Project: Measure twice cut once! (56k no!)

matt100

matt100

matt100

Soldato
Joined
31 Jul 2004
Posts
13,659
Location
Surrey
OK, got a bit cocky after the (relative) success of my first wcool (in sig) so I thought I'd try something a bit more challenging, I also fancied dual core and seeing as I had some ddr2 sat around (yes the decision really was that arbitrary) and partly the price seeing as its a plaything I went for the intel 830 dual 3ghz.

Thought I'd document this, started being a laugh but its got more and more complicated as time has gone by..

Final specs are:

P4 830 dual 3ghz
1gb crucial ballistix ddr2 5400
200gb sata hdd
xfx 6800 ultra pci-e
asus p5ld2 vm mobo
aspire xqpack case

Swiftech 6000 cpu block
swiftech 350 pump
DD maze 4 gpu block
black ice extreme 120.1
5.25 bayres

I chose the aspire because of the all acrylic sides, also because it's small (perhaps too small by the looks of things??) I also think it looks pretty funky and again, it wasn't expensive, the mobo was pretty much a choice of 1 but I have asus in my main pc and it seems pretty solid, the 6800 ultra was the first card that came up in the mm that fitted the bill, I have a 2405fpw it'll have to drive so my options for gfx are a bit limited to high end stuff.. bummer eh!

It begins..

box.jpg


cheers ocuk for making me daydream all day at work that aprticular day after the "there are boxes here, what have you bought now" text from my long suffering wife.
 
Then shortly afterwards from the US of A..

boxofwater.jpg


The case is pretty good, and certainly well made..

case.jpg


and it comes apart easily too, one of the reasons I really like it (and this is possibly going to be the only thing that makes it possible) is because it has a removable mobo tray, the split level design can be a bit of a pain considering there's going to be loads of tubing in here soon :D

Another reason I like it is the 120mm fan exit (useful for the 120.1 mounts), you can see here the psu too, my main source of concern for it not working at all but 20A on the 12v line and 420w overall may well justabout do it..

caseinbits.jpg
 
Last edited:
Down to business, and it turns out the rad has to be mounted outside (first compromise, I wanted it all inside :rolleyes: I should have realised a 120.1 wouldn't fit into a 120 sized hole) so to not have the tubes having to do too much acrobatics I wanted to point the barbs into the case, guess what?? yep, first requirement for the £10 dremel clone I got down at the local b&q!

butchery.jpg


and then, the reason for the name of the project?? yep, offered the rad up and it the barbs are fine, but you can't get tubing on them :rolleyes:

notenough.jpg


Other problems are the fact the already small matx psu gets in the way of the gpu outlets, I think I'll get away with this but only just..

tightsquueze.jpg
 
but despite all the odds, the components are in.. I just need to figure out a flow order and then somehow make it so that you can get the mobo in and out without having to drain the system... hmm.. I don't think I'm going to manage that with the bayres but I really want to be abke to look down on the pc and see water flowing about, for that reason I might go over the top with the tubing firstly for ease of removal of components should anything pop and secondly because I got an acrylic sided case to look at water and tubes!

waterin.jpg


obviously it's going to have to be filled and leak tested in the pc so it's a good job I have a spare psu so at the least I can do it with everything switched off...

More updates soon! comments welcome..
 
muddyfox470 said:
looking very decent already.

damn you people hwho can just make more pcs for the hell of it!

ian
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a bit sickening isn't it? I'm still using a PIII-800 as my main machine although it's cos I relagated my XP2600 to media centre duties :rolleyes:

But bless him, Mat100 stayed up until at least 1:12 am just to bring us some nice info about his new system (not for his own personal pleasure).

Looking forward to you getting up/home from work Matt as it's a good looking project
 
Looking good Matt. When I saw that case with 120mm fan I thought mmmm water too :D

Like you, I love the idea of SFF with removable mobo tray.

Question is though (and one that has been puzzling me) when it's all plumbed in, will the tray still slide out?

Even if you have the clearance, you will need at least a foot of spare tube in a coil to allow for mobo removing.

Keep us posted, this is one thread I'm sure to follow!
 
Nutbusta said:
But bless him, Mat100 stayed up until at least 1:12 am just to bring us some nice info about his new system (not for his own personal pleasure).

Looking forward to you getting up/home from work Matt as it's a good looking project
Click to expand...

lol.. I was up at 6:30 (kids).. and obviously I'm doing this for your benefit!

***F1ZZY*** said:
Question is though (and one that has been puzzling me) when it's all plumbed in, will the tray still slide out?

Even if you have the clearance, you will need at least a foot of spare tube in a coil to allow for mobo removing.
Click to expand...

simple answer is, I can get the tray to go in and out easily, the problem is the connection to the bayres, the case is basically in 2 halfs, or decks if you like.. and once the tubing goes to the upper deck thats pretty much game over for coming out without draining.

