Project Stackers - High End Builds, Comparative Testing & First Mod! (56k Warning)

well some people have money saved up and dont spend money aggressively. then people can indulge when they like
 
I think the total for this project exceeded 6k hehe. But yeah, I have been saving for this little adventure for a few months now. ;)

Both systems are up and running great at stock. I am now running all sorts of benchmarks on the misc. items installed. As soon as I get FTP installed on one of the systems, I'll start uploading pics.
 
I can't start modding until the Water cooling equipment arrives. I am unable to cut holes in my case until I can get the exact measurements hehe. That is also when I will sleve the PSU's, as well as change the molex and add the lighting.

I believe I ordered the wrong kind of molex. What I got ended up being the passthrough type. >.<; I don't think I can use that.

The psu (neo power) also uses a 24 to 20 pin adapter that I completely hate. I wonder if I can just remove the 24 pn housing, trim the unused wires down, wrap them off and use a 20 pin housing on the main line... That would look much better than this damn adapter in there..... >.<
 
Nice, just the same stuff I got so it's like looking into a mirror =0D

Except I don't have two FX-53's...is your wallet still sore on that?

By the way, why can't you have two UPS's and sell one to me?
 
SelRahc You are not gonna be using all 4 cards after you complete all your tests, so how about a little paypal talk? :p
 
That's correct, I won't be keeping all 4 cards hehe. Either 2 or 3 of them. The tests between Nvidia and ATI are flip flopping back and forth right now.... It's interesting.
 
I belive you have those four cards. Geforce 6800 gt and ultra. Radeon x800 pro and XT. I ill be very interested in the gefore 6800 gt
 
Apologenetic said:
Remind me again why you didn't just build one high-end and switch out the Vidieo Cards?
Click to expand...

Target had that correct. As I mentioned in the first post, one of the systems is for my wife, and the other is for me ^_^.

I will try to get some build pics up soon. I've been so wrapped up in these video card tests, and I was gone all day sat.

I still need to hit up FRAPS and the game tests. All of the benchmark testing is complete, and I think you will find the results quite interesting...... quite interesting indeed.

I must say that both cards are completely amazing though.
 
I'm keeping a close look at your Worklogs and reviews. I'm building myself a dual CM Stacker casefor my server setup. Theme is black, all black.
I'm also curious about the value of the crossflow fan. I've got a dual socket-370 motherboard with two 1.26GHz PIII 512MB cace processors, three 4-3 devices in front and one 120mm fan in the back.
What is the name of your site, it isn't in your profile.
 
The WWW site is not active at this time. It's an in-work project for later this year.

ATI HELL: Just say NO to Catalyst Control Center

I have been having all sorts of problems with the ATI installed system. Benchmarks and games were locking up quite a bit. After talking with a few friends, and doing a fresh system restore or two, I was able to track the problem down. It ended up being the new 4.9 Catalyst Control Center. The control center was slowing the system down, and constantly locking up when it was entered or when settings were changed inside it.

When it was working stable, I would try playing inside it and changing settings... especially the effect settings with the 3d preview running..... it slows down after a few minutes and was just awful. One time I reboot, and it said the ATI drivers wern't loaded at all. It wouldn't let me into the Control Center period. >.<

Though flashey, all of the exact same settings can be changed inside the driver itself. I finally just decided to drop the Control Center side of it all together.

Now the system is running the 4.9 Catalyst Drivers only, and it's working like a champ. Back to benchmarking..... >.<; I have class this week, but I expect to have an update done sometime soon.
 
WOOT!

Can't wait to see the pics. I'm moving my rig from an ATC-201 to the Stacker.

HERE

Let's see them pics !!! :D
 
Ok so inbetween testing I figured i'd get around to posting a few more pics. I had to sift through about 300 pics I took for reviews. I'll get better ones up soon...

install_psu.jpg

Neo Power Installed.

ioshield_support.jpg

See the little metal strip above the IO shield? That helps to support it. Don't forget this thing. I did at first lol >.<. Once the MB is in place, its much harder to put on.

mb_in_place.jpg

The MSI MB in place. Notice I forgot the IO Shield support... opps.

dule_80mm.jpg

Dule 80mm's in the bottom PSU slot. Exhaust.

installed.jpg

Here everything is in place on the MB. This rig houses the BFG. The other houses the ATI.

test_setup_01.jpg

Here is my testing setup. Surrounded by stackers. ^_^

test_setup_02.jpg

Here are the fronts. This is when I was playing with position for the drive bay & front 120mm fans. With the cases being on the desk, I like having the drives on the bottom. A nice option. In addition, the front 120mm isnt trying to blow over the Crossflow fan.


