Gigabyte 30th Anniversary Mod Challenge -- Blue Fury Entry --

[crowTrobot Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close crowTrobot]

Hi, just a couple of friendly reminders as the deadline approaches:

1.) All required photos have to be uploaded up at http://event.gigabyte.us/mod2win/login/ as well.
2.) Modder Profile and worklogs must be completed to be considered for final selection.
Completing Your Worklog:
-Post images and a description of your mod progress to the thread you created in the Modders Inc. forum under GIGABYTE 30th Anniversary Mod Challenge.
-If you are entering with a completed or 'in progress' mod:
*You must be able to provide a full worklog from start to finish with images and a description.
*Your mod must not have started earlier than June 1, 2015.
*Your mod cannot be an entry from a previous GIGABYTE Mod Contest.

Completing your Modder Profile:
-Requirements for mod submission:
*The title of your mod entry.
*A description and concept of your mod entry.
*At least five pictures of your final mod entry with external and internal aesthetics (preferably high resolution, jpg file format, maximum size 1MB).
*At least one picture of your final entry with clearly recognizable GIGABYTE components (must be specified).
*One picture of your final entry with a hand written time-stamp for verification.

-Submitting your completed mod:
*Press the Complete Profile button under your profile - Complete Profile page.
*Once you complete your project, this will be considered your final submission and you will not be able to make further changes to your profile page.

Entries that do not satisfy all stated rules on this page will be automatically disqualified.

Cheers! Thank you for your participation and good luck in the competition.

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Thank you crowTrobot for the reminder. It is definitely crunch time!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Update 10/27/16




Good morning fellow modders and enthusiasts. Time for another update, I know it’s been a few days, but I’ve only had the time to work in couple minute increments.

Our first order of business is to get started painting. First we start with our fans. These NB E-Loops were super easy to pop the blades out of the housing and get masked off.






Then I was able to hit it with paint. Difference between the first coat and the third coat. Nice light coats with some quality paint.





Then I turned my attention to the front panel. After all the cutting and sanding it was time to repaint it. I did the first coat with flat black, but in comparison to the rest of the case, I didn’t like how it looked. So I hit it with a coat of gloss black. The gloss will really bring out the details…. And besides…. Who doesn’t like shiny things.





Here’s a complimentary shot of the Gigabyte HD 7970 that I am borrowing to use in this build. As you can see the original heatsink and shroud are gone and replaced with an aftermarket heatsink and 2 80mm slim fans. So I will be designing a new shroud for it to get cut out and painted this week.




Here are some shots of the front badge after being printed. Can’t wait until the badge and cable combs arrive so I can get them painted.






As always, I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts and comments.
Modders Unite!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Update 10/28/16



Good morning my fellow modders, it’s time for another update. Just a quick one this morning but look for a slightly more involved one in the next couple days.

First, I have to share the small precision screwdriver kit my wife got me for Christmas…. But wait, it’s not Christmas yet. My wife had ordered from Amazon a few items. She is having to return an item, so she wanted to make sure I was going to like them. Also, she figured I might be able to use them for my current builds. Thank you awesome wife!



Next, we take a look at our fans. All four NB E-Loops have been painted blue.



Now lets take a look at one reassembled. The rubber is a very light grey, but I don’t think it distracts from the overall look of the fans. They will look sharp against a black radiator or the black case frame.



Last we take a quick glimpse on what I was working on this morning. Getting all my pieces marked and cut out of the sheet aluminum for Blue Fury and Project: Military Tech. For Blue Fury, I cut and bent the two pieces to use for my PSU and GPU shrouds.




Next order of business is to cut the fan holes and power slot out of the GPU shroud and design the paint job that I will be using.

Until next time, Happy Modding!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Update 10/31/16




Good morning my fellow ghouls and goblins,

Let us see what craziness has been brewing in the witches pot this weekend. First we start with our custom GPU shroud. Cut out, bent and marked for fan holes. The shroud will mount directly to the fans covering the monstrosity of heatsink/zipties/ and fans.



Cut out the fan holes…. Man this old hole saw is terrible. I had to do quite a bit of cleanup and finishing with the dremel. The hole saw couldn’t even cut all the way through haha. It’s what I get for buying from a pawn shop.



All cut out, sanded and cleaned…. Now to hit it with primer. (Forgot to get a picture, but it got hit with gloss black after a couple good coats of primer.)



