GHOST S1 - When both size & performance matters

I finally completed my Ghost S1 build. Watercooled with 2 large top hats and 2x240mm rads. Similar to the Jay build. Got to say, it's pretty wonderful. I have a i9-9900k and 2080 ti in it and it runs dead silent at idle and barely spins up at load. This is overclocked as well (4.9GHz all core). Temps top out at 60 on gpu and 65 on CPU during gaming. Just soft tubing for now while I look into doing a hard tubing run but that's going to be tough. Will need custom cables for sure.

That all said, it is sort of a pain it build in with 2 top hats. The top hat design isn't bad is problematic if you're tight on space for the screws that connect the 4 top hat pieces today. Plus you need to adjust the torque on them to get the top hats to line up with the side panels after they are installed. Currently, I have all fans exhausting air with fresh air coming it through the side panels. I also put in some high feet to help with exhaust on the bottom (just some $3 feet from home depot). Bleeding was also tough without a reservoir. Wanted to hook up a water temp sensor but I couldn't find a good spot for a spare G1/4.

Very please with the build though:
https://pcpartpicker.com/user/rverity/saved/XXgXvK
 
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Finally got this guy built up!

Having done the Ncase M1 and been happy with everything maybe aside from the noise at full load, this Ghost build is based on an external 480 radiator.
Temps are just silly. Delta's are in the 2-3 degree range with fans at 1000rpm.

Most components were just moved over but I couldn't help but switch from an SFX PSU to the HDPlex combo. So far so good, although the AC/DC adapter does run warm. 45 degrees C feels subjectively warmer than I'd like, although this is well within the comfort zone.
The Aquaero is overkill but it does allow the DDC to be driven off a fan header! Plus it was left over from my M1 build so no extra expense incurred.



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Finally got this guy built up!

Having done the Ncase M1 and been happy with everything maybe aside from the noise at full load, this Ghost build is based on an external 480 radiator.
Temps are just silly. Delta's are in the 2-3 degree range with fans at 1000rpm.

Most components were just moved over but I couldn't help but switch from an SFX PSU to the HDPlex combo. So far so good, although the AC/DC adapter does run warm. 45 degrees C feels subjectively warmer than I'd like, although this is well within the comfort zone.
The Aquaero is overkill but it does allow the DDC to be driven off a fan header! Plus it was left over from my M1 build so no extra expense incurred.



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Incredible. Chapeau you inspired me to watercooled my M1, and now this is making me want to build another watercooled SFF rig...
 
That looks really great. Maybe I'll stop being lazy and doing a hardline in my Ghost. Soft tubing build is great in it. Are those custom PSU cables?
 
rfarmer This is still running a 6600K and a 1080, both with a small OC. The AC/DC gets warmer than the DC/DC unit.
Nanook Thanks!
obs Go for it. I find hard tubing easier in some ways. particularly for smaller bends, which suits the SFF formfactor. I did the cables myself - I only got magic smoke once :whistle:. Delayed the build by approx 1 week.
 
Chapeau thought I would share my Ghost build with you.

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Specs are in my Sig. Really like the case, built like a tank.

I am planning water cooling mine also, nothing as grand as yours.

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I'll be using my Swiftech Apogee Drive II, I got some Koolance low profile 90 degree adapters to keep the height under 66mm. The radiator is a Swiftech MCRx20-QP Rev 2, I got this for the built in reservoir. Also got 32GB of GSkill TridentZ 3200 MHz memory that I won't be able to use until I switch to the water block. Some nice Chromax fans to go with the black/white theme.

Right now I am waiting on my water block for the GPU, I am using an Inno3d RTX 2070 and the only block I can get is a Barrow that I had to order from China, which it seems to be on the "slow boat" from.
 
Chapeau thought I would share my Ghost build with you.

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Specs are in my Sig. Really like the case, built like a tank.

I am planning water cooling mine also, nothing as grand as yours.

