Project Smurf 3.0

[Smffy]

***SIGNIFICANT CHANGES - SEE HERE FOR LATEST***

Sneak preview of current state of the build:

Spoiler

And so it begins... Been waiting to get going on this a long time, the case is finally in existence and the GPU blocks not long off. Current build is here:

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18732105

The basic specs for the core tech:

• 6700k
• 2 x EVGA 1080 FTW
• 32GB Corsair DDR4
• Corsait HX1200i PSU
• 3 x 512 GB Crucial MX200 SSD
• 1 x 512GB 950 Pro M.2
• Full custom loop, EK parts

It currently looks a bit like this:

But with the air cooled 2 x 1080s in it... I need more space. Enter version 3.0... I'm currently waiting on the full cover EK blocks for my GPUs, along with the nickel backplates and some other goodies. That won't be arriving until around the 19th, but i'm actually out of the country for a week anyway so good timing - updates will be coming. For now here is a taste of something rather special that arrived today... Can you guess what it is?

What have I got left to order?

1. Some MUCH bigger radiators, 1 x 360mm (60mm deep) and 1 x 480mm (60-80mm) - Recommendations?
2. New CPU block, currently my eye is firmly on the Raystorm Pro in white
3. Tubing: I've got 16mm Hardline, i'm debating copper tubing but chrome coated
4. More custom cables, I now have the kit to braid

What do you reckon to the case? Something a little different...

 

[Smffy]

Lovely looking case you've got yourself there

The radiators used will depend on the configuration of your fans and the speed they will run at.

1) push/pull or push only?
2) Fan rpm?

It was like Chinese IKEA putting it together but it does look good

Rads: There is space in the top and bottom to house the fans outside the internal space, therefore they will probably be single rows pulling air out the top and either again single pushing air in the bottom or if I go for the 60mm rad not 80mm then potential to have a row on top in push/pull. RPM it shouldn't need a lot with so many fans, obviously I want noise to be minimal most of the time.

I've got a load of SP120's in the current build but very interested in the sexy new version:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...x-fan-pack-includes-controller-fg-066-cs.html

Edit: Not sure if these fans are these same, I think they are: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...remium-magnetic-levitation-fan-fg-055-cs.html

 

[Smffy]

Well seems like EK are being really crap lately with speed/service... So no real updates but everything I ordered to get going on this:

EK-FC1080 GTX FTW - Nickel x 2
EK-AF Extender 20mm M-F G1/4 - Black Nickel x 2
EK-ATX Bridging Plug (24 pin) x 1
EK-HDC Fitting 16mm G1/4 - Blue x 4
EK-CSQ Plug G1/4 - Black Nickel x 4
EK-FC Terminal DUAL Parallel 3-Slot - Plexi x 1
EK-FC1080 GTX FTW Backplate - Nickel x 2
EK-RES X3 - Internal Tube 12/16 140mm x 1

Ordered on the 5th... Slow is an understatement as the FTW blocks have been in for a week now. Seems like someone forgot.

Rest is coming out the old build, still to decide on the rads and new CPU block.

 

[Smffy]

Well seems like EK are being really crap lately with speed/service...

Small update, i've cancelled the EK order because it was getting silly - while waiting for the backplates which didn't get allocated from my preorder it seems the bridge is no longer in stock. I honestly don't know why things are not picked at point of order and fulfilled when other items com in, but i've now re-ordered the whole lot through OCUK...

Also added:

XPC Raystorm Pro (White)
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/xspc-raystorm-pro-waterblock-intel-white-wc-386-xs.html

Not only do I love the look of it for my build it seems like it performs well also.

