750d watercooled (1st w/c)

I'll preface this with this is my 1st watercooled build up to now i've been a hardcore gamer so the looks never really mattered but i've decided to do a bit more.

My end goal is a scratch build desk but 1st i need to do the basics so I got a 750d and some bits..

I have a notion that I'm going to regret not getting any 45 degree fittings but at the price of the parts i'll make do. If the wife found out how much this has just cost me she'd kill me.

Old Parts:
MB: Sabertooth 990fx r2
CPU: AMD 8350 Black Ed
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9) X2
GFX: Asus HD 7970 Matrix Platinum
PSU: Jantech 750 this is a generic one i've had for years since my HyperX went POP. I do intend to upgrade to corsair 850 at some point but most likely when this one dies.

New Parts:
1x Corsair 750d

Fittings:
2x Monsoon 16/11mm (ID 7/16 OD 5/8) Free Center Compression Fitting Six Pack - Blue
1x Phobya 2 Way Ball Valve G1/4 - Knurled
1x Alphacool HF 3-Way Connection Terminal G1/4 Inner Thread - Chrome
2x Alphacool Double Nipple G1/4 Outer Thread To G1/4'' Outer Thread - Chrome
2x Monsoon 16/10mm (OD 5/8) Rotary 90° - Blue
2x Primochill Primoflex Advanced Tubing 16/11 - Clear (total is 2meters)

Fans:
2x Corsair SP140 Twin Pack Blue LED Fans
1x Corsair SP140 Blue LED Fan
1x Corsair AF140 Blue LED Fan

Parts:
1x lamptron fc5 v2
1x Arctic Cooling MX-4 4g
1x Phobya Balancer 150 Reservoir - Silver Nickel (Meant to buy Black Nickel DOH!)
1x EK Water Blocks EK-FC7970 / EK-FC R9-280X Matrix Full Cover Water Block - Acetal+Nickel
1x EK Water Blocks EK-Supremacy EVO
1x EK Water Blocks EK-D5 Vario X-TOP - Plexi (incl. pump)
1x Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 Full Copper 420mm Radiator
1x Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 Full Copper 280mm Double Radiator
2x Mayhems X1 UV Blue


Cables:
1x Silverstone Cable Extension Value Bundle - Black & Blue (with two PCI-E 8pins)

PC in it's current state


With Lamptron installed:


Fans and Fittings have arrived:


Blocks have arrived:




With 1st set of SP140s:

Looks very nice, but dude get rid of that PSU ASAP - when it goes pop, it may well take stuff with it, get yourself a quality EVGA, SuperFlower (OEM) or Seasonic (OEM) PSU ASAP

Everything else is top notch, looking forward!

i do intend to but its been there since 2009.. vs the hyperx it replaced which lasted until it was just out of warrenty ~2years iirc

Nearly exact to my build except I have a stock cooler and r9 280x, so looking forward to this

CPU Block installed:


Graphics card block installed:


Doing the gfx card i noticed there were two VRM? chips that were covered by stock thermal pads but not mentioned in the instructions for this block. So i Stuck a couple of pads on them on the off chance it makes contact.

Slight stumbling block with the 420 RAD, in that the holes in the case are too large for the screws that ship with it and the case has pretty much no screws gotta wait till monday now for the hardware store to open unless i can find some washers.

Also looks like it is going to be a royal pain to get that rad in due to teh 5.25 bay.. Tempted to remove it as I have no use for it other than for the fan controller.

Had to modify the 5.25" bay to get the 420 Rad in. If i can get a dremel i think i'll just cut out the bay (bar the mounting points in the the 1st bay so the Lamptron can still be mounted)





Looks like it's going to be a tight fit for the tubes (2x 45/90 degree fittings would be useful here i think).

Still need to get some washers to hold the rad to the top..

Ok got fed up and bought a dremel..

5.25" bay pretty much removed.


To get the top mounts to fit I created some washers from the sheet metal from the back of an old washing machine (told you i hoarded, (i didnt keep the machine just the metal back))





Rads installed:


Res Installed


Connecting the tubes:



Finally all together and pump starting it's burn in.


Improvements for anyone copying this build
* Get two more 90 degree ends for top RAD
* 90 degree on GFX to Res
* ?? maybe a 45 degree on RAD to GFX (not sure that this would be good if combined with 90 degree on RAD

hate to rain on your parade as such, but why didn't you just turn the top rad around and have the cpu / rad / gpu setup the other way around, cutting out the need for the dremel and also taking the back fan off, as this would have made it easier and shortened your tubing and might of solved the 2 90 degree ends for the top rad ? (personally I would have thought it would have looked better too)

sorry if it sounds dodgy how I typed it, no offence meant, just thought of some ways you could do it differently.

but great build though especially for your first water cooled build. and I hope tomorrow you come back to no leaks!!! and you can get some good temps

no leaks so started it up.

To answer your question all 5 fans are pushing so i needed the exhaust fan and when i was test fitting it was either not going to fit or i'd have to leave out the exhaust fan.

Up shot of removing the 5.25" bay is that i now have loads of room

I'd actually like to see corsair release a case with a "stubby" 5.25" bay similar to what i did. So you can still mount a fan controller / LCD but not optical drives.



In place:



3dMark Running 1 gfx test:

I would have rotated the top rad round the other way to minimise tubing, but otherwise good stuff

Just so you have something to compare too, here's mine, same case, just a bay res instead of a tube.

I have a 420 in the roof, and still have space for a 140 out back, and a 280 in the front.
Less tubing too.
Get some angled fittings 45's or 90's, they will let you run shorter tubes between parts.

I went pump/res-> top rad -> CPU -> Rear 140 -> GPUx3 -> Front 280 -> Res

Nice & snug

Edit : with yours I would have gone

Pump -> Front 280 -> Top 420 -> CPU -> GPU -> Res ->Pump

Much less tubing, No change in temps.

Just saying

Scotspaul,

Yes I think if I were to redo I would have changed the order to that. You are correct it would look better. Thanks for pointing it out. (I'll redo when I next drain the loop which as I am considering cooling the MB might be in the next 6 months.

The reason I didn't is silly. You know when you know something to be untrue but refuse to give up the belief? well I convinced myself order mattered even though EVERYTHING I read said the opposite hence placing RADs between CPU & GPU.

So when I was laying it out subconsciously i refused to even consider an order where the parts weren't separated by a RAD.

The other thing you should maybe think about is a drain pipe.
I have one coming of a T-piece at the bottom of my front res. Basically it means i have a 18 inch pipe i can hang over the side of a table and when I open the end tap and the fill port the whole lot drains straight out. I didn't have this at first and draining was a real pain.

Merry Christmas

I have one, I've used a chrome T piece on the outlet of the pump and it points to the rear of the case.. It's got a ball valve, however i forgot to add a compression fitting and I ran out of tube but i'll sort that later.

Merry Christmas