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I'll be using my Swiftech Apogee Drive II, I got some Koolance low profile 90 degree adapters to keep the height under 66mm. The radiator is a Swiftech MCRx20-QP Rev 2, I got this for the built in reservoir. Also got 32GB of GSkill TridentZ 3200 MHz memory that I won't be able to use until I switch to the water block. Some nice Chromax fans to go with the black/white theme.

Right now I am waiting on my water block for the GPU, I am using an Inno3d RTX 2070 and the only block I can get is a Barrow that I had to order from China, which it seems to be on the "slow boat" from.

Solid clean build as always (y) The M1 has great access, but the Ghost is so simple to build in. It's lovely.

That's an interesting choice of radiator. I never knew there was an option with an integrated res. Not having it fixed in place will make bleeding the system so much easier.

Are you planning on using the tophat on the bottom or top?
 
Solid clean build as always (y) The M1 has great access, but the Ghost is so simple to build in. It's lovely.

That's an interesting choice of radiator. I never knew there was an option with an integrated res. Not having it fixed in place will make bleeding the system so much easier.

Are you planning on using the tophat on the bottom or top?

I would prefer to have it on the top, but my problem is the radiator + fan = 59mm which is 2mm taller than the top hat and the top panel sits on the fans. I test fitted it on the bottom today and it should work fine. I just attach the bottom mounting platform to the radiator you don't even notice the 2mm difference. I do need to look into some different case feet, no way it will get enough air flow with the ones included with the Ghost.

Yes I agree the Ghost is lovely to build in, being able to remove everything except the spine makes it so easy to get at everything.
 
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Here is a picture with the radiator mounted, I have to say the clearances are very close. Any bigger and I wouldn't have been able to fit it in.

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There is a very small gap at the bottom below the top hat, but in this picture you can't even see it.

Fortunately I am not using the 240mm fan filter from my Ncase and it attaches below the fans on the Ghost perfectly.
 
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Yep, leaving the sidepanel open for now, until I come up with a plexiglass design of some sort. Not really decided how that plexiglass should be attached to the case.
 
I'm looking for a black top grill if anyone has one they've replaced with one of the nickel or copper ones.
 
Anybody have/know approximate measurements of PSU cables for

1. Mobo 24 Pin
2. Mobo 8 Pin
3. GPU

I'm ordering some dedicated cables, 2 of them, from Aliexpress, and need to know how short they need to be. I'm thinking 20mm, but that might be too long?
 
Anybody have/know approximate measurements of PSU cables for

1. Mobo 24 Pin
2. Mobo 8 Pin
3. GPU

I'm ordering some dedicated cables, 2 of them, from Aliexpress, and need to know how short they need to be. I'm thinking 20mm, but that might be too long?

I have a set from AliExpress from a previous build I am using in my Ghost currently, I have a custom set from pslate on order. 200mm 24 pin is actually longer than you need but short as you can get, I have a 200mm 8 pin EPS and it is about perfect and a 300mm for the GPU also about perfect.
 
My GPU block arrives tomorrow so I have everything I need for my loop. Started prepping my build, installed the Swiftech Apogee Drive II and have the radiator setup. Nice thing is now I can install that sexy TridentZ ram.

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As you can see in the image below with the Koolance low profile 90 degree adapters there is plenty of room for the Apogee in the Ghost.

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I have a set from AliExpress from a previous build I am using in my Ghost currently, I have a custom set from pslate on order. 200mm 24 pin is actually longer than you need but short as you can get, I have a 200mm 8 pin EPS and it is about perfect and a 300mm for the GPU also about perfect.

Where did you buy the 300mm for the GPU? The ones I found on Aliexpress, at least based on the comments, were only compatible with motherboard power.

Thx for the measurement numbers. Get back to me regarding the custom on on pslate and how well it fits.
 
Where did you buy the 300mm for the GPU? The ones I found on Aliexpress, at least based on the comments, were only compatible with motherboard power.

Thx for the measurement numbers. Get back to me regarding the custom on on pslate and how well it fits.

Here.
 
