My first watercooled build

D

d7a7z7e7d

Gawd
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Messages
770
Finally, after many years of just upgrading a component on occasion, I have finally built my dream system thanks to some sneaky saving from my wonderful wife! This is my first watercooled rig and I couldn't of done it without the help of a new good friend. Thanks for all the help JLangevin!

Specs:

2500k @ 5GHz 24/7 (1.375v, XSPC Raystorm)
ASUS Sabertooth Z77
2x EVGA GTX 680 (SLI) @ 1200MHz each (EK Blocks)
16GB Team Xtreem DDR3 @ 2133MHz (9-10-10-27, 1.5v)
2x 256GB Corsair Performance Pro SSD (Raid 0)
XSPC EX240 & Swiftech MCR-320-XP w/AP-15s
Alphacool VPP655 Pump w/HF Top
NZXT Switch 810 (White) w/Corsair AX1200 PSU
Custom 1/2"ID Watercooling Loop w/White Feser Tubing

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Very nice build! I really want a white mATX case for my upcoming HTPC. Love the white cases. I can't help but notice the striking resemblance with JLangevin rig (including the white tubing).
 
Hah yeah, when trying to figure out what I wanted to build, I ran across a pic of his rig (when he had the clear tubing with red dye) and shot him a PM asking for some more details on his loop. We got to chatting and he ended up teaching me pretty much everything I needed to know to build my first loop. I really wanted to go white case and tubing and I loved his setup so I pretty much copied it as much as possible. He helped me pick out a couple extras like the monsoon fittings and the alphacool pump too.

The white tubing was my idea though! ;) After we started talking he mentioned his tubing was becoming cloudy and so as a gesture thanking him for all the help, I wanted to buy him some new tubing but he wouldn't take it without giving me a couple yate loons in trade. So we met up at the local Fry's, geeked out on some hardware and traded the parts. As soon as he got home he switched out his tubing... needless to say, it took me a bit longer to get mine done. At the end of the day though, I think our rigs are now brothers!
 
HAHA, yeah, but Step Brothers... AMD vs Intel... just like the movie Step Brothers too... DONT TOUCH MY DRUM SET!!!

d7a7z7e7d said:
Hah yeah, when trying to figure out what I wanted to build, I ran across a pic of his rig (when he had the clear tubing with red dye) and shot him a PM asking for some more details on his loop. We got to chatting and he ended up teaching me pretty much everything I needed to know to build my first loop. I really wanted to go white case and tubing and I loved his setup so I pretty much copied it as much as possible. He helped me pick out a couple extras like the monsoon fittings and the alphacool pump too.

The white tubing was my idea though! ;) After we started talking he mentioned his tubing was becoming cloudy and so as a gesture thanking him for all the help, I wanted to buy him some new tubing but he wouldn't take it without giving me a couple yate loons in trade. So we met up at the local Fry's, geeked out on some hardware and traded the parts. As soon as he got home he switched out his tubing... needless to say, it took me a bit longer to get mine done. At the end of the day though, I think our rigs are now brothers!
Click to expand...
 
Oh, and yeah, I did beat him to the white tubing install, but the white was totally d7's idea, and it looks phenominal!
 
Very nice build.


Personally I love this case.
Here is a look at what I did with the same case and a single GTX 680. Less complex loop than yours though.

We chose the same waterblock for the GTX 680..

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Extremely impressive, and the white case and tubing just look great. I'm thinking of using white tubing for my next W/C build.
 
Its kind of difficult to see at the top, but are you using a rad/pump/res combo or something?
 
This is the Watercooled White NZXT Switch 810 thread! Members only jackets to follow...
 
My boy, that is one sweet heck of a rig. I feel myself dying inside looking at the pictures. My PC-X1000 looks sad!
 
JLangevin said:
Its kind of difficult to see at the top, but are you using a rad/pump/res combo or something?
Click to expand...

Don't want to hijack this thread, so apologies to OP.

This watercooling kit that I am using is based on the Swiftech Edge HD kit and the rad comes with the pump and reservoir connected in a single unit. Make for simple, clean loop with less reduction in flow.
 
OP, it's...it's beautiful. You got some mad skills for being a first timer.:D
 
footman said:
Don't want to hijack this thread, so apologies to OP.

