 
> I want to know too but no reply.
> Then I try myself using router and it came out pretty good.
> The light reflect to each side perfectly.
> The cut was perfect too. No broken acrylic for me.


What was the HP on the router you used for this cut?

thanks


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *WrathCore*
> 
> What was the HP on the router you used for this cut?
> 
> thanks


This is what I have; 1.75 HP
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-fixed-router-and-table-0546938p.html

When cutting the V, it melts on mine as well. I just route it again once the melted bits harden to clean it up.


----------



## Khahh10T

Its been said before but I still have to say it again, "MAXXPlanck V2 is one of, if not the best execution of an idea to completion of a totally new computer modd'n idea that I have ever come across. I must thank you for sparking inventiion. I am now inspired to also look forward when I play with idea's for a computer mod.









I have a more basic question, you used 4 ssd's and 4 harddrives. Of all of the possible ways that you could have set them all up, what did you decide on and why. I think that i would have raid'd 10 the ssd's then raided 1 the two 1tb drives and used the other two drives as filestorage and additional backup. With 8 drives it can get really, really complicated especially if you start thinking about partitioning the non ssd drives etc. Being such a thorough and meticulous modde'r that absolutely pays attention to detail, I know that your solution was well thought out. How did you setup your drives? (I looked at the postings but didnt see this question, sry if I repeated it).

Thanks.


----------



## andydabeast

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *TehOnlyMITTENS*
> 
> How do those EMI protected risers work? Any performance hit?
> 
> I did some research and couldn't find anything saying using a riser card for something like a GPU was anything but "a bad idea". Let alone 4 7970s.


What if we took "shielded" ebay ones and also covered them in this paint?

http://www.lessemf.com/paint.html

There must be a cheaper way than those $80 risers...


----------



## Mystriss

I'm not sure how Show4Pro did his acrylic groove, but I did my MB tray with a round sand drum with my Dremel on low speed going really slow because of the melt factor, then sanded to 600 wet and heat polished the edges ~ http://www.overclock.net/t/1441548/build-log-consummation-dual-htpc-water-cooled-audiophile-stereo-build/20#post_24175912
I apologize for the roughness of that job there, I was originally intending this to just be a test so the acrylic is really thin somewhat milky junk, but then I got a bit lazy and since the mb light tray quality isn't a major focus for my build, I'm not sure I want to remake it with good acrylic or not heh

That said, prior to the full on tray there, I'd done a bunch of smaller tests for making a nice solid light line. (For some reason I can't upload pictures, I'll try to come back and edit with my testing sample pics, they're not from my build here heh - update: looks like all I've got are light transmission testing pictures, no edge clean up pictures. >.< too many hard drives ago.)

I found the "router" v-groove bits just cracked the acrylic, even the scrap 1/4" stuff I had, the vbits are to sharp and to fast even on the lowest setting of my dremel. The drum sander works way better for not cracking, though it does take a long time because you have to go super slow and steady so the acrylic doesn't melt and make a smear, it also takes a lot of sanding to clean up and get the acrylic clear again. Sand from w/e grit drum to the 600 wet, then give it a heat polish. If you want to get real serious (which I had on a sample piece,) get a CPU lapping kit and finish off with Novus plastic scratch remover/polish.

I'd used a pen that happened to be the right size to sand the inside of the groove, just wrapped the sandpaper around it and rubbed while watching TV. For the heat polishing I used a butane torch on the tray in my post there, and it was way too hot so I've got a lot of bubbles and stuff (not that I took as much time with the drum sander as I should have either heh.) However, on one of my small test pieces I'd used a heat gun on it's low setting and been super slow and careful, it'd turned out way better so I'd recommend a heat gun by far over a "torch" or a lighter. I've also heard about the oven thing, and I'm sure that works alright for shaping acrylic, but you'll be risking your piece deforming since you're heating the whole thing (rather than just the edges you want to clear up.) Also do keep in mind that it will destroy your oven, the acrylic gases and puts a white film all over the inside, can also etch the glass and stuff, you can never get it off either. (I destroyed a decent oven shaping acrylic bracelets. Stunk like heck every time we turned it on, and we were seriously concerned that it was poisoning our food so we ended up buying a new oven >.<)

