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[BUILD LOG] (Nov/Dec 2011) No Salary Cap X79 Full Water-Cooled Craziness

43K views 352 replies 78 participants last post by  Quantum Reality 
#1 ·
Overview
Ok, so I am finally breaking down and doing one of those insane, over the top, completely unneeded builds to see how much i can overclock the 580 GPUs and the new 3960X processor. This build is going to take a month roughly due to some of the lead times some components have. I would love to hear input regarding some of the component choices, and any input on my water cooling choices (first time i'll be doing a water cooled system).

System Name: TintedSun

Goals:
To acheive the highest overclock I can on the new 3960X Intel, highest overclock on the eVGA 580 GTX's, and make a really sweet looking custom system.

Visuals
  • Internal Color Scheme: Red/Black
  • CPU Block LEDs: Tailed Dual 3mm Red LEDs
  • Case LEDs: undecided, but something Red
  • Water Line Color: Clear Red
  • Anti-Kink Color: Black
  • Fitting Color: Matte Black
  • Coolant Color: Clear
  • Cable Sleeve Color: Black
  • Heatshrink Color: Black

Build Plans

System Features:
  • Quad SLI
  • RAID 0 SSDs on SATA III
  • Dual Water Loops (2 pumps per loop in series)
  • Dual PSUs
  • Cooling system controls on front of case
Cooling:
  • System will have 2 seperate water loops
  • Radiators will be on both top portions of the case
  • Each radiator will have 4 high pressure Scythe fans
  • Each Radiator will have a dedicated 4 channel fan controller with RPM display and RPM Adjuster
  • Each Radiator fan can be controlled independantly via the bay mounted controllers
  • Each fan will be in a push configuration and will feature a 40mm plenum
Water Loops:
  • Loop 1 - 4 Video Cards
  • Loop 1 - to use PSU mounted Radiator
  • Loop 2 - CPU/RAM/Mobo
  • Loop 2 - to use mobo mounted Radiator
Planned Water Loop Layouts:

Loop Layout

Front Option Renderings:

TH-10 Layout Proto

Hardware:

PC Centric Parts:
Water Cooling Parts:
Air Cooling Parts:
Bay Electronics
Random System Items

Completed System Pictures:

(soon to come)

Completed System Video:

(soon to come)

Benchmarks:

Single Samsung SSD on the additional controller (SATA III)
Benchmark: Single Samsung SSD

2 x Samsung SSD's in RAID 0 on the regular X79 controller (SATA III)
Benchmark: RAID 0 - 2 x Samsung SSDs
 
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4
#2 ·
Component Pictures

ASUS Rampage IV Extreme
Asus Rampage IV Extreme Pic 1

ASUS Rampage IV Extreme 2
Asus Rampage IV Extreme Pic 2

3960X
Intel 3960X

32GB Corsair Dominator GT
32GB Corsair Dominators

Corsair 1200 1
Corsair AX1200s Pic 1

Corsair 1200 2
Corsair AX1200s Pic 2

Black Ice GTX Radiators
Black Ice GTX Radiators

Dual Lamptron Controllers
Dual Lamptron Controllers

CaseLabs TH-10 1
Caselabs TH-10 Pic 1

CaseLabs TH-10 2
Caselabs TH-10 Pic 2

CaseLabs TH-10 3
Caselabs TH-10 Pic 3

CaseLabs TH-10 4
Caselabs TH-10 Pic 4

CaseLabs TH-10 5
Caselabs TH-10 Pic 5

CaseLabs TH-10 6
Caselabs TH10 Pic 6

4 x Crucial M4s
Crucial M4s

8 x 5400 RPM Gentle Typhoons
5400 Gentle Typhoons

13 x Aerocool Shark Red Fans
Aerocool Shark Red Fans

4 x eVGA 580 GTX FTW Hydro 2's
eVGA 580 GTX Hydro Copper 2 FTW 3GB Cards

2 x Lite On Blu-Ray Writers
Lite-On Blue-Ray Writers

Koolance R4E Blocks
Koolance R4E Block

Danger Den Blocks
Danger Den GPU Block Pic 1

Danger Den Block Up Close
Danger Den GPU Block Pic 2

Resevoir Option (no flash)
FrozenQ Helix Resevoir Pic 1

Resevoir Option (flash)
FrozenQ Helix Resevoir Pic 2
 
#3 ·
Build Pics

Build 1
Build Pic 1

Build 2
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VGA Block Install 1
VGA Block Install 1

