Another Lian-Li PC-343B Build Log

[~aoe~]

I've been following a number of other build logs based on this case, and have been in the process of trying to build my own for the past few weeks. I should mention that this is my 1st attempt at building a water-cooling.

I'm currently at the stage where the CPU loop is up and running, and am awaiting a couple of components needed to complete the build.

The system is based on the following components:

Lian-Li PC-343B case
Q6600 G0 CPU
Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 motherboard
4 x 1GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500 memory
8800GTX graphics card

The cooling will be provided by:

Swiftech Apogee GTX CPU block with copper top
Swiftwch MCW60 GPU block
Swiftech MCW30 NB block
Enzotech CNB-S1L SB heatsink (modded)
2 x Swiftech MCP355 pumps with Petra's top
1 x Thermochill PA120.3 radiator (CPU & NB loop)
1 x Thermochill PA120.2 radiator (GPU loop)
2 x Swiftech MCRES reservoirs
Tygon 7/16" tubing
15 x Zalman ZM-F3 fans (red LED)

Here's my 1st attempt at building the CPU/NB loop:



You'll have to excuse the blue SmartCoils - I ran out of clear, and that was all I had at the time - I did intend to change them later.

I had a few problems with this layout. Firstly, I didn't plan the location of the pump very well (it's attached to the back of the motherboard tray) as I didn't leave enough room to install the hdd's in the drive bays. Next, I didn't apply enough TIM (1st time using Shin-Etsu x23-7783D). I also put a lot of dye in the water to try and achieve a darker colouring - in fact, I used half a bottle of Petra's 'red' (pink) dye, which was probably too much. I may also not have cleaned the radiators well enough. The result was cloudy tubing after a few hours of use, and an oily slick on the surface of the water in the reservoir.

So, I decided to strip it all down and have another go. This was not an easy task, and it got me thinking on how I could improve the layout to make draining easier.

I removed the PA120.1 radiator as I decided it wasn't really necessary and could do with the additional space and improved airflow. I also decided to put the pumps in the front of the case, and reverse the PA120.3 so that the barbs are at the bottom.

It took a while to clean the radiator again (lots of pink dye), but finally managed it and here is the new layout:



The filter is temporary and will be removed after I'm sure the loop is clean (maybe a week or so).

I'm happier with the layout, although I was unable to fit hose clamps to the radiator connections - not too bothered about this as I'm using 7/16" tubing on 1/2" fittings.

This is currently running 400x9 @ 1.5v (1.472v in WinXp drooping to 1.440v under load) 24hr prime stable with temps of 33 idle and 52 load. I think having it so close to the radiator is not a good idea and is affecting the temps, but it will be moved once complete. I'm sure there's more OC in there and will be able to spend more time on it once the build is complete.

I'll post some more pics and details on the build process shortly. I just wanted to make this post to commit myself to maintaining this build log

Finally, a quick thanks to the following threads for the inspiration:

Cascades' Lian-Li 343B Case 3-loop Project
Mjassbong's Project X-343B-WC
Mekrel's Project: Back To Black

[septim]

looks good, some more pics please...

[~aoe~]

First job was to remove the tops from the drive bays so that the PA120.3 radiator will fit. As the other threads have shown, this is a simple task that even I was able to manage within a couple of minutes. Drill out the rivets holding the top plates and voila:



I am using the standard Lian-Li modules for the front bays:



One thing I found when I'd installed the fans was that the Zalman fans were resonating badly with the aluminium plate in the modules:



To solve the problem, I called on Mr Dremel:



This should provide better airflow, but I do have one small problem still to overcome. For the bay covers on the radiator side, I can still have the dust filters installed:



However, for the drive bay modules, this is no longer possible:



I need to have a think on how to mod this to allow the filters to be used, but for now it's acceptable.

I'd originally intended to have both reservoirs sitting in the gap between the 2 drive bays:



However, after playing around with the routing of the tubing (also considering the new position of the pumps), I found it better to have the CPU loop reservoir at the back of the case with the outlet facing towards the pump. I'll leave the other where it is for the GPU loop.

I cut one of the standard mountings to tidy things up a bit:



Looks like I need to put some grease or something on the end to prevent oxidation.

