B L A C K B I R D

[rosinbole]

Spoiler: Introduction

Oh god, here we go again, none the wiser since my last project apparently.

So... It seems that a yearly build is becoming quite the habbit for me!

Since the disappointing end to my last project around december of 2018, I've been designing, scrapping, redesigning a scrapped design, designing something completely new because of a fatal flaw in the old-new design, and scrapping that design once again, only to take it up a month later and start all over... I think you get it.

This is the process which I've repeated over and over and over again for the last half year.

Something happened one day though, not that long ago, when I was peacefully and possibly quite bored sitting in a classroom - I got a great idea, possibly one of my best yet (not really), and over the last couple of months, that idea has come all the way from a quick sketch in my notebook to this moment right now, me sitting here and typing out this first forum post about this brand new, glorious, and as always, very overwhelming scratch-built project.

Scratch built case specifications:

7.23L excluding raised sidepanels
8.97L including raised sidepanels

100% anodized CNC milled aluminum structure
- main structure will be entirely 12mm panels
- inside structure will be 3mm panels

2x 4mm thick tinted tempered glass panels

Entirely assembled with metric countersunk-
and metric thumb-screws


Hardware specifications:

Custom modded Asus X470-i motherboard
AMD Ryzen 7 2700x CPU
2X8GB of 3GHz G.Skill TridentZ RGB
Gigabyte GTX 1070 MINI ITX OC 8GB
Samsung 512GB 950 PRO M.2 NVME SSD
450W G-unique Archdaemon + unlimited brick combo as power supply


Watercooling loop:

Alphacool Eisbaer LT solo
Alphacool NexXxoS UT60 triple 80mm X-Flow Radiator
(3x) Noiseblocker NB-BlacksilentPRO PCP 4-pin PWM 80x15mm fans
Exclusively low profile koolance fittings
Koolance QD3 quick disconnect fitting for filling, topping off, and draining



Worry not, for the build log will soon begin!


Thanks to @Josh | NFC for lending me his beautiful skyslot design for this project!​

 

[loader963]

Any pics of the interior? The exterior looks sharp bro!

 

[rosinbole]

Any pics of the interior? The exterior looks sharp bro!

Good timing! Was just sitting at my computer.

Not yet. I might do a couple of more renderings and post them too though!

Thanks a bunch.

 

[paulesko]

This looks very good! And the watercooling thing is very nice feature, I like it!

 

[Windfall]

Following!

 

[rosinbole]

WELCOME BACK to this possibly slowest paced build log ever!

I've been up to quite a bit, but the only interesting stuff is my latest work - slowly building and swapping out parts in this first prototype of the case.

So far I've gone through some 3 or 4 revisions of replacing major parts - one of the latest being adding a power button which is quite convenient as this PC is my daily drive while I'm building on it.

The LED-strips are quite improvised. I will probably implement a better solution in the final version.

Also, I unfortunately printed the new front panel in borderlands graphics ? (I accidentally printed it with a black brim).

Pictures please!

That's it for this time. Yup! All you get See you in three months.

 

[Windfall]

WELCOME BACK to this possibly slowest paced build log ever!

I've been up to quite a bit, but the only interesting stuff is my latest work - slowly building and swapping out parts in this first prototype of the case.

So far I've gone through some 3 or 4 revisions of replacing major parts - one of the latest being adding a power button which is quite convenient as this PC is my daily drive while I'm building on it.

The LED-strips are quite improvised. I will probably implement a better solution in the final version.

Also, I unfortunately printed the new front panel in borderlands graphics ? (I accidentally printed it with a black brim).

Pictures please!

That's it for this time. Yup! All you get See you in three months.

Epic update!

 

[Choidebu]

Wait that's it??!?!?!

 

[rosinbole]

Wait that's it??!?!?!

Yup. Just a "prototype is almost finished" update.

I'll be more consistent and detailed when I build the real thing.

 

[rosinbole]

I've used the PC in the state it was in in the last update for quite a bit, and I've made quite a bit of changes - both performance and usability wise. Among the changes are:

• A completely new front panel design allowing for substantially larger fans and incredibly improved airflow.
• Top and bottom covers on two structural pieces instead of single solid panels on the top and bottom. This eases assembly by a considerable amount.

I'm also thinking about adding the GPU into the loop by converting it into a single slot card with a waterblock and adding a slim 120mm rad with a 15mm fan behind it. One thing at a time though.

I'm waiting for some new hardware to fit on the new front panel design (should arrive in the coming week), so for now I've made a slideshow of the assembly to please your eyes. Because I'm only home in the weekends, I saw no use in building the entire PC to "completion" just to disassemble it again on saturday when I come home. This is only to give and idea of how the case is designed and built.

The case assembled

Notice that the screws holding the radiator assembly together are too long - this is because I'm waiting for thicker fans to arrive.

The assembly

Just for kicks, I laid most of the hardware and all of the case components out on the floor. Don't worry, no PCB's are touching carpet, and I took proper care when assembling the PC.

I will start by assembling the front panel. This is the lower front panel part in the new design with the powerbutton mounted.

The lower half of the radiator mount is mounted to the lower front panel assembly (had to split the rad mount because of my printers print volume).

The process is repeated for the upper half of the front panel.

Here comes the hard part. The front panel has to be assembles with the fans, fan covers, two halves of the front panel, and radiator all "floating" in 3D space before the parts can be secured with a set of long screws. With the new front panel design, I've made room for 25mm fans. Those will be put in when they come in the mail.

