Build: MM UFO Horizon / Duality Custom

[Giuliano]

Just got my custom Mountain Mods UFO Horizon / Duality custom case in today. :)


Parts installed so far:

MM UFO Horizon / Duality Custom, powdercoated blue.
The "Custom" part is the MB tray is shifted over to the left.

Asus Maximus Extreme

3 x Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 3870's

Rosewill 950W PSU

2GB OCZ DDR3 RAM.. to be expanded to 4+ GB later.
Watercooling parts I have:

2 x Thermochill PA120.3 Rads
3 x EK 3870 blocks.
2 x EK 250 Res
2 x EK Asus 3a Mosfet blocks. (awaiting Martinm210 testing)
EK Supreme CPU block. (same)
EK Asus NB block (same)
14' of Tygon R3603 1/2-3/4" tubing.


Parts I'm waiting on:

New EK SB Max Ex block - cools SB and Crosslinx chip, replaces the stock blue heatpipe.

Misc, fans, controllers, etc...


It will probably be another 2 weeks before I get the water in the tubes, so in the meantime I'm going to be burning it in on air and installing Vista 64. :)

[Giuliano]

Test placement of the two EK 250 Resevoirs.

FWIW, the stock acrylic resevoir holders are junk.. I already snapped two of them just from doing test fits.


The first pic was taken with a flash.. the second was not, and shows the color closer to what it really looks like.


It's a rather nice blue, darker than it appears and not so "baby blue".


It does look very much like a Subaru WR Blue.

[Giuliano]

Reserved 2

[Giuliano]

100 Posts, whee!

[Nate P.]

Looks awesome! But... is the mobo tray warping?!

[Wolfsburg18]

Looks awesome! But... is the mobo tray warping?!

Unless that is a distortion from the photo it does look like from the side view that the tray is warped. Sweet setup but where is the water cooling???

[FuriousSalesman]

That tray does look like it is bending upward a little bit. I hope you have a lot fun with that case! I have to finagle (not a word) with my case a bit.

[Isriam]

looking good.

did your mobo mount screws fit properly? i actually twisted a screw off into the mount, ended up taking all the mounts off and using my own personal ones from another case.

[disruptfam]

looks good!

not a huge fan of case colour though

to each his own :)

[Eddie3dfx]

That kind of looks like audis special blue.
Thumbs up on the mountain mods case

[Jedda]

If you wanted to run the components for test it might've been better done out of case? You're going to need access to the board's rear to fit your blocks anyway.

Certainly a change from the endless line of black MM cases. How well the blue works will depend on the room and other gear's colour scheme, I guess.

Hope you're enjoying the build.

[@rne]

Very interesting. Im eager to see more about the progress of your project:cool:

[joecop120]

good lord what does three gpu's do?!? Will watercooling them fit?

[Giuliano]

To answer the questions..

Yes, the stock CPU HSF is bowing the motherboard a bit.. that should change once I get the EK Supreme back from testing and install with a backplate.


The color of the case is actually a bit darker than it shows in the pictures - the flash changed how it looks.

The color when viewed in normal light is closer to a Subaru WR Blue.. like what's on my STi. :D

I'll take the case out for a drive and park it next to my STi for comparison.. :)


The standoffs that came with the case worked mostly fine, but getting the 3870's in the slots was a bit of a tight fit. They seat fine, it just took a little persuasion..



And "finagle" IS a real word. :)

[Giuliano]

If you wanted to run the components for test it might've been better done out of case? You're going to need access to the board's rear to fit your blocks anyway.

Certainly a change from the endless line of black MM cases. How well the blue works will depend on the room and other gear's colour scheme, I guess.

Hope you're enjoying the build.

Yeah, I'm going to have to take the MB tray out of the case and remove the MB to fit the backplates and WC blocks anyways..

And since that's ~2 weeks away before I can fit the WC, I have some time to run it in the case.

[Giuliano]

good lord what does three gpu's do?!? Will watercooling them fit?

Crossfire x 3. :)

Yes, the EK 3870 blocks will fit, and I have a seperate GPU loop planned out just for this.



They're standard Sapphire 3870's w/ 512 MB RAM, not the new 3870 X2 models.

I snapped three of them up a month or two ago, before I knew that the X2's were coming.


I'll probably replace the 3 3870's with 2 X2's in about 6 months or so, and then sell off the 3870's and the EK 3870 blocks with them.

Effectively going from 3x Crossfire to 4x Crossfire (2 x X2's).

[IanY]

What's the rationale behind the shifted motherboard tray ? Thanks.

