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[Build Log] Carbon Rose - IN WIN S-Frame/ CARBON FIBER Tubing/ 2x GTX 980/ i7-4790k / Asus Formula VII

34K views 56 replies 25 participants last post by  Nfsdude0125 
#1 ·
Introduction







With Bad lighting

















Current status:
Done... for now...

Intro

I saw the IN WIN s-frame last year and I knew I had to have it. It was a beautiful case, and it sparked the artist in me. Thus this build is not about performance or reliability, but rather making something stunning to look at.

http://www.overclock.net/forums/threads/edit/1538664#
Important Points

  1. IN WIN S Frame Case - http://www.inwin-style.com/en/goods.php?act=view&id=S-Frame
  2. Water cooled CPU, GPU(s) and MOBO on a 3x120mm Radiator, one loop
  3. Hard acrylic tubing Carbon Fiber Tubing
  4. 2x GTX 980 Asus STRIX waterblocked and in SLI
  5. Color theme: Red and black
  6. 512gb M.2 drive as OS drive
  7. The name "Dead Rose" because I was making origami roses while taking photos, and I thought the roses looked nice next to the case.
  8. "Dead" was replaced with "Carbon, due to carbon fiber theme"
I hope this log serves as a guide for other people looking at this case, and that they can learn from my mistakes. This build is about 30% 40% 75% 85% 98% done.

I plan to finish the build first, and then over-clock depending on stability.

Components

Main Components

Case: IN WIN S Frame
CPU: I7-4790k
MOBO: ASUS Maximus VII Formula LGA 1150 (Chosen because of built-in water cooling blocks)
GPUs: GTX 980 ASUS STRIX x2 in SLI (Chosen because this is was my Christmas present. Luckily there was a waterblock for it because this card isn't factory spec.)
RAM: Red HyperX Savage 4X8GB @1600hz (Chosen because it looks amazing. 1600hz because I didn't want compatibility issues)
Storage: Transcend 512 GB M.2 (TS512GMTS600) (Connected directly into the MOBO with the provided adapter, the adapter is combined with the WI-FI card)
PSU: Corsair AX1200i (because it's red and because it's modular.)

I plan to add a few traditional HDDs later on, along with possibly a sound card and a USB 3 drive. Note that this MOBO only has 1x 15pin slot for USB 3.0, while the case has 2x 15pin cables. Both the MOBO and the case come with a USB 3.0->2.0 adapter, but I plan to get a USB 3.0 pci card with an extra 15pin slot due to OCD.

Water Cooling

Radiator: Black Ice Stealth 360 X-Flow (Chosen because cross flow for aesthetic reasons, rather than a normal U flow. Note that this Radiator doesn't fit perfectly with the case. You gotta shift the rad by 2 cm and mount it with the 4 alternative holes on the frame)
Pump/reservoir: AquaComputer Aqualis Base 450ml with D5 adapter and Swiftech MCP655-b
GPU Waterblock: EK GTX980 STrix Full coverage - Acetal + Nickel (No choice in the matter as the strix 980 is non factor spec, and I wanted a full cover block for looks. Luckily it looks pretty good)
GPU Waterblock backplate : Nickel Black (I first got the nickel, and it looks gorgeous, but it clashed with the color theme. Thus I used two black backplates.)
CPU Waterblock Koolance CPU-380I EK-Supremacy EVO CPU Water Block - Red Edition (The koolance block looks good, but again the silver clashes with the color theme of red and black. Thus the ek red water block, but this might change again depending on my taste the red water block looks amazing)

Tubing:12mm OD/10mm ID Crystal link tubing Carbon Fiber Tubing, 12mm od, 10mm id, Matt black
Fittings:Bitspower Black red Fittings. (I tried the silver ones, but changed to black due to color theme. Then I went to red, due to black tubing).

Things to further decide:
I wanna add a valve to the loop to make it easier to flush. (I did this)
Also I haven't decided if I want to used colored coolant or not. I think I will first use water to test, and then decided. Lastly I might decided to use colored tubing if I like the look.

