# Project Cosmos



## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Well I have this thing up in a few other forums, so I thought I would bring it here along for the ride.

The first few sets of photos are on the breakdown of the case.  So they are thumbnails tobe clicked on for the fullsize shot.

Here is the first bunch.

First we have some exterior pictures:
CLICK THE PICTURES FOR LARGER ONES


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Then I went inside, installed the included fans, tried routing some wires, and took a look at the really cool hard drive bays:


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Then I did what anyone would do right?  Tear it apart to learn how it works!    





































I must add so far with this case everything I have read is true.  It is HUGE, a little on the heavy side and very easy to work on.  There are no sharp edges, and the construction and functionality is simply amazing.

While some of you might think, with the new Cooler Master Cosmos S (sport) just being released why would I choose this case and not the new one.  Simply put if its not broke don't fix it!  The Cosmos S had some big flaws over the Cosmos 1000.  Like the fan filters underneath, on the Cosmos S they have to be removed inside the case, this would simply spread the dust they have collected throughout the case and who wants that?  Second they removed the door and made the front all mesh.  But this case was designed with ariflow specifically to flow from the bottom to the top, so by making the air enter into the front they have completely revised this case.  I also did not like the darker color.

While reading reviews the only downside I ever read about this case was its sheer size and lack of airflow.

While I will be addressing the airflow issues so far they are looking to be a lot easier to address then I initially thought.

This modding project is going to prove the simple point that when these cases are engineered there are corners cut with the thought of ease of production in mind.  While some of the mods I will perform are going to be completely custom, well they all will be, some of the other mods will simply show off simple things that can be done to any case to improve its already Excellent construction.

Another reason I choose this case is with future watercooling in mind.  The top of this case is setup for a 120.2 radiator and could very easily be modded to fit a 120.3 radiator inside the case!  In future watercooling I would probably only be looking to WC the CPU so this case will have all the options I need for a long time to come.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Just a note, I am copying a few of these first threads from another forum:

You can see this thread here:

http://www.411overkill.com/forum/phpBB3/posting.php?mode=edit&f=92&p=5443

I am a mod over there, but just thought I would bring this here to share with you guys, some of the first posts here are older, a couple months, but will be brought to date as I go.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Now we are getting to the modding.  

In the first picture you can see the original hard drive setup:







Next we have the bottom tray glide removed:






Finally we have two pictures of the hard drive cage completely removed"


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## mlee49 (Sep 6, 2008)

I like the tricked out look.  hope the mod goes well, and welcome to TPU!


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Sep 6, 2008)

What type of fans were used.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ok so this actually wasn't done tonight,   But this was the first wave of mods.

Ok so tonight I got the front of the case finished, then I sanded the entire chassis, primed and painted it.  Just a nice silver as the base coat.  I will be adding some touches a little later on.  Anyway here are some pictures of the front and the case sanded down, I will have pictures of paint tomorrow.   :grin: 































Can someone explain the do not throw away sticker on the back of the case???  What like I was gonna throw it away!!??  :shock:


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Sep 6, 2008)

The sticker is because the case needs to be "processed" at an electronics plant instead of normal trash.  (cause they know you will put components inside it and throw it out)


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

mlee49 said:


> I like the tricked out look.  hope the mod goes well, and welcome to TPU!



Thanks for the welcome, yes the mods have been a long progression, it is in a functioning state right now, however my recent hardware upgrades kept me from finishing the mods, which hopefully I can get back to soon.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

PVTCaboose1337 said:


> What type of fans were used.



Well the blue led fans are thermaltake thunderblades, 80cfm, 32dba, the fans on the TRUE now are Scythe Ultra Kaze in push/pull, and the NB for the 780i is currently under a Evercool aluminum 60mm fan.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ok so I just realized I missed posting pictures of the preliminary hard drive setup.  I have redesigned it to allow more airflow to the hard drives and more air to flow past from the new front case fans I will be mounting.

In the one picture you can see the Aluminum angle bar I used for the corner supports.




























CLICK on the pictures for larger ones.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ok so I finally have some pictures of the chassis painted.  I ran into a little trouble nothing big will explain later.  Heres the pictures:


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Next we have some pictures of the first new hard drive cage support polished.  Its still needs the final touch to remove the swirls but here it is:


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Alright time for another update.  I have finished polishing the rails for the Hard Drive mounts.  I have installed the black moulding in the holes where the wires will feed through (the original clear stuff was horribly ugly).  The chassis is painted and I have a few pictures of one of the accents that I have done on the backside.  This will give away the theme, however it still may not be very obvious.  But keep watching all will come together soon.  Check out the pics, click on them for a full view.



































