Kolink Rocket "budget" build

Henry Collingwood

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
New User
Mar 31, 2020
6
8
Hello, just joined up to share my progress and maybe learn something.

My biggest regret with this build is to try and do it cheaply...

I used to have a Zalman Zmachine GT1000 case with an X58 Xeon build in it. It weighed about 25kg and was impossible to move and i needed something easy to move.



Unfortunately i couldnt get my xeon in an XPC Cube nor could i find a cube anyway so i bought myself the Kolink Rocket case above. Its pretty and cheaper than a dan a4. I got an Asus P8Z77-i Deluxe (which i got for a bargain in a bundle of memory and a i7 3770k) cause with the i7 2600k or 3770k itll happily support my 980ti from my old build with a bit of an overclock.

Cooling. This case gave me 52mm to play with. Noctua's low profile cooler was my first though. Fits with plenty of space and is pretty quiet but wouldnt let me overclock much especially as ivybridge likes to be colder. A cryorig c7 copper would be cool but is really expensive. In the end I discover the Alpenfohn Blackridge after a little research and its great.



Good overclock (got it to 4.5ghz without trying hard, daily it at 4.2) uses all available space... All of it...

Sata cables, usb3 header, almost everything is covered up with barely any room underneath. Gonna have to get right angle sata cables and a right angle usb3 adapter... This case has no cut out for cooler mounting so you gotta attach the sata cables to the storage in its little tray, put the tray in the case, plug the cables into the board, put the cooler on the board and put the board, attach the pcie riser and then put the board in the case... Pain.

GPU fits perfectly. Its so satisfying, mm...



Unfortunately due to lockdown I packed up and had to move back to my parents and i havent got my 8 pin pcie cables... So this is how it stands as it is...


(heh)

So im gonna use this period of massive boredom to get a proper power supply (rather than the one from my old build)
Im gonna shorten and sleeve the cables so they all fit nicely (any advice?) Get all the adapters and right angle cables i need, any other bits and bobs. I might re-delid and lap the processor and cooler too whilst im at it more to give me something to do rather than because of any potential thermal savings...

So yeah. This is my journey into teeny weeny computers so far. Its bloody difficult.

Ill update this thread as i button up everything and finish it up

:D
 
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Henry Collingwood

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
New User
Mar 31, 2020
6
8
So my power supply arrived today and i have spent the day begining making custom cables. Nothing better to do during lockdown and like hell am i paying 150 odd quid for a set of cables i can make myself for 20...



Excuse the horrible sata cables. They are only temporary. Here is the 24 pin in it fills all the available space...

Half way through the 8 pin eps, ill finish that and get going on the gpu cables tomorrow

Oh i also got some long motherboard screws so now there is 4 holding it in rather than just 2...
 
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Henry Collingwood

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
New User
Mar 31, 2020
6
8
Hey nice case, such a great look. What silverstone psu is that?
Its the sx-500-lg should just about do what i need it to. Id have liked a 600w psu but this one was already more than i really wanted to spend

Anyway, its done for now!

I finished up the gpu power and eps cables, look how cute it is.


Did battle for a while trying to get all these super tightly routed cables in and job done.





Things i have to do now are:
-get better storage (i just have 2 128gb cheapo ssds that i had as a raid 0 boot drive in my old computer and they are already nearly full)
-sleeve the sata power cable
-re-delid the cpu and reapply the liquid metal just for peace of mind
-drill some holes behind the motherboard so i can secure the cooler with the motherboard in place (this will avoid the horrific juggling act of plugging all the cables in, then attaching the cooler, then mounting the mobo in the case)
-get another wifi antenna

So yeah, my first venture into sub ten litres (well sff of any kind) i have highly enjoyed it and love the end result.
 
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Yugo555

Average Stuffer
Mar 13, 2020
71
26
So my power supply arrived today and i have spent the day begining making custom cables. Nothing better to do during lockdown and like hell am i paying 150 odd quid for a set of cables i can make myself for 20...



Excuse the horrible sata cables. They are only temporary. Here is the 24 pin in it fills all the available space...

Half way through the 8 pin eps, ill finish that and get going on the gpu cables tomorrow

Oh i also got some long motherboard screws so now there is 4 holding it in rather than just 2...

Looks tidy, colorful and clean build. Well done. May I ask you how did you do the custom cables? I mean is there any solid source of information or a kind of manual, so I can also do my own custom cables. Thanks in advance ;)
 
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t4k0s

Case Bender
New User
Apr 14, 2020
2
1
Nice built, I am planning to use the same case but I might need to add spacers between the side panels and the case to increase flow with standoffs.
Any idea if the side panels are M4 ones?
 
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Henry Collingwood

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
New User
Mar 31, 2020
6
8
Nice built, I am planning to use the same case but I might need to add spacers between the side panels and the case to increase flow with standoffs.
Any idea if the side panels are M4 ones?

i think they are but im not sure. Tbh i wouldnt recommend this case. Its very pretty and very small but the build quality is kinda trash and the ventilation is awful through the sidepannels. The holes are tiny. Its kinda expensive too and you would get a more than 25% more for your money by spending the extra 50 bucks and getting an actual premium case. I have learned for the future at least.

Looks tidy, colorful and clean build. Well done. May I ask you how did you do the custom cables? I mean is there any solid source of information or a kind of manual, so I can also do my own custom cables. Thanks in advance ;)

I used optimum tech's video on how to sleeve cables for cheap and adapted it for custom length with his method in the expensive cables video. To keep costs down i reused the pins i had cut off by soldeing them back on with a little bit of wire left on the pin so the stiff solder joint and heatshrink arent right against the plug. I made cable combs out of zipties for getting the lengths and routing then took them off cause they made the looms bulky. Really they are 6 foot cables. They look good from 6 foot away and i did make a couple of mistakes but the next set of cables i do will be much better because i have the experience now.
It cost me about 20 quid to do these cables
 

Henry Collingwood

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
New User
Mar 31, 2020
6
8
I wonder if an asetek 645lt will fit in the case...

There is 50mm of cpu cooler clearance and nowhere to put a radiator. So yes certainly after seeing what mad things people get up to here. Just might take a little bit of work. If you get an sfx psu not an sfx-l there would be more space under the power supply for things but apart from that everywhere in the case is filled with component
 

TLV

Efficiency Noob
Apr 9, 2020
6
2
Awesome build ! I bought this case online (used) + the air cooling Alpenföhn Black Ridge brand new for 110euros, i’m hoping this price would make this worth it even if the quality is not that good, i can’t wait to receive it tho :)