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New to water cooling - now I've got the water-cooling bug!

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  • New to water cooling - now I've got the water-cooling bug!

    (Edit - if you’re new to the forum, this build has evolved a ton, since I started this journey - be sure to check the newer pages for pics of its current state)

    So early in the year I decided I wanted to do some upgrades to my computer. I've always wanted to build a custom cooling loop to replace my aging Corsair H100 AIO, but never been brave enough to do so... until now.

    I am still running sandybridge-e, and have yet to make the leap to a newer cpu/mobo. I am waiting on Intel to release their latest generation chips, as I currently am struggling to justify replacing my trusty i7-3930k as it still serves me very well to this day, OC'd to 4.4 Ghz.

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    I figured rather than spend money on a new cpu and jumping into a custom loop, I'd start with the loop and if I screwed up, at least I wouldn't fry a brand new cpu and/or mobo.

    I started purchasing parts direct from EKWB, not knowing Dazmode was right here in Canada. So glad I found such an excellent distributor of quality water-cooling parts, close to my home! (Although my wallet isn't thanking me, LOL)

    My first install was pretty simple, just cooling my CPU:
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    So I decided to expand and added a second Rad, along with a block on my newly purchased GTX 1080 Ti:
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    While I was very satisfied with the cooling performance, I wasn't really happy with the looks.

    The TT Level 10 GT wasn't really made with water-cooling in mind. So after much browsing of various cases, I decided to purchase an EVGA DG-86... and bigger rads and a new modular psu with black cables. I also ended up sleeving all the other cables in the system, myself. Fan, pump, etc. (I think I need help! =D )
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    I have to say I'm very pleased with the look and performance, (And silence) of this new build! I don't have a name for it... maybe "Insanity" based on the amount of time & money I ended up spending on it, LOL.



    It was a rewarding experience and I learned a lot during the whole process.

    I've been forum lurking for a while, and have many people to thank here for your insights posted throughout this forum. Your posts, and Daz' (and many other youtubers ) vids helped a great deal with getting to this end result.

    My next steps?
    Next time I drain/service the loop, I want to put a larger res tube in and add some sort of lighting to the res itself. This may not happen until I get a new cpu, mobo and memory, though. (Depending on how impressed I am, with Intel's next gen.)

    Cheers,
    Mack
    Last edited by MackTheKnight; 07-17-2021, 06:51 PM.

  • #2
    Great Job welcome to the forum
    Blue Dragon CM690 II an i7 - 960 x58 build
    OverKill HTPC - Red Team Build an AMD FX6100 with dual HD 5870's in crossfire.
    Canadian Amateur Modding Competition

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    • #3
      Nice build. Feeling like making soft tube build lately.
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      • #4
        Thanks, Guys.

        Originally posted by DazMode View Post
        Nice build. Feeling like making soft tube build lately.
        I debated about going with hard tubing, but decided to stick with soft-tubing for my first water-cooling build. I agree the hard-tubing looks nicer, but not as easy to work with when you swap parts often.

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        • #5
          Welcome to the forums, we all, or most of us started with soft tubing, as you get more into it hard tube is not the big of a deal and has its advantages, also some draw backs, like not swapping your hardware as much though that may be considered an advantage also. I used to change motherboards allot not so nowadays after using hardtube. Away welcome to the world of water cooling make sure you hide the receipts from the wife and ya that's about it.
          Blackout
          Something-New
          Sma8-Caselabs

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          • #6
            Thank you for the warm welcome, Nass.

            Yes, gotta hide all the receipts! LOL

            Looks like this summer/fall is going to be interesting with AMD and Intel releasing some new goodies. X99 replacement for Intel and a competing product coming from AMD. I may not jump in either wagon, but it'd sure be nice to see some price drops on the 6850k and 6950x.

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            • #7
              New build in progress

              So, I wasn't planning to upgrade just yet, but I got a deal I couldn't refuse on an i7 6850K recently and took the plunge.

              I just got all the parts in today.