Log

Log 1:

Log 2:

Log 3

Log 3b

Log 4

Credits

  1. Thank you to the wonderful people as asus ROG forums, MeanMachine and Nate152. See: http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?56294-Formula-VII-with-HyperX-Savage-55-Memory-error
  2. The awesome people at the S frame owners Club: http://www.overclock.net/t/1513646/in-win-s-frame-owners-club
  3. Specifically, users @Kripple, @xnikx, @torqueroll for their great builds
  4. Super special mention to @unknownsolo, his build was the basis and starting point of mine.
  5. Linus @ Linustechtips for his videos, and NCIX for featuring this case in a build.
  6. IN WIN for making this case, and for being so nice at CES 2015 to bring it so I could derive inspiration.
 
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21
#2 ·
First Log Post

Photos:


A photo of the case, and the reason for the name "Dead Rose".



A profile of the build as of today. You can see the MOBO installed, along with the CPU, CPU block, RAM, Radiator and Fans



A closeup of the CPU, RAM and the built-in Northbridge/Southbridge waterblock on the formula VII.



The two GTX 980 strix waterblocked. I plan on changing the current silver plate to black because of color theme reasons. You can also see various other parts like the power cables, a red cold cathod that I was testing, and a silver fitting along with rigid tubing as a tester.



The backview of the case, for those curious. The cables are a mess currently, but you can also see the 1200w power supply attached.



The MOBO backplate. I decided to add it on because it actually looks nice, and it kinda compartmentalizes the internals from the externals.

Historical Photos



The test bench of the mobo ram and cpu before installing. Luckily i found out that the mobo had a bent pin, and didn't detect the memory. I replaced it, and the new one worked fine.

CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 75

A picture of the pins. The bent ones were right above the center rectangle, right above the third column of transistors (a 2x2 group that looks slightly different from the rest).

Things Done:

I got the case last august, and just left it in my room. I spent a long time doing research, looking at other peoples builds (linked in my post above).

Most of the parts were acquired by Christmas. After coming back from travels, I started the build in earnest this January.

I first tested the CPU (with a stock cooler), MOBO and ram. Immediately I had RAM compatibility issues. After a long grueling hunt, I figured out it was a bent pin issued, and had the MOBO replaced. The new one worked fine with the CPU and RAM. See: http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?56294-Formula-VII-with-HyperX-Savage-55-Memory-error

After getting a working bare bones setup, I installed the M.2 drive and put windows 7 on it. I installed all the drivers and tested the two graphics cards. Hopefully this means that when the build is done I can just hit a button and it should just boot up to a desktop.

After getting my first shipment of water cooling items I started putting everything together. First was the CPU waterblock, which then allowed me to finally install the MOBO onto the case. This was ironic because I later didn't like the color of the silver on the X frame mount, so i'm changing the CPU waterblock.

Then I installed the water blocks onto the GPUs, and realized I didn't like the color of the backplate. So I'm changing that too, but just the backplate (which is easy to change).

I put together the reservoir and pump. And then I realized I don't like how the mounting plate looks. And it's kinda hard to mount on the case. So I'm changing that too.

Also I got a few test fittings to try on everything. They work fine. But they were silver. And I'm doing black and red. So i'm changing that too.

Rome wasn't built in a day.
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Key takeaways

  1. Test your parts before waterblocking them. If I found out that MOBO was defective after I installed everything I probably would just live with 1 ram stick rather than taking the entire MOBO thing out.
  2. Don't install your MOBO to the case until you've installed the waterblock. Some blocks need a backplate.
  3. You can use the screws on fans to wrap the power cable around to how long you need it. The order from inside out is Fan->Cable->Screws. This allowed me to remove alot of the extra cabling for the res fans, as I already had a 1->3 fan power adapter and thus didn't need alot of cable length.
  4. M.2 drives are awesome. Around the price of a SSD, but you don't need power and you don't need SATA.
  5. Ordering water cooling parts online takes forever unless you are willing to pay bank for shipping.
  6. Your realistic two choices for hard acrylic tubing is either 10mm inner/12 mm outer, or 3/8inch inner/ 1/2 inch outer. I chose 10/12mm as it seemed to have a larger variety of fittings available.

Things need to do:

  1. Replace CPU waterblock
  2. Replace GPU back plates
  3. Install reservoir/Pump
  4. Plan out loop details
  5. Decide on fittings
  6. Measure out tubing
  7. Install Loop
  8. First Test - checkpoint here.
 
