This thread is entirely pointless, but I figure I'd post it just in case anyone was curious as to what goes into a higher end Watercooled Gaming PC. Pictures will likely occur at some point. This is an upgrade of my existing Primary PC, but with an entire new water cooling core to accomodate the socket 2011 I7 processor, so not all of these parts are brand new. Anyways, thats waht this thread is.
Parts list:
1 Cooler Master ACTS 840 case Modified with noise reduction mat on all available surfaces and an additional 230MM fan on the side panel.
2. Koolance RP-1200 reservoir and pump conrol unit
3. 1 3x 120mm and 1 1x 120mm radiator.
4. Koolance CPU-370 CPU block
5. 2x Koolance 580 GTX waterblock
6. Koolance MB-ASR4E water block for Rampage IV Extreme motherboard voltage regulator and northbridge
7. 1 as yet to be determined additional capacity reservoir
8. Miscelanious water cooling fittings, tubing, and tube spring to prevent collapse in bend radius segments.
9. 1 Socket 2011 core i7 processor (to be determined yet, but probably the 3930k
10. One Asus Rampage IV Extreme motherboard
11. 32GB ram (24 existing, plus another 2 sticks of 4GB each), Corsair DDR3
12. 1 Crucial 256GB SSD (existing)
13. 2x Western Digital 2TB drives in Raid 1 for Data storage. (existing)
14. 2x EVGA 580 GTX 3GB video cards (Existing)
15. 1 Soundblaster X-fi Titanium (Existing)
16 1 Enermax 1,000 watt PSU (existing)
17 1 blue ray burner (they are down to $70 these days, why not?)
18. 5 1/4" floppy disk drive just to irritate people.
19. Windows 7 Ultimate (exiting)
Build log:
4-18-2012: Case and most of the water cooling components are here. Have begun assembly of water loop, however radiators are presently backoredered. Will be placing a single 3x 120MM radiator on top with the existing 230mm fans, which end up covering it quite well with the included adaptor hardware. The back fan will also get a120mm radiator. At a rough estimate of 500 watts heat dissipation per 120mm segment of radiator, I should be able to dissipate roughly 2,000 watts of electrical heat. the additional coolant reservoir will also help conpensate for any dust issues throughout the life of the case. I plan to mount the secondary reservoir on the removable motherboard tray to keep the 5/14" bays clear. New for this build I am going to use quick disconnect fittings for almost everything. The Koolance generation III ones seem to have matured to the point where they are quite safe and effective. I do need to figure out the loop cooling arrangement. as it sits now, the top radiator will be higher than the theoretical fill point of the pump unit. Which makes unscrewing the pump fill port extremely inadvisable, and will also make water level checks somewhat problematic.Given normal water evaporation rates in a closed loop system that should not be an issue provided I service the loop yearly, as I currently do anyways.
I've decided to runa single loop. The 580 GTX's don't actually generate that much heat compared to say a 280 GTX, so I think I won't have any problems. I can always put the CPU and Motherboard on its own loop later if I detect a problem.
Motherboard should be the next major component to arive. The CPU's are still being somewhat difficult to locate. I lucked out in that I was able to find a second 580 GTX with 3GB onboard video ram for a veeeery good price, so I will have 6GB of video ram available via SLI.
Will post some pictures once i have the interesting bits in the chassis
- Forums
- Cross Site
- Computer Hardware & Troubleshooting
- My socket 2011 build of doom!
My socket 2011 build of doom!Follow
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Interesting build. Im about to start my behemoth build as well. Im new to watercooling so could you look over my setup real fast and tell me if my water cooling componets are correct? I need to add a crossfire connectfor betweeng raphics card but im not sure which one to get, probably some angle fittings as well.