Let me know what you think!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ok first we have the TIM on the 780i NB/SB etc..  From what I have read of other's experiences it appears that EVGA made some changes.  This is what my 780i heatsink looked like after removal and it appears that the TIM had been making good contact with the chips underneath.  I cleaned it all up and changed it anyways!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Next we have the harddrive bay and hard drive trays completed.  I do not need space for 6 hard drives and right now have trays set up for 2 hard drives.  I cold add a third later if necessary.  By doing this I have made a place at the bottom for the pump, for a future watercooling system, was able to add 2 front 120mm fans, hopefully improve airflow to the hard drive area and bring in some cool air to the entire case.

When reading reviews on this case everyone said cooling was an issue.  This was my way to counteract that issue.   :grin:   On top of that I like shiny things!!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Finally a a picture of the "S" I added inside the chassis that will sit nicely right beneath my motherboard, and a few more shots of the hard drive area.  This new set-up I have created is completely removable, there are three screws holding the support up (that hard drive shelf) and three additional screws holding everything else together.  Other parts are riveted in and together that do not need to come apart for removal.  I am thinking about adding fan filters to the front that would be able to be slid out and cleaned without having to open up the case, but I will review that situation upon more assembly.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Here is a little video I made which you can see the airflow and hear the noise levels.  I am holding the papertowel 18" from the fan.  The camera is located 2 feet from the fan.  I will also be posting a video with the stock 780i NB fan for comparison.

Evercool 60mm aluminum fan vvvvvvvv

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b...ster Cosmos/?action=view&current=MOV05841.flv

780i stock NB piece of shat vvvvvvv

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b...ster Cosmos/?action=view&current=MOV05844.flv

Click the link for the video.   :grin:

To sum it all up, the Evercool fan actually moves air!!  The stock NB fan makes noise but I had to put my hand in front of it to make sure I didn't have it facing the wrong direction.  :lol:   While the Evercool fan moves about as much air as my stock Coolermaster case fans that came with my COSMOS.  Enjoy

On a 1 - 10 scale I would give this fan a 9.5.  The only reason it did not get a 10 is because it is a little noisy.  But when you compare the noise ratio to the amount of air it moves, to the size of the fan, on top of the shroud of the fan being aluminum (which is going to make noise just from the fan spinning inside) the noise should not turn you away from this fan, especially when the stock fan which pales in comparison is just as loud!!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Next I have a little review of the stock Coolermaster 120mm case fans that came with my Cosmos, being compared to the Thermaltake Thunderblades 120mm Blue LED fans that will replace them.

First video Coolermaster stock case fans.  now these fans are pretty much silent, which really impressed me!  What didn't impress me is how hott my components would run with their lack of airflow!  They are rated in the 40cfm range but don't seem to move that much air.

Coolermaster Cosmos stock case fans  vvvvvv

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b...ster Cosmos/?action=view&current=MOV05842.flv

Next we have the Thermaltake Thunderblade 120mm Blue LED fans.  These fans are great.  They move good air around 80cfm, they are not too loud and look very nice!

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b...ster Cosmos/?action=view&current=MOV05843.flv

Click the links for the videos.   :grin: 

Sorry the Thunderblade video becomes a wind tunnel in the end but you can hear the noise it makes before that happens.

Remember the papertowel is being held 18" from the fans.  When I move it closer it gets moved to 12" and 6".  The camera is located about 2 feet away while the video is being shot.  Which I figured is average distance of a computer being under a desk or near you during use.

I would give these Thermaltake Thunderblade case fans a 9 out of 10.

Only reason being that they could have pushed more air.  But for the noise to airflow ratio they get a 10!  On top of which the LED's are very nicely placed and not too bright, but can't be missed.

I would definitely recommend this fan for someone who doesnt need 100 cfm or more of air movement!  Plus the price is awesome!  I will re post the links for these fans for purchasing soon!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Alright, I got my window all cut out today.  I have the inside frame painted and setting to dry.  Once that is finished, I will finish the assembly and take some finished pictures.