#7 ·
Nice Build.

One caveat...why didn't you go for the 5930k or even the 5960x?

Obviously, budget is not a concern...water cooling a non-delidded tim based CPU is going to be bottlenecked by the Tim (instead of solder in the 6-core haswell).
As well, you'll be getting full dual 16x PCI-E on the 5930k to maximize every FPS on dual gtx 980. Add to that Quad Channel Memory which can have tangible benefits for some application.

The 4790k is no slouch, but for a build of this caliber, a 5930k should have been a must regardless of whether there is significant improvement or not.
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by kstud View Post

Nice Build.

One caveat...why didn't you go for the 5930k or even the 5960x?

Obviously, budget is not a concern...water cooling a non-delidded tim based CPU is going to be bottlenecked by the Tim (instead of solder in the 6-core haswell).
As well, you'll be getting full dual 16x PCI-E on the 5930k to maximize every FPS on dual gtx 980. Add to that Quad Channel Memory which can have tangible benefits for some application.

The 4790k is no slouch, but for a build of this caliber, a 5930k should have been a must regardless of whether there is significant improvement or not.
^^What he said
thumb.gif
 
#9 ·
Maybe the 1150 board was part of the deal. Ddr3 Vs Ddr4 or maybe sponsored board from evga. Didn't want to double the cost of a gaming machine on high priced board + 500-$1000 CPU and tons of expensive ram. Especially not for a slower proc ipc over more cores.
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by electro2u View Post

Maybe the 1150 board was part of the deal. Ddr3 Vs Ddr4 or maybe sponsored board from evga. Didn't want to double the cost of a gaming machine on high priced board + 500-$1000 CPU and tons of expensive ram. Especially not for a slower proc ipc over more cores.
I could be wrong but don't think EVGA would sponsor Asus Motherboard as they have their own motherboards.

A $580 5930k or the premium of DDR4 over DDR3 wouldn't make a dent in this build. The In Win S-Frame is an $800 case...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108128.

Nothing with this build is budgeted:
- gtx 980 with waterblock and backplate ~ $800 a piece
- In Win S-Frame ~ $800
- Custom Water cooling

Skimping on a 5930k solder tim (can be overclocked to 4790k 4.4ghz fairly easily), 40 pci-e lanes, Quad Channels Memory doesn't make sense when it is a small fraction of total build cost.
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by kstud View Post

I could be wrong but don't think EVGA would sponsor Asus Motherboard as they have their own motherboards.

A $580 5930k or the premium of DDR4 over DDR3 wouldn't make a dent in this build. The In Win S-Frame is an $800 case...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108128.

Nothing with this build is budgeted:
- gtx 980 with waterblock and backplate ~ $800 a piece
- In Win S-Frame ~ $800
- Custom Water cooling

Skimping on a 5930k solder tim (can be overclocked to 4790k 4.4ghz fairly easily), 40 pci-e lanes, Quad Channels Memory doesn't make sense when it is a small fraction of total build cost.
OK. Obviously I meant Asus, was looking at an EVGA board a minute before. Anyway, your comments are ignorant in my opinion.

#1 the designer specifically says the motherboard was chosen for aesthetic purposes and that the build is not about performance but visual impact.

Besides, limiting build cost is a reality as is using available lower cost equipment instead of higher cost new equipment that is not going to bring any performance to anything outside of applications that use more than 8 threads. You also must realize that the TIM in any package is only going to affect core temps and not actual heat output. Core temps are pretty irrelevant in terms of actual TDP when you are talking about 2 different TIM configurations. Delidding a 4790k doesn't make it more efficient, it makes the core temps lower simply because the heat dissipates faster. It's not free energy.

16x+16x is no better than 16x+8x in real world usage.

Quad channel memory usage is hardly any excuse to spend extra cash either. I have a 4790k system and a 4 core 2011 system that can both run at the same core speed of 4.7Ghz and the 4790k is noticeably faster doing so, in games, 3d benchmarks, and in encoding. The only advantage Haswell-E really has over Haswell is more cores for encoding/apps that scale and enough pcie lanes to set up tri or quad gpu systems without using PLX.

