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It's time again for another build and the Corsair 900D case looks like a nice challenge.
 
My last build (QuakeCon 800D) was a pleasure to create and I am proud of what I was able to accomplish.
 
I love the quality of the Corsair Obsidian series and the 900D is their premiere flagship case. I am looking forward to modding the case and powdercoating the exterior surfaces to suite my theme.
 
The theme I decided to go with is based on my favorite graphics card company - NVIDIA. The color scheme will be their company colors of green and black. There will be an illuminated claw logo inside the case just below the 5.25" bays.
 
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Now let's get started with the components...

Main Components:

• Case: Corsair Obsidian 900D
• CPU: Intel i7 4930K Ivy Bridge-E
• Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition
• Memory: 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum 2133Mhz (8x4GB)
• GPU: 2 x EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Superclocked in SLI
• SSD1: 240GB ASUS RAIDR Express
• SSD2: 360GB Corsair Force GS SATA III
• SSD3: 360GB Corsair Force GS SATA III
• PSU: Corsair AX1200 Modular

 
Watercooling Components:

• CPU Block: EK Supremacy Clean - Acetal
• Motherboard Block: EK-FB Kit ASUS R4BE - Acetal
• GPU Block: 2 x EK-FC780 GTX Ti - Acetal
• GPU Backplate: 2 x EK-FC780 GTX Ti Backplate - Black
• Pump: EK D5 X-Top Pump Top w/D5 Vario
• Radiators: 2 x EK Coolstream 480 PE Quad 120mm
• Reservoir: Aqualis Pro w/LED Holder - Nano Coated
• Tubing (Lower): EK-ZMT 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD
• Fittings (Lower): Assorted Bitspower G1/4 Compression, 3/8" ID x 5/8" OD
• Tubing (Upper): Primochill 1/2" OD Rigid PETG - Clear
• Fittings (Upper): 20 x Primochill Rigid Revolver Compression

 
Miscellaneous Components:

• RGB Controller: NZXT Hue
• Fan Controller: ASUS Front Base
• Fan - Radiator: 14 x Corsair SP120 High Performance 120mm
• Fan - Front: 2 x Corsair AF120 Quiet Edition 120mm
• Fan - Rear: Corsair AF140 Quiet Edition 140mm
• PWM Splitters: 2 x Swiftech 8-Way PWM Splitter
• Sleeving: MDPC Toxic Green and Black

 
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I will keep this build log updated as the assembly commences and it starts to take shape.
 
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UPDATE: This build was built for the Classic Case Mod contest at QuakeCon 2014 and it won 1st place!

Received the ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition (R4BE) motherboard and love the new black color scheme!
 
Here is the box unopened and ready for action.
 

 
The new design is top-notch and I almost feel bad about modifying it. I especially love the new heatsink shroud that is placed over the I/O panel. No way am I losing that!
 

 
I have the R4BE motherboard laid out and ready for it's operation. The Intel i7 4930K CPU, EK Supremacy Clean CPU block and EK full board R4BE kit are ready and waiting.
 

 
This is the new EK-FB Kit ASUS R4BE full board water block kit designed for this board.
 

 
It was very easy to remove the existing R4BE heatsinks. This is the Mosfet heatsink with the shroud connected.
 

 
Here is a shot of the Southbridge heatsink.
 

 
Now that the heatsinks are removed, it is time to install the i7 4930K CPU.
 

 
I removed the I/O cover shroud and connected it back over the I/O connections. Here are all the new heatsinks installed.
 

 
Close-up of the Southbridge area.
 

 
CPU and Mosfet blocks close-up.
 

 
I just love the quality of the EK products! Here you can see an assortment of some of the products that will be used on this build.
 

Time to disassemble the exterior panels for powder coating.
 
This is the window-side of the chassis with all panels removed.
 

 
This is the right-side of the chassis.
 

 
Here are the front and rear supports, side lower panels, front plate, and top panel removed and ready.
 

 
These are the two large side panels.
 

 
They are all at the powder coating shop and should be ready in a couple of days.

I have just picked up the exterior panels from the shop and the powder coating looks amazing!
 
The colors are fluorescent green and a semi-gloss black.
 
Here are the panels unwrapped and laid out.
 

 
In this shot are the lower side, rear, front, and top panels. For the top panel I separated the metal assembly from the plastic filter for the powder coating process and this shot is when it was reassembled. The green really pops against the black filter.
 

 
Here are the left and right side panels.
 

 
Lastly, here are the front and rear frames that were done in a semi-gloss black.
 

 
Can't wait to start assembling it again!

Since the main braces were powder coated, the rubber pads had to be removed. These pads are held in place with adhesive transfer tape and are tricky to remove cleanly.
Here is a shot of the bottom with no rubber cushions in place.
 

 
After thoroughly cleaning the rubber pads to remove all residue from the original factory adhesive, I used Scotch adhesive transfer tape (924) to reattach the rubber pads to factory specifications.
Here are all four pads with the tape in place.
 

 
Here is a shot of the pads reattached on the bottom of the main braces. The process was clean and they are back to factory appearance and durability.
 

To cut down on all of the unused cable pass-through areas, I had a motherboard tray cover created. This will eliminate all the unnecessary openings so that a clean appearance is seen from the window.
Here is a shot of the motherboard tray with all the grommets removed.
 

 
This is the motherboard tray cover with the openings designed for the Rampage IV Black Edition. The two top openings are for the 8 fan cables that will be installed on the upper radiator.
 

