First W/C setup in my CM Stacker 830

[masaville]

Well here it is. I couldn't go internal with this rad so I had to mount this puppy on top. :cool: Nevertheless, I'm pretty well finished. Not happy with the tubing job I did though so I'm going to yank all the tubes and redo it. Need to shorten the GPU tubes and drill a couple of holes in the case to route the tubes through, rather than sending them out the bottom. Anway, it was a first effort and it's not leaking so it could be worse. heh. :banana:

I posted a bunch of temps below so if you're interested check them out, otherwise skip 'em and check out the pics below.

Comments are welcome!

System Specs

E6700
eVGA 680i mb
eVGA 8800 GTX SLI
4 x 1GB OCZ DDR2-800 4-4-3-15
850w Strider PSU
CM Stacker 830 Case

Original Air Cooling Components- Zalman 9700 LED
- 120mm fans - front fan 1200rpm , top exhaust fan 1200rpm, rear exhaust fan 2200rpm, 4 side fans 1500rpm, 2 bottom fans 1500rpm....and so on, and so forth
- 40mm fans - 2 x memory fans 1200rpm...and even more fans

Air Idle Temps
Ambient room temperature 21.5c
cpu/40c gpu1/61c gpu2/61c mb/35c

Air Load Temps (max temps)
Orthos - ambient room temperature 21.8c
cpu0/51c cpu1/48c gpu1/61c gpu2/62c mb/36c

3dmark06 - ambient room temperature 22.1c
cpu0/50c cpu1/47c gpu1/75c gpu2/75c mb/38c

Vanguard Animated Character Selection Screen - ambient room temperature 22.6c
cpu0/47c cpu1/44c gpu1/83c gpu2/84c mb/41c


< Test #1 - Water Cooling on a Swiftech Mini Res with Distilled Water/Zalman G200 coolant 80/20 mix >

- D-tek Fuzion CPU block
- Swiftech MCP655 pump
- Danger Den 8800 GTX blocks
- Swiftech Mini Reservoir
- HW Labs GTX Xtreme 480 rad
- OCZ Ultra 5+ paste
- Zalman cooling fluid/Distilled water, 80/20 ratio

Fans Used with Water Cooling
--------------------------------------------
- 120mm front fan @ 1200rpm and 4 x 120mm Silenx 1400 RPM 14dba 72cfm fans for the radiator

Water Idle Temps
-----------------
Ambient room temperature 21.5c
cpu/32c gpu1/49c gpu2/44c mb/37c

Water Load Temps (max temps)
----------------------------------
Orthos - ambient room temperature 21.5c
cpu0/42c cpu1/42c gpu1/61c gpu2/49c mb/45c

3dmark06 - ambient room temperature 21.9c
cpu0/42c cpu1/41c gpu1/54c gpu2/49c mb/39c

Vanguard Animated Character Selection Screen - ambient room temperature 22.2c
cpu0/40c cpu1/39c gpu1/55c gpu2/50c mb/38c


< Test #2 - Water Cooling on an XSPC 250mm Reservoir with Distilled Water/Zalman G200 coolant 80/20 mix >

- Swapped the Swiftech res with the XSPC 250mm Aluminum Reservoir

Fans Used with Water Cooling
--------------------------------------------
- 120mm front fan @ 1200rpm and 4 x 120mm Silenx 1400 RPM 14dba 72cfm fans for the radiator

Water Idle Temps
-----------------
Ambient room temperature 21.5c
Everest - cpu/32c gpu1/49c gpu2/44c mb/37c

Water Load Temps (max temps)
----------------------------------
Orthos - ambient room temperature 21.5c
cpu0/42c cpu1/42c gpu1/61c gpu2/49c mb/45c

3dmark06 - ambient room temperature 21.9c
cpu0/42c cpu1/41c gpu1/54c gpu2/49c mb/39c

Vanguard Animated Character Selection Screen - ambient room temperature 22.2c
cpu0/40c cpu1/39c gpu1/55c gpu2/50c mb/38c


< Test #3 - Water Cooling on an XSPC 250mm Reservoir with Fluid XP+ High Performance coolant >

- Using the XSPC 250mm Reservoir and Fluid XP+ coolant instead of distilled water and Zalman G200

Fans Used with Water Cooling
--------------------------------------------
- 120mm front fan @ 1200rpm and 4 x 120mm Silenx 1400 RPM 14dba 72cfm fans for the radiator

Water Idle Temps
-----------------
Ambient room temperature 23.4c
Everest - cpu/32c gpu1/46c gpu2/42c mb/36c

Water Load Temps (max temps)
----------------------------------
Orthos - ambient room temperature 23.4c
cpu0/42c cpu1/41c gpu1/48c gpu2/45c mb/38c

3dmark06 - ambient room temperature 23.5c
cpu0/42c cpu1/39c gpu1/54c gpu2/48c mb/39c

Vanguard Animated Character Selection Screen - ambient room temperature 22.5c
cpu0/39c cpu1/36c gpu1/55c gpu2/50c mb/39c


And the conclusion...........

