Project R-TYPE | Watercooled Build

R-TYPE · 6 Apr 2015 at 22:36

Project R-TYPE | Watercooled Build

About to start my first watercoolled build, also my first ever PC build to be honest.. Finally assembled this lot over the last 4 months.

System:
CPU: Intel i7 4790K
MOBO: ReVenge Gigabyte Z97X-SOC FORCE
RAM: 32GB Team Vulcan Orange 2133Mz
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Hydrocopper (x2, in SLI)
PSU: Corsair RM1000 1000W PSU
SSD: Samsung 850 PRO 256GB, Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
Case: Lian-Li PC-V1000LWX

Waterloop details:
XSPC Dual D5 Vario pumps/res
XSPC 1x240EX radiator, 1x360EX radiator, 1x240RX radiator
XSPC Raystorm Intel Copper CPU block
XSPC fittings and Koolance QDC fittings
Aquaero 6 PRO fan controller

Have some minor mods planned to the case to make this setup work. I know the looks of this case are apparently controversial; me personally, I think this is a sharp looking case.

Will try to post some updates as I go outlining the mods and the implemention of the WC loop... (hope it works out....!)

.:SAmSuNG:. · 6 Apr 2015 at 23:28

Nice selection of parts you have mate.

EVGAdominik · 8 Apr 2015 at 08:56

Sweet, looking forward to see the built system!!

R-TYPE · 9 Apr 2015 at 00:16

Ok. So after much planning...this is Layout Design rev 4, after lots of sketching (on hols on a beach, thanks to hotel wifi to get net access for research...)

What I've learned the hard way: always, always measure everything beforehand! Get the specs off the net of any given component prior to buying it. Measure, measure, re-measure...

Got the radiators (right size this time

rad thickness was a problem on one rad for me...). Laying out and comparing against final measured design (case mods identified and planned by this stage, more on that later). Just doing a loose fit at this stage to check layout and fit of everything.

Motherboard in, CPU in, PSU in, pump loose fit.

R-TYPE · 9 Apr 2015 at 00:25

Next up... Flushing the rads. In the end did a total de-ionised water flush... No tap water flush first, no vinegar used in the end as per the sticky guide to watercooling at the top of this very sub forum.

In the bath, an XSPC 240RX. LOADS of bits came out of this one... Took 10 flushes (and two trips to Tesco express for more de-ionised water in 2ltr bottles to do all three rads...) Rad, funnel, water heated to somewhere below boiling, bowl to catch and inspect detritus from flushing the rad.

Said detritus...

EX240 and EX360 miles cleaner by comparison. 2-3 flushes each only

R-TYPE · 9 Apr 2015 at 00:44

CPU installed, RAM installed...

Now with XSPC Copper Raystorm waterblock:

Fitting waterblock to bare CPU with thermal paste for first time was v nervous...

R-TYPE · 9 Apr 2015 at 01:01

A bit about the case. Lian Li PC-V1000LXW in black.

Nice and spacious. Amazingly well built. 9 removable drive trays. Love the minimalism. Have removed the DVD drive bezel and replaced with same black perforated mesh as per the front of the case, so now fully perforated black mesh front. More on case mods later. Understated, not an obvious gaming pc case look (IMHO

)

Old and new...

Q6700 at 3.3ghz, 4gb ram, gtx 470....

R-TYPE · 9 Apr 2015 at 01:33

EVGAdominik said:
Sweet, looking forward to see the built system!!

Will post some pics along the way and when complete. Those GPU cards are amazing looking. Cool, slick, precise black metal.... Rrrrr!

.:SAmSuNG:. said:
Nice selection of parts you have mate.

Thanks mate. Took a while to select and collate. Amusing story... Started out with single 970gtx system on aircool... and accidentally ordered mobo bundled with a waterblock instead of aircool.... Didn't know what a waterblock was. D'oh. Looked into it, then decided hell lets go for it, make it more of a long term project and build a fast silent system.

Then ordered second 970. Then saw the 970 debacle, sold both 970s to my office (no loss of funds luckily..!) and plumped for 980s in SLI waterblocked (EVGA hydrocoppers)

Bought a rad, pump etc. then bought another rad. And another... and then up sized it to 360 whilst it was on order...

