Sectorix's Water Cooling Build (Obsidian 800d)

Hi All,

Prologue

ive been researching through these forums and others over the past few weeks, after i decided to upgrade a system i already own and make it into a gaming rig.
although im the proud owner of an ASUS G53J, i really want a desktop that can carry heavy duty.

Note : throughout the build, i did take some hardware changes, like upgrading the GPUs to 580s and adding SSD etc... so follow to see the actual HW used
around page 4 of this thread you can see i upgraded to an ASRock Extreme4 Gen3 Mobo, with i7 2600K and 16GB of Corsair Vengence, plus an NZXT Sentry Mix.
to the point - to see all changes, go through the entire thread :)

i decided to upgrade a system i own which i used as a home vmware lab, to a beast gaming rig.
since its already i7 spec'd and i own a great RAID system that gives amazing IO performance, i decided to migrate with that as well :P

this thread will be my build worklog.

the existing specs that will be carried over :
CPU : i7 920
Motherboard : GA-X58A-UD3R rev2.0
Memory : Corsair 12GB (6x2gb)
RAID Controller ( yea baby ) : Adaptec 2405s ( Raid 10 configuration ) ( Edit : so i ditched the Raid, and went with an SSD for OS + HDD for storage )
HDDs : 4x WD Caviar Blue 500GB

upgrades and addons :
GPU : 2x EVGA GTX 570 in SLI ( a configuration i chose after reading this : http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforc...0-sli-review/1 ) ( Edit : caved and wend for 2 EVGA GTX 580s ! )
PSU : Corsair HX 1050w
Case : Obsidian 800d

Water Cooling Design

first of all lets start with the fact that this will be my first water cooling build. and since thats the case, im designing and buying parts as i go ( do help with suggestions and advice ! ).
i've been messing around with some ideas, mainly following some of the ideas that i've seen in these forums ( and advice from experts such as DazMode and others, which really opened my eyes around how this should look like, and here is the basic schematics of a loop that i have come up with :

Attachment 118963

the loop as i plan it is : Pump -> Rad(360) -> CPU -> Rad(140) -> GPU1 -> GPU2 -> Reservoir -> Pump. ( Edit : loop changed. )

now, im not completely sure that i need the Rad(140) in my loop, since i dont know what will be the temperatures ( and i am not going to overclock heavily on this rig ), so that is to be decided.
but for now this is the kit that i think i am going for :

water cooling shopping list
Pump : Swiftech MCP655
TOP : EK X-TOP Rev2
Reservoir : EK Multioption 150ml Advanced Rev 2.0 ( Edit : changed to XSPC Bay 5.25 350m
Rad 360 : EK CoolExtreme XT 360 ( to be mounted on top )
Rad 140 : EK CoolExtreme XTC 140 ( to be mounted on the 140 fan location on back ) ( Edit : didnt install at the end, no need )
Fans for 360 Rad : 3x 120mm Scythe Gentle Typhoon 1850 RPM Cooling Fan
Fan for 140 Rad : i will use for now, the one that comes with the Obsidian 800d.
CPU Block : EK-Supreme HF Acetal Rev 2.0 ( was supposed to be originally Full Nickel, but im not taking chances )
GPU Block : EK GTX580 ( which fits on EVGA GTX570 )

the compression fittings and hose are not decided yet, other than that i will probably standardize on ID 1/2 OD 3/4 so its good flow, but still easy to work with.


as i start my work on this in a few days, i would love to get advice and comments on what should i add/change ( do i need the 140 rad ? should i consider fan controllers or changing some parts i chose ? )

thank you.

SECTORIX.

Ok. all parts except the GPU cards, the GPU blocks and the fittings, were ordered.

I decided that i will go for the EK Reservoir RES X2 Advanced 150ml at the end, seemed like a smarter option overall to my setup.
added PrimoChil hoses UV Blue 1/2 ID ( 3m... just in case ), an XSPC M20 fill , and a simple BCPP drain valve.

I also ordered a Silverline 793792 3 Piece Titanium Step Drill Bit Set in order to make the fill hole , and whatever other holes i might require

lets wait for things to start coming :)


SECTORIX.

following information that i've recieved, i decided to change the order i've made for the CPU waterblock from EK-Supreme HF Full Nickel to EK-Supreme HF Acetal_Copper following the
problems of flicking on the Nickel parts coming from EK ( Announcement on EK's site : http://bit.ly/mY2su2 and reported to detail on : http://www.ekwaterblocks.com/shop/EK...port_Final.pdf ).

( SKU: 3830046990235 canceled, SKU:3830046990198 ordered instead )

i will also choose the Acetal+Copper GPU blocks when that phase of the project arrives :)

another amendment was to add the 45cm Akasa Flexa FP5 PWM 5 fan splitter Black Braided Cable Powered via 4 Pin Molex in order to have all Radiator fans ( 4 ) controlled by the CPU fan on the mother board.

SECTORIX.

Delivery Part #1

as you can see from the following pictures, i got the first few shipments today from SCAN, OVERCLOCKERS-UK and WATERCOOLINGUK, bug shoutouts to the great delivery time ( 1 day ! )
from this order im only missing the stuff from AMAZON, which are the Drill Head for the fill port, the PSU, the UV Cathods, and some misc stuff.
ofcourse, i still need to order the GPUs and the Water Blocks.

i've been messing around with the idea to install the EK SLI connector kit instead of just a pipe, but i dont know if its worth the effort/money.

the boxes
http://i.imgur.com/d5SJt.jpg

lots of goods :P
http://i.imgur.com/ZMun6.jpg



more to come..

SECTORIX.

Delivery Part #2

yeeey, got my PSU, and my drill head to put the fill port in.

its a Corsair HX1050w Professional Series (80 Plus)

http://i.imgur.com/h9tmk.jpg

im gonna have guests for a few days, assembly will start after.


SECTORIX.