I'll get more pics up soon. Please, no comments on the cabling, I know its a mess. Theres alot of cables in there that I will be cleaning up soon. I purchased the wrong molex connector kit, so I can't sleeve the psu or other cables yet. I'll do that at the same time I mod for the water cooling.

The one thing that is killing me is that damn Sound Blaster ribbon cable. They use a special pinout, so you can't ise a normal IDE cable... and that SO PISSES ME OFF! Why the hell can't they just use a normal pinout? That ribbon cable has GOT TO GO! >.<. Damn you creative. I'm tempted to sell these and get the Platinum Pro insted. At least then it would be usb...... EDIT: Ok not USB but it wont be a damn ribbon cable ;)

As for the water cooling... that's ganna be a supprise. More info when it's available ;)

More pics soon.
 
I've got my PSU on the bottom, this way the PSU is sucking cold air in from underneath the case. On top I've got the 80mm fans for outtake fans. My cases (yes I've got two) will be modified even more.
 
id switch the sound card w/ the cables just to get that much better airflow to the 6800 ultra. i moved my soundcard(see rig 1 in sig) 1 slot down(giveing me 3 clear slots as aposed to 2) and my card temp went down about 2-4C.... cant beet that.
 
SelRahc said:
The one thing that is killing me is that damn Sound Blaster ribbon cable. They use a special pinout, so you can't ise a normal IDE cable... and that SO PISSES ME OFF! Why the hell can't they just use a normal pinout? That ribbon cable has GOT TO GO! >.<. Damn you creative.
Click to expand...
How long is it? I'm just curious, upgrading to an Audigy 2 soon and I wanted too know (tho I'll be using a much smaller case I wanted to route it behind the mobo tray and up to the top drive)... You using an A80 to take those pics? Sweet camera ain't it. :cool:

G'luck w/Jeanne. she wasn't even a huricane yet when she blew straight thru PR (winds were at 70 mph or something, just under the first huricane category) but still did a good bit of damage due to the humongous downpour of rain she's carrying... Spent like half a week w/o power (and intermittent water, good thing I live in a low spot and gravity drives it here with the electric pumps down).
 
w0w, florida and the caribian (sry for spellin) is really getting smacked around. I hope everyone is ok.
 
Tyklfe said:
Hey SelRahc and MainTarget, we're gonna have to get together for a beer or a lan or something after Jeanne is done having her way with us.

Thar she blows.....
Click to expand...


hit me up @ falsexfate on aim, might have some good lanning info for you :) got one coming up on the 9th of october.. anyways still hit me up, im in orlando..we can play to "borrow" a stacker or 2
 
Hehe. Game-on. Hafta check with school schedule and whatnot. Classes on and off kick my butt >.<

Ribbon Cable: It's long enough to reach just about anywhere in the case. Id say 18" or so? I'll hafta measure it but it looks about 18"
 
Ok, so a few people have asked about the Water Cooling, so I'll post the information. But first:

Please note: I do NOT want a flame war over water cooling. Like what I get or not, thats fine. Say what you feel. I purchased what I wanted to because... we... ite my money lol. But please don't post any flame comments here. I have seen how the water cooling threads can go to crap real fast... and I don't want it here. Please and Thank-you!

With that being said, here is the information:

~ Water Cooling:

I am going to go with 2 water cooling setups. The first system, which belongs to my wife, will have a Swiftech setup. I am going with a CUSTOM CUT(!) Aqua-computer block setup! (woot)

First, the Swiftech:

MCW6000 series CPU block
MCW50 GPU Block
MCW20 Northbridge
All attached to a MCP650 pump and a dule 120mm RAD. I'll probably toss out the bleed-fill kit for a RES insted.