[Giuliano]

I shifted it over so that I would have room for the 2x EK 250 res, and so that I wouldn't have to use a 90' bend coming out of the third EK 3870.

The third 3870 video card actually over hangs the last PCI slot opening, as it's a 2-slot card.

[ShoNuff]

Congrats on your custom case and "Kick-Ass" Hardware! :up:

Did you do anything special with respect to the side and top panels? Pics?

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Giuliano]

The top and side panels are the "3 Big Window" style, with simple clear acrylic windows.


I haven't taken pictures of the sides yet, as there really isn't much to see.

[IanY]

Thanks for the explanation. You know that Lian Li is beginning to release 10 pci slot cases right? It may or may not be a new industry convention.. I don't know.

Here is just one example. Many Lian Li cases to come in 2008 will have 10 slots. I tried speaking to a few industry people and they thought I've lost my marbles... I haven't spoken to MM yet though... It looks like the Horizon can have 10 slots, or even more, if one desires.

I personally think this case is ugly, but it sure does have space for a regular non-cube case.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/01/12/ces_lian-li_crossfire/

http://www.lian-li.com/product/product05.php?pr_index=130&cl_index=1&sc_index=2&ss_index=59

[Giuliano]

No, I hadn't been aware of Lian-Li's 10-slot case..


In any case, I also decided on the MM case format due to the ability of having the motherboard tray positioned horizontally.


With all this heavy hardware in the graphics cards, I wanted a horizontal arrangement so the weight of the graphics cards wouldn't put any stress on the cards.

Especially when I add the EK water blocks - they add a hefy pound and a half to each card.

[_Slim_Shady_]

Very nice case! I love the blue. I ordered a custom white UFO, but it won't be delivered for a few weeks. I can't believe they charge $50 for a horizontal motherboard brace! That's my only gripe.

Those acrylic braces for the EK reservoirs are crap. I've snapped several myself, and wish they would come with the older style delrin braces.

Again, very nice case you have there!

[Giuliano]

Yeah, I'm going to order a set of the delrin holders in a week or so, once EK has his Mosfet backplates up on the store..

[Grimtas]

Giuliano,
I know you have the EK blocks in test or on order, however have you removed the stock Heat pipe yet? I wouldn't power the motherboard without first replacing that epoxy thermal grease. Seen some very bad pics of board damage trying to remove it after the board was powered for a bit.

Just and FYI

[Giuliano]

Yeah, I removed the stock heatpipe long ago, before I ever turned it on.

I replaced it with AS5 for the time being.. I would have used Ceramique, but Frys had run out of it over the weekend..

[Baleful]

Awesome case man. I was redoing my loops last night and had 1 of the stock holders on my EK break as well. I was gonna call Petras and ask for a replacement, but seeing as how yours broke as well, it's not Petras fault, just EK's. Guess I'll be buying some replacements.

[Giuliano]

FWIW, Eddy @ EK asked me to send him a picture of my broken Res holders, and he will RMA a pair from the manufacturer.

He said that the manufacturer assured him they couldn't fracture so easily.. :rolleyes:



I'm still going to order a pair of the better quality ABS ones..


Shame I didn't wait out for the 3870 X2 boards, for an additional $250 I could have had a pair.. Oh well, I can wait until August for my birthday. :)

[IanY]

Does Quad-X-Fire even work? I was under the impressions that no such drivers are available.

How long did MM make you wait for that custom job? Surely the twin rad front is not considered custom work because its extremely popular.

[Giuliano]

In total, from the day I ordered it (Dec 31) to the day I received it (Jan 26), total time was about 4 weeks.

I was lucky, I caught them just before they went to do a manufacturing run.


The front panel wasn't custom, it's a standard Duality front..

The rear panel was the custom part, and that only added a few days for them to design the customizations and send me an image for approval.


I'm not sure of the Quad Crossfire, but it let me enable Crossfire with 3 GPU's.

I believe the X2's also show up as a single video card, and not two independant video cards.. they have a single Crossfire connector instead of the standard 2.


With a single X2, the Crossfire is internal to the card, so no special chipset support is required.

[Grimtas]

Well, as I still haven't ordered my components as of yet. I'm really liking the 3870 X2's. Why not it's only money right :D

[step]

I personally think this case is ugly, but it sure does have space for a regular non-cube case.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/01/...-li_crossfire/

http://www.lian-li.com/product/produ...&s s_index=59
Apart from the snail like case, I didn't think Lian-li could make an ugly case ever. What the hell were they smoking?

That being said, it sure does have room, looks to be a case that could fit 2 PA 120.3's interally.


