Project: fanless

[shadowscotland]

Well after a long wait and a sig that's said 'coming soon' for far to long I've finally started.

Still have a few item on their way but most of it's here but more on that later.

First off a photo's

This is the teaser I post some time back - basic mock up of my early idea (moved on a bit since then)

The plan (typing it up I just realised what I've set myself - should keep me busy for a few weekends )

Hardware:
MB: Asus P5Q (vanilla)
CPU: Intel [email protected]
RAM: Geil ULL 4x1gb
GPU: 8500GT
HDD: WD Raptor 36GB
HDD: SeaGate 300GB
PSU: Yesico FL550atx T2
Chassis: GMC R-2 Toast
Fans: None

Watercooling:
RAD: Zalman Reserator 2 (Modified)
RAD 2: DiscreteHeat Urban 400mm (Modified)
Pump: EHEIM 3w (Zalman Reserator 2)
RES: Zalman Reserator 2 (Modified)
CPU: XSPC Edge Acrylic (plus backplate)
NB: EK-NF4 rev1.1 Acetal (Modified)
GPU: DD Maze 5 or Silverprop Cyclone fusion HL
HHD: Alphacool Silentstar block (blocks only)
Tubing: Thinwall 1/2" (I think)
Barbs: ½” Various – mostly DD High Flow
Fluid: Home brew or Zalman G200 mix
Fans: None

Air cooling:
HHD: GUP Smart Drive 2002c (raptor)
HHD: Silentmaxx HD-silencer (SeaGate)
RAM: Zalman flower (Custom)
NB: Asus Copper Back plate
SB: Enzotech CNB-R1 revA
GPU: Thermalright HR-11 backplate
MosFet: Enzotech BMR-C1 / Heatpipe array
Fans: None

Features:
WCing: Custom passive loop
HHD: Custom HHD cage
HHD: Custom HHD elastic cradle
Case: Custom ‘stack effect’ baffle
Case: Internal Paint job
Case: PA 360 grill (base)
Case: Custom vent design (top)
Case: Custom window – Silverstone SP05 (Modified)
Mount: Speaker bracket
Mount: Custom wall bracket for WCing (previous build)
Power: Custom dado trunking (previous build)
Desk: Custom folding desk (previous build)
Fans: None

Oh might do some cable tiding/braiding/all that jazz - just to keep it neat and thread worthy

Here's my Abit IP35pro up and running in the GMC R2-toast (silly name but more on that later)

Close up showing that case is only just wider than a ATX mobo.

Replace ment P45 mobo - Asus P5Q (smaller width is a bonus) It's early days with this board so I'll add more when I get to the OCing sections.

Extra space - and I know just what to do with it

 

[shadowscotland]

Appoligies for the photo's - energy efficient lighting and nightime photo's with an old camera
They get the point across, just - will do some better shots at some point

SO what do you get if you cross a Zalman flower with Ram? a Kama wing

Cooling options - The Enzotech way or the Scythe way.

Home brew scythe wins

Rotate and repeat

The last one complete

Full set

More to come - as well as the who, what, where, when and why's.
Previous build thread is here so you know what came before and to save me repeating myself to much.

 

[shadowscotland]

After my final package arrived at work today I couldn't wait and decided to do a little more on my build.

My raptor is be somewhat noisey, which was significantly reduced with a bungee mod in my last case. To acheive the cradle in this current build required some case modifications that I can't do at night, But i can hard mount the two HDD enclosures tonight.

I've a silentmaxx HD-silencer for my data drive (seagate) that's very quiet anyway but the extra cooling is usefull.
And a GUP Smart Drive 2002C that I've been meaning to get for ages, this is for my raptor boot drive.

Both enclosures side by side - the Silentmaxx may have longer fins but it's a much smaller volume.

Always nice to open up a cooling element and see the shine of copper.
You'll also notice the different 'loading' strategies.

All loaded and ready to be closed - both are snug fits but the understated quality of the GUP is really impressive and the sound proofing much more complete with foam and special cable extenders inc.

The gap due to the reduced width Asus is perfect for mounting the enclosures - I be building a cradle and cage in this space later.

Well it's a lot quieter now - you can still hear it just above the soft hum of the stock cooler at 800rpm but the noise is softer as well as quieter and I've still to suspend it - highly recommented if you have the cash to burn.

Might try the raptor in the silentmaxx just to see the differance

 

[shadowscotland]

reserved 3

 

[Hamoodii]

RAM looks as if it's about to fly away

Looking good though, will keep my on this thread

 

[Monkey Puzzle]

Looks good - will be watching this thread. What's happening with the water cooling - are you still sticking with the Reserator?

What pump are you using - remember you saying in the past it's 3w?

Wish my motherboard had the same heatpipe layot so I could just put a block on the NB without having to invest in cooling the SB and mosfets.

 

[Diggsy]

Ignore, just had another look at the pic

EDIT - in fact, how many boards are you using? Looks like 3 in the thread already

 

[p4radox]

Now this looks interesting.

What are the full system specs?

 

[Blackhawk47]

Didnt think you would need such a radical diy heatsink for the ram...but i will keep an eye on this thread

 

[p4radox]

Didnt think you would need such a radical diy heatsink for the ram...but i will keep an eye on this thread

Yeah I'm not sure it's entirely necessary either.

 

[gt_junkie]

Looking good fella!