I think it's inappropriate to come into someones build log and start telling them what equipment they *should* have used. You should say thanks for the awesome pics, nice work, and move along.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by electro2u View Post

Maybe the 1150 board was part of the deal. Ddr3 Vs Ddr4 or maybe sponsored board from evga. Didn't want to double the cost of a gaming machine on high priced board + 500-$1000 CPU and tons of expensive ram. Especially not for a slower proc ipc over more cores.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kstud View Post

Nice Build.

One caveat...why didn't you go for the 5930k or even the 5960x?

Obviously, budget is not a concern...water cooling a non-delidded tim based CPU is going to be bottlenecked by the Tim (instead of solder in the 6-core haswell).
As well, you'll be getting full dual 16x PCI-E on the 5930k to maximize every FPS on dual gtx 980. Add to that Quad Channel Memory which can have tangible benefits for some application.

The 4790k is no slouch, but for a build of this caliber, a 5930k should have been a must regardless of whether there is significant improvement or not.
Electro2 hit it spot on. I chose the motherboard first, just because it looks gorgeous and has the built in water cooling. I too was diassponted that it wasn't at 2011 socket, but I was fine with having the 4790k.

Some more parts came in today, I'll probably post another log soon

Also I have no sponsors.
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by 090517 View Post

Electro2 hit it spot on. I chose the motherboard first, just because it looks gorgeous and has the built in water cooling. I too was diassponted that it wasn't at 2011 socket, but I was fine with having the 4790k.

Some more parts came in today, I'll probably post another log soon

Also I have no sponsors.
Thanks for clearing that up. It just seemed like you spared no expense and price definitely wasn't an issue from case to video card to the overkill $300 1200i power supply, every part was literally at the highest end of the cost spectrum with the exception of the 4790k. X99 motherboard have some very nice aftermarket waterblocks if you ever choose to go that route take a peep at Asus Extreme V x99 which shares the red black theme with the ASUS Maximus VII.
Quote:
Originally Posted by electro2u View Post

OK. Obviously I meant Asus, was looking at an EVGA board a minute before. Anyway, your comments are ignorant in my opinion.

#1 the designer specifically says the motherboard was chosen for aesthetic purposes and that the build is not about performance but visual impact.

Besides, limiting build cost is a reality as is using available lower cost equipment instead of higher cost new equipment that is not going to bring any performance to anything outside of applications that use more than 8 threads. You also must realize that the TIM in any package is only going to affect core temps and not actual heat output. Core temps are pretty irrelevant in terms of actual TDP when you are talking about 2 different TIM configurations. Delidding a 4790k doesn't make it more efficient, it makes the core temps lower simply because the heat dissipates faster. It's not free energy.

16x+16x is no better than 16x+8x in real world usage.

Quad channel memory usage is hardly any excuse to spend extra cash either. I have a 4790k system and a 4 core 2011 system that can both run at the same core speed of 4.7Ghz and the 4790k is noticeably faster doing so, in games, 3d benchmarks, and in encoding. The only advantage Haswell-E really has over Haswell is more cores for encoding/apps that scale and enough pcie lanes to set up tri or quad gpu systems without using PLX.

I think it's inappropriate to come into someones build log and start telling them what equipment they *should* have used. You should say thanks for the awesome pics, nice work, and move along.
Nothing about the comments were ignorant.

The OP went with a no holds bar build...I was making a suggestion or inquiry as to why he skimped on the CPU as obviously every part chosen was at the top end/overkill from the corsair $300 1200w AX1200i to the $300 32 gb of memory to the fully custom water cooling to the $800 x 2 GPUs...and of course one of the sexiest and most expensive case available, the $800 In WIN S-Frame.
This is not a budget build and cost shouldn't be a discussion.

This is a discussion forum and I was merely offering my opinion/add to the discussion on what was lacking with the build.
- Full Custom water cooling: obviously temp and aesthetic are important. I've had multiple 4790k (as well as most CPUs since Sandy Bridge release) under water and none of those TIM base CPU can stand a 4.8ghz prime95 28.5 run without throttling due to the TIM. If he's not after the "BEST" thermal solution, then by all means get a TIM based CPU...but once the thermal limit of the TIM is reach and maximum heat transfer between the die and heatspreader, there'll be throttling regardless if it's a full custom loop.

