Project : Evolution : TJ07 : By Avathar77

Small Update again!

Yesterday I drilled all rivets and separated the parts for Powder Coating.
Took all of them after giving them a good clean and wash, but had to come back again as I forgot the PSU cover! Mrs Avathar was not happy ;)

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and Taped the Side panel to cut a window!
I still have to wait for some more cutting disks, I could have started with the remaining disks but weather was not good to work out side:(

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mate you NEED the reinforced dremel discs.

don't buy em from a shop they are hideously expensive, use google to find alternatives:)

These will not shatter and you will have a far more pleasant experience cutting things

Man I loved the look of the original Koolance 360, and you have a 370! i'd use that

good to see EK sorted you out, they're ignoring me atm:(

Yep I made a mistake and already ordered resin disks :( But they were so cheap so I can order some the reinforced disks as well.

Why are EK ignoring you? I contacted them directly and they were very helpful, It was Gregor who helped me out. But the return shipping took about 2 weeks!
After the nickel issue, I have a dislike about EK plating. Just personnel preference i guess. So I have made up my mind to use Koolance blocks.
 
Need to finish this off quickly as I can't live with iGPU graphics any more!

Got my internal parts powder coated yesterday! yey! :D

New PSU arriving today as well!

Pics will come soon.
 
Arrrrgh! so annoyed with "Yodel" right now.
Took a day off from every thing to collect parcels, got one from DHL but yodel is saying they tried delivery and no one home! bunch of XXXXXXX!
 
So NO PSU today as well! :mad:
Apparently yodel doesn't have my contact details(Phone or address) to deliver it! They are saying the shop I bought it have not given it to them and the shop saying they have sent 3 times!

Anyway while I was waiting for the PSU I took the time to do the riveting.

These are the internals all powder coated.
Cant take any detailed pics as today was a very dark and rainy day. But powder coating came up better than I thought!


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Rivet gun and 3.2 rivets.

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Paint on the rivets are going off easily so I had to be careful when fitting them.

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Did some more work but couldn't take any more pics as it was already dark. Oh how much I miss the summer!
More updates tomorrow.
 
Got some new toys :D

I got them some time ago(ordered a day after AMD bulldozer release) but didn't upload any pics.

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i5 2500k

I was indecisive of 2600k or 2500k but as I have little to no use of HT and by the reviews I read, it will hinder the overclock and/or gaming performance, I settled for a 2500k

CPU HSF is tiny compared to the Q6600 stock HSF that I am used to :)

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My choices were between this and the two low profile variants(White and jet black) of vengeance ram.

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Original plan was to have 2 of these SSDs!
1 for the OS and My documents and the other for Games.
I have a 1 TB NAS drive down stairs, near the router so no HDD sounds.
But my unfortunate encounter with the PSU meant I had to allocate some money from the build to a new PSU.
So sadly only have funds for a single 128 GB SSD now, I am still undecided on putting back my 1TB Samsung F3 as the secondary drive for now.

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Some more stuff on the way :D
Should be with me in couple of days!
 
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Nice stuff. Looking forward to the rest of the build. I also have the same Vengeance RAM and think they look great with the high profile heatsink.

Tempted to pick up a 128GB M4 myself for steam games especially with current HDD prices but I must resist! Currently have OS running on a Vertex 3 and a couple of games and apps on it too. Just can't help eyeing up all those SSDs. :p


Thanks :)

With the ram I was going to get white low profile Vengeance sticks but changed my mind the last minute as I am thinking of changing the Black-White colour scheme in the future ;)
SSD is the most noticeable upgrade I have seen to this date! Going from Q6600 @3.4GHz to a 2500k (stock) was nothing compared to the responsiveness you get from a SSD!
 
So many things have been done but didn't have time to update!


