Crazy DCS BlackShark theme PC mod!

[BaD CrC]

 

Hi guys!

 

Time for me to move on to a brand new rig in order to get ready for EDGE and DX11, and eventually get a bit more fps than today.

While I am at customizing PC case as always, I thought it would be cool to have one matched with my favourite DCS module (aka BS) which will also match with my pit (see my sig for links).

 

Since the BS cockpit is black (and I kinda love black aluminum cases, even more when they are Lian Li's), and since we are talking about a russian aircraft, the color theme will definitively need to be black and red. The good news is that this theme is rather easy to find within h/w manufacturers (like Asus ROG product line).

Secondly it needs to be watercooled, because I like it eventhough it's always a pain to integrate, and because I want to get a decent overclock too. For a big watercooling, you need a really big case. So I went for the Lian Li PC-D600WB.

 

Then, several new ideas came to my mind. What about having a built in system to simulate the EKRAN voice? What about having to switch the battery first before switching on the PC, just like the real thing? And what about having a SHKVAL built in the case? And I want leds looking just like the overhead panel, I want a anticollision light and blinking nav lights. And the case must be looking as neat as possible with cool BS themed windows. Wow.... I never saw anything like that anywhere else. It's gonna be tricky and a lot of work.:doh:

 

[BaD CrC]

The case and watercooling integration

 

OK. Now I have a really big case with (I thought). Tons of space to realize my wildest dreams. First thing to do, the case work!

 

First, I am assuming this case is gonna be heavy. So let's start right now to have some wheels. And while I can still have it upside down, let's also install the anticollision light. To protect the anticollision light during transportation, I am adding some aluminum protection (drawers handles found in a nearby DIY shop). I found this nice gyro effect led in a RC model shop. It's working on 12V.

 

 

 



 

 

 

Then the side panels. The theme is the blackshark/rewdwolf/russia. I found some pretty cool logo that I want to have on one side panel. I also love a font called 'soviet style' that I could use for the other side panel. Since I have no talent to properly etch plexi or cut complex forms in aluminum, and I want a very clean result, I'll call for professionnal help. The etching and side panel cut costed in the 70$ range. Talking about plexi etching, the Lian Li's window material are extremely poor quality. They are actually more like cheap plastic that cracks when etched. Not great for such a honorable house like Lian Li. Had to redo the window in descent 3mm thick plexi. I used transparent red plexi 3mm for the soviet star and 3mm translucid red plexi for the lettering.

 

 

 

 

Now the 5 ports switches. I found some pretty nice ones with kinda military looking, at least reminding me of some of the BS panels. They were coming with some big ON/OFF switches just like the real thing. Now for the labels, it really needed engraving. Back to my pro friend who did it for 30$, along with some new red plexi cuts since the ones provided were blue (totally forbidden in a black and red mod :-) ):

 

 

The mounted result. Pretty happy with that.

 

 

In this 30$, I also had a front face to integrate my future SHKVAL display (actually a Matrix Orbital GTT50A) and a couple of LEDS.

 

 

While I am at the leds, I used some plastic parts left from my old pit build and cut some translucid red plexi rectangles that I expoxied and painted. This will be used to give this 'BS overhead feeling' to the front lighting.

 

 

The final result with the Matrox Orbital GTT50A integrated. I later added some custom transparent stickers for the labels on them.

 

 

Finaly for the watercooling, I went for a large 4x140 full coper rad, and I used a fan grill on it to mount the EK Res X3 250 along with some tubing. Tubing is all 19/13 mm OD/ID.

 

 

I provisioned a fill port and a drain port this time (my previous builts were a nightmare to maintain).

 

 

The pump is an MCP45X2 dual. One pump will be directly powered by the PSU while the second one will be powered through the built in UPS (so either PSU or Lithium battery).

 

 

Finaly, the interior lighting is using red flexilights led strings. I wanted the Black Shark lettering only to be lighted while having the redwolf logo lighted with a low red light.

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2014 by BaD CrC

[BaD CrC]

The Electric and Electronic module built and integration

 

This one took actually more than half of my build time. Since I have seen no one yet to do this kind of sound mod as well as an integrated UPS with built in Lithium battery inside a PC case, I had to figure out where to find many part and do tons of solderings and wirings. It was painful. I had so many spares though from the previous builts (fan cables, relays, leds,...) that I could afford some mistakes.

 

Regarding the EKRAN function. I needed something that can play given sounds whenever some key is pressed. I found an electronic kit from a german manufacturer called Velleman. It can play MP3 files from an SD card and trigger 7 different sounds whenever you activate one of the 7 contacts. So it was more than what I need (for the moment) but better too much than not enough. This kit is working on a 12V/1A that my future LiPo battery will provide at start. It switches on as soon as the power is provided and is small enough to be mounted inside a 5'25 bay. I used a small car loudspeaker with a 3,5mm jack connected to the board and I found a way to fix it inside the bay too. I extracted the sounds from DCS BS for the EKRAN alerts. One sound is triggered whenever the power is supplied, then I got another one triggered when the pump is turned ON. I added a 5V relay too in order to trigger on my command from the general I/O of the GTT50A LCD any kind of sound I want (like an alert sound or I don't know. TBC).

