Project - FTH20

[Craterloads]

Hi guys,

Parts ordered just waiting on delivery cant blooming wait.

Thought I’d do a build log as haven’t done one in ages + excited about this one.

Will be upgrading to IvyBridge once released, depending on performance improvement. For time being will stick to SandyBridge.

Just to start I’ve gone with the GTX 680 Hydro Copper (feel like a massive tool) my reasoning behind this being a decent branded GTX 680 is around £440 + EK Block + Backplate is £100 + 2 x BP comp fittings - So all in all its only £50ish difference between custom fitted and the Hydro Copper. Plus no voiding warranty, 8+6Pin power and if, same as last gen, a better block. This is all if said e-tailer actually does have stock, ordered this morning but still showing as awaiting stock today. if they don’t have them by Thursday will switch back to MSI GTX 680 + EK blocks.

Anyhow on to the specs, pics and updates to follow once received.

System Spec

Silverstone SST-FT02B-W Black Full
SilverStone SST-FP58B, Bay Device 5
Sony AD-7800H Slot Loading 8xDVD+/-R, 6xDVD Slim Drive
Intel i7 2600K
GigaByte P67A-UD7-B3
16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 Black
EVGA GTX 680 Hydro Copper
Corsair AX850 PSU
1TB Samsung SpinPoint
120GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD
Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm Case Fan 1850 RPM: D1225C12B5AP-15
Scythe KazeMaster Pro Fan Controller
Parracord Braiding

Water Cooling Parts

1 x Magicool Slim 180mm Triple Radiator : Black
1 x EK CoolStream XT 120mm Single Radiator Black : XT120
1 x EK Supreme HF Easy Mount Universal CPU Waterblock : EN Nickel Acetal
13 x Bitspower BP-MBCPF-CC5 G1/4" Matt B
1 x Bitspower 1/4" BSPP - 1/2" ID - 3/4
2 x Bitspower 1/4" Thread Blanking Plug Matt Black : BP-MBWP-C09
2 x Bitspower G1/4 Matte Black Dual Rotary 90 Degree
1 x Bitspower BP-MBWP-C30 G1/4" Black 45 Degree
2 x Bitspower BP-MB45R G1/4" Matt Black Rotary 45 Degree
1 x Bitspower BP-MB90R3D G1/4" Matte Black Tripple rotary
1 x Bitspower BP-MBTMB Matt Black T-Block
1 x Bitspower 1/4" Case Top Water Fill Set / Fill Port Matt Black : BP-MBWP-C04
3 x Primochill PrimoFlex Pro LRT 1/2" ID - 3/4" OD (13-19mm) Tubing : Clear
2 x Mayhems Pastel Fluid for Water Cooling 1 Litre : Sunset Yellow
1 x De-ionised Water 5 Litres - Ideal for watercooling / flushing
3 x Koolance QDC Extreme Flow No-Spill Shutoff Male for 1/2" ID - 3/4" OD (13-19mm) : VL4N-M13-19S
3 x Koolance QDC Extreme Flow No-Spill Shutoff Female for 1/2"ID - 3/4" OD (13-19mm) Tubing : VL4N-F13-19S
2 x Laing D5 Pumps
1 x Koolance RP452-X2 Reservoir
1 x EK-FB KIT GA P67A (UD7) - Acetal + Nickel Water Blocks (Might not use these)

Fair to say budget has gne out of window, will cry myself to sleep later on when thinking about cost of fittings!! Why are they so bloody expensive??

 

[Craterloads]

Made a couple of changes + thinking of ditching the GTX 680 HC as voltage is locked on reference models. Can get get cracking on with build whilst waiting for a non reference card with unlocked voltage?

Have switched fan controller to the Lamptron FC Touch, prefer no knobs nice and plain front.

Recieved a couple of packages today, main one with GTX 680/case etc delayed till the 12th apparantly till stock of the GTX 680 HC arrives, which i reckon will keep getting pushed back.

Anyhow heres a few snaps of what came today.

Oh and they sent me Mayhems ulta Pure 5Ltr instead of the cheaper stuff i ordered

Love the heatsinks on motherboard! Not sure to use the block

 

[Craterloads]

A few more pics of components

Proper beast of a rad

Block fitted, need black thumb screws though! Will probably just spray them

 

[Craterloads]

Looks tasty, and as you can see the Koolance QDC are really no spills

 

[Craterloads]

Terrible day yesterday Spent about 4-5 hours last night trying to braid PSU. Don’t know if it’s the parracord or what but only managed 4 cables and this



Which was quite deep and painful. Not to mention all other fingers blistered. TBH the parracord is beautiful and not too difficult to work with it was getting the cables out of the PSU. Managed to snap a wire and completely lost it and in a nerd rage ended up ordering these late last night.



Its just too much effort and i think its worth it. If anybody needs some parracord got a few hundred feet of the stuff Corsiar pre braided cables were about $90 so works out to about £60. The 100s of feet of parracord + shrinks cost around £40 + many hours of labour so i think its worth it. Here’s a couple of snaps of the parracord, lovely stuff if your patient and skilled enough to braid yourself Ill be doing all the fans and case cables in it so not all lost!

 

[Craterloads]

Yay most of the parts here now! can get cracking.

Unfortunatly these Phobya grills are too big, so will have to return them. Have ordered some SS 180mm Grills from the US.

Looks like ek have listened and got rid of the plastic stand off things and come factory fitted now. Beautiful block!

 

[Craterloads]

Final pics of stuff, next round will be once some progress has been made.

