Hiding a 560 rad inside my Lian Li PC-X2000

Thanks to all with the kind replies. Its much appreciated.

Farmerbrown:

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Well with regards to the GPU set up you are going to do, I have also using a quadro FX card, I use it for solidworks, I am a currently studying to become a solidworks engineer, I have used a Quadro FX 4600 before then changed over to a GTX 260 and the performance when doing 3d drawing and animations is the same if not better, if you have a old quadro then the newer gaming cards will outperform the quadro's when doing 3d work, but I have also run a gaming card and a quadro in one system (To see if it can be done), it worked great, you will need a monitor that can change between sources (because you will need to display cables) and then all you do is change the source in the nvidia control panel when you want to use each card, don't thing running SLI on two gaming cards and having a quadro in the system will be a problem (Tried and tested with one gaming and one quadro).

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Thanks for the awesome response. I've always wondered if gaming cards could perform similar if not better than dedicated 3D cards in SLI. I think I'll try this when its time to bleed my system a few months from now. Otherwise i'll stick with the single Quadro for now as i'm dying to get this thing finished. Good luck with the studies.

Also, for anyone thinking the X2000 case sucks for water cooling, believe me when i say after stripping this thing down to its bare bones and taking a good look at it, the possibilities are endless. If i wanted to (and i might do this at a later stage) i could also fit a 280 rad up top.

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This is just one other possibility. If i wasn't trying to keep the stock look of the case, moving hot swap bays, psu and other internal fittings, god knows what you can do with this thing. Bottom line, this case rocks.

Tyr line does suck for water cooling, spent good money on a case like that for it's craftsmanship and you'd just be butchering to fit radiators, personally its not worth it, the most you can getaway with while retaining a clean stock look is probably with dual rad at the front cooling just cpu.

I wouldn't put a hole in the top panel if i were you, they don't sell top panel replacements.

That's the point of y0gi's project, that from outside case will look same even with monster rad inside :)
As for hole in the top panel .. with good looking grill on top of cut in panel case still might look very good. I wouldn't put there rad only because i think that lone gtx560 is more then enough to cool o/c-ed i7 & dual or tripple SLI/CF gpu-s :)

Hey, whatever you choose for your color scheme, you should have fans of that color pulling on the radiator so if you look through the radiator, you see that color brilliantly!

I love it. Show us a frontal shot with the cover on! :D

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Originally Posted by Taskforce

Tyr line does suck for water cooling, spent good money on a case like that for it's craftsmanship and you'd just be butchering to fit radiators, personally its not worth it, the most you can getaway with while retaining a clean stock look is probably with dual rad at the front cooling just cpu.

I wouldn't put a hole in the top panel if i were you, they don't sell top panel replacements.

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Why he would like to return to the stock look ?

Haha! I knew that comment would cause some speculation. Adding the extra rad is completely unnecessary, i just simply wanted to point out that it could be done and to show people this case is very watercoolable.

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Why he would like to return to the stock look ?

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Well, that's the whole point of the build. I love the look of this case so i'm sticking with it.:yepp:

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I love it. Show us a frontal shot with the cover on!

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Coming soon. Just need to make some final tweaks to the frame. Glad you like it.

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Hey, whatever you choose for your color scheme, you should have fans of that color pulling on the radiator so if you look through the radiator, you see that color brilliantly!

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All the fans going on the rad have chrome blades and when they're spinning the blue UV lights up. 7 fans in total so it should look pretty cool.

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That's the point of y0gi's project, that from outside case will look same even with monster rad inside
As for hole in the top panel .. with good looking grill on top of cut in panel case still might look very good. I wouldn't put there rad only because i think that lone gtx560 is more then enough to cool o/c-ed i7 & dual or tripple SLI/CF gpu-s

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:up:The man said said it perfectly.:up:

Just a quick update. Waterblocks have been installed on the Classified.

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Haha, with your camera I can see all the milling marks that aren't visible to the bare eye.

Yeah, i know. My camera's not the best. Spent all my money on the build.:ROTF:

*drools*

That is a huge rad and a huge case!

Okay, i need people's expert advice. Just wondering where to mount the pump. The obvious answer is directly under the reservoir with a length of tubing going into the pump.

