Rebuilding the Blackbird

Here's the item list - let me know what you think. I'm looking for suggestions for the BluRay player / burner and Sound Card.

• Motherboard P6X58D-E ASUS 1
  
• CPU i7-990X Intel 1
  
• Memory CMT6GX3M3A2000C8 Corsair 2
  
• CPU Air Cooler
  
• Graphics GTX580 or GTX570 eVGA 2
  
• Power Supply Silent Pro Gold 1200W Cooler Master 1
  
• 600GB VelociRaptor WD 1 Swap and/or System System
  
• ST32000641AS 2TB 6Gb/s Seagate 1-4 Data Disc
  

Anyone have experience with the HT | OMEGA CLARO sound cards?

Oh yeah I'm going to need a NIC as well.

The components you picked out look nice.

Personally I would never buy another asus anything. They're policy is to replace a defective motherboard with a used board they have deemed to be working. (which is usually also defective).

Why do you need a nic? The P6X58D-E comes with an integrated 10/100/1000Mbps nic. Unless you mean wireless nic. If you don't mind it being external I highly recommend alfa. http://www.alfa.com.tw/

As far as a bluray writer goes I have been using a LG branded HL-DT-ST GBW-H20L for over 2 years now without any complaints.

I am not sure what sound card to advise you get. My x-fi plat sounds good to me but I am sure if you are an audiophile you will want something better.

I like all the 6GB goodness going in there!!! ...but that's a really big swap disk.

I've been using a HP BD240, Lite-On manufactured Blu-Ray drive. I've seen a lot of reviews where people complain it's "buggy", but mine hasn't hiccuped once.

I'd guess it was a WNIC too, btw.

The Alpha stuff is sold under the Microcom Technology name in the US though. Never used them, but the USB ones have reviewed pretty favorably.

Any update on your rebuild? I would definitely recommend a cooler master silent pro after owning one. I used one in my omen i7 build (You know, the one that I have been planning since TNB days.) The only problem that I had with the slient pro was the modular cables were too short to plug into my components (ok granted the omen is a large case that is far from the norm) But even odder is the wires that are hardwired in (atx 24pin and both 8pin aux power cables) Are way too long. (I guess that's what I get for getting the bronze, but at the time I didn't have the lian li eatx psu extender so that's all that I could get that would fit)

Any update on Frosty (or PO, for that matter) in general?

I'm OK, last BB002 I did was Green.

Nice, That sure is... GREEN. Damn, what is the cfm and db ratings on your radiator fans

Stock Delta fans.

It was set up to sell off the 240 cards in there, I wanted to do a "Green" BB002 with an Atom or i3 processor. I was going to ask Frosty about some wood veneers in the corner of his office from an Omen that he was going to chuck, ....btw, where is Frosty?

I cant tell from the pic, Are those 240's running on air cooling or do you have water blocks with fittings that I cant see in the pic? (There is that hose that sort of looks like it could be going toward the front edge of the graphics array, Unless that's where you mounted your pump)

PhotoOtaku wrote:Stock Delta fans.
....btw, where is Frosty?

He is probably busy working on some super secret hp project. A few more bumps and hes sure to show up.

It is time for his annual post.

In the process of updating my Hp Blackbird 002:

Having trouble replacing the slim slot cd/dvd drive. Ordered Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner 8X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 6X DVD+R DL 8X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 24X CD-R 24X CD-RW Black SATA Model AD-7690H-01 - OEM with StarTech SLSATAF20 20in Slimline SATA to SATA with LP4 Power Cable Adapter from newegg. It fits in the slot drive tray but part of the plastic case was blocking the SATA port which I melted off without any difficulty, problem 2 there is no way I can access the eject button. Hp has a PCB IDE adapter that came with the original CD/DVD but it doesn't work with SATA. I can't seem to find any adapters that will work other than using the original samsung TS-T632 which my MB doesn't support IDE. Anyone know how well the IDE to SATA adapters work? I want a glowing button that works.... I guess I can use the computer eject.

Asus P8Z68-Vpro
intel i5-2500K
G.Skill 16GBXL DDR3 1600
GeForce GTX 460 x2

Trying to use the same Voodoo liquid cooling unit but the bracket doesn't match up with my MB. Ordered "Asetek Liquid Cooler AMD & Intel Retention Ring Kit (280764849021)" from ebay. The product description said it would work but haven't rec'd it yet.

Need a new hard drive look at: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (newegg out of stock & the prices are double from 6mo ago)

Any help would be greatly appreciated since you all know HP has no support for the blackbird anymore.

A better solution may be just to use an old pci ide controller such as an old promise raid 100 card.

I think that might work well, regarding the IDE interface.

BTW, I saw your question on the HP forums, but I was on my smartphone at the time, and didn't want to butcher an answer.

I received the after market adapter for the voodoo liquid cooling worked well after I figured it out.
No instructions were included with the bag of pieces. I did go back to the ebay site and noticed after I pulled out the MB 3 times the instructions were listed there.....Finally everything back together....then disaster strikes "what the heck...where did all this water come from" nothing like a little rain on my new MB.... must be the voodoo unit. I can't find where the actual leak is, after I ripped it out of the case. Guess I have time to look for a new cooling system while everything dries out.

I am thinking of: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 13 Limited Edition 92mm High Performance CPU Cooler for Intel and AMD
Model #:ACFZ13-LTD
Item #:N82E16835186049

I did look @ the PCI IDE cards and where my PCI slot is it's going to be a tight squeeze in between the graphic cards

I LOVED my Blackbird when my BF gave it to me for Christmas.....Not feeling the Love for it ATM

Why not try a Corsair H100 unit, to cool it? Saw them as a Black Friday/Monday deal online too.