My system is is going to be a 3/8" ID lowflow setup from Aqua-computer. However, my setup is going to be special. :)

SILVER Cuplex Pro
SILVER Twinplex GPU and NB
240mm RAD

Yes, you read right. Silver cuplex pro and twinplex water blocks. "But SelRahc, they don't make silver Cuplex Pro's OR Twinplex blocks." you say? I know HAHA! Here is the story.....

I like the look of the Aqua-computer setup, and it seems to perform fairly well being a low-flow system. I really liked the look of the silver Cuplex 1.3 block that another forum user owns, but I wanted the newer and better performing block, the Cuplex Pro. My problem was, I wanted it in silver, and they don't make it in silver >.<. Aqua-computer only offers the Cuplex 1.3 in silver.

Since they offered the 1.3 in silver I decided to persue it a little further. So I did what I do best:

I begged.
and I begged
and I begged
and I begged some more.

Dan @ SNT-Systems posed the question a few times to Aqua-computer, but we got a fairly firm reply: No. "No" was not good enough for me. I am fairly stuborn person. I couldn't see why they wouldn't make the blocks in silver. After all, they mill this other block in silver... why not the pro? So I begged some more. I'm good at it you know lol. Dan decided he would jump in and help me with the begging lol. We got a few NOs at first, so I just kept hounding Dan, and he kept hounding AC. They finally agreed yeay!

So, though it may not seem like a big deal to anyone else but me and Dan, I will be getting the VERY FIRST SILVER CUPLEX PRO! WOOT!

Oh, did I mention I also wanted the GPU Twinplex and the North Bridge Twinples in silver as well? HAHA! YEAY! I'll also be getting the VERY FIRST Silver Twinplex blocks for my GPU and NB. WOOT WOOT! Yes, I begged for all 3 blocks in silver HAHA. Bling is more fun when theres more of it.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I KNOW its an overkill. ;) I wanted silver blocks... can't hate a person for that :)

Not bad, ea? Thanks to the power of hounding and Uber begging skills, I will the the proud owner of the first silver cuples pro cpu, twinplex gpu and northbridge waterblocks.

I want to throw alota thanks to Dan @ SNT for putting up with my constant bombardment of emails and IM's about silver blocks. I'm sure Dan and Aqua-computer both will be glad once they are in my hands..... so I can stop the harrassment haha. Anyway, he could have just accepted the first few no's they threw at him. However he was as stuborn as I was, and just threw it all at Aquacomputer LOL. Thanks muches. Also, both he and I hope that they will offer these blocks in silver as a full time option. I noticed the notes on SNT's www about the silver twinplex blocks now.

So if you ever decide to purchase a silver twinplex or pro, you know who to thank ;) Even though I'll probably one of the few fools in the world to use them HAHA.

I'll have alota pics when they come in. I'll definately post them in the Aqua-computer thread as well. Not sure on the ETA yet. Custom cut block may take a while to get in.
 
Looks like a great setup you have there.

** Sugestion, on your wifes watercooling, you may want to go with the MCW-6002 rather than the 6000. The 6000 uses 1/2" OD tubing, the 6002 uses 1/2" ID tubing. Only diffrence between the two.
 
swiftech sux, so does aquacomputer.

There are 2 setups that are the best

1) most reliable (used for servers...) Atotech
2) best performance ever, high flow, very silent AND cheap : 1a cooling.


i personnally have both. the 1acooling is exeptional. swiftech sux against 1a cooling and atotech


links

atotech : http://www.icebearsystems.de (MP me for how-too-order, its rather complicated)
1a cooling : http://www.1a-cooling.com <<=== best of the best !
 
im likin the german or whatever....


btw, hes getting custom made blocks made out of silver.... pimpin
 
LyCoS said:
swiftech sux, so does aquacomputer.
Click to expand...

See thats the beauty of it. If I don't like what I get, I'll just buy something else. ;)
Perhaps I will test a wide variety later. For now, this is what I'm going with. :)
 
its ur cash, u buy w/e u want. Although i recomend DangerDen and they make a Silver SPU block with a brass top. Ah well ;)
 
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