# Mussels 6 core PC build (56k warning)



## Mussels (Jun 10, 2010)

I took pics while i was making the system, once it was tested and assembled, and then while i was cleaning up the massive cable mess i left behind.

The following pics will be in chronological order 

Boxes!







excitement!





A friend wanted the window but didnt get it with his, so i got the window version and we swapped panels.





Top ports and X-dock





Front view (theres a lot of these )





Widdle baybee mobo!





Angled shot





The original fan setup - the top fan actually hits the TRUE 120, so i moved it down the bottom, and removed the black fan.





Curse you ram slots, for being so close to the TRUE120!









Due to poor layout, i'm stuck with 2 SATA ports only (why dont they face the OTHER way, so the 90 degree cables go OUT, and not over the other ports? retards!)





Look at me, i'm a soundcard and 5870 and together WE ARE FREAKING HUGE





Top view - you can see my PCI-E 1x E-SATA card in the top slot here





At some point i dissasembled the case to mess with the top fans and put another one here, these are those pics.

You can see how the second top fan will nicely cool the ram 









Front with panel removed





Front with panel on





I ended up with two white bladed nexus fans for the top exhausts... they look nice 





The mess. it should be noted the fan on the CPU is sucking air, so that it blows into the top exhausts.






Badger badger badger SNAAAAAAKE CABLE SNAAAAKES (oh and some assorted debris, i broke a plastic thingy and it went all over the carpet)





Zip ties make big messes small messes!









My IDE cable-Fu





The reduced cable mess






Side view without panel





Side view WITH panel... looks a lot better IMO.





Final cleaned up shot - i could waste more time on this, but i ran out of zip ties.


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## brandonwh64 (Jun 10, 2010)

Nice build!! looks good! dont worry about Cable management. mine sucks as well LOL!


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## Mussels (Jun 10, 2010)

brandonwh64 said:


> Nice build!! looks good! dont worry about Cable management. mine sucks as well LOL!



everything that gets warm has active cooling (ram has 120mm, NB gets most of the 140mm side panel fan)... and its almost silent. the corsair PSU is the loudest thing in there, and most people consider those inaudible at idle.


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## wolf (Jun 10, 2010)

very slick build Mussels, just a pity that PSU isn't modular (from an aesthetic point of view)

also I wonder why you went a 5870 and not a 5850?


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## cadaveca (Jun 10, 2010)

I'm kinda curious why you didn't stuff the cable through the mobo tray hole...alas with the door on, noone really sees inside, but I'm picky that way.


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## Mussels (Jun 10, 2010)

cadaveca said:


> I'm kinda curious why you didn't stuff the cable throug the mobo tray hole...



They all are... this PSU has a metric shit ton of cables and since they dont fit behind the side panel, i looped them back around.


See this picture for how much i had to deal with from the PSU alone







If i am me, reading this in the future... buy a modular PSU next time.


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## hellrazor (Jun 10, 2010)

The only thing better than zip-ties is ducttape, and even then it depends on the job to be done.


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## Mr McC (Jun 10, 2010)

Nice, reminds me a lot of my own rig. You can tell me when it's time to upgrade again.


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## wolf (Jun 10, 2010)

Order of the cosmos;

1. Zipties
2. Duct tape
3. everything else


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## cadaveca (Jun 10, 2010)

Mussels said:


> They all are... this PSU has a metric shit ton of cables and since they dont fit behind the side panel, i looped them back around.
> 
> ~snip~
> 
> If i am me, reading this in the future... buy a modular PSU next time.



OMG Mussels, that PSU has a TONNE of cables...I literally spit coffee all over my monitors when I saw that pic. Looks like about 12 feet of extra wires...


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## brandonwh64 (Jun 10, 2010)

I need to take more pictures of mine


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## Mr McC (Jun 10, 2010)

hellrazor said:


> The only thing better than zip-ties is ducttape, and even then it depends on the job to be done.



I hate the stuff, it's certainly tidier, probably the tidiest, but when you have to cut it to take components out it's a royal pain in the ass: playing Operation with a scalpel only the buzz is now your squeal as your hand slips and you cut into something expensive. 

I found rolls of velcro strip that can be cut to the required length along with cable ties to be the best compromise.


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## r9 (Jun 10, 2010)

Would not be better the CPU cooler fan to be on the other side of the cooler ? That way would  blow air toward the fins and than air would quickly exit the case. Instead of ending up on the VGA`s back PCB.


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## cadaveca (Jun 10, 2010)

Fan sucks air THROUGH the heatsink, then out top, methinks.


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## Mussels (Jun 10, 2010)

r9 said:


> Would not be better the CPU cooler fan to be on the other side of the cooler ? That way would  blow air toward the fins and than air would quickly exit the case. Instead of ending up on the VGA`s back PCB.





cadaveca said:


> Fan sucks air THROUGH the heatsink, then out top, methinks.



i specifically stated that the air is sucked up, and blown out the top. the reason for this is that i have lost my fan clips, and thus, it likes to fall off (and zip ties are a BITCH in such a confined space)


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## bogmali (Jun 10, 2010)

Nice Rig Mussels, I have the same case and it's a lot better from the original CM690.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpost.php?p=1882758&postcount=583


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## Mussels (Jun 10, 2010)

bogmali said:


> Nice Rig Mussels, I have the same case and it's a lot better from the original CM690.
> 
> http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpost.php?p=1882758&postcount=583



looks like you hid your cables in the HDD bay that i removed, i'm wondering if i should put that back in to hide the cables.


