Custom PC - UK (2020-05)

lengthy process; I had to work slowly

as there wasn’t any room for error.

Once all the holes were made and

the power supply was mounted to

the chassis, I then made the custom

cables and combs. I actually made

the cables longer than I needed, so

it would be easier to connect them,

mount them to the chassis, and

then trim and terminate them once

they were in the correct position, as

no two wires were the same length.

Keeping the build looking neat

required me to make custom-

length cables for each fan, as well

as the RGB lighting. Both radiators

have a fan hub and lighting hub

mounted to them, and I made

my own power connectors by

shortening the hub wires so

they could be hidden under the

radiator. I then ran the USB header

cable to the motherboard from

the hub through the chassis for

RGB control. The difficult part here

was syncing the two radiators

together – I opted to disguise this

cable as a PSU cable, and ran it

with the power cables to join the

hubs together.

The last main part was the getting

the build to power on and off, and

reset. I decided to opt for a PCI-E

remote control – I didn’t want to add

a button to the build, as it would also

mean adding more unnecessary

wires and custom fabrications,

leading to more clutter on the frame.

Why did you decide to position

the graphics card at that angle?

Michael: The idea came to me

while I was mocking up designs.

I was still undecided on what

waterblock I was going to use, but

I always like to clear waterblocks

with fluid on show. I didn’t go for

this look in the end, but I still like

the positioning and it filled out

the gap in the chassis perfectly. I

mounted it by creating a custom

bent steel bracket at a 45-degree

angle, and it’s affixed with four

mounting screws – it’s long enough

to house the graphics card and

accommodate a riser cable.

MODDING / READERS’ DRIVES

SYSTEM SPECS

CPU Intel Core i7-8700K

GPU EVGA GeForce

RTX 2080 FTW3

Storage 240GB HyperX Savage

and 240GB Kingston KC 1000

Memory Team Group Vulcan

T-Force 3000MHz

Motherboard Asus ROG Strix

Z370G Gaming WIFI-AC

PSU Corsair AX1200i

Cooling EKWB Supremacy Evo

Copper Acetal CPU waterblock,

EKWB RTX 2080 Vector Copper

Acetal GPU waterblock, 2 x

EKWB 360 SE radiators, EKWB

drain and Y-splitter fitting,

16mm Alphacool Eiszapfen

hardline fittings, Alphacool

Eisbecher 250mm pump-res

combo, generic bulkhead

fittings, 6 x Corsair LL120 fans

How are the PSU and reservoir

mounted to the main chassis?

Michael: The PSU is mounted by

two large U-shaped brackets, one on

either end at the front and back. This

is then affixed with an L-shaped

bracket in the power supply mount.

The reservoir is mounted using the

standard top and bottom mounts,

which each use three screws.

Did you come across any

difficulties? If so, how did you

solve them?

Michael: The longest bend on the

tubing was one of the hardest parts

for me. I found that making one bend

was fine, but two always seemed

difficult, as there was more room

for error, and I would have to start

it all again if it went wrong. I know

this comes with experience, but I

didn’t make it any easier for myself

by choosing an awkward-shaped

chassis. It all came down to practice

in the end – sometimes I needed to

be able to stop, walk away and come

back with a fresh pair of eyes.

An unused makeup brush is great for removing dust,

as the soft bristles get into all the crevices

lengthyprocess;I hadtoworkslowly

astherewasn’tanyroomforerror.

Oncealltheholesweremadeand

thepowersupplywasmountedto

thechassis,I thenmadethecustom

cablesandcombs.I actuallymade

thecableslongerthanI needed,so

it wouldbeeasiertoconnectthem,

mountthemtothechassis,and

thentrimandterminatethemonce

theywereinthecorrectposition,as

notwowireswerethesamelength.

Keepingthebuildlookingneat

requiredmetomakecustom-

lengthcablesforeachfan,aswell

astheRGBlighting.Bothradiators

havea fanhubandlightinghub

mountedtothem,andI made

myownpowerconnectorsby

shorteningthehubwiresso

theycouldbehiddenunderthe

radiator.I thenrantheUSBheader

cabletothemotherboardfrom

thehubthroughthechassisfor

RGBcontrol.Thedifficultparthere

wassyncingthetworadiators

together– I optedtodisguisethis

cableasa PSUcable,andranit

withthepowercablestojointhe

hubstogether.

Thelastmainpartwasthegetting

thebuildtopoweronandoff,and

reset.I decidedtooptfora PCI-E

remotecontrol– I didn’twanttoadd

a buttontothebuild,asit wouldalso

meanaddingmoreunnecessary

wiresandcustomfabrications,

leadingtomoreclutterontheframe.

Whydidyoudecidetoposition

thegraphicscardatthatangle?

Michael:Theideacametome

whileI wasmockingupdesigns.

I wasstillundecidedonwhat

waterblockI wasgoingtouse,but

I alwaysliketoclearwaterblocks

withfluidonshow.I didn’tgofor

thislookintheend,butI stilllike

thepositioningandit filledout

thegapinthechassisperfectly.I

mountedit bycreatinga custom

bentsteelbracketata 45-degree

angle,andit’saffixedwithfour

mountingscrews– it’slongenough

tohousethegraphicscardand

accommodatea risercable.

MODDING / READERS’ DRIVES

SYSTEM SPECS

CPU Intel Core i7-8700K

GPU EVGA GeForce

RTX 2080 FTW3

Storage 240GB HyperX Savage

and 240GB Kingston KC 1000

Memory Team Group Vulcan

T-Force 3000MHz

Motherboard Asus ROG Strix

Z370G Gaming WIFI-AC

PSU Corsair AX1200i

Cooling EKWB Supremacy Evo

Copper Acetal CPU waterblock,

EKWB RTX 2080 Vector Copper

Acetal GPU waterblock, 2 x

EKWB 360 SE radiators, EKWB

drain and Y-splitter fitting,

16mm Alphacool Eiszapfen

hardlinefittings,Alphacool

Eisbecher250mmpump-res

combo,genericbulkhead

fittings,6 x CorsairLL120fans

HowarethePSUandreservoir

mountedtothemainchassis?

Michael:ThePSUis mountedby

twolargeU-shapedbrackets,oneon

eitherendatthefrontandback.This

is thenaffixedwithanL-shaped

bracketinthepowersupplymount.

Thereservoiris mountedusingthe

standardtopandbottommounts,

whicheachusethreescrews.

Did you come across any

difficulties? If so, how did you

solve them?

Michael: The longest bend on the

tubing was one of the hardest parts

for me. I found that making one bend

was fine, but two always seemed

difficult, as there was more room

for error, and I would have to start

it all again if it went wrong. I know

this comes with experience, but I

didn’t make it any easier for myself

by choosing an awkward-shaped

chassis. It all came down to practice

in the end – sometimes I needed to

be able to stop, walk away and come

back with a fresh pair of eyes.

An unused makeup brush is great for removing dust,

as the soft bristles get into all the crevices