Water Cooling Design - Second Option Design

after viewing a video about reverse flow from LethalHammer ( Enclosed Below ) on YouTube, i've decided to atleast try a second option for the water flow loop, which is supposed to lower the tempratures of the overall system
for the basic physics reason of heat going upwards, therefor the flow that matches that should produce lower tempratures.

now, since im doing a single loop, it might not effect that well, but the new flow im thinking of is : Pump >> GPU2 >> GPU1 >> RAD(140) >> CPU RAD(360) >> Reservoir >> Pump

Schematics :
Attachment 119047


LethalHammer's Reverse Loop design :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_Qy_UMu8CU


will appreciate any opinion.

SECTORIX.

Not sure it will be ok the way you described it. CPU will get hot water, slightly cooled from that 140 rad, and 2 570s are not chill cards. Not too hot but still...

Though, I'm no expert in WC.

The big deal is that LethalHammer has dual loop, which you don't.

thanks fr0wn3r, so does that mean that you would have gone with the original design i had in place ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fr0wn3r

Not sure it will be ok the way you described it. CPU will get hot water, slightly cooled from that 140 rad, and 2 570s are not chill cards. Not too hot but still...

---

Thats 99% wrong. The water temp. diff in one loop is max 1°.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xFEARx3

Thats 99% wrong. The water temp. diff in one loop is max 1°.

---

ok, so im curious ( bare in mind this is my first water cooling build )

1. would a single loop in reverse flow have any effect on the cooling performance ?
2. if 2 loops produce such minor diffrence, why do people bother going multiple loops ?
3. another thing that im considering but want to make sure i dont kill the loop - is adding memory water cooling of 6 slots to this rig.

ty.

1. Flow more than 60l/h is good, more not necesaery.

2. With 2 loops u get better temps. If only the GPU's are in use, the CPU dont gets warmer.

Flow is important ofc. But if water's thermal capacity is already saturated to some lvl from taking heat away from SLI first and then getting to CPU then it will take away less heat from CPU. It does have really high thermal capacity though so it can be all fine at the end. But you don't know till you try it out. Basically ideal would be to try both ways but that way you would spend time and prolly some hose so I was directing you towards usual setup as I don't see why you would go the other way. It also depends how good the 140 rad will cool the water b4 it get's to CPU block. It is not necessarily that CPU will be cooled less efficiently but 1/2/3 C less efficient is enough if you ask me when you already spent so much on this setup. Ie. why not get the best if you can? If there's a mounting problem and it has to go the reverse way, like big difference in overall waterway length then it can be justified, maybe, so you get less impact on flow and pressure drop...

As of number two, two autonomous loops are used as far as I've been told just to separate two groups of components, like when one of them is really hot (yeah, GPUs mostly are put on their own loop) so you don't want to mess it with the others as you'll get worse temps on some of other chips in your single loop. But don't know, again how much you will gain this way as you have a lot thermal dissipation with all these rads and you would have to buy one more pump for dual loop config. Extra cost? Also that way you're avoiding flow rate problems, pressure drops if they pop out if you're having it all under water as I said. A lot of blocks adds to the restrictions. You won't have these probs with 3 blocks. Anyway, think that today's components are not that hot like I said. So why LethalHammer did two loops? Maybe just for that 1 C. Some ppl are perfectionists. I am but wouldn't go dual loop except if everything is under water and then I would rethink to use serial loop or to use dual loop - two pumps needed for both configs ofc. I would prolly go in that case with serial setup and sacrifice that 1 C only to avoid more hose clutter inside the case which you get with dual loop.

So mixing the 1. and 2. I would say you no need reverse loop, as you might lose 1 C on CPU temp that way and you already loosing 1 C more at having single loop, maybe.

Third question, not sure about it but I think ppl get very little benefit from cooling the memory.

Also think you should go the classical way like this: pump => reservoir or reservoir = > pump ( this doesn't matter) => CPU block => 140 rad => GPU blocks => 320 => pump/reservoir or reservoir pump as I've said. This way your pump will get fresh water, cooled and it would be good it gets it like this. I didn't see it at first but what you have drawn for us the pump would be getting hot water, and that's not good for it. Prolly would go without probs but can shorten it's life. Most pumps are designed to operate within the limit of 60 C water temp tops. Few degrees over it won't kill it but if it gets more on the long run it can be harmful... In case two if you follow your same drawing and use the reverse flow the pump will get fresh water but pressure drop on CPU block is increased as it is in the middle of the system, that also can affect temp for 1/2 C. All in all, my philosophy is that CPU should get the best it can. Primary component.

This is my opinion, based on what I've read, remembered and then it formed over time. I could be wrong but I'm speaking you what I know. I am a noob in wc, but do extensive research and I must say that I didn't see much of reverse loops. Hope some of the guru's will respond. If I'm wrong don't shoot me. Guru's will jump in to the rescue. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fr0wn3r

pump => reservoir or reservoir = > pump ( this doesn't matter) => CPU block => 140 rad => GPU blocks => 320 => pump/reservoir or reservoir pump as I've said. This way your pump will get fresh water, cooled and it would be good it gets it like this. I didn't see it at first but what you have drawn for us the pump would be getting hot water, and that's not good for it.

---

so what about my original designed loop ( the first one ? )
( Res >> Pump ( so cold water ? ) >> Rad(360) >> CPU >> Rad(140) >> GPU1 >> GPU2 >> Res )

is that a bad temprature setup for the pump as well ? i think it follows what you said( other than the location of the 360 in the loop.
i think i might be missing the main point here :\

most setups i saw, the Rads come before the Blocks and the loops usually tarminate back to either the Res or Pump after the last block.
some sources to support that :
1. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...pc,1573-2.html
3. http://www.youtube.com/user/lvl8hack.../1/nqeF5mSmq98 >> this is the build i first looked at for design.
4. http://www.directron.com/waterinfo.html
5. http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...d.php?t=176597 << says that the loop generally maintains same water temprature throughout terefor the ordering of items is irrelevant ( layout section )

one other tool i used was : http://www.extreme.outervision.com/flowdesigner.jsp, which resulted in a Pump >> Rad >> CPU >> GPU >> Res >> Pump

so the only thing where i find a discrepancy between the common knowledge i found and my first drawing is the termination point ( i ended in the Pump instead of in the Res )
therefor - i would like to know if this is better ?