EK-FC1080 GTX FTW - Nickel x 2
EK-AF Extender 20mm M-F G1/4 - Black Nickel x 2
EK-ATX Bridging Plug (24 pin) x 1
EK-HDC Fitting 16mm G1/4 - Blue x 4
EK-CSQ Plug G1/4 - Black Nickel x 4
EK-FC Terminal DUAL Parallel 3-Slot - Plexi x 1
EK-FC1080 GTX FTW Backplate - Nickel x 2
EK-RES X3 - Internal Tube 12/16 140mm x 1

So that leaves me to decide on radiators - whats a shame is i'm quite up for the Nexxxos big rads, but the 480mm doesnt seem to come in white. I'd be interested to know anyones experience with the 'monsta' - is it 'too big', at what point is it just pointless over a good 60mm?

Final point to decide is whether I go down the copper tube route? If anyone should know a good source of 16mm OD copper let me know... I plan on getting it chrome coated.

 

[Smffy]

"All panels in the R80 are made from flat sheet metal, and can be easily modified to fit your specific needs" they refused point blank to make even tiny alterations to the design of the front panel

Yeah they are pretty new to the volume game though, to be fair i've got some feedback for them and a couple of pieces had damage and will be replaced. Which reminds me I need to organise that... Once it's together it weighs a ton, Pretty sure you could get the front copied and cut how you want from sheet metal. Just thought, they definitely did some custom plastic on some of the sponsored builds but that won't help you on the metal.

If anyone does buy it, the instructions are really quite poorly thought out.

 

[Smffy]

just found it odd that they included that line on the site then refuse to make even tiny alterations. Also asked if they could make the feet longer as the case would have been on carpet... NOPE!

Good luck with the build anyway Smffy, if it's anything like the current Smurf it'll be a beauty

Cheers, the perspex feet are basic as hell so I reckon you could modify those really easily. In short though, its all made in China and given they are small i'm guessing not much is up for alteration - I think they meant DIY.

 

[Smffy]

Right, its update time!

Finally after much messing around thanks to EK's lack of organisation everything is sat re-ordered via OCUK waiting on the backplates to come in - hopefully those arrive in the next few days. Whilst waiting on that I've ordered some radiators which was not as simple as you might think - basically I wanted something big, good and white but in 360 and 480mm... I've now finally found one of these in France in the 480mm size which is currently shipping its way to me:

** Do not Hotlink images and especially from a competitor **
(sorry, pasted the wrong link my bad - arrived and photo below for reference if anyone is interested)
So the radiator setup will be Hardwarelabs Black Ice SR2 MP in 360mm (Top) and 480mm (Bottom). I'm undecided on the fans but for the time being i've got 6 Corsair SP120s so i'm either replacing those and potentially running the bottom in push pull.

That leaves all the GPU blocks and components and my Raystorm Pro CPU block to arrive from OCUK before I can get going. Regarding the use of copper tubing, i'm still considering it but planning to use all the PETG I already have initially then copy the bends in copper if I so wish. A source of 16mm OD copper would be good if anyone has one?

 

[Smffy]

Parvum F1.0 in white might he a nice fan for the case

Thank you, will have a look in to it - the case has quite a good design though and the fans live within the top and bottom so only a layer in push/pull would be visible inside the case

SP120s are good fans but presumably the wrong colour for the build. There's quite a few people getting good results spraying fans lately. Could be a cost saver if that's an issue.
I've heard of copper in 15mm OD (generic plumbing size) and there's 12mm available in various flavours (hard, soft, semi hard I think - no innuendo intended!) but I've not heard of 16mm OD yet. Obviously I'm an expert on copper tubing and you should take my answer as definitive rather than asking people that know what they're talking about!

Cost isn't an issue, though I really need to sell some of this old kit as I've got enough fans to achieve flight at my desk lately. I think the copper needs to be specially ordered, 12mm and 15mm OD are standard sizes, 16mm is not. I'll power through with plan A and get the EK Hardline back in as the first step...

 

[Smffy]

The component fairy has been...

New 1080 FTW blocks - FINALLY!! They look super slim and very wide compared to those on my 980Ti:

Gonna put this out there but the machining on the channels is really quite obvious... I'd personally want it smoothed out so might consider doing that if I feel so inclined - are all the clear blocks like this?

Quick check on the rads, top looks like it will be a tight fit so wish me luck when I install... Now to look at getting a ton of fans and a few other bits before its go time!

