Galactic Empire A4-SFX

dix_xib

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Jun 19, 2018
17
26
The build is now completed. Thanks for following along! Regarding the designs of the different panels you can download them here. Open in Illustrator/Indesign or similar if you want to edit it.


Update October 2018
Hi guys! I have gotten some questions regarding the CPU-side of the build. My main focus has been the GPU-side. This is now (more or less) completed. For the CPU-side I have set my eyes on a new cooler.

I have two options when it comes to the CPU-cooler.

1. Using the MasterLiquid Maker 92. I have it installed in the case but the panel will be rather difficult to create. Challenge accepted though See below for pictures on the design. I also added the fan from an AMD Wraith RGB - and yes, reversed the airflow.

2. Combining the Asatek 545LC and the ASUS ROG Ryuo. Not sure how to do this, but will try. Will update with pictures when and if that process begins. This also means I have to design a new side panel, but will wait until the cooler is completed. The vision in my head is to have a Sith-logo right above the cooler and have the same type of smoked glass as on the other side. In contact with Asatek for help - Have not been able find one at a descent price so will make due with the MasterLiquid Maker 92

-------------------------------

So, the time has come for me to start building computers again. I've done quite alot of projects, mostly on Sweclockers.com, but all have been related to charity projects. However, this time I am building a computer for myself. This gallery/post will be posted on a number of different forums, so therefore English only.

I rescently moved to a larger apartment, but the "area" where I have my computer is quite alot smaller than before. So I decided to go SFF. The Dan Case was not the first choice. I was having my eye on the Louqe Ghost MkII, but it got delayed so I moved on to other options. And I am glad that I did. So far I really like what Dan has accomplished. Superb build quality and very easy to build in.

Building a new computer I wanted to do it properly for once, not compromising with cable management and mods, but since I have no clue what I am doing when it comes to watercooling I decided to mod the things I actually can manage - side panels, cables, lighting etc. I am a huge fan of Star Wars so even if was a bit hard to swallow I finally decieded to buy a Star Wars Titan Xp, and specifically the Galactic Empire-version.

The card is a work of art, but I wanted to make the rest of the build match.

Here my journey begins.

--------------------------------------------------------------
SPECS:

Case:
Dan Case SFX A4 – Black

GPU:
Nvidia Titan Xp Limited Edition Galactic Empire

CPU:
Intel i3 8350K

Cooling:
MasterLiquid Maker 92

Storage:
Samsung 970 EVO series SSD 1TB M.2
Samsung 960 EVO series SSD 500GB M.2
Samsung 850 EVO series SSD 1TB SATA
Samsung 850 EVO series SSD 250GB SATA
Intel 240Gb SATA

Motherboard:
ROG STRIX Z370-I GAMING

RAM:
Kingston HyperX 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 2666MHz White

Mods:
Window kit with custom glas panels from Snijlab.nl (no affiliation):
Death Star: Acrylic transparent anthracite
Custom made cables by @pslate for my motherboard/case.
- 8 Pin CPU/EPS Cable SF600/SF450
- 8 Pin PCIE Cable SF600/SF450
- 24 Pin to 10+18 Pin Cable SF600/SF450
- 6 Pin PCIE Cable SF600/SF450
- Dual SATA Power Cable Stacked Connectors SF600/SF450
- Single SATA Power Cable SF600/SF450
The cables are made in a combo of black, grey and red.

Sticker with Galactic Empire logo for Cryorig C7

RGB-kit from Asus Aura RGB (30cm with new connectors for Z370-I)

Accessories:
Acer X43P
Space gray Razer Lancehead Wireless
Space gray Apple Magic Keyboard with numpad wireless

I will update this project with latest entry at the top so can follow along the ride. Pictures of the full build, desk, accessories and "man cave" will be posted along the way. Pictures will be posted in order so you can look there for updates. This a combined gallery/build log.
--------------------------------------------------------------


The fingerprint magnet it self It looks nice even without tempered glas or lighting, but if there´s one thing that RGB should be used for - it's Star Wars


The newly unboxed GPU. It´s soooo pretty.


