Project: Stealth Mk I

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14 May 2011
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Location
Lincoln
Just thought i would add a build log with some pics of my current system, pretty much finished except for some cable sheathing, still considering jumping up to a Dell UltraSharp U3011, so looking at adding a pair of eVGA 3Gb GTX 580's to handle the 2560x1600 res when my funds are in better shape :P

The main goal was to build everything internal but with opting for the thicker RX rads for better cooling this proved impossible so i had to mount the rear rad external.

Component list:
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X58
CPU: Intel Core i7 950 @ 4.2GHz
Ram: 3x2Gb Corsair Dominator DDR3 PC3-12800C8
GPU: SLI eVGA GTX 580 3Gb
Drives: OS: 240Gb Vertex 3, Steam: 120Gb Vertex 2E, Storage: 1Tb Samsung F3, Backup: 1Tb Samsung F1
Monitor: 24" Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM
Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Titanium
Speakers: Creative T7900
Headphones: Sennheiser PC 350
Mouse: Razer Copperhead
Keyboard: Razer Lycosa Mirror
PSU: Antec High Current Pro 1200w
Case: Antec 1200

Watercooling parts:
Fan/pump controller: Lamptron FC2
Pump: Laing MCP355
Res: XSPC 200ml pump top
Rads: 2x 240mm XSPC RX
CPU block: Swiftech Apogee XT Extreme
GPU blocks: Koolance VID-NX580
Fans: 200mm Antec Badboy (top exhaust), 10x 120mm Scythe GT's (AP-15)(push/pull on rads + 1 on HDD cage and 1 on side door)

The components
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The watercooling kit
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The motherboard with cpu block fitted
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Closeup of the cpu block
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Back of the case with the fan mesh cut out and holes made for the rear rad
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GTX 580 with waterblock, single slot bracket and backplate fitted
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Front of the case with the front rad, fan controller and dvd drive fitted
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Inside view of the back showing the rear rad fitted
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Back angle view showing both rads
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More pics of the front showing the HDD cage at the bottom and the rest of the fans and grills fitted
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Ready for coolant filling and bleeding
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Up and running
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Got the Ocz ZX Series 1250w psu on order and should be here on Teusday, after that it will be the 2x 3Gb 580's and then the 2560x1600 monitor.
I know the pics are not of the best quality, i'll try and do better next time :P
 
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Thx, the cpu running 4.2GHz with HT on @ 1.38v idles around 38c and full load with prime95 68c.
Gpu running my benching clocks of 962/1924/2100 @ 1.15v idles at around 28c and hits a max of 46c.
Edit: I actually started with this overclocked bundle (was offered with a 4.2GHz overclock at the time) as u can see from the first pic with the Prolimatech Megahalems cooler and the Apache fans, was never really happy with the cpu temps so i refitted it a few times and tried a few different fans before deciding to go water.
 
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Update: the Ocz ZX Series 1250w psu arrived on Wednesday and spent a good 6 hours modding the bottom of the case for an air inlet for it and cleaning all my fans and rads and trying to get all the cables tidy, no pics as i have no camera atm, also getting some severe (what i can only guess) coil whine, talking to Ocz and overclockers atm to try and resolve this but it's looking like an RMA i think.
 
Update: Couple of parcels arrived today
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The 580's are 3Gb, the gimps at Evga got me worried with the 1.5Gb packaging :P
Just waiting for another single slot bracket and it will be a full rebuild.
 
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Looking good so far, what a the white sheets in the phyoba bag?
Thx for all the nice comments.
The white sheets are 0.5mm thermal pads, the Koolance blocks come with these and also 1mm pads but i am removing my other Koolance block from my 1.5Gb 580 and i would prefer to use new pads, Koolance do sell replacement pads but not in the uk, i asked a certain etailer but they have failed to deliver so i bought these and i was going to try the proper Koolance on one card and the Phyoba pads on the other.
Could be interesting to see how things differ really.
I also bought a lapping kit branded Phyoba and it's just to use the high grit ones really to clean up the surfaces.
 
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I just wouldn't bother if i had to have that ugly mess sticking out the back of ym case.

Apart from the ugly mess - nice build :).

Hehe, well i did plan on full internal at first but i also wanted the thicker RX rads for better cooling and this proved impossible with the rear rad as it would be hanging right over the cpu, but its still smaller in depth even with the "ugly mess" sticking out of the back than most modern cases like the 800D and the like.
 
Hehe, well i did plan on full internal at first but i also wanted the thicker RX rads for better cooling and this proved impossible with the rear rad as it would be hanging right over the cpu, but its still smaller in depth even with the "ugly mess" sticking out of the back than most modern cases like the 800D and the like.

Couldnt you have fit it in the floor underneath the one thats there?

It should be easy enough to do.
 
No space for hard drives and the pump/res that way, if u look at the more finished pics ull see what i mean :P
Some more pics of the 3Gb 580's before being stripped and waterblocks fitted:
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Waterblock fitted to one of them for comparison:
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Both waterblobks fitted and sat next to my old 1.5Gb card:
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Only single slot bracket i have atm is on my 1.5Gb 580 and it's still in the sytem and no one has them in stock so i'll be leaving a double slot on one of em.
Will be the big strip down tomorrow draining the loop and fitting the other block to the other 3Gb 580 then on saturday i should have it all installed and ready for leak testing.
 
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Small update, the cards are all primed with the waterblocks and it's all ready to go back togeather but the sli fitting i got is too long lol, so got another on order but gonna delay things a few days :(
 
Thx, @ ch3333z, both rads are the thicker RX ones and with 1 1.5Gb 580 and the cpu in the loop i was getting 28c idle on the gpu and 38c on the cpu, load temps were 46c on the gpu and 68c on the cpu, with 2 cards in the loop the temps will increase a little but shouldn't be too much, and with the cpu i have lapped it a little as the surface was a bit uneven so hopefully i might even get slightly better temps on that.
 
Loop is all installed as is the second single slot bracket, bit i hate atm (leak testing and bleeding :P) i'll post some more pics when the kitchen roll is out :)
 
All up and running :) pic is not the best till i get my other camera back, added a screen of idle temps too with an ambient room temp of 22c
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