PC:
1x Corsair obsidian series 800D Full Tower
2x Sapphire 11197-01-406 Radeon HD 7970 OCed
1x Intel Core i7-2600k Sandy Bridge 3.4 ghz
1x Asus P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 motherboard
16gig Gskill ri[jaw X series ddr3 1600
1x KingWIN LZP-1000 1000W power supply
2x Corsair Force Series GT SSD 240gig
Cooling Stuff:
2x Ek Radeon HD 7970 VGA Liquid Cooling Block (Nickel)
1x XSPC RayStorm High performance cpu cooling Block (special edition copper)
10x Bitspower Ultimate g 1/4 thread 1/2ID x 3/4OD Compression Fittings
10ft PrimoFlex tubbing 1/2 ID 3/4 OD with 1/8" wall
1x EK Ultimate performance Coolstream 360 xtx series Radiator
1x EK single bar reservoir
3x XSPC 120mm x 25mm fans
1x Ek D% X-TOP Acetal Pump top with Variable speed pump
PC:
1x Corsair obsidian series 800D Full Tower
2x Sapphire 11197-01-406 Radeon HD 7970 OCed
1x Intel Core i7-2600k Sandy Bridge 3.4 ghz
1x Asus P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 motherboard
16gig Gskill ri[jaw X series ddr3 1600
1x KingWIN LZP-1000 1000W power supply
2x Corsair Force Series GT SSD 240gig
Cooling Stuff:
2x Ek Radeon HD 7970 VGA Liquid Cooling Block (Nickel)
1x XSPC RayStorm High performance cpu cooling Block (special edition copper)
10x Bitspower Ultimate g 1/4 thread 1/2ID x 3/4OD Compression Fittings
10ft PrimoFlex tubbing 1/2 ID 3/4 OD with 1/8" wall
1x EK Ultimate performance Coolstream 360 xtx series Radiator
1x EK single bar reservoir
3x XSPC 120mm x 25mm fans
1x Ek D% X-TOP Acetal Pump top with Variable speed pump
Crossfire bridges usually come with the video card, so you may not need to order one separatly. Also, if you haven't ordered your processor already, Intel just started shipping the Ivy Bridge 22nm Socket 1155 processors. It might be worth waiting a month for the price drop on the one you have specified, or going with one of the new ones. For the SSD, make sure that the SSD itself supports the TRIM command nativly on the drive if you are planning on RAIDing them. Newer ones should.
As for the water cooling setup, looks like a decent setup. I haven't used EK stuff myself, but they have a good reputation and their water block design is similar to Koolance's designs, which I tend to favor. Good call on a full card water block too. Those "universal" blocks with the stuck on fins are really inefficient compared to a full block. Mixing nickle and copper components won't be an issue, and your radiator is copper too, so you should be fine. Stay far, far away from any aluminum blocks or radiators though unless you plan to switch all the components to aluminum, otherwise you will get corrosion even in de-ionized water based coolants. Be aware that the radiator you have specced out is about twice the normal radiator thickness. it should't be a problem at all in the case you have for clearance though.
The fittings diameter you are going with will leave you with a 3/4" outer diameter tube to run everywhere. That makes for very good water flow, but it also restricts some of your bend radius, and takes up a massive amount of space. You may want to consider going with smaller diameter tube for your first build, since your water blocks are going to tend to restrict flow anyways below what that tubing can deliver, though the extra water in the tubing would act as additional reservoir capacity. Either way, also invest in outer spring coils such as these: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_399_748&products_id=27495 The spring wrapping the tubeing prevents the tube from flattening out when you bend it. Straingt sections don't need them, but anywhere you have any kind of bend radius you will want one, especially with that large of tube, which will tend to flatten more.
Another thing to consider for fittings is system maintenance. I'm on my fifth water cooled chassis now, and over the years i've discovered that it is a pain in the *** to drain the system to make modifications. Several companies now make quick disconnect fittings which work quite well, and drip very little water when removed. I like the koolance ones, though there are many others. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_346_203_483&products_id=28309 They are worth their weight in gold if you ever have to pull the motherboard for service but aren't planning on removing the CPU, or for when you need to pull your video cards out for upgrade or testing. I'd strongly reccommend quick disconnects on the video card assembly and the CPU water block if nothing else. They pay for themselves the first time you have to pull a component.
The only thing in your setup i don't really like is the pump. You can run a bare pump setup, but you can also get a fairly inexpensive controller based unit that will give you some feedback on temperature of the coolant if nothing else and shut the PC down if there is a problem before the motherboard hardware damage protections kick in. Will your pump work for what you are planning? sure. Will going with it over one with a controller cause problems down the line? probably not. Somethign to consider though.
