Toxic Envi - 900D, 4930K, R4BE, EKWB, WC

http://i.imgur.com/RFIGpP2.png

 

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It's time again for another build and the Corsair 900D case looks like a nice challenge.

 

My last build (QuakeCon 800D) was a pleasure to create and I am proud of what I was able to accomplish.

 

I love the quality of the Corsair Obsidian series and the 900D is their premiere flagship case. I am looking forward to modding the case and powdercoating the exterior surfaces to suite my theme.

 

The theme I decided to go with is based on my favorite graphics card company - NVIDIA. The color scheme will be their company colors of green and black. There will be an illuminated claw logo inside the case just below the 5.25" bays.

 

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Now let's get started with the components...

 

 

• Case:
  Corsair Obsidian 900D
  
  
• CPU:
  Intel i7 4930K Ivy Bridge-E
  
  
• Motherboard:
  ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition
  
  
• Memory:
  32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum 2133Mhz (8x4GB)
  
  
• GPU:
  2 x EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Superclocked in SLI
  
  
• SSD1:
  240GB ASUS RAIDR Express
  
  
• SSD2:
  360GB Corsair Force GS SATA III
  
  
• SSD3:
  360GB Corsair Force GS SATA III
  
  
• PSU:
  Corsair AX1200 Modular
  
  

• CPU Block:
  EK Supremacy Clean - Acetal
  
  
• Motherboard Block:
  EK-FB Kit ASUS R4BE - Acetal
  
  
• GPU Block:
  2 x EK-FC780 GTX Ti - Acetal
  
  
• GPU Backplate:
  2 x EK-FC780 GTX Ti Backplate - Black
  
  
• Pump:
  EK D5 X-Top Pump Top w/D5 Vario
  
  
• Radiators:
  2 x EK Coolstream 480 PE Quad 120mm
  
  
• Reservoir:
  Aqualis Pro w/LED Holder - Nano Coated
  
  
• Tubing (Lower):
  EK-ZMT 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD
  
  
• Fittings (Lower):
  Assorted Bitspower G1/4 Compression, 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD
  
  
• Tubing (Upper):
  Primochill 1/2" OD Rigid PETG - Clear
  
  
• Fittings (Upper):
  20 x Primochill Rigid Revolver Compression
  
  

• RGB Controller:
  NZXT Hue
  
  
• Fan Controller:
  ASUS Front Base
  
  
• Fan - Radiator:
  14 x Corsair SP120 High Performance 120mm
  
  
• Fan - Front:
  2 x Corsair AF120 Quiet Edition 120mm
  
  
• Fan - Rear:
  Corsair AF140 Quiet Edition 140mm
  
  
• PWM Splitters:
  2 x Swiftech 8-Way PWM Splitter
  
  
• Sleeving:
  MDPC Toxic Green and Black
  
  

 

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I will keep this build log updated as the assembly commences and it starts to take shape.

 

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UPDATE: This build was built for the Classic Case Mod contest at QuakeCon 2014 and it won 1st place!

 

http://i.imgur.com/oLyxNlp.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/aRDz1pl.jpg

Here is the new Corsair Obsidian 900D case fresh from delivery...

 

http://i.imgur.com/CVnIyqJ.jpg

 

This is an extremely large product! The case alone weighs in at 41 pounds when it is empty. I can't help but wonder the final weight of the build once it is loaded with all the components.

 

Here is the unit out of the box.

 

http://i.imgur.com/6CqtDaQ.jpg

 

The flat black color scheme is alright, but I can't wait to start getting some color into this thing!

Received the ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition (R4BE) motherboard and love the new black color scheme!

 

Here is the box unopened and ready for action.

 

http://i.imgur.com/6Y1Ih1U.jpg

 

The new design is top-notch and I almost feel bad about modifying it. I especially love the new heatsink shroud that is placed over the I/O panel. No way am I losing that!

 

http://i.imgur.com/ygkqx4d.jpg

 

I have the R4BE motherboard laid out and ready for it's operation. The Intel i7 4930K CPU, EK Supremacy Clean CPU block and EK full board R4BE kit are ready and waiting.

 

http://i.imgur.com/FjdkPQM.jpg

 

This is the new EK-FB Kit ASUS R4BE full board water block kit designed for this board.

