Watercooled Prodigy Build (First Log)

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 13:30

EDIT 2 - WARNING CONTAINS CAT PICTURES.

Hello all,

I have never done a log before but thought it would be a good way to get a few ideas and comments on what I am doing/where I could get my builds a bit better.

EDIT - If anyone wants to look at all my pictures, even ones that dont make it on here you can click http://photobucket.com/redalertprodigybuild

Going to be going from a Bitfenix Shinobi with a single loop for the CPU and GFX card and hopefully doing the same in the Prodigy. I have given a couple of pictures of the Shinobi build just too see what I am coming from and what work there is to be done to get something similar in the Prodigy.

So you can see here I am rocking a GTX 580 with the EK block, a 240 rad in the front with Gentle Typhoons in push pull drawing into the case through the front. A 120 rad on the back. I have a single bay res in the 5'25 at the top a Crucial 60gb SSD as a boot drive and a Samsung(?) 2 tb media drive just above the rad.

Here is a little size comparison for you to see what I am with.

It should be noted that this build will be the first time I am moving away from AMD cpus in my life. Time to get on the blue team I think. With that in mind here is my first couple of purchases.

YOUR BASKET
1 x OcUK GeForce GTX 670 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £285.95
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £169.99
1 x Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe (Socket 1155/Intel Z77.DDR3/S-ATA 600/Mini ITX) £159.98
Total : £627.32 (includes shipping : £9.50).

I have just pressed buy on all this stuff, but unfortunately not from OcUK. Firstly they do not have the board in stock and secondly because if I am spending £600+ on gear really I think free postage should be applied. I know I am not a "loyal forum member" but still, I would have expected more tbh.

I thinking with the custom block on the 670 it should be short enough to go with a 200mm rad and fan in the front and still get a 120 in the top. I am not sure on my workings out here so would appreciate some ideas on where to go with this. Also next on the shopping list is a psu as it seems my coolermaster is a little too long. Any ideas on what I should get? Needs to be modular really as you will see my cable management is not the best.

Anyways, hoping to have all this finished by the weekend so any comments/suggestions on any of this will be much appreciated.

Mike,

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 15:13

GoogalyMoogaly said:
I notice with your old loop the reservoir does seem to be before the pump (well, not directly), I thought this was a no-no?

I'm assuming you're going to remove both drives cages to get the rad in the front?

As far as the loop order goes I dont think it really matters as ultimately it is a closed loop so you could say any one part is before any other, but I dont know maybe I have that wrong?

Yep both cages will be out, I am going to see what space is available in the front with the pump in there and perhaps get a SSD on the PSU wall in the front, failing that I always have two slots for them in the side door.

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 17:18

Ok so with one screwdriver and 5 minutes work you get a Prodigy looking like this.

Now too see the best combination of radiators. I know I am getting a bit ahead of myself here as the mobo/cpu wont be with me until Tuesday but I am eager to get on.

I am doing this right now, so if anyone has a particular picture or measurement let me know and I will do what I can.

Mike

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 17:35

And I think my answer has been found,

I wasn't expecting this to work to be honest but that is a 240 in the front and a 120 in the top with room to spare. Good few CMs in between the rad and psu to get the pump/res sorted.

I was thinking of going with a 200mm in the front and a 120 at the top but after seeing it for myself now, i dont think there is any need.

Mike

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 17:40

For an idea of scale here is my gxt580 (currently with no cooling block on)

and to show there is just enough room so it wont be against the fans when in....

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 18:05

Ok, needing some advice now. MY GTX 580 is clearly going to fit in the system unlike I thought it would. Is the 670 I bought earlier really much of an upgrade over it given that I game in 1080p Skyrim more than anything. Could I save myself the best part of £400 (board + waterblock) and keep the 580 for a while?

Advice please

Mike,

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 21:18

GoogalyMoogaly said:
Other than how cool it would look. I think it might cause an issue with the graphics card though, unless you do get the 670 which would probably be short enough for it not to matter.

If you're happy with the 580, why not keep it? The 670 will be better, but if you can live with the 580 until it doesn't do what you want it to you can probably get something better or at least the 670s might be cheaper?

Annoyingly I do agree that a 200mm would look a little neater in there, however I would be looking at an extra £70ish quid for a rad+fan for very little difference.

I am leaning towards sending the 670 back as soon as it gets here. But I do have the 580 listed on a popular auction site so if there is any movement there in the next few days that plan may change.

As it stands I am not able to get anything done until Tuesday now but that is when the fun really begins.

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 21:32

Nunzio said:
Why not put the 240 at the top?

I thought of trying that, I had a little play with it but I dont really like it tbh.

Red Alert · 15 Jul 2012 at 21:35

Mind you, looking at it again I wonder if I could get the 240 in the top, a 120 in the front on the higher space mounted on its side (there is plenty of room) and still keep in the bottom hdd rack??? It might be a bit tight for space with the pump/res in there but it is always going to be a squeeze in that case anyway. I have put it all away now but I will have a look and take a couple of pics tomorrow.

Red Alert · 19 Jul 2012 at 21:11

Sorry Buzz, I hit a snag. My CPU block backplate didn't sit right on the board. I have a replacment in the post to me now. Going to watch Dark Knight Rises after work tomorrow but will hopefully get this all finished off on Saturday.

Updates to follow.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 11:30

Ok, build "should" be finished today.

After a bit of a problematic backplate on the XSPC Raystorm I had to change it out for an EK Supremecy block. Thankfully the backplate fits this mobo fine.

So with the 3570k in and thermal paste applied.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 11:32

Here is a Cricial M4 60gb boot drive and OCZ 240gb bulk drive installed into the back door panel. If you unscrew this thing it is WAY easier to get the drives fixed in nicely.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 12:06

So this is the final radiator positions, I am fairly sure I can squeeze everything around this.

Here is a rough idea of what the flow will be. Start at the pump and pretend the mobo and GPU are both in there too.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 13:33

Cheers Buzz, I love your internal fan controller on you log btw!!

Top rad removed for ease of access to everything else for now.

580 waterblocked and installed. PSU in with all required cables in there now.

And as always I am getting the usual expert advice from Jasper.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 13:42

DAMN IT. Snag #436 the top rad wont fit on with the GPU fittings on the inside of the card. This one is going to take some thinking time. Might have to wake the cat up.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 14:01

Solved, a bit of inventive tubing coming up.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 14:41

This is everything in that will be going in the case. Fairly happy with the cable routing, not got anything running over anything else yet and its not looking too bad to be honest.

Pic.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 14:42

Spammy 100th post.

I know the fan cables are looking poor and the fittings are silver rather than black, this is on the to do list. Will be re-doing the whole thing with white tubing in a few weeks, but it will be purple for now.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 15:19

Hi Mei,

Being honest I can't even remember why I didn't like it. I actually think you could be right that you could have a 120 in the front at the top just drawing cold air in the front but for some reason I have decided not to do that. :confused:

Oh and yeah it really is amazing how easy this case will take all these parts, its more the board layout that is causing issues really.

Red Alert · 21 Jul 2012 at 15:39

Cheers,

It should be leak testing tonight. Got everything I need so not to far away now.

I need to upgrade some fans, but I will do that when I change out the tubing. So until then the bitfenix fans aren't really all that quiet.

I am thinking of a modest overclock on the CPU and keep the temps/noise down as much as I can. Will have to see how it pans out really, didn't put to much thought into this before giving it a go.