Make sure you have a decent tubing cutter too. Scissors will work, but you want a really nice smooth square cut for those compression fittings to work well,
As for the water cooling setup, looks like a decent setup. I haven't used EK stuff myself, but they have a good reputation and their water block design is similar to Koolance's designs, which I tend to favor. Good call on a full card water block too. Those "universal" blocks with the stuck on fins are really inefficient compared to a full block. Mixing nickle and copper components won't be an issue, and your radiator is copper too, so you should be fine. Stay far, far away from any aluminum blocks or radiators though unless you plan to switch all the components to aluminum, otherwise you will get corrosion even in de-ionized water based coolants. Be aware that the radiator you have specced out is about twice the normal radiator thickness. it should't be a problem at all in the case you have for clearance though.
The fittings diameter you are going with will leave you with a 3/4" outer diameter tube to run everywhere. That makes for very good water flow, but it also restricts some of your bend radius, and takes up a massive amount of space. You may want to consider going with smaller diameter tube for your first build, since your water blocks are going to tend to restrict flow anyways below what that tubing can deliver, though the extra water in the tubing would act as additional reservoir capacity. Either way, also invest in outer spring coils such as these: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_399_748&products_id=27495 The spring wrapping the tubeing prevents the tube from flattening out when you bend it. Straingt sections don't need them, but anywhere you have any kind of bend radius you will want one, especially with that large of tube, which will tend to flatten more.
Another thing to consider for fittings is system maintenance. I'm on my fifth water cooled chassis now, and over the years i've discovered that it is a pain in the *** to drain the system to make modifications. Several companies now make quick disconnect fittings which work quite well, and drip very little water when removed. I like the koolance ones, though there are many others. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_346_203_483&products_id=28309 They are worth their weight in gold if you ever have to pull the motherboard for service but aren't planning on removing the CPU, or for when you need to pull your video cards out for upgrade or testing. I'd strongly reccommend quick disconnects on the video card assembly and the CPU water block if nothing else. They pay for themselves the first time you have to pull a component.
The only thing in your setup i don't really like is the pump. You can run a bare pump setup, but you can also get a fairly inexpensive controller based unit that will give you some feedback on temperature of the coolant if nothing else and shut the PC down if there is a problem before the motherboard hardware damage protections kick in. Will your pump work for what you are planning? sure. Will going with it over one with a controller cause problems down the line? probably not. Somethign to consider though.
Make sure you have a decent tubing cutter too. Scissors will work, but you want a really nice smooth square cut for those compression fittings to work well,
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Thanks for looking it over.
After some more review I think ill be adding a second 240 reservoir and possibly doing a dual loop setup as some other people have said that my single radiator wont cut it.
I looked into the quick dissconnects as well but I wasnt sure about them but I see your point. What pump would you recommend, I chose that one due to its high volume.
After some more review I think ill be adding a second 240 reservoir and possibly doing a dual loop setup as some other people have said that my single radiator wont cut it.
I looked into the quick dissconnects as well but I wasnt sure about them but I see your point. What pump would you recommend, I chose that one due to its high volume.
One other question I have is. With the radiator fans are you combining them all into one connector and plugging into your powersupply or motherboard. Im a bit confused with the fan setups with so many of them.
I'd add an additional 120MM radiator on the back of the case. A radiator is capable of dissipating roughly 500 wats of energy per 120mm fan segment in theory under normal fan speed. In practice, dust levels, fan speeds, airflow restrictions, etc tend to knock about 75 watts off that number. Your radiator, being a deeper triple 120mm model will actually dissapate closer to 1,700 watts of energy, assuming you have the case in an adequate airflow area, etc.. You have a 1,000 watt power supply. Still, it never hurts to add capacity, especially since adding a radiator if you have a large case is cheap insurance, and a second radiator on the rear fan would hold almost as much fluid as a reservoir, but be much more effective at cooling it. Reservoirs actually tend to insulate the fluid, so there is a tradeoff in effectiveness. One single larger reservoir is much better than two smaller reservoirs of the same size for that reason.
Unless you are running a dual power supply setup and overclocking the **** out of everything to the point you risk failure, you'll be fine. you'll want to monittor your temperature
As for pumps, its again a balance act. you want the fluid in contact with the radiator for a decent amount of time, but you also want to remove fluid from the water blocks quickly. if your pump is too strong, you'll end up recirculating hot water before the radiators can really do much with it. too weak a pump and you risk cooking something. I'd start with a single loop, check your temperatures, then clock up from there and add a dual loop if you need to later.