There's a difference between pcie 16x and 8x, whether that's noticeable with 2x GTX 980s is another story. Why gimped $1600 worth of GPUs when the system doesn't have to be?

Courtesy of techpowerup
- test system: 3770k
- All video card results were obtained on this exact system with the exact same configuration.

http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Intel/Ivy_Bridge_PCI-Express_Scaling/images/hardreset_5760_1080.gif
http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Intel/Ivy_Bridge_PCI-Express_Scaling/images/dirt3_5760_1080.gif
http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Intel/Ivy_Bridge_PCI-Express_Scaling/images/dirt3_2560_1600.gif

- Quad Channel Memory by itself may not be a reason to go x99 in this particular build but it is a reason in conjunction with 6 core/ 8 core, 40pcie lanes, and Solder Tim. Faster memory can lead to significant gains in some games and applications.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/haswell-ddr3_7.html#sect0
http://www.overclock.net/t/1438222/battlefield-4-ram-memory-benchmark
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2349158

I play Battlefield 4 on a 4.7ghz 3930k, 16gb 2400 quad channel memory, dual 290s, triple 19x12 resolution, 512gb Vertex 4, and CPU usage max at 80%. With the OP 32gb of memory, it'll be more difficult to multitask/having CPU intensive program running in background while playing more CPU intensive games such as BF4, Crysis 3, Dragon Age, etc...with a 4790k instead of a 5930k/5960x.

I had/have nearly all the CPU since Sandy Bridge release 2500k, 2600k, 2700k, 3570k, 3770k, 4670k, 4690k, 4770k, 4790k, 3820, 4820k, 3930k, 4930k, 5820k, 5930k, etc...and there's is nothing noticeably faster going from Sandy 3830, 2600k to IVY 3770k, 4820k to Haswell 4770k, 4790k CLOCK for CLOCK. I've tested and bin CPUs as it is a hobby and on average moving from Sandy to Ivy gained about 7%. Ivy to Haswell 7%. Outside of a handful of programs that can utilize new Haswell AVX2 instructions, the differences among these CPUs are incremental. Perhaps encoding can utilize AVX2 instructions but gaming improvement is irrelevant between overclocked 4.7ghz Sandy, IVY, Haswell.

There's nothing inappropriate about making constructive criticisms to assist a member in a build or having a discussion about a build or having an opinion on an area he can improve to overall balance his system on a discussion forum.

EDIT: I came into this thread to see who was crazy enough and the components for this insane costly In WIN S-frame case. To be completely honest, I was disappointed that the CPU wasn't an 8 core 5960x or at the very least 6 core 5930k coupled with an Asus Rampage V x99 with EK motherboard water block...everything else gets the "Overkill" approval.
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by kstud View Post

EDIT: I came into this thread to see who was crazy enough and the components for this insane costly In WIN S-frame case. To be completely honest, I was disappointed that the CPU wasn't an 8 core 5960x or at the very least 6 core 5930k coupled with an Asus Rampage V x99 with EK motherboard water block...everything else gets the "Overkill" approval.
I get that, but to be honest there have already been a few S-frame builds that went all out with 4 titans and a 8 core. While clearly powerful PC's, I just didn't like the look. The formula VII was specifically chosen because of the front plate, with the built-in water blocks as a cherry on top. I felt that in an open air system, having components exposed looked cluttered. With the front plate it feels more like a integrated designed system rather than a mash of the best parts on the market.

Really happy you guys are following this though! Will hopefully be done in the next two weeks.
 
#15 ·
Log Post #2

Photos:



Old Vs new CPU waterblock



New CPU Waterblock installed



Black Vs White backplate. Objectivly the white one looks better, but black fits the build better.



Both 980s changed to black



How they look in the case



How they look in the case part 2, the empires revenge



Bearings choice between red and black. Still debating



The black bearings green O ring is annoying, but i realized I can change them.



If bitspower is reading this, please change the green o-ring to something else. Also for your black 90* multi links, change it from gold to silver. It looks less nice as an individual product, but is easier to match.