 

http://i.imgur.com/QU2pYL6.jpg

 

It was very easy to remove the existing R4BE heatsinks. This is the Mosfet heatsink with the shroud connected.

 

http://i.imgur.com/5aFROzK.jpg

 

Here is a shot of the Southbridge heatsink.

 

http://i.imgur.com/UK4Ri9i.jpg

 

Now that the heatsinks are removed, it is time to install the i7 4930K CPU.

 

http://i.imgur.com/jqZN5dY.jpg

 

I removed the I/O cover shroud and connected it back over the I/O connections. Here are all the new heatsinks installed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/eoTiURK.jpg

 

Close-up of the Southbridge area.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7cOXgkg.jpg

 

CPU and Mosfet blocks close-up.

 

http://i.imgur.com/RBej5cv.jpg

 

I just love the quality of the EK products! Here you can see an assortment of some of the products that will be used on this build.

 

http://i.imgur.com/w3E8W0g.jpg

Received a delivery of memory this afternoon.

 

http://i.imgur.com/HHWK8yx.jpg

 

The shipment includes two sets of Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (4x4GB) rated at 2133 MHz. That will allow me to fill all 8 memory slots for a total of 32GB of memory!

 

These modules are of high quality and just beg to be used.

 

http://i.imgur.com/C45KCWT.jpg

 

Here are the modules ready for installation in the R4BE motherboard. The black and chrome accent the motherboard color scheme perfectly!

 

http://i.imgur.com/DSDCmWD.jpg

 

Took about 2 minutes to snap the modules into place. Love the overall appearance they present.

 

http://i.imgur.com/GY3lEyW.jpg

Time to disassemble the exterior panels for powder coating.

 

This is the window-side of the chassis with all panels removed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/8J1OANB.jpg

 

This is the right-side of the chassis.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7OduasH.jpg

 

Here are the front and rear supports, side lower panels, front plate, and top panel removed and ready.

 

http://i.imgur.com/SqvXliQ.jpg

 

These are the two large side panels.

 

http://i.imgur.com/UyAB27g.jpg

 

They are all at the powder coating shop and should be ready in a couple of days.

Now that the case panels are off to the painters, I can finally get around to the graphic cards.

 

Here is a shot of both the EVGA 780Ti Superclocked video cards and their EK blocks / backplates.

 

http://i.imgur.com/WDmEfyj.jpg

 

Here are the cards out of the packaging and ready for their modifications.

 

http://i.imgur.com/kHsQwK7.jpg

 

Removing the old cooling assembly was very easy. I cleaned them up a bit and they are now ready for the next step.

 

http://i.imgur.com/szW8aRC.jpg

 

Here is a close-up of the GK110 chip.

 

http://i.imgur.com/4kWf8xX.jpg

 

The blocks went on smoothly with no problems at all.

 

http://i.imgur.com/RrpR6ri.jpg

 

Here is one of the backplates freshly installed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Mhu9eZZ.jpg

 

I love the quality and workmanship of the EK backplate logos.

 

http://i.imgur.com/zaDJkDH.jpg

I have just picked up the exterior panels from the shop and the powder coating looks amazing!

 

The colors are fluorescent green and a semi-gloss black.

 

Here are the panels unwrapped and laid out.

 

http://i.imgur.com/fFwEYjQ.jpg

 

In this shot are the lower side, rear, front, and top panels. For the top panel I separated the metal assembly from the plastic filter for the powder coating process and this shot is when it was reassembled. The green really pops against the black filter.

 

http://i.imgur.com/4TQUjuj.jpg

 

Here are the left and right side panels.

 

http://i.imgur.com/YPPQlN7.jpg

 

Lastly, here are the front and rear frames that were done in a semi-gloss black.

 

http://i.imgur.com/aOj5MA9.jpg

 

Can't wait to start assembling it again!

Started assembling the case back together and love the contrast of the black and green.

 

Here is a front shot without any of the side panels in place.

 

http://i.imgur.com/QwdO3gv.jpg

 

Now for a back of the case.

 

http://i.imgur.com/GaoaUPw.jpg

Since the main braces were powder coated, the rubber pads had to be removed. These pads are held in place with adhesive transfer tape and are tricky to remove cleanly.

 

Here is a shot of the bottom with no rubber cushions in place.

