• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Critique my Devil's Canyon plan

E

ErkkiP

n00b
Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
10
I'm planning on stripping my five-year-old watercooled rig of its Thermochill PA140.3 radiator & Aquacomputer HDD waterblock, then buying the following:

CPU: Devil's Canyon i5-4690K
CPU waterblock: EK Supreme Acetal
GPU: Intel integrated, eventually single nVidia 8XX
Mobo: Asus Gene VII
RAM: 8GB Kingston HyperX Fury @ 1866, 1.5v
PSU: Antec Earthwatts 550W 80+ Platinum, non-modular cabling
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB OR preferably an M.2 SSD
HDD: WD Red 3TB + olde WD Green 2TB I already own; the HDD block fits two 3.25" drives
Fans: 3x 140mm Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-2000 PWM
Pump + reservoir: AquaComputer Eheim 1046 that runs off 12v and is USB-controllable + a delrin reservoir that plugs directly onto the pump
Filters: Single DemciFlex for intake, three smaller ones (size: 2x 5.25 bay) for exhaust
Other: 1/2" ID Norprene tubing, Monsoon fittings, Gelid Solutions GC Extreme paste (Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra is too bothersome), no LEDs

Built into a custom plywood case with a metal motherboard tray that I'll salvage from an ancient ATX tower case & Dremel to fit. Assembled & painted like so (lid, hinges and exhausts not shown):

  • HDD waterblock on the top left next to the pump + res. They do not need any airflow so a wall separates these from the motherboard portion.
  • The motherboard compartment is raised so there is 2cm of free space underneath it allowing me to run tubing & cabling out of sight.
  • Tubing not pictured, water flow is radiator -> HDD block -> pump -> CPU -> radiator.
  • Three exhaust filters will go 1) behind the PSU 2) to the left of the GPU on the rear wall 3) to the right of the GPU on the lid.
  • I've allocated space for a slim drive if I ever need one. Power and reset buttons go between it and the radiator along with front panel audio and two USB 3.0 connectors (not pictured).
  • For coolant I'll run car battery water (distilled & de-ionized) with an anti algaecide agent. None of the watercooling components let light hit water.

SGgrSZu.png


Intended for gaming at 1920x1200, GoPro video editing, programming, and relatively quiet overclocking for the sheer hell of it. Still got a few months before I start buying parts so I have the time required to plan this well. Total cost without discrete GPU is slightly over 1000€ as I can get most of the parts via employee discount. Thoughts?
 
Sounds like a decent plan, but I wouldn't even bother using that HDD block. Most drives don't get warm anymore, but if you want to install them into a chamber with Zero airflow I guess it is required. I personally would forgo the extra restriction and just have a single 120mm fan that blows air into the HDD and pump compartment.


Also, if you use the exact setup you mocked up, that pump is going to get mighty warm without any airflow. After making sure every other part is nice and cool, the last thing you want to do it bake the pump that all that expensive hardware requires to run properly!!!

I would also have some sort of venting in the rear of the case to allow the warm air from the rad fans to escape..It doesn't have to be huge, I just think the single PSU fan drawing already warm air out isn't going to be enough ventilation...Again, another thing of concern is that you are trying to cool the PSU (the most important part in a system aside from the pump) with HOT air from the loop.
 
Thanks for the pointers.

That HDD block enables me to easily and cleanly mount two drives and not worry about cooling at all. It's not absolutely necessary, but I already have it so I might as reuse it in my new build.

Why would a pump need airflow? It has coolant running through it.

I've added in some extra ventilation: a 2x140 filter on the lid positioned near the GPU.

As this is is more of a case build than a water cooling post, I've made a new thread in a different subforum.
 
ErkkiP said:
Why would a pump need airflow? It has coolant running through it.
Click to expand...
Not all pumps dump most/all their heat into the loop. I can't speak for the eheim myself, but the DDC type pumps can get very hot without air flow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top