build logs and more

the shinobi stormtrooper build is progressing nicely. i have fitted the new mobo, CPU and RAM into the case and used the GPU, PSU and various drives from the old rig to finish the initial build. the wiring is currently a temporary setup, mainly done to test the new install. now that its all installed and running, its given me a better idea of the sleeving i will need to order.  I also ended up having to geek it up DOS style, after forgetting to back up some existing data before gutting the old rig. felt like a true old-school geek, already knowing the required command line commands ;P

plenty of room inside the full tower case

installed and ready to go

geeking it up DOS sytle ;P

during installation, i managed to resolve an issue with an EFI setting and, after a bit of google-fu on my smartphone, discovered that this conflict was preventing me from formatting the existing boot drive. changing this setting in the BIOS fixed this issue (in this case, shuffling the boot order so the standard optical drive booted before the uEFI option fixed it). I also overcame the " mom.exe error " by downloading and installing the latest .NET framework after the GPU's software (catalyst) kept causing an error on every boot. also, in order to save some time in the whole patch/reboot process,  i created an offline archive of windows updates, saving me the hassle of downloading nearly three gig of data. after patching and updating windows, the archive definitely helped save some time, although the reboot process during the patching process was as usual... numerous.

so, cabling to complete next and maybe some ideas on staging fleshed out ahead of time. while i would love to splurge another $300 plus on fitting a custom watercooling loop, buying all the wiring is going to cost about half that again, which means the water cooling will have to wait. I definitely have a lot of ideas for this build - and while a water cooled rig would be the ultimate geek, right now however, it's the lowest priority item in the budget.

Shinobi Stormtrooper

lately, its become apparent that it would be a prudent time to upgrade, mostly because my existing motherboard is showing early warning signs of a critical failure, other reasons have more to do with the fact that i am a total and utter geek and enjoy building new rigs. I have already chosen and purchased a new case for this project, a white shinobi XL (with side-window), so this will be an upgrade that i plan on turning into a computer modification (otherwise known as a mod), featuring the stormtrooper, of course :)

First stage is assembly of a stock standard PC that i hope will give me the best bang for my buck, next comes sleeved wiring, fan controllers and selected case fans. after that i will mod the case with detail and some functionality (lighting and other controls) and then will come water cooling. When i've finish building my loop and assorted hardware, perhaps i will post the build log here? for now - all i have are some pics i took with my phone...

SHOPPING LIST

1. Shinobi XL White (window) (about $200 delivered)
2. CPU: Intel i5-3570K ($250)
3. MOBO: Gigabyte Z77 UD5H motherboard ($240)
4. RAM Patriot Viper3 2133Mhz DDR3 ($150)
5. Lego Stormtrooper clock - already own one, cost about $40

while this total is just the fraction of my shopping list, with this stuff i can start figuring out what cabling i will need to replace/refit. i will be re-using my corsair HX750 (about $150), along with my Vertex 4 SSD (about $150) for 128Gb boot drive,  three SATA3 HDD's and the standard old optical DVD, all worth about another $330. I have also done some initial calculations and it looks likely that to sleeve the lot, i will need at least $120. this could cost a little more by the end of the build, no more than $150 in total.

a custom water cooling loop on the other hand, is going to be costly. i could just buy a standard CPU cooler for under $150, however there is no fun in that, nor does it look all that impressive. building your own setup offers you more freedom, and while it certainly costs more, the result is something that is not only whisper quiet but can look stunning. plus, it be a challenge to successfully install a water cooling loop and also undertake my first real case mod - so i am bound to make some mistakes along the way ;P

the trouble is going to be drawing the line at the level of detail i put into this project. I have some solid ideas for aspects of the water cooling loop and some ideas for staging inside of the case once everything is in place. It is, however, impossible to plan too much ahead until i have all the parts in hand. in fact, every time i look at the damn thing, i get a new idea or aspect of modding i would enjoy incorporating. "over engineered" could well end up being the outcome here if i am not carefull!

the mini-fig's have also all arrived. there was a minor problem with one supplier who was impersonating a local business. fortunately i still have all the items i ordered (even if it took a suspiciously leangthy ten days to arrive).

MOAR PICS  ...when i actually migrate the old rig into the new system :)