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Hi guys, this is a worklog of my first complete home build. It isn't any crazy mod work, just a build from start to finish. I got extensive help from the folks in general hardware in designing the build. The component list and that discussion can be found in the build thread here (link).
I chose to name this project Tesla, in honor of the man Nikola Tesla, one of my favorite real life historical "mad" geniuses.
I started this build at 1:00 pm 5/22/09, half an hour after the last box of parts arrived. 9 hours later I said a hail mary and pushed the power button...and success! While it may not be a big deal to the people of [h]ard land I was pretty proud of myself. A full build from scratch rock solid on the first try. I've hit it overnight with prime 95 and temps never broke 65. I will work on overclocking after I get settled in and the CPU paste has a chance to cure.
Anyway, on to the worklog!
The following photos are the components as they arrived. In particular it was surprising just how much of a beating some of the packages took, including the monitor box and the windowed CM 690 side panel.
Setting up to work...
The heart of the beast... C0 stepping, not going to cry about it.
Unpacked and ready to work...
I had read the CM v8 was big but I was still taken by surprise when I unpacked it. I had to take a picture of my hand next to it to show my friends for reference. It is easily as big as a nerf football.
The motherboard...Ah that new electronics smell...
I think I held my breath from the moment I opened the CPU port on the motherboard until I set the chip into the bracket. Nerve wracking.
Ah, the brackets for the HSF. The first time I mounted it I noobed out and didn't put the backplate on, just bolted it straight to the motherboard. That could have been complete disaster. 30 seconds later I look over and see the back bracket sitting there innocently... Oh well, live and learn. I took it apart CAREFULLY so as not to disturb the CPU paste and remounted with bracket.
Couple shots of it mounted right.
On to my next "oops" of a much lesser magnitude. Noobed out again and didn't read the manual closely enough on how to mount the top fans to the case. Mounted them on the outside on the first try.
Fans mounted correctly, except for the bottom fan.
Mobo mounted and I didn't even do anything stupid like forgetting the stand offs.
.
PSU in its high quality liquor bag...
Case with everything mounted but the powersupply.
A couple shots of the front side, everything mounted. I know the cable management isn't amazing but I tried the best I could to keep things clean and maintain good airflow.
The back of the case, the Corsair 750tx mobo power cord was juuuust long enough to reach up the back of the CM 690. I taped and tucked the cords a bit after this pic so that the cords wouldn't get in the rails of the door or the fan.
All done, first picture of Tesla.
A few shots of my workstation all set up.
Thank you so much to the community at [h]ardforum for the education in computer assembly over the last few months. Without your help this wouldn't have been possible. I have learned an incredible amount and it has been a blast! I look forward to learning more with you all.
I chose to name this project Tesla, in honor of the man Nikola Tesla, one of my favorite real life historical "mad" geniuses.
I started this build at 1:00 pm 5/22/09, half an hour after the last box of parts arrived. 9 hours later I said a hail mary and pushed the power button...and success! While it may not be a big deal to the people of [h]ard land I was pretty proud of myself. A full build from scratch rock solid on the first try. I've hit it overnight with prime 95 and temps never broke 65. I will work on overclocking after I get settled in and the CPU paste has a chance to cure.
Anyway, on to the worklog!
The following photos are the components as they arrived. In particular it was surprising just how much of a beating some of the packages took, including the monitor box and the windowed CM 690 side panel.
Setting up to work...
The heart of the beast... C0 stepping, not going to cry about it.
Unpacked and ready to work...
I had read the CM v8 was big but I was still taken by surprise when I unpacked it. I had to take a picture of my hand next to it to show my friends for reference. It is easily as big as a nerf football.
The motherboard...Ah that new electronics smell...
I think I held my breath from the moment I opened the CPU port on the motherboard until I set the chip into the bracket. Nerve wracking.
Ah, the brackets for the HSF. The first time I mounted it I noobed out and didn't put the backplate on, just bolted it straight to the motherboard. That could have been complete disaster. 30 seconds later I look over and see the back bracket sitting there innocently... Oh well, live and learn. I took it apart CAREFULLY so as not to disturb the CPU paste and remounted with bracket.
Couple shots of it mounted right.
On to my next "oops" of a much lesser magnitude. Noobed out again and didn't read the manual closely enough on how to mount the top fans to the case. Mounted them on the outside on the first try.
Fans mounted correctly, except for the bottom fan.
Mobo mounted and I didn't even do anything stupid like forgetting the stand offs.
PSU in its high quality liquor bag...
Case with everything mounted but the powersupply.
A couple shots of the front side, everything mounted. I know the cable management isn't amazing but I tried the best I could to keep things clean and maintain good airflow.
The back of the case, the Corsair 750tx mobo power cord was juuuust long enough to reach up the back of the CM 690. I taped and tucked the cords a bit after this pic so that the cords wouldn't get in the rails of the door or the fan.
All done, first picture of Tesla.
A few shots of my workstation all set up.
Thank you so much to the community at [h]ardforum for the education in computer assembly over the last few months. Without your help this wouldn't have been possible. I have learned an incredible amount and it has been a blast! I look forward to learning more with you all.
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