Help me fill a new Phanteks Evolv ATX

[DBT85]

Just ordered myself the gunmetal Evolv ATX.

I've decided it is time for a GPU upgrade and with the 980Ti and the possible Fury from AMD on the horizon, I figured I'd do a watercooled build for the first time in about 8 years.

With about a month to go before the case is in stock, I've got time for planning everything else, and I need to see what AMD can do before making a GPU decision.

I was thinking of essentially making myself up an EK x360 kit but with a 280mm rad for the front and a 360mm for the top (I already have a load of Venom 120mm fans and the case comes with 2x 140mm fans for the front). Not sure whether to bother with an extra 140mm at the rear or not. Only reason I'd not get the kit and add to it is that I have fans available.

This would be cooling either a 980Ti or a Fury Something and an overclocked 2500k. The CPU I've had at 5ghz on air when I first got it for a superpi but it's been running as stock since.

Only other question would be, is there any benefit in buying the OCUK Labs GPU with the waterblock already attached, or just buy my own reference card and put the block on myself?

Is a load of EK kit going to make my computer explode or is their stuff decent enough that any issues are likely going to be caused by myself?

The EK rads seem to be in the thicker range where I've seen some others are 30mm instead of 55mm, I'm guessing with a 360mm and a 280mm that it's not going to matter too much as I can keep my fan speeds low?

 

[colinmcr]

I'll be doing a WC Evolv ATX also so be good to see what you do.

The OCUK Labs card is with an EK block anyway I believe so just check costs, I also don't know if OCUK give you the air cooler with it in case you ever wanted to sell it on or convert it back, something to think about or ask OCUK.

EK stuff is not going to make your pc explode, they do offer thinner rads also PE is 40mm.

I'm not sure how much clearance we'll have in the top, the manual doesn't reference thickness even though it says "see chart". Not that I could see anyway.

 

[DBT85]

Yeah I saw that they have EK blocks on them. The price seems to work out £5 dearer than buying an EVGA reference card and doing the block myself. I'm sure I could fit the EVGA stock cooler back if I had a card issue and that would have 3 years warranty at least.

PE is 40mm? You've lost me!

As for clearance at the top, the couple of vids I've seen show a Corsair twin 120mm fan unit at the top with what appears to be plenty of room.

This video has a bit more info rregarding a build in the case and rad sizes, suggesting that if you put a 360 at the front you'll only havbe about 55mm of space at the top if you wanted another 360 in there too.

https://youtu.be/BFTkpcFrcAI?t=15m27s

Since I'll be going for a 280 at the front and a 360 at the top I'm not worried about that. But I want to see if I can move the two front fans up and put from front 280 there instead of removing the bottom plate and mounting it lower down, as I do have a 3.5" drive that I want to mount down out of the way.

Its going to be my first PC without a permanent cd/dvd drive connected since about 2 years after CD Rom drives became available! But on thinking about it, the last thing I installed form disk anywhere was Windows 7 on my existing machine and I can get around that easily enough now.


EDIT: I now know what you meant by PE is 40mm Though I can only find those in the 240mm/360mm range, not 280mm or 140mm. While that would be fine at the front as there is loads of space for a 55mm deep rad, there might not be at the back for a 55mm deep 140mm rad. White 1/2 tubing, blue fittings.

Currently thinking of a 55mm deep 280 at the front and a 30mm deep 360 at the top, but wondering where I'm going to secure the pump. I might have to get the drill out!


EDIT 2:

I have my build I think. Just waiting on AMD to pull their thumb out. Don't think I'll need any angled fittings but I can mock it all up before I dismantle my existing machine anyway so I can check that.

1 140x140 thin at the rear
1 120x360 thin at the top
1 140x280 fat at the front

Plan is Pump > CPU > GPU > Rear > Top > Front > Res. My thinking being that the rear and top fans will exhaust and get as much of the hotter air out as possible, before the front rad bring in cooler ambient air. Since rads will cool faster with a higher air/water delta, that seems best to me.

YOUR BASKET
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-D5 Vario X-RES 140 (incl. pump) £107.99
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-Coolstream RAD XTC 280 £59.99
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-Supremacy EVO £49.99
1 x EK Water Blocks EK-CoolStream PE 360 (Triple) £49.99
1 x MagiCool Copper Radiator - 140 mm £23.99
3 x Primochill Primoflex Advanced Tubing 19/13 - White £5.99 (£17.97)
12 x EK Water Blocks EK-ACF Fitting 13/19mm - Blue £4.99 (£59.88)
Total : £379.42 (includes shipping : £8.00 Ex.VAT).

 

[colinmcr]

Let us know how you get on, I'm a bit miffed as I might be back working abroad before my cases arrives.

As for rads I might have found two different ones that I like, thinner than the EK PE range.

 

[DBT85]

That would suck the large one!

EK just released the new XE rads which are thick 120mm versions, they match the PE in design style.

Wondering two things

a) whether I can secure a 120mm fan above the two 140mm fans (It looks possible from images)
b) whether there is enough room in the case for 2 360x60mm rads top and bottom and a combines rad/pump.

As a result of the wondering I'm going to get a reference card of whatever GPU I get so that I can use it until I've made some decisions for this, rather than buying the OCUK one that comes with the block already attached.

EDIT: After seeing some pics of a build in this review I have to conclude that the case is not large enough to host 2 60mm thick 360mm rads top and front. You could probably just manage 2 30mm rads or a 30mm and a 60mm.

From the image they have a 30mm x 360mm at the front and have moved the 2 140mm fans to the top without a rad.

http://proclockers.com/reviews/computer-cases/phanteks-enthoo-evolv-atx-review?page=0,5

My thinking right now is one of the following

a) 360mm x 60mm front + 360mm x 30mm top
b) 360mm x 60mm front + 280mm x 30mm top

B will definitely fit.

With a 60mm rad at the front I'm not sure a pump/res combo will fit there too so I'm also thinking of seperates and using the reservoir mount at the back and securing the pump to the PSU shroud which already has a load of holes in, though I'd need a couple of washers.

Other option of course is c) 280mm x 30mm front + 360mm x 60mm top.

That would allow me plenty of room to mount the pump/res combo as well as maybe be able to squeeze the single remaining 3.5" drive I have in there hidden away.