NZXT Phantom Pedestal (Warning: Lots of pics)

[Airnews39]

Hey Chaps,

I've built a pedestal for my NZXT Phantom and I thought I should post here about it as well.

The idea behind the pedestal would be to add radiator space without putting anything on the outside of the case.
I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Installing the 480 & 360 radiators... I will probably add a second 480 down the line in place of the 360

 

[Airnews39]

A few more...

 

[McDangerous]

Really nice, quality modding dude, well done! Great photos too!

The angled front of the chassis that doesn't match up with the pedestal would bother me, but I've got OCD, and I realise that modding the front of the pedestal to have a multi-angled face would be pretty tough to do.

 

[Airnews39]

Thanks McD!

I'll probably bend some acrylic or something to match the shape of the front of the case with the front of the pedestal. It's more function than form though anyway.

 

[Off-The-Chart]

nice color combo and definitely nice and clean look...

2 things would bother me:

- "The angled front of the chassis that doesn't match up with the pedestal would bother me" +1
- that pump "hanging"

other than that, awesome idea and choices.

 

[Vip3r011]

nice build & gr8 photography skills..

 

[Airnews39]

Thanks guys!

I'm trying to decide what to do about the pump... Either a bay res/pump combo or a pump top kit.

 

[Off-The-Chart]

well if you could "mount" it as it is standing now, onto the drive rail, it should be fine.

it is in good place, just as said, the "hanging".

 

[Airnews39]

Yeah I could do that. Just thinking of ways to make things neater.

 

[milkshakes]

great work!...i just wish i could build this sort of thing for myself...no way in hell am i going to fit my rad's in my case...

 

[Airnews39]

Thanks Milkshakes!

 

[milkshakes]

so,how exactly did you make it?

 

[Airnews39]

Designed with the help of my step father using solidworks, then the design was flattened & sent for lazer cutting from one sheet of aluminium. This was then bent into shape, welded and coated.

 

[milkshakes]

sounds complex...

 

[Airnews39]

Not too difficult to be honest but I guess it depends on a number of things.

 

[Oj0]

Did you do your window as well? It looks good mate

 

[Airnews39]

Thanks Oj0 & yup did the window too.

 

[Oj0]

I wanted to do something similar a few years back with an enclosure to house a Vapochill LightSpeed under a Lian Li PC-70 chassis, but time, money and resources stopped me and these days the poor unit can't cope with the load of modern CPUs. Hell, you should've heard the strange noises that it made after benching a Core 2 Quad, had me diving behind the couch I tell ya... Again, nicely done. Maybe see if you can do a fiber glass angled front? It looks good as is, but a styled front will round things off nicely

 

[Airnews39]

Lol

Thanks again. I haven't decided what to do about the front yet.. Fibre glass or Acrylic is the plan for now, but we'll see.

 

[Squigly]

Nice clean build mate.. You have some space in your pedestal (brilliant idea BTW) have you thought about mounting the pump down there??

 

[Airnews39]

Thanks Squigly! I thought about it but it doesn't really fit that well. I might still do it though...

 

[milkshakes]

i just want to know,which way are your fans blowing? both in,both out?
i wanted to use something similar to this for a waterbox...but due to lack of import parts i couldn't even get started...

 

[Airnews39]

Hey Milkshakes, the radiator fans are pulling in through the rads and the 120 at the back is exhausting out the back.

 

[milkshakes]

hrm,and how does that seem to be working?
have you tried any other configurations?

 

[Airnews39]

I haven't because it seems to be working well. All the intake air is filtered as i have a dog & 3 cats so plenty of hair etc.. The warm air from the rads is either exhausted out the back, used by the PSU or rises into the case itself. (very little of this though)

 

[Mikie]

I'd think that side to side would be the coolest? It would create the easiest path for air to flow. But then again I have no idea really.

 

[Airnews39]

The problem with that is that you are taking warm air from one rad into the other rad and worsening temps by doing so.

 

[Oj0]

Positive pressure lowers air flow-rate, I'd think that's worse than SLIGHTLY warmed air hitting the second radiator.

 

[Airnews39]

That's true Oj0 but these fans are pulling through the radiators giving the coolest air possible to each radiator. the 120 in the back is a higher cfm fan than the rad fans, plus the psu is also pulling air out of the pedestal. plus as I said before, dust + pet hair means positive pressure is the name of the game.

 

[Mikie]

O yeah forgot that there are radiators on both sides..

Sucking air out the pedestal with the side fans? Or does that create pressure issues?

Edit: On second thoughts scrap that. More chance of hot air from the inside going through the rads then cool outside air coming in.