H2O Cooling Build Log (Retiring) 4-way SLI - Successful

  • Thread starter Pako
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nick09
Well thats really all you need Pako to run those fans and you can power the UV light's brightness with the fan controller too.

@opendriver, what fans are you planning to use? If the fans are Vantec Tornados or another powerful fan then you need a fan controller like the one I suggested.
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All are 120x25:

3 Coolermaster ones that push 40CFM@ 19dba
2 Rosewill RFA-120-K that push 75CFM@ 30dba, one of them is on my CPU cooler
1 Xigmatek that pushes 50CFM at 20dba

Moving the old Xigmatek fan to the bottom of my case from the CPU heatsink and replacing it with the Rosewill one dropped my idle/load temps by about 2C
 
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Due to a series of unfortunate events last night, and a little bit of an obsession, I am looking into a major upgrade to this system. Long story short, I need to replace my mother board. Why just replace that, when I could be updating to an i7 processor. One thing leads to another..... Here is the result of the progression:

Here's what I'm looking at so far.


Ram:
Corsair Core i7 Dominator 6GB PC15000 DDR3 RAM - Tri Channel, 1866MHz (3 x 2048MB), DHX

PSU:
Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified

Processor:
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965 Nehalem 3.2GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor

Mother Board:
ASUS Rampage II Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard or Foxconn Blood Rage motherboard

Water Block back Plate:
Swiftech Apogee-GTZ-Ci7 for Intel® Core® i7 Compatibility


Replacement Motherboard for my wifes PC that will get left over CPU/RAM parts from my old system:
nForce 750i SLI
Part Number: 122-YW-E173-TR


Ouch!
 
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opendriver
Thats it, off to the nut house you go. You've lost it.
Click to expand...

Dude, I know...I know. It's even crazier than that, but I can't get into details. :crazy:

My biggest decision right now is the EVGA X58 SLI board vs. the Asus Rampage II.

From some of the benches I have seen, the Rampage II is the top board with the EVGA almost last in both performance and power consumption. I know EVGA is a solid company with killer customer support.

The Foxconn board is basically out. Between availability and of it's "features", I think I'll stick with the X58 SLI or the Rampage II.
 
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nick09
I found this comment here which seems like a good point about the ASUS board.

But for you to make a comparison of each here is the conclusion page of each motherboard.
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...a-x58-sli-lga-1366-motherboard-review-17.html
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/foru...age-ii-extreme-x58-motherboard-review-16.html

I would personally get the ASUS motherboard.
Click to expand...


Yep. I have come to the same conclusion. I had actually tried a couple different audio cards I had laying around and couldn't get them to fit in my 780i FTW configuration. You know, trying to give my motherboard/CPU less load to gain a couple points on the benchmark. There are a couple other things that makes the Asus very attractive. Some of the features that caught my attention are:
  • LED System info display.
  • On The Fly hardware based voltage adjustments on the Mobo
  • Power, Reset, CMOS Reset switches on board.
  • Includes 3 heat sensors that can be event based reactive to fans and shutting down system.
  • Back-lit plug-in plate.
  • Sound Card included.
  • Native Ram DDR3 1833 speeds, OC 2000 ram speeds.

Should I ever decide to jump the Nvidia ship, CrossFire is also supported on this board.
 
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Sureshot
Another glowstick PC?
Click to expand...

Same case and water cooling solution.

The only difference will be a new Mobo, CPU, RAM, and Power Supply. I am also not going to water cool the motherboard (NB/SB Chips) unless I find a good solution for the board of choice. And yes, it will still glow.


------------------------


I should mention. One of the main reasons I would go for the EVGA board is the aftermarket water cooling solution that is available from Bitspower. I have it on my 780i board and it is awesome!!!! A water cooling solution like that is not out for the Rampage II board.
 
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Can I jump in here and say that you make some of the worst investments ever? :lol:

No offense, but you've built like three systems that would beat the hell out of mine in like a six month period.
 
I know man. It's ridiculous, I know. This 780i FTW system was my first Water Cooled setup and was a huge learning experience. The video cards, case, and mods will carry over so I'm still good there.

