Swapping Air cooling for AIO: Mounting question

liquidphantom · 29 May 2018 at 11:48

Hi all

I currently have a MSI Z97 GD65 motherboard (Haswell socket) with I7 4770K which is currently being air cooled with a Be Quiet Dark Pro.

I want to change out the cooling for an AIO so I can make more room in the case for an AIO for my 1080ti as there isn't much clearance between the top of the case and the cooler.

Can mount the AIO water block on the existing cooler motherboard mounts as i'd rather not have to take everything out to change the back plate mounts as I have no access to rear of motherboard through the tray as everything is currently in a Coolermaster Cosmos 1000

Thanks

orbitalwalsh · 29 May 2018 at 13:12

liquidphantom said:
Hi all

I currently have a MSI Z97 GD65 motherboard (Haswell socket) with I7 4770K which is currently being air cooled with a Be Quiet Dark Pro.

I want to change out the cooling for an AIO so I can make more room in the case for an AIO for my 1080ti as there isn't much clearance between the top of the case and the cooler.

Can mount the AIO water block on the existing cooler motherboard mounts as i'd rather not have to take everything out to change the back plate mounts as I have no access to rear of motherboard through the tray as everything is currently in a Coolermaster Cosmos 1000

Thanks

all AIO or CLC use backplates so board will have to comeout - different story with AMD .

what 1080ti have you got ?

would personal so proper AIO like eisbaer or EKWB and get GPU block to attach to

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x Alphacool Eisbaer LT360 CPU AIO Water Cooling Unit - 240mm (11446)= £89.99

Total: £99.89 (includes shipping: £9.90)

and then Eiswolf or GPX block for your GPU. (can see the quick disconnects on the unit in the picture)

if your after more common CLC

My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x OcUK Tech Labs 240mm Extreme CPU Liquid Cooling Upgrade Bundle = £85.90
- CPU Socket:Asetek Premium Retention Kit Intel LGA115X (35-150-0000014)
- Fan Controller Option:Unwanted

Total: £95.80 (includes shipping: £9.90)

clc cant be broken down/expanded or maintained without voiding warranty . also at the pricing , AIO would perform better then 80% of CLCs

liquidphantom · 29 May 2018 at 14:00

orbitalwalsh said:
all AIO or CLC use backplates so board will have to comeout - different story with AMD .

what 1080ti have you got ?

would personal so proper AIO like eisbaer or EKWB and get GPU block to attach to

I have the MSI GTX 1080ti Gaming X 11G

I was looking at getting this as this cooling option for the GPU https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ocuk...e-bundle-advanced-black-shroud-bu-084-tl.html Cosmos an only fit 2x120 fans in the top so the 240 rad is the biggest I can go for.

As for the CPU just confirmed I would have to remove the mobo as, even if I kept the Be Quiet back plate, it still needs to be screwed on from the back side of the mobo.... FML

If i had the room under my desk i'd rebuild the lot inside a Thermaltake X9

Ross Thomson · 30 May 2018 at 08:58

the hoses on that kit are not particularly long - I had to run my card verticle to fit it in my case.

liquidphantom · 30 May 2018 at 13:08

Ross Thomson said:
the hoses on that kit are not particularly long - I had to run my card verticle to fit it in my case.

Any idea of a 240 rad with decent length hoses? can only find the lengths for the NZXT rads was hoping to save a bit of cash but currently looking like the only option.

I have a Cosmos 1000 case and was hoping to put the rad on the roof of the case, measured last night and distance from card to roof is 300mm.

Really don't want the hassle of a full watercooled system as there isn't much room in the case as it is.

Ross Thomson · 30 May 2018 at 20:15

the asetek hoses won't reach - I use the coolermaster verticle card mount which will work in any case that has 7 PCI slot covers

liquidphantom · 30 May 2018 at 21:40

Ross Thomson said:
the asetek hoses won't reach - I use the coolermaster verticle card mount which will work in any case that has 7 PCI slot covers

Unfortunately the Cosmos 1000 won't support vertical mounting

Ross Thomson · 31 May 2018 at 08:41

liquidphantom said:
Unfortunately the Cosmos 1000 won't support vertical mounting

you'll need an AIO with longer tubes then.

liquidphantom · 31 May 2018 at 09:29

Ross Thomson said:
you'll need an AIO with longer tubes then.

