Case Design for Liquid Cooling

[Mick64]

Well, I've finally had the time to create another render. This shows what the case would look like after increasing its size to accommodate the EVGA dual socket motherboard. There are now 10 PCI slots and an additional 5.25 drive bay. I only had time to do 70 passes though, so the render's not as sharp as I would like, but it's not bad. Let me know what you think.

Sorry, but I still haven't got any updates on manufacture. Still waiting to here if there has been any progress, but I know my contact is busy with other projects at the moment....

[Sadasius]

Doh I messed my pants again!

[Waterlogged]

I can't believe I'm going to say what I'm about to say.


Even though I can comprehend the size of the case Mick (it's HUGE ). . .it. . .looks a little cramped. Damn nice mind you, but cramped.

[snoro]

Waterlogged isnt the point exactly. You take a case that you fill up with as much stuff as possible so you use all the space you have and it might look cramped but you still make sure you can acess everything easily, if not, we would all just get some Extended ascension from MM, put 2x360rad and call it a day. but that would be called sacrilegous since you dont use all the space you have at your disposition.

Mick there is just one thing that annoy me in your render and its that cpu loop. It know real stuff wont be like that but it just dosent seem right to me.Whatever very nice suff mick64 keep up your good work and i am sure you will get the manufacture problem sorted out.

[Mick64]

Mick there is just one thing that annoy me in your render and its that cpu loop. It know real stuff wont be like that but it just dosent seem right to me.Whatever very nice suff mick64 keep up your good work and i am sure you will get the manufacture problem sorted out.

Just thought it would be simpler to have a parallel loop through the CPU blocks rather than in series. It also means that you haven't got the heated coolant from the first block going into the second block. It's also a good excuse for using those beautiful Bitspower Y fittings....

[woffen]

Looking very nice! How big is the case now?

[=[PULSAR]=]

So Mick with all this talk about the eVGA board just being for Xeons what are you going to do? Make the switch?

[gmat]

I dont think it looks cramped.. nice use of available space actually - and that MB will be the very extreme use of it. That's a supercomputer at home !

I think it looks like a LL V2000 on steroids

[Herbal]

Case looks great...as long as it's not much taller than a LL V2000 I'd be interested and willing to spend up to £250 retail on it.

[gmat]

Looks like it's just a bit taller than the V2000 due to the 10 slots.

[Church]

Just thought it would be simpler to have a parallel loop through the CPU blocks rather than in series. It also means that you haven't got the heated coolant from the first block going into the second block. It's also a good excuse for using those beautiful Bitspower Y fittings....

I wonder if it does make some sense in similar splitting 4 way sli single loop in 2 loops per 2 cards aswell .. somehow it seems, that difference in cooling for first and forth card might be noticeable in cooling/overclockability. After all, 4th gets warmed water by 3 hot cards before it. I wonder if someone who have had 4 way sli watercooled ever performed tests between 1x4 vs 2x2 .. most probably 99% sli users never went above dual card setup.

[Mick64]

I wonder if it does make some sense in similar splitting 4 way sli single loop in 2 loops per 2 cards aswell .. somehow it seems, that difference in cooling for first and forth card might be noticeable in cooling/overclockability. After all, 4th gets warmed water by 3 hot cards before it. I wonder if someone who have had 4 way sli watercooled ever performed tests between 1x4 vs 2x2 .. most probably 99% sli users never went above dual card setup.

I had similar thoughts, that is why I have rendered the graphics cards in a parallel loop also. With the cards in parallel, the temperature of the coolant passing over the GPU's will be the same. It wouldn't be necessary to split the loop in two......

[woffen]

@ Mick64: What are the dimensions of the case with the 10pci slot motherboard?

[Mick64]

@ Mick64: What are the dimensions of the case with the 10pci slot motherboard?

It's BIG!

Width - 240mm
Depth - 700mm
Height - 660mm

WARNING! Not suitable for your average computer desk.

[kinghong1970]

damn mick... like WL said... you gone done overstuffed a huge box... very nice indeed!

hey do you have the skp file for the fans?

[Mick64]

damn mick... like WL said... you gone done overstuffed a huge box... very nice indeed!

hey do you have the skp file for the fans?

Thanks king!

Gental Typhoon 120mm

[Church]

I had similar thoughts, that is why I have rendered the graphics cards in a parallel loop also. With the cards in parallel, the temperature of the coolant passing over the GPU's will be the same. It wouldn't be necessary to split the loop in two......

I meant parallel aswell, "like for cpu", with "Y" splitters. Just that imho making it parallel for all of 4 would be overkill by adding too much splitters/extra tubing, but splitting in paralel for 2x2 gpu waterblocks would be nice compromise .. same tubing as in render for lower two cards, but for upper two - paralel tubing from top.

[Mick64]

I meant parallel aswell, "like for cpu", with "Y" splitters. Just that imho making it parallel for all of 4 would be overkill by adding too much splitters/extra tubing, but splitting in paralel for 2x2 gpu waterblocks would be nice compromise .. same tubing as in render for lower two cards, but for upper two - paralel tubing from top.

I don't think it would make any difference, but I might be wrong?

[ryan92084]

It's BIG!

