Upscaling

[FL630]

My annual "I'm bored of my system" moment has recently happened and therefore I have decided to refresh my system.

Contrary to many people these days, I've decided to upscale from ITX to ATX. This is because I feel the current crop of ITX cases have too many compromises for the system I want. I'd like to keep hold of my ATX PSU, have sufficient radiator support and ideally have an aesthetically pleasing system to have sat on my desk.

My current build is using an i7-4790k and an NZXT Manta case. I'm happy with this build and, as my first W/C loop, I've thought it looks good:



I was struggling to find a Z97 ATX board so ended up going full upgrade and have a i5-8600k and Asus Z370-F motherboard. I'm also keeping my Asus Strix GTX980 due to the insane cost of GPU's these days, plus my main game (Overwatch) doesn't seem to stress the card.

But first... BOXES!



Should be built in one day (tomorrow), will update in due course.

 

[FL630]

Thanks @geordiejc, as am I. My 4790k would get to 4.6GHz on air, but I never bothered to OC when I went to a custom loop. I'm going to be cooling the 8600k/980 with a 240+360 rad, so I'll hopefully have loads of headroom with temps to push it, especially as my 980 was a silicon lottery jackpot winner

And thanks, yes the view is rather nice from my flat. Not great for privacy or noise from City airport, but the water is nice to look out on.

 

[FL630]

I have a 4770k and i'll be interested in understanding how much of an improvement a 6 core IPC gain cpu performs vs your old 4790k.

What monitor you game on ?

A 32" Samsung 2560x1440 VA panel, from my graphic design days. I'd love a high refresh rate monitor, but it's a huge investment.

Will report back with all my findings once it gets going, benchmarks and all. Can't wait!

 

[FL630]

Thanks @GinG, it's been a great system for a year but one of my favourite things to do is to recase my system, it's the most enjoyable part.

Just the case to arrive now. Didn't buy it from OCUK, something I now regret as it's both late and the customer service I have received has been shocking.

Anyway, obligatory money shot!

 

[FL630]

Made some progress on this yesterday and today. Sadly I also found that some of the components I had initially chosen were not suitable so it's perhaps not as flashy as I'd have liked. Either way I'm happy with how a lot of the bends came out and looking forward to filling the system.

I also realise I have not posted a spec:
Intel i5-8600k
Asus ROG Strix Z370-F Motherboard
Asus Strix GTX 980
Corsair Vengeance DDR4-3200 LED Memory (16Gb)
Corsair Crystal 570X Case
EVGA Supernova 750 G2 PSU
Samsung 850 Evo 512Gb SSD
HyperX 240Gb SSD
Western Digital 2Tb Blue HDD
Shakmods sleeved cables
EKWB CPU and GPU blocks
EKWB 250mm Res/D5 pump combo
XSPC fittings and PETG tubing
Magicool 240+360mm radiators
Corsair SP120RGB fans x6
NZXT Grid+
NZXT Hue+

Here are some in-progress pictures...







Shakmods Custom Sleeving


And my attempt of sleeving the EKWB D5 cables as they were nasty green and blue.


I never fitted a drain valve to my first build, something that I regretted! I couldn't think where to put one on this build, here is MK1, but it may change before the end of the build. I ended up going for matte black because I couldn't find the dark chrome XSPC ball valve anywhere! It also looks inconspicuous amongst the black areas of the case.


A few more bends done. The top to front rad connection is quite a complex bend with 4 bends with multiple radiuses.


And this is how it sits as of earlier today. I'm away on work until Friday evening so will hopefully get it going on my return.


Not 100% sure I like the GPU to CPU bend, it was a fun challenge to bend but I may change it.

 

[FL630]

Just to say this project, apart from some cable management, is now finished.

I'll be doing final pictures tomorrow. Apart from a few bends I'm really happy how it's turned out.

Initial overclocks are good, 5GHz at 1.25v on the CPU, the GTX 980 is getting +250 clock / +700 memory. Temps are very good too, even under a RealBench benchmark, the CPU peaks at 68 degrees during handbrake, GPU tops out at 42 degrees.

I'm sure I could get more, perhaps 5.1GHz out of it, but I'm an absolute novice OC'er, so won't push my luck.

 

[FL630]

Have you ever overclocked the 980 without water mate?

Currently have my reference card clocked +200 / +400 memory, just wondered if I could push it safely anymore using the standard cooler?

Yes I had it OC'd on air, it worked well. I'm not sure it's possible to over-overclock to the point of damage, it'll just crash and you back it off. Though try at your own risk of course.

Update to this tomorrow. So far it's hard to say if it's any different to my old system in performance, but boy does it look good

 

[FL630]

So, with the 570X there is one pain in the arse. That is cable management! A glass back to the case means you get to see the exact mess you make. No shoving it all in the back cover and hoping nobody sees!



But with some further work you can improve the situation


And a shed load of cable ties later....


Just so long as you don't look at this bit


And rather focus on bits like this


Then it's time to fill up the loop with some Mayhems X1 UV Blue

 

[FL630]

And finally, the final product!


​

Few more pics to come over the next few days as I finish the final details and take some shots. I'm also going to add a new tube for the drain valve to improve the look of that area when OCUK get the fittings back in stock.

I used Pastel coolant on the last build but thought I'd try the clear stuff. Really glad I did as the subtle lighting in the case really shows it off. I was considering going pastel again, but now it's built I love the X1 Blue.

I am also waiting for Corsair to get the PSU cover back in stock to cover the mess in the lower section. God knows why it's not included in a £180 case but it's only £4 so I'll order when it's in stock.

 

[FL630]

Thanks guys. I've got a few more bits coming over the next few days so when they arrive I'll take the system out for some proper photos.

Must admit...sorry to say but I prefer the look of your old build!! Not sure if it is because moving up a size it's

I know what you mean and I like the old compact W/C system, but I just fancied a larger build. The Manta isn't a whole lot smaller than this case, but was a bit of a nightmare to build in, especially with having to tuck the Res in the basement. Either way, I like the change but my old system was a fun first attempt at water cooling