 

 

 

 

 

For the UPS, you need a battery obviously and the UPS electronic board itself. I found it at a US shop called Open-UPS. It's a pretty powerful programmable board through a USB interface. It takes anything between 6 to 30V, works with any battery chemistry (lead, LiPo, ...) and can output up to 6A. I need 1A for MP3 player + 1.5A for the pump and I got some left for leds and fans. Beside the fun effect, this will keep cooling down my stuff after the computer is shut down, at least until I switch off the UPS too. The two other boards you can see beneath are used to control the ON/OFF of the pump: one sequence converter which controls a 12V relay and the pump led. And another 5'25 bay filled.

 

 

For the battery, I needed something that can push around 6A. I found some motorcycle 7000mAH batteries, some where ultra light thanks to LiPo chemistry, and the overall dimension was perfect to hold into two 5'25 bays. You can see on the picture that I found some use of the Lian Li HDD handles to lock the battery in place. The battery is connected to the UPS board and recharged automatically by it whenever the PSU is ON.

 

 

Here you can see the back of the Matrix Orbital GTT50A USB LCD and the way I wired the leds to the general I/O. The custom bezel for this LCD is using up 2 5'25 bays space but since it is very thin, you can still use the bays behind it (thank god).

 

 

The whole electric/electronic module was getting really crowded inside. And I didn't install the HDD yet. Plus, it was looking messy.

 

 

I also had to change several switches from the ones provided with the 5 ports switches, to go from a simple ON/OFF to some MON/OFF.

 

 

So I had left from previous built some Lian Li's black fan grills that I used to hide all this and give a more finished aspect to the module.

 

Edited April 17, 2014 by BaD CrC

[BaD CrC]

The PC parts final integration:

 

The part of the PC case with the electronic module+ pump +rad and reservoir was a pain to integrate. The plan was to use the last few space I have to install two WD velociraptor 1To in RAID0, but it turned out that, once installed in the case, I really had room for only one HDD, so I had to return one of the velociraptor.

 

 

The other side of the case, for the MB and so on was a real pleasure. Everything was pretty standard and fits immediatly. The ASUS maximus VI Formula is a real beauty (and it is balck and red!). A very heavy one, but still a beauty. Here with the 16Gb DDR3 Corsair Platinium 2666Mhz.

 

 

The two Asus GTX780Ti DCUII. One before and one after the EK Full Cover waterblock for them.

 

 

I printed the Kamov Logo and stick it on my Sandisk SSD ExtremeII 480Go. I then integrated it on a black aluminum panel that I used to hide some of the cables going to the other part of the case.

 

 

 

 

Now with the Corsair AX1200i PSU. I guess 1,2Kw of power should be OK for this baby.

 

I used an EK Supremacy Full Nickel Waterblock on my i7 4770K, then routed the tubes to the built in VRM waterblock of the ASUS motherboard, then the two GTX780Ti.

 

Edited April 17, 2014 by BaD CrC

[BaD CrC]

The final result in video (and some still pictures again):

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

Edited April 17, 2014 by BaD CrC

[Cali]

That is awesome, can't wait to see it all done.

[BaD CrC]

Thanks Cali. Your wait is over. :-)

[Cali]

That's a beast, nice job on the set-up!

[Shiwaz]

Pretty much the most awesome rig ive ever seen... GJ!

[xxJohnxx]

Very nice indeed!

 

BTW: You are not running those GTX780Tis in SLI?

[Cnuke]

I guess the lights dim at his neighbors xD

 

Thanks for sharing what you have created :)

[Need-To-Know]

Sick, Sick, Sick, OMG great system....Did I say that thing is SICK!

[msalama]

:thumbup:

[Abburo]

Great rig, great ideea, great execution!

[Pyroflash]

gg mate.

[WildBillKelsoe]

envy :)

[MTFDarkEagle]

Very nice rig!!

[BaD CrC]

Thanks guys for all your kind comments.

 

For DCS indeed, I am not running those two CG in SLI, evenmore than I need to be able to plug in my 5 monitors for it. I heard it is not really worth anyway for DCS to have a SLI enabled rig. I am leaving SLI on only for games which can use it.

[xxJohnxx]

Oh okay.

 

Yeah, the SLI setup I am running with two ASUS GTX780 Direct CU OC cards (not Ti unfortunately) didn't bring any improvement over a single one of those cards in DCS at the current time. I hope that might change tough with EDGE.