First off I cut the window to size.  My brain was hurting trying to picture everything in my mind.  Then I grinded down the inner frame.  The window is 3/16" thick which fits perfectly under the inner frame now that it has been ground down.  Once the inner frame is dry I will use some 3M 2 face tape as padding/adhesive.  Ok here are the pictures, ENJOY!!      :grin:  :grin: 

First are the pictures of the tools I used.  

My angle grinder   -   Used to cut the plexiglass, and cut the aluminum side panel.  Also use with a grinding wheel to grind down the inner frame.

Drill -   Used for sanding

Mouse sander  -  Used for final sand, before hand sanding all edges.

5" sanding pad, with hook and loop 220 grit sanding pads.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Next we have the inner frame before I took off the inner edge.  You can see here the "U" shape to it.  In order for this window MOD to look like the case came that way,  I wanted the window to tuck under that inner frame.  By buying 3/16" thick plexiglass and grinding down the inner frames inside edge, this will be accomplished!      More Pictures!!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Next some pictures of some of the detail work.  I had to round the plexiglass around where the screws hold everything together so that everything sits nice and flush!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Next we have the finished product, except for the inner frame being painted.  Full size pictures for all of you to enjoy, just click on the pictures in the other posts to see them full size.









































Enjoy!!  I know I will!!  Oh yeah adding this window does not take away from the functionality of any piece of this case.  The door still opens perfectly the same and the side door has the same amount of strength and structure as it did before I cut it up.  When everything is together that is, in separate pieces they are all very flimsy!! 

I can almost taste it now!!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ok again I must stress please ignore the wiring going to the hard drive and DVD drive and the small wires for the Power and Reset buttons.  Those were all last minute because it was getting late and they will be tucked somewhere so that they dissappear.    

Here are a couple more of the mobo in and some things being installed.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Here are some more pictures, sorry they are only from limited angles, but there are a few things I can't give away just yet.  I have a set-up prepared for when everything is complete!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

PVTCaboose1337 said:


> The sticker is because the case needs to be "processed" at an electronics plant instead of normal trash.  (cause they know you will put components inside it and throw it out)



Sweet thanks, yeah it was pretty funny when I ran across it.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

The next set of pictures are the same shot, one with the fan controller turned up and the other with it turned down.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)




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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ok I have the Therrmalright Ultra 120 Extreme installed in a push pull set-up and I have instantly seen a 10C drop in temperatures.  I have not tried putting any kind of load to it yet.  I should also note its 80 degrees F ambient temperature in my house right now!  Stupid weather.

Here are some pictures.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Next up we have some shots of the inside of my case with the wire management.  Everything is not 100% yet but it is very close.  I am very happy with the few extra holes I added to hide some of the wiring.































Then we have some pictures of the inside of the case.  Just about everything is installed now and there may only be a few slight internal changes.






















Gotta love the reflection off the PSU!!!  :grin:


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Here is a little video I made up to commemorate my accomplishments thus far:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoIhXswxd-M


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ok here is a little update, I modded my evercool 60mm NB fan to accomodate the TRUE being turned towards the rear of the case instead of facing up.











I also eliminated the blue lettering, serial number etc... that was on the fan.






Here is a shot of the new E8400 all ready to go!!






Here is another shot of the Evercool mounted.






This picture is great!  It is a shot of the gap between my TRUE and evercool NB fan.  With my trimming of the fan shroud everything fit like a glove!!  No margin for error here!






Finally a shot from the side with the TRUE now facing the rear.  I will be mounting another 120mm fan in the front drive bays of the case to blow air directly into it.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Updates coming soon....  Heres a peak!!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Well guys RMA'ing the 780i, hopefully this will solve all the issues and I actually may be able to use my GTX 280 without the video crashing.

In the mean time here are a few pictures of how she sits currently:






















Actually edit that, I have the Silverstone DA1200 installed now.  Oh well there are a lot more updates coming soon. 

DIRECT LINKS to a few for a bit more pop!! 
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/marcam923/CoolerMaster%20Cosmos/DSC07994.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/marcam923/CoolerMaster%20Cosmos/DSC07993.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/marcam923/CoolerMaster%20Cosmos/DSC07998.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/marcam923/CoolerMaster%20Cosmos/DSC08000.jpg

This is the end of the log currently, I think I covered all the bases in the previous posts.  I will be updating very soon with some new things that are coming, including watercooling, the new PSU, possibly a second GPU, and of course some pictures of the E8600 soon to be tortured.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Hmmm my signature doesn't seem to be working, anyone have any suggestions?


