watercooling in a cm690ii - help needed

wildman

wildman

wildman

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I am going to embark on a new project to put watercooling into my existing machine

currently I have this build

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18257258

parts that will be upgrading in the next few weeks / after xmas, are gfx card, will ditch the 6870 and get one of these http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-052-HS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411

I want to watercool gfx and cpu so I am thinking of getting a 240 in the roof (would have to be the stealth black ice rad) and an EK 140 in the bottom

Could I run this off a bay res with a single laing D5 ?

parts wise I was thinking along the lines of :-

EK-FC7850 Full Cover Waterblock - Nickel Plexi £74.99
(£62.49) £74.99
(£62.49)
Alphacool Laing D5 Vario Pump 655 - NO TOP £56.99
(£47.49) £56.99
(£47.49)
EK-Supremacy - CPU Waterblock - Nickel Plexi £56.99
(£47.49) £56.99
(£47.49)
XSPC Acrylic Dual 5.25" Reservoir for Laing D5 £49.99
(£41.66) £49.99
(£41.66)
EK Water Blocks EK-Coolstream RAD XTC 140 £39.98
(£33.32) £39.98
(£33.32)
Hardware Labs Black ICE Radiator GT Stealth 240 £35.99
(£29.99) £35.99
(£29.99)
EK-FC7950 Backplate - Black £17.99
(£14.99) £17.99
(£14.99)
Mayhems Aurora - Galaxy Purple Coolant 1L £14.99
(£12.49) £14.99
(£12.49)
Enermax Cluster UCCL14 140mm Fan £12.49
(£10.41) £12.49
(£10.41)
Enermax Cluster UCCL12 120mm Fan x 2 £9.98
(£8.32) £19.96
(£16.64)

where i start to come unstuck though is what fittings i need to get like barbs / compression fitting, tubing , screws , nuts/bolts etc.

Budget wise I am thinking around 500 quid for the watercooling components. The key thing here though is i want it to fit in to the cm690ii as I don't really want a new case and I would preferbaly not want to have to get the dremmel out and start hacking bits up.

I need to through in a new fan controller also, it needs to be a single bay one. I am going to scrap the modern v 2 bay one I am currently running (mainly because i want a new look) preferably looking for one with knobs on it for a more retro / classic look.

Based on the above is this project a possible starter or I am just trying to get too much into a small space ?

loop would go something like res/pump > cpu > 140 rad > gfx > 240 rad >

or I guess I could go with 2 single bay res/pump combos like http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-007-XS&groupid=962&catid=2133&subcat=1845

and run the CPU loop via the 140 and the gfx via the 240 ?

the bonus here being I oculd set up cpu loop first and then do gfx one later after I get the new card ?
 
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My first build was a cm690II - great fun. I ran an xspc750 pump/res through the cpu, stealth 240, 2xek gpu blocks and finally a black ice 240 extreme in the bottom of the case. Ran fine with good temps and little noise.

Love that case - switched to a nzxt 810 as I got a 3rd gpu and that would not fit in the cm690II.

And btw there is a very good youtube vid showing all possible options for wc in the cm690II - a quick search will find it. Recommended viewing.
 
ibpalle said:
My first build was a cm690II - great fun. I ran an xspc750 pump/res through the cpu, stealth 240, 2xek gpu blocks and finally a black ice 240 extreme in the bottom of the case. Ran fine with good temps and little noise.

Love that case - switched to a nzxt 810 as I got a 3rd gpu and that would not fit in the cm690II.

And btw there is a very good youtube vid showing all possible options for wc in the cm690II - a quick search will find it. Recommended viewing.
Click to expand...

thanks mate

I am guessing this is the vid you a referring too ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tyJ7VGuoq4
 
having watched the video I now have a better idea of what I can fit into this case around the kit already there

the first question I have is about getting a 240 rad in the bottom. My PSU is this

XFX Pro Series 750W XXX Edition Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply

its 170mm long

In the video it says anything longer than 160mm means no chance of getting a 240 in there. So I am looking for some advice from anyone who has a 240 in the bottom and what PSU they were using.

Looking inside my case I can see the mounting holes where the rad would go and whilst it looks tight I reckon you could squeeze it in with about 1cm clearance to the psu. As it isn't a modular psu all the cable come out of one hole to the right corner so I think physically it could get in there, but the only way to know is to either get a heads up from someone here who has done it or just go for broke and get the 240 and see when it gets here.

I installed the PSU fan down also so the cables are almost out of the way :- this is how it looks inside

motherboardcpuramandcooler.jpg


so I would think with the barbs at the case front end, the rad should get in there as the cables from the psu a re pretty flush and go straight to the cut out..........
 
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thanks for the pic

looking at your PSU and the clearance its still hard to work out if a 240 would squeeze in with a 170 PSU

Technically the footprint of the rad can go because the space is physically there on the floor for something like this

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-044-BX&groupid=962&catid=1523&subcat=1525

the issue I think though might be the clearance at the back end near the cables as they go through the cable port in the chasis.

Can I ask what set of holes you are using in the base.

Below is a current picture of what the base looks like in my case with a fan mounted

8285142451_a7972d2483_c.jpg


I am not using the outside holes but the next set in. I have circled in red the ones I think I would use to mount the rad ? or would I use the same mounting holes as the current fan ???