The full Nickel backplates are still on preorder from OCUK so fingers crossed its not too far away... Finally watercooling the GPUs, its been so long waiting!

 

[Smffy]

"Are all the clear blocks like this?"
I think so. What you're seeing is the toolpath - the path the CNC mill has taken to cut out the channels. It's a side-effect but most people (I think) consider it aesthetically pleasing. You'll probably find its not so noticeable once filled - that and unless you go to great lengths (or have an inverted case design) you're not going to see the clear side.
Bonus of a clear block (in my opinion) is that you can light it and you can see if any gunk is building up in the fins.

Cool, I can see its the mill yes just curious. I know i'll never see it as its going to be face down but you know the OCD will get to me haha!

 

[Smffy]

And some more goodies arrived today, cocked up and was short 1 fan because i'm stupid... The plan is to have these nice new ones on top, out of sight the old SP120's and run the lot in push pull. Still unsure as to whether I can fit push pull on the top and bottom but we'll see.

The boxes rather curiously have a sticker on them saying 'warranty void if removed' for whatever reason lol:

Two triple packs with hubs and 1 single (fail, needed 2 because I forgot about the rear exhaust!

And the hub stuff inside, i'm not sure if i'll be using this stuff as yet - potentially I want a much better solution like an Aquero for all the fans. This seems to rely on pushing a button to change speeds so i'm not sure if it works with the corsair link at all - anyone know before I hit Google to find it?

 

[Smffy]

I think there was a thread on here about them a while back. Can't search at the moment - flakey Edge connection on a train - but if I remember correctly it was either a proprietary control method or just undocumented. Someone may have worked it out though by now and if the LED and fan speed are on separate wires you could split the connection and do the LEDS from the Corsair hub and fan speed from the Aquaero. You may find that the positive power is shared so you can't decrease voltage to the fans without dimming the LEDs. How many wires are there to each fan?

Oh I mean scrap the hub from the box if I do that

Meanwhile, when you order some cable sleeving from OCUK... Think someone was having an off day:

Ordered: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/mdpc-x-sleeve-small-titanium-grey-mk2-1-metre-cm-014-md.html

Looks a little wider in the flesh

 

[Smffy]

There's been a few people having that trouble lately and it does seem to be soft tubing you get instead.
Maybe it's that new clear MDPC-X!

Haha, really! To be fair I could run the cable through it...

 

[Smffy]

They sent me a load of that instead of PETG, then patronised me on Twitter as if I didn't know what PETG tubing was... Oh well, they sent the right stuff eventually!

Also have the same issue with those RGB fans. Wanted 2 green fans in the front and thought that would be the easy solution, but need it to run off an Aquaero so looks like it's back to the drawing board and possibly modifying a pair of white ones instead.

Oh crap yeah i'm being dumb - you need the little gadget to change the colours. They come with those LED connectors though for control via something else but i've never used an Aquero so i'm not sure how it would work.

 

[Smffy]

So i'm still waiting on the thermal pads and some back plates for the GPUs before I can fully start this... I think i'll probably loop in the CPU and add the GPUs later if the backplates don't get shipped next week (taking ages).

In the mean time, scoping out the rads - some feedback on those also if you are like I was and keen on some white rads for the build just spray the black ones yourself. I went out of my way to get these ones thinking they would be sprayed properly in the manufacturing process... Nope just seems like a spray over the stock colour which I could have done myself. It isn't even that good so theres a high chance i'm going to spray them anyway!

Few pics from my planning today... Case layout seems great thus far:

Looks from the above like it will not be possible to have push/pull on the top layer as I feared but we will see, the way it mounts the radiator stands a little out from the tray so it might be do-able.

For reference quite a good design point is that you can either hide the fans in the casing or if you wanted use slim rads and have them out of sight:

Oh and on the subject of the rads, ALWAYS rinse... I'm in the same boat as Legend (I think?) where it seems like you could do this forever and never get it clean. Strangely enough the 480mm is much less grubby, i'm off out soon so will pick up some white vinegar probably and soak it.