First, I needed new glas panels. The ones that Dan proviedes are nice but I didn't like the branding. My wifes dads name is Dan so I would never hear the end of it :D So, my own laser cut side panels has arrived. I did the designs in 3D using the template that Dan provides and used a guide made by @Sldr. Huge thank you for this! The first design is based on an image I found of the Death Star which suited my needs. I needed to add a line to keep the stations weapon in place but otherwise no alterations. The Tie Fighter is a combination of well... a Tie Fighter and the Galactic Empire logo. I need to change it a bit in order to cut it properly but I really like how the two mixed together.


Removed the cuts. Maybe useful for another project or just some interior design :) I ordered a black Death Star design and a red Tie Fighter/Imperial logo. No, I can see it too. It is not red... :(


The right side panel in place. As you can see the color does not fit the theme - at all (IMO). I have reached out to the company who made it but according to them it's correct from the specs. Maybe I got it wrong, maybe it got lost in translation :) Will try to figure out a way to color it. In my head it would look rather good not having the logo aligned with CPU cooler, but when I see I think I may do a revision of that so it aligns perfectly. Otherwise there will be no point in swapping the stickers on the fan. I will think about it .


Now we are talking :) The left side panel was a totally different story. I am really happy with how this turned out. The Death Star is quite large and I made this decision to keep the weapon-line as big as possible, so it wouldn't break easily. Sadly you can see the need for custom cables. That´s now fixed :) See more pictures below.


It's really bright outside in Sweden now (summer) but when night comes, it really shows the power of the dark side :)

A taste of what's to come. This is the computer when it's switched off (Aura is still on from the motherboard). Hope you enjoyed the project so far. I will be updating this gallery in the coming weeks with cables, paint mods and lighting etc. Hopefully I will finish in july or august.


I started to getto mod a cable cover. Here is the super mega alpha 0.1


Here another shot. Will try to cover the power cables as well.


I find it easier to just use cardboard to get my measurements and then usethe raw data from that. After that I will convert it to a digital design using actual measurements. First 2D, then 3D. Still learning CAD so might take a while. The bend was cut from the final design.


Here is the first digital design of the cable cover.


Measurements so far, give or take. I am thinking of printing it in a soft material and use velcro instead of screws for an easy install/removal. I finally ended up with one design in leather and one in ABS (softer plastic)


The finished product will look something like this. A friend offered to do the design in leather so couldn't pass that up :)




The shrine to my Commodore 64 :)

The shrine to my Commodore 64 (when opened). Will continue buying retro systems when I have the budget for it.



Another picture of the complete build



The complete build. Still waiting for some displates to put on each side of the desk. I will post new pictures when the cable cover and the paintings are in place.


The build in place (cable side).
You can also see the cable I use to charge my mouse. Very convenient to keep it in the monitor mount.


The build in place (still without the cable cover though). Since it´s made by hand (and for free) I am more than willing to wait. You can´t really see the PCI-E riser but you can see the RGB-cables and the Noctua NF-B9 redux-1600 92mm PWM.


The prototype has arrived :D The smell of burnt plastic is in the air.


Looks good so far. A tight fit on A4 :D


Trying it out with the protective plastic still on. Looking good so far.


Now with everything peeled off. Really happy with the result, even if it´s just a prototype.


The red glow coming from the RGB-strip looks really good now when it creates a straight line :)


You Don't Know the Power of the Dark Side.


Here you can see the line more clearly


First try with the MasterLiquid Maker 92. Looks kinda good, but need to fix another side panel :) The cut will be kind of challinging but I think I can make it work.


First mockup of the new panel


Looks rather good but need to do some adjustments when I convert it to digital. Will probably make two pieces so I can still make the panel in glass.



The design. Will be cut from polymethylmethacrylat (plastic with a reflective coating).


A new version of the cable cover. Will also be cut from polymethylmethacrylat.


Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station.


New cover in place. Will also update with pictures of the CPU-side but have one last piece before it is complete. RGB:)


The dark side of the moon? :) Sorry about the mess in the background but the computer is nearing completion. I have decided to keep it as it is for now, allthough I´m not 100% happy. The AMD-fan really made a difference but in retrospect I should have made the panels black and not reflective. But yeah, maybe next time. Thanks for following along. May the force be with you, always.