The height of the Swiftech MicroRes reservoir is perfect for sitting on top of the motherboard tray

All my other builds have been blue - fans, cables, etc., and so I decided to go for a red theme for a change. As the standard case LEDs were blue, I replaced them with red LEDs. This was probably the most challenging part for me as I have no previous experience at soldering. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics during the process, but it wasn't as difficult as I had expected. Removing the LEDs from the case was simple. Cut the blue LED from the wire, solder the red LED to the wire, and then some heatshrink to cover the exposed wire. The soldering was the most difficult, especially as I forgot you needed flux, but it all worked out in the end.

I'm using a Sunbeam Rheobus fan controller due to it being able to handle up to 20W per channel. As I have 6 fans attached to the 1st channel, and a total of 15 fans that need to be controlled, this was probably my only option.

As many ppl have already mentioned, the LEDs are too bright on this controller, so I simply disabled them by disconnecting the centre pin on each:



The heatsink on the 1st channel does get rather warm with those 6 fans connected.

[~aoe~]

First step was to remove the stock cooling:



I'd planned to use the Swiftech MCW30 for cooling the NB, so checked to make sure I had a heatsink for the SB. I've got quite a few lying around, but none fit as the separation of the mounting holes is only 42mm on the ICH9R - a lot shorter than other motherboards.

I did consider simply reinstalling the stock cooling and tested this out with some new TIM, but wasn't happy with the seating of the NB:



So I decided to go with my original idea and use the MCW30. This meant that I needed a solution for the SB.

After due consideration, I decided to use the Enzotech CNB-S1L. It first needed some attention from Mr Dremel:



I had to remove one of the pins in the corner, drill new mounting holes closer together, and remove part of one of the mounting legs for it to fit (the leg on the right was hitting one of the caps). It was hard work drilling through that solid copper, but worked out well in the end.

That just left the Mosfets. My first thought was to use the standard solution, but I needed to disconnect it from the NB and SB. Normally, I would have simply cut the heatpipes, but I remember seeing another thread that suggested you could heat it up and pull them out. So, out with the heatgun and...the base plate dropped off I'd heated it so much that the solder holding the base plate had melted.

After a few minutes cursing, I wondered whether I could use a TR HR-03. However, the clearance between the caps at the back and the R80 things at the front (no idea what these are) is only 13mm

So, back to the stock solution. After an hour playing around with it and adding a considerable amount of additional solder to the contact surfaces, I finally managed to get it back together again. I cut the remaining heatpipe and installed it quickly before doing any further damage:



On with the MCW30 for the NB:



Spring mounting used - the hard mount is not suitable due to the IHS on the NB, but also not really required. The IHS provides additional stability for the block.

You can see in the background that the Apogee GTX with copper top is already installed.

[pH(x)]

Ah great, love to see another Lian Li 343B going up, good luck on your watercooling loop. What was the reason on choosing this particular case?

[disruptfam]

Jedda's Project: Back To Black

lol i think you mean mekrel's project....

nice build by the way

[RubberDuck]

Wow that looks great. I like the looks of the Lian Li case. I have a stupid question to ask. What is the waterfilter for ???

[~aoe~]

Thanks for all the comments.

lol i think you mean mekrel's project....

oops - corrected. I'm following Jedda's project also, and got confused

What was the reason on choosing this particular case?

Long story and a bit complicated. I remember seeing Patriote's avatar and then saw this case on Aqua-PCs (UK) and thought they were the same. At the time, they didn't have the case in stock. I then found out his avatar was actually an MM case, so I ordered one. When it arrived, it wasn't exactly what I wanted - although it is a very nice case. In the meantime, I'd also built a PC for a friend and that was the first Lian-Li case I had worked on. I was impressed with the quality of the case, then saw all these threads of ppl working on PC-343B water-cooling builds. Ordered one and loved it from the minute it arrived.

It's a bit more work getting everything installed, but I am getting a nice sense of satisfaction from the build process. However, this has been going on for a couple of months now, and I just want it finished so that I can use it

What is the waterfilter for ???

Well, when I first set the CPU loop, I had a lot of gunk floating in the reservoir. I'm not sure if it was because I didn't clean the rads properly or maybe I used too much dye. In order to try and make sure everything is nice and clean inside, I decided to put the filter in just for a week or so. During this period, I'll leave the PC running 24/7.

