Project: Tainted Moon

Case: Lian Li V2000B
Mobo: Abit AW8-MAX
CPU: Intel 630
Ram: Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X1024A-5400ULCurrent HS: XP-90C with Delta 92mm HHE
Optical: Plextor PX-712SA
Graphics: HIS x800XL ICEQ II Turbo
Sound: Audigy 2 ZS Platinum

Interior Color Motif: Black, Red (Duplicolor Metalcast (Anodized) Red), Some decent non-gaudy Gold if I can find it, or some Copper type paint.

Exterior: Custom Case Wrap (If I can find a company that allows you to design your own.)

Modifications: Restructuring airflow, Paint, Structural reinforcement, Extensive wire management, New front panels (FrontX and DigiDoc 5+), Sound Dampening

This Project features a Lian-Li V-2000B..
I'm going to post stock pictures only to point out the case's flaws. (When I actually have access to a system that can run photoshop without going screwy.)
Add to the fact I'm still trying to acquire decent ram (Hopefully it'll be in by Friday.) , (which means I'm still using my old POS 2.4C Alby Charlie-foxed mega-kludge)

Tools for Modifications:
Soldering Iron and Dremel
Duplicolor Spray Paint
Copper foil and sheeting (Thank you Potpourri Hell, ahem... Hobby Lobby [The stuff is cheap, somewhat durable and I've already worked with it for a past mod.)
Lexan (for window/ custom etch)
Paxmate and Sonex Wiltec for sound dampening
3M Super 77 Adhesive
120mm 2-piece Aluminum fan filters

Not available yet/ (Or haven't ordered.)
From Mnpctech
92mm Powdercoated Black Blowhole kit
120mm Powdercoated Black Blowhole kit
120mm duct mod
Perf-pcs
4 Silverstone 120mm fans
2 Silverstone FM82 fans
Clearneon Red UV spray paint
AD-03 Lian Li Plus kit
DragonModz
Dragonware Red Anodized Pop Rivets
Dragonware Black Oxide Screw Kit
Sidewinder CS
Black Microcool Chipsinks where necessary (read exposed chips)
DigiDoc 5+
FrontX solution


This is a project that won't be complete for some time. (Try a year)
The theme is supernatural and one side of the exterior will be custom case wrapped (If you think I'm going spend time or money on painting anodized aluminum you're on drugs.) once I finish the design, (it's on hold due to my current system.) and send it .
The top will have lyrics of one my favorite songs (translated to Latin or German, whichever is more disturbing) with an exotic font- using red acrylic and glued on; or painted on some aluminum plating and melded on (Perhaps become the custom cover for the two top panels?).
The top will also feature two created 5.25 bays into place and give some of the case scraps as custom covers (For the FrontX [I'm removing the stock Lian Li front Panel] and DigitalDoc 5+ solution).

The bottom compartment won't be included in the window mod (noise concerns), but I will spiffy it up some. I'll also create some custom defector/shrouds for the 80's and the two additional 120's.

It sounds like you've got this pretty clearly planned out, good job (measure twice cut once). Man we need some pictures of this mod it's going to be cool.





eeddiitt: I just checked mnpctech's website and it doesn't look like they sell 120mm blowhole kits.

This is looking pretty sweet to me.. Provocative name by the way.. No offence,
eheheh.. Tainted Moon.. Ehehehe..

Ah damn, the digital camera my dad has (Now that I've found it) is busted (the screen's all farbled up). So much for the Idea of not having to scan any further pictures.

I've acquired some liquid vinyl (vinyl dip) Plasti-Dip for painting the fans (black), not only that It'll reduce vibration. I'll also do the same to the drive cages and screws. But why stop there? I'll do the unexposed areas of the pop-rivets before put them in place, the psu mount, motherboard stand off, et_al.

Then where necessary I'll paint over it in the Red-Gold-Black motif I'm using.

As far as the 120mm blowhole mod ( I'll sinter some copper foil or sheeting with plastic duct to create a mount-through plate.) from Mnpctech, given the fact that the 92mm one was reviewed here over 3 months ago, you'd think it would be available shortly. 92mm isn't exactly a "standard" after all when it comes to variety of fans/ accessories in that size.

I'm also considering replacing my XP-90C with its 92mm Delta HHE, with a Vapochill Micro and custom 120mm shroud made of acrylic (or lexan), which will dipped in vinyl .

And konai, I realize that the codename for this work in progress in somewhat cheezy, but it's better than some of the other names I've come up with. I'm also planning on finishing the sanding the hs of the 630 with some 10,000 grit compound I've picked up. (Same with the heatsink, then I'll use Nanotherm PCM+ for the thermal interface.

I'm also considering putting an active aftermarket cooling solution (Trying saying that 5 times fast) on the Southbridge chipset. Would it be possible to place a Swifty MX159 on it?


Ps.
Watercooling maybe a future posibility
.

Small update
My old system bit the big one,
So I put my upgrade system together only to find a glaring problem with the current heatsink.
Thermalright retention bracket for the LGA775 socket isn't worth ****.
(D&mn cheap-@$$ plastik)
(Hell, I'd be wary placing a normal Xp-90 on it without a fan attached.)
Until I get a new hsf, I'm stuck with the Stock Intel orb and the whistler on it.

So I ordered a High End Vapo Micro and found that the shroud would not take the
Delta tri-blade high speed I ordered for it. (It snapped into a half-dozen pieces from the weight.)
(But if you think I'm going to leave a sleeve-bearing fan on a heatsink,
you need some quality time in a rubber room.)
I'm now having a friend who has a hobby in metallurgy create a custom shroud
for it out of copper plating obtained from Potpourri Hell.

I'm also going to look at some additional sound dampening (such as eDead)

Tough luck on that old system. Hope everything turns out okay. Keep it up!

...

Yet another Charlie-fox to deal with leaves
me feeling much like that little penguin in the link above.

Asetek's retention mechanism for the Vapo Micro is worthless.
(The custom shroud and special fan not only increase the weight considerably,
there is no back plate to make sure sufficient pressure is kept equally across the socket.)
I guess I'll have to make a custom bracket to mate with the Thermalright backplate from the otherwise worthless LGA775 RM kit I bought.,
out of steel coated in some kind of nonflammable insulator.
(Could someone please give me some ideas as to what.)

I reaaly considering laying down the money for watercooling (Especially with deals like this)-
ghtettometallurgy isn't all what it's cracked up to be.

I see alot of pre-mixed coolants and I've set my eyes on Primochill Ice.
However I've read about the problems with FluidXp being a growth medium for all sorts of nasties.
Does anyone knows a good non-conductive, non-corrosive biocide I could use?