Part 1:
So my system overheated one night playing EQ2 (Don't start flaming now) Only has happened a handful of times, mainly because my old air system had 14 fans in it and kept the components pretty cool. Downside. Sounded like a jet taking off.
That was with a Zalman fan/heatsink which is "silent" compared to the thermaltake volcano series. So to hell with it, I was tired of LOUD cases and wanted something functional and quite. So here we go.
I will try to keep this a short as possible with more pictures
Tools needed:
Philip's screw driver # 2 and 3
Flat head screw driver #2-3
Adjustable wrench
Vise grips
Needle nose vise grips
Drill (bits help also)
L brackets
Self taping screws
Optional:
Dremel
Pack of smokes
Hot lady
Table clamp
Shop vac
Not optional:
Nagging lady
Drugs
Alcohol
Sleeping pills, etc.
My Old Case:
Again worked well, jumbo jet.
New case:
Thermaltake Armor LCS Full Tower Case
MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI board with a Thermaltake copper block.
Making a mess
Mobo installed with blocks on both video cards and the Northbridge.
Everything installed (Was happy for a little while).
So I bleed the system (Will explain that one later one), and my idle temp is 118F. Ok that not right. Under load it hit 132F and I shut her down. Now the NB block ran ¼ inch tubing, where the rest of the system ran 3/8th tubes. So it does restrict the flow. Figured that may be it, so I removed the NB block and replaced it with a simple fan.
New setup, all 3/8 inch tubing.
No change, still idling high, and under load it jumps fast! So I am looking over the system, 500l/hr pump, it’s pushing enough water threw, check the pressure, it’s good. WTF? So I am looking at the radiator. Just doesn’t look right. Doesn’t take me long to figure it out. Assuming everyone knows how a radiator works, this ones intake is on the bottom left, and outlet is on the bottom right. So the hot water was going straight into the bottom and right back out.
So it’s not a radiator, it just plays one on TV.
Part 2:
So I order a 360MM Danger Den single pass radiator. It 120MM taller, 2 inches wider, and half an inch deeper then the POS rad that came with the case. Downside, got to mod it to fit (Which is fun anyhow).
Gut the front of the case
Attached “l” brackets to the new rad. Cut guide on one side with a dremel so I could slide the L brackets in and out for adjustment, drilled staggered holes in the other side to mount to the case. Drilled some holes (In the case, this is where the shop vac comes in handy, little metal flakes in the case is bad mkkk) and there yea go. (Little more in depth then that, didn't want to write a book).
Installed… again
Time to check for leaks and bleed the system (IMPORTANT).
Now a reservoir is not necessary, mostly used just for looks. However it makes bleeding the system from air A TON easier. Does restrict flow slightly, however it is worth it.
With that said, you need to jump the system. Now in case you have a leak, you do not want to hook up all you stuff and fire it up. If you had a leak and started it up, your system would go up like a roman candle. Now you can jump your PSU to run, however if you got a second comp, much easier.
Hooked up my pump to my second comp, that way I can power up the water system, check for leaks, without any power in the case I am testing, again, if there is a leak, won’t fry any components.
After the system was bleed and checked for leaks, all done. Wire the pump up and button her up.
So how does it perform?
Idle 92F, under load 100-102F. Still pretty high for a water cooled system (IMO). However I was going for functional and quite. The front fans are running at 1300 RPM and 17db a piece. Only throwing 32 CFM. Not much, however the whole system is whisper quite and I cannot get it to break 102 degree’s F so I am happy.
Really not to bad since the CPU and video cards are both overclocked as well.
I will upgrade the front fans to Thermaltake A2018 Series Smart Case fans. They have a speed control, low speeds run the same speed, noise, and CFM as what I got at the moment. High speed runs at 2800 RPM's 46 db’s and 94 CFM’s each. Which will drop the temps a bunch. Can turn up the fans during gaming, down during, well, most everything else.
So this was a project that was supposed to take an afternoon and ended up taking a week. Hope you all like it and if you are planning on getting a system, hope you get some tips and tricks that help.
Best wishes everyone
Chris
Update
So I am searching around for some more info, checking things out, and my RAM is REALLY hot. I thought that the three front fans would be enough to cool the components.... it's not.
So I have a 60 / 80 / 92 and 120mm fan. So I go with the 120mm because it's big and I am a guy.
To Home Depot. I pick up a 3/8th's by 1/4 inch piece of aluminum rod. I also did some reading that if you put rubber in between you fans, psu, pretty much anything that moves, it will significantly decrease your noise and vibrations. So I also pick up a sheet of 1/4 inch rubber and a few packets of rubber washers.
After taking everthing out (AGAIN), insulating it all, putting rubber washers on ever were I could, and mocking up some brackets for the 120mm fan. I got this:
I also cleaned up the wiring some more. And added a speed control for the new fan.
To my surprise, my temps dropped 15 degree's F just adding the fan. Also the noise decreased a ton and there is absolutely NO vibrations at all. Well worth it.