But, given that there's ample room above the psu, this might be the go. Can the pump be higher than the res??? Would this cause any problems???

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Originally Posted by y0gi

Okay, i need people's expert advice. Just wondering where to mount the pump. The obvious answer is directly under the reservoir with a length of tubing going into the pump.

But, given that there's ample room above the psu, this might be the go. Can the pump be higher than the res??? Would this cause any problems???

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it would make it very dificult to prime the pump that way.
reason pump is put below the res is because it would fill the pump up with water which is needed to turhn teh pump on.

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Originally Posted by MadHacker

it would make it very dificult to prime the pump that way.
reason pump is put below the res is because it would fill the pump up with water which is needed to turhn teh pump on.

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A T-line at the top, next to the pump should solve the problem. It should help fill up the entire loop as well.

Phil

GOOD LORD, that thing is huge. Nice job on the custom frame for the rad :up:

I like the way you mounted your koolance res, making it float like that. I may have to "steal" your idea.

Good luck with the rest of the build.

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Originally Posted by Farmerbrown

Well with regards to the GPU set up you are going to do, I have also using a quadro FX card, I use it for solidworks, I am a currently studying to become a solidworks engineer, I have used a Quadro FX 4600 before then changed over to a GTX 260 and the performance when doing 3d drawing and animations is the same if not better, if you have a old quadro then the newer gaming cards will outperform the quadro's when doing 3d work, but I have also run a gaming card and a quadro in one system (To see if it can be done), it worked great, you will need a monitor that can change between sources (because you will need to display cables) and then all you do is change the source in the nvidia control panel when you want to use each card, don't thing running SLI on two gaming cards and having a quadro in the system will be a problem (Tried and tested with one gaming and one quadro).

hope this helps:D

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Whilst you may be correct, solidworks is Direct3d based, not openGL. Professional cards such as the quadro's perform far better in openGL based applications than their gaming equivalent (althought it will still be faster, in cases such as solidworks a gaming card should perform as well as a quadro). Also you can't SLI a quadro and a non quadro card, but they can run in the system at the same time, i'm not too sure on the impact on performance for the quadro though, never tried it.
Note that softmodding WILL improve Direct3d performance in programs such as solidworks, here's a test I did a few years ago with a FX570 (8400gs equivalent) vs an 8800gtx *ripped from a post of mine off ocau*:

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Originally Posted by millsy_c

Okay, assuming you're well aware of the fact that rendering is creating the final image and that's the cpu heavy part, here's my take on it.
Get a quadro. Softmodding works well in 3d studio max, that's 100% true, but any open GL app WILL NOT benefit from it.
IIRC solidworks and 3dsmax are Direct3D, and a quadro is not quite as necessary, but the drivers are better so less chance of a crash occuring.
And now, a benchmark I did a while back :)
The system was either a E6300 @ 2.33 or a Q6600 @ 3.2, can't remember, pretty sure it was the Q6600 though. Benchmark was specviewperf 10 64bit on Windows XP Professional 64bit.

8800gtx (non softmod, it only increased 3ds really, made sweet FA difference overall) (sorry, the spaces aren't coming out right :tired:):

Test # Weight () Frames/sec
1 9.00 14.10
2 9.00 3.31
3 9.00 7.92
4 10.00 11.00
5 9.00 7.49
6 9.00 21.10
7 9.00 10.40
8 9.00 5.91
9 9.00 7.20
10 9.00 2.50
11 9.00 10.70
Weighted Geometric Mean = 7.94

FX 570 (8400gs)
Test # Weight () Frames/sec
1 9.00 45.40
2 9.00 37.80
3 9.00 27.00
4 10.00 36.00
5 9.00 24.60
6 9.00 50.10
7 9.00 30.00
8 9.00 19.40
9 9.00 21.00
10 9.00 21.20
11 9.00 28.90
Weighted Geometric Mean = 29.68