All because I order waterblock instead of air cool. What an idiot

But watercooling really tickled my fancy bigtime. Goal is for fast system that is very quiet.

flame696 · 9 Apr 2015 at 19:46

Lian li love its been a while since ive seen a lian li project log

Andreas.96 · 10 Apr 2015 at 11:47

Not really a fan of Lian Li cases but I've gotta say that minimalistic inside looks gorgeous

DavidS14 · 10 Apr 2015 at 14:30

Keep the updates coming, epic first water cooled build, no dipping your toe in going on here

BRIGGBOY81 · 10 Apr 2015 at 14:53

Andreas.96 said:
Not really a fan of Lian Li cases but I've gotta say that minimalistic inside looks gorgeous

got to agree with you there

^JP^ · 12 Apr 2015 at 09:17

Ah I see what you mean by unorthodox mounting

Nice gear, hydro copper cards are sweet.

Will you be running the pumps on the Aquaero also, you should add a flow meter to the loop and then have the Aquaero adjust the pump speed to the desired GPM or LPH flow rate.

whyscotty · 12 Apr 2015 at 11:38

Like to see someone straight in at the deep end.

Looks sweet :cool:

R-TYPE · 12 Apr 2015 at 12:04

^JP^ said:
Ah I see what you mean by unorthodox mounting

Nice gear, hydro copper cards are sweet.

Will you be running the pumps on the Aquaero also, you should add a flow meter to the loop and then have the Aquaero adjust the pump speed to the desired GPM or LPH flow rate.

That is something I def need to look into. Had read that some people set the pumps at a constant speed and then do all the adjustment with fans. I had planned to start off using this method, then perhaps refine the system to use flow speed control also. Need to just read up on the tacho cable and how it works with the control of the pump, how to link it to the other variables that the aqua suite will be monitoring and controlling, and how the physical dial for controlling speed affects this also.

The hydrocoppers are apparently very good cards. I love the look and the feel of them. Nice and solid and cold black metal

R-TYPE · 12 Apr 2015 at 12:06

whyscotty said:
Like to see someone straight in at the deep end.

Looks sweet

Yep am def in at the deep end. But so far so good! Am really enjoying process so far. I guess I'm a contender for Mission Creep Of The Year award... Where I am now is miles away from the original intent for a new system.

R-TYPE · 12 Apr 2015 at 12:18

A bit on the front vertical 360 rad. So I've removed the internal 5.25 drive cage assembly to make way for mounting this rad higher up in the case. You can see the cage to the top right on the case side view. To make the rad fit between the black perforated mesh bezel replacement, I've had to laser cut an acrylic mounting plate to replace the three fan metal mounting plate that the lian-Li comes with as this was too wide to fit between the bezel.

The fan is 2x push/pull, and 1x push. This allows clearance to the pump mounted to one of the 9 rubber isolated drive trays. So I only use 1 drive tray from the base case, my drives are mounted on the rear side of the case, more on that later. Fans are EK Varder Furious up to 3000rpm PWM. May need to downgrade these as a future point if noise is an issue

With acrylic loose fit, cover tape still on:

Bezel external, loose fit, alignment was sorted after photo was taken

...bezel from inside, I took apart the DVD drive bezel in order to re-use it's vertical mounting plate onto which I secured the mesh bezel with industrial Velcro (great stuff, Velcro!)

The only issue with raising the 360 rad higher is a potential dead spot on the upper fans where it doesn't line up with the case 120 apertures. Will monitor this as I go, and have the option to drop the rad later if need be.

R-TYPE · 12 Apr 2015 at 20:57

Bottom and top rads are both 240, one XSPC RX at bottom in push/pull, one EX at top in push. Fans are alpenfohn wingboost 2 PWM. Good rpm, low dB. Hope they're going to be good.

Bottom 240 XSPC RX

The fan:

R-TYPE · 12 Apr 2015 at 21:06

The Graphics cards are EVGA GTX980 Hydrocoppers. They're a lovely piece of kit.

R-TYPE · 12 Apr 2015 at 21:19

To link the cards in SLI, eventually discovered I needed Bitspower 4-slot Crystal Link tubing, not 2-slot (noob error see this post. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18664633). For 2x EVGA 980 Hydrocopper cards on this Gigabyte Z97X-SOC Force motherboard, with c47 Bitspower multi link fittings, I needed the 55mm tube for each connection. First test fits of the cards...

The Crystal Link sets...

Pushing the cards together prior to install...

Bitspower C47 multilink adapters, with funky green o-rings...

...and first test fit in the case on the board. Quite tight fitting actually.