If its the same holes I use now and not the one in red circle then I think a 240 will go. The rear corner would be tight with the PSU cables as they pass through the cut out, but as the barbs will be orientated to the front panel of the case I think the rad I linked above can go. WOuld likely need some 45° fittings for the barbs to avoid the intake on the front panel but i reckon its workable ??

For the roof I am out of luck. MSI board has a massive heatsink flush with the edge so I think dremel action on the top panel is needed so I can seat the rad up there in the cavity with the top poking through with the fans where they are on the inside of the case
 
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Looking at the 2 pictures I would guess you might just be able to fit the bottom rad the same way around as I did. If you look at the cable tie 'loop' on the motherboard tray by the top of your PSU and then locate the same one in my picture. It'll be a close fit though.

As for the screw holes I think there are only 1 set you can use. From memory one set is 120mm the other is 140mm?

For the top rad I put the rad 'inside' the top of the case and the fans above that, outside of the metal but under the plastic. should give you around 35mm space for the rad I think.
 
GoogalyMoogaly said:
Looking at the 2 pictures I would guess you might just be able to fit the bottom rad the same way around as I did. If you look at the cable tie 'loop' on the motherboard tray by the top of your PSU and then locate the same one in my picture. It'll be a close fit though.

As for the screw holes I think there are only 1 set you can use. From memory one set is 120mm the other is 140mm?

For the top rad I put the rad 'inside' the top of the case and the fans above that, outside of the metal but under the plastic. should give you around 35mm space for the rad I think.
Click to expand...

thanks for the reply, got a supervision now of how it will fit. I think I will go for it and start specing up the kit now to buy after Xmas. for the roof rad I am thinking I will have to get the black Black ice stealth rad that is 30mm thick as I think I will have some clearance issues on anything wider due to the chipset blocks being so tight on the edge, it finishes a mm or so above the stand off screw at the top the board
 
ibpalle said:
Yup - thats the one.

Heres a BlurryPIC(tm) of the insides of my cm690 build.

new-blurry.jpg
Click to expand...

thanks



Your PSU is a corsair HX650W right ?

Thats 150mm long from what I found in the specs, so looking at the rad you have in the bottom and the clearance to the back of the PSU I think I am going to struggle to get it in. Although I guess barb end is longer than the other end so possibly more clearance if barbs are front side.

I am not sure, I could get all the gear and start trying to fit it up, probably be a pain in the ass if it doesn't fit, but then again I am going to have to do a full strip anyway as I need to take the mobo out to get the back plate on due to this

accesspanneliscrap.jpg


so I guess if it doesn't fit and I decide to go for a new case I haven't exaclt lost anything appart from a few days
 
ok, I have done some more research and I have seen some build logs where a 240 rad sits in the bottom next to an xfx PSU with the same dimensions as mine.

my shopping basket now looks like this (includes new 7870 gfx card also)

Asus HD 7870 DirectCU II V2 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card w/ FARCRY3 & Sleeping Dogs PC Games £191.99
(£159.99) £191.99
(£159.99)
XSPC D5 Dual Bay Reservoir/Pump Combo £119.99
(£99.99) £119.99
(£99.99)
EK-FC7870 Full Cover Waterblock - Nickel £79.99
(£66.66) £79.99
(£66.66)
EK-Supremacy - CPU Waterblock - Nickel Plexi £56.99
(£47.49) £56.99
(£47.49)
Hardware Labs Black ICE Radiator SR1 240 £55.98
(£46.65) £55.98
(£46.65)
Hardware Labs Black ICE Radiator GT Stealth 240 £35.99
(£29.99) £35.99
(£29.99)
Zalman ZM-MFC1 Plus Multi Fan Controller - Black £26.99
(£22.49) £26.99
(£22.49)
Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm 1850 RPM - 3 Pin £14.98
(£12.48) £74.90
(£62.40)
Akasa AK-178-UV 12" Cold Cathode - Ultra-Violet £9.98
(£8.32) £9.98
(£8.32)
Mayhems X1 UV Yellow/Green Premixed Watercooling Fluid 1L £7.99
(£6.66) £15.98
(£13.32)
XSPC HighFlex Hose 7/16" ID, 5/8" OD, 15.9/11.1mm, 2m, Clear/UV £5.99
(£4.99) £5.99
(£4.99)
Bitspower 5mm UV LED Bulb - 3Pin £3.98
(£3.32) £3.98
(£3.32)
EK PSC Compression Fitting 7/16 [16/11mm] - G1/4 - Nickel £3.29
(£2.74) £32.90
(£27.40)
Sub Total : £593.01
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £10.50
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £120.70
Total : £724.2

the stealth rad goes in the roof and the SR1 goes in the floor

going for a yellow/green/blue theme as the MSI board has blue Leds on it already. Might need to get creative with the placement of the cold cathode, but I can cross that bridge when I get to it.
 
GoogalyMoogaly said:
How sure are you that the waterblock fits the graphics card?
Click to expand...

http://coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=666

Seems to be fine :)

OP - CC lights are useless, I'd highly recommend buying an LED strip instead :)

Personally, I'd go for MSI over Asus due to better CS:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-153-MS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411
http://coolingconfigurator.com/step1_complist?gpu_gpus=667

Warranty thread:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18231329
 
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