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Glorious PCMR - Crystal 570X Build Log


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http://i.imgur.com/JfYf4pG.png

 

The past few years I have completed one full tower (Corsair 800D) and three super tower (two Corsair 900D and one CaseLabs STH-10) builds. These builds have won their fair share of case modding contests at Dreamhack Austin, QuakeCon and most recently the Gigabyte Mod2Win event.

 

Although these full size cases are excellent for building extreme rigs, they are difficult to move to the various LANs that I attend (Dreamhack Austin and QuakeCon). Their sheer size and weight are prohibitive for transporting easily. My latest build in a Corsair 900D case weighed in at just over 80 pounds!

 

Many people have also commented that case modding is too expensive and requires too many specialized tools to fabricate the mods. Although some of the more extreme builds do utilize advanced tools (i.e. laser cutters, CNC machines, etc), it is possible to pull off a successful case mod with minimal tools. This build will be completed with normal hand tools, with the exception of a dremel for minor cutting.

 

After carefully contemplating various designs, I have settled on the PC Master Race (PCMR) theme. The yellow, white and black theme goes perfectly with the Corsair color scheme of yellow and black. I have also decided to use a mid-tower case since it would be easier and lighter to transport. Instead of a full watercooled build consisting of reservoirs, pumps, radiators, fittings and tubing, I wanted to try an All-In-One (AIO) unit due to the simplicity in installation and lower overall cost.

 

Corsair was gracious enough to sponsor me again for this new build and I look forward to highlighting their new Crystal 570X case and showcase a lot of their parts.

 

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

 

Main Components:

CSE: Corsair Crystal Series 570X RGB ATX Mid-Tower

MBD: ASUS ROG Maximus IX Hero Z270

CPU: Intel i7-7700K Kaby Lake

AIO: Corsair Hydro Series H100i Extreme Performance

MEM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 3000MHz (4x8GB)

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC2

PSU: Corsair HX850i Platinum Modular

SSD: 2 x 480GB Corsair Force MP500 M.2

SSD: 2 x 480GB Corsair Neutron XT SATA 3

HDD: 2TB Western Digital Black

FAN: 6 x Corsair HD120 RGB LED High Performance 120mm PWM

RGB: Corsair Lighting Node PRO

 

Peripherals:

MON: ASUS ROG PG279Q 27" 165Hz IPS

KBD: Corsair K95 RGB Platinum Mechanical - Cherry MX Speed

MSE: Corsair M65 PRO RGB FPS

MPD: Corsair MM800 RGB POLARIS

 

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

Edited by glmurphy
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I have received most of the components over the last few days.

 

Here is a shot of them all ready for action.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ZRX5g2b.jpg

 

Here is the Corsair 570X carton. I am used to cases standing upright in the box and this is the first where it is laying sideways.

 

http://i.imgur.com/95RTR0u.jpg

 

Love the protective wrapping they used to cover the case in the packaging. Will definitely be keeping it for use whenever I have to transport the case.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ae4ERt1.jpg

 

The case is absolutely stunning! All that tempered glass is just screaming for some color to be applied to the interior. The protective glass film is still in place.

 

http://i.imgur.com/yeuS36j.jpg

 

Everything that could easily be removed has been taken out. Was thinking of cutting a pass-through opening in the PSU cover but decided against it so that the case could remain stock.

 

http://i.imgur.com/G8jOVE5.jpg

 

Wow! This case has a lot of rivets to remove!! Here is pile when all the panels were de-riveted.

 

http://i.imgur.com/jdA0B4A.jpg

 

Panels all ready for painting.

 

http://i.imgur.com/2ceGNOp.jpg

 

I will be using Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover Flat White Primer as a base so that the yellow color stands out easily. The yellow paint is Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover Gloss Sun Yellow. I wanted to use the same brand to ensure compatibility with the paints and the gloss yellow should stand out nicely.

 

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

 

This afternoon I was able to get the 2 coats of flat white primer applied. They are now hanging in my garage. Tomorrow they will get their yellow coatings.

 

http://i.imgur.com/PX23PWD.jpg

 

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

 

There are the little corner pieces that hold the glass panels in place.