Any ideas? I know the NZXT x52 has 400mm tubes which is on my list but was hoping to save a bit of cash.

ShowdownPhil · 31 May 2018 at 10:21

I found that NZXT had longer tubes than most others. Tried several rads from Corsair and Fractal, but the only way to fit my 980Ti with a G12 bracket to a radiator at the front was to use a NZXT. Might have to just suck this one up.

liquidphantom · 31 May 2018 at 11:43

ShowdownPhil said:
I found that NZXT had longer tubes than most others. Tried several rads from Corsair and Fractal, but the only way to fit my 980Ti with a G12 bracket to a radiator at the front was to use a NZXT. Might have to just suck this one up.

Think you're right. Which model did you get and what was the performance like?

Wish manufacturers would give the tube length in specs, only a couple seem to bother.

Thanks

ShowdownPhil · 31 May 2018 at 12:05

liquidphantom said:
Think you're right. Which model did you get and what was the performance like?
Wish manufacturers would give the tube length in specs, only a couple seem to bother.
Thanks

Because I had a couple of noctua 140mm fans knocking about from some other project, I picked up a cheap X61 (280mm) from fleabay. It's been working fine for me, not getting much above 40-50deg in Unigen after 20mins or so.

But then I only game at 1080p, so not that taxing, and what I've done is probably way overkill. But it was more about noise for me, and the ability to ramp the fans right down while idling (my GPU wouldn't go lower than 30% when air cooled).

Since the pump is mounted face down, I didn't bother with the terrible CAM software just to get the spinny RGB... I just connected the fans directly into a MB header and used SpeedFan to controll the speed curves.

It's not pretty, but it is quiet: https://i.imgur.com/qTLbIMT.jpg

liquidphantom · 31 May 2018 at 12:46

ShowdownPhil said:
Because I had a couple of noctua 140mm fans knocking about from some other project, I picked up a cheap X61 (280mm) from fleabay. It's been working fine for me, not getting much above 40-50deg in Unigen after 20mins or so.

But then I only game at 1080p, so not that taxing, and what I've done is probably way overkill. But it was more about noise for me, and the ability to ramp the fans right down while idling (my GPU wouldn't go lower than 30% when air cooled).

Since the pump is mounted face down, I didn't bother with the terrible CAM software just to get the spinny RGB... I just connected the fans directly into a MB header and used SpeedFan to controll the speed curves.

It's not pretty, but it is quiet: https://i.imgur.com/qTLbIMT.jpg

Thanks again for all the input

Ross Thomson · 31 May 2018 at 18:57

why are you using the GPU cooler as an inlet? I will be dumping tons of hot air into the case.

ShowdownPhil · 31 May 2018 at 19:30

Ross Thomson said:
why are you using the GPU cooler as an inlet? I will be dumping tons of hot air into the case.

Not while the machine is idle or under low load. In any case, where else would the rad go?

liquidphantom · 31 May 2018 at 19:38

Right measured up 400mm tubes should, just, reach.

Ross Thomson · 31 May 2018 at 19:39

ShowdownPhil said:
Not while the machine is idle or under low load. In any case, where else would the rad go?

Turn fan round to exhaust.

Habakkuk · 1 Jun 2018 at 07:36

Nice clean build here!

liquidphantom · 10 Jun 2018 at 22:06

Well I finally got it set up. Went for the Kraken x52 cooler in the end as there was a deal on the at the "big store". I was hoping to do all the cable routing again but it turns out that the Cosmos 1000 is **** for cable routing I mean there is a slot above the mobo but the rail to clip the side panel on prevents you from using it, Nice work Cooler master!!

The 400mm tubes just reach the roof of the case and only because I have the rad mounted on the fans in a pull config to give a few cms extra reach and even then it's tight. Then I found out that the PSU is getting so old that the sata power connectors are falling apart, plastic literally crumbled them on a few as I plugged them back in... queue scrambling around trying to find SATA splitters in my cable drawer of doom.

Any ways long story short... idle temps at 30c and load temp max 64c (CAM Performance mode) @ 1962MHz clock and no temp throttling!! I call that a win as I was hitting the 84c temp throttling on air before also maxed GPU IRay rendering in Daz Studio now only hits 51c, again this was temp throttling at 84c

I really need a new case though, I can just hear one of those Thermaltake X9's calling my name.

Thanks for the help though all!