This watercooling kit that I am using is based on the Swiftech Edge HD kit and the rad comes with the pump and reservoir connected in a single unit. Make for simple, clean loop with less reduction in flow.
Click to expand...

I had heard reviews that particular kit was pretty noisy when the pump was at 12v due to it being mounted to the radiator, is that true?
 
JLangevin said:
I had heard reviews that particular kit was pretty noisy when the pump was at 12v due to it being mounted to the radiator, is that true?
Click to expand...

Not at all, the pump is Swiftech's PWM controlled MCP-365. A great pump. Connect it to the 4pin motherboard header and it is controlled by temps. I have mine set to around 2100rpm 24/7 and this is silent. Anything over 3500rpm can be noticed. I also swapped out the stock fans for my 1850rpm Scythe Gentle Typhoon fans at 7v and to all intents and purposes I have a silent solution that keeps temps down and results in a silent PC. I will mention that all the stock NZXT fans are loud, so the 140mm stock fans have all been swapped out with 140mm 900rpm CM case fans that are almost silent....
 
d7a7z7e7d said:
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K. Forgive me for being a newb here.

In this picture, there is what appears to be a Swiftech reservoir, with 2 hoses coming out of the top of it (one tied to the case interior, and one going to a drive bay?) .

Can you tell me what the reservoir is, and where those two hoses go, and their function?

Thanks!
-Bn
 
Blacknoir said:
K. Forgive me for being a newb here.

In this picture, there is what appears to be a Swiftech reservoir, with 2 hoses coming out of the top of it (one tied to the case interior, and one going to a drive bay?) .

Can you tell me what the reservoir is, and where those two hoses go, and their function?

Thanks!
-Bn
Click to expand...

Great question...I don't know for sure myself, but my guess would be that one of them is a fill-port and perhaps the other a drain port?
 
The setup looks fantastic!

One question I have about the loop.. res>pump>top rad>cpu>gpu>gpu>bottom rad>res
Won't this setup increase temps inside of your case, since the bottom rad is getting most (if not all) of the heat from the cpu/gpu's?
 
It doesnt really work like that, the water temp will equalize regardless of the order of the components. He is running his loop in the same exact order mine is in, with the exact same radiators and my temps are just fine. In fact, even during load, the lower rad is no warmer than the upper rad.

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Nice job OP! Gotta love the switch 810.

At first glance while scrolling down the front page I almost shit and thought 'my computer?' but quickly realized it wasn't.

switchcomputer.jpg

Shot at 2012-03-06
 
*sigh, didn't see that I was on the first page still...

Darn you 810 owners lol. I keep trying to justify keeping my 500R. Right now it's a matter of being lazy and not wanting to have to take everything apart :eek:
 
JLangevin said:
Yeah, Thats his fill port.
Click to expand...

After a little investigation, it looks like a Swiftech MCRES Micro Rev2 Reservoir, and what I originally thought to be 2 hoses is actually 1 that's tied near the grommet hole.

Again, newb-ish question here. My assumption that if he needs to fill up the reservoir, he simply would remove the back plate and fill via the back grommet. Is that correct?

Also, was there a conscious thought to not having the rads in push-pull? It appears that the top rad could not go push-pull due to the clearance needed for the optical drive, but I'm wondering if there would be any added benefit to push-pull on the lower rad since there appears to be enough clearance.

Finally, would I be correct in assuming that the fans are blowing air out for both rads, and that the only intake fan is the rear?

Thanks!
-Bn
 
Ill go ahead and answer this for d7 since he is a pretty busy guy, and I designed his system with him.

After a little investigation, it looks like a Swiftech MCRES Micro Rev2 Reservoir, and what I originally thought to be 2 hoses is actually 1 that's tied near the grommet hole.

Yes, it is a Swiftech Micro Rev 2 and that is one hose coming off the top, looped around for filling. In this pic there is no plug on it so I am assuming thit was taken during filling/bleeding. I dont believe he plans on leaving it hooked up full time and will be removing it if he hasnt already.

Again, newb-ish question here. My assumption that if he needs to fill up the reservoir, he simply would remove the back plate and fill via the back grommet. Is that correct?