Fist I got some more new stuff

Corsair AX850 PSU! 80 puls Gold rated.
Amazing build quality and lots of cables.
I was worried and reading the reviews again and again because the fan would not spin! Only spints up for a second when turning on and off, but it turns out that is "normal" :)

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EK Multipption X2 250 Advanced

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This is the best bit IMO
Koolance VID-AR697 Rev 1.1 for my Unlocked HD6950!
So yeah a lot of changes from the initial plan :D

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I started by assembling the case

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I used Arctic F9 fans for the two rear 92mm fans and F12 fans for the two top 120mm fans.
Also fixed the 480 and 240 RAD Stands.

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Had to remove the already installed core only GPU block and clean the GPU.

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Cut the thermal tape and ready to apply MX-2

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And all done!

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This is how I am going to put the 2 RADs and the pump.
Whether the MCP355 is strong enough for the task is yet to be seen! I do hope it will.
It took me 2 attempts to get the tube between the 2 RADs fit correctly.
Pump is sitting on 4 "Feet" made out of foam to absorb vibration (if any), also it allows air flow under the pump.
Foam feet also helps when detaching the QDC which is going to be connected between the RES and the Pump.

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Connecting the tubes to the RADs was difficult than I thought.
I had to use 2 x 45degree angled rotary adaptors on each RAD.

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Here is the Star of the show!
Koolance CPU-370.

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I do like Koolance blocks but not their compression fittings! :)
BitsPower is nice but don't have a house to mortgage or sell :D
That makes way to EK fittings.

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Fixed the the AP-14s for the GTX480 RAD in push and 2 more Arctic F12s for the GTS240 RAD also in push.
Removed the fan grill on top and rear fans as I thought they look better this way.
Placed the New PSU and tried out the 8-pin, 24-pin and 2 x 6-pin power extensions. Didn't want to go overboard with braiding the extensions - only the outer wires are braided in white.

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Tubing on the CPU block.

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2 x Koolance VL4 compression fittings!
One from RES to Pump and the other from 480RAD to GPU.

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By using these QDCs I can remove the whole motherboard tray without draining the loop! Very handy for maintenance!
I had to use 2 x 90degree rotary adaptors between RES and the QDC, to get it in a straight(sh) line with the pump. I could have moved the RES by raising the RES holders with something but I couldn't find anything solid :)
Also used another 90degree adaptor on the GPU block.
I tried my best to not use any 90 degree adaptors as I think they will reduce the flow!

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And then it was time for the filling up and leak test! :eek:
I got 2 bottles of EC6 "Clear" and had to dig out my old trusted-DIY fill bottle :D

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So far I have used about 1200ml of liquid and still doing the leak test.
Going to let it run over night and let the bubbles go out.
Will update soon with the rest.
 
Had a small problem!

I was just about to finish the lealk test after about 20 hours of running since last night.
After watching a movie with my wife I came upstairs to check on the PC and saw this.

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Well it was more than this but in a panic I didn't reach for the camera first :D

About 10-15 drops of EC6 has leaked from between the compression fitting and intake of the RES, it had gone down the RES and a small puddle of liquid was sitting on top of the Pump! :eek:

My guess is that the EK RES's top intake is not big enough to fit 1/2"ID 3/4OD fittings!

So I had to do a partial drain using the QDCs! Installing the QDCs already paid off! I would prefer not having a leak and doing the draining but it was much easier with QDCs.

After disconnecting and taking out the mobo tray, I drained the RES and replaced the compression fitting with a 45degree angled one.
Also modified the tubing coming from the RES to the pump so it is more straighter.

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Doing the leak test again now, going to let it run till morning this time.
RES is filled with micro bubbles.

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I don't think I will be able to finish the cable management in the back the way I wanted. I was having a go before this leak happened and I realised I may have to make some 3-pin fan extensions if I want the wires to run "pretty", or I just finish with what I have for now and do it next time.
After all, there is a reason why I called this "Evolution : TJ07" ;)
 
Small update:
Well all the bubbles have gone from the RES! Yey!
Samsung F3 HDD is the most loudest part in the PC when the F12 fas are at minimum speed.


I was playing around with some overclocking, but I feel Sandybridge and Z68 have taken the fun out of it! I remember how it was with my P35 and Q6600!
Now all it took was to simply set the auto 4.6 or 4.8 profile on the Mobo setting and it is on!
I tried tweaking the voltages a bit but it is already at its best I think.