Attachment 119115

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sectorix

ok, so im curious ( bare in mind this is my first water cooling build )

1. would a single loop in reverse flow have any effect on the cooling performance ?
2. if 2 loops produce such minor diffrence, why do people bother going multiple loops ?
3. another thing that im considering but want to make sure i dont kill the loop - is adding memory water cooling of 6 slots to this rig.

ty.

---

Beyond placing the res before the pump (dry pump = dead pump), loop order doesn't matter that much. Keep in mind your loop approximates a closed system and will hit equilibrium pretty quickly... which means you shouldn't see more than a 1-2C temp. difference anywhere in the loop. WC'n the RAM isn't necessary at all... mostly its just done for the "bling". Imo, going dual vs. single loop shouldn't matter too much either (except for cost maybe)... you just need to make sure you have enough pump and rad-age to get the job done.

I'd recommend that you wait for some of the more heavy posters to drop in here and while you're doing that, read up on some wc'n guides and check out the stickies (some of them are pretty old here, but the basic info is still relevant).

thanks Aphellyon!

another quick question, will i suffer if i take the 140 away from the loop ? ( to avoid external parts etc ... dont like it .. )

A little I would think... a cpu and dual gpus might be a bit much for a trip rad. I mean, you could definitely do it that way... but you might have to get a little noisy with the rad fans to get the air flow you want... especially if your going to be overclocking. You could always consider adding a 260 rad in the bottom of the case if you don't like the location of the 140... something like this vv

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2489/...98f2f1db66.jpg

I don't like the looks of the loop layout in this example too much (lot of long tubing runs), but I thought it was a nice placement for the 2nd rad.

Agree to what Aphellyon said, could happen that one 320 in loop isn't enough to cool GPUs and a CPU, well, at least quietly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fr0wn3r

Agree to what Aphellyon said, could happen that one 320 in loop isn't enough to cool GPUs and a CPU, well, at least quietly.

---

so, here is what i've come up with as a beginning phase, based on your comments and suggestions and also some extensive reading that i've done ( including calling a few experts :P ):
1. im reducing to a single 360
2. adding 3 fans, and moving to PushPull configuration

effectively going to copy this setup : http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...led&highlight=
the reason is, that he got to the temps i want, with the exact setup im going for ( only i got 570SLI and he went 580SLI )
i guess this is the closest setup to what i have ( although i have a stronger Pump, and the EK 150 Res, but loop structure is the same , and i expect similar results )
note something interesting --> no fan controller for this guy's setup.

so unless i find that its completely nonsense, im adding the following :
-- 3x Scythe Gentle Typhoon ( 1850 RPM ) so i will have total of 6
-- adding the sunbeamtech fan power splitter ( god knows how long ive been searching for this ) instead of a fan controller, which will be easy upgrade if i ever want to ...

since the fans are 28dB, its very quiet ( setup tested and presented here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPpD1k1iSVc&NR=1 )
im going to run that setup and only add fan controller if i ever think i need one, but ive checked and the sound levels in my office are 34dB ( with everything i've got here ) so that will blend in without notice.

the fan splitter :
http://i.imgur.com/9gde8s.jpg

since i already own the 140 Rad, i will add it to the loop if temps on GPU/CPU go beyond 45c on load.

as before, i do welcome any comment or suggestion that you may have... unfortunatly its not very easy to do for the first time if you wanna hit everything just right.

Latest Diagram update :
Attachment 119132



SECTORIX.

time to start think about part positioning as well.
i have 2 ways to do things on my mind at the moment :

Setup 1:
http://i.imgur.com/PdkbT.gif

Setup 2:
http://i.imgur.com/JBL2L.gif

could use some opinion on where to go with this, and which way is better ( obviously the second method limits part replacement in some way...


SECTORIX.

2 looks a lot better, but not sure about the res spot.

couldnt help it , had to play with the reservoir :)
so here you go - i installed the Anticyclone in it.

the interesting thing about the advanced version ( Rev 2.0 ) is that it has so many options, and im currently thinking about using bottom holes for pump in and refill, while i use a top hole for refill ( through the fill port ).

http://i.imgur.com/5ickT.jpg

let me know if you guys need some unboxing pics ( i usually dont take them ).


SECTORIX.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zalbard

2 looks a lot better, but not sure about the res spot.

---

yes im revisiting this to put the res in the position of the first setup, and the pump in the position of the second setup
so the pump sit on the upper shelf. this will also enable me to add bottom 240 Res in the future if i want to, without changing the loop too much, and also makes the pump the lowest point in the setup,
therefore makes it convenient as a drain point.

what do you think ?

here it is :
http://i.imgur.com/28UJf.png

im thinking on putting the Pump vertically so the flow gets a direct line from the reservoir, and then the push will go to the GPU.
now since the loops gets to equilibrium after a while, then the idea of Res>>Pump>>GPU2>>GPU1>>CPU>>Rad>>Res might be a very good option.
also the easiest to install and maintain IMO ( lol, this will be exactly like -> http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...TX-watercooled )


SECTORIX.

This new version looks the best if you ask me! Go for it! :up:

Nice you've found similar build like yours and found the results you wanted. :)

ok, i think im getting rid of the RAID 10 concept and moving to a 120SSD-Sata3 + 2TB-Sata3 ( including case upgrade for the 800d )
its seems like the power consumption + speed will benefit greatly from the change

so my disk arrady will be :
1. 120SSD Sata3 for OS
2. 2TBSSD Sata3 for Data
3+4. (optional since i already have some to spare) --> RAID 1 for 2x1TB Sata2 ( this will be "my documents" + backups )

i might use 2 of the black caviars ( 500's ) for my documents

**this is becoming expensive !

SECTORIX.