Next we turn our attention to the top vent solution. With the fans mounting inside the vent, there is room to fit at least a slim 240 rad up top. If only I had the watercooling elements to use. First we cut the aluminum and bend it into shape.



Then we can mark it and get to cutting it with the dremel. After which we can bend the slats inward at an angle.



A quick shot of the PSU shroud ready to be wet sanded before masking off for the detail work.



Some glory shots of the cable combs and front badge from the 3D printer. They should be in the mail tomorrow. He wants to try a couple extra prints that might fit in the design. So we’ll see what he comes up with.




Next order of business is to cut the top panel in order for the fans(and optional rad) to fit. Masked off the top panel and started marking my cuts. Then it’s off to the bench to be dremeled.



Until next time, enjoy the holiday and Happy Modding!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Update 11/1/2016



Good morning my fellow modders and tech lovers

It’s a new month and with it brings new updates on Blue Fury. First we can start off with a little assembly of the case. I was going to paint the rivets black, but after putting one white one in I decided it looks sharp and fits the theme.



Second we turn our attention to the top panel and get the 240 radiator hole/mount cut. Nice and clean cut before cleaning up with files. This will be hidden by the top vent.




Speaking of the top vent, here’s a shot with the primer base completed. Next is to paint it blue, probably first coat tonight. Came out looking pretty sharp if I say so myself. While I was bending the slats, I had the thought this probably would look better on InsolentGnome's Rehab build lol.



Then a shot of the GPU shroud painted black and testing the look and fit. I will need to paint those fan blades though somehow. Then we have to get the details painted on.




Finally a beginning shot of making the front 360 radiator mount out of an old beige ATX case's side panel. Hopefully I get all my clearances right.



Until next time, Happy Modding!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

11/3/16 Update



Good morning to all my modders and fans,

Just a quick update this morning to share a bit of progress I was able to get done. Only a week left before I have to get my pictures taken of the final product. I’m unfortunately losing a couple days to get the build done because of a prescheduled trip out of state. I can work on getting everything submitted during that trip since I will have my trusty laptop with me. But let’s get on with the updates.

First we have the mock positioning of the PSU shroud, and I even threw in the motherboard just to show how close the shroud comes to the motherboard. I was super careful with all my measurements so everything should be a nice tight fit. I still have to cut the notch on the front side of the shroud to allow the fans and radiator to fit.




Speaking of the fans and radiator at the front you can see below is the panel, or scrapped steel if you prefer, that I’m using for my mount. Everything marked out and ready to be cut. I did actually get it cut out this morning and a coat of primer on it, but I forgot to take the pictures.



Additionally, last night I finished my 8-pin PCIE extension. Gotta love that heatshrinkless look! I am using my lunchtime from work to try and finish the 8-pin CPU power cable.



Other completed updates to the project include marking up the side panel for the window cuts, designing the GPU shroud’s details, and updating the concept inside picture to match my updated parts(except the motherboard).



Until next time, Happy Modding!

[NavyChief Sanded Find all posts View Profile Close NavyChief]

Really coming along nicely! Can't wait to see all that blue!!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Really coming along nicely! Can't wait to see all that blue!!

I got some good pictures showing the blue designs on the outside. Unfortunately my phone doesn't let me post pictures haha. Keep an eye out in the morning for an update. Got some decent work done this weekend.

I only have until Thursday to get everything done. I fly out Friday and won't be back until Tuesday. Missing that weekend is really going to hurt.

Happy modding all, keep those noses to the grindstone.

[NavyChief Sanded Find all posts View Profile Close NavyChief]

Same here. I will be out-of-town on Monday-Tuesday and Friday-Sunday.

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Same here. I will be out-of-town on Monday-Tuesday and Friday-Sunday.

We definitely have our work cut out for us. Hmmm... I wonder if I can call in sick this week haha.

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

11/7/16 Update



Good morning to all my modders and fans,

So I was able to get a bit done over the weekend and wanted to share it with you. Things are coming together and just in time too. Still have some detail work to do still to mask off an paint(tonight’s task) so final assembly can commence. Plan is to take the final pictures on Thursday.

The first thing I took a crack at was trimming the size of the PSU shroud to allow it to fit snugly around the bottom fan. The bottom fan will much be dedicated to providing cool air for the PSU to utilize.




The top panel, proved slightly interesting. Had to trim down the size a bit to fit better without too much overhang. Remember those two fans that came from the case? They got mounted inside the top exhaust shroud to be hidden from view. One fan is a blue LED fan which should provide a bit of light coming from the top.



