My 540

NoNameNoNumber · 8 Dec 2013 at 21:46

Hello all,

Background: I'm a fitter, I have no computer/IT experience what-so-ever as you'll gather if you go through my previous posts

I hate software, driver issues, data cloning etc etc but I enjoy building/benching my computer.

I started 4 years ago with a mighty PhenomII X2 550 in a n Antec 300 this kind of progressed into an X4 955 with a H100 but ultimately I always knew I should have gone intel...

Fast forward to the last 3 months or so, I have collected the following parts-many thanks to this forum for the 2nd hand bits! (ToxicTbag, Greboth, Dirtychinchilla, Skylineboy, Stulid and no doubt others too) the only parts to survive the revamp were the RAM and Spinpoint F3 1TB

2500k
Gigabyte Z68XP-UD4
Samsung 840 250Gb SSD
HIS IceQ Boost 7950
Seasonic X series 660W
Carbide 540
Akasa 6 channel fan controller
4 SP120's

XSPC RX240
Phobya 240mm
EK DCP 4.0
EK nickel compressions/rotaries
XSPC Raystorm
AquaComp 7950 Block
Primochill tubing

Pump>GPU>Rad>CPU>RAD>Pump
The case was the final part to the puzzle, I got home from work on saturday afternoon and set about building the rig up. This was my first proper attempt at building a fully watercooled rig

Here are a couple of pictures, it aint quite perfect but it's perfectly usable and gamings temps at 4.5GHz and 1100/1500 @1.205v are 48*C and 37*C respectively.

First tube in

Plumbing done

Started to fill with water

Et voila

It's no 4770k TriFire 7990 but for playing todays FPS at 1080 it's flawless

The only thing I want to do to it really is get another 7950 for crossfire and tidy up 'the darkside'.

Thoughts and comments welcomed

NoNNoN

CharlieRich · 8 Dec 2013 at 22:44

That coolant looks amazing, which one did you use? Also the custom paint job on the colour rings on your Corsair SP120's looks cool

Cleisthenes · 9 Dec 2013 at 00:16

It's coloured tubing as opposed to dyed coolant I believe; this method is a lot simpler and avoids any possibility of corrosion.

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 06:53

It is indeed coloured tubing-primoflex, with battery topup water and a kill coil. The fans came from the MM like that, I was going to go for white rings but the cooper looks good with the gpu block IMO.

Cleisthenes · 9 Dec 2013 at 07:10

agreed, the fan rings look great. I remember seeing them in another build log

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 07:31

Cleisthenes · 9 Dec 2013 at 07:33

Oh and by the way in your sig you can make it so you dont have to paste the link. You can hyperlink text to make it smarter

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 09:09

That's gone straight over my head... Can you explain

Edit:cracked it

nick.lidgett · 9 Dec 2013 at 09:29

That is one serious piece of tube running from your gpu to the pump

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 10:35

Yup, I was gonna tidy it up with a few angles but the extra cost/increased flow restriction and more leak points left me to conclude that it's just not wort bothering. Whether the pump sits on top of the psu or in front of it there will be a good length either way.

Do you see any issues with it plumbed as it is?

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 16:42

Gpu max temp of 32*C and CPU 45*C after 40 minutes of gaming

Doomedspeed · 9 Dec 2013 at 19:06

That is stunning....

Loving those Fan rings..

Tubing looks amazing.

Morfinel · 9 Dec 2013 at 19:27

Milk that cow

abbotsmike · 9 Dec 2013 at 19:37

Very smart looking build! Makes me glad to see people still buying the 2500k, convinces me that mine is still nowhere near obsolete!

Also loving the necessary fuel pies in the background!

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 19:52

Doomedspeed said:
That is stunning....

Loving those Fan rings..

Tubing looks amazing.

Thank you very much. Credit to ToxicTbag for the fan rings though

What do you reckon to the white/nickel/copper/black theme? Kind of wish I'd gone for black nickel fittings???

Morfinel said:
Milk that cow

Umm yeah

abbotsmike said:
Very smart looking build! Makes me glad to see people still buying the 2500k, convinces me that mine is still nowhere near obsolete!

Also loving the necessary fuel pies in the background!

I was kind of regretting buying a 2500 seeing as it was 2 year old tech but since having it up and running and benching/gaming on it I cant imagine it being far off todays pace. Also £103 for what seems to be a decent clocker aint bad

PS not a fan of the Mr Kiplings Bakewell Tarts... too sickly, by far the best festive treats are the Waitrose all butter mini mince pies.

abbotsmike · 9 Dec 2013 at 20:06

NoNameNoNumber said:
I was kind of regretting buying a 2500 seeing as it was 2 year old tech but since having it up and running and benching/gaming on it I cant imagine it being far off todays pace. Also £103 for what seems to be a decent clocker aint bad

PS not a fan of the Mr Kiplings Bakewell Tarts... too sickly, by far the best festive treats are the Waitrose all butter mini mince pies.

Yeah you still don't see many i5 clocks up near 5ghz, and although the newer processors are faster clock for clock, I've seen nothing that compels me to think it's a night and day difference. (That and a socket change would be expensive!)

Not had the festive ones, I do have a weakness for normal bakewell tarts though. And +1 on waitrose mince pies!

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 20:11

This chip'll do 4.5GHz on stock V and 5GHz with very little fiddling (1.404v) so I'm reasonably sure it's a good clocker. My only other overclocking knowledge was based on the Black Edition chips though whereby I had northbridge and what not to worry about. I'm still learning about the Sandys

What was max Vcore agin 1.52v?!
Got loads of headroom

NoNameNoNumber · 9 Dec 2013 at 20:37

I kind of fancy a subtle white glow, could this be achieved with the Bitfenix LED strips? I don't like the intense light you often see.

NoNameNoNumber · 10 Dec 2013 at 21:41

Despite all of the fans being set as low as possible on the fan controller, the SP120's are still audible. Is that just how they are?

DaleTheWhale · 10 Dec 2013 at 23:19

NoNameNoNumber said:
I kind of fancy a subtle white glow, could this be achieved with the Bitfenix LED strips? I don't like the intense light you often see.

NZXT white LED lights might be worth looking at then.

NoNameNoNumber said:
Despite all of the fans being set as low as possible on the fan controller, the SP120's are still audible. Is that just how they are?

It depends how audible you're talking, on lowest my SP120's I can only hear with my ear near the case. Ramp them up a bit and they're audible.