As a final thought - and if you want the light "dots" look this isn't for you - I found that scuffing up the outer edge and making that more of a rounded than a 45 angle helped solidify the light line. I did that by hand with a "jig" of sorts, they make sponge like sanding bars, if you maintain constant pressure it naturally rounds one side, then I finished up with a trick I actually learned making and polishing jewelry; emery board/manicure boards for fingernails - makes perfect sense if you think about it since most false nails are acrylic themselves. Anyway, the boards I use have 2 "grits" of fine "sandpaper" and 2 polishing sides, works great for sanding and polishing acrylics. I also found that covering the top and bottom with reflective surface helped a lot; I used adhesive backed brushed aluminum on mine, but this stuff (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LY81CAY?keywords=mirror%20vinyl&qid=1445096959&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) would work better.

Also, I think you could sand the rounded groove into a v with some more work, just use the smallest drum then angle the two sides with a hand file. I've got a jeweler's diamond file set that works really well on the acrylic without cracking it and such. My jeweler's file kit even has a triangle file that could cut in a nice v-notch, but I think the problem with that's going to be the size; the files only like 2mm at widest but for 5050's you need 5mm at least. Could look around for a "fine" diamond infused file in a bigger size triangle though. One might also look into something like this - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PDQFJG?keywords=nail%20shaper%20and%20polisher&qid=1445096792&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2 I've not tried it myself,(yet, I'm thinking about buying it just to test,) but as long as the things slow enough it won't melt the acrylic which is where the biggest problem I've found is.


----------



## Angelicjack

THIS BUILD INSPIRED ME SO MUCH!

Building my own at the moment! Having some troubble with my GPU! Can anyone help me?

I am wondering what is the best way to mount your GPU on the acryllic? I cant seem to get a good mount.
And with the risers i am using 2 risers connected to each other. One is Powered and one not. What is the best way to use the powered one. As the bottom cable or top cable?

Sorry for my stupidity but thankyou for your help in advance!

P.S. Sorry for my bad english


----------



## andydabeast

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Angelicjack*
> 
> THIS BUILD INSPIRED ME SO MUCH!
> 
> Building my own at the moment! Having some troubble with my GPU! Can anyone help me?
> 
> I am wondering what is the best way to mount your GPU on the acryllic? I cant seem to get a good mount.
> And with the risers i am using 2 risers connected to each other. One is Powered and one not. What is the best way to use the powered one. As the bottom cable or top cable?
> 
> Sorry for my stupidity but thankyou for your help in advance!
> 
> P.S. Sorry for my bad english


Have you tested that your risers work unshielded? That will be a challenge with the EMI interference of other components.


----------



## Angelicjack

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *andydabeast*
> 
> Have you tested that your risers work unshielded? That will be a challenge with the EMI interference of other components.


I have plastic shielding spray at home so that will not be a problem. What i am wondering is if i can use a non powered and a powered Riser togheter and on what place the powered needs to be.

Or any explenation on how a powered riser works.


----------



## andydabeast

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Angelicjack*
> 
> I have plastic shielding spray at home so that will not be a problem. What i am wondering is if i can use a non powered and a powered Riser togheter and on what place the powered needs to be.
> 
> Or any explenation on how a powered riser works.


PLEASE do link where you got your foam or at least it's name. As for the power, back when I was Litecoin mining I only used a single powered one per card, so I am not sure. However people have tested riser latency with benchmarks with unpowered ones and did not have a problem. sorry I don't have a link right now but it is on this website forum somewhere.