Today i took some measurements of the case in order to understand what fittings i need, and actual location of parts and where they would fit best.
didnt spend too much time on it, but then i came to an interesting realization regarding something that i could achieve...
now to be safe from the wife.. i dont NEED one, i just WANT one, and i really need a project to keep my mind and hands busy.

the height from the upper level of the case to the top is 45cm, the radiator + 2fans is 10cm, which leaves me with 35cm to work with.
the pump with the top on and vertical is 8cm high, and the reservoir is 15cm high, which means that i have (45-10-15-8=) 12cm to work with for the tubing.

measurements i took :
of Parts
-- EK Reservoir Rev 2 Advanced 150 == 6cm Wide + 15cm High
-- EK X-TOP Rev 2 for pump is 8x8x8cm ( if treated like a cube )
-- Scythe Gentle Typhoon us 2.5cm thick
-- EK Reservoir 360 is 5cm thick
obsidian internal
-- distance between motherboard bolt and disk tray cover is 12.5cm ( treat as 12cm )
-- height of upper tray to top is 45cm.

what i checked then is how will the res fit on top of the pump

http://i.imgur.com/sWJ4E.jpg

now, i checked again using the EK top, and found that there is almost 1-1 match with one of the lower holes in the Res and the Intake of the pump.
which means i can mount the res on the pump and fit it on the case wall

to do that i will need this fitting :
http://i.imgur.com/h8l1j.jpg

finally, i started doing the part alignment in Visio to get some more understanding on tubing, fittings and general final look.

this is the updated schematics which is a little closer to reality:

http://i.imgur.com/CzT5z.png

there is also another option with a Bay Reservoir that im considering ( since it simplifies things in terms of tubing ) let me know :

http://i.imgur.com/UDwqK.png


as you can probably guess, my biggest worry right now is to plan in a drain port ( ANY suggestion is welcome !! )


any comments and feedback thus far is very very much appreciated, and i would love to hear what ppl think on what should i change/improve before i go into assembly.

SECTORIX.

My main comment would be - drop use of so many 45s && 90s. Bent tubing with plain straight fittings will work just fine or even better flow wise and will cost you 100$ less.

Loop's getting tighter... I like it. For the drain you could maybe run a splitter off the 45 from the pump-->gpu run and snake some tubing down through the mid plate and have the actual drain plug in the PSU compartment. All you would have to do then is remove the side panel and drain.

Oh, by the way, gotta ask... what league are you in? I'm assuming your main race is toss? ... please ignore if you don't wanna go OT

TY, btw please note i edited and added a second diagram to represent another option ( with an XSPC Bay reservoir, that might simpify things ) although i really like the EK Res.
i am considering running a "snake" tube for that, its just me not liking excessive pipe in the system... plus, i suspect since this is the pressure generation link, putting a splitter there might actually
hurt the flow.

churcy, i am thinking about the angle stuff, not sure what direction to go :\ i want a clean flow loop with no kinks, and i hate the ugly anti-kink coils.


Aphellyon, regarding your other question, Gold EU/Diamond US & Toss :)

by the way, since im going to terminate the loop back to the reservoir from the top end of the res, does anyone knows if im going to get problems from it ? ( like bubble noise, pressure drop, potential other problems ? )

well :) my bet on the fan-controller-less fan system is a success :)
the sunbeamtech unit was a perfect match

i got the power unit for the fans today, and then had a dry run with the fans running at full, and the noise is almost non-existing.
plus the power controller was 4 GBP ( ~7 USD )

the fan power unit in its packaging :
http://i.imgur.com/tX2KY.jpg

it comes with some 2sided glue pad to mount it in the case.

my little experiment :
http://i.imgur.com/SdjAM.jpg

it was a good decision :)

SECTORIX.

Could get rid of the fillport altogether?

1st option : Make the top res inlet a rotary connection and just unscrew it to top up. Id advise you fit a downtube inside the res from the top inlet - itll make it easier to bleed and you wont get the vortex effect. Initial fill could be tricky though.

2nd option : Fit a delrin Tee piece in the tube from the top rad to the res inlet. Have the flow go straight through, but on the Tee branch fit a koolance QDC. You can then clip on the filltube when you need it. Combine this with the rotary above to make top ups easier.


Just a quick pointer - make sure you fill the loop with the case on its back, top mounted barb down rads are a nightmare to bleed and this makes it much easier. I've a similar layout to you in my case albeit with more rads, and it took me a while to get the filling technique down. Here's the relevant post anyway. The section of tubing I disconnect to fill would be between top rad and top res for you, i've got an extra rad in between :). You can skip the bit about the rear rad too as its not relevant for your loop. Speedy finger work is needed to reconnect the tube, you will spill a little water so make sure youve got paper towels all around the connection. It gets easier with practice. A Tee connection here as per Option 2 above would make this far easier. Once you have it connected again tilt the case towards its roof so that any air that got in when you reconnected the tubing goes into the res (thats where the downtube mentioned in option 1 comes in as it allows the water level to be low and not allow air into the top rad even with a top inlet). This will leave you with a pretty much completely bled loop before you even turn the pump on.


Hope some of that at least is helpful :). GL with the build, looks promising :up:.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PiLsY

1st option : Make the top res inlet a rotary connection and just unscrew it to top up. Id advise you fit a downtube inside the res from the top inlet - itll make it easier to bleed and you wont get the vortex effect. Initial fill could be tricky though.

---

i have the Rev 2 150 ml EK, so it means i have 2 ports on the top, does this change the picture ?
as mentioned...

so you suggest i put back the res pipes ( instead of the cylone fan ) for this setup ?

Sorry just edited above post with more info - you were quick off the mark there dude! :lol:

thanks, could you elaborate on the "down tube" ? maybe with a picture showing exactly what you mean ? <3

The X2 Advanced comes with threaded tube inserts that fit inside the res on the reverse of the ports. They direct flow and stop air from pocketing up through the top when a top inlet is used. If you google "ek x2 res tube inserts" and look at the pics itll explain it far better :).

I reckon this is what you're after. Screws straight in to the backside of the inlet on the top cap and drops the intake to just above the lower inlet. You want the straight pipe version, not the cyclone or perforated.

They list a 120mm version too but the pic is wrong (shows a tube res which im sure you wont get for under £4 :lol:). Description is right tho.

