Frank's 2013 upgrade.......

[The1stCAV]

This is the official start of the next Frank N Stein upgrade!

Originally I had hoped to start this thread based on a new case design I was working on to house Frank's "badness" in a single case solution as opposed to his external ERM cooling solution still. This case is still in discussion and planning phase with Mountain Mods, unsure as to finalization on the design and overall solution at the moment, but its work in progress as this case will be very unique in some ways. In short it is based around the MORA3 LT Rad I had originally purchased for the "Vampi" build that got killed quickly.

CATCHING UP:
What is transpiring is a hardware upgrade for Frank. Many minor upgrades have occurred over the year as well as a significant rebuilding of all his tubing and coolant solution as it was a year old and time to do the "oil change" on him. He went many miles and it was time to flush and re-tube him.

What is gone out of Frank that was part of the 2011 build?

• Creative XFi Titanium Sound card
• USB 3.0 Riser card - this was the ultimate culprit of all those weird issues I had from Franks last build. If you followed that thread, there was a time I had enough, pulled out the Asus Rampage, and replaced it with an EVGA X58 Classified, only to keep having similar issues. It was finally solved when I pulled this card out - all USB problems ceased, power issues ceased, and things began to return normal.
• OCZ Vertex 2 60g SSD's x4 - all four are on eBay being sold.
• Saitek Cyborg Keyboard v7
• Turtle Beach PX5 Headphones

What is new in Frank since the 2011 build oficially ended?

• HT | OMEGA Claro Halo w/XT - a 192Kz 7.1 sound card that is simply light years better than that XFI card was. Sound quality is amazing.
• Razer Tiamat 7.1 Headphones - the mic quality was an issue with the PX5's for me as was having the batteries die at the most inopportune times. It was time to go back to hardwired.
• Buttkicker Gamer Though this was discussed at the end of the last build, it finally happened and is awesome
• Razer Nostromos Still trying to get used to this thing, but I can tell how it will help improve game play. I need all the edge I can get against those younger/faster response time players.
• Nvidia 3D Vision 2 Kit Yeah - what a difference this made in campaign mode gaming (have yet to do an online full game).
• Corsair Force GT 120g 555MB/S READ 515MB/S WRITE SSD x2 RAID 0 Programs What a great set of SSD's, these babies are FAST
• Patriot Pyro SE 120g 550MB/S READ 520MB/S WRITE x2 SSD in RAID 0 BOOT Pure speed here, they beat the Corsair's in an ATTO Bench. I cannot wait to see what these drives do on the Rampage IV board
• Logitech G19 I love this keyboard and the mini display, helps while gaming to see people coming in and out of Ventrillo easily, as well as see who is talking.
• Asus VG278HE 144Hz 27” 3D Monitor The first of three I hope in the coming year. This now is the main center monitor, the other three are raised above and on a new pole mount solution I put together to raise them up with the same triple monitor arm that was originally used. I just took that arm off the original pole/stand and used a threaded flange and a threaded galvanized steel pipe. Screwed the flange to the desk, screwed the pipe into it, and set the monitor arm on the pole – now the three 24” Asus monitors are above and when not gaming work as additional desktop space for programs and information I need during work hours.

What is coming to upgrade Frank with?

• Asus Rampage Extreme IV Z79 Motherboard This should not only be a great upgrade over the X58 board, but this also allows for QUAD SLI and true x16 slots. I should be able to take full advantage of the three GTX 580 3G GPU’s Frank currently runs.
• Intel Core i7 3930k hexa-core 3.2Ghz 12M Cache It’s a mixed bag of opinions, but one thing is certain, this CPU most certainly will perform as good as if not much better than the 990X. Many tests I have researched shows this CPU pulling away in many respects from the 990X and should be a worthy best to put in Frank.
• Corsair Dominator GT 2133Mhz Quad Channel DDR3 4x4G (16G) What more can I say – its Dominator GT RAM, not much better or more stable IMO.
• EK RE4 Water Block I cannot imagine air cooling a board. I know there are those out there who have varying opinions about EK products and the company itself. I prefer to not get into that, however when researching water blocks I had limited choices for the Rampage Extreme IV and was basically limited to Koolance or EK – umm, EK won.
• Bitspower Triple Rotary Black Sparkle 90 Compression Connectors Needed additional 90’s to assist with the routing with these new water blocks for the X79 board.
• Performance PCs Purchase of Misc Items
• 1 x*** HOT *** EK-FB KIT RE4 - Acetal CSQ (4 Fittings) (EK-FB-KIT-RE4-CSQ-AC)
• 2 x Xigmatek "Crystal Series" 140x25mm LED Fan - Retail - Red (CLF-F1452)
• 4 x Bitspower G1/4 Black Sparkle Triple Rotary 90-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4" (BP-BS90R3CPF-CC5)
• 1 x Digital Multimeter Pro (PPCS-DMM)
• 1 x EK-CPU EzMount HF LGA2011 Add-On Nickel (allows me to use the same LGA1366 W/B on the 2011 boards)
• 4 x Bitspower G1/4" Black Sparkle Stop Fitting (BP-BSWP-C06)
• 2 x Bitspower Premium G1/4" "Stubby" High Flow 1/2" Fitting - Black Sparkle (BP-BSWP-C14)
• 1 x Bitspower BP-BSDG14AALPI Black Sparkle Dual G1/4" Adjustable Aqua Link Pipe I (22-31mm) (BP-BSDG14AALPI)
• 1 x Bitspower BP-BSDG14AALPII Black Sparkle Dual G1/4" Adjustable Aqua Link Pipe II (41-69mm) (BP-BSDG14AALPII)

Some Pictures to get us going…………….
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i7-3930K Hexa-Core Processor 3.2 Ghz 12 MB Cache LGA 2011 - BX80619I73930K

Corsair Dominator 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3 2133 MHz (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory (CMT16GX3M4X2133C9) x2 for 32GB total

The parts are slated to arrive Thursday and Friday of this week – so this weekend the rebuild begins. I will then take the next week or two (based on occupational work load) to begin editing and putting images and the build log together here, as well as put up a couple videos on YouTube showing the de-install of Frank’s current items, then one showing the build. Potentially there will be a mix of time lapse and real time video showing the build. We will see what time allows.


So let it begin………………..Frank N Stein’s 2013 build!

 

[Lames.]

Subbed

 

[F.E.A.R.]

I just saw the worklog for version 1 and man you did an excellent job. Looking forward to v 2.0

 

[The1stCAV]

Thanks - yeah, I hope to live up to and exceed the previous build.