As you can see from the above, the ambient room temps were almost the same in both the air and water tests, with the exception of the third water test where the ambient room temperature was over 23c. The water cooling really kicked in not only in idle mode, but especially when the GPUs were put to the test, cooling them almost 30c over air under load. With Fluid XP+ in the third test, GPU temperatures were 3c and 2c cooler respectively in idle versus the distilled water and Zalman G200 fluid. All in all, I'm very pleased with the results.

General comments........

- The swiftech rad is quite small and a pain to fill. If you want to fill and bleed with ease get yourself a bigger reservoir. Obviously if your case is small and you don't want to use an external reservoir then you don't have much choice, but the XSPC reservoir made filling and bleeding quick and easy.
- The barbs that came with the Black Ice 480 were the most problematic part of the system. The main problem was that they leaked even after I tried changing the tubing and doing various other things with the rad. I ended up having to replace the o-ring washer on them and moved them to the XSPC reservoir, swapping them with the longer XSPC barb. All other components were easy to mount and exhibited no problems whatsoever.
- The D-tek Fuzion block did not allow me to use clamps as the 1/2 tubing didn't provide any spacing. I ended up using zip ties, which worked just as well.

And now for some pics......

The only remaining item on my to do list is to cut out a grill for the top of the rad and fasten it on to protect the radiator. Look forward to your comments and suggestions!!!

Original box
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/Cimg1321.jpg

Testing the loop
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1337.jpg

More loop testing....can't afford a leak...heh
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/Cimg1420.jpg

Fully installed and cables cleaned up
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/Cimg1436.jpg

Here's the custom mounted rad....what a monster
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/Cimg1440.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1545.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1455.jpg

Rear view of the rad
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1448.jpg

Reservoir....brrr
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1446.jpg

Inside the case
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1450.jpg

D-tek Fuzion...great block, but no room for clips with 1/2 tubing
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1451.jpg

Danger Den 8800s
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1497.jpg

Front view
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1457.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1458.jpg

The Swiftech MCP655 pump...hidden away
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1453.jpg

A little darker
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1525.jpg

Lights out!
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1519.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1538.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1542.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1500.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/masaville/CIMG1551.jpg

[Mekrel]

Can't you put a barb on the back side of those 8800 blocks? Allowing you to use like a couples of inches of tube instead of the massive loop you have now from GPU1 to GPU2?

[serialk11r]

I love that cable sleeving, thanks for showing it to me. Now I need to get some nylon whatever you call it tubing...

[ramenchef]

Yea, you can reverse the barbs on the gpu block shaving off a good foot of tubing. Basically you have 2 of the barbs face each other on the inside of the blocks and use like a 2-3 inch piece of tubing to connect them.

[Mekrel]

Where did you get the white nylon hose clamps? I want some but in black.

You know if they do them in black and where from? Thanks.

[masaville]

Can't you put a barb on the back side of those 8800 blocks? Allowing you to use like a couples of inches of tube instead of the massive loop you have now from GPU1 to GPU2?

Ya, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Flipping the barbs and drilling two holes on the back with 3/4" gromets for tubing to go out the back. I'll end up replacing that grill at the bottom rather than leaving a gaping hole in it. =)

[masaville]

I love that cable sleeving, thanks for showing it to me. Now I need to get some nylon whatever you call it tubing...

LOL that cable sleeving comes from the automtive store. It's for wiring in your ride.

[Ten]

looks realy nice but is there so good to mix copper and aluminium? EK got simular res. I would go with that.

[masaville]

Where did you get the white nylon hose clamps? I want some but in black.

You know if they do them in black and where from? Thanks.

Black from frozencpu.com, but they are out of stock I think. Gonna get some black ones myself and ditch the white ones.

[masaville]

looks realy nice but is there so good to mix copper and aluminium? EK got simular res. I would go with that.

I hope it's okay....:confused: :slobber: :rolleyes:

[serialk11r]

I'd get it silver plated or something, at all costs... Aluminum isn't friendly to copper. CORROSION! Thats also why I go "ewwww" at vinegar because it also CORRODES THE COPPER!
Oh and in case you ppl didn't know, you can't have barbs on both sides of DD fullcovers unless you get the "prepped for SLI" ones which cost 10 dollars more...

[masaville]

I'd get it silver plated or something, at all costs... Aluminum isn't friendly to copper. CORROSION! Thats also why I go "ewwww" at vinegar because it also CORRODES THE COPPER!
Oh and in case you ppl didn't know, you can't have barbs on both sides of DD fullcovers unless you get the "prepped for SLI" ones which cost 10 dollars more...

So you can't just unscrew the barbs and put them on the other side?

[Sparky]

So you can't just unscrew the barbs and put them on the other side?
It looks like yours are the SLI prepped ones since there are plugs on the other side. You should be able to move them fine.

[masaville]

It looks like yours are the SLI prepped ones since there are plugs on the other side. You should be able to move them fine.

Yes, it looks like you just unscrew the barbs and the bolts on the other side and flip them around. Guess I'll find out tomorrow. heh.:woot:

[serialk11r]

So you can't just unscrew the barbs and put them on the other side?
Yes unless you got SLI prepped ones.