 

http://i.imgur.com/4De9hFK.jpg

 

After thoroughly cleaning the rubber pads to remove all residue from the original factory adhesive, I used Scotch adhesive transfer tape (924) to reattach the rubber pads to factory specifications.

 

Here are all four pads with the tape in place.

 

http://i.imgur.com/slT5NhR.jpg

 

Here is a shot of the pads reattached on the bottom of the main braces. The process was clean and they are back to factory appearance and durability.

 

http://i.imgur.com/eWGlxIq.jpg

Now to mount the power supply...

 

Here is a shot of the Corsair AX1200 modular power supply. I have 3 of these units now and love their dependability and modular functionality.

 

http://i.imgur.com/kSOjejA.jpg

 

Mounting the unit took about 5 minutes. I oriented the fan to pull air in from the right hand side of the case.

 

http://i.imgur.com/UvUGyx9.jpg

 

Here is a shot of the back of the case with the power supply in the left lower bay. The black PSU case complements nicely with the other black accents.

 

http://i.imgur.com/v3WWjbL.jpg

Looks good so far....check out my 900D Build...somewhat similar....I cant believ EK took that Acetal Clean Supremacy Block and marked on it "in" and "out".....kind of defeats the purpose of a "clean" look!

 

With your Loop, just note I had to mount my Supremacy "upside down" in order to get the appropriate "in" port on the proper side....

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

I also was surprised by the 'IN' and 'OUT' markings on the CPU block. The good part is that the fittings cover the text perfectly and are not visible afterwards.

 

Here is a shot of the CPU block with no text visible now.

 

http://i.imgur.com/xP0EAmq.jpg

To cut down on all of the unused cable pass-through areas, I had a motherboard tray cover created. This will eliminate all the unnecessary openings so that a clean appearance is seen from the window.

 

Here is a shot of the motherboard tray with all the grommets removed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/uajViFn.jpg

 

This is the motherboard tray cover with the openings designed for the Rampage IV Black Edition. The two top openings are for the 8 fan cables that will be installed on the upper radiator.

 

http://i.imgur.com/eT1UR66.jpg

 

Here is the cover installed. As you can see, all the empty pass-through areas between the motherboard and 5.25" bays are covered. This open area is where the reservoir will be mounted.

 

http://i.imgur.com/gytnAk2.jpg

^^^ Great idea with that additional Mobo Tray Cover...too bad Corsair didnt include something like this already.....!!!

good idea,till a user finishes with a dozen fan wires and sensor/thermal wires ect...,then it would be quite tight...

This build will incorporate two 4x120mm (480) radiators. I selected the EK Coolstream 480 PE Quad due to their size and good performance.

 

Here is a shot of these beauties lined up.

 

http://i.imgur.com/l0riKnK.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/D9anqlU.jpg

 

The build quality is excellent and I love the radiator nameplate, even though it will never be seen.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7Bq3pPA.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/5ZgUAti.jpg

 

Here is a shot of all 17 Corsair fans. Each 120mm fan box is a twin pack containing two fans each. The 140mm fan is a single unit.

 

http://i.imgur.com/3J7irG4.jpg

 

Better shot of all these fans.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ZZH3qHu.jpg

 

I painted the fan rings to match the build color scheme and replaced all the fan stickers with custom ones.

 

Here is a shot of the first four fans mounted on a radiator.

 

http://i.imgur.com/w9KP8tk.jpg

 

Here are all eight fans for the top radiator that will be in a push-pull configuration. You can see the difference in the front and rear fan stickers.

 

http://i.imgur.com/KaBjF50.jpg

I decided to utilize the Primochill Revolver fittings for this build. I chose the nickel plated brass color.

 

These can be purchased in 10-packs and come with a small wrench for tightening them down.

 

http://i.imgur.com/3EBV3wp.jpg

 

I will be needing at least two of these 10-packs to start.

 

http://i.imgur.com/5e7hOhd.jpg

 

Here is the motherboard with the temporary caps over the fitting openings.

 

http://i.imgur.com/zInjsQR.jpg

 

I installed six fittings around the CPU area (2 on CPU block, 2 on MOSFET/VRM block, 2 on southbridge block).

 

http://i.imgur.com/YcTGHnE.jpg

 

This is a close-up of the fittings on the CPU block.