EK web page elaborates here.

Relevant part :

Basic version:

Bottom part gives user 3 options for placing the G1/4 fittings/barbs as inlet or outlet. Top part gives 1 additional option for placing the G1/4 fitting/barb as inlet or outlet. So the basic version has totally 4 options. Unused G1/4 ports are to be plugged with enclosed G1/4 Plugs. Additionally, the reservoir comes with one internal 12mm ID and 16mm OD tube with thread on one end so it can be screwed into threaded ports inside the reservoir (1 × bottom, 1 × top).


I think these are all the ones that are compatible with your res.

well, mine comes with 3 of them already , 1 from the top ( going almost to the middle ) and 2 from the bottom
interesting question will be -> do i need anything other than that

( i got the "Advanced" )

well, this guy ( http://www.youtube.com/user/lvl8hack.../1/nqeF5mSmq98 ) has my res setup ( more or less ) so im confident its ok :)

so here is another question ... is it worth it to work on a draining valve ( especially if i plan to drain only every 3-4 months to replace coolant ) ?
i mean - i dont exactly understand the closed loop thing, but it seems like you can disconnect a pipe, and only when you open the fill port the air gets in and the water drop, so its almost no spillage ?
the reason im asking, is that although i really fancy some sort of drain mechanism that i cant find, i dont know if its actually worth the trouble...

the Sharkoon UV kit got here today ( 4x 30cm cathodes )
interesting that these come with 2 power + switche mechanisms ( so you connect 2 cathodes to each )

its fine since im gonna use 2 anyway, thinking about where to mount the on/off switch... i wonder if it fits one of the "hose" holes in the back, or i will make a hole next to it.

finally decided on a draining mechanism, sure took me a while :)

so what i do is use another port like my fill port, and put it on a whole i drill in the back of the case.
that goes to a drain setup and terminates at the unused GPU port ( SLI remember ? ) which is the lowest point of my setup

the drain setup is : Drain/Fill Port >> 10mm 1/4" male to male adapter >> ball valve >> fitting

here is a sketch
http://i.imgur.com/TUMME.png

this simplifies draining, since to drain i just uncap in the back, attach a hose ( with a fitting on it ) to a bottle, and open the valve.

i think this is the simplest way without going to the lower chamber and having too much tubing around. also note that i didnt want to alter the tube that goes from the pump to the gpus, since its the main pressure entry point
of the loop.

let me know your thoughts..

SECTORIX.

Arrgggh ! , one of the EK-PSC 45" fittings i got is damaged

http://i.imgur.com/TmiIt.jpg

there was also a mixup from the same supplier and he sent me an XSPC M20 reservoir adapter instead of an XSPC M20 fillport...

i completed an RMA form and sent him back the items, i wont mention the supplier yet - as i hope that they fix this issue and get me the parts asap.


SECTORIX

just got my 2 new puppies :P

Attachment 120081

this is gonna be fun !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sectorix

so here is another question ... is it worth it to work on a draining valve ( especially if i plan to drain only every 3-4 months to replace coolant ) ? i mean - i dont exactly understand the closed loop thing, but it seems like you can disconnect a pipe, and only when you open the fill port the air gets in and the water drop, so its almost no spillage ?

---

That's exactly what I do. Like you say almost no spillage but you need fast fingers and paper towels. Not for the faint hearted ;). Drain setup will certainly make it easier though if you have room.

Build's coming along nicely :)

i just cant wait !!! waterblocks for the GPUs were out of stock, so i have to wait longer :\
meeeeh

Drain setup looks nice,I would keep 140 and use a dual bay res.;)

You should trying using Google Sketchup.

Ok,

so tomorrow is the expected delivery of the final parts, which means assembly over the weekend ! woohoo finally !!!
i have to thank Specialtech (www.specialtech.co.uk) for having such a great overall service ( i guess thats the benefit of a small shop )
since i originally ordered most parts at Scan (www.scan.co.uk) but to be honest, waiting for over 3 weeks for stock got to me at the end, and i split the order between the 2.

i should have all parts ready for this weekend. also, i did decide to go with the EN Nickel waterblocks ( EK number : 3831109855959 ) for the 580's, was 20 pounds more , but im not going to upgrade soon :D

lets hope the mail truck doesnt fall over ... my hands are itchi to do this !

Ok ! 2 shipments out of 3 expected today have already arrived

the EK 580s EN Waterblocks are here and the Corsair 800D SATA3 Upgrade Kit is here :)

the Corsair upgrade kit was ordered from Amazon, as i couldnt find any stock anywhere else, finally found a store in Germany that delivered.
btw the nickel on the EN version of the EK Waterblocks is a little darker than the normal nickel ones, i actually prefer it that way.

http://i.imgur.com/4eH8z.jpg

yes, i went for acetal like in my CPU block, i just prefer it that way... ages nicely.

http://i.imgur.com/aPg61.jpg

this will accommodate the hot swaps nicely to a sata3, while still supporting sata2 ( gonna use 2 bays for sata3 and 2 for sata2 , hope thats confusing enough :P )

http://i.imgur.com/0Xe8T.jpg

more pictures to come when the last (!) package arrives in a few hours ..

final shipment has arrived !!!
all of the fittings, the drives, the coolant and some added fancy shmancy parts :)

http://i.imgur.com/6P4hz.jpg

now, let the good times role !

It would be alot cleaner if you did a bay res/pump like the Danger Den Monsoon.

so ...

something terrible just happened ! one of my GTXs has a broken GPU cover.
when i took off the cover as explained on EK manual, the GPU cover broke off !!!
so far lucky for me, i called EVGA's support in EU and this great guy answered and is now checking with their RMA department what to do, hopefully they can replace it for me.
i know that EVGA's support is considered very good, so i hope i will enjoy that service as well.

btw, even the EVGA support guy was really surprised when i sent him the picture, he never saw something like this, so i guess this is super rare.


i am a bit tilted right now, since these cost me 1100$ together. and i hope EVGA will help me out of this pain point.

broken card :

http://i.imgur.com/1X8gs.jpg

i did complete assembly of the other one just fine :

http://i.imgur.com/6ycxK.jpg

i think i will leave the rest for the weekend, as i am completely tilted by this.