How long did MM make you wait for that custom job? Surely the twin rad front is not considered custom work because its extremely popular.It's more his custom rear panel which has removed the MM badge usually located next to the mobo tray.

I so want this case but MM aren't bothering to respond to my emails, ugh!

It'll be interesting to see how you get the tubing past the second res, doesn't look to be much room in the pics.

[MountainMods]

I so want this case but MM aren't bothering to respond to my emails, ugh!



If you are not getting replies try to use the contact page to ask questions. Our spam filter rejects a lot.

[Giuliano]

Hey, a response from the MM man himself!


I'm very pleased with the build quality...

Though, you should consider inserting PEM nuts in the holes for the castor wheels in the bottom plate.. I had to use some 6-32 bolts for those.

[Isriam]

you should have gotten nuts and bolts for them. after putting my case together i realized that there are exactly enough nuts/bolts for the 4 wheels and corners and that the instructions on the site aren't perfect :P

[Giuliano]

It's entirely possible that there were bolts in the kit for the wheels.. I didn't notice.

I had a box on hand of 6-32 nuts and bolts, so I just used those.

[MountainMods]

No the assembly instructions aren't perfect.
But it does state on BOX 2 - that you should get a caster nut/bolt pack 16 of each.

http://www.mountainmods.com/HyperModular.pdf

[DarthBeavis]

Ben does great work . . .one of these days I need to get one of the smaller H2g0s and do another Smooth Creations/MM rig . . .


Love the level of customization the cubes now offer . . .

[Giuliano]

Does Quad-X-Fire even work? I was under the impressions that no such drivers are available.


A follow up to this question, here's a paragraph from a [H] review:



http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQ1NCwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

One very cool feature of this video card is that CrossFireX is supported. This means that you can “CrossFire” two of these video cards for essentially Quad-GPU performance! This is something we will definitely look at when a driver is available to allow this. It should also be noted that dual-displays are supported with this single video card, so you can run with dual-displays enabled and still run all your games with CrossFire! We tested it, and it completely works as advertised.


Mind, this is for the X2.. It's technically a dual-card Crossfire, but it's really a quad.

[step]

If you are not getting replies try to use the contact page to ask questions. Our spam filter rejects a lot.Thanks for the tip :)

[Giuliano]

Thanks to Martinm210 for testing my blocks, I now have these flow rate charts.


The first is the CPU loop:

EK Supreme
EK NB-Max
EK Mosfet 3a x 2
PA120.3
Laing D5, Setting 5
~6 feet of 1/2-3/4" tubing.

Flow rate is somewhat low at ~1 GPM, but it should suffice.

If I take the other components out and make it a CPU-only loop, the flow jumps up to about 1.25 GPM.


The second is the GPU loop, with 3 x EK 3870 blocks, a PA120.3, and a Laing D5 at setting 5.

Plenty of flow there.



In other news, I determined that while I can physically do Crossfire x 3, the driver support isn't there yet.

Crossfire is currently only supporting 2 individual cards, regardless of what their marketing says.. Otherwise, the 3rd video card is completely functional as an extended desktop display.. just not for Crossfire yet.

But even with 2x Crossfire, I'm still getting ~120 FPS in HL2 - Lost Coast graphics stress test.. And Portal looks purty. :)

[Grimtas]

Nice MartinMM and Giuliano,
I'm however disappointed to see just how restrictive the EK supreme is. Any word on when EK is going to release the highflow parts for the supreme?

As it stands it looks like the new test and flowrate calc sold me on running the CPU by itself and the 3870X2's in a loop with the rest of the MB blocks. But that's still just speculation based off the 3870 blocks. I'll have to send MartinMM one of the EK 3870X2 blocks when I get them in to add to the calc.

The only other piece I'm missing is the EK SB-Max EX block. Any updates on production schedule?

[Giuliano]

Nice MartinMM and Giuliano,
I'm however disappointed to see just how restrictive the EK supreme is. Any word on when EK is going to release the highflow parts for the supreme?

As it stands it looks like the new test and flowrate calc sold me on running the CPU by itself and the 3870X2's in a loop with the rest of the MB blocks. But that's still just speculation based off the 3870 blocks. I'll have to send MartinMM one of the EK 3870X2 blocks when I get them in to add to the calc.

The only other piece I'm missing is the EK SB-Max EX block. Any updates on production schedule?

I don't know about the highflow plate for the EK Supreme.. I'll ask.


I would definitely like to see the flow rate of the 3870X2 blocks.. I have a feeling I'll be including one or two of those in my setup in ~6 months or so.