 

http://i.imgur.com/TP3i6sr.jpg

Those High Performance SP's on your Quad Rad are going to be screaming loud!!!! Although I do like the looks of the PE Ras, I went with the new XSPC RX 480 ver 3 with a single set of SP Silent Series.

Even then I run them at around 75% through a Fan Controller, 16 High Performance are going to scream!!!

Those High Performance SP's on your Quad Rad are going to be screaming loud!!!! Although I do like the looks of the PE Ras, I went with the new XSPC RX 480 ver 3 with a single set of SP Silent Series.

Even then I run them at around 75% through a Fan Controller, 16 High Performance are going to scream!!!

 

I went with the PWM version for the speed control, so they will not be running at full speed (i.e. noise level). I wanted a lot of airflow through the radiator and the high performance version almost doubled the quiet edition (62CFM vs 37CFM).

^^^ The only reason the CFM is higher is because the Fans run at higher RPM's then the Quiet editions (there the same design / blades). The actual Static Pressure wont change with equal RPM.

16 of those puppies running even at 1500 RPM gonna be extremely loud no doubt as I've been playing with "optimized" Fans / Radiators for the last month to come up with maximum cooling minimal noise.

 

I only mention this as I originally had a similar design Slim Rad (XSPC EX360) in the top of my 900D with 6 Corsair SP Quiets in push / pull and it was terribly loud at 1450 RPM.......I changed it to RX 480 (substantially thicker Rad with optimal FPI for low RPM Fans) and reduced to a single set of Fans (4) in push (Intake) and it is virtually silent with the same temperatures.....couple of 780Ti's fully loaded barely cracking 34c ;)

 

Anyhow...looks good...what Fan Controller? I went with the FC9 Lamptron as its 50W per 4 Channel...you'll need something decent on there for sure. ;)

Thanks for the advice. I will be using the ASUS Front Base to control the fans. The top fans will be connected to the 4-pin CPU_FAN input and the lower fans connected to the 4-pin CPU_OPT input. These two inputs are capable of controlling PWM fans.

^^^ I honestly didnt think you could "safely" run up 8 Fans (or even 6) off of 1 mobo Fan Header,,,

I would think you'd have to Split those Fans up equally amongst the Fan Headers...can get "messy", thats why the easiest / safest solution for so many Fans is a decent Controller capable of high Wattage....just need to invest in a bunch of Splitters, but you'll have to anyhow ;)

 

Looking forward to watching this go together ;)

 

Heres a shot of my 780Ti's loaded right up...single set of Fans on all 3 Rads RX 480 / EX 360 and EX 240 Total 120.9 ....Fans are Corsair SP "Quiets" (top) and Noctua NF F Series (bottom Rads)...with my Fan Controller I've set them to around 1000 RPM for virtual silent:

 

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/sextant2/DSC03271_zps40c93df9.jpg

I will be using two Swiftech 8-way PWM cable splitters for the fans.

 

These connect up to 8 PWM fans to a single PWM fan connector on the motherboard. Power is supplied via the connected SATA connector and not drawn from the fan header, thereby easing any concerns on amp draw.

^^^ Ah right..those will work perfectly....another way around a Manual Fan Controller.

I decided on the Aqualis reservoir (model 34040) that is made by Aquacomputer.

 

http://i.imgur.com/QnL2FFi.jpg

 

This reservoir is equipped with a borosilicate glass tube instead of acrylic. This material is scratch-resistant and very durable.

 

I went with the Pro version since it includes six 5mm LED holders and the inner glass is nano coated to reduce water beading.

 

Here is the reservoir and holder out of the box.

 

http://i.imgur.com/jaa7RhX.jpg

 

To disassemble you merely unscrew the top piece and the whole thing comes apart easily. There are 2 screws holding the bottom metal piece in place.

 

http://i.imgur.com/BmivQ36.jpg

 

The six LED holes can be seen in the bottom reservoir piece, towards the rear. All of the wiring must lay along a very narrow channel and fit through the opening on the front.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7OaQilw.jpg

 

I think six 5mm LED lights are overkill, so I am going with four. I selected two of the XSPC twin 5mm Green LED wiring kits.

 

http://i.imgur.com/zLqhT4q.jpg

 

I will work on getting these installed tomorrow and should hopefully have the reservoir mounted soon.