I think the numbers speak for themselves. With a 3dmark 06 score of 2319 and only a third of the graphics memory I was extremely surprised at the difference in performance, just watching the benchmark it went from a powerpoint to being fluid. Literally the difference between the two in cad performance was as dramatic as their difference in 3d mark 06 performance (gtx was about 5.5x as fast or 13k 3d marks vs 2.56k 3d marks).
I was using CATIA v5r18 x64 at the time as well and it felt a LOT smoother.
Really, if you want to do this properly, get the FX570 or save up and get some other quadro card.
I thought the FireGL's were doing quite well at the moment as well? Don't see them up for sale in the standard Umart, MSY though so can't comment on that sorry, but nvidia aren't the only ones making 'professional' cards. Keep an eye in the FS section as well, sometimes quadro's pop up and the softmod brigade rolls through and a 570 sells for like 50 or less :lol:
Hope this helps :)

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Oh yeah, fkn epic rad, looking awesome :D I can see you're investing a lot of money into this, you might as well do it right first time around, nvidia cards also integrate nicely into adobe CS4/5 as well :)

How many HDs are you going to install?

If you don't need both HD racks, just put the pump down in the bottom and save the top spot for your eventual 120.2 rad?

If you did want to put the pump in the top, not too hard but filling will be slow. Fill up some water, turn on, turn off, put more water, on, off, etc.

Or maybe you could do something like Charles did on one of his murder mods. Put a fill-port on the back side of the case, in the top. To fill the loop, lay the case on it's face, and fill through the fill-port till it's all full.

Thanks to MadHacker and Philwong for info on pump location.:up: I think i'll go the safe route and mount the pump directly under the res.

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If you don't need both HD racks, just put the pump down in the bottom and save the top spot for your eventual 120.2 rad?

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I've contemplated this many times. Still might do it but we'll see. Just want to get this thing finished. Besides, there's enough room in the motherboard compartment to accommodate it, so might as well keep both hot swaps. Thanks for the cool tip.:up:

millsy C: Great benchmarks comparing 8800gtx with fx570. Big leaps in frames per sec. The info is much appreciated.:up: Dont want to spend anymore cash, so i'm sticking with the single Quadro for now. This build is taking longer than i thought.

Again, thanks to all with the great info. More updates on the way.

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Originally Posted by y0gi

Thanks to MadHacker and Philwong for info on pump location.:up: I think i'll go the safe route and mount the pump directly under the res.


I've contemplated this many times. Still might do it but we'll see. Just want to get this thing finished. Besides, there's enough room in the motherboard compartment to accommodate it, so might as well keep both hot swaps. Thanks for the cool tip.:up:

millsy C: Great benchmarks comparing 8800gtx with fx570. Big leaps in frames per sec. The info is much appreciated.:up: Dont want to spend anymore cash, so i'm sticking with the single Quadro for now. This build is taking longer than i thought.

Again, thanks to all with the great info. More updates on the way.

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No worries, I know it's not the most up to date data but thought you'd find it interesting :up:

Hmmm. Thanks for the heads up but i cant be replacing parts with ones i haven't even used yet. I'll be sure to keep an eye on the res though. If i can get a good 3-6 months out of it and replace it when its time to bleed the system, then i think i'll leave as is. Not sure if i have the v2? Time will tell i guess:ROTF:

Thanks.

Major update. Just finished attaching the new frame to the case.

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Here are some closeup pics of the frame, now painted in gloss black.

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Glad this part of the build is over.:up:

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With the rad now completely installed i finally got started on some tubing. Facing the rad nozzles inside the case was a much better choice. You can see below how nicely they run along the top of the case.

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And finally the pump is bolted to the case.

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I will be filling the loop any day now and hopefully get things finished within a week or two. Thanks to all with the helpful advice.:)

Another quick update. Moment of truth- started filling the loop. First time water cooling so i'll admit i was a little nervous for any leaks or if i went wrong somewhere, but... all is good.:up:

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I purchased three bottles of FeserOne with the hope that this would be enough, turns out i only needed one bottle to fill the whole loop - doh! Dont know what i was thinking.:clap:

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I'll take more photos when i find some time but i quickly took this one (below) and shined some light on the tubing to reveal a bunch of tiny bubbles trapped within. I'll leave the pump running and hopefully the bubbles will disappear overnight.

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Incredible colors. Love it.

Water cooling DONE! Everything went perfect and couldn't be happier. Had plenty of time to take some pics, so hope you like em.

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And finally - made some quick connections just to make sure the system runs.:up:
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