As many of my builds go, things tend to snowball and more and more parts seem to make their way into the build. This build is starting out no different as I have decided that the LEPA 1600W and the Silverstone 1500W PSU's I have are nice and great, but I wanted something new and shiny as well as just plain cool. So because EVGA is one company I love for GPU's and their exceptional support, I wanted one of their PSU's. The other really cool thing about this PSU over the other two I have that I am now selling on eBya is that this PSU has monitoring software and OC uses out the booty. A PSU made for overclocking freaks - bring it home to pappa! It should also arrive by Friday in time for this new build.

Besides, they knew it had to go in Frank - its Red/Black & obviously made for him.

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX1500 Classified 1500W Modular, 80Plus Gold, SLI, Crossfire, Power Supply (120-PG-1500-XR)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51khkT8gusL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

• SuperNOVA, exclusive power supply control and monitoring software
• Control and adjust +12V voltage for maximum over clocking potential
• Switch between single or multiple rails for ultimate control
• Over clock Mode allows PSU to deliver up to 1650W with 230VAC input
• 80Plus Gold certified, with up to 90% efficiency under typical loads
• Highest quality Japanese brand capacitors ensure long-term reliability
• Individual Sleeved Cables, Fully modular, EVGA 12 Guage Power Cord, Sanyo Denki Ball bearing fan
• Protections: OVP,UVP, OCP, OPP, SCP and OTP

 

[Hanniblex]

Awesome choice of parts. I wish I could get that asus board, but my dream build will be white and blue.

 

[The1stCAV]

MSI has some white/blue boards that are nice I think - but for Frank its Black/Red all the way.......

I cannot wait to get the build on though.........

 

[Robertmarcus]

subbed because of the impending awesomeness. . Got inspiration from your 2011 build to WC my first loop, not nearly as awesome, but its a step. Can't wait.

 

[The1stCAV]

Robertmarcus - welcome back, I hope to provide even more awesomeness as we proceed. Its gonna be a fun ride...........

While putting the list of items together for the build, one thing I liked about the Asus Rampage Extreme IV was the ability to use my current LGA 1366 CPU waterblock on this 2011 socket board. However I was basically confused as to what I needed to purchase to make it happen. The video/advertisement from Asus talks about getting an upgrade kit or plate for your current cooler and use it, but what is available for my CPU block?

I was just about to simply order a new one to make sure I had the CPU cooler that would work on the 2011 board, but decided to ask Performance PC's first if they knew. They quickly asked EK and EK replied with the correct kit that I needed to take Frank's current CPU water block with him as we transition over to the new board.

So the EK Supreme HF block shown here will make the transition over to the new board:

By using this kit (EK-CPU EzMount HF LGA2011), it gives this CPU cooler more life.

I almost purchased a black matching CPU block that would match the EK RE4 WB I purchased from Performance PCs, but decided I liked the red clear top w/LED's:
EK-FB KIT RE4 - Acetal CSQ (4 Fittings) (EK-FB-KIT-RE4-CSQ-AC)

I have not even started the build and am already wondering what else I can sell off and move around to add a couple more of these 27" 3D monitors to the build with a triple 27" monitor arm...........then add a fourth GTX 580 3g. Hmm, we never know how this will end.

I do know that before I begin I will need to take those "final moments" images of Frank as he sits today since the last build images, so we can compare the transition. I will try to get those up shortly.

 

[The1stCAV]

If there is one thing I have learned over the years it is that I never have enough internal USB headers – ever. While watching the video on YouTube for the EVGA NEX1500, one thing that hit me was it uses one of the USB headers. Well the Corsair 800D Frank uses has 2 USB headers for the front panel and I hate plugging something in to an external USB only to remember I sacrificed one header for other functions or connections. So I went on a hunt for a product I was sure existed – an internal USB header Hub.

Well I found something that was exactly what I wanted:

NZXT IU01 Internal USB Expansion
The IU01 addresses an issue common to most gaming PCs that is a lack of substantial power and expandability from the front-panel USBs. The IU01 enhances control and boosts power for front-panel USB devices by connecting them directly to the power supply as opposed to the motherboard, ensuring that there?s always enough power to control your accessories and peripherals. The IU01 also adds six internal USB ports that are great for powering items that you don?t need constant access too like a Bluetooth module or USB wireless router allowing you to free up the external ports for additional accessories.

So I also picked up the following as well that will assist me in putting Frank together fully and have all the USB connections I need internally.

• 1x "Adapter Cable, USB 2.0, IDC 5 Male (single row) to USB A Male (Used to connect devices designed to plug into USB motherboard header pins to an external USB 2.0 connector)"
• 1x "NZXT IU01 Internal USB Expansion (Black)"
• 1x "StarTech USB A to USB Motherboard 4-Pin Header F/F 2.0 Cable, 6" (USBMBADAPT)"

 

[The1stCAV]

So to know how far we go, we must find out first where we are at so we can gauge the transformation. Frank has gone through a lot of testing and things being put in and taken out, so the pristine pretty a year ago has fallen somewhat short as of late because of the many things I have done to troubleshoot and find where the issues were that I was having – that subsequently initiated this upgrade.

Black Ops II is the culprit as it started crashing Frank once they started putting out patches to the game and updates to drivers. This started a flurry of “WTF” and why can others play it when Frank should be churning through it like butter? At the end of the day it was found that as coincidental as it was, the motherboard began having issues at the same time. So once this was established and troubleshooting over, EVGA being the awesome company they are is sending a replacement. Well I have had enough of X58 and LGA1366, so everything I could went up on eBay and I started planning the 2013 upgrade and here we are.

So with that said, here is a couple not so flattering pictures of Frank in his current state.

Notice that the once clear/red tubes that existed and entered Frank are now gone and replaced with black tubes to blend in with the many black wires. Notice the 140mm fan that is not running, that is being replaced as is the 140mm between the PSU chamber and the motherboard chamber, it also has stopped running but the LED's still burn bright.

The desk that once had the three Asus 24” monitors at eye level has now been modified to raise them up so the new 27” Asus VG278HE can fit below them as the main screen. I hope in the next coming months to add two more of these monitors to provide 3D Vision in Nvidia Surround.