Width - 240mm
Depth - 700mm
Height - 660mm

WARNING! Not suitable for your average computer desk.

still fits under mine

[AllAgainstPaul]

Awesome work, Excellent design. Looks like you planned everything out. I have are a few questions though.
1. When you decided to increase the height of the case to accommodate the EVGA W555 board, why did you decide to add another 5.25" bay instead of adding space for another HDD or two?
2. The knobs on the front are exposed with little protection from bumping, have you thought about making a flip cover for them and recess the knobs so it appears flush with the front of the case?
3. Where did you get a sketchup model of the W555 board?
4. For the CPU loop, would you get a more even flow across both CPUs if the Tees were in between the two blocks? (See poorly made diagram below)

How you have it
░╔════╦══ Pump
CPU░░CPU
░╚════╩══ Radiator

How I suggest
░░░Pump
░ ╔══╩══╗
CPU░░░░CPU
░ ╚══╦══╝
░░Radiator

[Mick64]

Awesome work, Excellent design. Looks like you planned everything out. I have are a few questions though.
1. When you decided to increase the height of the case to accommodate the EVGA W555 board, why did you decide to add another 5.25" bay instead of adding space for another HDD or two?
2. The knobs on the front are exposed with little protection from bumping, have you thought about making a flip cover for them and recess the knobs so it appears flush with the front of the case?
3. Where did you get a sketchup model of the W555 board?
4. For the CPU loop, would you get a more even flow across both CPUs if the Tees were in between the two blocks? (See poorly made diagram below)

How you have it
░╔════╦══ Pump
CPU░░CPU
░╚════╩══ Radiator

How I suggest
░░░Pump
░ ╔══╩══╗
CPU░░░░CPU
░ ╚══╦══╝
░░Radiator

Thanks AllAgainstPaul!

1. I though the addition of another drive bay would give you more options as regards bay reservoirs, fan controllers, etc. I am planning on modifying the HDD cages so that they can hold 5 drives, plus, you could fit HDD's in the 5.25 drive bays if you wished.
2. As the fan controller is not an integral part of the case, I have not considered making it flush with the front. It's there purely to illustrate what could be installed.
3. I create most of the components myself including the dual socket motherboard. I have obtained a small number of parts from SketchUp Components Collection which is in my sig.
4. I think you'll find that the placing of the T's or Y's will not affect the flow across the blocks in any way. Correct me if I'm wrong...

[Bolas]

Mick,

Could I make a suggestion that you get quotes from more than one manufacturer on building the case?

Lian Li
Mountain Mods
Lincoln Machine
etc.

If you have more than one company quoting on making it, you might be able to find one with better quality or with better price or ideally with both.

Alternately, you could just sell copies of the drawing files to people with the rights to build a certain number of cases and let people source their own cases using your plans. You'd retain full rights to the design and you would potentially then be able to find several different places to make your case and decide on which one you liked best for yourself without having to spend anything. You'd also immediately generate some cash flow for yourself, something that can't hurt, while maintaining the rights to your design.

[Herbal]

It's BIG!

Width - 240mm
Depth - 700mm
Height - 660mm

WARNING! Not suitable for your average computer desk.

Luckily I custom built my desk and it'd fit...but damn that's a deep case!

I presume that's the 10 PCI slot version?

[Blauhung]

Late vote, but if it happens i will buy the bigger one that can fit the EVGA mobo


As for the whole parallel water cooling discussion.....
At the flow rates that just about everyone will be using in water cooling, you can very safely assume that the temperature of water entering the radiator and leaving the radiator are approximately equal as all of the coolant has hit a steady state.

here's the energy ballance on a series water cooling flow with 2 loads and 1 radiator

Qcpu1 + Qcpu2 = Qrad (the heat dissipated by the radiator at steady state is = to the heat generated by the 2 cpu's)
Qcpu = Tdelta * Fh2o / Rblock (since the input and output temp can be considered constant, the heat absorbed by the water in the block is going to be a function of the temp difference between the water and the CPU, the flow rate of the water, and resistance to heat transfer of the block)
Qrad = Tdelta *Fh2o / Rrad

so you end up with
((T1-Tw)*F1)/R1 + ((T2-Tw)*F2)/R2 = ((Tw-Ta)*Fr)/Rr (i substituted in the temp delta's here Tw being water temp, T1/2 being cpu temp, and Ta being air temp)

if you are in series, then the flow rates will all be equal so they all cancel out, you can also assume the temp and resistance to heat transfer on each block to be equal so you end up with
2*(Tc-Tw)/Rb = ((Tw-Ta)/Rr (simplified T1/T2 into Tc or core temp, and R1/2 into Rb or block resistance)
(Tc-Tw)/(Tw-Ta)=Rb/(2*Rr) for series

For paralell, you can assume that the flow rates at each block are 1/2 the flow at the rad
((Tc-Tw)*F/2)/Rb + ((Tc-Tw)*F/2)/Rb = ((Tw-Ta)*F)/Rr (F cancels again)
(Tc-Tw)/(Tw-Ta)=Rb/Rr for parallel

Now to solve these you need to list what you know
-lets assume that the Rb:Rr ratio is ~1 just to save on some math
-Qcpu = 100w (another easy #)

so for series here are our sets of equations
Q=(Tc-Tw)*F/R
(Tc-Tw)/(Tw-Ta)=1/2
after a bit of substitution you can get that
Tcser = QR/F +2QR/F+Ta = 3QR/F + Ta


and for parallel
Q=(Tc-Tw)*(1/2*F)/R
(Tc-Tw)/(Tw-Ta)=1
subs
Tcpar = 2QR/F + 2QR/F + Ta =4QR/F + Ta

so assuming that all the Q's R's and F's are equal between the 2

Tcseries/Tcpar = (3QR/F +Ta)/(4QR/F +Ta)

and this kinda shows that your core temp will be lower in series then in parallel.


In summary, your water temp is approximately constant, and running stuff in parallel really only results in lowering your flow rates in each block which drastically lowers your energy transfer efficiency and makes the thing you are trying to cool hotter.

[Hunter 101]

There we go

Other than that, are there any updates Mick, on the manufacturing front?