----------



## Angelicjack

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *andydabeast*
> 
> PLEASE do link where you got your foam or at least it's name. As for the power, back when I was Litecoin mining I only used a single powered one per card, so I am not sure. However people have tested riser latency with benchmarks with unpowered ones and did not have a problem. sorry I don't have a link right now but it is on this website forum somewhere.


Right now i am using them unshielded. But ive read that Plasti dip works perfectly as a protector. I will be putting on 6 layers of plastidip.

So it will be easyer for me to just buy a long powered Riser instead of using 2 shorter ricers making them into one?


----------



## andydabeast

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Angelicjack*
> 
> Right now i am using them unshielded. But ive read that Plasti dip works perfectly as a protector. I will be putting on 6 layers of plastidip.
> 
> So it will be easyer for me to just buy a long powered Riser instead of using 2 shorter ricers making them into one?


Thanks. any certain kind?

found the post. these are quite long and unpowered. WAIT they are powered, but i am not sure if he plugged them in.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1427731/pci-express-extender-cables-benchmarked/0_100


----------



## Angelicjack

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *andydabeast*
> 
> Thanks. any certain kind?
> 
> found the post. these are quite long and unpowered. WAIT they are powered, but i am not sure if he plugged them in.
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1427731/pci-express-extender-cables-benchmarked/0_100


Now i still have a problem that i dont have a clue how to put the GPU on the Acryllic plate! The normal screws dont fit in the holes that are on my card! I have a R9 280x.
I cant seem to understand how OP did it and all the others on this threat!


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Angelicjack*
> 
> Now i still have a problem that i dont have a clue how to put the GPU on the Acryllic plate! The normal screws dont fit in the holes that are on my card! I have a R9 280x.
> I cant seem to understand how OP did it and all the others on this threat!


The powered extender would go on the GPU side.

See this post on how I mounted the GPUs.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1424387/gallery-build-log-ultimate-wall-mount-rig-maxxplanck-v2-completed/340#post_22188733

Also from another build:


To prevent the card from falling forward, I anchored the 6pin and 8pin power cables on the back side of the board.
The PCIe riser card is screwed into the board as well.


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mystriss*
> 
> http://www.overclock.net/t/1424387/gallery-build-log-ultimate-wall-mount-rig-maxxplanck-v2-completed/420#post_24515650


Those are some pretty solid advice Mystriss!

The "V" cut is definitely one of the most challenging part of this build. I initially formed the V by doing 2 x 45deg dado cuts on my cable saw. But that was pretty dangerous and didn't yield consistent cuts.. So I went with the router.
I'm not sure what router you are using. But it seems that I get better results the faster it is. I think my router is doing 25,000 RPM. It melts the acrylic when cutting the "V", but with a few back and forth passes, it can be cleaned up pretty good.

Yes, you will get better results polishing with a heat gun as there is better temperature control. A torch tend to warp the acrylic as well. Good note on the oven thing.

These pictures are from a later build that I sold:

Reflective tape on both sides around the LED strip to increase edge brightness


----------



## Show4Pro

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Khahh10T*
> 
> Its been said before but I still have to say it again, "MAXXPlanck V2 is one of, if not the best execution of an idea to completion of a totally new computer modd'n idea that I have ever come across. I must thank you for sparking inventiion. I am now inspired to also look forward when I play with idea's for a computer mod.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have a more basic question, you used 4 ssd's and 4 harddrives. Of all of the possible ways that you could have set them all up, what did you decide on and why. I think that i would have raid'd 10 the ssd's then raided 1 the two 1tb drives and used the other two drives as filestorage and additional backup. With 8 drives it can get really, really complicated especially if you start thinking about partitioning the non ssd drives etc. Being such a thorough and meticulous modde'r that absolutely pays attention to detail, I know that your solution was well thought out. How did you setup your drives? (I looked at the postings but didnt see this question, sry if I repeated it).
> 
> Thanks.


Thanks! Glad you liked it.