Oh jees, that's a nightmare. I really hope EVGA can help.

well, they have the reputation of helping gamers, and customers of high end gear such as this, and i have always had good experience with them
hope it lasts :)

Eeek! Hope they'll help you... Never seen this before.

update!

EVGA support are amazing ! i called the guy in EVGA Germany, sent him the pictures, and got a great "sure, we will RMA your card".
this is astounding, since im not used to that level of support ( other than maybe Asus ) so im really really happy !

i definitively recommend anyone that is looking to go EVGA, my future business will go to them without missing a heartbeat.

and now, off to DHL to ship the faulty card ... will start the build this weekend regardless.
im happy again! thank you EVGA!

Edit : part shipped to Germany ... should get the replacement in about a week, but going to build anyway with 1 card for now.

so ... starting the build, this is one heavy case , gonna work on my kitchen table

http://i.imgur.com/HBxdW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xk5vm.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nvVeg.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Squfm.jpg

first task was to put in the fill port on top of the case, i measured a9cm parallel line from front, then X marks the spot :)

http://i.imgur.com/Hhs5W.jpg

used a drill step bit kit that i purchased at Amason a few weeks ago, started with a small hole to position, and extended for the fill port.

http://i.imgur.com/OwdNR.jpg

this is where the wife started complaining about the mess :P

http://i.imgur.com/Jorkt.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/t4C1I.jpg

fill hole complete.

http://i.imgur.com/0wkKH.jpg

second phase for me was to upgrade the case sata2 bay to sata 3 using the kit ordered from corsair.
i actually managed to break a bolt in the process and had to fight with it for almost 20 minutes

this is the original kit

http://i.imgur.com/uiuFx.jpg

stripped down

http://i.imgur.com/s6Yks.jpg

and finally upgraded

http://i.imgur.com/OXtUC.jpg

ok, after a few minutes of rest, started to assemble the pump with the ek top

http://i.imgur.com/btcIu.jpg

pretty :D

http://i.imgur.com/woPwW.jpg

took no more than 5 minutes, quite straight forward ( very simple instructions as well )

http://i.imgur.com/Ov1My.jpg

now, the radiator bit of the build :)
this was a very tricky part, and i had to use my wife as a second pair of hands to assemble this, but the result is quite nice.

http://i.imgur.com/Yvu8l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rF6Te.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qPHWe.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RDcUH.jpg

Important Note : i tested the fans after assembly, very very quiet. im happy with leaving them on without a fan controller.

ok, time to put in the pump and the reservoir

measurments are a real :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:, since i can only drill from the other side, this took a while to think over...

http://i.imgur.com/gr1ug.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sl4Aq.jpg

tada !

http://i.imgur.com/qftra.jpg

connection tro the fill port and the radiator have been fitted :P

http://i.imgur.com/k0eNW.jpg

CPU time !

i love the easy mounting mechansim that EK introduced with the new Supreme HF. comes with some MX-4 but i already had an open tube of that :P

http://i.imgur.com/SP8wV.jpg

backplate in place

http://i.imgur.com/Qu9c7.jpg

clean CPU ready for some paste :P

http://i.imgur.com/YrFcm.jpg

let there be light !

http://i.imgur.com/BVLHn.jpg

block in place.

http://i.imgur.com/LVCF4.jpg


also took some time to drill the drain port that i designed in the build

http://i.imgur.com/f75IR.jpg

and now for the loop assembly :DDDDD

drain system

http://i.imgur.com/0s1SC.jpg

and the loop complete ( remember, i still need to add a second GPU once its back from RMA, but this is a good chance to do the leak test

http://i.imgur.com/MXGCE.jpg


lets hope i will be smiling tomorrow morning :D

oh boy. seems to be a leak from the reservoir at the point of connection to the fillport.
i tried replacing the fitting, but it remained, so it means the top of the res is faulty probably...

im trying to solve this with an extra O-ring, but just in anycase, i ordered the XSPC 5.25 bay Res as was my B plan for the loop ( will be here monday/tuesday ) plus another bottle of coolant, since this one
is now part of my floor :P

delays delays ...


btw, some personal thought, the EK res when the loop returns to it, and you also use a top fill port, makes it terrible to bleed.

got my little package from SpecialTech today :) so lets continue the work.

first of all i have decided that i dont like the EK reservoirfor my loop. its a good res, but because of the structure of my loop ( water back to res from above ) the bleeding is very very hard and i dont like the maintenance that i might get into.
so i changed to an XSPC Bay 5.25 res which fits me perfectly, i added a cap that connects to the fill port which is just pretty.

also changed the tube to the Pro version of Primochill PrimoFlex Pro LRT.
at last i changed the 90 Degree fitting from the GPU to an EK one. to have some quality control :)

ok here goes the new loop ( still missing the final GPU addition that is now on its way from Germany ).

http://i.imgur.com/D1mYP.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GlgOy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/t5Mud.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fJQ6H.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0ilT8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DkKP6.jpg

the purple is because its UV active... dont worry, its blue :)

bleeding the loop and leak testing :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NayeoiP4fRI


Note : the air in the pump while bleeding makes so much noise, its silent after the air is out.

Nice.. it's great with the videos. Do not know if there's a particular reason why you made the loop as you have. I would suggest. res, pump, cpu, gtx, radiator, res!

Elmy, the decision was after i've seen this build : http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...TX-watercooled
which is very very close to mine, and gets to the tempratures i wanted.

Okay I understand. If it is true he has the temperature as he says, it is impressive. Are you interested in the oc your cpu, then I'll change the setup.

Well, going to OC it to 3.6 so not too much...

btw, leak test ended great. case wiring done, now i just need to wait for the second GPU, and then ill plug this baby
and have the final footage :P

oh, and no sleeving... just not my thing i guess...

Nice build, ugly story with the Hs on the 580....