Gonna keep a close eye on this - best of luck!

gt

 

[misterPK]

I'm sure I've seen something like your homemade ram coolers before on some old OEM kit, but it might have been connected to a row of mosfets, i cant remember just that they were a pain to get off!

Good idea though, hope the rest of the build is as interesting!

PK!

 

[shadowscotland]

Thanks for the comments guys. And I'll try and answer some of the questions (but not give to much away)

RAM related answers:

The idea is from the Scythe Kama Wing (linky) and yes in a normal or even OC'ed pc extra RAM cooling is slightly pointless.
But when you've no fans - over efficient cooling is very valuable.
It also key to forming an internal stack effect (more on that later too) - with warm air rising out the top of the case replaced by cool air entering the case through the base.

Oh yes and due to the 'wings' not extending to the very edges of the RAM heat spreader they are actually very easy to install and remove

Motherboard answers.

Well spotted Diggy - there are three motherboards pictured above.

Abit AW9D-max - now faulty but using it to showcase the ram and blocks currently and yes the XSPC is currently mounted incorrectly. This abit has a duel heat pipe cooling system that can be separated - why the other manufactures never took this up I don't know - more info in previous build thread (see link in second post)

Abit IP35pro - another great abit board, was in use up untill this weekend - RIP abit

Asus P5Q - moving to p45 for lower power usage - My E6600 is now running at 1.1v but Initial wattage at the wall test was disappointing... more on this later too as I'm still finding my way around the bios/eco software. I am however very pleased with the narrow size and o/b cooling as it makes removing it easier The copper NB base plate is also a bonus.
Still undecided on Enzotech or modified heatpipe approach to SB and MosFet will look at temps and decide.

But I've some major case mod's to do before all that

Watercooling answers:

Still using my Passive watercooling but may drop the reserator if I can source some new rads without it costing me the earth... AND meeting the wife’s approval (it is all mounted on our bedroom wall after all) The new Rads I’m looking at are fully lined with copper, as I'd like to move away from my mixed metal loop. But I don't have the budget of many of the builds here, so we'll see how it goes. Will post up my research anyway as other may want an alternative to the KoM and CC vertical aluminium passive rads available for the same reason.

And the 3w pump is the EHEIM pump inside the Res2 - The lower flow rate (~1gpm) is more that enough for a duel core - but not a quad.

 

[EvilOne]

Hope the case is going to use atleast some fans !

No airflow doesnt work with passive cooling

 

[shadowscotland]

Fanless passive cooling works - their's loads of info on the web about it. Also major aftermarket cooling manufatures have full passive pc systems - Zalman (TNN & Reserator), innovatek (konvekt-o-matic) alphacool (Cape Cora) & mCubed (borg) to name four.

The o/b chipset cooling that mobo companies provide is designed with active airflow - as per intel's atx spec - but that doesn't mean passive can't work.

Air moves around with out the need of a fan, especially hot air. The key to not to 'trap' it inside the case or else you get thermal runaway. Which is very bad news.

I'm not really pushing the boundaries - Zalman TNN cases use heatpipes to acheive a working pc with no fans - I'm just using watercooling to remove the major heat and convection to remove the smaller amount that left.

It's a near silent pc build (can't afford quality SSD's) in a low ambient noise area.

As a side point the radient radiators I'm looking at work in a vaccum so no problems their either

@p4radox - full system spec will be posted in main reserved posts above.

 

[gt_junkie]

Still undecided on Enzotech or modified heatpipe approach to SB and MosFet will look at temps and decide.

I can't recommend the Noctua NC-U6 highly enough.

Cooled my P965's northbridge passively and while @ 485mhz. Got warm but certainly was never hot - pretty astonishing considering what an inferno the 965 chipset was.

It's mounting method was also massively more secure than the thermalright solutions i've used since.

Which Enzotech block are you planning on using? Is it one of their low profile versions?

gt

 

[domthecondom]

So how many fans are you planning to have in the PC?

I guess None

but if your going for water cooling dosn't the RES need fans?

 

[snowdog]

Cool project but am I the only one thinking it's overkill for the ram? Even on a heavy OC and overvoltage (2.3v) my geils don't become hot to the touch, at a guess it doesn't get above 45 ish C at all. Why the Ram cooling.

Very interested how the cpu cooling and perhaps mainboard (nb) cooling will work out. And how you prevent the case insides becoming a furnace with no forced airflow.
I mean, hot air rises upwards, not sidewards, how are you going to get the hot air to vent out ?

 

[shadowscotland]

@gt - NB will be watercooled (EK) but that a very nice cooler.

SB will have either the Enzotech CNB-R1 revA (so far from low profile) or something simular to the mCubed borgFX.

I'm working on using the enzotech at the minute as the SB is not surposed to get very hot, and I like the copper and black look

I guess I could do some testing prior to any case mod's... it will be quiet so can happily get on with this type of thing while my son's asleep

@domthecondom - the title say it all no fan on the res or RAD see my last build thread of more information on my current loop (linky at bottom of second post)

Here's a nearly completed shot of my last build, and yes I did make the folding desk

Edit: @ snow dog - cutting holes (top/bottom) blocking holes (rear) using baffels (inside) to form flue.

Off to do a sketch and spec list so many of these questions are answered - I guess that why most logs are posted complete

 

[VARDY]

put some metal rings on the RAM, so when they fly away people can return them to you