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## kyle2020 (Sep 6, 2008)

wow . . . just wow. an epic ammount of work, the case looks absolutely spot on and your hardware is fantastic! An E8400 coupled with a GTX280! Fucking awesome mate, i love it. Nice work! 

Oh and those hdd bays look absolutely wicked! like stash away safe deposit boxes haha.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

kyle2020 said:


> wow . . . just wow. an epic ammount of work, the case looks absolutely spot on and your hardware is fantastic! An E8400 coupled with a GTX280! Fucking awesome mate, i love it. Nice work!
> 
> Oh and those hdd bays look absolutely wicked! like stash away safe deposit boxes haha.



Thank you, there is still a lot more to come!  The E8400 is sold and gone, however right now I am running on a QX9650, thats on loan, and as soon as my new 780i gets here from RMA tuesday or wednesday I will be able to put this GTX 280 through the paces.

I also have a Brand New E8600, sitting on my desk, waiting for my new board and then to be put under water!!!  

I can't wait!  Then I may get to finish the rest of my mods.


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## Bluefox1115 (Sep 6, 2008)

all this work and no paint job?! :shock:


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## Marcam923 (Sep 6, 2008)

Bluefox1115 said:


> all this work and no paint job?! :shock:



I painted the chassis.  There are some more mods coming, don't worry there is reasoning behind my madness.


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## Maju (Sep 10, 2008)

Looking good Marcam.

Good job on the hard drive bays, looks pretty cool.
My only thought would have been to use a narrower support for the hard drive bays that would still allow the third drive bay to be fitted. Maybe it is just the pics but it looks like the drive caddy would snag on the upright.

Nice setup, and that Ultra 120 is Huge.

If I was to be picky then i'd suggest a few zip ties to further tidy up the wires although I appreciate final hardware may not be fitted yet.

Good Job Marcam


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## Marcam923 (Sep 10, 2008)

Maju said:


> Looking good Marcam.
> 
> Good job on the hard drive bays, looks pretty cool.
> My only thought would have been to use a narrower support for the hard drive bays that would still allow the third drive bay to be fitted. Maybe it is just the pics but it looks like the drive caddy would snag on the upright.
> ...



Well should I need to mount a third hard drive there, there is a plan don't worry.  I would either alter the support, or if I trimmed the top of the drive tray it would slide in perfectly.

Yeah I am not worried about the wiring yet, actually my RMA 780i arrived today.  Everything will be pulled shortly and reinstalled later tonight.

The TRUE is huge, however it works awesome, but, I have a water set-up waiting in the wings.  I like the way you modded the top to fit the 120.3 radiator.  Thats what I will be putting up top, so I will be modding that too.

The hardware is almost nailed down, after that I have some sick cosmetic mods to do.


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## Cold Storm (Sep 10, 2008)

Dude, that is one sick system!  on it all!


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## Marcam923 (Sep 10, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> Dude, that is one sick system!  on it all!



Thanks bud, I should have some more pictures very soon!


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## Cold Storm (Sep 11, 2008)

With what I've seen... Can't wait!


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## TUngsten (Sep 11, 2008)

love it!


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## Whilhelm (Sep 11, 2008)

I like it, nice work, especially what you did with the front HDD area. 

 Keep up the good work


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## Marcam923 (Sep 11, 2008)

Thanks guys!

Alright guys, powering down.  Tearing the rig apart.  Hopefully when I get her back together it will be with the E8600 hopefully in the 5GHZ range.   

I will be putting the E8600 in for now, and hopefully my water stuff will get here soon.  Then I will get some benching in with both CPU's!

Be back with updates and pictures soon.


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## Marcam923 (Sep 30, 2008)

Ok so a little update,

The GTX 280 is gone, sold her and went TRI-SLI with 9800GTX's.  

Have the QX9650 back in, that darn E8600 runs hott!!  Hotter than the QX does!

Having 780i issues again, so it will more than likely be torn down again soon, however I will try and get a couple updated pictures up tonight.


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## tek33 (Dec 25, 2008)

*front grille*

how did you take of the mesh front grille assembly ? i would also like to add front fans but i dont want to break the tabs.thanks.


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## Marcam923 (Jan 7, 2009)

tek33 said:


> how did you take of the mesh front grille assembly ? i would also like to add front fans but i dont want to break the tabs.thanks.



Simply push the little black tabs from the inside, make sure you have any screws removed. I don't remember off hand if there were any.

Comes out pretty easily.


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