So basically, I'm saving tons of money. :D
 
Do you play FSX, Pako? You should definitely try that on your new rig to see how it goes. The game is so heavy to run with everything on max settings.
 
I haven't no, but have been suggested by a couple people now that I should. Some of the detail map expansion packs look great from what I heard but will take a huge performance hit to maintain quality settings. Sounds like I need to check it out.
 
Pako
I haven't no, but have been suggested by a couple people now that I should. Some of the detail map expansion packs look great from what I heard but will take a huge performance hit to maintain quality settings. Sounds like I need to check it out.
Click to expand...

I would highly recommend, and other members who play FSX, to get a joystick of some sort. I tried to play with a USB controller, it was like trying to open the door on a TVR.


Good luck on getting everything together in one piece. Im curious why you went for the 965 EE instead of the 920.
 
opendriver
I would highly recommend, and other members who play FSX, to get a joystick of some sort. I tried to play with a USB controller, it was like trying to open the door on a TVR.
Click to expand...
:lol: Got a sidewider 2 I think. Kind of a lame yoke, but it will work.


Good luck on getting everything together in one piece. Im curious why you went for the 965 EE instead of the 920.
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I figured I was in it this far already, whats another $500? I know, $500 is a bunch of money, but honestly, I wanted an extreme system, like over the top. I also wanted 130+ FPS at 1920x1200 on the X3: Terran Conflict bench. :D Yes, it's that addicting.
 
Everything is finally in. Now I have to just find the time to get it all together:






Note: 3839A508



The 120.2 will be replaced by the new 120.3 for the CPU cooling. I will retain the 120.3 on the top of the case for the 3xGTX280 cooling. I guess I can always add the 120.2 back in the cpu loop if things get too crazy.
 
FatAssBR
That should satisfy your needs until the end of... March? :P
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:lol:

I hear ya. I know I have a problem, I really do. For what it's worth, I took this opportunity to update my wife's computer. She hates it when I 'fix' her computer, she says it's fast enough for checking emails and surfing the net, but I insist on getting her updated. :D
 
opendriver
I know how you feel about having the parts come from different shipping services, it can be a pain.

It suck how fast technology move these days



In short, the I7 920, 940 and 965EE are being canned for newer versions, having higher clock speeds and C0/DO stepping. Better stepping = better overclocking.
Click to expand...

Well that just made my day.... I know that when you make a decision on technology, you can't look forward, only back. :)
 
I definitely know that is way out of my budget but that looks like a awesome build. How is the new motherboard?

Also what are those buttons towards to the left of the ram for?
 
Looking good Pako! So when do you think you'll need to upgrade your system? Next week?;)
All I did was put this in my computer this week.
BA25599b.jpg

My pockets aren't as deep as yours.:D
 
opendriver
Almost 100FPS in X3, at 1900X120, on stock speeds is just sick. Now bump it up to ~4.2 and let 'er rip.

A truly insane system.
Click to expand...

Thanks, It's getting there. Have some cleanup and wiremanagement as well a couple other house keeping issues, but I think it's good to go. 👍

nick09
I definitely know that is way out of my budget but that looks like a awesome build. How is the new motherboard?

Also what are those buttons towards to the left of the ram for?
Click to expand...

The mother board is "One Bad Muthah". :D It will take me a bit to get comfortable around.

What buttons, these?
DSC_0092.JPG

Those are cool, let you start and restart the computer right from the motherboard without need for a case. The other buttons allow you to toggle through different voltage parameters and increase or decrease in realtime. Kinda neat.

GT3mich
Looking good Pako! So when do you think you'll need to upgrade your system? Next week?;)
All I did was put this in my computer this week.
BA25599b.jpg

My pockets aren't as deep as yours.:D
Click to expand...

Decent motherboard for sure. I just got my wife's computer updated with a Asus P5QL Pro. Great little motherboard for the price/performance. :)

I hope I won't have to upgrade for a long time, I'm out of money... :D
 

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