To meet my growing need for a computer capable of handling complex CAD models and running unoptimized early programming projects I decided to build a workstation computer with custom liquid cooling.
Form Factor Decisions:
I needed a computer that was powerful, quiet, and not so bulky as to hinder its transportation during my time at college. These three criteria left only option, a small form factor (mini-ITX) style case and motherboard with custom water cooling in order to quietly handle the heat of my high power components.
Water cooling:
While putting together computer parts is standard practice for many people today, what is not standard practice is running water around and over those components in order to cool them. The running of the various tubes required careful measurement and consideration proper access for future maintenance. The tight size of the case also necessitated the modification of several of the water cooling blocks as well as the fabrication of custom mounting brackets for the radiators.