I'll probably replace 1 3870 with a 3870X2, and then it'll be 4x CrossfireX across 3 slots.

Either that, or 2 x 3870X2's Crossfire and 1 3870 for Physics.. whenever that comes out.



The SB Max Ex block is still pending, waiting for a free moment on the machinery to make it.

Putting the SB Max Ex on a GPU loop should work well enough given the relatively free-flowing GPU FC blocks.


I keep checking the EK Store for the Mosfet backplates.. any day now.

[Giuliano]

I don't know about the highflow plate for the EK Supreme.. I'll ask.


The stock plate in the EK Supreme is a compromise between high flow (low performance) and low flow (high performance)... Eddy didn't say regarding other plates.



I keep checking the EK Store for the Mosfet backplates.. any day now.

Asus Mosfet backplates are available now.

http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/images/backplate-mosfet.jpg

http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=29_40&products_id=236

$5.13 USD each.

[Giuliano]

Getting ready to put together the rest of the parts I need to start the water cooling part of this build.


Need some suggestions:

Fans:

Yate Loon D12SL-12 (slow, 47CFM 28dbA) - black or UV Clear blue LED?

Looking for a silent fan first, decent performance second.


The case will need 9 of these suckers.. or blowers. :)



Coolant / Additives:

Distilled + PT Nuke + ??


I was considering Pentosin G11 Blue and / or G12 Red for some color, or perhaps some other kind of dye.

However I'm concerned about dyes affecting flow in the EK Supreme, being that its flow is low enough already.


Suggestions?

[Giuliano]

I got some 6-32 rivet nuts from Harbor Freight, and installed them in the PA120.3 shroud.

They'll allow me to screw the whole assembly to the front of the case without having to tap the holes for screws or have to use self-tapping screws or sheet metal screws..


Also shown, the new UN Designs' 360 Pump Brackets from Petras.

They're surprisingly stable for only holding up one side of the pump..

[Nate P.]

I like those D5 holders!

[Giuliano]

I like those D5 holders!

Yeah, they're nice.


I was originally thinking of using two of them to hold up each D5, but at $15 each that got a bit on the pricy side for 4 brackets.


The way they're assembled right now, with the locknut on the inside, is a bit cumbersome as they'll only fit on the left side of the pump.

However I suspect that if you put the locknut on the outside, they'll fit the other side of the pump.



I somehow also managed to break one of the fan blades on my stock Intel HSF today.. it sounds funny now, like an off balance tire. :)


Still waiting on backplates and the Crosslinx block from EK.


CrossfireX drivers in ATI Catalyst 8.3 should be out in March.. :)


I can see a 3870X2 replacing the primary 3870 for a 4x Crossfire soon.. :)

[smee]

Those pump mounts are pretty cool.... thinking about getting one myself... :rolleyes:


I somehow also managed to break one of the fan blades on my stock Intel HSF today.. it sounds funny now, like an off balance tire. :)

Try braking the blade on the opposite side of the one you broke.
It might help a little... :p:

[Giuliano]

I'll leave the fan alone for now.. it'll get replaced with an EK Supreme once I have the backplate in hand..


I'm starting to consider using just a single CPU-only loop for the CPU, and perhaps adding a third loop with a PA120.2 on the back for the MB chipsets/mosfets.

[Giuliano]

Some more shots of nut rivets being inserted... These things are damn useful.

I'm going to have to order a 100-pack online of 6-32's.. they're that useful.


Picture shows them installed in the pump brackets, with one off to the side in the uncompressed form.


Once compressed, the threaded nut portion sticks out from the material by about 1/8", plenty to get at least 6 thread revolutions firmly engaged.

There's a thin flange on the other side, maybe half a mm thick.

[Giuliano]

I'm trying to fit some WD 750GB Sata drives in the MM hard drive brackets, and I'm having great difficulty getting the mounting holes on the back to line up with the 120mm fan mounting holes.


Has anybody else experienced this problem?


I'm thinking that perhaps the WD drives are just a fraction wider than other drives, which is throwing the mounting holes off.

I suppose I could adjust the bend in the brackets a little, but that might be tough to do without marring the powdercoat.. :)

[shazza]

Had no problem with my 750 GB SATA WD drive and the MM HD mount (on a Yate Loon fan):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/wdinmmmount.jpg

[Giuliano]

Strange, I also have YL fans, and even 1 drive isn't lining up correctly.

Wonder if my bracket's bends are a little out of tolerance...

[Nate P.]

Mine went in perfectly... with a WD 250GB on a Zalman ZM-F3 fan.

[Giuliano]

How are you all putting the brackets on?