This was accomplished by taking the arm that held the 3 monitors, removing it from the pole/stand it came with. Then I went and purchased a threaded pipe flange, screwed it to the desk, then screwed in a 42” L galvanized 1” OD pipe into the flange. This allowed me to slide the monitor arm on to this pipe and raise the three 24” monitors above the 27”. When I add the three 28” monitor arm to this solution, I will paint the pipe black to match. I just had to be sure it was going to be stable and work for a long term solution – so far it appears to be more solid than the original pipe/stand I had before.

Now on to the new goodies I have acquired during the year that has enhanced the usability and enjoyment of Frank.

LOGITECH G19 KEYBOARD
Aside from the many things this keyboard is regarded for, one thing I love is the little screen that gives me good info while in game such as reading from MSI Afterburner and showing temps, GPU usage, and other things. This also allows me to see who is talking in ventrillo and who is signing in and out of ventrillo.

RAZER NOSTROMOS
This is supposed to help increase game play accuracy and timing. So far it feel new and I am not adjusted to it yet so I find myself feeling like I am playing a console game – totally lost where my keys are. But considering it’s not as bad as trying to figure out a controller, its much closer to the keyboard, so adjusting isn’t going to take long, it’s just different at the moment. Between this Nostromos and the Razer Naga Molten Edition mouse I have, I should be able to map all my keys I would need without having to move hands off either device.

RAZER TIAMAT 7.1 HEADPHONES
I love these things, comfortable, sound positioning is awesome, clarity, and control is amazing. Enough said – just check these babies out……

NVIDIA 3D VISION 2 KIT
Nice change to gaming, though FPS games are a bit different in 3D. When aiming down sights, its like much more real in the sense of what is blurred and what is not. When I pull up a red dot sight or something, I instinctually close one eye to aim as if I am aiming for real – its crazy. Yeah its different, some may not like 3D FPS gaming, personally it has awaken the desire to go back and play older games in 3D because of the difference, so I did. I played about 10 hours of Black Ops I campaign in 3D and it was like a new game and works awesome. Granted, it wasn’t Crytek graphics, but the 3D was there and it was really good. So speaking of Crytek, yes I had to visit NY via Crysis 2 in 3D and I can say that it also made that like a new game – incredible eye candy and change in game play. This is why we are looking at going with two more 3D monitors and just finishing it off right. With the lights out, headphones on, the buttkicker working, and 3D blazing, gaming is totally immersive. You can get lost for hours in the environment.

Now we move on to the newest goodies going into Frank for this build…………..

ASUS RAMPAGE IV EXTREME LGA 2011
All the badness that comes with this board sits here ready and waiting to be pushed hard and used daily. I should be able to take full advantage of the GTX 580’s now that this board can use true x16 on all PCI slots and will even handle Quad-SLI.

INTEL CORE i7 i7-3930K LGA 2011 CPU
Considering Frank has been used to a hexa-core for some time, I knew I could not drop cores on him. This 3930K may not be an “Extreme” chip like the 990X we are replacing, but it most certainly is within marginal range of the 3960K Extreme chip and its performance vs price simply did not justify the “Extreme” price that came with the 3960K, so we have here a worthy CPU still to go into Frank as this chip has outperformed even the mighty 990X in many face offs. Here is your new lease on power Frank!

CORSAIR DOMINATOR GT 2133MHz QUAD CHANNEL DDR3
Its Dominator GT RAM – seriously, I could think of nothing else to put into Frank that would be as solid and reliable as this RAM has always been from Corsair. What I show here is 16GB, however the second box is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. When done, we will have all 8 DIMM slots filled and a total of 32GB of DDR3 QUAD Channel RAM – Oh so nice…………and to those wondering WTF I would ever do with that much RAM, rest assured I will make good use of it. I do quite a lot with Adobe products (Photoshop, Fireworks, Premiere Pro, After Effects, etc) as well as many other intensive things that take CPU and RAM power that Frank skillfully has always been able to deliver. Not to mention gaming.

 

[The1stCAV]

It appears as if the goodies have arrived. Items I expected tomorrow even showed up today. Please practice safe browsing and keep both hands above the desk as we peruse this geek porn – lol.

Many that followed the previous upgrade knew that one thing ended up in the pictures multiple times and that is the infamous Negra Modello. I refuse to break with tradition, so a 12-pack of Negra Modello was acquired – hey, even the builder needs to be liquid cooled.

The pile of goodies and essentials:

CPU and EK Waterblock for RE4

Misc Water cooling Bitspower parts & USB adapters/cables purchased at Performance PCs

32GB of Dominator GT DDR3 & Internal USB Header Hub

So let the build begin…………..

 

[OofC_S7v7N]

Pretty excited to see more updates as they come!

 

[The1stCAV]

well as luck would have it, the Asus MB had a manufacturing issue and the CMOS battery wasn't soldiered on the board. So I went to Mircrocenter and picked up another. I come home to find the EVGA PSU is bent like it was dropped at the factory and crushed the faceplate that is ac side. So going to use the Silverstone until things are sorted there, but I am moving forward regardless.

 

[Wilo]

-High Five- I was wondering when this thread would appear. Subbed!

 

[Robertmarcus]

Wait, what happened to the PSU? It fell on the ground?

 

[The1stCAV]

Wait, what happened to the PSU? It fell on the ground?

Apparently when it was packaged wherever EVGA gets their PSU's built, someone there dropped the PSU on its face - aka the AC power side where the silver bar is. That silver bar pushed the face in, moving the alignment of the corners inward and blocking the screw holes for mounting it in the case. The kind of "oh no one saw it, Ill just pack it up and no one will know" kind of employee that must have not given a shit about quality and wrapped it up nice and pretty. The box and seals were all in tact and in pristine condition, but when you took off that final wrapping, it was hosed.

One thing led to 50 thousand others this weekend.

Issues basically in order:

• Bad mobo from Amazon - BIOS battery tray not soldered into the board
• Bad mobo from MicroCenter - 2nd PCIx16 slot not functional (Still using board until replacement from Amazon arrives)
• Bent PSU - returning, not getting a new one, getting a refund. I figure for the price, I would rather have a 4th GTX 580 3g instead - so I ordered it today.
• HT|Omega Claro sound card will not work - no PCI slots on this mobo, needed to buy a new sound card (Asus Xonar Phobeus purchased)
  Power button started sticking very badly on the 800D, broken now - ordered a new power button I will install somewhere to get it working again, currently using the POWER button on the motherboard
• Began filling with coolant to find I had a restriction somewhere.
• Thought it was my tight connections (will show pics later - have a ton to do the walk through), only to find once I took them out I still had a restriction somewhere.
• went from CPU loop to MCP655 pump, through GPU's - something still was plugged up - took pump out, things began working great.
• Put internal rad back in loop - again had major restrictions, had to remove internal radiator - now things flow perfectly, but Frank is relying 100% on the ERM unit now and is running about 10-20c higher.
• new PCIe internal 2-Port SATA III card was supposed to handle the additional 2 drives (one Optical, the other HDD), it isnt working or Windows isn't recognizing it. Downloaded newest drivers - still no go, had to use eSATA to get things set up.
• This board for some reason will not let me do seperate RAID's - so I can only do one for OS, Programs and all will be on single SSD's now - ugg........

