First Build, Corsair Carbide 540

Macha0n

Macha0n

Macha0n

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Joined
1 Nov 2013
Posts
49
Okay, so no experience of system building, check. No experience of watercooling, check. Big pile of hardware, check.

WP_20131106_003_s.jpg


Apologies for crap quality. So far just got the psu in the case and planned everything out, two compression fittings short for the cooling loop :mad:

That said, if that's the worst problem I have I'll be over the bloody moon!

If anyone's got a spare minute, what's the most efficient/safe order to build in? It's putting the waterblocks on the 290Xs that's freaking me out a little at the moment.

Oh, and yes that is a haemmorhoid cushion at the bottom. I've got static paranoia, so I borrowed it to sit on while I build :cool:
 
I don't have any watercooling experience either, but I'd certainly put the hardware together first just to make sure it's all working correctly, then get started on the loop.

I wish you luck.
 
It's easier if you run the 290X's for 5min or so on the original cooler, so the thermal pads have warmed up a bit and it'll be easier to remove the original cooler after that.

What radiators are you running? That's going to be toasty temps running 2x 290X's.

Personally I'd wire up all the watercooling stuff apart from the gpu's at first, and run the GPUs in a bit as said to heat up the thermal pads so theyre not so "stuck", and then tackle the GPUs after you know its all working etc (dont forget to add a drain port in the loop)
 
Gonna be a sweet set up you have there. ;)

Fit what you can too MB then install into case
Fit remainding components
Watercooling, take your time and check everything twice
Only connect pump to psu, bridge 24pin on psu
Fill and bleed whilst having lots of kitchen roll on crucial parts (have pump set to max for bleeding)
Cable up your gear
Install windows

Enjoy ;)
 
Righty-ho, good advice about the thermal pads there, I'll do that- I thought the same about setting up the loop away from the gpus, but it seemed like it'd be a nightmare to fit the blocks after they were already plumbed in to the loop, especially considering Crossfire.

Radiator-wise, I've got a 360 and a 240 with five Gentle Typhoons- general consensus seemed to be that would be enough cooling?

Thanks for the responses- I'm feeling it's fairly ambitious (read foolhardy) for a first build! Friendly and helpful posts are quelling the panic somewhat :D
 
Also, no drain loop :mad:

With this case, I was planning to velcro the pump/res into the opposite half of the case to most of the delicate bits- Looking at it I should be able to just lift it up and out to the side to drain. Not elegant I know, but workable.
 
Ah, okay- A QDC might be a good idea then. That looks bang on, by the way- hopefully I'll end up with something half as professional!

So, to run the 290Xs on air, I'll have to set up the loop with just the cpu block, then drain it to fit the gpus?
 
Macha0n said:
Ah, okay- A QDC might be a good idea then. That looks bang on, by the way- hopefully I'll end up with something half as professional!

So, to run the 290Xs on air, I'll have to set up the loop with just the cpu block, then drain it to fit the gpus?
Click to expand...

not necessarily, you could do what i have done, use a g1/4 thread qdc in the cpu block and one in the lower rad, once you have ran for a couple of days just release the temporary pipe (make sure pump is off and just place a little paper towel over the gpu's under the cpu qdc as you may have a little drip)
put the cards back in with the waterblocks on and pipe up using the qdc's, re-bleed and re-fill res, done.

you could get a cleaner look by not using the qdc's but there handy if you like to change gpu's fairly regular and you have a drain point.

if it were me i would just test the gpu's that they work as they should then just jump straight in.




edit: i never use any alcohol or spirit, just a piece of kitchen roll
 
Could you do me a huge favour Nickol and measure the height of your XSPC 360rad, it says here they are 406mm but from looking at yours installed and measuring 406mm in my case it seems they are less than 406mm. Thanks - Adam
 
Thanks man, hell so that means theres only 20mm spare when its in the case. Do you have yours hard down against the bottom of the case? - Adam
 
Adam, I've been looking at mine today- there's about 20mm, but if you have the sockets at the bottom there's only about 1mm of clearance between the fittings and the right side of the HDD bay- generally the whole case is a lot tighter than I thought it would be!

On a similar note, I think the top and bottom fans on the 360 rad will have to be on the outside- will having 2 out of 5 fans pull rather than push hurt their performance much? Going to have to make a dust cover now too!

Also, I was reading the Motherboard manual- looks like there are 4 sockets marked CHA_FAN, and two marked CPU_FAN. Will a CPU socket take a case fan. or am I a socket short?

Still soldiering on!

Whoops, edited to say my rad's an EK one!
 
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Right- I've got all tomorrow morning, I'm going to try and get it up and running with the cpu on water and the 290Xs on air and check everything's working as it should.

There'll be photos, you'll laugh, you'll cry etc. :D
 
Macha0n said:
Right- I've got all tomorrow morning, I'm going to try and get it up and running with the cpu on water and the 290Xs on air and check everything's working as it should.

There'll be photos, you'll laugh, you'll cry etc. :D
Click to expand...

Good luck with that mate, look forward to seeing the photos! - Adam
 
Just out of interest, when I come to drain the loop and add the gpus into it, will it be a case of unplugging everything at the PSU end and jumping it again to refill the system?
 
Honestly I would test all your components outside of the case and on air before putting anything in the case or setting any liquid cooling up.

Make sure everything works first and then build your system.
 
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