The fan setup is another area where a controller setup of some sort is invaluable. You can use the motherboard ports, but most boards don't have enough when you start throwing triple radiators at them. You cna buy a dedicated fan controller, they usually run between $30-$50 or so, but better is a fan controller that is tied to the pump controller and temperature sensors. Here are two koolance options again. (and yeah, I know i keep mentioning them, but they make good stuff and its what I know) The first one is a controller fan and sensor interface card. It has a USB interface to the computer, and allows you to tie all your fans, temperature sensors, water flow meters, etc into one software controllable setup. Not too spendy either It would work with the pump you have specified, or a dual loop. The second link is a dedicated Koolance reservoir / pump / controller combo. If you don't want to deal with software, thats the one I'd reccommend starting with. The pumo is a little anemic compared to some out there, but you also don't really need a huge flow rate in most situations.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_439_772&products_id=31418
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_367&products_id=32488
You can also stack fan radiator fan with fans on both side of the radiator if you have the room and double the airflow through the radiator if you don't mind the noise. that starts to get rather loud quickly though.
Unless you are running a dual power supply setup and overclocking the **** out of everything to the point you risk failure, you'll be fine. you'll want to monittor your temperature
As for pumps, its again a balance act. you want the fluid in contact with the radiator for a decent amount of time, but you also want to remove fluid from the water blocks quickly. if your pump is too strong, you'll end up recirculating hot water before the radiators can really do much with it. too weak a pump and you risk cooking something. I'd start with a single loop, check your temperatures, then clock up from there and add a dual loop if you need to later.
The fan setup is another area where a controller setup of some sort is invaluable. You can use the motherboard ports, but most boards don't have enough when you start throwing triple radiators at them. You cna buy a dedicated fan controller, they usually run between $30-$50 or so, but better is a fan controller that is tied to the pump controller and temperature sensors. Here are two koolance options again. (and yeah, I know i keep mentioning them, but they make good stuff and its what I know) The first one is a controller fan and sensor interface card. It has a USB interface to the computer, and allows you to tie all your fans, temperature sensors, water flow meters, etc into one software controllable setup. Not too spendy either It would work with the pump you have specified, or a dual loop. The second link is a dedicated Koolance reservoir / pump / controller combo. If you don't want to deal with software, thats the one I'd reccommend starting with. The pumo is a little anemic compared to some out there, but you also don't really need a huge flow rate in most situations.
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_439_772&products_id=31418
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_367&products_id=32488
You can also stack fan radiator fan with fans on both side of the radiator if you have the room and double the airflow through the radiator if you don't mind the noise. that starts to get rather loud quickly though.
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Thanks for info. Ill stop hijacking your thread after this lol. I finally started buying some parts now that ive planned it out a bit more. Final build will be a 360 and 240 rad in a single loop. I will look into the fan/temp/pump stuff before I buy that a little more. I appreciate the help a lot and cant wait to see your build.
Finally got the motherboard and processor here. the last of the water cooling fittings get here next wednesday. Between thaose, and the parts already in the existing main computer I'll finally be ready for the rebuild after months of delay caused by the whole house refinance sillyness that was tying up the build funds. but thats done now, so life is good.
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
A couple of other parts. 
The video cards are presently already in the case, as is the power supply, the blueray burner, and the sound card.
Edited, Oct 14th 2012 12:09am by Kaolian
The video cards are presently already in the case, as is the power supply, the blueray burner, and the sound card.
Edited, Oct 14th 2012 12:09am by Kaolian
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Hooray for system upgrades!
I had to reinstall Windows on the media center PC, which leads a quiet life in the pasture these days because everyone uses the PS3 for nearly everything. Turns out, the wireless dongle died before Windows even got activated from the last rebuild, and when someone finally wanted to use it to access the Internet, it was totally locked out. A $20 pico wireless dongle and a clean install of Windows later, it's good to go. Also, this resulted in wireless speeds significantly upgraded, since that system's wireless dongle was from 2004 or so. Not surprised it finally died.
I had to reinstall Windows on the media center PC, which leads a quiet life in the pasture these days because everyone uses the PS3 for nearly everything. Turns out, the wireless dongle died before Windows even got activated from the last rebuild, and when someone finally wanted to use it to access the Internet, it was totally locked out. A $20 pico wireless dongle and a clean install of Windows later, it's good to go. Also, this resulted in wireless speeds significantly upgraded, since that system's wireless dongle was from 2004 or so. Not surprised it finally died.