So then I went and purchased the replacement parts and additional items I will need from Performance PCs:

• 2 x Koolance Coupling Adapter, G 1/4 Female-Female - Black (ADT-XFF-BK)
• 2 x Koolance Nozzle Coupling Adapter, Black G 1/4 Male-Female (ADT-XMF-BK)
• 4 x Bitspower G1/4 Matte BlackTriple Rotary 90-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4" (BP-MB90R3CPF-CC5)
• 1 x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C61 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 20mm (BP-MBWP-C61)
• 1 x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C62 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 25mm (BP-MBWP-C62)
• 2 x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 45 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB45R2D)
• 2 x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 90 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB90R2)
• 2 x Bitspower G1/4 Silver Shiny Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4" (BP-45R2CPF-CC5)
• 1 x Alphacool NexXxoS UT60 Full Copper 360mm (14174)
• 1 x Alphacool Repack - Dual Laing D5 - Dual 5.25 Bay Station (15167)
• 1 x Lamptron 8" Dual Cathode Light Kit - Red - Sleeved (LAMP-CAT8-RED)
• 2 x Bitspower BP-MVV-BK Mini-Valve - Black Sparkle (BP-MVV-BKBK)
• 1 x Fluid XP+ EXT (Extreme Performance) Coolant - Blood Red (FLUIDXP+EXT-BR)
• 4 x APEVIA HDD LED + Power LED Switch Combo (CVTPHDLED)
• 2 x Aquacomputer D5 Pump Mechanics with RPM Signal (41091)
• 5 x Adjustable/Ladder Cable Clamps - Gray (LADDER-CLAMP)
• 2 x Cable Clamp - Large (CLAMP-L)
• 2 x Cable Clamp - Medium (CLAMP-M)
• 1 x PP Heavy Duty Zip Ties 7-8" (ZIPTIE-8)
• 1 x Bitspower Flow Indicator (BP-FI-CLBKBK) - Clear/Black/Black Sparkle (BP-FI-CLBKBK)
• 1 x Delrin Vandal Resistant Illuminated Switch 16mm Black - Red Dot (VSW16-BK-DOT-RD)
• 12 x PrimoFlex Advanced LRT Tubing - 1/2in. ID X 3/4in. OD - Crystal Clear (PFLEXA-34)
• 2 x Bitspower BP-BSWP-C60 G1/4" Black Sparkle IG1/4" Extender - 15mm (BP-BSWP-C60)
• 2 x Bitspower BP-BSWP-C62 G1/4" Black Sparkle IG1/4" Extender - 25mm (BP-BSWP-C62)
• 2 x Bitspower BP-BSWP-C65 G1/4" Black Sparkle IG1/4" Extender - 50mm (BP-BSWP-C65)
• 4 x Bitspower BP-BSDG14AALPI Black Sparkle Dual G1/4" Adjustable Aqua Link Pipe I (22-31mm) (BP-BSDG14AALPI)
• 1 x Delrin Vandal Resistant Illuminated Switch Black - 22mm Red Ring (VSW-BK-RING-RD)
• 2 x Koolance Coupling Adapter, G 1/4 Female-Female - Black (ADT-XFF-BK)
• 2 x Koolance Nozzle Coupling Adapter, Black G 1/4 Male-Female (ADT-XMF-BK)
• 4 x Bitspower G1/4 Matte BlackTriple Rotary 90-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4" (BP-MB90R3CPF-CC5)
• 1 x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C61 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 20mm (BP-MBWP-C61)
• 1 x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C62 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 25mm (BP-MBWP-C62)
• 2 x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 45 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB45R2D)
• 2 x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 90 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB90R2)
• 2 x Bitspower G1/4 Silver Shiny Dual Rotary 45-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4" (BP-45R2CPF-CC5)

These parts alone were purchased to solve the Enter/Exit tubing "look" of Frank. The tubes going to and from the ERM unit never looked good IMO and others. A necessary evil, but still it wasn't pretty. So I think with these I can make it look and work much better for me:

• 2x Koolance Coupling Adapter, G 1/4 Female-Female - Black (ADT-XFF-BK)
• 2x Koolance Nozzle Coupling Adapter, Black G 1/4 Male-Female (ADT-XMF-BK)
• 4x Bitspower G1/4 Matte BlackTriple Rotary 90-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4" (BP-MB90R3CPF-CC5)
• 1x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C61 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 20mm (BP-MBWP-C61)
• 1x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C62 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 25mm (BP-MBWP-C62)
• 2x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 45 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB45R2D)
• 2x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 90 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB90R2)
• 2x Koolance Coupling Adapter, G 1/4 Female-Female - Black (ADT-XFF-BK)
• 2x Koolance Nozzle Coupling Adapter, Black G 1/4 Male-Female (ADT-XMF-BK)
• 4x Bitspower G1/4 Matte BlackTriple Rotary 90-Degree Compression Fitting-ID 1/2" OD 3/4" (BP-MB90R3CPF-CC5)
• 1x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C61 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 20mm (BP-MBWP-C61)
• 1x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C62 G1/4" Matte Black IG1/4" Extender - 25mm (BP-MBWP-C62)
• 2x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 45 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB45R2D)
• 2x Bitspower G 1/4" Matte Black Dual Rotary 90 Degree IG 1/4" Adapter (BP-MB90R2)

 

[zoolzoo]

Newb with money.

 

[garrable]

Apparently when it was packaged wherever EVGA gets their PSU's built, someone there dropped the PSU on its face - aka the AC power side where the silver bar is. That silver bar pushed the face in, moving the alignment of the corners inward and blocking the screw holes for mounting it in the case. The kind of "oh no one saw it, Ill just pack it up and no one will know" kind of employee that must have not given a shit about quality and wrapped it up nice and pretty. The box and seals were all in tact and in pristine condition, but when you took off that final wrapping, it was hosed.

One thing led to 50 thousand others this weekend.

