Shiny new WC build - better get Folding!

[miniyazz]

I've just got my shiny new WC set up so I thought I'd post some pics and stuff.

For those interested, my spec is in sig, and here's a list of WC parts:

• Swiftech Apogee XT CPU block - £55.57
• XSPC RX360 radiator with 3xSan Ace fans - £55.50
• MIPS Fusion NB block - £13
• Laing D5 Vario with EK Xtop Rev 2 - £48
• 3m 7/16" clear tubing
• G1/4 compression fittings throughout

Total: £218.88 it all adds up
I went for a 'sealed' system in the end, despite many places advising to the contrary
I'll see how it holds up before deciding if it was the right choice.

Pics:

First, the leak testing. Copious amounts of tissues, I had a bit of a problem with the join at the PCI bracket. In future I probably wouldn't bother with that, I'd just use the rubber grommets preinstalled in the case - the main reason I went with them was to ensure the inside tubing was seperate from the outside tubing so the inside stuff couldn't get yanked. I also had to mod my case with a pair of pliers and a hammer to persuade it to fit properly into its slot.

Next, the tubing all set up inside the case, one with a graphics card/PERC 5/i fan and one without.

Finally, a pic of my very dusty H50, used for ~4 months without a dust filter. Thought my temps were slowly getting hotter but attributed it to warmer weather

Currently my OCing efforts have resulted in a still-stabilising () 4.45GHz, currently at 1.5Vcore which I don't want to take any higher, with temperatures peaking in the mid-80s on IBT (note I currently only have one of three fans installed with shroud; the other two are currently just resting not-so-tightly against their positions on the radiator while I wait for a couple more shrouds (120mm fans with hub missing) to arrive) which I'm not too worried about. Dust filters are also a possibility but I haven't really got any plans at the moment, they seem too expensive to be worth the hassle.

 

[miniyazz]

Alas, my OC is diminishing as I fail to get it stable
Can't figure out why, it's oh so close but not quite, no matter what I do.

 

[miniyazz]

I can confirm there are no kinks any more, I took those photos before final readjustment of the pipes

Yes shame about the air bubbles. TBH I think it's the quick release couplings - they may introduce a very small amount of air each time they're disconnected/reconnected. I don't think it's affecting the cooling capacity overly though.

It's hard to get a pic of the whole thing because it's kindof under and behind my desk
I'll give it a try though.

And, I don't want to hear it though I am now on the lookout for a sub-£150 940!

Edit: More pics!

 

[miniyazz]

It's looking more and more like a mobo limitation tbh. I'm now down to 4.41GHz (210BCLK) but looking stable - I've dropped the Vcore down to 1.4V with no ill-effects quite a drop! Now dropping voltages across the line, I reckon the only way I'm going to get more speed is with a higher multiplier, i.e. a different CPU.
Temps have dropped 15ºC on the CPU and 8ºC on the NB since I started dropping volts, and I haven't finished yet
It's not quite as impressive as wee beastie, by a small margin of several hundred fold but does the job for the moment

Edit: Settled on 1.4V, temps on 75ºC Folding

 

[miniyazz]

Hmm, thanks for the advice. I'd not considered the restriction posed by the QCs - although in my case, I think the pump is overkill so perhaps less important?

I'm very tempted to use shorter tube lengths. My main mistake was to approximate how long the tubes needed to be - and then I added a couple of inches just in case. If I do dismantle and reassemble (which I'm tempted to do, but it'd have to be after my exams) I'd certainly take the time to measure the distances properly.
The reason I used 45ºs btw was to reduce the risk of kinking, in theory at least, because I could point them in whatever direction minimised the risk.
Binning the QCs would presumably mean a sealed setup is practically impossible to set up with an external radiator. There's no way I can fit a triple rad in my case (Antec p182) so I'm extremely reluctant to get rid, although I may at some point decide to go with less restrictive ones. What I really want is to get something like the Obsidian 700D to keep everything internal but no way can I justify the price!

Thanks very much for your offer of barbs. Are they compression or regular barbs? I'm trying to keep everything compression fittings for ease of use and reliability. I'll certainly keep you in mind if I did decide to lose the 45ºs, but I think I'll probably keep them and use them more appropriately if I shorten the tubing.


Oh, and you can all laugh at me. I bought a 200mm anti-kink coil thinking it was 2m long. As a result, I got upset and forgot to install it anywhere so it's just kicking around outside hehe.

 

[miniyazz]

I do like my 10/8 tubing, for no apparent reason.

 

[miniyazz]

Looks like QCs in general aren't as restrictive as I feared following your earlier comment! Admittedly they tested different QCs, and mine could be pretty bad relative to those. Plus I like the look of the genuine no-spill ones, which have more potential for a closed loop system - so if I decided to streamline my loop I might consider getting those.

Incidentally, the compression fittings I have are rotatable, I made sure of that at least

 

[miniyazz]

3/8" Tube is where the love is at.
3/8" and 1/2" Barbs.

I dont think airflow is on the list of priority's for our OP Here.

Heh well not really! I don't have any specific objection to it, but the number of cables I have floating around is pretty much impossible to manage - although admittedly, I could cable tie a couple of them. Main point is, they're all needed.

miniyazz, your setup is full of win! Shoelaces..... awesome

Haha I'd forgotten about that that fan needed suspending further than a cable tie could reach, and I have no string. Cheers!