Starting to build the water loop.
the top dual 230mm fans with the 3x 120mm radiator mounted under. They don't make a good dual 230mnm radiator, so this combination works supprisingly well, even better than replacing the 230mm fance with 3 dedicated 120mm fans
Underside of the primary radiator
Hard to see here, but one of the problems I need to solve is the opposite corner radiator hookup. It's pointed right at the secondary radiator, so I need to route around it with an angle fitting.
The CPU waterblock (Koolance 370) and the rear 120mm radiator
It's sideways, but you can see the probable final position of the reservoir here:
One of the issues I am going to run into with this build is filling the loop. The radiator is the top element in the loop, there is no place to put a fill port above itso to fill the loop i'll most likely fill the case on its side with the reservoir angled out so it is the highest point in the case. The bad news is that all my water level indicators will be crap. the good news is I know the approximate rate of evaporation, and I'll have ewnough excess capacity to run it for 3 or 4 years before topping off if I want.
You may notice the spiral wrap around the various tubing sections. THat actually isn't just asthetic. the spring coils prevent the tube from kinking and blocking coolant flow. Its actually very effective
The other dillema I am dealing with is the quick disconnect palcement. I have enough of them that I could use them in every single connection and have a dozen left over. But, there isn't room.Not exactly sure what I'll do to fix that. I may end up ommiting some, or convertin them to inline disconnects, which involves spending more money.
The noise matting hasn't arrived yet either, so I can't proceed with that stage of the process yet. Anyways, some progress.
the top dual 230mm fans with the 3x 120mm radiator mounted under. They don't make a good dual 230mnm radiator, so this combination works supprisingly well, even better than replacing the 230mm fance with 3 dedicated 120mm fans
Underside of the primary radiator
Hard to see here, but one of the problems I need to solve is the opposite corner radiator hookup. It's pointed right at the secondary radiator, so I need to route around it with an angle fitting.
The CPU waterblock (Koolance 370) and the rear 120mm radiator
It's sideways, but you can see the probable final position of the reservoir here:
One of the issues I am going to run into with this build is filling the loop. The radiator is the top element in the loop, there is no place to put a fill port above itso to fill the loop i'll most likely fill the case on its side with the reservoir angled out so it is the highest point in the case. The bad news is that all my water level indicators will be crap. the good news is I know the approximate rate of evaporation, and I'll have ewnough excess capacity to run it for 3 or 4 years before topping off if I want.
You may notice the spiral wrap around the various tubing sections. THat actually isn't just asthetic. the spring coils prevent the tube from kinking and blocking coolant flow. Its actually very effective
The other dillema I am dealing with is the quick disconnect palcement. I have enough of them that I could use them in every single connection and have a dozen left over. But, there isn't room.Not exactly sure what I'll do to fix that. I may end up ommiting some, or convertin them to inline disconnects, which involves spending more money.
The noise matting hasn't arrived yet either, so I can't proceed with that stage of the process yet. Anyways, some progress.
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
More of the cooling loop in place. Now I'm waiting on one fitting for the video card blocks, and the second container of coolant I can't really fit the video blocks until I am ready to attach them to the existing video cards, and at that point I am committed
Looks like everthing will line up just fine. The two 16X pci express 3.o slots are the very top one, and the third red one down (second red one from the bottom) so thats about where the entry and exit from the video blocks will bePlenty of room for the power supply on the bottom. The lower video block out will drop directly onto the reservoir, which will theoretically give the coolant some time to actually passive cool before going through the radiators. That particular reservoir really is about 8 times larger than I need for what I'll be doing with this system, but i got a good deal on it. And hey, if I decide I want to start overclocking like mad, there we go.
You may have noticed that I am not running any sort of ram water cooling, or a water cooling block on the motherboard north and southbridge. There are two reasons for that. For ram, the water blocks designed to work with a socket 2011 motherboard are bulky and I would have to eleminate the rear radiatior to even fit them on. Since my goal is noise reduction for an only mildly overclocked system, I don't need them. The motherboard block was more due to not being able to find one for that board that I liked. I may add one in the future if I can find one. I'm noit really fond of that tiny little fan on the southbridge controller for one thing.
I'm running a SSD for primary OS operations, and 2 2TB drives in a raid 1 for data. there is a massive 230mm fan directly in front of them, so drive cooling should not be an issue. And water cooled power supplies scare me, so I won't be installing one of thsoe while I have a pefectly good massive enermax PSU to use.