It's also suggested by MaxxxRacer in one of his guides. As this is my 1st WC build, I'm being overcautious

[cablesguy]

~aoe~

Nice build n choice of casing , 1 question, after removing the top instead of cutting like what Mekrel n Mjassbong did to fit the PA120.3, does the top rattle?

TIA

[~aoe~]

Nice build n choice of casing , 1 question, after removing the top instead of cutting like what Mekrel n Mjassbong did to fit the PA120.3, does the top rattle?

Thanks.

There's no rattle - once the radiator bracket at the top is screwed in, the structure is very rigid.

[septim]

Hey man looking good, progress in the making...

could you perhaps take a picture of that foam material the lian li uses as filter? thanks...

[~aoe~]

Happy to oblige:

[Jedda]

Looking good.
Pity you had to cut that plate but I'd try mounting the mesh on the front of that first plate instead of in the slot behind it. A small amount of tape or velcro would hold it in place.

[~aoe~]

Good idea.

I was thinking about using some mesh to create a slot for the filter, but couldn't get a clear idea on how to keep it in place. I now have some on order and will give it a try when it arrives.

If I cut it right, maybe I'll be able to simply wedge it in there - doesn't need to be firmly attached as it will only support the filter, which weighs next to nothing.

[Jedda]

The 3M industrial strength invisible double sided tape that PerfPC, amongst others, sells is crash hot for mounting modders mesh and that sort of thing. Once stuck it's stuck though, so velcro is better if you'll be dis-assembling at all.
I'm surprised you had the resonance. I'm using those bays in my V1000 twin and find them quite solid. Guess it depends on the fans?

[~aoe~]

Yeah - I'm sure it was the fans. I've got different fans in a couple of other modules and no resonance.

Seeing as I'm waiting on parts to complete the GPU loop, I'm working on a few finishing touches. Here's the side panel window completed :



If anyone has any suggestions on products for cleaning the metal panels that are available in Spain (or EU), then please let me know. Lots of fingerprints that need to be removed, preferably whilst leaving the paint intact

[Jedda]

Can you get ALCOWIPE swabs? They're the little alcahol dipped swabs used for injections. Very handy for wiping off fingerprints.
Trick is to get the prints off asap.

[~aoe~]

I'll have to check. I do have some 96% alcohol which I've just tried. Seems to be removing them ok, but will require some time to do it properly.

I remember trying this alcohol on the MM case, which was covered with lots of marks from the plastic wrapping it was delivered in, but whilst it didn't damage the paint, it also didn't remove the marks. What it did do was to spread the marks over a larger area

Any stronger products I tried actually removed the paint causing the surface to look scratched

Maybe some sort of mild polish would be better for the MM case.

I'll have to do some testing on the products available here in Spain.

[Jedda]

MM cases are painted, aren't they?
Whereas Lian Li are brushed anodysed aluminium and need different treatment.

[~aoe~]

Yes, that's true. They use a powder-coating process to paint the cases. Just not sure how to clean them.

Most of the marks on the surface are from the plastic 'stretch wrap' (or whatever you call it), but some are adhesive residues left by tape.

Alcohol can dissolve the adhesive residue, but it evaporates quickly, and the adhesive doesn't seem to attach itself to the cloth, but stays on the painted surface. It just gets spread around Alcohol has no effect on the 'stretch wrap' marks.

I haven't decided whether to use the case yet in my next water cooling build (I love my TJ07 - not sure I can drop it for the MM), so haven't spent any time trying out different products to clean the surfaces.

[cablesguy]

try this, easiest finger print remover n cleaner n polisher (well not really a polish as its non abrasive) for anodized alu's that i know

[~aoe~]

That looks good. I would also like some double-sided adhesive tapes from 3M (one for mounting ramsinks and one for the mesh). I'll have to search again for a supplier here in Spain.

[Angry_Steel]

Coolmod used to carry them but I dont think they do anymore, I may be wrong though so look around on the site.

[disruptfam]

i use just some mother's alu polish to get rid of the fingerprint's works well..

[Jedda]

i use just some mother's alu polish to get rid of the fingerprint's works well..

Haven't ever used it on a black case so didn't recomend it but it certainly has been good on the silver Lian Lis.

I'd be amazed if 3M had missed Spain from it's distribution net and Here it is.