First ever build project

[andrevautour]

i like the look of this a lot -- its really clean and the light looks really clean and glow-y which is nice-it has a great tone to it, but it would look so much cleaner if they didnt join the power cable from the top card with the bottom card and just wound it under and directly out ahh

i know its not yours just a note though

 

[kaney]

Hi Min,

Fantastic and brave first build looking forward to you sharing some pics of your Rig

 

[Min]

Thanks guys for the encouragements!

I know I'm being a little over ambitious with a first build but it's suppose to be an ongoing project for me.

Here is my build at the moment with no modding done to it yet

 

[CPMFW]

looking really nice mate

 

[SEBAR]

Excellent, you have done a very nice job so far.

 

[Min]

Alright guys,

I have had 3 days to go off and plan out my project and at the moment it looks ready to place the order, here is what I'm getting.

Of course all from Special Tech as TTL recommends and Mayhem's cooling stuff.

I ran into a few problems and these are the things that I had to compromise on.

1) Going to put a 360 radiator up top, so I'm going to have to lose the stealth optical bay just like Nasty fighter and having to put the optical drive on the bottom bay expose. No biggie, but such a shame to lose such a nice feature.
2) due to motherboard size restriction etc, going to have to go for a 35.5mm thich radiators instead of previously planned 60mm radiators. Instead I am going for 1x360 & 1x240, instead of the previously planned 2x240 60mm.
3) Instead of having red LED strips on the top, I'm going to run push/pull for the top rad and use a red led fan up top. Hopefully, due to red LED on top and then a radiator and then white LED on the bottom, I hope the resulting colour in the case is not pink.
4) I know I was advised not to use the FrozenQ helix but I just love the look, so this is the one thing I'm going to go against your advices. Sorry! And Special Tech has a discount on them at the moment.

So Here It Is! What do you think?

1x Corsair AX850 Individually Braided Modular Cables in Red (to give that extra red to the colour when plugged into the MoBo and the GPU and coming out the PSU)
1x XSPC 5.25" D5 Dual Bay Reservoir and Pump Combo
1x XSPC RayStorm CPU Waterblock
1x XSPC Razor GTX670 Waterblock
1x XSPC Raxor GTX670 Backplate
1x XSPC EX 240mm Radiator
1x XSPC EX 360mm Xflow Radiator
1x FrozenQ Liquid Fusion V Red Helix
10x XSPC Compression Fitting (Black Nickel)
2x 90 degrees compression fitting (Black Nickel)
3m Primochill Primoflex Red Tubing (3/8 ID - 5/8 OD)
2x Xigmatek Crystal Fan 140mm White LED (For the rear exhaust and one on the HDD cage which will be on low but more for the lighting)
2x Xigmatek Crystal Fan 140mm RedLED (For the 2 intake fans at the front)
5x Xigmatek Crystal Fan 120mm White LED (3 push fans for 360 rad up top & 2 for the pull fans for 240 radiators down bottom)
3x Xigmatek Crystal Fan 120mm Red LED (3 pull fans for the 260 rad up top running in push/pull config)
1x NZXT Sentry Mix 6 Channel Fan Controller
1x Phoya Thermal Paste Cleaner
1x Arctic Cooling MX4 Thermal Paste
Couple of fansplitters to plug into the fan controller
1x 5L distilled water (From Halfords)
1x Mayhems XT-1 Concentrate (Biocide and Anti-corosive)
3x Red LED bulb (1 for the Bay Reservoir up front, one for the CPU block, one for the GPU block)

I'm pretty Psyched about this actually.

I just wanted to mention that Special Tech has been absolutely brilliant so far!
Should be called Special Customer service!

Special mention to Martyn who has been absolutely wonderful.
He stayed on the phone with me for ages at a time, Multiple times a day advising me on my build and giving me parts recommendations.

Great to be ordering from a local supplier, with great service who is there to help you with expert advice.

Oh plus, I got a free mug

Would throughly recommend them to everyone in UK who is looking to build a watercooling rig.

Looking forward to working on my project this weekend, when it arrives on Saturday!

Min x

 

[NastyFighter]

Youre better of with a 60mm rad up top instead of going push pull. Less fans = less noise and a thicker rad with only push gives you more cooling than a thinner rad with push pull. Unless ofcourse the push pull is for aesthetics

Oh and if you go push pull at the top be sure to get some extensions for the 90 degrees fittings. Otherwise they will hit the fans and youll have a problem with the hose.