Looks like everthing will line up just fine. The two 16X pci express 3.o slots are the very top one, and the third red one down (second red one from the bottom) so thats about where the entry and exit from the video blocks will bePlenty of room for the power supply on the bottom. The lower video block out will drop directly onto the reservoir, which will theoretically give the coolant some time to actually passive cool before going through the radiators. That particular reservoir really is about 8 times larger than I need for what I'll be doing with this system, but i got a good deal on it. And hey, if I decide I want to start overclocking like mad, there we go.
You may have noticed that I am not running any sort of ram water cooling, or a water cooling block on the motherboard north and southbridge. There are two reasons for that. For ram, the water blocks designed to work with a socket 2011 motherboard are bulky and I would have to eleminate the rear radiatior to even fit them on. Since my goal is noise reduction for an only mildly overclocked system, I don't need them. The motherboard block was more due to not being able to find one for that board that I liked. I may add one in the future if I can find one. I'm noit really fond of that tiny little fan on the southbridge controller for one thing.
I'm running a SSD for primary OS operations, and 2 2TB drives in a raid 1 for data. there is a massive 230mm fan directly in front of them, so drive cooling should not be an issue. And water cooled power supplies scare me, so I won't be installing one of thsoe while I have a pefectly good massive enermax PSU to use.
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
catwho wrote:
Hooray for system upgrades!
I finally upgraded my 9800 GTX+ to a 550 Ti when it came down to about a hundred bucks. Although, really, my 9800 still hit above minimum on all my games and often even recommended. But I guess this will keep me slightly ahead of the curve; I'll never be buying some $300 card.
Edited, Oct 21st 2012 1:37pm by Jophiel
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
Jophiel wrote:
catwho wrote:
Hooray for system upgrades!
I finally upgraded my 9800 GTX+ to a 550 Ti when it came down to about a hundred bucks. Although, really, my 9800 still hit above minimum on all my games and often even recommended. But I guess this will keep me slightly ahead of the curve; I'll never be buying some $300 card.
If you wanna sell that 9800, let me know.
People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome. ~River Tam
Sedao
Sedao
Jophiel wrote:
I'll never be buying some $300 card.
I know, right? who want's to settle for a cheap video card!
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Thread hijack:
I actually realized that the new card was too nominal upgrade to spend the money on and returned it the next day and put the money towards a 3gb Radeon 7950. Got a decent price on it so I'm happy. It should arrive tomorrow. I'm not sure what I was thinking with the 550 Ti; I think I was just cross comparing too many cards that afternoon and got confused. Luckily, I had bought it in person from Tiger Direct so returning it was just a car drive.
Overclocked my i7-860 from 2.8GHz to 3.5GHz. From what I've read I can easily take it up to 4GHz but I'll wait on extra fans before I try that. I switched the 92mm fan on my heat sink from pulling to pushing and ordered another of the same fan for the other side. Also got a 140mm case fan to exhaust out the top (I just had the two fans in there that the case came with). Between them and the incoming fan, I'm hoping to keep temps low enough the maybe push the processor a little more but we'll first see how the whole thing plays with the new video card; I might be working just to keep temps the same with that in the case.
I never bothered to pay attention to my wires before and just started thinking about moving them out of the way, both for aesthetics and air flow. And.. hey, I never realized the back panel of my case comes off to thread wires through!
Only issue is that my motherboard power cable isn't long enough to take the scenic route around the back so I need an extension for it. Why can't these parts be available at my corner store? I can't even find the thing on TD's site so I'll probably wind up ordering it through Newegg. I hate having to wait days for some minor object to arrive.
I'm thinking now of adding another 140mm fan to the top and an extra one in front where the unused optical/disc drive bays are. There's not really a "spot" for it but I've read of people just using zip ties to hold it in place. Sort of like what's going on here.
So now Kao knows how the other half lives
Edit: Realized I had my PSU installed upside down ( again ) which gave me reason to move all the wires now. Nearly gave myself a heart attack when the computer wouldn't post on power-up... until I realized I had forgotten to plug the MB power back in.