Now the top and bottom structural pieces must be assembled. For clarification, this is the top part.

Process is repeated with the bottom part.

Sidepanel mounts are assembled on to the top and bottom.

The case feet are mounted on the bottom panel.

The bottom structural piece can now be mounted to the front panel assembly.

The GPU-backplate is mounted on the bottom structural piece.

The back panel is mounted to the case.

The top structural piece is mounted to the case.

The motherboard tray is mounted to the case.

Struts are secured between the GPU-backplate and motherboard tray. This adds an incredible amount of stability.

Top cover is mounted on the case.

Bottom cover with the case feet attached is mounted on the case.

Motherboard is mounted.

GPU is mounted.

TG sidepanels are put on.

 

[Sirpotet]

that is an epic looking build, well done

 

[robbee]

Those fans in the front panel look really good! What printer are you printing this on, btw?

 

[rosinbole]

Those fans in the front panel look really good! What printer are you printing this on, btw?

Thanks! They'll be replaced by 3 NF-A8 Chromax fans next weekend.

A slightly modified Prusa MK3S with a MMU2S.

 

[NateDawg72]

A slightly modified Prusa MK3S with a MMU2S.

The build looks fantastic. Did you do some finishing work on the 3D parts? I can't tell if you did or if you've just got a very well tuned print! What kind of plastic are you using?

(I'm looking forward to my prusa mini and this doesn't make the wait any easier ?)

 

[smitty2k1]

This looks incredible, very well done! I'm guessing you're going to be much happier with the 25mm Noctua fans, it looks like those are the 15mm Noiseblockers? I've found them to be pretty sub bar, even the cheaper 80x15mm Cooler Master fans (3 pin) perform better than the much more expensive and "nicer" 4 pin Noiseblockers.

 

[robbee]

I can't tell if you did or if you've just got a very well tuned print!

Wouldn't be suprised if they came out this nice, the Prusa i3 printers are really top notch!

 

[rosinbole]

The build looks fantastic. Did you do some finishing work on the 3D parts? I can't tell if you did or if you've just got a very well tuned print! What kind of plastic are you using?

(I'm looking forward to my prusa mini and this doesn't make the wait any easier ?)

Thanks alot! No, no finishing. I spend a lot of time professionally working with (traditional) 3D printers, so I've got some experience in tuning them to give nice prints. Not complicated though, a foolproof profile can be set up and iterated close to perfection in less than a day if you know what you're doing. Most of the time you'll be JUST fine with the printers own profiles though.

All of the parts are printed in Spectrum Filaments PETG. PLA gets too soft at PC operating temps to be usable for a PC case, and I don't particularly like printing in ABS.

This looks incredible, very well done! I'm guessing you're going to be much happier with the 25mm Noctua fans, it looks like those are the 15mm Noiseblockers? I've found them to be pretty sub bar, even the cheaper 80x15mm Cooler Master fans (3 pin) perform better than the much more expensive and "nicer" 4 pin Noiseblockers.

Thanks alot! Yeah that's what I'm hoping. Neither noise nor temps are great for such a beefy rad right now. I'm quite impressed by the alphacool eisbaer though.

Wouldn't be suprised if they came out this nice, the Prusa i3 printers are really top notch!

For the price, yes. Literally nothing beats its combination of reliability and print quality unless you spend considerably more. There is defenately still room for improvement in some places though.

 

[rosinbole]

Changelog

* Slim Noiseblocker fans changed to new Noctua NF-A8 Chromax fans.

* Watercooling tubing has been sleeved.

* New and cleaner cable routing.


Upcoming changes

* New GTX 1070 with a bitspower water cooling block.

* Possibly the addition of an additional 120mm radiator in the system.


Pictures

New sleeved 6x10mm tubes.

Rad with the new Noctua fans. Note that the temporary fan grills have been taken off the fans in installing the rad, as they were in fact just temporary.

New sleeved tubes seen from the CPU side of the case.

New sleeved tubes seen from the GPU side of the case.

New routing for the fan cables.

New routing for the cables over the motherboard.

Finished build without panels attached.

Finished build seen from the GPU side.

Finished build seen from the CPU side.

Finished build up and running.


Cooling performance

I left the documentation on this PC (Blackbird), and next time I have access to it is in two weeks. I'm writing this from my laptop. You'll have to excuse me and trust my word.

Prime95:

A peak temp of 48C was reached after 15-20 minutes of 100% CPU load.

On about the 30 minute mark it settled on hovering from 43-45C, still at 100% load, and it seemed to become stable at this temperature range.

Due to the new Noctuas, the loop was dead silent too. I couldn't at all hear it over a light drizzle outside.

I'm very pleased.

 

[Nejax]

Wow, love your case and started to print it for myself.
Could you pls make a Backplate for Mainboards with itegrated i/o Shields?

 

[rosinbole]

Wow, love your case and started to print it for myself.
Could you pls make a Backplate for Mainboards with itegrated i/o Shields?

That's so awesome man!!

I've looked at it and there would have to be some major changes for that to work (not that it wouldn't be possible).

Right now my watercooling system is unfortunately clogged, so I can't look at it in the very near future. I have some work to do, and since Denmark isn't under serious lockdown anymore, I don't just have all day to play with computers unfortunately.