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## mdsx1950 (Jun 10, 2010)

Nice stuff man!

P.S: love the system name "Real men use real cores"


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## mlee49 (Jun 10, 2010)

In true Aussie fashion the PSU is flipped upside down.


Nice touch with the dust filter, they are a pain to clean out.  

Does your board have an Esata on the IO?  Think thats the best place for your massive storage.


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## (FIH) The Don (Jun 11, 2010)

route the 8pin under your 5870, just for looks 

nice build btw, wish i could get a x6 myself


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## Hockster (Jun 11, 2010)

Why the itsy bitsy teeny weeny mobo?


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## Melvis (Jun 11, 2010)

Hockster said:


> Why the itsy bitsy teeny weeny mobo?



Read his system specs<<


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## Mussels (Jun 11, 2010)

mlee49 said:


> In true Aussie fashion the PSU is flipped upside down.
> 
> 
> Nice touch with the dust filter, they are a pain to clean out.
> ...



it has one esata port on the rear IO, and i need two - hence the PCI-E card in the topmost slot.



(FIH) The Don said:


> route the 8pin under your 5870, just for looks
> 
> nice build btw, wish i could get a x6 myself



cant, routed the front audio through there, so the space is taken up already.


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## guitarfreaknation (Jun 11, 2010)

I should cut out holes for more air flow on the top in my CM690 (old one). 

Too bad im lazy and dont have anywhere to house my pc meanwhile.


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## inf3rno (Jun 11, 2010)

Pappuuuuu Build mussel...


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## Mussels (Jun 11, 2010)

inf3rno said:


> Pappuuuuu Build mussel...



i have no idea what that means


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## Kantastic (Jun 11, 2010)

Mussels said:


> i have no idea what that means



Pan-African Postal Union Build Mussels!


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## Lionheart (Jun 11, 2010)

Awesome build there man, nice choice of hardware, I like how the cables were really messy at the start of the pics then nice & tidy at the last pic, good job


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## HammerON (Jun 11, 2010)

Looks pretty good. If I could, I would suggest an 8-pin adaptor to rout the cable behind the motherboard. And I would put the HD cage back in to hide the PSU cable (I have the same PSU).
Yeah folks - great advice, buy modular PSU's


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## Lionheart (Jun 11, 2010)

HammerON said:


> Looks pretty good. If I could, I would suggest an 8-pin adaptor to rout the cable behind the motherboard. And I would put the HD cage back in to hide the PSU cable (I have the same PSU).
> Yeah folks - great advice, buy modular PSU's



I agree with putting the HD cage back in to cover up the excess cables that you tied up


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## Mr McC (Jun 11, 2010)

CHAOS_KILLA said:


> I agree with putting the HD cage back in to cover up the excess cables that you tied up



I disagree: he gave the windowed panel to a friend so he won't be looking at the mass of cables whereby hiding them in a cage seems counterproductive.


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## Lionheart (Jun 11, 2010)

Mr McC said:


> I disagree: he gave the windowed panel to a friend so he won't be looking at the mass of cables whereby hiding them in a cage seems counterproductive.



Ah ok fair enough, I must of missed that part, if thats the case I wouldn't bother then


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## HammerON (Jun 11, 2010)

I think I would...
But I have the side panel off quite a bit on mine, but then again it is a cruncher


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## inf3rno (Jun 11, 2010)

Mussels said:


> i have no idea what that means



It means very very very nice build


And for kantastic, you gave this some new meanings


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## Marineborn (Jun 11, 2010)

nice build bro


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## brandonwh64 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mussels. check out mine! just cleaned it up alittle today~!

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpost.php?p=1925693&postcount=10978

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


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## Yellow&Nerdy? (Jun 11, 2010)

Nice cable management there, especially with a redundant PSU.

I really want to get the windowed version of the 690 II Advanced, but can't, because I live in Europe. Price search-machines have it as a product, but there's no e-tailers that actually sell it. So if I would like to have the freaking windowed side-panel, I would have to order it from a CM Parts store in Holland. Total costs: 16.90e for the window and 12.50e for the shipping = 39.40e JUST FOR A WINDOW. So I'll have to go with something that comes with a window . And no, I can't mod it, because we have no tools, and if we did, I would just totally f*ck it up.


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## 1Kurgan1 (Jun 11, 2010)

CM 690 II is a great case, I knew the HDD cage snapped out, but does it really break down into smaller bits like that?



Yellow&Nerdy? said:


> Nice cable management there, especially with a redundant PSU.
> 
> I really want to get the windowed version of the 690 II Advanced, but can't, because I live in Europe. Price search-machines have it as a product, but there's no e-tailers that actually sell it. So if I would like to have the freaking windowed side-panel, I would have to order it from a CM Parts store in Holland. Total costs: 16.90e for the window and 12.50e for the shipping = 39.40e JUST FOR A WINDOW. So I'll have to go with something that comes with a window . And no, I can't mod it, because we have no tools, and if we did, I would just totally f*ck it up.



Get the normal case, cooling without the window is better anyways, then get the side panel later, their sidepanels aren't cheap, I had to buy my 690's side panel for $25. I wonder if the 690 I side would work, if so look for one of those?


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