Project: Blue Ruby

[Juggernaut1987]

NOTICE: I POSTED THIS THREAD ON ANOTHER SITE TO BUT I THOUGHT WELL THIS IS A CASE MODDING LOG THREAD SO WHY NOT POST IT HERE TO (admin may remove if needed)

I've had some time on my hands so I decided to buy a dremel (well a cheap look -a-like "ferm") and cut some holes in my case. If I was going to take the entire machine apart I could also easily install some new coolers and some other thinks.

I ordered:
Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu LED
Zalman VF700-AlCu LED

(Both ALCU because I think the difference in weight with the CU versions is more important then the 3C difference in heat you get, they are much lighter so in my opinion safer to use and carry around)

Sharkoon Silencing Kit
Artic Silver 5
Artic Cleaning Kit

The goal of this project was to get better cooling and a more silent computer. This is my first modding project but there will be more guarenteed

I made the pics below with my old 2MP Olympus C-220 camera or with my Samsung D600 phone (those pics are the sharp ones )

THE STRIPPING
This is my machine without the side panels on
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8094/p10100221jm.jpg

I had to wait for the parts to arive so I decided to get started with taking the machine apart. Here is my pile of parts (growing..)
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/3328/photo00762ox.jpg

After a while the machine looked like this (you can clearly see the annoying air blocking fangrills that are in place).
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/7964/photo00784yt.jpg

My pile of parts became this big
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/8924/photo00800fm.jpg

Here you see why I love dust filters
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4610/p10100340bf.jpg

Here is my new Asus AX800 Pro, which I bought and flashed to XT speeds last month, compared to my old Sapphire Radeon 9700Pro.
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4876/p10100426cz.jpg

Here is my mobo
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/849/p10100436tf.jpg

Time for lunch!
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/4222/photo00835lg.jpg

THE CUTTING PART:
After I restored my strength it was time to cut some holes! Here I was half way trough.
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/9578/photo00842zv.jpg

Hmm time to replace my disc...
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/7553/photo00851mv.jpg

After 2 more replacements I was finally trough
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/489/photo00875vy.jpg

Here I started on the rear fan holes when bad-luck struck
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/9319/photo00910jv.jpg

The screw whith which you tighten the discs onto the "disc support" broke (cheap ass china made ) so i had to wait for monday so that I could buy a new "disc support" thingy. It was 3€ for a new real dremel thing so it wasnt a big problem though. After I used the new support thing to cut I noticed that my cutting discs were lasting forever! Probably because this thing was real dremel (straight and well balanced) the old ferm thing wasnt flat at the top.

When I came back from my basement the mail man delivered my package to my neighbour. I picked it up and finally my work could begin
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8834/p10100523db.jpg

INSTALLING THE NEW STUFF
I decided to start with replacing my CPU cooler. I took the heatsink of the mobo but... bad luck came in again. The CPU was stuck to the cooler
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4342/p10100448ut.jpg

I took my moms hairdryer to make the glue gooey so that I could twist the CPU off. I thought this was safer then putting it in the freezer. How wrong could i be...
I twisted the CPU very gently, all of a sudden it flew right of the heatsink and landed on my girls pants and then crashed to the floor.
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6666/p10100460dz.jpg

OK GREAT! IT LANDED WITH THE PINS DOWN!
I tried to put it back onto the socket but it didnt go. After a tough inspection I found that 2 pins were bend. I bend them back with my thumb-nail and tried again. After several attempts it was back in :thumb:
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/1108/p10100458nk.jpg

I removed the stock heatpaste with Artic Cleaner 1 and after that I finished it of with Artic Cleaner 2. I decided to call it a day. The day after I installed the CPU cooler.
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/5691/photo00905qr.jpg

I decided to use the hairdryer again because this time the core couldnt fly away
Here the heatsink just came of.
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/6704/p10100552jk.jpg

After I cleaned it up
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/663/p10100577ju.jpg

I put the zalman cooler on (sorry no pic) and decided to put everything back into the case.
The PSU and new CPU fitted exactly with a 1mm gap.
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/4306/photo00981cp.jpg

FINAL SHOTS
This is how the case turned out (sorry better pics coming)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/1360/p10100697zd.jpg

with flash (here you can clearly see the special blue rubber screws, which really make a difference)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3513/p10100677wz.jpg

And a nice frontal shot.
http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/4728/p10100701fc.jpg

My case still isnt finished so be ready for a next episode

 

[wazzledoozle]

Dont put

 

[POGE]

Thumbnail your images if your going to post that many and that big. Clicking this thread made my laptop lock up for a few second because of lag.

 

[Juggernaut1987]

Sorry guys! I thought the forum would resize them automatically. I put the bare links in now which makes it easier to read and the pics are available if anyone wants to see them.

 

[drade]

Nice job Juggernaut, I think now you should hide all those cables, seems like they may restrict some airflow.

 

[Juggernaut1987]

True, Thursday when my exams are over i'm gonna buy new white spiral wrap. Different sizes and a lot of it. Then ill rewire the whole thing nice and wrapped. If you have any cable hiding tips let me know.

 

[drade]

Usaully run them behind the mobo tray, What I did was I actually ordered longer 3 pin connecter (12"), and just longer stuff so you couldnt see them, I have evolved alot on my cable magagement.... Let me tell you one thing though, once your good at it, your case can never be too tidy

 

[KennyT772]

one comment on the pics...

USE A TRIPOD!!! hehe the blurriness is kind of diorienting

 

[Juggernaut1987]

You cant make sharp pictures with my camera and how should i put a tripod in those angles anyway. The sharp pics i made with my phone (D600) Dont complain its a good phone!

I cant run my cables behind the mobo tray.I put most of them behind the 5,5 and 3,5 inch compartments. After I spiral wrapped the stuff in view im gonna ductape the rest behind the compartments. I'm pretty shure after that ill find another thing to do so indeed its never good enough

 

[EiS]

Looks nice but a little wire hidding would make it wicked

 

[Alec§taar]

LOVE THE LIGHTS!!! Doing a bit of that myself...

I love the lights treatments - this is the 1 area I have to improve here, because only the front of my case came that way (Antec Aluminum "Super-Lanboy" windowed case) & I need to order some of those 'cathode tube lights', even just one...

Where you have YOUR 2? Awesome placement, perfect imo!

I have "UV Glow" rounded EIDE/IDE + Floppy cable now, so that would do me right & I picked up a rear case 5.25" fan that has lights in it (almost there).

(I didn't know you could get that type of treatment for CPU fans though - this is one I picked up from you today in fact, & may "bite off your style" on)



* NICE WORK!

APK

P.S.=> These forums, they've "reinspired me" to take a REALLY good look @ my latest system & be more organized in its interior, & also many folks here have given me good ideas for aesthetic tweaks (and some performance ones too even though not as many (one being how to "mod" memory timings on GeForce boards & with what tools))...

All in all? Nicest forums I have seen online to date in fact & not just for those reasons - folks here have been cool to me, & generally to one another as well, more than other boards imo (which has been fairly extensive on forums like these since 1997 or so)! apk

 

[Juggernaut1987]

I didn't know you could get that type of treatment for CPU fans though

Its a Zalman V7000B Alcu LED. Which has leds.
Same for the X800Pro ahum XT now which has a V700-Alcu LED from zalman.

Be shure to post some pics of your machine! Let me know.
My case still isnt finished so ill be updating it a lot and posting here.

The forums are indeed very nice. I like the overall mood of everyone.