The hard drive setup was carried over from my previous rig. I honestly didn't think too much about the practicality of having 8 drives, and was too lazy to change it.
The main reason I kept with 4 HDDs and 4 SSDs was for the look. I thought the repetitiveness with the spacing and cables added to the overall 'techy' effect.

As for the setup. I have 2 x RAID0 arrays for my SSDs, 1 for OS, and 1 for games. I tried 4 way RAID0 SSDs, it was only faster in sequential read/writes. But wasn't noticeably faster for loading programs and games.
The 2 x 1TB WD blacks are also in RAID0. I use this array for my main file storage. The 2TB and 1.5TB drives are secondary storage drives for movies and backup.


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## Mystriss

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Show4Pro*
> 
> Those are some pretty solid advice Mystriss!
> 
> The "V" cut is definitely one of the most challenging part of this build. I initially formed the V by doing 2 x 45deg dado cuts on my cable saw. But that was pretty dangerous and didn't yield consistent cuts.. So I went with the router.
> I'm not sure what router you are using. But it seems that I get better results the faster it is. I think my router is doing 25,000 RPM. It melts the acrylic when cutting the "V", but with a few back and forth passes, it can be cleaned up pretty good.


Thank you for letting us know how you did it







I agree, the groove for the LED strip is so far the thing that's given me the most challenge in my build as well. I'm lucky in that my lighting tray isn't a major focal point so I can fluff it a bit heh You did a stellar job on yours though \o/

Could I bother you for what kind of bit you used on the router? I'd tried one of these http://www.toolstoday.com/p-6193-double-edge-folding-v-rectangular-groove-router-bits-for-shaping-aluminum-composite-material-acm-panels.aspx (for metal) and had tried to do a 45 degree cut using a straight bit my husband bought me that was specifically for plastic.

When I'd tried to use the metal v-grove bit, even with a straight edge "jig" set up, the bit kept "rolling" out of the cut and carving up the surface of the acrylic; I chalk that up to user error and weak chick factor more than the machines though







With the straight plastic bit, my husband had mounted the router on a little plastic table thing, upside down at a 45 angle, so I could just run the piece of acrylic over the bit, but I had a really hard time getting the acrylic sheet to not "bounce" up over the bit and ultimately ended up setting a piece of wood on top of the sheet so that I could push down directly where the route/cut was being done; it's entirely possible I pushed down too hard and that's what made an unfixable mess of the groove.


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## Khahh10T

Thanks for the reply. I think that I will use your suggestions for the storage drive setups. I dont think I will go the full 8 drive setup, but a raided pair for the boot and and a raided pair for operations and another two for backup seems probable.
I was wondering if you were satisfied with a single ssd as your boot drive. Or did the extra ssd make a measurable difference. Had to ask, a few opinions seem to feel that raiding the boot drives dont add anything but complexity. (its probably just a "what if" to me - I am already aiming for a raid boot drive setup, maybe even using a pair of m.2 drives!)

Do you have any opinions on the swap file in windows? Have you experimented with it? If my build needs one, would placing the swap file on a non ssd drive affect performance but be better for the ssd?

Have you seen the "thermaltake P5" ( http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002732 ) Looks like you have inspired someone to do something a bit different in the computer case world - I think that you have started something.

Thanks again, Looking forward to your next build.


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## WrathCore

Can you recommend a reflective tape for the acrylic/LEDs, is this a double sided reflective?

I bought some but is 36" long and doesn't look like yours.

Thanks In Advance

*update* I Was able to find good tape I thought it didn't reflected both sides I'm good now almost finished too


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## popymon24

It may have said, but how did you stack your GPUs?


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## ItsTheRose

Hey, not sure if this thread is still active, but I was thinking about doing something similar, but I wanted to know how you mounted the PSU to that thing. If you can, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.


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## psychotik2k3

Check my post i took pictures of mine (i'm making one cause i found this one cool)

[Build Log] Dark Side Of the Wall 2x360mm +1x140mm radiators 2 pumps

started on 11/24/15
•

last post 07/14/16 at 2:31pm
•

56 replies
•

3009 views

If you need more specific pictures ask for it on my thread.