Another thought i've had is the drain port, a suggestion I made on another thread I think i'll be doing myself. With these multiport rads I can add a 90 degree and looks like I will then be able to run some hardline straight out the back to a drain port which will be handy. Picture is a little confusing but the right hand side of it is the base of the case, no drilling required thanks to a convenient hex hole.

Will be planning my loop a bit later I think, right now i'm undecided but probably the top rad will be the exit point down and back in to the res from the top. Makes filling a bit annoying but this is life. The plain white plate to the right of the case is removable and designed to mount all your pump/res before installing so its nice and easy.

Q: Do I need two pumps? Just rinsing the rads they take A LOT of liquid, couldnt believe how much. Res will add 300mm more to that.

 

[Smffy]

Cheers mate, thats what i'm thinking - dual pumps run low speed, the pitch in the noise is quite obvious past about 50% so two at <50% should be an unnoticeable low frequency. I think its required really because i'm going to be running 7 x 120mm of rad, CPU and 2 x GPU.

Will pick up some rad flushing stuff, bit all over the place right now because i'm moving house at the same time!

 

[Smffy]

The bits continue to arrive while i'm attempting to pack the flat up to move... Missing the two GPU backplates which i'm told are now down for Monday, then its build time! This feels like its taking forever but the end is in sight.

Now I blame Greebo for costing me about £80 on thermal pads. Had to go and tell me about them didn't you. Two types, the Gelid are 12w and the Fuji's are the beastly 14w - ordered some more 1mm of the Gelid for the backplates (bit cheaper and probably almost as good for passively cooling those).

Still to decide on a second D5 and potentially moving them in to a better looking housing over the plain black EKWB ones... Any recommendations, the Bitspower looks like a total rip off but the new Monsoon kit looks quite nice?

A couple of pumps in these might look pretty nice, anyone used them yet?
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/monsoon-mmrs-d5-pump-cover-chrome-wc-388-mo.html

 

[Smffy]

Got 2 of the Monsoon housings here to put some Aqua Computer D5's in but unfortunately not started the build yet so can't comment too much, but they do seem decent quality and definitely look nicer than the more 'standard' looking housings

What colour did you get? Thinking the chrome might look good with the Nickel backplates on the GPUs.

 

[Smffy]

Have you seen the Alphacool Eisschicht? I think they call them that 'cos the shock when you see the price makes you go blind! A pair of the 17W/mK variety (Sarcon XR-m) in 120x20x1mm costs £60! There's also 14 and 11 which by comparison are quite reasonable!

Yeah its crazy isn't it, i'm sure you could buy a giant sheet of this stuff someone in China/Asia. Its quite disappointing how bad the EK packaged stuff is in comparison - i'd never even given it a thought until I saw Greebo's crazy low temps.

Soon as these damn backplates arrive at OCUK i'll be on it, cannot wait to finally get my 1080s under water!

Got one in green and one in white for a Welsh theme build

Ah yes, that build . They look nice, might have to invest in a pair of them and take the stock EK one apart. Need to do some reading as to how to run two, not sure if you can use a splitter on the PWM to the motherboard? That said I should really just buy an Aquero considering the amount of expense in this already

 

[Smffy]

Got a link to Greebo's low temps? Are we talking GPU temp or the memory chips?
Just curious as I'm using EK's stock stuff - which is probably 7W/mK

In the Titan XP thread I think, the EK are quoted as 4w. Can't remember off the top of my head but as soon as I saw how low the rating was I had to go for the better pads. Plus the EK ones are a PITFA to use lately.

Will have a think on the aquero, likely in between moving house i'll just get the loop done and then sort that out (Dedi Pump header + other).

In other news, managed to bag some custom radiator cleaning kit from a specialist (Tesco) on the way home for £3.50.

The rads are currently soaking behind me and will be flushed like you wouldn't believe. Having filled them up again pretty sure I also need to get another bottle of coolant because god damn these things drink fluid haha!