Who doesn’t love Star Wars reference? We definitely do, and we’ll begin by saying that this BB8 gaming PC may really be the droid you’re on the lookout for. PC modder Kamil Lee mixed his love for orange and white colour schemes, in addition to cute Star Wars droids, with this super-clean water-cooled PC construct, that includes a {custom} distro plate design and a number of other coats of white paint.
Because of our quickly rising PC constructing Fb web page, we’ve seen many {custom} gaming PCs, from mods based mostly on present case designs to scratch PC builds. You may even submit yours for consideration proper right here. However first, let’s learn how Kamil constructed this gaming PC.
: How did this venture begin?
Kamil: I’ve constructed fairly a couple of {custom} PCs. Computer systems have at all times been my ardour and interest. The inspiration got here from the Star Wars motion pictures – my construct relies on the BB8 robotic, plus white and orange are additionally my favourite colours. I’d beforehand at all times used huge towers for my builds, however this time I needed to make somewhat change and take a look at one thing smaller, which is why I selected the Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic. It appears to be like attractive and completely different, and it’s had nice critiques – it has a novel and stout look.
Not all of these components are white out of the field. Which components required portray?
Sure, I did paint a couple of of the few components. Probably the most difficult and time-consuming half to color was my motherboard – I utilized three coats of paint to it as a way to obtain the specified outcomes with none blemishes. I additionally painted the graphics card PCIe riser, D5 pump and all of the fittings, utilizing matt white spray paint.
Did you make the entrance distribution plate your self?
Type of. It’s a custom-made distribution plate, which was based mostly on my design. I ordered it from WV Mech in Malaysia. As a way to obtain straight-looking tubing, your measurements have to be excellent, and I really ended up ordering three of them earlier than the ultimate mannequin. The sooner fashions didn’t have the orange propeller, which works as
a stream indicator.
It appears to be like extremely neat from the entrance – how did you go about hiding the cables, and the way does it look from the again?
I’m somewhat little bit of a perfectionist, and I hate messy circumstances. I needed to have as close to to a cableless case as doable. I additionally added some white sleeves to a few of the wires, and the vertical graphics card mount hides a few of the cables on the backside too. Alternatively, my cabling on the again isn’t so good, though you may’t see it anyway!
The place did you get the orange PSU cables from, and is {that a} Lian Li Strimer Plus on the ATX and GPU energy cables?
I purchased the orange PSU cable from eBay – you may get them very low cost from there. And sure, the ATX and GPU energy cables use the latest Lian Li Strimer Plus, and boy, I need to say they give the impression of being unimaginable.
How did you go about planning, slicing and measuring the water-cooling loop for this setup, and why did you keep away from tubing bends?
I must be sincere with you right here – I deliberate it as I used to be going alongside and placing all of it collectively. I needed to keep away from protecting the primary elements with the tubing, so I went round components such because the RAM and cables. I additionally needed to point out off that RGB goodness. I went for angled fittings as an alternative of bends – for my part, it appears to be like higher (extra like plumbing).
On the plus aspect, this determination additionally made the construct simpler, as I didn’t need to work with a warmth gun to attempt to make excellent 90-degree angles. If any of my measurements had been mistaken, I solely needed to reduce one other straight tube to exchange the mistaken one, somewhat than worrying about making one other angle once more.
What materials was used to make the tubes, and the way did you chop them to dimension?
They’re made from PETG plastic, and I merely used a steel hacksaw to chop them to dimension, which is fast and straightforward.
Take us by the water-cooling system.
I’ve two radiators – a Black Ice Nemesis 360GTS and an XSPC Slim TX360. I selected them as a result of they go completely with my construct, and since they’ve cooling capability. I exploit EKWB fittings for my 16mm tubes, as I like thick and chunky tubing, and I wrapped a few of the tubing with Primochill UV anti-kink coil, which I had spare from a earlier construct.
The GPU waterblock on the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is made by Heatkiller – I needed a GPU cooler that lined all the graphic card. The CPU waterblock on the Core i7-8700K is made by Bykski – I like see-through waterblocks that cowl the entire CPU area. In the meantime, the 2 containers within the loop are made by Barrowch – one is a coolant temperature sensor, and the opposite is a digital stream meter. I picked them as they give the impression of being cool, however in addition they do an ideal monitoring job.
Does the water-cooling system enable an honest overclock, or is it extra optimized for quiet operation?
Sure, it does enable overclock, though I don’t actually overclock my PC lots. The one half that I overclocked in my system is the GPU. Once I play a recreation, the system may be very quiet. The GPU temperature by no means goes over 49°C, and the coolant temperature is below 35°C. Once I’m not enjoying video games, you may’t hear the PC in any respect.
How did you propose the lighting?
As I discussed earlier than, I really like orange and I additionally love BB8 from Star Wars. To create the orange lighting, I used six Corsair LL120 RGB followers, 4 Corsair RGB lighting strips, Corsair Vengeance RGB Professional reminiscence and Lian Li Strimer Plus kits on the PSU cables.
All of the above lighting is managed by way of Corsair’s iCUE software program, whereas the RGB lighting on the CPU and GPU waterblocks, plus the SSD, are managed by way of Asus Aura. There’s additionally a white LED strip that goes across the case’s edges – it offers some distinction and successfully brightens up the orange colour.
Did you come throughout any difficulties? If that’s the case, how did you clear up them?
Sure, I did come throughout some difficulties, however I’m now fairly an skilled PC builder, so I resolved them fairly shortly. For instance, becoming the rear radiator required me to carve out the rubber-lined cable-routing holes. Plus, there have been additionally challenges with portray the motherboard and designing the distribution plate. It might be good if extra motherboard producers made white motherboards within the first place!
How lengthy did it take you to finish this construct, from begin to end?
It took me longer than I deliberate, primarily as a result of I needed to change and check completely different components. General, it took me three months.
Have you ever acquired any ideas for readers who is perhaps concerned with constructing a system with hard-tube water cooling?
At all times plan your venture earlier than you begin constructing it, ensure you decide the best components, watch tutorials, and skim directions. Most significantly, ensure you have all the precise measurements in order that your components will match completely with none obstructions.
Are you fully proud of the top end result, or do you would like you’d completed a few of it otherwise looking back?
I’m happy with the top end result, however however I’m nonetheless planning my subsequent construct already. This time I’m interested by utilizing one other super-cool case – a Thermaltake Core P3.
BB8 water-cooled PC specs
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K at inventory pace
- Case: Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, with GPU core overclocked to 2025MHz
- Storage: 256GB Essential M550 SSD, 256GB Samsung 850 Professional SSD, 480GB SanDisk Extremely II SSD, 500GB TeamGroup T-Drive Delta RGB SSD
- Reminiscence: 16GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Professional 2666MHz
- Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus XI Code
- PSU: Corsair HX1000i
- Cooling: 6 x Corsair LL120 RGB followers, XSPC D5 pump, Black Ice Nemesis 360GTS radiator, XSPC TX360 Slim radiator, EKWB tubing, Heatkiller IV GPU waterblock, Bykski XPR-A CPU waterblock, Barrowch coolant temperature sensor, Barrowch digital stream meter
This is without doubt one of the cleanest PCs we’ve seen Kamil – the cable tidying is immaculate, the hardline water-cooling system appears to be like improbable and the orange lighting actually works. By no means underestimate a droid!
This put up initially appeared on Customized PC, which has been protecting wonderful setups for over 20 years and is now a part of . Be a part of our practically 500k member Fb group to debate this construct.
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