Adding a second loop... The Worklog (56k warning)

[sonofander]

Recently, I upgraded to a quad core and added a second 8800 GTX to my rig. With 2 8800's and a quad on my PA120.3, my temps were getting slightly out of hand! I decided the only appropriate thing to do was get those GPUs off of my CPU loop. I spent the last week getting my stuff together and today is the day! I just wanted to share this with you guys since you have all helped me so much.

Here is what my machine looked like:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00531.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00474.jpg

this was before I added the second 8800, but you get the idea. My temps on the Kentsfield at 3.5 w/ 1.45 v-core were around 49c idle and up to 70-75 under max load. I'm hoping to bring those down quite a bit. The plan is to have the CPU on the 120.3 by itself and toss the 8800's on a MCR220 rad.

here's what I've done so far:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00557.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00559.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00560.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00561.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00566.jpg

I have the new rad installed now... :woot:
guess its time to start getting stuff back in the case and figuring out how to manage my loops. My one remaining problem is how to get hose clamps on my new alphacool pump tops. I needed the option to use both in and out on the side to fit them in my drive bays, but am having a hard time getting the damn hoses on securely... any ideas?

alright, back to work! I'm hoping to have this done today

[fartucci]

Sonafinder, you and I are working on the same project at the moment. I'm also having some issues with the temps with the QX6700 and two 8800GTXs on the same loop. I'm wondering how your splitting up the loops. I am currently leaning towards QX6700 and NB on the loop with the 120.3, and the two 8800GTXs and the SB on the loop with the 120.2.

[G80]

Nice done, but where are you going to put the *HDD*s? in the top picture its seems a little cramped. Maybe you already worked it out.

[Sideroxylon]

You guys might want to consider putting the QX6700 on the 120.2 and the gpu's on the 120.3. I think the gpu's will be putting out more heat than the cpu + nb.

[sonofander]

Back to the drawing board...
I thought I was going to be able to put the HDDs up in the optical drive bays, but with the rad and pumps up there, there is NO ROOM!!! arghhh :mad:

looks like i'll have to give up my floppy drive and toss them in the floppy bays. I just hope they don't die without much air flow.

Yeah, its a PC-G70. lots of room, but this is still definately a challenge

[newls1]

good luck to ya....

[sonofander]

You guys might want to consider putting the QX6700 on the 120.2 and the gpu's on the 120.3. I think the gpu's will be putting out more heat than the cpu + nb.

as far as which components go on which rad, I'm thinking that I care more about CPU temp than GPU temps. I really wanna get this quad as high as I can while keeping the temps down.

I have my GPUs at 630/2000 and they seem to be fine in the test runs I did on the 220.

[sonofander]

making some progress...
I put the top rad back in

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00568.jpg

got the hard drives in the floppy bays

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00579.jpg

mounted the resivours

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00575.jpg

still working on figuring out my pump situation though. I think it's going to end up something like this:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00577.jpg

I'm getting pretty close to being able to put my rig back together... CAN"T WAIT!!!
so what do you guys think so far? anything you'd be doing different?

[sonofander]

how do you mount those res's? what clips did you use? how do they attach?

does the G70 have a removable mb tray?

Actually, I used one of the drive bay covers. Drilled some holes to fasten it in the drive bay, then a couple more to secure the res mounts...

And sadly, there is no motherboard tray...

[SparkyJJO]

I've only had one case with a removable mobo tray and it was a pain in the butt to get out so I never removed it. What is so great about them?

[SparkyJJO]

i dunno. everyone raves about them so i was jw

they make management a lot easier though

I suppose, but my case has room behind the mobo tray and it isn't removable. Maybe it is a good thing that I don't care about it, easier to pick out a case that way :D

[IanY]

Pc-G70B is getting too small for what you want to do. I know because I have two of those cases myself. I would get rid of those reservoirs and get the darn pumps out of the optical bays.

[serialk11r]

Pc-G70B is getting too small for what you want to do. I would get rid of those reservoirs and get the darn pumps out of the optical bays.

hehehe don't give other people your crazy ideas, not yet at least ;)
Don't worry, it will become my job in a few years ;)

[masaville]

making some progress...

mounted the resivours

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00575.jpg



Damn...that looks familiar. =) hehehe

Looking good. Looking forward to more pics.

That's gonna be a tight fit though.....are those the EK150s?

[IanY]

I mean.. his case hardly has any space for that reservoir thing....

[masaville]

I mean.. his case hardly has any space for that reservoir thing....

I was looking at it trying to figure out how to route that tubing, but with one rad below and one up top, that is going to be seriously difficult, especially because of the 5.25 bays and the placement of the DVD drive.

Hmmmm......

[sonofander]

I was looking at it trying to figure out how to route that tubing, but with one rad below and one up top, that is going to be seriously difficult, especially because of the 5.25 bays and the placement of the DVD drive.