If he needs to do a complete drain and refill, he can reattach the tube and fill through it out of the front of the case. If he needs to top off, he can do that with a small funnel without the tube at all.

Also, was there a conscious thought to not having the rads in push-pull? It appears that the top rad could not go push-pull due to the clearance needed for the optical drive, but I'm wondering if there would be any added benefit to push-pull on the lower rad since there appears to be enough clearance.

He and I talked a lot about push/pull and part of the case and we decided that going AP-15 Typhoons full speed 100% was fine for him since he isnt a noise nazi. I also did extensive testing with push/pull on my own setup (same exact rads and setup) and with dual rads saw at MOST 2*c difference at full loads with equalized water temps, and even that could have simply been ambient fluctuations. Push pull is nice, but to me, its more noise, cost and its just not pretty. If someone gets a high pressure fan like the Aerocool Sharks or the GT Typhoons, pull will be more than enough.

Finally, would I be correct in assuming that the fans are blowing air out for both rads, and that the only intake fan is the rear?

He forgot to add one of his NZXT fans to the front, but no, his fans are not setup like you mentioned. His rear fan is an exhaust, his top 3 fans arde exhausts. But bottom 2 rad fans are pulling air in from the bottom of the case, and the fans on front are also bringing air in to the case.
 
JLangevin said:
Ill go ahead and answer this for d7 since he is a pretty busy guy, and I designed his system with him.
Click to expand...

I really appreciate you taking the time to answer those questions. I've been looking at a very similar setup with the Switch 810, and you've given me a good warm-n-fuzzy that the direction that I was heading in was pretty spot on. This will also be my first WC build, so as you can probably imagine, I'm a bit nervous. :D

Thanks again!
-Bn
 
BAH, there is nothing to be nervous about. If you can manage to overcome the initial cost and come to grips with the fact that water is flowing through your machine, and take the time to do it right, its quite safe and reliable.

PM me if you need any help with anything. Good luck!
 
d7a7z7e7d, I see your using the Monsoon Compression fittings, along with the White Feser tubing. I'm assuming that is the 1/2" ID / 3/4" OD tubing, correct? Did you have any problems getting a proper seal with this combination? Do you consider the Monsoon fittings to be a high quality product? How stiff is the White Feser tubing to work with?
 
I would like to know how he likes the Monsoons too since I suggested them to him because they were on my "wishlist" too. The Feser tubing is VERY flexible and easy to work with, and very kink resistant too. I reccomend it highly.
 
JLangevin said:
I would like to know how he likes the Monsoons too since I suggested them to him because they were on my "wishlist" too. The Feser tubing is VERY flexible and easy to work with, and very kink resistant too. I recommend it highly.
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Thanks for that, JLangevin.

I have tried other 1/2" x 3/4" tubing in the past and found it to be so stiff it made my Bitspower rotary couplings leak. (Monsoon is supposedly coming out with their own rotaries very soon. )

That pic in your post #24 is your rig, right?

So it looks like the Feser takes a 90 degree bend without any problem?

So how much of the Feser did you end up buying, and actually using?
 
Yes, post #24 is my rig. The CPU to GPU bend is pretty sharp and used to use some VERY stiff 1/2Id-3/4OD clear tubing that would put lots of pressure on my fittings. The only thing I hd to change was the lower rad to res layout as the "S" style bend wasnt good for the feser, it woudl kink slightly at the fitting for the res, so I fixed that by simply making a larger swoop as you can see in my pic. It wraps around behind the pump supply hose.

d7 supplied me with 8 feet of tube, and I ended up with just over 1.5ft left over.
 
JLangevin said:
Yes, post #24 is my rig. The CPU to GPU bend is pretty sharp and used to use some VERY stiff 1/2Id-3/4OD clear tubing that would put lots of pressure on my fittings. The only thing I hd to change was the lower rad to res layout as the "S" style bend wasnt good for the feser, it woudl kink slightly at the fitting for the res, so I fixed that by simply making a larger swoop as you can see in my pic. It wraps around behind the pump supply hose.

d7 supplied me with 8 feet of tube, and I ended up with just over 1.5ft left over.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, very helpful. Anything you DO NOT like about the 810 case? Because I'm thinking very seriously of buying one in white, and selling my Corsair 700D.
 
