Haha, well that made me panic!
I've fitted the GPU and luckily enough, it fit with some room (not much) to spare. J.
[Build Log] MODZERO FORTY - HEX GEAR R40
- Thread starter HackJoe
- Start date
Haha, well that made me panic!
I've fitted the GPU and luckily enough, it fit with some room (not much) to spare. J.
UPDATE 3.0 - DARKSIDE RADS & ASUS GTX980 STRIX + EKWB BLOCK
Another update with MODZERO FORTY, the mounting plate from the last update is in the case and I've a pretty clear idea on how the loop with work now. So the rads and fans are going in and the blocks are going on.
I still hope to go SLI as the second card is still available but it's looking unlikely. My 14 week pup managed to steal a tub of grapes which ended up costing me nearly £200 to get sorted out (grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs). So the SLI budget has been blown. However, there is still time. Something may land on my lap, I can but hope.
The RADS. Went with the Darkside LP range again, I needed <30mm rads to fit in the top and bottom chambers of the R40. I was impressed with the LP240's I used in MODZERO KIMKO and they are still priced really well here in the UK. Picked these up from MAYHEMS store.
DarkSide LP240 and LP360
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ASUS GTX 980 STRIX
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I normally go with reference cards as 9/10 I'll be watercooling, which makes getting a block all that much simplier. So this was the first non-ref GPU I've had in a while. I found a great deal, so sold my original GTX Titan (some kid on eBay got a bargain!) and picked up the strix.
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Under the giant cooler the PCB slims down and it's quite the PCB. Really like the custom 10-phase DIGI+ VRMs.
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I'm using the EK Water Blocks EK-FC980 GTX Strix - Nickel and Black backplate. I like the little strix logo.
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The block looks good, I don't intend to make use of the two LED ports. I did with MODZERO FOUR but as the coolant will be black, all the LEDs did was show off the mill paths in the plexi. The R40 has plenty of head space and as it'll be reverse the case lighting should do a good job lighting up the GPU.
So that's it for now. Sorry there are so many photos!
I'll have mini update later in the week. I'm currently waiting on some last minute additional fittings from HighFlow and in the mean time I'll be starting my cables. What do you think, make the push for SLI or leave it as it is? It's purely aesthetic value at this point. This build will mainly be used to work from.
Thanks for checking it out.
J.
Ah I was wondering why there was low stocks of Darkside rads at Mayhems, seen a few in builds now. Be interested to see how they perform if you have the time as I'm considering them as I want to use the same ones as you have.
I would go Sli if you can, but its entirely up to you of course, I dunno why but I think two cards always looks better imo.
I hope your dog is recovering well....
I would go Sli if you can, but its entirely up to you of course, I dunno why but I think two cards always looks better imo.
I hope your dog is recovering well....
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UPDATE 4.0
Just a little update, the mounting plate, rads and fans are in the case.. we'll most of the hardware is now in the case as I'm working on the cables. But I took these shots after I shot the GPU at the end of last week, hadn't intended to use them (hence the finger marks all over the front of the R40) but I liked em, so here we are. haha
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I've got a couple ideas for the loop now, my initial thought (and I'll still try it) may be a little too 'busy' looking, so I have something I like more in mind. If I'm not happy with the loop using flex I'm ready with the hardline.
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This is my simple but effective break out studio setup.. The lights collapse simple enough into a protective soft bag and the backdrop just rolls up. the 'table' is just a length of old desktop that folds in half and I slide it under the sofa, the 'table legs' are storage containers that live in the cupboard on the right.
The build is progressing well, I've started making the cables but sure enough, I ran out of wire half way into the 24pin. With E22 moving headquarters this week, I can't really do much more until I resupply. All being well I'd like to get the cables done by this time next week.
Thanks for checking it out.
J.
Soldato
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- 20 Oct 2002
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- Derby
LOL That workbench is Faaaaaaaaaaaar too tidy for a PC Builder.. 
Nice little project tho..
Nice little project tho..
Haha, your hardline skills are amazing! I'm in two minds about it. I know hardline is 'in' at the moment and I get why, it looks awesome! my last couple builds have been hardline, I have plenty of hardline for the job and just about enough fittings to do it well.
But I always saw this build with flexi in mind. I worry is, flexi can often look simple or sloppy and it's hard to really get that clean look. If I went SLI then my flexi loop in mind will look ace.
As is, I'm struggling to convince myself the second card is worth it *cough* cant afford it *cough*. As such the return tube from the GPU is where I'm getting unstuck. I've two options and I'm not sure I like either! ha.
I'll see where I'm at after I've finished the cables. Or if I can pull in a couple more sponsors (somehow).
LOL That workbench is Faaaaaaaaaaaar too tidy for a PC Builder..