Did you put them on the drives first, then bolt them to the fans?

Or fans first, then drives?

[Nate P.]

How are you all putting the brackets on?

Did you put them on the drives first, then bolt them to the fans?

Or fans first, then drives?
Put them on the drive first, then onto the fan.

[Rincewind]

Put them on the drive first, then onto the fan.

I did it the same way. Mine went on perfectly.

[shazza]

Brackets on the fan first, then the hard drive. (Seems like either way will work).

[Giuliano]

Funny, that's how I tried it.. drives first, then onto the fans.

It's off by about 1/8" in width only.. the brackets are wider than the fan holes.

Going to see if I can flatten the bend a tad with some wooden blocks and a C clamp.. shouldn't take much.


Also, I inserted 6-32 rivet nuts in the holes in the bottom of the case for the castor wheels.. works like a charm!

[Giuliano]

I must have been tired or confused last night, because this morning the brackets fit just fine!


Go fig..


Also shown: Pioneer DVD burner top left, Pioneer BLU-RAY player top right.

[Canadmos]

How much did that Blu-Ray disk player cost you?

It is too bad that manufacturers don't make disk drives in other colours than the standard, ugly grey.

Great looking build so far, I cannot wait to get my hands on my Mountain Mods case!

[Giuliano]

$179 from MicroCenter, an in-store only special that lasts until Sunday.

If you have a Microcenter store within distance, I highly suggest getting one.


The front of the drive is black.
SATA interface.

It ordinarily goes for about $240 at NewEgg.

[Anemone]

Interesting. Love the horizontal designs, but imo, it's harder to get the airflow across the board. Of course it's not like the overall case temp is a problem, but it's hard with those drive cages up top to even route the rad exhaust up to the mobo tray.

But I do love the care with which you are going about the design. It's coming along nicely :)

[Giuliano]

Actually airflow over the board shouldn't be a problem..

The top radiator actually sits with the middle at the level of the board. I could feel the airflow when I had the fans on.

[smee]

Great job man!

But more pics is simply required! ;)
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/7383/threadworthlesswithoutptb4.gif

[s0lid]

Had no problem with my 750 GB SATA WD drive and the MM HD mount (on a Yate Loon fan):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y124/shazzasmd/wdinmmmount.jpg

U made that hdd rack by urself?

[Giuliano]

U made that hdd rack by urself?

It's the Mountain Mods HD bracket, in brushed aluminum.


They offer them stock in a black wrinkle coat:

http://www.mountainmods.com/120mm-hard-drive-rack-black-wrinkle-p-416.html

Or black anodized:

http://www.mountainmods.com/120mm-hard-drive-rack-black-anodized-p-415.html



They're designed to bolt onto the mounting holes of a 120mm fan.

[Ghost326267]

How much did that Blu-Ray disk player cost you?

It is too bad that manufacturers don't make disk drives in other colours than the standard, ugly grey.

Great looking build so far, I cannot wait to get my hands on my Mountain Mods case!

I spray painted my DVD drives so that they looked better, worked really well (lots of light coats) You can see it bottom left under mobo tray

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c34/metal_bassist88/Computer/P1010087.jpg

[Giuliano]

Here's some brackets that I'm working on for the two EK 250 reservoirs that will sit just above the PSU.


Using some 3/8" wide brass strip stock, I formed a loop and lined the inside with self-stick foam insulation to protect the res.


The brass loop ends are clamped together, and then stuck inside a 1/4" aluminum U channel, which will form the vertical support to hold the reservoir.


The idea is that there will be one brass holder loop at the top, one at the bottom, and they'll be attached to the aluminum U channel for support.

The U-channel then gets bolted to the inside rear wall of the case to hold the reservoir up.


I'm still working on how I'm going to attach the second reservoir to the same assembly.. :)

[aspire.comptech]

Perhaps using H channel? Have one on each side?

Like this,

http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/images/HTRIM.jpg

[Giuliano]

Yeah, I can do that..

I have plenty of U channel stock, so I'll just take two pieces and bolt them together.


I'll make a set of half-loop brass strips, and add a third U-channel stock on the left side to bolt to the wall.

[Giuliano]

I ran out and grabbed a few feet of 3/4" wide 1/16" thick aluminum strip.. even though it's wider than the brass, it's much easier to bend.


I cut and hand bent these U bend brackets.

[Giuliano]

And here's the res bracket assembly, nearly all fabricated.


All I have to do now is to drill holes for the various screws to hold it together, and sand / polish.

[Giuliano]

Here's the 3 fans from one of the radiators, with their wiring connected together.