Did you notice, that you got the fans wrong on the pictures?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gR3iF

Nice build, ugly story with the Hs on the 580....


Did you notice, that you got the fans wrong on the pictures?

---

TY, and ofcourse i did.

Alright ! the EVGA RMA card has arrived !

took 10 days, and made me go nuts over wanting to finish this, but then a nice package came in. thank you EVGA <3 !

http://i.imgur.com/C8sd4.jpg

inside the box waited a shiny new GTX580 <3

http://i.imgur.com/hSqvP.jpg

now for waterblock and accessory assembly ( i hope this one is ok ! )

http://i.imgur.com/TaETu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ju58G.jpg

YES ! gpu is not broken :D

http://i.imgur.com/Ewe7d.jpg

and now its even clean and stripped, interesting that this pcb is brown, where the other one i had was blue

http://i.imgur.com/yF2Br.jpg

GPU enforcing ring

http://i.imgur.com/oEacz.jpg

screwing the waterblock mounts

http://i.imgur.com/QFaSj.jpg

end result :

http://i.imgur.com/vjk1H.jpg

final assembly time :)
i already ran the wires and boot tested the machine before installing the final card so this is a re-assembly.

ok, so first of all i will drain the system. and its a good time to show the final look of the drain port

http://i.imgur.com/B0YHu.jpg

smart decision with the draining system i think :) took 20 seconds to drain.

http://i.imgur.com/eBsuW.jpg

install the second GPU, rerouted the hose and added an SLI pipe between the cards ( very easy install )
now its fill and leak test time.

http://i.imgur.com/iPyQu.jpg.

now, after refilling i felt that there is something wrong... dont know... heard knucks from the pump, so dissasembled, cleaned and reassembled.
i would note that i found a piece of plastic from the acetal top that was probably left from the original cutting of it.

Ladies and Gentlemen... the final loop :

http://i.imgur.com/2dMmb.jpg

now just a leak test/bleed, and on to install and benchmarks.
i already put in the UV lighting that i wanted , so this should take almost no time.
im also considering sleeving but i dont really care about these things.

thinking if i should take a photoshoot with my D90 just to have a better picture album of the project... we'll see...

some pictures using D90 and a 50mm lens.

http://i.imgur.com/5Rwcz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rCl8M.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/yI7x3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/X0Y9w.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ykyf9.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/N085S.jpg

Quick tip - you want the rad fans as an intake, not an exhaust :). Youll get notably better temps.

Looking great though :up:

thanks :) appreciate the help and tips i got here, sure made my head spin and land on the right path :)
( now for some million FPS on starcraft 2 !!! )

hmmm fans to intake ? why would that change anything ?

btw, im currently on 30' on CPU and 28 on both GPUs on idle.

Youll be cooling the rad with room temp air instead of case temp air :).

Granted you have a nice clean build and therefore great case airflow anyway, but its not often in this game you go cooler for free. Idle wont change much but load should drop a degree or two at least.

Your temps are already good - id probably save it for the next rebuild tbh since it looks a bit fiddly to drop that rad. Its nice to know you can tweak some more next time anyway - you'll find that as you use it youll inevitably come up with changes you want to make anyway.

Stunning effort anyway dude - propping up the UK contingent here with style there man :).

So good I said it twice - oops :rolleyes:

some initial cooling benchmarks...

i got to the following temps on idle + the burn ones when using 3DMark11 for 1 hr, resting 1 hr, then FurMark for 1 hr.

CPU i7 920 (OC'd to 3.6 using EasyTune6) --> ilde 34-36°/ burn ~48 °
SLI 580GTX (no OC since not needed) --> idle 28-30° / burn ~40°

some upcoming upgrades :

so, after the system is running for a few days i can tell you that i know exactly what i think needs to be changed, and therefor im going for it.

• the onboard sata3 controller on the GA-X58A-UD3R is really bad in my prespective. major issues with it all over the internet when looking , plus i dont get to the max IO that i expected from my SSD. so this must be upgraded, and i chose the ASROCK SATA 3 PCIE card ( link : http://bit.ly/qnmUQ4 ) as an upgrade, got good reviews on it and it its very good price/performance wise.
• although i really thought the fan noise is fine at first, its not after you spend you entire day in your home office, the noise finally gets to you, so i will add a fan controller, and i have decided to wait for availability in the UK for the new NZXT SENTRY MIX ( link : http://bit.ly/oXq8S5 ) as the controller of my choice, and that will be added

the sata3 controller + 2 AKASA SATA3 cables, that are 100cm long so i can bring them from behind the Motherboard instead of just having cables around ( which we all hate... )

update coming soon :)

ahhhh... second RMA.

so i couldnt understand why do i get BSOD's and drive read errors every now and then. replace the Controller with external controller and still the same issue.
well... Corsair are calling my model back for replacement ... ( http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=95688 )

im going to GHOST it and RMA, lucky for me SCAN.CO.UK picks up their RMA on their own ( very good service IMO ), so i dont expect to stay on my other system for more than a week.
( my other system is an ASUS G53J so im good ;)


UPDATE : postponed the RMA for one week in order to let Corsair a chance to get a firmware update out, after SanfForce announced that they found a bug in the SSD controller firmware ( which is installed on my SSD, but on others as well as the OCZ Vertex 3 ones )... if this is not resolved by then, i will RMA, and ask to replace to a different vendor.

firmware 1.3.3 fixed it. system is ok :)

right, so here are some pictures i took after i placed the finished assembly in its place :)

http://i.imgur.com/TSG0d.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/K38fH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/t5FZv.jpg

everything works fantastic :)

video overview of the system as promised :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VlnOEDtW5E

let me know if there are any questions, suggestions or anything else you think i should either share or change :)

Incoming Upgrade !!!

ok, so this is end of the year, and i decided to make some upgrades to the system, and build a second computer for an ESX system ( lab ) which i will use the used parts for, plus some of my old gear.