Nice little project tho..
Haha, thats my office and I cant work in mess.
J.
My build (when I eventually get my rear in gear) will be hardline mainly because I really doubt the In Win 901 has the space for flexi, let alone make it look good. Also because my kit and fabrication plans are largely rectangular with only small corner radii, having 12mm OD tube bent as tight as I can (gunning for 1.5D, except for the CPU block) will mirror the fab work.
In your case though you have a lot of large circles: corner radii of the case itself is large, cylindrical res, internal hex pattern is circular, etc. To that end it would be very much in-keeping with those elements to have rounded sweeps of flexi tube. You'd have to keep it pretty tight though to prevent sagging and breaking out of, essentially, 90 degree sweeps.
In your case though you have a lot of large circles: corner radii of the case itself is large, cylindrical res, internal hex pattern is circular, etc. To that end it would be very much in-keeping with those elements to have rounded sweeps of flexi tube. You'd have to keep it pretty tight though to prevent sagging and breaking out of, essentially, 90 degree sweeps.
Aye the appeal of using soft tubing is obvious, save a lot of time, but hardline does look incredible but its so damn frustrating to use, I now know why people use fittings at the bends but at maybe a tenner per bend to use a fitting it gets expensive quick.
I need to invent a flexible tube that has a protective sleeve that as you pull off the sleeve and apply UV light it starts to go hard and holds it shape. I have another idea but can't tell you that one in case someone actually starts making them !
I need to invent a flexible tube that has a protective sleeve that as you pull off the sleeve and apply UV light it starts to go hard and holds it shape. I have another idea but can't tell you that one in case someone actually starts making them !
UPDATE 5.0 - Cables & Fitted Hardware
It's been a while but progress has resumed. I grossly underestimated just how much wire/sleeve I'd need and so promptly ran out.. haha.
E22 were in the process of moving at the time so I put the project on hold and awaited a supply drop.
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So the loop is next, sadly it's looking like the second GPU is off the table (budget issues) which has messed with how I originally saw the loop being routed. Also KLEVV ram is harder to source here in the UK than an honest tory. So for now at least I'm making use of some RAM I had left over from MODZERO FOUR.
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I'll share photos of the cable management in the final shots, I'm pleased with how it's looking back there but seeing as I'll have to unplug most of it when I fill the loop (lost my old trusty PSU I use to run the pump when I'm filling) I'm hoping to improve it a little more.
Thanks for checking it out.
J.
Associate
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- 25 Sep 2012
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- Scotland
That looks great!
Thanks for the message, I really got my hopes up as the price was good. but, just like Amazon they don't have the stock. They have ONE kit, I want 4 dimms. blegghhhhhH!!!!
Thanks.
Thanks buddy. It's getting there. Just messing with some LED strips now, gonna start the loop tomorrow.
Thanks, I'm really pleased with it.
J.
PROGRESS UPDATE
Unhappy with the loop and how the coolant looked in the Mayhems tubing I ordered a Darkside LPX 360 (crossflow) rad and some Tygon Neoprene 1/2' ID tube.
I fitted the new xflow rad and moved to the new tubing. I've redone the loop maybe 3-4 times now... I simply wasn't happy with the way it was looking. I had a BP flow indicator gathering dust, so I added it to the loop. At the pump RPM I'd set for normal workloads it wasn't spinning so up'd the pump speed a little and away it went. Then decided I didn't like the loop so drained it, tried again.
I'm finally happy with the loop but for whatever reason the flow indicator stops spinning shortly after the pump kicks in (I'm still bleeding the loop). I can't work out why as the flow rate is fine, I can see the tiny bubbles whizzing around.
So now, I'm looking at draining it again to remove the flow indicator, which is a shame. I know they are pointless really, but I like how they look and works well with the builds aesthetic.
Hmm..
J.
Unhappy with the loop and how the coolant looked in the Mayhems tubing I ordered a Darkside LPX 360 (crossflow) rad and some Tygon Neoprene 1/2' ID tube.
I fitted the new xflow rad and moved to the new tubing. I've redone the loop maybe 3-4 times now... I simply wasn't happy with the way it was looking. I had a BP flow indicator gathering dust, so I added it to the loop. At the pump RPM I'd set for normal workloads it wasn't spinning so up'd the pump speed a little and away it went. Then decided I didn't like the loop so drained it, tried again.
I'm finally happy with the loop but for whatever reason the flow indicator stops spinning shortly after the pump kicks in (I'm still bleeding the loop). I can't work out why as the flow rate is fine, I can see the tiny bubbles whizzing around.
So now, I'm looking at draining it again to remove the flow indicator, which is a shame. I know they are pointless really, but I like how they look and works well with the builds aesthetic.
Hmm..
J.