Old EVGA Blocks
VGA Block Install 2

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#5 ·
Ok, first things first. I have to figure out which case I want to use. Here are the 2 cases im looking at currently:

Corsair Obsidian 800D
Pros
  • Sleek Looking
  • Roomy
  • Window on Left Side of Case
  • Tons of Grommeted Pass Through Slots
  • Board mounts traditionally
  • Cables conenct to back of tower
Cons
  • Not sure if it will take dual PSU's
  • Limited on Radiator Choices (or so i've read)
  • Pretty standard case for builds (i'm wanting something that stands out and is different)

Silverstone Temjin TJ11
Pros
  • Dual PSU Ready
  • Removable Motherboard Tray
  • Awesome Looking
  • Takes all radiators amazingly well
  • Beefy interal airflow design
  • Full Aluminum
  • Awesome Filter Design
Cons
  • Window on Right Side of Case (my current rig sits on the right side of my monitors)
  • Not a big fan of the reverse 90 degree turned Motherboard Layout (although it looks cool)
  • All cords come out of the top of the case

Case Labs TH10
Pros
  • Dual PSU Ready
  • Insane Amount of Space
  • Fully Customizable
  • Takes all radiators amazingly well
  • Full Aluminum
  • Looks pretty cool
Cons
  • Very Wide (not really a con as what you get with it is worth it)

if theres any other cases anyone thinks would be good for a full watercooled system please feel free to let me know, I am completely open to suggestions right now.

edit:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peer View Post

Craaazy! Looking forward to your WC build, because I need some tips and ideas for my custom loop IB rig when it comes out!
Thanks.

I wasnt going to do a full blown new build, but a buddy of mine is doing a full water cooled build and i haven't built a new rig for a bit, so i got jelous and decided to do one as well lol. Hopefully i can get the case sorted out this weekend and get some of the hardware ordered that I know I will be using to get things rolling while i wait on my 580's to come in.
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by tx-jose View Post

Case labs TH10 case. Solves ALL of ur problems right their
i like what i see so far, this is going on the considered list. and you are right, it does solve a lot of the issues that I am disliking on the Obsidian and Temjin.
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hyperlite View Post

Quick update, going to return the 3930k and get te 3960x instead. After thinking about it, the price difference isn't that big when looking at the big picture, and the whole point of the build is to be the highest end stuff :-D
Remember what your paying for, a black box and 3MB extra L3 Cache. And 70% more in my money over a 3930K no matter if i look at the big picture it's still completely mental for me to try and rationalise.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mhill2029 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hyperlite View Post

Quick update, going to return the 3930k and get te 3960x instead. After thinking about it, the price difference isn't that big when looking at the big picture, and the whole point of the build is to be the highest end stuff :-D
Remember what your paying for, a black box and 3MB extra L3 Cache. And 70% more in my money over a 3930K no matter if i look at the big picture it's still completely mental for me to try and rationalise.
True alot of it is mental. It'd be nice to know how far out from the center of the wafer the 3930's are and how much lower voltage can be obtained between the 2. Both of those affect how high you can push that clock when it's almost maxed.
 
#13 ·
sub'd... looks promising
smile.gif
... i would personaly go with the TH10 (or any case labs case realy)... the only reason im going with the TJ11 for my build is that i need a single wide because of space issues
smile.gif
 
#14 ·
Quick update, after looking at numerous cases and watching some video reviews, I have decided to go with the CaseLabs TH10. Gonna eb ordering it today, but just need to figure out how i want to configure it. The main question is if i want to place a window on the right side to see the dual PSU's and pumps/possible resevoirs.