First, I took all of the connector pins and extracted them from their housings.

For the first two fans on the left, I took the yellow tach wires and wrapped them up out of the way. I didn't want to cut them, so I just kept them just in case.


The molex barrel pin connectors were connected together to form a chain, and then the last section of wiring was sleeved in 3/8" heat shrink tubing.



This way, one fan header drives all three fans, but gets its RPM signal from just the third fan.

[Giuliano]

Installed the pumps.


The 360 brackets are nice - they'll let me angle the pumps so that the tubing flows easier.


I also picked up two blue DD fill plugs, which I'll use for drain ports placed just before the pump inlets.



Got to see about getting two of Martin's elbows now.

Do I get those straight from Martinm210, or does he resell some of those to shops like Petras?

[Nate P.]

Do I get those straight from Martinm210, or does he resell some of those to shops like Petras?
Straight from him, you'll have to send him a PM.

[FallenCow]

They have something like that at petra's:

http://www.petrastechshop.com/ude360pubrfl.html

[Giuliano]

They have something like that at petra's:

http://www.petrastechshop.com/ude360pubrfl.html

Yes, those are the ones I bought.. from Petras. :)

[Giuliano]

After I got my "Spare Res Holders" from EK, I came up with a different and much simpler method of mounting.


Top and bottom sets of brackets:

http://www.moschini.org/EKResBracketAssembly.jpg/EKResBracketAssembly-large.jpg (http://www.moschini.org/EKResBracketAssembly.jpg/EKResBracketAssembly-full;init:.jpg)


The plastic holders simply bolt together, sandwiching the aluminum bracket in between.

Once I drill the holes I need, the entire assembly will bolt to the inside of the rear panel, just above the PSU on the left side.

[Giuliano]

Here's the spare res holders assembled & bolted together, and posed in place in the rear left section of the case.

http://www.moschini.org/DualResBrackets.JPG/DualResBrackets-large.JPG (http://www.moschini.org/DualResBrackets.JPG/DualResBrackets-full;init:.JPG)

http://www.moschini.org/DualResMounted.JPG/DualResMounted-large.JPG (http://www.moschini.org/DualResMounted.JPG/DualResMounted-full;init:.JPG)


Super large pics taken with my new Samsung 7.2 megapixel digital camera. :)

Too large or OK in file size or resolution?

[Giuliano]

Started cutting the tubing and checking it for fit.

http://www.moschini.org/TubingTestFit1.JPG/TubingTestFit1-large.JPG (http://www.moschini.org/TubingTestFit1.JPG/TubingTestFit1-full;init:.JPG)

http://www.moschini.org/TubingTestFit2.JPG/TubingTestFit2-large.JPG (http://www.moschini.org/TubingTestFit2.JPG/TubingTestFit2-full;init:.JPG)


The pair of tubes in the background go to the pump inlets.

The short piece of tubing in the foreground was a test piece to test the fit for the return line.


It's squeezed a little bit, but not too bad.

I have to push the res bracket in by about 1/4", as it's hitting the plexi window on the side.

[systemviper]

Excellent build, Thanks for your detail, i am learning just what I can do to mine...:up:

I just recieved my U2-UFO Duality

Wow, it's G-R-E-A-T

It will be the ultimate Duality placing a...

(side one) DFI LanParty LT X48-T2R w\2 ATI 2900xt 1g hot mama's in crossfire and a Core 2 Quad Q9450

(side 2) Evga 790i Ultra SLI w\2 Evga 8800GTS 512's SLI'ed and a E8400 or Q6600

I will watercool only the CPU's and use ARCTIC COOLING heat sinks on the video cards.

I love the space, it's going to be great, I am taking my time and making sure i do some good cable management and also cooling management to make my best mod yet!

Thanks again for your info, i will keep watching to see what else i can pick up from you MM Monster! :clap:

Great effort!

[Kilyin]

Got a link for those rivet nuts? I looked on the Harbor Freight site, but all I could find was a 'variety pack'. Do you need a rivet gun to insert them?

[Giuliano]

Thanks!

http://www.moschini.org/TubingTestFit3.JPG/TubingTestFit3-large.JPG (http://www.moschini.org/TubingTestFit3.JPG/TubingTestFit3-full;init:.JPG)


The tubing in the foreground is squeezed a bit, but I don't think it'll be a problem as it'll be the water return from the blocks.


The tubing in the background goes to the pump inlets, and won't be pinched.

[Giuliano]

Got a link for those rivet nuts? I looked on the Harbor Freight site, but all I could find was a 'variety pack'. Do you need a rivet gun to insert them?