Ran IBT and Prime95. IBT gave the highest temp readings so far

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CPU @ 4.6GHz all Auto settings
Room temp 22C
F12 fans at minimum and AP14s at max because I can't hear them.

Idle 25-29C
Full Load 49-57C
CPU block is seated properly but no idea why cores reporting a big deference in temps:confused:
@Idel there is about 4C deference in the lowest core and the highest
and @load it is about 8C!
I may try to reseat the CPU block in time.


GPU OC was same as before. But had bit better results.
HD6950 unlocked shaders
Core 1000MHz Mem 1375 @ 1250mV

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Some bad news now:
Seems like my luck with PSUs - or the lack of it is continuing:eek:
My brand new AX850 developed a fault just after 7 days of use!
I heard a "POP" sound! but this time there was no smoke or sparks! and no I didn't put anything inside :D
PC didn't start so I had to take it out and connect a backup PSU to see if every thing else is ok.

So far every thing is working fine but I dont feel safe to run the PC with a £20 650W unbranded PSU.
Upon inspecting the Corsair PSU, I could see some "things" splashed all over other components and even on the fan blades. I think it is a blown capacitor but I may be wrong.
it is very hard to get a good pic from my camera phone, so this will have to do.

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So I have sent the PSU back to the shop yesterday and they have approved the RMA today!
But now they don't have stock for the AX850 so I have to wait or have to get something else:mad:


Also I am thinking of doing some major changes to the build.
I may have to drain the loop again, but easy task because of the QDCs.
I am thinking of removing the GTS240 RAD. I think just the single GTX480 is enough to run the system at good temps. Most of the time I was running both RADs with all the fans off, while watching movies and browsing, and the temps only risen by 3C in the CPU.

This will also give better placement of the pump and I will be able to remove 2 of the 90 degree rotary fittings, which all together I think will improve the flow rate.

I still have to work on the side panel window, Mid plate and the front plate.
It is very cold out side now so don't feel like using the dremel outside(can't use it indoors as I might be kicked out by Mrs Avathar)
Also thinking about a new fan controller or a switch panel. I have a Zalman ZMFC 1 Plus but I would like to turn the fans off completely.

So yeah, many things to be done, and not much time to do them....
 
Got some Updates after a long time!

While waiting for the replacement PSU I made some changes.
Had to change the PSU extension cables as one of the older ones had a fault of some sort, so I got all white cables.


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Removed the GTS240 RAD from the loop.
This helped to position the pump better, also resulting in removing 2 of the 90 degree rotary fittings.


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While I was doing the leak testing for the second time, I got the replacement PSU!

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I had a 850W unit first but because it was out of stock for nearly 2 weeks I had to settle for the 750W unit instead. I am sure 750W is enough for my future needs as well ;)



I also got this!

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It is the Aquaero 5 LT.

After doing some testing with the AA5, I noticed the power amps are getting a bit toasty for my liking.
When running the fans at lower RPMs they tend to heat up to 75C!
So I did a small mod.

First I fixed some spare VRM heatsinks, and then attached a 60mm fan as well.


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Now they don't go above 55C.

Removing the GTS240 RAD and the 90 degree fittings seem to have effected the temps in a good way.
Idle temps are not so different, but the load temps have come down a bit! I will have to do more testing while keeping the same room temp.

At the moment I am experimenting with the Aquaero 5's settings. It is a brilliant little thing but very poor documentation!

I still have to do the Side Window, Mid Plate and the Front Plate.
Have plans to put some temp sensors and a flow meter to the water loop.
Also need to tidy up the wiring in the bottom compartment of the case.
 