Also, going to attempt to return the 3930k newegg (already have a 3960x on order), but forgot newegg has this issue about returning OEM CPU's for a refund. Anyone want to buy one for $50 off ($550) and free shipping? lol

edit: not sure if i wanan do a white caselabs case or black, red/white would be a pretty cool color scheme.
 
#15 ·
Ok, went with Black on the case. Figured its easier to match front plates of other things I want to install and I have no means of powder coating or re-painting stuff easily at home.

Also just ordered the dual Corsair 1200AX's.

Motherboard should be in today, Ram today, videocards are still an issue (but have my tiger direct rep hunting for them), and 3960x should be here wednesday.

Starting to think about how I want to set up the water cooling and starting to look at what type of layout I want to use. Tossing around the idea of multiple water circuits for different items, but need to do some more reasearch.

edit: got newegg to take the 3930k back for a refund since it was completely un-opened. awesome!
 
#16 ·
Alright, looking at the water cooling components and want some opinions. I want to do 2 circuits. 1 circuit will be for the videocards, the other ciruit will be for CPU/Mobo/RAM (RAM/Mobo is still in the air if water cool is even needed, but the bling is cool).

Here are the components I am looking at:

Radiator:
2 x Aquacomputer Airplex Modularity System 480 Radiator I have a question into CaseLabs on if these will fit in the upper/lower mount areas of the TH-10 on the PSU side. Also heard aquacomputer is a solid brand

Pumps:
Innovatek Eheim HPPS i High Power 12V Water Pumpcool color scheme, less head than next option, more expensive
or
Phobya DC12-400 12V Water Cooling Pump 4m of head, 50,000 hours
or
Danger Den DD-CPX Pro 12V 3 Pin Powered Pump More flow rate than the phobya, not sure about head rating
or
Koolance Pump, PMP-450S [13mm, 1/2in ID]

Resevoirs:
FrozenQ Liquid Fusion Dual Bay Reservoir - UV Red Helix Looks cool
or
FrozenQ PC Mods 250mm Liquid Fusion V Series "2nd Generation" Reservoir - UV Cathode - UV Red Helix

I don't know much about FrozenQ as a brand. Do they put out solid products?

Tubing:
I'm not really sure what to use. Red tubing would be cool, but not sure if i need microbial tubing or not. Looking for suggestions here.

CPU Block:
Koolance CPU-370 Liquid Cooling Extreme CPU Block
or
EK Supreme HF Universal CPU Liquid Cooling Block w/ Easy Mount Kit - Rev 2 - Full Copper - Electroless Nickel Plated (EK-Supreme HF - Full EN Nickel) concerned about quality issues on their plating
or
XSPC RayStorm High Performance Acetal CPU Liquid Cooling Block - Intel (Sockets LGA 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011) I love the look, Hate the blue LEDs. I have read this is one of the best performing CPU blocks, and i have the means to switch out the Blue LED's for Red LED's, so am very much considering this block.

I'm leaning towards the XSPC block the most, as I can convert the blue LEDs to red LEDs based off my system color scheme. Input/opinions is always welcome.

GPU Block:
Stock nVidia Hydro block on the 580 classified hydros unless someone has some input about how they suck and recommends i switch them out for a better block.

RAM Block:
Still looking for options that fit the dominator gt's. I know EK makes a block, but am concerned about their quality/plating issues

Chipset Block:
EK has a x79 block in the works for the Rampage IV, and is scheduled to be complete by the end of this month. Outside of that, I dont know what other brands are currently developing a chipset block that fits the Rampage IV

Coolant:
DI Water and an anti bacterial agent added. I've read this is best.
 