Hmmmm......

yeah Masaville, I have you to thank for the res idea... I love the way it looked in your rig, so I had to give it a shot!

I thought about turning the bottom rad on its side but that won't work in this case.

@ IANY - Dude I love your craziness! I can't do what you're planning on, so I've got to find a way to make it fit in this case... I spent all my money on components and don't have anything left for FRANKENCASE!!! :stick:



Anyway, the tubing WAS difficult, but I got it all done

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00588.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00591.jpg

I'm leak testing the GPU loop right now

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00592.jpg


gonna give it another 20 min and then fill the cpu loop:woot:

[AndyM]

That looks like one heck of a machine, good work!

[sonofander]

Hey thanks guys!
Well I got both loops up and testing... I gotta say I'm pretty happy with the results. I know I am trying to cram a lot of stuff in this case, but after seeing Masaville do it in his Silverstone, I know it could be done :D

So here it is with both loops testing.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00604-1.jpg

[fartucci]

So you put the two 8800GTXs on the loop with the 120.2, and you put the QX6700 on the loop with the 120.3. I think that's the way to go. I'll be curious to see your results.

[septim]

well looks like a pretzel to me.
so long as no kinks and it works, then it'll be fine.
go for it.

[AuroraProject]

How did you get the hard drives tucked into the 3.5" bays so deep? Do the covers still fit on? What's the trick, I must know!

[sonofander]

How did you get the hard drives tucked into the 3.5" bays so deep? Do the covers still fit on? What's the trick, I must know!

I put the drive bay covers around the outside of the housing. Had to bend them a bit, bit they fit pretty snug once I put the front panel on.

[masaville]

Hey thanks guys!
Well I got both loops up and testing... I gotta say I'm pretty happy with the results. I know I am trying to cram a lot of stuff in this case, but after seeing Masaville do it in his Silverstone, I know it could be done :D

So here it is with both loops testing.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00604-1.jpg

I like it. :toast:

looking good....looking good

Don't you love those little water tornadoes the EKs create when they are half full of liquid. hehe....they look cool.

[mcoffey]

Hey thanks guys!
Well I got both loops up and testing... I gotta say I'm pretty happy with the results. I know I am trying to cram a lot of stuff in this case, but after seeing Masaville do it in his Silverstone, I know it could be done :D

So here it is with both loops testing.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00604-1.jpg

man,

that's looking real good. great job and congrats:toast:

andyc

[IanY]

What did you add to the cpu loop to make it look cloudy? :) No offense intended. Its just that you gpu loop is clear :)

[sonofander]

Yeah, the cloudiness is from the Thermochill rad... Doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it. no matter how many times I clean the thing... Hello cloudy loop!!!

Anyway, I've made some more progress this morning

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00607.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00612.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00620.jpg

I still have some work to do on cable management and getting the front panel on, but she's up and running

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/untitled.jpg

I dropped 10c at idle!!! that's exactly what I was looking for
My video cards also dropped a couple of degrees from 45c @ idle

Back to putting my case back together so I can see how much better of an overclock I can get with the new headroom I have in the temp dept. :D

[Snyxxx]

Nice work. Thanks for posting the pics.

[sonofander]

Done, done and DONE!!! :woot:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00623.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00632.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00626.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00633.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/DSC00629.jpg


Used to be that 5 minutes into orthos I'd be running in the mid to high 70's...
not a problem anymore!

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/untitled-1.jpg

Thanks for all the help, idaes and inspiration you guys have given... You guys should have seen my rig before I started visiting these forums. This really is a great community so THANKS!
:toast:

[MaxxxRacer]

hmm.. tripple rad for a single cpu and a double rad for 2 powerful video cards...

methinks that the radiators shoudl be swapped.

[the highlander]

Care to post what the reservoir idea is?

Thanks

[sonofander]

Care to post what the reservoir idea is?

Thanks

not sure what you're asking...

[quiet]

hmm.. tripple rad for a single cpu and a double rad for 2 powerful video cards...

methinks that the radiators shoudl be swapped.

I thought the same thing at first but judging by those load temps on the cpu, he made the right choice... I guess those quad's run pretty hot

[masaville]

I still have some work to do on cable management and getting the front panel on, but she's up and running

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/sonofander/untitled.jpg

I dropped 10c at idle!!! that's exactly what I was looking for
My video cards also dropped a couple of degrees from 45c @ idle

Back to putting my case back together so I can see how much better of an overclock I can get with the new headroom I have in the temp dept. :D

Ya, temps kick ass when you split the GPUs and CPU. My CPU temps are down about 14c on load versus air with the Zalman 9700 and about 24c versus the stock cooler. I was loading around 50c with the Zalman, 60c with the stock cooler....now I load around 36c.

GPUs hardly ever go over 50c/46c when loaded....it's pretty sweet.