 

http://i.imgur.com/qc14lxp.jpg

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The motherboard for this build is the ASUS Maximus IX HERO. It utilizes the LGA 1151 CPU socket and the Intel Z270 chipset.

 

http://i.imgur.com/thn1HjY.jpg

 

The motherboard is a beautiful blend of black and gunmetal gray. The large metal heatsinks provide cover for all the important parts and the motherboard back plate area.

 

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

 

The CPU to be used is the Intel i7 7th Generation Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake unlocked version.

 

http://i.imgur.com/227uf4c.jpg

 

This processor uses the LGA 1151 socket and an operating frequency of 4.2 GHz.

 

http://i.imgur.com/4QkeG4N.jpg

 

As for memory, I am using the Corsair Vengeance RGB modules.

 

http://i.imgur.com/J74zHAF.jpg

 

This kit consists of four 8GB modules, for a total of 32GB of available memory. The speed of the modules is rated at 3000MHz. The key feature for this kit is that they contain RGB lighting on the top of each module.

 

http://i.imgur.com/zfrU6U5.jpg

 

Here are two shots of the CPU and memory modules installed on the motherboard.

 

http://i.imgur.com/5pmFe0X.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/prq1nl8.jpg

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Almost forgot about the NVMe M.2 SSD drives. These are the 480GB version and are about the size of a stick of gum.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0dxZghh.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/b1sT9rO.jpg

 

One is mounted above PCIe slot 1 and the other is mounted near the bottom of the chipset heatsink. I intend for one to be the boot drive holding Windows 10 and other non-gaming programs, while the other will be used for my frequently played games. The speed of these units will ensure minimal loading times.

 

http://i.imgur.com/uSJGs7v.jpg

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After a few days of drying I finally got around to reassembling the case frame. The yellow case and black accessories really complement each other nicely!

 

http://i.imgur.com/Lv2k0cm.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/W7iwxUx.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/NX8lqus.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/4QzAE0s.jpg

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Just so you know, it took 73 rivets to reassemble this case! Ensure you have a good supply of rivets on hand during the reassembly process!

 

Started with the bottom panel then added the front and rear panels. After they were riveted together I added in the motherboard tray and finally the top panel. Once these were all secured, I riveted on the eight corner pieces.

 

If you aren't careful during the reassembly process and get it out of order then you may have to redo some of the rivets since this thing goes together much like a jigsaw puzzle.

 

Here is a shot of the rivet posts left over after the riveting process.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0o0fqAv.jpg

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Starting to plan out the sleeving for the wiring.

 

This build will only be utilizing the 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, 8-pin PCI-E and 6-pin PCI-E cables for sleeving since they will be the only ones visible. The 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS are for the motherboard, while the two PCI-E cables are for the graphics card.

 

Here is a shot of the design scheme.

 

http://i.imgur.com/DaQXB05.jpg

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Corsair provided two 3-packs of their HD120 RGB fans.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7LF9UZ4.jpg

 

Each package contains three of their new HD120 RGB fans, 12 fan screws, Fan Hub, Fan Controller and an optional cable to connect the fan controller to pushbuttons for selecting mode, color and speed.

 

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

 

http://i.imgur.com/WKc6JSz.jpg

 

The included HD Lighting Controller is necessary to take full advantage of the HD120 RGB fans. The Corsair 570X case comes with the SP Lighting Controller since the case includes the SP120 RGB fans. This will make an excellent replacement!

 

http://i.imgur.com/bLu6bGj.jpg

 

Here are the six HD120 RGB fans. They are solidly built and have built-in cushions on each corner to absorb vibrations.

 

http://i.imgur.com/QvlgW9R.jpg

 

It is so nice to be able to work with a mid-size case where I only have to worry about 6 fans. My last build (Apeiro) contained 14 fans and the case before that (BAWLS) contained 20 fans!

 

Now to get that motherboard mounted into the case!!

 

The I/O backplate will complement the black/yellow theme due to it already being black.

 

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

 

A perfect fit!!

