Water Cooling Asus Maximus Extreme with Crosslinx

[systemviper]

Hi, first post but been lurking for a while, great forum....

I have been reading the posts on "Water cooling the Asus Maximus SE X38 " but i think the Maximus Extreme has several different challenges with it's 3 Pcie slots and that friggin big blue heatsink. I just recieved mine and after reading about the SE I was wondering if anyone has taken theirs apart and reconfigured the heatsync's or changed the fusion block or what.


My first real overclocked system is a

MSI 650i platnium
q6600 oc to 3.6 on air
1600 Qdr, 400fsb
muskin extreme DDR 2 2G 800 ram
and pny 8800 gts 320M oc'd to 664/2000

cpu temp is 27 idle in the 40's load

gpu is 56 idle high 60's low 70's load

all on air, but lots of it!
It usually pulls a 3Dmark06 around 13200's...



the machine runs great and was fun building and it runs most games rockin'
I have another 8800 gts but i will use it with the Maximus Extreme till the new 3870 x2's come out, then I get it to put in here and I think i will convert to a water cooling system also.


but now I want and ATI crossfire solution so i just purchased a bunch of parts and i am going to try watercooling. The parts have just started arriving...

I have a
Asus Maximus Extreme
Q6600
Swiftech Apex Ultra H20-220 With Apogee GT
Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case
SUPER TALENT 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Roswill 750w PS 4 rail

I will run a 8800gts till the 3870 x2's come out around the new year then use it in sli in the other system.

I am itching to start the build but i have been doing a lot of reading about watercooling and have been waiting for all the parts to arrive,

Ths is going to be cool , it's going to be the first build that i will do with my son, he's 9. We have a partnership called systemvipers, that's us -and this is our first project together.

So i was hoping to find out how anyone is doing with the Asus Maximus Extreme, plus when i read about the maximus se, thaT SOME PEOPLE TOOK OFF THE WHOLE HEAT PIPE ASSEMBLY AND WENT WITH water blocks, i was interested, but the big blue heatsink the "Crosslinx" would be smack dab in the middle of the second pcie x16 card slot.

Plus i am thinking of going to Vista with this build, I am running XP pro on the MSI system.


We thats enough blabing for now, I look forward to posting my first heat and speed numbers next week, once i make sure that everything is not leaking, and built properly and so on. I will post the starting figures, then what happens as we go into the crab nebula

So again let me say, EXTREME MACHINE here we come,
Team SystemVipers

[Pete]

Photos will help of the crosslinxs HSF, there is sweet FA online of it.

I'm more than sure that if you get some decent photos of it, measurements of hole location or even the HSF Eddy or alike will make one.

I was going to get one to go to the DDR3 route but the fact is watercooling it being a pain in the ass.

So yeah, photos and measurments if you would be amazing

[systemviper]

I just about have everything to start my build, but i found this picture and it's awsome, wanted to show it, gives me something to think about, I love using artic silver ceramic, it's the best stuff ever, so at least it will get a full new coating. Will post my starters kit. Most expensive item so far.
Super talent DDR3 1600 $450........


Can't wait till tomorrow to start!

GREAT ARTICLE HERE










Regards
SystemViper

[Z3R0-CooL]

also interested in this.... if anyone figures out how to aftermarket water cool the SB and IDT please post

[Giuliano]

I'm also considering nearly the exact same thing:

Asus Maximus Extreme
Q6600

I'm also getting the ATI HD 3870's, but I'm going to try for a 3 x Crossfire configuration.

Of course I realized today that the third PCIe slot (eg, bottom) is only a single-slot and not a dual slot.


I'm looking into doing water cooling of the three 3870's with EK FC3870 blocks.

Also looking into EK blocks in a separate cooling loop for the CPU / NB / SB / Mosfet / Crosslink chips..

I plan to remove the integrated heatpipe assembly and take measurements for EK..


Flow layout and radiator requirements are undetermined at this point, but I'm planning around a CM Cosmos 1000 case.

[E.R]

What would like to know is if EK S-Max fit this board to. Tempted to trade up if it fits.

[Giuliano]

Possibly.. the hole layout looks about right, but I'll have to take measurements of everything and ask EK..

[Giuliano]

There's a good chance that the following EK blocks MAY fit the Maximus Extreme:

EK NB S-MAX for the X38 Northbound chip.
http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/produc...roducts_id=222

EK Mosfet ASUS 3a (X38) for the mosfets.
http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/produc...roducts_id=205


The SB chip and IDT (Crosslink) chip may have to be cooled with some kind of a "full cover" block, with the intake and exhaust at the far side of the board. That way there may be a chance to clear the 3870's.


Concept picture:

[Giuliano]

I removed the Fusion block heatpipe assembly from my Maximus Extreme, and will be taking measurements of the Crosslinx block for Eddy @ EK.


Interesting to note, the copper "blocks" underneath the blue Crosslinx heatsink have different heights on the same block - their thickness differs by a few mm.

The inlets and outlets would probably have to be in line with the white x1 PCIe connector, and that's assuming there isn't a fan above for a graphics card - or that you're water cooling the graphics card(s) instead.

[systemviper]

Yea, I am just hoping to get good cooling by reseating all the heatpipe assembly with ASc plus the fusion block, this with the fusion block water cooled and great air movement should be enough, i'm hoping anyway. and putting this and the cpu on one cooling loop.