Issues basically in order:

• Bad mobo from Amazon - BIOS battery tray not soldered into the board
• Bad mobo from MicroCenter - 2nd PCIx16 slot not functional (Still using board until replacement from Amazon arrives)
• Bent PSU - returning, not getting a new one, getting a refund. I figure for the price, I would rather have a 4th GTX 580 3g instead - so I ordered it today.
• HT|Omega Claro sound card will not work - no PCI slots on this mobo, needed to buy a new sound card (Asus Xonar Phobeus purchased)
  Power button started sticking very badly on the 800D, broken now - ordered a new power button I will install somewhere to get it working again, currently using the POWER button on the motherboard
• Began filling with coolant to find I had a restriction somewhere.
• Thought it was my tight connections (will show pics later - have a ton to do the walk through), only to find once I took them out I still had a restriction somewhere.
• went from CPU loop to MCP655 pump, through GPU's - something still was plugged up - took pump out, things began working great.
• Put internal rad back in loop - again had major restrictions, had to remove internal radiator - now things flow perfectly, but Frank is relying 100% on the ERM unit now and is running about 10-20c higher.
• new PCIe internal 2-Port SATA III card was supposed to handle the additional 2 drives (one Optical, the other HDD), it isnt working or Windows isn't recognizing it. Downloaded newest drivers - still no go, had to use eSATA to get things set up.
• This board for some reason will not let me do seperate RAID's - so I can only do one for OS, Programs and all will be on single SSD's now - ugg........

That sounds like some seriously bad luck with build quality / manufacturing / compatibility. Hope it all gets sorted out quickly. I'm excited to see the finished product .

 

[The1stCAV]

That sounds like some seriously bad luck with build quality / manufacturing / compatibility. Hope it all gets sorted out quickly. I'm excited to see the finished product .

Agreed, but when you are building a beast, you run into these issues. The question is how many people are willing to voice both sides of the story while remaining brutually honest? In the end, no matter how many items go in and out of Frank, fingers torn, sore and tender - its all worth it to me. Just to be able to play BOII without crashing - was so freaking nice.

The Asus Xonar Phobeus is on its way back as well. I have never had so many issues with gimicks and unclear software. HT Omega and Creative at least make it pretty straight forward, this thing is a piece. It comes with this module that you plug into the sound card that is supposed to either act as the mic or you plug your mic into it and the unit works with the3 sound card to create better noise cancellation and vocal clarity. Because they did not anticipate this thing being installed in a beast like Frank, I can barely get the cable/unit to the front of the case on top - that is the extent of the range this thing has. Well sitting on top of Frank is not the best thing when you are a microphone, considering there are 3- 120mm fans cranking up there. Then next to it sits the ERM2K3UCU unit with its fans blazing. Sure, they are not really loud and are sort of quiet, but put a mic next to them and they amplify. So the software that comes with the card tries to adjust the room noise - now I sound echo'd and very low as the software tries to compensate for the fan noise. So I jack directly in the back ports - a little better on the vocal quality, but overall I had to crank a ton of things up in Ventrillo just for them to be able to hear me and I still come in low. I think the days are numbered for this sound card. Too bad the Xonar @ $229 is more of a gimick toy than a real 192KHz solid audio source. That is my opinion as of now - it may change if I figure out there is some obscure setting that magically makes it all work perfect.

That was just the mic issues. In game is even more so strange. Both the XFI and the HT OMEGA cards in Black Ops II was pretty heavy sounding on the footsteps in Black Ops II unless you had dead silence on, otherwise your own footsteps sounded like you were running with 300lb feet. The other players also had loud footsteps, you could hear them - then this card sounds like I am running silent. I hear all kinds of other low bass sounds, mid sounds, highs and all, but the footsteps are all but silent. Then the announcer voice in BOII also is almost gone too, the guy that tells you to pick it up or leave no one alive, well I can barely hear him now. Audio issues abound - I just need a good solid PCIe 7.1 sound card without gimicks and modules and "voice beaming".

 

[deadlift1]

Many that followed the previous upgrade knew that one thing ended up in the pictures multiple times and that is the infamous Negra Modello. I refuse to break with tradition, so a 12-pack of Negra Modello was acquired – hey, even the builder needs to be liquid cooled.

I thought you were using the Modelo in place of distilled. I was curious to see how it would have worked out.

 

[The1stCAV]

Newb with money.

Never judge a book by its cover or based soley on your perception, you are going to be wrong most of the time if you do. You do not know me, you have no idea the sacrafices and trials I have gone through in life to get to a point to be able to do this, so don't rain on my parade because your self esteem needs boosting.

Here are some words of wisdom potentially you should have learned in life: If you have nothing nice to say - stfu.

Have a nice day............

Now back to our regular scheduled programing.........rebuilding Frank

 

[The1stCAV]

I thought you were using the Modelo in place of distilled. I was curious to see how it would have worked out.

No no, Frank is too young to be drinking, that is for the builder. Its no fun being sober and doing everything perfect and right the first time, I mean where is the fun in that? Gotta have a few under the belt and then start messing with expensive electronics, much more risk and adventure in that approach.


I bet it would have been interesting though, a little Negra crusing through his veins - nope, better cruising through mine.

This weekend is going to be another epic build time with all the new items arriving and me needing to return this board to Microcenter. I really wish this did not have a bad PCIx16 slot, but I guess I needed to take it all out anyway with the new radiator going in.

#4 3G GTX 580 has been ordered and will arrive for this weekends build as well - I still have the GTX 580 waterblocks I was going to use with Vampi, so I am ready to block this one and get it put in the loop:

As my builds go, I get it all in, then the "beautification" and finalization begins. Because this is my main PC I use for work, it must always be work ready Monday - Friday. So build progress typically waits for weekends for the more intense projects I get into with Frank. So I will begin images this week to catch us up on last weekends trials and tribulations as well as the successes I had along the way. Then we will see where things finally settle in. I do know that if I don't like it, it gets returned - like this Phobeus sound card.

 

[Curlack]

I followed franks last update quite thoroughly, so I'm quite excited for the new upgrade! I've been one hell of a lurker on this forums for a while now, but hopefully this will pull me out of that funk. Can't wait!

 

[The1stCAV]

Love to have you back in the thread, hopefully something will inspire.

I will hopefully be posting some progress pics today.

 

[JMccovery]

This build will be EPIC... Looking towards Frank's 2014 upgrade...

