New Mozart TX Dual Loop Build with Lots of Pics

[karl_eller]

Man, why can I never get my tubing looking that neat and tidy? Seeing your loop layout has convinced me to re-do my loop some time. That and I've found a freaking awesome Black/UV Blue dye that looks really hot.

Eller

[disruptfam]

me likes... good work mate!

[karl_eller]

You better double-check that tubing run on the video cards.

It doesn't look too bad. In the top card, through what is effectively a Y-split, out the bottom card. The layout of the cards means that each card is getting pretty much identical flow rate. The CPU and board is on a separate loop.

It's a bit unusual, yes, but it should work, when you think about the paths of the water through both GPU blocks.

Eller

[Pellepel]

very cool

[CoNMaN]

Nice work!

[karl_eller]

Neither card is going to get much flow with that setup.

May I suggest this fix:

It works exactly the same as a Y-Splitter would. Water goes in the top barb. Half of the flow goes through the first card, out the outlet, then bypasses the 2nd card, and through the bottom tube. The other half of the water bypasses the first card, goes through the second card, then out the bottom tube. Both water blocks have identical restrictions (well, should have ), and the lengths of tubing, so the flow rate will be identical. Half the flow rate, yes, but it's the same as if he was using a normal Y-splitter, except this one is simpler, easier to balance, and looks nicer.

A quick Paint edit, and flow would look a bit like this:

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...Eller/flow.jpg

Eller

[RockfordFosgate]

I love the last updates

[Sunayknits]

Thanks everyone for your comments!

The cards in this configuration amount to a Y-fitting, exactly as some of you have said.

I know for a fact that this works great since I had it set up this way before I rebuilt. The cards were usually within 1 degree C of each other, most of the time they were equal.

I don't know if this would work as well if there were other things in the loop, but since I have a dedicated GFX card loop it works perfectly. The flow is split evenly between each card and even tho the flow rate is reduced, it is not a considerable reduction. Under load I generally see under 50C for both cards, with an ambient temp of around 25C. This is with them both overclocked so I think those are pretty decent figures ...

Also, the flow goes from the bottom to the top. I find this allows the system to self-bleed much more easily, and it fosters clean and short lines. Both loops are set up this way:

Res -> Pump -> Blocks -> Rad

Pumps like to PUSH fluid, otherwise they can cavitate and give you trouble. For example you always find the fuel pump inside the gas tank on modern cars. I tried to model my loops that way for performance

I'll have more updates soon. I have to make a bracket for the iRams and that's gonna take a while ...

[Sunayknits]

Oh one thing I forgot to mention, sorry no pictures

When I had it apart I added some EK backplates for the MOSFETs. Man what a difference! Previously the board would bend enough to prevent the blocks from actually touching the MOSFETS in the center. The backplates mitigated this problem tremendously.

Highly recommended! Install backplates if you're gonna water-cool your MOSFETS!

[skinnee]

did you re-use the Asus backplates? I can't tell which board from the pics, so I don't know if your board had the mosfet and NB/SB backplates like the SIIE does.

[Sunayknits]

did you re-use the Asus backplates? I can't tell which board from the pics, so I don't know if your board had the mosfet and NB/SB backplates like the SIIE does.

I didn't get any with the board (ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus). I bought the EK backplates and used those.

I did have to find some longer screws at a local hardware store. Shame EK doesn't include them with the backplates ...

[reppgoa]

Hi, I havebeen following your progress for some time now and I am very impressed with it. I was wondering what kind of computer education you have. I am very interested in this type of modding as a hobby and would like to take a few classes to learn some of the stuff that you have displayed. For example making your own custom power cables, the work you did on the LED and fan controller and some of the more complicated hardware aspects of building and modding PCs. I have a pretty good basic knowledge of computers and have been building them for awhile now but would like to go beyond what I currently know. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide and have a great day.

[bigslappy]

sub'ed

;p

[dengyong]

Will you be able to remove the ram without removing the hard drives ?

[HaCKs]

It works exactly the same as a Y-Splitter would. Water goes in the top barb. Half of the flow goes through the first card, out the outlet, then bypasses the 2nd card, and through the bottom tube. The other half of the water bypasses the first card, goes through the second card, then out the bottom tube. Both water blocks have identical restrictions (well, should have ), and the lengths of tubing, so the flow rate will be identical. Half the flow rate, yes, but it's the same as if he was using a normal Y-splitter, except this one is simpler, easier to balance, and looks nicer.

A quick Paint edit, and flow would look a bit like this:

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n...Eller/flow.jpg

Eller

That setup is not going to work very well.... the water is not forced to pass through both cards, and it won't.

[aspire.comptech]

That setup is not going to work very well.... the water is not forced to pass through both cards, and it won't.

QFT.

[DarthBeavis]

That setup is not going to work very well.... the water is not forced to pass through both cards, and it won't.

That is a total pass through. A guy at the last Intel LAN I went to had a boutique rig (not sure which one but a skull is their logo) in which they had a dual card DD loop in which the flow went down from card one to card two by passing card one as in this loop but instead of exiting the second card like this loop it returned the flow back up to the first card via the other barb and then exited the card loop via the right top barb . . .it would operate at stock but if you oc'd it even a hair all hell would break loose . . .

