Whadaya think? First time build!

[awdrpepper]

Hey guys, I've been abusing these forums for some time. Finally got my together and finished my computer. I have been amassing parts for a couple of years and spent far too much money in the process.

Case is an Antec p180 Mini. You can't really call it small form factor but it is a mATX machine. The goal was to fit a full WC setup in a reasonably sized case, and to keep it all internal. I really despise monstrously huge cases. They leave nothing to the imagination, and I don't think are particularly interesting.


Sorry guys, photos were taken with an iPhone








I was originally planning around a SBE and GTX690 or HD 7990. In the end I settled with a single HD 7970 (dual cards were not an option). I wasn't keen on spending $1600 AUD for the 690 or waiting for the 7990.

Full System Specs:
Antec p180 Mini
i7 3930K
Asus Rampage Gene IV
16 GB Corsair Vengeance 1866C9
Sapphire HD7970
Corsair AX850
Asus Xonar DX
OCZ Vertex 4 120gb
Western Digital 2.5" Caviar Blue 1TB X2

Cooling:
Bitspower Rotary Elbows + 90's + Extenders (lots)
Monsoon Compression Fittings (no idea how many (20?))
2X XSPC EX120 Radiators
Magicool 180mm Radiator
2X Gentle Typhoon AP15
Silverstone 18cm Penetrator Fan
EK Supreme HF
EK Fullcover GPU block
Indigo Xtreme
Aqua Computer Aquero 5 Pro
XSPC Dual DDC Dual Bay Reservoir
2X Laing DDC 10W
Aqua Computer Flow Meter
1/2" ID Primoflex Tubing
2X Aquacomputer Temperature Probe (Air In/ Water Temp)

I have the fans running at about 6V when my air in/water temp delta is at or below 3C which is about what the system idles at. At full load (CPU and GPU) delta temp rises to almost 10C with fans running at about 9V. I haven't been able to get the GT RPM senors to work just yet, but I'll guess they're operating at ~ 1200RPM at that voltage, while the Silverstone fan is running about 900RPM. This is far from silent, but it's easily tolerable, even with the computer on my desk. I haven't seen the GPU peak above 44C at load. The hottest CPU core peaked at 54C. Ambient temp was roughly 25C at the time. This is all at stock speeds, I haven't overclocked just yet. I'm hoping to reach 1200MHz on the GPU and 4.2Ghz+ on the CPU.

My temps are obviously not unbelievably good, but I think they are reasonable. Keep in mind this is with the front panel closed, so the majority or air is being sucked in through the front vents. Whilst playing bioshock neither the CPU or GPU peaked above 36C.

By far the loudest element in my build were the pumps. It wasn't horrible, but I think it was unacceptable for a tabletop build. I'm now only running only one of the pumps. I've setup the other pump to take over in the event of failure. Noise levels are now much better. My flow rates are relatively poor. With both pumps running I was seeing .9 gallons per minute. With one pump I'm getting .6. I saw no rise in temps when I turned a pump off. I don't see this as a problem since flow rates are less important these days (or so I've heard). I may choose to upgrade to DDC 18W pumps and possibly ditching the reservoir/pump combo though in the future.

I've spent probably $500 () in shipping alone going back and forth between vendors. Getting the correct fittings was a *****. I've learned that I can be a real baby along the way - routing tubing in a small case with so many junctions is not fun. Filling and bleeding the system was a pain in the ass... The fill port up the top of the case was basically useless. Luckily I also built one into the bottom of the loop which was easier.

So... What do you guys think of my temps? Do you think the low flow rate will be much of a problem?

Sorry for the long post.
Jon

[tiborrr]

Looks top-notch! I just love mATX build, have to post pics of my modded Lian Li V351 with two internal radiators.

[PiLsY]

Oh my, now that is nice. You've set yourself a hard standard to follow! Theres no clue at all that all that is waiting for you when you take the side panel off. Top job dude!

[OS-Wiz]

Wow, good job. I guess you could call it a sleeper when the inside is revealed at a frag party, LOL

[Liam_G]

Awesome work man!! Just how I like it, simple, clean, understated, although i'm a sucker for a side window, I love staring at my hardware :P

[OldChap]

I did some flow rate tests that indicated there would be no significant change (no more than 2°) until the flow dropped below around 0.25gpm (using an HF too)

I say "around" because my flow meter is somewhat coarse in it's measurement. I think you have done a great job and will be fine with just this one pump running

[musicfan]

Love your build. So compact.

If the Laing DDC 10W is or is similar to a DDC 3.1 or Swiftech mcp 350, then would one Swiftech 35x PWM pump provide better flow with less noise than a pair of DDC 10W?

[dragonhunter]

God dam!!! I dont believe its your 1st build

well done!!!

[gatecrasherlok]

Those monsoon fittings look epic. All but decided to get me some of them soon.

[earthwormjim]

Love your build. So compact.

If the Laing DDC 10W is or is similar to a DDC 3.1 or Swiftech mcp 350, then would one Swiftech 35x PWM pump provide better flow with less noise than a pair of DDC 10W?

It would be quieter, smaller heat dump, and probably comparable pressure at 100% PWM. However you lose redundancy, and 10W DDC pumps are dirt cheap (two are cheaper than one MCP35x).

[awdrpepper]

Thanks for the comments guys. The majority of noise appears to be caused by the reservoir. Hard mounting a pump to a large box amplifies it's noise. When you introduce a second pump it increases noise further. The pumps vibrations are always slightly out of sync.

That's why I'm only operating a single pump at this stage. In hindsight, I think the best answer is to get rid of the reservoir altogether. It's better to separate the two.

The pump is the same as the ddc 3.1 and mcp350. Infact I think they were swiftech branded pumps anyway.

I'm considering a window, though I don't have access to a bandsaw or cnc machine at the moment. I might even see whether the entire side panel can be created out of acrylic or perspex.

[Lanek]

Nice job, specially on a so little case ... It is never easy to make proper job on thoses ones.

[earthwormjim]

Thanks for the comments guys. The majority of noise appears to be caused by the reservoir. Hard mounting a pump to a large box amplifies it's noise. When you introduce a second pump it increases noise further. The pumps vibrations are always slightly out of sync.

That's why I'm only operating a single pump at this stage. In hindsight, I think the best answer is to get rid of the reservoir altogether. It's better to separate the two.

The pump is the same as the ddc 3.1 and mcp350. Infact I think they were swiftech branded pumps anyway.

I'm considering a window, though I don't have access to a bandsaw or cnc machine at the moment. I might even see whether the entire side panel can be created out of acrylic or perspex.

You don't need access to either one of those big devices, a plain old router will create a perfectly smooth (with a good bit) edge. You can make a template out of wood, then use a guide blade.