Then the 2 gpu cards on the second water cooling loop. But now I am waiting to see what ATI has in-store for us in Q1 2008, I am hoping for a 3870x2 and getting 2 of them, it will be interesting how to water cool them.... but that is just daydreaming till next year anyway

[Giuliano]

Yeah, I'm going to use Ceramique on the CPU, NB, SB, and Crosslinx for now.

Eventually I'll get all the chipset components in one loop (CPU, NB, SB, Crosslinx, Mosfets), and then have a separate loop for the 3 x 3870's.


Still trying to figure out how many radiators something like this will need..

I have room for a 2 x 120mm up at the top, and 1 120mm at the back panel, and one additional 1 120mm at the bottom of the case.

[Giuliano]

Here's a rough concept model of what a CrossLinx water block might look like.

I took measurements and made this up in SolidWorks to see how it would look as a basic size and shape model.


The holes in the top are sized for G1/4, and are laid out with the right most hole centered over the SB chip.

This allows the tubing to fit in between the first PCIe x16 slot and the second PCIe x16 slot on the board - presuming you're water cooling the video cards, too.


The CrossLinx chip itself is under the lower left corner - you can see the different heights of the contact surfaces from the right hand view.


All dimensions were taken from the existing block, and should be accurate to +/- 0.2 mm.

This is not a real product - yet - but I'm going to send the part documents to EK and we'll see.

[septim]

nice info...

[Mando84]

The Crosslinx waterblock looks nice, if it is happening. Would it be possible to have a waterblock for just the soutbridge and then cool the IDT with a heatsink. Will the IDT even get that hot?

[Giuliano]

The issue with that is the IDT chip is that it only has one mounting hole adjacent to it, so if you wanted a passive heatsink, it would have to be a permanent bond with something like the Arctic Silver epoxy compounds.

And I'm not sure how hot the IDT chip itself gets, but I would imagine it gets hot enough, switching one PCIe x16 into two x8's..


Eddy @ EK said he can make the block.

[Mando84]

Eddy @ EK said he can make the block.

That is good news! Then I will change to EK blocks for sure. Are you positive that the EK NB S-MAX for the X38 Northbound chip and the EK Mosfet ASUS 3a (X38) will fit?

[Giuliano]

Dimension model of the Northbound backplate.

The EK S-MAX NB block should fit, I believe the dimensions are correct to +/- 0.1mm.

[Giuliano]

That is good news! Then I will change to EK blocks for sure. Are you positive that the EK NB S-MAX for the X38 Northbound chip and the EK Mosfet ASUS 3a (X38) will fit?

Not 100% positive, but I'm taking measurements and forwarding them on to Eddie @ EK to confirm.

However, I think it's a good chance they'll fit.

[Giuliano]

The Crosslinx waterblock looks nice, if it is happening. Would it be possible to have a waterblock for just the soutbridge and then cool the IDT with a heatsink. Will the IDT even get that hot?

Looking at the Heat Sink Requirements for the IDT PES24N3:

http://www.idt.com/products/getDoc.cfm?docID=18446090


It indicates that the chip's normal operating temperature is anywhere between 100 C and 125 C, or 212 F (boiling point) to 257 F.

It can go higher than that, 145 C with no heat sink..


I'd say that if it's hot enough to boil at the low end, then probably just a passive heatsink won't do.

[Giuliano]

Confirmed:

The EK NB-MAX will fit the NB chip on the Maximus Extreme.

The EK Mosfet Asus 3a (x38) mosfet blocks will also fit.

[Mando84]

Great! Just waiting for that SB/Crosslinx block and then it's time to start watercooling the entire MB.

Giuliano, make sure to post pictures of your 3xHD3870 all watercooled setup when it's ready.

[Giuliano]

Great! Just waiting for that SB/Crosslinx block and then it's time to start watercooling the entire MB.

Giuliano, make sure to post pictures of your 3xHD3870 all watercooled setup when it's ready.

Oh, you bet I will..


One of the minor negative things the Maximus Extreme has going for it is the placement of the third PCIe x16 slot.

It's at the edge of the board, which normally will only fit a 1-slot card.


My CM Cosmos 1000 case has the power supply just underneath the third PCIe slot, which physically prevents installation of the third 3870.

The only way I'll get it to fit is to use a water block, and with a 90' fitting.


Tenative plans so far are to install a ThermoChill PA120.3 at the top of the case solely for the video cards, and then make/buy an external dual PA120.3 cooler for the CPU/NB/etc.

[Giuliano]

Continued with minor adjustments to mounting hole placement..

Added 5th hole in center area - the other hole near the SB chip.


Current plans are to have the 3 x 3870's and the Crosslinx block on one loop, and the CPU / Mosfets / NB on the other loop..


The crosslinx chip should only get hot when the 2nd and 3rd PCIe slots are in use, and it's switching the x16 PCIe lane to 2 x8's.

[systemviper]

ok, i need one, where do i get one?

[Giuliano]

ok, i need one, where do i get one?

EK, some time in January or so.


He said he's going to start working on the new block after the New Year.

I'll probably ask him to send me a plastic prototype so I can test fit it before it goes into a production run.