Kintsugi Build Log

[AlmightyWaffles]

Kintsugi Build Log

 

Step 1: Alright so I started by grabbing the motherboard out and placing it on it's box

Step 2: I then opened the CPU socket on the motherboard and whilst making sure the arrows in the corner lined up, installed the CPU into it's socket. Then I closed the socket with the lever, popping off the cover in the process

Step 3: Next step I did was grab my CPU water block mounts and installed them into the motherboard, after that I then applied the thermal paste to the CPU and screwed on the water block.

Step 4: I grabbed my 4 sticks of ram and installed them in the ram slots.

Step 5: Then I grabbed out my case, laid it down and removed the side panel.
(The next step was done out of instinct as it's the way I have usually build PC's, however I would 100% recommend you do this step after you have installed the Power Supply into the included Powerboard and then into the case)
Step 6: I then installed the motherboard into the case, using the cases included mounting screws. 

Step 7: I then had to install the Powerboard onto the Power Supply, however this was easier said than done, let me explain. The sheer amount of force that it took to install was unbelievable. I had to use all my might to make sure every connector was 100 percent inserted. I thought it was quick and easy to install, but after close examination I found that the connectors werent going in without me forcing them. 

Step 8: Once I had it completely inserted I had to get the Power Supply and Powerboard installed into the case. On the backside of the case there was a small hook shaped bracket that needed to be removed as well as a Power Supply cover bracket. Got both of them out, and now had to get the Power Supply in. At this moment I realized this case actually had another bracket on the bottom of the inside of the case, this bracket was to be preinstalled onto the Power Supply prior to its installation in the case. I unscrewed the 2 screws holding this bracket into the case and installed the bracket onto the Power Supply.

Step 9: Now that I have rectified the bracket issue, I can finally install the Power Supply into the case, and this is where my issue I mentioned earlier arose. Installing the Power Supply with the Motherboard already installed was almost impossible, I had to kind of angle it into place, where the Powerboard would slot into the mentioned hook shaped bracket. Once I had that lined up, I was able to screw the bracket I had previously installed onto the Power Supply to the bottom of the case.

Step 10: At this point I was ready to start working on the Radiators, both of which were 240mm and required 2 fans installed onto each prior to their installation into the case, so that's what I did, I then went to install the radiators into the case and quickly found out that the screws that came with the radiator (which are long enough to go through a standard metal frame case which is usually only about 2 or 3mms thick) were not long enough to go through the thicker acrylic on this case. So I had to go and get some M4x10mm bolts (12 of them). Once I had the necessary bolts, I then installed the radiators to the case.

Step 11: Alright so at this point, it was starting to look like a computer but with a very messy birds nest of cables everything, so I took a little bit of time moving the cables around and connecting the 2 fans of each radiator together, daisy chain style and plugged them into the Powerboard. I also grabbed the included 24 pin and 8 pin ribbon cables that came with the case, and got them installed into the Powerboard and Motherboard. 

Step 12: Now this is where another issue arose for me, I was so quick to get things installed into the case, I forgot that this case comes with a touch screen button and that the cable wasn't installed into the case yet, I so had to grab that cable out of the box, and my long reach tweezers and plug it into the bottom of the Powerboard and into the bottom of the front panel of the case. 

Step 13: Now it was time to get the Graphics Card installed, so this case specifically came with a riser cable, so I installed it into the Motherboard and then installed the Graphics Card into the vertical mounted riser PCIE slot.

Step 14: At this point I was ready to get all my fittings installed onto the Graphics Card, CPU block, both Radiators and the reservoir. Now the Graphics Card came with the plugs on the back and the space for the fittings at the front, so firstly this was where I had to waste some time and get the Graphics Card out of the case again, and move the plugs from the back to the front. Now I was able to install the Graphics Card fittings into the back of the Graphics Card. 