Edited, Oct 28th 2012 11:55pm by Jophiel
I actually realized that the new card was too nominal upgrade to spend the money on and returned it the next day and put the money towards a 3gb Radeon 7950. Got a decent price on it so I'm happy. It should arrive tomorrow. I'm not sure what I was thinking with the 550 Ti; I think I was just cross comparing too many cards that afternoon and got confused. Luckily, I had bought it in person from Tiger Direct so returning it was just a car drive.
Overclocked my i7-860 from 2.8GHz to 3.5GHz. From what I've read I can easily take it up to 4GHz but I'll wait on extra fans before I try that. I switched the 92mm fan on my heat sink from pulling to pushing and ordered another of the same fan for the other side. Also got a 140mm case fan to exhaust out the top (I just had the two fans in there that the case came with). Between them and the incoming fan, I'm hoping to keep temps low enough the maybe push the processor a little more but we'll first see how the whole thing plays with the new video card; I might be working just to keep temps the same with that in the case.
I never bothered to pay attention to my wires before and just started thinking about moving them out of the way, both for aesthetics and air flow. And.. hey, I never realized the back panel of my case comes off to thread wires through!
Only issue is that my motherboard power cable isn't long enough to take the scenic route around the back so I need an extension for it. Why can't these parts be available at my corner store? I can't even find the thing on TD's site so I'll probably wind up ordering it through Newegg. I hate having to wait days for some minor object to arrive. I'm thinking now of adding another 140mm fan to the top and an extra one in front where the unused optical/disc drive bays are. There's not really a "spot" for it but I've read of people just using zip ties to hold it in place. Sort of like what's going on here.
So now Kao knows how the other half lives
Edit: Realized I had my PSU installed upside down (
again ) which gave me reason to move all the wires now. Nearly gave myself a heart attack when the computer wouldn't post on power-up... until I realized I had forgotten to plug the MB power back in. Edited, Oct 28th 2012 11:55pm by Jophiel
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
now your case has radeon germs in it. ewww.
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
You're just old and bitter, longing for the carefree days when you could still find joy in a simple 140mm fan.
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
No, seriously...RADEON GERMS!
People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think, don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome. ~River Tam
Sedao
Sedao
By the way, if you seriously wanted to use an extension, Tiger direct has them. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4396917&CatId=82
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2795619&CatId=82
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3045753&CatId=82
depending on which power lead you were referring to.
I don't reccommend overclocking on air. Yeah, you can do it stabily, but it shortens the average life expectancy of your CPU, ram and motherboard. If you are going to, at least make sure your ram has good heat syncs. bare sticks will cook quickly. Also consider sticking a large 230+mm fan in the side panel less noise than a 140, much higher air flow. some assembly required. Fan grilles for larger fans can be located on performance-pcs.com amongst other locations.
My build is temporarily on hold on account of the motherboard havign nobootitis right out of the box. A new one is on the way from RMA, but it won't get here for a few days. And no, I am not exactly thrilled by this turn of events. At least the new water cooling quick disconnects are completely awsome and better than advertised in every way, so taking the damend case apart isn't a problem.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2795619&CatId=82
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3045753&CatId=82
depending on which power lead you were referring to.
I don't reccommend overclocking on air. Yeah, you can do it stabily, but it shortens the average life expectancy of your CPU, ram and motherboard. If you are going to, at least make sure your ram has good heat syncs. bare sticks will cook quickly. Also consider sticking a large 230+mm fan in the side panel less noise than a 140, much higher air flow. some assembly required. Fan grilles for larger fans can be located on performance-pcs.com amongst other locations.
My build is temporarily on hold on account of the motherboard havign nobootitis right out of the box. A new one is on the way from RMA, but it won't get here for a few days. And no, I am not exactly thrilled by this turn of events. At least the new water cooling quick disconnects are completely awsome and better than advertised in every way, so taking the damend case apart isn't a problem.
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
I know TD carries the extensions, they just don't stock them in the warehouse store. If I need to get something mailed, I'm just as well off using Newegg since they don't take any longer and don't charge me tax. For all I know, they're sitting on a shelf at a Radio Shack or something but the extension is en rout now anyway. The power not reaching the MB from behind was a little unexpected but some reading shows that it struck a lot of people as unexpected.
CPU temps were in the low 30's after overclocking to 3.5GHz and ticked up to around 35-37 with the new video card (big card cutting off airflow). The extra 140mm in the front should take care of that and create a pretty solid shot of air from the front of the computer, through the fans on the heatsink and exhausted by the fan in back. Assuming that takes me back down to where I started, I'm happy with temps. This is the 140mm I'm moving to the front. It's on blowing out the top now and I can barely hear the thing. I've got another fan with lights coming to take its place up top. Doesn't move as much air but it's being augmented by the 120mm next to it so it shouldn't have to.