The rivet tool I got from Harbor Freight was this hand tool:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=1210

It's OK, but they also have this model for a few bucks more that I would get instead:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94100


The rivet nuts that I got were a pack of 100 for $31.62 from Drillspot.com:

http://www.drillspot.com/products/86061/Marson_47210_Rivet_Nut

The drill bit you need is a special #12 size, which is just a tad larger than a 3/16" bit.

I used a #10 drill from a 1/4-20 tap set, which was a bit larger but still worked well.



Oh, and the rivet nuts are AWESOME.. I think I have about 25 left out of my box of 100.

They're just so useful..

[Giuliano]

Got most if not all of the tubing cut to length..


Top:
http://www.moschini.org-a.googlepages.com/TubingDone-Top.JPG/TubingDone-Top-large.JPG (http://www.moschini.org-a.googlepages.com/TubingDone-Top.JPG/TubingDone-Top-full;init:.JPG)

(Yes, I know the short barbs on the GPU blocks are wrong..)

Left:
http://www.moschini.org-a.googlepages.com/TubingDone-Left.JPG/TubingDone-Left-large.JPG (http://www.moschini.org-a.googlepages.com/TubingDone-Left.JPG/TubingDone-Left-full;init:.JPG)

Right:
http://www.moschini.org-a.googlepages.com/TubingDone-Right.JPG/TubingDone-Right-large.JPG
(http://www.moschini.org-a.googlepages.com/TubingDone-Right.JPG/TubingDone-Right-full;init:.JPG)


I'm going to see where I can use the Bitspower compression fittings in tighter areas..

[yooN]

Yea the fourth picture shows a little warp with the motherboard tray. However, the blue looks very nice on a MM.

[Giuliano]

An update after some period of inactivity..


I finally managed to get the last block I needed and some miscellaneous parts, and hooked the tubing up to perform a leak test.


Had a few leaks here or there, but now everything is flowing good to run for an overnight leak test.

[DarthBeavis]

I love the color of the box!!! You should paint the optical drives and buy a couple UV Blue sleeving kits.

[Giuliano]

Actually, the PSU you see on top is just for testing the pumps.. the real PSU is underneath, and already has black sleeving.

Thinking of nicknaming it "Bruiser"... you know, black and blue? :)

[DarthBeavis]

Actually, the PSU you see on top is just for testing the pumps.. the real PSU is underneath, and already has black sleeving.

Thinking of nicknaming it "Bruiser"... you know, black and blue? :)


cool . . .love this build

[smee]

Wow it looks excellent!!

And I like that name, Bruiser, classy. :cool::D

Keep up the good work!

BTW, do that actually have drivers for Tri-Crossfire?

Edit:
Wait, I see what your doing. Your not doing Crossfire, just running them independently to run different monitors right?

[Giuliano]

Nope, they'll be configured in Tri-Crossfire.. I just don't have the bridge connectors attached yet.


ATI introduced Tri and Quad support for Crossfire in their latest Catalyst release, oh, about a month ago or so..

Vista support only, but that's no problem..

[smee]

Nope, they'll be configured in Tri-Crossfire.. I just don't have the bridge connectors attached yet.


ATI introduced Tri and Quad support for Crossfire in their latest Catalyst release, oh, about a month ago or so..

Vista support only, but that's no problem..

Oh thats awesome!!!
From what I hear just 2 3870's can hit 24k in 3Dmark06 pretty easy.... now THREE of them, wow.
Looking forward to results!!

BTW, all the cards run in x16 right? or does the middle one run at x4?

[Giuliano]

Oh thats awesome!!!
From what I hear just 2 3870's can hit 24k in 3Dmark06 pretty easy.... now THREE of them, wow.
Looking forward to results!!

BTW, all the cards run in x16 right? or does the middle one run at x4?

The first card runs at x16, the 2nd and 3rd cards both run at x8.

With two cards, they could both run at x16.. the bandwidth for the second card is split if you add a third card.


The cards output on DVI to a Dell 24" LCD @ 1920 x 1200.

[smee]

The first card runs at x16, the 2nd and 3rd cards both run at x8.

With two cards, they could both run at x16.. the bandwidth for the second card is split if you add a third card.


The cards output on DVI to a Dell 24" LCD @ 1920 x 1200.

Dang! Thats some serious power right there....

I'm considering going crossfire in a future build... now I'm thinking Tri-Crossfire. :rolleyes:
DANGIT Giuliano!! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME PICS OF THIS!!!
Now I've got to spend MORE MONEY. :shakes::rofl:

[Giuliano]

The only thing I might have done differently the second time around would have been to wait for the new 3970 X2's, and do a Quad Crossfire in a 2-double-slot (4) configuration.