I could do with some draining practice anyway :rolleyes:

Truth is once the hoses are connected to the gfx card the psu will be in the way of it coming out anyway.. I could probably remove the psu, then the gfx card and lay it on the mobo and slide it out but messing like that isn't really in the plan..

It does sort of make it all one shot though..
 
looking nice and compact.

i was planning on getting that case but couldnt find a decent mini atx board for my setup. now if only they made a atx version of it.
 
there is a pentium m (thats what you have isn't it?) micro atx by aopen linky but apparently the heatsink they supply is a funny fitting so you can't buy waterblocks for it :rolleyes: schoolboy error imho. I think Pm makes perfect sense in this case..

Still don't know if a 120.1 is going to cope with the heat of a 6800U and 830D.
 
OK, did a bit more work tonight...

Its all ready pretty much for fill and test tomorrow :D

I was bored at work this morning and whilst daydreaming I realised there's a semi conveniently placed hole in the mobo tray almost directly under the cpu, so I got to thinking, enlarge the hole so you can see the whole underneath of the cpu, then cut a hole in the bottom of the case in the same place, then I can release the cpu block with the mobo in, the gpu will release anyway and presto, the mobo tray is out leaving the watercooling intact.

ta da..

holeofdoom.jpg


it also means I can loop the tubing anywhere I like because I don't have to worry about getting it back out in a hurry..

So now its all in and the psu is connected up etc, its quite a squeeze!

topviewofdoom.jpg


the area between the psu and res is where the pipes are going to cross so I figured that is where the psu cables can bunch up seeing as you won't see them..
 
And its funny what you learn from cocking something up, I flew headlong into my last pc and ended up with a mess of cables and tubes totally the wrong length so this time I've tidied as I've installed.. Its difficult to do it as well as you can in a full tower but I think its ok..

sideviewofdoom.jpg


incedentally, can you see the bend in the mobo underneath the cpu? anyone got any suggestions for what this might be? I've tried loosening the supports for the cpu waterblock with no effect, could it be the placement of the mobo mounting points? I seem to remember having this problem with my current machine with an asus star ice before (and because) I went for water (dreadful HS)..

and finally I had the sense to measure out and cut the tubing now, and I've even marked them for where they go! This is pretty radical for me.. my levels of organisation leave much to be desired..

pipesofdoom.jpg


so, tomorrow with any luck it'll get connected up and filled, then its overnight leak testing by which time the kvm should have turned up and we're off.. straight to 4ghz with any luck.
 
Last edited:
is the motherboard understress mat?

it looks to me as the Mobo is bending where the CPu Block is!!

[Or is it the angle]

My bad u already mentioned it :(
 


Just did this pic quickly!

The more tighting you do of the CPU Block Fasteners the more stress the mobo gets...also same with the Mobo Raising Pins. Try loosing all mobo Pins and the Pump

[Again] :p
 
can u get a sticky pad standoff under where the board is bending ?

you could even drill the backplate and make a mount out of a small nut and bolt attached to a hollow piece of plastic, obviously leaving a step inside it so the bolt will be able to hold it down.

:)
 
Nice diagram neon!

I did say I've tried loosening it, I'll try loosening it a lot more to see if it makes any difference.

I'm guessing the cpu isn't bending so it might not be such an issue.. Like I say it did it with my old star ice too but I assumed that was something to do with the stack cool on my p5ad2e mobo.

Experiments tonight!

chopchop said:
can u get a sticky pad standoff under where the board is bending ?

you could even drill the backplate and make a mount out of a small nut and bolt attached to a hollow piece of plastic, obviously leaving a step inside it so the bolt will be able to hold it down.

:)
Click to expand...

what do you mean a sticky pad standoff? If you mean under the mobo there's nothing there (see earlier post) explain more please!
 
matt100 said:
what do you mean a sticky pad standoff? If you mean under the mobo there's nothing there (see earlier post) explain more please!
Click to expand...

doh i thought u would have seen them before, its a little white plastic thing that can either grab the edge of the board or go through the screw holes in the board. yes i saw you cut a lot of the backplate away, but i think u left a lip that sits at the top of the board? u can make your own standoff so that the edge of the board will just sit on top of it, to stop it sagging anymore(as it will do).
 
oh I get you, you mean like a prop? I could try that but it's not sagging, its bending under pressure I think as per the diagram above..

I'll play tonight and see what I can do..

As an aside, do we think I could get this thing into the bios with no water etc? Just using the waterblock as a big passive heatsink for literally 30 seconds just to make sure it boots before I make the working space even more difficult?

EDIT: would you not think the waterblock should just screw straight down on the cpu? its obviously going in at an angle if its causing the mobo to bend which is a bit of a pain..

Also, the cpu won't be bending so perhaps its still making a decent connection with the block?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom