Operation Rebirth - custom loop build log!

Hi guys,
This is the build log of my first watercooled rig and the silly name is to point out that I am not building a new rig but actually transplanting my aircooled one to a new case and installing a custom loop to cool it!

Hope you enjoy!

System specs are below my sig but I will repeat them here to make it clearer:

i7 975 Extreme Edition (replaced my 920 last month, only US$160, ha! ) + Prolimatech Megahalems and 1 San Ace 120mm 2850rpm;

12Gb of RAM, Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz C9;

Asus P6T Deluxe V2 (love this mobo, has already given me 3 years of satisfaction)

Corsair HX850W (solid PSU as you all know);

MSI 580GTX Lightning x 2 em SLI (best videocard I've ever owned! The independent memory voltage control by itself already makes it the best for me, no need to go into details as this is OCN, baby );

Zalman ZM-MFC3 fan controler with 4 channels (3 3pin ones and 1 PWM), 4 temperature sensors and real-time wattage reading;

Crucial C300 SSD 256Gb + Corsair F3 GT + 3 HDDs (2 WD Caviar Black 1 Tb + WD Caviar Green 2Tb);

Soundblaster X-Fi Fatal1ty Champion;

Blu-Ray Drive from Samsung (SH-B083L);

Old case was a CoolerMaster CM-690;

Here is a pic of how it used to be until last week:




And now starts the fun!

All that is going into a Corsair 800D and getting wc!

Radiators: EK Coolstream XTX 360 + EK XT 120
Rad Fans: 4 x San Ace 120mm 1500rpm;
Blocks: EK Supreme HF (EN Nickel) + Bitspower full cover block for the MSI 580GTX Lightning!
Res: EK SpinBay in Acetal;
Pump: MCP655 (D5 vario) + custom top from EK in Acetal;
Tubing: Primochill Pro LRT UV Blue (3/8" ID, 1/2" OD)
Fittings: EK (sraight) + Bitspower (swiveling, 45 degrees) all in Nickel-plated Brass. All compression fittings;

Waterflow design:
Res > pump > draining bend (added a small drain-valve from koolance in a tubing bend beside the PSU) >GPU2 > GPU 1 (parallel) > EK XT 120 > CPU > EK XTX 360 > and back to res.

The block, since it's the first non-custom made full-cover block for the MSI 580GTX Lightning, got its own thread (HERE) and I will post only one pic of it in this one, please see the details in the other thread.



And now the whole thing:





Installing the rads.
Already left the 12v line in place to make my life easier later on.



The chosen rad fan!
San Ace 1500rpm with 1.9mmH2O of static pressure, which, if I'm not mistaken is more than the 1850rpm Gentle Typhoon can put up
Great, silent, industrial-quality fans!
I re-wired them in parallel to use only one slot of the fan controller (low wattage so no problem!).
Also put some rubber spacers to minimize vibrations on the top rad.





This one shows the res sitting on the front panel... where it stayed for a month and half until I could finally finish the damn thing!
Never had to be so patient in my life!
Knowing that all the parts were at hand but I couldn't spare the time to finish the rig

Well, that's past now!

Here is the finished product!



The only intake fan for the rads is a San Ace 2850rpm installed on a 120-140mm adapter in the bottom (it's plugged to the fan controller's PWM channel and running at 1500rpm - dead silent!).



Here you guys can see the drain-bend that goes to the lower chamber.
Yeah, I bet you're laughing over there but it's my first time and I tried to think about everything at once and that's what I came up with
heheheh



Cable management isn't pretty in the back but it is ok in the front, it closes, and doesn't tangle... that's good enough for me!



The front is a bit hectic but I think it all match surprising well considering I bought it all years ago!





Pretty with the lights off, ain't it?!




Edited by Ulver - 3/11/12 at 7:55pm

Performance:

Load temps before were: => Now they are:

CPU => 72C ==========> 65C (still high but I think thats cause the CPU is right after the gpus, with only Linx running it stops at 52C).

GPU1 => 83C =========> 47C

GPU2 => 79C =========> 47C (they are in parallel as you can see from the pics)


The noise, well, there is a pleasant running-water-sound (res have a waterfall) and that's that.

Those temps are with 24.5C ambient, Rad-fans at 1140rpm and pump at 2.5 speed setting (of 5 speed levels).

How could I wait so long to go wet!!?
Edited by Ulver - 3/11/12 at 11:54pm

Other than that, I've left my two cav blacks on the bottom HDD spaces (only 2) and put the Cav. Green and the two SSDs on the hot-swap places (still have one space empty there since it fits 4 drives)

The bottom HDD chamber is cooled by a 120mm 850RPM CM turbine and the top is cooled by one of the 140mm Corsair fans that came with the case (wanted to put one of mine TY - 140 but it wouldn't fit ).

Thanks, Jesus!

Thanks guys!