 

[thekinslayer]

Wow , I'm sure Mary Shelley never thought frankenstein would ever look this good. awesome workpiece. definitely sub'd for up coming pics.

 

[The1stCAV]

Frank's current look and hardware served me well and wasn't overly joyed to see it go, but knew the goodies being installed to replace those items in fact would be much better and allow me to push "extreme" once again, even though I chose not to go with an Extreme chip this time. Speaking of which, I really could not justify the $450 difference for a 2% gain. Realistically its not much of a performance gain between the 3960X and the
3930K.

So lets begin - this is the "Before" picture as I set Frank up to begin stripping out the items being removed.

This pump has gone through many troubleshooting moments over the year and has the scars to prove it.

Then it was time to take out the side 140mm fan and the 140mm fan that feeds from the bottom chamber to the top chamber. In order to replace the mid-section fan, I had to remove the custom red mesh bottom piece. I had forgotten that I had put nuts on the back of the screws I had used, so taking it off was confusing at first until I realized why the screws were not coming out easily. Once the issue was identified, the flooring came out quickly. Each one of the little black screws you see holding the bottom floor panel has a little nut hidden under the floor which holds the red panel down. With it removed, I was able to get to the screws that hold that mid level 140mm fan.

I really like Dominator GT RAM. I wish this set was on the QVL, but unfortunately this particular set isn’t playing nice with the Z79 chipset. The more I read the more it makes sense why I am finding issues already. One big weird thing was the inability to reboot - it always hung up as it was running through POST. I would then get messages like "Over clocking failed press F1 to enter set up" and I had nothing overclocked. I would set the timings in BIOS and when I booted it would all go back to "Auto". This is because of some "discovery" thing the BIOS do on these Z79 boards, so the memory used must be Z79 tested to ensure stability. Just because it is quad channel RAM does not mean it will work. It certainly is impressive IMO to see this board fully populated with Dominator GT RAM at 32GB, however it has been an unfortunate decision to return the RAM.

Here is what it looks like with the RAM in currently

The "mother" of motherboards - the Asus Rampage Extreme IV

Then I find that this one has an issue. The BIOS battery caddy is not soldiered on to the motherboard. If you notice, there is a square of soldier untouched and the pin that is supposed to be in that square never got there. So this board was defective out of the box. I ended up having to go to MicroCenter to purchase another board. The problem there was twofold. One is that MicroCenter was $79 higher than what I purchased it for at Amazon, the second was when I installed it, got everything up and going only to find that PCIX #2 is not functional. Yes I checked the PCI switches, no they did not have it turned off, though currently it is now turned off via the toggle switches and the second GPU is unplugged. I moved GPU's around trying to troubleshoot that slot. This is not fun/easy to do with a water cooled system, it’s not as easy as simply pulling out one card and swapping it with another as the loop has to be drained, then move them, then put the water cooling items back in, then fill, then test, then drain and do it all over again. I did though to make sure it was in fact the board and not my GPU's.

Here we find the adapter I purchased for the USB 3.0 headers. One issue I had was the Corsair 800D front panel has two USB 3.0 cables coming from it with normal USB connections as opposed to the header pin connectors. So I purchased this splitter/Connector that allows for normal USB plugs to be inserted at one end and the other to plug into the USB 3.0 header pins. This solved the issue I had with getting the front USB 3.0 connectors to work, until I started connecting the USB 2.0 header cables and the case connections, this got in the way. However it did solve the issue as I located a second USB 3.0 header by the 24-pin power connector, so I was still able to use this at that location.

Time to install the EK waterblock for the Rampage Extreme IV

Putting some thermal grease down on the south bridge chip prior to installing the water block

EK water block installed

Next up - installing the CPU in the motherboard

Then it came time to inspect and reuse the old CPU waterblock. One thing that is inherent with using colored coolant is the inevitable build up of gunk in water blocks. Each time I have the system broken down like this I like to open up my blocks and inspect them to make sure there is no blockage.

It was a good thing I did, this one needed some cleaning

Ahh, all good to go now, just got to put it back together.........What I failed to do was what I knew I should have and that is connect it to the ERM and push some water though it once I put it back together. Being confident that I did it right, I went through the full install only to find during the leak test that I somehow got the seal offset and it started pouring on the board - thank god I do a leak test with no power. To be honest, I actually got to the end only to find this issue, as I was removing it is when I noticed the battery caddy issue so the liquid that flowed, flowed on the bad board to begin with - thankfully! A nice clean up of the board, put all the stock sinks back on and packed it up for a return. Went to Micro center and bought the next one - which as stated also turne3d out to be bad for other reasons.

Now its time to put the water block on the motherboard. The "X" socket Asus touts allows you to use your old LGA 1366 blocks on these board if you purchase the upgrade kits. As shown above, I did and this is how it works. The four posts screw into the "X" socket adapter and the CPU block goes over these. Had I used a LGA 2011 water block, I would have had to change out that back plate for the 2011 back plate. You see here the four posts installed and the dot method being used for the TIM.

Putting the block on the posts then the tension springs, the only thing left is to [put the chrome screw tops on each post and tighten it down.

Then came making some pre-made connections on the board. Some connections are best to do where you have theroom and ability to do it better outside the case then once the board is installed. These two tight "U" connections I did were the toughest I ever have done because these do not bend, yet to get these together I had to put some pressure on both sides to flex out so the threads would line up where I could screw them in, once started things started getting easier the closer it came together, but in the end the fingers were screaming at me when I was done - I had to take a break. The saddest part is that these ended up being removed. Once I started the final leak test I found I had restrictions and it appeared to be here. I assumed there was too many 90 degree turns killing the flow, the small connectors wasn't allowing enough fluid through to fill the tubing after the disconnect heading to the pump inside - between the disconnect and the pump I was getting 1/2 the fluid in the tubes and could not get it to fill. So I immediately assumed it was these tight little connections so they came out. Only to find that it was both the pump and the radiator that has these blockage issues. More on that later - let’s just take a moment to marvel at the pretty connection that didn’t last - ahh aren't they a work of art? lol

On to the soundcard.............the Asus Xonar Phoebus. I at first and as stated earlier thought this card was more gimmicky then useful - turns out the drivers that ship with these things are terrible, there are a new set of BETA drivers you have to find in the ROG forum for this card that actually work - and work well. I am actually starting to be impressed with this card now that the new firmware upgrade was done and the newest BETA drivers installed - both of which were only on that forum and not on the Asus site - crazy. One thing I always hated about Asus was support, that is where EVGA wins hands down over most companies. However Asus makes some incredible motherboard IMO, so yo0u take the good with the bad I guess. Same goes with this sound card, good equipment, crappy support and even worse instructions. You have to go to the user community to get real
answers.