              New parts:
              i7-6850k
              MSI Tomahawk X99A Mobo
              32 GB Gskill TridentZ RGB RAM CAS16 @ 3200 Mhz (Not an RGB fan, but the price was right)
              512 GB Samsung Evo NVME SSD

              Migrating from existing X79 build:
              EVGA DG-86
              EVGA 750 Watt Gold rated PSU
              EVGA GTX 1080Ti FE with EK Wb
              2 X 512GB Samsung EVO SSD's
              Darkside 360 Rad
              Alphacool Cross Flow 360 Rad
              EK Supremacy X99 WC Block
              EK D5 Pump/Res combo (upgrading to 200 ML Res top)
              Various fittings, etc...

              I was going to go with Ryzen but the deal on the 6850K, I just couldn't pass up! That and X99 seems to be a pretty solid platform. Ryzen is still a little on shaky ground from what I'm reading, especially when it comes to finding just the right ram kit. (Guess I jumped the gun on buying that AM4 Heatkiller block )

              I've the basics up and running on a testbed tonight and all my components are tested & working.

              Hoping to get time this coming weekend to drain, flush and disassemble my old system and get this up and running!

              Click image for larger version

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              Yes, that's an ancient XFX PCI-E GTX 7800. The cooler sounds like a dust-buster but it works for testing! LOL

              I'll take some more pics of the finished product, but don't have the fancy camera or photography skills you fine gentlemen have.

              Cheers,
              Mack
              Last edited by MackTheKnight; 07-13-2017, 02:27 AM.

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              • #8
                Motherboard looks sweet.

                That 7800 is off-the-charts awesomeness.

                Good luck with the new gear!
                DS340-E: Core I7 3770K Undervolted at 4.3Ghz, Asrock Z77 Extreme-3, 16GB of Adata XPG V2 gold RAM at 2200mhz, XFX R9 290 with EK water block and (I love) gold backplate, EK tubing, Bitspower and Darkside fittigs, Darkside RGB lighting with handy remote control, WD Black Dual (120GB SSD+1TB mechanical) hard disk, Swiftech PWM fan controller, Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

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                • #9
                  Thanks, 10e. I'm quite happy with the investment! Most of the parts I got on sale. Man these NVME drives are fast! (First time NVME user)

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                  • #10
                    Definitely a nice bit of kit.
                    Should make for an awesome build.
                    Bring on the build log.
                    Blue Dragon CM690 II an i7 - 960 x58 build
                    OverKill HTPC - Red Team Build an AMD FX6100 with dual HD 5870's in crossfire.
                    Canadian Amateur Modding Competition

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                    • #11
                      Nice upgrade! Look forward to seeing it all together in the EVGA 86. Had to look up what a 6850k was, haven't been keeping up with all the seemingly random names!
                      My Imgur

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                      • #12
                        Thanks, Necro!

                        I am happy with the results!


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                        I re-arranged my loop a bit and set the front intake fans to pull vs push, as that seems to encourage better airflow over the motherboard. I also stuck with distilled water and dazmode protector, as the fesor one blue was a challenge to flush from the loop as discussed in my other thread.

                        Overall, I like the look. As for any real-world performance gain, I definitely see improvements in 3dmark benches and the like. Also the NVME drive is very fast!

                        I expect more consistent framerate in VR but haven't had time to get everything re-installed yet. It's nice to have native USB3 support for the Oculus Rift.

                        Cheers,
                        Mack

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                        • #13
                          Cool clock!
                          __________________________________________________
                          Retro Build: Build Log,
                          Baby Blue Build: Build Log,
                          Green Lanten Build: Build Log,
                          Sentinel Build: Build Log,
                          Venom Build: Build Log,
                          Silent Sniper Build: Final Video,
                          Orange Build: Final Video
                          HTPC Build: Final Video
                          __________________________________________________

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                          • #14
                            Thanks

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                            • #15
                              Nice set up man and welcome!! Did I see a level 10 hehehe.
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