Step 15: Now I can actually get my fittings in without issue, firstly I installed a 90 degree g1/4 brass fitting into the inlet and outlet of the Graphics Card, with one facing upwards but on a slight angle towards the CPU block and the other going straight towards the bottom of the reservoir panel on the front of the case. Once they were on, I then installed a g1/4 to 14mm OD brass fittings onto both.

Step 16: Next step was to add my 2 fittings into the CPU block, now 1 of which, the right side, was a 25mm extension fitting and a 90 degree fitting facing down towards the Graphics Card fitting I had previously fitted, after that I then installed a g1/4 to 14mm OD fitting. The left side of the CPU block though was a straight fitting, ready for a clear tube to install. Now this was a big issue that arose once the building process had already been started. The bend necessary to get from the CPU block to the top Radiator was impossible with brass pipes. Brass pipes can only make a 90 degree bend with enough length as to not crease or crack. Now I'm going to mention now, that I did also have this issue with another part of the water loop. When going from the back Radiator to the top of the Reservoir panel at the front of the case, so I had to install a clear tubing here as well. 

Step 17: Alright, so it was time to get the fittings into the Radiators, so as just mentioned the back Radiator, had 1 straight fitting for clear tubing. However the other side (left) of the Radiator needed not 1 but 2, 25mm extension fittings, a 90 degree g1/4 fitting and then a g1/4 to 14mm OD brass fitting, and all of that was necessary so that I would be able to get the brass pipe around the Powerboard.

Step 18: Now we were able to install the fittings onto the top Radiator. Which the back one was the other end of the clear tubing, so all that was installed was a g1/4 straight fitting. As for the front fitting, I had to install a 25mm g1/4 extension fitting, a g1/4 90 degree and a g1/4 to 14mm OD brass fittings.

Step 19: At this stage we had got all the fittings installed minus the inlet and outlet of the reservoir front panel. So we next did that, installed a g1/4 clear tube fitting onto the top and installed a g1/4 to 14mm OD brass fitting into the bottom.

Step 20: Time has now arrived for me to start measuring and cutting the tubing. So, I started with the clear tubing as it would be the easier of the 2. I cut the tubing into 2 lengths to fit the 2 spots I would be using the clear tubing. I then got them installed into the case, ensuring that both the O-rings for the fittings were all in place and that the fittings were secured as tight as possible. (TIP: ENSURE THE FITTINGS ARE TIGHT AS CAN BE)

Step 21: I, now grabbed out my brass tubing and measure the 3 pieces I was going to need. Once they were cut I lightly filed back any and all burr's that arose from cutting the brass tubing. I was now ready to install the last of the tubing, I started with the top tube going from the top Radiator to the back Radiator, again ensuring every single connection was tight and every O-ring was where it was intended. I then installed the brass pipe from the CPU to the GPU, and then the Graphics Card to the bottom of the reservoir.

Step 22: Now with all of that done, it was time to install the DDC pump to front of the case in the intended space provided. All that was left was to install the molex power to the Power Supply and the pump header into the Powerboard. 

Step 23: Now it's finally arrived, it's time to fill the loop. Thankfully this is done very easy on this build, thanks to a switch at the top of the Powerboard. Now this switch works like a manual power jump start for the DDC pump. So instead of having to unplug everything from the Powerboard except the DDC pump, we are able to just use this switch to fill the loop. So firstly, I filled the reservoir built into the front panel, by removing the plug at the front, and filling the loop with our coolant solution. Once the reservoir is full, I then use the switch on the Powerboard to boot up the DDC pump and start pumping the liquid, once the reservoir is at about 30 percent full, I would flip the switch off and fill it back up. Then repeating this process til the loop is full (DON'T LET THE RESERVOIR COMPLETELY EMPTY OR YOU WILL GET AIR BUBBLES IN YOUR LOOP)

Step 24: Okay so at this point we are done with the build, so it was time to boot up the PC at my workbench, test that it boots, go into the bios, tweak the few setting necessary to get the best performance out of the computer, like enabling XMP to get the max ram speeds from the DDR5 sticks we used. 

Step 25: Now all that was left was to install Windows 11, and we're done. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by AlmightyWaffles