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## Spybot

Hey can any one give me the tap size for the mother board stand offs ?
By the way really nice build. I really like the media build you done for your parents.
Whats the next one going to be?
I hope you don't mind but i will be building something very similar to that one.
Hopefully adding a DVD rom and possibly a portable hard drive dock.
I will try and build with the minimum leads coming from it.
My goal will be to have only 3 video/audio and power
Will post pics of the build maybe get a few pointers from any one


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## diceyace

I was wondering what the tubes are connected to at the bottom right side, sorry i dont do much wc moddings so im not quite familiar with loops.


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## Mystriss

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *diceyace*
> 
> I was wondering what the tubes are connected to at the bottom right side, sorry i dont do much wc moddings so im not quite familiar with loops.


I believe those go to the radiator.


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## Khahh10T

I first posted a "thumbs up"







about how unique this mod/build and its impact on me back in Oct of 2015. I just came across a link to it in my bookmarks.
Just wanted to let you know that your awesome build still looks awesome, and thats after all of the other mods that I have come across during the last 4 or so months.

You have really created something unique.

Just to let you know







.


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## Quoteelectrics

Hey got a quick question...
How did you mount the PSU to the build?


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## overclockerjames

only thing I hate about this build is the radiators are lying on some bookcase on the side so it looks like it's halfway done, it's not a wall mount rig, it's a half-way wall mount rig since required components (the cooling system) are still on a bookcase.

other than that, good job


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## Mr_Armageddon

Really enjoyed going through this tread, and seeing how you created this build. Getting ready to do a new build myself, and have a few questions for you.

1) Have you tried experimenting with other acrylic edges such as rounded / bullnose (or even straight)? Wondering if the light transmission would be much different from the 45 degree angle cuts you used?

2) How much sanding do you recommend along the edges for optimal light diffusion? Should leave it a bit rougher using just a file, or if I should hit it up with an orbital sander? I know you mentioned 120 grit at one point, but I don't recall if that was for the acrylic edges or another part of the project.

Thanks for posting all this great info!


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## Mystriss

Again not my thread, but we've not heard from the OP in months so I'll post what I've found RE 1) acrylic lighting:

I went over the idea of light transmission in depth making three motherboard trays to get the lighting just right on my build. In this post here http://www.overclock.net/t/1441548/build-log-consummation-dual-htpc-water-cooled-audiophile-stereo-build/30#post_24777163 (which was my second tray) I have a bunch of example tests of light transmission techniques. If you read through the next post you can see my third tray attempt which has the LED's closer to the edge and I finished the round over clear to get pinpoints for the photo example. -- The first tray attempt I did is here - http://www.overclock.net/t/1441548/build-log-consummation-dual-htpc-water-cooled-audiophile-stereo-build/20#post_24175912 but it doesn't go as in depth into the light transmission stuff.

I've done so much testing with acrylic lighting that I'd have to actually write a full on guide for various techniques to cover it all, which I quite honestly don't have time for atm. What kind of light line are you looking for? Spot lights? Defused for a thick or thin solid line? Do you want a bottom glow under the tray, or just the top edge tray light? If you can specify what you're wanting I can probably tell you how I've done it and why


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## Mr_Armageddon

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mystriss*
> 
> Again not my thread, but we've not heard from the OP in months so I'll post what I've found RE 1) acrylic lighting:
> 
> I went over the idea of light transmission in depth making three motherboard trays to get the lighting just right on my build. In this post here http://www.overclock.net/t/1441548/build-log-consummation-dual-htpc-water-cooled-audiophile-stereo-build/30#post_24777163 (which was my second tray) I have a bunch of example tests of light transmission techniques. If you read through the next post you can see my third tray attempt which has the LED's closer to the edge and I finished the round over clear to get pinpoints for the photo example. -- The first tray attempt I did is here - http://www.overclock.net/t/1441548/build-log-consummation-dual-htpc-water-cooled-audiophile-stereo-build/20#post_24175912 but it doesn't go as in depth into the light transmission stuff.
> 
> I've done so much testing with acrylic lighting that I'd have to actually write a full on guide for various techniques to cover it all, which I quite honestly don't have time for atm. What kind of light line are you looking for? Spot lights? Defused for a thick or thin solid line? Do you want a bottom glow under the tray, or just the top edge tray light? If you can specify what you're wanting I can probably tell you how I've done it and why