Thanks to:
@dondan for an awesome product
@Sldr for an awesome guide on custom panels
Darth Vader for being a role model in society
 
Last edited:

Arboreal

King of Cable Management
Silver Supporter
Oct 11, 2015
805
803
Oh Man, this deserves a place on the Dan Case Hall of Fame! Great work, I particularly like the Death Star window cutout; sadly the Imperial logo/Tie Fighter just doesn't work as well - shame about the colour too.
That Star Wars Titan Xp, I LOVE the Imperial bit, BUT I really liked the distressed alu finish on the Rebel one. Luckily, there was never any worry about the choice, as it was waaaaaay out of my budget.
Maybe I'll post pics my custom Parvum case with its Imperial logo 120mm fan intake one day...
Again, congrats on a really effective mod
 
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dix_xib

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Jun 19, 2018
17
26
Welcome to ther forum ! What an awesome first topic to boot !

Hi! Thank you! Seemed like the best way to start :) Will try to get some more updates when the rest of the stuff arrives.

Oh Man, this deserves a place on the Dan Case Hall of Fame! Great work, I particularly like the Death Star window cutout; sadly the Imperial logo/Tie Fighter just doesn't work as well - shame about the colour too.
That Star Wars Titan Xp, I LOVE the Imperial bit, BUT I really liked the distressed alu finish on the Rebel one. Luckily, there was never any worry about the choice, as it was waaaaaay out of my budget.
Maybe I'll post pics my custom Parvum case with its Imperial logo 120mm fan intake one day...
Again, congrats on a really effective mod

Wow thanks! Really happy with the build so far (GPU-side anyway). I actually had Strix 1080ti but sold it before the end of the year for mor than I bought it for. Miners :) So the step up wasn’t murder, but yeah it’s work of art alright.

Regarding the other side panel I have decided to do a re-design with the cutout centered to the cooler. Probably will go with something else than s Tie Fighter though. And not pink :D Probably black/smoke as the other one. Also decided to do some skins for the SSDs. Thinking gun metal and small Sith symbols.

In a few weeks I will also have the custom PSU-cables and lighting in place. So keep an eye out. Cheers
 

Sldr

Average Stuffer
Feb 7, 2017
65
124
Hah, I'm very happy you enjoyed my tutorial PDF on how to create your own plexiglass designs. I recognise the protective film, did you also use Snijlab.nl?

-edit-

Yeah, you did, cool
 
Last edited:
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dix_xib

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Jun 19, 2018
17
26
Hah, I'm very happy you enjoyed my tutorial PDF on how to create your own plexiglass designs. I recognise the protective film, did you also use Snijlab.nl?

-edit-

Yeah, you did, cool
Hey man! Yeah, huge thank you for the guide! :)
 

dix_xib

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Jun 19, 2018
17
26
Really interesting project. I hope you continue to give us some pics.

Thank you! Did a small update today working on the cable cover for the GPU-side. Hope you like it. If anyone else have tried the same thing and are willing to share any information I salute you. I will post the measurements here when I am done so other people can use it with founder cards.
 

Walderstorn

Average Stuffer
Apr 29, 2018
84
37
That is a nice touch with the red threads. Curious to see how it will end up looking like because of the contrast "metal/plastic/leather".

Lycka till (thats almost all the swedish i can write).
 

dix_xib

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Jun 19, 2018
17
26
Posted a small update with the complete setup. Still waiting for some stuff though so will keep updating. Thanks again @dondan for the best case on the market!

Edit: If any of you guys want the paths for the cable cover just let me know.
 

dix_xib

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Jun 19, 2018
17
26
Hi @dix_xib Fan va kul! Do you have any pics/advice on how you rigged the RGB-kit?

Thanks!

:) Can take some additional shots when I get the cable cover. I ordered a dummy version of the cover in ABS (kind of like plastic but you can bend it into place) so will probably want to shoot that anyway.

My favorite project so far, it look amazing.
Wow, thank you for the kind words!

If you like A4-SFX projects I can recommend one made in mulitple layers of wood to create an insanely cool effect. Google deeshu a4 sfx sweclockers (not sure if I can link to another forum here).
 

dix_xib

Chassis Packer
Original poster
Jun 19, 2018
17
26
First try with the MasterLiquid Maker 92. Looks kinda good, but need to fix another side panel :) The cut out will be kind of challinging but I think I can make it work.