Well got everything up and running and I am super happy. I have a delidded 8700k running 4.4 - 4.6 GHz 1.20v and with my Big Shuriken 2 was hitting max temps of 75C, which I felt was really good for a cooler of that size. Just ran Prime95 and with the loop hitting 55C max with the Noctua fans only running at 750 rpm. Played some Metro Exodus and my RTX 2070 normally hits 83C during games and is incredibly loud, 45C now and this thing is very quiet.
 
Well got everything up and running and I am super happy. I have a delidded 8700k running 4.4 - 4.6 GHz 1.20v and with my Big Shuriken 2 was hitting max temps of 75C, which I felt was really good for a cooler of that size. Just ran Prime95 and with the loop hitting 55C max with the Noctua fans only running at 750 rpm. Played some Metro Exodus and my RTX 2070 normally hits 83C during games and is incredibly loud, 45C now and this thing is very quiet.

Loving that loop! The Barrow block for the card looks great (y). Are you happy with the quality?
Those are incredible temperatures for an asshat config and the Apogee fit is perfect.

BTW - I'm not certain, but I think your hose clamps need to be opened up so they sit all the way towards the thread end of your barb fitting. At the moment they're actively pinching the tubing off the barb.
They should look like this:
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The only way I could get mine to open properly was with pliers and duct tape (pliers to pinch, and tape applied directly to those little tabs to improve grip). What an incredible PIA they were...:banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
Loving that loop! The Barrow block for the card looks great (y). Are you happy with the quality?
Those are incredible temperatures for an asshat config and the Apogee fit is perfect.

BTW - I'm not certain, but I think your hose clamps need to be opened up so they sit all the way towards the thread end of your barb fitting. At the moment they're actively pinching the tubing off the barb.
They should look like this:
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The only way I could get mine to open properly was with pliers and duct tape (pliers to pinch, and tape applied directly to those little tabs to improve grip). What an incredible PIA they were...:banghead::banghead::banghead:

Thanks for the tip on the hose clamps, I was pretty sure I needed to move them up further on the barbs. I need to get a decent pair of pliers, I only have needle nose and couldn't get a really good grip. The quality of the Barrow block actually surprised me, I was a bit hesitant about ordering a Chinese block. Previously I have used GPU blocks from Bitspower and Aquacomputer, I would rank the Barrow higher than the Bitspower but not as nice as the Aquacomputer. It came nicely packaged and had everything I needed. One thing that was really nice was I was able to retain the factory backplate because the block had mounting holes and they included screws for mounting it.

I did some further testing and also played with my fan curves. In my initial tests yesterday the fans were only at 750 rpm but the pump was still using a fairly aggressive fan curve from my air cooled settings. This pump is pretty quiet as long as I keep it below 4000 rpm so I lowered the curve for the pump but raised it for the fans. I should also point out that testing yesterday was done with the AC on and an ambient of about 20C. Below is current testing with Prime95.

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So max temp of 60C with pump at 3200 rpm and fans at 950 rpm. Looks like time for an overclock.
 
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Got my custom cables from pslatecustoms, these look great and fit really well. The pre-bent 24 pin cable is especially nice. Although you can't see them I have a dual SATA power cable and a molex cable for the pump.

I decided to move the res/radiator to the top because I was never really comfortable with having it below the pump and I realized I needed to pull the loop apart in order to get at my PSU and cables. The 25mm Chromax are too tall and the top panel rests on top of the fans so I used some Deepcool Gamer Storm 20mm fans which allows me to properly install the top panel.

I have to admit I prefer the radiator at the top, makes for much better tube routing.
 
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Got my custom cables from pslatecustoms, these look great and fit really well. The pre-bent 24 pin cable is especially nice. Although you can't see them I have a dual SATA power cable and a molex cable for the pump.

I decided to move the res/radiator to the top because I was never really comfortable with having it below the pump and I realized I needed to pull the loop apart in order to get at my PSU and cables. The 25mm Chromax are too tall and the top panel rests on top of the fans so I used some Deepcool Gamer Storm 20mm fans which allows me to properly install the top panel.

I have to admit I prefer the radiator at the top, makes for much better tube routing.