 
Here is the cover installed. As you can see, all the empty pass-through areas between the motherboard and 5.25" bays are covered. This open area is where the reservoir will be mounted.
 

I decided to utilize the Primochill Revolver fittings for this build. I chose the nickel plated brass color.
 
These can be purchased in 10-packs and come with a small wrench for tightening them down.
 

 
I will be needing at least two of these 10-packs to start.
 

 
Here is the motherboard with the temporary caps over the fitting openings.
 

 
I installed six fittings around the CPU area (2 on CPU block, 2 on MOSFET/VRM block, 2 on southbridge block).
 

 
This is a close-up of the fittings on the CPU block.
 

Now to mount the reservoir on the motherboard tray cover...
 
I measured at least 3 times to ensure that I was centered in the appropriate area and that everything lined up behind the tray. In this shot I have tape marking the motherboard corners and fill hole for when the tray is removed for drilling.
 

 
I used a step drill bit from Home Depot as this bit gradually increases the hole diameter without stressing the acrylic too much. The hole came out clean and perfect! I used a Bitspower pass-through fitting for connecting the top of the reservoir to provide more stability.
 

 
Here is the mounted reservoir all ready for fluid.
 

 
I screwed on the Primochill Revolver fittings and tested out the four 5mm LED lights to ensure everything is functional. Can't wait to see it with the waterfall effect!
 

Finally completed installing all 8 fans in push-pull configuration on the upper radiator and mounting it into the case.
 
This is a view of the assembly from the top, although no one will see this as the top filter covers it completely.
 

 
Here is the view from the interior.
 

 
The lower radiator assembly was easier since it involved only 4 fans.
 

ASUS recently released the ROG Front Base Dual-Bay Gaming Panel and I will be using this for fan control and one-click overclocking.
 

 
Here the unit is mounted in the front panel, along with the NZXT Hue. The bottom empty bay will be closed off with the 900D cover.
 

 
I also installed a custom illuminated back plate created by ColdZero. It fills the empty space left when I removed the hard drive bays.
 

 
With all of the hard drive bays removed, I decided to mount the SSD drives on the side of the 5.25" bay assembly. First, some holes had to be cut for the cables to pass through.
 

 
Both SSD units mounted cleanly and with minimal cables being seen.
 

 
To keep a clean appearance, I closed off the back of the 5.25" bay area so that all cabling is covered.
 

 
I mounted the motherboard into the case to prepare for wiring and tubing configuration.
 

Made some more progress this week.
 
Reassembled the top filter with the powder coated cover and installed it back on the computer. I love the complementing colors!
 

 
Here is another shot of lighted back cover piece with the NVIDIA logo.
 

 
Connected the top 8 PWM fans to the PWM splitter that will connect to the motherboard. You can see the reservoir fill port on the back of the motherboard tray.
 

 
The ASUS ROG Front Base and NZXT Hue are just waiting to be powered up and used.
 

 
The mid-plate shelf is ready and the pass-through ports drilled. I should be installing it this weekend.
 

 
Here is the current state of the build.
 

 
Close-up of the motherboard area with the sleeving installed. The heatshrink-less method is by far easier and faster than the conventional method. Love the end result!
 

Wow! This was my first experience with working on acrylic and it was definitely tedious and demanding. I have done many builds using the flexible tubing and they were a breeze. A typical flexible tubing installation took only about an hour or two and it was done. No mess or confusion.
 
You must respect the PETG acrylic tubing and take your time if you want the result to come out decent. I spent the past two days measuring and bending the tubes for this build and learned a lot. I purchased eight 36" tubes for this project and ended up only using four of them. I only had a few 'mistakes' and they were short sections, so the waste wasn't all that bad.
 
Here is some shots of the tools I used for the cutting and bending of the tubing.
 
The Kawasaki heat gun was a dream to use; so quiet and it heats the material evenly.
 

 
I used a dremel to 'fine tune' some edges and smooth out some of the rough edges left after cutting.
 

 
For a smoother end, I used some sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood.
 

 
To get inside the tubes, I used some good ole' pipe cleaners.
 

 
Here is that trusty dremel after a few tubes are completed. You can see some of the mistakes in the background.
 

 
Here are some of the fittings used to connect everything. Twenty of the Primochill Revolver fittings and a good assortment of Bitspower compression fittings.
 

 
After two days, here is the result. I have a fan ring off and disconnected some wiring and memory during the installation.
 

 
Used a handy funnel for the filling process.
 

 
Now for the leak testing phase. Only the pump has power applied and it is whisper quiet!
 

 
You just cannot have too many paper towels in this phase.
 

 
The only leak occurred in the first 30 seconds and it was on the reservoir. The bottom rubber gasket of the glass was not seated fully and a small amount of water leaked. Took about 15 minutes to disassemble and re-seat the gasket. Now fully watertight!
 

 
I will let the test continue for another 24 hours to ensure everything is fine. In the past 4 hours there has not been a single leak of any acrylic tubing or their fittings!

I have to agree with the majority and have come to dislike the bright red SSD cases. It really detracts from the overall black/green scheme.
 
I played with a few ideas and came up with one that does not void the manufacturer's warranty but still covers the red appearance.
 
I created some vinyl decals that completely cover the SSD but are removable if the drive fails. This keeps the warranty intact should I need to replace a faulty unit in the next 3 years.
 

The case made the cover of the September issue of CPU Magazine.
 

Unbelievable. Great work and awesome attention to detail. You're Hired!!