Then I moved on with the side panels. I was able to get both sides masked off and the window side cut. Then it’s a quick couple layers of primer, let that dry for a day and start laying down thin layers of blue. After I got three coats in, I let it dry. Once it was dry, I began slowly unmasking the sides. As you can see from the close up, ended up with very clean lines. I am definitely happy they came out well.








Second, I shifted my attention to the GPU which took a mask, primer, and coats of white. I think I got pretty good coverage. Got the fans installed back on the GPU also but I’m waiting for the shroud to finish before getting pictures of it.





Next, I took a shot at the front panel. Getting it masked off was a little more difficult given the multiple levels of depth. But low and behold that seemed to come out alright as well.




Moving forward, I worked on getting the front fan mount in place. I made sure to do several test fits before drilling final holes and getting it mounted properly. Once mounted and secured, I could start getting the fans installed.





Lastly, I did some painting of some detail pieces. Painted the RAM white to contrast the black and blue. The primer’d fan is actually the CPU fan…… I painted it white then realized that it wasn’t staying as I’m throwing in the Corsair H60. Oops. Oh well, my next AMD build will have a nice white CPU fan haha.




Still left to do is to cut out and paint the white lettering and details. I got the final white pinstripe painted on the GPU shroud this morning. I need to finish mounting the fans and get the H60 in place. Then I can focus on getting all the fans hooked up, motherboard in place. The secret motherboard shroud is the only big piece I have left to do. I just need to do some cleanup trims and paint.

Just a side note, my work provided a couple 3’x5’ sheets of the copolyester that they manufacture to use for my builds. Going to take a small chunk for the window. The rest will get used as I switch gears next week and get back to Project: Military Tech.




As always, would love to hear what you think!
Until next time, Happy Modding!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Update 11/9/16



Good morning my fellow modders and fans,

Just thought I'd share a quick update and preview of things to come. Some good news and bad news. The bad news is I came down with a virus that has put me under the weather but the good news is that means I won't be traveling out of state this weekend and have a few more days to take my time in completing it. Meanwhile, it's lots of fluids and bland foods for me. Anyways back to the build....

I just heard that my 3D printed pieces will be delivered today, so I'll be sanding and painting those awesome pieces this evening. Big thanks to DreamPC4Me for providing the 3D goodness.

I was able to get all my front fans and radiator installed. I do have to address the problem of an upsidedown Corsair logo, but..... that shouldn't be too bad.





I also got my window cut and mounted. The edge of the side panel cuts weren't as clean as I wanted, going to try to find me some black trim locally to give it more of a professional feel. I think the white rivets really help the build. Black and Blue with just a hint of White. I think it's coming together well.




Additionally, here's a sneak peek of the GPU with the GIGABYTE mask cut out. I was able to hit it with 4 coats of white between last night and this morning. I should be able to have an update of the GPU shroud and SSD covers tomorrow morning or Friday morning. I can't wait to peel that tape off and see how it turned out!



Until next time.. happy modding!

[NavyChief Sanded Find all posts View Profile Close NavyChief]

Looks like you are on track to finish on time! Looking good!!

[DDCustomMods Case Modder Find all posts View Profile Close DDCustomMods]

Update 11/10/16




Good afternoon my fellow modders and fans!!

We have more progress completed and even more pictures.

First, I have to thank DreamPC4Me for providing the awesome 3D printed pieces for this build. That front badge would've been a pain to craft without his help. All through the process he was quick to respond and very professional. Currently he is doing a build for the Make A Wish foundation. Show your support for a good cause by subscribing to his YouTube channel or his Twitter feed.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCtq5VMDSqQg4YdaJv6ScJYA
https://twitter.com/rbillyguns


Onto our Blue Fury build!

First I unboxed the 3D printed motherload. I enjoyed unwrapping each piece. First the front badge components, then the surprise GIGABYTE in 3 different sizes.









After taking a moment to absorb the awesomeness , then it was time to set up my sanding station. Pieces lined up were 150, 220, and 400. Got everything sanded and hit with a good coat of primer. The cable combs needed a quick once through with the round needle file.









After the sanding and priming, I turned my attention to unmasking the GPU shroud. After confirming that I was satisfied with the end result, I got it installed on the card. Personally, I think it came out well considering the simplicity of design.






Last but not least is the SSD covers, with the H60 radiator installed there will only be room for the one.




As always, let me know what you think and offer any suggestions hints you have. Always looking to grow as a modder and builder.

Until next time.... Happy Modding!