Featured Rig #10 - Project APEX

Kevin Keating - November 25, 2024 1181

Welcome to Featured Rig #10 - Project APEX

This one-of-a-kind build is a little different from our previous Featured Rigs because it’s one we built for PDXLAN Fall 2024, and was part of a raffle which had a goal of raising $40,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. To help us complete this project we partnered with Alphacool and Gigabyte who were happy to support such a noble cause. Without them this project would not have been possible. Our hats off to them for their support!

thank you Alphacool and Gigabyte

The Alphacool Apex Skeleton Pro

The foundation of this build is centered around the new Alphacool Apex Pro Skeleton PC case. It’s a top choice for custom PC builders looking for flexibility, style, and a modular open-air setup. Made from high-grade materials like real carbon fiber and CNC-milled aluminum, it’s incredibly lightweight yet sturdy enough to handle high-end liquid cooled builds. Its modular design means you can easily take apart and adjust the location of parts, giving you many customization options to suit your unique style. This case is more than just a frame; it’s a blank canvas that lets you showcase your creativity and build a custom PC that not only performs well but also stands out from the crowd.

Alphacool apex pro skeleton pc case

Alphacool apex pro skeleton pc case rear

Alphacool apex pro skeleton pc case top

What really sets the Apex Pro Skeleton apart is its integrated distro plate with VPP/D5 style pump and DRGB lighting. It’s designed to give you tons of flexibility in creating unique tube layouts and doubles as a pump/reservoir combo. The smoked glass side panels also add a modern, sophisticated look, letting you showcase your components and liquid cooling loop in style.

Alphacool apex pro skeleton pc case backside

The Hardware

Core Components From Gigabyte

At the heart of this build is the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX motherboard which is a perfect match for the Apex Pro Skeleton’s clean industrial aesthetic and is paired with the Gigabyte Eagle OC RTX 4070 Ti video card. To power the entire system we have the Gigabyte AORUS ELITE P850W 80+ Platinum Modular PSU!

Gigabyte Aorus Motherboard, 4070ti, and PSU

The AORUS motherboard offers cutting-edge features like a twin 16*+2+１phases digital VRM solution, dual channel DDR5 support, 4*PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 connectors with toolless EZ-Latch Plus design, and 2.5GbE LAN & Wi-Fi 6E for fast connectivity. Meanwhile, the Eagle OC GPU’s 12GB of GDDR6 memory makes it a fantastic choice for high-res gaming and content creation. It’s supported with Gigabyte’s Windforce cooling technology to maintain optimal temperatures, however, we will be taking this up a notch with a GPU waterblock from Alphacool. The fully modular AORUS ELITE PSU keeps cable clutter to a minimum, helping to create a clean, polished build inside the open-air Apex Pro Skeleton case which is an absolute necessity with its “exposed” design.
*8+8 phases parallel power design.

Gigabyte Aorus elite Motherboard, eagle 4070ti, and 850w PSU

Rounding Out The Build

To round out the system we added Intel’s powerful Core i7-14700K processor, 32GB of G.SKILL’s Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 RAM, and a Samsung 990 Pro 1TB SSD. The Core i7-14700K with its 20 cores (split between performance and efficiency) provides a fantastic balance of speed and multitasking power, ideal for gaming and other intensive tasks. The G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB RAM, clocking in at a rapid 7200MHz, handles heavy workloads effortlessly while adding a stylish touch with customizable DRGB lighting. The Samsung 990 Pro SSD, offering fast PCIe 4.0 speeds and a full 1TB of storage, ensures quick load times, ample space for games and media, and lightning-fast access to files.

intel 14700k and g.skill RAM

The Loop Components

Now the fun begins – designing the loop and cable routing! While this case does provide a unique look on its own, what really sets custom PC builds apart to make them one-of-a-kind (aside from modding) is their custom loop construction and cable management. We opted to make use of the integrated vertical GPU mount, 13mm OD hard tubing, handmade custom cable extensions with MDPC-X sleeving, and a 90-degree 12VHPWR 16-pin adapter cable from Amazon that came in absolutely clutch with the vertical mounted video card.

CPU Waterblock

For this project we knew we had to go with the Alphacool Core 1 Aurora CPU Waterblock in Carbon. I mean come on… with a matching carbon fiber pattern, and top cooling performance, how could we pass that up!

alphacool core 1 cpu block in carbon

GPU Waterblock

For GPU cooling we went with the Alphacool Eisblock Aurora GeForce RTX 4070 TI Eagle OC Water Block with Backplate. Alphacool is really good about making GPU blocks for a wide range of video cards, and in our case (no pun intended, there was literally no other choice. Plus, the brightly polished nickel added some much needed contrast to the build and played well off the chrome plated brass ports on the distro plate.

alphacool 4070ti eagle gpu waterblock

Radiator Mounting

The Apex Pro Skeleton has flexible radiator mounting options with two 360 mounts in front and up top, and a single 120 mount in the rear. The open design also allows for placing radiators and fans on either side of the mounts. This is great for thicker radiators and push pull configurations. We opted to use the two 360 mounts with push fans set inside the case mounts to keep it clean. We went with an XT45 up top to fill up as much space as possible while leaving room for the custom MDPC-X sleeved EPS cables, and a ST30 up front to maximize visibility through the distro plate. Their combine cooling is more than enough to keep this system cool. The radiators were paired with Alphacool’s Apex Stealth Metal Fans which were a perfect match for the clean, industrial, and limited yet refined lighting look we were going for.