Messed up crystal link tube, will ask for refund. Ignore my dirty nails



Profile Shot

Things Done:

Replaced cpu water block because of color.
Replaced backplate because of color.
Got new reservoir. Waiting on double sided mounting tape to replace it

Key takeaways

  1. I think crystal link sli tube sets and crystal link tubes are the same thing, just that the sli sets are cut and sanded already.
  2. Isopropyl rubbing alcohol cleans up everything, including sticker remains.
  3. Performance PC ships faster than frozen cpu.
  4. Frozen CPU has some colored screws that Performance doesn't.
  5. The aquacomputer reservoir's mounting bracket can be directly installed onto the s-frame without drilling new holes or tape. HOWEVER, it's a little too tight with SLI, you can't fit in the bearings (90 degree bearings, slim straight bearings with molded tubing may work, but i'm doing straight.)
  6. Attempting to mold the mounting bracket in a fireplace will only result in a messed up bracket. 3/10 will not try again.
Things need to do:

  1. Install reservoir/Pump
  2. Plan out loop details
  3. Decide on fittings
  4. Measure out tubing
  5. Install Loop
  6. First Test - checkpoint here.
 
#17 ·
Looking really good so far, I like a build which is foremost an artistic creation. For what it’s worth I think the fittings look better in contrast; the black looks better against the CPU block, but the red looks better against the graphics cards. Since they’d probably be against a black surface more often than not, I’d probably go for red.
 
#19 ·
Log Post #3
Major Update

Sorry for the 1 month pause between logs. I went traveling for three weeks, and also was waiting for some goodies to arrive from china.

I got back home Sunday, saw all my packages arrived, and I couldn't stop myself but hammered a large portion of the build out in 6 hours.

Please note while it only took 6 hours to build, I've spent probably a few days just thinking and planning this build. Literally every component I have compared, looked at, and analyzed. More details below.
Things Done:

  1. Got all my parts (the hardest part....)
  2. Jury rigged the radiator to the case with some spare parts. Also painted the rig red.
  3. Finished loop with carbon fiber tubing. This part including cutting and sanding the damn things
  4. Filled Loop
Photos:

Rigging the radiator..




It's hard to tell exactly what I did from the photos, but essentially i crucified my radiator and have it hanging on two predrilled holes in my case.

From the front view it goes like

[Bolt] [Washer] [CASE WALL via pre drilled holes] [Metal Sheet] [Metal Arm (the red piece)] [Reservoir]

and a long screw goes through all of this.

Carbon Fiber Tubing



I couldn't decide on tubing from online. I wanted to try carbon fiber, so I ordered a bunch from different suppliers on EBay. I ended up choosing the matt carbon fiber 12mm (4th from the left).



Cutting



Sanding



Finer Sanding



Ends



Here was the test section for between the GPUs.



Test Section Installed.



Wide view before I installed everything else. It looked so good so I kept going....





And going....



And going.. But then I had to stop, because I didnt' have the planned parts to finish the Radiator -> resevoir. Originally I planned it to be made entirely of fittings, because it was such an awkward spot.

But I was so bored....



So l "lifted" my gpus like an engine in order to work on that awkward space.. Actually it really surprised me that I worked so well, it looked so clean




Tight spaces. The hardest part by far was getting the tubing into the fittings. Sometimes it went in no problem. Other times it was a total pain.



After that, I jury rigged the last section together because I wanted to try my loop out. Please note the MB-> radiator section is not done yet. I plan to install two 3.5" hard drives resevoirs in that section, when they come in.

Above you can see the monster of a test section I had. The loop filling went fine. There were a few spilled drops, but it was really easy as none of the electronic components are diretly under a loop. Thus while there were some small leaks quickly fixed, nothing worried over.

BONUS




My clusterfreak of a workstation.

Key takeaways

  1. Frozen Cpu is going through some issues. They aren't doing business, so the only supplier is performance-pcs
  2. Carbon fiber tubing is a legitimate choice in my opinion, and isn't too difficult to work with
  3. The hardest part about water cooling with hard tubing is getting the tubing inside the fittings...
  4. One cannot resist building if there are parts available.
Things need to do:

  1. Clean pump. Filled with carbon fiber bits that make it sound like a dying cat. NVM those were just air bubbles. But i'll flush and filter my loop later this week to see what comes out.
  2. Replace fans with new ones. (LED's look cheap...)
  3. Waiting on one more 3.5" reservoir. Once that arrives, install it.
  4. CHECKPOINT 2- boot Test
  5. Cable management. Clean it up.
  6. Buy two hard drives. Either buy them in black, or cover them in carbon fiber covering.
  7. Think about what else later.
 