 

http://i.imgur.com/kMcv3L5.jpg

 

Here is the ASUS Maximus IX Hero motherboard mounted and ready!

 

http://i.imgur.com/S6MR6pM.jpg

 

Now to pan back and see the whole case...

 

http://i.imgur.com/rTA2PSz.jpg

Edited by glmurphy
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The Corsair H100i v2 All-in-One (AIO) CPU cooler is a beautiful device for those wanting to go beyond the typical air cooler but not quite all the way to the custom watercooling components (i.e. pumps, reservoirs, blocks, hose, fittings, etc).

 

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

 

Included in the kit is everything you would need to mount the AIO (240mm radiator, two SP120L PWM fans, and numerous accessories). This kit is compatible with any Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1366, 2011 and 2011-3 and any AMD socket FM1, FM2, AM2 and AM3. The red and blue accessories in the photo are from the optional H100i/H100i v2 Color Kit.

 

http://i.imgur.com/oGjpg02.jpg

 

The radiator/pump/CPU block are absolutely stunning! The braided tubing really complements this set.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ojF7DaE.jpg

 

Here is a closer look at some of the mounting accessories included. The mounting bracket in the upper left goes on the back of the motherboard. The cable runs from the CPU block to a USB port on the motherboard. The lower ring is for AMD motherboards.

 

http://i.imgur.com/tT511QS.jpg

 

Here is what the mounting bracket looks like on the back of the Maximus IX Hero motherboard.

 

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

 

The front side of the motherboard only shows the posts that the CPU block attaches to.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Tpipm2E.jpg

 

I tried to mount the H100i v2 to the top of the 570X case but the fans hit the top of the Vengeance full-size memory modules. It just does not fit, so I went with Plan B and mounted two HD120 PWM fans to the top mounting bracket.

 

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

 

Here is a shot of these fans from the top.

 

http://i.imgur.com/OfJ5duc.jpg

 

With just these two fans mounted, you can see that there is not much additional clearance between the bottom of the fans and the top of the memory modules.

 

http://i.imgur.com/YYQ1H4a.jpg

 

The upper access holes above the motherboard tray allow the fan cables to be hidden easily.

 

http://i.imgur.com/crx176F.jpg

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This is looking sweet. I'm also loving the new muted colour scheme of the motherboards coming out (especially Asus) that yellow is rather bright though! haha!

 

Thank You. Yes, the manufacturers seem to be paying more attention to the color scheme of their new motherboards.

 

The yellow in this build is actually not that bright when seen in person. The black against it just seems to make it more bright. This is a muted yellow and not a full bright yellow.

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The tedious but important task of sleeving the main wiring is complete!

 

The only really visible cables will be the 24-pin ATX, 8-pin CPU, 8-pin and 6-pin PCI-E. In keeping with the color scheme, the colors are yellow and black. I also used black cable combs to keep them organized.

 

http://i.imgur.com/6So6WGP.jpg

 

Here is a shot of the entire cables. The pink paper is only to identify which end is for the PSU.

 

http://i.imgur.com/xv7ZjEn.jpg

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Didn't like the stock decal that comes on the rear of the Corsair HD120 fans.

 

http://i.imgur.com/jFweFh2.jpg

 

Played around with my Silhouette Cameo and came up with a better alternative. Black with a yellow Corsair logo. Every fan nows has this decal instead of that plain stock version.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Vkk5Dws.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/voe3mJu.jpg

Edited by glmurphy
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Working on getting the front fan assembly mounted this morning. It was definitely a tight fit and took some effort to get it in there!

 

http://i.imgur.com/exUirh9.jpg

 

Still haven't mounted the CPU block on the motherboard yet. Have some cushioning on the PSU cover to protect the paint while deciding the best placement for it.

 

You can see that I painted the radiator and CPU accents a yellow color to match the case and bring some color to those items.