Suddenly, art!
I was originally going to put a second 140 over the memory (dark green) but, drawn out, that would be pretty counter productive. Shame too, since it was a matched pair with the lit fan going in next to it. Maybe I'll pop in the front top position, drop the Cougar to the bottom and just pull & save the stock fan.
Can't do anything though until my extension shows up
Edited, Oct 30th 2012 8:27am by Jophiel
CPU temps were in the low 30's after overclocking to 3.5GHz and ticked up to around 35-37 with the new video card (big card cutting off airflow). The extra 140mm in the front should take care of that and create a pretty solid shot of air from the front of the computer, through the fans on the heatsink and exhausted by the fan in back. Assuming that takes me back down to where I started, I'm happy with temps. This is the 140mm I'm moving to the front. It's on blowing out the top now and I can barely hear the thing. I've got another fan with lights coming to take its place up top. Doesn't move as much air but it's being augmented by the 120mm next to it so it shouldn't have to.
Suddenly, art!
I was originally going to put a second 140 over the memory (dark green) but, drawn out, that would be pretty counter productive. Shame too, since it was a matched pair with the lit fan going in next to it. Maybe I'll pop in the front top position, drop the Cougar to the bottom and just pull & save the stock fan.
Can't do anything though until my extension shows up
Edited, Oct 30th 2012 8:27am by Jophiel
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
The second lit up one you are installing has a sleave bearing. IT will work, just expect it to wear out several years before the other one with the good magnetohydrodynamic bearing.
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Eh, for $10 I can replace it when it needs it 
Works out well since the good one is going into a harder to access location (between the HD cage and case front). The other one just pops right on the top.
Also, Newegg ships through New Jersey. Guess my stuff will have to wait on Death Maelstrom 2012.
Edit: Hey, Newegg sent me a "Thanks for ordering from us" email offering various discounts, one of which was 20% off case fans. Since my order never shipped, I was able to cancel it and then re-order with the discount. Finally, hurricanes are working in my favor. also gave me a chance to realize that I didn't need a lit 140mm on top right next to a lit 120mm in back.
Edited, Oct 30th 2012 11:11pm by Jophiel
Works out well since the good one is going into a harder to access location (between the HD cage and case front). The other one just pops right on the top.
Also, Newegg ships through New Jersey. Guess my stuff will have to wait on Death Maelstrom 2012.
Edit: Hey, Newegg sent me a "Thanks for ordering from us" email offering various discounts, one of which was 20% off case fans. Since my order never shipped, I was able to cancel it and then re-order with the discount. Finally, hurricanes are working in my favor. also gave me a chance to realize that I didn't need a lit 140mm on top right next to a lit 120mm in back.
Edited, Oct 30th 2012 11:11pm by Jophiel
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
Quick update. RMA motherboard arrived and is installed. PC is working flawlessly now. I still need to cut a hole for the side panel 200MM fan, and install the front bay monitoring LCD, but it is up and functional and is a thing of beauty. I do need to tidy the cables inside yet, which given the shere amount of them is easier said than done. I'll post final pictures tomorrow once I have a chance to get the side window finished.
THis thing is stupidly fast though. I was on a socket 1366 upper end quad before, and this is running rings around that one!
THis thing is stupidly fast though. I was on a socket 1366 upper end quad before, and this is running rings around that one!
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
Sounds nice. What do you do with all that power?
I'm still waiting on my bits to arrive from New Jersey. Part of me wants to paint the inside of my case black as long as I'm back in the case anyway. Another part of me isn't excited at the idea of pulling out my motherboard (and everything else) to do it. Next time I get a case, I'll need to remember to do that from the start.
I'm still waiting on my bits to arrive from New Jersey. Part of me wants to paint the inside of my case black as long as I'm back in the case anyway. Another part of me isn't excited at the idea of pulling out my motherboard (and everything else) to do it. Next time I get a case, I'll need to remember to do that from the start.
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
Recent Visitors: 10
All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (10)
- Forums
- Cross Site
- Computer Hardware & Troubleshooting
- My socket 2011 build of doom!
© 2025 Fanbyte LLC