[Sunayknits]

Hi, I havebeen following your progress for some time now and I am very impressed with it. I was wondering what kind of computer education you have. I am very interested in this type of modding as a hobby and would like to take a few classes to learn some of the stuff that you have displayed. For example making your own custom power cables, the work you did on the LED and fan controller and some of the more complicated hardware aspects of building and modding PCs. I have a pretty good basic knowledge of computers and have been building them for awhile now but would like to go beyond what I currently know. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide and have a great day.

Well first of all, thx for the props

I have a BS (bull) in Computer Engineering. This is not what fostered my growth (or education, really) in computers. I've been building (and taking apart) things since I was old enough to remember. I've had one of nearly every major computer ever made, and kept up on most of the architecture changes since I could read. Unfortunately this is becoming nearly impossible now with the changes coming so fast ...

Honestly the most important skill you can have is "googling". College teaches you jack squat, the most important skill you get from College is the ability to research something. I had to find crap in an Encycolpedia back in the day, but now I have a VAST resource for absolutely ANYTHING I want to know. That is what you call a paradigm shift

The key is to know WHAT to search for and HOW to find it!

The next important thing is the willingness to screw up, and screw up often. The time you spend thinking about how to do something is time that you could have spent actually trying it. The moral is, do 10 minutes of research on say, creating cables, then spend a few hours actually trying it!

There is no substitute for experience in any trade. When people are awed with my fuel-injected '57 Chevy and ask me how I did it, it always seems to surprise them that I "just did it"! I tried and tried and by about the 5th time, I finally achieved something useful. Failure is the greatest teacher, and you can't be afraid.

The difference between a layman and an expert is very simple: experience.

Give it a shot and every time you fail, you have the opportunity to learn. Share with others when you get the chance (which means "dont be lazy") and try to create a dialoge with those people who are better than you.

So first, be clear on what you want, then go out and find as much information as you can. Then try it and see what happens! That's the best advice I can give you.

Good luck and when you get something done, hit me again for some feedback.

[Sunayknits]

Will you be able to remove the ram without removing the hard drives ?

No, but I can pull the cables from the Raptors and remove 4 screws and I'm good to go. One of the drawbacks of making something so completely custom is that maintenance becomes a bit of a pain ... even so it takes me literally 30 seconds to remove the Raptors.

[Sunayknits]

That setup is not going to work very well.... the water is not forced to pass through both cards, and it won't.

I know this works because I've tried it \

Go out to EK and see how the cards flow, and you will quickly see why this works. Frankly after I thought about it, I was amazed that more people didn't do this. However it's always easy to see something after you understand it, just like you always find things in the last place you look

[Sunayknits]

QFT.

QFT?

Forgive my internet ignorance, but I have no idea what that means

[karl_eller]

That setup is not going to work very well.... the water is not forced to pass through both cards, and it won't.

Except it IS forced to pass through both cards. The resistance in each water block is identical (or as close to identical as the manufacturing process allows), and the water is going to be forced to split between both blocks. Just take a couple of minutes to think about how the internals of the blocks are laid out. If he only had one of the tubes connecting the card, then yes, you're right, it wouldn't work, but with both connections there, it WILL work just like a Y-splitter, except the flow would be more even than you'd be able to get using a Y-Splitter.

Sunayknits: QFT is short for "quoted for truth", basically a way of saying you agree with something someone said.

Eller

[Sunayknits]

That is a total pass through. A guy at the last Intel LAN I went to had a boutique rig (not sure which one but a skull is their logo) in which they had a dual card DD loop in which the flow went down from card one to card two by passing card one as in this loop but instead of exiting the second card like this loop it returned the flow back up to the first card via the other barb and then exited the card loop via the right top barb . . .it would operate at stock but if you oc'd it even a hair all hell would break loose . . .

Hmm, that sounds a bit goofy ... no surprise it was unstable. I think mine works well because the loop is super simple, and this loop is dedicated. Honestly I'm very surprised most ppl don't do it this way ...

Beavis, your Cherry build is blowing my mind. I have dreams about that crap

[Sunayknits]

Except it IS forced to pass through both cards. The resistance in each water block is identical (or as close to identical as the manufacturing process allows), and the water is going to be forced to split between both blocks. Just take a couple of minutes to think about how the internals of the blocks are laid out. If he only had one of the tubes connecting the card, then yes, you're right, it wouldn't work, but with both connections there, it WILL work just like a Y-splitter, except the flow would be more even than you'd be able to get using a Y-Splitter.

Sunayknits: QFT is short for "quoted for truth", basically a way of saying you agree with something someone said.

Eller

QFT

[karl_eller]

Hmm, that sounds a bit goofy ... no surprise it was unstable. I think mine works well because the loop is super simple, and this loop is dedicated. Honestly I'm very surprised most ppl don't do it this way ...

Yeah, if I end up getting dual HD4870 X2's, chances are I'll be using FC waterblocks (the XSPC Razor blocks look REALLY nice), in which case I think I'll probably steal your way of setting the bocks up.

Eller