Basically I am doing the opposite of the OP. Instead of having individual pieces of Acrylic under each component, I have a larger piece that will encompass my case (Thermaltake Core P5), and have cutouts where the individual components will go. I would like the area around the perimeter of the case, and the components to "glow" with about the same intensity as the OP's build. Just wondering if a rounded edge would be better than angled in this type of application? I'm still working through some ideas, but I think that is the direction I will go.

Attached a picture to explain if my rambling doesn't make sense. Purple lines is where I want to see the light. Thanks!


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## Mystriss

hmmm well I can see some issues with your idea there; like you've got almost no acrylic to work with between say the right side of the tray and the rad(?) fans - you have to put an led strip between the two in order to get them lit up (because it won't go through the "hole" that is your fans) but you've only got what an inch in there? I'm not sure you can rough up the led groove and edges enough to get a solid light line (so you'll end up with "spot" lights) -- The closer your led strips are to the edge to be lit the less the light can diffuse. If you're closer than say 1 1/2" or so from the edges you want to light then I'd suggest getting waterproof LED strip and sanding the heck out of the waterproof covering, sanding both edges of your V groove and sanding the "lit" edge as well. That's the best your going to get for strip light diffusion in a tight situation like that.

If you are wanting a solid line around the components then you might want to consider edge lighting on all four sides instead of groove lighting and etching (aka sanding) your "light lines" onto the surface of the acrylic tray, that should let you light all of those areas and give you a solid light line around your components.

That said, personally, given your layout there, I'd go with El Wire - that would give you a nice solid light line which could be routed anywhere you want around your components without "dim" spots. The down side's are that it takes an inverter (minor), it might be hard to find the exact color you want, it's only one color (if you were thinking RGBs), and I think the thickest I've ever seen was just over 1mm.

Here's a piece of EL Wire I'd put in (the white) sleeve on my old PCIe cable to give you an idea what it looks like:
 
Also, FYI this is a company I've ordered El Wire from in the past - http://thatscoolwire.com/store/subcategory.asp?CategoryID=202&SubCategoryID=149 but there are lots of other places, just Google El Wire.


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## Mr_Armageddon

Thanks for the detailed information.








I'm going to get some EL wire in various colors, and play around with it to see if it will do what I am looking for.


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## Mystriss

Do let us know how it works out for you. I love El Wire personally, but it does have the flaw of being narrow. ...I wonder if perhaps a combination of El Wire and 45 degree sanded edges would resolve the thickness issue; if I have time (and can find my El Wire in my mod collection) I will test that theory


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## Mr_Armageddon

I was able to play around with a few different color strands of EL wire. I really like the way it looks and I think it could definitely work for what I'm going for in my mod, but the audible squeal from the inverter is well beyond what I can handle.

If I can't find a way to silence the noise, I will most likely go back to the RGB LED strip.


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## Mystriss

Noice, glad it's working for you, probably the best solution you'll find for your curvy light lines









Sounds like you got a bad inverter, I don't recall any of the ones I had making any noise (I have a mini recording room so there's no way I could deal with a squeal either heh.) I had like 6 of them I believe, will see if I can find them in my mod boxes tomorrow or the next day. At a minimum I can hopefully tell you what brand they are, and if I haven't scavenged components off of one of them I can mail it to ya - I don't need it for my build so it's just taking up space, my kids been whining at me to clean all my mod stuff off the pool table for months so it'd be good to get rid of some stuff heh


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## Mystriss

I apparently don't have any el wire inverters, I must have thrown them away. I did find the instructions for one of the El Wire brands I had gotten like idk 5 years ago I suppose (Glow Wire is what that was called) and it had a fine print saying that all of their inverters make noise but that you should be able to dampen it with a foam enclosure. Maybe try that?

