Maximus Extreme + Zalman GT1000 tri-loop setup - picture heavy

[polar bear]

So, to remove the stock asus chipset cooler, I had to first heat it up a little with a blowdryer. Prior to this, it was completely impossible to get it off (I've been running the MB for several months so thermal paste had gotten hard like brick lol).



I used ArctiClean 1 & 2 to completely remove the stock paste and prep the chipset blocks. Then Arctic Silver 5 as thermal paste.



The Z-Machine with everything installed except for mobo and related components. Side walls have been removed for ease of installation. The case comes with a handy MB backplate although there is no express removal option as it has to be secured to the case with 8 allen screws. Note the HDD cage - one of the reasons I chose this case in the first place as it is completely tool-free and features some nifty shock absorbing mechanism. Note also there's room for 2 more HDDs in the bottom of the case.





EK blocks were easy to set up and there was no drama involved. I also ordered their CPU backplate as well as mosfet backplates. Would have been nice with backplates for the other blocks as well, in particular the SB/crosslinx as it is quite elongated.



EK-SB Max-Ex was recently released. It's quite an intelligent design as it 1) covers both SB and crosslinx chips and 2) has barb mounting holes in a position so it will fit neatly between two GFX cards. Check this thread to see how this block came into place - many thanx to Eddie over at EK as well as Giuliano for his work with forwarding exact measurements over to EK - a big to both for their contribution! There is a 2nd revision coming up soon which should be an even better fit. As for me, I couldnt wait and ordered the block the day it appeared on the EK website lol





Now some photos of the EK-FC3870 X2 cooler. I really like this and IMO the "acetal" version is nicer than the acrylic version - it also blends in well with the rest of the acetal blocks.








Fast forward about 8 hours; add significant amounts of blood, sweat, tears as well as a pair of severly bruised hands and everything is set up. Oh, and throw in some severe back pain too following an attempt to move the beast (alone) from the living room where everything was mounted and into the office... Looking back I have no idea how this was even possible considering the weight of the machine!



Due to the relatively compact size of the Zalman case, the rads had to be mounted on the outside. For the CPU loop this was solved with a very nifty design by Swiftech: the MCB-120 radbox.



Using this, it was possible to fix the PA120.3 rad to the back of the case using the included screws and bolts and the 120mm exhaust fan mounting holes. Unfortunately, I could not bring the 1/2" tubing outside the case and had to use reducers to convert to 3/8". The loop exits/enters the case through the bottom PCI bracket and joins the 120.3 using G3/8 to 3/8" ID barbs.

As for the top 120.2 rad serving the GFX loop, it was simply placed on top of the Reserator XT using a Thermochill PS120.2 shroud.



Between this shroud and the rad is a layer with neoprene gasket for some vibration absorption.

One of the DDC Ultras had to be mounted externally as well - using a thick sheet with velcro and self-adhesive to fix it onto the case top. I guess this works to reduce some vibration as well.



The DDC Ultra for the CPU loop however did fit snugly in the front 5.25 drive bay with same velcro sheet fixed on top of the CD/DVD drive. Drive bays have been left open so the pump can be seen.





Here at the back of the case one can see that the tubing for the GFX loop has to travel a looong way from the rad on top of the case. The Papst fans for both rads have been hooked up to a couple of Zalman Fan Mate 2's for some cheap and easy fan rpm control. The controllers are attached to the back of the case but cant be seen in the picture.



I'm just using distilled water with Anti-Corro fluid - no other additives. Note the slightly off-whitish colour of the fluid in the CPU loop - for some reason it is completely clear in the other 2 loops although I'm using same concentration - 2% - anti-corrosive agent in all loops.



A close-up of the radbox in action.



CPU / mosfet area.



And finally the two 3870 X2's cooled by EK-FC3870 X2 - here using another cool invention - a SLI/crossfire connector.



It comes in 1, 2 or 3 slot variations and makes for the most tidy setup using two or more cards together. Unfortunately, I had to use 90 degree angled barbs in this loop but I guess some compromises have to be made once in a while



Finally in the next post a look at some performance/temp stats when I get around to it.