Full custom loop watercooling the NZXT H1..... With a MONSTA rad

[samcat]

This has been a bit of a work in progress that I have been posting bits of in the case thread for the NZXT H1, but thought its probably about time it came over here.

Previously had full loop in the Phantek Enthoo Primo, with SLI 1080 gpu.
Got rid of one of the GPU's and gone for a much smaller case.

Stock AIO removed.
Case sits on my desk over a cable wiring/tidy hole (like office desks have, the circles with rotatable inserts for bringing cables up).
All wiring to/from case goes through this, as does a pair of WC hoses.

Anyway, its in progress, so here is a bit of a picture dump. Excuse the mess, it will all be made up to my usual neat standard.

Little and large

Mobo with CPU block, stock AIO replaced with fan to help move some air around.

Hardline joining GPU out to CPU in. 5 bends, ended up mm perfect. I swore numerous times and had to redo it twice. The hardest piece I have ever had to bend.

MSI 1080 with EK block

Todays job was starting to mount he rad+fans (EK VARDAR ATM), res,pump, corsair commander pro and inline temp sensor under the desk.

Wiring is a mess atm, as I say its work in progress.

Next up is figuring out how to power the commander pro outside the case. It needs 12v, 7v and 5.5v and none of the external wall wart options I have found do that, so may need to knock up a cable to come from PSU all the way down.
Also need to connect it to USB, but it comes with an internal mobo USB header plug rather than normal usb port. Again, need to find an adapter so I can plug it into a normal usb port.

 

[samcat]

Thanks.
Got a drain point right at the bottom, If I need to do anything I tend to just drop the fluids.

I did it years ago with an NCase, but it was still a lump on the desk, the H1 suits as its a nice small footprint, and the bottom exit is just icing on the cake.
When we recarpet I am thinking about moving the radiator(s) under the floor (suspended wooden floor).

I have a panel I have made up to put on the other side of the radiator, that will hide it all away (and further reduce noise, as pump and fans will be 'inside' that space. Should neaten it up further as well.

 

[samcat]

Leek free and booted...

Corsair commander is not connected for now, using CPU fan header out to a 4 way 4pin splitter to drive the radiator fans. Not ideal but it will do for now.

Forgot how noisy the EK Vardar 1700rpm fans are, and cant seem to speed control them at all. :/
This is why they were consigned to the parts drawer before...

Time to spring for 4x noctua radiator fans I guess.

 

[samcat]

EK Vardar fans swapped out for Noctua NF-F12 fans (which are low noise and designed for radiators).

Much better, can control them down to very low speed and near silent.
Can hear myself thinking again.

Got a plan for hooking up the corsair commander.. Will see how it goes.

 

[samcat]

Looking superb, love the red glow with that little case, looks mean!!!

I am torn. I love the red, but have been using blue recently - I am running a UV green Mayhems dye that I had in my previous build. With blue the green fluoresces so from one colour you get a 2 colour effect.

Its all a bit moot, got a nice walnut front coming so the case will more closely match my desk speakers (Dali Lektor 1 in walnut). So the lighting will be more suble and only really visible from the sides through the holes.

As always, the photos make the lighting look much more full on that it is. Subtle is the key!
May switch over to UV so there is just the sinister glow of the green UV.

 

[samcat]

3dmark on loop for about an hour:

Happy with that! Lol

 

[samcat]

In this silly hot weather, gaming, both GPu and CPU sit at ~41oC and no higher.

Pics of it finished (ha, are they ever!) with the vanity board in place. Blocks a bit of sound from the fans (on the back of the rad) and protects the WC bits from bumpts.

And not so W/C, but swapped the speakers from Dali Lektor 1's to Mark Audio Tozzi 1's

 

[samcat]

Looks really good mate, i think when the new ryzen cpus and 3000 series gpus are released I'll move onto something very similar.

I'm already running an external rad.

DO IT!

the only thing I didnt do that I wish I had was dry disconnects.. and the hoses are a bit short so I cant quite lay it flat on my desk to work on things.

 

[samcat]

can I ask, when you ran this as a loop did you just use this rad inside the Enthoo? What's the temp differences? I am currently doing an external rad setup too just intrigued!

Nah, had different fans (vantec nexus i think), and a front 2x120 pushpull..
wasnt as cool, under desk a lot of the heat was pushed up so tended to loop into case again.~
This is much better, pushes the heat away

Also was SLI in big case

 

[samcat]

GPU only (to start with), finding a way to attach a 280mm rad + pump/res on the rear panel.

Do it! Seriously you wont regret it!
Bits pop up second hand all the time, with bargains to be had. Hell, I have a 240 and 360 rad 'spare' (future projects) at the moment, and a block for a 1080 (non Ti) sitting spare that will probably never be used again. Might list on Members market but not worth a lot.

 

[samcat]

Dont worry about the de-thread. External WC is amazing isnt it!

And when its hidden a bit scruffy doesnt matter.
I am giving serious through to pulling some floorboards and putting rads under the suspended floor... as well as the 480 monsta I have a 360 and a 240... So would do the 'loads of radiators' thing.. But going by current temperatures it isnt needed.

 

[samcat]

Which brackets are you using to mount the radiators to the wooden panel?

For mine I just use generic corner braces:

You can just about see the bottom one here:

2 on the front, 2 on the back. Its solid.