I've always wondered how those fans are. They're definitely overlooked in SFF builds where that extra 5mm should improve fan performance.

Is the tophat config better for temps?
 
I've always wondered how those fans are. They're definitely overlooked in SFF builds where that extra 5mm should improve fan performance.

Is the tophat config better for temps?

Yes it is, I haven't had a chance to do any benchmarks but have been playing Rage 2 all weekend. 5 - 10C cooler with the radiator at the top.

The fans are not bad, they look a bit cheap but performance is very decent. They move quite a bit of air and are reasonably quiet.

Edit: First benchmark ran Time Spy. Max GPU temp was 45C, max CPU 54C. Fans at 1350 rpm and pump at 2800 rpm. Very quiet, just a low hum.

Edit II: Ran Prime95 26.6 small fft for 45 mins, max CPU was 54C. Fans at 1400 rpm pump at 2900 rpm. Both tests have an ambient of 20C.

Very impressed so far, seems most of the fan noise I was getting was actually from turbulence caused by how close the fans are to the top panel. When I remove the panel the fans are nearly inaudible.
 
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Can you fit two AIO's into the Ghost? I have a hybrid 2080 Ti and a 240mm Corsair H110i sitting around that I would like to use. I assume I would need a top and bottom hat?

What about two 120mm AIO's into a single top or bottom hat?
 
I bought a Ghost S1 from Amazon and decided to keep my NCASE. If anyone would like the Ghost S1 for retail price let me know. It comes with an unopened Large Top Hat and Noctua L12S. I rather pass it on to someone than return it to Amazon.
 
Wonder if there are G1/4 plugs that are slim enough to use in the top and still have the grill sit flush.
 
I bought a Ghost S1 from Amazon and decided to keep my NCASE. If anyone would like the Ghost S1 for retail price let me know. It comes with an unopened Large Top Hat and Noctua L12S. I rather pass it on to someone than return it to Amazon.

Is it Limestone color?
 
Finally got this guy built up!

Having done the Ncase M1 and been happy with everything maybe aside from the noise at full load, this Ghost build is based on an external 480 radiator.
Temps are just silly. Delta's are in the 2-3 degree range with fans at 1000rpm.

Most components were just moved over but I couldn't help but switch from an SFX PSU to the HDPlex combo. So far so good, although the AC/DC adapter does run warm. 45 degrees C feels subjectively warmer than I'd like, although this is well within the comfort zone.
The Aquaero is overkill but it does allow the DDC to be driven off a fan header! Plus it was left over from my M1 build so no extra expense incurred.

Nice build Chapeau! Is that a Bykski Mini DDC reservoir with an EK top? Crazy how you can fit that all in and figure out how to fill/drain.
 
Nice build Chapeau! Is that a Bykski Mini DDC reservoir with an EK top? Crazy how you can fit that all in and figure out how to fill/drain.

Thanks! :geek:
That's a Bitspower mini water tank ultra! I've wanted to use one of these since I saw my first water cooled loop.

Filling/draining loops is always a difficult in a small case. The quick disconnects at the back are a godsend - I just use a dropper and top up from the back with the case sitting on its front face. Otherwise, there is no way to completely erase the bubbles.
 
Can I get a baseline for expected thermals for a Ghost w/ Large Top Hat for a watercooled i9-9900k + 2080ti in a custom single loop with Swiftech Apogee Drive II + EK FC 2080 TI WB + Nexxos xflow 240 radiator + 2 Noctua A12x15 fans?
 
Updated the fans on my Ghost, I have a 34mm radiator so was unable to use 25mm fans. I was using Deepcool Gamer Storm 120 x 20mm but there were two problems with them, first was the funky blue color that did not go with my build and second the grill was sitting nearly on top of the fans and I was getting turbulence at load.

What I really wanted was Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM Chromax, but I am tired of waiting for Noctua to release slim chromax fans. So I went with Scythe KAZE FLEX 120 SLIM, these are the same fans that come with the Big Shuriken 3 and they work very well and look a hell of a lot better.

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