Or I found some "sound activated" El Drivers on Amazon (while hunting through my past orders to see if I'd gotten one on there - I didn't) and it doesn't make sense to me for a sound activated inverter to have a whine, right? So I have to assume that those would be silent drivers. Maybe I'll pick one of those up and test it out since I have some El Wire but no inverters anyway heh


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## Mr_Armageddon

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mystriss*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I apparently don't have any el wire inverters, I must have thrown them away. I did find the instructions for one of the El Wire brands I had gotten like idk 5 years ago I suppose (Glow Wire is what that was called) and it had a fine print saying that all of their inverters make noise but that you should be able to dampen it with a foam enclosure. Maybe try that?
> 
> Or I found some "sound activated" El Drivers on Amazon (while hunting through my past orders to see if I'd gotten one on there - I didn't) and it doesn't make sense to me for a sound activated inverter to have a whine, right? So I have to assume that those would be silent drivers. Maybe I'll pick one of those up and test it out since I have some El Wire but no inverters anyway heh


Ended up using the RBG LEDs, and it worked out well. But I might use the EL Wire stuff I purchased on another project that is outdoors so the noise won't be an issue.

Finished the new system, and *posted a build log here*. Not going to wall mount this one (although the case allows for it), but definitely used some ideas for this thread to get the look I wanted. Nice blue glow around the perimeter of the case, and around a few of the components.


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## glaciusice

WHAT A WAY TO SPEND $2300 YOU MADE IT BRO NICE WORK I WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN MY ROOM

-Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D Dominator 6 GB 3 x 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Core i7 Memory Kit $44+44
-ASUS Rampage III Gene LGA 1366 Intel X58 Micro ATX Motherboard $240
-Intel Core i7-950 3.06 GHz 8 MB Cache Socket LGA1366 Processor $246
-Corsair Force Series GT 120 GB SATA 2.5-Inch SATA III Solid State Drive (CSSD-F120GBGT-BK) $260+260+260+260
-WD Black 1TB Performance Mobile Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 32MB Cache 9.5 MM 2.5 Inch - WD10JPLX $72+$72
-(Old Model) WD Green 2TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5-inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, IntelliPower, 64MB Cache WD20EZRX $67
-Western Digital 1.5 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD15EARS $63
-Corsair AXi Series, AX1200i, 1200 Watt (1200W), Fully Modular Digital Power Supply, 80+ Platinum Certified, 10 year warranty $310
-Creative Sound Blaster Zx PCIe Gaming Sound Card with High Performance Headphone Amp and Desktop Audio Control Module $114

TOTAL $2312


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## robseo

So, I just created an account here so I can say this... scrolling this page, was better than any sex I've ever had!

Thank you and WOW!


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## Sabejithepirate

dumb question, what are you using to hold the tube down?


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## Schneider

Amazing build/s! What risers were you using for the sound card? Any problems with it?

Thanks


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## terraprime

Awww now that is beautiful, I haven't had internet on my rig for a while so I haven't check my subscriptions. And seeing this on my TV looks AMAZING!!!!


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## 7i4nf4n

One Question, as either I am too dumb or I am just overlooking something:

I am trying something similar. Not the same, but similar enough to face one problem:

How did you guys mount the Graphics Card vertically? I am really struggling with this, as mine has no mounting holes or anything like that for a vertical mount... Hope someone can help me!


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## psychotik2k3

Go to my build log, I put pictures how I stand graphic card.


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## dfriedeborn

Hey! This looks amazing and I'm trying to make one of my own! 
How did you connect the power supply to the acrylic/board?


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## mouacyk

LOL


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