just purchased :
- ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Motherboard [ link : http://bit.ly/vV8BuG ]
- Intel i7 2600K
- Corsair 1600mhz 16gb (4x4gb)
- NZXT Sentry MIX Fan Controller [ link : http://bit.ly/oXq8S5 ]

for my lab system i will add purchased the following parts :
- Corsair H60 ( yes... im never going back to air cooling ) [ link : http://bit.ly/uUwriN ]
- EVGA 8400GS

so the plan is to take out the CPU+BOARD+MEM and put it on a lab computer that will also have my adaptec raid10 controller and 4x500GB drives + an intel NIC, and that will serve as my ESX system.
and to add the new parts + the fan controller on this rig, which should be awesome :)

updates coming as i go through it..

btw, and this is important to me to mention.. the reason i chose ASRock over Asus and Gigabyte were not because of features or price, because they are the same... but ASRock support's WhiteRa which is my favorite eSports Athlete.
also, the reason i went for an EVGA and not generic type for my lab that only needs a vga, was because i will never buy a non-EVGA GPU again, not after the amazing service i had from them.

some of the new stuff is here :)

the MOBO and CPU for the upgrade, plus the GPU and Cooler for the lab PC.

http://i.imgur.com/uJsf2.jpg

all of the parts are here, let the surgery begin :)

first of all i removed the guts of the computer and placed the Motherboard ( after assembling the bottom for the EK block )

http://i.imgur.com/tBCbi.jpg

whilte removing the parts for cleaning i found that there is residue in my reservoir which really made me angry, since this box has only been running for a couple of months, which made me flush the loop. i will not use Feser One again!

http://i.imgur.com/su77V.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8PRvJ.jpg

installed the new fan controller NZXT Sentry Mix, and its just beautiful and simple and was worth waiting for it to be available

http://i.imgur.com/zF1zP.jpg

assembled.
i did it fast this time, since my wife wanted me to do other stuff ( women ... )

http://i.imgur.com/MHUiW.jpg

the finished result :)

http://i.imgur.com/SQHS4.jpg


now , the temps are 29 CPU ( 35 Burn ) and 28 GPUs ( 38 Burn ) so im happy with it :D
hope you like , and i might do another video if neccesary...

been a while, but i finally found a few minutes to take a few video as promised. here you go :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-AlFZh7Kw8

New upgrades coming ...

i decided to upgrade my sound options. this will be a 2 stage upgrade, firstly i want to upgrade to a card specific sound card with some descent headphones and a condenser microphone.
the second stage will be speakers which i dont really need right now ( my baby sleeps all day long and therefor i always use headphones )

so i currently use the onboard 7.1 audio taht comes with the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3, and a G930 headset from Logitech, But - i want to reenjoy music, i want a better quality sound
and its about time i stop using a boom mic :)

my research got me to some decision points which were interesting -
on the soundcard area, i considered the Asus Xonar DX or the D2X or the STX , and i also considered the Creative Recon3D or the Titanium HD.
on the headset it was between Sennheiser HD 558 and HD598
on the microphone it was between the gigantic Blue Microphone Yeti or the Snowball, and a Samson Meteor.

Decisions :
- based on reviews and overall options that i may require/want i went with the Asus Xonar DX for sound card
- took the HD558, cant deal with brown headsets to be honest :)
- i eventually decided on a Samson Meteor as a microphone, even though its not as good as the Yeti,
i wanted something that will look elegant in my setup, which the other two didnt provide, and after trying all 3 in diffrent stores ( with my ipad ) i went
for the one that i find will serve me best.

Interesting thing to note about the Asus Xonar cards, is that they require the FDD power connector directly from the PSU, which was odd to me at first,
since the PCI-E can get all its power from the Motherboard, but after carefully reading some reviews i found that Asus sound lab believes that power coming from the
Mobo is spikey and less clean and therefor interferes with sound, which i wont argue with.

also, i have ordered a small and cheap piece of HW which is called "Konig Audio Switch", and its very very basic. what it does is providing a button to switch between
the headphones and the speakers without disconnecting stuff. always handy, and cost 3.5 gbp on Amazon, with great reviews saying it doesnt drop quality.

Order List :
- Asus Xonar DX PCI-E
- Sennheiser HD 558
- Samason Meteor
- Molex to FDD connector
- 4 cans of air duster ( i always do a dust clean when i open for a change )
- Konig Audio Switch

Pictures of the upgrade are coming once stuff is here.

You should consider getting a Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 for those headphones. They're not hard to drive but anyway you should be getting at least some SQ improvement with Forte's amp for headphones. You'll also get a full set of DTS technologies. And the chip is native PCI-e, unlike Asus card's Oxygen that use the bridge. The audio chip is great but not sure what they're waiting with releasing the PCI-e version of it. Also as I've recently saw the prices for both at your side of the pond, it doesn't pay off. If DX is really 85 and Forte is 119, I would say it's deffo worth the price difference.

Just a thought to consider.. :)

thanks fr0wn3r :)

thought of many options, and at some point i decided only to focus on cards i can find trusted reviews on ( aka by users and not reviewing sites that get paid to push a manufacturer ) and then i wanted to only check
cards which i can actually hear, so i took my shure headphones, went with a Flash drive with recorded sounds uncompressed, and high 320 songs, and listened to in stores. the DX was on sale btw at 58GBP. and it completely satisfied me
so i went for it. im not afraid to upgrade it if it wont be enough for me, my wife's computer is always happy to receive more parts ( she has a better gamer computer than most ppl i know because of that )

btw, all parts are on their way, amazon confirmed :) i dont know if i wanna do unboxing vids, but i will put some pics when its here.

Ok,

upgrade is complete, and im REALLY pleased with the result.
the microphone does an amazing job, while the sound card and the headphones provide amazing sound.
i will add that the Konig sound switch is a great addition overall because it gives me a switch to change between the headphones and the speakers in one click.

Kit -

http://imgur.com/2LEJt.jpg?1

Card in the case -

http://i.imgur.com/8h6Jb.jpg?1

i now need to paint the FDD cable black to fit in the theme, but thats about it, was really seamless.

Video of my current setup, per some PMs i got :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUavWEM4lpw