 

[Craterloads]

I made the exact same mistake with the phobya bricky but on the 2x180mm for my RV02, sent it back today for a refund and also was going to put a 120mm rad in the roof but sent that back also when i realized the 360 was more than enough for the cpu and gpu.

I can vouch for the sunset yellow, it looks great in the system and the block performs great also, subscribed.

Yea the 120mm rad aint gonna do much, but will help out with the loops tidyness.

 

[Craterloads]

Case stripped bare



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

mixed a bit of mayhems uv yellow/green dye with the susnset yello just to see what it looks like



Mick said it wouldnt work, but kind of looks okay. Its a darker yellow, not shore if its uv glowing or if its just the light off it?

 

[Craterloads]

Well this is the plan. I’m trying to do it a little different than how others have managed to get the magicool rad in there. Instead of cutting down and rotating the hard drive cage I’m going to remove the end optical bay. I only need 4 bays so makes sense. Plus the other way the hard drive cage is loose and wobbly. I would have used a gtx 480 or 580 but they are longer than the 680 and wont fit this way. Plus i get to keep all the original housing and dust filters fit as normal, instead of magnets. The best part of this idea is that i plan to cut two notches on either side of the rad so i can literally slide the rad in and out at will along with the 3 fans. The other method requires a full break down and removal of the hard drive cage to remove rad.



Heres how im hoping it will end up like

 

[Craterloads]

I would have thought that without the 120 rad, it would have been neater.
GPU direct to CPU

Plus I'm guessing that one rad is intake and the other exhaust.
This will reducing the effeciency of the exhaust rad (internal air been preheated by intake)
Another good reason to lose the 120

The third reason to ditch the 120 is the QC's
Normally they are used to isolate large water volumes (rad & res) that are
fixed to the case from the mobo fixed 'hot' parts.
Or they are use to isolate each and every 'hot' part.
With three sets you can't do either in your current loop order.

Lose the single rad and you can do both... Just a thought

On the positive side - love the 680 justification and the Rad placement.
Always good to see a quality case made even better with a saw

Thanks. You make some good points so will take into account. Its very early stages yet so will play around with it.

I was planning to have 1 QDC along the long tube at the bottom. 1 from the 540mm rad to CPU and 1 from gpu to res, so could disconnect the 540mm rad and disconnect the reservoir. Thus also allowing removal of the motherboard whilst still connected to the 120mm rad.

Anyhow have fitted the full cover motherboard block and i might go with it, ill upload a pic shortly.

 

[Craterloads]

Made slow but good progress today. Was much more complex than i imagined but have got it where i want. Took me many hours drilling holes with the dremel until i noticed the bit was not suitable for steel! Bought a steel bit and went through like cheese such a numpty sometimes

Anyhow these are temporary normal rivets until Saturday when my countersunk rivets arrive, still need to work something out for the front bezel to fit.



Also fitted block to motherboard






Depending how the loop works out might stick with the mobo block, considering I’ve spent good money on it (well £16 bargain but still good money )

 

[Craterloads]

alternative setup with mobo block

 

[Craterloads]

test fitting rad, since everything is so much higher need to cut along the bottom of the motherboard tray so will go all the way in!



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Craterloads]

What i did was remove the fan brackets and mount the filters to the underside of the case with magnetic tape so i didn't have to cut anything then the rad fits fine.

Although the rad will just have the fans attached to it and laying on the bottom there really isn't any room for it to move about.

Edit - Doesn't look like have clearance to do that with the front filter, shame you have to cut it up.

I see what you mean but i started this project with the intentions of keeping all the fan brackets etc standard. I want to be able to slide the rad attached to the fans in and out at will. Dont mind cutting it up as will be hidden, just worried motherboard tray may become a bit unstable. Anyhow we will see.

 

[Craterloads]

small update:

Finished all the cuting i need to do! (i hope anyway)

Just test fitting components and going to work on the loop. Also will sand down cut edges once i know is final + have got something planned for them!

 

[Craterloads]

looking awesome

where are you putting the qdcs?

havent really given it much thought yet, they are quite big to so going to be difficult.

probably something like this, dont know yet. Going to pause till tuesday now so can get some other stuf done, plus waiting on a few bits.

 

[Craterloads]

Nice work, I'm a bit worried about your warnings on cable braiding as I'm about to start work on mine!

If that paracord ever makes it onto the members market I'd definately be interested in taking it off your hands!

Its a nightmare, 4 wires in many hours + injuries and costs = not worth it for me. If youve got a corsair AX PSU just buy them.

Unfortunatly i cant offer to sell them to you as Huddy has barred me from the MM!

 

[Craterloads]

Update:

Finished with case now. Really happy with how its turned out. All riveted in place, so NO MORE cutting, sanding or riveting!









Really looks so much cleaner with all the holes covered in the optical bay

 

[Craterloads]

Update regarding delay !

Well got my order from the US including the braided Corsair cables and fan grills. Unfortunatly the retarded warehouse guys, two of them, decided to send me 120mm fan grills instead of the 180mm grills. Thankfully the company has rectified the mistake immediatly and have sent out the 3 x 180mm fan grills the same day i contacted them and have shipped them as replacement parts so no customs charge again. They have also let me keep the 120mm fan grills so full kudos to them, nice to see companies taking care of their customers.

2nd major update - P67/ 2600k / 16GB OUT and IN 3930K / Extreme6/GB X79 / 32GB RAM

This is going to be a beast of a machine, think im going to give my debit card to the cat to lose. Feel sick thinking how much ive spent so far.