Alphacool Apex Stealth 120mm Case Fan

project apex rear with 2 360 radiators

project apex rear front 3/4 with 2 360 radiators

Alphacool PRO HardTube Compression Fittings

Alphacool Eiszapfen PRO HardTube compression fittings and Alphacool Eisrohr PETG HardTube in 13mm OD were used to connect all components. To help increase the existing contrast of black and nickel/chrome components in the build, black and chrome fittings were used. We also really love these new PRO fittings from Alphacool. They use an updated o-ring design which is not only easier to work with, but the design is stronger and are included with PETG inserts.

alphacool pro hardtube compression fittings

alphacool pro hardtube compression fittings for liquid cooled pc

Tube Routing & Design

When it came to bending the tubing, we wanted a design that would complement the overall aesthetic of the case. The case is very angular and is comprised of 45, 90, and 135 degree angles. So we did the same for the tubing layout and we think it came out fantastic! The tubing perfectly complements the case, and even though we went through eleven 80cm sticks of tubing (give us a break – it’s been a minute since we’ve bent tubing), we are very happy with the result.

titan rig featured rig number 10 with the apex pro case

titan rig featured rig number 10 with the apex pro case top down

alphacool apex pro case built by titan rig

Adapter Fittings Facilitate Great Design

While we feel the tubing layout really sets this build off, we couldn’t have done it without a variety of adapter fittings from Alphacool. We used a combination of 90-degree angle adapters, 10mm and 20mm male to female extension fittings, and a single 16mm off-set fitting to assist in the drain at the bottom of the distro plate. Some extra G1/4 plugs were needed to seal up unused G1/4 ports, and while Alphacool does provide flush mounted plugs with their components, we like the look of their Eiszapfen series plugs for this build. Like the hard tube compression fittings, a combination of black and chrome fitting adapters were used respectively.

alphacool angle adapter fittings in the apex pro PC case

Cable Management

On to what could be the most daunting task for any open-air style build, the cable management. However, to our surprise, the Apex Pro Skeleton made this easy with well thought out rear motherboard clamps, rear motherboard cover plate, and adjustable cable management clips all around the frame. It would have been nice if the front I/O panel cables were long enough to run along the frame perimeter to be less visible, but all in all, this is a very minor complaint.

alphacool apex pro titan rig featured rig number 10

Handmade Sleeved MDPC-X Cables

Like all true custom PCs, cable management is never complete without a set of custom sleeved cables. No other brand of cable sleeving has the quality and color selection of MDPC-X cable sleeving and is our go to for sleeving custom cables. We handmade 24-pin power and 8-pin EPS cable extensions in the legendary MDPC-X Classic Carbon BTI and Red Carbon. We love the result and how they provide a level of detail beyond off the shelve semi-custom cables.

mdpc-x custom pc cable extensions

custom sleeved pc cables in project apex

90-Degree Adapter 12VHPWR Cable

Lastly for cable management, because of the vertical video card mount, we wanted the 12VHPWR 16-pin cable to completely disappear behind the video card without obstructing the tubing, motherboard, and other components. After scouring the internet for options that would fit in this tight space, we came across this 12VHPWR 16-pin Adapter Cable. There were many good reviews and seemed like a safe choice. While we can’t offer a long-term review of the cable, we can say it felt well-made and fit perfectly. It was exactly what we were looking for. If you plan to order for your own build, just make sure to order the correct orientation.

90 degree video card adapter cable for nvidia RTX video cards

The Final Steps

Filling With Coolant

After leak testing the system for several hours with Alphacool’s Leak Tester, it was time for the most satisfying part of building any liquid cooled PC – filling with coolant for the first time! This beast of a loop needed almost 2 liters of Alphacool Apex Liquid in Red UV, and while the red is more of a fuchsia color, we LOVE IT! It’s a unique variant of red and it really pops with the otherwise monochromatic color scheme of the case and hardware. It also color shifts depending on how the light hits it and depending on how thick the coolant channel is. The thicker the channel, like in the distro, the more red it appears, the thinner the channel, like in the GPU waterblock, the more fuchsia it appears.

alphacool project apex with pc case lighting on

project apex photoshoot

alphacool project apex complete liquid cooling loop

alphacool project apex complete with pc water cooling loop and lighting

Ready For Gigabyte & PDXLAN

With the build complete, and Windows 11 Pro installed, we sent it off to Gigabyte for their booth at PDXLAN. We feel a great sense of accomplishment and love how this build turned out! And again, a huge thanks to Alphacool and Gigabyte for sponsoring this project! Aside from better cooling performance, quieter operation, and more room for overclocking, custom loops like this are sure impressive looking when complete, and we hope this build inspires PC builders to design something custom of their own. Afterall, PCs can be so much more than machines used to complete a task. They can also be artistic representations of ourselves and bring a sense of joy to your gaming setup or work environment where we spend countless hours of our time.

project apex and PDXLAN fall 2024

project apex at gigabyte booth at PDXLAN fall 2024

The build was well received at PDXLAN, and for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation raffle, we are proud to say it had $8,490 worth of raffle tickets in its box making it the most popular item! PDXLAN also SMASHED their goal of raising $40,000 and did over $47,000! Congratulations to PDXLAN and to the winner of the build.

project apex pc build winner