There are a couple of gripes that I have, but they are very minor...

1. There are no offset holes for the "stealth drive" bay except for the very top bay. What this means is that only the upper most DVD rom drive sits far enough back to use it, and when using a triple rad, you cant use that bay. The only way around this is to mount the fans on top of the case mount, and the radiator under the top of the case. This isnt ideal to me since it creates a bit of a gap between the fans and radiator. d7 had no choice but to mount his radiator like that since his Sabertooth Z77 board was hitting his barb.

2. The NZXT 140mm fans are pretty noisy at 12v. If you have a controller, then thats a moot point

3. The top louvered cover is nice, but a little flimsy, this is just a minor gripe of mine, but it clicks in with some very cheap plastic, so I dont know how much on and off it could withstand

4. There is not as much room between the rear panel and the rear of the motherboard tray as one might think. This makes for some tight fit if you have a mess of wires or dont have a modular power supply

5. The case is made of steel and plastic. Its fairly sturdy, but believe it or not, when you remove the lower bracket (for the radiator) and the lower drive bay, it can actually twist a bit in your hands when handling it. Its not in any danger of breaking or anything, but if you are coming from a full aluminum Corsair, it may freak you out at first.

Now I had to really sit here and think to come up with these 5 gripes, but they are certainly outweighed by the amount of amazing things this case has to offer.
 
JLangevin said:
There are a couple of gripes that I have, but they are very minor...

1. There are no offset holes for the "stealth drive" bay except for the very top bay. What this means is that only the upper most DVD rom drive sits far enough back to use it, and when using a triple rad, you cant use that bay. The only way around this is to mount the fans on top of the case mount, and the radiator under the top of the case. This isnt ideal to me since it creates a bit of a gap between the fans and radiator. d7 had no choice but to mount his radiator like that since his Sabertooth Z77 board was hitting his barb.

2. The NZXT 140mm fans are pretty noisy at 12v. If you have a controller, then thats a moot point

3. The top louvered cover is nice, but a little flimsy, this is just a minor gripe of mine, but it clicks in with some very cheap plastic, so I dont know how much on and off it could withstand

4. There is not as much room between the rear panel and the rear of the motherboard tray as one might think. This makes for some tight fit if you have a mess of wires or dont have a modular power supply

5. The case is made of steel and plastic. Its fairly sturdy, but believe it or not, when you remove the lower bracket (for the radiator) and the lower drive bay, it can actually twist a bit in your hands when handling it. Its not in any danger of breaking or anything, but if you are coming from a full aluminum Corsair, it may freak you out at first.

Now I had to really sit here and think to come up with these 5 gripes, but they are certainly outweighed by the amount of amazing things this case has to offer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, very helpful.

(1) I use external DVD drives so that isn't a problem. I would probably mount my fans and rad just like d7.

(2) As far as the fans go, I use a controller anyway, so that isn't a problem.

(3) OK.

(4) I'll stop by Fry's and take a look, they have them in stock in Arlington. I do have a Thermaltake 1200 Toughpower modular PS, but I still have a boatlaod of wires behind the mobo, because I'm using extensions.

(5) Actually the Corsair is mostly steel, only the front faceplate is aluminum.

I'm really tired of aluminum and black cases. Never thought I'd say that. I would really like a red full tower case, but those are almost impossible to find. So I think I'm going with white.
 
If you're not put off by the angular look, NZXT has the Phantom cases in Red. Also, there are some HAF cases in red too. Or you can always paint any case you want red :)

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Thanks for helping answer some of the questions JLangevin!

In regards to the tubing and monsoon fittings... Yes the tubing is 1/2"ID and 3/4" OD and the fittings are very secure on it. Here are the exact fittings I used:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...odders_6_Pack_Matte_Black_FCC-1234-6P-MB.html

The only problem with the fittings is that the diameter is pretty large at the base in order for the fitting to screw on and that ends up preventing installation in certain tight or recessed places like the back of my video cards and the bottom port on the res. Other than that, the quality is very nice and the unique tool they provide to tighten everything makes sure that you don't end up with any wrench marks on your fittings.
 
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