One issue I always had was not having enough USB headers or ports to use internally. With that EVGA NEX1500 PSU, the way you communicate with it is via the internal USB header port - well that took space I needed for other internal USB needs - so I found this USB hub that installs inside the case that expands the available header pins as well as provides some internal normal USB connectors. So showing here is the USB hub installed with one of my front panel USB header cables connected on it.

Now its time to put Frank back together................

Leak test time - this is when we found that the CPU block wasnt rebuilt correctly. If one does not do a leak test prior to powering on, be prepared for some scary suprises. This was simply and "oh shit" moment that just required more time (clean up) instead of replacing equipment. These are obviously some old rags I have used for Frank over the years. They are stained with coolant which I should bleach out. Its much easier to spot a leak quicker if using pure white as in the right side in the case you see white ones there - those are virgin rags whos cherry got popped rather quickly when the fluid started pouring out of the CPU block - they are no longer pristine white, lol.

This is also the last picture of Frank with the red painted Bitspower mod kit for the MCP 655 pump as well as that Blackice Xtreme 360 rad up top that I painted red. I started isolating portions of the loop that
continued to give me restrictions. I used the ERM unit to push the fluid. I first fed only the three GPU's to see if the fluid flowed well there - all was good. I then isolated the loop coming into the top mosfet, going to the CPU, then to the south bridge, I had restricted flow, but not really that bad, but figured it was my tight connections so those came out and I replaced it with what is now in there. I then retested and the flow was better, but not the restriction I had been observing the first time. I then put the pump in that loop and there was a blockage - I removed the pump. I then added the top radiator to the loop - wow there was an even worse restriction, this was where the problem was ultimately. Somehow that same gunk in that block I showed above must have had other chunks that flowed into that rad and is blocking it somewhere.This is why a new radiator is on its way at the moment that is being installed this weekend.

So this is where we sit today - knowing that this weekend another epic build awaits.

This weekend I will break Frank down again, replace the motherboard then start installing everything else. I have a new radiator, a new 5.25 reservoir that will hold two D5 pumps for a mid-loop pump/reservoir point. This also allows me to fill the unit via this reservoir instead of having to pull the ERM out of the rack each time and fill it from that units side port. The new radiator will be installed up top as well 3 new Xigmatech 120mm fans that match the rest of them in the case will be used, the old cooler master ones that used to be on top of the rad will be retired. I also have a fourth GTX 580 3G card arriving which I will need to water block and install in the fourth slot. Once I realized all this I knew I really needed that new EVGA NEX1500 PSU, so I ordered another, it will also be installed as well, so consider these the last of the custom Frank cable pictures for now until I build new ones. I plan on building new ones to fit in the new custom case I hope to finish this thread off with this year.

So for now you are caught up to speed until this coming weekend when the whirlwind begins again.

 

[wra18th]

Sub'd! I was in the peanut gallery last time around. Permission aboard, Sir!

 

[The1stCAV]

Sub'd! I was in the peanut gallery last time around. Permission aboard, Sir!

Permission granted - welcome aboard, glad to have you back. Let the fun begin - lol

The reason sometimes it posts fine and other times not is that the BIOS "learns" the ram on each boot. It is referred to as memory training on the x79 platform. Without tested and pre-verified RAM its a hit and miss if the Z79 boards want to learn the right timings and voltages for the RAM. The Dominator GT was great RAM, just did not play nice with the Z79 board. SO if you are doing an upgrade to a Z79 board, make sure you buy QVL RAM for that board. It seems G.Skill is all over the Asus QVL list for this Rampage Extreme IV mobo.

The RAM replacing the Dominator GT will be a QVL set. Apparently this set is qualified to work in the Asus Rampage Extreme IV Z79 board and has better timings than the Dominator GT, however it is a lower set of Mhz RAM. The Dominator GT was at 2133Mhz and this one sits at 1866MHz. Either way, Intel chips are not really suppposed to run that high anyway (even though we all try to push them as far as possible), so 1866MHz will work just fine.

I have never used G.Skill so this will be a first for me, though I see many use it without issue and it seems to be popular RAM.

G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 32GB (8 x 4GB) 240-Pin SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory F3-14900CL9Q2-32GBZL

- 8 x 4GB Kit
- PC3-14900
- CL9 (9-9-9-24-2N)
- 1.5V
- Limited Lifetime Manufacturer Warranty

 

[The1stCAV]

Wow , I'm sure Mary Shelley never thought frankenstein would ever look this good. awesome workpiece. definitely sub'd for up coming pics.

She had no idea what the future held - lol.

Frank N Stein was named as such a couple years ago when I was building the first iteration and this guy I hired asked me what I was building- Frankenstein? I was like what? He replied- Frank N Stein! Thus the name, really has nothing to do with the actual Frank, just the "Monster made from misc parts" is basically what was being referenced.

The very first foray into water cooling, I had tubes galore. SLI connections were multiple 45 degree connectors per card looping to the next. Inside looked like intestines there was so much tubing crammed in there, which also assisted in the initial naming of Frank as well. There was more chrome inside Frank than a fully dressed Harley. Then as my watercooling experience grew, the insides continued to be reduced until we hit the cleanest possible install with the least amount of tubing. Last years version was by far the cleanest and I hope to do as good if not better this year.

 

[The1stCAV]

WOW, just WOW - reading the [H] review on the EVGA NEX1500 PSU was really interesting. Sucks that I started finding related reviews in the same vein. To make a long story short I will most likely be using the LEPA 1600W spare I have to power this system, It is rated better than the Silverstone Striker SST-ST1500 I use now, and I have had power issues with this Silverstone. That was why I really wanted to get a different PSU. I liked the EVGA PSU and it worked with my already sleeved cables - the LEPA does not. SO the custom cables are officially gone until I do a new set for this new PSU.