 

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

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Alright, finally got the AIO CPU block installed. Fairly difficult to get the tubing to lay where I want it. Would rather have had it flipped over, but the tubing just would not cooperate. The black wires from the rear fan and the AIO still need to be groomed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/mFzrH3p.jpg

 

Overview of case as it stands now.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0HmubUA.jpg

 

Now that the AIO is mounted, time to start getting the SSD drives ready. Here are the two Corsair Neutron Series XT drives (480GB each).

http://i.imgur.com/nBJ5LHC.jpg

 

Nice drives but that red color scheme will have to go.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Q6YnNwA.jpg

 

The decals removed easily enough and now that red really stands out!

 

http://i.imgur.com/w7KzttU.jpg

 

Removed the top covers (yep, voided that warranty) and now you can see what lies within these units.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ku7UMYP.jpg

 

The covers are now getting a white primer coat and sun yellow coat. More updates when they are ready.

 

Also received the 2TB Western Digital Black drive. Trying to decide what to do with it.

 

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

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The SSD covers are dry and look pretty good in just the plain Sun Yellow color.

 

http://i.imgur.com/g0xeSyq.jpg

 

Created some decals with the Silhouette Cameo to match the theme of the case, 'Glorious PCMR'. The black vinyl looks good on the yellow cases.

 

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

 

Mounted on the case and ready for use!

 

http://i.imgur.com/Oku2T6x.jpg

 

With the ASUS Maximus IX Hero motherboard having only a single USB 2.0 connection, I had to get a USB hub to expand that to 3 USB 2.0 ports. This device is made by NZXT.

 

http://i.imgur.com/FnpG5Ff.jpg

 

The package contains the USB Hub and the appropriate cables for connection to the motherboard.

 

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

 

For lighting, this build will utilize the Corsair Lighting Node Pro.

 

http://i.imgur.com/BNM951U.jpg

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Most of the main hardware (except for the GPU) have been mounted. Now the daunting task of figuring out all of this wiring and how to manage it in the most efficient manner since the side panel is tempered glass.

 

Most of the cables shown are either data or control cables. The power cables (i.e. SATA, Molex, etc) aren't even in the picture.

 

http://i.imgur.com/YKJ8Vwe.jpg

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Hi Glmurphy,

I'd like to say that i rely like your 570x build, in fact it inspired me to do something similar. The main differences are: I'm gonna be using the Kraken x52 AIO cooler and instead of 6 HD fans i'm gonna go for 6 SP fans. I think your choice of pars for your build is outstanding, and i hope you don't mind me copycatting 70% of your build =)

There's something i'd like to ask you, could you please explain what for do you need NZXT Internal USB HUB?

I know this is probably a stupid question, but i'm incredibly new to PC building, so i hope you wont mind explaining it to me like i'm a two year old.

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Hi Glmurphy,

There's something i'd like to ask you, could you please explain what for do you need NZXT Internal USB HUB?

 

The ASUS Maximus IX Hero motherboard only has a single USB 2.0 internal connection. That would limit me to only one component that needed such a connection.

 

This build has 3 items that need a USB 2.0 connection to the motherboard.

 

The Corsair H100i v2 AIO cooler needs this connection for control of the RGB lighting and monitoring functionality with the Corsair Link software.

 

The Corsair HX850i PSU doesn't necessarily require this connection, but this would provide monitoring of the PSU with the Corsair Link software.

 

The Corsair Link Lighting Pro uses this connection for controlling the RGB lighting strips and lighting on the HD120 RGB fans.

 

The NZXT Internal USB hub connects to that single USB 2.0 motherboard connection and allows up to 5 USB 2.0 devices to share that USB 2.0 connection. Three of the ports are internal and 2 are external USB ports.

 

So in effect, this device expands the motherboard USB 2.0 connections from one to five.

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Thank you for dumbing it down to me. Helped me out a lot, as now i can clearly see that i'll need the NZXT Internal USB HUB as well, as i'm planing to use the same motherboard. Although,i have a bit different components the logic stays the same.

Kraken x52, Corsair AX860i as well as Lighting node Pro. Would need the USB 2.0

Thank you again for educating me, you surly saved me a great deal of stress, when i would realize that something dose not add up )

P.S.

Mind i ask you why you decided to go with HX850i over AX860i ?

 

P.P.S.

Your build looks sick, can't wait for more Pics ^^

Edited by PIRO
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