Idle 85F
Load 96F
So my system overheated one night playing EQ2 (Don't start flaming now) Only has happened a handful of times, mainly because my old air system had 14 fans in it and kept the components pretty cool. Downside. Sounded like a jet taking off.
That was with a Zalman fan/heatsink which is "silent" compared to the thermaltake volcano series. So to hell with it, I was tired of LOUD cases and wanted something functional and quite. So here we go.
I will try to keep this a short as possible with more pictures
Tools needed:
Philip's screw driver # 2 and 3
Flat head screw driver #2-3
Adjustable wrench
Vise grips
Needle nose vise grips
Drill (bits help also)
L brackets
Self taping screws
Optional:
Dremel
Pack of smokes
Hot lady
Table clamp
Shop vac
Not optional:
Nagging lady
Drugs
Alcohol
Sleeping pills, etc.
My Old Case:
Again worked well, jumbo jet.
New case:
Thermaltake Armor LCS Full Tower Case
MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI board with a Thermaltake copper block.
Making a mess
Mobo installed with blocks on both video cards and the Northbridge.
Everything installed (Was happy for a little while).
So I bleed the system (Will explain that one later one), and my idle temp is 118F. Ok that not right. Under load it hit 132F and I shut her down. Now the NB block ran ¼ inch tubing, where the rest of the system ran 3/8th tubes. So it does restrict the flow. Figured that may be it, so I removed the NB block and replaced it with a simple fan.
New setup, all 3/8 inch tubing.
No change, still idling high, and under load it jumps fast! So I am looking over the system, 500l/hr pump, it’s pushing enough water threw, check the pressure, it’s good. WTF? So I am looking at the radiator. Just doesn’t look right. Doesn’t take me long to figure it out. Assuming everyone knows how a radiator works, this ones intake is on the bottom left, and outlet is on the bottom right. So the hot water was going straight into the bottom and right back out.
So it’s not a radiator, it just plays one on TV.
Part 2:
So I order a 360MM Danger Den single pass radiator. It 120MM taller, 2 inches wider, and half an inch deeper then the POS rad that came with the case. Downside, got to mod it to fit (Which is fun anyhow).
Gut the front of the case
Attached “l” brackets to the new rad. Cut guide on one side with a dremel so I could slide the L brackets in and out for adjustment, drilled staggered holes in the other side to mount to the case. Drilled some holes (In the case, this is where the shop vac comes in handy, little metal flakes in the case is bad mkkk) and there yea go. (Little more in depth then that, didn't want to write a book).
Installed… again
Time to check for leaks and bleed the system (IMPORTANT).
Now a reservoir is not necessary, mostly used just for looks. However it makes bleeding the system from air A TON easier. Does restrict flow slightly, however it is worth it.
With that said, you need to jump the system. Now in case you have a leak, you do not want to hook up all you stuff and fire it up. If you had a leak and started it up, your system would go up like a roman candle. Now you can jump your PSU to run, however if you got a second comp, much easier.
Hooked up my pump to my second comp, that way I can power up the water system, check for leaks, without any power in the case I am testing, again, if there is a leak, won’t fry any components.
After the system was bleed and checked for leaks, all done. Wire the pump up and button her up.
So how does it perform?
Idle 92F, under load 100-102F. Still pretty high for a water cooled system (IMO). However I was going for functional and quite. The front fans are running at 1300 RPM and 17db a piece. Only throwing 32 CFM. Not much, however the whole system is whisper quite and I cannot get it to break 102 degree’s F so I am happy.
Really not to bad since the CPU and video cards are both overclocked as well.
I will upgrade the front fans to Thermaltake A2018 Series Smart Case fans. They have a speed control, low speeds run the same speed, noise, and CFM as what I got at the moment. High speed runs at 2800 RPM's 46 db’s and 94 CFM’s each. Which will drop the temps a bunch. Can turn up the fans during gaming, down during, well, most everything else.
So this was a project that was supposed to take an afternoon and ended up taking a week. Hope you all like it and if you are planning on getting a system, hope you get some tips and tricks that help.
Best wishes everyone
Chris
Update
So I am searching around for some more info, checking things out, and my RAM is REALLY hot. I thought that the three front fans would be enough to cool the components.... it's not.
So I have a 60 / 80 / 92 and 120mm fan. So I go with the 120mm because it's big and I am a guy.
To Home Depot. I pick up a 3/8th's by 1/4 inch piece of aluminum rod. I also did some reading that if you put rubber in between you fans, psu, pretty much anything that moves, it will significantly decrease your noise and vibrations. So I also pick up a sheet of 1/4 inch rubber and a few packets of rubber washers.
After taking everthing out (AGAIN), insulating it all, putting rubber washers on ever were I could, and mocking up some brackets for the 120mm fan. I got this:
I also cleaned up the wiring some more. And added a speed control for the new fan.
To my surprise, my temps dropped 15 degree's F just adding the fan. Also the noise decreased a ton and there is absolutely NO vibrations at all. Well worth it.
Idle 85F
Load 96F
Last edited by Stealth42o (2006-10-01 14:07:52)