#20 ·
Log Post #3b
Major Update B

SHE LIVES. RISE MY MINION RISEEEEE.

Things Done:

  1. BOOTED
Photos:









Note: Please don't freak out about the cable managment. I just wanted to boot test. Firstly, the ugly link from MOBO to radiator will be replaced. Secondly I plan on cleaning up the cables. Tommorow....

Key takeaways


  1. Don't freak out if you get error codes. Just google
  2. The happyness of booting a machine you've built is worth all the pain.
  3. Ones hands can hurt after a day of building.
Things need to do:

  1. Clean pump. Filled with carbon fiber bits that make it sound like a dying cat. JUST AIR BUBBLES DON'T FREAK OUT. But there were bits of carbon fiber in the loop, i think one just needs to flush to clean it out.
  2. Waiting on one more 3.5" reservoir. Once that arrives, install it.
  3. Cable management. Clean it up.
  4. Buy two hard drives. Either buy them in black, or cover them in carbon fiber covering.
  5. Think about what else later.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by 090517 View Post

Key takeaways

Frozen Cpu is going through some issues. They aren't doing business, so the only supplier is performance-pcs
Carbon fiber tubing is a legitimate choice in my opinion, and isn't too difficult to work with
The hardest part about water cooling with hard tubing is getting the tubing inside the fittings...
One cannot resist building if there are parts available.

Things need to do:
Clean pump. Filled with carbon fiber bits that make it sound like a dying cat.
Replace fans with new ones. (LED's look cheap...)
Waiting on one more 3.5" reservoir. Once that arrives, install it.
CHECKPOINT 2- boot Test
Cable management. Clean it up.
Buy two hard drives. Either buy them in black, or cover them in carbon fiber covering.
Think about what else later.
That's a serious reason why one shouldn't use it. That plus the health hazard carbon fiber powder might cause to your lung.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=311845

For anybody interested following your idea, wear protective mask and gloves. Take some precaution to avoid direct contact with dust/powder. Cut it in open area/controlled.
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just a nickname View Post

That's a serious reason why one shouldn't use it. That plus the health hazard carbon fiber powder might cause to your lung.
Nvm, the noise went away overnight. I think it was just air bubbles in the fan, it's really quiet now.

I'm going to flush the loop after I finish it (another week?), and also filter the waste water. To see if there is any trash from the tubing. For science.
 
#23 ·
Log Post #4
Water loop finalized and done.

Things Done:

  1. Installed two additional 3.5" reservoirs, purely for looks
  2. Finally finished the final version of the cooling loop. Done with carbon fiber tubing !
    biggrin.gif
  3. Flushed the loop for carbon bits. For 2 hours. Literally had hose running into the reservoir and a drain open at full blast.
  4. Running longer test as I am writing this.
Photos:




Carbon bits from the first two bowls of flushed water. In case anyone was wondering. But I strongly believe that this isn't really an issue. I didn't really clean out the tubes after sanding them, and no doubt there was alot of dust inside.



The resevoir I just got today. Before tubing



After tubing



Profile of the case before some wire managment



After a some wire managment



Current Status shot

Key takeaways

  1. Two drops of dawn dishwasher soap soap will shut up a fan that has airbubbles.
  2. Purging a Loop is a pain. Having a drain is a must have.
  3. The 24 pin cable holder breaks really easily.
Things need to do:

  1. Cable management. Clean it up.
  2. Buy two hard drives. Either buy them in black, or cover them in carbon fiber covering.
  3. Think about what else later.
  4. Start thinking periphials. Keyboard, mouse, etc.
 
#26 ·
Log Post #5
Final post and photos

Things Done:

  1. Cable management finalized
  2. Colorized loop
  3. Clean up
  4. Added antennas replacing wired antena that was really ugly
Photos:
























Case with glass on

Key takeaways

  1. Rubbing alcohol cleans everything
  2. Taking the stickers off of crocodile wire guiders takes forever
  3. Dawn dishwashershoap stays in a loop forever. Good is air bubbles are gone fast. Bad is your rez foams if you shake it too much.
Things need to do:

  1. sleep.... it's 2am
 
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