Now all the cutting has been done, it's time to look at assembling the PC and any other little modifications i've made along the way. In other words, a little chance to show off how it looks. Before that though, Let's have a look at a little thing I've come across called
Lapping. Basically, the removal of the thin nikel plating on the CPU Heatspreader to expose the copper below. This works a treat for copper CPU blocks, both normal air coolers and liquid blocks. As most Core 2 Duos are actually concave, it also increases the surface contact area to the heatsink, resulting in lower temps (and higher overclocks!). Here's what I used:
-400 grit dry sandpaper
-1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper
-Brasso polish and paper towel (kitchen variety)
-Perspex surface (glass is better, but I had none)
- Masking tape
- Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning (metho pictured but I didn't use it - it'd probably work also though)
Most of these things are common in the home, so dig around to find what you can. I would have liked an intermediate wet/dry sappaper (say, 800 grit), but I had run out. I used the 400 grit to wear down to the copper (just), then went nuts on the 1200 grit. You use figure 8 motions, holding the CPU facedown on the masked sandpaper. When it's smooth, take it off, polish up with Brasso (you don't really need this, mainly for looks), then clean with the alcohol.
From left: 1) Untouched CPU; 2) 1200 Grit finish; 3) Brasso + Alcohol wiped finish. Shiiiiiiny!
Lastly, here's my brand new Noctua P12-1300's. They are optimised for high density situations, like heatsinks and radiators, that air might have a tough time getting through. They are extremely quiet (better than the old Xinruilian fans), so i'm stoked to have an all-Noctua case fan setup. There are 3 of these fans, on the 240mm and 120mm radiators, all sucking air into the case.
Now, onto the (semi) final pics (for now)!
So there you have it. There's a few other things to come, like a window, cable sleeving, VGA waterblock and the grills for the top holes, but for now, this is it. If anybody has any questions, or wants to get into some modding, just let me know and I'll help where I can. Also, any suggestions are always welcome.
Thanks for reading everyone! I put a heck of a lot of effort into this to give you all a bit of an idea, and I hope you like it!