And those "special" thermal paste cleaners are not necessary. Just some cheap benzene (you know the stuff with which you can take stickers off) will do just fine. Atleast everytime ive used it it works perfect, its much cheaper. I guess they have that at Halfords so no extra trip to the shop

And youre gonna have a big problem with having 2 reservoirs. The only way it will work is to put the output of the FrozenQ above the input of the bay res. Otherwise you wont have any flow and the FrozenQ will flood. And I dont think theres enough space for the FrozenQ because it will interfere with the rad and fans on the top.

Another tip is to buy the fittings afterwards. So you can test fit all the components and use the hose to check for kinks, looks and what not and then order the fittings you need. This isnt necessary but for me it made things a lot easier.

Oh and you cant fit 120 fans on a 280 rad. So get 2 less Xigmatek Crystal Fan 120mm White LED and get 2 extra 140 fans if you want push pull at the bottom. Or vice versa depending on what rad you want to fit in the front.

Otherwise its looking fine!

 

[B NEGATIVE]

Youre better of with a 60mm rad up top instead of going push pull. Less fans = less noise and a thicker rad with only push gives you more cooling than a thinner rad with push pull. Unless ofcourse the push pull is for aesthetics

Oh and if you go push pull at the top be sure to get some extensions for the 90 degrees fittings. Otherwise they will hit the fans and youll have a problem with the hose.

And those "special" thermal paste cleaners are not necessary. Just some cheap benzene (you know the stuff with which you can take stickers off) will do just fine. Atleast everytime ive used it it works perfect, its much cheaper. I guess they have that at Halfords so no extra trip to the shop

And youre gonna have a big problem with having 2 reservoirs. The only way it will work is to put the output of the FrozenQ above the input of the bay res. Otherwise you wont have any flow and the FrozenQ will flood. And I dont think theres enough space for the FrozenQ because it will interfere with the rad and fans on the top.

Another tip is to buy the fittings afterwards. So you can test fit all the components and use the hose to check for kinks, looks and what not and then order the fittings you need. This isnt necessary but for me it made things a lot easier.

Oh and you cant fit 120 fans on a 280 rad. So get 2 less Xigmatek Crystal Fan 120mm White LED and get 2 extra 140 fans if you want push pull at the bottom. Or vice versa depending on what rad you want to fit in the front.

Otherwise its looking fine!

Benzine? Lighter fuel....

No.

Just buy some Arcticlean and be done with it,this should be standard kit in your box.

 

[Min]

Hi,

The cleaner was only something like 2 quid. So not too worried about that.
Due to my mobo size. I don't think there was room to put a 60mm rad up top with a fan in push config. So that's why I went for a 35.5mm one. The pull fans will be on the top of the case under the top vent cover so it does not add to the thickness inside the case
Looks like I need to do some homework on the frozenQ
But I think coolant goes in one end and comes out the other as if it was just an extension to the tubing. But I'll look into that!

 

[jamesriley94]

Turn the power supply round!

They look so much better the other way

 

[B NEGATIVE]

Turn the power supply round!

They look so much better the other way

That is subjective.....

I prefer them that way up,they get a nice clean fresh air intake.

 

[jamesriley94]

They don't really get hot enough I think to require fresh air, and as long as you have decent air flow it's fine.

Just prefer looking at a fan than a sticker.

 

[B NEGATIVE]

They don't really get hot enough I think to require fresh air, and as long as you have decent air flow it's fine.

Just prefer looking at a fan than a sticker.

Like most things,its personal choice.

 

[NastyFighter]

I guess for 2 quid its worth it. Ive always worked with benzene because that what I had at hand and it always did the trick in desolving the stuff.

Good luck with your build dude and im really looking forward to it.

 

[ugiboy]

Hi, my son got this case after watching Tom's excellent reveiw. He has put a 360x45 with pull fans in the roof & a 240 (the 280 he bought did not leave enough room for psu connections) in push, pull in the floor and it looks amazing with red coolant & red led fans. Cheers Glen

 

[The Orange One]

Great Build Log Mate! Well Done On this excellent rig! Enjoy it!

-The Orange One

 

[Min]

Guys I need advice.

I have spoken to Martyn at Special Tech regarding the FrozenQ Helix after Nasty Fighter's comment.

He said that if I configure my loop this way, there shouldn't be any problem.

So can you have a look at my very crudely drawn diagram and see if this will work?

Thanks

 

[NastyFighter]

If that helix thing can hold presure and is air tight it should work. Otherwise you will get fluid down but not up. Just pointing out, I have no experience with the FrozenQ though but since it is prone to leakage as Negative said it may be problematic.

 

[B NEGATIVE]

Connect the pump directly to the frozen q with a male to male connector?

 

[Min]

So have the pump under the Frozen Q and have it inbetween the bottom radiator and the FrozenQ?

I quite like the idea of having a bay res, to complete the look at the front of the case, but so your suggesting a loop that goes straight from the FrozenQ into the top radiator?