First water cooled build: Fractal Design Define S | MSI Z170 SLI Plus | 6600k | 1070 GTX

[flk3000]

Hi all,

Not really a ‘live’ build log since I’ve actually recently finished it, but I thought I’d post some work-in-progress shots since I bought most of it from Overclockers and there may be others here planning a build with similar components.

First the list of components

• Case: Fractal Design Define S, with window.
• CPU: i5 6600k
• CPU block: EKWB Supremacy EVO – Acetal and Nickel
• GPU: MSI GTX 1070 Founders Edition
• GPU block: EK FC1070 GTX Acetal and Nickel
• (^ bought the OcUK Tech Labs 1070 GTX card, to save the stress of dismantling an expensive bit of kit)
• PSU: EVGA GQ Gold 750W (hadn't planned on this, but my old PSU went bang midway through the build!)
• Motherboard: MSI Z170A SLI Plus
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2x8) 3200Mhz
• SSD: Samsung 500gb 850 EVO + reuse old SSD from previous system
• Radiator: Alphacool NexXxos ST30 420mm
• Fans: Akasa Ultra Quiet Viper 140mm
• Pump reservoir combo: XSPC D5 Photon 170
• Compression fittings: EK ACF, black
• Quick disconnect fittings: Koolance QD3
• Coolant: Koolance LIQ-702, yellow
• Tubing: XSPC HighFlex hose, 16/10mm, clear

WIth my motherboard choice I've allowed for a future expansion to SLI, although the GTX 1070 is certainly enough for now!

I chose this case since it’s designed for water cooling, got some great reviews and was at a reasonable price point. The case can just fit a 420mm radiator in the top, although it must be slim (rad + fans thickness < 55mm). There's also room for a 2nd radiator in the front, which I might need if I add a 2nd graphics card one day. This is the loop layout I went for:

I chose to route one tube behind the motherboard tray to keep things clutter free. I wasn’t 100% sure if this would work but that was the plan.

To keep this manageable I'll continue in a new post.

 

[flk3000]

I wanted a black and yellow theme for this build. Finding black components is easy but yellow is more of a challenge. I was somewhat limited in fan choice but went for these Akasa Vipers. Here they are being mounted to the radiator.

And here's the case with motherboard, rad and fans installed. I had to remove the rear exhaust fan to fit this radiator (it's a tight fit!), and the front fan was also removed later.

Now time for the tubing. Note the over-long tube between pump and CPU which I planned to cut into once the graphics card arrived.

Although it was tight, I could just about get the tubing round the back of the motherboard tray without kinking or restricting it.

Next up, graphics card and leak test...

 

[flk3000]

There was a short wait while OcUK built the card, but once it arrived I could continue with the build.

With the card installed, the system was ready to fill.

The moment of truth... plenty of kitchen roll applied under all the connectors, I then bridged the green + black wires on the 24pin ATX connector, and connected up the pump. This is my first watercooled build so this was the most nerve-wracking part, but I took the plunge and started filling the system. A note for anyone with this XSPC res/pump combo, it is quite hard to fill - the fill port is very restricted and you need a narrow filling tube to get the coolant in easily.

Here's a picture shortly after partially filling the loop and running the pump. Note that the motherboard is not connected to the power at this point, those black braided cables disappearing into the back of the case were not hooked up to anything.

Two minutes after taking this photo there was a big BANG and the PSU said goodbye in a puff of smoke! This was a 3-4 year old PSU from my previous PC, I'll never know why it went bang since there were no leaks and the pump was the only thing connected. Anyway, it added a few days delay while I sourced a new EVGA 750w PSU.

 

[flk3000]

And here we are up and running with the new PSU and a full (ish) loop!

Now it was up and running I tinkered with the fan and pump speed. I was struggling to balance noise and cooling performance, since the fans were much louder than I expected. It was hard to isolate the source of the noise, but I felt it might be vibration between fans and radiator, so ordered this gasket. I'm pleased to say it worked wonders, and the vibration noise was eliminated. A word of caution: the space between radiators and the motherboard was already tight before I added that gasket, and it did make it worse. I'm right on the limit, and some motherboard designs might cause a problem, depending on the size of the various protrusions and heatsinks at the top of the motherboard.

Things left to do with this build:
1) Overclock it! I've already used the MSI OC Genie 4 tool for an instant OC to 4.1Ghz but I think there's plenty more to come from the 6600k. I think 4.5Ghz should be doable.
2) Some aesthetic mods: I'd like to add some subtle lighting and swap out the white PCI slot covers on the case with either black or possibly painted yellow.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with the build, it was a learning experience and there's still some optimisation to come, but overall it's come together better than I expected. In particular, the case is really well designed and built, I would definitely recommend the Fractal Design Define S for anyone considering a watercooled build on a mid-range budget. If I had one aesthetic complaint it's that the coolant looks more lime-green than yellow, however I was warned off using yellow pastel coolant so I guess I'll have to live with this!

 

[flk3000]

Your pics dont load for me

Ah sorry, I know why this has happened and will fix it tomorrow!

 

[flk3000]

Pics are fixed!

 

[flk3000]

Haha yes, forgot to remove the sticker before taking photos. I'll take some better photos (including some with the case closed) soon.

I haven't properly stress tested the CPU yet, but I wasn't getting above 55°C after some prolonged BF4 action - and that was during the recent hot spell we had in the UK so ambient temps in my house were pretty high.

If I recall correctly, at idle the CPU temp is around 31°C.