 

[rurd2di]

Loving your builds mate.
Watching this build, can't wait to see the next evolution.
Wish we could get better hardware in New Zealand, so I could do something like this

 

[Robertmarcus]

Sure you want to go with the EVGA PSU? Read the review on HardOCP, made it look awful. Just go with a silverstone 1500w or reputable brand

 

[The1stCAV]

Sure you want to go with the EVGA PSU? Read the review on HardOCP, made it look awful. Just go with a silverstone 1500w or reputable brand

Yeah I am sure I want to go with something else. I have used the Silverstone for almost 2 years, RMA'd it once, could possibly be doing so again, the thing makes noise (clicking sounds) and I have issues that appear as power problems that plague me from build to build - the one thing that remained consistent is the Silverstone Striker 1500W. I have literally gone through 2 of those PSU's and RMA'd one - the other died, but not sure if it was the PSU or because of some unfortunate leaks that may have gotten in it, so I chose not to push that one with Silverstone and bought another. Then that one did the same switching/clicking sounds and I had weird lock ups and BSOD's - all pointing towards the power. When the psu was replaced the issues went away, then they started coming again, more and more. I think I am running these PSU's close to 90% all the time. this will wear a PSU out. I think I wear out the Silverstone 1500W PSU's.

I did read the [H] article - as stated above - which is why I started checking other reviews and decided that I was sticking with my LEPA 1600W I had for a spare, it apparently has better reviews than the Silverstone. LEPA is a sub-brand of Enermax and they have been around for a while as well. Plus I already own it - why spend the $440 for the EVGA, when it has the best reviews over all 1500W+ PSU's out there?

 

[Robertmarcus]

Good luck with it then. Just read most of Johnny guru's review, not what i would say 'awesome'. But i guess better than having a lot of troubles with a silverstone.

I will stick with corsair high wattage till they get the nex 1500w problems sorted out.

 

[Grss429]

goddd dam nice

 

[The1stCAV]

Good luck with it then. Just read most of Johnny guru's review, not what i would say 'awesome'. But i guess better than having a lot of troubles with a silverstone.

I will stick with corsair high wattage till they get the nex 1500w problems sorted out.

Are you sure we are still talking the same thing here? Did you read this review by Jonnyguru?
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=283

To save you some time - I posted his conclusion/scoring here on the LEPA G1600-MA PSU:

Page 5

Scoring Performance (40% of the final score) - shall we tackle some scoring now? This one won't be too hard at all. First, regulation. Not the best, but very very good. I almost feel bad for doing this, as this was such an awesome unit, but I have to pull half a point for not averaging 1% or better. Yeah, this thing is a 1600W unit and it may not be possible to get regulation that good in a unit this size, but I do have to leave room for the possibility, don't I? Aside from that, I can find nothing to complain about. Ripple suppression was miles better than I was expecting and among the best I've ever tested. Efficiency nailed Gold to the wall and made a solid try at Platinum numbers at lower power levels. I'm stopping with a 9.5 here.

Functionality (20% of the final score) - fully modular. 10 PCI-E connectors. Two EPS12V connectors and one ATX12V connector. Cables fully sleeved. Fan delay after power off. 10.

Value (20% of the final score) - MSRP for this unit is $329.00 - I can find it for sale nowhere as yet. What I do know is that the only other unit at this power level is the Ultra 1600W. That one goes for $379.99 at Directron. Lepa's already way ahead of the only competition for this unit on the market in North America. That spells another 10.

Build Quality (20% of the final score) - here, I do have to come down on Lepa just a little bit. We had a pinched wire on the 5VSB, so that's a point off. It's not very likely that more than one or two units in a whole run of them will run into something like that, but I saw it so I have to score it. Soldering was very good, but still a notch below the best of the best. Half a point off for that. I'm thinking 8.5 here.

Performance 9.5
Functionality 10
Value 10
Build Quality 8.5
Total Score 9.5
​

I decided finally that the EVGA NEX1500 was a good looking PSU, but after reading the reviews I realized I already owned the best performing 1600W PSU out there - which is this LEPA G1600-MA. The Silverstone never gave me the warm fuzzy that it was solid, and with as much issues as I have had with them, I knew I wanted something else, this was why I was looking at the EVGA one - because it used the same modular connectors most PSU's do - the LEPA does not. So I cannot use Frank's current custom cables with this LEPA, which was why I was thinking of selling it off -good thing I didn't.

Thanks Grss429 & Tolitshiwa, things are just starting to get rolling with this upgrade, so check back as this weekend promises to be quite the whirlwind for me. Again, this is not just a gaming monster, this is my work PC I rely on to do my business, so I must at minimum always have it fully functional Monday - Friday, which means I always must have things done, rebuilt, loaded, and ready to go by Monday, making my weekends pretty much crunch time every weekend to do the mods and installs with.

This weekend will be the same as I will be replacing the motherboard, installing a new radiator, internal dual D5 pumps in the 5.25 reservoir I am also installing, etc - lots to do, no time to do it. Plus I want to get it done with enough time to at least play a couple hours before my wife gets home Sunday.

What is crazy is I found a PSU calculator - actually several are available. I input the components I have and will be installing - every one suggested a 1550W + PSU, Asus's version said I needed a 2100W - yeah, the LEPA is going to be the only PSU single solution I can use at the moment. When I I have this custom case built, its going to need to house two PSU's - potentially I could see splitting these loads between two 1600W PSU's.

 

[Muegen]

I don't know if you have tried the thermaltake psu calculator, but from my experience it has been fairly accurate.

Curious, between all the calculators you used, what's the difference from low/high?

Long time lurker first time posting. Wanted to say, you do some nice work. I love most that you explain a lot of what's going on and what you are doing as well as a ton of pictures vs just one or the other

Keep it up!

-Mue

 

[The1stCAV]

Mue,

The Thermaltake said I should have a 1569W PSU min. This is with overclocking I plan on as well as with the following:
Core i7 3930K
1x DVD/RWCD DVD ROM
1x BR/DVD/CD Burner
6x 120mm led fans
3X 140mm led fans
4x SSD
2x 7200 SATA
2x 1,500 SATA
4x GTX 580/SLI
4x Cold Cathode
5x USB Devices that draw power
8x DDR3 DIMM
2x DD D5 12v Pumps
1x AgeiaPhysX - not that I will be using one, but nothing allowed for a 6-pin power requirement for the Phoebus Sound card, so I chose that.

Realistically the 1600W isn't enough - crazy huh? Glad I have a 30a dedi circuit for Frank - he is going to need it.

Glad you enjoy the pics and the text. I do enjoy taking and cleaning the pictures for posting, so images are certain in my posts - I love photography as another of my hobbies second to PC building/tweaking and FPS gaming. So thanks for the kind words and check back often.

 

[Carisma]

Loving the upgrade to Frank and been a long time follower.

I have one question...during this upgrade how come you sticking with the 580s instead of moving to the new 6xx series?