Thanks :)
Yeah it was along build log :) I still have some things to do, now I am planing my next additions to the loop.
Going to add a PowerAdjust 2 Ultra and a Flow meter from Aquacomputer.
Also some inline Temp Sensors to the RAD inlet and outlets and a probe style temp sensor to the RES.
I have this itch to try a D5 pump and see it compared to the DDC 18W, also would like to try out a parallel loop set up!
But that means I have to fully drain the loop at least 4 times! :mad:
 
Looking nice. Lots of effort going into this, but looks great. Be worth it in the end :)


Thank you! But "the End" is not nigh for this ;)


Ouch! draining 4 times doesn't push my buttons so I don;t envy you there!

Do you need 2 loops? I've got 2 but I've got 480's in SLI on one loop, and the [email protected] on the other - the CPU loop is far and away the coolest - i'll explain:

For the CPU It goes res=>Phobya 3.120=> CPU => phobya 1.120 => Res
For the GPU it goes res=>swiftech 2.120=> GPU1 =>GPU2 => swiftech 2.120=> Res

Despite cooling on the outbound and return leg, the 2x2.120 swiftech rads aren;t enough so the res water gets heated and in turn heats up the feed to the CPU. You can see this in action when I start folding on the GPU's.

Prior to splitting this out into 2 loops I had a single loop which went

res=>Phobya 3.120=> CPU => phobya 1.120 => GPU1 =>GPU2 => swiftech 2.120=> Res

IIRC The CPU delta in coolant temp was between 5 and 7C lower when I moved to the new loop - and that's after squeezing in another 2.120 rad and another D5 pump!

It did cool me down, but it wasn't anywhere near as dramatic as I was hoping for - it certainly didn't seem not worth the money and effort that I put into it.

Next I'd like to incorporate my Vapochill into the loop, but that's more an urge I get to try new things, rather than a need :)

As for D5's vs the DDC 18Watt - My server rig had 2 DDC's - 1x18, and a smaller one - 10Watt? The 18 watter seems to push a whole lot more fluid than the 10 watt, it seemed to push more than my D5's... Never measured it though.



No not going Dual Loops! Thinking about Parallel loop for the GPU and CPU.
Since I only have a single GPU and a CPU in my loop it would be pointless to go dual loops.

This is what I mean by Parallel loop
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It looks much "neater", but from what I have read, it needs a powerful pump!

So in your dual loop setup, are both loops being fed liquid by the same RES?
You must have a big case to hold all your RADs or are you having external RADs?

Your server having 2 DDCs! are they on dual loops as well?

There seems to be a lot of people saying D5 is better than DDC in terms of performance. But from my reading I have not found that to be true! But some do say it is because more DDCs have failed than D5s! and DDCs are more noisier than D5s!
I have opened a thread Here about this(and in another forum).

My DDC is "floating", just connected to the RES and RAD by the tubing, so it does not tuch the case and it makes little to no noise at all. I can only hear it when I run my PC in full passive mode, that also when I am sitting at the table - where the case is less than 2 feet away from me!

Vapochill !!!!!
Now we are talking :D
I also happens to have a Vapochill Lightspeed II! :cool:
But not yet connected to any thing! I got it for FREE from stone_cold_Jimi here along with lots of other stuff :D
Planing to finish my TJ07 build first and then setup a Vapochill unit using some other hardware(not so brave enough to try it on my main PC)
I am still doing my research on Vapochill!
 
I am using White Masterkleer tubing 1/2"ID 3/4" OD(aka 19/13mm).
But thinking of changing them to another color!

It doesn't matter which way the tubing is connected to the RAD, you can use any port as the inlet or outlet(but I did see one RAD which had inlet and outlet named! cant think of the name though).
Usually I go for the easiest/neatest option :)(RES before Pump always though)

I have replied in your thread about your other questions as well :)
 
Bro! Your rig looks sick!

I would love some input on mine if you get a chance!

For example, how did you mount the 3.5 drive like that? Also, your cable managment is SUPERB. Would be really grateful for some help with my TJ07... ;)

Tom

Thank you :)
I did see your build(and commented) as well! Nice work.

HDD is not there any more(some things have been changed in the build but have not had any chance to upload pics yet)
But I used an old HDD mounting from my Antec 902 case.
Mounted it vertically with just 2 screws(4 will not align)
That way power and data cables can be hidden away.
 
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