The current 3870 X2's have slower bridge chips in them, so you wouldn't get the benefit of the full bandwidth.

[smee]

The only thing I might have done differently the second time around would have been to wait for the new 3970 X2's, and do a Quad Crossfire in a 2-double-slot (4) configuration.

The current 3870 X2's have slower bridge chips in them, so you wouldn't get the benefit of the full bandwidth.

Hmm, thats interesting. I wonder why ATi would do that to the bridge chip...

But I like the Tri-Crossfire, it looks sweet. :up:

[Giuliano]

I'm looking into replacing the EK barbs and tubing clamps with the Bitspower 1/2" 1/8"-wall compression fittings - the clamps present a tight fit in some areas, and I don't want to risk any of them coming loose.


I've sent an e-mail to Vincent @ Bitspower to get a quote for the following:

2 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for CPU

4 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for Mosfets

2 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for NB
2 Offset transfer base for NB

2 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for NB
2 Offset transfer base for NB

2 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for VIDEO

4 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for RADIATORS
4 G3/8 to G1/4" adapters

4 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for PUMPS

4 G1/4 1/2-3/4" compression for RES


Total 24 G1/4 1/2" ID 1/8" wall Tygon R3603 Compression Fittings

Total 4 Offset Rotary Transfer bases


I can get the compression fittings elsewhere, but at $9.95 each, that's a hefty $240 price tag just for some fittings.. yeow!

[Giuliano]

Well, this sucks..


I wire the system all up, plug it in, turn it on.. and nothing... the motherboard lights are on, but that's it.


Motherboard won't turn on, and the LCD poster just says "CPU INIT".

The PSU is OK, I disconnected it and manually turned it on..


Wonder maybe if it's a short somewhere.. or some of the drips of water shorted anything.

[HaCKs]

I have had this happen before, it is a feeling of dread.

[Big_Daddy]

Well, this sucks..


I wire the system all up, plug it in, turn it on.. and nothing... the motherboard lights are on, but that's it.


Motherboard won't turn on, and the LCD poster just says "CPU INIT".

The PSU is OK, I disconnected it and manually turned it on..


Wonder maybe if it's a short somewhere.. or some of the drips of water shorted anything.


Got a fan, or rpm sensor plugged into the CPU connector?

[smee]

Clear the CMOS first, that always does it for me. :up:

[Giuliano]

I'll hit the clear CMOS button and see..

Would I need a 4-wire fan connected to the CPU fan header?


Would that prevent the board from powering on at all?

[smee]

I'll hit the clear CMOS button and see..

Hit the button, then take out the battery. Let it sit for 10 seconds, then put it back in and press the button again.

But make sure the PSU is OFF and UN-plugged. :up:


Would I need a 4-wire fan connected to the CPU fan header?

Would that prevent the board from powering on at all?

It could, but it really shouldn't matter.

[Giuliano]

Very odd..

I plugged in a 3-wire fan onto the CPU header, and the system turned on for a brief moment.. and then I turned it right off, and now it won't power on again.


Must be a short somewhere, I'll have to check it out.


I'm going to have to drain the loops anyway, as I have some compression fittings coming in sometime soon..

[Big_Daddy]

Is the fan still plugged in? until you turn it off in bios, the puter won't boot without a cpu fan plugged in. And yes, a 3 pin fan is fine. (as long as it has an rpm monitor)

[Kilyin]

Even if the CPU fan isn't disabled in the BIOS and it isn't plugged in, it should still power on, it will just give you an error and refuse to boot up.

[Giuliano]

An update - about two weeks ago I packed up the Maximus Extreme board, and shipped it back to Asus for RMA.

They must have found something wrong with it and determined it to be completely FUBAR, because they sent me a new replacement board, boxed accessories and all. :)


Shame I won't be able to do anything with it for about another 2 weeks, since I'll be out of the country..


But when I get back, I'll start off by using only the EK Supreme and the Asus Fusion block in one loop, and the GPU's in another.

Something must have happened during my earlier test to cause it to go spastic..

[NoobCake]

wow can you get cheaper compression fittings through Vincent himself instead of other shop?

Could you please give me the website to email?

:)

[Giuliano]

wow can you get cheaper compression fittings through Vincent himself instead of other shop?

Could you please give me the website to email?

:)

no, I tried..


I just ordered them through NCIX instead, they sell them for somewhat less than $9.99 each.

I think it came to about $16 for a pair.