#18 ·
Stock hydro blocks don't cool the memory or more importantly the VRM's
which is fine if you only plan on using afterburner to do your voltage modifications.
However if you are planing on going to the next level and flash your 580's with custom bios so you can unlock the voltages needed to push these cards to a 1000mhz +.
These kind of Voltage mods are very involved and need a steep learning curve.
also with stock hydro blocks you would need to have fans to cool the memory and VRM's
 
#19 ·
You know the only thing I would change about this build is the PSU. After reading the new seasonic http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=18858 I would be using that, especially with overclocking. Look at reviews for that thing it's incredible. Super stable, and super awesome. 2 of those should be nuts to use and it pushes 90% eff. But that's just me plus fully modular.

Also 400th post
smile.gif
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by tuffarts View Post

Stock hydro blocks don't cool the memory or more importantly the VRM's
which is fine if you only plan on using afterburner to do your voltage modifications.
However if you are planing on going to the next level and flash your 580's with custom bios so you can unlock the voltages needed to push these cards to a 1000mhz +.
These kind of Voltage mods are very involved and need a steep learning curve.
also with stock hydro blocks you would need to have fans to cool the memory and VRM's
so what do they cool?

im not opposed to putting a different block on, but am somewhat irritated now though because i returned 3 air cooled 580 classifieds for the sole purpose of assuming the hydro block would be sufficient. since there is no stock on the hydros, i guess i could just re-order the air cooled 580's and waterblock them myself.

also, are you sure the classified 580's dont have a modified bios to take higher voltages already? i read those cards are rated to take up to 1000 watts per card pending the proper cooling is in place, which to me would mean they are already made to take excessive voltages?

edit: after thinking about the air cooled 580's, i forgot they take up 2 bays on the back of the case. im wanting to toss a really nice audio card in as i do alot of FL Studio stuff as well and the on board sound is horrible for music creation (even the soundblaster cards arent that great for music creation). since i need the extra bays for one of those, i cant go with the air cooled versions and plop my own block on.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by hellboy_101 View Post

You know the only thing I would change about this build is the PSU. After reading the new seasonic http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=18858 I would be using that, especially with overclocking. Look at reviews for that thing it's incredible. Super stable, and super awesome. 2 of those should be nuts to use and it pushes 90% eff. But that's just me plus fully modular.
Also 400th post
smile.gif
My dual Corsairs came in today, but i will check that PSU out. I have always had extremely stable performance out of corsair psu's so i never even researched anything else as i already knew what i was buying, but im not opposed to rma'ing and getting something different if it proves to be worth it. thanks for the comment and ill look it up.
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by trippinonprozac View Post

Wow, this is going to be one hell of a build. Would hate to see the cost involved!
As you are going to extremes, why not just wait until Ivy Bridge is out and do it right first time round?
i was debating waiting until ivy bridge and the next nvidia series of cards, but got jelous of my buddy always talking about his wc build so i pulled the trigger on starting this. as far as the costs, im scared to look at my cc bill too lol. right now with all purchases (im logging things on the TintedSun build on this site) the build is around the 4k mark right now. my guess is it will be about 6ish when im done (need the vid cards and water cooling items).

plus, i personally dont think there will be much performance difference between the 6 core 2011's and the launch ivy bridges, but we will see when benchmarks are released :)
 
#23 ·
Just a general update:

Case is shipping tomorrow via fedex ground. I should have it on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Still trying to find 4 evga 580 gtx hydro classified cards, if anyone knows of someplace that has stock on these feel free to let me know.

I am working on a pic that maps out the basic layout of items i am wanting to toss in the build (more for me so i can plan the build out mentally before slapping items in). When I get that and the schematic of the watercool loops done i will post it.

I plan to order the watercool items tomorrow. still trying to find a nice bay mounted flow meter that offers dual channels and no res/pump. pretty sure i know which fan controller i want to use. outside of that, im super excited to start assembling everything in the case :-D

edit: sorry for quad posting, i guess i could have just multi quoted :-/
 
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